EQ2 Goes Free to Play too

[Merusk]

Grim doesn't have a horse in this race anymore, Count, so I doubt he'll accuse you of much of anything.

[UnSub]

Such a complex payment scheme suggests many hands in its development as well as some sort of top down directive that the F2P model can't lose any money at all and that they'll be watching.

I'd also suspect that they are putting EQ2 on mothballs (moreso) once the newer SOE titles are out.

[Kageru]

Two ideas that might help reduce the potential damage:
    change the one-way transfers into copies, so people can try out the new world without losing their progress in the old;
and/or

I believe this is how it does work. Though you'll lose access to items that are not available on the f2p server. Also quite limited in gear (no tradeables) and gold I think, which at least partly has to be to protect the economy of the new servers... unless you have a credit card I guess.

[Yegolev]

I'd also suspect that they are putting EQ2 on mothballs (moreso) once the newer SOE titles are out.

What other games have they mothballed?  SOE is like assisted-living for MMOs.

[Mrbloodworth]

I'd also suspect that they are putting EQ2 on mothballs (moreso) once the newer SOE titles are out.

What other games have they mothballed?  SOE is like assisted-living for MMOs.

Lol. Thats kind of why I was surprised that it was THIS title they did this with first. Planetside, Vanguard and even the now defunct matrix would have my first guesses, not the "flagship" (If free realms hasn't taken this crown yet).

[Numtini]

Does anyone play? I have no idea how the populations are, but when I left about a year ago, the announcement of Odus rather than Velius seemed to have discouraged a lot of players and it seemed to me the game was heading downwards. It may be the flagship, but if its dying, it might still be the first candidate for this.

[Sky]

I imagine the corporatetards have a 12 foot boner to make EQ3 a facebook app with stylized graphics.

[Ard]

Lol. Thats kind of why I was surprised that it was THIS title they did this with first. Planetside, Vanguard and even the now defunct matrix would have my first guesses, not the "flagship" (If free realms hasn't taken this crown yet).

I seriously doubt Vanguard or Matrix could have been retrofitted with a f2p model.  Vanguard was a catastrophe from a coding standpoint, and the Matrix was developed out of house with pretty much no one remaining on it from the development at the time it was canned.  EQ2 was probably the only one in their stable other than maybe Pirates of the Burning Sea that could have been retrofitted for it.

[Mrbloodworth]

Lol. Thats kind of why I was surprised that it was THIS title they did this with first. Planetside, Vanguard and even the now defunct matrix would have my first guesses, not the "flagship" (If free realms hasn't taken this crown yet).

I seriously doubt Vanguard or Matrix could have been retrofitted with a f2p model.  Vanguard was a catastrophe from a coding standpoint, and the Matrix was developed out of house with pretty much no one remaining on it from the development at the time it was canned.  EQ2 was probably the only one in their stable other than maybe Pirates of the Burning Sea that could have been retrofitted for it.

Speaking hypothetically: The matrix would be a great candidate for some kind of F2P system, it had a lot of emphasis on player looks, everything was instanced, you could potentially cut blocks of buildings (where most random created missions happened) or zones and stuff them into mini packs. Events, story line packs, stuff like that. I was thinking more of a DLC road, than a F2P with restrictions.

[HaemishM]

Such a complex payment scheme suggests many hands in its development as well as some sort of top down directive that the F2P model can't lose any money at all and that they'll be watching.

I'd also suspect that they are putting EQ2 on mothballs (moreso) once the newer SOE titles are out.

Yes and yes. This is the death knell for new players to the subscription-based EQ2.

I still think I'll play it when it goes live if I have time, but they definitely could have done better at not nickel and diming the players to death. But... SOE. /shrug

[Hawkbit]

The beta is live on this, if anyone cares.  Money spent in beta carries over to live, they're saying. 

It's pretty much EQ2, but "free".  Before I had to spend $15 to remember why I don't like it.  Now, those memories are free!

There's too many rules on it and the cash shop stuff is quite a bit expensive.  $25 bags?  yeah....

[HaemishM]

I started playing last night. I like the new starting areas - Halas is the one I started in. Evoked good memories of the old EQ1 days, and it's a very directed experience, much superior to the Island and city quests that started the game the last time I played. I got through 9 levels in less than 2 hours just following the quests.

My plan is to see how long I can play for free without feeling the need to buy anything. Their approach to F2P is very business-centric as opposed to customer-centric. They really don't have clue one how to price this shit, and most of it is really expensive. But for free, I'm enjoying it until LOTRO goes F2P.

[Modern Angel]

Just looking over the list I can tell they're doing the polar opposite of Turbine's more relaxed approach. I don't think it's going to work well for them

[HaemishM]

They are doing the bare minimum on the F2P to try to point people towards subscriptions. The SOE mindset is hard to break when it comes to the sub fee.

[Lantyssa]

Which is funny considering they have Free Realms which just added a life-time membership that costs less than the box price of most MMOs.

[CharlieMopps]

Let's review SOE's business model:

• Announce a relatively cool idea
• Target audience says "Yay!"
• Wait a few weeks and then release details of your plans
• Target Audience yells "DO NOT WANT! Please do A, B, C, and we will give you all our monies!"
• Ignore the publics plea, lock threads in forums, have the CEO craft a letter that basically spells out that the public doesn't really know what it wants... SOE does.
• Roll out your original idea and ensure that all of the details your target audience despised are in. Also, for flavor, leave out several key features they had been excited about
• When subscription rates do not meet expectations, begin charging for things no other game charges for.
• When no one buys those things, raise general subscription rates.
• When Sony corporate finally asks why you aren't making more profit, Perform ancient Voodoo ritual only Smeadly knows, Sony corporate allows SOE to continue for several more years before the Voodoo spell wares off

[Yegolev]

EverQuest 2 indeed.

[Yegolev]

Since I'm stupid, I decided to give it a try.  I am always fascinated when I type in my userid/passwd on any site which I haven't visited in eons and it works.

[Hawkbit]

Broker access should come with silver membership.  There's really no reason to not let people use the code that is in place.  Letting people have access to the broker opens up people to things like tradeskilling which can also be supported by the SC shop.

[Yegolev]

Oh, Jesus, I forgot how ugly this game is.  Terrible!  In fact, I named my character Terrible.  I remember that Neriak was one of my favorite places in EQ.  This one looks like a RenFaire during the off season.

[Sir T]

Everville 

[Soln]

Im playing on Freeport as Kier 20 Wiz if anyone wants to group.  You can group but that's about it.

Hallas was fun, best starter zone yet with a mount at the end of one quest chain for 50% speed bonus.  Starter housing in Hallas is also the best looking IMO.

The streaming client is terrific --  no hitching and looks as good as EQ2 can be.  Yadda^3.

But wow the F2P is restrictive.  Aside from races and classes restrictions (and there are too many classes, but I like the race selection) I found I really miss the global chat.  There's nothing like being in an MMO with people all around grinding and not hearing a word.  Ya that can be a relief, but without any kind of chat channel you might as well be playing a console or web game.  And lack of a broker will be a pain.  They know where to kick you. 

It's a shame because I sense Freeport is largest server right now for players.  I'd resub if there was a reliable heavy population.

[HaemishM]

Freeport is the only server using the F2P stuff right now.

Totally agree about the Halas starting zone, it is top-notch, well-paced and moves you right along the levels with decent looking gear and that mount at the end. Even the starter house is totally boss. The client itself is good, but fuck's sake the goddamn launchpad is a nightmare. Half the time, it won't even launch the game correctly. But... beta. 

Yeah, the F2P really is restrictive. Not being able to use the broker is the compass pointing to magnetic wrong. That and the restrictions on what gear you can use make total sense if you consider that their entire goal with F2P is to drive you to subscribe with the Gold Plan. However, they'd probably make more money if they actually supported a real micro-transactional philosophy. Let me buy access to legendary items I get through quests one item at a time for like $1 or $2. Those nickel and dime transactions would add up. Instead, they'll likely never get a dime out of me.

[Stabs]

Will people actually raid on the F2P servers? Will it be more expensive to do than subbing or will people manage to raid without paying?

[HaemishM]

I have no idea. I know there are people that have transferred their high-levels over to EQ2X and talked about raiding. The forum trolls mostly seem to think anyone playing for free (or even the one-time $10 Silver memberships) will never be able to raid because of the lack of legendary or fabled gear. /shrug My last experience with raiding was EQ1 in 2001, so who the fuck knows?

[Sky]

Why would you raid when you can't get raid gear? It's certainly not fun. 

[shiznitz]

I don't get the lack of global chat in F2P.  You should want your free players to make friends and get sucked into the social fabric.  If you cannot talk to people, there won't be that aura of "gotta get that ____" item.

[Mrbloodworth]

Long ago I realized that "community" in a MMG is not tied to global chat, or even the population on the world server, its the smaller space around you that you create. Guild, local, or people you have grouped with.  I usually turn off any global chats now, and I feel I'm better for it. Certainly, my chat window scrolling has gone down considerably.

[HaemishM]

MMOG's without global chat are doing me a fucking favor, frankly. The vast population of MMOG's, the Internet and the world at large makes a very large vein in my head throb painfully.

[ghost]

Long ago I realized that "community" in a MMG is not tied to global chat, or even the population on the world server, its the smaller space around you that you create. Guild, local, or people you have grouped with.  I usually turn off any global chats now, and I feel I'm better for it. Certainly, my chat window scrolling has gone down considerably.

No global chat is a huge cockblock to networking in an MMO if you don't already have a support network in place for getting into a decent guild, etc.  I would argue that not having some form of region/global chat in War was a huge reason it tanked out of the gate.  It was very difficult to figure out what the fuck was going on.  And for folks that have their group of people that they bounce from MMO to MMO with it is usually easy to turn of global.

[Sky]

I don't get the lack of global chat in F2P.  You should want your free players to make friends and get sucked into the social fabric.  If you cannot talk to people, there won't be that aura of "gotta get that ____" item.

Gold sellers.

[Numtini]

EQ2 has level based chats and in the subscription flavor, they are the primary way to find groups and members for pug raids and they are probably the most efficient and pleasant methods of doing so I've found in any game.

[Nebu]

EQ2 has level based chats and in the subscription flavor, they are the primary way to find groups and members for pug raids and they are probably the most efficient and pleasant methods of doing so I've found in any game.

I agree.  I think WoW should adopt these.  They help the lower levels seem a lot less lonely.

[shiznitz]

EQ2 has level based chats and in the subscription flavor, they are the primary way to find groups and members for pug raids and they are probably the most efficient and pleasant methods of doing so I've found in any game.

Those are very good. Is that in F2P?

[Soln]

no its definitely not.  There is no global chat at all.  You can /tell and /group and /guild even.  But you can't form guilds as free.  And as I discovered you can't "page" from the guild window any recruiters.  Hopefully you can just ask for a join.  So yeah I think that's a miss by SOE.  More chat mean more indication that the place is hopping.  And people want to play where it's popular.