Returning Player

[Vysse]

I played back at launch and am returning to see the state of things. Hoping to enjoy my stay!

Edit: also I cannot seem to post anywhere on the forums but here??

Edited July 10 by Vysse

[Lord_Janosch]

Welcome back. Hope you enjoy your stay. Only subs can post everywhere in the forums. F2p can post here and in bug section as far as I know.

[SteveTheCynic]

5 hours ago, Lord_Janosch said:

F2p can post here and in bug section as far as I know.

That's right.

[WarCan]

I thought I read in a patch note that there are 3 total sections F2P can post in.  But, I can't find confirmation.   However, as F2P, being able to post even in just these 2 (New Player & Bugs) is better than it used to be.

[Vysse]

Honestly these restrictions are ridiculous... I want to like this game and in many ways I do but feeling forced to subscribe to do just about anything is extremely disheartening... like I can subscribe and likely will but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[SteveTheCynic]

3 hours ago, Vysse said:

I want to like this game and in many ways I do but feeling forced to subscribe to do just about anything is extremely disheartening... like I can subscribe and likely will but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

But *every* subscription game with a free-to-play option has restrictions on what non-subs can do.  In some, e.g. WoW and FF14, it's a level restriction on your characters (can't play a character that's above level X), and probably other things.  ESO's subscription system ("ESO Plus", but it's still a subscription system) gives free access to DLCs, access to the materials bag (yes, in ESO, you have to subscribe to be able to use the shared materials inventory system.  It's the single greatest benefit from subscribing).  And so on.

SWTOR has its own list of things that are subscriber-only, as well, as you should expect, seeing as how it's a subscriber game with a free-to-play option.  (Some folks call it a free-to-play game with a subscription option, but whatever.  Even those have restrictions on non-subscribers, even if they are phrased as benefits from subscribing.)

Where there's room for debate is on the specific list of benefits for subscribing / penalties for not subscribing.

[tsteenburg]

You could make the argument that you can do far more of everything that is available in SWTOR as a non-sub than you could ever do back in the old days of Shareware games prior to paying for the full unlock. If F2P followed old shareware design models, you'd be stuck at the end of Chapter 2 (or even Chapter 1 with some more restrictive devs).

[Vysse]

17 hours ago, SteveTheCynic said:

But *every* subscription game with a free-to-play option has restrictions on what non-subs can do.  In some, e.g. WoW and FF14, it's a level restriction on your characters (can't play a character that's above level X), and probably other things.  ESO's subscription system ("ESO Plus", but it's still a subscription system) gives free access to DLCs, access to the materials bag (yes, in ESO, you have to subscribe to be able to use the shared materials inventory system.  It's the single greatest benefit from subscribing).  And so on.

SWTOR has its own list of things that are subscriber-only, as well, as you should expect, seeing as how it's a subscriber game with a free-to-play option.  (Some folks call it a free-to-play game with a subscription option, but whatever.  Even those have restrictions on non-subscribers, even if they are phrased as benefits from subscribing.)

Where there's room for debate is on the specific list of benefits for subscribing / penalties for not subscribing.

That is the thing though. I am not upset that there are restrictions. I am upset that the restrictions make me feel like I HAVE TO subscribe to enjoy the game. I guess I can see what you mean about it being Subscriber with a F2P "trial" option but it doesn't feel that way. To me, given the Cartel Market and overall feel, it feels like F2P with a subscription option. Nobody wants to pay for a game they feel forced to pay for and I feel forced. Like I said this is coming from someone who is happy to pay for a subscription, I just wish it didn't feel like I was being forced to.

Edited to add: Also bear in mind I am preferred status and bought the Collector's Edition at launch. I didn't stick around long because I was a young adult and too immature to recognize the game's amazing story and just wanted endgame content.

Edited July 11 by Vysse

[SteveTheCynic]

8 hours ago, Vysse said:

I guess I can see what you mean about it being Subscriber with a F2P "trial" option but it doesn't feel that way. To me, given the Cartel Market and overall feel, it feels like F2P with a subscription option.

You have to bear in mind one thing: I have played since late March 2013, after the addition of non-subscriber play, and I *never* (even during two-and-a-third years when I played as F2P or preferred) thought of the game as F2P-with-subscriber-option.  Since the second half of 2015 (*after* July 18, may it live in infamy(1)), I have been subscribed continuously, because the benefits from playing this subscriber game as a subscriber are worth the pain.

(1) On that date, Mrs Cynic became the late Mrs Cynic, as a result of a kidney cancer that was (as is common for kidney cancers) detected very, very late (but even there, it was a very weird version of "kidney cancer").  That sucked very far beyond "majorly"...