Rethink these Restrictions Bioware

[gregordunbar]

You realize why Guild Wars 2 has such a great service. Because it is NOT free to play. You pay for the disc set ($60) and that's all. Now, SWTOR has a FREE download and play method. Meaning they need to make profits.

 

ENOUGH already. You are not going to fool actual F2P players into thinking that F2P games cant make money unless its a pay trap, they already KNOW BETTER. The only people you can hope to fool are the few MMORPGers out there that have never tasted the ACTUAL F2P market...and then you are dealing with experienced players that are not going to like the massive holes this game has, not only THAT but you will also be dealing with people that dont play MMOs for a detailed singleplayer game...worse yet, you are locking them out of the few aspects of this game that they are used to in MMOs...PvP and flashpoints.

 

The F2P market is already filled with decent FULL free games with micro-transaction shops that offer fare more than this game has to offer...they should have dumped subs fully, dumped the idea that you have to try to trick people into subbing and gone full fledged item shop to make some real money. Gawd...lock parts of a game that wasnt good enough to keep the vast majority of its players when they could play the full version...

[Vonkryer]

Was expecting some respect from Bioware for old subscribers, but this F2P is a joke.

I bought this game and played for 4~5 months due lack of content and a lot of bugs i just give up.

 

Got an email from Bio anouncing f2p system and just laugh on F2P Limitations, a perfect true F2P and sucess was what NCsoft did on Lineage 2 and Aion this is a real F2P system not that joke coming from EA.

 

Rly EA just want money at all costs they dont give a **** to consumers.....

 

Thats not a F2P system its just like a free TRIAL with restrictions real game was on end game PVP/PVE RAIDS etc....

 

I am not saying EA needs to give all game content to F2P just remove that retard restrictions and make some content to sell on cartel coins shop so ppl can buy it and enjoy

 

More players will come just work on new content and sell on cartel coin shop that would be the way.

 

I would buy ilimited access to WZ and would buy again for a new WZ, but i am not going again on subs due this retard restrictions

 

 

Yes STWOR is great but dont deserve P2P in my opnion.

 

(sorry if something wrong on my english thats not my native language still learning and improving my skills on that)

Edited November 17, 2012 by Vonkryer
adding

[KnighteStar]

ENOUGH already. You are not going to fool actual F2P players into thinking that F2P games cant make money unless its a pay trap, they already KNOW BETTER. The only people you can hope to fool are the few MMORPGers out there that have never tasted the ACTUAL F2P market...and then you are dealing with experienced players that are not going to like the massive holes this game has, not only THAT but you will also be dealing with people that dont play MMOs for a detailed singleplayer game...worse yet, you are locking them out of the few aspects of this game that they are used to in MMOs...PvP and flashpoints.

 

The F2P market is already filled with decent FULL free games with micro-transaction shops that offer fare more than this game has to offer...they should have dumped subs fully, dumped the idea that you have to try to trick people into subbing and gone full fledged item shop to make some real money. Gawd...lock parts of a game that wasnt good enough to keep the vast majority of its players when they could play the full version...

 

I'm not saying SWTOR's F2P is the best model. But comparing it to Guild Wars is rather stupid. If you want to compare it to LotRO or DCUO, fine. But Guild Wars isn't free to play. It just doesn't have a subscription model.

[Vonkryer]

I'm not saying SWTOR's F2P is the best model. But comparing it to Guild Wars is rather stupid. If you want to compare it to LotRO or DCUO, fine. But Guild Wars isn't free to play. It just doesn't have a subscription model.

 

Well i paid 60$ for SWTOR on head start so now i have stupid restriction cause Bioware EA just wants my money.

 

Limitations for real F2p players agreed (but stills the most ridiculous F2P i ever see)

Limitations for ppl suported this game before is a slap on face sounds like Bioware/EA just want "give me your money or ****"

 

 

F2P on SWTOR = FREE TRIAL with limitatios thats not a F2P design stills a P2P game since if you want enjoy game content you need to pay sub or spend a lot of money on CASH SHOP

 

REAL F2P design is from NCSOFT i just give up on Aion for SWTOR then give up SWTOR for Aion F2P (and still giving money to NACSOFT every month buying skins and stuff on cash shop)

 

I refuse to give money to a company that thinks gamers are clowns

 

And yes I have to give my opnion never advocated any company just think we have to be honest that F2P was the biggest joke I have ever seen in mmo.

[denpic]

If your a returning player I'd seriously think your were daft in the head to think you're going to get the same experience from f2p You already know what the game is so either pay the sub or put up with a lesser gaming experience

 

New players won't be affected until they get to higher levels and by that time should be able to make a informed decision weather to sub or not

 

All this qq just Makes you sound like a bunch of moochers that want it all for free

[Vonkryer]

If your a returning player I'd seriously think your were daft in the head to think you're going to get the same experience from f2p You already know what the game is so either pay the sub or put up with a lesser gaming experience

 

New players won't be affected until they get to higher levels and by that time should be able to make a informed decision weather to sub or not

 

All this qq just Makes you sound like a bunch of moochers that want it all for free

 

Are you a shareholder of EA / Bioware apparently yes.

I'm not saying I have to get access to the entire content

Imposing ridiculous restrictions are unfair will not convince any former player to return to the game quite the opposite

 

I even considered spending a good sum in coin cartel but after seeing this system I refuse to give money to a company that treats players like idiots

 

So stop being an idiot with this elitism and show more respect kid....

Edited November 17, 2012 by Vonkryer

[ippollite]

Potential resub here. Well actually not a potential resub in truth, more a potential enhanced FTP player here. I really prefer throwing my money at the secret world in truth and playing thsi game part time, which genuinely means that im exactly the kind of player that they should be marketing towards.

 

Unfortunately it feels a little overly restrictive. Please, for the love of all things, before i continue, hold back the need to flame me with the "well, subscribe then!" misnomer. Im not going to subscribe. Ive already got a game im thoroughly enjoying paying my subscription fee on. Im not paying for two.

 

What i am willing to do though is pay for the one i like best and throw a bit of cash to the one i dont like as much but still kinda like. The game isnt trash, so thats the first thing. Im not here to hate on the game. I want to play it, but in a straight subscription war for my $15 it loses out to TSW. (FOR ME, not necessarily for you - i can appreciate and understand you might prefer this game - i like it too).

 

But let me just mention a few things that a FTP brings in an attempt to help the conversation progress along a bit:

 

1. Money. Not as much as a subscriber likely (though some will spend a fortune, most probably wont). Still, we will drop cash on some things now and again when we want something. The whole pull back to FTP for a lot of lapsed subs is of course that we like the game, but dont necessarily want to throw out $15 on it. I like warzones. They break up the monotony of questing. I like the stories. And i like popping into flashpoints now and again. Im sure id like operations, but cant seem to get into endgame. What FTP brings is customisation and a sense of fairness. I dont have to pay for all the stuff i dont want to do, but i am more than willing to pay for the things i do want to do. Im getting a nice deal and bioware are getting at least some money from me rather than the zero money theyd definitely be receiving if the option didnt exist. Free to Play brings CHOICE and options. This is great for the entire playerbase.

 

2. We bring atmosphere just by our presence. A few threads on the forums have already remarked how the hubs are feeling livelier and more interesting. This creates a positive environment for all players which mean a) subs are happier with a less stagnant set of players, and b) non subs might be more inclined to sub or at least stick around because the atmosphere is fun. This is win win for everyone, and all it requires is bodies on the ground (assuming of course that no ones stuck in a queue to log on).

 

3. We pop queue times. I guess this might be more warzones, but more people means more warzones going off which means less waiting for PVPers. Assuming again that the server caps arent being breached, then this shoudl mean lots of happy players.

 

4. We buy stuff and sell stuff by actually being a part of the game economy. This helps to foster a healthy market where everyone benefits (though omg, when will the GTN improve its search?).

 

Im sure there are others, but im er, slightly half cut at the moment happy playing the game with my 2 action bars.

 

What i want to stress though is that the above is a virtuous cycle of (un)intended consequences. And it should be part of the aim of a good FTP system. Unfortunately i dont see this one working and heres the top three reasons i can think of as to why:

 

1. Overly restrictive. UI restrictions which honestly should be taken for granted, make just everyday stuff a chore. I know, please, i know... its only THREE DOLLARS!!!! etc, but the point is that its a first impression and its going to drive people away immediately. NOT, and i stress this, because they cant afford $3 but because theyll feel that a PTP game style isnt really a long term option in this game.

 

2. Character unlocks. People invested time in their characters. Deleting them to play through a new storyline every time you hit 50 means that FTP is not a long term play style that is being catered for in this game.

 

3. Restricting core parts of the game is fine. Making you pay the same as a full subscription (when you factor in teh cartel coins for subbing) to play one aspect of the game means you might as well just sub. Some people will argue thats exactly the point. Argue away, but again, this simply means that PTP is not a long term optional play style that is being catered for by this game.

 

The key point in this is that this is supposed to be a hybrid option. You can pay the sub, or you can pay for the bits and time you actually want to play. The problem is NOT (and again, i have to stress this because people really arent digesting it) that restrictions exist at all. The problem is that it is simply *too* restrictive to retain former subs in the alternative paying model. If they wanted a subscription theyd obviously still be paying for a subscription. They do however have an interest in the game or they wouldnt even be on these forums or taking advantage of the FTP features.

 

The problem is really that you have little more than an extended trial, with an option for subscription at the end of it. I know you may disagree, but i urge you to make a new account and see how long you enjoy running without a sprint, or having your xp massively curtailed and very limited means to increase it outside of grinding through tunnels of mobs, or having 2 hotbars, or having mismatched clown gears, or having to wear some fugly helmets or whatever else youll find annoying. The point is that instead of looking at the free fun parts and the very fact they can play the game at all, theyll naturally be looking at how constricted their character feels, and how ultimately useless it is to even reach end game on their character let alone remain moderately competitive thereafter.

Actually thats another thing i forgot to mention above. End game doesnt exist in this game for a FTP player. You cant work it anywhere near the cost of a sub, so once again, sub or leave.

 

The whole function of a FTP system is supposed to be that it sits alongside the subscription model and offers the player a choice of playing style. If i want to remain competitive ill certainly have to pay for some features, but not necessarily for the whole thing. It should require a bit more of a challenge and subscribers would necessarily have some essential advantages, but im not completely locked out of end game and of final progression. As it currently stands though, even just unlocking one core feature is the equivalent of the sub price making it a straight choice NOT between a FTP style and a sub style (the supposed aim of this FTP system), but between subbing and not subbing.

 

FTPers simply lack any real playstyle choice. If they want to play the game long term, they are frankly compelled to buy a sub. But by biowares own admission, they dont want one. So FTP, the apparent solution to bringing down the barriers to access (the very thing bioware talked about in their reasoning for introducing a FTP alternative) offers no constructive solution, and under the current conditions therefore likely restates the very problem (barriers to access) and thus cannot succeed.

 

Which of course begs the question, why spend so much time and development money in creating a FTP system at all then if its simply going to reproduce the exact same conditions as the allegedly failing game (no alternative to a subscription)? Since the restrictions make it an inevitable choice between subbing and not subbing for anything outside of story grinding, and since a trial already existed for new players to familiarise themselves with the game, this leaves one very cynical reason for its existence. And im genuinely surprised subscribers arent more mad that theyre now expected to pay extra for things which their subscription is supposed to already be paying for (the ongoing development of new features, races, items, and areas).

Edited November 17, 2012 by ippollite

[DSWSithlord]

I believe the F2P should be like this.

All warzones and flashpoints are free. With entry ops being free to "taste" raiding.

All base races free cept the recent new ones.

All classes free.

No Gear restrictions.

No Crafting restrictions.

No Ui restrictions.

3-4 Char slots

 

Then make all major updates like xpacs like lotro does. If the player wants to experience 1.5 content they unlock it for 10-20$

 

Add mounts, modable gear, companion pets, boost potions, conienence items (unlocks fleet pass for example)

dyes, New races, ect ect.

 

As a potentially returning player these restrictions really throw me off. They also throw off a lot of other people to.

 

EDIT: Kudos to the person above me. Im in the same boat as im currently playing RIFT but would like swtor to be a said game as lotro is. As it sits now SWTOR as F2P is nothing more then a glorified trial.....

Edited November 17, 2012 by DSWSithlord

[NerdyIO]

There is access to basic aspects of the game. They are just limited. That's the whole point. If they are annoying players by not giving away the farm then the players aren't really players ... they're welfare agents.

 

Limited means there's no access to some basic aspects.

Why's every fanboy bringing meaningless arguments to conversation? What welfare? Welfare is a necessity to survive. The purpose of the game is fun. How can you have fun when you a lot of essential aspects are taken away.

Why are you even arguing? How does that affect you? You want to pay, go ahead, nobody's stopping you.

[GalacticKegger]

Limited means there's no access to some basic aspects.

Why's every fanboy bringing meaningless arguments to conversation? What welfare? Welfare is a necessity to survive. The purpose of the game is fun. How can you have fun when you a lot of essential aspects are taken away.

Why are you even arguing? How does that affect you? You want to pay, go ahead, nobody's stopping you.

Limited means limited, not non-existent. What are the essentials? Class story lines: full access. Flashpoints: access in limited quanities. WZs: access in limited quanities. OPs: access in limited quanities. All of those are essential and none of them are no access.

 

Bag/inventory slots: 30 slots to start. Costs 175CC for an additional 10 slots for a character, or 390CC for an additional 10 slots for every character in the player's account. Sprint at level 15? We Founders started with Sprint at level 15 = non-essential. Display/hide head slots, legacy names & titles ... vanity. Cargo holds: no different than other MMOs like LOTRO ... you buy them - costs 475CCs. Speeder piloting: pay when you get there.

 

The F2P game comes with a couple of character slots, full and umlimited access to class storyline quests & planet quests, a small inventory and the ability to gear up and progress. Once the F2P player hits end game, it will cost them to be competitive - as it should. Subscribers pay for the privilege of noninterruption of their game experience.

 

What I personally think should be changed: F2Pers getting 4 quickbars instead of 2 and up to 10 slots free to post items in the Galactic Trade Market so they can make some money without having to rent space to do it. Remember, coins will be awarded during the game so it's not like they have to pay real cash for everything. The more they play = the more Cartel Coins they accumulate = the more "subscriber-level" features they can unlock.

 

Free is a four letter word that comes with consequences ... you get what you pay for. Having full access to the game's heart & soul (voice animated and real-time player interactive class quests & storylines) alone is well worth the price of admission. Especially when it's FREE.

 

And thank you for the fanboy compliment. I am a fan of the game and, like many, I too have a few bones to pick about it. I just won't stoop to whizzing in someone's face to prove a point.

Edited November 17, 2012 by GalacticKegger

[xDanninx]

Limited means there's no access to some basic aspects.

Why's every fanboy bringing meaningless arguments to conversation? What welfare? Welfare is a necessity to survive. The purpose of the game is fun. How can you have fun when you a lot of essential aspects are taken away.

Why are you even arguing? How does that affect you? You want to pay, go ahead, nobody's stopping you.

 

 

As I have posted elsewhere , This extended trial failed on the "upto 15" attempt , The problem is the fanboys crying "Well subscribe then" If they wanted to they already would be.

 

The F2P restrictions are fine however the "Preferred" ones are beyond a joke , So you dropped $50-60-70+ on launch + subs till you gave up due to the horric lack of endgame and a game that tbh shouldn't have been launched till 1.3 imho , But now you are back and treated the same as someone who's dropped ZERO on the game.

 

The Fanboys and the elitists will kill this game as EA/BW only listen to those fools who blindly get milked. As this style of F2P has failed time and again (AOC similar but not as restricted yet dying , City Of Heroes Similar again and DEAD both wont through the same issues as us and didn't learn till it was far too late)

 

Make a 4th tier for people who paid for the Box and include extras as theese are the people who if you treat right will come back subbing , will drop money on the cash grab ...i mean shop. Instead of alienating them and treating them like some "Moocher" who will likely drop $5 in 2 years

[GalacticKegger]

As I have posted elsewhere , This extended trial failed on the "upto 15" attempt , The problem is the fanboys crying "Well subscribe then" If they wanted to they already would be.

 

The F2P restrictions are fine however the "Preferred" ones are beyond a joke , So you dropped $50-60-70+ on launch + subs till you gave up due to the horric lack of endgame and a game that tbh shouldn't have been launched till 1.3 imho , But now you are back and treated the same as someone who's dropped ZERO on the game.

 

The Fanboys and the elitists will kill this game as EA/BW only listen to those fools who blindly get milked. As this style of F2P has failed time and again (AOC similar but not as restricted yet dying , City Of Heroes Similar again and DEAD both wont through the same issues as us and didn't learn till it was far too late)

 

Make a 4th tier for people who paid for the Box and include extras as theese are the people who if you treat right will come back subbing , will drop money on the cash grab ...i mean shop. Instead of alienating them and treating them like some "Moocher" who will likely drop $5 in 2 years

Water army strikes again. Edited November 17, 2012 by GalacticKegger

[xDanninx]

Water army strikes again.

 

Really so how comes 2 games with 90% similar shops/restrictions have died? yet both had a higher player base at f2p launch?

 

How comes STO is making a killing? How comes Lotro treats its "Preffered" far better and is making a killing? Why well its because they dont slam former box buyers/subbers into hell , Instead they but them half way taunting the subber with what they have and what they miss. Atm the preffered option may as well not exist as the "extra quickbar" doesn't exist (Stated on LOADING SCREENS) , And many of the old functions wont tempt people back.

 

 

I Love this game but im sick when i make an alt of waiting 1-2 hours to get a flashpoint this F2P system WILL NOT FIX ANYTHING.

Edited November 17, 2012 by xDanninx

[GalacticKegger]

Really so how comes 2 games with 90% similar shops/restrictions have died? yet both had a higher player base at f2p launch?

Because with this game, a F2P player can play from ground zero all the way through the start of end game without having to pay a dime if they spend the Cartel Coins they earn wisely. They can earn CCs simply by playing to unlock extra inventory, bank slots & faster travel. They can still do FPs, WZs and OPs ... just in limited quantities. We subscribers pay for no quantity limits - on anything. That's why we subscribe. If the F2P character progression process taking longer than a couple of months is not to a player's liking, then MMOs are probably not for them anyway. But that's just me. Edited November 17, 2012 by GalacticKegger

[Jaggedblue]

I returned to check out swtor again, and to be honest it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Mostly its the UI quickbar restrictions. Everything else I think is not that terrible. Paying for more inventory? Ok. Paying for the right to wear epic gear. Alright. I'd pay for that. Fine. But please give F2P players at least 3 action bars. Seriously. We can't even put all the combat abilities on 2 bars, not to mention other things. Trust me, it has a negative effect to restrict it so tightly. I get the feeling you want to piss me off. I don't like being pissed off. Effect: Log off.

 

I quit Swtor after 2 months. I had been playing WoW for 5 years. I mostly PvP and craft. Now I play World of Tanks, and I think you should look a their F2Play model. I do throw money at them. I'm willing to pay for things I think are worth it. In regards to PvP, I really like the fact that I don't have this gear grind. I hate vertical scaling. If there was a pure competitive mode where everyone had the same gear and it was all skill, I'd be on-board. I'd PAY to have that experience. I won't pay to get more gear, but I'll pay SO I DON'T HAVE TO! The endless grind model you've copied from WoW won't hold me.

[xDanninx]

Because with this game, a F2P player can play from ground zero all the way through the start of end game without having to pay a dime if they spend the Cartel Coins they earn wisely. They can earn CCs simply by playing to unlock extra inventory, bank slots & faster travel. They can still do FPs, WZs and OPs ... just in limited quantities. We subscribers pay for no quantity limits. If this process taking longer than a week is not to a player's liking, then MMOs are probably not for them.

 

You see thats where you are wrong , AOC had more you had all the class content and non-Premium dungeons (their version of flashpoints) and you had 2-3 premium runs available per week as a non sub/pass holder.

 

Wait so you had a LITTLE bit more there and on 3 char slots as basic and a full ui .....

 

And yet that model failed and it was THE SAME with just a little more freedom.

 

STO has full access but you want endgame ships or fluff/qol you pay and they are making millions more per year than they did as a sub model , but subbers and "freemiums" are not punished anywhere near as badly.

[xDanninx]

I returned to check out swtor again, and to be honest it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Mostly its the UI quickbar restrictions. Everything else I think is not that terrible. Paying for more inventory? Ok. Paying for the right to wear epic gear. Alright. I'd pay for that. Fine. But please give F2P players at least 3 action bars. Seriously. We can't even put all the combat abilities on 2 bars, not to mention other things. Trust me, it has a negative effect to restrict it so tightly. I get the feeling you want to piss me off. I don't like being pissed off. Effect: Log off.

 

I quit Swtor after 2 months. I had been playing WoW for 5 years. I mostly PvP and craft. Now I play World of Tanks, and I think you should look a their F2Play model. I do throw money at them. I'm willing to pay for things I think are worth it. In regards to PvP, I really like the fact that I don't have this gear grind. I hate vertical scaling. If there was a pure competitive mode where everyone had the same gear and it was all skill, I'd be on-board. I'd PAY to have that experience. I won't pay to get more gear, but I'll pay SO I DON'T HAVE TO! The endless grind model you've copied from WoW won't hold me.

 

Bingo yet according to the loading screen "Preffered players get an extra quickbar" yet they still only have 2.....

[GalacticKegger]

You see thats where you are wrong , AOC had more you had all the class content and non-Premium dungeons (their version of flashpoints) and you had 2-3 premium runs available per week as a non sub/pass holder.

 

Wait so you had a LITTLE bit more there and on 3 char slots as basic and a full ui .....

 

And yet that model failed and it was THE SAME with just a little more freedom.

 

STO has full access but you want endgame ships or fluff/qol you pay and they are making millions more per year than they did as a sub model , but subbers and "freemiums" are not punished anywhere near as badly.

By comparison SWTOR F2P includes 3 runs through its advanced content (FPS, WZs and OPs) per week. That is if I'm remembering correctly. They aren't giving away the farm, they are allowing no-pay access to the content on a limited quantity basis.

 

I am a lifetime subscriber to STO and I haven't been able to access my account since Perfect World bought it out. They won't respond to any support requests to fix it, and it's been months now. So as far as I'm concerned that game is dead to me, regardless of their model. If that's how they treat their lifetime members, then punishing subscribers seems to come easy for them.

 

Subscribers in this game are not punished in any way, shape or form. They get full access to everything. The only grief subscribers might get comes from people who are somehow affronted by not getting subscriber benefits for free.

Edited November 17, 2012 by GalacticKegger

[grombrinda]

By comparison SWTOR F2P includes 3 runs through its advanced content (FPS, WZs and OPs) per week. That is if I'm remembering correctly. They aren't giving away the farm, they are allowing no-pay access to the content on a limited quantity basis.

 

I am a lifetime subscriber to STO and I haven't been able to access my account since Perfect World bought it out. They won't respond to any support requests to fix it, and it's been months now. So as far as I'm concerned that game is dead to me, regardless of their model. If that's how they treat their lifetime members, then punishing subscribers seems to come easy for them.

 

Subscribers in this game are not punished in any way, shape or form. They get full access to everything. The only grief subscribers might get comes from people who are somehow affronted by not getting subscriber benefits for free.

Sorry just wanted to ask since you said you couldn't access you account through PW, but did you happen to link your account when they sent the e-mails a while back??

That might be why you can't gain access.

[GalacticKegger]

Sorry just wanted to ask since you said you couldn't access you account through PW, but did you happen to link your account when they sent the e-mails a while back??

That might be why you can't gain access.

No worries. I completed the transfer but the confirmation part is where it hit a wall. My old email address is dead (ATT/Yahoo got hacked) and the old email is required for account holder verification to change to a new email. I even tried calling them (China no less - my company subscribes to D&B's Hoovers) and I was told to use the online support form. But the online support form responses are sent to the account's email - which is dead. Emailing them directly with my new email addy yielded no response as well.

 

But that's OK. The only things I miss are the starships (unfrigginbelievably humungous), walking through the officer's club and watching all the NPCs snap to and salute, and the starship PvP. Not enough for me to raise hell about though. It's just a game. And I sure as sunrise didn't stoop to cockroachdom by plastering their forums with retaliatory vitriol.

Edited November 17, 2012 by GalacticKegger

[Guancyto]

I'm a subscriber.

 

I have a friend who previously played, came back to see what was what when it went free to play, so she's Preferred.

 

The restrictions pissed her off the first day.

 

I have another friend who never played (he doesn't have much disposable income), came in to see what was what when it went free to play, so he's free of the expectations that come with having once been a subscriber.

 

He's enjoying the story a lot, but the restrictions pissed him off the first day too. (The poor man started a Sith Warrior.)

 

Giving free players unlimited access to everything is foolish. There should be substantial benefits to being a subscriber. This is an MMO, so I honestly think the best benefit is Endgame Progression Speed because that's what you do in an MMO. The restrictions on Flashpoints, Warzones and Operations are legitimate-ish (although the suggestion of having Story Mode EV/KP available sounds good, since their drops are on par with the HM Lost Island that free players can access already). But if you want fast endgame progression, you pony up.

 

This is well and good. But when your freemium model is annoying enough that a frigging Guild Wars (original) player gets pissed off at the lack of bar space, you have a serious problem on your hands.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Guancyto

[Eblan]

The toolbar limit is a bit much, kinda gives a bad first impression, as a returning player your first experience is cramming everything into 2 bars... Otherwise it's a good start. Edited November 17, 2012 by Eblan

[NamShub]

You have to pay $60 to buy the box game, f2p means you can try the game, if you like you can chose to spend money on it. Not be force to give up $60 to try the game

 

Quite a few of us *did* pay for the box. I paid for the DD edition. I wouldn't mind coming back for a more GW2 model but even the "preferred" status is just a series of annoyances. The chat limitation particularly so since I ran into it so often.

[Downe]

I bought a Collector's Edition and was a subscriber previously.

 

The molestation of the UI in general was a bad decision. I think EA/BioWare has enough money already... Why should we have to dish out $10-$20 for general user options? Content being limited is fine. I think most people agree that FTP with restricted gameplay is common and acceptable. Who in their right mind thought it was okay to remove action bars, character customization and inventory expansion limitation?

 

When every class has a ton of skills to begin with, then you add in legacy skills and other types of abilities; players generally need full access to action bars. Stretching your hand out for a few extra dollars for necessities to make the game somewhat PLAYABLE, is ridiculous.

 

Free to Play is not a "trial" game. You guys took what trials are like and just gave it a Free to Play title.

 

It's not shocking why may of us original subscribers, including those who played 3-4 rounds of beta (like myself) flocked after a few months of playing. It came down to the decisions this company made when it came to content, gameplay and progression.

 

BioWare has never been the same since EA took over. With the one except of Mass Effect 2, choices made by this merger have only resulted in "nickel and dime" schemes. This cheap tactic you are implementing will only spell doom for this game.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Downe

[kirorx]

They wont change it now, people have already paid to unlock these features, if they made them available now alot of consumers would be very upset.