Restrictions.

[Anaesha]

I am forced to pay 20$ per character I own to transfer them. Awesome!

 

I would like to point out the bold part of this sentence. You don't own anything the servers, the client, and even your characters and all they have on them are owned by EA/BW not you and they can do as they please with them especially if you were gone two years.

[Rafaman]

I can appreciate your frustration, as I have felt it too.

 

None of these restrictions apply if you are a subscriber. If you're preferred status, you're playing for free, and that's a lot more content than other MMOs like World of Warcraft offer for free. Just pay $15 so you don't have to deal with all the marketing BS.

 

Yup... and this is what I don't get. And maybe I missed something. If the OP is posting here he subbed and shouldn't have any of these "restrictions".

 

And IF he is complaining about f2p then... well ok. But he is not free to play and nothing has been taken from him. If he wants no restrictions and continue as f2p just because he was a sub at one time... well, then he is playing the wrong game.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Rafaman

[DarthSylar]

I can't believe you're treating a customer this way.

 

Considering you haven't subscribed in 2+ years or so, I'd venture to say your no longer a customer

 

I can't believe you completely changed this game into a dictatorship, so that I, a pre-orderer customer, am not allowed to make a POST on the forums unless I pay 15$ to subscribe to your game.

 

Hmmm....after launch, you needed an active account to post, so this isn't really a change

 

I can't believe I payed 50$ to support your game before it even launched and now i'm being restricted to such a horrid degree. I can't believe I pre-ordered your game and I'm not given the Hutt Cartel expansion, when my brother paid 20$ to purchase a digital deluxe version of your game to get the Hutt Cartel expansion for free because he's a "subscriber." I, a pre-order customer, am not allowed to make a forum thread when I made them years ago.

 

Your $50 entitled you to the game+30 days of play time. Anything beyond that was a month to month type deal, it doesn't entitle you to unlimited access for all eternity.

 

Do you guys actually support the changes they made to this game? This surely wasn't here from the start, I did NOT have to pay money to choose to be a Sith Pureblood, I did not have to pay money to remove my helmet.

 

You kinda did, since there was no F2P option, everyone paid and thus got said options.

[theUndead]

I paid for this game, and I was probably here long before you. There were no restrictions previously, and I shouldn't be restricted now because they decided to edit their business practices that caused this game to collapse

 

I've been here since the final Beta weekend. I have not dropped my sub the entire time. But this is an mmo with a hybrid payment model and if you want to avoid the headaches you described then sub. But complaing that you paid for the game and somehow entitles you to everything is in fact wrong and not how it works. But as for me and your original question yes I do support the game and the way it's handled.

[Hebruixe]

Yup... and this is what I don't get. And maybe I missed something. If the OP is posting here he subbed and shouldn't have any of these "restrictions".

 

And IF he is complaining about f2p then... well ok. But he is not free to play and nothing has been taken from him. If he wants no restrictions and continue as f2p just because he was a sub at one time... well, then he is playing the wrong game.

 

lmao, good point. of course he is subbed...I have no idea why he is complaining about restrictions he doesn't have to deal with

 

maybe the wildstar company hired him to come talk trash and spread cynacism.

[LordArtemis]

I've been here since the final Beta weekend. I have not dropped my sub the entire time. But this is an mmo with a hybrid payment model and if you want to avoid the headaches you described then sub. But complaing that you paid for the game and somehow entitles you to everything is in fact wrong and not how it works. But as for me and your original question yes I do support the game and the way it's handled.

 

Ive been here since beta as well....obviously my post history should demonstrate that, or perhaps my user number (its in the 500k range I think) but I have left for extended periods a few times.

[Malastare]

Where to begin? Yesterday I returned to the game after 2 years to find my home server, Space Slug, was deleted, and all 7 of my characters were transferred without my knowledge or consent to The Harbinger server.

 

Points:

 

1) They don't need your consent to move your characters.

2) There were two rounds of server moves: one to clean up the excess servers that the initial rush of players cried for, and a second round to consolidate to much larger servers. In both cases, players were given notice weeks before it happened.

3) Players were given a choice on where there characters were moved (within server type). The reason you didn't get a choice was because you weren't a customer.

 

End result: You don't get to complain about how you were treated when you weren't a customer.

 

I looked into having my characters transferred to a server of my choice. Apparently, I am forced to pay 20$ per character I own to transfer them. Awesome!

 

I was under the impression that this is very similar to the cost of transfers in WoW and other MMOs.

 

Ah, creating a new character. Wait, what's this? I'm not allowed to choose a Sith Pureblood race unless I pay "Cartel Coins?"

 

You can't play a Sith Pureblood for free. If you subscribe, you can only play a Pureblood on a few classes. To play a Pureblood on any class, you need to unlock the race by level, by Cartel Market purchase, or by purchasing the unlock off the GTN with credits.

 

None of this has chanced since the release of the game. You couldn't play a Pureblood for free then, either.

 

I remember getting all of these credit lockboxes 2 years ago when I played, and I never had to subscribe to anything.

 

You subscribed to the game, remember. You had to pay money to play it.

 

I can't believe you're treating a customer this way.

 

Let's be clear: Until you pay them money, you're not a customer. If you're F2P and you're refusing to buy unlocks, then you're not a customer. You're just a person playing a game for free. If you're not a customer, you can't really complain about customer service or value for your money... as you've paid no money.

 

And no: Your $50 purchase doesn't give you any right to play the game today. SWTOR is a subscription service with a F2P option. Paying money 2 years ago doesn't make you a customer today.

 

I can't believe you completely changed this game into a dictatorship, so that I, a pre-orderer customer, am not allowed to make a POST on the forums unless I pay 15$ to subscribe to your game.

 

That's been the case since the game was released. You've always needed a subscription to post.

 

And almost everyone sees that as a good thing. The game is spammed enough as it is. I'd rather not see the forums overrun with spam, too.

 

I can't believe I pre-ordered your game and I'm not given the Hutt Cartel expansion.

 

Why should you get a free expansion because you pre-ordered? When the expansion was released, subscribers got the expansion for half-price. At $10, it was still far better value for entertainment than going to a movie.

 

As far as I know, anyone who subscribes for a single month gets the expansion,now... So, by subscribing, you got your expansion (essentially) for free.

 

I, a pre-order customer, am not allowed to make a forum thread when I made them years ago.

 

You were allowed to make them when you were a subscriber. Until you re-subscribed, you weren't a subscriber and couldn't post. It's really quite simple.

 

Do you guys actually support the changes they made to this game? This surely wasn't here from the start, I did NOT have to pay money to choose to be a Sith Pureblood, I did not have to pay money to remove my helmet.

 

Yes, you did. Before F2P, you had to pay for everything, because the only way to pay was to subscribe. Once they added F2P, they let you pay without a monthly fee, but requiring you to pay for various cosmetic options. Even then, it was far more options than you had at release... when you couldn't play the game for free at all.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Malastare

[Halinalle]

"transferred without my consent"...

Well yeah... that's what happens when you leave a game for 2 years...

 

Yeah, they sent email to everyone in June 2012. It was about the free server transfer.

 

Still missing those "good ol' days"?

 

Good ol' days...

- Speeder piloting at level 25 (now level 15 as sub)

- Sprint at level 14 or 15 (now level 1 as sub)

[OddballEasyEight]

Yeah, they sent email to everyone in June 2012. It was about the free server transfer.

 

 

 

Good ol' days...

- Speeder piloting at level 25 (now level 15 as sub)

- Sprint at level 14 or 15 (now level 1 as sub)

 

And don't forget. A unified look for each class.

Bounty Hunters looked like beefed-up boba fetts. Sith looked like mad clowns with spikes and jedi looked like space samurai. No deviations allowed.

Edited June 17, 2014 by OddballEasyEight

[LordArtemis]

And don't forget. A unified look for each class.

Bounty Hunters looked like beefed-up boba fetts. Sith looked like mad clowns with spikes and jedi looked like space samurai. No deviations allowed.

 

This, IMO, was one of the worst decisions the original dev team made, and they stuck to it stubbornly until the end.

[DocHoneydew]

And don't forget the crafted orange gear. Way back there were only chests, leggings and helmets, then later on gloves and boots, and finally belts and wrists.

 

True, these are moslty useless once the CM was introduced but some people still desire those sets.

 

(And wow. 5505. Long timer I guess....)

Edited June 17, 2014 by DocHoneydew

[ThorgrimLutgen]

..............I can't believe you're treating a customer this way. I can't believe you completely changed this game into a dictatorship, so that I, a pre-orderer customer, am not allowed to make a POST on the forums unless I pay 15$ to subscribe to your game......................................Do you guys actually support the changes they made to this game? This surely wasn't here from the start, I did NOT have to pay money to choose to be a Sith Pureblood, I did not have to pay money to remove my helmet.

 

Well, pre-order or not, you were not a current, paying customer given the restrictions you posted, and noting that you have managed to post this, you now are a paying customer again, so I guess you at least fell into the trap and boosted the subscriber figures for one month at least.

[Bombbuster]

I've always been a subscriber so I can't say I've ever had to deal with what sounds like a very frustrating F2P experience. I'm not a fan of F2P schemes but even I have to admit that this game would no longer exist without F2P model.

 

I hate what it's done to the game, but it would no longer even be a game without F2P. So we're stuck with it.

[Kantaso]

*heads off to make popcorn*

 

I am bringing the cold sodas and the lawn chairs.

[Thoronmir]

I was in Beta. I pre-ordered. I am a Founder. I played for about 60 days before deciding to cancel my subscription. In February, 2013, a weekend server disruption crippled LOTRO and I was jonzing for MMO love, so I downloaded the SWTOR updates (having never removed the game from my computer) and logged in. As a previous subscriber, I was automatically Preferred status.

 

Server merger transferred my characters without "my consent"? Check.

Limited to how many "active" characters I could have? Check.

Cosmetic restrictions on Unify Colors and Hide Helmet? Check.

Time between discovering these new restrictions and renewing my sub? Less than two minutes.

 

Granted, at the time, I thought I'd play SWTOR for 30 days, then cancel my sub again. But I've remained subbed since, even when I take my breaks from the game. I support pretty much all the restrictions on F2P accounts. If a game is worth my time, then it's also worth my money. The F2P restrictions worked exactly as intended with me. They convinced a returning player to fork over his $15. Well played EA/BW ... well played indeed.

[Jrea]

Yes 2 Years,

 

That means you enjoyed the first 6 months of the games Existence.

Believe it or not in the last 30 months there have been some changes, yes, 30 months, or 80% of the games existence.

 

The New Rules are;

FTP don't get to complain, Prefered status just get to troll, and Subs can complain as much as they want.

[branmakmuffin]

Oh, this helmet I have is disgusting, lets remove it so I can see my face. What? I have to pay Cartel Coins to REMOVE MY HELMET? Oh, I guess my character's just retarded, and needs help from others to take off her clothes.

Your character does not need help taking its helmet off, it needs help making it invisible.

 

Save yourself now and just tell us you're trolling.

[Darth_Wicked]

Yes 2 Years,

 

That means you enjoyed the first 6 months of the games Existence.

Believe it or not in the last 30 months there have been some changes, yes, 30 months, or 80% of the games existence.

 

The New Rules are;

FTP don't get to complain, Prefered status just get to troll, and Subs can complain as much as they want.

 

This should be advertised in-game, wherever you go, even if only in Aurebesh.

[Undying-Rage]

SWTOR is keeping a steady number of players tho. [...] but it is stable (both in subs

Proof?

Edited June 19, 2014 by Undying-Rage

[TheFaolchu]

So looking at the OPs rage.

 

He is upset that the game has changed but isn't really very intelligent about it. Firstly to even play the game you had to be subscribed, so without a subscription you couldn't play the game. Subscribers now barring some cosmetic stuff and being able to use cartel coins as well as credits have the same access/entitlements they did then.

 

So what the OP is actually complaining about is that he was allowed to play the game for free. And what he actually wants is SWTOR to go back to the subscription model so that he has to pay to play the game and post on the forums.

 

It makes no sense. The sense of entitlement is astonishing, you want to play for free, have everything unlocked, post on the forums and all without paying anything. While also complaining that it isn't like it was at release, make up your mind! You either want a subscription barrier or you want a f2p/subscription model.

[TUXs]

SWTOR is keeping a steady number of players tho. It might not be the biggest game out there, but it is stable (both in subs and in F2P/Preferred that are active players)

Stable? Is this a joke? The player base is declining daily...that's what happens to stagnant games.

[OddballEasyEight]

Stable? Is this a joke? The player base is declining daily...that's what happens to stagnant games.

 

Some of us don't just look at the week to week trend.

 

Overall the games playerbase seems steady.

Sure, there are dips when new games come out like ESO or WS, but they bounce back again.

Right now there's been a dip because of WS, but it's picking up again.

 

Of course, it also depends on what server you play.

The PvE servers are seemingly steady but the PvP servers are slowly dying.

But we've been through this before, you and me. You tend to only look back a week or two, I tend to look back a year.

And the playerbase seems steady to me.

[TUXs]

You said this...

SWTOR is keeping a steady number of players tho.

Then you said this...

The PvE servers are seemingly steady but the PvP servers are slowly dying.

But we've been through this before, you and me. You tend to only look back a week or two, I tend to look back a year.

And the playerbase seems steady to me.

If PvE servers were all there were, maybe you'd be right Oddball...but they aren't...as you admit, the PvP servers are suffering.

 

You need to look at the whole picture, not just your server. I try to look at things from other players perspectives...please try to do the same for things like this. For those of us on PvP servers, we ARE seeing the decline.

 

A year ago, we were at a FAR better place than we are today imo. Weekends of POT5 are scary dead. There's about a 3 hour window per day where the ONE Pub Fleet has 90-140 players...before and after that it drops sharply.

 

This just reminds me of when someone is having an issue, like not being able to login, and someone feels the need to point out that they aren't having the same problem...Just because YOU aren't having the same issue, doesn't mean it's NOT an issue.

[Mubrak]

It makes no sense. The sense of entitlement is astonishing, you want to play for free, have everything unlocked.

 

I imagine the OP "bought" the game with its initial sub, played it unaware that he had to pay once this included sub-time ran out, and quit before he even had to pay. Just imagine the outrage if a game like Skyrim suddenly was changed to a pay-for-features system, where you either had to buy several features individually, or rent access to them with a monthly fee.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Mubrak

[curulz]

It's also summer, so people could be out doing real life stuff and just not logging in. I can't speak for subscriber numbers, but actual log ins could be attributed, at least partially, to time of year.