Systems: Purchasing Certs with Station Cash

[Tatwi]

Just wanted to share the following concept of how certs could work in the Free2Play model.

NOTE: WE'RE NOT SELLING CERT POINTS, just unlocking access to higher level certs with SC.

1. Players earn and allocate cert points the same way regardless of being monthly subscribers or free2Play.

2. Monthly subscribers can use any cert they have earned, any time they like. If their subscription lapses, they go back to Free2Play and have those limitation until they subscribe again.

3. Free2Play players have access to the first 50% of all the cert trees (that they have earned), at all times.

4. Once they have earned and allocated the cert points in the last 50% of a tree, Free2Play players can use those certs for 20 minutes every day. This allows F2P players to test the waters and see what certs they really enjoy using.

5. F2P players may purchase access to the remaining 50% of cert trees for $5 each tree. This grants them full access to the cert trees that they have purchased AND EARNED THE CERT POINTS TO ACCESS THROUGH GAME PLAY.

6. Free2Play players who have purchased to unlock cert trees, but later on become recurring subscribers do not gain a bonus, because they will retain their paid unlocked certs should they let their subscription lapse.

I think this system is fair for SOE as well as the players, as it lets everyone "try before they buy" any advanced certs they've earned, but it also incentives the subscription while still giving folks the ability to only spend $5 here or there, rather than a full $15/m. It's sort of "the best of both worlds" and it leaves room for SOE to add more levels of paid/subscription-only certs down the road too.

Anyhow, food for thought.

[Purple]

no this wouldent work. this is = to selling power. if half the population cant use half the certs then they are at a disadvantage and they would grow to hate the game for placing this restriction.

[Gonefshn]

It's not a bad idea but it flies in the face of what they have already stated. This game is supposed to be F2P. period. That means the full experience is free without any limitations.

Letting people only access the first half of the cert trees is blocking people from being able to enjoy the most interesting rewards/equipment truly for free.

The only thing that I can see working (which I would imagine would rub some people the wrong way) is a system where you subscribe for or pay for a boost. This would mean you can aquire everything at a faster rate. You still earn things the exact same way as a F2P player just quicker.

With a system like that your paying for a convenience. The F2P player still gets the entire game. But you can pay to gain rewards more quickly.

[Purple]

Originally Posted by Gonefshn

It's not a bad idea but it flies in the face of what they have already stated. This game is supposed to be F2P. period. That means the full experience is free without any limitations.

Letting people only access the first half of the cert trees is blocking people from being able to enjoy the most interesting rewards/equipment truly for free.

The only thing that I can see working (which I would imagine would rub some people the wrong way) is a system where you subscribe for or pay for a boost. This would mean you can aquire everything at a faster rate. You still earn things the exact same way as a F2P player just quicker.

With a system like that your paying for a convenience. The F2P player still gets the entire game. But you can pay to gain rewards more quickly.

they have already confermed XP boosters. which i can accept.

[iSpectre]

Originally Posted by Tatwi

Just wanted to share the following concept of how certs could work in the Free2Play model.


3. Free2Play players have access to the first 50% of all the cert trees (that they have earned), at all times.

4. Once they have earned and allocated the cert points in the last 50% of a tree, Free2Play players can use those certs for 20 minutes every day.

6. Free2Play players who have purchased to unlock cert trees, but later on become recurring subscribers do not gain a bonus, because they will retain their paid unlocked certs should they let their subscription lapse.

3 - so the other 50% is locked? - Is this for say, half way through the galaxy cert tree, the top half is locked? - that sounds like a huge limiting factor and would turn this into a Pay-2-Win. (whats that, a galaxy can land and become a spawn beacon? only if you pay)

4 - 20 minutes? seems like a fairly arbitrary figure, if you're unlocking say a healing cert, that allows you to use medpacks. you can only heal your team briefly? you'd need to unlock that in the field, because i doubt you can unlock it and get to a battle to enjoy all 20 minutes of having that unlocked.

6 - So either you focus on subbing for 12 months, or you stay F2P and pay for those slots, (assuming Subbed played get other benefits, this model actually removes a large benefit to Subbed players)

I can't see how locking out a big chunk of the cert tree would be a good idea at all.
XP boosts - yeah thats fine, sub and get a 20% xp gain whilst subbed, 5day 25% xp boost etc fine.

F2P games need ways to make money, and I really hope SoE can make enough to keep planetside 2 going for years after its released, but trying to use any feature-lock out design will hurt the game far more than benefit the income.
people will treat it as a P2Win, and won't bother with the game.
Hell look at AoE:O, nice game coated in far too much rubbish and forced Pay to play features.

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by iSpectre

3 - so the other 50% is locked? - Is this for say, half way through the galaxy cert tree, the top half is locked? - that sounds like a huge limiting factor and would turn this into a Pay-2-Win.

/facepalm

It can't be "pay 2 win" when the certs aren't going to offer MORE POWER. They offer more OPTIONS.

In effect, this concept is like giving players in EQII the ability to play all classes for free (rather than buying them), but limiting the ability to specialize in any of them unless you purchase either a subscription or the rest of the cert tree.

So unless they gave up on their whole "5 minute player having equal footing to a 5 year player" concept, there is absolutely no way AT ALL that what I have suggested is "pay2win". Period.

Originally Posted by iSpectre

4 - 20 minutes? seems like a fairly arbitrary figure, if you're unlocking say a healing cert, that allows you to use medpacks. you can only heal your team briefly? you'd need to unlock that in the field, because i doubt you can unlock it and get to a battle to enjoy all 20 minutes of having that unlocked.

It's called a free trial buddy. Free. As in, "you didn't pay for this, but we're kind enough to let you try it any way". Thems the brakes. Pay up or live with the limitation - games aren't free to make or maintain.