Multi-boxing enables EQ's generous F2P model?

EverQuest's F2P is very generous for a triple A MMO title.

WoW only lets you play up to level 20. WoW has enacted an anti-box policy.

FF14 only lets you play up to level 60.

If ToV unlocks this year, F2P players will be able to play up to level 115 for free on as many accounts as they wish.

EverQuest F2P Benefits:

• EverQuest unlocks a expansion for free every year.
• EverQuest offers Tier 1 F2P useable gear and spells/discs.
• EverQuest does not have an anti-box policy or code for Live.

I think EQ's boxing playstyle may enable EQ's generous F2P model. Perhaps, the executives see All Access and expansion/marketplace revenue from multi-boxers as a fair subsidy/trade-off for F2P accounts.

It appears you've not played a F2P account from 1 to 110.

So cap F2P accounts at level 60 and introduce a vitality XP system and single player features? Require All Access for Level 60 or higher to fund the new model?

Mind you, free Heroic Characters are offered on a 2-4 year basis.

Edit: This is a thought experiment.

It appears you've not played a F2P account from 1 to 110. AAs would suck and you can't main one. So what do you mean exactly?

FF14 does a great job with its FTP. ARR+Heavensward is a ton of content, but more important than content is introducing FTPs to the community. I think that’s why it is so much more successful than WoW’s FTP trial.

You make a good point that EQ FTP is very box friendly, because you can 1 month gold and buy the newest expansion and have a really effective box character (except tank). I don’t think it works well for returning or new players as they are too far away from the community.

I don't think you can really directly compare the games you listed to EQ. WoW and FFXIV both have very active low and mid level player bases and the gameplay experience is relatively consistent throughout the games so you don't need to reach a high level to get a feel for them. EQ's player base is extremely top heavy and the content/gameplay radically changes as you progress through expansions so you need to get closer to the level cap to see what the game is like.

I don't understand where you are coming from Benito.

I have several F2P accounts that I use for trade skill overflow ( which is a horrible work around ) and during the lockdown leveled a couple up to 110 ( mostly with overseer ).

They totally suck. They are so limited in AA and gear than anything their level that even LOOKS at them is going to go through them like a wet paper napkin.

The only time I could see F2P characters really doing any damage to the economy is *IF* they were being used in as a bot going 24/7. Then you might have a level 110 SK farming green mobs for plat. ( which I have seen on occasion but fairly rare )

Benito, do you have a particular vendetta against people using F2P accounts? If so what is the use case?

Staying at level 20 on WoW is as awesome as playing up to level 110/115 on EQ?

There's been quite a bit of discussion of re-engineering the game lately.

If people push too hard for "change", it's possible that EQ could follow the WoW model with a highly restrictive level cap (level 20/level 60) and anti-box policy.

This is a thought experiment whether the status quo of boxes and broadcasting is better than restricting F2P and curtailing boxing but introducing more solo friendly mechanics (requires All Access).

Gotcha. I had not seen any push back against the F2P aspect of the game.

It would be interesting to hear how big the F2P community is and what kind of things folks find F2P accounts useful for.

I doubt there is a way they can do anything about it now. They are allowing those accounts to buy current expansions and then level, sub for a month grinding AA and then go back FTP retaining all the levels and AA.

Only restriction is gear and augs under the current system.

FTP should have stopped at level 85 where heroic characters currently are.

Personally, I think they should remove all restrictions for F2P, allow prestige gear, autogrant, no AA-cap, access to chat, etc.(but still no free dbc)
But instead have them locked 10 levels below max, rather then 5 levels. It would give newbies a chance to try the "midlevel game" and more modern expansions as a trial(to the point where they can group and get friends in the game), And DB would earn more from semi-serious boxers to compensate.

Yes, if your account lapses, look at what Benito want's to do to you. All that's left of this community is people who hate each other. No wonder no one can find a group.
Worst thought experiment ever.

I pay for 6, but I have 18 ftp's. (3 sets of 6, one set is level 110!)

Boxing is fun. More fun than trying to solo for sure! So far, I've tried out every class at least once.

In my case it has nothing to do with getting groups, I'm old and I like doing things my own way on my own time. And the amount of unused content in Everquest is simply staggering. And on Luclin those hundreds of zones are empty 99.89% of the time.

And that has to be a problem for long-term changes, the sheer breadth and scope of the game leads to an inertia. Nothing can change because it's so hard to effect change across that landscape.

We need EQ3.

I have a team at max level and it's 110 unless I buy the latest expansion for them. The restriction is both FTP but also the current expansion open to them. (At least on Live!)

Yep. You should use housing for that. Much better approach. And no need to log various chars in to get the mats you need.

You've never played an F2P character have you.

F2P players...
-can't equip a lot of gear
-can't slot most augments
-can't recruit most mercs except the lowest ones that die instantly
-have highly restrictive AA limits
-have no AA autogrant
-have character slot limits

I have never seen a game, let alone MMO, that is more restrictive than EQ.

If I remember correctly, my character with 30,000 HP, dropped to around 4,000 HP when it went F2P, basically only 10% of my gear and none of my augments, could still be used as an F2P player.

And my F2P Shaman doesn't change at all between All Access and F2P... because I have the correct gear on for a F2P character.

Yes, have fun soloing light greens with your crap shaman with hotzone augments and half your AA missing.

How do other AAA MMOs stack up against EQ?

WoW caps F2P at level 20 with an anti-box policy.

FF14 caps F2P at level 60.

Maybe, gameplay is awesome at level 20 and level 60 on those MMOs.