Some comparison from our raid today:
If I understand the changes correctly, AoC will switch to b2p. The vets basically get the game for free. That is, to the vets, a good thing. But the way it's communicated is weird.
If a barkeep wants to throw a round of free beer, he'd announce that loudly and clearly ("All beer on the house!"). That's a message people will understand. They will come. They will drink.
The Funcom way is equal to the barkeep posting a sign in the back of his bar, a page long in fine print, that says that
- beer prices have been increased because the beer is being sold in bigger glasses,
- glass prices have also been increased,
- the bar's interior has been stripped and all the furniture replaced with cheap looking second hand furniture,
- paying customers will ocacionally get a bonus beer,
- the buy "10 beers get 1 beer free" policy will end, but without anyone having to give back the beer already earned,
- beer will be free to anyone who buys a glass,
- crackers were removed from the menu, but can be bought now using special cracker tokens, two of which come free with every glass bought,
- coasters are now 30% larger,
- anybody who comes into the bar each day gets an additional free beer on top the already free beer,
- anyone who bought a vodka one the day before his new free beer policy will receive vodka for free forever after,
- the number of glasses a customer is allowed to have will be lowered, unless he pays for more glasses, but no glasses will be taken away from anybody,
- a glass of special beer he cannot say anything about will be provided in the future to anyone who still pays for his beer,
- and... yeah, another page of that.
Dear god. Say: "Free Beer for everyone!" It seems you're giving away something. That's a good thing. Now make people see it's a good thing!