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STO silently converted to F2P?
Keyno
Member UncommonPosts: 47
I haven't played in a few months, so once Season 4 was patched I decided to patch it and log in. I was greeted with the following message:
You cannot log in to your character that has a different type of account (tried to screenshot it but the message would not show up)
So I decided to check my account status and it is inactive. I logged back in and tried to create a new toon and it allowed me with limited options and some races required to be purchased.
So did it convert to F2P or do inactive accounts revert to a trial?
Keyno
Comments
Interesting, I don't have an answer for your question unfortunately.
However, I would absolutely come back and play if it were F2P with MT. I'm so curious about this that I almost want to download the client just to see if your theory is correct.
Could be preperations for f2p? They did get bought by PWI so f2p is coming almost 100% for sure I'd say. If it does go f2p I will be there, had fun in the beta but just not enough fun to justify monthly fee. But a little cash shopping, sure
My thoughts exactly!
Always enjoyed the game, but certain things didn't leave me feeling that it was worth the sub. However, F2P with MT would work perfectly for me.
I'm going to create a new account that doesn't have a paid account associated to it and try it out.
The game is not F2P and there is no real indication that will happens.
What you can do is play a demo or trial with limited options to test and buy the game later.
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Oh well !
It's almost certain that the game will go F2P, especially since it was bought by PWI. It's just a matter of time.
The fact that Cryptic was purchased by PWI, as well as the low population and ever dwindling subscriber base, are most definitely indicators that the game will eventually go F2P.
It's only a matter of time.
This buy out worries me. I think it's proof Atari is throwing in the towel especially STO. It might mean a certain doom for STO. Basically when games go F2P they are on life support
Does this mean that PWI also gets the License to the ST ip ?
Velika: City of Wheels: Among the mortal races, the humans were the only one that never built cities or great empires; a curse laid upon them by their creator, Gidd, forced them to wander as nomads for twenty centuries...
Funny, as an active player, I see the playerbase growing, not dwindling. Where do you come abouts the info?
The population always grows up after an update(and an update was fairly recently). Once the update adventures die down the population will again settle. We don't have any numbers but I don't think anyone could safely say that the number of new subscribers per month is HIGHER then the number of people leaving...
Obviously my perception of the situation could be misconcieved but I come from a guild with over 1,000 members. We play a vast majority of games. At launch STO had about 400 members if I remember correcyly. Within the first year the number was well below 100, as of right now there are 3 people currently subscribed(not counting the 14 people with lifetime subs). During updates the number jumps up to about 30 or so, but most unsub once they have experienced the content contained within the update.
hahahahahhaaha!!!!!
[charsig=http://lotrosigs.level3.turbine.com/032020000001a0f62/01007/signature.png]Altineen[/charsig]
No it's not growing. It won't grow until F2P hits.... by this fall from the looks of things.
Just out of mild curiosity, if it does go f2p how bad a cash shop model do you all think it will be(considering this is pwi)?
No. That hasn't been the case for years. Nowadays, free to play is far more accepted, and if a game can be properly configured to work with a cash shop (moving a game to free to play costs a lot of money to rework the game's systems both front and back end), has wound up being a far more profitable model that brings in a lot more players.
I do not believe so, as CBS still owns the IP and Atari should still own the license. This is similar to how Cryptic, now owned by PWI, is still making the NWN O.M.G., even though Atari is the only one who holds a license from Hasbro for D&D computer games; PWI/Cryptic is subcontracting the license.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Wouldnt be a shutdown be more effective than F2P with micro payment (which is a no-go for ANY MMO) ?
Shutting down and move the staff to the next project. Or sell to SOE ;-) You can ALWAYS get a few millions from them, the shareholders must be fully idiots. SOE failed on 90% of all MMO they had hand on BUT still get more and more $$$ from investors.
I doubt it. It's likely because your accoutn isn't active as a lifetime subscription. I
Since no one esle seemed to bother with this I tried to test the OPs statement. Using an account that is not active I was unable to log into the game in any manner. Makes this whole thread kind of moot, surprised no one tried this before now.
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I have a soap box and I am not afraid to use it.
With PWI... yes I see F2P happening, probably by 2012. I got the CE out of a bargain bin for like $14 last year so I may pop in and out if it goes F2P.
I've seen it at Gamestop for $7.99. It was actually cheaper than the copy of Dark age of Camelot they still had on the shelf.
The wholse setup of STo is F2P IMO. Okay, it was released with subscription, but there's so much in the cash shop (over priced for subscription I think, much like SOE does) that STo might as well go F2P instead of sub based.
Personally, if STo would go F2P I might consider playing it again. Game is fun for a short while, but certainly not worth € 13 / month for me...
I absolutely agree. Besides, while most spent a lot more, in the end I spent close to $100 what with the cost of the box when it came out and a few months sub fees. I go back and play games a lot. Games Ive finished. You know how some people go back and read books they've read before, well I do that with video games. I get a lot out of my game purchases because I always go back and play through again about once a year.
Id gladely do that with STO. I actually like the game. Its not very long but I love Star Trek. But to me its almost a single player game. I would gladly play the game single player and revisit it often enough for years.
What irks me about STO is the business model. I absolutely will NOT pay a sub fee when a game has an item mall of that magnitude. And its a heck of an item mall. Regardless, Ive shyed away from P2P. I just dont see the sense in paying a monthly sub for a video game anymore. So Im fine with item shops. Heck I might even use them. As long as they're not pay to win. Im fine with that.
Now this might seem rediculous to some, but Ive always felt Ive paid my dues with STO. Around a hundred bucks for a game that might as well be single player. I keep it sitting on my shelf, often wishing I could give it another run. However I just cant justify the expense of resubbing, no matter how much I might like Star Trek.
If they made it free to play? Not only would I jump onboard but Id probably occasionally pick up something from the item shop. After all Id love to support them. But the way they have it set up now just seems greedy to me. I cant support that, and wont.
the real question is, if it goes ftp, what do the lifetime subbers get, better be something good to make up for the lack of free play time (like 15$ worth of cash shop credit per month ect)
I have no idea. If I was in charge? (which Im not.... )
Id go ahead and STOP selling life subs. At that point, Id make ALL cash shop content completely free to the lifers. All future cash shop options should be free to them as well. Forever. Not that there will probably ever be any, but Id also insist the first expansion for the game, and all future expansions to the game be free to lifers as well. Basically Id insist all future content regarding STO, no matter what, be completely free to life time subbers. Including character slots....anything and everything.
Seriously for 300 bucks? That seems pretty fair to me. Well....that and if they helped hook you up with the perfect woman or man in real life. Yea. But Im sure most would settle for just having all future and present STO goodies that would normally cost extra, be free to them.
This is kind of out there mind you, but if they really continue to add to the cash shop, they might even be able to CONTINUE selling life subs under the title of " Preferred Customor " or some crap. Lessen the price to around 100 bucks or 150 and it would work out.
Thats what I would do. But.....Im a big nobody.