Throne and Liberty’s open beta begins tomorrow, and the release is set for September 17th. Amazon Games is detailing the major components of the game’s business model and overall monetization.
They cite three tenets of the business model they worked out with NCSoft. First, player self-expression is important, shop items need to feel rewarding but never to feel necessary to succeed, and that all combat and power upgrades need to be accessible to all players.
There will be an Early Access pack option to buy up until launch, but if you buy it ahead of time you'll get up to 5 days early access to the game. For those who want a fresh start, there will be commercial launch servers that everyone will start on simultaneously. You can still choose to create a character on an early access server if you want to play with a friend or if you just don't mind.
There are three currencies in Throne and Liberty - Soliant, which you earn in-game, Ornamental Coins, which you can earn through events, the Battle Pass free track, and other activities, and Lucent. Soliant is used for the usual stuff like buying things from NPC vendors, crafting some gear, and other regular activities. Ornamental Coins you can spend in a special shop on cosmetics and progression items.
As for Lucent, yes, you can buy this with real money, but you can also earn some through certain PVP encounters like castle sieges, or through selling items on the Auction House. The Auction House uses Lucent, and by trading and selling items here, you can earn some of this currency without actually spending real money.
The in-game shop will sell cosmetics, including new outfits, emotes, and more. Some of the purchasable outfits will include more options, like dyes and patterns for further customization. The in-game store won't have Soliant or food or potion consumables. Items from the in-game shop won't be tradable on the Auction House.
The Battle Pass has free and premium tracks and is expected to refresh about once a month. The Leveling Pass is another premium option you can buy once per character to unlock progression bonuses , items, and materials. They promise no exclusive power items to avoid pay to win.
The devbog on the business model is in-depth, and there is much more info on regional economic changes, the Auction House and its workings, and the pass tiers.
