Free-to-Play and Preferred Player Adjustments

[kodrac]

Eh not really, in the case of these two games it's more like two different kinds of apples, and ESO is doing way better than SW:TOR currently is.

 

SW:TOR's model isn't working for it, despite being the only Star Wars MMO on the market, so they really ought to look at ways to significantly improve their model to make the game far more accessible and easy to get into for new players, and attractive for old players to return and these changes, while a step in the right direction, are not even remotely enough to do that.

 

I prefer the B2P model because it gives the player options with the sub being for perks. F2P is feast or famine. But that ship has sailed.

[Visorknight]

For sub, can we get a cartel market item that allows us to unlock a 4th slot for crew skills? 3 crew skills is kind of limited considering that we have a ton of crew skills, This QOL change can help us to play better without switching 100X a day to our alts.

[lightSaberAddiCt]

Meh, I know people who refuse to sub but will spend far more than $14.95 on CC a month to open boxes. Just because someone doesn't sub doesn't mean they are freeloading since if they spend just 2500 CC a month, they have paid more than a sub. There is a pair of blasters on sale for 25% off right now and the sale price is 3825 CC. You'd have to spend $40 to get a coin package that will buy them. That's hardly freeloading.

 

I applaud your friend for supporting the game at least through CC purchases. But overall, even BW's own statistics show that the majority of money spent in the CM is from subs. I mean if your friend spends 14.95 a month for subs (which is what 500cc) why not just use that to you know, sub.

[lightSaberAddiCt]

For sub, can we get a cartel market item that allows us to unlock a 4th slot for crew skills? 3 crew skills is kind of limited considering that we have a ton of crew skills, This QOL change can help us to play better without switching 100X a day to our alts.

 

God I wish, but no. Best thing is to make crafter toons. Soon you will have skill 600 on all the crafting skills and not be taken advantage of from price gouging on the GTN.

[SteveTheCynic]

Learning new mounts creates two entries in your quickbar...

No it doesn't. There is a bug that does that, but only when you claim a previously unlocked mount from Collections. If you buy a new mount from any source or get the Lhosan Duster from BT/SLS or whatever, it creates only a single entry. (So a new player will see that misbehaviour *later* and certainly not during his first few days of play.)

[battycoda]

I applaud your friend for supporting the game at least through CC purchases. But overall, even BW's own statistics show that the majority of money spent in the CM is from subs. I mean if your friend spends 14.95 a month for subs (which is what 500cc) why not just use that to you know, sub.

 

Not a clue, man. He did the same in Star Trek Online and in LOTRO. I guess lootbox fever. heh

[Celise]

As always the people that pay nothing complain that they do not get enough for having paid nothing.

 

And although some preferred players spend real money many spend essentially nothing just to move up to preferred - they too feel that they do not get enough for their one short subscription years ago or their one purchase.

 

By narrowing the gap between those who pay to support the game and those who do not SWTOR is only encouraging subscribers to become preferred. Some benefit to subscription should be added to counterbalance this ( I agree that the increase in credit limit is merely a reflection of the changed economy and does not call for any new benefit to subscribers but the other freebies given to preferred and f2p are real).

 

Hmm, that is rather argumentative and narrow point of view. I will answer by saying i have subbed over time and put some money into it as well from time to time, i've been on two ends of the subscription service by default and you forget that anyone who posts on this forum must have access to a subscription otherwise you don't have access to post messages.

 

If you are asking for an entitled point of view? you aren't getting one since you were so rude about asking for one.

 

This is true, and I think distinguishing people who sub for a long time/spend hundreds of dollars on CM items, etc. should be acknowledged. However, there's always a find line between enticing players to play and pay and reducing the attractiveness of subbing.

 

The best choice is based on data that we really don't have. Making the game more attractive to f2p players and providing benefits for making purchases (5$ is a joke though) can be a great idea for population, though since WZs and other group-heavy content is off-limits anyway, that may not be the devs' aim with this. Why attract more players if they can't add to the queues for your subscribers anyway?

 

Note: I'm not saying f2p or prems should have increased access to wzs or OPs, since that might go too far under the current model. Just saying that the current model may not be very effective for dealing with population issues. However, Bioware has the data to know what they're trying to do and how it's working.

 

Before 5.0 Preferred and F2P'er's gained access to warzones and operations as well as extended use of flashpoints by way of special passes, then it was all taken away in 5.0 with that idiot GC system brought in by Ben Irving. A pile of players left the game because of that and i've never been a fan of it to the point i want it removed, root and stem from the game.

 

Now here we are coming up to 6.0 in September and F2P'er's are finally being noticed after years of making noise for change, now all they get is a few changes at most, but it doesn't lift some of the options which quite frankly shouldn't of been there in the first place. Bioware has made a big deal of "playing your own way" and yet that promise isn't half true at this stage if F2p'er's and Preferred players are unable to play their own way like they used to. It is more a case they were burned unfairly by Bioware and only now is Bioware offering a little ground to compensate, but it still isn't enough.

 

So while the previous user i've quoted and answered to their rude demand, i'm of the opinion that those restrictions should be taken away and give the service the value it had before. The best way to get someone into something is by offering the chance to try and one can't try something out if's locked away from them, so what incentive is there for them to go up to a subscription based service at the current limits? it would be a complete unknown with no way to know how the user will react to the paywalled content they finally have access to, or if it is even worth it.

[battycoda]

Now here we are coming up to 6.0 in September and F2P'er's are finally being noticed after years of making noise for change, now all they get is a few changes at most, but it doesn't lift some of the options which quite frankly shouldn't of been there in the first place. Bioware has made a big deal of "playing your own way" and yet that promise isn't half true at this stage if F2p'er's and Preferred players are unable to play their own way like they used to. It is more a case they were burned unfairly by Bioware and only now is Bioware offering a little ground to compensate, but it still isn't enough.

 

If I sound rude, I do not intend to sound rude.

 

I truly do not mind games letting people play free and I truly do not have anything against people who do play free but...

 

TL/DR: F2P and Preferred is gimped as an incentive to subscribe.

 

I have let my sub lapse and then played. It didn't take me very long to top off my game time. That right there is the incentive to subscribe. Try it. You will understand.

 

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Someone who plays for free really does not have any ground on which to stand to demand changes that benefit them. The things they want are there and have been there all along - for $14.95 a month. I posted earlier that instead of boosting F2P or Preferred, they should add a third non-sub tier instead so they can "play your own way." If they spend the subscription price or more on CC, have a 30 day "Honored" tier that is the same as if they had subbed for a month. A subscriber spend $15 a month and gets full access to everything. Why not "store subscribers?" The others, well... if you pay nothing at all, be thankful they let you play for nothing at all - gimped or not. If you pay $5 once or subscribe just once, then you are getting a pretty decent benefit for that also in this game.

 

The credit cap increase is needed only because people who sell unlocks on the GTN to F2P people cannot get back the value of what they sell due to the limited amount of credits that the F2P or preferred can access. It's not a bonus to the F2P or preferred player. It's the bonus to the subscribed player who can't get a fair shake catering to them. The quick travel and revive for preferred is a nice addition for them but it's also a boon for subscribers because we don't have to burn summons or wait when we play with our non-subscription friends.

 

F2P and Preferred have to purchase unlocks to be able to use Artifact level gear and items. If they have not, they are going to be sporting blues. People who run OPS, no offence you all but this is true, balk at someone in 230 artifact level set gear that wants to run with them. I cannot see them even allowing someone in blues or greens into the group with open arms. Which takes me back to the previous paragraph - they either take a loss selling them the unlock to gear up or they take them into the group ungeared. I just don't see it happening to be honest.

 

Now, I honestly do not see why a F2P or Preferred is limited in the space missions because, frankly, they aren't the best content and the rewards have no bearing anywhere outside solo-play space missions. If you want to give them something, give them that.

[vianiel]

Thank you for this. As someone who plays as Preferred 90% of the time since 2012, this is a welcome change. Yes, I'm less fortunate than you and $15 is quite a substantial amount of money in MY CURRENCY that I probably could sub only twice a year.

 

I was thinking of increasing the credit cap to 500k, but 1m is nice. Revive bot is great, though QT's cooldown could be bypassed by the legacy unlock.

 

I left the game about a year when they killed the Ops passes. This is what I want to see changed more. I'd suggest implementing a system that limits their participation per week in Operations, say only 2 Ops a week. More participation in end-game content never hurts.

[Phazonfreak]

I also think this is a very fair change of the F2P and Preferred model, especially the increased credit cap. I still think that having the credit cap is counterproductive though and should be lifted entirely, but I understand that this would reinforce the credit seller issue and demand a response of the dev team that they are not willing (and able) to give at the moment. Reintroducing OP passes would be a good addition. Edited June 23, 2019 by Phazonfreak

[QuinlanSaathis]

This will always be a bad idea.

Just how many of you are now looking to unsub with these loosened restrictions?

And if not now how much closer are you?

[denisdenizg]

 

TL/DR: F2P and Preferred is gimped as an incentive to subscribe.

 

 

And that is the main catch... SWTOR use old and outdated monetisation system, without WoW player base numbers to back it up, and we all see how "good" it works...

Perfect scenario would be real F2P system without restrictions on core gamplay, heavy focus on CM and making good cosmetic items, locking every single one behind RM (real money) transaction, implement some sort of optional "premium time", which will allow players to earn everything faster...

Edited June 23, 2019 by denisdenizg

[Visorknight]

This game needs more players badly even f2p or preferred. Every player adds to the community at large. They should continue to ease the restrictions for f2p players to allow for more players to enter the game. Ultimately, MMO needs a strong playing player base to survive, not just subs.

[Damask_Rose]

I posted earlier that instead of boosting F2P or Preferred, they should add a third non-sub tier instead so they can "play your own way." If they spend the subscription price or more on CC, have a 30 day "Honored" tier that is the same as if they had subbed for a month. A subscriber spend $15 a month and gets full access to everything. Why not "store subscribers?"

 

There would be no point to having a subscriber category since the CC allotment for subscribers would need to be upped to match the lowest amount a CC buyer could buy and still get the month subscription tossed in.

[denavin]

Free to Play = Sponge....

 

They contribute NOTING to the financial health of the game and do nothing but drain resources from the game that are needed for production of the game.

 

Free to Play is a never ending demo and nothing more and should not be elevated beyond that.

[Rolodome]

This will always be a bad idea.

Just how many of you are now looking to unsub with these loosened restrictions?

And if not now how much closer are you?

That's a problem with what a sub offers though, not just with non-sub restrictions. It's got more than the one prong to it. If the only incentive to subscribe is because the game is miserable otherwise, that says a lot about how crappy the game is and how nonexistent the incentives for subbing are.

 

Keep in mind new items get added to the cartel market every month (I believe it's every month anyway, I haven't been around to check it every single time) while most of the game gets new content far less frequently than that. And subs don't even get access to the cartel market content added every month through subbing alone. Best case scenario is they use saved up credits to buy it from someone else who paid CC to get it and then they use their paltry 500CC (or I guess 600 with security key) to account unlock one of the items (maybe two).

 

When you put it in perspective like that... the one part of the game that gets new content regularly and subs get almost nothing to give them access to it that others don't already get.

 

I can see a $$ person arguing that subs shouldn't get much special access to CM stuff because how will we make loads of $$, but that doesn't change the fact that the incentives for subbing are so nonexistent and that if you want to be up-to-date with new content, the real incentive is to buy stuff in the store and only occasionally subscribe briefly for expansions. If the game is not miserable for you without a sub and you focus on content that isn't behind a sub wall, what reason would you have to waste your money on a sub when you could spend it on CM stuff instead and actually get new stuff every month?

[denavin]

In reality BW could reverse their decision and NOT change the free to play and preferred and not a single subscription would be lost. Of course Feepers and Perfs will moan and complain, they do that already so nothing new there. But I'ed bet not a single Subscriber will leave in protest.

[BoySaber]

Key problems of this topics are:

1) Pref/F2P did not get anything of worth value with this change

2) Subs, instead to come with ideas to make Subs better, they find reasons to punish Pref/F2P accounts instead

 

There are many good profitable business models out there that do not punish and split players apart (like Warframe for example) because of the money. But in here, we players, decide to split ourselves, on poor and rich, on elites and newbies, on first class and slaves, instead to stand together. No wonder why we are down to 5 servers today, it isn't just the game that had issues, its the nature of community that wants to continue down this road.

[Rolodome]

In reality BW could reverse their decision and NOT change the free to play and preferred and not a single subscription would be lost. Of course Feepers and Perfs will moan and complain, they do that already so nothing new there. But I'ed bet not a single Subscriber will leave in protest.

Maybe not directly, but when population suffers more because the game has less people, the game will lose subscribers who are tired of sitting around waiting to find people to play with.

[denavin]

Key problems of this topics are:

1) Pref/F2P did not get anything of worth value with this change

2) Subs, instead to come with ideas to make Subs better, they find reasons to punish Pref/F2P accounts instead

 

There are many good profitable business models out there that do not punish and split players apart (like Warframe for example) because of the money. But in here, we players, decide to split ourselves, on poor and rich, on elites and newbies, on first class and slaves, instead to stand together. No wonder why we are down to 5 servers today, it isn't just the game that had issues, its the nature of community that wants to continue down this road.

 

Free to Play could totally disappear from this game and the only thing that would be noticed is the drop in players. Free to Play contributes NOTHING to the game. You all could simply be dropped and nothing would happen to the game so get over your self in thinking that your are important to this game and that your are being punished. You are a minimal part of, and a MAJOR annoyance to everybody else in the game.....

[Rolodome]

Free to Play could totally disappear from this game and the only thing that would be noticed is the drop in players. Free to Play contributes NOTHING to the game. You all could simply be dropped and nothing would happen to the game so get over your self in thinking that your are important to this game and that your are being punished. You are a minimal part of, and a MAJOR annoyance to everybody else in the game.....

It's this kind of attitude that is why this game is never going to have a strong community. It started with them not even allowing F2P/Preferred to have forum posting abilities. They created a needless, manufactured class divide problem for themselves and the community suffers because of it.

[BoySaber]

Free to Play could totally disappear from this game and the only thing that would be noticed is the drop in players. Free to Play contributes NOTHING to the game. You all could simply be dropped and nothing would happen to the game so get over your self in thinking that your are important to this game and that your are being punished. You are a minimal part of, and a MAJOR annoyance to everybody else in the game.....

F2P are potential money income to the game. Cutting them out will reduce the player number yes, and with it the income. They had to enable F2P to survive, it was big news back then. You are not familiar with game's history and why it added second and third tier accounts, because it couldn't survive on sub alone, and your attitude is awful and hurts this game. Players can now try for free (a big trial) and pay if like, most current subs are former F2P. Having to pay to try is what would cut down subs in significant number. And with current restrictions, it cuts it to some percentage anyway, it's why they finally decided to do something about it, but unfortunately they are still not aware how to properly realize the good idea.

Edited June 23, 2019 by BoySaber

[denavin]

F2P are potential money income to the game. Cutting them out will reduce the player number yes, and with it the income. They had to enable F2P to survive, it was big news back then. You are not familiar with game's history and why it added second and third tier accounts, because it couldn't survive on sub alone, and your attitude is awful and hurts this game. Players can now try for free (a big trial) and pay if like, most current subs are former F2P. Having to pay to try is what would cut down subs in significant number. And with current restrictions, it cuts it to some percentage anyway, it's why they finally decided to do something about it, but unfortunately they are still not aware how to properly realize the good idea.

 

The most popular and biggest game in the industry, WoW still does not do Free 2 Play. Your argument does not hold water.

 

Free to Play is a DEMO and nothing more it contributes NOTHING to the over all economic health of the game or for BW.

 

Free to Play is a Sponge that sucks the life and money out of the game and its parent company.

[BoySaber]

The most popular and biggest game in the industry, WoW still does not do Free 2 Play. Your argument does not hold water.

 

Free to Play is a DEMO and nothing more it contributes NOTHING to the over all economic health of the game or for BW.

 

Free to Play is a Sponge that sucks the life and money out of the game and its parent company.

You can buy WoW subs with in game currency.

[denisdenizg]

The most popular and biggest game in the industry, WoW still does not do Free 2 Play. Your argument does not hold water.

 

Free to Play is a DEMO and nothing more it contributes NOTHING to the over all economic health of the game or for BW.

 

Free to Play is a Sponge that sucks the life and money out of the game and its parent company.

 

Its funy how you ignore fortnite, so far no one earn that amount of money, and its F2P...