A preferred player’s perspective on Population decline

[CrazyCT]

I'm talking about getting what you paid for, but with restrictions. After your sub lapses.

 

You mean like when I said you're asking for stuff to be added so you can stop paying for the game. It wouldn't really be a good business move, would it? If you stop paying for your Starbucks, do they still give you your lattes? Maybe they could still give you lattes, but just a short instead of your usual venti? It doesn't happen in the real world, why should it happen here?

 

Everything I suggested would still push toward a subscription to relieve said restrictions. If BioWare is going to say, "all you need to do is sub to get all current content and a new level cap". Then they should let players still play that content for what goes along with that level cap with restrictions after their sub runs out.

 

I once bought a burger from Five Guys, I demand free fries for life.

 

The way things have been since the launch of 5.0, has been bleeding this game of players. The game is at all-time low right now, server population wise. BioWare needs to do something sooner than later or fail victim to the mistakes of other MMORPGs of the past that had a short service life. Showing Preferred Status Players that they appreciate what money Preferred Status Players do spend on this game will go a long way and will make some actually sub. Because they will know that BioWare appreciates that they actually spend money on the game.

 

If you want to pay money to play, then why don't you just sub? $0.50 a day for all you can play is not a huge sacrifice.

 

 

Right now Preferred Status Players feel like they have been betrayed by BioWare for locking them out of end game all together and aren't playing, after they hit level 70.

 

Yup, Bioware betrayed them when they stopped giving them the service that they stopped paying for. I cancelled my Netflix last month, so why can't I still watch all my shows on it?

 

Some Subscribers hated the original Galactic Command System, so some have unsubbed and haven't returned yet. The lack of players on the servers are proof of that and also the long queue times as well. BioWare need to make changes to keep the game going.

 

So, by letting the players who unsubbed because they didn't like the Galactic Command System be able to play the Galactic Command System for free will make them sub again and save the game?

 

In the end everyone has opinions on what should happen or should not happen and everyone is entitled to there opinions.

 

First sensible thing you've said.

 

People have been sharing their opinions and BioWare needs to collect all those opinions and make a decision sooner than later. I just hope for better or for worse, they make the right decision that will keep the game going for years to come.

 

Like, not making the game for free and losing money. Less restrictions on preferred = less subscriptions = less money = less development = less subscriptions.......

 

If not EA should move on and make a new Star Wars MMORPG, before their license runs out. Which is rumored to be 2023.

 

If you think EA (or anyone) is going to pump money into making a new Star Wars MMO, you really need to start/stop taking your meds.

[Nalriel]

As someone who hasn't played the game frequently, but instead come and gone, never really gotten into the feel or depth of the game until now, I can say that I understand the views of the OP's post. But (and this is a big but), like someone else worded perfectly: everything costs.

 

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is for free. While I can understand those of preferred status, I also think that thinking it's in your right to get full access to the game because you paid for at least one month of subscription at some point, is wrong. I think it's great of BioWare to even make it possible for players to play for free or at a preferred status, but don't expect to get a free ride out of it.

 

Thinking you'd have a right to more without paying the monthly subscription fee is bang out of order. I've recently returned to the game and I'm finally starting to enjoy it to the fullest. So for me to pay for a month's subscription was an easy decision this time around.

 

In the end, you get what you pay for.

[Ratajack]

You missing the point, I'm not talking about a free ride. I'm talking about getting what you paid for, but with restrictions. After your sub lapses. Everything I suggested would still push toward a subscription to relieve said restrictions. If BioWare is going to say, "all you need to do is sub to get all current content and a new level cap". Then they should let players still play that content for what goes along with that level cap with restrictions after their sub runs out. If they feel they can't do that, then they should either go back to full paid expansions for everyone (Preferred can have their end game back, because they paid say 30 bucks for the expansion.) or they should go back to a full pay to play business model.

 

How much is a preferred player paying to play the game? Nothing, right? The last time I checked paying nothing for something was getting that something for FREE, or a FREE RIDE.

 

Current content does not necessarily mean ALL content, especially end game.

 

The way things have been since the launch of 5.0, has been bleeding this game of players. The game is at all-time low right now, server population wise. BioWare needs to do something sooner than later or fail victim to the mistakes of other MMORPGs of the past that had a short service life. Showing Preferred Status Players that they appreciate what money Preferred Status Players do spend on this game will go a long way and will make some actually sub. Because they will know that BioWare appreciates that they actually spend money on the game.

 

BW: "We appreciate that ONE TIME $5 purchase you made. Here is access to the entire game."

 

That does not sound like good business practice to me.

 

Right now Preferred Status Players feel like they have been betrayed by BioWare for locking them out of end game all together and aren't playing, after they hit level 70. Some Subscribers hated the original Galactic Command System, so some have unsubbed and haven't returned yet. The lack of players on the servers are proof of that and also the long queue times as well. BioWare need to make changes to keep the game going. The recent changes to Galactic Command are a step in the direction, but so is bring back level capped Preferred Status Players to the end game with restrictions.

 

Because those players did not "betray" BW by not financially supporting a game which they want to play (and have access to more of that game) for FREE?

 

 

In the end everyone has opinions on what should happen or should not happen and everyone is entitled to there opinions. People have been sharing their opinions and BioWare needs to collect all those opinions and make a decision sooner than later. I just hope for better or for worse, they make the right decision that will keep the game going for years to come. If not EA should move on and make a new Star Wars MMORPG, before their license runs out. Which is rumored to be 2023.

 

It seems to me that BW has already made their decision, by setting the levels of access that they did, and leaving those levels as they have been set for years.

[Ratajack]

I agree with your assessment.

 

 

 

While I agree with you in principle, from a practical point of view..... I do feel that some of the lower end CM content should be within a Preferred's reach. True F2P... yeah.. leave them go sulk in a corner or pay some money into the game they play.

 

From a pragmatic perspective... maintenance costs DO go up as you go up in levels and a Preferred player may have in fact been a sub and hence has equipment that may be fairly costly to keep maintained at the current credit cap limit. All I really see is the creation of a cost index based on key things you would expect every player to incur expense wise plus some spare for modest item purchases.... and adjust the credit cap for Preferred quarterly to track said index. If the index goes up.. the cap goes up, AND if the index goes down the cap goes down (to some floor limit, probably what they have today).

 

The credit cap for preferred is 350,000 credits.

 

Even in full BIS fully augmented 248 gear, what is the cost of repair per death?

 

Is there ANYTHING OF NECESSITY that a player cannot afford with 350,000 credits?

 

 

 

As for a "flexible" credit cap, given the numbers of players who advocate removing the credit cap and making it even easier and more appealing for players to freeload, can you imagine the uproar if the credit cap were ever lowered, even if that "new, lower" credit cap was higher than 350,000 credits?

[AlrikFassbauer]

Comparing the tens of thousands of dollars a library spends so students can research to a simple 15 dollar sub fee? Really?.

 

Multiply these 15 dollars per book in the library. Where do libraries get the money to subscribe to scientific magazines from, by the way ?

I'm rather referring to university libraries,m by the way, because public ones usuually get their money from the state here ( I have no idea how it is in other countries ).

 

I've been reading through university libraries, and you seem to have no idea how much EXPENSIVE scientific books can be !

Edited July 6, 2017 by AlrikFassbauer

[purewitz]

How much is a preferred player paying to play the game? Nothing, right? The last time I checked paying nothing for something was getting that something for FREE, or a FREE RIDE.

 

Current content does not necessarily mean ALL content, especially end game.

 

 

 

BW: "We appreciate that ONE TIME $5 purchase you made. Here is access to the entire game."

 

That does not sound like good business practice to me.

 

 

 

Because those players did not "betray" BW by not financially supporting a game which they want to play (and have access to more of that game) for FREE?

 

 

 

 

It seems to me that BW has already made their decision, by setting the levels of access that they did, and leaving those levels as they have been set for years.

 

The very definition of Preferred Status Player (As set by BioWare at the time of the free to play conversion) means you have paid money into the game, many Subscribers confuse, don't know, or understand the differences between a Free to Play Player and a Preferred Status Player. There is a big difference between the two. F2P Players have paid nothing into the game and deserve nothing extra than they are given, whereas Preferred Status Players have paid money into the game and deserve what they paid for at the time of their last subscription with restrictions.

 

As for the 5 dollar minimum, most Preferred Status Players have paid in way more than just that 5 dollars. Many bought the game at launch or pre-ordered, subbed for at least until the free to play conversion if not longer. Plus many newer and veteran Preferred Status Players buy stuff from the Cartel Market, pay for subs at least when there's a new story expansion or when they can. Yes there are those that only paid their 5 dollars once, but those are the minority. If BioWare is going to continue with a Freemium Tiered Business Model, they need to make sure they are taking care of all their paying customers or just go back to the Pay to Play business model. I'm not saying Preferred Status Players should get the unlimited access that Subscribers gets, but they should get the end game that they paid for with a sub with restrictions.

 

I'm done debating, I've expressed my opinion. I'm tired of dealing with ignorant people that don't understand how a Freemium Business Model is supposed to work. I will be reading posts from this thread, but I will not be replying anymore. As I said in a previous post, BioWare needs to do something sooner rather than later and they need to do it quick or the game will never recover from the lowly state it currently is in.

[Jeweledleah]

currently I'm subscribing, but.. i have gone from someone who used to subscribe with nearly no breaks (first break of any genuine length I took was after last chapter of KOTFE was released. and here is something that those people who keep talking about some hypothetical "paid $5" player - do not understand.vast, VAST majority of preferred in question are players who have subscribed at some point. usually recently otherwise, they wouldn't be able to hit lvl 70. and more importantly - the people who are hurt the most by preferred inability to participate in end game? are not even preferred. its subscribers who have lost a large chunk of population to play with. back when weekly passes still existed? this chunk of population could still participate, could still add to those queuing up for all kinds of things, or even playing with organized guild groups. now? not so much. I forgot who said it, one of the posters here, who may not even play anymore.

 

preferred players ARE content.

 

does this mean preferred accounts should get exactly the same acess as subscribers? no. but it does mean that they should have AN acess, to the end game. they could be leveling galactic rating at half the speed of subscribers. they could have lower chance percentage for tier pieces to drop from said crates. their acquisition of fragments/whatever could be slower then that of a subscriber - one for every 2 crates instead of one every crate, lower rewards from pvp, etc. but they need to be allowed to participate. because you cannot force people to subscribe. they won't subscribe, if you make it all or nothing. they will just leave. and then.. you have fewer and fewer people to play with.

 

some of you are sooooo stuck trying to justify your subscription costs that you forget about overall health of the game.

[purewitz]

currently I'm subscribing, but.. i have gone from someone who used to subscribe with nearly no breaks (first break of any genuine length I took was after last chapter of KOTFE was released. and here is something that those people who keep talking about some hypothetical "paid $5" player - do not understand.vast, VAST majority of preferred in question are players who have subscribed at some point. usually recently otherwise, they wouldn't be able to hit lvl 70. and more importantly - the people who are hurt the most by preferred inability to participate in end game? are not even preferred. its subscribers who have lost a large chunk of population to play with. back when weekly passes still existed? this chunk of population could still participate, could still add to those queuing up for all kinds of things, or even playing with organized guild groups. now? not so much. I forgot who said it, one of the posters here, who may not even play anymore.

 

preferred players ARE content.

 

does this mean preferred accounts should get exactly the same acess as subscribers? no. but it does mean that they should have AN acess, to the end game. they could be leveling galactic rating at half the speed of subscribers. they could have lower chance percentage for tier pieces to drop from said crates. their acquisition of fragments/whatever could be slower then that of a subscriber - one for every 2 crates instead of one every crate, lower rewards from pvp, etc. but they need to be allowed to participate. because you cannot force people to subscribe. they won't subscribe, if you make it all or nothing. they will just leave. and then.. you have fewer and fewer people to play with.

 

some of you are sooooo stuck trying to justify your subscription costs that you forget about overall health of the game.

 

Well said. Glad you're among the many of us that understand the issue and understand what the right resolution to the issue is.

Edited July 6, 2017 by purewitz

[Andryah]

As for the 5 dollar minimum, most Preferred Status Players have paid in way more than just that 5 dollars. Many bought the game at launch or pre-ordered, subbed for at least until the free to play conversion if not longer. Plus many newer and veteran Preferred Status Players buy stuff from the Cartel Market, pay for subs at least when there's a new story expansion or when they can. Yes there are those that only paid their 5 dollars once, but those are the minority. If BioWare is going to continue with a Freemium Tiered Business Model, they need to make sure they are taking care of all their paying customers or just go back to the Pay to Play business model. I'm not saying Preferred Status Players should get the unlimited access that Subscribers gets, but they should get the end game that they paid for with a sub with restrictions.

 

Not picking on you here... but this whole paragraph is speculation presented as fact. None of us as players actually have any objective data to make declarations like you just did here.

 

Regardless.. you missed Rata's point completely in your zeal to /smack him for disagreeing with you. The point remains... Preferred IS one facet of the Freemium model, and what you get and do not get is clearly documented and presented by the studio. Arguing over what you think is should be rather then what it actually is... is pointless.

 

I get it.. you want what you want and to hell with anyone with a different viewpoint. There IS a suggestion forum for all your great demand based ideas.... and who knows.. maybe they will read such as suggestion and embrace it. Or, more likely.. not... because at the end of the day it is pretty hard to argue objectively that the game is not worth $15 per month as a sub. Sub prices for MMOs have been at $15 for more then a decade now, while everything else for you in real life as appreciated in price significantly over the same period. Generally, anyone who does not see value in subscribing is likely also not likely committed to the game and is just looking for freebies, in my view.

 

All that said.. as I stated earlier in the thread, I support a bind-on-sale token approach for weekly access to very specific content for the minority of players that actually only play one segment of content (such as PvPers, raiders, etc.) I also support indexing the credit cap for Preferred to a broad measure of the credit supply in the player economy.

 

Of course you will disagree and reject everything I have said here, even though you state you are done "debating" while calling people names. I am completely fine with you disagreeing, but please do so without resorting to name calling and pejoratives.

Edited July 6, 2017 by Andryah

[Jeweledleah]

speaking of bind on sale tokens. this is anther problem with certain subscribers in this game. they refuse to accept anything that is not specific player paying the amount they feel is fair (not to bioware mind you, but to them, to make them feel better about subscribing).

 

god i wish i didn't need to bring it up, but its actualy a relevant example. WoW. WoW has subscription tokens. what that means? is that some players essentially get to play without paying a dime of extra money directly out of their wallets. does Blizzard care though? no. no it doesn't becasue Blizzard gets paid regardless of whose wallet the money came from. and this system was so successful (and i would wager is responsible for a very noticeable income boost for Blizzard, given what they did next) - that they made it possible to exchange tokens back for bnet balance. not only subset of population doesn't pay a dime out of their personal pockets and yet gets exactly the same, IDENTICAL acess to the game as people who subscribe the old fashioned way? but they now get to grab some games from the Blizzard's store too. why does Blizzard not care? because they STILL. GET. PAID. more then they would have if people subscribed old fashioned way

 

it doesn't matter who bought the passes back then. we don't seem to be complaining that some people spend lots and lots of cash to buy hypercrates, while other people don't pay a dime extra for them and instead buy them with credits. then WHY are passes such a bone of contention? is it becasue deep down the detractors don't really believe that their subscription has value?

 

funny thing is... the more players get to acess content, the more value subscription will have. its in a way an avalanche. more players to sell to = more purchases made = more profit for bioware, more profit for bioware = more development resources = more content for everyone, especially subscribers.

 

thinking in "all or nothing" terms? more often then not results in "nothing". not "all".

[Eshvara]

currently I'm subscribing, but.. i have gone from someone who used to subscribe with nearly no breaks (first break of any genuine length I took was after last chapter of KOTFE was released. and here is something that those people who keep talking about some hypothetical "paid $5" player - do not understand.vast, VAST majority of preferred in question are players who have subscribed at some point. usually recently otherwise, they wouldn't be able to hit lvl 70. and more importantly - the people who are hurt the most by preferred inability to participate in end game? are not even preferred. its subscribers who have lost a large chunk of population to play with. back when weekly passes still existed? this chunk of population could still participate, could still add to those queuing up for all kinds of things, or even playing with organized guild groups. now? not so much. I forgot who said it, one of the posters here, who may not even play anymore.

 

preferred players ARE content.

 

does this mean preferred accounts should get exactly the same acess as subscribers? no. but it does mean that they should have AN acess, to the end game. they could be leveling galactic rating at half the speed of subscribers. they could have lower chance percentage for tier pieces to drop from said crates. their acquisition of fragments/whatever could be slower then that of a subscriber - one for every 2 crates instead of one every crate, lower rewards from pvp, etc. but they need to be allowed to participate. because you cannot force people to subscribe. they won't subscribe, if you make it all or nothing. they will just leave. and then.. you have fewer and fewer people to play with.

 

some of you are sooooo stuck trying to justify your subscription costs that you forget about overall health of the game.

 

Well said! I really wish Devs had something to say about this, but I guess it's just one of those topics they have to avoid for reasons unknown.

Giving preferred players a little bit more freedom would help subscribers as well. Faster queues for PvP or PvE, and more people to play with.. isn't that what we all want? Or should we keep this small club of the greediest and entitled players.

 

I guess so we can cry for server merges nobody truly wants, instead of trying to monetize the preferred players or making them able to do certain content a bit more than they are able to now.

Edited July 6, 2017 by Eshvara

[QuinlanSaathis]

Preferred should be abolished completely and call it what it is which is F2P.

 

F2P restrictions should be tightened and strengthened.

[Toraak]

I'm sorry some of you will not like this however. F2P and Preferred should not only NOT have access to ANY end game content. They should be even more restricted then they are now. REMOVE the ability to have a sub group queu a F2P or Preferred player into a wz past the alotted number per week. F2P, and preferred are basically a FREE TRIAL nothing more, and free trials NEVER give the ability to play end game content.

 

If you want to play end game content $15 a month is cheap. If you can't afford that, you seriously need to reconsider your priorities in life, because at that point video games shouldn't be a priority at all for your time.

[jpscjpsc]

The 3 tiers of SWTOR accounts should be as follows:

 

Subscribers:

- Access to all content regardless of prior purchases

- Monthly Cartel Coins

- Quality of Life improvements:

- Faster quick travel cooldowns than both Preferred and F2P

- Quick travel to personal ship

- Quick travel to fleet

- Earn XP and GC faster

- Rest XP

- 50 mission slots

- 3 crew skills

- 8 companions on crew missions at once

- Unlimited credits

- Additional inventory slots (more than Preferred and F2P)

 

Preferred:

- Access to all content which has been purchased. Expansions and DLCs can be purchased with either cash or Cartel Coins

- Expired subscriptions should confer Preferred status and access to expansions based on the total number of months subscribed. I.e. the total spent on subscriptions should at least equal the cost of the expansions on their own. For example Hutt Cartel needs 1 month subscription, SoR needs 2 months, KOTFE needs 3, KOTET needs 4 months

- Quality of Life improvements that can be purchased via Cartel Coins (or are 'free' with expansions):

- Faster quick travel cool downs than F2P

- Quick travel to personal ship

- Quick travel to fleet

- 50 mission slots

- 3 crew skills

- 8 companions on crew missions at once

- Limited credits but CM unlocks to increase the limit across the legacy

- Additional inventory slots (More can be unlocked than the default but still less than subscription)

 

Free-to-Play:

- Access to the 8 class stories and related planets

- Level 50 limit

- 1 crew skill

- Limited credits

- Only quick travel in local area

- Personal ship and fleet passes can be bought from the CM, this will not confer Preferred status.

 

There could be a lot more detail added to the above lists but its a rough idea of how it should work with 3 very obvious tiers and benefits of each. Access to content is not restricted to the 'Preferred' group unless they decline to purchase it. Subscribers gain primarily QoL improvements as well as Cartel Coins.

 

Personally as a subscriber this is how I want it to work. I want Preferred players to have access to everything I do as I want a lot of other people to play with, I just want my life to be a bit easier by spending more on the game.

[Ratajack]

The 3 tiers of SWTOR accounts should be as follows:

 

Subscribers:

- Access to all content regardless of prior purchases

- Monthly Cartel Coins

- Quality of Life improvements:

- Faster quick travel cooldowns than both Preferred and F2P

- Quick travel to personal ship

- Quick travel to fleet

- Earn XP and GC faster

- Rest XP

- 50 mission slots

- 3 crew skills

- 8 companions on crew missions at once

- Unlimited credits

- Additional inventory slots (more than Preferred and F2P)

 

Preferred:

- Access to all content which has been purchased. Expansions and DLCs can be purchased with either cash or Cartel Coins

- Expired subscriptions should confer Preferred status and access to expansions based on the total number of months subscribed. I.e. the total spent on subscriptions should at least equal the cost of the expansions on their own. For example Hutt Cartel needs 1 month subscription, SoR needs 2 months, KOTFE needs 3, KOTET needs 4 months

- Quality of Life improvements that can be purchased via Cartel Coins (or are 'free' with expansions):

- Faster quick travel cool downs than F2P

- Quick travel to personal ship

- Quick travel to fleet

- 50 mission slots

- 3 crew skills

- 8 companions on crew missions at once

- Limited credits but CM unlocks to increase the limit across the legacy

- Additional inventory slots (More can be unlocked than the default but still less than subscription)

 

Free-to-Play:

- Access to the 8 class stories and related planets

- Level 50 limit

- 1 crew skill

- Limited credits

- Only quick travel in local area

- Personal ship and fleet passes can be bought from the CM, this will not confer Preferred status.

 

There could be a lot more detail added to the above lists but its a rough idea of how it should work with 3 very obvious tiers and benefits of each. Access to content is not restricted to the 'Preferred' group unless they decline to purchase it. Subscribers gain primarily QoL improvements as well as Cartel Coins.

 

Personally as a subscriber this is how I want it to work. I want Preferred players to have access to everything I do as I want a lot of other people to play with, I just want my life to be a bit easier by spending more on the game.

 

What you are "suggesting" is tantamount to giving away the store fore free.

 

 

If you are advocating BW removing any real incentive to subscribe, your "suggestion" would likely do just that.

[jpscjpsc]

What you are "suggesting" is tantamount to giving away the store fore free.

 

 

If you are advocating BW removing any real incentive to subscribe, your "suggestion" would likely do just that.

 

This is basically what ESO is doing, works a charm for them.

[Ratajack]

speaking of bind on sale tokens. this is anther problem with certain subscribers in this game. they refuse to accept anything that is not specific player paying the amount they feel is fair (not to bioware mind you, but to them, to make them feel better about subscribing).

 

god i wish i didn't need to bring it up, but its actualy a relevant example. WoW. WoW has subscription tokens. what that means? is that some players essentially get to play without paying a dime of extra money directly out of their wallets. does Blizzard care though? no. no it doesn't becasue Blizzard gets paid regardless of whose wallet the money came from. and this system was so successful (and i would wager is responsible for a very noticeable income boost for Blizzard, given what they did next) - that they made it possible to exchange tokens back for bnet balance. not only subset of population doesn't pay a dime out of their personal pockets and yet gets exactly the same, IDENTICAL acess to the game as people who subscribe the old fashioned way? but they now get to grab some games from the Blizzard's store too. why does Blizzard not care? because they STILL. GET. PAID. more then they would have if people subscribed old fashioned way

 

it doesn't matter who bought the passes back then. we don't seem to be complaining that some people spend lots and lots of cash to buy hypercrates, while other people don't pay a dime extra for them and instead buy them with credits. then WHY are passes such a bone of contention? is it becasue deep down the detractors don't really believe that their subscription has value?

 

funny thing is... the more players get to acess content, the more value subscription will have. its in a way an avalanche. more players to sell to = more purchases made = more profit for bioware, more profit for bioware = more development resources = more content for everyone, especially subscribers.

 

thinking in "all or nothing" terms? more often then not results in "nothing". not "all".

 

You are ignoring some very important facts regarding WoW and their tokens.

 

1) WoW has no currency akin to CC's. WoW tokens are the only "legitimate and legal" means of converting money to gold.

 

2) Those "WoW tokens" cost $20 ($5 or 33% more than the a single month subscription would cost) and can only be purchased for REAL MONEY.

 

3) A single token can either be used for a single month subscription or $15 worth of Bnet balance.

 

4) The in game value of those tokens on the AH is set and controlled by Blizzard.

 

The last time I checked, tokens had a cost of about 130,000 gold. I have not checked recently, so that value could have gone up or down. The cost of a token is dependent upon supply and demand. If the value drops too low, people stop buying tokens to sell, resulting in lower supply, causing the price to go back up. If the cost gets too high, fewer people buy tokens, resulting in lower demand and lower prices, which leads to fewer people buying tokens to sell, which leads to lower supply.

 

Let's look at only at this game for dollar to credit value. On average, the CC to credit value, if I am not mistaken, is roughly an average of at least 100,000 credits per CC.

 

$20 will get a person 2400 CC's, more if they purchase a larger amount of CC's for a larger price.

 

If BW were to sell tokens for $20 real money (not CC's, as there are way too many free CC's floating around, IMO), that would equate to a cost of roughly 240,000,000 credits per token on the GTN.

 

Now that value could go up or down, depending upon the supply and demand. Remember, though, that if a player feels they can see a higher return on the $20 by purchasing CC's and then flipping CM items on the GTN, they will be less likely to purchase those tokens, leading to higher token prices.

 

I find it hard to believe that there would be too many people willing to pay 240 million credits for a single month subscription, so let's say that price ends up dropping. Where do you think the cost will end up "balancing out"? It would have to be sufficiently high to make the cost to credit ratio higher than the CC to credit ratio for the same dollar amount would be. Otherwise, people will not purchase those tokens, since they can see a higher return on their "investment" by purchasing CC's and flipping CM items on the GTN.

 

So, what do you think would be a "fair price" in credits for a subscription token?

[Ratajack]

The very definition of Preferred Status Player (As set by BioWare at the time of the free to play conversion) means you have paid money into the game, many Subscribers confuse, don't know, or understand the differences between a Free to Play Player and a Preferred Status Player. There is a big difference between the two. F2P Players have paid nothing into the game and deserve nothing extra than they are given, whereas Preferred Status Players have paid money into the game and deserve what they paid for at the time of their last subscription with restrictions.

 

I don't think anyone is saying the preferred players have never paid any money into the game, but many are noting that preferred players are not likely paying into the game NOW.

 

As someone else stated, it matters not one whit if I spent $10 a day at Starbuck's for 2 years. They are not going to continue giving me coffee if I stop paying them. The electric company will not leave my electric on if I stop paying them, no matter how long I had been a paying customer.

 

Paying in the past does not entitle one to service in the future if one stops paying.

 

As for the 5 dollar minimum, most Preferred Status Players have paid in way more than just that 5 dollars. Many bought the game at launch or pre-ordered, subbed for at least until the free to play conversion if not longer. Plus many newer and veteran Preferred Status Players buy stuff from the Cartel Market, pay for subs at least when there's a new story expansion or when they can. Yes there are those that only paid their 5 dollars once, but those are the minority. If BioWare is going to continue with a Freemium Tiered Business Model, they need to make sure they are taking care of all their paying customers or just go back to the Pay to Play business model. I'm not saying Preferred Status Players should get the unlimited access that Subscribers gets, but they should get the end game that they paid for with a sub with restrictions.

 

I'm done debating, I've expressed my opinion. I'm tired of dealing with ignorant people that don't understand how a Freemium Business Model is supposed to work. I will be reading posts from this thread, but I will not be replying anymore. As I said in a previous post, BioWare needs to do something sooner rather than later and they need to do it quick or the game will never recover from the lowly state it currently is in.

 

I find it highly illogical to think that a player who is not even willing to pay $15 to play this game with all the bells and whistles is going to pay to purchase CC's. If you want to believe that, I have some prime real estate on Alderaan to sell you.

 

Are there some who will purchase CC's and not subscribe? Probably, but in all likelihood those people are as much, if not more, of a minority as those that only paid $5 to upgrade to preferred status.

[ZionHalcyon]

i would bring ops passes back and give subscribers unlimited operations, end the lock outs for subs.

 

I would instead give subs unlimited operations, and instead of Ops passes, package the story quests for those Ops and sell them in the cartel market, Section X style - pay for an Operation, get it for life.

[jpscjpsc]

I don't think anyone is saying the preferred players have never paid any money into the game, but many are noting that preferred players are not likely paying into the game NOW.

 

As someone else stated, it matters not one whit if I spent $10 a day at Starbuck's for 2 years. They are not going to continue giving me coffee if I stop paying them. The electric company will not leave my electric on if I stop paying them, no matter how long I had been a paying customer.

 

Paying in the past does not entitle one to service in the future if one stops paying.

 

What if you wouldn't go to Starbucks unless you had a friend come along with you because you like company. If Starbucks then gave your friend a free coffee to get her to come with you while you still had to pay would you have a big issue with that? I wouldn't, at least not if it was the company more than the coffee that I cared about.

 

To me that's a major part of all F2P models, its about getting the population up high enough for those players who are willing to fork out cash every month. Those paying customers then have friends to play with. I'll subscribe to this game as long as I want to play it, but I want lots of people to play with otherwise its not an MMO. If that means I have to subsidise the cost of the game for others I can't say that I personally care too much.

[Ratajack]

What if you wouldn't go to Starbucks unless you had a friend come along with you because you like company. If Starbucks then gave your friend a free coffee to get her to come with you while you still had to pay would you have a big issue with that? I wouldn't, at least not if it was the company more than the coffee that I cared about.

 

To me that's a major part of all F2P models, its about getting the population up high enough for those players who are willing to fork out cash every month. Those paying customers then have friends to play with. I'll subscribe to this game as long as I want to play it, but I want lots of people to play with otherwise its not an MMO. If that means I have to subsidise the cost of the game for others I can't say that I personally care too much.

 

What if you paid for that coffee and John Q Public walks in and says "just put it on HIS tab"?

 

What if Starbuck's charged everyone for coffee, but gave that coffee away for free to everyone who refused to pay for it? How long do you think it would be before everyone refused to pay?

 

What if Starbuck's gave coffee to everyone who walked into the store?

 

How long do you think they would remain in business?

 

If I wanted the company of my friend at Starbuck's, I would pay for his coffee, not expect Starbuck's to give it to him for free.

 

Sorry, but I am long past the point of "subsidizing" other random people I do not even know, especially for a "luxury" like a video game. If you want to subsidize other players game time, buy some time cards and give the codes to those you wish to subsidize.

 

If it is truly the company you care about and not the "coffee", ESO is only a click away.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Ratajack

[jpscjpsc]

What if you paid for that coffee and John Q Public walks in and says "just put it on HIS tab"?

 

What if Starbuck's charged everyone for coffee, but gave that coffee away for free to everyone who refused to pay for it? How long do you think it would be before everyone refused to pay?

 

What if Starbuck's gave coffee to everyone who walked into the store?

 

How long do you think they would remain in business?

 

If I wanted the company of my friend at Starbuck's, I would pay for his coffee, not expect Starbuck's to give it to him for free.

 

Sorry, but I am long past the point of "subsidizing" other random people I do not even know, especially for a "luxury" like a video game. If you want to subsidize other players game time, buy some time cards and give the codes to those you wish to subsidize.

 

If it is truly the company you care about and not the "coffee", ESO is only a click away.

 

If ESO had lightsabers I'd be there in an instant

[Ratajack]

If ESO had lightsabers I'd be there in an instant

 

Then I guess you really care about the "coffee" and not the company.

[admkrk]

I am surprised none of you marketing wizards have ever heard of a loss leader: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_leader. That is more, or less, exactly what F2P and preferred players are. They increase traffic, which is what "everyone" is complaining about being missing in this game, besides content.

 

Comments like just merge all servers into one and only let us subs play, would surely not lead to higher sub rates. I assume the original introduction of F2P was in response to avoiding just such a situation. In other words, it is likely that if it was not for F2P, or preferred, players, your sub price would be much higher. And, probably high enough to have discouraged enough people to stop subbing that the servers would have been shut down long ago.

[aethell]

Non-subscribers are “content” for subscribers, for they increase the likelihood of group activity queues, provide social interaction (which is to be expected in a Multiplayer environment)

 

As a subscriber who is going to remain a subscriber as long as there is any kind of subscriber tier, EA please take this statement to heart. I expect people to play with, and not seeing it is what is driving me away from the game.

Edited July 7, 2017 by aethell