Nope, not guilty at all. If there were anything that actually caught my eye, or I felt I couldnt live without, I may buy into it. Or if the game had a longer longevity than a month, I would consider. I played (and subbed) to EQ2 for 8 years, but I have never spent a dime in F2P titles.
I feel I still support the game in my own way. First off, just playing is helping the company. Free players add to the world, and keep it from feeling dead. Paying players will play longer (and pay more) if the world isnt dead, and they have others to play with, even if they play for free. Secondly, if the premium currency or items are tradable, I do a fair share of trading in-game money for premium. The company still gets paid, because someone paid for those gems or credits or whatevers, and by my spending them, it still keeps the economy healthy.
So no, dont feel guilty at all. I was given options and other ways to support the community and the company, and I feel I have done so.
I don't like paying in f2p because to me it's against the spirit of gaming to be paying for things I should be earning in game. Its like playing basketball and having to pay to be able to shoot three's or dunk or shoot fade away shots.
Originally posted by Vermillion_Raventhal I don't like paying in f2p because to me it's against the spirit of gaming to be paying for things I should be earning in game. Its like playing basketball and having to pay to be able to shoot three's or dunk or shoot fade away shots.
Many MMOs arnt even actually F2P. Any game that gates content around payment model (DDO, LorTO, SWTOR, AoC, AO, etc) are not F2P, only extended free trials. Don't feel guilty playing an extended free trial....
the only games i have spent a dime on that is F2P is POE and LoL. They are both good games that show what they really are off the bat. I can be 100% effective without spending a dime in either game... so I did drop about $20 on each game.
for actual MMO's.... im getting real tired of their shit... F2P with some form of buy to win mechanic somewhere. The game is designed to make the game easier or more fun if you spend $$ in their cash shop.
i like a P2P model... but with NO FUCKING CASH SHOP. I pay you monthy. set me a fair montly fee and give me updates and working servers. Stp trying to nickle and dime me in game for more shit. Sure, do t-shirts and real world stuff that i can buy to support the game and show off my swag.... but in game... i want to be able to EARN everything, not have to fork over $$ for it no matter how much time i put into the game.
i can tolerate an aesthetic cash shop in a b2p game... fund the next expansion, i get it. but nothing that actually alters game play.
companies need to make money, i will pay for a game. But i want that game to be on equal footing for all players. My skill + time should be what sets me apart, not my day job bank account
Who in their right mind would feel guilty for playing a F2P MMO????
If so, they should have their heads examined.
It's the publisher/devs choice to publish a F2P game so why would anyone feel guilty? LOL!
Because for me gaming is like just any other commodity in world where a lot of hard work, blood and sweat is involved by those who make / produce those products. Since i do not freeload on anything else and pay for everything i feel the same about MMOS as a product.
After getting thousands of hours worth of fun i just felt bad because the devs who work hard on these games are actual people like you and me and need salaries to survive. And these salaries come from players like us. Maybe i am more morally aware? but i can assure you nothing is wrong with my head.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.' -Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid." -Luke McKinney
no because I have yet to find an f2p game that I can get into...maybe its just the idea behind it, but mostly I feel it is the community that ruins it very quickly...
No guilt here.I haven't found a F2P game that I think is worth spending money on.In fact I get more enjoyment and hours out of a 99 cent game on the play store or a game bought from steam for 5 bucks or less than I've ever gotten in a F2P game.So why would I waste money on the current crop of F2P MMOs?
If I play the game longer than a month, I will usually spend some money. There are some cases where I won't usually, for those games that went from p2p to f2p if I had already paid previously. Such as Rift. I'm finally enjoying myself in that game though I bought it a year ago so I already "paid." I treat it like a b2p game. Now if I am still playing in another month, I will probably throw them some money, because I do believe that if I am playing and getting some value I should give something back. This is the good part about f2p to me, there are lots of downsides to it as well.
I have had thousands of hours worth of fun lately playing games like NW, STO and AION. More than i ever had while playing sub MMOS. But i felt bad for not spending a dime and felt really cheap and thought it is like taking advantage of someone's hard work. After all these devs don't work for free and have bills to pay and their families to take care of.
Was i being selfish? cheap? (i did spend some money in cash shop of Aion and bought some zen for STO / NW just to show my support)
I had the same feeling with Neverwinter which was my first F2P game I did enjoy for a few weeks.
Still playing after 4 months and have put in 15€ each month, only to buy some unlock key´s, couldn't care less for all the other cashshop items....oh did buy extra bank slots for both toons. And still have 57 lockboxes to unlock, not going above my 15€ a month.
But also started playing Rift for about 2 weeks now and so far not sure why I would want to spend any real life money into the game. Everything the game has to offer I am getting by pure playing it. The only regret I have is not having played sooner as a sub even. I did play Beta (which was more testing then playing) but didn´t feel that `click` so I moved on after beta.
Games are products. If the product is worth paying for, then pay for it. If the product is not worth paying for, don't. It's the developer's job to make something worth paying for. It is also the developer's choice to put free content out for players to consume.
Whether I buy something or not doesn't make a difference, not when compared to the thousands of people who do or do not buy something. Nobody is going to gain or lose a job, gain or lose a pay raise or bonus because I did or did not spend $5 in SWToR.
There's no reason for me to feel guilty about not spending money in a F2P game. There's no reason for me to be proud of it either. It's an economic transaction, not a moral one.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
No i don't because they are trying to get me into the game to see if i like it.Even if i play for awhile,that doesn't mean i like it enough to spend any money.If i do like it,i will spend some money.I have not stayed in f2p games very long of late,NW being the longest at around 2-3 weeks.So i wouldn't have stayed long enough to support a sub fee but i knew that in the first day of game play.
IMO the developers should feel guilty because when they set out to build a f2p game they are not going all in like a triple A effort.So they are hoping that just by being free they get enough interest to attract yet more interest,it really is a snowball effect.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
i dont at all - because they decided they will go f2p, so why should i pay? if they decided to go p2p, then it would be up to me if i want to pay or not for it.
i actually prefer p2p mmorpgs, if i play f2p one, i make it my "motto" not to pay for it.
that's kinda the point behind f2p, fyi. y'know. play the game and pay if you want not hide the whole thing behind a paywall.
i give some money to f2p's if i have some to spare and i really like the game. so far this has been mostly concentrated in gw2.
even for a sub based game i dont pay, i've never payed my game time with real money in EVE (thank CCP for inventing PLEX), i dont have the money to pay for a sub or to buy stupid freemium bullshit, nor im the type of young boy who likes to spend his parent's money for a game. enough bills to pay, i prefer to get my games by other means, like craked versions and that stuff.
as for F2P MMOs i dont play them anymore, too much garbage, all the same, all with a restricting cash shop. some of the P2P games that made the conversion like Aion or Lineage II dont really cater to me, im waiting for something more sandboxy.
No, most F2P games played as free are rather restrictive. If there is reason to expand the game or buy extra content then will do, otherwise will not.
Although I have not really played a game yet where I have not bought it in some form (eg Neverwinter - will have to see if I enjoy it and feel guilty when I play it). STO I bought 2 boxes at launch, and only one LT account as game did not seem too awesome, but then used 2nd box and paid a few months subs before cancelling, so have paid a lot to it already, although have bought some ZEN from time to time. SWTOR I bought collectors edition and 2 standard one, plus 2 60 day time cards, with a few more months subbed and with the shallowness of the game, that is plenty of money spent on it, way more than what I have spent playing similar games like Mass effect / Dragon Age etc
I do somewhat feel guilty not paying for LOTRO under a LT subscription. Since it has gone free I have not spent anything on it, even on expansions, and the LT sub paid for itself ages ago. Any stuff bought is all paid with points accrued from monthly stipend. Earlier in the year I started to play it more, and thought I would buy more stuff then but saw that some people had loads of money drained from their accounts through a glitch in their system, and now I am more reluctant to provide payment details, and following SOEs breach and other various breaches too including WOW.
Feel guilty for not buying items in a game, where the major reason I even bothered to play it was because of the free access?
Never.
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.
Who in their right mind would feel guilty for playing a F2P MMO????
If so, they should have their heads examined.
It's the publisher/devs choice to publish a F2P game so why would anyone feel guilty? LOL!
Because for me gaming is like just any other commodity in world where a lot of hard work, blood and sweat is involved by those who make / produce those products. Since i do not freeload on anything else and pay for everything i feel the same about MMOS as a product.
After getting thousands of hours worth of fun i just felt bad because the devs who work hard on these games are actual people like you and me and need salaries to survive. And these salaries come from players like us. Maybe i am more morally aware? but i can assure you nothing is wrong with my head.
You are not 'more morally aware' - you are framing the issue differently (and I think wrongly).
It is not 'freeloading' - freeloading is when you're taking advantage of something provided to you by others to the point that you act as though there are no expectations of eventually holding yourself back or repaying the kindness. There are no such expectations here; the devs fully expect that many, if not most of their playerbase will play entirely for free - that is why the payment model is referred to as 'free to play'.
There is no need to feel bad for the devs - they willingly embarked on a business venture, releasing a game they market as 'free to play'; they are of course banking on some players paying, but only if they offer enticing services - no business firm is out for charity. If you release a F2P game, you know you are taking a financial risk, and you will have planned accordingly. Such devs either work for a big studio which will eat the losses and still pay their employees regardless of the game's success, or they are small indy studios who are doing it as a hobby or side project to their day jobs. No one is going to starve because a free to play game has to close down.
So, your sentiments are misplaced. If you are concerned about the welfare of others, there are countless other places you could direct your sympathetic charity before F2P devs.
Originally posted by LoverNoFighter Who in their right mind would feel guilty for playing a F2P MMO????If so, they should have their heads examined.It's the publisher/devs choice to publish a F2P game so why would anyone feel guilty? LOL!
Because for me gaming is like just any other commodity in world where a lot of hard work, blood and sweat is involved by those who make / produce those products. Since i do not freeload on anything else and pay for everything i feel the same about MMOS as a product.After getting thousands of hours worth of fun i just felt bad because the devs who work hard on these games are actual people like you and me and need salaries to survive. And these salaries come from players like us. Maybe i am more morally aware? but i can assure you nothing is wrong with my head.
You are not 'more morally aware' - you are framing the issue differently (and I think wrongly).It is not 'freeloading' - freeloading is when you're taking advantage of something provided to you by others to the point that you act as though there are no expectations of eventually holding yourself back or repaying the kindness. There are no such expectations here; the devs fully expect that many, if not most of their playerbase will play entirely for free - that is why the payment model is referred to as 'free to play'.There is no need to feel bad for the devs - they willingly embarked on a business venture, releasing a game they market as 'free to play'; they are of course banking on some players paying, but only if they offer enticing services - no business firm is out for charity. If you release a F2P game, you know you are taking a financial risk, and you will have planned accordingly. Such devs either work for a big studio which will eat the losses and still pay their employees regardless of the game's success, or they are small indy studios who are doing it as a hobby or side project to their day jobs. No one is going to starve because a free to play game has to close down.So, your sentiments are misplaced. If you are concerned about the welfare of others, there are countless other places you could direct your sympathetic charity before F2P devs.
I kind of smile at the responses here, this one especially. On one hand, I'd like to argue for giving money if one enjoys a game. On the other hand, I smile and nod and think about the FFAPvP crowd that defeats their own self-destructive desires.
"Sympathetic Charity." Interesting phrase there. It is charity to give money to people who actually work at something consumed by others. Interesting definition of charity. It's not like the companies are on the street corner holding a "will sit here for money" signs.
With thinking like those in the thread, maybe F2P is on the way out? And good riddance, in my opinion. It will probably be saved by the players paying for what they enjoy instead, though. Oh, well...
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse. - FARGIN_WAR
Not at all, it's F2P. When I hit the "cap" when the cash shop begins to become a necessity (certain games) I quit. Like others, I prefer P2P games as at least then I know that most of the content and fluff is already in the game I just need to achieve it rather than spending $25 for a mount or armor.
Comments
Nope, not guilty at all. If there were anything that actually caught my eye, or I felt I couldnt live without, I may buy into it. Or if the game had a longer longevity than a month, I would consider. I played (and subbed) to EQ2 for 8 years, but I have never spent a dime in F2P titles.
I feel I still support the game in my own way. First off, just playing is helping the company. Free players add to the world, and keep it from feeling dead. Paying players will play longer (and pay more) if the world isnt dead, and they have others to play with, even if they play for free. Secondly, if the premium currency or items are tradable, I do a fair share of trading in-game money for premium. The company still gets paid, because someone paid for those gems or credits or whatevers, and by my spending them, it still keeps the economy healthy.
So no, dont feel guilty at all. I was given options and other ways to support the community and the company, and I feel I have done so.
Many MMOs arnt even actually F2P. Any game that gates content around payment model (DDO, LorTO, SWTOR, AoC, AO, etc) are not F2P, only extended free trials. Don't feel guilty playing an extended free trial....
Who in their right mind would feel guilty for playing a F2P MMO????
If so, they should have their heads examined.
It's the publisher/devs choice to publish a F2P game so why would anyone feel guilty? LOL!
i feel no guilt.
the only games i have spent a dime on that is F2P is POE and LoL. They are both good games that show what they really are off the bat. I can be 100% effective without spending a dime in either game... so I did drop about $20 on each game.
for actual MMO's.... im getting real tired of their shit... F2P with some form of buy to win mechanic somewhere. The game is designed to make the game easier or more fun if you spend $$ in their cash shop.
i like a P2P model... but with NO FUCKING CASH SHOP. I pay you monthy. set me a fair montly fee and give me updates and working servers. Stp trying to nickle and dime me in game for more shit. Sure, do t-shirts and real world stuff that i can buy to support the game and show off my swag.... but in game... i want to be able to EARN everything, not have to fork over $$ for it no matter how much time i put into the game.
i can tolerate an aesthetic cash shop in a b2p game... fund the next expansion, i get it. but nothing that actually alters game play.
companies need to make money, i will pay for a game. But i want that game to be on equal footing for all players. My skill + time should be what sets me apart, not my day job bank account
Because for me gaming is like just any other commodity in world where a lot of hard work, blood and sweat is involved by those who make / produce those products. Since i do not freeload on anything else and pay for everything i feel the same about MMOS as a product.
After getting thousands of hours worth of fun i just felt bad because the devs who work hard on these games are actual people like you and me and need salaries to survive. And these salaries come from players like us. Maybe i am more morally aware? but i can assure you nothing is wrong with my head.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
-Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
-Luke McKinney
If I enjoy the game, I pay monies.
If I leave the game after the first day, I chalk it up to demo/trial.
I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil
I had the same feeling with Neverwinter which was my first F2P game I did enjoy for a few weeks.
Still playing after 4 months and have put in 15€ each month, only to buy some unlock key´s, couldn't care less for all the other cashshop items....oh did buy extra bank slots for both toons. And still have 57 lockboxes to unlock, not going above my 15€ a month.
But also started playing Rift for about 2 weeks now and so far not sure why I would want to spend any real life money into the game. Everything the game has to offer I am getting by pure playing it. The only regret I have is not having played sooner as a sub even. I did play Beta (which was more testing then playing) but didn´t feel that `click` so I moved on after beta.
Games are products. If the product is worth paying for, then pay for it. If the product is not worth paying for, don't. It's the developer's job to make something worth paying for. It is also the developer's choice to put free content out for players to consume.
Whether I buy something or not doesn't make a difference, not when compared to the thousands of people who do or do not buy something. Nobody is going to gain or lose a job, gain or lose a pay raise or bonus because I did or did not spend $5 in SWToR.
There's no reason for me to feel guilty about not spending money in a F2P game. There's no reason for me to be proud of it either. It's an economic transaction, not a moral one.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
No i don't because they are trying to get me into the game to see if i like it.Even if i play for awhile,that doesn't mean i like it enough to spend any money.If i do like it,i will spend some money.I have not stayed in f2p games very long of late,NW being the longest at around 2-3 weeks.So i wouldn't have stayed long enough to support a sub fee but i knew that in the first day of game play.
IMO the developers should feel guilty because when they set out to build a f2p game they are not going all in like a triple A effort.So they are hoping that just by being free they get enough interest to attract yet more interest,it really is a snowball effect.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
that's kinda the point behind f2p, fyi. y'know. play the game and pay if you want not hide the whole thing behind a paywall.
i give some money to f2p's if i have some to spare and i really like the game. so far this has been mostly concentrated in gw2.
even for a sub based game i dont pay, i've never payed my game time with real money in EVE (thank CCP for inventing PLEX), i dont have the money to pay for a sub or to buy stupid freemium bullshit, nor im the type of young boy who likes to spend his parent's money for a game. enough bills to pay, i prefer to get my games by other means, like craked versions and that stuff.
as for F2P MMOs i dont play them anymore, too much garbage, all the same, all with a restricting cash shop. some of the P2P games that made the conversion like Aion or Lineage II dont really cater to me, im waiting for something more sandboxy.
No, most F2P games played as free are rather restrictive. If there is reason to expand the game or buy extra content then will do, otherwise will not.
Although I have not really played a game yet where I have not bought it in some form (eg Neverwinter - will have to see if I enjoy it and feel guilty when I play it). STO I bought 2 boxes at launch, and only one LT account as game did not seem too awesome, but then used 2nd box and paid a few months subs before cancelling, so have paid a lot to it already, although have bought some ZEN from time to time. SWTOR I bought collectors edition and 2 standard one, plus 2 60 day time cards, with a few more months subbed and with the shallowness of the game, that is plenty of money spent on it, way more than what I have spent playing similar games like Mass effect / Dragon Age etc
I do somewhat feel guilty not paying for LOTRO under a LT subscription. Since it has gone free I have not spent anything on it, even on expansions, and the LT sub paid for itself ages ago. Any stuff bought is all paid with points accrued from monthly stipend. Earlier in the year I started to play it more, and thought I would buy more stuff then but saw that some people had loads of money drained from their accounts through a glitch in their system, and now I am more reluctant to provide payment details, and following SOEs breach and other various breaches too including WOW.
Star Trek Online - Best Free MMORPG of 2012
Feel guilty for not buying items in a game, where the major reason I even bothered to play it was because of the free access?
Never.
You are not 'more morally aware' - you are framing the issue differently (and I think wrongly).
It is not 'freeloading' - freeloading is when you're taking advantage of something provided to you by others to the point that you act as though there are no expectations of eventually holding yourself back or repaying the kindness. There are no such expectations here; the devs fully expect that many, if not most of their playerbase will play entirely for free - that is why the payment model is referred to as 'free to play'.
There is no need to feel bad for the devs - they willingly embarked on a business venture, releasing a game they market as 'free to play'; they are of course banking on some players paying, but only if they offer enticing services - no business firm is out for charity. If you release a F2P game, you know you are taking a financial risk, and you will have planned accordingly. Such devs either work for a big studio which will eat the losses and still pay their employees regardless of the game's success, or they are small indy studios who are doing it as a hobby or side project to their day jobs. No one is going to starve because a free to play game has to close down.
So, your sentiments are misplaced. If you are concerned about the welfare of others, there are countless other places you could direct your sympathetic charity before F2P devs.
"Sympathetic Charity." Interesting phrase there. It is charity to give money to people who actually work at something consumed by others. Interesting definition of charity. It's not like the companies are on the street corner holding a "will sit here for money" signs.
With thinking like those in the thread, maybe F2P is on the way out? And good riddance, in my opinion. It will probably be saved by the players paying for what they enjoy instead, though. Oh, well...
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR