Multi-boxing enables EQ's generous F2P model?

What would distinguish All Access (revenue to keep the studio running) from F2P?

You refuse to see the possibility that F2P was designed to be a trial/demo but now you are blurring the lines so that F2P should - in essence - be unbridled gameplay.

It is one thing to concede that F2P is in the right place (with the recognition that employees need to be paid) but it is another to beg for freebies (which undermines studio revenue).

It could be worse; it could be WoW F2P (level 20 cap) or FF14 F2P (level 60 cap) or a time-limited trial.

Ugh, they just need to improve the experience and overhaul the grouping. It's no use to throw new players on a special level capped curated server only to abandon them after a certain level.

I have always been in favor of OMM missions, improving shrouded characters, putting defiant gear on vendors, etc.

The experience for new players is dreadful and if you heavily restrict their F2P accounts, you make the problem even worse.

I am trying to offer suggestions to resolve your criticism. EQ can curate the new player experience just as WoW and FF14 does by severely restricting free players to level 20 and level 60.

Let's call a spade a spade: you want F2P to remain as it is (even though a new curated system could be better) but lobby for more freebies for yourself. I thought you were against boxing in your own thread? Putting new/returning players on a trial and forcing all players to pay for All Access would force more people to group.

It's fine to restric access to certain things. Like access to cosmetics, access to raid zones, access to certain events. It is fine to restrict parts of the game.

What is not fine is to restric a player's ability to perform in all parts of the game by restricting their ability to survive.

When F2P get AA, merc and gear restrictions, they cause a detrimental effect for every mob encounter, that's not ok, that's not fun, that's not a way to sell your game.

The mercenary restriction is really the worst.

Today it will be about mercenary tiers. Tomorrow it will be about raid zone access for all.

A5 tank mercenaries can hold their own up to level 65 or so. If you want a PLing J5 tank mercenary beyond that, I think All Access is a reasonable ask.

But how do you SELL a game if everything is Free like you want? There's no money in that

Strawberry's argument is analogous to getting free refills at McDonalds then asking why they don't get a free burger to pair with the soda because "survival."

There's also no money in giving new players a bad experience.

The goal should be giving F2P players a good experience. They are potential customers, and even if they never pay a sub, they populate and give life to the game, which is important.

There are ways to give F2P players a fun experience without undermining their character's power.

Give F2P players access to all group zones, but not any of the raid zones for example.
Give F2P players access to all mercs, but restrict the choice of race example.

There are ways to keep the game fun for F2P players, without undermining their ability to survive in the game.

As much as no one (including myself) wants to admit it because it threatens F2P, the best way to curate the new player experience is by following WoW and FF14 and hard capping F2P to vanilla. In essence, new players would be forced through tutorial, complete basic quests, and are more likely to be with other players.

No one wants the current F2P model to go away. The problem is, in your quest to get more freebies by bashing F2P (and boxing), you actually threaten the current gravy train that the studio may eventually look into curation.

Ok, if you really want the McDonalds analogy.

My argument is giving the F2P players the burger menu without the fries. Be conscious that what they do get actually results in a good experience.

What EQ is currently doing is giving the F2P players the burger and fries after they fell on the floor.

There is nothing free about the burger menu. You pay for the product. F2P players really can pay nothing.

Yeah well, there's free food samples at some places, and they do their best to make sure the experience is pleasant.

Anyway, I need to eat something myself, nice talking to you.

Free samples does not entitle you to a free meal or product. lol.

Goodluck.

You haven't touched on what happens when an account lapses. Just curious how you think that should be handled?

In my opinion, the current F2P system is fine.

In the quest or advocacy for a "better experience" (i.e. freebies) from some posters, Darkpaw may actually look into the heavy curation mentioned above. They will select the model that balances experience with revenue. Unfortunately, all signs points towards a WoW or FF14 F2P model (heavy level cap). Darkpaw would probably give a 3-6 month grace period until everyone would be required to pay the monthly subscription fee.

I would argue that is no longer free to play as you are having to pay in each year in order to get new AA. When I think of free to play I don't count situations when you have to pay at times to continue advancing even if it is only a couple times a year and not monthly like a normal sub.

Respectfully, I would be more inclined to agree with you if Darkpaw stopped free expansion unlocks. The fact that F2P players can play a new expansion every year (some with a level cap rise) shows that the F2P system remains de facto free.

When the account lapses... you keep all your AA. As long as you're not using Prestige gear - nothing changes.

And @Waring_McMarrin: You only pay if you want to gain the new abilities. They're not going to give everything away, otherwise they make no money. That would be silly. That's why you can keep the AA you earn after you sub for a month each expansion.

The rich get what they want. Gold
The middle class get to keep most of what they had but still lose, a lot. Gold to F2P
The poor get nothing. New F2P

That's how I see the end result of your thought experiment then.

We should punishing "new" F2P players who keep playing and not paying, even more than we currently do. You just want the current system to be even more harsh on new players.

Why exactly again, do you want this change?

What do you mean when it lapses? When one quits paying?

I think its logical that if one no longer pays for the account then they do not have access to the premium stuff but at least they can still play it and not lose all the time they have put in getting all the AA, ach or whatever

And if my J5 merc isn't available then I will use the next one down.

You think if you quit paying you should still have the full benefits?

Does no one realize this is not only a game but its a business. I am more than happy to support it with a few paid accounts and I am more than happy to take advantage of what they give out free with my 14 F2P accounts.