Originally posted by leinad312
One need only look at other free to play or buy to play offerings to see just how restrictive SWTOR's model is. Just take a look at TSW, GW2, LOTRO, or TERA's upcoming f2p model. If SWTOR's model were closer to its competitors, I would likely go back to the game.

TSW and GW2 are not F2P, they are B2P. Tera looks like is going to be F2P and subs will be refunded unless you want some kind of Elite Status. The point is subs are gone from these games.

SWTOR is still P2P with F2P option. It is a big difference. They would have to eliminate P2P option to go the way other game went.

Originally posted by leinad312
One need only look at other free to play or buy to play offerings to see just how restrictive SWTOR's model is. Just take a look at TSW, GW2, LOTRO, or TERA's upcoming f2p model. If SWTOR's model were closer to its competitors, I would likely go back to the game.

I think first people need to understand the difference between B2P and F2P.

The first two you listed are NOT F2P but B2P.

With that said, yes there model is more restrictive but hell, these games are not meant to be completely free.

Originally posted by Sinsai

Originally posted by leinad312
One need only look at other free to play or buy to play offerings to see just how restrictive SWTOR's model is. Just take a look at TSW, GW2, LOTRO, or TERA's upcoming f2p model. If SWTOR's model were closer to its competitors, I would likely go back to the game.

I think first people need to understand the difference between B2P and F2P.

The first two you listed are NOT F2P but B2P.

With that said, yes there model is more restrictive but hell, these games are not meant to be completely free.

 

Yes I realize that TSW and GW2 are buy to play. But I mention them as a comparison to SWTOR's model. For me, the box price of the buy to play model isn't a major deterrent when it comes to determining whether I choose one of those games or SWTOR. TSW is $30 and GW2 can easily be found for ~$45. So lets assume I like TSW and SWTOR equally. I have to look at which game gives me more for my $30.

Now for those that won't spend any money at all, well then SWTOR wins by default. Then you'd have to compare it to the other free to play offerings, and to me the other free to play models are preferable.

Terra, whether you hate the game or not, has what appears to be, if anything, a novel monetization plan.

They offer essentially 3 tiers to players, the 3 tiers have 3 different payment models.

To put it relative to SWTOR, Terra's sub model will be a P2P monthly sub w/ daily perks.

Their "prefered" customer tier is actually a B2P payment model. A one time purchase gets the whole game.

Their lower tier, FTP, is actually pretty unrestricted.

I'm not shilling for Terra, but the 3 simulataneous payment models running concurrently is an intresting twist.

Will Terra have an impact on SWTOR in Feb.

Hard to predict. Tor had a bigger boost from European players initially, but the North American players seem to have stuck around longer.

Terra is an odd fish because it is run by two different companies in Europe and North America. More importantly, the European company has a pretty crappy reputation.

So, who knows. It will be intresting to observe.

Back on topic, whether Makeb was originally intended to be a content patch or not, I would think it's a good thing they are looking to test it.

One could be of the opinion that the testing should have been done sooner, but then again maybe they did beef it up considerably. I have my doubts, but time will tell.

As to the part where they state they don't want applicants with experience in the industry, I'll be generous and hope that is a collision of telephone and semantics.

I still think EA has handled the underperformance of SWTOR financially poorly (actually brilliantly from a corporate viewpoint), but I hope for the sake of the TOR adherents, they get something fun to play that isn't CARTEL $HOP centric.

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

• Must not have previous professional game development experience
 

LOLwut?

 

They don't want informed testers?

     Naa.. more like they want true consumers to test it.. If I was a chef the last person I want critiquing my food is another chef.. Bioware doesn't want someone with an employment agenda testing their product.. I have to admit this was one of the smartest ideas EAware has done.. I've always felt that having inhouse beta testers is fail.. When companies do that, the testers are biased to "WANT" to approve of the product they are creating..

Originally posted by asmkm22

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

BioWare is damned if they do, damned if they don't.  It's unbelievable how anything positive this forum can change into poison.

It's really hard to believe it.

Bioware is sleeping in the bed they made, nothing more.  They released a crappy half-finished game, and people left.  Then they tried to revive it by implementing a crappy restriction-riddled F2P model.  Reap what you sow.

Exactly, if they hadn't made such a bad game and then started crowing about it, they wouldn't be in the deep, dark hole they are are now. As it is, now they are running around screaming at each other: 'The only way out is to dig deeper and come out the other side' and 'You fools! Dig upwards! Dig up!'.

Originally posted by noncley

Originally posted by asmkm22

Originally posted by Sevenstar61

BioWare is damned if they do, damned if they don't.  It's unbelievable how anything positive this forum can change into poison.

It's really hard to believe it.

Bioware is sleeping in the bed they made, nothing more.  They released a crappy half-finished game, and people left.  Then they tried to revive it by implementing a crappy restriction-riddled F2P model.  Reap what you sow.

Exactly, if they hadn't made such a bad game and then started crowing about it, they wouldn't be in the deep, dark hole they are are now. As it is, now they are running around screaming at each other: 'The only way out is to dig deeper and come out the other side' and 'You fools! Dig upwards! Dig up!'.