Free sounds so great doesn't it?  Just wait and see how free it will be.

You gotta pay for this you gotta pay for that, you used to get all those things with one nice little payment but not anymore!
The screenshots show xp potion lmao! thats the worst possible item shop item, another post says you can't even shop from regular NPC's lol you are all tools, enjoy you new "free" mmo I hope you all make turbine rich, they deserve it for being able to screw you all over and still have loyalty.

You have killed an ORC! You are out of loot tokens, please purchase more to loot this corpse.
Welcome to Fopir! Please enter your credit card information to enter this area
Congratulations! Your level has increased to 4! Please purchase a grade 4 level token to advance!
Tutorial: You need weapons and armor to fight, first go to the item shop and purchase a token of NPC bartering, then purchase a token of level 1 slashing weapons, then purchase a token of at least 1 inventory slot, then purchase a token of primary weapon slot, then visit the weapon vendor and purchase a weapon, you might notice that they suck, but good ones can be bought at the cash shop, now for armor..

<Mod Edit>

A lot of your information in this post is severely off. Also I believe they said the people who currently pay get automatically converted into their subscriber model in the new model. That subscriber model gets everything as opposed to having to buy different things, so the game play won't seem to change too much for them.

Also the level break tokens can be found in game, you don't have to buy them.

Might want to read up a bit more on how its actually being implemented before ranting.

(for example, monthly subs are still available)

Item shops are not the devil, just a method to keep a game solvent and running.

Might want to research a bit more before you go posting.... the subscription will still be available for anyone who doesn't want to use the shop:

5. What is a DDO VIP?
Sounds important, right? Well, it is. DDO VIPs are players who want unlimited access to all of the content DDO has to offer. This newly optional subscription program also allows its gamers to enjoy a number of other exclusive benefits, such as a monthly grant of Turbine Points, priority access to servers, the ability to play all classes and races, additional character slots, a shared bank slot, and much more. The cost of becoming a DDO VIP is only $14.99 per month.

Trolling unsuccessful.

Congratulations on finally hearing last week's news.

Nobody knows for sure (least of all the OP, clearly) but it seems at the moment like those people who wish to continue as they are, paying a monthly subscription, will have a more or less uninterrupted experience. What this new system introduces is the OPTION for people who don't like the monthly payment formula to play the game however they like. Sure you can buy XP potions, if you want to race up levels and bypass all the content. Or you could, as I and presumably many others will do, check back in on a game that you never thought was quite worth buying into full-time but you wouldn't mind dropping a few bucks here and there for a dabble once in a while.

But sure, keep believing the sky is falling.

Originally posted by JonMichael

Might want to research a bit more before you go posting.... the subscription will still be available for anyone who doesn't want to use the shop:

5. What is a DDO VIP?
Sounds important, right? Well, it is. DDO VIPs are players who want unlimited access to all of the content DDO has to offer. This newly optional subscription program also allows its gamers to enjoy a number of other exclusive benefits, such as a monthly grant of Turbine Points, priority access to servers, the ability to play all classes and races, additional character slots, a shared bank slot, and much more. The cost of becoming a DDO VIP is only $14.99 per month.

Trolling unsuccessful.

 

i dunno how you say that vip isnt required when it restrict access to half game.. im not sure how important is that stormreach or hows that main city called, but its vip only, , so are all expansions, half classes, and another half stuff, so ur pretty much need vip for real game. and then its item shop..

not that i playing or planing.. but you must be blind , not to see that this is one of the worst cash games awaible..

I really dont get what is the fuss with all of those subscribing players ?

1. If you continue paying subscription you get everything unlocked - basically ITS THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE

2. F2P will bring many more players - More players, more groups, more money fro turbine to develop game further.

3. If you ever decide to close subscription - you will still be able to log in and play

So its not WIN WIN situation for subscribers

its

WIN WIN WIN WIN situation

Originally posted by Smikis

Originally posted by JonMichael

Might want to research a bit more before you go posting.... the subscription will still be available for anyone who doesn't want to use the shop:

5. What is a DDO VIP?
Sounds important, right? Well, it is. DDO VIPs are players who want unlimited access to all of the content DDO has to offer. This newly optional subscription program also allows its gamers to enjoy a number of other exclusive benefits, such as a monthly grant of Turbine Points, priority access to servers, the ability to play all classes and races, additional character slots, a shared bank slot, and much more. The cost of becoming a DDO VIP is only $14.99 per month.

Trolling unsuccessful.

 

 

i dunno how you say that vip isnt required when it restrict access to half game.. im not sure how important is that stormreach or hows that main city called, but its vip only, , so are all expansions, half classes, and another half stuff, so ur pretty much need vip for real game. and then its item shop..

 

not that i playing or planing.. but you must be blind , not to see that this is one of the worst cash games awaible..

You must not understand.

You have the option of  DDO VIP, which is a $14.99/mo subscription just like before OR playing for free and using the item shop to purchase additional content, character slots, classes and so on.

Originally posted by Smikis

Originally posted by JonMichael

Might want to research a bit more before you go posting.... the subscription will still be available for anyone who doesn't want to use the shop:

5. What is a DDO VIP?
Sounds important, right? Well, it is. DDO VIPs are players who want unlimited access to all of the content DDO has to offer. This newly optional subscription program also allows its gamers to enjoy a number of other exclusive benefits, such as a monthly grant of Turbine Points, priority access to servers, the ability to play all classes and races, additional character slots, a shared bank slot, and much more. The cost of becoming a DDO VIP is only $14.99 per month.

Trolling unsuccessful.

 

 

i dunno how you say that vip isnt required when it restrict access to half game.. im not sure how important is that stormreach or hows that main city called, but its vip only, , so are all expansions, half classes, and another half stuff, so ur pretty much need vip for real game. and then its item shop..

 

not that i playing or planing.. but you must be blind , not to see that this is one of the worst cash games awaible..

What your missing is they're saying that with VIP you get all the content (dungeons races classes) plus you get x amount of free points to use in the store each month for extra potions etc. It's not what you are suggesting in you go VIP and then have to buy things, it's exactly the opposite: You go VIP so you do NOT have to buy things.

As a free user if you come across a dungeon you want to access then you just buy that dungeon for a buck or whatever and enjoy it forever after.

They are giving you the choice to play for free (and you still can level up but there are some areas you can never access if you never spend a dime if I am correct on my information) and then occasionally pick up a new dungeon when you want to try something new. Or you choose VIP, get full access, get extra characters, and get free points to use in the store each month for any bonuses you'd like to have.

I'm curious if the points carry over, I'm guessing they don't (use it or lose it style each month) because then you could save up points and go f2p then buy back everything and not have to pay anything ever again.

Originally posted by Smikis

Originally posted by JonMichael

Might want to research a bit more before you go posting.... the subscription will still be available for anyone who doesn't want to use the shop:

5. What is a DDO VIP?
Sounds important, right? Well, it is. DDO VIPs are players who want unlimited access to all of the content DDO has to offer. This newly optional subscription program also allows its gamers to enjoy a number of other exclusive benefits, such as a monthly grant of Turbine Points, priority access to servers, the ability to play all classes and races, additional character slots, a shared bank slot, and much more. The cost of becoming a DDO VIP is only $14.99 per month.

Trolling unsuccessful.

 

 

i dunno how you say that vip isnt required when it restrict access to half game.. im not sure how important is that stormreach or hows that main city called, but its vip only, , so are all expansions, half classes, and another half stuff, so ur pretty much need vip for real game. and then its item shop..

 

not that i playing or planing.. but you must be blind , not to see that this is one of the worst cash games awaible..

Huh? Stormreach IS accessible, it's just the later modules that aren't. And all classes but the monk are accessible free, plus all races except Warforged and Drow. I would say it certainly wasn't worth the money as a fully Subscription game (for me anyway) but as a F2P it's far FAR better than most the other shit out there.

But whatever, each to their own. Try to get your info right though...

Although I think the OP  is trolling, his point is good ( although he may not know it ).  The free game isn't a good free game.  For a cash shop game ( which the free version will be ) it is rather poor in quality and sustinance.  I do not think this will bring a large number of players.  No more than a free trail would.  Most people will probably find out how required it is to pay and be frustrated.  It all seems like a bad marketing idea to me, which let's face it, DDO has done before.

Originally posted by AllNewMMOSuk

Also the level break tokens can be found in game, you don't have to buy them.

Lol, I actually had no idea there were any, I was really just trying to think up the most grossly overexaggerated example of an item shop item possible, who would have guessed.

Originally posted by AllNewMMOSuk 

I'm curious if the points carry over, I'm guessing they don't (use it or lose it style each month) because then you could save up points and go f2p then buy back everything and not have to pay anything ever again.

I believe that one was answered and yep they do.

Also to point out the XP potion appears to be a 20% increase in earned xp for a period (24 hours?), it isn't a way to buy levels directly.

Brilliant thread!

All points carry over from month to month. You can also play the free version and get free points just for gaining favor. You gain favor from running quests (its just like a reputation system). You can then unlock game content with free points. This is not a backdoor way to gain subs. They have said multiple times that you can level from 1-20 without spending a dime.

The Item Shop is not a replacement for loot drops either. You still get loot from the auction house and from dungeons just like before.

They will make it so that you *want* to buy things from the shop, but they won't *force* you buy items by making the game unplayable. Using the shop is mostly for convenience.

Originally posted by Dr.Rock

Also to point out the XP potion appears to be a 20% increase in earned xp for a period (24 hours?), it isn't a way to buy levels directly.

One of the screenshots also features an item called the Copper Sigil of Leveling, I don't know how they'd make a more direct implication. I wouldn't be surprised if Gold or Platinum sigils were also available. I find this a bit odd as players have complained that there is very little reason to keep playing characters once they get maxed and acquire all the desired loot.

I'm only bringing this up because exp scrolls/potions seem to be a mainstay of every garbage f2p Korean MMO, and the fact that they'd even consider including something like this in a D&D game is the first big piece of discouraging information I've come across.

I'm an oldschool D&D fan, and the only reason I'd even consider trying DDO is for the 3e rules. D&D has always been about the process of leveling, and the most fun to be had is between levels 3-8. Selling out to mummorpuger conventions and rushing players to the end game is a big fat turnoff. Especially sincet Turbine seems to have the same problem as most GMs do with >= lvl 20 characters, mainly they can't seem to come up with anything to make them worth playing.

I don't know all the specifics and don't care to.  I'm not even remotely a fan of cash shops or the misnomer "Free to Play" games.  One of the things I did notice in one of the above posts was that those who subcribe will be awarded monthly doses of Turbine Points.  I can't see any other reason to do this, but to incentivise the use of the cash shop and I certainly can't see Turbine, out of the goodness of their hearts, giving you enough Turbine Points each month to let you do or experience everything you want.  At some point, you will probably feel pressured to buy extra Turbine Points to get that Phat Lewt or gain access to some special dungeon that is only available from the shop or that special mount and so forth.

The F2P business model is not out there to be fair and equitable, because it ultimately favors the business, not the consumer.  Lets face it, Turbine is selling out and you are defending them for trying to gouge you even more, it's unbelievable.  Instead of using the resources they have to make the game better, like any other sub based game, they're merely trying to milk more income with the same crap they have now.  They are doing this to make more money than they are presently bringing in, so it would beg the belief that they expect players to contribute more money per month than what the regular subscription was accumulating.

That doesn't even delve into the whole "fairness" aspect of buying your way to the top.

Originally posted by Gennadios

Originally posted by Dr.Rock

Also to point out the XP potion appears to be a 20% increase in earned xp for a period (24 hours?), it isn't a way to buy levels directly.

 

One of the screenshots also features an item called the Copper Sigil of Leveling, I don't know how they'd make a more direct implication. I wouldn't be surprised if Gold or Platinum sigils were also available. I find this a bit odd as players have complained that there is very little reason to keep playing characters once they get maxed and acquire all the desired loot.

I'm only bringing this up because exp scrolls/potions seem to be a mainstay of every garbage f2p Korean MMO, and the fact that they'd even consider including something like this in a D&D game is the first big piece of discouraging information I've come across.

I'm an oldschool D&D fan, and the only reason I'd even consider trying DDO is for the 3e rules. D&D has always been about the process of leveling, and the most fun to be had is between levels 3-8. Selling out to mummorpuger conventions and rushing players to the end game is a big fat turnoff. Especially sincet Turbine seems to have the same problem as most GMs do with >= lvl 20 characters, mainly they can't seem to come up with anything to make them worth playing.

The Sigil of leveling does not buy you a level. It allows you to go to a trainer and get your level when you have enough EXP to level. Without the sigil you could have 1,000,000 EXP and not be able to level. Supposedly they will be drops and end rewards for completing some quests. From what I hear on the beta grapevine right now level 4 is a stopping point for many as the sigils become harder to get right then. This may get tweaked during beta or it may stay that way to encourage use of the cash shop.
 

There are already a couple of items in the cash shop that worry me if they become trend setters for the devs.

Welcome to the new DDO: Dungeons and Dragons Overseas.

Originally posted by Gennadios

Originally posted by Dr.Rock

Also to point out the XP potion appears to be a 20% increase in earned xp for a period (24 hours?), it isn't a way to buy levels directly.

 

One of the screenshots also features an item called the Copper Sigil of Leveling, I don't know how they'd make a more direct implication. I wouldn't be surprised if Gold or Platinum sigils were also available. I find this a bit odd as players have complained that there is very little reason to keep playing characters once they get maxed and acquire all the desired loot.

Have seen a few people jump to the wrong conclusion on that item, maybe a name change is called for.

As for items like this then yes I agree they are there to twist the arms of people to pay some money, even if there are more time consuming ways of getting there. I don't think anyone would argue Turbine is doing this for any other reason than to make money, no charity involved at all.

If there was raid loot or specific armours, weapons etc, in the shop then I would be concerned, potions and sigils (to a lesser extent) I sort of expected.

The city of stormreach is not more than a giant 3D lobby where you and your friends start dungeons.

Who cares what other people are doing in other dungeons? It don't affect you in the slighty, other than maybe prices in the AH, but you will be stilll be able to play exactly like you do now, even if the faking world explore. 

Originally posted by Lobotomist

I really dont get what is the fuss with all of those subscribing players ?

1. If you continue paying subscription you get everything unlocked - basically ITS THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE

2. F2P will bring many more players - More players, more groups, more money fro turbine to develop game further.

3. If you ever decide to close subscription - you will still be able to log in and play

 

So its not WIN WIN situation for subscribers

its

WIN WIN WIN WIN situation

 

Sure...

subscribed player X: /invites player Y

subsribed player X: Hello, welcome.

player Y: Hello all! Let's go.

....going to zone A, instance B.

player Y: Hey! Why can I not enter?

subscribed player X: Well, you need to be either subscribed or you need to buy it on the Item Shop. Did you do that?

player Y: WTF!!!!!! "#¤%#"¤"#¤. I have to pay to enter a friggin zone or dungeon!  Screw this!

player Y left the group.

player Y logged out of the game.

---------------------------------

Sure... win win win win win situation!

Have a nice dream.

Originally posted by Guillermo197

Originally posted by Lobotomist

I really dont get what is the fuss with all of those subscribing players ?

1. If you continue paying subscription you get everything unlocked - basically ITS THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE

2. F2P will bring many more players - More players, more groups, more money fro turbine to develop game further.

3. If you ever decide to close subscription - you will still be able to log in and play

 

So its not WIN WIN situation for subscribers

its

WIN WIN WIN WIN situation

 

 

Sure...

subscribed player X: /invites player Y

subsribed player X: Hello, welcome.

player Y: Hello all! Let's go.

....going to zone A, instance B.

player Y: Hey! Why can I not enter?

subscribed player X: Well, you need to be either subscribed or you need to buy it on the Item Shop. Did you do that?

player Y: WTF!!!!!! "#¤%#"¤"#¤. I have to pay to enter a friggin zone or dungeon!  Screw this!

player Y left the group.

player Y logged out of the game.

---------------------------------

Sure... win win win win win situation!

Have a nice dream.

I doubt many F2P players will get to the point in the game where they need to buy an adventure area without noticing the item shop exists and contains areas that need to be purchased.

Cute example, but a bit contrived.

Originally posted by Teiman

 

The city of stormreach is not more than a giant 3D lobby where you and your friends start dungeons.

Who cares what other people are doing in other dungeons? It don't affect you in the slighty, other than maybe prices in the AH, but you will be stilll be able to play exactly like you do now, even if the faking world explore. 

What other people do has a huge effect on future game changes IE nerfs. To say what other people do has no effect is simply wrong.

Originally posted by Guillermo197

Originally posted by Lobotomist

I really dont get what is the fuss with all of those subscribing players ?

1. If you continue paying subscription you get everything unlocked - basically ITS THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE

2. F2P will bring many more players - More players, more groups, more money fro turbine to develop game further.

3. If you ever decide to close subscription - you will still be able to log in and play

 

So its not WIN WIN situation for subscribers

its

WIN WIN WIN WIN situation

 

 

Sure...

subscribed player X: /invites player Y

subsribed player X: Hello, welcome.

player Y: Hello all! Let's go.

....going to zone A, instance B.

player Y: Hey! Why can I not enter?

subscribed player X: Well, you need to be either subscribed or you need to buy it on the Item Shop. Did you do that?

player Y: WTF!!!!!! "#¤%#"¤"#¤. I have to pay to enter a friggin zone or dungeon!  Screw this!

player Y left the group.

player Y logged out of the game.

---------------------------------

Sure... win win win win win situation!

Have a nice dream.

DDO is being quite clear on what a F2P will need to do to play all the content. Anyone doing what you suggest in the example would have to be quite clueless as to the game they were playing to have such an issue.

Originally posted by Rokurgepta

Originally posted by Guillermo197

Originally posted by Lobotomist

I really dont get what is the fuss with all of those subscribing players ?

1. If you continue paying subscription you get everything unlocked - basically ITS THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE

2. F2P will bring many more players - More players, more groups, more money fro turbine to develop game further.

3. If you ever decide to close subscription - you will still be able to log in and play

 

So its not WIN WIN situation for subscribers

its

WIN WIN WIN WIN situation

 

 

Sure...

subscribed player X: /invites player Y

subsribed player X: Hello, welcome.

player Y: Hello all! Let's go.

....going to zone A, instance B.

player Y: Hey! Why can I not enter?

subscribed player X: Well, you need to be either subscribed or you need to buy it on the Item Shop. Did you do that?

player Y: WTF!!!!!! "#¤%#"¤"#¤. I have to pay to enter a friggin zone or dungeon!  Screw this!

player Y left the group.

player Y logged out of the game.

---------------------------------

Sure... win win win win win situation!

Have a nice dream.

 

DDO is being quite clear on what a F2P will need to do to play all the content. Anyone doing what you suggest in the example would have to be quite clueless as to the game they were playing to have such an issue.

Sounds like player Y is 10 years old. Glad he quit.