So we’re finally starting to see how SWTOR’s F2P operation is going to go, and overall I have to say that I’m pretty optimistic about it. It’s a somewhat complicated matrix of features, mostly going line item by line item over restrictions and whatnot, but I can see this as a model that works with me instead of against me.
Might as well break it down, right?
- Story Content — Completely free for all. This is a huge, huge get for players, since this is essentially the core of the game. I’m assuming that this covers the gamut of non-dungeon PvE, such as all personal storyline missions and side quests. That’s a massive amount of content, and I’m actually surprised that the studio isn’t asking players to start paying for new planets or content after a certain point.
- Limited character creation choices — This is a toss-up, because BioWare did not elect at this time to say what those limitations are. My guess is that all classes will be available, but only human characters for F2P. You want aliens, you gonna pay, bubba.
- Alternative content — BioWare’s allowing players to participate in up to three Warzones, Flashpoints, and Space Missions per week (each) without having to pay extra, although operations will cost you. Three per week seems pretty fair, unless you’re a die hard PvPer. For a casual F2P player, I can’t see myself wanting to do more than three dungeons a week anyway, so that’s fine.
- Crew skills — F2P is limited to one but can buy more. If you’re sticking with one, take slicing and be done with it. I love crew skills, so this would probably be worth investing some real money into it.
- Other restrictions — Limited cargo hold space and inventory space, slower quick travel recharge, most deaths will send you back to med center, and so on. Nothing deal-breaking, and for cheapskates, it’s nothing that can’t be dealt with.
- Purple gear denied — At least without buying a “license.” So there’s going to be a cap on the quality of gear you can equip, which is probably fine for most of the leveling game but would hurt at the end or if you’re running a lot of dungeons. If it’s a one-time purchase to overcome this, I think it’d be worthwhile.
It’s really not that bad. As I said, character creation is the biggest unknown factor, and I hope that BioWare really keeps the limitations to race and not class. Other races are nice, but since they’re all more or less human variations, they’re not the strong selling point that, say, EQ2′s diverse lineup is.
This plan favors the solo PvE player (i.e. me) far more than the grouper or PvPer. I don’t know how compelling these additional purchase options will be for the free players, and for BioWare’s sake, I hope they did their homework to make sure it’ll be enough of an income to justify this.
Strangely enough, this is all making me pretty excited about an eventual return to the game. I really do want to see what the team has done in the past few updates, and as I’ve only taken one class through to the end of the story, I’d like to see another. The question is whether I should reroll or try something new entirely.
You hit the nail on the head. This plan, for an MMO, favors a solo, casual PvE player. It just wholly reinforces the whole only a fraction of F2P players will pay. The stuff built around community costs. Isn’t the whole thing about MMOs, people with community stay (and pay)? Feel pretty fair for the customer, especially a solo, casual PvE one… just seems weird from a business standpoint.
This is still pretty vague, and not much more than they said when they announced f2p. If I am dropping from a subscription to a f2p account, and my main is a non-human, is she locked until I pay? Do I get enough store credit from my sub to open that up without paying more new cash? I already have purple items, what happens to them until I pay? Same with crew skills, expanded inventory, etc. What do I lose by dropping to f2p? I think this is info that BioWare needs to do a better job addressing, since I won’t be the only one dropping to f2p when it launches.
@Ravious, maybe their internal numbers suggest that the casual soloist isn’t going to be their breadwinner in the first place? You’re right, it seems odd… I wish I could see their internal numbers on this.
They have previously announced that there are no restrictions on classes, just species, and that all existing characters will be grandfathered in for species access. The latter presumably includes characters made under the current unlimited free trial program – personally, I’m planning to resubscribe for precisely one month right before the relaunch to get the cartel coin bonus for relaunch day and to make grandfathered characters.
The crewskill restriction is a new quirk, and I’m wondering how it will work for former/lapsed subscribers. Unless they’re coding a specific restriction to lock off two of your crewskills based on your current payment status, this may be another incentive to subscribe for one month and then cancel (or start now with the free trial), much as we have with several things in LOTRO.
Hard to have a strong opinion on the travel restrictions without knowing what the unlocks will cost, and whether they will be character-specific or account-wide. SWTOR currently has an unusually permissive travel environment – though with an unusually clunky approach to traveling between planets via multiple loading screens on your ship.
Overall, though, this only reinforces my sense of puzzlement about how they expect to make money on this change-over. I leveled from 1-50 without ever setting foot in a flashpoint, warzone, etc. The ability to send companions to vendor your trash means that you don’t need that much bagspace. Other than my purely cosmetic choice of species, it looks like my entire SWTOR experience thus far may cost $0 under the new plan.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they also restrict advanced class for F2P players as well. F2P players would still have access to all of the solo story content that way and it would give Bioware something else to monetize; something they seem to desperately need. It seems like a fairly reasonable proposition to me.
Something like; Juggernaut, Power Tech, Operative, and Sorcerer available for F2P. Because they’re the advanced classes that are the most evocative of characters in the movies, plus they all have a support tree option.
@durgan I’m pretty sure they’ve said that all previously created characters are grandfathered in. So if you have an alt of a particular species in mind you should make sure you create it before the conversion.
I sincerely hope they won’t make classes F2P restricted. It creates a shift in the supply and demand curve for that class (i.e. too many healers, not enough tanks, or vice versa). I don’t think they will do this though. I think it will only be restricted by race.
Hmmmm. I have a level 25 human bounty hunter that I’d like to go back to….so judging by your news, that should be doable without cost…either way, I’ll certainly be back in SWTOR to give it another go.
I have a lv 15 pureblood sith maruder and a twi’lek Jedi Sentinel sence im only on the trial account would I have to make a new one when the game reloads for the free to play and also why is it everywhere I look there are people mad about it going free to play?
“I have a lv 15 pureblood sith maruder and a twi’lek Jedi Sentinel sence im only on the trial account would I have to make a new one when the game reloads for the free to play”
Yes me too, what will happen to the free trial lvl 15 toons ‘not allowed species’ when it goes f2p?
I’d really like to know … spended a lot of time on them and already buyed lvl 40 gear..