It will need a LOT of Trial and error to get it rite.
There are other games out there that have a F2P set up (Anarchy Online, just to name 1), that everyone is on the same server. And it works out quite well. But even after, I believe it's been 6 - 7 years, there still working out the kinks in that system.
Needless to say, When I worked so hard to make a level 70 cleric in EQ, than EQ2 hit the market and literally did split the player base. That suxed big time. So much so, I left EQ for a long while before I finally decided to give EQ2 a chance. (But not until at least 5 - 6 expansions came out, to guarantee me some good content). And from what I'm seeing so far, with the new expansions, the new market place and all, It's getting a lot better... Still a funky IU to get used to, but better indeed. I for one wish them luck in this endeavor.
Onebizycat, lvl 71 Cleric of Innoruuk (Firioina Vie)<<---just in case anyone remembers ;~)
Edited, Aug 8th 2010 5:16pm by keybordkiller
Edited, Aug 8th 2010 5:17pm by keybordkiller
To Pay or Not to Pay?
What does the new EQ2X free-to-play service mean for EQ2 Live players?
Incentives for Veterans
There will be as-yet unannounced loyalty rewards for veterans. Station Cash and appearance gear exclusive to EQ2 Live have been mentioned: details are supposed to be forthcoming when the service launches. But these rewards are for “active users who purchase multi-month subscriptions,” completely neglecting players with Station Access accounts (which cost more and act as a subscription to all SOE games) which are only available one a month-to-month basis.
Station Access subscribers do automatically receive Gold membership on the EQ2X service, but while nice that's far from in-game rewards on the EQ2 Live servers where the subscribers are already playing.
The Slippery Slope Experiment
SOE has done a lot of things that were controversial to the EQ2 player base. Exchange Servers (now Live Gamer), Legends of Norrath in game loot cards, Station Cash, and now they're toying with the free-to-play microtransaction model. Declared the slippery slope of RMT, the slow transition of the MMO market away from traditional subscriptions to more creative monetization models has been a point of concern with EQ2 players for some time.
The model has had success in Asian markets, and the recent conversion of Dungeons and Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online to the F2P model shows that it can and does work. Is it possible to run the two models side-by-side on the same game without causing harm? Is it possible to merge the two services in such a way as to not lose your loyal audience? Consumers can be fickle and don't enjoy change. But slowly, over the last few years, SOE has used EQ2 as a testing ground for revenue experiments and the game, thus far, hasn't suffered from it.
Georgeson has mentioned the experimental aspect of the new service several times. It's in Alpha testing, which means a lot is subject to change. Tiffany “Amnerys” Spence, EQII Community Manager, has been collecting player feedback from the forums, Facebook and Twitter to take to the development team. This is a big change from the days of the Star Wars Galaxies New Game Experience, and we can only hope that SOE is using that feedback constructively.
It's very easy to observe the trend from a couple of RMT-sanctioned servers to an experimental micro-transaction service and foresee doom and gloom. Is this the beginning of the end of EQ2's subscription model? Will useful Station Cash items creep further into the live game? And what does this mean for future SOE releases like DC Universe Online and The Agency? EQ2 Live players who choose to stick it out have little choice right now but to wait and see whether their feedback is being heard and incorporated into the overall plan.
Personally, I would like stronger reassurances on some of these points. There's just not enough information yet, and declarations that the EQ2X service will probably flux a bit, while intended to be reassuring, fans my pessimism. Rather than “We'll see what happens” or “It's in Alpha, it will flux,” I'd rather hear “We are discussing ways to facilitate the new EQ2X players migrating to the Live servers in a way that's fair to everyone.” Hopefully as the Alpha and Beta move forward we will see changes addressing these issues. While the EQ2X service is obviously intended as a place for SOE to try new monetization ideas, it would be wise to work through these concerns before the new service opens to the public.
