The F2P experience is horrible.

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Strawberry, Apr 30, 2023.

  1. Cloud the Third Augur

    I agree we never know what is going on. Clearly progression servers are one of the biggest profit margin because they keep making new ones. As long as new expansions are being made they are making a profit for doing it, given expansions have become tiny compared to say PoP, but it is still a sign of lower profit margins. I am just comparing my experience between when I stopped playing and when I started again this last time and at least my server is dead (not dead in noone plays but comparing to back when I was playing ToV and people could get a group with non-guild members).

    More server merges would be ideal based on what I am seeing, trying to find ways to get some new blood would also be good but if a game is in decline they may not see it worth the expenses they would not to use to try to get new people.
  2. Rijacki Just a rare RPer on FV and Oakwynd

    I do find it interesting, in this thread about FtP, how many players have presumably moved to full-time on subscription required servers. i.e. the TLP servers.
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  3. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    The devs are aware of where the game's strengths lie, and they long ago decided to focus of re-acquiring players who had lapsed frrom playing EQ over entirely new ones as the investment was not going to be forthcoming to make the changes needed to get much traction in the "new" player market, or at least it had not been for years.

    With a game that looks almost as old as it has been in service the appeal to new players of EQ is really small, it takes significant persuasion from a current player to get even friends & family who may have been around the periphery of the game for years to even try it. I tried getting my own kids into it & they took one look at the UI & 2001 era-graphics & noped right out while pointing at FFXIV and saying, at least those graphics looked somewhat modern.

    The UI issue is probably the biggest barrier to completely new players getting started but that is at long last finally on the road to being addressed.
    But without an engine overhaul, updated models and some significant investment in catch-up mechanics that allow new players to jump in with current players instead of being forced to wander the unpopulated levels for months without stumping up the cash for what would at least initially be an overwhelming Heroic Character then there are plenty of other failure points for attracting & retaining new players - not impossible to overcome just initially expensive with a difficult to predict ROI.
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  4. Barraind Grumpy Old Bastage

    "True" F2P maybe, but once you get to the point you've purchased expansions, its not, at all.

    Compare what EQ is like after purchasing NoS and paying a sub once or twice to spend AA's and mem spells to GW2 after buying its expansion bundle (Roughly the same cost), though, and its not even in the same universe. Or any other buy the box experience.

    EQ has long been unable to use the "well, we dont have microtransactions" line either.

    Theres a good reason why the only server I can ever get new people to play with me is test (barring the once every few years TLP for a few months).
    Skuz likes this.
  5. Cloud the Third Augur

    Honestly some of the feedback I have seen on this threat shows why EQ will never have a new population of players even if they were to take the money and make it modern graphics etc. The player base just seems to hate anything but high end players which is mostly all that is left. I even have talked with returning players who came back and their feedback is pretty bad on what they think of the player population. Time to start putting more effort into finding a new game and just play this one on the side. Honestly alot of the post on here make me want to stop playing.
  6. Iven Antonius Bayle

    Well, there is a correlation between the percentual subscriptions peak (the graphic) and the active players peak. You had not defined what you mean with "EQ numbers peak" which does open space for interpretations:


    There are little official informations, so we have to rely on what we can find on the web. The guy who made the graphic statistic is a software scientist and seems to be serious. And of course we older players have memories about when EQ peaked in active player numbers. Of course your perception and your memory is different to mine and your server might had been a bit different too.
  7. Yinla Ye Ol' Dragon

    I don't think merging servers will give you anymore of a chance to get a group than you have now.

    EQ has changed a bit over the last few expansions and so has player attitudes. Back in the ToV days we ran almost daily missions from TBL with guys picked up from general chat and even through free TAs to those who couldn't zone in, I'd hate to think how many we got the Djinn mask for. Back then there were plenty of missions to do and they were fun!

    Fast forward to todays. The missions don't have the same replayability and are annoying rather than fun. Pretty much from CoV onwards picking up unkown players could be a waste of a slot and a merc or an empty group spot could be better, some of missions take longer to explain to someone who hasn't done them before than actually completing the mission.

    I'd love another expansion like TBL, just without all the locked zones!
    Skuz likes this.
  8. Jardad Journeyman

    people overlook a Sub gets you all DPG games, not just EQ ( also Sub =DB coin , so based upon ur playstyle it can be a overall gain IF ur goin to grind, casuals maybe not so much, ur mileage will vary. Populations are only part of the story,, you have to consider what people are " buying" in these games
    market places (big $). DPG does need to rethink many things,, e.g. allowing something like P99 e.g.
    to exist which clearly takes away Pop &profit ,yet they charge loyal EQ players for TLP , just saying.
  9. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    I find it hard to believe that the people that are playing on P99 would switch to the official servers if P99 got shut down as the gameplay is very different on P99 then it is on the official ones. Sure some might but I think the numbers would be low.
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  10. Jardad Journeyman

    easier to counter-post rather than think.
    how those FTE counter -posts work out for ya ? * snickers*
  11. Fenthen aka Rath

    Because a FTP character is still better than a merc. That's how terrible mercs have been for the past half-decade, or more!
    Skuz likes this.
  12. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    Not sure what you are getting at but the style of gameplay on P99 is very different than the style on any of the official EQ servers and people that are playing there for free tend to do it because they don't like the changes in the current game. They have little reason to return to paying for Everquest that does things that they don't like.
    Corwyhn Lionheart and Skuz like this.
  13. Rijacki Just a rare RPer on FV and Oakwynd

    Plus, P99, as I have heard, does have FTE. And the reason they don't charge a fee is because they can't. Right now they skirt some edges of IP law by only having donations that makes it financially not worthwhile for DB to try to shut them down.

    The EQ TLPs are as different from the current P99 (and other emus) as they are from the original Classic to Velious. None are 100% the same as the original Classic to Velious (or which ever original expansion release). But, the majority who play on P99 and other emus do so either because they want to remain only in those expansions or they have a particular grudge with SOE/DB and zero desire to ever play outside those constraints. There are occasional players of emus who do start playing actual EQ either on Live or in TLP but not enough to warrant a full campaign to draw them over. Closing down P99 or other emus would not automagically transfer their players to real EQ as that would fuel the grudge many already have either about DB/SOE or the expansions later than the one they deem golden.

    And... as for my supposition there would be someone to complain that TLPs require All Access, yup, that has entered the thread, too.
  14. Act of Valor The Newest Member

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  15. Rijacki Just a rare RPer on FV and Oakwynd

    "We have recently entered into a written agreement with Daybreak Game Company LLC that formally recognizes Project 1999 as a fan based, not-for-profit, classic EverQuest emulation project."

    The highlighted is part of why they're allowed to use the IP that is wholly owned by Daybreak. P99 is legally obligated not to charge for its use.
    Skuz likes this.
  16. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    [IMG]
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  17. Iven Antonius Bayle

    Because you ran out of arguments. :p
  18. Bobokin Augur


    I'm thinking you don't have kids or friends that only play a few days each month on average. People that rarely play are not going to purchase expacs AND costly subscriptions.

    Not keeping up with non-prestige, and making it so AAs cannot be earned, not only has forced friends and family to not purchase any expacs, but also caused some to not play at all. Is that as intended?

    It also doesn't help that a prestige aug not only makes the aug not work but also the armor item itself, and since changing out a whole set of augs is a pain in the butt, many intermittent players just refuse to play rather than do that.
    Iven and Fenthen like this.
  19. Bobokin Augur

    That is the kind of attitude that is killing EQ for any growth from younger players.

    EQ now uses five models of income to support it (paid tiered expacs, paid subscriptions, game store, loot boxes, and perks), and many potential new players would rather go elsewhere with their dollars.

    I understand that prestige is a bonus for sub players, but the way it is handled since Daybreak has taken over the game is less than optimum.
    Iven and Fenthen like this.
  20. CatsPaws No response to your post cause your on ignore

    Daybreak took over in 2015. Sony put these restrictions in place in 2012, not Daybreak. There has been no "handling" since it was put in place.

    Is it really so important to have ancient prestige augs etc when there are newer better non prestige versions?

    All but 3 or 4 of the F2P restrictions can be lifted by marketplace unlockers. And no one seems to care if their F2P cannot own a guild hall or set up as a baz trader or buy alt currency from loyalty vendor.

    They should make the ability to wear prestige one of those unlockers. I can guarantee players who are complaining now would go out and find non prestige substitutes like the rest of us have done.

    Younger players have much more disposable income than they used to so I highly doubt giving them prestige will keep them in the game when they can just pay $15 and have it all. And cancel at anytime. And come back at any time.

    I still see this as returning level 100 and higher player whining. New players to the game are more fed up with the UI. That is still the biggest issue even more so now that at least they can get the game to load correctly by doing away with full screen
    Rijacki likes this.