Aenigma Forums
General Forums => Public Tavern => Topic started by: Leetle on 29. July 2010, 15:40:51 (03:40 PM)
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Everquest II Extended
("free" to play servers)
http://everquest2.com/free_to_play/extended_faq
Well, honestly I don't know about this. On the one hand it looks like you get reasonable content for free, on the other hand, the subscription model on those servers ends up being more expensive than the regular sub/servers!
Positive part is you get a gold membership on there as long as you have a regular sub.
It's not a new strategy for them, just the next step in their long-term vision to allow people to pay for items with real money, they started with station cash, this way they can expand on that.
But yea I'm not sure this is a good idea in the long run, in 2 years they might shut down the regular servers beacuse in this model they can make more money (and they will claim its because subscribers want this or something). I like paying a set amount and knowing what I get for that, and "covertly" jacking up prices doesn't make me happy =).
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I am deeply frustrated about this topic. Have been following it quite closely since it was announced.
Just to clarify, this will happen in another servers, so there will be the current EQ2 servers and a new bunch of EQ2X servers with RMT allowed.
My biggest concern right now is the fact that they will be removing the EQ2 trial. Every new person that wants to try the game for free will be automatically directed to EQ2X servers (the F2P ones). What does that mean? Basically that new players entering Crushbone will be a quite difficult thing to see (unless you Recruit a Friend them).
That said, it's quite probable that EQ2 servers will start dwindling in population and with no new people they are for sure leading to death.
They way they are doing this completely guides the game to EQ2X (where they will be able to sell products, like rares, self rezz potions, potency potions, mastercrafted stuff... and soon I guess even legendaries and fableds).
I guess the fact that in its current state it will be possible to transfer from EQ2 to EQ2X but not from EQ2X to EQ2 proves my point.
And saying all this stuff won't affect us is plain bullshit. Besides the fact that I have just stated, be ready to see in the next LU your Station Cash added to any merchant windows since some of them will be selling items for Station Cash (so, real money). Yeah, you are getting it: in our current server, next LU, you are gonna go to an NPC to buy a horse, and right besides the one you use to purchase with PPs and Status Points, there will be the ones that you can currently buy in the Marketplace (but you won't need to enter the marketplace anymore to buy them; they will be ingame...). <---- I am not guessing this; it's a fact as stated by Rothgar: http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=1440&topic_id=483444#5375308 (http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=1440&topic_id=483444#5375308)
How this evolve in our servers is something I am sure I won't like =(
Time will tell.
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If server numbers dwindle to the extent that your thinking they will probably be another Large Server Merge upon the horizon.
Lets just hope its with an American server and not too many Euro guilds pop up :P
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It has already been stated by Smokejumper (Sr. Producer) that they are considering future merges if they are needed...
But yeah, if those merges are finally needed (and they will unless this new system changes), you can be sure that to begin with European servers will merge (Splitpaw and Runnyeye if I recall correctly) while other American servers will do the same.
In any case, I wouldn't be surprised that if the situation goes on, European server won't have enough players and will need to be merged with American servers.
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I dont see that no new people at all will get to the regular servers. Now if i would just start playing this game and i get on a f2p server and i like the game so much that i want more than what they are offering me i always have 2 options. I can pay money at the marketplace or i could switch to a real server and pay a fixed amount. In the long run if i really like the game i personally would always chose option 2 as it clearly is cheaper and provides a better cost-reward situation in the long run.
As for now i am not worried at all about them pushing into the f2p section as it might get them some money for little effort. Also as i stated before the amount of new people starting on a regular server in our timezone is close to none existant anyway and we as euros probably wouldnt even notice a difference.
Just sit back and see what they're doing, i dont think it's as bad as many people make it look.