Updated F2P Restrictions

[RoninaThorstone]

Current restrictions
http://www.swtor.com/free/features

Announced changes
Preferred Accounts will have four action bars standard.
Preferred Accounts will have six character slots.

Also worth noting
The restriction on flashpoints does not mean you can't run them, just that you can't roll on more than three last boss drops.
Restrictions can be lifted by purchasing them off the GTN or directly from other players using credits rather than cartel coins if you don't want to use money.

[Kelimbror]

I mean fine, don't post this in the thread I made...attention whore

[RoninaThorstone]

I think we should just keep reposting it until they stop complaining about the 2 action bar thing.

[Hostagecat]

I think we should just keep reposting it until they stop complaining about the 2 action bar thing.

2 action bars was so last week, this week only the cool kids know what to complain about.

[Cooper]

Announced changes[/U][/B]
Preferred Accounts will have six action bars standard.

Last I heard it was only four.

Preferred Accounts will have six character slots.

They phrased it as "will be able to activate", not "will have". It sounds to me like Preferred will be able to buy four extra slots, not that they will be given four extra slots.

It appears that the 5 field res's reset daily.

They do not.

[Kelimbror]

It appears that the 5 field res's reset daily.

Yeah this was debunked by people playing. Also, where did you see that they will get 6 action bars? I haven't seen that anywhere. Last I heard it was 4.

[RoninaThorstone]

Yeah this was debunked by people playing. Also, where did you see that they will get 6 action bars? I haven't seen that anywhere. Last I heard it was 4.

I saw some people talking about it on swtor boards. Can't find it anymore. Will put it at 4.

[Deleted]

Have these made it into this week's patch, or hotfixed, or is it a plan for the near future? (Won't be able to log in the next few days, and I'm quite curious)

[Leadsop]

Do we just recycle the same 4 threads on this board or what?

[RoninaThorstone]

Do we just recycle the same 4 threads on this board or what?

Pretty much.

But mainly in response to posts like "ZOMG ACTIONBARZ" or "NO RANKED PVP LOL" or "ONLY 3 ENDS LOL"

[Kelimbror]

Do we just recycle the same 4 threads on this board or what?

No since spending time on original efforts just to get lead poisoning.

[Fencers]

To be quite honest no restriction irks me more than the no sprint thing. So much back and forth. There are not enough Us to express the ugh I feel having to run around Durmon Kaas at low levels.

[ZeroWashu]

Anyone have some insight on how leveling is as F2P with preferred status (buying anything off the store once)?

Would like to revisit the game provided that F2P restrictions really don't make the game feel like a drag.

[Deleted]

Hmm, 6 character slots. That's really the change I wanted the most. Now they only have to increase it to 8 and I'm happy :P

[keeker]

Anyone have some insight on how leveling is as F2P with preferred status (buying anything off the store once)?

Would like to revisit the game provided that F2P restrictions really don't make the game feel like a drag.

Playing the game as a Free-to-Play account with Preferred status isn't quite so bad. I mean you don't have access to the full rewards from everything, and you have to use real money to unlock somethings, but all in all, it seems to be ok.

Sure they screwed the pooch when it comes to some of the ridiculous unlocks, but, hey, it's a money grubbing company that made the game, not a charity.

[Leadsop]

To be quite honest no restriction irks me more than the no sprint thing. So much back and forth. There are not enough Us to express the ugh I feel having to run around Durmon Kaas at low levels.

I laugh at this post. Do you not realize that EVERYONE leveled originally with no Sprint?

This is why I hate when devs crack when people complain. They give you some things, you bitch, they give more things, and then you find the most ridiculous things to bitch about.

---------- Post added 2012-12-07 at 09:13 AM ----------

Playing the game as a Free-to-Play account with Preferred status isn't quite so bad. I mean you don't have access to the full rewards from everything, and you have to use real money to unlock somethings, but all in all, it seems to be ok.

Sure they screwed the pooch when it comes to some of the ridiculous unlocks, but, hey, it's a money grubbing company that made the game, not a charity.

Nice to see someone who isn't complaining and understands business on here.

I'm not defending some of the unlocks that seem petty and silly. I'm just saying you get what you pay for, and you now get a pretty damn awesome product for free, regardless of how long it might take you to level and/or some of the other restrictions.

[Lathais]

I mean fine, don't post this in the thread I made...attention whore

Make a post about it why don't you....attention whore

[Edge-]

I laugh at this post. Do you not realize that EVERYONE leveled originally with no Sprint?

This is why I hate when devs crack when people complain. They give you some things, you bitch, they give more things, and then you find the most ridiculous things to bitch about.

And the reason they gave everyone sprint was because the slow running around was the complete opposite of fun. Having leveled to 10 with sprint, and then again without (only hit 10 on my trial account before the transition), I can tell you I spent far more time being frustrated with how long the runs were from point to point. I have no problem with some travel, but some of the frequent back and forth between some of the points is absurd.

So it's a pretty legitimate gripe. If sprint at level 1 wasn't something important, the devs wouldn't have implemented it in the first place, and they wouldn't have locked it behind a paywall on the transition. They did though, because it is something important that does directly impact the pre-15/mount leveling experience.

[Leadsop]

I don't think so at all. I mean, I was wowed by the speed boost I got when I got Sprint, but I also leveled 4 characters without it before it got put in place.

I mean, we COULD gripe about everything if we wanted to, right? I think most of this is grasping at straws, and is solved by spending a little money on a sub or a CC market buyout.

Again, the game is great and is wholly 100% playable in f2p as it stands. The issues popping up are from people who see what paying customers get and deciding that somehow they should receive it all as well.

I just don't buy that argument. I'm happy with what I get, and I'm glad that what I get isn't lessened by giving the exact same experience to people who are paying for free.

If you want Sprint, pony up.

[Edge-]

And if you want free players to feel welcome and have a good experience, you need to make some concessions.

I still think that they've gone about this whole thing backwards.

What they did: Leave the subscription benefits mostly as-is. They didn't want to "cheapen" the value of the subscription. Consequently, they put heavy restrictions on free players, restrictions that have caused pretty huge backlashes that they are having to respond to by loosening, which in turn creates a less enjoyable experience.

What they should have done: Provide a slightly more restricted (keyword, slightly) experience for free players, but find ways to improve the value of the subscription. This gives free players a great starting experience that leaves a positive impression, while providing great incentive to subscribe (happy feelings help that) as subscribers get great benefits. Many F2P games use this model to great success and it's wonderful.

They framed their thinking in the negative rather than the positive, and that's backwards when you're making a F2P/freemium transition.

My point with sprint, is that it was a big QoL issue. It was big enough for people to voice enough complaints for the devs to add it in. If it's big enough for that, it's big enough to leave an impact on free players who BW needs to win over early on in their experience. Removing a great QoL feature like this isn't the way to go about it. Restrict the character slots and bag slots, that's all standard fair and totally fine. But when you have documented QoL issues like this, that's not the kind of thing you remove if you want to hook players early.

This issue isn't "Is it playable as F2P", but "is it enjoyable as F2P". If it's not enjoyable, they're not going to get free players to stick around and potentially turn into subscribers/paying players.