DCUO F2P mode is the best F2P among SOEs freemium mmos (note i said among SOE mmos only)..

i play for free because i dont support subscriptions. I have bought around $40 bucks in cash shop content since it went F2P so im a premium user. The only limitation that i actually dont like is the gold limit of 1k - 2k so i raised the limit to 10k a while ago that they had some sale going on.

I think DCUO free limitations (except the cash cap) are much better than EQ2Xs limitations which were vomit inducing (dont remember if EQ2 went full f2p or still is hybrid)..

I honestly cannot fathom how some people who replied here would make the assertion that DCUO or most of Sony's so called "F2P" games are unfair in comparison to real F2P games. Call me crazy but through my many years of experience with mmos I have seen a lot of F2P games. Games like Atlantica, Sword 2, Rohan online, and Runes of Magic are all perfect examples of what many consider "F2P games". Unfortunately many people don't have the foresight to see what is beyond their noses. When you have a model that is entirely dependent on cash shop purchases, it will almost always be more expensive to compete and to remain significantly competitive in those games than in games like DCUO or other such mmos that are more of an "extended free trial". In games like DCUO the new player's who are not willing to pay will be restricted heavily in favor of a more balanced and fair overall gaming environment at the higher levels. I am sure that most people with significant experience in the end game content of an mmo understands that it is much better to pay $15/mo continuously rather than having to pay significantly more money  through microtransactions to compete at a higher level. It is this a across-the-board fee that keeps the game from becoming one of the many F2P mmos that require you to pay an enormous amount of money to compete. 

Now, is it free to play? Maybe not quite in the definition that most people have of the term. However, it cannot be denied that in most situations games with this kind of model are in the end more balanced, less expensive for most of the "Core" player base, and much more content and update driven rather than "Cash shop sale" driven. If you truly despise this model of payment than I can only think of a handful of reasons why that would be the case. Either you dislike the mislabeling of the term "F2P" and the fact that it significantly limits you as you approach the higher levels of the game. In which case, I can't fault you to much. Or you are ignorant about the true cost of playing and competing in a real "F2P" game environment. You could also have a lot of money and want to get ahead by paying your way to the top...or you could be a person who simply doesn't want to spend a dime in playing mmos. Either way it is hard to make the case that games that have this payment model are in the long run more expensive and less balanced than completely F2P games with a 100% focus on revenue from their microtransactions. The game maybe mislabeled and may in the end try to force a subscription out of you, but that does not make it any less of a fair game for those who decide to invest serious time and effort into the game's content. True F2P mmos are a scam that try to nickle and dime you for more than the basic $15 fee ever will. I guarantee that if you were to make a comparison of the top say, Atlantica players vs. the top DCUO players those playing Atlantica would be spending significantly more money "or in some rare instances just time" than those playing DCUO. 

Originally posted by Z3R01

Sony is shady.

People pay a subscription to avoid the cash shop.

People that pay for content piece by peice through the shop will pay more over time but not have to deal with a subscription.

People who play for a free will get the base game with heavy restrictions.

^ this is how it should be.

 

Sadly these bastards have people buying all this crap out of the Shop only to find out there are still Subscriber only features.

It should be considered criminal.

and you sir should be concidered a troll.

releasing a tripple a game without the intetion to make money? yea, sounds like every bigger company. totaly logical :)

that's the reason why sony HAS money, and you don't ^^

Originally posted by Thane

Originally posted by Z3R01

Sony is shady.

People pay a subscription to avoid the cash shop.

People that pay for content piece by peice through the shop will pay more over time but not have to deal with a subscription.

People who play for a free will get the base game with heavy restrictions.

^ this is how it should be.

 

Sadly these bastards have people buying all this crap out of the Shop only to find out there are still Subscriber only features.

It should be considered criminal.

and you sir should be concidered a troll.

releasing a tripple a game without the intetion to make money? yea, sounds like every bigger company. totaly logical :)

 

 

that's the reason why sony HAS money, and you don't ^^

see there is a differene between

paying for something or getting ripped off for something

Coffee place #1, you pay 30$/month and you get 1 coffee per day (Subscription models)

Coffee place #2, you pay 1,25 for each coffee you want (Normal FTP games)

Coffee place #3, you pay 30$/month and you get the right to come into the store, then you have to pay 1,00 for each cup, and then you have to pay another 1$ for the coffee that goes in the cup. (this is SOE's model),

it sounds ridiculous but if you want i can compare each point. with an ingame example.

and that is what we are complaining about, not the fact that we have to pay on a so called FTP, game, we all know they are not free and companies are in it for the money. 

its the fact that if you pay them money, the game is still unplayable. 

I realize this is an old thread now. But anyone who thinks DCUO's model is a cash grab should go look at how SW:tOR has instituted their "free" transition. Then give Sony a big hug.

DC's model is by far one of the best I've seen. Every level seems like good value. I was free for a bit, upgraded to premium, and after a few months now I've got all the DLCs and made a few extra purchases too. I took advantage of sales but have spent cash totalling to about $50. And I haven't gone Legendary at all yet, though I do think about it occasionally.

It's a fair deal. If you absolutely refuse to pay, or if you insist on a "deeper" WoW-like MMO for your subscription money, then maybe it's not what you want. But I tried DC out with very minimal expectations and they've done a great job of upselling me. That's not easy to do, and I give them credit for it.

Originally posted by Squal'Zell

see there is a differene between

paying for something or getting ripped off for something

Coffee place #1, you pay 30$/month and you get 1 coffee per day (Subscription models)

Coffee place #2, you pay 1,25 for each coffee you want (Normal FTP games)

Coffee place #3, you pay 30$/month and you get the right to come into the store, then you have to pay 1,00 for each cup, and then you have to pay another 1$ for the coffee that goes in the cup. (this is SOE's model),

it sounds ridiculous but if you want i can compare each point. with an ingame example.

and that is what we are complaining about, not the fact that we have to pay on a so called FTP, game, we all know they are not free and companies are in it for the money. 

You left out the part where someone is forcing you to enter Coffee Shop 3 or how you need coffee to heat your home. Wait, nevermind... that doesn't happen.

So if Coffee Shop 3 isn't what people want, people go to shops 1 and 2. If Coffee Shop 3 seems to be doing well, then maybe people like what Coffee Shop 3 has to offer.

Just, please, look at it logically. I know that request flies in the face of raging about something not being made specifically for you, but honestly think about it for a minute.

"we all know they are not free and companies are in it for the money."

We do, but I'm not sure you do.

Originally posted by Squal'Zell

Originally posted by Thane

Originally posted by Z3R01

Sony is shady.

People pay a subscription to avoid the cash shop.

People that pay for content piece by peice through the shop will pay more over time but not have to deal with a subscription.

People who play for a free will get the base game with heavy restrictions.

^ this is how it should be.

 

Sadly these bastards have people buying all this crap out of the Shop only to find out there are still Subscriber only features.

It should be considered criminal.

 

see there is a differene between

paying for something or getting ripped off for something

Coffee place #1, you pay 30$/month and you get 1 coffee per day (Subscription models)

Coffee place #2, you pay 1,25 for each coffee you want (Normal FTP games)

Coffee place #3, you pay 30$/month and you get the right to come into the store, then you have to pay 1,00 for each cup, and then you have to pay another 1$ for the coffee that goes in the cup. (this is SOE's model),

it sounds ridiculous but if you want i can compare each point. with an ingame example.

and that is what we are complaining about, not the fact that we have to pay on a so called FTP, game, we all know they are not free and companies are in it for the money. 

its the fact that if you pay them money, the game is still unplayable. 

 

No, your Coffe place #3 is not correct. There is no option #3. You are not paying the $30/month to get the right to come in the store. You get in the store for free. You have the option to do #1 from the start, but you choose not to, so you go with option #2.  If later on down the line you decide that there are things that option #1 offers that aren't available with option #2, you then switch to option #1.  

The thing is, while you are playing the F2P version, you are not paying any monthly fees. Fees that subscribers are paying.  Each DLC is less than the cost of one month of membership.  You can get all the expansion packs for around the same price as 3 months of membership fees. How do you think that it is fair that you would get the same access as a monthly subscriber, that has to continue paying fees once you are done?  It's not.  

The thing is, you can choose the subscription offer at any time prior to buying all the DLC expansions. If you choose to buy the DLC's and continue playing, and want all the benefits of a full membership, then you will end up paying more. That is your decision. It is much the same as people that buy 6month or 1 year memberships. They pay less, because the commit more up front. People that pay by the month pay more.  F2P+DLC players make even less commitment, so they may end up paying more.  However...

You may not end up paying more. If you divide the expansions up over a few months, then you are still paying less than subscribers. If you then subscribe later, you have still payed less. You are not losing anything.  

Anyone with half a brain knows that nothing in life is free. There are no hidden fees behind SOE's F2P games - pay a sub or pay piece meal to enjoy the full benefits of the game. 

Just suppose a restaurant had a sign up that said "Free To Eat" and you go in and find out that they charge for a table...untensils and a waiter - would you pissed? Would you expect the restaurant owner to stay in business by giving away free food?

15 bucks a month is pennies a day and you can even pay for a game pass ($20) to play ALL of SOE's games with NO restrictions - and SOE are greedy bastards? It's obvious you people are not old enough to remember pumping quaters into games at the arcade - I could blow $20 in an afternoon (and that was in the 80's)