F2P is a good idea, but this way of doing it is completely backwards. Who wants to make a new account so they can play for free, when theyve been working on their character for 20 yrs? You should just make the game free for ALL. And make some better 'pay for' things and actually make some money... I dont see anything in the simucoin store I'd even want to get, and I dont want to start a new character so Ill probably just pass on GS until it's 'truly' free to play... Until then Ill play Aardwolf, or one of the MANY graphical MMO's that are free.

>F2P is a good idea, but this way of doing it is completely backwards. Who wants to make a new account so they can play for free, when theyve been working on their character for 20 yrs? You should just make the game free for ALL. And make some better 'pay for' things and actually make some money... I dont see anything in the simucoin store I'd even want to get, and I dont want to start a new character so Ill probably just pass on GS until it's 'truly' free to play... Until then Ill play Aardwolf, or one of the MANY graphical MMO's that are free.

GS's free subscription tier is much more kind than the free options of most successful graphical contenders, like STO and SWTOR, who have dealt with the issue of retroactively adding free subscription tiers while dealing with the thorny issue of an existing, paying player base.

And few, if any, games have a world as immersive and rich as Elanthia, mostly because of frequent live interaction from its paid staff.

This level of quality doesn't come magically. I feel like a hands-on experience of GemStone's ccaliber has some inherent costs. Expecting its parent company to give up the game's revenue stream entirely on the chance that you decide to pay for a microtransaction here or there is not in line with reality.

Auchand

"I have passed through fire and deep water, since we parted. I have forgotten much that I thought I knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten. I can see many things far off, but many things that are close at hand I cannot see."

>>"And few, if any, games have a world as immersive and rich as Elanthia, mostly because of frequent live interaction from its paid staff."

Congratulations! You have been awarded an experience modifier in recognition of your contribution to the role play in Gemstone IV! Here is how it works, as a free to play member, your award may be collected and applied very easily. You send us....



- Guards haul off the stupid corpse. -

I guess it poked a nerve.

>>We are listening to feedback. Please continue to give it. But if you voice concerns that aren't based on the actual F2P model, it does not add anything positive to the conversation.

It was not intended to add, merely to highlight the absurdity of some of the pay-to-participate restrictions.

For my own .02 I believe that what Gemstone IV uniquely delivers is the overall role play experience. The prime account should be free to play. We pay that minimum subscription price to meet our characters obligations and to play this game with our friends. The side revenue stream for that is that because all of our friends are experiencing Premium status, we upgrade, all of our friends are attending EG, RTCF, The Spire, we pay that extra to go with them.

The prime model is restrictive enough to warrant considering an upgrade to premium, and if anything should be done, it should be focused on how to get those prime account holders to upgrade to premium.

I might suggest even that prime accounts be reverted to free to play, and then -lowering- the cost of the premium and platinum upgrades. Without knowing the true numbers behind the model, I can say that while I am content with my now prime subscription, I was definitely not receiving value for my dollar on my premium account, of four years.

At a lower price point, it may prove that more people join premium and then platinum, for those perceived perks, above living the life of a peasant in prime for free.

For $15 I can hang out with my friends, for $20 I would go back to doing that in Mist Harbor. Lower the subscription price, remove all discounts offered to upgraded membership. If your event is worth $50, then loyalty discounts are not needed.

As it stands now, the free to play customer finds it difficult to even make friends through normal interaction, let alone find justification on making my account permanent. The free to play customer cannot share spells, heck, they cannot even share loot, because there appears not to be any. I can seriously envision two new free to play customer meeting each other for the first time in the catacombs and talking about how disappointing this is, exchanging PS3 screen names and going off to play Call of Duty. (Same as my Play/net handle BTW)

Since I was around when premium service was introduced, I can clearly remember the rift that was subliminally created when it went live, between prime and premium subscribers. It was not a happy time for the have nots. I personally feel this wound is being opened again, not between prior players who had reason to stay, but now with a potential income stream for the company that will never be realized. Essentially the things that sell Gemstone to any potential customer are being withheld with nothing but the -promise- of a good, or better experience, if you just give the company another dollar.

I for one would return to premium status at a lower cost, and I now only pay the prime charge to maintain relationships with the people I have made lasting friendships with through this game.

Gemstone IVs selling point is interactivity with the environment and its players, any model that restricts either of these, in my opinion, will not result in new paying accounts that become lasting customers.



- Guards haul off the stupid corpse. -