ToR Needs to be F2P

[Wolfeisberg]

Until GW2 comes out, & you commence whining about it, while assuring everyone that the Next Big Game is 'it.' It's a pattern that *most* of us recognize by now.

 

Well so far Arenanet has actually proven they created probably the most innovative MMO since WoW. The same cannot be said about SWTOR at all.

 

Oh, and the patterns that SWTOR is on, shows it should go free to play soon. But it won't, even if there is only 1 server left.

Edited May 26, 2012 by Wolfeisberg

[Darkulous]

The gameplay resembles a FTP game anyway so just do it.

[Hekynn]

Dude no its just fine right now the reason why the population is soo darn low is due to Diablo 3 and no Character transfers and server merges yet. That;s the reason why the population has been soo low even on servers like Candurous Ordo that was heavily populated when the game launched.

[Drudenfusz]

No it doesn't, Pay to Win* is the wrong way to go with this game.

 

*F2P = P2W, for those who don't get the reference.

Not all f2p games are p2w.

 

I would prefer when BioWare just cut the sub, but one still has to buy the box and add just vanity and some convinience stuff as MT to the game. No, pop-ups and no pay to win stuff.

[Darth_Victus]

Funny that you quote EQ2. Oh, you want to carry more money? Buy the ability to do so. Oh you want to level up a certain class or race combo? Buy the ability to do so. Oh you want to have more than 4 characters? Buy the ability to do so. Oh you want to be able to use epic quality items? Buy the ability to do so. Does any of that sound good? No. Just stop. Not sure if trolling, but stop.

 

This.

 

The primary reason why alot of servers have low populations is simply because they launched with way too many servers. So now, the population is spread out very thin.

[Tavox]

Um.. NO

[DiabloDoom]

*Read OP's suggestion then blast M.O.P Ante Up in a nervous rage*

 

I say no to pay2win.

[Xannis]

I don't even play SWTOR anymore and I disagree with the OP. I hate F2P games and will not play them. LOTRO didn't go F2P until they were somewhere south of 200k subs. SWTOR isn't in that kind of trouble yet.

[Comstrike]

This game is dying on the vine, and it does not have to do with subscriptions. Most anybody who has played an MMORPG knows their account will be safe if they take six months or a year off......as a great many are doing with SWTOR.

 

The game might not NEED to go to a F2P model, but it would gain from it. Prior to the forum wipe I was a pretty strong fan of it, being a LOTRO subscriber since it was in closed beta. Of course, the debate over F2P here is among the most nasty and shrill of any.

 

I do spend on MMOs, I can afford too, so can a lot of people. I spend on LOTRO fluff items, World of Tanks premium memberships and tanks, even some stuff in Star Trek Online. Felt good about every single buy. It is no different in my eyes, than guys buying golf clubs and Tiger Woods golf polos.

 

The debate over F2P models of all kinds, and full-time subscription models, is like religion and politics. Nasty, and full of intentionally skewed half truths and lies.

 

Regardless, I do fully expect to see SWTOR go F2P. It isn't really a question of IF, as much as WHEN. I had figure it would be maybe two years from now. However I'm not so sure it won't be sooner.

 

When LOTRO knew it was going to move to F2P, new content halted, seemingly forever, while they rushed through and repackaged content, zones, and the rest of the game for the new price and access structure. What updates we got were strictly patches, equipment, and game system changes, not impacted by having the store and F2P system attached.......curiously like patches 1.2 and 1.3 seem like. Looking at what content was in 1.2, which wasn't much, I don't see much that would be impacted by a F2P conversion.

 

Bioware/EA knew there likely would be a post-launch loss of players, if the game wasn't a massive epic hit. The losses are not just bad, they point to deeper flaws in the assumptions and game design. Too much PvP focus due to a utter lack of content. Too much focus on Bioware's idea of "story focused content" which keeps working from the point of view that you are playing "their character," through "their story," rather than being who you want to be, in a larger world that has an overall story (like most other MMOs.)

 

At this point, SWTOR is "just another MMORPG," and that is just that. It'll likely bottom-out late this year, and maybe grow again. In a couple of years, if they do well, SWTOR can become a strong, well liked, supported MMORPG. And it'll still wind-up F2P ultimately.

[Skidrowbro]

WoW needs to be free to play with a free copy of the panda expansion

[Pcolapat]

It should go F2P and I am sure it will. There will still be the option for a subscription without any restrictions or need to buy anything else, plus you are likely to get vip perks for a sub. What F2P will do is boost the population and bring more players to the game. F2P is not a bad thing for a game for those that are still willing to buy the sub.

[Mdgshorty]

There are pros and cons of F2P. They do bring in new players and depending on what they do, they can bring in more money Depending on people's situations depends on if people can play every month. Not every one is able to pay month to month. F2P,. typically make more money than a P2P game as they usually have cash shops so people can buy items they need or want. Edited May 26, 2012 by Mdgshorty

[WrecklessMEDIC]

declining pops, lack of innovation (accept single player voice overs), every patch seems to break something else, Useless "Legacy" system. i gave this game 3 months, and i think im experienced enough in MMos to compare this to a Developed F2P one. eq2 and Lotro have got it right. F2P is the way to go.

 

It'll never go free-to-play. There's more than enough subs to keep it profitable for years even with the recent decline. SWTOR's subscription model isn't going anywhere.

[DiabloDoom]

If they go F2P I want my refund on the purchase of the box sale or it I will never have the option of going F2P. Edited May 26, 2012 by DiabloDoom

[Kalevryn]

ToR needs to be an MMO and it won't need to be F2P.

 

Get all your subs in the same 20 servers and roll with it. Right now you are losing money because people log on and wonder *** is MASSIVE MULTIPLAYER about this experience. Well. i can account for the masive part

 

it's a massive failure atm.

[Knockerz]

Only people who want a f2p swtor are the players who don't want to switch from a current p2p mmorpg or don't have job or unstable job to afford swtor. People who have a lot of free time may also want a f2p model. I will never play a f2p game due to the annoying marking and general dislike of the f2p scheme. It isn't free unless your an idiot who thinks games are made out of nothing. It's a business and f2p mmorpgs exist to make money. That usually means development centers around way to sell perks, content, gear, and so forth.

 

Kinda like how some cell phone apps give away free software, but don't include the highly desired functions that you can get magically by purchasing them.

[StarChompo]

Please no to F2P ever.

LotRO has declined a lot since F2P was introduced. It seems like half of each patch there is for the cash shop in one way or another. Every game system added seems to lead, one way or another, to cash shop purchases.

[DiabloDoom]

Only people who want a f2p swtor are the players who don't want to switch from a current p2p mmorpg

This doesn't make sense. The people who want F2P are the people who want to stay with P2P?

 

Ah nvm I think I get you, people that don't want to pay for 2 subscriptions, 1 being another (current) game?

Edited May 26, 2012 by DiabloDoom

[Pompeia]

I dont think you have played lotro or EQ2 then. i haven't seen any ad's. and yes you have to pay for expansions, but you have to pay for expansions here too. and you can lvl a char 1-50 without paying a cent for anything on lotro.

 

No way I would still play this game if it went F2P.

 

All armor sets in Everquest 2 look bad, except for those on the microtransations shop. Same with the mounts and the houses. If you want your character to have modern stuff instead of plain boring looking armor, retro wooden like designed horses that dont even look natural, or a nice big pretty house, you need to buy for real cash. I dont think having my char looking top noch is optional, its something that is part of my game progress and I expect it to look nice once he hits max level. Its not fluff for me.

 

Lotro has Buy Now butons all over the place, when you open the character screen, when you use the bank, when you check your "talents". Yet, it handled better the move to F2P then EQ2. Even though the best looking horses are also exclusives from the shop, at least the armor isnt. It has more fluff, but also has a lot more annoying Buy Now butons. For me, that fits the ads category.

 

I am already annoyed enough that the best sith gear my marauder could use at 50 is still the black talon newbie chest with the big butt attached. If exclusive nice looking armor came in form of microtransactions, i'd throw the towel.

[HaLeX]

I played a f2p for 3 years and would never do it again. The only people who go there are poor people and people who want god mode and have addictive personalities and will drop 40k on a game. I have seen this btw, one guy blew over 100k. +15 was the top, today they have +28 and the level cap went from 65 to 75 to 110 to 165 and now its 175. Then they start introducing gambling into the equation. It would ruin the Star Wars Brand so I doubt it will ever happen. Plus if you cant commit to 15 a month I would rather not be in the same game with you.

[Kilikaa]

Like hell it does! Free to play is a gimmick. They lure you in with the free part then go out of their way to make sure you pend more money on items in their cash shop then you would paying for a subscription and going out to get the items you want. Free to play my ***. It's a gimmick and this game does not need to go that route.

[HellbirdIV]

ToR Needs to be F2P

 

No, no it really doesn't.

[DarthScruffy]

No, no it really doesn't.

QFT

 

My experience with STO going F2P makes me say no. The week before I tried to get all the gear they were gonna charge for.

[ISTrick]

Currious... What exactly do you think the O in TOR stands for? Perhaps you are confusing this game for The of Republic?

 

This made me chortle.

[Mixxathon]

No it does not actually.

What it needs is for people like you to unsub and wait for it to go F2P.

 

This game is just fine as it is.