Want to get involved in Nexon’s free-to-play MMORPG Mabinogi? It’s a great time for it, what with the massive Pioneers of Iria expansion just added into the game and a lot of previously premium content suddenly becoming free.

Of course, with that expansion came some important decisions. Now there are three different races for characters to pick from – humans, giants and elves. Each race plays differently, and depending on which you choose, you could end up an unknowing pawn in an ongoing war.

So today we’ll take a close look at Mabinogi’s three races, to help newcomers and returning veterans better understand what each has to offer. We’ll tell you how to get your free elf and giant character cards, then go through basic information on all three races. When you’re done, you may want to look back at Gamertell’s previous Mabinogi guides…

If you’re a frequent Gamertell reader, you may be thinking, “Wait, Mabinogi was already reviewed!” That’s true. However, that was before the massive Pioneers of Iria expansion that Nexon unleashed on February 26, 2009.

Previously in Mabinogi, the game would be updated in bursts called Generations. Each Generation would tend to have a storyline and new features, which would gradually be rolled out in Seasons. So it wasn’t uncommon to hear players referring to the game in terms of Generation 2 Season 2, or G3S1. Got a bit complicated, and confusing for newcomers.

Nexon decided to shake things up, and instead of continuing that pattern and picking up with Generation 4, launched Generations 4, 5 and 6 all at once in the massive Pioneers of Iria expansion. That wasn’t enough for the company though – it also decided to make a substantial amount of previously premium content free.

If you haven’t been playing Nexon’s free-to-play MMORPG Mabinogi, February 26, 2009 may be a good day to start. On that day, Nexon is releasing Pioneers of Iria, a massive expansion pack that combines Generations 4 – 6 in one massive pack. As we discussed before, this means all new skills, the new continent of Iria and the elf and giant races will be added into the game.

It gets better – the Mainstream Storyline Quests from Generations 1 – 3 are now all free. Previously, to take part in the main storyline quests, you’d have to pay for one of the four Premium Services (Advanced Play Service, Extra Storage Service, Nao’s Support Service or the Fantasy Life Club). This means only select users could become Paladins or Dark Knights. In addition, you could only transform into a Paladin or Dark Knight if you were using one of those services.

Also, you can now rebirth for free. Rebirthing a character, that is basically starting over at level one, back at a younger age again, is essential if you wanted to level up skills and abilities. Previously, you had to purchase a $7.90 Basic or $9.50 premium character card…