What F2P Really does to a game..!!

[Evil_Santa]

No it didn't. Helegrod came in Book 9, 2 months after release.

 

You're right - I always thought it was in at launch, considering I was testing it a month before launch.

[Vellem]

Cause millions of players are not like me. Sure the option is there but not eveyone takes the same route I did. The proof is that the games like LOTRO are doing very well. Gamers are not always patient, or willing to wait on things so they impulse buy. Unlike me.

 

They can develope new instance cause there are people willing to pay. In the case of LOTRO. I was not. For me it was a secondary MMO at that time. I played WOW and then SWTOR. However, there seems to be many that LOTRO is there main MMO as both a sub member and F2P member. It's working as intended. My money was going somewhere else so I choose the FREE side of the game.

 

There is no dark side to F2P gaming these days. You get what you want. It's ala cart so to speak. Things like LOTRO have done very well cause of this and have released patch after patch and multiple expansions in the F2P model.

 

Are other players subsidizing me? Maybe in the broadest sense of the word but are they also getting everything out of the game they want? Yes they are.

 

Here is what bugs me. You and many other keep saying things like, " The proof is that the games like LOTRO are doing very well."

 

Where is this proof? Turbine does not even release player numbers. How many people are playing right now? Out of those people how many are subbed and/or buying from the store? Shortly after their conversion to f2p they bragged about their triple revenue, but haven't uttered a peep about it since. Like I said, those things are great if you are a shareholder or investor or whatever, but it doesn't mean too much for the actual player. The game is not noticeably any better now than it was before. Some would argue it is even worse off. You get a game that is just flooded with ads for their store everywhere you look and now decisions are based off of how profitable they are. They will never address player housing for example because putting in any dev time on it was deemed cost ineffective. Meaning they could not find a good way of making money off it in the store.

 

Lastly, another thing I keep hearing is, "lotro is doing so well they are putting out another expansion!" I get tired of this one too. Whether or not they are doing well has nothing to do with putting out expansions and updates. In the end, it is still an MMO and all MMO's, f2p or not, need to keep putting out content or players get bored and leave. If anything I would say they are doing it because their cash shop sales are dropping and releasing an expansion is a great way to introduce more item to the store like they are doing with the mounted combat. That will be a whole other source of revenue in their store. Look at is this way, WoW lost 2 mil subs and they are still putting out an expansion. Are people saying, "WoW is doing so well they are putting out another expansion!" No, no one is saying that, so why do people say that for lotro? Makes no sense. It's stupid really. They need to keep churning out content just like any other MMO to keep people playing. Simple as that.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Vellem

[Beslley]

I'm too lazy to read 26 whole pages, but one thing I've noticed is that F2P usually severely degrades a game's community. F2P communities are always the worst because of the fact that it's available to everyone.

 

League of Legends has the worst community I've ever seen in a game and it's wildly successful. Nexon games? Also terrible, but again, very successful. APB Reloaded? Awful.

 

I can't wait for the F2P brigade to come crying after what's left of the SWTOR community is completely demolished by an influx of idiots (though I honestly can't wait for /v/ to log on, laugh at us, and say that they told us so).

Edited August 2, 2012 by Beslley

[Alphasgimaone]

My super street fighter 4 game has a multiplayer function as well. Doesn't make it a MMO. And yes, wizards 101 is technically a MMO. That is marketed to the disney channel watching tween crowd.... Think I would've used farmville over that one.

 

Huh? Street Fighter is a multi-player game played online by a massive number of people.

 

I think you need to redefine MMO.

 

Furthermore, because I know you'll argue it, MMO =/= MMORPG.

[CaptRavenous]

A. The Crafting Recipes available for me at level 75 on my Metal smith in the store are all the ones that have dropped for me while playing.....

 

B. Death Penalty, aka Dread has been in the game since release...You usually just wait it out (though I think there was items you can use to remove dread..I had a couple at some point) ...Now you can if ya want purchase an item to remove Dread if ya really want to..But you could do that with Destiny Points as well.. since the release of the game..Personally I just let my death penalty run out when i do die.. It's only like 3 minutes or something silly like that..

 

C. There is absolutely nothing needed in the store that you can't earn in the game easily if you have a subscription..Yea if you're a F2P guy.. you will have to grind.. but for subscribers...nothing in there but convenience crap and outfits.

 

This^^

 

I stopped playing LotrO last November. You can get most items by grinding for them, as many items on the LotrO store are random drops in certain areas OR you can save yourself time and spend some money to get the items you want. I did a little of both.

 

I quit playing LotrO because the PvE grind there just plain sux, so many useless quests that have you running back and forth a lot, more than a lot, really. It was just ridiculous.

 

The LotrO community itself got better after F2P, as elitist jerks playing there became a minority with the influx of new players, which is what the game needed.

 

F2P will bring changes to this game, its true, whether those changes are bad or not depends entirely on your own point of view.

 

Many MMOs have adopted the F2P model, and they have thrived as a result. I believe this game will as well. I've yet to see an MMO fail after it went F2P. Failure meaning, they are no longer online.

[Farleft]

You guys sound like Obama--ohhh, its terrible: EA is going to make some money.

 

While I don't have a lot of faith in EA, I do have faith in BW and LucasArts.

 

Really? As I understand it this Bioware's first MMO. Su unless I'm mistaken why would you have any faith in Bioware?

[Hizoka]

free to play is just what they want you to think, the reality is it will become pay to win.

[Vellem]

Huh? Street Fighter is a multi-player game played online by a massive number of people.

 

I think you need to redefine MMO.

 

Furthermore, because I know you'll argue it, MMO =/= MMORPG.

 

no, I won't argue semantics with you. I was referring to MMORPG's when saying MMO's because quite honestly I have not seen the term MMORPG used since my EQ days. Chalk one up for you I guess...

[bionamaster]

My super street fighter 4 game has a multiplayer function as well. Doesn't make it a MMO. And yes, wizards 101 is technically a MMO. That is marketed to the disney channel watching tween crowd.... Think I would've used farmville over that one.

By multi-player functionality, I mean MMO-class of it. Multiplayer as in more then one small group of people. As for Wizard101, I am not quite sure what the target market has to do with it anyway. The business models are relatively the same.

[BeeblesTV]

Lotro's store sells stat boosts, legendary weapon upgrades. It's pay to win. I'm not sure why people think it is a good model.

[AidenCast]

Lotro's store sells stat boosts, legendary weapon upgrades. It's pay to win. I'm not sure why people think it is a good model.

 

Beacuse they are gullible fools who trot out two arguments, either:

 

"you get 500 points free a month on subscription and on a lifetime account" -

 

Most of the character improving items won't leave you with much change from 500 for one item which is usually single use and character only not account wide. There are a few account wide purchases but these are few and far between.

 

Many of the advantage items are available as in-game drops and anyway you don't really need them. -

 

Anything that is available in the store and also in game has an insanely low drop rate that unless you are prepared to give up your job/college and devote you life to grinding mobs you are unlikely to ever get (cue someone posting an anecdote about how they killed one goblin and got a drop ). Regardless of whether you do need advantage items or not they are still an advantage. The in store healing pots make some raid bosses easier and from memory do not share a cooldown with in game pots thus allowing players to increase their healing for cash over those who do not use shop. Also on the issue of stat scrolls they may have declined in controversy since the stat caps have been removed (due to their effect becoming less) but a large section of MMO players like to max out their characters and these scrolls and LI's help players do this and so making them effectively store only is basically exdploiting these peoples game style.

[ZORG]

Well if there GOAL is to get people to subscribe by making people some what uncomfortable in there F2P game then they will never put the good stuff on the store. However we all know that the loudest however small the numbers get what they want. Just look at how class balancing for PVP has ruined PVE Endgame. The last change to commando DPS Gunnery comes to mind.

 

Anyways its there game there servers if they break it vote with your wallet and your ADD AND REMOVE PROGRAMS Icon.

Edited August 3, 2012 by ZORG

[Leggomy]

Most of the character improving items won't leave you with much change from 500 for one item which is usually single use and character only not account wide.

 

You act like there is only 1 500 point gift you get them every month. Save up if you want something. Also you forget you can earn points simply by playing the game. Sounds to me you want everything handed to you free. It doesnt work that way. You either grind points or whatever for your stuff or you buy what you can off the store for money saving you all that time. All those items on the store with the exception of the relic removal scroll are simply convience. You do not need them I know I never bought anything but the relic removal scrolls.

 

What you want is everything handed to you without you having to play the game. People get bored and quit when that happens. Lotro's store is very popular and only people who want something for nothing (even tho they get it for nothing they simply have to wait) right now. Well it doesnt work that way in lotro.

 

Also any raider who isnt a newb doesnt use those potions from the store. They are useless. Maybe a few years ago when they first came out but not now.

Edited August 3, 2012 by Leggomy

[Ashu-ri]

Lotro's store sells stat boosts, legendary weapon upgrades. It's pay to win. I'm not sure why people think it is a good model.

 

Both of which are available either by grinding in the right area, or grinding skirmishes. Plus, especially now, +70 might when your might is already 1500 doesn't make much of a difference. That +70 is attainable to by raising virtues.

 

Never bought a legendary weapon upgrade on the shop - got them all with skirmish marks.