Just how "free to play" is DCUO?

No matter how "fair" or how "little" 5 bucks or 15 bucks or 25 bucks is, you are all saying its mandatory to PAY to play a FREE to play game. Thats not a free to play game.

There is a million ways they could have set this up. And they chose to put core features and content behind a paywall. Thats not free to play. Thats free to make an account and try.

They also chose to handicap players with the bank and cash cap. Paying money in a free to play game should never feel mandatory. It should always feel like a choice while keeping core content open to players.

Lol. Still pretending to be a new player?

For your information, Free-to-play doesn't mean anything like what you are describing. The term F2P simply means you can play parts of the game for free. Many F2p MMOs have DLCs that must be purchased to progress further or play certain maps. No one is obligating you to spend anything in this game. You can even play all end game event content for free.

If you want access to other content, then yes, you have to pay.

Other F2P games use the moniker to hook players in and get them to end game, only then to find that there are 100% p2w tactics present in the form of more powerful gear available for sale in the MP, items that give you a significant advantage in pve and pvp, etc. No f2p game is ever truly free. The very idea is absurd, since otherwise everyone would just play free.

When you say free to play games, are you talking about f2p mmos, or browser games, lol?

As far as open episodes are concerned, neither you and I have no idea why they failed. One thing is sure: the reason was monetary and not related to "forum complaining," lol. It's more likely that giving free players this extra content didn't result in any or much additional revenue for the game, instead putting in jeopardy subscriptions.

The current model is much more friendly, or do you have a problem with event episodes as well?

To begin with you get an entire solo RPG up until level 30 which is a lot

In DCUO, you can PvP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and never spend a penny of real-world money.

I mean, sure, PvP in DCUO has seen better days, but what do you expect for free?

Incorrect. Your whole interpretation of 'Free to Play' is flawed.

Free to Play means you can download, install & launch the game... then play the game (as it was intended) without spending a nickel.

Free to Play doesn't mean you get to 'play all the content' that is available... or get access to 'all the additional features' the game offers to paying subscribers.

More importantly, in order to USE the software at all... you must AGREE to the Terms of Service. Which you must 'accept' before playing the game. (Usually during installation. Or when you launch the game for the very first time.)

The Terms of Service can also found here >> https://www.daybreakgames.com/terms-of-service

Scroll down to Section 5.5

5.5. Memberships. Some Daybreak Games offer membership levels for purchase that provide access to additional content, functionality and features.

This sentence means... if you downloaded the game >> Then created a character >> Then ran some missions... without spending a single nickel... then you got the 'full benefit ' of the "Free To Play" features that was promised by the game developer >> Daybreak Games.

They are not obligated to give you anything above & beyond that, for absolutely free.

Also, they are not obligated to provide the same amount of features that OTHER game developers might offer... for Free.

For Example: If you went to buy a Smartphone right now.... and got an "Unlimited Service Plan" For Free...
The specific details & features of said "Unlimited Plan" would vary from carrier to carrier.

- AT&T does not offer the exact same (Unlimited) features 'for free'... as Sprint.
- Sprint does not offer the exact same (Unlimited) features 'for free'... as T-Mobile.

And all those companies are not obligated to offer the exact same stuff as the others do... for Free.

Video Games are no different. You get 'usage of the Smartphone' for Free.
The same way you get 'usage of the Game' for Free. That's about it.

The Usage is Free.
The Features cost money.

Therefore, DCUO's "Free To Play (Your Way)" claim is not wrong, and they did not 'set it up' the wrong way... because you do not have to pay any money in order to launch / play / use the game. Hence, your expectations need to be adjusted.

Hope this helps.

It wasn't monetary I can tell you that. They were discontinued because of the forums and that's the only reason. The posts above this will confirm this. The problem is that the devs forget that the forums are only a small fraction of the DCUO community. The devs even said the players numbers were better during the open episode stuff. If you look for where they said it you will find it in one of the livestreams.

Just for the record he never said he was a new player. He stated in another thread that he played ( SOME ) before in 2015. That thread is where a few others and I tried to help him with downloading the game.

If you take you time and read this thread you will understand that he probably did not play often when he said that he played SOME. The Key word is SOME meaning a little....maybe a day if that.

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dc...-the-launcher-and-installing-the-game.296798/

Feel free to read the comments about this Free MMO

https://www.reddit.com/r/Neverwinter/comments/61zu9l/how_free_is_neverwinter_really/#bottom-comments

https://www.reddit.com/r/Neverwinter/comments/6g4ruy/really_free_to_play/#bottom-comments

He clearly tried to give the impression (falsely) that he was a new player. Otherwise, why all the drama about "the first time" he opened his bank slot, or the disbelief that there were "episodes"?

What evidence do you have?

Posts? They're your evidence?

While I mostly agree with this I still question if this game is as great as most of of us believe, it shouldn't need to cap things like escrow and bank/inventory space to "entice" subscriptions. i understand why it's done I guess, i just wish the gameplay was good enough to speak for itself

Thats a big problem. Its almost like they dont care about the free to play player base at all so they handicap them to the point where they ether drop cash or leave.

Well its either enticing systems like that or just the good ol pay to play model like World of Warcraft does. There needs to be reasons for someone to go legendary.

Its the reasons to go legendary that need to improve.

If the game was great and the devs really stood behind their product then just being able to progress in the game should be enticing enough, no? Unless you count in game cash and extra inventory space as actual in game progression.

If a F2P reached max CR possible for their membership level....isn't that exactly what you just said?

And honestly you would be surprised at how many would still never subscribe because we already have a ton of people who just refuse to subscribe and play this game daily.

I agree with you here. It really doesnt seem like they care enough about the F2P players, and it goes beyond escrow and inventory caps. Look at the state of PVP which is where a large chunk of F2P players who stick around end up. Also the free powers get very little attention while the paid for powers are always the FOTM. F2P players should be seen by the devs as an opportunity for more revenue. Give them more inv space and a higher escrow. If the game is good players will ante up and sub. It seems the real reason for not granting these things is because they want to sell their escrow tokens in the market place instead of gain actual subs.

The devs should be hoping the game is great enough that the players would want to sub to reach max CR period, or have access to more great content, not just as far as a F2P membership will take them.