Cartel Coins Ledger

[DarkEmperor]

F2P players will have the 4 quickbars that all players currently have, the ones listed in the Cartel Shop are 2 extra bars (allowing up to 6 bars total - btw totally not necessary).

To address your hypothetical argument: trading, gathering mats, and pet and vehicle limitations are not core-gameplay mechanics. This game was not originally intended to be F2P. Bioware may be stretching to create income paths with the sudden change of their business model, but the fact is that you can play the game with all the restrictions in place.

We've been told for awhile now that restrictions will be implemented for free players, so it's not something that they sprung on you. Some will argue that the restrictions make the game unplayable, but that's just untrue. Farming WZs, FPs, or running OPs should be thought of as bonus material to non-subscribers. You have the chance to participate in some of them (obviously not OPs), but you have to pay or subscribe if you want to farm them. If you're farming them, you don't fit into the F2P demographic of people testing out or very casually playing the game once or twice a week, so of course that model doesn't fit you. If you want to specialize in, for example, PVP through WZs, you are given an option to spend less money than a subscription to play the game how you want. If you want more than just WZs, say you want Operations unlocked too, you're probably better off subscribing. In the end, that's the big question: how do you want to play the game? Because let's face it, if you're playing F2P, you do want to play the game.

TLDR: You gotta give to get more.

I understand what you are saying. With the model they introduce you can perfectly decide how you want to play the game. Like you have pointed out, they are not core-gameplay mechanics. But the point I'm trying to make is, it feels like any non core-gameplay mechanics they can think of, that pops up in their mind they will put a restriction on it. And please don't go say, they don't affect gameplay, so why do you care? In a small sense I do care. I just find it disturbing, that's my opinion. And as far as I understand in forums you can discuss and give/share opinions. Things like the game is originally not intended to be FTP or it suits their business model or how ppl can have the freedom to choose how they want to play it or the restrictions themself are content or convenience features or whatever is another story. In my opinion it's just utterly pathetic that they even can come up with putting a restriction on showing title...

[Potato Bus]

I understand what you are saying. With the model they introduce you can perfectly decide how you want to play the game. Like you have pointed out, they are not core-gameplay mechanics. But the point I'm trying to make is, it feels like any non core-gameplay mechanics they can think of, that pops up in their mind they will put a restriction on it. And please don't go say, they don't affect gameplay, so why do you care? In a small sense I do care. I just find it disturbing, that's my opinion. And as far as I understand in forums you can discuss and give/share opinions. Things like the game is originally not intended to be FTP or it suits their business model or how ppl can have the freedom to choose how they want to play it or the restrictions themself are content or convenience features or whatever is another story. In my opinion it's just utterly pathetic that they even can come up with putting a restriction on showing title...

These are things that are mostly aesthetic. I realize it seems petty to restrict these things, but, viewed from a different angle, it's a way to prop up subscribers without going the route of non-subscribers being completely under-powered and useless unless they spend money (the artifact equipment unlock is an example of this, I'm not a huge fan of that one). I support discussion, and I don't want to seem like I'm picking on you, but I have to bring up the business model and the challenges BioWare is trying to overcome by changing it post-release as the ramifications of this are part and parcel to any discussion about Cartel Coins and the Cartel shop.

Psychologically, non-subscribers will see people riding faster mounts at lower levels, running faster with Sprint at level 1, showing off their cool titles and looking less like a clown with the ability to match colors of their armor. All of this may breed envy, potentially perpetuating purchases in the Cartel shop or increasing subscriptions. You don't need XP boosts, fancy speeders, titles, or hidden helms, but they're there, and if you feel it's worth it you can unlock them. That's the ideal of marketing: showing people how your service will benefit them. In this case, it's accomplished by getting people into the game. Lowering the entry hurdles by removing the box price and allowing people to try/play the game with out any financial investment is a smart move to get people into the game universe. But once that's been accomplished, BioWare still needs income to keep the game running, put out content updates, and provide profit margins for the investors who helped them build the game.

I will say that I hope they make Cartel Coins obtainable in-game (would have to be fine-tuned on their end to ensure this doesn't completely wreck their income). I'd love another way to save up extra coins to make splurge purchases (and better motivation to do my dailies), and it would let non-subscribers unlock some things by playing the game (which, I might add, would make them more likely to pay for CCs at some point due to the increased time spent playing the game).

[moff]

the weekly PVE/PVP/raid passes cost 240 coins each, that makes 2880 coins/month. there is other stuff to add and substract, so we are at roughly at about 200 coins/$ if it roughly matches the monthly fee of 15$. thats my bet for the prices.

[notorious98]

the weekly PVE/PVP/raid passes cost 240 coins each, that makes 2880 coins/month. there is other stuff to add and substract, so we are at roughly at about 200 coins/$ if it roughly matches the monthly fee of 15$. thats my bet for the prices.

I think the 100 coins/dollar would make more sense if they want to give a real incentive to being a subscriber.

[Kittyvicious]

I think the 100 coins/dollar would make more sense if they want to give a real incentive to being a subscriber.

Agreed. Plus, simple math is simple.

[Arlee]

This thread has totally left the topic of the Ledger and gone to the cartel coins in general. Since they are on the PTS now we should probably consolidate the threads

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1209841-Patch-1-5