Free 2 Play still being considered?

[Khal_Drogo]

The Temptation is there, and top two [Anima/Guardian's Favor Regen; and Leve Allowance every 24hr vs 36h] is Gameplay Mechanics, So at least to me Yes it would be

I still prefer single charges for various "products" and/or individual services (like registration codes, name changes, server migration, higher prices for expansion-packs, etc.); but I do see the logic behind subscriptions...

We're basically asking SE to live off "commission" like they're some common retail shop. They are offering a "24/7" service, and do deserve some sort of "salary." I just don't know what would be tempting enough for ppl to want to pay monthly (not without offering "unfair" rewards to "premium" members).

[Natabant]

That being said just because a small minority of ppl dont wanna bother with some of what turned into core aspects of the game should not mean those of us who take full advantage of what the game has to offer should have to pay more in the long run.

And really I still cannot believe someone who played xi didnt bother with salvage, sea, nyzul or dyna. What exactly did they do? Those 4 things alone were time consuming morsals of fun.

Overall the game cannot go f2p if they really want to keep it fun and interesting. All the f2p games I have played have been boring and left alot to be desired.

That last statement reminds me of something you'd see a racist say in movies set in the early 1900s. "All the n!@@%^$ I've met have always been criminals...we cannot allow them to corrupt our white children!" lol <.<

Just cuz every F2P game you've played were bad, doesn't mean that this one would be too...instead of completely dismissing the idea and causing an argument, why not try to contribute to a new model that would* work? (one that would please both parties)

[Niqote]

I am all for a cash shop that stocks vanity items, but F2P games with a cash shop full of items that you basically need to play (exp+ potions, socketing items) is terrrrrrbile!

[Khal_Drogo]

I am all for a cash shop that stocks vanity items, but F2P games with a cash shop full of items that you basically need to play (exp+ potions, socketing items) is terrrrrrbile!

I think everyone agrees with that. But I can assure you, and SE for that matter, (well...I can bet you) that almost 75% of the ppl that quit XI would have stayed on much longer, and continued buying content had they not been forced to pay the $12.95 a month. I know I would have never "quit forever," "deleted my character," or purged my hardrive lol, if it weren't for the monthly subscription rates.

And it's not a matter of having the money or not (it's like 2 foot-long subways a month). It's the principle. I don't want to have to pay $13/mth for a game I've already spent hundreds of dollars on trying to get my pc specs up, or from buying the expansions, or w/e else.

[M00NChild]

Actually, I don't get what you guys are so upset about. I played tons of those hybrid f2p like guild wars, age of conan, DC universe to name a few, and yes in the beginning there where massive amounts of trolls and idiots who just wanted to get stuff for free and try it out. The thing is some weeks down the line, they were gone and just the guys who had a genuine interesst in the game. You see, FF14 isn't like for example DCU were you can easily get to your lvl cap go through the whole story and be done with it. This game encourages you to have more than one character. But with 14, well it's still time consuming at times and pretty intricate to learn all it's ways and I think this alone would keep trolls at bay. For example I played since release but didn't really know what I was doing. I was rarely in a party or in a LS and needed weeks for 1 or 2 lvls. It discouraged the crap out of me so I stopped palying for like a month. Later I found better ways to lvl and got into some communities who helped me out a lot and learned the ways of the game. Those trolls just logg in run around and wouldn't know what to do other than going outside the city and grind. I know I did in 11 I was totally lost there too in the beginning until I learned the game. All Im saying is that 14 has a kinda steep learning curve and it'S pretty unconventional for lets say wow players, so this fact alone woud discourage jerks to keep on playing. Instead just the "hardcore" noobs would be left, the ones who stuck it out and want to continue to play. So, I don't really think a hybrid would model would actually hurt.

Oh and btw subscribtion users can be tools, too. so just because we don't have a hybrid model doesn't mean we keep jerks at bay.

And one can argue, that this game because of it's intricacies scared of people who were willing to play it just because they couldn't get the hang of it and didn't want to pay for smth they don't know how to use. More often than not I found Noobs in front of cities not knowing where to go or what to do. One didn't even know how to attack or how to use a map. Just stood there in front of the gates of LL and screamed on the shout channel for help, because karnak is such a desolat server, all players are in UL. And this person bought the game new. For a 6th of the price when it released but still, he invested this money and would have to keep on investing to use this software he bought even though he didn'T know what he was doing and the server was sooo empty he couldn't ask anyone or find anyone on their merry way to help him. It's true, we need a strong and good community but there has to be room for casual players as well, ppl who just want to see what the fuss is about. From a marketing and monetary perspective, SE should really show itself innovative and embrace this model to really show ppl this is a good game now, please come back. Because if they can't manage that, someday our beloved Eorzea might be no more if there are not enough ppl to pay for it and not enough ppl for you as an individual user to get enough ppl to play. My work is game related and from a buisness point of view they should implement and embrace it and not be afraid of it.

I love 14 too, and I want whats best for it: that it will continue for a long time

Times change ppl. Not may MMORPGs can't compete with WOW (and even WOW altered their subspcription model) and not be swallowed by it. Companies, which make MMOs should consider other possibilities than monthly subscribtions so that their games can stay viable as long as they possibly can.

Sorry for this rant it's gotten longer than I expected

[Lexin]

Times change ppl. Not may MMORPGs can't compete with WOW (and even WOW altered their subspcription model) and not be swallowed by it. Companies, which make MMOs should consider other possibilities than monthly subscribtions so that their games can stay viable as long as they possibly can.

And that is the problem with MMO's today. They try to compete with WoW and fail time and time again. WoW is starting to die slowly right now they no longer have 12 million subs I believe they are down to 10.2 mil now and they will continue to bleed subs.

[Maxthunder]

If this game goes F2P and has a real money shop I'm out !

I agree with you completely!! F2p is not worth it at all. A lot of people if FFXIV goes f2p will stop playing. I also think by going to f2p it will hurt them more in the long term than it is worth. Ok so granted they may make possibly more money, but at the same time those that leave due to f2p will have their hands in not recommending the game to others. As some1 suggested earlier if they do decide to go f2p keep them seperate from the p2p players.

[Andrien]

If this game goes F2P and has a real money shop I'm out !

I agree with you completely!! F2p is not worth it at all. A lot of people if FFXIV goes f2p will stop playing. I also think by going to f2p it will hurt them more in the long term than it is worth. Ok so granted they may make possibly more money, but at the same time those that leave due to f2p will have their hands in not recommending the game to others. As some1 suggested earlier if they do decide to go f2p keep them seperate from the p2p players.

FFXIV been F2P shortly after release for one year, and now there is less players since they started charging.

--
I think a good example for P2P/F2P with paid option is EVE Online. There are Game Time Cards on sale for ISK (EVE Online Currency). Prices hang around 120M ISK per 1 Month of game time.

Who knows if SE will make game time cards for FFXIV, I think it'll be good for PS3 users. Maybe?

[M00NChild]

And that is the problem with MMO's today. They try to compete with WoW and fail time and time again. WoW is starting to die slowly right now they no longer have 12 million subs I believe they are down to 10.2 mil now and they will continue to bleed subs.

yeah and guess what blizzard is working on another mmo. name is still unclear but hey when this thing hits it will be WOW all over again.
the best example for a f2p hybrid in my opinion is age of conan or DC universe they almost didn't have to change that much and ppl who don't subscribe have to play with massive restrictions, so they kinda "force" ppl who want to get more out of it to donate in some way to make the game as easy as the subscribtion or even subscribe. I would really recomend some of you guys try a successful hybrid model before jumping ship "if" and thats a big if, SE ever decides to go F2P.

They are a company and have to make money somehow and attract new players while giving enough attention to the old player base or someday in the future i predict something between 3-5 years this concept won't be viable anymore. rift and SWTOR have already some problems with playerbase dwindeling so yeah...

and btw what would really change, for any of you individually, for you, who are against it and up in arms about f2p?
maybe I just don't get your point why, in a game where other ppl can't steal your stuff and you don't have to interact with them if you don't want, it would be so bad if more noobs through f2p would be in the game.

Remember you were all noobs at one point

[Khal_Drogo]

....And btw, what would really change for any of you, individually? (you, [being those of you], who are against [F2P], and up in arms about it)

Maybe I just don't get your point...why, in a game where other ppl can't steal your stuff (and you don't have to interact with them if you don't want), would it be so bad if more noobs through F2P would be in the game?

Remember you were all noobs at one point

Amen to that, Moonchild.

"Men fear what they do not know." The only grasp of the concept, of F2P, that any of these "whiners" have, is the one that they've already encountered. No one can imagine any scenario other than a bad one, simply b/c "it was bad in the past."

I forget what that stupid a#$ hick saying is, but it goes something like this: "There's more than one way to skin a...horse?" -something like that (although, who the hell skins a horse) Wisdom of the gods, I say.

F2P could work; why not help SE think of ways to make it viable...instead of whining about how you'll "take you're ball and go home" if they do it.