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Official F2P Announcement


Quinnt

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Everything I have read thus far as more and more is coming in, is that this system is going to be a variation of the DDO/LotRO model, which is a very good move.

 

But all I have read so far they are doing for the old subbers is giving them 150 Cartel points each month they have subbed. LOTRO did that and more. Letting them keep allmost all they had before they unsubbed. The only exception I can remember was the lost of 2 char slots.

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I thought about making a new thread about this... But I figure the "rabid fanbois" would troll the hell out of it. Besides, the topic isn't that important, just wanted to get it out there.

 

Subscription values "by the numbers."

 

After the last quarterly report, something bugged me about the "less than 1 million and well over 500 thousand" remark. Something kept making my brain itch. "Like a splinter in my mind." This thing kept telling me sub numbers were closer to 500K. But I couldn't put my finger on it.

 

Last night I remembered! Exponential decay. Sometimes referred to as "natural decay." It is surprisingly accurate, and found nearly everywhere. It is happening millions - if not billions - of times a second in your computer right now. But I digress.

 

This will, at best, be an estimation.

 

Sorry, but we weren't given very accurate numbers to work off of, and there are factors involved that we do not have access to.

 

But the exponential decay algorithm is simply (Starting Value) * (e [the natural log]) ^ [raised to the exponential] (-(time)*(decay constant))

Now, we don't know the decay constant, but fortunately we can calculate out an approximation. [Feel free to do it yourselves, for this post I am just going to go ahead and tell you I estimate the decay constant at about 0.25]

I am going to use (time) in a unit of months.

 

(2.4 million purchases) * e ^ (-1 month * 0.25) =

1.869 million subs after 1 month. Right there we can see that 0.25 isn't quite right, but is close enough.

(2.4 million purchases) * e ^ (-3 months * 0.25) =

1.134 million subs after 3 months. Again, not quite right. But pretty darn close.

(2.4 million purchases) * e ^ (-6 months * 0.25) =

540 thousand subs after 6 months.

And

(2.4 million purchases) * e ^ (-8 months * 0.25) =

325 thousand subs at the end of August.

 

There. My mind no longer itches. Make of it what ever you want.

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So since I was redirected here....

 

 

 

 

This is from an interview with Dr. Z in joystiq in late December 2011:

 

"I'm not saying it's better or worse. It just doesn't supplant the other things. 'Cause we can do some things no one else can," Zeschuk added. In his eyes, a free-to-play dev isn't able to throw the same amount of resources and time at an MMO project, and that marks a big differentiation between the two business models. "The free-to-play people can't invest to the level we can invest, and can't create something of the size and scale of something we can create," he said. The idea that free-to-play will take over all other MMO business models, he said is, "from a business perspective, ridiculous."

 

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/28/bioware-docs-defend-subscription-model-tease-free-to-play-itera

 

And a better history originally linked by Rasticles: http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/bioware-mmo-project/1225612p1.html

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Im glad they have descided to go F2P. I ve only played 2 MMOs in my days, PS3 DCUO and SWTOR. I remember when DCUO went F2P everyone trolled it big time including me. but after it went F2P I found that it was the best thing they did. I held my sub for some time after, just moved to swtor to get a break from DC for a bit. Content updates where more often, and the population exploded and I liked the market it provided. It gave me more char customization/perks and it was not P2W at all. This is just the direction most MMOs are going, and it has been shown to be a successful model for the company and the players. Cant wait to F2P!
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I played DDO and it was the same way - could get to level 12 and then your options were limited getting to 20 unless you grinded enough to purchase packs from the freebie points from unlocks.

 

Letting people go to 50 is the 1 major deviation from the DDO model, and I think in this case, its the needed one given how story is crucial to the game. Smart move on their part.

 

They dropped that restriction a long time ago. You can now level to 20 in DDO without paying a dime. (note that 20 is the max lvl in DDO and is basicly lvl 80 or 100 depending on how you look at it)

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It was the chosen one, the prophecy wow-killa

 

now its just another failed MMO that went F2P cause the 4th pillar was not enuf.

 

people are mad because they are disappointed with late group finder, late bug fixes and information of when the first season will start in PVP. Operations seem like overinflated version of flashpoints with no big storybehind it, compared to the lich king, ilidan or even the world destroyer.

 

The overcomplicated process to get good gear for the casual player is pointless and the KICK system from the group finder is unfair and chaotic.

 

ANIMATION

finally my biggest gripe: all the humanoid races available are clones of each other with different skins and the same animation for females and males while moving, in combat or idle.

 

Also the same animation for the proffesions while moving, in combat or idle.

 

What i loved about WoW and i am not sure if other MMOs have this is that all the races from the Tauren to the Gnomes had a different type of animation, there was a sense of individuality for the race you picked.

 

I wish the races in SWTOR had this type of individuality all across combat, running or idling and across classes as well. There seems to be animation going on with trainers in SWTOR so at least they arent as boring as other NPCs.

 

But it seems to me that the animation team at BIOWARE is not producing what they claim to produce: Quality Games. Quality games does not equal boring animation across an entire game. Some of the Mobs you fight in SWTOR seems more interesting that the characters ive made. I have compiled sith-bloods, chiss, the green people, humans, ratataki and cyborg people and they are all the same. Pretty freaking plain and is making my experience all the more dull when you add the things described above.

 

I understand BIOWARE wanted to copy WoW, it just seems that they didnt copy their best features.

 

When is BIOWARE going to introduce cross-server PVP and PVE (ops) because the community is non-existent in swtor as of today after server merges and transfers.

 

No one cares about the so-called server community. The game is now another F2P Item grinding mmo with who cares about story, press spacebar or be kicked.

 

Personally I am hitting GW2. Dynamic events and trinity death and non-geared dependant pvp is a winner for me.

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I played EQ2 for 6 years and quit the day it went FTP. I won't do FTP games, if I did this one is not even close to the best FTP out there. I have never really played WoW but is it going to be the only game left that is not FTP? If so, WoW here I come.

 

The lack of content in this game was catching up with me any way.

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There was a time where I would say game going F2P? Here comes the Death Rattle.

 

But honestly, its just not the case anymore, every game has a F2P option, it does seem to do better business then having only a sub model.

 

Even World of Warcraft has a limited F2P option up to level 20 I believe and some other limitations.

Why would Blizzard do this? They don't have a numbers problem that 's for sure.

 

Because Blizzard is looking at it as an extended game trial meant to entice people into subbing.

And that's exactly what Bioware is doing now, its essentially an extended trial, allowing you to play the game as long as you want on a very limited basis.

 

For every one new F2Per who levels 1-50 basically doing solo play because it looks like thats all they get, there will be 10 New F2Pers who get fed up with the limits and sub. This same model has worked time and time again. I cite Lotro as evidence, there game was dieing before it went with this nearly identical F2P system.

 

And when I saw Gandalf on TV yelling you shall not pay! I hopped online and downloaded it..it was a week or two before I got hooked and and started buying things from the Turbine store. The Cartel coins serve two purposes simultaneously, they reward people whom have already subbed with what I am assuming will be cosmetic purchases, bank slots, etc etc, and its a dangling carrot on a stick to the F2Pers whom have not yet subbed and it works by the way. Because when you say your neighbor wearing some cool stuff from the store suddenly those few bucks for coins doesn't seem so bad, its only a few bucks right ?

 

 

F2P is not the signs of a soon to be deceased MMO, its the new " cool" thing to do in the MMO developers club.

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F2p does not mean = failure. I think it = better game. I mean you get more char customization, perks, content and they respond much faster on fixes. For me just a better over all exp. Im reading that now that its F2p, many of the trollers are going to WoW one of the few remaining P2P left, which is fine if you like playing as a big cartoon with bad graphics. But even WoW is losing sub hand over fist. They have been around longer so of coarse they have more of a following. Wow is also testing the waters of F2P, hence you can play free till level 20. Thats how it all starts. For those looking at GW2, because of F2P, really, GW2 is a F2P model, just have to buy the game. Ready FOR F2P!!!!
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I played EQ2 for 6 years and quit the day it went FTP. I won't do FTP games, if I did this one is not even close to the best FTP out there. I have never really played WoW but is it going to be the only game left that is not FTP? If so, WoW here I come.

 

The lack of content in this game was catching up with me any way.

 

I guess pretty soon you wont have any games to play.

Edited by rnmedic
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There was a time where I would say game going F2P? Here comes the Death Rattle.

 

But honestly, its just not the case anymore, every game has a F2P option, it does seem to do better business then having only a sub model.

 

Even World of Warcraft has a limited F2P option up to level 20 I believe and some other limitations.

Why would Blizzard do this? They don't have a numbers problem that 's for sure.

 

Because Blizzard is looking at it as an extended game trial meant to entice people into subbing.

And that's exactly what Bioware is doing now, its essentially an extended trial, allowing you to play the game as long as you want on a very limited basis.

 

For every one new F2Per who levels 1-50 basically doing solo play because it looks like thats all they get, there will be 10 New F2Pers who get fed up with the limits and sub. This same model has worked time and time again. I cite Lotro as evidence, there game was dieing before it went with this nearly identical F2P system.

 

And when I saw Gandalf on TV yelling you shall not pay! I hopped online and downloaded it..it was a week or two before I got hooked and and started buying things from the Turbine store. The Cartel coins serve two purposes simultaneously, they reward people whom have already subbed with what I am assuming will be cosmetic purchases, bank slots, etc etc, and its a dangling carrot on a stick to the F2Pers whom have not yet subbed and it works by the way. Because when you say your neighbor wearing some cool stuff from the store suddenly those few bucks for coins doesn't seem so bad, its only a few bucks right ?

 

 

F2P is not the signs of a soon to be deceased MMO, its the new " cool" thing to do in the MMO developers club.

 

"Limited F2P to level X" is just another word of "trial account" or "demo". Something that has been around in every game ever (of the internet generation).

Edited by Gungan
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F2p does not mean = failure. I think it = better game. I mean you get more char customization, perks, content and they respond much faster on fixes. For me just a better over all exp. Im reading that now that its F2p, many of the trollers are going to WoW one of the few remaining P2P left, which is fine if you like playing as a big cartoon with bad graphics. But even WoW is losing sub hand over fist. They have been around longer so of coarse they have more of a following. Wow is also testing the waters of F2P, hence you can play free till level 20. Thats how it all starts. For those looking at GW2, because of F2P, really, GW2 is a F2P model, just have to buy the game. Ready FOR F2P!!!!

 

I have never seen a F2P game respond faster on fixes, especially after laying off half their staff.

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Game failed to deliver what was expected after pre-launch hype.

 

Game loses subs quickly while publisher tries to camoflage this fact.

 

Fanboys blame community for loss of subs.

 

Game continues to lose subs, no grasp on basic MMO features, terrible rate of development, and lack of foresight obvious causes, fanboys continue to blame community.

 

Game is announced as a failure that couldn't maintain the subscription model (F2P announcement) fanboys continue to blame community, game continues to lose subs.

 

Oh well, I've been critical of this game since launch, but didn't think something would be capable of ending my sub as quickly as this announcement has, I am simply walking away and never looking back, ToR will be a painful (but mercifully short) memory in my gaming life.

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By the way: limited character customization for f2pers,i mean ***...ROFL...i thought this was the limited character customization...they will get like 1 bodytype?...Attack of the clones...

 

F2Pers should only have access to body type 4.

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