Essentially the age-old problem of crafty salesmen and weak humans.
“Free to play with limited content and gear that will let you experience the game just enough to have fun, but not enough to actually start pwning faces”.
If folk were more content in themselves and wanted to pwn less and perhaps not be so obsessed with digital bling...
There is NO miracle patch.
95% of what you see in beta won't change by launch.
Hope is not a stategy. ______________________________ "This kind of topic is like one of those little cartoon boxes held up by a stick on a string, with a piece of meat under it. In other words, bait."
OP points out just why I don't like f2p. Free doesn't mean free; for most people it means pay more.
Also I hate salesmen and people trying to sell me stuff. F2P is like constantly being hit up for things, only they get you to do it to yourself. Screw that.
Rememember when they used to call it "MICRO"-transactions?
If one game I'm trying out is any example, it's not "micro" any longer. It looks like it's easily possible to put hundreds or even thousands of dollars into gear for a character.
How is that micro? I could buy a shiny computer and a years subscription for that kind of cash.
What I find amazing is that people actually do this. Some of it looks like it might be part of a get rich quick scheme where players wheel and deal (or scam) other players into buying gear for cash in side-deals.
Is the new trend "Play for Profit" ???
edit kant spel
Ken Fisher - Semi retired old fart Network Administrator, now working in Network Security. I don't Forum PVP. If you feel I've attacked you, it was probably by accident. When I don't understand, I ask. Such is not intended as criticism.
Good article. Gotta nit-pick a bit. The original mount offered on the Blizzard Pet Store wasn't faster than the other mounts (your mounted speed is dicated by your mount skill). It was just that it looked different than anything else in the game, so people spent 25 bucks a pop. I would be interested to see the profits on the second mount they released in that manner as well.
Blizzard has also made millions on the pets in their pet store, at 10 bucks a pop, as well as the stuffed gryphon/wyvern toy, that also comes with a pet code.
The next pet to be sold in the pet store will be tradeable in game though, which opens up a can of worms where I could spend $10 on a pet, and then in turn sell it for thousands of gold in game. Which basically allows for some type of gold purchasing through a "legitimate" system in WoW.
The Freemium and F2P models in general are bad business overall though. These companies (like Turbine) are increasing their profits, but also limit your ability to play the game without making purchases. In the end, it winds up being cheaper to just pay the price for a sub. While companies are allowed to attempt to make a profit, the way they are going about it is a bit shady.
However, as long as there are people who are willing to spend cash on virtual features/content/items, these systems will exist.
Other MMORPG.com article to stir up this tired argument that we will never agree on ... is MMORPG that desperate for article ideas that alls they can do is stir up arguments with flame bait?
So in other words, you are a big time "F2P" fan, lol.
Personally, I think it's nice to have something to read that balances out all of the "F2P" propaganda articles that have been rather common on this site. Both camps should have some sort of representation.
Umm .. considering I posted this same thing on a F2P "propaganda" article before this one kinda throws your ignorant quick to judge response out the window. Personally, I think this whole P2P vs F2P crap is stupid no matter which side of the argument is on cause most of the complaints people have towards each side are based on business practices from the publishers, not the model themselves. People are blaming the model instead of the publishers.
I hate to say it but this article is spot-on. Spending no more than a few months playing "F2P" games like DDO and LoTRO left me much poorer then when I first started and I really have no one but myself to blame. From unlocking new races/classes, new adventure/quest packs, even smaller features like removing the gold-cap or being able to ride a mount, these sorts of games are really only "free" if you're willing to play a severly mind-numbingly tedious version of a game that you'd otherwise enjoy for a monthly sub.
Over time I've come to loath the "F2P" model, I think the one game that really did it right was Guild Wars with their one-time base fee for the entire game without a monthly sub. If I only had to pay one straight up fee to enjoy all the content of games like DDO and LoTRO, I might have stuck with them more but the soul (and wallet) sucking setup that is "F2P" definitly loses its luster fast.
Originally posted by ActionMMORPG Rememember when they used to call it "MICRO"-transactions?
If one game I'm trying out is any example, it's not "micro" any longer. It looks like it's easily possible to put hundreds or even thousands of dollars into gear for a character.
How is that micro? I could buy a shiny computer and a years subscription for that kind of cash.
It's still micro because the purchases themselves are individually priced small. $5 item, $10 item, $15 item, etc.
It's people with no self control, independantly wealthy or some desire to "pwn" the game that turn it into "macro" transactions.
Someone spending $200 or more a month on any game... FTP, P2P, B2P.. whatever.. is either wealthy or has no financial discipline, imo.
I just hope that F2P becomes known as a misnomer because these games are, in practic not free, they only give the illusion of being so but that is only true for a portion of the player base that does not care to get the full experience of the game.
The fact that, for most people, a subscription paid game is cheaper than most F2P games just proves this fact and shows how deceptive this whole F2P spectacle is. And not only that, it promotes the concept of Pay to Win.
F2P...Throw that $65 in it when you start and you wont need to pay anymore for a while. In two months you would have to pay $30 towards your P2P, so in two months throw that in your F2P.
Spend $15 a month on your F2P and you'll have it made.
If you spend more than that on f2p games your mommy should take the cc away from you.
People that have played WOW for a year could have spent all of that money on a f2p and bought practicly everything they would ever need in a f2p and never have to pay again.
It just people with elitist attitudes that complain. They think they are the greatest gamers and cant handle it when someone else has something they dont have.
Other MMORPG.com article to stir up this tired argument that we will never agree on ... is MMORPG that desperate for article ideas that alls they can do is stir up arguments with flame bait?
So in other words, you are a big time "F2P" fan, lol.
Personally, I think it's nice to have something to read that balances out all of the "F2P" propaganda articles that have been rather common on this site. Both camps should have some sort of representation.
Umm .. considering I posted this same thing on a F2P "propaganda" article before this one kinda throws your ignorant quick to judge response out the window. Personally, I think this whole P2P vs F2P crap is stupid no matter which side of the argument is on cause most of the complaints people have towards each side are based on business practices from the publishers, not the model themselves. People are blaming the model instead of the publishers.
Ignorant? Hardly, bud. A quick dip in your post history reveals which side of the fence you sit on.
There is nothing "crap" about having a discussion about something that is essentially the biggest change this genre is currently experiencing. Many of us are not willing to play "F2P" games, especially after sinking our teeth into a few titles. If "F2P" becomes the norm, there are a lot of gamers that won't be playing mmorpgs at all anymore. So, you can hopefully understand why this is such a hot a relevant discussion.
Also, I think you're dead wrong about your last statement. It's the model itself that encourages greed and a neverending quest to continually squeeze the sponge. It's the kind of business practice that doesn't work well with Human nature and always winds up bringing out the worst in people.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
It’s an old grifter rule: As long as you add the word “free” to something, people will literally pay anything to obtain it. Especially if they think they’re about to one-up another player.
This only applies to games. If I put junk out on the curb with a free sign on it, no one will ever touch it. But if I put a $10.00 sign on it, someone is bound to steal it the next day.
I bet if they put stuff in the cash shop with a "free" sign on it, no one would touch the junk......
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...
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
A year of F2P LotRO has, for me, ended up being just like a regular sub game, only I don't have to sub 100% of the time. I think I subbed for 8 of the last 13 months, and other than buying the expansions, I have not spent a dime outside the sub price. The accumulated Turbine Points that I've obtained from sub time and from simply playing has allowed me to unlock every zone, every instance, and buy the occasional extra perk. Subbing once in a while also has the advantage that it unlocks all the bag and trait slots for all of your characters, and they stay unlocked.
This solution obviously doesn't work for subless games, but most of the new freemium games are still better than those that are designed to be F2P.
Important facts: 1. Free to Play games are poorly made. 2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals. 3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE. 4. Community is more important than you think.
Originally posted by Athcear A year of F2P LotRO has, for me, ended up being just like a regular sub game, only I don't have to sub 100% of the time. I think I subbed for 8 of the last 13 months, and other than buying the expansions, I have not spent a dime outside the sub price. The accumulated Turbine Points that I've obtained from sub time and from simply playing has allowed me to unlock every zone, every instance, and buy the occasional extra perk. Subbing once in a while also has the advantage that it unlocks all the bag and trait slots for all of your characters, and they stay unlocked.This solution obviously doesn't work for subless games, but most of the new freemium games are still better than those that are designed to be F2P.
Excellent post.
You speak very well on behalf of the FTP market with a compelling case "FOR" FTP.
It’s an old grifter rule: As long as you add the word “free” to something, people will literally pay anything to obtain it. Especially if they think they’re about to one-up another player.
This only applies to games. If I put junk out on the curb with a free sign on it, no one will ever touch it. But if I put a $10.00 sign on it, someone is bound to steal it the next day.
I bet if they put stuff in the cash shop with a "free" sign on it, no one would touch the junk......
I've thrown couches and dressers that were junk to me when I moved. People walking by snatched it up. I don't live in a super ghetto area so people will touch your junk (odd sentence to end on).
A year of F2P LotRO has, for me, ended up being just like a regular sub game, only I don't have to sub 100% of the time. I think I subbed for 8 of the last 13 months, and other than buying the expansions, I have not spent a dime outside the sub price. The accumulated Turbine Points that I've obtained from sub time and from simply playing has allowed me to unlock every zone, every instance, and buy the occasional extra perk. Subbing once in a while also has the advantage that it unlocks all the bag and trait slots for all of your characters, and they stay unlocked.
This solution obviously doesn't work for subless games, but most of the new freemium games are still better than those that are designed to be F2P.
This is the same experience I had while I was playing, and still go back to LoTRO F2P whenever I feel the MMO urge creeping up-by far the cheapest MMO experience I've encountered.
All I really got from the article is if you want to PvP or look pretty you have to pay- I'll go ahead and keep my money while enjoying my time gaming.
A year of F2P LotRO has, for me, ended up being just like a regular sub game, only I don't have to sub 100% of the time. I think I subbed for 8 of the last 13 months, and other than buying the expansions, I have not spent a dime outside the sub price. The accumulated Turbine Points that I've obtained from sub time and from simply playing has allowed me to unlock every zone, every instance, and buy the occasional extra perk.
Subbing once in a while also has the advantage that it unlocks all the bag and trait slots for all of your characters, and they stay unlocked.This solution obviously doesn't work for subless games, but most of the new freemium games are still better than those that are designed to be F2P.
Excellent post.
You speak very well on behalf of the FTP market with a compelling case "FOR" FTP.
Best reasoned response I've seen in a long time.
Well it is all ok BUT there are things you can get ONLY in cash shop and I mean like advantage items. There are stat tomes, store-exclusive relics, store-only relic removal scrolls (mechanic taken out of game and put into store).
There are p2w things like: pvp skills for monster players previously you got them after you ranked which aquiring high ranks took months or more, now you spash some cash and you can get high ranked skills immedietaly even if you low rank. (talk about caring for all those people who worked for those ranks all this time before), stun0immunity scrolls, fear-immunity scrolls, vert powerful store-only pots,etc
There are also things like one very needed scroll needed used alot for core game mechanic (for Legendary Weapon) - only can get for enourmous grind (thousands of shards) or guess what from store. One weapon can use like 20+ of those scrolls.
+ many more and with every update store expand as well
So yea
I still remember Turbine saying that store won't offer advantage.
Originally posted by AthcearA year of F2P LotRO has, for me, ended up being just like a regular sub game, only I don't have to sub 100% of the time. I think I subbed for 8 of the last 13 months, and other than buying the expansions, I have not spent a dime outside the sub price. The accumulated Turbine Points that I've obtained from sub time and from simply playing has allowed me to unlock every zone, every instance, and buy the occasional extra perk. Subbing once in a while also has the advantage that it unlocks all the bag and trait slots for all of your characters, and they stay unlocked.This solution obviously doesn't work for subless games, but most of the new freemium games are still better than those that are designed to be F2P.
Excellent post. You speak very well on behalf of the FTP market with a compelling case "FOR" FTP.Best reasoned response I've seen in a long time.
Well it is all ok BUT there are things you can get ONLY in cash shop and I mean like advantage items. There are stat tomes, store-exclusive relics, store-only relic removal scrolls (mechanic taken out of game and put into store). There are p2w things like: pvp skills for monster players previously you got them after you ranked which aquiring high ranks took months or more, now you spash some cash and you can get high ranked skills immedietaly even if you low rank. (talk about caring for all those people who worked for those ranks all this time before), stun0immunity scrolls, fear-immunity scrolls, vert powerful store-only pots,etcThere are also things like one very needed scroll needed used alot for core game mechanic (for Legendary Weapon) - only can get for enourmous grind (thousands of shards) or guess what from store. One weapon can use like 20+ of those scrolls.+ many more and with every update store expand as well So yea I still remember Turbine saying that store won't offer advantage.
Yeah, but you don't need those things you're talking about.
If someone wanted to get them I guess they could. But for people like Athcear, he doesn't need them and as he said, he plays 8 out of 13 months so that's pretty good anyway it's sliced.
He made an excellent case for it is all I'm saying. Your case against it isn't as good because LOTRO isn't really a PvP game so it doesn't matter if someone buys an advantage item.
Most people don't care if someone does 100 more dps than them anyways.
if people would just stop playing f2p mmorpg's entirely we could chane the industry back o something we liked again.
but people just cant stay away if its "free".
do like me and just dont play f2p games, and if you do dont buy anything. i bought tf2 back in 2007 and still play it. but i never bought anything in their cash shop or any cash shop for that matter.
Well it is all ok BUT there are things you can get ONLY in cash shop and I mean like advantage items. There are stat tomes, store-exclusive relics, store-only relic removal scrolls (mechanic taken out of game and put into store). There are p2w things like: pvp skills for monster players previously you got them after you ranked which aquiring high ranks took months or more, now you spash some cash and you can get high ranked skills immedietaly even if you low rank. (talk about caring for all those people who worked for those ranks all this time before), stun0immunity scrolls, fear-immunity scrolls, vert powerful store-only pots,etcThere are also things like one very needed scroll needed used alot for core game mechanic (for Legendary Weapon) - only can get for enourmous grind (thousands of shards) or guess what from store. One weapon can use like 20+ of those scrolls.+ many more and with every update store expand as well So yea I still remember Turbine saying that store won't offer advantage.
Yeah, but you don't need those things you're talking about.
If someone wanted to get them I guess they could. But for people like Athcear, he doesn't need them and as he said, he plays 8 out of 13 months so that's pretty good anyway it's sliced.
He made an excellent case for it is all I'm saying. Your case against it isn't as good because LOTRO isn't really a PvP game so it doesn't matter if someone buys an advantage item.
Most people don't care if someone does 100 more dps than them anyways.
Don't agree with statement "it is PVE so it is ok". No it is not. To me anyway.
Second thing. There is pvp (well pvpm) in Lotro, and there is direct advantage sold in cash shop.
As for necessity. Sure, if you state case this way, propably 99% of items in almsot all f2p games you do not need
Need or want or how much you think something is advantage or nto advantage or how something is needed or not, etc actually this is subjective matter from what I found.
I do see your point of course, but well I am just against selling any in-game item / thing for $, so whole concept of cash shop is what bother me and what I am against..
Overall a good article. But of course this is MMORPG.com so I feel the need to flame the article somehow. All I can come up with is if you are going to use WoW as an example get it right. I dont know about now but when the money grab horse was first offered it did not even give you a speed advantage. Whatever level of flying you had is the speed it could go. GET IT RIGHT lol.
Ok now that the obligatory correction/flame is out of the way the OP is 100% correct. I was one of the many that found a "f2p" game I really liked. After a month I did my finances like I always do and realized....holy shit I had spent $75 on the game in a month! Thats a months sub to a p2p game + 5 more indie titles I may have been interested in! I felt pretty stupid needless to say.
Now as far as WoW goes with there fluff shop I cancled my account the day it went live. I will stop playing MMO's before I play a p2p game that has a cash shop as well.
I am all for games that that only have cosmetic items in there cash shop. Guild Wars for example. Sure you can buy skill packs, character slots, extra storage, and costumes. However everything except for the costumes are available ingame. I think GW1 offers one campain pack in there cash shop. Also there armor doesnt look horrible so you arent looking to buy a costume just so you dont look like an assclown while playing. If thats the way GW2 is going to be then I'm 100% fine with it. Oh GW1 does offer an extra character slot. However you do get 6 or 8 slots for owning all 3 standalones + the expansion. So its not like they gave you all the classes but only 1 or 2 character slots. In another words while they have a cash shop there really isnt a need for it unless you really want something extra. To me the same would go for any f2p that only has cosmetic items in there cash shop. Maybe even if they add something like a crafting item for enhanced chance not to fail. So long as the base fail rate isnt something insane like it is in hellgate global. You dont NEED the item but after +3 or something like that your chance drops significantly. I mean its like a 5% chance not to fail for the last enhancment. thats just BS.
Comments
Essentially the age-old problem of crafty salesmen and weak humans.
“Free to play with limited content and gear that will let you experience the game just enough to have fun, but not enough to actually start pwning faces”.
If folk were more content in themselves and wanted to pwn less and perhaps not be so obsessed with digital bling...
There is NO miracle patch.
95% of what you see in beta won't change by launch.
Hope is not a stategy.
______________________________
"This kind of topic is like one of those little cartoon boxes held up by a stick on a string, with a piece of meat under it. In other words, bait."
OP points out just why I don't like f2p. Free doesn't mean free; for most people it means pay more.
Also I hate salesmen and people trying to sell me stuff. F2P is like constantly being hit up for things, only they get you to do it to yourself. Screw that.
Rememember when they used to call it "MICRO"-transactions?
If one game I'm trying out is any example, it's not "micro" any longer. It looks like it's easily possible to put hundreds or even thousands of dollars into gear for a character.
How is that micro? I could buy a shiny computer and a years subscription for that kind of cash.
What I find amazing is that people actually do this. Some of it looks like it might be part of a get rich quick scheme where players wheel and deal (or scam) other players into buying gear for cash in side-deals.
Is the new trend "Play for Profit" ???
edit kant spel
My main problem with the f2p model is the inherent dishonesty in calling it free-to-play. It should be called: You-Get-What-You-Pay-For-To-Play.
I pay a monthly sub fee and I buy from the cash shop. I am one of those, Oh the horror!!!
I will agree, calling a game Free-to-Play is wrong. Free-to- Try is more accurate.
Life is Short, Read a Book.
Good article. Gotta nit-pick a bit. The original mount offered on the Blizzard Pet Store wasn't faster than the other mounts (your mounted speed is dicated by your mount skill). It was just that it looked different than anything else in the game, so people spent 25 bucks a pop. I would be interested to see the profits on the second mount they released in that manner as well.
Blizzard has also made millions on the pets in their pet store, at 10 bucks a pop, as well as the stuffed gryphon/wyvern toy, that also comes with a pet code.
The next pet to be sold in the pet store will be tradeable in game though, which opens up a can of worms where I could spend $10 on a pet, and then in turn sell it for thousands of gold in game. Which basically allows for some type of gold purchasing through a "legitimate" system in WoW.
The Freemium and F2P models in general are bad business overall though. These companies (like Turbine) are increasing their profits, but also limit your ability to play the game without making purchases. In the end, it winds up being cheaper to just pay the price for a sub. While companies are allowed to attempt to make a profit, the way they are going about it is a bit shady.
However, as long as there are people who are willing to spend cash on virtual features/content/items, these systems will exist.
Umm .. considering I posted this same thing on a F2P "propaganda" article before this one kinda throws your ignorant quick to judge response out the window. Personally, I think this whole P2P vs F2P crap is stupid no matter which side of the argument is on cause most of the complaints people have towards each side are based on business practices from the publishers, not the model themselves. People are blaming the model instead of the publishers.
I hate to say it but this article is spot-on. Spending no more than a few months playing "F2P" games like DDO and LoTRO left me much poorer then when I first started and I really have no one but myself to blame. From unlocking new races/classes, new adventure/quest packs, even smaller features like removing the gold-cap or being able to ride a mount, these sorts of games are really only "free" if you're willing to play a severly mind-numbingly tedious version of a game that you'd otherwise enjoy for a monthly sub.
Over time I've come to loath the "F2P" model, I think the one game that really did it right was Guild Wars with their one-time base fee for the entire game without a monthly sub. If I only had to pay one straight up fee to enjoy all the content of games like DDO and LoTRO, I might have stuck with them more but the soul (and wallet) sucking setup that is "F2P" definitly loses its luster fast.
It's people with no self control, independantly wealthy or some desire to "pwn" the game that turn it into "macro" transactions.
Someone spending $200 or more a month on any game... FTP, P2P, B2P.. whatever.. is either wealthy or has no financial discipline, imo.
"TO MICHAEL!"
I just hope that F2P becomes known as a misnomer because these games are, in practic not free, they only give the illusion of being so but that is only true for a portion of the player base that does not care to get the full experience of the game.
The fact that, for most people, a subscription paid game is cheaper than most F2P games just proves this fact and shows how deceptive this whole F2P spectacle is. And not only that, it promotes the concept of Pay to Win.
My gaming blog
great article
its oh so true that F2P is like a unlimited demo
yeah you can play for free but you can't
-access auction house or buy from 90% of all NPCs
-access 5/8 races
-access 8/10 classes
-access anything over tier 2 gear
-access VIP areas (which limits you to a farm with pigs and gold spammers)
-have more than 3 pennies in your account
-have more than 3 items in your bank
-have any kind of head gear
-use general chat
-you gain 10% normal xp
-can't go over lvl 5
basically all you can do is pick up a brank from the floor and wack your basic baby wolves and quirrels and awe at the awesome graphics
of course i am exagerating all that, but you guys get my point
You people just like to complain.
P2P...$50 box+$15 a month = $65
F2P...Throw that $65 in it when you start and you wont need to pay anymore for a while. In two months you would have to pay $30 towards your P2P, so in two months throw that in your F2P.
Spend $15 a month on your F2P and you'll have it made.
If you spend more than that on f2p games your mommy should take the cc away from you.
People that have played WOW for a year could have spent all of that money on a f2p and bought practicly everything they would ever need in a f2p and never have to pay again.
It just people with elitist attitudes that complain. They think they are the greatest gamers and cant handle it when someone else has something they dont have.
Ignorant? Hardly, bud. A quick dip in your post history reveals which side of the fence you sit on.
There is nothing "crap" about having a discussion about something that is essentially the biggest change this genre is currently experiencing. Many of us are not willing to play "F2P" games, especially after sinking our teeth into a few titles. If "F2P" becomes the norm, there are a lot of gamers that won't be playing mmorpgs at all anymore. So, you can hopefully understand why this is such a hot a relevant discussion.
Also, I think you're dead wrong about your last statement. It's the model itself that encourages greed and a neverending quest to continually squeeze the sponge. It's the kind of business practice that doesn't work well with Human nature and always winds up bringing out the worst in people.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
It’s an old grifter rule: As long as you add the word “free” to something, people will literally pay anything to obtain it. Especially if they think they’re about to one-up another player.
This only applies to games. If I put junk out on the curb with a free sign on it, no one will ever touch it. But if I put a $10.00 sign on it, someone is bound to steal it the next day.
I bet if they put stuff in the cash shop with a "free" sign on it, no one would touch the junk......
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...
Excellent work, MMORPG.com.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Coyote's Articles are the best, haha ;-)
A year of F2P LotRO has, for me, ended up being just like a regular sub game, only I don't have to sub 100% of the time. I think I subbed for 8 of the last 13 months, and other than buying the expansions, I have not spent a dime outside the sub price. The accumulated Turbine Points that I've obtained from sub time and from simply playing has allowed me to unlock every zone, every instance, and buy the occasional extra perk. Subbing once in a while also has the advantage that it unlocks all the bag and trait slots for all of your characters, and they stay unlocked.
This solution obviously doesn't work for subless games, but most of the new freemium games are still better than those that are designed to be F2P.
Important facts:
1. Free to Play games are poorly made.
2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals.
3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE.
4. Community is more important than you think.
You speak very well on behalf of the FTP market with a compelling case "FOR" FTP.
Best reasoned response I've seen in a long time.
"TO MICHAEL!"
I've thrown couches and dressers that were junk to me when I moved. People walking by snatched it up. I don't live in a super ghetto area so people will touch your junk (odd sentence to end on).
This is the same experience I had while I was playing, and still go back to LoTRO F2P whenever I feel the MMO urge creeping up-by far the cheapest MMO experience I've encountered.
All I really got from the article is if you want to PvP or look pretty you have to pay- I'll go ahead and keep my money while enjoying my time gaming.
Well it is all ok BUT there are things you can get ONLY in cash shop and I mean like advantage items. There are stat tomes, store-exclusive relics, store-only relic removal scrolls (mechanic taken out of game and put into store).
There are p2w things like: pvp skills for monster players previously you got them after you ranked which aquiring high ranks took months or more, now you spash some cash and you can get high ranked skills immedietaly even if you low rank. (talk about caring for all those people who worked for those ranks all this time before), stun0immunity scrolls, fear-immunity scrolls, vert powerful store-only pots,etc
There are also things like one very needed scroll needed used alot for core game mechanic (for Legendary Weapon) - only can get for enourmous grind (thousands of shards) or guess what from store. One weapon can use like 20+ of those scrolls.
+ many more and with every update store expand as well
So yea
I still remember Turbine saying that store won't offer advantage.
If someone wanted to get them I guess they could. But for people like Athcear, he doesn't need them and as he said, he plays 8 out of 13 months so that's pretty good anyway it's sliced.
He made an excellent case for it is all I'm saying. Your case against it isn't as good because LOTRO isn't really a PvP game so it doesn't matter if someone buys an advantage item.
Most people don't care if someone does 100 more dps than them anyways.
"TO MICHAEL!"
if people would just stop playing f2p mmorpg's entirely we could chane the industry back o something we liked again.
but people just cant stay away if its "free".
do like me and just dont play f2p games, and if you do dont buy anything. i bought tf2 back in 2007 and still play it. but i never bought anything in their cash shop or any cash shop for that matter.
Don't agree with statement "it is PVE so it is ok". No it is not. To me anyway.
Second thing. There is pvp (well pvpm) in Lotro, and there is direct advantage sold in cash shop.
As for necessity. Sure, if you state case this way, propably 99% of items in almsot all f2p games you do not need
Need or want or how much you think something is advantage or nto advantage or how something is needed or not, etc actually this is subjective matter from what I found.
I do see your point of course, but well I am just against selling any in-game item / thing for $, so whole concept of cash shop is what bother me and what I am against..
Overall a good article. But of course this is MMORPG.com so I feel the need to flame the article somehow. All I can come up with is if you are going to use WoW as an example get it right. I dont know about now but when the money grab horse was first offered it did not even give you a speed advantage. Whatever level of flying you had is the speed it could go. GET IT RIGHT lol.
Ok now that the obligatory correction/flame is out of the way the OP is 100% correct. I was one of the many that found a "f2p" game I really liked. After a month I did my finances like I always do and realized....holy shit I had spent $75 on the game in a month! Thats a months sub to a p2p game + 5 more indie titles I may have been interested in! I felt pretty stupid needless to say.
Now as far as WoW goes with there fluff shop I cancled my account the day it went live. I will stop playing MMO's before I play a p2p game that has a cash shop as well.
I am all for games that that only have cosmetic items in there cash shop. Guild Wars for example. Sure you can buy skill packs, character slots, extra storage, and costumes. However everything except for the costumes are available ingame. I think GW1 offers one campain pack in there cash shop. Also there armor doesnt look horrible so you arent looking to buy a costume just so you dont look like an assclown while playing. If thats the way GW2 is going to be then I'm 100% fine with it. Oh GW1 does offer an extra character slot. However you do get 6 or 8 slots for owning all 3 standalones + the expansion. So its not like they gave you all the classes but only 1 or 2 character slots. In another words while they have a cash shop there really isnt a need for it unless you really want something extra. To me the same would go for any f2p that only has cosmetic items in there cash shop. Maybe even if they add something like a crafting item for enhanced chance not to fail. So long as the base fail rate isnt something insane like it is in hellgate global. You dont NEED the item but after +3 or something like that your chance drops significantly. I mean its like a 5% chance not to fail for the last enhancment. thats just BS.