Do you support the idea of classic era going free to play?

[kharabiku]

BC being where all the classic players are leaves us with dead classic era servers. Do you think making only the classic era version of the game free to play would be a good idea? BC then becomes f2p after WoTLK is released and so on. Money lost to no subs would be gained via faster xp gain buffs sold with real money and other QoL as part of the in-game store. To enable players to quickly reach end game and do what ultimately everyone wants to do in multiple WoW versions: raid and PvP, they would be paying real money to get boosted on multiple WoW versions which would make more money for blizzard than via just subs plus the subs from retail.

[Lochton]

BC being where all the classic players are leaves us with dead classic era servers. Do you think making only the classic era version of the game free to play would be a good idea? BC then becomes f2p after WoTLK is released and so on. Money lost to no subs would be gained via faster xp gain buffs sold with real money and other QoL as part of the in-game store. To enable players to quickly reach end game and do what ultimately everyone wants to do in multiple WoW versions: raid and PvP, they would be paying real money to get boosted on multiple WoW versions which would make more money for blizzard than via just subs plus the subs from retail.

No, I do not.

Sorry. A museum needs funding for people to experience the past, even if it is an artificial and altered view, there are people who hype and wish to experience it, or have nostalgic thoughts of it, and they should help keep it running.

And I'd rather not go further in on making direct P2W mechanics, such as buffs sold on the store.

[kharabiku]

No, I do not.

Sorry. A museum needs funding for people to experience the past, even if it is an artificial and altered view, there are people who hype and wish to experience it, or have nostalgic thoughts of it, and they should help keep it running.

The funding would continue coming and even more than it would ever reach via sub-only if boosts and xp increase buffs are sold via the in game store.

By drawing more crowd to the game, the entire game wins not just a single version.

[Doomislav]

The funding would continue coming and even more than it would ever reach via sub-only if boosts and xp increase buffs are sold via the in game store.

By drawing more crowd to the game, the entire game wins not just a single version.

It could be a good move for Blizz just to pull in the private server crowd. But when you go FTP you also get botting, gold farmers, and other unsavory elements.

[Beastiel]

thus allowing for an unprecedented amount of spam bots and farmers? Probably all set with that.

Money lost to no subs would be gained via faster xp gain buffs sold with real money and other QoL as part of the in-game store.

Then it wouldn't be classic, it'd literally just be retail but shittier and with less content. As if it hasn't been bastardized enough.

[Lochton]

The funding would continue coming and even more than it would ever reach via sub-only if boosts and xp increase buffs are sold via the in game store.

By drawing more crowd to the game, the entire game wins not just a single version.

But the funding would still be fine with a sub? Everyone help to support what they wish to enjoy?

With your idea, a person could just stick to a dormant server and ride the wave of the rest of the players without actually supporting the project or game? And making the old versions of the servers F2P would mean that the sales of the boosts would just be a P2W Classic, and then it would not be Classic anymore?

[kharabiku]

Also, you would still have to be subbed to play the most recent classic version (BC currently).

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But the funding would still be fine with a sub? Everyone help to support what they wish to enjoy?

With your idea, a person could just stick to a dormant server and ride the wave of the rest of the players without actually supporting the project or game? And making the old versions of the servers F2P would mean that the sales of the boosts would just be a P2W Classic, and then it would not be Classic anymore?

Classic continues to be unchanged for the most recently released version, BC currently, and nothing changes there. This would only revive dead previous versions.

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It could be a good move for Blizz just to pull in the private server crowd. But when you go FTP you also get botting, gold farmers, and other unsavory elements.

Botters will always be there whether free or paid as they are unaffected and are part of a money making business.

[Viikkis]

I'm kinda expecting them to release fresh vanilla servers somewhere along the line to replace the current vanilla realms. So they end up with this content cycle for classic where players can eventually pick and choose their favourite classic era (vanilla, BC, Wrath) and just start playing there.

[kharabiku]

I'm kinda expecting them to release fresh vanilla servers somewhere along the line to replace the current vanilla realms. So they end up with this content cycle for classic where players can eventually pick and choose their favourite classic era (vanilla, BC, Wrath) and just start playing there.

Doubt anyone would touch fresh servers knowing they would lose the community once the server crowd move to the next version and so on.

Also, why would the players who spent two years grinding and getting end game stuff leave all that behind just to do it all over again...really doubt this would work. I personally would skip.

[Kyphael]

Sure, why not, just introduce shop items for it to keep making money without me having to actually pay a sub for a 17 year old game.

[Viikkis]

Doubt anyone would touch fresh servers knowing they would lose the community once the server crowd move to the next version and so on.

Also, why would the players who spent two years grinding and getting end game stuff leave all that behind just to do it all over again...really doubt this would work. I personally would skip.

You would progress to TBC from vanilla and to wrath and so on or you could start fresh again from vanilla. Some people really like starting fresh for some reason.

So you would have these different progression timelines where some servers are going through TBC while others are already in Wrath and new fresh vanilla servers to attract people who wish to start everything all over again OR they missed the earlier launch and want to experience the whole package.

Isn't this kind of what EverQuest is doing?

[kharabiku]

You would progress to TBC from vanilla and to wrath and so on or you could start fresh again from vanilla. Some people really like starting fresh for some reason.

So you would have these different progression timelines where some servers are going through TBC while others are already in Wrath and new fresh vanilla servers to attract people who wish to start everything all over again OR they missed the earlier launch and want to experience the whole package.

Isn't this kind of what EverQuest is doing?

Yup, exactly what Everquest is doing atm but fully free to play. The money they make to fund the servers / service is via the game shop. What I’m proposing is to have both a normal sub for retail plus the most recent classic released version and free to play for previous releases of classic with an ingame shop to generate revenue in place of the free sub.

[greysaber]

Sorry. A museum needs funding for people to experience the past

This is dumb and irrelevant. It's been thoroughly proven that it doesn't take much to run these classic servers.

and it's not like ActiBlizz is short on cash...

[shise]

The funding would continue coming and even more than it would ever reach via sub-only if boosts and xp increase buffs are sold via the in game store.

By drawing more crowd to the game, the entire game wins not just a single version.

No.. it does not win if the store starts selling in game stuff. It loses quality. Look at FF, it is a joke.

[shaqar]

This is dumb and irrelevant. It's been thoroughly proven that it doesn't take much to run these classic servers.

and it's not like ActiBlizz is short on cash...

Actually Bobby Kotick is probly sad panda about being forced to cut back on his paycheck, so ye actiblizz is short on cash and needs more money for yacht nr.3 for Bobby.

[greysaber]

Actually Bobby Kotick is probly sad panda about being forced to cut back on his paycheck, so ye actiblizz is short on cash and needs more money for yacht nr.3 for Bobby.

Personally, I think any 'person' with over 50 million accumulated $$ in wealth is a bad BAD person.

Hardmode: I also hate commies.

[Lochton]

This is dumb and irrelevant. It's been thoroughly proven that it doesn't take much to run these classic servers.

and it's not like ActiBlizz is short on cash...

*shrugs* Not that irrelevant, else it wouldn't be a topic.

I mean, we return back to the old discussion on MMO-Champion then. Why should progression players pay for Classic if they don't play it? Why should Classic players pay for progression servers if they don't play them? Why should some players pay for other players to play for free?

I do not mind if the sub is cut down a bit from progression, maybe take off four dollars, and add four dollars sub to the Classic project?

[Relapses]

Take a page out of Lazerus Imperative's book and simply accept payment in the form of Gamer Gummies.

[Big Thanks]

Guys...call me crazy...but i think this is a brilliant idea
Ofcourse i dont think it could be 100% free with everything unlocked.
But something like a Final Fantasy free account...lets say...to level...40?

I think this is brilliant really.

[Prag]

I don’t see a world where Blizzard makes a F2P game that isn’t wholly dependent on micro-transactions. For the community’s hatred of retail/cash shop, how would they ever make it work?