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What if there were a server WITHOUT the cartel market?


Machine-Elf

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So I just had an idea: what if there were a server in which the Cartel Market didn't exist? This server would be exclusive to subscribers who would pay a premium (say, 20$/25$ a month instead of the standard 15$) in order to gain access to it.

 

All the items available on the Cartel Market servers would also be available to players in the subscription-only server, purchasable with credits, or obtainable through the game's various time-sinks: Legacy, social, and alignment levels.

 

For instance, those red glowing eyes that drop out of packs would be obtainable after reaching dark side alignment level III (or the same level for lightside alignment, for the yellow glowing eyes). The Sith throne mount would unlock automatically as a reward for reaching Legacy level X. Emotes would unlock as a reward for reaching a certain social level as well. And so on, and so on...

 

The principal lure for players to explore this option would be that they could obtain these items for free. The down side of it, though (apart from the extra 5/10 bucks they'd have to pay for the privilege) is that it would take a lot of time for them to obtain said items, and the whole impulse buy/instant gratification scenario which characterizes the current, standard F2P model would be beyond their grasp.

 

What would be the advantage of this from Bioware's perspective, you ask? Well, apart from getting a potentially smaller, though much more stable, source of income, it would help them to retain and perhaps even recoup a lot of the players who, disillusioned with the F2P model and its increasingly tangible "pay to win" aspects, intend to abandon or have already abandoned, the game.

 

So in theory, everyone wins.

 

Is this feasible? I feel that, if it were, Bioware would need to move in on its implementation sooner rather than later, before the F2P model alters the game's systems to such a degree that it would be too much work to implement this idea.

Edited by Machine-Elf
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So I had just an idea: what if there were a server in which the Cartel Market didn't exist? This server would be exclusive to subscribers, who in turn would pay a premium (say, 20$ a month instead of the standard 15$) in order to gain access to it.

 

All the items available on the Cartel Market servers would also be available to players in the subscription-only server, purchasable with credits, or obtainable through the game's various time-sinks: Legacy, social, and alignment levels.

 

Is this feasible? I feel that, if it were, Bioware would need to move in on its implementation sooner rather than later, before the F2P model alters the game's system to such a degree that it would be too much work to implement this idea.

 

And the incentive for Bioware to do this would be.....................................?

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No thanks. I actually enjoy my cartel armor and such, thanks very much!

You must have missed this paragraph: All the items available on the Cartel Market servers would also be available to players in the subscription-only server, purchasable with credits, or obtainable through the game's various time-sinks: Legacy, social, and alignment levels.

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Are you serious? Have you seen the amount of hatred the game has gotten for the F2P transition?

 

So, player hatred (which isn't as bad as you're getting at) against F2P'ers and the F2P concept is what is Bioware's motivation for doing this?

 

Haha, I laugh at how silly that notion is.

 

Edit: To do this Bioware would be admitting that their F2P concept is flawed. They're not going to do that.

Edited by uziforyou
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So... you wanna pay 5$ more to get ALL the Cartel Shop items?

 

You do realise it costs 15$ for 1 set of Cartel Armor... I'm sure they're gonna wanna stick with this model...

Keep in mind this wouldn't replace the current model, but compliment it, by simply offering an alternative.

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You must have missed this paragraph: All the items available on the Cartel Market servers would also be available to players in the subscription-only server, purchasable with credits, or obtainable through the game's various time-sinks: Legacy, social, and alignment levels.

 

So...in a way, a lot like servers as they currently are? You do realize that most things in the market can be traded, right? I'd much rather take my chances with the market equilibrium price than some arbitrary and static number created to obtain these items.

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I don't see the need for such a server unless you want a gaming experience that is exclusive of the F2P players. Why no cartel market access? If you don't like the cartel market, don't use it. It doesn't interfere with your game experience.
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Won't happen and shouldn't happen. Not worth the wasted time, money, and effort by BW/EA to implement such a server. If you would like to obtain cartel unlocks purely by investing time in the game you already can, farm credits and buy the items on the GTN.
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Keep in mind that it's most probably just a vocal minority opposed to the cartel market AND are subbing to the game who would be willing to transfer to such a server. Chances are big it'll end up more dead than the worst APAC server.

 

And the couple hundred of haters on mmorpg.com and alike of which most aren't subbing anyway, aren't really going to fill those slots. Many haven't even played the game at all for practically a year.

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Keep in mind that it's most probably just a vocal minority opposed to the cartel market AND are subbing to the game who would be willing to transfer to such a server. Chances are big it'll end up more dead than the worst APAC server.

 

And the couple hundred of haters on mmorpg.com and alike of which most aren't subbing anyway, aren't really going to fill those slots. Many haven't even played the game at all for practically a year.

 

That's because MMORPG.COM is a site filled with people who hate every MMO that isn't a sandbox. It's basically the place for disgruntled SWG vets.They;'ve had a hate on for this game since the announcement that TOR would be story based and not SWG2. The TESO sub forum there is getting a good dose of their vile right now.

Edited by oslek
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I don't understand why this would be a benefit.

 

I haven't spent a single cartel coin and don't feel I'm having any less or more of an experience. I've purchased some of the cartel coin items on GTN. I've earned others through missions, etc. (e.g. equipment necessary for the new space missions).

 

If anything, the GTN has resulted in more choice for content and I'm not sure I want to give this up, even if I've (so far) seen very little value in the items that have been offered so far. Or, to put it more correctly, the few items I've coveted I've obtained through means that don't involve me whipping out my credit card.

 

I think BW has done an EXCELLENT job here of adding a market without destroying the experience of people like me who prefer the subscription model.

 

- Arcada

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