Free to play vs Pay to play.

[Pogolauncher]

Okay, I have discussed this question in my head for a long time and i figured, why not let the internet discuss

Free to play vs Pay to play.

Which do you prefer?
Why?
Pro's and Con's of both platforms.

I tend to play free to play games alot, mainly because i cannot afford new games as soon as they come out and i tend to buy them later on but because free to play games offer something special, not the free to play games that greatly encourage you to buy addons and new weapons etc, i hate them, games where you are at a serious disadvantage if you do not spend any real money. Games like 'Heroes and Generals' or 'APB: Reloaded' seem to offer something great, they don't make me feel like I am cheap for playing them and I think they are much better than alot of paid games.

Please, voice your opinion on the subject
Also, note any free to play games that you may like or have liked in the past, or list any free games that act as alternatives to payed games.

- Thanks.

 

[Snock514]

I don't care as long as the content that impacts actual game play is accessible to all users and that some of that content isn't a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge (or boring) grind if you aren't paying $ for it.

 

[Pogolauncher]

I don't care as long as the content that impacts actual game play is accessible to all users and that some of that content isn't a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge (or boring) grind if you aren't paying $ for it.

I totally agree

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I've been having a blast with Planetside 2 and I haven't spent a dime on it yet.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

Problem with free 2 play, aside from the arguments about whether or not payers get an advantage, is that the game must often be dumbed down in order to appeal to the widest audience possible so that they can get the maximum number of registrants, so that they can profit from the few who will actually subscribe or buy stuff from the cash shop.

Whereas, a subscription based model may have fewer players but they would all be paying their monthly fee and thus the game can target a smaller audience without dumbing down.

Planetside 2 managed to avoiding dumbing down on a BF3 level (called "lowering the threshold" per DICE), but EQ Next I worry for.

 

[nisryus]

I prefer pay to play game just to support the developers.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I prefer some kind of entrance fee, keeps the riff raff out. Personally all F2P games lack any soul. They're games designed by accountant to squeeze money out of you.
Although $15 per month it too much on average.

 

[KaOTiK]

I don't mind F2P when it is done right. Sadly there are few examples of it done right that I rather just pay to play.

 

[looper]

I have been playing 'CCTA: Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances' for about 8-10 months now. I think I've spent about $50-60 on it. For the amount of time/enjoyment I've had with CCTA, it's been well worth it.

 

[Pogolauncher]

I have been playing 'CCTA: Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances' for about 8-10 months now. I think I've spent about $50-60 on it. For the amount of time/enjoyment I've had with CCTA, it's been well worth it.

I played that for quite a while without spending anything but it is really pay to win imo

 

[looper]

I played that for quite a while without spending anything but it is really pay to win imo

I agree. I'm in Alpha Force 2 on World 58, near the 'endgame'... I won't have a chance to hit the 'fortress', as my Offenses are not at level 45.... I'm at Rank 14/Captain, with 11 bases.....

But, I hate the idea of starting over again on a new world.... I don't like the first few months leveling up from the start....

 

[Bateluer]

I prefer some kind of entrance fee, keeps the riff raff out. Personally all F2P games lack any soul. They're games designed by accountant to squeeze money out of you.
Although $15 per month it too much on average.

Seconded. F2P/P2W also attract the type of player you want to kick in the nuts.

15/month is standard for a month to month subscription. Drops a bit if you buy multiple months in advance, usually.

 

[JTsyo]

I prefer F2P over monthly but prefer one time payment (ie Guild Wars) to the other option.

 

[krnmastersgt]

I prefer F2P over monthly but prefer one time payment (ie Guild Wars) to the other option.

That's my preferred payment system as well, throw in some sort of micro-transactions to allow people to be lazy/save time or just look vastly different from others without affecting play too much.

That being said I prefer F2P games since I mainly game with buddies and we roam from game to game, using a subscription based set-up is something we avoid since not everyone is all that thrilled but will play F2P just to try with the group, but something like WoW where you'd have to buy the game then the monthly is something they likely wouldn't sink money into.

 

[flexy]

Actually, money is NOT the critierion when a game is good and worth it. Give me a GOOD Mmorpg, and I am very willing to pay, say $30 each two months when I get a good time back in return. There are much, much worse things in life to spend money on.

The problem is...regardless whether F2P, P2P etc...games are not worth it anymore...or have dumbed down, turned into a grind etc.

The few games in know which are F2P attract extremely casual players (ie: retards and little children)....and with some of the games (swtor etc.) where they turned F2P, the F2P is nothing but a promotional gimmick/demo mode. The term "F2P" only serves the purpose to suggest to some people that you can indeed "play for free"..but there are so many limitations it's really useless.

 

[supermag24]

Planetside 2 FTW. It is Free 2 Play, but i made it Pay 2 play by signing up for a monthly subscription!!

 

[SunnyD]

I prefer some kind of entrance fee, keeps the riff raff out.

I keep seeing this argument.

Funny thing, in all my MMORPG experiences I've ended up dealing with more asshats in games like WoW, DAoC and EVE than I have in games like STO and (post-F2P) LOTRO.

What I do find is that the former subscription style games seem to have an exponentially greater amount of elitist douchebags than most of the F2P games. It's almost as if paying a subscription gives people an entitlement complex or something.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

I keep seeing this argument.

Funny thing, in all my MMORPG experiences I've ended up dealing with more asshats in games like WoW, DAoC and EVE than I have in games like STO and (post-F2P) LOTRO.

What I do find is that the former subscription style games seem to have an exponentially greater amount of elitist douchebags than most of the F2P games. It's almost as if paying a subscription gives people an entitlement complex or something.

I would say the elitism comes more from the likelihood that a subscription game is more likely to have proper vertical progression and thusly you will have high level poopsocking raid guilds. Free 2 play games are more likely to focus on catering to casuals to get their registration numbers up.

Everquest Next is a big worry. Vertical progression, ie leveling, AAs, raiding over a few months per expansion for gear, that seems to be out in favor of a system where everyone can contribute immediately, action combat in other words. Will the focus on economy and building be enough to offset that change? Is that the combat people want? I guess we will see.

 

[biostud]

I don't want to subscribe to a game for a monthly fee, but I'll buy a game if it's good.

So ATM I play World of Tanks (F2P) and Company of Heroes 2.

 

[blackened23]

I'm done with subscription games, paying 150$ over the course of a year?

Yeah, eff that. I did it for WoW for several years but never again. I'm all for F2P games as long as it is done tastefully - but keep in mind, nothing is ever for free. In the end if you want to enjoy a game fully you will have to pay a slight amount, but there has to be something lower on the spectrum than 150$ per year. I'm done doing that nonsense.

 

[blackened23]

I prefer some kind of entrance fee, keeps the riff raff out.

"Keep the riff raff out"

Have you played WoW lately? You know, the WoW where you can enter a LFR or battleground where someone is typing racial slurs nonstop? Where random players troll excessively in trade chat? And you report them and nothing ever happens to them? WoW is proof that the sub fee doesn't prevent jerks and trolls from participating in a game.

Back in 2007, reporting someone who was a legitimate racist/troll/etc had consequences. They would definitely get banned for 72 hours or more. Nowadays? Blizzard NEVER takes action no matter what. I don't understand it - I presume that they don't want to ban anyone as to maintain their existing sub count. This is part of the reason I quit WoW (that and the game just being boring nowadays), having to see this nonsense nonstop just gets old. But the point remains. A sub fee in no way prevents jerks from playing a game.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I'm done with subscription games, paying 150$ over the course of a year?

Yeah, eff that. I did it for WoW for several years but never again. I'm all for F2P games as long as it is done tastefully - but keep in mind, nothing is ever for free. In the end if you want to enjoy a game fully you will have to pay a slight amount, but there has to be something lower on the spectrum than 150$ per year. I'm done doing that nonsense.

That's my point $100-180 per year is far too expensive. $60 12 months is the model I want to see.

do the math $40-60 for the game then another $60 for the year. That's $100 and a tidy sum of money if you get 1/2 a million doing it.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

"Keep the riff raff out"

Have you played WoW lately? You know, the WoW where you can enter a LFR or battleground where someone is typing racial slurs nonstop? Where random players troll excessively in trade chat? And you report them and nothing ever happens to them? WoW is proof that the sub fee doesn't prevent jerks and trolls from participating in a game.

Back in 2007, reporting someone who was a legitimate racist/troll/etc had consequences. They would definitely get banned for 72 hours or more. Nowadays? Blizzard NEVER takes action no matter what. I don't understand it - I presume that they don't want to ban anyone as to maintain their existing sub count. This is part of the reason I quit WoW (that and the game just being boring nowadays), having to see this nonsense nonstop just gets old. But the point remains. A sub fee in no way prevents jerks from playing a game.

Nope I've never played WOW. Only pay mmo's I have played for more than 3 months is EQ1 and Anarchy Online.
Speaking of which anyone know when the huge graphical update for Anarchy Online is going live?

 

[cmdrdredd]

What I have found at times is when you do a f2p game and meet good people, they have nothing holding them there. What I mean is one day they can quit out of the blue because they didn't pay anything for it and take no loss if they just stop. I've had this happen before.

 

[NickelPlate]

I prefer to just pay for the game up front. No monthly fees. Expansions and DLC would also be paid for. Free games with cash shops and monthly subscription based games often end up costing you a lot more in the long run.

I don't mind cash shops with the cosmetic crap that people always buy if it helps keep the servers running and online but I dislike pay to win games with huge advantages for those willing to pay for the premium stuff.