Dear Bioware managers and fans this is a open email to you concerning the Free to play model adopted and the impact in the returned players and actual subscribers planning to go to Free to play option:

In this thread i will state 3 major points : 

1. I would like to state some FACTS about the game and why the Free to play model is introduced.

2. I'm going to state my experience as prefered subscriber after being  asubscriber for many months and what the game offered to me.

3. I will explain wha I was expectning and, what  (in MY HUMBLE opinion) was expecting and think would be better for the game.

1. FACTS: 

a) The game is not in it's best shape: About 2,4 m copies of the game has been sold but the population of real subscribers is not what Bioware /EA expected , the numbers are about 500k and 1m before the guild wars launch.( Numbers  we will place in 650k being generous) 

EDIT: FACTS:

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/31584/star-wars-the-old-republic/

http://www.darthhater.com/articles/swtor-news/21125-electronic-arts-q1-fy13-earnings-call

b) The free to play model is introduced because many players doesnt think the game worth a monthly subscription. So BW and EA though the best way to attract new customers is showing them what the game has to offer. Giving the game for free but charging for the end game and comodities.

EDIT Monthly fee :  (In fact, many players who have left the game said they would happily come back if they could play without the commitment of a monthly fee.)  http://www.swtor.com/info/news/blog/20120731

c) There is a lot of people, about 2m who already paid for the game  ammounts from 15'95 to 150 € ,  but did't liked it and decided to move to better places.  Players that, I'm pretty sure,  BW /EA would like to recover.  

d )The game cost to BW/EA/LA a unknown ammount of money, something about 150- 500m$ acording different sources. We will leave it in 200m$ , money already recovered with the copies sold. 

EDIT: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2042394/Star-Wars-Old-Republic-100M-blockbuster-Avatar-gaming.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Old_Republic

I supouse everyone is ok with this facts.

The Free to pla ymodel

I paid at December 2011,  150€ for this game and subscribed for severals months. (About 4) January, April  September, October. 

I didn't like the game tbh , but was the only star wars mmo there (official) and was interested in the new F2P model. I really enjoyed the PVP aspect of the game and was planning to switch to premium player and just pay for the PVP aspects of it.

What was my surprise when, switching to preferred player,  I found the game is totally umplayable. 

They do'nt want us to remain there, Bw only wants a full sub.

Equipment, slotbars, unify colors, craft, skills...  everything must be paid again , not only for one toon, but for the entire account,  making impossible play the game at all. 

People says: The game is free , you are reciving a total leveling experience for free and you are complaining!

FALSE: I payed 150€ for a game back at December and they are looking for me  to pay it again !! 

They are punishing returned players and people who only like certain aspects just because they dindnt realize the game is plain "not good enough" for pay a full sub. 

I'm NOT talking about play EVERYTHING for free , Im talking about play and pay for the aspects you really  like. I was happy thinking I  could pay 8$ month for the warzones and do what i really like to do , PVP with my 3 toons.

Well, if you planned to do that:  you cant.

They will treat you as a person who never payed for the game and charged for every basic aspect,  any other F2P game gives for free to  you.  

The current model is inviable for a returned or a person who doesnt want to pay a full sub. 

So there is only 2 playing models: pay full sub or deluxe trial for new players.

Returneds and switchers are not supported/wanted. 

I understand now you are giving the game for free, I  understand the terrible limitations for those players who didn't deposit a dime for the game...but returneds? really? people who payd 65€ for a game and now they can't even use their stims because you removed biochem from them if you dont pay the ability?

they cant equip new gear, they cant play more than 1 toon because you need to unlock and pay EVERYTHING for each or insane expensive global unlocks for accounts.

What i was expecting: 

I was expecting a model who let everyone pick the playing style they want to pay for. 

Of course I didnt want all the things for free, of course I know full subscription must give a value for the ones who selets that model but treat your customers as a milky cow is not the way.

 PVE+PVP+ Raiding is what this game can offer. Why people can't choose their gamestyle? 

PVE: flashpoints pases daily/weekly/monthly

PVP: Warzone passes daily/weekly/monthly

Raiding. Operations passes daily/weekly/monthly

So here you have different kinds of billings: 

All:  for full subscribers 15$ month.

Daily/weekly passes:  For casuals. 1/3 $ per gamestyle.

Monthly passes : For players who likes certains aspects of the game 5$ per game style. 

Why they limited the game to a extreme that yo uonly want to leave as soon as possible from there an talk crap about them and their families? 

Dudes we really want to throw our money to you , we really want to play the game! but YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. 

In my  humble opinion,  I  think 200k players paying 5$ month for a PVP experience, 100k paying 1-3$ every day for play flashpoints and operations and 1 m of happy customers is much better than 700k pissed ex-players talking crap and laughing about the most greedy and insane model ever seen in the MMO industry.

P.D 1:  Excuse me for my bad english, hope you can understand what I was trying to say.

P.D 2 : Of course i deleted the game after 4 days trying to make the prefered player experience viable for my gamestyle. I dont consider this game worth for pay 15$ month just for do warzones. And like me,  I'm sure many people does.  

EDITED FOR FACTS.

"I supouse everyone is ok with this facts."

Please link your factual data or we will simply consider your post BS.

Originally posted by Airtaee

So there is only 2 playing models: pay full sub or deluxe trial for new players.

Sounds actually an excellent model to me personally.

Try before you buy, and 'deluxe' no less.

Dudes we really want to throw our money to you , we really want to play the game! but YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. 

Good lord... then just, actually, throw your money at them and pay the frikin sub maybe?

All this fuss over £2.50 or so a week

The only restriction I rewally don't understand is that on the chat channels... from an investment/ retention standpoint that's always been a dumb idea for a game of this type.

and on this particular day... .. . not a pitty frack was given about the letter.

Seriously i am not sure why you bother to post this here and not in any of the hundreds of threads about the subject.

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by Airtaee

So there is only 2 playing models: pay full sub or deluxe trial for new players.

Sounds actually an excellent model to me personally.

Try before you buy, and 'deluxe' no less.

Dudes we really want to throw our money to you , we really want to play the game! but YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. 

Good lord... then just, actually, throw your money at them and pay the frikin sub maybe?

 

All this fuss over £2.50 or so a week

 

The only restriction I rewally don't understand is that on the chat channels... from an investment/ retention standpoint that's always been a dumb idea for a game of this type.

I think they got this idea from SWTOR general forum. People were demanding no ability for F2P players to chat, bah, they wanted separate servers for them.

Personally I think that chat restruction is dumb.

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by Airtaee

So there is only 2 playing models: pay full sub or deluxe trial for new players.

Sounds actually an excellent model to me personally.

Try before you buy, and 'deluxe' no less.

Dudes we really want to throw our money to you , we really want to play the game! but YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. 

Good lord... then just, actually, throw your money at them and pay the frikin sub maybe?

 

All this fuss over £2.50 or so a week

 

The only restriction I rewally don't understand is that on the chat channels... from an investment/ retention standpoint that's always been a dumb idea for a game of this type.

I think they got this idea from SWTOR general forum. People were demanding no ability for F2P players to chat, bah, they wanted separate servers for them.

Personally I think that chat restruction is dumb.

Well, if Freemiums are going to be treated like second class citizens, then not having full chat might be the least of their worries :-)

Not being useful to guilds at any level is perhaps a bigger concern.  Or not being able to fully integrate into the community to form bonds, with all the benefits that go along with feeling needed...  you know, the stuff that adds to a games retention rate.

The worst thing is paying for action bars. Still ..you can get through 1/3 to half  of your max level on one bar.  Then it take some innovation...leaving fleet pass...transports off the bar and just going into menus to summon them. Same for other special emotes actions or summons. Other wise....you can fork over a few bucks to open them up for your current character..or a little more to open them for all current or future characters. I really don't see this as too much to spend. As for paying for FP...Ops and WZs....I haven't done many of those  and I'm subbed. Warzones would be what I've experienced most and a couple times a week or whatever is fine for me but I can see how it would bother others .

 Its not the first time I've seen stuff like this in cash shops. Just about every F2P I've been in does the same thing.They parcel out content aside ...dungeons..raids...battlegrounds..additional expanded areas..etc.  Personally I think this game should have fixed as many bugs as possible.Then...if it had to go F2P...gone purely cosmetic. Even adding different haircuts..eyes colors...unmodded orange armor and weapons....whatever fits.. People WILL spend money to make their characters varied and unique with crap-tons of "outfits"..pets...speeders. Maybe add ship skins..inside decor..etc. I fear the ship changes would require an engine retool however.

Well one of the FEW things I disagree with you about OP is saying this is the most greedy thing done...it isnt. That honor still belongs to Funcoms Freemium model with Age of Conan. They were charging $75 for an expansion pack that cost $39.99 in the stores when it was released...

$8 per character slot unlock, same for each class unlock

I would go on but I will just say that ALMOST everthing in their shop was the same, crazy high prices.

Anyway, I dont like any of the Freemium models, not one...they all go under the assumption that the game that lost so many players was still somehow going to be good enough to get people to want to pay money to unlock parts of it and still NEVER have everything that monthly subscribers has...moronic at best.

OP (as many others vets) is unhappy because, for some reason, he thinks he deserves more than new players.

The preffered status gives you a bit of what is required to play, but isn't enough especially when you are used to others F2P mmo or be a normal TOR player.

Thing is most vets would be happy to pay for restricted content (not features not tools) would the price be right.

For now if you want to do a specific content, with weekly passes, you have to pay between $7,63 and $11,50 monthly.

(Ref: pricing form here formual is (4 + 2,5/7) weeks * pass price (ie: 30.5 days a month)

The low bracket seems reasonable but it's not taking into account that you have to spend quite a lot (again) to unlock all the bells and whistles: quickslot bars, respawn, toggle head slot, ... down to show titles.

Now it's getting pricey... 

Then take the high bracket, (for people not getting the big CC package). It's getting more expensive than a sub considering not only you have to unlock some features, but you also don't get the 500 CC monthly. And it's only for being able to do one type of content only!

So now the choice is easy: sub or leave.

Originally posted by Deewe

 

So now the choice is easy: sub or leave.

So basically, adding "F2P" was a bad joke since the choices, and the result, is the same they had before F2P.

The majority would not pay a sub for a half-assed game and thus quit.

3rd party guesstimates are not facts, even when you type it in CAPITALS. Neither makes facts that you entitle yourself to speak in behalf of others.

2/10 for your effort

EAware should have really copied aions F2P model. NCsoft makes boat loads of money selling costumes, pets, mounts, boosts, and so on on the story while the WHOLE game is comepletely free. I mean just read the features of being a F2P player.

What are the benefits of Truly Free?

The Aion Truly Free experience combines the best parts of the
Lineage 2: Goddess of Destruction™ Truly Free model with numerous enhancements.

Here are some of the key features of Aion Truly Free:

• No subscription fee. Play for free!
• No account restrictions. Visit any zone, chat in any channel, sell any amount of stuff on the trade broker—nothing is off limits!
• Robust countermeasures to combat game abuse. We're dedicating a ton of resources to preventing account theft, botting, and real money trading.
• No hassles. Create your account, download the game, and play!
• No harassment. Don't worry, we won't hound you with constant offers or promotions.
• A lot of great stuff we'll reveal more about leading up to launch!

Originally posted by Deewe

 

 

So now the choice is easy: sub or leave.

^^ this will happen, in droves.

Originally posted by Deewe

OP (as many others vets) is unhappy because, for some reason, he thinks he deserves more than new players.

 

 

 

So now the choice is easy: sub or leave.

I think you should read my thread... just before to place your opinion.

But no worries i have a TL,DR for you: 

Pay for unlock a slotbar after paying 150€ for the game is not fair. Pay it separatly for every character you have...is just moronic.

Want new players who pay full sub? amke game fun. 

In before your response game is fun for you: Tell that to the millon players lost by the way.

 i started on free to play account. Just wanted to have a look  on F2P swtor and compare with my experience as 5 month sab.

I not saying that i`m 100% happy, but F2P is very playable if u know what u want from SWTOR. I want story and i dont need to pay for it. U can buy most of unlocks. U can trade unlocks. So i dont c any problem with their model.

F2P brought more player that i ever seen on fleet Republic side had nearly 300 players. I was surprised.

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by Airtaee

So there is only 2 playing models: pay full sub or deluxe trial for new players.

Sounds actually an excellent model to me personally.

Try before you buy, and 'deluxe' no less.

Dudes we really want to throw our money to you , we really want to play the game! but YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. 

Good lord... then just, actually, throw your money at them and pay the frikin sub maybe?

 

All this fuss over £2.50 or so a week

 

The only restriction I rewally don't understand is that on the chat channels... from an investment/ retention standpoint that's always been a dumb idea for a game of this type.

I think they got this idea from SWTOR general forum. People were demanding no ability for F2P players to chat, bah, they wanted separate servers for them.

Personally I think that chat restruction is dumb.

one of ragnarok oficial servers, had this 2 servers one to F2P players with the cash shop and the other server like P2P without the CS, worked for some time, but that only happen because pretty much all the big guilds go to forums and said they would leave with the whole guilds (more then half the server load) with of course wouldn't be good for then, so they jsut make this 2 servers

Chat restriction is the smartest thing they did for the F2P model. The trolling in general chat is already high with the paided subs. I can't imagine how much worse it would be without it. 

 Op it's your own dam fault you paid close to  $300 for the pack you did. No one made you, yet you bought it. You played and decided the only aspect you like is PvP. Yet you complain that that you can't pick and chose what aspects of the game you can and want to play. Then to add to the hypocrisy by complaining that EA shouldn't be charging you for the parts of the game you want to play at the rate they are charging , mainly because you paid  ~ $300  for the game. Yet,  EA has decided if you like PvP you can play pvp only , it's just not a package. You'll need to pay  for 2 quick slots  ( might be able to get away with just one ) and a weekly WZ pass. For a grand total 740 Cartel coins or between  $ 5.40 - $ 8.22 a week on the high side. So $ 15 a month ,just makes more sense. Which is what EA wants. So the real complaint boils down to, you don't want to pay the prices EA decided , but the ones you'd rather pay. See EA can pick and choose , just as much as you can.

http://www.swtor-spy.com/guides/swtor-cartel-market-calculator/2769/