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Developer Update: Free-to-Play Option


CourtneyWoods

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Hello everyone,

 

Please discuss the Developer Update: Free-to-Play Option blog in this thread!

 

 

This statement:

"The second core rule is that subscribers should not experience any degradation of their gameplay experience. Those of you who are still paying a monthly fee should still get the same gameplay experience and you won’t find anything taken away from you and the gameplay that you currently enjoy. "

 

Is contradicted by this statement:

"Players with Preferred Status do not face the same limitations as a Free-to-Play player and will find that some restrictions are either removed or greatly reduced"

 

As the above works down to:

Players with Preferred Status ... will find that some restrictions ... are greatly reduced

 

That "greatly reduced" phrase is equivalent to "taken away from you."

 

What are these "greatly reduced" "restrictions"? And for "Players with Preferred Status", i.e. subscribers, why are there any, "some", restrictions at all?

 

Or is that a typo that needs editorial correction?

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It's interesting but as a solo casual player I don't see much incentive to stay subscribed other than maintaining the XP levels, I think that the permanent payed bonuses could be enough to get me the experience I want without a subscription. Edited by Darkfiretiger
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Right now I'm content to subscribe to TOR,regardless of the decrease in playerbase or the fact I could later play for free.I know the gameplay drops after hitting 50,I'm aware of the many,many flaws in the game--and I don't mind continuing to pay my $15 a month.For me,personally, I enjoy playing a story-based MMO with a low time sink and instanced pvp.I've played dozens of other MMO's,for now I'm content to stay.

 

Having said that,the Free-to-Play format that Bioware is adopting is a complete disaster.Going from level 1-50 with the class story line is the best part of the game,and that part is free.New Players will play the game till 50 then leave...this won't help the population at all.We will get a huge boost at first,which will quickly die out once F2P players go through the PVE content.

 

The time and effort that Bioware is putting into F2P is wasted--because it doesn't address the main reason ppl leave this game...the "After 50" slump.

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i feel like this is how they will introduce the wookie they will probably make it a special so people will buy the wookie race so not everyone has wookie and wookie would be a playable race for any class 2!! but i feel like this will be in a few years or so....but yea the game has come a long way from a year ago..... all personally want is more legacy gear and weapon!
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Right now I'm content to subscribe to TOR,regardless of the decrease in playerbase or the fact I could later play for free.I know the gameplay drops after hitting 50,I'm aware of the many,many flaws in the game--and I don't mind continuing to pay my $15 a month.For me,personally, I enjoy playing a story-based MMO with a low time sink and instanced pvp.I've played dozens of other MMO's,for now I'm content to stay.

 

Having said that,the Free-to-Play format that Bioware is adopting is a complete disaster.Going from level 1-50 with the class story line is the best part of the game,and that part is free.New Players will play the game till 50 then leave...this won't help the population at all.We will get a huge boost at first,which will quickly die out once F2P players go through the PVE content.

 

The time and effort that Bioware is putting into F2P is wasted--because it doesn't address the main reason ppl leave this game...the "After 50" slump.

 

i agree with that 50% i think they need to add more dialies for end content...but i don't think that the storyline is the best part... i feel like they should add more between lvl 1-50 and add more planets 2 where you can go do dialies if ur a players whos been through everysingle storyline and just want to do dialies from lvl 1-50. pvp is really good but they can do better like make more pvp maps and deathmatch pvp, make more open world pvp and have more lvl brakets for open world pvp plus give players reward for killing a player in open world. bioware has lots of potential to make swtor a really good game by work on more pve and pvp content. Bioware at the moment is only giving the players 50% of the game not the full 100% that we would like to see.

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This statement:

"The second core rule is that subscribers should not experience any degradation of their gameplay experience. Those of you who are still paying a monthly fee should still get the same gameplay experience and you won’t find anything taken away from you and the gameplay that you currently enjoy. "

 

Is contradicted by this statement:

"Players with Preferred Status do not face the same limitations as a Free-to-Play player and will find that some restrictions are either removed or greatly reduced"

 

As the above works down to:

Players with Preferred Status ... will find that some restrictions ... are greatly reduced

 

That "greatly reduced" phrase is equivalent to "taken away from you."

 

What are these "greatly reduced" "restrictions"? And for "Players with Preferred Status", i.e. subscribers, why are there any, "some", restrictions at all?

 

Or is that a typo that needs editorial correction?

 

 

I'm rather sure you read that wrong. People with "Preferred Status" are people who have subscribed before (or have bought something at the web store for a minimum of $4.99) and have switched over to Free-to-Play. They are not recognised as a subscriber but as a previous subscriber and thus given a "Preferred Status" to recognise them as such.

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If you have certain things like UI options and color match and other things gated the way you have, the FTP option is nothing but a punishment. Gate content if you want. That makes sense. But even with this talk of "Preferred Status", you need to seriously reevaluate what the model does and does not restrict if you think people are even going to bother with it.

 

Having quickbar slots or title be purchasable unlocks is the most harebrained thing I have heard. One of the things that having preferred status gives you is the ability to send mail. These things should be basic quality of life things that everyone has access to. Gate content. Limit warzones, limit flashpoints and looting. Do all of that. But making the option to hide headslot something to buy? Making quick travel something to buy?

 

All you are doing is gutting a product of quality and either a) merely rolling things back to how certain things were before certain patches insofar as QoL or b) imposing limits on things that should be granted.

 

And it's transparent. It's a money grab. Other games with ingame stores or FTP options at least have some of the content purchases seem smart. In LOTRO, you could buy access to all the quests in an area. Hell, you want to make money, you do that. Person wants to raid? Which raid would they like access to? Do they want to pay extra for access to the Tier One raids in a bundle pack? Only buy Eternity Vault? Maybe buy all of them for a large flat rate?

 

THAT's how you gate things. That's how you manage your content in a FTP system. It doesn't come from saying "If you want more quickbars, please insert 25 cents".

 

This. The quality of life restrictions are ridiculous and will only serve to frustrate potential F2P players and drive them away not incentivise them to make purchases. Please read your own Test Server forums and take to heart the feedback contained there before pushing this out to live servers. As I have seen others say in countless other threads: you only have one chance to make a first impression with this new model so even if you change it after the push to live any bad publicity will already be out there and that's what people will see so it will prevent a lot of people from even trying the game.

Edited by corcode
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I know it seems unfair that the f2p you cant have quick travel and titles and hide headslots but look at it this way your not on a time limit because of a subscription so you dont need the quick travel really and just by spending a few dollars/pounds (alot less than a new game) you get prefered status and can buy the titles and head slots permanantly for all chars
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Im looking forward to cartel shop and similar new additions, not F2P itself because I will remain subscriber. :p

 

Also the hooded robes.

 

ps. I admit that the quick travel restriction of f2p people is ridiculous.

Edited by Karkais
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This statement:

"The second core rule is that subscribers should not experience any degradation of their gameplay experience. Those of you who are still paying a monthly fee should still get the same gameplay experience and you won’t find anything taken away from you and the gameplay that you currently enjoy. "

 

Is contradicted by this statement:

"Players with Preferred Status do not face the same limitations as a Free-to-Play player and will find that some restrictions are either removed or greatly reduced"

 

As the above works down to:

Players with Preferred Status ... will find that some restrictions ... are greatly reduced

 

That "greatly reduced" phrase is equivalent to "taken away from you."

 

What are these "greatly reduced" "restrictions"? And for "Players with Preferred Status", i.e. subscribers, why are there any, "some", restrictions at all?

 

Or is that a typo that needs editorial correction?

 

Preferred status isn't subscriber. Subscriber = paying, preferred = paid before but not paying now.

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This is the second time I've seen this release date in regards to F2P: "Soon!" And that's just today. Could we nail it down to a month, at least? There's only one and half of them left this year.

 

This is my guess: announcement of no maintenance on Tuesday, then 1.5 will go live on the 15th.

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Each PAID month. Your first month was free. You also probably got the free month for being level 50 or having legacy level 6 or whatever it was. If you upgraded to Collector's that's another free month. So you have to subtract up to three free months.

 

Hmm, just the fact it added up to March made me suspicious, but I shouldn't have been, so it seems. Thanks for clearing that up. :)

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No but I see the flaws in your thinking process.

Why would anyone leave the game at 50 if they liked it, logic says they would want to sub to experience endgame content and get all the advantages of being a subscriber. IF they didn't like it, then they may even leave at level 20'. They'll stay for the same reason you did.

And preferred status is not a slightly degraded version it is a much degraded version.

Personally? I'll pay 15$ a month because it is the most ridiculously cheap price for a month of entertainment I have ever seen. It's the cost of a 2hour movie ticket or a valet tip ffs.

 

What is to stop people from leaving after level 50?

 

This addage applies here: "If you are giving the milk away for free, why would they buy the cow?" :p

 

 

 

So basically everyone that ever had an account will be Preffered Status and anyone who ONLY pays the minimum of ~$5 US. FOREVER? It is not stipulated. If one only has to pay for a slightly degraded subscription for a one time fee of ~$5 US. Why would they ever subscribe?

 

Anyone else see the flaws in this plan?

 

:cool:

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So...the announcement was written weeks ago...and you're just now posting it...

 

Did you have to send it to your EA Overlords and let them make sure that no new information was presented before they approved it?

 

Seriously. You guys have a SERIOUS communication problem [and after promising (twice) to fix it].

 

I'm sorry if this sounds overly cynical, but I truly do not understand the thought process that's occuring here.

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Right now I'm content to subscribe to TOR,regardless of the decrease in playerbase or the fact I could later play for free.I know the gameplay drops after hitting 50,I'm aware of the many,many flaws in the game--and I don't mind continuing to pay my $15 a month.For me,personally, I enjoy playing a story-based MMO with a low time sink and instanced pvp.I've played dozens of other MMO's,for now I'm content to stay.

 

Having said that,the Free-to-Play format that Bioware is adopting is a complete disaster.Going from level 1-50 with the class story line is the best part of the game,and that part is free.New Players will play the game till 50 then leave...this won't help the population at all.We will get a huge boost at first,which will quickly die out once F2P players go through the PVE content.

 

The time and effort that Bioware is putting into F2P is wasted--because it doesn't address the main reason ppl leave this game...the "After 50" slump.

 

You;re wrong. I think pre-50 is time wasting :) I buy all exp perks for my chars to speed-up. Because I enjoy to play with build/armor combinations when I have all avail skill points. And most I do is trying some new build.

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Well, I'd love to say that I plan to remain a happy and loyal paid subscriber...but I'm already less than happy with the endgame. That aside, I haven't given up yet! I just have a couple things on which to comment.

 

First, the endgame! I have to say I've grown tired of the PvP battlegrounds, and the rewards just aren't worth the grind to complete for me...I got my sweet-looking War Hero Force-Master Hat, and I rather like flowing red robes, so why switch to creepy green vines? (Plus Battlemaster's robes make the hat red!) I'd switch to operations, but I dislike pugs, and my guild has imploded due to my friends having less patience than I for something new. (Even my wife is ready to give up on the game...and I left WoW before she did!) I would only ask for a reason to log into the game again that doesn't involve purchases or grinds.

 

Second, even after my fellow players resolved my initial concerns about the Preferred Status--namely that it is for former subscribers, not active ones--I still find it difficult to believe that BioWare is comfortable giving equal favor to someone who invested up to $250 (or more with CE) and someone who buys a hat once.

 

Please, show the appreciation for your fan base. My humble suggestion: 4 levels of player--

 

1. Active subscribers - full recognition and perks

2. Former subscribers - a level of recognition below active, like "Retired" or "Veteran", that is above the folks who just started and paid 5 bucks.

3. Paying F2Pers - a bump up from the freebs..."Preferred" works fine for me

4. F2P-only - the folks who haven't decided to invest more than the time to download the game.

 

Hopefully the devs check back and see this, and at least give it due consideration. Thanks.

 

Very Respectfully,

Galaeron

 

PS: Please give us more cowls or hoods! Creepy masks are great and all, but nothing beats a good shadowy hood...

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Let me yell:

GIVE US AN OPTION TO BUY APARTMENT AND DECORATIONS FOR IT AND OUR SHIPS!

 

Hehe, really. Put that into CC (furniture, colors, etc...) and win/win for all XD!

 

 

Actually, let guilds have their own capital ship as a guild base...for THAT I'd stick around!

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