Guild Wars 2

Here is a suggestion on how to make GW2 into a F2P game:

- 2 character slots instead of 5 with the possibility of buying more till maximum 5
- 5 out of 8 professions available with no paid option for unlocking the other 3 ( no thief, guardian or necromancer)
- 3 out of 5 races (no humans or norns) with no paid option for unlocking the other 2
- no chat access except the party channel
- no guild joining or creating ability
- no mail sending possibility, just receiving
- limited access to LFG tool when available
- no access to explorable paths in dungeons
- higher taxes with 25% for teleporting, TP listing, armor repairs
- prices with 25% higher for the TP gem items
- no WvW access
- limited sPvP access for only 15 matches / day
- option to upgrade to standard and deluxe edition unlocking all the existing options

Why would anyone want this since it’s already a F2P model once you buy the account?

This thread confuses me; it already is f2p, what are you trying to accomplish with this thread op?

lweiler.8635:

Why would anyone want this since it’s already a F2P model once you buy the account?

Some people don’t want to spend $50 on a game they are not sure their machine can run properly. Others are too lazy to go to a shop and buy it and others just don’t have a card to buy it online
Since GW2 is rated +12, there won’t be a problem with the audience downloading the game.

GW2 is not a F2P is a B2P

Personal experience:

Tera and AION paid – didn’t care at all
Tera and AION F2P – download it, didn’t like it, uninstalled

TSW paid – didn’t care at all
TSW B2P – interested but not spending the money on it
TSW F2P?? – will download to see how it works

AoC paid – didn’t care at all
AoC F2P – downloaded, liked, bought game + expansions and 6 month subscription, mounts, costumes – now, just F2P no sub

FireFall – registered, got beta access, liked, bought

The general idea is: There are lots of MMO games in the market today and players are rarely focused only on one MMO no matter how good it is. To attact more player to buy the game or use the cash -shop you need to give them a chance to try it themselves. If they like it, they will stay, if they don’t they will just leave. But if they payed money for a game they thought is good but they are not satisfied with it , the bad reputation will go amongst their friends and from potential buyers they become certain non-buyers
A_net advertised this game on FB and Tweeter based on the GW1 fans enthusiasm before the game launched. Now, as more people had the chance to see the game on their own, the enthusiasm isn’t at the same high rates as before.
Letting players enjoy the game for free, the number of potential buyers will grow.
I know, A-Net doesn’t need more players to their game because they have a steady fan base now, but having more populated servers will do better for the game.

This looks like an idea for how to make the game “free to own” instead of requiring US$40-60 initial investment (depending on where you buy).

(Some F2P games allow you to start playing without spending any money, but they do charge for “basics” and some charge a subscription fee to unlock certain features.)

I doubt it’s worth the trouble for ANet: whatever the pros/cons of the current model, the game has surpassed all expectations in terms of how many people paid for the game and how many still play.

I get your point. I suggest something else though: make a trial. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t be happy if they changed the game to f2p right now when they paid £50 in the beginning. Just make a trial allowing you to play for 24 hours like it was in gw1

Oh and to avoid bots: IP-detect or something like that, or give keys out to mmo sites and make sure they come to the people who need them. Better yet: make a small zone that is exclusively for the trial members. A zone where the trial members don’t get an option to use the trade or the mailing system.

Exactly Sirendor. When the game has a F2P model (it isn’t a B2P whatever you say) already, it makes no sense to convert to another F2P model cause you’ll only alienate those that have already bought the game. Also, if I’m not mistaken, most of the games you talked about had a monthly subscription. In those instances, converting to a F2P model as you discribe makes sense as it will increase their player base and potentially equal or surpass their monthly income previously. GW2 (or GW1) was never like those games.

whats wrong with a free 2-week trial to see if you’re interested?

Not a bad idea, but TP and mail should be completely locked for the purpose of posting. Can still buy off TP or receive mail. No WvW access. 24 hour play or one week.

This would block bots, as with no way to get that equipment back out into the world, there’s no point. Also closes out expendable accounts for gold sellers. Still allows players all the access they need with the only sacrifice being the income option of TP.

As for a permanent option for not buying the game – not worth changing the mechanics that much. If Anet/ncsoft is struggling to get population that much, they would just lower the price of the game.

lweiler.8635:

(it isn’t a B2P whatever you say)

Really? How do you think you can access the game unless you buy it? Probably playing it at your friends house on their account.
Anywhere you look on the official site there is only “Buy GW2” and no “download game” buttons

Before you can begin playing Guild Wars 2, you will need to purchase and register the account. In this article we will cover the steps on how to complete the registration process.

Is you knew history of gaming, GW1 was the first F2P model in MMOs. Other games then realized that they needed to change their models, so they reinvented the “new” F2P model which is the one you describe. Quite frankly, I don’t think they should just be able to change the meaning of something to suite their purposes.

roachsrealm.9284:

whats wrong with a free 2-week trial to see if you’re interested?

2 weeks is a long period. There were people who reached level 80 within the week. This also doesn’t prevent abuse.

Being B2P lets ArenaNet regulate the community much more strictly then any what anyone could ever do with a F2P game.

It won’t go F2P.
That would open a can of worms that we’ve all experienced in F2P MMOs.

1. It forces the company to focus on cash-shop goods for events and in-game progress to make revenue.
2. It opens the floodgates to the abominations we all know as hackers and botters

Having the game B2P gates the community so that ArenaNet can control population growth (as they did at launch when servers got super stressed out), which makes it easier to foster the social community they’re trying to build with the game.

Terrible idea, -1 , no need to this.

JemL.3501:

Terrible idea, -1 , no need to this.

Bingo. They just need more Friends Fight For Free weekend (haha, the four Fs…. get it?). Aka the free-trial weekends.

This would be a good idea…. if you wanted to destroy the game. This would alienate the vast numbers of the over all community. Besides the current model is fine and was proven to work with GW1.

dun call it free to play,
call it a limited trial perhaps.
- 1 character slot
- 8 professions
- 5 races
- chat access: /say /party /guild /team in spvp
- cannot create guild
- can join 1 guild only with /guild chat access
- cannot send mail, can receive mail
- can do dungeons story & explorable mode, only once per day (resets with dailies)
- waypoint fees +50% from normal rate
- armor repair +100% from normal rate
- trading post tax +50% from normal rate of +15%
- WvW one hour per day (resets with dailies)
- sPvP only 10 matches per day
- option to upgrade into standard or deluxe making it into a normal paid account

Ronah.2869:

Here is a suggestion on how to make GW2 into a F2P game:

- 2 character slots instead of 5 with the possibility of buying more till maximum 5
- 5 out of 8 professions available with no paid option for unlocking the other 3 ( no thief, guardian or necromancer)
- 3 out of 5 races (no humans or norns) with no paid option for unlocking the other 2
- no chat access except the party channel
- no guild joining or creating ability
- no mail sending possibility, just receiving
- limited access to LFG tool when available
- no access to explorable paths in dungeons
- higher taxes with 25% for teleporting, TP listing, armor repairs
- prices with 25% higher for the TP gem items
- no WvW access
- limited sPvP access for only 15 matches / day
- option to upgrade to standard and deluxe edition unlocking all the existing options

I think a limited-time free trial period would be nice, like they had in Guild Wars 1, but please don’t make it F2P.

maybe throw in max 10 hours total play time for a limited trial.

that would be like 5 days of guild wars 2 based on 2 hours per day.

This is an absolutely abysmal concept. Too much basic functionality is already hidden behind purchasable currency. I’d rather be paying a sub than get nickled and dimed to death for features that should be baseline.

This thread is a joke right…..

Drop this please, it’s not going to happen, nor do we want it.

This has got to be the most redundant post I have yet to read

No thanks, Guild Wars 2 currently has the best type of F2P model (B2P), I quite like it the way it is.

Also the limits you just said would make every single f2p player quit playing the game, after a while.
I havent seen f2p mmo’s that punish you so badly for not paying for the game.

I also always felt that games that shifted to F2P always started lacking on quality, getting way too much focus on the cash shops (because then that will be the only source of money for them.)

Limited trial is something i could understand though, but lets not be too hasty… Remember that the game is not even a year old.

Ronah.2869:

Here is a suggestion on how to make GW2 into a F2P game:

- 2 character slots instead of 5 with the possibility of buying more till maximum 5
- 5 out of 8 professions available with no paid option for unlocking the other 3 ( no thief, guardian or necromancer)
- 3 out of 5 races (no humans or norns) with no paid option for unlocking the other 2
- no chat access except the party channel
- no guild joining or creating ability
- no mail sending possibility, just receiving
- limited access to LFG tool when available
- no access to explorable paths in dungeons
- higher taxes with 25% for teleporting, TP listing, armor repairs
- prices with 25% higher for the TP gem items
- no WvW access
- limited sPvP access for only 15 matches / day
- option to upgrade to standard and deluxe edition unlocking all the existing options

No offense but this is pretty terrible as it stands. That’s a self kneejerk if arena would ever do it.

GW2 already has the best and most player friendly F2P/B2P system so far. No need to change it. They just need to make things more interesting.

Still, what’s bad about buy once and game for life? Just buy it or screw it

Ronah.2869:

lweiler.8635:

Why would anyone want this since it’s already a F2P model once you buy the account?

Some people don’t want to spend $50 on a game they are not sure their machine can run properly. Others are too lazy to go to a shop and buy it and others just don’t have a card to buy it online
Since GW2 is rated +12, there won’t be a problem with the audience downloading the game.

GW2 is not a F2P is a B2P

Personal experience:

Tera and AION paid – didn’t care at all
Tera and AION F2P – download it, didn’t like it, uninstalled

TSW paid – didn’t care at all
TSW B2P – interested but not spending the money on it
TSW F2P?? – will download to see how it works

AoC paid – didn’t care at all
AoC F2P – downloaded, liked, bought game + expansions and 6 month subscription, mounts, costumes – now, just F2P no sub

FireFall – registered, got beta access, liked, bought

The general idea is: There are lots of MMO games in the market today and players are rarely focused only on one MMO no matter how good it is. To attact more player to buy the game or use the cash -shop you need to give them a chance to try it themselves. If they like it, they will stay, if they don’t they will just leave. But if they payed money for a game they thought is good but they are not satisfied with it , the bad reputation will go amongst their friends and from potential buyers they become certain non-buyers
A_net advertised this game on FB and Tweeter based on the GW1 fans enthusiasm before the game launched. Now, as more people had the chance to see the game on their own, the enthusiasm isn’t at the same high rates as before.
Letting players enjoy the game for free, the number of potential buyers will grow.
I know, A-Net doesn’t need more players to their game because they have a steady fan base now, but having more populated servers will do better for the game.

B2P falls under B2P with the sole exception you need to purchase the game once.

You know, there is stuff like categories, subcategories etc. Animals, mammals, monkeys, gorillas etc Gorilla then falls under monkeys and all above. B2P falls under F2P.