My horrible free to play experience from over a year ago still affects me.

Going to disagree on Champions having a better model. Like here, you only get a few server slots, but unlike here, you are locked out of the freeform system completely and cannot use anyhting but an archetype. Additionally you can't do any of the Adventure Packs (which are great G accumulators) and it might even lock you out of some zones. You are basically an afterthought. I was a longtime sub until recently, an economy-related incident made me unsub. Oh and CO has no more content updates outside occasional Alerts or a new Rampage, last I saw.


And yeah the f2p model is here is super harsh with the slowed xp and so on, I subbed virtually right away to avoid it.

I have been a subscriber since day 1.

My daughter wanted to play so I let her use a f2p character. It was so bad that I bought her a sub right away. This is what f2p is for. Give you a taste of the game but make you pay if you really want to experience everything, and this I am ok with.

Everyone has their own opinion on whatever "free" model is used in any particular game. That's all well and good. Heck, I've stayed subbed for years because I enjoy the game more that way. If I ever get tired enough of it, maybe that will change.

My only issue in any of these arguments is when people start using words or phrases like "abusive" above. No free game is actually abusive. None of them are punishing anyone.

Call them as restrictive as you want, but until someone is literally forcing you to play the free game, it is not punitive.

If they lower prices and they don't give them better returns, it would be more difficult to then raise the prices again without causing crapstorm.

The whole Cartel Market and free to play system is such a *********** mess and for some reason they don't care enough to adjust it. Maybe with the next expansion they'll take a look at the system.

In my opinion, the only thing about the model that needs changing, is the credit cap.

F2P: 300K
Preferred: 500K

Even then, I'd still not be able to go preferred, as there are too many shinies from Cartel packs on the GTN I want for significantly more than 500K.

I call bs. First off F2P players contribute quite a bit. They contribute players, they contribute advertising, they contribute good or bad word of mouth depending on the quality of the game, and they may become subscribers if well treated. As for preffered players, here is a little fact that is usually common knowledge: preferred players on average spend more money than subscribers in ALL F2P games through microtransactions. That is why the F2P system works, that is why it exists. Where exactly do you think the money has been coming from since this game went F2P? Before that happened the game was dying. It certainly wasn't some magic that suddenly made all the subs come back and start paying enough for the game to survive.

Except it wasn't 'his opinion' it was observable, demonstratable fact. Particularly in regards to STO, so cut the bs

Why would they do that?

BioWare already confirmed some time ago that subscribers spend more in the CM than any other player.

Perfect World games are notorious for being less than ideal Free to Play models. They have several restrictions, including placing needed items behind a pay wall, like loot boxes and (in the case of NW) identification scrolls. Not to mention the limit on the number of characters one can create. I would agree that SWTOR doesn't have the best model out there, and some of the restrictions are rather nonsensical (instead of really restrictive in terms of gameplay), but generally speaking, for a game that was once pure sub-based, and for a game that is still focused on players maintaining a subscription, SWTOR's free to play model isn't all that bad.

Ultimately, when the game's arguably best feature is the 8 distinct class storylines, and the game allows a player to complete each of those original storylines without having to pay one cent, then that's a pretty damn good business model.

Heh. I'm not F2P. I don't want any hindarance or restrictions while I'm playing. But I know several guildies who are preferred or f2p, and choose to stay that way because they fully understand the limitations and can live with them because they are playing for free. It is very clear they are not being forced, or manipulated in anyway, and they have exactly what they want. And a few have subbed up now that they are ready for End Game. Pretty smart way to do it I think.

Net, net, F2P is not too restrictive. F2P allows players to play the game fully to 50. After that, the player should know if they want to buy weekly passes or sub up for what comes next.