BioWare Charts Star Wars: The Old Republic Free-to-Play Restrictions

[Mathak]

Well Bioware is making C&C:Generals2
A pseudo-C&C game without single player experience made by guys that specialize in RPG's
If this won't be the last nail in Bioware's coffin, then they are indestructible

More accurately, 'Bioware' is making Generals 2. As in, a bunch of completely unrelated dudes who got a Bioware sticker smacked on them by EA in hopes of it encouraging sales. Nothing to do with the actual Bioware.

 

[blackrave]

Well Bioware is making C&C:Generals2
A pseudo-C&C game without single player experience made by guys that specialize in RPG's
If this won't be the last nail in Bioware's coffin, then they are indestructible

More accurately, 'Bioware' is making Generals 2. As in, a bunch of completely unrelated dudes who got a Bioware sticker smacked on them by EA in hopes of it encouraging sales. Nothing to do with the actual Bioware.

I apologize for using video that was already used to death 2 years ago, but I simply must

I just...
It is so wrong on so many levels, that I just can't anymore

THAT'S IT
New story
After defeating CABAL, GDI and Nod found common ground, together they were able to deal with Tiberium and a new Golden age started for humanity

I AM DONE WITH C&C

 

[Milanezi]

I never played The Old Republic, want to, but haven't yet. I wouldn't complain about subscribing as long as the content was worth it, heck I'm paying Eve Online. But... How come they call it "free-to-play" but make the game worthless unless you pay? So it's not free-to-play, it's an enduring demo mode... Yeah EA, I'm not fond of how gamers usually hit you in the balls for whatever mistake you make, but this time you took a big DUMP on the consumers' heads...

 

[StriderShinryu]

I'm sure this will prompt many to try the game that haven't before. I must say, though, that it definitely seems at least at first glance that these restrictions are much harsher than in other F2P/Optional Sub games I've heard about/played. LOTRO, for example, is F2P with an optional sub too, but you can earn credits for the cash store in game easily enough. With some effort and running a couple of characters at a time, you can pay for pretty much everything this way without even opening your wallet once. The optional sub for LOTRO just makes things easier and quicker but it isn't the only way to get a quality game experience which sounds like it may be the case here.

Unless you have oodles of time...god, the amount of grinding to earn anything substantial in LotRO feels absolutely absurd.

I wouldn't say that it takes oodles of time. Yes, it does take time, but that's sort of the point. If you could easily and quickly get everything in the store without paying for a subscription or buying extra Turbine Points, then no one would pay the sub fee or shell out for TP. Despite the fact that LOTRO is a F2P game, it's still not free for Turbine to run and create content for. They need to make money somehow, even if that money is made off of nickel and dime convenience purchases.

That said, and as I said originally, if you run a couple of characters through all of the free content, make smart purchases with the TP that you do earn, and make sure to do all of your available quests and deeds, you can easily play a full enjoyable game for completely free. Of course, there are expansion packs to buy at certain level plateaus but you have to pay extra for those whether you're a free player or sub player.

 

[TWEWYFan]

I seem to be in the minority in that I really liked the game. I'm glad to see it's going to free-to-play so I can play through the other stories when I feel like it. It's a shame they've gone as far as they did to hamper the free-to-play characters but I'm still excited. With luck and little common sense, they'll ease up a bit later on.

 

[Twyce]

I seem to be in the minority in that I really liked the game. I'm glad to see it's going to free-to-play so I can play through the other stories when I feel like it. It's a shame they've gone as far as they did to hamper the free-to-play characters but I'm still excited. With luck and little common sense, they'll ease up a bit later on.

I'm actually still a paying customer. Been so since launch. I enjoy the game. But not for it's MMO aspects, more so I like the character stories (as I think pretty much everyone does). Someone said it earlier, but I don't understand why Bioware won't give us more of that. Once people finish their main class story, there is no reason to keep playing. The majority of players came for the story. Now, instead of expanding it, they keep pumping out battlegrounds and flashpoints. Oh well. Back on point.

I really would love to know what they were thinking when they decided those restrictions. IIRC, when they first announced it was going f2p, they were going to limit flashpoints and PvP. But now they are taking out fleet passes, item usage, crew skills etc? That's insane. If anything, this whole thing paints EA/Bioware in an almost passive aggressive light. I can't imagine they will be attracting many new players with this. Maybe at first, but those limits are going to get old fast.

 

[danp164]

That's just obnoxious, it's like giving out free candy, but putting it in a locked box and telling people they have to buy the key.

thats what star trek online does haha

Yeah but be fair, at least with STO you can easily get enough Cash store points to get a key, I mean your on an 8k dilithium cap per day, which is easy to max, 8k dilithium equals roughly 200 Zen, keys only 125 Zen.


Dont get me wrong, they hand out lockboxes at a ridiculous rate, a few friends of mine considered using them as currency... maybe ammunition, their cheaper to replace then torpedo's

 

[PPB]

I don't really get all the hate their restrictions are getting. Sure it's not exactly optimal, but frankly that's something to expect. The simple fact that we can (supposedly) play all the way to 50 without spending a copper is pretty darn generous in my opinion. LotRO's system (which I also find pretty good) doesn't even allow that (as you have to buy quest packs after 30).

At first glance, it seems to me that the F2P option should be enough for people who just want to play it like a SP RPG for the class storylines. I'm kind of looking forward to it myself. I was a subscriber for 3 months and rather enjoyed the storylines, but it's pretty much the only thing I enjoyed in the game and I didn't feel like I was getting my $15's worth.

 

[Gatx]

Character creation options I get - I assume they'll lock out species options (not that there's much a real difference, they're all basically humans with different skin tones and hair styles). What I don't understand is the 3 times a week limit. I have never seen any game do that. At most you can charge money for newer dungeons and raids, but leave the ones that are already in the game open. That said, with the limit they've imposed, the weekly pass could be an interesting idea, depending on how much it ends up costing.

Got the itch to play again a little early last week. I must say, I forgot how much I enjoyed this game. I don't know what you guys have been seeing, but as far as I've seen in game, TOR has been thriving. Maybe not excelling but it's not on a downward spiral like most people who haven't picked up the game in months have been saying. Honestly, I've never had this much ease finding people to go do heroics and dungeons with in an MMO. That's probably due to the merging servers that took place earlier, but if that is the case then it was a good move on Bioware's part. The more lively a server is, the happier the customer, and it gets up to the hundreds in the Imperial Fleet hub.

I think people started calling TOR's death before it even got through its adolescence. From someone who just got back in the game, I think we can establish that it's pretty damn hard to see from the sidelines, now isn't it?

Anyway, still fun, start the free-trial if you want try it out without any monetary risk.

Just because there are more people per server, especially after merging servers, doesn't necessarily mean it's "thriving." There are overall less people playing, you just see them more because they're all in the same place.

 

[TWEWYFan]

I seem to be in the minority in that I really liked the game. I'm glad to see it's going to free-to-play so I can play through the other stories when I feel like it. It's a shame they've gone as far as they did to hamper the free-to-play characters but I'm still excited. With luck and little common sense, they'll ease up a bit later on.

I'm actually still a paying customer. Been so since launch. I enjoy the game. But not for it's MMO aspects, more so I like the character stories (as I think pretty much everyone does). Someone said it earlier, but I don't understand why Bioware won't give us more of that. Once people finish their main class story, there is no reason to keep playing. The majority of players came for the story. Now, instead of expanding it, they keep pumping out battlegrounds and flashpoints. Oh well. Back on point.

I really would love to know what they were thinking when they decided those restrictions. IIRC, when they first announced it was going f2p, they were going to limit flashpoints and PvP. But now they are taking out fleet passes, item usage, crew skills etc? That's insane. If anything, this whole thing paints EA/Bioware in an almost passive aggressive light. I can't imagine they will be attracting many new players with this. Maybe at first, but those limits are going to get old fast.

Agreed on both counts. I'm trying to figure out how much of this is bitterness or simply a ham-fisted attempt to try and make free to play as limiting as possible to encourage paying.

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

Just because there are more people per server, especially after merging servers, doesn't necessarily mean it's "thriving." There are overall less people playing, you just see them more because they're all in the same place.

Duh, that's a given. I'm saying it doesn't feel any less lively than any other MMO I've played during their peaks (including WoW). That includes both fleet hubs and general quest areas. There's always at least one person of my level doing the same quests in the area I'm doing quests. Help for a heroic quest is simply a request away. And don't take "thriving" as if I'm saying it's currently reaping many benefits and success. I simply meant it as TOR is doing well for itself given the hardships it has faced. I made it clear that this is just what I've personally experienced. To declare an MMO is either a complete success or dying without full experience of the product is just foolish, yet so many are comfortable to do the latter.