Some of the most visible F2P restrictions need to go before Exp launch

[Kingsbount]

This is a useless subject. The bottom line is that BW needs (and/or wants) to make money to keep going. The f2p model needs to be a balance between encouraging people to pay and filling the servers with more people to make the game more active. If f2p have fewer restrictions, they will continue to not contribute any money. Meanwhile, subs and preferred are more apt to stop paying, since there's less incentive to.

 

F2P need to stop ************ and just be thankful they can play at all, and thankful that someone else (subs) cover the cost for them, instead of being a bunch of entitled ******es.

 

Pretty much this.

 

Dammit, if Bioware will remove all restrictions, will it "encourage" F2P'ers to sub?

NO!

They will continiue to play for free!

Why would they need to sub if they already have no restrictions?

 

Just think about.

[SuspectDown]

Making it severe isn't a good first impression.

 

It depends on the way. Severe credit and comms caps for one. Gear restrictions. Basically, something where levels 1-30 you feel unhindered, but toward the end game you have to sub, as it should.

[AngFour]

I downloaded this game for free.

 

I was going to give it a test run (Which the F2P model is meant for) to see if it was worth even playing (I had only heard on the interwebz that SWTOR "sucked" so I stayed away from it). But one of my friends was playing it, and I trusted their opinion, so one day when I was looking for a new game to play I thought "Eh, why not? It's free to download, so I'm not out any money."

 

I installed it. Watched the opening sequence. Made a Sith Inquisitor. Electrocuted a person while torturing them, telling them to "sing a happy song for me."

 

I laughed maniacally, logged out of the game and totally did the Fry meme of "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!" and subscribed.

 

My husband was jealous that I was electrocuting people. I looked over and saw he was also downloading and subscribing to the game.

 

It's. Worth. It.

 

Since F2P became a regular thing in the MMO world, I have always found that it is worth supporting the game by subscribing if the game itself is worth playing. The F2P model isn't meant for someone who is going to play a game forever and get deeply involved. It's meant to tool around with it, see if the game is something you'd want to play and support. It's a trial run.

 

Heck. Even when I've unsubbed from this game and then came back thinking that I could deal with Preferred status, not being able to hide my helmet or unify my colors makes me go "UGGGGHHHH" five minutes into the game and I just subscribe. It's fifteen bucks. Fifteen bucks for the HOURS of entertainment one gets for the month is really, really cheap. You can't even do dinner and a movie for that price anymore.

 

In other words, the F2P model is working as intended.

 

By the way, by clicking on someone's referral link, not only does one get a free week of sub time, they also get a package for when/if you go Preferred status that unlocks the Hide Helm, Unify colors, and Display Titles. So, honestly, throwing even five bucks at this game and clicking on someone's link will give you more than enough. If you want more, then, for the love of God, just pay the money. Don't be cheap.

 

Side anecdote: My sister, who isn't much of a Star Wars fan, was looking for a new game to play. I told her about this one (singing its praises). I told her about electrocuting people and she scoffed and said,"Ang, you're ALWAYS playing bad guys." A few days later she downloaded and subscribed to the game. She called me up and said, "Darn you. Darn you for luring me to the Dark Side." "You are electrocuting people, aren't you." "...Yes. And it's FUN. And I'm disturbed by how funny I think it is..."

[LyraineAlei]

I think the only change really needed may be to increase the credit cap. The current cap was fine with the GTN pricing when the game moved to ftp, but prices have gone up quite a bit. Nothing big maybe just to 500k.

 

The thing to tone down a bit would be the subscribe now pop ups. You leveled up, subscribe now. You board your ship, subscribe now. You walk into a bathroom, in order to flush you must subscribe now.

 

Where are those pop ups you mention? I don't remember seeing them when I was F2P. Just the locked out lockbox rewards for quests when hovered over, only two slots per server, and the species available thing.

 

We have bathrooms?

[NSaynKnutt]

Where are those pop ups you mention? I don't remember seeing them when I was F2P. Just the locked out lockbox rewards for quests when hovered over, only two slots per server, and the species available thing.

 

We have bathrooms?

 

This exactly. I bought the game just before f2p went live, used my free 30 days, and then went preferred until about a year ago. I didn't notice any annoying popups, just a little icon on things that require a subscription to upgrade. I didn't have Unify Colors, so you know what I did? I saved up my hard-earned f2p credits and bought a matching set of moddable armor off the GTN so I wouldn't need it (the craftable Agent set, if I remember correctly. Kept it all the way to 50). And since all players get at least one appearance slot, if I read the rules right, now they don't even have to mod their stuff. Find pieces that match, and then equip whatever random rainbow stuff you want in your actual gear slots.

 

As for Hide Head slot, I just dealt with it until it bothered me so much that I complained about it to my sister (a sub), who bought me the unlock.

 

Those of you who have subscribed from the beginning tend to think of f2p as being more harsh because you see everything that you would lose. "A credit cap?! No ranked?! Ops passes?! WZ passes?! Ugly customization?!" etc. But I became an on again / off again subscriber precisely because of the restrictions they put into place. It's a very well-designed system. The only thing I would change is to allow preferred members with guild bank access to donate credits to the guild bank. Not withdraw, just donate. It would be nice.

[Thoronmir]

In other words, the F2P model is working as intended.

I'm only quoting a snippet, but I concur with your entire post.

 

I started playing SWTOR at release with two friends. After a few months, we all quit. Several months later (after the conversion to F2P), I came back and discovered I was "Preferred" (because I had subbed at the start). I piddled for about five minutes ... unlocking my two favorite characters ... checking their inventories and vaults ... etc. Then I realized I could no longer hide my helmet or unify colors. I immediate resubbed and have remained subbed ever since. Even when I take a six-month break from SWTOR to play LOTRO (like now).

 

So, as AngFour said: F2P is WAI.

[Transcendent]

It isn't putting words in your mouth when you literally made a spiteful suggestion of punishing f2pers in a different way in exchange for other things. Thus you want f2pers to quit as you don't want them to feel welcomed and want to constantly remind them that they don't belong in your ideal play pen.

 

Your suggestion is bad, my feedback made note of that fact.

 

It's indeed very immature of you to even suggest such a thing and shows you lack any business sense at all.

 

I bet you're the type that would rage at say Wendy's giving away free Frosty's to stir up interest because you paid for one the day earlier.

 

If you wish to look at a suggestion in a negative light, perhaps it's your own frame of mind you should be questioning. My suggestion is about balancing it a little bit more, in others words, reduce the level players can reach and how far they can get in the story (ergo - incentive to subscribe once involved in the game), but loosen some of the other restrictions.

 

If however you wish to question business sense, perhaps this isn't the forum you are looking for. With regards to your comment on wishing F2P to quit, again, there is that "putting words into someone else's mouth" type of posting you seem to enjoy so much. I'll leave you with those negative thoughts of yours and add you to my ignore list seeing as you have nothing positive to add to this conversation.