All private servers aren't legal. They didn't buy the rights to release the game, they're doing it without permission. The reason why I say this particular one isn't exactly legal is because they're not making money off of it nor are they asking for donations, as far as I am aware. They're using a loophole in the law that basically protects them so long as no money is coming to them. I know these things because I use to GM on a WoW Private Server that started off the way RoR is, utilizing the loophole to protect themselves. However, the Admin decided to open up a cash shop store and after about three months we were sent a cease and desist by Blizzard. When the admin refused and kept the server going, he wound up getting a visit from the Blizzard legal team that gave him the option to either go to jail or close down the server. We ultimately went with closing the server down. However, we were IP Banned from the Official Game as punishment. While I do understand that Age of Reckoning is closed and abandoned, there's still the fact that EA owns the rights to Age of Reckoning and can, if they so choose to, make legal actions against Return of Reckoning the moment the private server starts making money. Due to the fact it's the only AoR private server in existence, there's a good chance someone from EA is watching it. EA is a company made of assholes and I don't see them wanting to miss a chance at making money if they can and they can make money if they sue the people behind RoR. However, since RoR is free and the people behind it aren't accepting money, they're protected at the moment. EDIT: So, apparently GW, unofficially, gave the RoR team the okay so long as they don't make a profit or accept donations. My bad.
The thing that could really speak in Orks favour when people play F2W-Orks could be the fact that after people have dipped their toes in the game and decides to buy the game, they might already have joined an Ork-clan, or just generally speaking met enough friends to consider it worthy enough to continue play Orks. But honestly: Even if most people that played F2W-orks left it would not necessarily be a bad thing. Where there is a lack of quantity there is usually quality instead, but I kinda guess this would go against everything that is "Orkish".
For F2W to works, In mine ownz opinion, the free playas gotsta pay to get better Bitz, bigger boyz (assuming dey iz kreated) etc that Paying orks get access to. HOW dey pay the devs can control.. Pay Monies, or pay time. Work out an exp accrual so if youz play lots you get somfin for it. Gotsta dangle a carrot in front of em if ya wan-em ta stick around. Dats why so many games is "successful" (depends on your interpratationz of the word), having fun AND "accomplishin" something. That'll get more boyz ta stick around. If dey get frustrated wif working towards earnin somefin, dey will crack out da CreditKard to buyz it. I know it's worked on me a fore on overgames I swore I wouldn't spend monies on.
I expect some sort of learning curve for the staying players, something like this: 1. Join the F2WAAAGH! Orks, and get playing. 2. Get bored with/Is uninterested in Orks, but likes game, buys it and change faction. 3. Realize how strict and no-fun-allowed the other, Founder-dominated factions can be after a time playing another faction. 4. Realize that the Ork Faction is right fun to be with, is generally easygoing and friendly towards new players, and that Marines aren't always as cool as they might sound. 5. Go back to Orks. Of course, this won't happen to all people, but as a TT player, I know most people, including me, start out with the army they think they like, and then realize that that army isn't as interesting as they thought. Happens to most people, really. I shifted from Tau, to Orks, had a misadventure with Grey Knights, and then vent to Fantasy to play Skaven, which I quickly found out I didn't like, and then switched to Ogre Kingdoms... But all in all, I still really like Orks. On top of that, videoes like the "Meet the..."-vids from TF2 would be great. One for each faction, with the soul of each faction coming through while still being informative of the actual game. I know that that was what hooked me to play TF2 back in the day, and I'm still playing
I have been wondering that what if that for the majority it would go the other way around, and they would go for orks exactly because they were orks instead of a new faction. Either way... Free&BoughtToWAAAAGH!
the problem will be IMHO that the more skilled players will gravitate towards the paid factions and the f2w will be full of low skilled players that arent really vested, so it becomes a turkey shoot the equivalent of premades versus pugs.
If that happens, at least it will be because of the reason you described instead of imbalance. But it wouldn't be fun telling that if/when people complain.
"Lovable goons" (tm) Orks can be potrayed many ways, if they go with the kids cartoon villain look then the whole f2waagh will fail. Happily enough I dont think this was supposed to be "LEGO: Warhammer 40k" Main function for the F2W is to be a testbed for people intrested in the game, it will provide a challenge for ork organizations to hold their players as when players buy the game they will 3/4 times be jumping to another faction.
One sure fire way to get paid players to play orks, let them ride squiggoths into battle! Aint nothin meaner then a 'uge boss ridin a squiggoth!
