The gamers here need to realize something. F2P is for the shareholders, not the community.

F2P is not a magic wand that automatically adds more and better content.

F2P does not equal interesting and engaging story.

F2P does not fix bugs.

F2P will not save TOR if EA/Bioware do not overhaul the game's direction and end game content. You know, the stuff that was so boring and redundant that enough of the player base left and EA felt the need to change the pay model 6 months after launch. I hope that they realize F2P won't make people spend money - a good and fun game makes people spend money. Here's to hoping.

I agree fully. F2P is just a cheap way for EA/BW to milk people for money before the game dies off completely, that's all it is. Successful games don't go F2P within a year of release, only the games that failed do this.

The game has a ton of issues, and instead of devoting resources to fixing those issues (bugs, lack of content, core gameplay issues), they spent time on setting up F2P, because even they understand what a disaster this is and are trying to grab at what ever cash they can get before the end.

A new type of content.

I wonder why they haven't done something like squad based missions. The one thing that SW:TOR has that WoW doesn't, is the unique companion system. If they created a new type of content, one that involves all of your squad mates Mass Effect style, it should be a nice new content to play.

It will boost the economy because now you have to buy gear for all of your companions.

It should be nice content for solo players.

There have been studies on this, because MMOs are about making a profit. And no matter what MMO you look at, only a minority of players ever take part in end game. The largest majority of players reach max level and then roll another character.

The players that quit because there's "nothing to do at endgame" are the ones that only come back for an expansion and then quit again once they complete that stage. They move from game to game like locusts. There's nothing any MMO developer can do to keep them around because they'll always be able to complete the new content faster than anybody can program it.

The players that quit because there's "nothing to do at endgame" are the ones that only come back for an expansion and then quit again once they complete that stage. They move from game to game like locusts. There's nothing any MMO developer can do to keep them around because they'll always be able to complete the new content faster than anybody can program it.

There have been games over the last 12 years that have held my interest for a year or more at a time. Most of those I've revisited for extended periods as well. It is possible. It also had nothing to do with pay model.

The days of buggy and lag ridden 2 or 3 hour raids being acceptable have been over for a long time. TOR is proving that even as we type. I hope that they change more than just the billing style.

Any company that releases a bug filled Cash Store 2 days before a major holiday week and then shuts down shop leaving people to suffer the bugs for a week or more....

Well, if you think this game is going to be around for another year...I have a bridge to sell you.

Stick a fork in SWTOR...may the third time be the charm.

Any company that releases a bug filled Cash Store 2 days before a major holiday week and then shuts down shop leaving people to suffer the bugs for a week or more....

 

Well, if you think this game is going to be around for another year...I have a bridge to sell you.

 

Stick a fork in SWTOR...may the third time be the charm.

You talk as if the developers abandoned a village in an earthquake zone.

Let them celebrate syphilis infested blankets and genocide with their families, jeez.

I agree fully. F2P is just a cheap way for EA/BW to milk people for money before the game dies off completely, that's all it is. Successful games don't go F2P within a year of release, only the games that failed do this.

 

The game has a ton of issues, and instead of devoting resources to fixing those issues (bugs, lack of content, core gameplay issues), they spent time on setting up F2P, because even they understand what a disaster this is and are trying to grab at what ever cash they can get before the end.

I was holding out hope, but what I've witnessed in the past two patches and what F2P is, I think you correct.

There will be content released that was held back and/or significantly in the works already, but that's about it. It may even be enough to keep the game going for another year, but this game is just about brain dead.

The gamers here need to realize something. F2P is for the shareholders, not the community.

 

F2P is not a magic wand that automatically adds more and better content.

F2P does not equal interesting and engaging story.

F2P does not fix bugs.

 

F2P will not save TOR if EA/Bioware do not overhaul the game's direction and end game content. You know, the stuff that was so boring and redundant that enough of the player base left and EA felt the need to change the pay model 6 months after launch. I hope that they realize F2P won't make people spend money - a good and fun game makes people spend money. Here's to hoping.

When you read about people on these forums and seeing people in game talking about how they spend a years worth of subscription fees in one single day to sit there and open up gambling boxes just for a 0.5% or maybe 1% chance of getting something that they want (on top of the sub some of them are already paying for.) you realize with depressing certainty that F2P actually does make people spend money. Quite a lot in fact.

It is true, as has been proven in other games that have switched to a hybrid f2p mode, that this initial surge will level off at some point. That is when you will see the content. And by content I mean things that were designed to be sold in the store as well. Sure, they will have to add more instances and things to keep playing but most of the focus will be coming up with ways to make people buy stuff in the store since that will be a main source of revenue for them.

Sadly, F2P players are not endgame players and I have a hunch that the end game that is lacking now will only continue to do so in the future. The aren't going to devote lots of money and man hours on it because it won't return as much on their investment than if they came up with another absurd looking speeder to get people to buy even more gambling packs.

F2P is all about player churn, not player retention. Get a player in the door and get him to spend half a year or a years worth of a subscription fess in the store during the couple of months they play the game before they move on to the next one. Then wash, rinse, repeat over and over again with each new customer.

So, I know you are hoping, just don't get your hopes up too high is all I guess I'm trying to say.

out SWTOR is that now that there is a cash shop all time and resources will be devoted to it, and the game will never get better as hoped.

Ironically because of this new cash shop and the fools willing to soend so much money in it, it seems SWTOR will never die so someone else can have a chance at making a good Star Wars MMO.

The gamers here need to realize something. F2P is for the shareholders, not the community.

 

F2P is not a magic wand that automatically adds more and better content.

F2P does not equal interesting and engaging story.

F2P does not fix bugs.

 

F2P will not save TOR if EA/Bioware do not overhaul the game's direction and end game content. You know, the stuff that was so boring and redundant that enough of the player base left and EA felt the need to change the pay model 6 months after launch. I hope that they realize F2P won't make people spend money - a good and fun game makes people spend money. Here's to hoping.

Your speaking to the gamers here? I would think you want to speak to Bioware. Telling gamers how they should feel, apparently so they will not longer support or compliment free to play seems to be a counterproductive activity at best.

I think its likely folks can make up their own minds as to what F2P means to them and this game overall.

You make a few good points certainly...but dispense with the propaganda. You can tell folks why you dont like the current system, but please avoid trying to tell others how they should feel.

I think a lot of people are missing the point of making SW:TOR go F2P.

In Bioware's perspective, I think it might get a a lot of people who were interested in the game previously but didn't want to spend the initial $20-$50 dollars to buy the game on top of the subscription. For me personally, this was the case. I played F2P to play it a bit, once I got comfortable and started to enjoy it I became a subscriber in a heartbeat, and I do not regret it at all.

I can see where a lot of level 50 and veterans may get bored about it, but if you haven't level 50'd every class then you're still missing a good chunk of content.

Well this is what I think BIoWare's plan is for f2p.

Get f2p to attract new people, get the servers heavy and full again then BAM keep up the content updates. Then, when you think that patch was it BAM they hit you with another patch then...BAM another one. I think f2p was the start of something new in this game's future. More regular updates to keep people happy.

That is how I think they will do it

A new type of content.

 

I wonder why they haven't done something like squad based missions. The one thing that SW:TOR has that WoW doesn't, is the unique companion system. If they created a new type of content, one that involves all of your squad mates Mass Effect style, it should be a nice new content to play.

 

It will boost the economy because now you have to buy gear for all of your companions.

 

It should be nice content for solo players.

The last thing this game needs, is more single player content...

I think a lot of people are missing the point of making SW:TOR go F2P.

 

In Bioware's perspective, I think it might get a a lot of people who were interested in the game previously but didn't want to spend the initial $20-$50 dollars to buy the game on top of the subscription. For me personally, this was the case. I played F2P to play it a bit, once I got comfortable and started to enjoy it I became a subscriber in a heartbeat, and I do not regret it at all.

 

I can see where a lot of level 50 and veterans may get bored about it, but if you haven't level 50'd every class then you're still missing a good chunk of content.

Youre not missing much content by not having every class to level 50. You are new so you dont understand the illusion of new content per class. You see, once you get higher level, the story quests start to go away. You might get 4 or 5 uniques story quests per planet to the 50 or 60 repeated quests per planet. You will do the same 100's of hours quests over and over and over ad nausium just to see 10 minutes worth of unique story. Once you get your first level 50 and start playing alts, youll understand what im talking about.

Well this is what I think BIoWare's plan is for f2p.

 

Get f2p to attract new people, get the servers heavy and full again then BAM keep up the content updates. Then, when you think that patch was it BAM they hit you with another patch then...BAM another one. I think f2p was the start of something new in this game's future. More regular updates to keep people happy.

 

That is how I think they will do it

I think thats how it will work for the first few months because they have saved up content during that 6 months of not getting any content. After that runs out it will start to turn more towards... BAM new cash shop items... BAM more new cash shop items... BAM a very small piece of content to throw you a bone... BAM more new cash shop items

Well this is what I think BIoWare's plan is for f2p.

 

Get f2p to attract new people, get the servers heavy and full again then BAM keep up the content updates. Then, when you think that patch was it BAM they hit you with another patch then...BAM another one. I think f2p was the start of something new in this game's future. More regular updates to keep people happy.

 

That is how I think they will do it

Hopefully that's true. There is someone here obnoxiously quoting a developer that said there would be monthly updates, but it never happened.

I feel the devs are still figuring out how to run a MMO. We still don't have speech bubbles and can't sit on chairs.

Hopefully that's true. There is someone here obnoxiously quoting a developer that said there would be monthly updates, but it never happened.

 

I feel the devs are still figuring out how to run a MMO. We still don't have speech bubbles and can't sit on chairs.

Yeah, you can view it in my sig right above you... Now below you as well

Take a good look at it. That was about 10 months ago. Have you seen ANY of that happen? Have you seen so many changes? Have you seen so many additions? Has it been impressive? Has it every been month after month after month?

10 months ago

You talk as if the developers abandoned a village in an earthquake zone.

 

Let them celebrate syphilis infested blankets and genocide with their families, jeez.

The blankets had *smallpox*.

I think the FTP model was not properly thought out. They pretty much gave the game away for free. Instead of a few restrictions, there should have been a lvl cap on ftp with an open game up to a point. That way, people could get an idea what the game was. Kinda like a good book that has only the 1st few chapters then suddenly stops... You will wanna read on once your hooked,

On a side note; PLAESE put chat bubbles in. There is no community here because of the lack of easy communication. An mmo without players that can interact with each other is not an mmo.

I think the FTP model was not properly thought out. They pretty much gave the game away for free. Instead of a few restrictions, there should have been a lvl cap on ftp with an open game up to a point. That way, people could get an idea what the game was. Kinda like a good book that has only the 1st few chapters then suddenly stops... You will wanna read on once your hooked,

 

On a side note; PLAESE put chat bubbles in. There is no community here because of the lack of easy communication. An mmo without players that can interact with each other is not an mmo.

They should have taken it up to like, F2P for level 35 or something. Beyond that the story should be what drives you to sub, and if you enjoyed lower level FP/WZ's.

I just came back and most of my ol' guildies seem to have the mentality of squeezing as much fun out of the game before they inevitably shut it down. And... I feel the exact same way. So I'll play this between the times I dont feel like playing GW2 or Asassin's Creed.

There have been games over the last 12 years that have held my interest for a year or more at a time. Most of those I've revisited for extended periods as well. It is possible. It also had nothing to do with pay model.

 

The days of buggy and lag ridden 2 or 3 hour raids being acceptable have been over for a long time. TOR is proving that even as we type. I hope that they change more than just the billing style.

Yeh, for me there have been games like that as well, TOR being one of them. Thing is, for an MMO to keep interest is a personal thing. I doubt over 90% of the MMO's you played and grabbed your interest for such a period of time, got me bored after a month or two at best.

Beyond that, yes there are some issues on the latest raids, however they are minimal and in general do not prevent progression. As far as lag is concerned, I have none.

I still laugh at people like the OP every day.

I mean nothing against your naive and idealistic ideas on ho business works but please get a real job and succeed in it and you will see how business works.

Is for shareholders not for community. Hello capt Obvious.

And what do you think is the reason they made a game in the first place?

Ironically to play it safe so MOST of the community is happy leads to bad game decisions because the shareholders say no no no we can not have looting corpses of players or any death penalty.

This is not only TOR problem but MMO problem lately. Designed by committee and based on feedback from people that will just leave in 6 months anyhow.