Why is there no customization feaures for free players

Broguydude, you need to realize one simple thing.
The chance that this game would still be running if free players weren't here is next to zero.

We aren't cannon fodder there to make you feel good. We are the foundation of the product.
We give you the opportunity to feel like a special snowflake for buying twelve different varieties of skull helmet or playing whale song through your needlessly glowing drop ship.

That's true. But still, you know... Spend at least 10$ on the game. It's not too much to ask.

Campagne got it right. The only thing the premium "subscription" does for this game is line SOE's pockets and subsidize another free-2-play ghetto environment.

After almost three years, this game has seen weak content additions (ONE new continent, compare with this same timeframe in PS1) and no fixes for ridiculous balance issues that have existed from launch. In fact, they ripped features away that existed at launch (Enhanced Targeting, prime example) and reintroduced them as implants. Why? F2P gives no incentive to retain players; just soak them for impulse buys at the outset, and if they complain later on, **** 'em, there's always another newbie to entice... the excuse being that ,"they can always come back for free later!"

The "subscription" in this game is just pure gravy for SOE, because they can reap regular income and still run the game like a F2P disposable product. Minimal content additions, minimal balancing and GM investment, so they can run the game on a skeleton crew. Just keep cranking out the cash-shop cosmetics.

What you get for your "subscription" in this game doesn't even come close to the value that you receive for a real subscription game, such as (dare I say it?) World of Warcraft. At least there you can expect long-term investment in your enjoyment... here, you're lucky if you get some new camos while the game languishes from stale content and a dying playerbase.

Can you be more specific?

If your definition of use is "Can they successfully pull it from a terminal and drive it to the next base*... then yes, we differ....
But without something more specific on what you consider for *factors of usability*... I can't really have a discussion with you without just spouting my beliefs into the air

You'll notice i didn't say the Halberd *instead* of... I said *The Halberd AND the basilisk* as defaults.

My intention of usability.. in reference ... was more of a.. Ok, put this harasser in comparison to all other harasser variants, or its general job description.. how *usable* is it?
The fact that dedicated anti infantry guns can out dps a basilisk (on a harasser V harasser platform, not even talking the MBT versions).. is disturbing. Perhaps simply reducing the heavy machine gun resistance on harassers would fix this issue ---

Again, considering factors of *usability* was the subject... and when my objective when pulling a harasser is ANYTHING, I don't even for a moment consider the basilisk over any of the other weapons.

Apart from the implant system, which since the drop rate nerf has gone as close to P2W as it is possible to get whilst leaving the slightest arguement that it isn't, PS2 still has probably the BEST F2P model around (from a players perspective).


It's not perfect, nothing is, but it gives very good access for F2P players, and having cosmetics as only $$$'s accessible is more than reasonable (anything else would equal bankruptcy).


I have my doubts as to whether any F2P/microtransaction model can ever work in an MMO over the long-term and genuinely sustain it (i.e. keep an MMO ticking and profitable for more than 5 or so years - non-MMOs like TF2 have a much easier time with F2P/Microtransaction), but that is a different issue.

Yup, that's what appears to be happening with the free-to-play model in regards to development phases. Run the game in early access charging people to enter and open a cash shop while still in EA. Then keep adding new things and fixing them after, then finally (hopefully) release the game but still aren't full on done with implementing/fixing things so over the next couple of years spend time completing those tasks but most likely with a slimmer staff then before and less time spent so the change rate goes down. Then after that coast with simple changes and fixes and of course new cosmetics. But that's not about if they can work over the long-term or not, it's about how the gaming development company handles the business cycle of the product.

Yeah the problem is not that many have been released purely F2P have been around for 5+ years yet (Western ones anyway), although a few have been subscription and then gone F2P as a lifesupport measure, so it's hard to be sure.

But if SOE is to be believed (and I can't see why they'd lie about it really) PS2 wasn't actually profitable till the beginning of this year.

What sponsors? You think this game is funded by advertising revenue? Well, there are no ads.

This game is basically funded entirely by subscriptions and DBC purchases. The only thing freebies bring to is is giving paying customers more people to shoot at.

Did you ever have an economics class at any level of education?

If everything in the game was free.....the income of the game would be Nil...which means there would be no reason for the company to even make it. Games are a business....businesses are created to make money. If something isn't expected to make money, they don't produce it.

People don't paint your house for free, the clothes you are wearing were not free, the building you sit in was paid for, the computer you are using cost money, playing soccer costs money, playing video games costs money(even free ones!). If you want these things you need to pay for them. They thank the people that give them income and help to pay their salary and expenses by giving them the ability to customize their characters more. It isn't jealousy on our part...it's jealousy on YOUR part. You want something other people have...and instead of paying for something like they did. You expect it to just be handed to you. That is the most self serving, selfish, and entitled attitude I've ever heard.

There are things that reward players for spending time in the game....I actually have at least two camo's that were handed out for FREE to all players. There is a helmet and other armors you can get through directives. If you think these are something you don't want to spend the time getting...shell out ten bucks and buy something.

Economics 101 - There is no such thing as a free lunch.

You play this game for free...because other people support the game enough to allow that. Nothing is free, everything cost someone time/money. Free players are giving a small amount of something to the game...content(IE people to shoot) But in the same token they cause strain on the servers which cause higher loads and pings....the fact you can just play this game and not have the actual game restricted to you with out paining a dime is unlike any other game in the f2p Model.

If after playing this game for as long as you suggest...and you have not dropped a dime on it because it's too expensive (some of the object I admit are too high priced) Then perhaps you should consider just saving more money and bring your electric bill down by unplugging your computer.

PS1 lasted as many years with out F2P players(It even had large fights at all times of the day for years).....WoW did it with out f2p players for even longer....Most MMO's in history survived with out free to play players. F2P Models came about because they were found to make MORE money...due to micro transactions. Someone is willing to buy ten 5$ items then they would be to spend 50 dollars to play because physiologically they see it as a smaller number.

Understand the business model before you spout nonsense

That's part of it, but then there's whales. Whales break that idea soundly a lot of the time. A small number of players who play a ton and essentially subsidize it for everyone else.

I only regret that outfit members can't equip outfit decal as long they're in outfit.

My next purchase will be the decal (I hope it applies to both my suit and outfit), a helmet and maybe some camo.

I have no problem with that cosmetics are paid, I always get this option for birthday or Christmas Eve when they ask me what I want, of course it goes to PS2;] SC prices are well balanced, so they're good for small gifts as well.

I only regret that there is no way in EU of buying SC by a person without logging in to his / her account. That's why I have to give my brother a temporary access to my character. Other than that, it's okay.

The free to play model is very risky and I doubt that the engineers are bathing in milk.

If everyone paid $10 a year, then it goes to only one salary. And they have to pay taxes, servers and the rest of the staff apart that one engie, so don't be reluctant to drop some cash. They will surely appreciate it.

I think giving free players a taste would be very beneficial. Once they experience how it feels they may be prone to buy MORE.

It's not simply a matter of giving away free stuff, but instead an opportunity to entice players.

People tend to naturally feel more attached to their characters once they customize it, even if it is one or two small customizations. They'll stay longer and hence the longer they stay, the more chances and opportunities they'll actually buy something. Players won't buy anything at all if they're not even playing.

They could introduce weekend missions that offer everyone--free players included--a free camo or other customization item. Kill 100 heavies + take over twenty bases within X time for example. Or destroy 25 sunderers and kill 50 engineers. Just random examples.

this game should have continent based raids where u battle heavy ai and receive rare lewt as a reward for fending them off

I always thought of that PS2 would need some more organized events (even scenario-driven platoon lead by DBG staff) to give it more diversity and meaning to some special events.

No other vehicle weapon slot comes default with 2 options available.

and yeah, I could see making Bassies and Drakes more effective against Harassers.... at least then they'd be good against these things. They do seem too weak against a vehicle type that seems like they should be effective against.

Havent payed for a lumifiber yet

Just a couple hundred saron kills until i get my next FREE lumifiber.

Newsflash gentlemen: throwing more money at SOE won't solve anything. It hasn't worked from the beginning, and it won't work in the future.

If you buy more cash-shop items, you're encouraging the same F2P cosmetic-crazed cash grab business model that doomed this game from the beginning.

If you subscribe, you reward SOE for years of neglect, piss-poor maintenance and feeble attempts at content.

And then they have the nerve to flash patronizing messages like "We need food! Feed Hungry Programmers!" when they know damn well they're running this game McGyver-style on bubblegum and duct-tape.

Any money you spend on this game just subsidizes the next F2P cash-grab. H1Z1 and EQNext come to mind. Your money sure as hell isn't improving Planetside 2.

i cant believe a question like this is even up for debate!

for everyone wondering why there is no "free" stuff for non-paying players:
- you free2play players get access to the ENTIRE game (minus cosmetics) for free!
- you free2play players do not suffer from ANY imbalance caused by the game's payment model (unlike in other f2p games)
- devs actually NEED to gain revenue to finance maintenance and development costs of the game, otherwise this game will stop working and servers will shut down. NOTHING IS FOR FREE, NOT EVEN DEVS WORKING TIME.
- devs WOULD NOT gain revenue if everything was for free/unlockable by certs, eventually they would go out of business

and to anyone who says there would be no harm if one or two cosmetics would be free. it's wrong, infact, there would be. you obviously dont understand the concept of incentive-based behavior in context of economics:
- if you have to pay for an item, there is a "payment wall" you have to overcome by giving up some of your hard-earned cash and buying an item
- but if you received one item for free from a wide range of items, your personal propensity to actually invest money into a second item sinks drastically (lots of studies have shown this)
=> basically what this means for PS2 is if free2play players received items for free, the majority would pretty much ignore the cash shop and tell themselves "i already have this cosmetic for free, why should i pay for a second one?". this is bad business for DGC as this could also mean lots of lost potential revenue. that's why they wont give out free cosmetics (like unlockable by certs) for non-paying players. so please stop asking that question.