DDO going free to play with micropayment shops why not AC?

i've been chating and even emailed turbine about lifetime memberships. and possibly cheaper prices if we are subcribed to DDO or LOTRO at same time.

but even a better idea to bring old and possilbe new playes back to AC. go free to play

one character only no limits to levels or areas. limited to old races only maby. non-pvp only, no pk-light either. no marketplace recall.  mabe limit level to old 126 and older lands only too.  if folks like it enought they'll start to pay.

anarchy online has been free to play for 3 or more years. i have 2 accounts and 2 more paid accounts i ended up liking the game enought to pay for 2 accounts for 2 yrs. it could help AC a ton.

pay monthly gets a house rent free, and extra character slots, and newer race.

mabe pay for extra portal ties. pay for level 7 and 8 spells

oh even pay for character rez with all items after death so less corpse runs non pvp servers of course.

any other thoughts on limitations or better pay items? what do you guys think. 

mabe even only a free to play server a new one or let the last newest one do it.?

AC was not designed with micro payments in mind.

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

AC was not designed with micro payments in mind.

I don't really believe at the foundation that DDO was, either.

I think they could easily make an item mall fit within Asheron's Call. It might help spark population, but I doubt it. The difference between the two is one has a semi-innovative combat system, and still doesn't look all that bad while compared to today's MMO standards. The latter has been out for over 10 years and really is a step back for most new people in the genre, and the graphics they just really can't get over. 

Would the population increase really be worth the effort? And at the end of the day, it just still wouldn't be the same AC, so I know I'm one vet that personally wouldn't go back with the RMT.

i'd love to see the exact same AC but with todays graphics. remake the game the same land , quests, skills ect. just newer graphics.   hey there remaking all these old movies why not some of the top games. i didn't like AC 2 at all wasn't the same game. neat but not AC. i want AC as is was but todays graphics. i wish i was rich or a game designer...  i'd invest in it.

Originally posted by Synthetick

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

AC was not designed with micro payments in mind.

I don't really believe at the foundation that DDO was, either.

It was. From the server back end to the way the game plays to the talk about such things in beta. The item mall is a new addition, but that only requires the shop UI and some items. (well, and the payment back end, but that's simple too. Turbinebucks). Even the concept of the modules, are episodic down loadable content.

Looks like AC has episodic down loadable content in the fact that there are 100 of them. As much as I hate item shops, they seem to be coming and not a lot we can do to stop them. other than not use them, but there will always be a sucker out there who wants an advantage if he can get it.

DDO has more modern graphics and a very instanced game which lends itself well to f2p models.

AC is an older game, with older graphics, and older hardware and code. It is a completly wide open world where everyone can go anywhere, and as many people can pile into a quest dungeon at a time as they want (most of the time anyways).

I bet they'd have to rebuild AC to even have a chance for f2p, and then they'd have to design around it too. That would mean essentially building a brand new game since they'd have to put AC into a modern engine, make all new modern art for it, and modernize all the network code.

I don't think they're ready to spend 20 million to make a f2p AC, when with D&D the cost of implementation was probably fairly small in comparison and the results could pay themselves off fairly quickly.

Making the game free to play with a premium account option would not be that difficult. There is already a system in place for tracking what version of the game players have purchased. They could to flag all free accounts as not having purchased TOD or DM (I realize the DM checks are gone, they would have to readd them). This would mean you could only reach level 126 instead of 275, can't own a house, and can't access a couple islands.

When you ID some items and portals now it says "Must have purchased Throne of Destiny." They could change that to "Must have a premium account" and add those restrictions to whatever they feel like.

Also I think you over estimate how difficult a micropayment system would be to add. The DDO microsystem is not that complicated. The micropayment store is just a web page that you can access from inside the game. They built a web browser into the game. They could do the same for AC (not sure how hard that would be). When you buy something from the web page it updates the game database. It's not that complicated. You might have to logout and back in for it to take effect.

I would buy a 10% health gem from an AC micropayment store. Not sure what else they could offer that wouldn't be too unbalancing.

Originally posted by -Jaguar-

Making the game free to play with a premium account option would not be that difficult. There is already a system in place for tracking what version of the game players have purchased. They could to flag all free accounts as not having purchased TOD or DM (I realize the DM checks are gone, they would have to readd them). This would mean you could only reach level 126 instead of 275, can't own a house, and can't access a couple islands.

When you ID some items and portals now it says "Must have purchased Throne of Destiny." They could change that to "Must have a premium account" and add those restrictions to whatever they feel like.

Also I think you over estimate how difficult a micropayment system would be to add. The DDO microsystem is not that complicated. The micropayment store is just a web page that you can access from inside the game. They built a web browser into the game. They could do the same for AC (not sure how hard that would be). When you buy something from the web page it updates the game database. It's not that complicated. You might have to logout and back in for it to take effect.

I would buy a 10% health gem from an AC micropayment store. Not sure what else they could offer that wouldn't be too unbalancing.

I think as usual you underestimate the amount of time it would take to convert AC into these systems. If you look at DDO, they were quietly working on the game for at least a year, that is a game with many modern systems already in place to help the process. Just because you look at it and go, oh they click on something and it brings up a web page to buy something, doesn't mean the behind the scenes coding is simple or easy. That just means they did a good job with the interface by making it look easy.

Asheron's Call doesn't even have instancing tech, quest logs (although sounds like maybe soon), and up until a little while back it had no way of making sure your pack wasn't full before handing you an item so that you'd get screwed out of a quest. So to think that with all the modernizations that would be necessary to support a system, as well as implementing the system itself (at a minimum they would have to rewrite all of AC's networking code which is a large task, and most likely rework the whole database systems which is another huge task) would be a small easy task is severely uninformed. It would be a massive undertaking which in turn wouldn't pay off it's own cost, which would mean they'd need an all new graphics engine, all new game engine to modernize it. At that point you are talking AC3 anyways, which is why trying to implement this into current AC isn't possible.

However they could always decide to do AC: Rebirth or whatever other name you'd like, and do a new AC with more in depth systems and modern graphics, all built on the principles of AC. They could then also design this system from the start as a RMT, and that would help make the game launch with a high number of players.

Originally posted by AllNewMMOSuk

Originally posted by -Jaguar-

Making the game free to play with a premium account option would not be that difficult. There is already a system in place for tracking what version of the game players have purchased. They could to flag all free accounts as not having purchased TOD or DM (I realize the DM checks are gone, they would have to readd them). This would mean you could only reach level 126 instead of 275, can't own a house, and can't access a couple islands.

When you ID some items and portals now it says "Must have purchased Throne of Destiny." They could change that to "Must have a premium account" and add those restrictions to whatever they feel like.

Also I think you over estimate how difficult a micropayment system would be to add. The DDO microsystem is not that complicated. The micropayment store is just a web page that you can access from inside the game. They built a web browser into the game. They could do the same for AC (not sure how hard that would be). When you buy something from the web page it updates the game database. It's not that complicated. You might have to logout and back in for it to take effect.

I would buy a 10% health gem from an AC micropayment store. Not sure what else they could offer that wouldn't be too unbalancing.

 

I think as usual you underestimate the amount of time it would take to convert AC into these systems. If you look at DDO, they were quietly working on the game for at least a year, that is a game with many modern systems already in place to help the process. Just because you look at it and go, oh they click on something and it brings up a web page to buy something, doesn't mean the behind the scenes coding is simple or easy. That just means they did a good job with the interface by making it look easy.

 

Asheron's Call doesn't even have instancing tech, quest logs (although sounds like maybe soon), and up until a little while back it had no way of making sure your pack wasn't full before handing you an item so that you'd get screwed out of a quest. So to think that with all the modernizations that would be necessary to support a system, as well as implementing the system itself (at a minimum they would have to rewrite all of AC's networking code which is a large task, and most likely rework the whole database systems which is another huge task) would be a small easy task is severely uninformed. It would be a massive undertaking which in turn wouldn't pay off it's own cost, which would mean they'd need an all new graphics engine, all new game engine to modernize it. At that point you are talking AC3 anyways, which is why trying to implement this into current AC isn't possible.

 

However they could always decide to do AC: Rebirth or whatever other name you'd like, and do a new AC with more in depth systems and modern graphics, all built on the principles of AC. They could then also design this system from the start as a RMT, and that would help make the game launch with a high number of players.

I'd really rather they just do as you say but leave the RMT part out and don't borrow from WoW as the majority of the games made today do. The AC system is an example of a game that many who claim they are sick of "wow-clones" would like to see modernized so that they would have a game to enjoy. Turbine has made it's WoW/EQ like game in LOTRO and now has its RMT game in DDO. AC shouldn't be touched to add to either of those thought lines and instead only given a graphics overhaul.

The fact of it, with a graphics overhaul, looking good and not being so like WoW, AoC, Lotro and the rest made in that mold will be more than enough to draw a high number of players at launch.

I don't disagree with you, I also prefer a game that does not use RMT. But at least with DDO they still left the subscriber option in where you still just pay a monthly fee and have access to everything, I would probably be ok with that approach.

However I think Turbine doesn't agree that a graphically enhanced AC would bring in huge numbers, if they did think that they would probably have given it a shot by now. I have to agree with them in that I think there's a lot of forum users who would sign up for it but not much of the general MMO audience. People don't want a game that requires thought and learning to be genuinely good at, they want something much more casual that they don't have to think about at all and can log in for an hour knowing exactly what to do and how to do it.

But it might be possible to get some of those that would be afraid of such a game into it if it had some sort of f2p option.

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Originally posted by AllNewMMOSuk
I think as usual you underestimate the amount of time it would take to convert AC into these systems. If you look at DDO, they were quietly working on the game for at least a year, that is a game with many modern systems already in place to help the process. Just because you look at it and go, oh they click on something and it brings up a web page to buy something, doesn't mean the behind the scenes coding is simple or easy. That just means they did a good job with the interface by making it look easy.

---

Actually I have a good idea of what it would take. I program PHP for a living. They need to be able to connect to the game database from the web page. Then the trick would be to send the character ID to the web page some how when the store is opened. I don't know how their database is contsructed but I'm sure you could determine the total number of pack slots available and if they are full. The information is all in the database. The hardest part for me would be making the store look good since design is not my strong point.

The reason it would be a difficult task is because they would have to divert time form developing new content. Also I don't know if they actually have a PHP or ASP developer.

Originally posted by -Jaguar-

 

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Originally posted by AllNewMMOSuk
I think as usual you underestimate the amount of time it would take to convert AC into these systems. If you look at DDO, they were quietly working on the game for at least a year, that is a game with many modern systems already in place to help the process. Just because you look at it and go, oh they click on something and it brings up a web page to buy something, doesn't mean the behind the scenes coding is simple or easy. That just means they did a good job with the interface by making it look easy.

---

 

Actually I have a good idea of what it would take. I program PHP for a living. They need to be able to connect to the game database from the web page. Then the trick would be to send the character ID to the web page some how when the store is opened. I don't know how their database is contsructed but I'm sure you could determine the total number of pack slots available and if they are full. The information is all in the database. The hardest part for me would be making the store look good since design is not my strong point.

The reason it would be a difficult task is because they would have to divert time form developing new content. Also I don't know if they actually have a PHP or ASP developer.

 The web store isn't the hard part which is what you're missing. The hard part is changing the game code, the networking code and the SQL code, all of which are much more involved, difficult, and can also cause major problems if errors get in. As I said before I think you are severely underestimating all the aspects that go into the f2p change over, the store is the smallest part.

F2P isn't all that it's jazzed up to be, be careful what you ask for.  Try some free to play games first, play them for awhile, and see if you really want to see that happen with the Asheron's Call franchise.  Once you go f2p, there's no turning back.

I'd much rather see Turbine put some resources they got ($$$) from LOTR Online and revitalize the Asheron's Call franchise, be it a new AC game, upgrade its engine (which takes probably as long as making a new game), or release another expansion for AC1.

Originally posted by Mardy

F2P isn't all that it's jazzed up to be, be careful what you ask for.  Try some free to play games first, play them for awhile, and see if you really want to see that happen with the Asheron's Call franchise.  Once you go f2p, there's no turning back.

 

I'd much rather see Turbine put some resources they got ($$$) from LOTR Online and revitalize the Asheron's Call franchise, be it a new AC game, upgrade its engine (which takes probably as long as making a new game), or release another expansion for AC1.

They don't release expansions anymore, what they do is on certain occasions just give an extra big patch for free. Since they're still patching monthly anyways you get more content then you ever would with just expansions. Last year they added a new loot tier, new spell tier, societies, new islands. And for the upcoming tenth anniversary they've already said at least one new skill is coming, and there have been hints at quest panel, updated UI and some other things. In any other game new skills (or where applicable new class) updated interface and new content would be considered an expansion that they would charge you $50 for. AC just gives it to you for free.
 

It makes more sense to give away AC1 as a perk for subscribers of DDO or LotRO or both.

A lot of people take breaks from their favorite MMO to play something else; it's probably even desirable in the long run for the makers of the game. In WoW it's less common for serious players to do this because of raid culture (and arguably Blizzard's mastery of the carrot and stick), and you see a lot of people instead go for years at a time and then burn out entirely.

It's in Turbine's interests for that home-away-from-home "vacation MMO" to be one of their games, and when you cancel a subscription outright you consider all other options. If you can switch to another game without changing your bill, you're at least going to dabble in the bonus game for a few days. I imagine this is how more than a few Vanguard players discovered the game, especially after trying it once before and dismissing it.

As for micro transactions, the answer to that is simple. Wipe Darktide and charge a small fee per month per character to play on it.

No, just no.

I'd rather see them make AC3 instead.

Don't like the idea of micropayments, but I think it would be good to give an extended free trial. Like you can play free as long as you want up to level 150, but then you have to pay to play.

I would love to see them relaunch AC which modern graphics and systems, start the story from the begining as well. Who wouldn't want to go through the Shadow Wars again?

Just recently replied to an Anarchy Online thread, and why not go that way?

Base game free, exansions require subs.

To be honest, if you go far enough in this game to appreciate its pros you are likely to go on.

None the less, porting ac1 to the now defunct ac2, (wich was not all that bad ) standards would make me come back, if I could ever get hold of my logins fron 5 years ago.. ;)