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Free to Play or Pay to Play?? Any Pros and Cons??

2

Comments

  • CpaulCpaul Member Posts: 11

    P2P isn’t just grind and play, and in my opinion people who play F2P games are a bit more raging when there confronted with an issue (out of this article i sensed that you say that P2Pers rage when confronted) involving there gaming PoV. I play both F2P and P2P, World of Warcraft, Atlantica Online, DnD online, Etc, P2P to me is a break from WoW, and WoW is my main source of fun, not because i sit there and enjoy grinding my life away, but because its more content filled.. All you did was bash P2P games saying that little kids with no life play them.. Which is totally unfair, and you sit there and completely compliment F2P players, which for someone who judges games.. Your looking at this whole view in a very.. 1 Sided way. P2P is for people who want More out of there gaming experience not just PvP and end game raiding etc.. They want to hang out with more people do quests dungeons etc.. So when you say that you get to end-game faster with those little, usually 10% more exp which costs either 5-10$ Because you cant just spend 1$ minimum is always 5 or 10$, you could get 1/3 of a HUGE game for 1 month, or 1/2 for some P2P games, But my main point here is, if your gonna make this thread Pay to Pay vs Free to Play, give both of them detailed information, through in your opinions but dont sit here and say P2P is nothing and F2P is everything, cause thats what this whole post was.

  • FisherPFisherP Member Posts: 9

    Firstly I find playing MMORPG works out cheaper for me that playing stand alone games.

    I might be paying for a client. However i am strong believer in "you get what you pay for". However normally in that client, you are pay for a disk and playier's reference manual and the most of the time the first month of game time. I do find that it's a little cheap of the programmers where they get people to pay for the game and then pay again for the first month of play.*



    However when you look at stand alone games these pays, they are getting shorter and shorter. 15 years ago, I used to pick and expect about 20 hours or so of play before beating it. No days, most stand alone games you will be lucky to have any more that 8 hours of play before beating the final boss. In the mean time, you are still pay top dollar to play this games. However lets be realistic here and say that i do have a life away from by computer. So lets say I finish the game in 2 weeks after purchasing it. After 2 weeks, I am looking for another game to play. Therefore i need to folk out more money.



    As for MMORPGs. I might be stuck paying for the client. However if that it the case, I am expecting that manual, disk, the first month paid for and maybe a special limited edition in game item for pre-ordering or what ever. However after that, I am paying a subscription week where i have vast open areas to explore, countless hours of play. And even when you finish about 99% of the quests, the MMORPG developers always have something new to coming out with patches and expansions.

  • mushroomcakemushroomcake Member Posts: 5

    Free-to-play cannot be better than pay-to-pay, because F2P developers have no big motivation to improve the game itself - they improve the cash flow to the shop. They know people will stay even if make just minor improvements to the game, because game is free, so people have no reason to quit, if they like it. P2P are forced to make quality content and often, because subsciption fee payers' attention and excitement must be kept and mantained at all costs. No F2P would ever incorporate such LFG tools (they often have "loudspeaker" without whch you cannot access world or even zone chat; yes, each message uses up one loudspeaker), will make no such events like Darkmoon Faire (not the in-game one, but the one with art and so) or Battlecry Mosaic - why would they bother releasing high-quality art and music for free? F2P will never make such grand expansion, because they won't make money from selling those expansions.

  • tinyturtletinyturtle Member Posts: 11

    Pay to play are generally a lot better than Free to play, if the game is worth what you pay for it. And either way, most free to play games have a shop, or something similar, so a lot of developers still make a fair bit of money off it. Making it free to play just encourages people to play it, and then they're almost guaranteed to pay for something along the way. Take Runescape for example, that, you can get certain zones and skills, but you have to pay monthly for the decent content.So really, making things free to play is just a way to engage players, people will generally find they get bored of the free content and then they'd pay if they do like the game itself.

  • ZipZip1ZipZip1 Member Posts: 4

    I think Free 2 Pay is the best in most cases, however..there are many F2P games out there, where if you don't pay, its extremely hard to play the game. I would stay away from those, but there are plenty of F2Ps that you can play without having to pay and still have fun.

  • SulaaSulaa Member UncommonPosts: 1,329

    Bah , another topic about the same?  Some pferer f2p some p2p.

     

    I definately prefer p2p.

  • DoozerglueDoozerglue Member UncommonPosts: 40

    I was a sub only kind of guy until recently.  I thought there's no way I'd ever have fun with a F2P game because the games were low budget.  I was wrong. I'm having so much fun playing LoL and you don't need to pay to play.  I ended up buying some characters, only because I wanted to play mages, but I really didn't have to.  I looked at it this way - I paid for software for other games; I paid sub fees; why not contribute to the upkeep of servers and developement of the game?

    Trust me, I hated the idea of play F2P games... now, not so much. 

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Ok, lets have a look on the common methods on income for MMOs:

    P2P: You pay for buying the box, possible expansions and 15 bucks a month.

    Advantages: You know how much money you will spend each month. Being rich is no advantage.

    Disadvantages: Rather expensive to start. Quite a few MMOs have added itemshops to this, which take away the advantages.

    F2P: The only cost you have is stuff you buy in the RMT

    Advantages: You can start out for free and someone with patience can play years without paying anything.

    Disadvantages: Often extremely grindy if you don't buy stuff. People spending more money will get huge advantages to people who don't.

    Freemium: Have an itemshop but also sells instances, quests and have optional monthly fees.

    Advantages: You can still play for free even though it sometimes takes a lot of work and skills.

    Disadvantages: Unless you either pay a monthly fee or buy stuff all the time you wont have access to the entire game. Is often very limited and in games like EQ2X which have both P2P and freemium servers it will be cheaper in the long run to just pay the monthly fees.

    B2P: You pay for the box, expansions and there will be a fluff itemshop.

    Advantages: Usually the cheapest model, you will get access to the entire game. Buying stuff beyond expansions are no advantage in the game.

    Disadvantages: You will still have to buy the game so you can't just play it a few months for free. 

    There is also a type that is totally free but shows adds. It have so far only been used in browser games though so I don't list it.

    Theocritus
  • Squal'ZellSqual'Zell Member Posts: 1,803

    Originally posted by Doozerglue

    I was a sub only kind of guy until recently.  I thought there's no way I'd ever have fun with a F2P game because the games were low budget.  I was wrong. I'm having so much fun playing LoL and you don't need to pay to play.  I ended up buying some characters, only because I wanted to play mages, but I really didn't have to.  I looked at it this way - I paid for software for other games; I paid sub fees; why not contribute to the upkeep of servers and developement of the game?

    Trust me, I hated the idea of play F2P games... now, not so much. 

    finally someone with some common sense!

    if the game is well done and balanced (even if you buy to win items in the shop) a FTP game can be as good and cheaper than a P2P game. 

    alas there are so few that i can't really name a good one off the top of my head... but i know for a fact that there are...

    image
    image

  • AdamantineAdamantine Member RarePosts: 5,094
    Why is this in General Gaming ? Its about MMOs ?



    Subscription for the win.

    About a separate shop, I was cool with what we got in Vanguard. It was cosmetic items and items that would make play faster/easier, but wasnt actually needed, such as xp potions, and separate mounts, not better than what you could get with regular play in the game. Other than that stuff you didnt have to get with a subscription, i.e. items to unlock classes and unlock raid drops etc. And if you had a subscription, you would get some of the currency for the shop, representing what you paid for the subscription. Personally I only used it to fill all available character slots, so I could finally play all classes in parallel. Unfortuantely, soon after Vanguard shut down.

    Thats the outmost I would tolerate though. If the shop is needed to actually win in the game, I'm out. I want to pay a subscription and thats that.

  • kitaradkitarad Member LegendaryPosts: 8,177
    OMG this is a hind sight is 20/20 thread.

  • AdamantineAdamantine Member RarePosts: 5,094
    Damn I fell for a thread pushed up by AI Spammers and didnt notice. :o
    Ungood
  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 10,009
    Was never a fan of paying a monthly sub to play a game....I dont mind F2P....Most of them the cash shop may make things more convenient but doesnt really mean you win.....Also almost every single sub game also has a cash shop so you really arent avoiding them by going with a sub game......If you pay what most games want for a sub, you are looking at $180 a year or more (depending on expansions and other purchases)....thats too much to play a game......I used to pay that in EQ, EQ2, WoW, and a couple others, then it hit me one day that it is a waste of money in the long run.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 927
    edited April 2023
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
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  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,420
    Deathkon1 said:
    Damn I fell for a thread pushed up by AI Spammers and didnt notice. :o
    Everything's getting necroed here lmfao must be the 3rd article in a week.
    Time for a new thread on F2P/P2P then, as the topic is as relevant as it ever was. :)
    Wargfoot
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  • salma15salma15 Newbie CommonPosts: 1

    This is one of the biggest questions to be considered in finding the good or the best MMORPG to play. MMORPGs can be classified into two different categories namely: free-to-play and pay-to-play games. Both have their pros and cons, but both are surely designed to satisfy the players and the game makers’ needs. Choosing the ideal type of game that suits your financial budget will determine your success in gaming.

    Basically, the pay to play MMORPG obligates you to pay a sum of money either per hour that you consume playing that particular game, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and others let you pay once for the perpetual access of the game. And that’s it, you can play as long as you want as long as you pay for the time you are logging on for that particular game.

    On the other hand, the free-to-play MMORPG does not require you to pay a sum of money to log on their server and play on their gaming world. Sounds good right? Playing cool online games as long as you want without paying a cent on the game makers, servers, programmers, producers, etc,insta pro etc. But not as cool when you discover where they are getting money the money to sustain their servers and pay their employees salaries. The thing is they can collect even larger sum of money compared to pay-to-play games. They accept what they called as “donates” which means cash that can be done thru paying in online transactions for money transfers. You can use the money to buy premium in-game items that boost you character’s stats and skills or just buying your character and avatar or armor and weapon set that will give you a big advantage compared to other players that doesn’t donate. To make it simply understandable, I’ve listed the pros and cons of the two type of gaming industry.


    What are some advantages and disadvantages of choosing between free-to-play and pay-to-play MMORPGs? How does being financially savvy affect your gaming experience and what factors should players consider when deciding between these two types of online games?

  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    This thread aged like a turd in a parking lot.
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • awsygdawsygd Newbie CommonPosts: 2

    This is one of the biggest questions to be considered in finding the good or the best MMORPG to play. MMORPGs can be classified into two different categories namely: free-to-play and pay-to-play games. Both have their pros and cons, but both are surely designed to satisfy the players and the game makers’ needs. Choosing the ideal type of game that suits your financial budget will determine your success in gaming.

    Basically, the pay to play MMORPG obligates you to pay a sum of money either per hour that you consume playing that particular game, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and others let you pay once for the perpetual access of the game. And that’s it, you can play as long as you want as long as you pay for the time you are logging on for that particular game.

    On the other hand, the free-to-play MMORPG does not require you to pay a sum of money to log on their server and play on their gaming world. Sounds good right? Playing cool online games as long as you want without paying a cent on the game makers, servers, programmers, producers, etc, etc. But not as cool when you discover where they are getting money the money to sustain their servers and pay their employees salaries. The thing is they can collect even larger sum of money compared to pay-to-play games. They accept what they called as “donates” which means cash that can be done thru paying in online transactions for money transfers. You can use the money to buy premium in-game items that boost you character’s stats and skills or just buying your character and avatar or armor and weapon set that will give you a big advantage compared to other players that doesn’t donate. To make it simply understandable, I’ve listed the pros and cons of the two type of gaming industry.

    Certainly, the choice between Free-to-Play (F2P) and Pay-to-Play (P2P) MMORPGs depends on individual preferences and circumstances. Here are some pros and cons for both types of MMORPGs:

    Pay-to-Play (P2P) MMORPGs:

    Pros:

    1. High Quality and Support: P2P games often offer higher-quality content, more frequent updates, and better customer support because they have a consistent revenue stream.

    2. Fairness: In most P2P games, players are on a level playing field since everyone pays the same subscription fee. It typically avoids "pay-to-win" scenarios.

    3. Community: P2P games tend to foster a dedicated and more mature player base, as players are invested in the game.

    4. Security: P2P games often have better security against cheating and hacking.

    Cons:

    1. Cost: Paying a subscription fee or one-time purchase can be expensive, making it less accessible for some players.

    2. Commitment: You need to play regularly to make the subscription cost worthwhile. If you stop playing, you might feel like you're wasting money.

    Free-to-Play (F2P) MMORPGs:

    Pros:

    1. Accessibility: F2P games are accessible to anyone without financial commitment.

    2. Variety: There are numerous F2P games available, offering a wide range of gameplay experiences.

    3. No Pressure: You can play casually without feeling the need to get your money's worth.

    4. Community: F2P games can have large and diverse player bases.

    Cons:

    1. Pay-to-Win: Many F2P games use microtransactions, which can create a "pay-to-win" environment where players who spend money gain significant advantages.

    2. Quality: Some F2P games may have lower production values and slower updates due to their reliance on microtransactions.

    3. Security: F2P games might be more susceptible to cheating and hacking.

    4. Ads and Intrusive Monetization: Some F2P games bombard players with ads or encourage constant in-game purchases.

    In the end, the choice between F2P and P2P MMORPGs comes down to your gaming preferences, budget, and the type of experience you're looking for. Some players are willing to pay for a premium experience, while others prefer the freedom of F2P titles. It's essential to research specific games and their monetization models to make an informed decision.

  • KnightFalzKnightFalz Member EpicPosts: 4,578
    Corehaven said:

    Pay to Play = a monthly fee and some microtransactions / cash shop on the side. 

     

    Buy to Play = no monthly fee and some microtransactions / cash shop on the side. 

     

    Hmmmm....which should I choose......


    It depends. What are the benefits of subscribing and the limitations of not?
  • MonumentalMasterMonumentalMaster Newbie CommonPosts: 3
    edited July 1
    awsygd said:

    This is one of the biggest questions to be considered in finding the good or the best MMORPG to play. MMORPGs can be classified into two different categories namely: free-to-play and pay-to-play games. Both have their pros and cons, but both are surely designed to satisfy the players and the game makers’ needs. Choosing the ideal type of game that suits your financial budget will determine your success in gaming.

    Basically, the pay to play MMORPG obligates you to pay a sum of money either per hour that you consume playing that particular game, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and others let you pay once for the perpetual access of the game. And that’s it, you can play as long as you want as long as you pay for the time you are logging on for that particular game.

    In Bingo Clash, strategically using the x2 power-up can double your points for a short period. Activate x2 during rounds where you are likely to hit numbers quickly to maximize your score. Reading about how to use x2 in Bingo Clash can help you understand this better. Timing is crucial, so use the x2 power-up when you’re on a streak of matching numbers or close to completing a bingo.

    On the other hand, the free-to-play MMORPG does not require you to pay a sum of money to log on their server and play on their gaming world. Sounds good right? Playing cool online games as long as you want without paying a cent on the game makers, servers, programmers, producers, etc, etc. But not as cool when you discover where they are getting money the money to sustain their servers and pay their employees salaries. The thing is they can collect even larger sum of money compared to pay-to-play games. They accept what they called as “donates” which means cash that can be done thru paying in online transactions for money transfers. You can use the money to buy premium in-game items that boost you character’s stats and skills or just buying your character and avatar or armor and weapon set that will give you a big advantage compared to other players that doesn’t donate. To make it simply understandable, I’ve listed the pros and cons of the two type of gaming industry.

    Certainly, the choice between Free-to-Play (F2P) and Pay-to-Play (P2P) MMORPGs depends on individual preferences and circumstances. Here are some pros and cons for both types of MMORPGs:

    Pay-to-Play (P2P) MMORPGs:

    Pros:

    1. High Quality and Support: P2P games often offer higher-quality content, more frequent updates, and better customer support because they have a consistent revenue stream.

    2. Fairness: In most P2P games, players are on a level playing field since everyone pays the same subscription fee. It typically avoids "pay-to-win" scenarios.

    3. Community: P2P games tend to foster a dedicated and more mature player base, as players are invested in the game.

    4. Security: P2P games often have better security against cheating and hacking.

    Cons:

    1. Cost: Paying a subscription fee or one-time purchase can be expensive, making it less accessible for some players.

    2. Commitment: You need to play regularly to make the subscription cost worthwhile. If you stop playing, you might feel like you're wasting money.

    Free-to-Play (F2P) MMORPGs:

    Pros:

    1. Accessibility: F2P games are accessible to anyone without financial commitment.

    2. Variety: There are numerous F2P games available, offering a wide range of gameplay experiences.

    3. No Pressure: You can play casually without feeling the need to get your money's worth.

    4. Community: F2P games can have large and diverse player bases.

    Cons:

    1. Pay-to-Win: Many F2P games use microtransactions, which can create a "pay-to-win" environment where players who spend money gain significant advantages.

    2. Quality: Some F2P games may have lower production values and slower updates due to their reliance on microtransactions.

    3. Security: F2P games might be more susceptible to cheating and hacking.

    4. Ads and Intrusive Monetization: Some F2P games bombard players with ads or encourage constant in-game purchases.

    In the end, the choice between F2P and P2P MMORPGs comes down to your gaming preferences, budget, and the type of experience you're looking for. Some players are willing to pay for a premium experience, while others prefer the freedom of F2P titles. It's essential to research specific games and their monetization models to make an informed decision.

    wow, you wrote and explained everything so well, thank you.
  • mekheremekhere Member UncommonPosts: 273
    edited July 2
    Free to Play games are supposed to be the games that introduce players to the MMORPG genre. They let you play for free. If you like it, you subscribe to the games that everyone is playing. F2P is also a great way for developers to beta new ideas. They want certain players to play to end game to see if the idea works. F2P games are also another way for someone to prove they can make a video game. You guys are criticizing the training zone. I don't personally think it's fair to the dev's or noobs who enjoy learning about our genre. Players are supposed to strive for the subscription games and the F2P is supposed to drive the player to subscribe, and it's not. What F2P has become is a broken game mechanic imho.
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  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 10,009
    edited October 1
    lol we have beaten this subject to death over the years...There are people in both camps....I used to do subs for years but then went F2P as it became more available...To me, the sub is not worth it, especially now that most games with a sub also have microtransactions too....I've never been a fan of paying extra for things, I just dont think you get your moneys worth....Also, unlike the year 2000 or so in gaming, we have literally thousands of games to choose from....If you dont believe that just go look at Steam, and they dont even offer everything.

    Note: Sorry didnt realize this was a necro
    Post edited by Theocritus on
  • RobertoMillerRobertoMiller Newbie CommonPosts: 7
    edited November 1
    Free-to-Play Pros: No upfront cost, so you can jump in without commitment. Big player base = lots of people to play with. Devs constantly updating to keep you hooked. :sunglasses:
    Cons: Pay-to-win elements. People who drop cash get major advantages. :unamused: Ads, pop-ups, and sometimes the grind is real unless you pay.

    Pay-to-Play Pros: Balanced gameplay—everyone’s on the same level. Less microtransaction spam, usually just cosmetics. Devs focus more on game quality.
    Cons: Gotta pay upfront (ouch). If you don’t play much, feels like you’re wasting cash.

    Personally, I’m more into F2P games like online slots on this website. I love the fact that you can jump in without dropping any cash upfront and just vibe with it. Sure, some games can get grindy or throw those pay-to-win mechanics at you, but I’d rather deal with that than be locked behind a paywall just to play. 
    Post edited by RobertoMiller on
  • WargfootWargfoot Member EpicPosts: 1,457
    FTP = garbage
    AngrakhanSlapshot1188
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