SOE Free Realms

[Venkman]

When you say "in terms of people playing", are you citing something other than the 3 million (free) registered accounts?

It's an important distinction. I'm tired of hearing about the second largest MMO in NA when the only way to arrive at that statement is some creative reporting of numbers (first heard it from LoTRO, then AoC, then WAR). Add to that the completely separate business models.

That's separate from retention. I think FR will do fine in that regard. It's a solid playable experience with some appreciable depth to what players can do.

[Lantyssa]

Pure statistics and seeing the crap people for in other microtrans games... yeah, it'll do fine.  I'd love to see numbers, but I don't need them to tell you it's making more per period than any other microtrans game.  Ever.

[Venkman]

But see? That's the problem right there. In your experience you're feeling like there's a lot of money being made to make some sort of statement like "more per period than any other microtrans game" when in reality you (and all the rest of us) have no idea at all. And we don't know for the same reasons people making business decisions about this stuff don't know either.

And yet, it's actually worthwhile to know this stuff if you're trying to spot whether F2P games are a sea changed to the whole medium or just another segment of an already fractured genre. My guess is that with merely 3mil registered accounts, they have a long way to go before they catch up to the amount of revenue made in the well-established F2P titles. And by "long way" I mean years. Because that whole business model is what made FR a worthwhile project to begin with, and the numbers they talk about are orders of magnitude beyond FR. And WoW for that matter. But only because they talk in a type of number that doesn't matter to subs games.

Not that those who have the actual numbers are that interested in telling their competition anything  

[Lantyssa]

Ah, I'm comparing to other microtrans games, not to other MMOs as a whole.  That comparison I am not comfortable making without some more data.  Comparing it to anything Aria, Gpotato, Nexion, etc. though?  Yeah, it's doing well.

[Mrbloodworth]

3 million now, a few weeks after they hit 2 million.

The bigger Free Realms grows, the harder it falls.

[Fordel]

Tell me you didn't pay money for that.

[Grimwell]

It's 600 Station Cash to be precise.

Also, to be clear -- it's 3 million accounts.

Period.

These aren't funny numbers we are pimping, it's 3 million accounts created for the game.

You can splice the numbers all you want about who must be paying how much, I can't help you there. 

[Xurtan]

I put in $30 towards SC, and am a member.  Outfits and neat looking weapons. *sigh*

[Yegolev]

The fact that I spend many dollars on console games that I may not play very long means that there is no logical reason for me to avoid paying cash for a hot dog suit.

[Xanthippe]

I bought my dog, Buzz, a bee outfit.

I haven't purchased anything that helps me out though, in the game.  I enjoy getting drops.  I might once I max level on something that excites me.

Brawler is my only 20 combat job,  and it doesn't excite me.

On another note --
The job collections pages spawn rate seems to have been drastically reduced.  I have 1 page left to go to complete my  Brawler collections, but most of that was collected before the spawn rate was dropped.  I don't see myself finishing those job collections for a very very long time.  If it's too long, I will just lose interest.

I really hope SOE doesn't tune the game to prevent power players from powerplaying, and tunes it instead to more casual players.  People who already have all of their collections finished are just crazy anyway, and a minority of the population.

[Tmon]

I hate the collections, they just seem to random and I really hate clicking on 'A Mushroom Ring' in the hopes of getting that final mushroom and instead starting a whole new collection.  I've got something like 50 open collections and most of them don't seem to have any rhyme or reason to their completion.  Maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

[tazelbain]

Ya, there may actually be too many collections which sounds crazy.  I'd happy if they stop showing me collection nodes for collections I have already completed.

[Lantyssa]

You can trade.  As long as you've started a collection, the new items drop right in.

What they do need, and I haven't checked to see if they have addressed it, is a quick filter on collection trades for only offering items each other needs.

[tazelbain]

F13 collection mule?

[Grimwell]

There is a daily collection trade event, run by players, where you can do  better than a mule. The post for it is in the official forums and I don't remember when/where because I'm content letting my collections happen.

[Lantyssa]

I have like 200 collection items to sort through for any given trade.  Without a filter, I'm not bothering unless it's someone I know.

[Xanthippe]

I have like 200 collection items to sort through for any given trade.  Without a filter, I'm not bothering unless it's someone I know.

Have you noticed the new collections filters? 

There's also a couple of new chat channels, but they are off by default.  LFG and Trade.

I haven't traded much, though. 

[AcidCat]

Hmmm. Weeks have gone by since I last logged in, the game just kind of lost my interest. My daughter was also logging in less and less and now with the Sims 3 that's all she wants to play for the forseeable future.

[Lantyssa]

Have you noticed the new collections filters? 

Actually no.  I've been busy playing other things.  Vacation next week, so I'm hoping I have more time for lots of things I've been ignoring.

[Grimwell]

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/376/feature/3187/page/1

I talked to Schild, and unless someone really wants to be in charge, I'm going to grab the Bat Country name and let anyone here join. I typically hate running guilds, but wanted to reserve the name.

Anyone interested? 

[Tannhauser]

Sure!  Name's Jaylen Moonmind.

Also, I assume there is no mail or AH correct?

[Signe]

I'm interested, too. 

[Grimwell]

No Mail or AH.

Once I have it, I'll post here when I'm going in so people can get invited.

Maxwell Lifehammer is my character name. Add me so it's easy to see when I'm online.

Tonight is date and drinks night, don't expect to see me after the update :)

[Horik]

I'll join with Simon Darkspire.

[Yegolev]

Anyone interested?  

I am, this will help me a good bit.  Now, to find my character name....

EDIT Demetrius Snakemittens

[Xanthippe]

Yes please, Sadie Frigidscowl.

[Malakili]

I haven't played very much yet, but why not?  Do I search for the guild and "apply" or just wait for an invite?  If so, my avatar is the same as my forum name here: Malakili

[NiX]

You wait to be invited. They haven't been patched in yet. I don't actually see a date/time for it either.

[Bandit]

Sounds good, Sammy Snakegrin.

[Numtini]

Please count me in, I'm Numtini

[Grimwell]

Bat Country is now formed and awaiting approval.

I'm online, on server 7 as 'Maxwell Lifehammer' and will leave the character on while I work. If you want in, pop on and send me a friends request (you need to be on server 7). I'll promote some folks so I don't have to be the only person around to get it done. :D

[Grimwell]

Guild approval is complete. I'm hanging about Server 7 again today if folks want to hop online and get inserted. This is my last real time to play until Fan Faire is over. Wee.

[Numtini]

Woot! I have a tag and can invite.

[Hawkbit]

get inserted

What kind of guild is this?

[Numtini]

Hardcore PVP and raiding I think.