Personally, I like EVE-Online's model.

You can pay their monthly subscription fee (discounts for multiple months at a time, as usual), or you can purchase PLEX, which are in-game items that act as game time codes.  They seem to nicely solve two problems at once.  Those who have more cash than time can buy these PLEX items and put them up for sale in the in-game market, thus effectively buying gold.  Those with more time than money can spend in-game currancy to buy PLEX from other players over the market, thus making the game free-to-play.

It works well, because the developers get their money regardless, and no real currancy is added to the game economy, since it only changes hands between players.

True, EVE is pretty smart in that regard, but there are still a couple issues that keep it from the same realm as real (though I should say 'supposed') Free to Play games.

1. The 20$ download of the full client.

2. The time it takes, while subbed, to get far enough in the game to actually earn the kind of money it takes to buy Plex.

The system really only helps old-timers play for free, but still nothing to complain about, I think it's generally smart.

the way i see free to play is:

no holds (level cap is what everyone gets, no lost content)

the shops have  the same wepons but ones that possibly look cooler (can be utlra rare to drop)

cosmeticas in the shops (but can be rare finds)

cash shops add quick level items that boost exp rates

possibly revive on stop items, for PVE only.

everytihng else is free. all this are things people would buy, but you are not losing out on the experience if you dont buy them.

but EVE does it in endgame. well...eve has no endgame but you get it. 0.0 anormality farming. So you have very advanced players still playing as eagerly as at first. For a sandbox this is huge because it keeps the world populated.

now back to the F2P issue...I think that you  playing your game, developing your connection with your character, and every 10min seeing a NPC talk about real-life cash shops is such an immersion-breaker that you can't ever fully "get into" a f2p mmo. Not all mmo's are like this of course but most, with agressive cash shops are immersion breakers like hell.

so if we kill the RP in MMORPGs on purpose...we've already mutilated our product, havent we?

I'd go open world nation vs nation vs nation vs nation vs so on and so forth where players have to create the cities and even the mission content.

"I need x number of dragon bones to achieve y goal. Rewards for those helping me."

In which I would allow the host to build the mission. But they would have to pay a one time price for the right to make these missions and gain the benefits. Then every 3 months or so have a team create worthwhile packs of content to sell to add to these missions.

So the idea would be if you didn't want to pay at all you could populate these player made quest hubs which would benefit the nation who created them in unique ways. Probably with supplies to expand cities and influence on the land.

Or you could pay a little and get access to the tools to create the content to bring people there and gain out of game and in game rewards.

Someone steal this! I'm just a graphic designer and I need something to do inbetween jobs. Oh and I'd like to submit my resume to be an artist or web designer. Or at least help make the manual no one will read.

Originally posted by quixadhal

Personally, I like EVE-Online's model.

You can pay their monthly subscription fee (discounts for multiple months at a time, as usual), or you can purchase PLEX, which are in-game items that act as game time codes.  They seem to nicely solve two problems at once.  Those who have more cash than time can buy these PLEX items and put them up for sale in the in-game market, thus effectively buying gold.  Those with more time than money can spend in-game currancy to buy PLEX from other players over the market, thus making the game free-to-play.

It works well, because the developers get their money regardless, and no real currancy is added to the game economy, since it only changes hands between players.

This model has laso led to like 5 mining nerfs ina row, making it not feesable for noobs and pretty much a bots job. Not saying its this system that led to it. Its more the fault of allowing mining bots and the very passive action of mining. But still PLEX has increased the rate or need for these as a community.

That being said i like the concept, but it had a hole no one cared to patch.

Originally posted by aleos

Answering your title:

 

Free.

 That's unrealistic and you know it. These companies have bills to pay, the servers and maintenance, ISP/bandwidth, employees to add/fix content, etc

Everyone wants to cry about F2P not being one hundred percent free to play, but a majority of the players that cry wouldn't be willing to subscribe to most "F2P" games because the quality isn't up to standards of P2P games. So, they want to bitch and moan about the cash shops offering unfair advantages to  others, and that they can't compete without having to put some money into the "F2P" game.

Here's the answer, stop bitching and subscribe to whatever P2P game that you aren't happy with in the first place.

My "F2P" Model would be a hybrid model, similar to what DDO has. The subscription fee would only be 4.99 per month, and would include some free inconsequential items from the item shop, IE Healing potions/stim packs, mana pots/tech paks (/if sci fi), crafting materials, etc. Subscribers would get a certain number of those at the beginning of each billing cycle, and starting with the second month and each month after the subscriber receives bonus items (like Aion) while also getting their monthly sub items. 

Subscribers would also have access to a special in game merchant that sells some (not all) cash shop items for in game gold. Included in the monthly subscription rate would be a small number of cash shop points, I'm thinking around 50, as most cash shop items will have a value of anywhere from 10-50 points, 5 points=$1.00

Cash Shop items:

Healing Potions/Stam Paks                                                                      5 points for a stack of 10

Mana pots/Tech paks                                                                               5 points for a stack of 10

Crafting Materials                                                                                     5 points for a stack of 25

PVE Weapons and Armors (comparible to minor drops or minor crafted.       10-50 points based on level/stats

Outfits for Aesthetics, IE: Guild Wars, LOTRO                                             5-30 points

Minor EXP increase scrolls/paks  (30% exp increase)                                  25 points for stack of 5

Major EXP increase scrolls/paks  (60% exp increase)                                  45 points for stack of 5

Expansion Content (New zones, quests)- Subscribers get this free.               25 points

I'm sure I could come up with more but I feel the above basically covers it.

Free to plays usually require you to buy something so that pvp is an even playing field. Cash shop items include potions to boost your stats or worse, the best equipment can be bought with cash.
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I hate that.
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A cash shop with cosmetic items, vanity pets, cosmetic gear, etc would be ideal.
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I hate how DDO makes you pay, or grind like crazy for content. This excludes you from experience content with friends.

Well, completely free is possible as long as some people do pay. But preferably not giving them the ultimate advantage by doing so. Take hattrick! 

Though, just looking around before you register somewhere also helps tons tbh. Don't just blindly reg on the official website, look around for websites that give you certain stuff for free

Just started playing Warrock and gamecoach.tv got me +20% xp and a free bigass gun. Simply cause I searched. 

I would like as one option the Free Access - No Subscription - Pay per Activity modell.

Something like in Perfect World with the Guardian Charms so you only pay if you play active using them up and if you dont pay you still can play it as it only slows down - that is fair to me.

Beside that they can offer advanced Storage, Mounts and Cosmetics etc in a Shop as well...

My ideal F2P system is:  None at all.

I think games like diablo and GW manage to get by with buy to play model because it sold so many copies.

Take starcraft2 for example which is just out.  Some one estimates it'll sold as much as 200million$ in 1 month.  I don't know if it's true or not, but that's alot of money. 

And for diablo2 it sold about 4 million copies in 1 year.  So they sold alot of copies.

Another important aspect is diablo2 don't have alot of content.  So the developing cost probably isn't as much.

14.95 a month for unlimited game play. Beats the heck out of spending money in the "free" cash shop.

Originally posted by laokoko

I think games like diablo and GW manage to get by with buy to play model because it sold so many copies.

Take starcraft2 for example which is just out.  Some one estimates it'll sold as much as 200million$ in 1 month.  I don't know if it's true or not, but that's alot of money. 

And for diablo2 it sold about 4 million copies in 1 year.  So they sold alot of copies.

Another important aspect is diablo2 don't have alot of content.  So the developing cost probably isn't as much.

 

 But most F2P games do not currently go with a 'buy the box' or 'pay to download the client' model. Maybe that's some thing that can be included in the list.

buy to play =/= free to play

i don't mind the way F2P games are now.  i can either buy things from a cash shop or pay a fee and buy expansions.  IMHO P2P's just hide the cost better.  some how having to buy expansions plus pay $15 a month to grind isn't as bad as a CS....i would rather grind for free and then pay once i get to the good stuff.

The best item shops only sell lateral purchases.  So you'd buy things like classes, which unlock a new playstyle (but one which is balanced with the "free" classes.)  You wouldn't be able to buy things like a Holy Avenger Sword which made your character outright more powerful.

In short: League of Legends.

There's some wiggle room where I feel purchases can accelerate certain timesinks without harming the game (such as XP potions in LoL) but it's sort of a grey area.

"Free to play" 's worst stigma is that it is attached with "Pay to Win".  Understanding the entire method behind the company's desire to fund their server, developmental, hosting, employment costs, they have to make a profit somehow.  From a business standpoint, I would implement a system quite similar to that found in Perfect World.  Make everything inside the game obtainable without requiring a player to ever need to pay.  This is done with a system where the real money is converted into game gold, and can be sold via an outlet for game coin.  This not only allows a (non-paying) player to achieve game gold for use in the CS, but does not limit a (paying) player to objects only within the CS.  The only downside to this is the gold market and economics of the game is essentially up to the players to dictate.  Unless development moderates this economy, it can get out of hand quite quickly - which in my "ideal" scenario is exactly done with limited range on Gold prices to fluctuate with game events and releases.

From a gamer's point of view:  Free to download and free to play without a CS would be a wonderful thing.  I fear however, that with the only income the producing company received being from ad-click, the game would stagnate and become dull - IF it ever made it off the design floor.  (That or the game would look like a baseball park with digital billboards telling you about McDonalds, Pizzahut, or some other nonsense that doesn't fit into the RP.)  I love to see new content such as gears, instances, land, and clothing.  I want a game where everything is achieveable wether I throw money into the game or not.  I have a career and am more than capable to CS if I chose, but enjoy a game where I am not forced to. 

There will always be a seperation between the "has" and "has nots" in the gaming world, as there is in the real world.  People will always complain about those whom have the ability to put money in when they themselves cannot.  So, my perfect game is a balance for both my sense of business as my sense of gaming - allow people to spend as little or much as they choose, but not create a divide between the two by enabling true "free" players the ability to access game gold without a credit card.