p2p vs f2p

[cyberfreaq]

DCUO, STO, LoL, Tribes: Asc etc.

 

There are some very decent free to play models out there.

The Asian-style f2p is bad, no matter how you look at it However, the Western market has found many ways to improve on this system, making it better and far less insulting.

 

Microtransactions can never fail, as long as the developers will only keep cosmetic and gimmicky stuff in the Item Shop. Because, while there will always be people who will buy those things, the system itself won't affect the others in a direct manner.

 

I would never be against the developers selling things that don't affect the game gameplay-wise. And since f2p seems like the future for many games out there, I would support the idea, as long as they keep it at a decent level.

More money than most of you can ever imagine, can be made out of cosmetic and gimmicky stuff.

 

At this point, I think it's clear that there won't be many new players. TOR has reached its peak with the current business model. So, unless they/we want it to die a slow and painful death, we should consider alternatives. There are always alternatives. Never exclude an idea just because others failed at implementing it.

 

Conclusion: microtransations for cosmetic and gimmicky stuff.

Free to play seems like the way to attract a huge number of players. Which is one of the main problems TOR is facing.

 

 

PS & LE: Shall I give some examples of how I see f2p TOR?

• Special companion customization options
  
• Special costumes
  
• Special ship interior/exterior visual customization
  
• Special titles
  
• Special vehicles/mounts
  
• Social items stuff
  
• Even bigger bank/inventory slots
  
• Special Companion Gifts
  
• Boosters that increase the rate at which Crew Skills progress
  
• Different skin colors/hair/facial features and so on for when creating a new character.
  

 

The list can go on and on and on. And a *beep*load of money can be made from stuff like this.

Edited March 24, 2012 by cyberfreaq

[damdragon]

I agree with above poster. Westerns have a strong sense of entitlement, and many people think of they put their little 50 cents a day in the bucket they should have everything that everyone else gets at their disposal. Easter F2P is very different. However I do enjoy more western F2P, STO is a good example. They have a simple item mall and a way to earn paid for points on the free system, slowly. And that kind of system doesn't hurt a thing, you can earn your items slowly or blow some money and get it quickly, giving us the player options with a FREE game. Many people don't see it that way, the whole entitled thing...

[Lightmaguz]

People have such stupid prejudice, there are some pretty good games with the free model, in fact the bigwigs(blizzard included) are considering a free to play model for the mid-term future, in a few years(5 or more) it's likely we'll start seeing a lot of those. A wow dev said even wow would enter the model.

 

Then again wow already have lots of f2p store things for people to buy(and incredibly enough they love buying overpriced ugly pixels.) in most games it doesn't really matter much, dcuo's model doesn't have game-affecting buyable stuff for example, people think every f2p game has GIGASWORDS for 5 dollars that are better than mega swords which you get by raiding this is a popular lie.

[Toxen]

No, I really dislike the microtransaction model.

 

Don't ever play WoW then.

 

Although I did pay the 10 bucks for a baby boomkin

[Exirth]

I' rather it not go f2p but if it was to go that model what I'd like is, pay for the game and pay for expansions but no sub fee, and of course nun of that pay to win stuff Edited April 3, 2012 by Exirth

[RabidPopcorn]

Probably not for long. It's more expensive to get the whole game experience with F2P.

 

That's the thing. If an MMO can retain all game elements while being F2P that would be great (i.e. where the cash shop offers no real combat advantage).

[jestertron]

My personal opinion is that if this game did for F2P it would increase numbers definitely because this would be the best one. It's Star Wars, the fan base is huge and more popular than anything LOTRO, Age of Conan, or DCUO would release. People would at least play the 1-50 quests for all 8 classes. They are really good and supply lots of game play hours regardless if you do anything multiplayer. And still, I don't know how to express this enough, but this game is based on the Star Wars Universe.

 

If SWTOR decided to do what GW2 promises, then I would still pick SWTOR simply because I'm more interested in this universe. Like how I chose WoW over EQ2. I played WC II & III so that universe caught my taste more.

[OmegaMayhem]

Guild Wars 2....end of story.

 

Heh, and just watch where that will go.

[Jim_usmc]

Guild Wars 2....end of story.

 

That's buy to play.. BIG difference.

[Slobozache]

Guild Wars 2....end of story.

 

Indeed.

[Toxen]

Guild Wars 2....end of story.

 

Q F T

[DieAlteHexe]

Would you play this game if it wasn't pay to play and it was free to play with a cash shop with microtransactions?

 

I don't know. If it was done ala LOTRO, I might. I've not played a lot of F2P games but I tend to shy away from them to begin with. LOTRO was an exception since I was already playing it when they went to that model. It didn't affect me one bit so I didn't mind.

 

Just would depend upon HOW they did the F2P for me to say definitively.

[Rouge]

Would you play this game if it wasn't pay to play and it was free to play with a cash shop with microtransactions?

 

Yes, but I prefer P2P. Both the players' - including my own - and the publisher's commitment tends to be greater in P2P. I've never found the same kind of communities and as active guilds in F2P games as in P2P games.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Rouge

[Toxen]

I guess the real question, when it comes right down to it is:

 

Is SW:TOR worth the $15 bucks a month?

[DieAlteHexe]

I guess the real question, when it comes right down to it is:

 

Is SW:TOR worth the $15 bucks a month?

 

For me, yup. No doubt. At least for the foreseeable future.

[OrshabaalLord]

Ew. No. I wouldn't play this game if it was F2p.

 

It's already a great game, I prefer this over GW2.

[Farho]

I would leave. I have been in the f2p model and spent about 200 dollars in a year to keep up with all the content. Paying 15 a month is cheaper.

 

How is it cheaper? 12*15=180.

 

I think I would play F2P, not that I've tried any before.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Farho

[Lord_of_Mu]

I guess the real question, when it comes right down to it is:

 

Is SW:TOR worth the $15 bucks a month?

 

Having played games that have gone F2P. Absolutely!

 

Would you rather pay $15 for unlimited access to everything in the game (Excluding downtime), no restrictions on level, spec, social features, economy, gear, classes and races.

 

Or would you sooner pay to unlock each of those things, along with a new feature that's pushed out on the in game store for the low low price of $5. Or better yet, when the micro-transactions become simply cash grabs. Pay $40 to get this super awesome ultra cool looking item that everyone else will have and you'll need to stay competitive. Yeah, pay to win is so much fun!

 

You'll find that F2P games are more expensive despite the whole "Free to Play". If Free to Play was truly free, you'd think any MMO running with such a model wouldn't be posting those awesome profits.

 

I suggest people go play a Perfect World MMO and come back and tell me how free the game truly was, how they enjoyed grinding for hours on end to try and earn the special in game currency that they can easily acquire with a few dollars while being bombarded with spam designed to make them emotionally unstable so they'll make an irrational decision and spend money on the free to play mmo.

 

You'll find that $15 is a lot better value for money than an F2P MMO.

[TwwIX]

No. As much as i like free games, the "free to play" model for MMO's is completely broken and favors those who have deeper pockets. Once an MMO goes "free to play", it eventually becomes a pay to win game. Basically, a PvPers wet dream come true.

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

Would you play this game if it wasn't pay to play and it was free to play with a cash shop with microtransactions?

 

Nope. Having seen other games go this way, the only thing I have found is a fall off in game quality.

[Shingara]

This game can easily survive as subscription based, the nasty trend thats hitting the genre right now that i hope they do not follow is pay to win which alot of f2p games do and even one pay to play that is going that way. Edited April 3, 2012 by Shingara

[snowmon]

It depends on the implementation. The only big game that's gone F2P that I have experience with LOTRO, and to me it completely ruined it. Me and my fiancee both became lifers ($200 lifetime subscription) after playing it for about six months we enjoyed it so much...and haven't played it since it went F2P and became a pay-to-win system.

 

I'm okay with selling unlockable (balanced) classes and the like, cosmetics and fluff...stuff that really doesn't affect game balance. But LOTRO went overboard, skewing the game to those with enough money to buy special megapotions, permanent stat boosts, horses that go faster... If people wanted it, and LOTRO could monetize it - they did. The loading screens became advertisements (and oddly, loading time increased about 10x at the same time...), seasonal festivals became grind-fests because they would then sell all the festival loot in the store, the list just goes on and on.

 

My personal favorite was a special mount with a really low drop chance in their Halloween haunted house. They laid it on heavy how awesome and unique this horse was, and you better make sure you do your dailies to have a chance at it, because once the Festival was over, the horse would be gone for another year. Maybe...a week after the festival ended, they were selling "FOR A VERY LIMITED TIME!" in the store.

 

And while it sounds like I'm ranting, I'm not really. I've moved on from LOTRO and don't intend to look back. But that is my experience with F2P, and to me it completely ruined the entire game to the point where we walked away from about $800 worth of lifetime subs, expansions packs, etc.

 

tl;dr- Done right, where game balance is preserved between the haves and have nots and all that's sold is fluff, expansions, areas I would still play if it went F2P. If it went the way of monetizing every little thing, I definitely wouldn't.

 

dont worry its not just LOTRO its all F2Ps, that just how they make there money, worst ones are the web based ones as they are cheaper to make and run, i know people that have spent over 10k dollars in a month on these types of games.

 

on topic: hell no, ill be straight back to WoW.

[Apocalypsezero]

Would you play this game if it wasn't pay to play and it was free to play with a cash shop with microtransactions?

 

I would not.

[Kthx]

Would you play this game if it wasn't pay to play and it was free to play with a cash shop with microtransactions?

 

If I could pay a microtransaction to prevent seeing forum postings in color, I might.

[JackHeart]

No.

 

You get what you pay for, and paying nothing gets you nothing.

 

There is no game ever that will survive F2P without having some form of P2W.

Its a good idea to only have pets, visual effects and that **** to pay for in real cash, but no company would ever survive on that. The result would be no or very few updates and bug fixes.

 

Most F2P games I have ever tried have ended up costing more than a monthly fee. Sure its free to start and try it out, but once you get bitten you want to buy all kind of stuff to make your playing easier/better.