SWTOR Announces Free-to-Play Model

[Kontraz]

I hold nothing against bioware. The blame falls entirely with EA. They rushed this game's release, resulting in some (admitted) content being delayed, and they rushed Mass Effect 3's release, resulting in the original ending being relabeled as a free "extended cut" dlc. Additionally, they forced the ending to be changed to better milk the mass effect genre even though the writers wanted more differentiated, more conclusive endings.

[Ricky]

Remember, they said they would be doing this many months ago. This upcoming change should not surprise anyone unless you just joined SWTOR. Before patch 1.2 was released, BioWare announced that SWTOR would go free to play before the end of the year in a game developer/director blog. I find it silly so many folks are surprised by it now, and are predicting the armageddon of this MMO. F2P is a legitimate business model, many other popular titles are F2P and still make plenty of money, as Qorbin pointed out earlier they frequently make MORE money from the influx in the playerbase.

As for the new game content is "insignificant" or "should have been in at launch" argument, that's complete bull. Remember, WoW, the most popular and successful MMO to date, started with only one raid and a handful of high level instanced content. NO warzones/battlegrounds existed, Arenas didn't come for a couple years after launch. I think BioWare is actually ahead of previous developer content releases compared to other popular titles, but I don't care about it enough to research the point to prove it.

No, the game isn't perfect, but its about as close as a starting MMO company can get. I personally am willing to cut them some slack and focus on what they HAVE achieved, not what they fell short on. Yes, BioWare couldn't predict exactly how fast gamers would plow through their content, and I think they need to give a lot of love to their World PvP aspects. I'd like to see city/base building content, territory that is worth holding and defending, vastly improved space combat that includes PvP, and vulnerable capitals/fleets to attack. But think about other popular MMOs, and how far superior SWTOR did at being ready for launch than just about every MMO title to date.

Morale is a bit low and folks are getting grumpy, but we still got an awesome game here folks, and its going to continue to develop and evolve over the next several years into something even greater.

[Kontraz]

I think you might be misinterpreting what I was trying to say (failure probably lies with myself on that one). A lot of their content that was added was intended to be in the original release - IE legacy - but they needed to delay to iron it out. EA didn't allow them to delay, so they released it in the game but "locked" until they fixed it up.

The part I don't like is when I hear people say "they added content x, y, and z for free, so you should be happy" when content x and y were supposed to already been given to us.

Anyway, thats all besides the point. On the note of F2P, back in, what was it, 09 when the game was first revealed to be in development? Whenever it was, the ORIGINAL model was to be F2P with optional purchased features. So the change that they're making is probably more along the lines of what they originally intended.

[Del'lantam]

F2P could end up being great for the game when it comes to queuing for wz's and using the group finder ...

We already know this won't be the case. Free players will have limited access to WZs and FPs, and no access to Ops. We've already been told this. The change won't help content queues or group finder, and could actually hurt them if enough people switch to F2P instead of paid.

My greatest concern is how this change will artificially segregate the game community into Haves and Have-Nots, or in this case Paids and F2Plays. This game needs factional unity in order to really shine, and this F2P model forces us to be separated by the very content we have access to. It's even going to negatively impact Open World PvP; free players are going to have limited travel functionality, meaning they will not be able to regroup and respond in the same manner as paid subscribers. Additionally, considering all other forms of end-game play are limited to free players, or outright disallowed, I would be very surprised if free players will have unrestricted access to the formalized world PvP system that is currently being revisited.

Critics have cited SWTOR's lack of end-game content as one of its greatest flaws. Once they complete their character storyline(s), free players will literally have no end-game content to keep them around.

Will the game survive under a F2P system? Sure. It may even thrive, but likely only from the publisher's perspective. Ultimately I feel community unity, and even guild unity, will be impossible to maintain in a F2P SWTOR; a fundamentally segregated player community is a weak player community. That's not the type of game I want to play.

[Wyl]

Hey all. I am still struggling with canceling my account, I have game time till the 18th of this month, so even though I cancelled I could keep going if I change my mind.
I have a question that pertains to guilds, has anyone played a F2P, and since there will be two distinct seperate player bases, do you have F2P guilds and subscription guilds?
Seems on the surface like it could be a mess.

[Nysro]

Honestly no one really knows yet, as they haven't release any information concerning it. IF you enjoy the game right now keep playing. IF you don't enjoy the game after F2P cancel.

[Kontraz]

I don't see any reason why we wouldn't allow f2p players in our guild

[Wyl]

I don't see any reason why we wouldn't allow f2p players in our guild

I just wonder how difficult it would be when some guild members don't have access to the same content as other guild members.

[Thesos]

I just wonder how difficult it would be when some guild members don't have access to the same content as other guild members.

That's how their business model will work! All them Freebies would see us rocking Warzones or Flashpoints all the time, and then they'd realize... "Hey, this is what I'm missing out on... Maybe... just one month..."

[Del'lantam]

I don't see any reason why we wouldn't allow f2p players in our guild

Might have to adapt the guild's policies, though, as Free Players may very well be unable to respond to certain currently required activities. If they end up being denied access to the Black Hole, for example, they would be unable to respond to a Call to Arms there.

[Nysro]

That's how their business model will work! All them Freebies would see us rocking Warzones or Flashpoints all the time, and then they'd realize... "Hey, this is what I'm missing out on... Maybe... just one month..."

DING DING DING DING!

Cha-Ching!

[Rymark]

So...what, we've become moneymakers for BioWare now or have I just misunderstood the past ten replies?

[Som]

We've always been moneymakers for bioware... hence the term "consumers".

[Rymark]

I cannot argue said logic. Perhaps I need to rethink my own.

[Zooey]

I think F2P broke the hardcore Imperials. Warzones have been amazingly easier since the announcement.

@ Del, Bioware won't be shafting any current content from its players in either the f2p or sub model. So Black Hole will be available, but they did not guarantee that all new content will be f2p.