Free to Play First Person Shooter.......

[Tank-Ace]

In addition to the fact that his suggestion wouldn't have the intended effect, and would require a massive overhaul of the game to make it work to HTCs standards, I question the basic assumption that we WANT a bunch of annoying, inept FPS tards in the game, even as cannon fodder.

[Shane]

I know alot of older players are going to give me a lot of flak on this one so here we go.......
My Idea is for a free to play first person shooter to make the game more stratigic than get the biggest horde you can find, level town, take field.
So flak jacket is on.......FIRE AWAY!!!

followed by

My point is wouldn't it be awsome to see a swarm of LVTs hitting a shore or a huge airborn operation to take a town???

 


and besides the points others have already made.

[muzik]

Just in case a someone has thrown me into the free to play pile, my part of the pile has a different opinion. Not all free needs to require some huge drastic change to the game. We have hanger queens that are prime candidates for free players that would guarantee new subscriptions. Yes I said guarantee.

Who knows how many. Maybe it's one in a thousand, maybe it's five hundred/thousand.

It would provide more targets for the paying players. Especially during late off peak hours, this could be a boom for late night.

2 things would be guaranteed to happen, A- free players would tire of being restricted to free rides and would either permanently or occasionally as their finances allowed pay subscription. Or  B- two week'ers, who might have played during late hours where pupulation would normally be at 50-100 (last I knew), would subscribe because their playing experience was bolstered by a well populated game during all hours of the day.

There is no downside. You can control the conditions however it suits it's purpose best.

[Vinkman]

Just in case a someone has thrown me into the free to play pile, my part of the pile has a different opinion. Not all free needs to require some huge drastic change to the game. We have hanger queens that are prime candidates for free players that would guarantee new subscriptions. Yes I said guarantee.

Who knows how many. Maybe it's one in a thousand, maybe it's five hundred/thousand.

It would provide more targets for the paying players. Especially during late off peak hours, this could be a boom for late night.

2 things would be guaranteed to happen, A- free players would tire of being restricted to free rides and would either permanently or occasionally as their finances allowed pay subscription. Or  B- two week'ers, who might have played during late hours where pupulation would normally be at 50-100 (last I knew), would subscribe because their playing experience was bolstered by a well populated game during all hours of the day.

There is no downside. You can control the conditions however it suits it's purpose best.

there's a huge downside. Paying players may decide to stop paying and fly the free rides.

[muzik]

there's a huge downside. Paying players may decide to stop paying and fly the free rides.

You're joking right?

You're telling me that guys who have been playing this game for a decade and in some cases outgeek Trek-ies in their loyalty are going to quit to...???

We didnt even decide what exactly was going to be the free part yet and you've already determined the consequences.

They have reputation for being hanger queens for a reason and even the few devotees to the least used in the game don't exclusively stick to those rides. And like I said, you can use conditions to regulate it any way you want and if one of the regulations was something along the lines of "only X number of free players at a time," then those former paying customers might be locked out, wondering why they chose to fly an I16 exclusively in the MA when they managed to come up with 15 bucks just fine for years.

[Ack-Ack]

there's a huge downside. Paying players may decide to stop paying and fly the free rides.

F2P subscribers will still have to pay for content a subscriber won't have to.  What if the F2P player wants to fly another plane?  Or if they want to take another ordnance package?  Or what if they want to fly on another map?  Or access to another arena?  As I mentioned previously, the F2P player will find themselves paying more a month than they would if they were a subscriber if they wish to enjoy additional content.

ack-ack

[Tank-Ace]

Muzik, I don't think all would quit, or even a signficant number. But there are those few people......

[Raphael]

Perk

the

snipers




Seriously.

[muzik]

Muzik, I don't think all would quit, or even a signficant number. But there are those few people......

You know, that is always the case no matter how hard a company tries. Then it comes down to which benefits the game and the goals of the company more.

fictional scenario-- McDonalds posts an advertisement in a magazine that has a Jewish owner and some twit refuses to ever eat there because of his prejudice. What's the company to do when there is some bias for every action they take?

And sure enough the first time a free player uses 'check 6' a hundred times on a paying customer there is going to be an outcry and demand to stop free play. Is that going to end all 'check 6 weenies?'

[muzik]

By the way, the best reason to try some form of free play is the learning curve in this game. 2 weeks is great if you knew enough to set up the game and solve all the pc issues before you went online. And then if you have plenty of free time to play before the two weeks is up.

I was addicted to AW from the first day and wouldnt have, scratch that, DIDNT quit regardless of all the computer issues that came up when I was just learning to use a pc. It was a nightmare. Not everyone is that passionate about learning a game. You got to give them more time to take the bait.

[Vinkman]

You're joking right?

You're telling me that guys who have been playing this game for a decade and in some cases outgeek Trek-ies in their loyalty are going to quit to...???

We didnt even decide what exactly was going to be the free part yet and you've already determined the consequences.

They have reputation for being hanger queens for a reason and even the few devotees to the least used in the game don't exclusively stick to those rides. And like I said, you can use conditions to regulate it any way you want and if one of the regulations was something along the lines of "only X number of free players at a time," then those former paying customers might be locked out, wondering why they chose to fly an I16 exclusively in the MA when they managed to come up with 15 bucks just fine for years.

No I'm not kidding. You're proposing that people get access to the MA for FREE, but can only fly a limitted plane set. If you're a paying customer, why fly a sucky ride? You paid for the TigerII and the Tempest, and Pony so use them. If you could fly around in a P-39, or SkdF(what ever that thing is) for FREE don't you think some would learn to just get good in a suckier ride and save the money? You would win less, but you you'd playing for FREE.  Are you guarenteeing that NO one would drop? How many would out 4000 players? ZERO? You don't think there's 100 players who don't log a lot of time, but keep their subscriptions for the when they get a few hour and want to play? You don't think they would say, hey I'll just use the free planes? 100 people is $1500 a month out of HTC pocket. The the monthly payment on a really nice real life Airplane.

Don;t presume to know what 4000 people are going to do when confronted with the choice of FREE stuff. 

[muzik]

If you're a paying customer, why fly a sucky ride? You paid for the TigerII and the Tempest, and Pony so use them.

[/sub]

Why indeed? What does this have to do with the free customers?

You paid for the TigerII and the Tempest, and Pony so use them. If you could fly around in a P-39, or SkdF(what ever that thing is) for FREE don't you think some would learn to just get good in a suckier ride and save the money?

[/sub]

No I don't. I think there would be 4000 subscribing players out there flying ponies and causing endless rants by free customers about cherry picking ponies. Oh what a change that would be. And just like everyone in this game, they would tire of being the punching bag and decide to subscribe for a change of pace even if they did become UBER at a free ride.

Are you guarenteeing that NO one would drop? How many would out 4000 players? ZERO?

[/sub]

No, there's no guarantee no one would drop. There is a guarantee that others would join as a result of being allowed to actually play the game long enough to get past all of the headache of pc, software, and learning curve issues. It's not a  matter of if, it's a matter of how many.

You don't think there's 100 players who don't log a lot of time, but keep their subscriptions for the when they get a few hour and want to play? You don't think they would say, hey I'll just use the free planes? 100 people is $1500 a month out of HTC pocket. The the monthly payment on a really nice real life Airplane.

[/sub]

No I don't. Why would someone who already by your example pays REGARDLESS of how much they actually play decide that 15 bucks is all of a sudden too much to part with. That makes no sense what so ever.

Save 15 bucks for a "NICE REAL LIFE AIRPLANE?" Seriously, what are you on?

You obviously have a problem with the idea, so what exactly is it that bothers you? What do you see happening that will ruin your breakfast?

[Vinkman]

Why indeed? What does this have to do with the free customers?



No I don't. I think there would be 4000 subscribing players out there flying ponies and causing endless rants by free customers about cherry picking ponies. Oh what a change that would be. And just like everyone in this game, they would tire of being the punching bag and decide to subscribe for a change of pace even if they did become UBER at a free ride.



No, there's no guarantee no one would drop. There is a guarantee that others would join as a result of being allowed to actually play the game long enough to get past all of the headache of pc, software, and learning curve issues. It's not a  matter of if, it's a matter of how many.



No I don't. Why would someone who already by your example pays REGARDLESS of how much they actually play decide that 15 bucks is all of a sudden too much to part with. That makes no sense what so ever.

Save 15 bucks for a "NICE REAL LIFE AIRPLANE?" Seriously, what are you on?

You obviously have a problem with the idea, so what exactly is it that bothers you? What do you see happening that will ruin your breakfast?

[snarking sounding preface omitted]

I don't knwo if this idea is a viable business model, so I don't have "some problem" with it. I am convinced there is significant risk in it, and was surprised that you used the phrase "No down side". I pointed out that the risk is loosing paying customers, and that even 100 customers adds up to big money for HTC.   

The $1500 is what HiTech loses when 100 people drop their subscriptions. That's a payment on a nice airplane for him. 

[muzik]

ahh, the nice airplane. Ok I follow ya now.

I don't see one hundred guys quitting over this especially if it is properly regulated so as not to adversely affect paying players any more than you already see in game. Freaks happen. There's no doubt your going to get bad apples but that is a fact no matter what.

I am not even convinced there would be one hundred playing because of the free stuff but it has the potential to bring thousands. Bottom line is that more players benefits everyone whether they are restricted to an I16, C47, and a jeep or allowed a couple of other minor roles. Tankers get lots of practice on an easy targets. Fighters get lots of practice on goons and I16s. During off peak hours things might not get so boring. And I guarantee, some of those free players will get so hooked they will start subscribing. Others will subscribe on occasion.

It's a win/win.

[Tank-Ace]

Unless they're no more than a cash cow for dale to milk dry, I wouldn't want them. The annoyance of the 19 tards, twits, and a-holes aren't worth the 1 who both subscribes and plays with a moticum of respectability.


 At best, all this will do is make more hordes (never good under any circumstance) and increase stupidity several fold.