f2p -vs- p2p

Prophet Elhanan

Prophet Elhanan

New Member
I've noticed some real passion on both sides of the free-2-play and pay-2-play debate lately. I'm 100% f2p. In fact I would never even consider playing a game that had a monthly fee. Anyone in here big fans of p2p? If so why?

For example lets use 2 imaginary games playing them since 2004.

Game 1:
World of Boardcrap $15/mo + $60 core game + $60 all expansions
TOTAL: $1380.00

-vs-

Game 2:
Build Wars $180 Core games + Expansion + EVERYTHING in the IGS.
Total: $430.00
 
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Only reason why I play what I do, free to play. I am on a fixed limited income and cannot afford games that require monthly fees. They just don't make good financial sense, and if I am going to get frustrated with a game I don't want to add insult to injury and pay for the privilege of doing so.
 
Since I began playing GW when I was about 12 I had no income, so what birthday money I got could not keep up paying monthly fees and my parents couldn't afford to cover me. In comes GW where I can afford 50 bucks after my birthday and not have to worry about spending more money. Since then I still have no income.. but I also have realized that I am going to get The Old Republic and will gladly pay monthly for it. However as it stands, that game is going to be the only p2p game I will and have payed to play. And hopefully someone will hire me before it comes out :)
 
I can't see paying a monthly fee. There are too many times of the year where work heats up and I CAN'T play for several weeks at a time. I also want to have the freedom to put the game down for a while and play something else.

(Also, I've put nowhere NEAR $400 into GW.... But I guess if I bought a bunch of makeover kits and whatnot.)

Also, what do you guys think about micro transactions. I've been monkeying around with Champions Online (superheroes game) new system: You get a basic set of powers and two character slots, but if you want THIS or THAT power it costs or if you want certain consumables or character slots or costumes or inventory slots, etc. Costs seem to range from $1.50 to $15.

On the surface, this seems like it should be a fair model, but I'm really worried that I could end up throwing a lot of money down that hole before I knew what I was doing.
 
Brydon said:
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On the surface, this seems like it should be a fair model, but I'm really worried that I could end up throwing a lot of money down that hole before I knew what I was doing.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That and if you want to compete or take on harder areas (not familiar with the game, so I can't give examples, but like taking on the UW in GW) you will have to buy those spells/powers whatever to be able to contend with those that have shelled out the money.
 
My stance on this is simple: only f2p. My reasoning behind it is that I would justify playing every minute I wasn't at work by saying "Well, I paid $15.00 for this this month, I better get the most I can out of that money." And since I don't want to play that much (I mean, I do, but I have a life...gonna play the "Kid on the way" card one more time) and don't have much spare money anyways, free to play is where it's at for me.

Even if I didn't like GW as a game it just makes more financial sense to play it compared to a p2p. Subsequently, I do like GW as a game, and find most p2p games a little...meh...but that's just me.
 
I've done both, but I'll add this: in the f2p arena, I'm of the thought that I would still pay for the initial game with the understanding that I'll get everything that game has to in it, with no disadvantages to the next player.

Lotro went to a totally free game, but only some base areas are available, and some others similar have non-subscription level caps significantly lower than a subscriber's level cap.

My more recent expenditure barometer is that I will pay for significant content, but not cosmetic or deliberately created overpowers (paid advantages not achieved through normal gameplay).
 
Tough call there Reginator, are skill unlock packs paid advantages in GW? Are Zaishen pet unlocks just cosmetic, or advantage, remember you do get a Black Widow in the unlock. One needed for HoM. Are the weapon bonus purchase unfair advantage? It is possible to gain the same things through mods.
 
For skill unlock packs vs. normal gameplay: the pack does not give you (purchaser) any skill that I cannot also acquire (non-purchaser). If the unlock pack gave you, for instance, the broken version of signet of ghostly might (auto-kill target when it expires), then that is a "paid advantage" that I could not acquire through normal gameplay.

Pet unlock pack: again, nothing prevents me from capping my own black widow spider and adding it to my HoM except any lack of skill I may have in doing it on my own. All that is acquired through either purchase or normal acquisition is "just another pet" with a different cosmetic skin.

Weapon bonuses were based on the version of gw you purchased, either online or via box. The only "bonus" I can see with those are in pre-searing, where you cannot otherwise acquire max-level weapons. I actually do not have those on mine, and that is the closest I can attribute to a gameplay advantage.

Storage panes are a close second, just in the ability to acquire more wealth in-game, but again to purchase more cosmetic gear.
 
I hate micro-transactions. They nickel and dime you to death and you HAVE to pay if you want to compete.

Guild Wars has the ingame store, but they haven't really gone the micro route and i'm fine with their store. They haven't put anything up for sale that gives you an ingame advantage. (Mercenaries are debatable, but so far no builds have surfaced that require mercenaries to complete an area.)

No, if Guild Wars went the micro transaction route, it would look like this and i'd quit playing:

New in the ingame store. Elite Fire Sword of Kathandrax!!! 15-30 dmg, triple mod slots. Only $5.99. Available with /bonus command.

Discover the power of the new Demonic Occult Staffs - 11-30 dmg, +90 HP, +40 energy. Available in all caster stats. Only $6.99 per staff.

Entrance to the Elite areas (Fow/Uw/DOA/Urgoz/Deep) now require 1 Entry Token per zone in. Entry Tokens can be purchased in the ingame store in batches of 100 for $10.00. Discover these challenges today!

50 New Skills available only in the ingame store! Each skill can be unlocked for $1 each or $40 for the whole set.

200 attribute points holding you back from your true potential? Would your mesmer be more effective with 12 points in each attribute line? Unlock 400 additional attribute points for just $20 per character.
 
I agree. GW has a top notch micro-transaction system. They were smart to avoid selling in game advantages to for the most part. I did see a large advantage to people owning Factions in PvP awhile back though. Well, compared to people like me who for the longest time only had Prophecies and EotN. It made PvP suck pretty bad actually.

As long as their system stays like it is in GW2 I will be happy. Aesthetic changes are fine and I will gladly pay for them, but if I had to keep buying stuff to be competitive I would hate that just as much as sub. fees.

Their has been a big move as of late for games to at least offer a f2p model even if it is nothing more than a glorified extended trial. (See Age of Conan)

Personally though I will never in my life pay a monthly fee to play a video game. Having the freedom to choose special little bells and whistles are fine but no game has ever been so good that it is worth becoming a monthly bill.
 
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I'm perfectly ok with p2p games, but that's mainly because I have a job that can support the habit of one or two subscriptions. Would I rather they be f2p? probably, but I can understand why they aren't.

One business model I absolutely adore and wish all other subscription based companies would do is the PLEX system.

If I have a ton of in game currency, but not so much actual money, I can keep playing by simply buying PLEX. If I have a ton of actual money and want a bunch of in game currency, I can purchase a PLEX and sell it in game.
A fantastic side effect of this is it provides an easy and legitimate way of simply 'buying' in game currency, rather than going through illegitimate methods to acquire it. It doesn't eliminate the RMT, but it does reduce it quite a bit.
 
Elader Arkon said:
I'm perfectly ok with p2p games, but that's mainly because I have a job that can support the habit of one or two subscriptions. Would I rather they be f2p? probably, but I can understand why they aren't.

One business model I absolutely adore and wish all other subscription based companies would do is the PLEX system.

If I have a ton of in game currency, but not so much actual money, I can keep playing by simply buying PLEX. If I have a ton of actual money and want a bunch of in game currency, I can purchase a PLEX and sell it in game.
A fantastic side effect of this is it provides an easy and legitimate way of simply 'buying' in game currency, rather than going through illegitimate methods to acquire it. It doesn't eliminate the RMT, but it does reduce it quite a bit.
Click to expand...

Spiral Knights is an f2p that uses a system similar to PLEX.
 
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