What it boils down to I think is that 5 years ago when DDO and LotR went F2P, it was a last ditch effort to save them... today? Their success and the success of other F2P/VIP based games that have done it recently... IT's more money for them and more OPTIONS for you.

It wasn't 5 years ago, and LOTRO still had very decent subs at the time it went F2P.

LOTRO became a significantly different game after F2P (DDO was seriously in trouble however, but it bizarrely seemed designed for F2P from the off, it was never built like a subs MMORPG).

I've been playing this game since launch, and it has to be said, this news is a little dissapointing to me.

The F2P system as it looks now is absolutely dumb.

Limiting what players can do within the game? That's stupid. I also dislike that you are punishing those of us who purchased the game beforehand: I don't want some silly little cartel coins.

I don't mind that store being in the games, but tbh I think it needs to be a microtransaction based thing, and the base game itself, raids, pvp and all should be accessible for free.

I dislike the "Compensation" you're giving players like myself. I paid £40 for the base game, then £63 worth of subscription up till this point. I feel like I'm being screwed for having stayed loyal for this long. Don't get me wrong, I love your game, but this news is making me want to cancel my subscription and go back to WoW. Atleast blizzard don't treat loyal customers like trash.

I don't understand a word your saying. Nothing is changing for subscribers at all. You still have full access to everything, you get free access to the item shop with normal coins being given to you for free, you can still buy coins if you want more than your monthly allowance provides so It is a microtransaction, they arent punishing you for buying the gam beforehand.

For purchasing the game beforehand you get

1. Coins based on past subs

2. Had access for 6 months prior to free to play, and possibly more seeing as how it still isnt f2p for a few months.

3. Collectors Editions are getting a new free item as well

4. New players wont be getting half the things we will be getting.

And as far as going back to WoW, do people not relise that WoW is a Required sub that also has a cash shop that sells rainbow unicorn mounts and Vanity pets? I mean swtor is nothing if not more generous in allowing people who complain about endgame to not have to pay for the endgame they so incline to say they despise.

Once Swtor adds in my dreamed about social acitivites (DDR Cantina, Swoop Racing, Etc.) and allows only subs to do this I think people will relise they get what they pay for.

This. Put those leechers in their own servers and leave subcribers on theirs actually EARNING their gear. Thats the ONLY way ill pay another penny for this game. That and make sure everything in your cash shop is somehow obtainable in game through actual game play for subscribers.

 

You want to give players "options"? Fine! Dont clump me together with them and you got yourself a deal. I refuse to pay a premium than have to A) listen to the tools causing trouble because their account is free ... or B) see them running around with their cash shop item while I have no option but to wait for next months "donation" to get it.

Cant happen unless they change IP, EA ip blocks banned accounts.

Having been through a subscription to free to play episode with a mmorpg game before i joined swtor i can acuratly predict how it will go..

1) DAY 1 - everything starts out ok... subscriber numbers ok.. influx of new players who spend money on f2p content. Devs put very strick limits on what f2p can do and everybody seems happy.

2) DAY 30 - subscribers start to get annoyed when f2p players start to get cool new stuff that CAN ONLY be purchased with coins. New armor is released that "looks better" that stuff subscribers can get.

3) DAY 90 - All interesting fluff stuff becomes f2p and requires extra cash to purchase. Developers stop adding in fluff stuff at all for subscribers who universally get basic armor/weapon models while all the cool stuff goes straight onto the market for quick cash rewards.

4) DAY 100 - subscribers nearly all cancel thier subs. f2p coins prices start to raise and content becomes more basic and cheaper of quality.

least that how it happened in everquest2. There is currently no new fluff content you have to buy it all... they also give you station cash.... but its a pitiful amount and only really allows you to purchase 1 item a month (out of a possible 2000) my email started to get spammed with "please come and by this cool mount" on a weekly basis.

F2P can work... but not alongside a subscription model because BW wont be able to resist putting the best stuff on the market. Its either one or the other.

Generally, I'm slightly optimistic about the general intention of the whole thing. The game needs to compete with Guildwars 2, and remain a financially non-ruinous proposition for people who want to play both, like me. So, yay! However, I see some points that would really make the game not fun to play once I decided to let my account lapse.

 

Let's go over the restrictions first, since it sounds like you don't actually want people to give you their money:

 

 

 

Sounds alright. I hope that people get the option to buy species and other creation options.

 

 

 

Why do you sound so much like you don't want money? It's depressing! Let people buy admission for a fair price. 10-pack of warzone matches, with ranked warzones being more expensive, same for flashpoints, and most of all for ops! Selling tickets is really the oldest trick in the book.

 

Capitalism HO!

 

And why the limit on space missions? Does that mean we'll see multiplayer space combat, or do you just want to keep people from playing Rebel Assault?

 

 

 

That one really, really, REALLY needs further explanation. Does that mean fee2pay players don't get to use taxis (on routes that have an alternative footpath)? Or does it just restrict use of the quicktravel options? Again, admission (or rather fare) is the magic word.

 

 

 

Risking to sound (even more) cynical, I'm alright with that, not having seen a server queue in about half a year.

 

 

 

Meh, but needs watching.

 

Then let's go over the absolute kicker (from the FAQ):

 

 

 

No, no no NO! That does not fly. Let people buy that stuff to keep! Why do you want to make your players, your customers angry when they switch to an alternative business model? Sure, you lose some kind of safety net, but if you really need to extort people into subscribing like that, it just means that the alternative model is deeply flawed. It means that free players are really just being subsidised by the subscribers, instead of being another viable source of revenue.

 

I'm not sure about other people, but for me that'd mean that I'd stop playing the game. It's been really tedious to get the character set up, and losing that is a setback no matter how you look at it.

 

Switching models should not incur such drastic penalties. It should mean selectively paying for what you want to play, not suddenly having your game experience and characters neutered, robbed, and kicked in the face.

Basically, the reason why you will be restricted, is because you are required to pay your subscription. Don't want to pay? You lose your item accessibility, you get no extras and you are probably stuck running everywhere instead of taxing or QTing. Want your goodies back? Pay your sub.

If its a Lotro style F2P, I can live with that. The game has a great community.

I'm just a cynic because EA is running the show. If they try selling P2W items, or make subscribers use their coins to buy future content, I'll likely be running off.

Having said that, provided it stays the way I like it, I will remain a subscriber.

Pretty sure it's over. You can say you canceled your subs all you want in defiance to this announcement, and they wont care. They didn't care when your subs were their income so what makes you think now that your "unsubbed" comment means anything now that they don't even freaking need it?

But you know what, this free to play crap is not a good thing no matter how much they sugar coat it. All MMO's released lately have been designed to fail, they stand to make more money if they push the game hard at release, sell lots of box sales, but then that's it, a slow trickle of content until they blame lack of interest and make the game free to play. It's a marketing scam. I've watched other games do this. It is horrible and I will never buy another bioware title now.

I think you will see tons more class mission once ftp goes live my friend. I would think you will see them monthly..

Paid subs get them free and FTP peeps will pay 2.99-4.99 to access them..

 

This is really good news man they will release so much stuff to get that 2.99 -4.99 purchases from ftp peep us real subs will be so happy.

Your delusional....... In 7 months Bioware hasn't added any updates to class missions... what makes you think all of a sudden now it's F2P were going to gets lots of content, hell they just fired most of the staff, so who exactly is going to create all this new content each month?

We have some information about this in the FAQ (http://www.swtor.com/support/helpcenter/6526). Here's the question and answer for you:

 

What happens if I decide to change from being a subscription player to a Free-to-Play member? What will happen to my credits, inventory, bank items, and characters?

 

Your account will automatically be downgraded and it will operate under the Free player restrictions. You will need to choose what items to keep with you within the restriction levels of the free access. Furthermore, you will be able to see, but not use, your excess credits, inventory slots, bank tabs, and extra characters.

 

Hope this helps clear it up a little!

Extra characters? Was that listed in the comparison that characters would be limited? If so, how many you allowed to have in F2P?

Yeah thats why your here playing this game lol.... nice try....

Some of us have well paying jobs and can afford more than one MMO. I currently have a sub for this, EVE, and UO and login to LOTRO every 3rd day to putz around (have all expansions and zones so need need to pay a sub) as well as pay for my brother in law's sub here. I choose to spend my money on legit entertainment rather than booze, drugs, gambling, partying. Sorry you're having trouble comprehending the simple fact that many, MANY people play more than one game but that's your problem and you have to deal with it. Now my wife and daughter, they keep to mostly one or two MMOs at a time.

We have some information about this in the FAQ (http://www.swtor.com/support/helpcenter/6526). Here's the question and answer for you:

 

What happens if I decide to change from being a subscription player to a Free-to-Play member? What will happen to my credits, inventory, bank items, and characters?

 

Your account will automatically be downgraded and it will operate under the Free player restrictions. You will need to choose what items to keep with you within the restriction levels of the free access. Furthermore, you will be able to see, but not use, your excess credits, inventory slots, bank tabs, and extra characters.

 

Hope this helps clear it up a little!

I'm still working my way through the thread and all of the info everywhere, but will free players be able to individually unlock these restrictions?

I think we're all missing the big picture here, which is obviously that I started an epic thread.

 

Carry on.

 

True!

Anyway, I just had a thought. This was tossed around before launch can't remember who brought it up, but I'm thinking they were right.

How much you wanna bet this has been the plan from the beginning? You think you faithful subscribers are pissed now? Wait till you find out the plans was to be subscription model till they made back the intial investment and some change, then go free to play. Think about it. Rememebr back in pre launch days, when it took FOREVER just to get news on the subscription model? Such a simple thing treated like a state damn secret.

All the lay offs? Of temp workers? Why would you hire temp workers if something was going to stay long term subscription based in the first place? Taking out cotent and gear that was in beta and not in live? It's easy. Stockpile the content and then release at a trickle compared to what paid subscribers would demand.

Just look at how paid subscribers have been demanding more content faster the last few MONTHS! This **** has been in the works since the beggining. I don't know whether to be disgusted or impressed.

Cant happen unless they change IP, EA ip blocks banned accounts.

what the hell does that have to do with your quote? were saying let there be servers for SUB based players/characters only, so that legacy/paying customers that DONT want to group/deal with freebie community dont have to, only then can yall feed me the line "nothing changes for you if you are a paying customer"

has nothing to do with IP 's , it would be an account thingy

Bioware, what the heck happened to you guys? Did you decide that your integrity had a price tag and EA (A.K.A the Digital Devil) had enough to buy it? By being forced to go F2P with SWTOR you have just shown everyone 100% proof of what your fans have suspected since Dragon Age 2, that your not a top level developer anymore, that you CAN NOT make the quality games that you once made.

So when EA decides to liquidate your company and your all fired or forced to start mass producing EA shovel-ware like Madden...ask yourselves this. Was selling out really worth it in the end?

Have fun watching what should have been one of your greatest games die...I'm not going to waste any more of my time or money on it or any future EA funded garbage titles you spit out.

This. Put those leechers in their own servers and leave subcribers on theirs actually EARNING their gear. Thats the ONLY way ill pay another penny for this game. That and make sure everything in your cash shop is somehow obtainable in game through actual game play for subscribers.

 

You want to give players "options"? Fine! Dont clump me together with them and you got yourself a deal. I refuse to pay a premium than have to A) listen to the tools causing trouble because their account is free ... or B) see them running around with their cash shop item while I have no option but to wait for next months "donation" to get it.

If anyone (free or otherwise) causes trouble they can be banned and unless they have a new IP address they cannot create a new account. People can cause trouble whether they are subscribers or free. People are people.

I'm actually excited for the news.

I bet it feels good to all the rumormongers who got one right too!

So does this mean when someone says 'go back to wow' an appropriate answer can be 'I don't have the 15/month'?

Sounds like a plan for those interested in story-grind one toon, get to end of story, delete, rinse and repeat, uninstall. I imagine you can't mail items between toons so crafting is pointless other than slicing for cash (although that will apparently have a ceiling as well).

I think my favorite part of all of this is.... NEW WARZONE AND SPACE MISSIONS!!!

 

F2P? What? Who cares?

 

As long as they meet these requirements, I'll continue to subscribe:

1. NO gambling lock boxes.

2. NO content that you have to PAY for if you are a subscriber.

3. NO items that give you an advantage in the game that you can just buy for cartel coins.

4. A continuing stream of new content being released.

 

Does this mean all those cool armors and weapons and such that were removed during beta will show up in the Cartel Shop?

Gambling lockboxes are unlikely to be added, they are illegal in much of europe.

No, no no NO! That does not fly. Let people buy that stuff to keep! Why do you want to make your players, your customers angry when they switch to an alternative business model? Sure, you lose some kind of safety net, but if you really need to extort people into subscribing like that, it just means that the alternative model is deeply flawed. It means that free players are really just being subsidised by the subscribers, instead of being another viable source of revenue.

 

I'm not sure about other people, but for me that'd mean that I'd stop playing the game. It's been really tedious to get the character set up, and losing that is a setback no matter how you look at it.

 

Switching models should not incur such drastic penalties. It should mean selectively paying for what you want to play, not suddenly having your game experience and characters neutered, robbed, and kicked in the face.

Fairly certain they said that players could purchase races with the payed tokens for their accounts, but I could be wrong. I support this.

I don't support paying for 1 month so you can make 8 character with the race/class you want then Unsubbing and expecting to keep these.

This game was supposed to be the Luke Skywalker of games. Instead it turned out to be the Porkins of games. It would have ruled even if it was the Wedge Antilles of games....but no we get his Hoth sidekick Jansen. This game should be called The Porkins Clan of the Old Republic.....and his little friend Jansen.

at least Jansen took an AT-AT out.

I am sure I can come up with some others.....

This game gives a sarlacc indigestion.

 

R.I.P

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Killed by Greed, and lack of Integrity

"The little game that NEVER could"

Indeed, I hope BEAware and EA crash and burn.

Well at least youve come out with what you have been doing with the majority if our subscription price,

The problem is if the quality of the game so far is indicitave of what it will be like F2P, how do you expect people to fork over RMT's on this buggy, laggy, broken game where you cant get even a single patch right, and have to take the server down the next day to fix what the patch broke, or patch what the patch was suposed to fix.

Basically, the reason why you will be restricted, is because you are required to pay your subscription. Don't want to pay? You lose your item accessibility, you get no extras and you are probably stuck running everywhere instead of taxing or QTing. Want your goodies back? Pay your sub.

hmmm...this is very well interesting

ok....starting now im coming up with a new terminology meaning

"Knights of the Old Republic-sub"

this will be an immediate and recognizeable terminology you can put in your forum signature,along with your game sub date,that will indicate you are a subscriber,,,,and thus are helping to uphold the game consistently

I imagine their statement was half hearted anyway, or on the trolling side atleast. I don't believe that anyone thought that it would be f2p after near a year.

I said within 12-18 months. Failed faster then i thought. I am a paying subscriber and do enjoy 50% of the aspect of this game. I would have left already but the wife loves it and we spend some time here. At least now with the influx of all the free kiddies that will destroy the server community my wife will want to leave this game now.