Xpaks

[jujubee]

do you think we shuld pay for xpaks we'll be paying 10-15 buks a month aredy they should be free....

[InuYasha]

I think that really depends on how much content is being added. I would say that balance patches and bug fixes will certainly be included in the subscription price, and even minor additions to content have a chance of not costing extra, but something like adding new areas to fight in would almost certainly require a new box to justify the large amount of effort required to produce them. Another thing that I'm wondering is if there will be any sort of "Test" server like in Everquest, where the devs can have people beta test new tweaks and additions. I sincerely hope so, it seems to have helped out a lot with that game.

InuYasha
New Comglomerate here I come... I think

[Flameseeker]

Not everyone has the connection to download a massive patch adding enormous amounts of stuff, ya know.

[simba]

Originally posted by Flameseeker
Not everyone has the connection to download a massive patch adding enormous amounts of stuff, ya know.

it cant be that dangerous compared to the cost of buying an XP.
and does anyone know wot the price will be for theese XP:s?
offcourse u dont know the exact price but just wot u think?

[InuYasha]

Just based off of experience with Everquest, new expansion packs can be anywhere from $30 to the full price of a new game, depending on how much is being added and whether or not the expansion includes the original game installation files. Being somebody with a cable modem, I prefer to download my extra content, but your mileage may vary.

[Matuse]

There will be new free content, but as for an outright expansion (Say, adding the moon as a playable area), expecting that to be free is either a case of greed or someone without a firm grasp of just how much stuff like that really costs to produce.

[Maninthealley]

I havent had an mmo game before. If you have Planetside and you pay (hypothetically) $12.00 a month, then you get an x-pack. Will this add to the monthly fee or do you have to pay both?

[Navaron]

I'm curious as to if they'd just create new servers for people with the XP or what?

[InuYasha]

Usually the way it works is the monthly fee is the same no matter which expansion packs you do or do not have. Also, I have never heard of servers being made for non-expansion pack owners. Usually, the people who don't have the expansion packs just don't get to access the new content, be it new equipment or new areas or whatever. I think they do it that way to make sure that everybody goes and buys all the expansions, they are a business after all. When I was still playing Everquest, I always felt I got my money's worth, hopefully Planetside will have that same level of content improvement, though I do know a lot of people that rebel at the idea of paying for an FPS. Thankfully I'm not one of them, and hopefully there won't be so many of those that the game fails.

InuYasha
Ever hopeful

[Warborn]

Originally posted by {BOHICA}Navaron
I'm curious as to if they'd just create new servers for people with the XP or what?

No, of course not. Expansions would never be made so that they'd divide the community. If an expansion added a new world with a lot of areas designed for, say, naval battles (and a bunch of naval vessels, SCUBA armor for underwater infantry fights, and that sort of thing) then the people without the expansion wouldn't be able to access the new area. Likewise, they wouldn't be able to get the certs for any new weapons/vehicles/equipment/armor, or in any way use the new stuff. They'd all be in the same world, just some would be able to play with the new expansion stuff, and the rest would only watch.

As for the cost, the monthly fee doesn't cover everything. You'd be surprised at how much of the fee is actually used to pay for the dev staff and support team, maintain the servers, and pay for bandwidth. The box fee for an expansion is needed for all the extra work that the expansion takes.

[Delirare]

you forgot, its obligatory that the expansion adds some new overpowered item(s) that everyone needs or wants so everyone has to go get it otherwise they'll be gimp.

/me points to the items added for expansion users only in daoc