Read in the Paper: Ea is going to add P2W to all their games

LOOOOOOOOOL. Can we not declare this a troll thread after this? Or is he being real?

We are buying levels in SWTOR. We need to buy RotHC to get to level 55. That is not P2W.

Show me anyone who raids who could not get a +41 crystal from crafting or from the GTN before these crystals were added (and that ignores the fact that the +41 CC crystals can also be bought on the GTN). +41 crystals were available when my 1st character hit 50 last May.

If anything the CC crystals have made +41 crystals easier to get for raiders, the crafted ones now sell on the GTN for 30k.

usualy, the definition of P2W comes when you can say "he won (against me) JUST because he paid more".
Examples ?
-A 15th slot of equipement is available for 1000 cartel points !
-For only 100 cartel points, you can add a permanent bonus of 1 point in your main stat !
-Get the new level 81 set for 7000 cartel points ! Only available in the cartel market !
-Increase the movement speed of your char for only 2000 cartel points !

The new extension isn't a "P2W" but a "P2P" (pay to play). If you don't buy it, you simply don't play on the new planet. Simple and easy. If Bioware put any of my exemple in game, I'll leave ASAP. Btw, check LOTRO :

Typical P2W.

People need to gain some perspective.

To truly be "pay to win," a game has to provide unlimited potential dependent on unlimited funds. In other words, there must be a direct correlation between your in-game success and how much money you throw at it--whether it be $10, $100, or $1000. There are currently about a half-dozen MMOs on the market that do this. Their combined population is about equal to Jung Ma on a Tuesday morning.

Tomes dropped in game. Your example is invalid.

Is there really any way to interpret that besides "Pay to Win?"

ROFLMAO Thank you for not understanding the difference of "dropping several tomes" and "buy a ******** of them"

Do you actually read the articles you reference, yourself? From the text:

Electronic Arts called it "completely optional." If players do not want to pay extra, you do not have to.

You asked for proof? You gave it yourself already. It's not P2W.

The stuff in ToR today is mostly cosmetic. You might say the lvl 10 crystals are 'p2w', but you can buy them on gtn for 150k. And you can do just fine without them, if you don't want them.

The fact that you can sell the crystals on GTN is irrelevant to the p2w discussion. The only way to get that advantage is (ultimately) to pay EA money.

People can defend it all they like, but the simple truth is, it gives a degree of an ingame advantage and the only way the object is ever created is by paying money to EA.

It's the first step into much broader, more insidious p2w. And now EA will be emboldened to take the next step because not only is there a lack of complaints, but many fans DEFEND it!

And you better believe EA will keep going on the p2w because people WILL pay to win and EA likes money way more than they like the "integrity" of their games. They just need to find the right balance between money and people quitting in droves because it's too overt and indefensible. How do they get there? Start by making it simple, sort of cosmetic, and relatively low-impact. LIke the +41 crystals that are "only an ingame advantage from level 10-49". Then the next one takes a baby step beyond that. And so on...