Should be FTPFollow

ok so it should be free because the game is having launch issues (likeALL mmos) right now? Well youre in luck then cause the first month IS free and im sure within 4 week everything major should be sorted out.. if not theyll continue to let it be free.. i mean just look how long 1.0 was FTP right?

I'd set the over-under for FFXIV going F2P at 18 months - it's actually a lucrative model when done correctly. (See: LOTRO) FFMMO precedence says it probably won't happen, but given the shift in the gaming landscape it may eventually.

Edited, Aug 25th 2013 1:39pm by Thodne

i don't know why people even like a FTP model it just doesn't make sense to me. The customer service is usually much worse, a lot of games are pay to win and if you do the math, costs much more than a subscriptionn fee. The ones that aren't pay to win usually (not many of these) have huge time sinks to keep you playing, and the vanity items are expensive to make up for not being pay to win.

with a subscription i get everything the game has to offer without ever having to spend an extra penny. The customer service is usually better (i have heard horror stories from the ff11 days, and even experienced something myself but this time around is much better and easier), and downtime is very far between. The FTP games usually have weekly maintenance whereas in FF11 was usually only during updates to the game barring a system crash (i was lucky and played on a server that never seemed to go down).

In all the FTP games i've tried, they just don't compare to a subscription game. And yes, i do recognize there are certain exceptions such as is the case with TERA (having a nice FTP model, however i am uncertain how successful they have been), and DDO, among others.

Maybe theres someting i'm not seeing, but this is my take on it. Of course one majore difference i should add is that you can play many FTP games, but subscribing to multiple games is probably unrealistic.

I don't want a F2P model because it means pay to win model which I hate with a passion. One reason I quit Guild Wars 2 was due to having to buy armor packs in the store to make your character look the way you want and various other items they offered. I'd rather pay $20 a month than a pay to win model. Even cosmetic only items are a terrible idea, because then EVERYTHING that looks remotely cool will be for sale and you will get nothing from actually playing the game.

Do you honestly want f2p.... ugh... the ilk the freemium crowd is just terribad always demanding free ****, wanting things to be easier then complaining that its too easy, and having sales every other day for some game breaking **** 75% healing potions and enchanted gear and god knows what else... no they can keep that crap the hell away from this game.

Name me a great game that hasn't gone to a FTP model. (MMO) ?? I'm a huge star wars fan and as great as the writing is that story it had to adapt. Some stuff is cheesy but guess what . . . I can log in a still play today or tomm.

The issue here boils down to the monkey-see, monkey-do mentality gamers and often developers have. If one game does it, then immediately everyone says all the games should do it. Now FTP can be a really awesome model. Just look at League of Legends. It is an awesome use of it. It offers a rotating line up of champions, and you can either buy a character with real money or points earned by playing. No one champ totally rips apart everyone else, all have foils and downsides.

Now I recently played Spartacus Legends for XBox, and LOL what a pay to win. You can buy new weapons earlier, stronger gladiators, and even spots for more gladiators, for real money. Sure, you can earn the currently, but it's very limited and painfully slow. That game is how you do not make a FTP. Same for Happy Wars. I once saw someone using a ton of the bought items and he was slaughtering everyone with little issue. It took two-three of us freebie players with some nicely upgraded weapons to even take him down.

People need to realize that one size does not fit all. For LOTR:O, a FTP model is fine. The game doesn't have a massive player-base like WoW, and has a highly devoted, highly motivated fanbase who don't mind dropping money on the game to help support it. Any game seeking to get a large playerbase (read: FFXIV and TES:O) needs to have a budget for equipment and future content.

FFXI still charges the same price it did 11 years ago.

Ahem. "Free."

Truth be told, if it went f2p, I'd probably stop playing. The influx of children would ruin it entirely.