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In an exclusive meeting at E3 last week, we spoke with Fernando and Kate Paiz, producers of Turbine's D&D Online, about their plans to significantly adjust the game's subscription model and allow players free access to the game. It's a bold step but one that Turbine feels is right for the property.

The game, set to launch this summer, will be renamed D&D Online: Eberron Unlimited (or simply DDO Unlimited). Available as a digital upgrade to existing subscribers, newcomers will be able to download and start playing the game for free. A new DDO store, instantly accessible anywhere within the game itself, will sell equipment, new adventures, added character content (including the brand new monk class), hirelings and a host of other things. All the new items are loaded within the client, so once a player purchases an item, it's immediately available.

Free players will not be restricted in their progress through the game and will have constant access to the game servers and be able to progress all the way up to the game's new level cap. The producers emphasized that players can still obtain their adventuring kit within the game itself. In fact, there are some high-level items that simply aren't for sale in the store and will instead have to be earned through play. As players adventure through the world of Eberron they will also earn points they can spend at the store, meaning that it's possible to reap the benefits of the store without ever having to get out their credit cards.

Players who wish to explore what the store has to offer can spend cash to get store credits. The producers' demo of the store showed how seamless the whole process is. Whenever a player is confronted with premium content, whether at the door of a locked dungeon or selecting a purchasable option during character selection, there's a handy link right to the store and with a minimum of clicks, players will have instant access to the new feature. Players are also free to browse through all the store listings at any time and any purchases items are immediately placed in their character's inventory.

Current players who wish to continue their paid subscriptions will now be known as VIPs. Their fees will give them automatic access to many of the additions that other users have to purchase a la carte. VIPs will also have priority server access and a shared bank slot that can be used to transfer items from one character to another on the same account. Additionally, VIPs will receive a monthly allotment of store credits that they can use to buy whatever additional items the desire. Though the store's pricing structure is still being balanced, VIPs are likely to get a bit more for their money than a player who chooses to buy all the additions individually.

DDO is taking the new approach because Turbine felt it's the right title to explore free-to-play MMOs and microtransactions. Not only does the concept of paying for additional content adhere to the pen-and-paper game's reliance on modules, sourcebooks, miniatures, and such, but it also helps players who don't have as much time to play a chance to stay competitive with their friends by purchasing XP boosts and improved adventuring gear.

The new system may also smooth over a few of the MMO's design issues. Since leaving a dungeon early to resupply results in an XP hit, players can now purchase new arrows and potions (and even resurrection tokens) inside the dungeons. Solo-minded players can more easily take on tougher challenges by purchasing a full party's worth of retainers.

Turbine hopes to launch D&D Online: Eberron Unlimited this summer. Players who would like early access to the game can sign up for the beta at the DDO website.