Making this work

[Kouza]

Originally Posted by nathanebht

Age of Conan went F2P not too long ago and seem to remember reading that it was a big success for them.

World of Tanks is another huge success.

True there are a lot of icky F2P games. However, I don't think you can make blanket statements about all F2P games. Its just a more successful revenue model.

World of Tanks likely has the worse community ever... I did not meet one person in the games, only people I had already played with...... That seems like a forfeit of community considering I played for two months, and Was VERY social in every game I played in.

[Krowe]

I still don't understand why more companies don't use the B2P model with a shop for vanity items. It sustained GW for god knows how long (still sustaining afaik)

[Huma]

Originally Posted by nathanebht

Good find Huma! Have to agree. They are likely to follow a similar model in PS2.

Pay money to get access to premium certs. Perhaps also pay money to get access to more continents. They could limit the battle rank of free players. However, note that they aren't limiting character levels in EQ2.

I think they'll go with something similar to Eve regarding the access to skills and such. Eve makes it so unless you pay the monthly you only have access to the basic skills. They don't nutter your ability to get out there and try to fight or your ability to travel.

[exLupo]

^^^ Last time I tried to log into EVE without paying it gave me the finger. I think you're thinking trial accounts that can't access certain skills. 14 days.

[Zulthus]

Yeah, there is no free component to EVE. If you pay you get to play, if you don't you get zilch.

[Huma]

That's right trial accounts. I knew there was a way. Pretty much the same as a F2P account anyway. With the exception that a trial ends while the F2P acct keeps going obviously.

[exLupo]

I am totally against permanently crippled f2p accounts. The way it currently is in EQ2 is that you can't access the best versions of your spells (you can get all levels but each spell has lesser incremental variants). It'd be like not being able to use all mods.

If they choose to cripple I prefer the Lotro way where paying by schedule unlocks everything but non-subscribers can also pay a la carte to permanently unlock features. On top of that, you can unlock everything in game via achievement points so players who don't want to pay for anything ever are rewarded, instead, for fully exploring the content of the game. Granted, it's a lot of work and people usually end up paying but simply giving players the option eases the sting and makes paying feel like a choice instead of a requirement. Important distinction, the feeling of choice versus no choice.

Really tho, I don't see any of that in PS2. If they do make it F2P all I imagine on the cash shop are xp boosters, personal resource boosters (maybe to a locked pool) and vanity items.

[Nephilimuk]

Firstly it is down to SOE what model they choose.

Personally I find free to play unappealing as I just see it as death (cash) by a thousand cuts. I know DDO and other ageing MMO's have taken up the model to boost pop and revenue. However I am quite sure that has a lot to do with product life cycle. Free to play is not for me and I share the aversion expressed by other community members.

I would rather pay a flat monthly fee with a guarantee of regular updates and free expansions like what CCP do with EVE. It has almost become a covenant between the company and the players that 2 expansions are released every year. This keeps the game interesting a up to date both in content and with technology. If SOE follow through on what they commented on at Fan Fest I will be a very happy bunny.

I am fine for pay for vanity items but not to play or to gain edge. Hell if you guys want to get your Katy Perry or Justin t shirts to wear in combat who am I to say anything.