Subscription fee is a rip off

[LunaticAsylumLA]

People demand changes in the F2P model, asking for more freedom, and then complain that the subscription model does not offer much improvement over the F2P one. This is ridiculous.

[Bibik]

What's the point of being subbed, the game isn't updated anymore ?

[Misiuggah]

1. Buy a year sub
2. Forget that the game is sub-based
3. ????
4. PROFIT!

[shigazane]

1. Buy a year sub
2. Forget that the game is sub-based
3. ????
4. PROFIT!

Yes, let me just find the hundreds of dollars of change under my pillow for the flat payment *rolls eyes*

... and for the last time, people aren't saying that the game needs to be less restricted, if you actually read they want to actually PAY. Just because someone is not paying a sub does not mean they are not paying for something else in the cash shop.

The main complaint is that people want to buy the content and play it without a rent based system. This is not removing the restrictions, this is still paying for the game.

They also released a counter statement saying that if the above was placed, and even currently, sub fee is just not worth it for what it offers. There is no reason to sub pre 80, nobody is going to sub if there is no real reason to in this level range. The game is a ghost town, even with new players surging, people are not going to sub to a game with next to no players regardless of how good it actually is.

tl;dr: People still want to pay, just not with a sub fee. People do not find the sub fee worth it when its useless below 80, and doesn't provide much of anything other than post 80 content.

[Misiuggah]

^Dude, I was just joking

I'm in a middle of my sub and I have nothing intelligent to say

[shigazane]

^Dude, I was just joking

I'm in a middle of my sub and I have nothing intelligent to say

I know, it's meant to be more broader, not targeted at you. I blame my poor college ejumacation. xD

[Warlock1863]

Think lowering the prices in cash-shop (about 40 to 50% in many cases), and making an in between sub for half price (say around € 7,--) where all is accessable up to T3 would be a step forward.

Cash shop could be more like vanity stuff and items like that for reasonable prices (the 40-50% discount). Account based features (like characterslots, extra bank/backpack space, namechange and character transfers etc.) could stay at the same rate or even a bit higher to make subbing a bit more interesting. Add some options for F2P to expand accountbased stuff like extra characters, bankspace and backpack space.

Also make expansions available to F2P after they bought it once (B2P like TSW but only for the expansions). Gives veterans with sub issues a reason to come back who bought Turan and ROtGS in the past a reason to come back too. Think this is a thorn in the side of vets who went F2P after years of subbing and buying the expansions earlier. They feel cheated, and I can't blame them to be honest.

there's a lot to say about the subject and if FC wants to see what makes people pull out their wallet, then maybe a F2P survey might give them a bit more insight on what drives people to chose between subbing and staying F2P.

What strikes me from FC's side is that they didn't act on the influx of new players through steam. Giving away a free cape (which looks awesome actually) doesn't do the trick to keep people around. A special offer for those who came from Steam might have worked to get people to play and stick around (going on the state the game is in at the moment). There's enough content to keep you busy for years if you play casual (including the expansions).

As for rewarding veterans: give away more Storing space:
- bankspace (bigger bank for obvious reasons.
- A special bankspace (like a tradebank) for sellable items (crafted and found stuff which you want to sell at trader)
- vanity backpack (only for vanity stuff including old gear which has outreached your level [might have an option to label old gear to vanity with no reversion to change back]),
- bigger resource tab when crafting revamp hits the life servers, things like that to make a vets life more bearable you know .

Come to think of it: storing space has always been a big downside in this game. Stuff cluttering your bags (anyone remembering horses you had in your backpack instead of in a companion tab we have now?). Simple and smaller solutions like that would improve things a lot. And please re-roll the old trade system. The way it is now is outrageous, when stuff you send to another toon keeps occupying space in your bank until you pick it up by relogging (but a aforementioned tradetab in bank/trader could fix this).

I hate to throw stuff away because my backpack and bank clutters up with stuff I need to be able to play my role in raids for the next big piece of epic I'm saving for (and be aware: I'm not asking this for myself, but for all veterans and subbers around).

Started playing this game at launch a have subbed eversince. I don't mind paying € 15,-- a month to play this game. so a ripp-off: BIG TIME NO. I never felt cheated and enjoyed the game at my own leisure (from RP to PvP to PvE and everything in between). Sure .... you can blame FC for many things on a management level and buggy updates etc., but I don't think bashing FC openly in the forums is the way to do it. Especially new players would take offense and turn from this gem of a game and nobody would benefit from this at the end.

Veterans: take responsibillity and roll a few low level toons to help out new, and arriving players. Help them through Hyboria and it will reward itself.
FunCom: take responsibillity and think of a more suitable businessmodel with suiting seperation between Sub and F2P. Don't miss the boat on the Steam influx of players and don't wait too long to lure them in or it might bite you in the @$$ in the long run. Time for short term solutions is over so think about the future and longrun solutions.

Fix the gear and AA dependancy for PvP in minigames (like seperation for certain levels of PVP 1-3, 4-6 7-10, something like that. or remove cap and make everybody same level with only difference the gear and weapons they bring in.) and fix the progression level according to PvE (so same gain level in XP like playing in PvE)

And for the rest: stop whining and keep your eyes open. The sun shines always bright in Hyboria, you just have to be in a mindstate to see it.

Enjoy

[Kl3C]

I just recently returned myself after many years of hiatus. I started at launch during what is now called "Age of Tortage" The blood bath that ensued on White Sands was phenominal. The main reason that brought me to AoC was the Free for All PvP system allowing me to kill anyone I crossed paths with not that I did, but the option was always there. I left due to the massive bugs that came with the launch such as falling through maps and the lack of end game content at the time. One of the other reasons that brought me to AoC was the fact a guild could come together and build their own city and siege an enemy guild's city, but sieges where so rediculously buggy most the time they didnt work. Funcom's inability at the time to fix the known bug issues at the time drove to play other games.

After playing SWTOR F2P model for while I got tired of it because their model has WAY too many restrictions and damn near makes it unplayable not to mention their PvP system is absolutely terrible. I went looking into past games I played and remember How much fun I had in my guild Damoria on Cimmeria/Wiccana PvPing, Leveling and what other shenanigans we could get ourselves into I decided to pop back in see what was going and was actually surprise AoC was still up and running because of the horrible launch it had and the fact the bugs that came with it.

What did I find did you ask?
The forums are full of people with positive outlooks on how good AoC is. Every game has it issues and their will always be issues, but Funcom is now actively posting keeping their players base informed with as much information as they are able to give. (Which is a huge bonus, considering their competitors are not doing the same.) Funcom's Unchained model is actually really good compared to other F2P engines that I have played that are borderline Pay to win. The restrictions in place on AoC F2P model are not bad at all, but my biggest issue with is the fact I cannot play RoTGS even though I bought it installed and now I am locked out of it because I dont sub? SWTOR xpac Rise of the Hutt Cartel doesnt even have that restriction.....

Maybe something to consider and I know that it has been made mention in this post several times is to make the content purchasable by F2P accounts accessable by F2P accounts it is only fair. Perhaps take a step in the direct of other MMOs that give the Exspansion content to subscribers at a discounted price and full price for F2P players. Just a thought.

Overall AoC is by far the best MMO I have played. The graphics, gameplay and omg I love the soundtrack to this game. I will eventually subscribe to the game just because I believe in Funcom and hope they deliver on making the game even better.

[Vorbiz]

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