115520-say-no-to-f2p-page-4

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One would think these two statements are mutually exclusive.


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You're assuming that's the only problem. I'm not. I already put out a way a cash shop works with a subscription which would not deprive subscribers of content and still treat us all equally, it would simply collect the back end on new players. I'm totally for that. I'm totally against things being put on a shop, ANY content, where it is exclusively behind a cash shop wall. Three conditions, detrimental to game development, have to be met for that system to make money: 1.  Development time has to be spent on it. When that's the only way you make money, you spend a LOT of time making cash shop items to make up the differential. Full PUG queues don't pay bills. 2.  The things in the cash shop, people have to want. If they put just crap vanity items that you wouldn't want anyway back there, you wouldn't pay the money that would make the system pull in more money. 3.  Finally, the playerbase HAS to be paying more money. There's no other way it works. What you end up with is a system which, to make more money, charges people more money than it used to overall to buy things you want (whether that's P2W or just a costume hat) beyond a subscription using development time that might have gone to other, more useful game assets. It's a 100% across the board slap to us current players, marketed under the guise of being "free". That's why that slippery slope argument becomes very important. If the company goes F2P and doesn't make money in a "relatively" fair system, they will make sure it becomes less free. It's a major point that video glosses over. That "competition" he was talking about. F2P is, by nature, predatory, and obviously NCSoft wouldn't go that route unless they were absolutely throwing caution to the wind and making back as much pure cash as they could. Nobody's suggesting NCSoft would send the game F2P because it would improve game development, and for good reason. The idea is that sending it F2P will make them more money. And if they're going that way, why WOULDN'T they be predatory and go for the whales? Why not go P2W? Why not squeeze all the money out of the players they can get away with? When player investment isn't standardized, there is absolutely zero logical reason why you wouldn't aim as high as you can get away with. With all the better options, especially for us players out there, it's ridiculous F2P gets as much support as it does. It's an absolutely tragic model to run a MMORPG on.


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This is neither trolling or flaming it's merely stating an opinion and in a rather civil tone i might add.


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{| style="width: 100%;" As the OP, allow me to clarify. This is simply a say NO to F2P. I personally do not want it and

As the OP, you understood 100% correctly. I feel if the Devs are listening then we should be given them a voice to hear regarding hot topics. I did not see any other thread that was straight to the point but was definitely seeing a lot of concern regarding if this would be implemented. I'm happy to see such response to the topic, for better or for worse. I'll let the Devs decide in the end.


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A limited trial, whether that limit is a level cap, or a time cap, is still a trial, and there's nothing wrong with that. Every sub game should have a trial system to get people over that $60 hump that is the biggest barrier to entry. Trials are not a new thing. Calling them F2P to 20, or whatever, is just marketing speak using current industry buzz-words.


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F2P requires a cash shop, plain and simple. SWTOR's system would be what you think it is if there were no cash shop, but there is one, and they sell just about anything they can think of. A trial system is black and white: you get a slice of the game to try, and that's it unless you subscribe. There's no, unlocking features piece by piece by spending more and more money in a cash shop but never actually subscribing.


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