I'm with the OP on this one... this being my first MMO - I don't really 'get' the gear grind. I hate to say it, but the player equity/equality gearing in Guild Wars 2 PvP really appeals to me, so the focus is placed more squarely on skill, even though the best PvP gear in that game still offers very small extra benefits over the stuff you can get initially straight out the gate. Too late for our game to adapt to any type of similar model, but hopefully some aspects of 'skill' focus can transition into TOR's PvP over time.

I thought it was a good ad, appealed to me... but then again, I'm a ****** who has previously worked in advertising......

Really good - keep em' coming!!

Illum was epic today on Dalborra - about 30 vs 30 - got to about 10 vs 40 (pub vs imp) at one stage which sucked (for me, a pub), but was great fun none-the-less. In other news, this was my first foray into the world of open area PvP for some reason.... been here since launch, go figure. (Is this normal for Illum?, Have I been missing out on the fun?)

My Guild <IT'S A TRAP!> on Dalborra is actually flourishing... more members than a couple months ago, at least 20 online at any given time... it's quite the trend-kicker.

Took me long enough to get through them, maybe you have too much time on your hands OP.

I thank you sir for your patronage!! The more I think about it, the less I feel violated, and semi-optimistic about F2P & SWTOR in the future.... I'm definitely subscribing when i come back in November, and will have a swag of Cartel Coins to spend once I do for subbing since launch... maybe, just maybe.. this is a good move and will exponentially grow the playerbase and take the game forward? *post traumatic delusion probably lol - someone pass the salve, my violation needs more soothing*

Agreed... I know a lot of people who will try SWTOR now, there are A LOT of people who hate the sub model, but really wanted to give this game a go... at least the player base should grow amiright?

Lots of good looking new PvP armors (with combo bonuses, which you lose when you take your upgrades out of current War Hero gear) Weird (yet still 'Star Warsy') character customisations - lots of them, to further customise your characters Ship customisation - As long as you can buy a few cool and useful things with the allocated Cartel Coins per month that you get for subscribing (I am not going to be paying more ON TOP of still subscribing once it's F2P) - then i'll be a happy camper

Bro, I hear you. This whole mess would be going down far less like a bucket of sick, more like a glass of Glenfiddich 12 year old Scotch..if we felt, as paying subscribers since launch, we were getting justly rewarded for believing in the game, and purchasing it at full box retail cost and paying subscriptions until now. This is the crux of a lot of the angst I feel... a few Cartel Coins just doesn't cut it, when everyone has been paying left right and center, supporting and enduring content-less months since December... the reward offered (a misley amount of Cartel Coins for time subbed) just doesn't cut the mustard so to speak.

For the first month... but once those freebie coins run out, my worry is that the monthly allocated 'Cartel Coins' will not be sufficient to cover any items that are ESSENTIAL to making the game balanced/fun (and there will be, believe you me..) - as long as the monthly amount of Cartel coins is sufficient to cover these items, there is justice in the world.

F2P is like Herpes. Sooner or later, everyone has it and it's gonna be nigh on impossible to contain.

Jeebus, Life is depressing in Industrial Age England.

It would be nice if normal retail box owners got something - 150 Cartel Coins x a few months doesn't sound like much when it's estimated 25 Euros will buy 1600 of the little buggers.... This is my only sticking point for this move, our initial purchase doesn't seem like it's getting rewarded properly in terms of this new F2P model.... now if we got a few months subs covered (say a 3-1 paid-covered ratio), that would be better.

I LOVE how you integrated the rules of acquisition into this F2P fiasco, it's brightened my day *cue Quark grin*

WEIRD. Have never noticed this.... Um, 1.4? lolz.

This. As long as the new content that is cash shop and semi-mandatory to enjoy the game costs NO MORE than the allocated amount of monthly Cartel Coins we get as subscribers in this new model, It'll be right as rain. If we have to: 1) Pay a subscription to have full access to the game (which is fine by me) AND DEN..... 2) Pay for ADDITIONAL Cartel Coins, because there are P2Win aspects brought into the cash shop that our 'allocated' amount doesn't cover.... THEN GOOD SIRS/MADAMS, The 1912 voyage of the SS OLD REPUBLIC will be a self fulfilled prophecy, aka, sunk baby... sunk.

I must have ESP.... I cancelled my sub 3 days ago, someone get me a lottery ticket, I got the hot hand son!

I guess that wouldn't be so bad, if it means more new armor/weapons/content etc, as long as the 'allocated monthly amount' of Cartel Coins (for subscribers) is plenty to cover these must have items... if they are not, as another poster so eloquently put it, they can swallow my balls also. :D:D

lol... I wish I didn't love Warzones/PvP as much as I do.... otherwise this would be the best news since sliced bread. Weekly restriction on amount of Warzones done for F2P... my F2P battleship was sunk with that blow haha.. subs it is!! ;P

Nice! I see you get where my drifting is drifting from Human Guardian - Sea of Sorrows / Human Jedi Guardian - Dalborra : let the games begin.

Guild Wars 1 (to this day) requires you to purchase the game and it's expansions. I've spent $120 playing Guild Wars for 5 years steady..... and I've seen the GW2 cash shop - it's not all fluff, but anything that isn't CAN be earned in game from drops/gem-gold exchange and various other devices, but NONE of it is essential at all, unless you're extremely short on time, and need to boost xp from kills/missions etc in a huge hurry every day (which some people may require if they only have 1/2 hour a day to game etc). There are no 'restrictions' once the purchase is made : we 'purchased' SWTOR in full, and will be 'restricted' if we don't keep paying the sub, even when F2P is in play, get my flow, Joe?

Limited amount of Warzones per week (unless you subscribe) .... that's enough to make me subscribe, not sure about you guys.

Just to clarify the business models of GW2 vs Free 2 Play (what our game is going to use) - as many seem confused about what games use what model (for the record, I love SWTOR, and also plan on playing Guild Wars 2 from launch - I'm not taking sides, just providing information). Guild Wars 2 is using the same model Guild Wars 1, and it's various expansions used successfully for many years: Buy to Play. The cash shop from ArenaNet is always cosmetic stuff, with some xp boosters (mild boosters) being the most hearty stuff there, which you can purchase using in game currency if you have enough of it anyways. You do have to purchase the game in full initially (either digital or retail, with CE editions available - just like a normal non-MMO game) but after than there are no restrictions on play WHATSOEVER - the only thing the cash shop is used for is quirks, fun stuff and some boosters, which can be achieved in-game anyway if you so desire.. but are not necessary by any means (you level up very fast in GW2 anyway), and do not promote Pay 2 Win at all. Planetside 2, LOL, LOTRO, STO and now, our SWTOR will be using the full Free to Play model, giving the client/game/story experience away for free, and then HEAVILLY restricting endgame content (such as limited warzones per week, number of chars, limited char creation, no operations available to F2P) etc - BASICALLY, all good if for a blat for free if you only want to do the story content, the rest however either a sub, or LOTS of purchased ingame currency is required to enjoy anything from there. This could work for SWTOR with it's ailing sub numbers, giving a boost of players - in turn money for the devs - in addition to subs from the more hardcore players (us, generally speaking), who will have unrestricted use of theoretically more content, due to more players/money in game. Either way - comparing SWTOR's new business model and Guild Wars 2's Buy to Play is idiotic, as they are completely different, and should never be put in the same pigeon hole (unless it has a mid-way divider ;P).

You are incorrect sir! Guild Wars 2 is using the same model Guild Wars 1, and it's various expansions used successfully for many years - Buy to Play. The cash shop from ArenaNet is always cosmetic stuff, with some xp boosters (mild boosters) being the most hearty stuff there, which you can purchase using in game currency if you have enough of it anyways. You do have to purchase the game in full initially (either digital or retail, with CE editions available - just like a normal non-MMO game) but after than there are no restrictions on play WHATSOEVER - the only thing the cash shop is used for is quirks, fun stuff and some boosters, which can be achieved in-game anyway if you so desire.. but are not necessary by any means (you level up very fast in GW2 anyway), and do not promote Pay 2 Win at all. Planetside 2, LOL, LOTRO, STO and now, our SWTOR will be using FULL Free to Play - giving the client/game/story experience away for free, and then HEAVILLY restricting endgame content (such as limited warzones per week, number of chars, limited char creation, no operations available to F2P) etc - BASICALLY, all good if for a blat for free if you only want to do the story content, the rest however either a sub, or LOTS of purchased ingame currency is required to enjoy anything from there.