Overall FTP is not so bad.

However, in my opinion, there is a fatal error:

1. Limiting credits to 200 000 for the f2p players and 350 000 for the former subscribers. Not the best option, because nobody needs 90% items (like removing restrictions) from "Cartel Market" apart from FTP players and Privileged players.

The experience of playing «EVE Online» shows that players with real finances not only work against the "Black Market", but also make the game for FTP players more comfortable by selling PLEX.

2. For a new character inventory limit in 30 cells is too severe. Optimal variant is 50-60 ... and the rest from "Cartel Market" unlocks. What we have now is too uncomfortable for the FTP players.

3. The amount of Flashpoints and Warzones per week is fine. But why there are only 3 Space Battles per week? One fight takes 3-6 minutes. Altogether it is that the amount of Space Battles extremely limited (no more than 10-15 minutes per week). Is that the main advantage of SW:TOR? I think the best option is 5 - 7 fights per week...

4. Why the FTP players don't have even a possibility to see Operations? It is ridiculous to block what they have not ever seen. It is imperative to add (preferably one) Operation per week (Mode: Story). So they will see what they lose.

5. "Authorization: Artifact Equipment" is currently running not quite correct. In further updates developers will be weary of editing a lot of things. And in general they will have to make a lot of corrections.

Option with limiting equipment by it's level instead of quality would be much better. For example: Now would be good level 126. With the release of new content developers just would change the number.

Otherwise, FTP is very good.

Myself - playing on subscription.

All these suggestions would tune the F2P model to not having any serious inconveniences for casual, non-power players without huge amounts of time. In other words, there would be no incentive left for these players to consider spending a single cent.

Currently, F2P is designed such that everybody has a couple of inconveniences and will consider to buy stuff, sooner or later. That's the only possible way to go (see also my sig in this respect).

All these suggestions would tune the F2P model to not having any serious inconveniences for casual, non-power players without huge amounts of time. In other words, there would be no incentive left for these players to consider spending a single cent.

Currently, F2P is designed such that everybody has a couple of inconveniences and will consider to buy stuff, sooner or later. That's the only possible way to go (see also my sig in this respect).

Your sig is exactly how f2p is supposed to work. There is a minority spending large sums of money, a greater portion that spends a little amount, and a large portion paying nothing. Expecting everyone to pay some is a p2p attitude that according to BW got them into the mess they sre in. F2p should allow people to sick around for free relitively painlessly so those spending the big bucks have someone to play with. The mindset for players should be this game is awesome and buying X would make it even more awesome, not this game is suffocating but for only $15 a month they won't choke me as hard.

F2p is designed to be supported by whales, but the whales will only stick around if there are small fish there too.

F2P is supposed to be uncomfortable. Now I mean totally F2P never put a cent into the game. The whole point is to get them to either go Preferred or Subscription. That said it is possible to level entirely F2P to 50 but it will never be comfortable and you will miss out on alot of stuff. IMHO that is how it should be. Give serious incentive to pay something for the game.

Preferred on the other hand needs some loosening up. Particularly on the credit limit. So that it is more attractive to the F2P to go the Preferred route. Many like the pay when you want to of preferred much better than a pay constantly sub. But if the perks of preferred are not good enough they will stay totally free.

Sub should and must remain the best option with aspects that cannot be unlocked any other way.

I think they tuned F2P perfectly for newcomers. To former subbers I say: if you like the whole game don't waste your time claiming more stuff for your preferred status, but pay the bill like we do .

I agree.

OP, stop evaluating the F2P feature limits from the perspective of a veteran. And so far, your use of the term "fatal" is not supported by data.

All these suggestions would tune the F2P model to not having any serious inconveniences for casual, non-power players without huge amounts of time. In other words, there would be no incentive left for these players to consider spending a single cent.

Currently, F2P is designed such that everybody has a couple of inconveniences and will consider to buy stuff, sooner or later. That's the only possible way to go (see also my sig in this respect).

This. Why do people feel the need to tell Bioware what to change? I can understand some of the threads, sure, and the OP was reasonable in how he approached it, but it's not meant to make the game FREE. It's meant to act as an extended trial. Like any trial-ware, you're supposed to see enough to know if you might like it or not, but be inconvenienced enough to want to sub. It's not like $15/mo is a lot of money, and if it is to you then maybe you shouldn't be playing video games.

That's the gap though... BioWare isn't making this an extended Trial. They're making it truly Free To Play.

Preferred especially, you can soon have six toons after buying even a handful of Cartel Coins.

They would rather make some money off someone, than none. The system allows for the whole spectrum of consumers.

I'd fall into the Whale Category, as described above, as I have the disposable income not to really care about a couple hundred bucks here and there. I don't mind that I'm paying for you, as I need you to fill my Operations, to fight against me in PVP, etc.

I'd rather pay for neat premium stuff, and still have this game, than not have this game at all.

Your sig is exactly how f2p is supposed to work. There is a minority spending large sums of money, a greater portion that spends a little amount, and a large portion paying nothing. Expecting everyone to pay some is a p2p attitude that according to BW got them into the mess they sre in. F2p should allow people to sick around for free relitively painlessly so those spending the big bucks have someone to play with. The mindset for players should be this game is awesome and buying X would make it even more awesome, not this game is suffocating but for only $15 a month they won't choke me as hard.

F2p is designed to be supported by whales, but the whales will only stick around if there are small fish there too.

Sure, it is how it is supposed to work. But nobody is obligated to stick around and pay his sub every month only because he is supposed to, is he? So they better make sure that people actually paying every month don't feel that they are been taken for a ride. As said, I don't mind helping the game in terms of financing some sort of reduced F2P trial version with my sub, but I will surely not pay for other people to play the real thing for free.

....

I fully agree with the sentiments expressed in your signature.

Overall FTP is not so bad.

 

However, in my opinion, there is a fatal error:

1. Limiting credits to 200 000 for the f2p players and 350 000 for the former subscribers. Not the best option, because nobody needs 90% items (like removing restrictions) from "Cartel Market" apart from FTP players and Privileged players.

The experience of playing «EVE Online» shows that players with real finances not only work against the "Black Market", but also make the game for FTP players more comfortable by selling PLEX.

 

2. For a new character inventory limit in 30 cells is too severe. Optimal variant is 50-60 ... and the rest from "Cartel Market" unlocks. What we have now is too uncomfortable for the FTP players.

 

3. The amount of Flashpoints and Warzones per week is fine. But why there are only 3 Space Battles per week? One fight takes 3-6 minutes. Altogether it is that the amount of Space Battles extremely limited (no more than 10-15 minutes per week). Is that the main advantage of SW:TOR? I think the best option is 5 - 7 fights per week...

 

4. Why the FTP players don't have even a possibility to see Operations? It is ridiculous to block what they have not ever seen. It is imperative to add (preferably one) Operation per week (Mode: Story). So they will see what they lose.

 

5. "Authorization: Artifact Equipment" is currently running not quite correct. In further updates developers will be weary of editing a lot of things. And in general they will have to make a lot of corrections.

Option with limiting equipment by it's level instead of quality would be much better. For example: Now would be good level 126. With the release of new content developers just would change the number.

 

Otherwise, FTP is very good.

Myself - playing on subscription.

I disagree that they need to make it easier for f2p. I found the restrictions tolerable, and I subbed after a weekwend. They want more they can pay

All these suggestions would tune the F2P model to not having any serious inconveniences for casual, non-power players without huge amounts of time. In other words, there would be no incentive left for these players to consider spending a single cent.

Currently, F2P is designed such that everybody has a couple of inconveniences and will consider to buy stuff, sooner or later. That's the only possible way to go (see also my sig in this respect).

Blegh I hate this attitude. Do people not realize that this hurts the subscribers more than it hurts the F2P? This is an mmo, we are dependent on the players around us. When they are purposefully crippled, we are crippled as well. The artifact armor restriction is a prime example of this.

I am not sure why people think it is so outrageous that a free to play option should be.... gasp... free to play! You should be upset that as a subscriber you are just getting the box game as is. The free players should be getting the box game as is and we subscribers should be getting benefits on top of that. As a subscriber, I want the F2P people to have access to everything. I want them playing the game we have been playing for the past year. Then I want the subscribers to be given rewards and boosts on top of that.

I want progress and a fun environment, not stagnation and some stupid class war.

Punishing people and saying "pay us to be equal" is a failing model. Treating people well then telling them "pay us to be even cooler like those guys over there!" is how you succeed. It amazes me that people fail to see the bigger picture because they are too busy reveling in their mediocrity and nursing their wounded egos.

I have to pay and so should you. Idiocy.

Blegh I hate this attitude. Do people not realize that this hurts the subscribers more than it hurts the F2P? This is an mmo, we are dependent on the players around us. When they are purposefully crippled, we are crippled as well. The artifact armor restriction is a prime example of this.

 

I am not sure why people think it is so outrageous that a free to play option should be.... gasp... free to play! You should be upset that as a subscriber you are just getting the box game as is. The free players should be getting the box game as is and we subscribers should be getting benefits on top of that. As a subscriber, I want the F2P people to have access to everything. I want them playing the game we have been playing for the past year. Then I want the subscribers to be given rewards and boosts on top of that.

 

I want progress and a fun environment, not stagnation and some stupid class war.

 

Punishing people and saying "pay us to be equal" is a failing model. Treating people well then telling them "pay us to be even cooler like those guys over there!" is how you succeed. It amazes me that people fail to see the bigger picture because they are too busy reveling in their mediocrity and nursing their wounded egos.

 

I have to pay and so should you. Idiocy.

Your way leads from mediocrity to stagnation to death.

As Cretinus' signature states: " If I'm paying and you're not, but you're still getting the same as I am, then I'm actually paying for both of us. I don't like that so much. If it gets out of hand, then I'm going to stop paying and we will both get nothing."

If everyone who is a freeple gets the same as a subscriber then soon there will be no subscribers. We will go all John Galt on this game.

When everyone is special noone is.

Your way leads from mediocrity to stagnation to death.

 

As Cretinus' signature states: " If I'm paying and you're not, but you're still getting the same as I am, then I'm actually paying for both of us. I don't like that so much. If it gets out of hand, then I'm going to stop paying and we will both get nothing."

 

If everyone who is a freeple gets the same as a subscriber then soon there will be no subscribers. We will go all John Galt on this game.

 

When everyone is special noone is.

 

6 months from now when the F2P surge is gone, the servers are back to ghost towns during prime time, we haven't seen Makeb, and all the "new content" is more armor reskin/recolors on the cartel, I am sure you will still be telling yourself that.

6 months from now when the F2P surge is gone, the servers are back to ghost towns during prime time, we haven't seen Makeb, and all the "new content" is more armor reskin/recolors on the cartel, I am sure you will still be telling yourself that.

DDO and Lotro are still populated, hell CO and STO are still around I think you are overreacting a little bit

6 months from now when the F2P surge is gone, the servers are back to ghost towns during prime time, we haven't seen Makeb, and all the "new content" is more armor reskin/recolors on the cartel, I am sure you will still be telling yourself that.

You don't understand how this works. If a Freeple gets the same exact thing as a sub, what motivates me to continue to subscribe?

NOTHING.

I will unsub. Others will follow suit. Then NOONE is paying for the game. The game can not subsist on just the CC Market alone.

SWTOR will die if Freeples get the same things as subscribers.

There won't be a game to play "in six months" if EAware follows your advice.

There will always be "another game to play" many of us play and PAY FOR more than one.

6 months from now when the F2P surge is gone, the servers are back to ghost towns during prime time, we haven't seen Makeb, and all the "new content" is more armor reskin/recolors on the cartel, I am sure you will still be telling yourself that.

So what? That's not enough a reason for me to pay somebody else's bills. Do F2P people really believe that they can blackmail subscribers to pay for them cause otherwise the game will run out of players? That's very naive.

6 months from now when the F2P surge is gone, the servers are back to ghost towns during prime time, we haven't seen Makeb, and all the "new content" is more armor reskin/recolors on the cartel, I am sure you will still be telling yourself that.

As a player, I am not invested in the game being here 10 years. If it is, great, I'll probably be here. But this is a game. It's not my life or even how I make a living. If the game fails, it fails. I will have enjoyed it while it lasted and more than got my money's worth.

This tired canard is meaningless. Threatening the doom of the game is not an argument, it's a pitiful scare tactic.

I'm a subber but my buddy isn't cause he has fallen on hard times, cant there be an increase in exp gain, the basic color change of the companions, and a small portion of cargo hold access? Thats his only complaint

In the spirit of subsidiarity, if you have the means you can purchase these items for your friend from the CC store and gift them to him via the game mail or trade function.

I'm a subber but my buddy isn't cause he has fallen on hard times, cant there be an increase in exp gain, the basic color change of the companions, and a small portion of cargo hold access? Thats his only complaint

its BW/EA's goal to make money. f2p isnt meant to give everyone everything for free, but to give them a limited experience to then pay for more things.

if f2pers got everything subbers got, then what would be the point of subbing

1. Remove limit to the amount of credits this is mistake. This may cause an increase in speculation play money.

2. Give access to f2players operation also is impossible, this is highend content, I see it as infringement of the rights of subscribers.