So confused

[CrazyOldMystic]

Maybe someone like an official poster can post on this. Ive seen rumors, people who claim to be one who works on the games, and other things. So my questions are simple. Are there any official posts that confirm these things.

1. A free to play swtor, honestly that would kill the game, sorry but its exactly what happened in sto.

2. Are the main devs going to be sticking around, or can I look forward to multiple changes, and a whole year of no content. After a f2p model blows up in EAs face.

3. I want to stick with swtor, but I am not rich in RL, like most in the US I only have so much money. I dont want to stop playing swtor at this point. I cant afford to spend 25.00 here and there just so I am balanced with everyone else. I know the rumors say 10 but if they are true it will be made 25.

 

Final thoughts. I had thought about putting this out there, but I didn't want to make things worse, however given what I am seeing on the forums. I feel this must be said. I watched the new vid for new content. Did anyone else notice the lack of main star wars content? Rather made up content. Reminded me of swg allot.

 

What few know and what I found out, was that swg was being interfered with by Lucas arts. I quit a few months before the servers were to go down. Before accounts, that were inactive, were locked out. On the final month before swtors release. I went to my old guilds website. What I found was shocking, but the whole story. Screenshots of a almost overnight release. As soon as Lucas arts was out of the picture. Players were able to fly their ships into the atmosphere of a planet, and land it anywhere on that planet. It was basically just about released over night. What was amazing about that, and what was a tell tail sign, was the fact that players had asked for this for years. It was clear that Lucas arts, not soe, was the the ones stone walling on certain ideas and development. Now with rumors and troubles abounding in swtor, is Lucas arts now doing the same to swtor?

 

On one final note swg was a great game in some areas and a poor game in other areas. Over the years I GLADLY payed 15 bucks a month to play it. I would prefer to pay a monthly fee, that I can control via my budget. Then have to pay 25 here and there, just so my toon is balanced with the rest of the population. Do not kid yourselves if this game goes f2p. You will find things in the cash store that require RL money, that clearly gives the player a edge over other players in both pve and pvp.

[Tarbacca]

No, SWTOR isn't going F2P in the near future.

 

No, they aren't going to lay off people that are serious main developers of the game.

[Gradivus]

A free to play swtor, honestly that would kill the game

 

The Free-to-play model has never killed a game. Almost all games that have adopted the model instantly multiplied their player base and revenue (See LotRO, DDO, AoC). STO didn't do well with F2P because it was awfull. F2P didn't kill it - it didn't manage to save it.

[Tornak]

The Free-to-play model has never killed a game. Almost all games that have adopted the model instantly multiplied their player base and revenue (See LotRO, DDO, AoC). STO didn't do well with F2P because it was awfull. F2P didn't kill it - it didn't manage to save it.

 

Multiplying revenue is because everything costs more than normal 10e or what ever $ it is...not because theres more players and theres more players because of ppl like me. I go to free games when im bored of something else ive played longer, never buy anything just make their player base little bit bigger. F2P is pure **** model, sadly lot ofppl dont realise it that its more expensive and shovels lot of ppl out.

[Goretzu]

The Free-to-play model has never killed a game. Almost all games that have adopted the model instantly multiplied their player base and revenue (See LotRO, DDO, AoC). STO didn't do well with F2P because it was awfull. F2P didn't kill it - it didn't manage to save it.

 

With the exception of LOTRO though all those games had nothing to lose going F2P.

 

LOTRO is the only one that had (and had kept) a decent subs base (although it was beginning to drop I think), and it's still an experiment, maybe after the Riders of Rohan thing we'll see how well it is or isn't doing really.

[Lazzer]

The Free-to-play model has never killed a game. Almost all games that have adopted the model instantly multiplied their player base and revenue (See LotRO, DDO, AoC). STO didn't do well with F2P because it was awfull. F2P didn't kill it - it didn't manage to save it.

 

It's a matter of perspective, it won't kill the game but it will change the player base. A lot of people here (including myself) will only use a subscription model for an MMO, this means going free to play will kill the game for me and a lot of others as we do not like that model. The game would survive the change as players that like F2P will come in and those that like P2P will leave. The real issue is that the players that have been here from the start that prefer a P2P will leave as they will no longer like the direction of the game and from a personal point of view it means losing a game we enjoy.

[Lazzer]

With the exception of LOTRO though all those games had nothing to lose going F2P.

 

LOTRO is the only one that had (and had kept) a decent subs base (although it was beginning to drop I think), and it's still an experiment, maybe after the Riders of Rohan thing we'll see how well it is or isn't doing really.

 

That's because of 2 things, P2P players leaving and being replaced by F2P players (some stayed as they don;t mind either model) and the fact that there were a lot of life time subscribers who's contracts were honoured and they still get the same level of access as in the old subscription system without having to pay for microtransactions.

[Goretzu]

That's because of 2 things, P2P players leaving and being replaced by F2P players (some stayed as they don;t mind either model) and the fact that there were a lot of life time subscribers who's contracts were honoured and they still get the same level of access as in the old subscription system without having to pay for microtransactions.

 

Yeah I'm one of those.

But so far it's be ok for LOTRO, but whether it can work and produce a game that still grows (al la rider of Rohan) I dunno.

 

 

Something like DDO it did work very well for...... but then that was alway better designed for F2P as it never really worked like a traditional subs MMORPG to start with.

 

I think SWTOR going F2P would more or less destroy the game (as a game), financially I dunno.

[Denyus]

The F2P model could easily destroy a game it all depends on the stuffs they release with the microtransactions. IF they are putting in stuffs that gives people the upper hand in PvP for example for let's say 25USD i recon not alot of people wanna spend that kind of money on just one thing wile a few others purchased it and are using it to faceroll people.

 

The F2P model will also destroy the PvE content by adding gear of all kinds to buy from vendors insteed of farming x content for drops and upgrades.

 

What doesn't hurt with F2P is vanity items - Pets Speeders orange gear etc and more useless perks that doesn't enhance gameplay that much just "fun factor items".

 

What also could affect the game is the lack of money that BW makes per a/month from subscribers so they can't have a huge staff without loosing money and then we wont have engineers fixing the servers when they are broken and we wont get new content as fast either becuse of the above reason.

[Diktat]

1.- F2P model, so far is just a rumor. It's F2P now up to level 15, whoever wants to progress further will have to sub. However, the net is flooded with confusing interviews and "news" claiming SWTOR it's going to be F2P. Just don't listen to them if they bother you, because if it goes F2P we won't be able to do anything to change it, so is pointless worry about something you cannot control.

 

2.- The core dev is already out. There were tow layoffs to date at Bioware, and 3 BW CEOs involved in SWTOR development are already out.

 

3.- Just enjoy the game 'till you feel you cannot enjoy it anymore. Again, it's pointless worry about what you cannot control, all you can do is vent out your frustration or simply leave.

 

All MMORPGs are more or less like this, but you've got a point. BW/EA should make official statements about what's going on with SWTOR to kill rumors and "says", but seems that that is not their policy so we've got to live in confussion and darkness.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Diktat

[Leggomy]

With the exception of LOTRO though all those games had nothing to lose going F2P.

 

LOTRO is the only one that had (and had kept) a decent subs base (although it was beginning to drop I think), and it's still an experiment, maybe after the Riders of Rohan thing we'll see how well it is or isn't doing really.

 

Why would you have to wait for Rohan? They are making WAY more money than they ever did before the f2p switch. At first the game was too hardcore and drove off a lot of the early subs who wanted a more casual game. With f2p (and I will qualify this by saying I did not like the f2p switch) the game has really taken off. Problem for me is it took off in a direction I did not like. Bottom line they are raking in millions off the store. They get money from people who sub and buy points also. So even the subs they get way more money out of now.

 

LOTRO is a success story in f2p and probably the best f2p game out there. Problem is I dont like f2p games because they always come with a cash shop. I have a lifetime sub to lotro so I will never "quit" but I havent really played it in about a year or more now.

[CrazyOldMystic]

That answers my questions.

As for the free to play, is all I know, is what I have seen.

In the lord of the rings online you had to purchase missions to do.

In sto you had to buy respecs with RL money, you had to use RL money in the crafting stage, you had to buy new ships with RL money, you had to buy bridge packs with RL money, and you had to buy uniforms from the star trek universe. The list goes on and on. So I am not a fan of this type of thing.

 

The community I have belonged to sense swg has one of the most controversial reputations out there, but it also has been able to survive through some heavy gaming history in swg. I dont mean the good kind. Give us a sub we can keep on going no matter what. Go free to play, and I dont see how it would work.

 

Thank you for the answers.

[TKMaster]

If you think F2P was what killed STO......well, you must not have played it.

[MarvelZombie]

Gonna agree with the OP a little bit. F2P can impact a game's development negatively. I've seen it go both ways. For example, I think CoH, LOTRO, and DCUO did a pretty solid job of incorporating an F2P option along with a full subscription option. As did DDO.

 

However, when I look at what Cryptic has been doing to Champions Online and STO under Perfect World, it's the opposite. Development is now focused on lockboxes and time-gated repeatable queue-up content. This has had all kinds of impact: empty persistent world zones, abandonment of launch content, lack of any new persistent story-based zones/missions. I'm certain this is related to some knowledge of gamer habits/patterns in F2P games (where PWE has a lot of experience) and how to get F2Pers to pay for things, but it has really negatively impacted both games, IMO. The subscribers rant and rave on the forums, but are largely ignored as cleary this shift in design is profitable. I quit both prior to the PWE transition, but I now have no desire to play either game, free or not.

 

I think Bioware would be able to find that happy median that the former games have: a hybrid game where you can have everything for your sub, or play free and buy services, classes, content, boosts, fluff, etc.... from a store.

 

I hope this doesn't happen for a while, because most of these F2P games also start introducing store content that even subscribers have to pay for (i.e., special adaptable orange gear like, say, costumes out of the movies). I like to pay my $15 and know I'm getting everything the developers produce.

Edited July 20, 2012 by MarvelZombie

[ripster]

I hope this doesn't happen for a while, because most of these F2P games also start introducing store content that even subscribers have to pay for (i.e., special adaptable orange gear like, say, costumes out of the movies). I like to pay my $15 and know I'm getting everything the developers produce.

I pretty much agree with this post, but cash shops are not only in F2P. I don't know the whole list, but EQ2 had adventure packs you had to buy (unless you had a premium sub) and then a cash shop and I think City of Heroes/Villains had things you could buy for your account. WoW has stuff from pets to mounts. Almost all games have some sort of pre-order and/or special edition stuff and I remember SWG kept releasing new 'starter editions' that came with exclusive in-game items that probably 90% of sales went to existing players (and credit farmers). Companies have lots of ways to try to get more money out of people.

 

Still, going back to EQ2, at least that continues to focus on the core game and major expansions, and I think DDO is rather good at content updates.

[pudim]

its simple, IF it is really going to be f2p then

 

Keep the current $15 Monthly subscription

Add a limited F2P with perks to unlock, just like LoTRO

Edited July 20, 2012 by pudim

[MarvelZombie]

I pretty much agree with this post, but cash shops are not only in F2P. I don't know the whole list, but EQ2 had adventure packs you had to buy (unless you had a premium sub) and then a cash shop and I think City of Heroes/Villains had things you could buy for your account. WoW has stuff from pets to mounts. Almost all games have some sort of pre-order and/or special edition stuff and I remember SWG kept releasing new 'starter editions' that came with exclusive in-game items that probably 90% of sales went to existing players (and credit farmers). Companies have lots of ways to try to get more money out of people.

 

Still, going back to EQ2, at least that continues to focus on the core game and major expansions, and I think DDO is rather good at content updates.

 

That's a good point - I should have stated that my observation was that more stuff - a lot more - gets added the store that even subscribers have to purchase after games add an F2P option. Of course, it could be that the reason they have the developers to create the store content in the first place is thet revenue provided by the store. Take CoH: they've added powersets to the game that you have to purchase if you want them, subscriber or not. A few years ago, the players would have taken their pitchforks and torches right to the developers studio doorstep. But now, the thinking is - oh, well, we would have these cool new powersets at all if it wasn't for store revenue, so I don't mind shelling out $8-9 for them. Amazing how the paradigm is changing.....

 

Either way, I really don't like having stuff available for purchase when I'm already shelling out the $15.

 

P.S. I'd forgetten about those EQ2 adventure packs.....

[Rafaman]

Only thing I would add OP is that reading these forums and forums like these should be taken with a grain of salt. I mean there seems to be a vast number of opinions and even few good arguments that are rarely based on fact. Don't let the conjecture get to you. I know it is hard not to speculate, but enjoy the game while you can and do not taking anything said here too seriously.

[CommunitySupport]

Hello! In the interest of consolidating threads about popular topics, we encourage you to share your thoughts about this in the following thread: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=507023. Thanks!