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Trials or F2P?
Noyou12
Member UncommonPosts: 23
MMOs have gotten kinda stale for me right now so I've been trying a whole bunch of games I wouldn't otherwise play, but there's one thing that's really starting to bother me - F2P barriers to entry.
DDO and LOTRO - in both games I wanted to play the shapeshifting class, but they're both pay-gated; I don't want to level a character, decide I like the game, then have to reroll. It was interesting to see WoW drop the expansion requirement on new classes/races awhiles back.
Whatever happened to 7-day trials? I don't mind paying for content, but it makes it hard to want to play a game that actively restricts core elements to new players.
Edit: To clarify - there's a lot of MMOs out there and I want to make sure I actually like the game before I dish out money. It's a huge demotivator to not be able to play the class you want to play right away for me personally.
What kind of model do people prefer? Are subbed races/classes/etc. a problem for you when you're wanting to try a new game?
Comments
Class is not a core element.
I'd disagree. I think class is pretty important if it's a class-based game - what would you define as a core element?
Irrelevant
No game is "class based". Games are combat based, level based but not class based - you can do combat or level with any class = core gameplay mechanic.
I realise there's development put into those classes and such, but the point remains - I'd rather freely trial any class for a set duration than play a different class in order to trial the game.
Hence why I'd prefer the trial periods to F2P models.
I'm just curious if people prefer one or the other.
What you're saying is irrelevant <_>
I still disagree but it's not relevant :<
Your disagreement does not make you any less wrong, class is not a core game mechanic as I pointed out.
I think it is. For example, if you're playing a priest over a warrior you're going to experience a very different style of game play - core mechanics.
I'm less interested in what you think a core mechanic is and more interested in what kind of model you'd prefer on the whole - for which ever reasons you'd prefer.
Who says they have to let you try every class?
You can prefer anything. Devs have no obligations to provide it. As i see it, asking what a player prefer is point-less. I prefer devs give away 100% of their games for free ... would they do that? Not in a million years.
I remember there are some MMORPGs that allow you to play to some level (middle level) then stop the progress . You can still play as low level player but can't log in high level characters without monthly pay sub.
I don't ready like 1 week Trials , it some how to rush .
wow let you play up to L20 for free.
They don't.
But that's not what I'm asking - would you, personally, prefer a 7 day trial, for example, followed by a sub or whatever fees (pay for your character, whatever it may be) or a F2P model where you can play the game for an unlimited amount of time with aforesaid restrictions?
hard to say ... depends on the game. I would call that a false dilemma. I have a third choice, play other trials or f2p.
So basically it is pointless to just choose between 7 day trial or f2p if the objective is to have fun. If a game is going to be fun in the trial, i play a few days of it. If a game is going to be fun playing the free part before hitting a pay wall, i play that too.
They are not mutually exclusive.
EQ2 had an interesting feature that allowed you to level a boosted character then pay for it later (I forget the exact details) - and this was in a F2P game.
Going into a game I haven't played before, I'd rather trial the classes/races I want to play, then pay for them, rather than trial another class/race and reroll later.
That's my opinion, I'm just curious what others think on the matter; the class sales would still exist.
For strictly the title, trial or f2p, it doesn't matter. Both are giving the same, you can try / test the game without an entry fee, with some restrictions.
For the example of classes in LotRO or DDO: as others mentioned classes are often not part of the base game, and almost every game has some form of restrictions within their model (regardless of payment model, just check pre-f2p ESO and imperial, or pre-f2p Rift without the SL expansion). Classes are usually "extra" content. Not to mention choosing a class based on a first few levels experience is not a guarantee for anything, gameplay can change during your leveling course - with LotRO for example, (before the HD class changes) LM was in this category, below 40ish it was slow and a pain in the butt, but getting over those level it became a fun class.
(and on the sidenote, beorning is not your "average" shapeshifting class, bear form is only for combat and it's part of the mechanic to maintain that form or switching back to human for tactical reasons. Also, nor beornings, neither warden / rune-keeper, are "subbed races / classes", subscribers need to purchase them like everyone else.)