Will you consider allowing prior expansion raid gear usable by FTP accounts? I recently returned to the game and over half of my gear is unusable because it is 3yo raid gear. It creates a daunting task to get anything done in the game. I can't afford to buy anything, I can't get groups, I can't solo anything since I can't use my weapon. Thanks for your consideration.
CL, love your comment, it had me ROFLMAO.......... OR they could just stop being a FTP and actually pay for their account so that their gear is usable again. OR they could go farm enough PP to buy krono in the Bazaar (though having to farm enough PP to stay GOLD status is more like a full time job) Either way their problem would be solved. FTP = NO PRESTIGE and sorry to say 3 year old raid content gear is definitely prestige...... FTP != FTW
With lower populations, /LFG can be time consuming and challenging. That three year old raid gear probably rivals what turns up grouping now. When not in a raiding guild, T1/T2 options are distinctly less powerful, and creating T1/T2 from drops involves time/luck/platinum. Since FTP accounts run 2 expansions behind, folks will be seeing a bunch of sparkly new gear that is unobtainable currently, and old gear can't be worn. The whole cycle of /LFG is hard, limits on gear will preclude some grouping options, often the necessary ones to obtain tough to get upgrades. Going to a Gold account doesn't solve access to raid quality gear - level 100, down on AA's, and three years out of date isn't a big selling point for applicants to hardcore raiding guilds. On a slight aside, raiding gear often has the best graphics FTP players probably notice the grandiose sparkling and flashing of raid gear. FTP gear ain't attractive, don't sparkle, and often has ungainly and exaggerated dimensions. Morale, playing, and spending habits can be driven by appearances, and improving FTP graphics quality may entice players to play more, try to improve more...and get so excited they subscribe more (hint)
No seriously Wha? does make several valid points. However I don't think they need to focus as much on making too many nice shiny sparkly items and gear for FTP players, otherwise it just encourages possibly the wrong kind of FTP players. By this I am specifically referring to those type of FTP players that you can tell are nothing but Macro-Bot farming tools designed to line the RL pockets in one way or another, of some very unscrupulous players. You know the one's that wind up getting reported time and again, eventually banned permanently; only to return on a brand new FTP account to start their process all over again. Regardless to being several years behind, or not being able to use raid gear, or does not have the ability to gain the important class AA's and skills; most hardcore raiding guilds won't even consider an FTP player (at least on my server) as they have little to actually offer.
I really think they should do away with FTP. Other games are starting to move away from it. It would be interesting to know if they even make money off of ftp characters in EQ.
Been known to collect sparklies from the Planes/PoT, Txevu, Casino...end game stuff for quick swap bandolier purposes. Can't really rampage the newer expansions armed with +10 stats, 250/250/250, and a lvl 65 decay focus effect on all the gear. Having some better graphics on the droppable gear would improve access to current, quality items that don't wear like clown shoes.
FTP is great for what it is. But it is only "good" until level 50. After level 50, F2P players start being considerably disadvantaged when compared to paid players (especially with AAs, but also gear). After level 80, a F2P player is seriously gimped and could even be considered a hindrance to other players they group with. Not saying you can't play as F2P, but it would seem the goal of F2P is to entice you to go All Access and spend money in the store (where you can buy shiny gear to your heart's content). But if you want your gear to actually give you stats, you gotta pay
I know far too many F2P players who still buy AA unlockers (seriously, the worst possible waste of money), and costumes and other crap. And F2P provides a free trial for any new players (we call those unicorns). But most importantly, I suspect, F2P provides a way to keep the continuous cycle of returning players going strong. I'll bet every returning player tried F2P first, before paying for a real subscription. And when you drop your subscription, F2P provides an open door for you to come back and get another taste...before you buy your next real fix.
I'll take that bet for a Krono................... sorry to say you'd lose right away, as when my wife and I returned in February we jumped back into the "deep end of the pool, head first" as they say, as All Access members.........
Haha - bad choice of words on my part, since there are all kinds of people In my case, I have tried (tested) F2P because I hate giving money away if I don't need to. It became apparent, very quickly, that I'd need to give DB money if I wanted to enjoy EQ more than just very casually. But I don't think there is anything negative about F2P (except maybe the unfounded premise that it can be more than the limited trial that it really is) and I would hate to see it go away.
