Is FTP fun enough to return?

Discussion in 'General Gameplay Discussion' started by Abasinolanam, May 13, 2018.

  1. Abasinolanam Active Member

    I'm a long time player but I quit a year ago or so. I didn't leave with a bang but rather the game got more and more frustrating until one day I didn't log on, then it became a week, then a month. Last I remember I had maxed all 4 ascension classes and I had gotten the new epic on the one toon I could focus on and my guild was farming T2 targets. One of my annoyances was that maintaining a toon of every archetype became an impossible grindfest, yet I found it a necessary part of playing successfully. Sometimes a group just couldn't start a zone because it was lacking a healer, or a tank. I liked being able to switch from my favorite class (illy) to something else just so we could succeed. But having a second toon ready for zones had become difficult, and a third pretty much impossible.

    Also, the devs switched some time ago to a "you will play how we like to play, not how playing is fun for you" attitude. I think this latter point was really the final nail in the coffin. One example is I loved using old zones to get exp and do massive pulls. This was probably the most social aspect of the game for me because we'd typically do that to help a person catch up on levels/AAs when they returned to the game after a long absence. It was a time where we could all just relax, shoot the breeze over voice channels and catch up with people we hadn't seen in a long time. When that became "sorry we haven't seen you in 2 years but your best chance is to go run the signature questline by yourself because old dungeons don't give exp" it really broke the core of why I liked playing. I get that the devs were trying to fix the problem they caused themselves with tithing and people massively farming exp that way into levels they didn't intend anybody to have, BUT that's really bad planning on their part and not my/our fault.

    I've come to terms with the fact that many aspects of the game that I loved now suck. I've also come to realize that I still miss playing, but the game is no longer worth a subscription for me. What I'd like to know is if FTP is fun enough to play. I never not had a subscription before. I forget what the limitations are. I remember you couldn't wear raid gear but that doesn't matter as I won't be raiding. I'd like to go back and run through the solo content and possibly get the new epic on a few of my toons. Is that even possible without paying?

    TL;DR Can a FTP toon gear enough to join heroic content (at least enough to where you're not pissing people off by your suckness?) Will the limitations make it impossible to solo effectively? Is the game even worth returning?
    Gojiria, Alenna, Soara2 and 1 other person like this.
  2. Tekka Well-Known Member

    There has been no significant improvement on the issues that caused you to take a break.

    If you want to play old content, there is plenty to amuse yourself with.

    If you purchase PoP you will have a few hours of unique content before the grind.

    The new GU content is for subscribers only.

    None of the solo content should be impossible to solo if you're free to play.

    Hope that helps with your decision.
    Gojiria, Mizgamer62, Meneltel and 2 others like this.
  3. Gillymann Abusive Relationships Aren't Healthy. J S.

    Well, if you were bored, frustrated or burned out before, I can't imagine a f2p account would provide relief.

    $15/mo is really close to nothing, and f2p accounts are intentionally designed to be a bit frustrating anyway, so it's really about how you feel you are spending your time, and nothing has changed with respect the quality of the content being produced.
    CoLD MeTaL, Rhodris and Tekka like this.
  4. Meneltel Well-Known Member

    $15/mo for some people is close to nothing, but to others that is a lot once you have spend half of your monthly pay (so to speak) on rent alone, let alone electricity, medical, medicine, trips and so on. Why I'm free to play and my cousin (who is on disability) had to shut off cable tv (kept raising the rates and removing his favorite channels) and just keep Internet. However, not sure I would pay for EQ2/EQ now if I could afford it, just not enough fun to justify spending money on it. If they remove F2P, I would be gone and not look back (and look onward to Project 1999)!
    Mindsway, Rhodris and Argosunited like this.
  5. Castegyre Well-Known Member

    There have been times in the past when I couldn't afford to give a company $15 a month to entertain me. There have been other times where I didn't believe the company deserved my money enough to pay them $15 a month for the entertainment they offered. Neither really speaks to whether or not the free to play option was worth trying, though.

    Personally, with this game, if I just wanted to hang out with people and level characters up through the old content I might find it worth while.
    Soara2 likes this.
  6. Dude Well-Known Member

    In terms of heroics, GU106 hits in two weeks. This is what it will be like for you to do heroic content: "The Shard of Hate's new Heroic, Solo, and Raid content is accessible to All Access members who have successfully ventured to level 110." So, no, you won't be doing heroic content as F2P.

    In terms of solo play, it really depends on what you want to do. If you're focused on old content, then it will be no problem. If you're focused on PoP, you'll be done in about a week with everything you can do solo.

    Is it worth it to return? Totally up to you, but nothing has changed since you left. In fact, the things you say you hate have become more entrenched.
    Soara2, Rhodris, Mizgamer62 and 3 others like this.
  7. Gillymann Abusive Relationships Aren't Healthy. J S.

    I don't think I explained myself well. My aplogies.

    I wasn't leveling a judgment on how impactful or important $15 per month is. That evaluation is different for everyone.

    I was trying to advance an argument that the utility received from playing the game is not necessarily evaluated on the financial cost, but on the benefits returned for spending one's time in the game.

    Based on what the op described, I couldn't see how a membership account, let alone a f2p account, would return what he was looking for.

    If course, he take the f2p option and decide for himself if it's time well spent.
    Soara2, Rhodris and Tekka like this.
  8. CoLD MeTaL Well-Known Member

    If you want to piddle around and run solo stuff, you will be fine F2P. If you want to group with anyone ever, you can't F2P.
    Soara2 likes this.
  9. Soara2 Well-Known Member

    Omg op hit the nail on the grind fest head for me. I'm about to make a break for it soon and I refuse to sub when my yearly runs out. This game is too much. Like we live forever or something.
  10. Alenna Well-Known Member

    That is only for Shard of Hate the other new content in the GU is for everyone.
  11. Abasinolanam Active Member

    It's too late for me. I've already resubbed and bought the expansion. :D
    [IMG]
  12. Gojiria Member

    Getting your money's worth today, huh?