A million-dollar fortune awaits you on a faraway island. All you have to do is pack your bags and head to Caballa Island to participate. This is the backdrop for “Trickster Online,” a free real-time MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) that has been constantly revamped ever since it premiered in 2006. Although this genre stirs up thoughts of having to grind (tediously kill the same monsters to gain progress), this is an MMORPG with a different twist that attracts new players and keeps veteran players hooked.

Billionaire Don Cavalier passes away, leaving behind a challenge for fortune-seekers. People from different backgrounds and countries flock to this Pacific island to claim part of his fortune, and so the game begins.

The gameplay is fairly simple and slow. It starts out with a choice of four unique characters, each with a male and female counterpart and different professions and reasons for coming to the island. Once you chose a character, “Trickster Online” practically plays itself. A generic battle system requires you to use your mouse to target a monster by clicking on it. Keyboard shortcuts and the option to bind skills to a hot bar make the battle system trouble-free.

“Trickster Online” has a unique gameplay concept that separates it from other MMORPGs: the drilling system. You can buy or find drills and unearth items from the ground. It may seem tedious at first, but it is highly rewarding as you earn money, obtain useful items, and gain experience.

Aside from drilling, the game offers another easy way to progress without grinding. In the questing system, NPCs (non-playable characters) assign you objectives that vary from killing a certain number of monsters in a given time to getting an item, finding cards, or just following the story. The quests give you sufficient experience to easily ascend through levels.

The graphics aren't eye-popping because the game is created in a 2-D platform, but each region is designed so that no two look the same. The background music also goes along with the environment graphics very well, and sets a mood that corresponds with the moment. The music is pleasant enough that it is unnecessary to open your iTunes library when you play.

This game comes with a friendly community. The dedication that the producers bring to “Trickster Online” is excellent. SG Interactive sends game masters in to interact with the players. In addition, I like that unique in-game items or cash shop items can be earned by doing community-based objectives. That way, you never feel weak in the game for not getting items from the cash shop, unlike other MMORPGs.

“Trickster Online” is free and does not require endless hours of playtime. The staff commitment has kept me hooked for three years and counting. Surely, this is an MMORPG worth trying.