Imagine if Ken Follet and JK Rowling came together to write a game - then you'd probably have something along the lines of PlaneShift.
PlaneShift is a role playing game set in a mystical medieval fantasy world, where you start off as a pauper in search of fortune. It isn't, however, a game that you can just download and get going straight away. First you need to register on the developer website and then you'll have to spend a while going through the user manual. PlaneShift is a pretty complex world where the developers ultimately aim to mix real world politics and economic problems to create a very realistic but very difficult to follow world unless you log on regularly.
As in games such as Second Life, while you are logged off, your possessions and progress continue in real time which is why you have to regularly log on to avoid being destroyed, especially within the early stages. At the moment, you can explore the virtual world, interact with other players or with server controlled creatures, fight monsters, cast spells, solve quests and puzzles, improve your character, gain magical items and more.
The plus side of PlaneShift is that it's entirely free to play, which is unusual for a 3D MMORPG game of this size. You're also not limited by budgetary constraints or game limitations - you can expand your world as far as your imagination will take you. Alternatively, if combat isn't your cup of tea, you can just live as a ordinary citizen in the game although this doesn't offer half as much thrill as pillaging and invading your neighbors.
The downside of all this is that PlaneShift is prone to bugs, crashes, slow server times (because they rely on sponsors to provide them) and by the developers own admission, it's not complete as yet.
That said, for a free 3D MMORPG game, PlaneShift is a very worthwhile option for those on a limited budget or those that don't want to feel compelled by money to keep playing regularly.
