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"City of Heroes Freedom" A Not So Great Thing!!!
jpnole
Member UncommonPosts: 1,698
As is the case with nearly every Western mmo gone F2P the "free" version is missing essential things that will break your long term gaming experience. Here is what the free version does not have:
1/3 of the power sets
6 of the 14 ATs
Supergroup access
ability to receive tells/whispers
In game mail
Forum access (read only)
A shitload of character slots (you get 2 total vs 12 per server)
A free monthly server transfer
"Limited" auction house use (definitely sucks)
Mission Architect (must be purchased)
Inventions (must be purchased)
Priority queueing for login
VIP server access (those who think free players will add to poulation are mistaken as VIPs will be alone on their "VIP" server)
"Premium" in game customer support
First ward missions
Going Rogue expansion
I probably missed a few but that basically sums it up. BTW I do like the game, just had to tame the unnecessary excitement over the hybrid F2P model...... it's all in the word "hybrid".
Comments
Yes but you still get more than if it was just a free trial and the paying customers still get the paying only option with the "vip" servers so it is still a good thing maybe not as great as you would like but better than what you had before.:p
Actually no - its would be a great thing if they AT LEAST allowed free access to the auction house, mission architect, inventions, chat whispers/tells and a few more character slots... 6 would be fair to allow for sufficient experimentation with the game's AT choices.
Did you expect the game for free?
I just don't like the absolute locked archtypes even if you're a free player. But I mean it's a game that I've spent well over 2 years subbed to over the course of several years. So... Being able to log in and decide when's a good time to pay again is a pretty sweet option.
Always funy how mmo company's think that removing mechanics that help people play togetter works productive for their f2p game change.
I can see why they do it, afrait of gold sellers and shit, but to block 100million potentinal gamers from being social and get hooked vs the danger of a few gold sellers might pose still aint looking to be the right path to take in my view /shrug.
the rest however , limeting Suit parts, power sets and all that sort of stuff , fine by me, they gota generate some income somehow.
Limets on gameplay are always fine when its free to play, just not the best bussiness plan to take out the things that make mmo intresting for potential customers.
So make 3 free accounts that will give you 6 slots to play around with.
You had that option all along - you unsub and resub later on. As it stands now, if you log in without a sub you can't use the AH, Mission Architect, Inventions, etc etc etc.
Wow..if your list is true there are some extremely game crippling exclusions in CoH Freedom for free players. I understand they want you to sub or spend more in the store but where is the initial enticement if they hinder you so badly from the start?. LOTRO...DDO...even Vindictus and (now) AoC have decent F2P setups imo. Not too restrictive with a decent amount of content available at the start. In DDO and LOTRO...you can access the whole game for free if you put in (a lot) of time. Champions was too restrictive ..especially with power sets and I only got through a few hours before I realized the store is practically a must. Looks like this "SUPER" game will be the same. Oh well...guess I'll keep my boxes on the shelf.
THANK YOU - some one who sees it as I do. People think I'm asking for a free game.... no... just not so restrictive. Also you can add Hellgate's F2P model to the list of good ones too.
Only the one's I mentioned in parentheses.
its funny how people who arent willin to pay feel they deserve more then what they get. Money must be made with the endevor of keeping an MMo running and expanding. If your not willing to invest in a games growth, then you well deserve less then have the content of what the game offers. I find the offerings for Free players just right; i dont need your kind up here with me and my $14.99 offering to these gods who bless us with their fruits of awsome.
I don't really care what the free players get or don't get, the only reason i wanted it to go free in the first place was so the servers wouldn't be so dead on off peak times. I'll gladly give them their £8.99 the second it happens.
Every year i go back to CoX for a month or three, with the higher population F2P brings that may start being longer.
I think it's working just like in AoC, if you already had the archetypes that are locked then you can use them in F2P. There's a bunch of stuff you get if you've ever subscribed before too and none of the nonsense AoC did with not giving access to the expansion areas if previously purchased thankfully.
I am a bit surprised at the F2P players not being allowed to join Supergroups, the game has always encouraged socialising with other players in practically every aspect of it.
Premium = If you've ever subscribed in the past.
That actually doesnt look too bad imo.
Naw.
Looks like even returnin players will have something to do.
I understand what you're saying but the F2P "non-premium" crowd will be in non-VIP servers. Meanwhile you and other VIPs will be in the VIP server where F2Ps aren't allowed.
Exactly! Excellent point!
As a former CoH player the feature list in Kabaal's post looks fine to me. The biggest drawback I can see is the chat channel issue however it would definitely make for some of the social areas (iirc they had a nightclub in CoH) more social. Plus, I throw in money with several friends for a ventrilo server so that when we do decide to try a different F2P game the chat limitations don't really bother us.
As for the auction house, I do think they may be shooting themselves in the foot. I can understand why I think it's being done (botters/goldsellers) but I find an overloaded AH with dirt cheap undercut prices to be better overall than a mostly empty AH.
Nah, i won't. Free players aren't allowed on the VIP servers but there is nothing stopping me transferring my toons to one of the free servers. I would rather play on the general servers than be stuck off on the VIP ones where you never meet anyone still with the sense of wonder you get in a new game and likely less population, something the game needs right now.
This got to be one of the most laughable F2P/hybrid model yet i understand restriction on archetypes, character slots etc because they got to make money but there should be no restriction on sending and receiving messages and joining super groups. I was really excited about this but i am gonna pass. This is more like extended trial nothing more.
Heso o kamedomo oyobanu -- Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Ya think? The point is to whet the appetite of new players enough that some will opt to become full subscribers, or at least make some sort of purchase thereby become premium consumers (and then get access to the chat communication channels).
If you're cheap, you're cheap, but don't expect anything real for free ( ' ;
Well if thats the case free to play shouldnt bill themselves as such either because we all know they are only "really' free to play to a certain extent.
The VIP servers are optional and they're going to be new. All the old servers will be mixed.
Im just wondering what does free to play mean?
Does it mean i can log in without paying any money and play the game to get a feel for it or is it i can play all content with no money?
They do give limited stuff for free players but that also says you can pay a one time fee to get stuff with out putting more money on it. etc. Architech, server transfers and inventions.
and if you ever had a account and bought 1 month you are premium account holder which give you alittle more then someone joining day 1
I do think the idea is nice and having a VIP server is nice as well, but only time will tell if it goes well or not.
This could be the new beginning or the final nail in the coffin for CoX.
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It means you didn't have to pay for a box, or pay for a digital download. You're free to play the game without an upfront cost.
Really I never got why that confused people.
Maybe I missed it...but if you start a free character....then decide to go sub. ...Do they transfer your character to the VIP server...?...therefore leaving free players you may have bonded with during your initial time in game?...seems like an odd way to do things.
nvm ..just saw the answer in Kumquats post.