I think They put too many restrictions on the free-to-play option give me your opinions.

I think They put too many restrictions on the free-to-play option give me your opinions.

 

There will always be those that manage. Those that like the game will stay, and more will come.

Bioware has to he able to make some money somehow, I feel its reasonable. I mean they let you level and play the entire story for free! come on that's awesome. I haven't noticed other mmo models do that. WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT, ITS FREE! Just buy a cartel pack and get some unlocks, or sub. Like I said, I think it's reasonable.

I think the game will grow under this f2p model (though really its a "free to try" model), but I was sceptical when they announced it. I'm fairly pleased at the value I get as a sub in my eyes. The only people that seem to be complaining about it are the launch players that jumped ship a few months ago (or more) and came back expecting way more than they got. Regardless of my opinion on that, it's valid justification for being upset. You didn't get what you were expecting. I have a feeling these players will either conform or filter out. It's somewhat rare that I see a player that is legitimately new to the game (as in actually downloaded it for free in the past couple days) that has complained about what they're getting from a content standpoint. As bugs are worked out and content is updated and added, I think newer players will feel happier with what they're getting and be more inclined to spend a few bucks in the store if not subscribe. Edited November 22, 2012 by althene

F2P right now looks like it is good enough for exploring the story, but just barely.

F2P right now looks like it is good enough for exploring the story, but just barely.

 

This is exactly what they wanted. It gives the player the game for free, with the tools available for purchase to make things easier if they want them.

I know at least 10 people that I know personally who have gone and downloaded the game to try it under F2P who are enjoying what it offers, and are expecting to sub in the future.

 

These are people who never would have tried the game in the first place, but gave it a shot because it's free.

 

Of course more people will come to play because of Free to Play. Subscriber numbers (although not being released officially) have been stagnant at a decent number. Free to Play will only increase this, not decrease this, so if anything we can only expect numbers to rise.

 

Of course, initially numbers are through the roof. Numbers will drop once the initial shock value of F2P passes, but I think we'll see a decent number of F2Per's stick around and possibly sub if they feel the game delivers on more than one level.

No.

 

Any company that releases a major patch that includes a cash shop and then goes on vacation the following week meaning no fixes for the MAJOR bugs they introduced with said patch is not going to keep people long.

 

Another sign they are not having the anticipated flow is they extended the date by which former subscribers can sign back up to get their coin allotment. That screams.."Well, that didn't work as well as we thought it would."

 

Game is sunk. From charging for UI bars to hide helmet features SWTOR is currently the laughing stock of online games. Check the reviews. Someone posted the Wired.com review of the 1.5 patch...

 

Writing is on the wall...stick a fork in SWTOR, lets hope the third SW MMO is the charm.

You used the future tense when the present is adequately answering your question. Populations have never been higher.

You used the future tense when the present is adequately answering your question. Populations have never been higher.

 

Uhh...are you serious?

 

We are at 8 servers and they aren't even full.

 

I see the holiday drinking has started early.

You used the future tense when the present is adequately answering your question. Populations have never been higher.

 

I agree. The number of active instances on most of the planets has doubled from prior to patch for the time of day looked at (and not just the starter planets either), and I saw 5 intances of Fleet up a couple of nights ago. Servers are busy enough now that some people are complaining about crowded and hating on the free players (even though they can't easily tell who is sub vs who is free).

 

The more interesting question really is the average revenue per player per month and the conversion rates they see from free to sub. Will have to wait until EA earnings reports to get an idea on this though.

Well, my wife made a free account and subbed soon after and she is incredibly fussy when it comes to games.

 

If it worked for her than it will work for others.

No, not really. I figure the freeloaders will swoop in, take advantage, and then the locusts will go away. Some might stay, but I'm not really holding my breath, because the best stuff has been given away free.

F2P isn't awful- it's definitely not one of the better f2p options though.

 

It will get people to play- but not nearly as much as a well thought out f2p that acts like it actually wants people to play it.

 

Also, there's so many opportunities ignored. Sure, there's the cartel packs- which are obviously doing well looking at the thousands of items already on the GTN and armies of people flying around on thrones. Where's the 10 dollar minipets and 25 dollar mounts though? WoW is doing this as a p2p- and they're laughing all the way to the bank. It confuses me that EA wants to nickel and dime for UI options, which is a huge turn off for everyone- yet won't try to make big bucks on cosmetic things they know will sell.

 

Writing is on the wall...stick a fork in SWTOR, lets hope the third SW MMO is the charm.

 

Where is this wall you supposedly see the writing on? The game has not even reached the one year mark yet and you say it's sunk. No game is perfect in it's first year. NONE! Warcraft was a piece of crap on day one and it is still a piece of crap. Yet that game is still around. Conan was crap on day one but last I heard it was still around.

 

The Old Republic is not sunk, the writing is not on the wall. Free to play is barely a week old. Nobody knows what it is going to do right now. Two months down the road, maybe one, things could be changed. Bioware may let the free players have three UI bars instead of two. Nobody knows right now what will happen so stop with the doomsday BS.

 

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

F2P isn't awful- it's definitely not one of the better f2p options though.

 

It will get people to play- but not nearly as much as a well thought out f2p that acts like it actually wants people to play it.

 

Also, there's so many opportunities ignored. Sure, there's the cartel packs- which are obviously doing well looking at the thousands of items already on the GTN and armies of people flying around on thrones. Where's the 10 dollar minipets and 25 dollar mounts though? WoW is doing this as a p2p- and they're laughing all the way to the bank. It confuses me that EA wants to nickel and dime for UI options, which is a huge turn off for everyone- yet won't try to make big bucks on cosmetic things they know will sell.

 

This is literally the first of many things to come (so they say). The Blizzard stor didn't have jack when it first opened. Maybe a magical flying pony. And it stayed that way for months. Then a couple new things trickled in. They dipped their toe, saw the waters were safe and then waded into the river. It's a little different here since this is what is supposed to support the game, but you're silly to think that more is not to come. I believe I saw a quote saying there would be new items roughly every 4 to 6 weeks.

Uhh...are you serious?

 

We are at 8 servers and they aren't even full.

You clearly haven't been here long enough to know what those mean. When TOR launched, it had 200 small servers, each with about 5-10k people in it. As this dropped, they merged them together in a similar manner to the way GW1 works today (where you have a single 'server' but it's really many districts) causing some annoyance. Thus the status of a given server today is almost meaningless. You look at the populations per planet as a better indicator. If any servers get FULL that's actually a problem as it means login queues. The population supported per server is not necessarily fixed either. This is not some box on a shelf.

Edited November 22, 2012 by Grammarye

Free to play may lure some new players that never played SWTOR before. But I think returning subcribers will be rare because there are too many restrictions. The f2p option is a lesser game than the prelaunch trial version. You can't even hide your helmet or color unify without spending money. Much worse is that you gain xp at a slower rate! And no xp bonus for logging out in a cantina. Which means you have to grind more to level. Returning players will find that hard to tolerate. Also don't forget that cartel coin purchases are charector based which makes it more expensive than subscribing if you want to play two stories. Legacy and "preferred" statues helps but doesn't cut it. The cartel market should only add to the game, it shouldn't restore what is subtracted by f2p. Therefore I think f2p is really not an option, it's just a marketing tool.

My subscription ran out yesterday, I logged on today and found my characters wearing a helmet I have to nerf myself not to see, armor more akin to a clown because of no unify, no 3rd quickbar that I was already needing on my level 25 and the purple chest piece in my inventory I could of worn in 5 more levels being useless, and knowing my XP is now nerfed.

 

To unlock all those things will cost more coins than I was awarded as a subscriber and I can't bring myself to pay for things I feel should be basic features, hell, I don't even call those things features, they are core aspects of the game the way I see it.

 

I looked at a couple other F2P games I've dabbled with recently which neither have anything close to as restrictive for core aspects than this one. I get a little erked just thinking about it and now I honestly can't bring myself to log back in. Think TOR is done for me, who wants my stuff?

 

I'm seriously disappointed, Just out of principle from being a long time gamer I can't bring myself to pay for things like all these unlocks. Why does EA even want it's players looking stupid with no unify or not feel good about the look of a helmet? The planets are all level specific but they nerf the XP? After getting a couple levels under the stated level for a mission can make it very difficult if not impossible to complete. That's taking pay to win to a new extreme. I thought this getting less XP thing only meant no rested XP buy hell no it means less XP unless you buy XP boosters.

 

I just cant do it, the game offers nothing special and has been a filler until someone finally comes out with a original game set in sci-fi. Guess it's back to wishing luck for TheRepopulation. My ethics will not allow me to support this any longer.

 

-True story

My question to the last post, if you were subbed and enjoy the game, y aren't you re subbing? Edited November 22, 2012 by LonHawk
needed to add more detail

I found the F2P restrictions acceptable.

 

The biggest issue is the 2 QB limit, but as you can see here - - that's not really a pre-Operation issue.

 

Here's the proof: pudding

As you can plainly see, you can beat AC3 on an Imperial Agent without an advanced class and at level 49 no less.

As you don't need 3 QBs unless you select an AC, this proves that you can beat Act 3 without a 3rd QB.

 

There's also a vid of a Jedi Knight (with no AC) soloing the Sith Emperor WITHOUT a companion. That's actually more impressive than beating Hunter at level 49.

 

A Smuggler/Agent is the class that is considered to need 3 QBs more than the others - I know that a Warrior/Knight and an Inquisitor/Consular doesn't need 3 since I play all 4 ACs (and let's face it, Powertechs/Vanguards don't even need 2 QBs:p).

 

So basically, everyone who says you NEED 3 Quickbars to beat Act 3? They're

 

P.S: The proof is in the pudding:p

There will always be those that manage. Those that like the game will stay, and more will come.

 

+1

 

No one can tell the future. I came back after being greatly dissappointed and now I am having a great time. Others will come back and as will the addition of new players who want to check it out. Some will leave and some will stay. For the question asked there is no other answer.

My question to the last post, if you were subbed and enjoy the game, y aren't you re subbing?

 

To answer that, I steered clear of this game until the box price went to nothing and I was bored and I really am a huge Star Wars fan. I kept up with all the nay saying after launch and I agreed with how this game under-preforms. After the price drop, I convinced myself it might be worth it until it goes F2P and all I will have to worry about is future content and cosmetics. My bad assuming this game will mimic other games and only charge for future cosmetics and content.

 

All I've been doing is leveling, the lack of openness after leveling is not appealing to me at all but neither is restricting such tribal aspects for the F2P person. Now that F2P is here and end game is lacking to me and the leveling is starting to get boringly repetitive without a extended break from it, I cant justify a subscription any longer. I wouldn't last much longer if there was no F2P I think and I see no signs of EA "getting it" over end game.

Well a friend of mine that used to sub is going to come back to the game because he enjoys the stories. I also have some other friends that are going to try SWTOR for the first time since its free.

No, not really. I figure the freeloaders will swoop in, take advantage, and then the locusts will go away.

 

They did that at launch.. bought the game.. played the free 30 days... and moved on.

 

Some may come back now.... but the locusts are the MMO hoppers.. and they hopped after their 30 days were up.