Opt-in Pay Tier Structure until 2.0 (different than the 'half pay' or 'free to play')

[Alhanelem]

What if SE adopted a free to play all content up to rank 25? That way, all the meat and stuff will be for subscribers only while non-subscribers get to experience everything up to getting the Chocobo mount as well as a few dungeons, all the first class quests, etc.

Dungoens & Dragons Online uses a hybrid model. There is an optional subscription fee and you can also play for free. But if you play for free, you have to unlock content, either with points tthat you earn by grinding out reputation ("favor" in the game) on multiple servers to earn enough points (since you can only earn so much favor through all the free content) or by purchasing the points. Subscribers get full access to all content without having to unlock it, and also get a small stipend of points which they can use for other purposes since they don't need to unlock content.

The subscribers ("VIPs") also get access to new content a few days before free players are able to unlock/purchase the new content.

(It is possible to unlock all of the dungeons and such in the game through grinding across every server- this does take a long time, though, because the rate that favor converts into points is pretty low)

[Wynn]

I don't want to see the f2p model touch this game at all. It attracts exactly the type of player many of us are waiting to drop off these forums once subs begin. A free trial for a certain amount of levels is perfectly reasonable though. I'd like only paying subscribers to have access to posting though if SE were to go that route.

[Alhanelem]

I don't think people want to see a permanent free to play setup, only something for between now and 2.0, which is honestly a long ways away.

[nasomi]

/sigh... DDO had potential, I actively participated in the beta, but during the stress test, not only did I hit the level cap, but I had done everything in the game for my character, and the only thing left to do was re-roll. That was on a 3 day period, and while I did clock more than normal hours, it wouldn't have taken more than 2 weeks time to exhaust everything with normal gameplay. Still, I don't consider any pricing model or payment method they tried a success, to be honest. Look at where they are now.

[VydarrTyr]

It's actually pretty easy. Just copy and paste the same response into the 100+ posts a day about people saying that SE and the game is terrible, and they're leaving, only to not leave but to continue to pollute the forum with trash like this. Just leave already.

What are you talking about? Do you even know?

You said that SE doesn't want our input on how much to charge, that they're not going to change their decision, and anyone who says otherwise is an idiot. I pointed out that you're wrong. And then you respond by telling me to leave the game.

Huh? Where did I post that SE and the game are terrible? Where did I post that I'm leaving the game? Heck, search my post history. I dare you.

You're so busy banging your spoon on your highchair that you haven't even noticed that everything you've said so far is wrong.

[KenJammin]

I orginally came in this thread to bitch and say that why should SE allow you to play for free anymore. But i think the demo option is a great idea. A lot of people are interested in FFXIV and SE needs to send the message that they want you to view their progress to win back your trust regardless of if they want to play FFXIV or not.

The final fantasy series has always relied on a consistent level of polish on all of its RPG titles, and FFXIV really hurt this reputation and open viewing of FFXIV would really restore a lot of peoples faith that don't want to pay for FFXIV but are curious if SE still has the ability to polish they're games before ripping of they're customers.

[Llewelyn]

nasomi is a troll; Please try and ignore him (I'm on the same page as you Vydarr Tyr, but arguing with him is off topic and pointless)

I think the problem with the OP's suggestion is that it would apply to new players just coming in and starting new characters, but not the current player base, much of which already has a job over level 25. If I've got a level 50 character, and I decide to play for free, do I have to start a new character from level 1, thus losing all the time and effort I put into the game during its "free" phase? That wouldn't be much incentive for current players to stick around or come back until 2.0.

A fair point. The whole limited-access idea in my mind was less about hooking new players (like it typically would be in MMOs), and more about giving people a way to "check in" on the state of the game without playing. That said... I think most people with jobs in the 25-50 range are probably sticking around and paying, and nothing stops someone from making a new character and playing to 25. Another option perhaps would be reintroducing fatigue for free players... but I think that would be a huge PR mistake. Basically, what Ken Jammin said:

A lot of people are interested in FFXIV and SE needs to send the message that they want you to view their progress to win back your trust regardless of if they want to play FFXIV or not.

A few people have pointed out there might be an advantage in people leaving because of mandatory payments. That's something I hadn't considered. That said... the people who do the whole "this is it, the last straw, I'm leaving" aren't exclusive to people who aren't paying. In fact... I'm pretty sure that the pay structure won't really drive these people away. Every other MMO I've ever played continues to get these kinds of people, even though they're essentially paying to complain.

Look at a certain unnamed griefer in this thread. He's meta-trolling (complaining about complainers... just to provoke a reaction. Despite nobody complaining in this thread except him...). But he's also stated he's willing to pay. Griefers, like it or not, are probably here to stay. But winning over people who are as yet undecided...

I've already paid. I've had 6 months worth of crysta since the end of the first month after launch.

I have as well since shortly after Yoshi-P took over =]

[Wynn]

I think the problem with the OP's suggestion is that it would apply to new players just coming in and starting new characters, but not the current player base, much of which already has a job over level 25. If I've got a level 50 character, and I decide to play for free, do I have to start a new character from level 1, thus losing all the time and effort I put into the game during its "free" phase? That wouldn't be much incentive for current players to stick around or come back until 2.0.

I would say yes. You already know if the game is worth you paying for it. The objective is not to give vets more free time, it is to fairly allow people to decide if the game is worth paying for in their opinion.

[Alhanelem]

/sigh... DDO had potential, I actively participated in the beta, but during the stress test, not only did I hit the level cap, but I had done everything in the game for my character, and the only thing left to do was re-roll. That was on a 3 day period, and while I did clock more than normal hours, it wouldn't have taken more than 2 weeks time to exhaust everything with normal gameplay. Still, I don't consider any pricing model or payment method they tried a success, to be honest. Look at where they are now.

Yes. I see where they are now. They have more servers than when you played, more people playing, a lot more content including several new classes, and you can do a lot more than just reroll when you reach the top. The game has changed a LOT since you played. The DDO Unlimited switch took almost the same kind of scope that FFXIV's is taking, minus drastic changes to areas. You most certainly can't reach level 20 in 3 days (and the level cap was what... 6? 8? when the game came out of beta?)

The move to DDO unlimited was a MASSIVE success. the game was down to 2-3 servers and was slowly dying. Then they introduced DDO Unlimited, and added several servers. They also integreated the European version and now players of all languages can play on the same servers just like in FFXI/XIV.