Do you think SE should have a free to play AND a subscription model for ARR?

[SkyeWindbinder]

Please don't change the term of F2P into FTP... <_< F2P = Free to Play, FTP = File Transfer Protocol.

Peeps in the net always like to use wrong abbreviation >_>

As long as you know what I'm talking about, who gives a crap? lol

[Enma]

When people don't know what to talk about, back to discuss on F2P...
It's an awful system with almost just cons, and no worthwhile pros. Square-Enix has already demonstrated its point of view with Final Fantasy XI (10 years and it's still P2P).

[Totorixiii]

Lol. I'm going to continue subbing. I just know that without another option, ARR won't last too long. I want more people to play with.

Also, you're missing the point. In most cases, F2P games end up costing more money than subbing due to a lot of restrictions and premiums. A lot of people enjoy entertaining the notion that they aren't being forced to pay the monthly fee. However, they go on spending more than the monthly fee itself on things from a cash shop.

Note* This isn't toward the OP or the person responding to my comment, it's toward those people i mention below whoever they are.

Yea I know exactly what you mean 100%

I tend to think 1step ahead as a safe practice.

There are 2 types of people in this world.
1. Cheap people who feels entitled to have everything free and so they play a F2P game but never buys any in game item with real world money. The other cheap people who are the same however they buy extremely low amount of items because they are still cheap. I'll lump them in same category but a sub different class.

2. The people who thinks they are saving money buy not having to pay monthly subscription but end up spending 25%-200% over the amount of subscription cost are I would say (this is just my opinion) are hurting themselves by being stupid, insane, careless, thoughtless, cheap tactics, etc etc.

Yes, having more option is great and I will support having more option to pay a subscription for an example: $5 per month for 5 hours per day per month. $13 (regular price) for unlimited play per month.
As for F2P, I've already stated my reasons in this thread and the other thread of why it's not a good idea and why I don't like it.

30 Day trial is a good amount of time to find out the core gameplay mechanics and environment is good for the player or not and they can decide before their 30 days is used up to continue to pay to play. It's that simple.


However, I will not ever support in-game item buy option with real world money transaction. NEVER!

*Side venting* I hate people who is so self entitle and thinks a game should be free to play and download! They don't care if a company go out of business! They have no brain and mind to think logic or even a speck of understanding! It's unbelievable!

[Keith_Dragoon]

I think people are confusing free to play and a limited time trial.

XI had a free downloadable client with a 7-14 day trial with restrictions.
XIV already offers the first month of play for free. Just need to buy your copy.
Doesn't seem too ridiculous for them to offer a trial period as a free download from PSN.
(Eventually off of their website for PC.)

Strongly against all ideas that are along the lines of free-to-play, though.

Pretty much this!

[Cedri]

I have no problem with a F2P option as long as it more or less forces people to sub to get the most out of the game.

P2P bonus
1) Double xp
2) Double drop rate
3) Increases item rarity when mining
4) Increased HQ rate when crafting
5) Increase Materia Meld Success rate
6) Priority when using dungeon finder

F2P should have the following restrictions which can be unlocked by paying money.
1) Massive surplus, like at XIV launch but it come in about 1hr of constant playing .Takes 24hrs to reset. starts at 50% reduced xp and increases by ~10% per 1hr of activity.
2) Cannot Equip or Lot any gear that is above common drop
3) Cannot join a free company, but you can join ls (if you drop out of the P2P model you get insta kicked from the FC)
4) Meds and Foods have reduced effects
5) All crafts cap at level 20, if you are above 20 it is temp. reduced to 20.
6) All gathering jobs cap at level 20, if you are above 20 it is temp. reduced to 20.
7) You cannot use Jobs only Classes
8) You can only join partys 3 people or less.
9) All dungeons/raids/endgame content have a 24hr cooldown.
10) Unable to use Retainers and cannot Trade at all (Cannot be removed, this will prevent rmt manipulating F2P)

F2P people can pay $0.25 to remove any 1 restriction above for 1 RL day.


Honestly the F2P should only be used for people to see if they like the game, it SHOULD NOT BE A CHOICE TO ENJOY THE GAME LONG TERM.

All the talk of the Sub model dying is laughable, I see crap like SWToR failed because it was p2p. I say it failed because it was crap and looks like it was developed on a 2mill budget, still say the executives pocketed the other several hundred million it cost. XIV 1.0 didn't fail because of p2p it was crap. EQ2 didn't fail due to p2p it failed because it was crap. Lotro didn't fail because it was p2p it failed because it was a WoW clone which was no where near as good as WoW. WoW has subs and people are still happily paying it.

People will gladly pay to play a mmo if it is worth paying for. IF ffxiv:arr fails THEN it should be f2p, because it will be in the game boat as the other crap mmos that were forced to go F2P. So Should the this game go f2p... no one knows yet until we see FFXIV:ARR ourselves and judge with our pocket books.

That is literally the worst plan I've ever read.

[KamikazeMan]

@Totorixiii

I know exactly what you mean. I wouldn't buy anything nor support a cash shop most MMOs have. The cash shop I mentioned in my opening post would be strictly for players not paying a monthly fee to have restrictions lifted temporarily or permanently by paying a sub fee. Restrictions can include things like:

- Normal exp gain for a week
- Retainer access
- Dungeon limit lifted for a week
- Raid limit lifted for a week (since we're getting two in ARR)
- Access to personal Chocobo for a week
- Become a subscriber

Week or bi-weekly, but yeah, you get the point. By slowly paying to get rid of these restrictions, players will probably end up spending more than the monthly sub fee, but they won't feel a sense of obligation to cough up the money.

[syntaxlies]

if they ever did f2p i would like them to have a f2p server, with max lvl 20. no one on the server can be over lvl 20. If you decide you want to play the game and pay you can request a server transfer and begin paying.

[Colino]

I don't want to see FFXIV go F2P honestly.

I don't either, but we could be totally wrong a couple of years down the line. The only MMO on the market that is guaranteed to never go F2P is WoW, everyone else has a possibility.

I don't see it happening at least until several years into the game though... Not to mention looking at FFXI gives you an idea on how SE still believe P2P is more profitable in the long run (and it is).

[enasccis]

Free trials are ARR's best bet, but I believe the $60 tag for the retail copy of ARR just to get the free trial can hinder the amount of new players.

Previous posts has already suggested a digital copy download for $30-40, but I still think that's a bit too much for people to test ARR out. I'm thinking maybe a digital copy download for $24.95 with one month free trial with all contents available should be sufficient and accessible for new gamers to test out ARR without having to gain or lose too much in the process. Other packages may include a $45.00 digital download with 3 months free trial or something along those lines for new players.

F2P with restrictions doesn't do justice to what ARR has to offer as well as with trials with level 20 caps and such and 14 day trials seems a bit too short for casual gamers. So maybe SE can offer some decent package deals that gives new players a 'real' trial of what ARR has to offer without them forking over much money in the process.

[Nix]

As long as you know what I'm talking about, who gives a crap? lol

This^. No need to be so picky whatsoever.


On topic; my idea would be for free trials -

Limited free client (Can't access high level zones) - would be smaller than the regular client (But probably not by much! lol)

Lasts 14 days

Max level maybe 15~20? - maybe have the last level of the trial coincide with the end of a story arc, like how in 1.0 your gridania storyline would end at like 15ish? have the trial end there so people just get a taste of what's to come.

No trade and limited /tells, this will help stop RMT and their spam.

May pick one DoW, 1 DoM, 1 DoH, and 1 DoL - after they've picked those they're locked in.

Offer an 'upgrade' option - can buy the full version of the game via digital download.


I absolutely abhor cash shops, pay to win etc D: And someone mentioned earlier that it's hard for some to get buddy passes (Sorry, I can't remember your name! But thanks! lol). Atleast this way people could try out the game and then pay to upgrade later without having to resort to SWTOR tactics of making the game an absolutely vile experience on their F2P model.