The Secret World

I understand that; I was responding to the "might bring in a slew of new people".

There seems to be this consensus on the 'Net that Free-to-Play is some sort of magical revenue model. More people is fine but you also have to get revenue from somewhere. In fact, you now need more operating revenue since your server load has just increased. But there's only so many cosmetic items you can sell (and the outrage players would have over selling actual useful items for cash is probably greater than the outrage for having a subscription model in the first place).

I'll assume they are making what they think is the best move they can. I'm just not clear on what the actual revenue model of the game in F2P mode would be.

Ahh well, was bound to happen sooner or later, at least now we should see more players, and it's not totally free-to-play, so it might keep out the riff-raff. Which is super elitist, but you know it's true.

Perhaps now Stonehenge and El Dorado will actually have people playing them! Gasp!

Presumably Lifetimers get all the benefits of being an optional subscriber without having to pay anymore? I sure hope so...

From Massively:

Gamers will be glad to know that the conversion will not introduce any restrictions to the game's current content; free players will have full access to every aspect of issues #1 - 4, including weapons, dungeons, and missions. But what of future content? TSW will continue to receive regular patches of free content, just not at the volume of previous issues. More content will be also available periodically through downloadable content packs (DLCs) in the in-game store. Issue #5 DLC, coming in January, will be free to all accounts registered as of the end of December.

Players opting to maintain a membership will get an XP bonus item, 1,200 bonus points monthly, a special monthly gift, and a 10% discount in the in-game store. Grand masters will receive all that plus another 10% off store purchases. Both members and grand masters can use their free monthly bonus points to purchase DLC.

Folks who purchased the initiate pack previously will be reimbursed 1800 bonus points, and all remaining subscription time will be converted to membership time. For more information, you can check out the official FAQ.

Redwing wrote:

Ahh well, was bound to happen sooner or later, at least now we should see more players, and it's not totally free-to-play, so it might keep out the riff-raff. Which is super elitist, but you know it's true. :)

Sadly, that was my thought too.

Presumably Lifetimers get all the benefits of being an optional subscriber without having to pay anymore? I sure hope so...

Here's what they say...

FunCom wrote:

For being a member you get the following:

Time Accelerator (Clickable item which increases experience gain for defeating monsters by 100% for 1 hour, 16 hour cool-down – only usable by Members and Grand Masters)
$10 worth of Bonus Points (given out every month)
Item-of-the-month gift (given out every month)
10% discount to everything in the in-game store

The Grandmaster pack includes all these benefits and gets an additional 10% discount to everything in the in-game store, for a total bonus of 20%. So being a Grandmaster is better than ever!

So it sounds like it.

They also make this comment

FunCom wrote:

Buy the game before December the 31st and all the content in Issue #5, which will be released shortly, will also be included and you will receive the Initiate Pack, which includes strong starter weapons, a Blood Raven pet and extra social clothing.

I'm wondering if this means we either won't get monthly releases after 5 or if they will be charging for them. I'm sure they will charge for the Tokyo zone now (assuming it still comes out).

tanstaafl wrote:

I understand that; I was responding to the "might bring in a slew of new people".

There seems to be this consensus on the 'Net that Free-to-Play is some sort of magical revenue model. More people is fine but you also have to get revenue from somewhere. In fact, you now need more operating revenue since your server load has just increased. But there's only so many cosmetic items you can sell (and the outrage players would have over selling actual useful items for cash is probably greater than the outrage for having a subscription model in the first place).

I'll assume they are making what they think is the best move they can. I'm just not clear on what the actual revenue model of the game in F2P mode would be.

I'm not sure anyone thinks its Magical by any stretch.. simply slapping a game together and going F2P isnt going to bring in revenue if your game sucks. Guild Wars seems to make the "buy the box play for free" concept work well for them and I know they have a decent amount of resources devoted to maintaining the game on a go forward basis. I have no knowledge of SW possible success in F2P since I've never played it (largely because of the revenue model) but in playing GW 2 I've noticed and thought about doing RMT's for Gems to get boosts and cash in the game. So if you design a game around the concept of RMT's to not just provide cosmetic improvements but also time shortcuts I think it works.

But #1 you have to build a game that people will play day in and day out.. if your core game sucks then no matter what the revenue model is no one will play or least alone PAY to play in any fashion.

I am just hoping that the DLC costs as much or less than the "bonus points" those of us with a life-time sub get.

I know I'm certainly thinking hard about picking this up now, especially if I see it on sale on Steam or whatever.

Ready to jump back in tonight and see what's new! I may even throw Funcom a sub for a month just to let them know this was a great idea!

So people that currently own the game do not have to pay for it again but can now play for free?

Correct. And you get the "Member" bonus for the duration of your current subscription.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...

It was going to happen eventually, and this doesn't seem a bad way to go about it. I just hope they put the paid content packs in the game store, so I can use my 20% discount on it. I don't like the idea of having to pay for content when I signed up for a lifetime sub, assuming that the only money I'd need to give them again would be for voluntary digital goods crap.

Damn, that was fast!

cyrax wrote:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...

It was going to happen eventually, and this doesn't seem a bad way to go about it. I just hope they put the paid content packs in the game store, so I can use my 20% discount on it. I don't like the idea of having to pay for content when I signed up for a lifetime sub, assuming that the only money I'd need to give them again would be for voluntary digital goods crap.

Lifetime subs should be able to buy stuff with the $10 in spacebucks they get gifted each month, no?

I think both the lifetime and monthly subs get the $10 credit each month, but the lifetimers get a 20% discount while the regular subs only get 10%. (The lifetime sub previously had a 10% discount.) I have a lifetime and here's what they sent me today.

FunCom wrote:

The Grandmaster Pack continues as a powerful and lifelong commitment to the game for those with true dedication, and contains all the benefits given to members and more:

Every month Grandmaster accounts will receive $10 worth of Bonus Points. These points are valid for 6 months and can be used towards any Item Store purchase.
Every month Grandmaster accounts will receive the Item-of-the-month: a special gift to all Membership accounts to the game.
As a Grandmaster you receive a permanent item: The Time Accelerator. This item is available to all your characters and increases your experience gain by 100% for one hour and has a 16 hour cool-down!
Further, what used to be a discount of 10% discount to only social items in the Item Store has now been extended to be a discount on everything in the store. As members are getting a 10% discount to everything in the store, Grandmasters now receive a 20% discount!

tanstaafl wrote:

I think both the lifetime and monthly subs get the $10 credit each month, but the lifetimers get a 20% discount while the regular subs only get 10%. (The lifetime sub previously had a 10% discount.) I have a lifetime and here's what they sent me today.

FunCom wrote:

The Grandmaster Pack continues as a powerful and lifelong commitment to the game for those with true dedication, and contains all the benefits given to members and more:

Every month Grandmaster accounts will receive $10 worth of Bonus Points. These points are valid for 6 months and can be used towards any Item Store purchase.
Every month Grandmaster accounts will receive the Item-of-the-month: a special gift to all Membership accounts to the game.
As a Grandmaster you receive a permanent item: The Time Accelerator. This item is available to all your characters and increases your experience gain by 100% for one hour and has a 16 hour cool-down!
Further, what used to be a discount of 10% discount to only social items in the Item Store has now been extended to be a discount on everything in the store. As members are getting a 10% discount to everything in the store, Grandmasters now receive a 20% discount!

that's not bad at all.

Just logged out and I have to say that the XP Slushie item does go down smoooooth

I don't care what they call me as long as the game is still surviving.

Robear wrote:

I don't care what they call me as long as the game is still surviving. :-)

Hear, hear!

I am actually considering it now, I have to admit. $30 for the Guild Wars 2 model is intriguing. I'll probably do it.

Budo wrote:

I am actually considering it now, I have to admit. $30 for the Guild Wars 2 model is intriguing. I'll probably do it.

I'm in the same boat.

I do recall it was on sale on the fall Steam sale. Might wait on the winter sale to see what's the new pricing will be.

50% off at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VTVKG6/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

15 bucks is well well well worth it for this gem of a game. 30 bucks is worth it. even the full 50 was worth it.

Cobble wrote:

50% off at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VTVKG6/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

15 bucks is well well well worth it for this gem of a game. 30 bucks is worth it. even the full 50 was worth it.

Anyone know if this purchase gets you a key you can use on Funcom for download? I'd like to buy it for a friend but I see "Note: Gifting is not available for this item" for whatever reason.

Cobble wrote:

50% off at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VTVKG6/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

15 bucks is well well well worth it for this gem of a game. 30 bucks is worth it. even the full 50 was worth it.

Thanks for posting that, i've never bought a game off amazon before but $30 on steam was still a lil much for me to give this a try. For $15 i'm willing to buy it and try it to see if there's a good casual story experience to be enjoyed here and find out how grindy or not it is. I'm so not up for another grindy farmy mmo...but $15...worth the experiment to me.

Is there a link out there to a good things you need to know as a new player guide or soemething?

I like this site myself

http://unfair.co/

Oh yes, they went free to play because game director Joel Bylos wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to play before the end of the world on 12/21...

krev82 wrote:
Cobble wrote:

50% off at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VTVKG6/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

15 bucks is well well well worth it for this gem of a game. 30 bucks is worth it. even the full 50 was worth it.

Anyone know if this purchase gets you a key you can use on Funcom for download? I'd like to buy it for a friend but I see "Note: Gifting is not available for this item" for whatever reason.

Excuse me if this is obvious, but why don't you just get the box version for your friend?

ETA... oh. because it's not on sale. That would do it.

sometimesdee wrote:

Excuse me if this is obvious, but why don't you just get the box version for your friend?

Reasonable question, it's $29.99 rather than $15.00.

However I've also since realized that the $15 digital download is US customers only so my initital question is irrelevant.

So without having to read close to 50 pages of thread, can someone tell me pros and cons of the different factions? I probably could read about it myself but would rather see what the fine people of Goodjerdom think. I normally play a ranged class in MMOs, not sure if that matters. I am not sure how much I will be on to group with everyone so a solo-friendly class would be nice. Although I don't think there are classes .. or levels.

Uhm .. help?

DeThroned wrote:

So without having to read close to 50 pages of thread, can someone tell me pros and cons of the different factions? I probably could read about it myself but would rather see what the fine people of Goodjerdom think. I normally play a ranged class in MMOs, not sure if that matters. I am not sure how much I will be on to group with everyone so a solo-friendly class would be nice. Although I don't think there are classes .. or levels.

Uhm .. help? :)

One has a horribly awkward sex scene in its initiation