With prefered status and 2 hotbars it is plausible that you could play for free and not feel impossibly restricted.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

This statement cracked me up:

"The Old Republic is roughly 24 times the size of the original Star Wars"

It is about one tenth the size of the original SWG.

As a poster pointed out that someone that spends $5 is getting what all of use spend at launch for much less.

Originally posted by mmoguy43

With prefered status and 2 hotbars it is plausible that you could play for free and not feel impossibly restricted.

Have you seen what the "Prefered Status" entails?

It's a joke. This system is more restrictive than any by SOE, and that should be a giant red flag all on it's own.

Originally posted by GolbezTheLion

Originally posted by mmoguy43

With prefered status and 2 hotbars it is plausible that you could play for free and not feel impossibly restricted.

Have you seen what the "Prefered Status" entails?

It's a joke. This system is more restrictive than any by SOE, and that should be a giant red flag all on it's own.

Hmmm F2P in SOE limit you to wear just green gear... legendary and fabled are off limit. You can't upgrate your spells beyond Adept. You have limit - cap for earning gold - 5 g per level - and just to give you example - master spells cost from 1plat (100 gold) - to 300 plats. You can't buy anything on market for 5 gold.  Races and Classes are also lomited. See SoE chart

Originally posted by Asamof

Originally posted by Purutzil

Not limited a all... except limited action bar slots and race choices and item choices and warfronts and space rail shooting time and crew skills and....

 

Originally posted by GolbezTheLion

Originally posted by mmoguy43

With prefered status and 2 hotbars it is plausible that you could play for free and not feel impossibly restricted.

Have you seen what the "Prefered Status" entails?

It's a joke. This system is more restrictive than any by SOE, and that should be a giant red flag all on it's own.

Preferred Status

• The Sprint ability at Level 1
• Access to your Cargo Hold (an 80 item Player Bank)
• The ability to send Mail, including one (1) attachment
• Increased allowance for chat message frequencies in Public chat channels (such as /general)
• An increased Credits Cap
• Access to the Who List
• Three (3) additional Sale Slots on the Galactic Trade Network (for a total of 5)
• One (1) additional active Crew Skill Slot (for a total of 2)
• Reduced skill point respecialization costs
• Increased Server queue priority
• Retain all cargo holds previously unlocked
• Retain all inventory slots previously unlocked
• Retain all legacy perks previously unlocked (including races)
• Ability to use purple (artifact) level equipment without purchasing authorization from the Cartel Shop

• Free-to-Play players will now get a second quickslot bar. (for a total of 2)
• Free-to-Play players will now be able to do 5 Warzones per week instead of 3.
• The Cartel Coin item lock (i.e. temporary bind) will be reduced to 3 days for Free-to-Play players, and 2 days for subscribers.

They don't get it.  I think most of these F2P-designing savants don't get it either.  Instead of inconveniencing their potential customers in the hopes that they'll love the game so much that they'll pay to have the annoyances removed, they should take the approach of making the game experience so awesome that people will clamor to invest more time and money in it.  I left STO because of their stupid lockboxes but, in general, their overall concept is one that works.  As a free player you basically get the full game but they have tons of stuff in the cash shop that their playerbase actually want to spend money on.  New ships and interiors, new uniforms, new races, new crewmembers.  If you know anything about Trek then you know that demographic will eat that stuff up.

So why not do something similar for TOR?  Their modification system makes so much possible.  Awesome-looking blasters, attractive armor, robes, and helms for all levels.  Alternative versions of ships for each of the classes.  Modifiable interiors and brand new races.  New companion skins and exotic saber/blaster colors.  Integrate pazaak and swoop racing and make cards and accessories for each available in the store.  Heck, do like DCUO does and come out with periodic pay-for packs that add alternate missions and areas for each of the archetypes to fill out their storylines.  There's so much "fluff" that players who like the game (F2Pers and subscribers) will pay for in a Star Wars game that it's almost suicidal to ignore it in favor of what they have now.

Originally posted by thecapitaine

So why not do something similar for TOR?  Their modification system makes so much possible.  Awesome-looking blasters, attractive armor, robes, and helms for all levels.  Alternative versions of ships for each of the classes.  Modifiable interiors and brand new races.  New companion skins and exotic saber/blaster colors.  Integrate pazaak and swoop racing and make cards and accessories for each available in the store.  Heck, do like DCUO does and come out with periodic pay-for packs that add alternate missions and areas for each of the archetypes to fill out their storylines.  There's so much "fluff" that players who like the game (F2Pers and subscribers) will pay for in a Star Wars game that it's almost suicidal to ignore it in favor of what they have now.

While I completely agree with you (can't stand lockboxes in STO either), sadly all that you've mentioned which are great ideas for cash shop items in TOR they weren't able to provide to us early buyers and subscribers when we were paying them money, so I don't see them doing that now sadly (Jedi robe hood up/down option anyone?). As a Star Wars game customization was pretty horrendous and max level content severly lacking (yes I did love the single player storyline while levelling though). So unless they get those things in order (instead of reducing the number of hotbars and annoying people) I don't see Bioware's implementation of F2P being successful at all. Heck I'd subscribe again if they did those things right. It's such a shame really as I love the game graphics and storyline but they skimped on content and originality of gameplay. Even Mythic is apparently ashamed of associating their name with Bioware now and have distanced themselves from them by changing their name back to Mythic instead of Bioware Mythic. *sigh* when are we ever going to get a decent sci-fi based MMO with the two biggest IPs (Star Trek and Star Wars) being botched up like this :(

Originally posted by Ozmodan

This statement cracked me up:

"The Old Republic is roughly 24 times the size of the original Star Wars"

It is about one tenth the size of the original SWG.

I don't even know what their quote means.

Originally posted by mmoguy43

Originally posted by GolbezTheLion

Originally posted by mmoguy43

With prefered status and 2 hotbars it is plausible that you could play for free and not feel impossibly restricted.

Have you seen what the "Prefered Status" entails?

It's a joke. This system is more restrictive than any by SOE, and that should be a giant red flag all on it's own.

Preferred Status

• The Sprint ability at Level 1
• Access to your Cargo Hold (an 80 item Player Bank)
• The ability to send Mail, including one (1) attachment
• Increased allowance for chat message frequencies in Public chat channels (such as /general)
• An increased Credits Cap
• Access to the Who List
• Three (3) additional Sale Slots on the Galactic Trade Network (for a total of 5)
• One (1) additional active Crew Skill Slot (for a total of 2)
• Reduced skill point respecialization costs
• Increased Server queue priority
• Retain all cargo holds previously unlocked
• Retain all inventory slots previously unlocked
• Retain all legacy perks previously unlocked (including races)
• Ability to use purple (artifact) level equipment without purchasing authorization from the Cartel Shop

As of Oct 25 also included..

• Free-to-Play players will now get a second quickslot bar. (for a total of 2)
• Free-to-Play players will now be able to do 5 Warzones per week instead of 3.
• The Cartel Coin item lock (i.e. temporary bind) will be reduced to 3 days for Free-to-Play players, and 2 days for subscribers.

F2P chart

 

Aside from not having the other 2 hotbars (costs 1080CC for account wide of 4) it isn't too bad... Well, you know, to keep playing it like a singleplayer game.

Thanks for posting this.  At least that's something for previous subscribers.

More news on F2P:

Additionally, we are extending the Rewards Program! All former subscribers who reactivate their subscription by the new date of December 20, 2012 at 11:59pm CST will be granted Complimentary Cartel Coins for their prior paid months up to November 15, 2012. For more information on all of the rewards you could potentially receive, visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/FREE.

So that means if you subscribe right now you could potentially get 250 cartel coins but if you wait until after it goes F2P and sub you will get 500? What's the rush?

Originally posted by Myria

Originally posted by Margrave

'earn experience more slowly'

Wow, and I thought the charging for quickslot bars was bad.

How is this unusual? Fallen Earth, to name one, has had the same thing for eons now and I don't recall anyone bitching about it. Quite the contrary, FE's F2P model is often held up as one of the better ones.

I have to wonder, what do people consider "acceptable" for an F2P game? I mean, you people do know it's not really 'free' and the devs have to make money some way, right?

I also have to wonder how much of the whining is simply because it's ToR and if it were any other game -- which, as it happens, most of this stuff is common in other F2P games -- they wouldn't even notice, let alone feel the need to write an acerbic post about.

This, 100% this. Fallen Earth has the action combat, and skills based classless progression that gamers have been clamoring for. But still FE is totally ignored. What do the gamers here look for in a F2P game? FREE.

Originally posted by Jakdstripper

this F2P has nothing but money on it's mind. THAT is the why this game flopped. no soul, just money. They all thought spending big money on it would make it awesome, and when it didn't all they can focus on is milk that money back in every way possible.

Vision and talent make great games, not money.

^^ Agree

If you haven't before, you should try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It's addicting.

I wonder if the xp rate is diminished That you will have to grind off levels.

Originally posted by Konfess

You have all heard this before and it deserves repeating, Nothing in this world is free. There is no Free to Drive, no Free to Wear, or no Free to Eat. The idea that “Vanity” players will pay to the playtime of free players isn’t going to happen.

Have you heard of League of Legends?

Originally posted by Mundus

Originally posted by Konfess

You have all heard this before and it deserves repeating, Nothing in this world is free. There is no Free to Drive, no Free to Wear, or no Free to Eat. The idea that “Vanity” players will pay to the playtime of free players isn’t going to happen.

Have you heard of League of Legends?

It is not free either.  Yes like any game, you can dabble in it for free, but if you really want to play it, you have to spend money, like any other f2p.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Originally posted by Mundus

Originally posted by Konfess

You have all heard this before and it deserves repeating, Nothing in this world is free. There is no Free to Drive, no Free to Wear, or no Free to Eat. The idea that “Vanity” players will pay to the playtime of free players isn’t going to happen.

Have you heard of League of Legends?

It is not free either.  Yes like any game, you can dabble in it for free, but if you really want to play it, you have to spend money, like any other f2p.

I do really play it and I know enough other people who also really play it and do not pay a dime.

The only thing that is only attainable using money are actually skins (=> vanity) and I think rune pages. I got 4 rune pages for free and that's enough. You may be more versatile with more pages.Everything else you can get through IP, although it may obviously take longer.