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So, is "Free 2 Play" really meaning "Free to get miserable unless you spend cash"?
Baseline
Member Posts: 503
Me and a friend are considering jumping into an MMO.
Played EQ2 a while ago, like years ago as a maxed out char. I actually know the game, so I don't need an overview. As far as interests go, well, it'd be a casual few hours a night thing we'd be running around to have fun, on a PvP server (we like PvP).
But from what I'm reading, even downloading the free version and rolling new toons, should you want to start PvP'ing or whatnot, or crafting, and actually be a little competitive, you better throw down some real money or else you're screwed.
Is this accurate? How much would you say casuals need to spend to actually enjoy the game, looking past the F2P charade, and how best would it be spent?
It was either this, or the 21-day EVE buddy trial, where I know that if we like that, it's just going to be a flat monthly fee to continue.
Comments
If you play EQ as PvE, then no you never need to throw down any money until you start raiding. PvP I have no clue, never tried it in EQ2. I would imagine with crafted gear youll be more than fine til max level in PvP, which if you are playing casually max level is a long way away. You also may have to unlock your race and class if you are dead set on a particular one.
Free to play allows wearing of crafted gear and has no restrictions on crafting it
if you want to play your max level character right away, just sub. System wasny designed to freeload at the top, just on the way up. (Although smart people that play only one toon can do it for a couple bucks a month)
I don't even have my old accounts any more. It'd be two fresh accounts and us running around on a PvP server.
Just trying to guage the spots where the itch that must be scratched will come up that says "we gotta spend some money, this blows".
As for rushing to max, eh, I don't see any incentive to that. Unless the lower tier PvP is dead on the most popular US PvP server and you need to get to max just to have consistent prime time action; and if that's the case, probably won't bother.
really, this depends on YOU
There are gear restrictions. Mastercrafted gear is powerful enough to jump past this, but will take some time to get it.
You wont have access to master spells, but the difference between master spells and the crafted versions isnt big at all, especially in the lower levels. Again, these will take time to get, but so do master spells.
Its not a question of if you will be powerful enough, AAs > gear and you can earn those on any account. Its a question of if you can live with knowing you could be even more powerful. Most people cant live with that and get mad at SoE because of their own inadequacies. (note this is for 1-89 and not 90+...90+ youll need to spend money)
PvP there might be a different case, but I have no clue what life is like on a PvP server and I doubt there are many here that do. Not sure what to do to get that answer other than log on the server and chat with people.
Oh one note: You will want to pay the $5 one time fee to get to silver, that will give you the (account wide, no character specific) bag space and gold cap you realistically need until max level.
Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004! Make PvE GREAT Again!
EQ2 also has a flat monthly fee, btw.
Heads up though is EQ2 PvP is 'lacking' and this is coming from someone who has played EQ2 for years and still plays. It's just not a very good PvP game.
Tried to play EQ2 under the F2P setup they have; didn't like it. As someone that played this game quite a lot under the subscription model, the F2P felt incredibly lacking.
It might just be that I had to pay to unlock the required race in order to play my main, I had to pay to access any of the gold I had prior to the change, I had to pay to get back all my bag and bank slots. It seemed like every time I turned around and wanted to do something I had to give them money.
Don't you have to pay in order to use the broker board in home as well? Could have swore it made me run to a broker to buy stuff. Could have also swore that you had to pay to sell things, either through your home or the broker had a very confining limit to the number of items you could post or something.
you have to pay extra to sell on the broker (1.50 per 10 broker credits)
theres no extra fees to buy things on the broker
EQ2 fan sites
Well, F2P is not so bad but EQ2 and almost all western games are "Freemium" instead which indeed is just as you say.
So I have to agree with: Yes.
No further info is needed for me on this thread. I just noticed the 3-page thread on the very dead PvP forum section of the official EQ2 boards, where basically the Nagafen (PvP server I used to play on way back) players are saying how BG's killed open world PvP, and the game has basically turned into the BG boredom of hoping you have a healer.
Well, that's not my cup of tea, so I suppose I'll do like Smedley himself and go to EVE (lol).
As far as EQ2 though and the Freemium, I would've guessed that from a business standpoint they designed it so that F2P would in the end make as much or more than the original box and monthly sub plans.
So it makes sense that it's generally unpleasant staying completely "free", I was trying to guage how much one would have to spend for it to become pleasant, but pleasant in EQ2 for me was world PvP on Nagafen back in the day. Not only is it a more matured community with people playing alts and tons of resources to twink (read: less fresh than a young game), but it's become the BG pvp crap. I could deal with matured servers in MMO's, good teamwork can overcome gear discrepancies, but BG's as the mode of PvP is repetitive trash. Passing on that.
As a side note, I find it sad that MMO gaming as a whole is mostly still dragging through this corporate-ruled blueprint-for-cash monstrosity where yesterdays rage was adding BG's as the cookie-cutter design, and freemium is the next piece of the cash cow puzzle.
You can certainly play up to the high 70s as a Silver member with very little expenses, you will do fine withe the treasured gear and adept spells. Some unlockers for the broker and you are fine. Me and the wife leveled from 80 - 85 as silver members, after that you need to sub otherwise it will be painful.
But PVP requires you to sub otherwise you will be at a huge disadvantage AA and gear wise.
Chi puo dir com'egli arde é in picciol fuoco.
He who can describe the flame does not burn.
Petrarch
Yeah the game had pretty good pve back when it was p2p, it was worth the sub imo.
I did play this shortly as a free game, it was...meh. Part of the beauty of the game was the feeling of limitless pve, lots of stuff and getting lucky getting something seriously good and using it. f2p feels restricted, as it should i guess. considering how cheap monthly subs are i really dont get why its such a big deal, one of the cheapest forms of quality entertainment out there and always cheaper in the long run than a f2p game.
Also i find it interesting that the first step free players take is to complain about a games monthly fee. cash shop is king. untill they get their game free, then the complaints turn to the cash shop...it just seems they would have been better off witht he game as a p2p and everyone on the same level play field spending the same exact amount as everyone else. People are short sighted i guess.
"really, this depends on YOU" - truthhurts
Agreed. If you are miserable when you don't have the absolute best, but don't want to spend money for entertainment, then EQ2's probably not for you. If having the absolute best isn't a concern or if spending a couple dollars on a game you enjoy isn't a problem, then EQ2 is currently well worth a try.
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
What I don't get about complaints with EQ2's model is that what makes the game special, in depth things to do outside combat, are not restricted at all. Crafting, gathering, housing, etc. are all available to players no matter how much you pay.
I think those who complain about EQ2's freemium model are probably not ones to really appreciate the game they are playing. Maybe not on purpose but I don't think they understand what they are getting for free.
I agree....
Life is Short, Read a Book.
I also agree......I always come back to this game. I started with UO and ran into EQ about 3-4 months after launch. Love the setting/lore. I end up playing for about 3 months, then try the next big thing, then right back to EQ2. EQ2 really just has so much more to offer than anything else out there.
I attempted one time to come back as FTP and didn't last one play session......get nickle and dimed or just pay a sub, it's an easy choice. I understand the business model completely.
Being a pessimist is a win-win pattern of thinking. If you're a pessimist (I'll admit that I am!) you're either:
A. Proven right (if something bad happens)
or
B. Pleasantly surprised (if something good happens)
Either way, you can't lose! Try it out sometime!