Official F2P Announcement

[Reble-Dog-Squad]

I have to wait until 2013 to give this game the flick.

 

 

I got a six month sub in the hope that this game might end up going forwards but it has gone backwards too far for me.

 

back to STO for me after i have unsubed.

 

What is annoying to me is that we subscribers have waited a long time for additional content such as PVP world, HK-51 and space missions, and now Bioware has given the new updates to the new people via free to play. this is a real smack in the face to the loyal subscribers.

 

WHY!!!!!!!!!!!! is the fan favorite reward voting though that abomination called Facebook?

Edited July 31, 2012 by Reble-Dog-Squad

[Ntranced]

For those of you who think that legacy items aren't going to be in the cash shop think again, just give it time.

 

What is really sad is EA/Bioware putting this across as the logical step given the current market, gaming trends and recent MMO developments. In reality they made an average game (not even "good" or "OK") that without the Star Wars IP would have been bargain bucket within a month.

 

Why is anyone surprised at todays announcement? Holy crap I wanted this game to be great, I get no satisfaction from anything that has happened and have dropped $200 USD on SWTOR and keep coming back even though I should know better. The word I would use to describe how I feel after the SWTOR Bioware/EA treatment is "dirty".

[Hambunctious]

Profitable for them doesn't equal better for us. Get ready to have all aspects of gameplay monetized because that is whats coming.

 

Yep, it's not good for the subscriber. The community in game dies with F2P temps. I've never seen a F2P game not withhold content from subscribers, and put it on the money market instead.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Hambunctious

[Durasturan]

Just hit the wires 10 minutes ago:

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ea-expands-award-winning-mmo-190900648.html

 

IF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS MAKING YOU UNSUB PLEASE LISTEN. ANYONE UNSUBBING! Please make sure to read this

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=513690

 

Or find your own charitable donation on your own server before you quit. Give your credits and items to a friend, guildie, guild-bank, please make sure they go SOMEWHERE before you quit!

[Corinthar]

I'm extremely disappointed. I honestly thought that a big expansion announcement was just 'round the corner...

 

Guild capitol ships, enhanced player ships with customisation options etc etc, I really didn't see SWTOR going F2P before two years, given the enjoyment I've had since launch going through the class stories.

 

With the game going F2P I can see EA making more money out of the game, but I can also see many fans cancelling their subscriptions and moving on to something new, especially since there really isn't anything to separate GW2 and SWTOR now. Both are F2P and GW2 has arguably a more 'modern' feel to it (face it, SWTOR feels like an old game given a new engine).

 

I bought the Digital Deluxe version, and later on picked up a cheap Collector's Edition, so I should get plenty of 'Cartel Credits', but I didn't shell out all that cash for a F2P game.

 

I always knew the EA connection would come at a price. Now we know what that price was : GREED

[Hambunctious]

IF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS MAKING YOU UNSUB PLEASE LISTEN. ANYONE UNSUBBING! Please make sure to read this

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=513690

 

Or find your own charitable donation on your own server before you quit. Give your credits and items to a friend, guildie, guild-bank, please make sure they go SOMEWHERE before you quit!

 

Why would anyone want to do this?

[MadBlue]

Did Snoop Dogg lose a bet with Dr. Dre about SWTOR' going F2P?

[Vindigore]

I see a lot of posts claiming that F2P will save the game and won't inconvenience the subbed people. Most of them present the "LOTRO way-to-f2p".

 

My biggest concern against f2p is that I have yet to see a f2p game (with sub option) that gives unrestricted access to EVERYTHING the game has.

 

Lets see what they said:

The Cartel Market is a brand new feature that will be introduced with our Free-to-Play option. The Cartel Market will offer valuable in-game items including customizable gear and convenience features that will enhance the game play experience.

 

I ll wait to see whats gonna be like in SWTOR but in Lotro this translates into : no access to traveling skill (albeit its cheap), few bag/bank/character/auction slots, small access to traits/virtues ( the game's skill system), crafting limitations and a billion other things. (See how strangely convenient is the legacy system? Account/character perks ... now, where have I read that they discovered its suitability and priced high all these perks, so that people wont be able to buy them until F2P? Ah, yes, in an untrustworthy and blatantly false comment last week.)

 

LOTRO also has a death penalty, I wont be surprised if they bring something similar here aswell - notice that this affects subs & frees alike- (each time you die, you 're gimped for 10mins -unless you spend a cash shop item that costs 100points- also, if you rez at the spot, you can't do it for 1-2 hours, unless you use a cash shop item. The catch is that even subscribers have to buy this item to avoid the death penalty.) So much for "subscribers don't need to spend a penny". After all, if really subscribers had access to everything, they wouldn't need any cartel points...

 

In the above example, the rez item costs 150 points each. Do you know how much points do subscribers get each month? 500. You can understand now, how measly low is that amount to the prices of absolute vital ( for any group that doesn't want to wait 10+mins after each wipe) cash shop items.

 

Also:

What happens if I decide to change from being a subscription player to a Free-to-Play member? What will happen to my credits, inventory, bank items, and characters?

Your account will automatically be downgraded and it will operate under the Free player restrictions. You will need to choose what items to keep with you within the restriction levels of the free access. Furthermore, you will be able to see, but not use, your excess credits, inventory slots, bank tabs, and extra characters.

 

Not even Turbine did this. I got to keep my extra bags/unlocked gold limit, travel skill, unlocked virtues/traits for all the chars I had when I stopped my sub. All these restrictions applied for new chars, created while playing free (premium in the lotro case).

 

Is the cash shop, a fluff shop?

You know that the cosmetics tab is just one of the 9 that the cast shop has?

If you consider : combat/xp/deed/crafting buffs & boosts, services like quick traveling/summoning, potions and relic removal scrolls (to name a few), fluff, then it is a fluff shop.

 

*QUOTES are from the official SWTOR FAQ about F2P.

 

P.S. : English isn't my native. Tried my best to assemble a readable post, please excuse any grammar mistakes.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Vindigore

[Liquidacid]

Profitable for them doesn't equal better for us. Get ready to have all aspects of gameplay monetized because that is whats coming.

 

I never said it did... but BW/EA are companies and companies exist to make money... anyone who thinks or expects any different from them are delusional and/or stupid.... besides since F2P is more popular and profitable than P2P that means it is what more people want and thus obviously makes more players happy than P2P does ... going against the majority is fine for a tiny nitche game but EA won't put up with that

[Nippon]

I have to wait until 2013 to give this game the flick.

 

 

I got a six month sub in the hope that this game might end up going forwards but it has gone backwards too far for me.

 

back to STO for me after i have unsubed.

 

What is annoying to me is that we subscribers have waited a long time for additional content such as PVP world, HK-51 and space missions, and now Bioware has given the new updates to the new people via free to play. this is a real smack in the face to the loyal subscribers.

 

TBH my friend i do not blame Bioware, End of the Day they are the developers and EA are the ones signing the cheques and making the money calls. Blame them, they have a dirty reputation for screwing their customers out of money.

 

Personally i think Bioware had a vision, had a model, had a decent MMO, and EA stuck red tape all over it, fired everyone, took over and will now destroy the game to recoup their losses.

[JefferyClark]

and TOR still has three time or more the player base STO did at release... the F2P change has nothing to do with a game "failing" it has a much larger playerbase than it needs to be profitable... it's just the new market trend that has been making all the money

 

they would be foolish to not take advantage of the most profitable payment system... which isn't P2P and hasn't been for some time

 

Don't kid yourself.... $15 a month subscribers who are in for the long haul is infinitely more profitable than a massive influx of F2P'ers who are willing to drop $100 in a cash shop and then quit the game because there aren't enough subscribers left around to do anything. Do the math. People buy the game @ let's say $50... they're already half way there... after 4 months of subscription, they've already contributed more than that F2P'er who joined, power leveled, and got bored.

Edited July 31, 2012 by JefferyClark

[Liquidacid]

Don't kid yourself.... $15 a month subscribers who are in for the long haul is infinitely more profitable than a massive influx of F2P'ers who are willing to drop $100 in a cash shop and then quit the game because there aren't enough subscribers left around to do anything.

 

ah yes that must be why other than WoW so many P2P games are doing so well... oh wait

 

get a grip with reality... there is a reason the MMO market trend is quickly turning to F2P... and it ain't because P2P is more profitable... lmao

Edited July 31, 2012 by Liquidacid

[Isime]

Since launch, our team has spent a lot of time trying to find new ways to be able to bring the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ experience to as many potential players as possible. We quickly became aware that our subscription only model was a major barrier for a lot people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic universe. In fact, many players who have left the game said they would happily come back if they could play without the commitment of a monthly fee.

 

I LOL at this statement from the front page. I have been an follower of this game well before it was mentioned to the public and only speculation of what BW next big game was. A new MMO from BW sounded like the next big thing then the game gets released and everything is AWESOME!!

 

Soon the content starts to dry up, I do have several alts just so I can try out the advance class, I have done it all and I am still waiting patiently for BW to fix their game and hoping this ship will stop taking on water and look what happens now! F2P is confirmed.

 

I have news for you DEVS, the subscription model IS NOT AND WAS NOT the major barrier. Your blatant disregard for the players and your ego's especially have put you in this position. The people who have left the company on their terms have seen the writing on the walls and these are the ones that needed to stay and make the game thrive. You now have no community interaction, you proceed on keeping everything hush hush, and still have no clue on how to fix Illum.

 

Your players know how to fix Illum btw but of course you think otherwise and your ego prevents you from it as well.

 

Sub has been cancelled a few weeks ago and I don't have much time left, and F2P will not be bringing me back and in fact it's the final nail in the coffin.

[LordRoth]

Welp, I'll still be remaining as a subscriber and I love this game so I have nothing to worry about really. I'm excited to see what happens in the future.

[Corinthar]

ah yes that must be why other than WoW so many P2P games are doing so well... oh wait

 

Converting a subscription model game to F2P is never easy. LOTRO was a train-wreck for a while and it's only now with their first true made for F2P expansion that it has really recovered, imho.

 

Unless EA pulled the plug months ago and BW have been working solely on the conversion since the first quarter of 2012, it's going to be ugly for a while.

 

Personally, with GW2 and PlanetSide 2 due out this year, both designed from the ground up as F2P, I'll be hanging up my lightsaber once I finish my Guardian, Trooper and Scoundrel class stories, and all three of these are either 50 already and late chapter three, or almost 50 and only a few quests in to chapter three.

 

I've had my fun, but I'm getting out before the F2P BS ruins my happy memories of my time with SWTOR.

Edited August 1, 2012 by Corinthar

[Liquidacid]

Your players know how to fix Illum btw but of course you think otherwise and your ego prevents you from it as well.

 

that is the funniest post in this whole thread...

 

all those players who claim to know how to "fix" anything with this game couldn't code, design or produce their way out of a wet paper bag

 

and you're calling BW egotistical... lmao

Edited August 1, 2012 by Liquidacid

[WaywardOne]

So we can still pay for our subs if we want to but... it's f2p...

[VulcanLogic]

So republic credits are no good out here? In order to get my parts fixed or upgraded, I'm going to need something more real?

[Primarch_PWnD]

that is the funniest post in this whole thread...

 

all those players who claim to know how to "fix" anything with this game couldn't code, design or produce their way out of a wet paper bag

 

and you're calling BW egotistical... lmao

 

 

if the people who designed and coded Ilum knew how to do those things, we'd still have an open world pvp venue

Edited August 1, 2012 by Primarch_PWnD

[Nakazia]

Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic added, “Since launch, we’ve been listening to feedback from our fans and adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace. We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.”

 

If you listened to your fans you wouldn't be so delusional as to believe a F2P model is going to fix anything.

 

I find the content rate no where near "breakneck pace" and I don't think it's going to get any better thanks to EA and the poor Austin staff that has been let go/decided to leave left and right.

 

I was going to log in to do a few rounds of PvP but seeing as no one left working on this game has any clue whats going on or what the fans actually want and enjoy... I'll be cancelling now. Good bye.

 

No you can't haz my stuff, it's mine and I'll let it rot where it is.

[Selvec]

There goes the neighbourhood.

 

Seriously though, can you PLEASE start placing some enforcements on server types now? Like making RP require name restrictions and a small explanation of what RP actually is. With F2P the influx of questionable player types will grow massively.

[Celebrus]

I told you so. Many times.

 

Needless to say, sub canceled. The one thing that would ensure my quick departure from this game was an announcement of F2P and cash shops.

 

Say hello to the next failed sub MMO gone F2P, good job ruining a game with huge potential, the last six months of pure failure guaranteed this would be their next step.

 

I don't care about your theories on whether or not F2P is good for this game, I wont be a part of it, and I hope that not many people are stupid enough to fall for what will simply be a cash grab. This game is headed down, and attempting to goad subscribing into paying more money on top of their monthly subscription by providing just enough monthly cartel points to not afford anything isn't going to fix things.

[VulcanLogic]

Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic added, “Since launch, we’ve been listening to feedback from our fans and adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace. We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.”

 

I just have one question, and I'm being serious here. Who the heck is Jeff Hickman?

Edited August 1, 2012 by VulcanLogic

[Isime]

that is the funniest post in this whole thread...

 

all those players who claim to know how to "fix" anything with this game couldn't code, design or produce their way out of a wet paper bag

 

and you're calling BW egotistical... lmao

 

Really!

You really think the players actually can code!!! get a clue..

its about what the zone has, objectives etc. READ THE FORUMS FFS. there have been several posts from people about what is needed but falls on deaf ears.

 

Learn to read!

[Hambunctious]

that is the funniest post in this whole thread...

 

all those players who claim to know how to "fix" anything with this game couldn't code, design or produce their way out of a wet paper bag

 

and you're calling BW egotistical... lmao

 

Please, you assume an awful lot. With the way things have gone, you would think they grabbed some bum off the street to come up with ideas for the game.