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Free to play?
- Thread starter StressBall
- Start date
- Watchers 7
Here's hoping. But don't hold your breath.
Peoples who knows something maybe bounded by nda.
So ask this question on the next m&g
So ask this question on the next m&g
Its still in the works id say next big pub this fall or wait till the new year...
I hope whatever is chosen, there are a few servers set aside for non free to play.
Soon™
As in sometime between now and the dissolution of all matter in the universe.
As in sometime between now and the dissolution of all matter in the universe.
I think your thinking the Constant free trial will be WAY more than what it will actually be.
Think more along the lines of....
Own a house = Possibly a 7x7.
Skills = GM max and no use of power scrolls.
Pet slots = 5'ish (probably 1)
Expansions = Yes (probably all of them now as they are quite old anyway)
Shard Transfers = No
Bank = Yes
Vet rewards = No
ect...
Basically, just enough to give you a taster but not enough that you wouldn't need to subscribe to get the full benefits.
Think more along the lines of....
Own a house = Possibly a 7x7.
Skills = GM max and no use of power scrolls.
Pet slots = 5'ish (probably 1)
Expansions = Yes (probably all of them now as they are quite old anyway)
Shard Transfers = No
Bank = Yes
Vet rewards = No
ect...
Basically, just enough to give you a taster but not enough that you wouldn't need to subscribe to get the full benefits.
The ability to own a house for a free-to-play (FTP) account may be problematic. I know I'll have as many FTP accounts as there are good shards so I can have a house of each one to call home for my main account.
Either way, I am all for FTP accounts with or w/o restriction. Whatever brings more ppl to the game is good (until lag is out of control).
Either way, I am all for FTP accounts with or w/o restriction. Whatever brings more ppl to the game is good (until lag is out of control).
The more of you who say that, the greater the odds of the Trail account have NO housing rights......
Theirs a lot of restrictions, owning a house i am pretty sure may be off the table.... you'll all have to see and wait for the excitement!
I'm going to wait until the multiboxing army is available from the store.
Sent from mTalk
I suspect there will be a run on KVM switches after the last Meet and Greet, unless those are available from the store soon too.
Thats a good shout. I will do a few events first to get some items. Then sell these items in game for gold, then sell the gold for real money then buy from the store.
Pretty sure trial accounts won't get event drops
I played LOTRO for a little before free to play and they had an instanced housing situation. I dont suggest we do that as a whole but if people are determined to play free and want to purchase a house just give them the option to buy an instanced generic house floating in the starred out areas of the ether realms or something. Like an L-shaped house on an instanced server no yard, for like $30. Give it good storage and no if ands or buts. Give it to your paid customers as a bonus maybe? Only accessible on one server. Could be an option that helps.
And on an unrelated note, I was reading in another thread about making spellbooks imbuable. Whoever said that I hope you are given a cinnamon roll and party hat. I love ye.
And on an unrelated note, I was reading in another thread about making spellbooks imbuable. Whoever said that I hope you are given a cinnamon roll and party hat. I love ye.
I would like to see a premium legacy server that is only available to subscribers
Anyone have a link to the podcast? This is the first I'm hearing of it.
Free to play with optional subscription I think might breath some life into UO. If UO were free to play where you can purchase different account "unlocks." Examples: $20 gets 1 character the ability to use legendary scrolls or $20 gets you additional character slots etc. I think housing should be restricted to subscriber only, or there should be "housing refresh" items that have to be bought to maintain your house. With the current, limited spacing on housing and how IDOCs are tied into subscription times, it would be difficult to justify selling an item that allowed a free to play account have housing rights and how IDOC would work.
I wouldn't mind seeing an expansion on the current town and citizen system. Add "housing spaces" designed specifically for each town, where the spaces can be set up around a "central" bank kind of like Luna. Heck, in some locations the space is already there! Example: Clear out the woods around Brit moongate and add designated housing plots and a bank/vendor area near the gate. Citizens from there respective cities would have new localized "hang outs" and you might see new "vendor malls" sprout up. As well as new "sitting" areas. The areas don't have to be huge, maybe ten to fifteen varying size plots dictated by walkways. At least this way they're would be a since of "community" where housing is concerned. Instead of houses out in the middle of a swamp... Although if you're a hermit, by all means go for it! lol
My personal thoughts though is that most people trying UO on a free to play basis would be very temporary due to the lack of modernized look and feel. Where this is very nostalgic and perfect for many of us, the youngin's who are getting into gaming need their eye candy. I feel it will be difficult to compete with some of the other, very developed free to play MMOARPG's.
I can't even get my Fiance to log onto my second account that is pretty much fully skilled as a disco tamer and has a pink cu!
I wouldn't mind seeing an expansion on the current town and citizen system. Add "housing spaces" designed specifically for each town, where the spaces can be set up around a "central" bank kind of like Luna. Heck, in some locations the space is already there! Example: Clear out the woods around Brit moongate and add designated housing plots and a bank/vendor area near the gate. Citizens from there respective cities would have new localized "hang outs" and you might see new "vendor malls" sprout up. As well as new "sitting" areas. The areas don't have to be huge, maybe ten to fifteen varying size plots dictated by walkways. At least this way they're would be a since of "community" where housing is concerned. Instead of houses out in the middle of a swamp... Although if you're a hermit, by all means go for it! lol
My personal thoughts though is that most people trying UO on a free to play basis would be very temporary due to the lack of modernized look and feel. Where this is very nostalgic and perfect for many of us, the youngin's who are getting into gaming need their eye candy. I feel it will be difficult to compete with some of the other, very developed free to play MMOARPG's.
I can't even get my Fiance to log onto my second account that is pretty much fully skilled as a disco tamer and has a pink cu!
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While you all see the idea of F2P one of something the game needs to bring life to it this for me is not the case...
I see this idea as the last step to the game being put on the sunset table for its last hurrah.
You cant tell me some of you don't look on it as a way to stop putting cash in and play off a free system.
Housing in mix would only make my point more.
New people in the game are looking for companions to play with... but they find fleeting beings that are hard pressed to keep what friendships working in their time of play which is getting thinner by the year.
Sure go for the F2P.... my son says the money I save when UO is finally killed off... I can save to get that new car I been eyeing.
I see this idea as the last step to the game being put on the sunset table for its last hurrah.
You cant tell me some of you don't look on it as a way to stop putting cash in and play off a free system.
Housing in mix would only make my point more.
New people in the game are looking for companions to play with... but they find fleeting beings that are hard pressed to keep what friendships working in their time of play which is getting thinner by the year.
Sure go for the F2P.... my son says the money I save when UO is finally killed off... I can save to get that new car I been eyeing.
I disagree. Runescape is a prime example of this. They have a F2P model (with optional member status) and the graphics are no better than UO's. They have player numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Something UO can only dream of. Also a new game (which is released on 17th July 2017) Albion Online has had massive player numbers in the beta and will be free to play after the initial purchase price. Again graphics are not modern and the same isometric view as UO.
The difference with those two games (and I can speak more for Albion as Ive played the beta extensively) is they have great customer service, high levels of Dev interaction, a F2P model that works, and the games are constantly being updated. Compare that with UO. Its not the graphics that have turned people away from UO, it is the direction the game has gone, the lack of customer service, lack of investment by EA, lack of advertising, the blatant condoning of cheats, the poor new player experience and the 20 year old bugs. Fix these things and adopt a good F2P model and UO could be a healthy game once again.
Free to play with optional subscription I think might breath some life into UO. If UO were free to play where you can purchase different account "unlocks." Examples: $20 gets 1 character the ability to use legendary scrolls or $20 gets you additional character slots etc. I think housing should be restricted to subscriber only, or there should be "housing refresh" items that have to be bought to maintain your house. With the current, limited spacing on housing and how IDOCs are tied into subscription times, it would be difficult to justify selling an item that allowed a free to play account have housing rights and how IDOC would work.
I wouldn't mind seeing an expansion on the current town and citizen system. Add "housing spaces" designed specifically for each town, where the spaces can be set up around a "central" bank kind of like Luna. Heck, in some locations the space is already there! Example: Clear out the woods around Brit moongate and add designated housing plots and a bank/vendor area near the gate. Citizens from there respective cities would have new localized "hang outs" and you might see new "vendor malls" sprout up. As well as new "sitting" areas. The areas don't have to be huge, maybe ten to fifteen varying size plots dictated by walkways. At least this way they're would be a since of "community" where housing is concerned. Instead of houses out in the middle of a swamp... Although if you're a hermit, by all means go for it! lol
My personal thoughts though is that most people trying UO on a free to play basis would be very temporary due to the lack of modernized look and feel. Where this is very nostalgic and perfect for many of us, the youngin's who are getting into gaming need their eye candy. I feel it will be difficult to compete with some of the other, very developed free to play MMOARPG's.
I can't even get my Fiance to log onto my second account that is pretty much fully skilled as a disco tamer and has a pink cu!
I would HATE to see all towns become a trailerpark like Magincia... HATE it. Luna is an eyesore as well... I do like Tokuno.
Trying to compete with most other MMOs is impossible with 1990's graphics. There is no competition. People like pretty pictures and sadly they also like to be led about by the nose and told every little step to take. Most gamers lack the imagination and drive required to play UO. To me UO is like the end all of gaming... it's so wonderfully flexible and creative... and offers so much customization and lets you let your imagination run wild... Other games lack much if any individuality and even less flexibility and NO creativity. Your path is laid out the instant you create your character. BORING.
And yet other games are thriving and growing with this very model. Go figure.
They are not UO which is 20 years old.....
As many point out ... the game is so out of the new gamming kids or younger adults like.
Now its the rare player who hangs in to make the game work.
As many point out ... the game is so out of the new gamming kids or younger adults like.
Now its the rare player who hangs in to make the game work.
Hate to be a downer but honestly I doubt it will ever go free to play, maybe unlimited trial accounts but that's about it.
From what I can already see that people will pay there accounts to keep there houses no matter what it takes, UO knows this and will keep charging us for it.
From what I can already see that people will pay there accounts to keep there houses no matter what it takes, UO knows this and will keep charging us for it.
Nonsense. If you game is good enough then it will attract players, IF it is marketed correctly and maintained correctly (which of course UO is not) . As I stated earlier runescape and Albion are examples that have an isometric view and the graphics are not modern. Runescape is 16 years old.
Just thinking more into this and I'm not trolling but can people not afford to sub anymore?
Is this why Free to play is bought up so often.
Is this why Free to play is bought up so often.
Sadly you are probably right my antipodean friend. And that shortsightedness by EA is the reason that you will one day not have a game to log into. They keep on milking the players like cash cows with more and more shop purchases (such as the stable slots) and charge a hefty monthly fee (in subscription games terms). The bare minimum goes back into the game and subscription numbers slowly dwindle away. Marketing the game, supporting the game, bringing in new players ... all off their agenda whilst those things are what would longer term save the game. I can only assume EA are not interested in saving UO, they are interested in milking as much dollar out of it before they turn the lights out.
Its a good question, but its not about affordability. The pure subscription model has had its day and more and more games are going down the route of F2P, with optional purchases and often a 'premium' model which is in effect a soft subscription (ie its not mandatory and can be bought when needed). I think in this day and age most people just like the flexibility to be in control of how much they invest in a game in any given week/month. The Freemium model as its known does this. The paying players keep the game alive and get the commensurate benefits associated with how much they drop into the game, keeping it alive, but the free players also add something as in numbers, making the game feel alive and populated. This is the model UO should be adopting if EA wants it to prosper and grow. Which of course brings us back to the fact that EA has no interest in saving UO.
I must admit and shoot me if this is ridiculous but I do spend money on the store sometimes, especially pet bonding potions. I've bought the mounts branding tool and other random things just because they look cool, I don't even notice my sub come out of my account ever which might be a bad thing because I'm terrible when it comes to money moving from my bank account, I was subscribed to wow for a year and forgot about it even though I didn't play that whole year.
Point is maybe peoples subs is just a way of life to them now, it may not phase a lot of people that have to pay for it. Again UO knows this and milks it for sure.
Ps. Had to google (antipodean) made me giggle loudly
You're joking right? Runescape and Albion have MUCH better graphics than UO and the programming is much more seemless. Neither of them are clinging to a 800x600 resolution client you can easily google either game and see that their graphics are superior to UO - both CC and EC. Both Albion and RS have far less issues with rendering, screen lag, "server boundaries" etc as well. It's not just about the graphics, the entire programming for UO is dated and clunky.
The only things I can agree on pushing new players away would be the new player experience, and the 20 year old bugs - which are tied to the 20 year old client... that people wont let die. I have 5 friends that I've spoken to who in the last two weeks have asked me "Why are you playing that game? You should invest time in something like ESO or Path of Exile! Probably worth your time." Visual reception is huge for getting people to even try a game.
I would flip my lid for a remake of UO - all skills, spells, customizations etc just... in a newer and updated client with less clunkiness.
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If you have only 1 or 2 accounts the sub is not a huge problem, especially if you get 6 month codes. But a lot of players who have been around from the start have a lot more accounts and that is where the sub becomes expensive, not to mention inherited accounts from friends and family who have moved on to other games. Even playing the house lottery with a payment every few months can get to be too much if you have a lot of accounts. Paying to stop your house from falling is the one thing EA are relying on to keep cash flowing, so I really don't think if they do an extended Free Trial that having a house on it will be an option.
I don't think its a matter of the sub specifically, its more about what you're getting for your money. People are weighing what they'd pay for a subscription to UO vs what they'd pay (or not pay) for another game. I think the majority of us who maintain/return to UO have some emotional/nostalgic ties. Players who have never tried UO probably think along the lines of "Why would I pay $10 a month for UO when I can play games like ESO and PoE for free? Or pay the same money for WoW or FFXIV?" They don't have the memories that a lot of us do with the game.
Why pay a monthly subscription to play what is effectively a single player game online?
Having a sub for UO is mental.
Having a sub for UO is mental.
No, not joking. UO, Runescape and Albion all use a 'cartoon' style of graphics (which i wouldnt say are MUCH better than UO's, marginally at best) and those graphics dont come close to the likes of say Conan Exiles or Elder Scrolls. My point was that it isnt about the graphics. People will play games with a less realistic cartoon style of graphics (UO,RS,AO) if other things are in place such as the ones you listed ... its about the game client, lag, rendering, usability etc etc etc
You finished off with "It's not just about the graphics", which was my entire point, in fact I'd say its barely about the graphics at all. Its about all of those other things, which UO, with 2 clients (one which is an ancient relic and the other a half finished crock of crap) fails to deliver on, along side customer support, marketing, blatant cheating condoned a poor business model etc etc
There will be no housing. That's the reason people keep accounts they don't play paid for.
Because it brings in players. People will try anything for free, and won't pay 12 bucks unless they have more than a passing interest. It's the whole point of the f2p model.
Customer support and in game issues are non-issues for people who have never played the game. Also - RuneScape and Albion may have "cartoony" graphics, but they're much higher resolutions and clarity than UO's. I literally can count pixels on my characters and the surroundings in UO because the resolution is THAT bad. Even in the EC. That is a HUGE difference. It's like comparing 8-bit NES games to... games coded using the Unreal 3 engine.
But we're pretty much saying the same thing. Without major change, even with the introduction of F2P, its not going to improve the way younger generations view the game. At least not in my opinion
On the flip side maybe free to play would just allow the few people still interested in a 20 year old game that aren't playing due to a subscription cost to play just long enough to see a game 20 years old that still has lags and bugs from the 90s.
EDIT: Terrible run on sentence, don't feel like fixing.
EDIT: Terrible run on sentence, don't feel like fixing.
Yeah, after writing that and seeing what others posted.....ANY housing on the trial accounts would be a horrible idea.
Yeah, I think houses would be the real selling point to get freebees to sub. UO still has one of the best housing/deco systems available in mmos despite the dated art.
I think resolution is the biggest limiting factor this game has. Dated or even poor graphics don't stop people from playing games. When the graphics are too small to comfortably see without altering your zoom settings then yes, that is a problem. I don't know how fixable that problem is.
They wouldn't be getting rid of subs, just adding a free option. Shouldn't effect you at all, unless they are titanically stupid and start putting non cosmetic things behind a paywall for subscribers. That is one of very few things that would make me quit for good. I'm still pissed off about stable slots. :/
This is the way that I see it... normal f2p will KILL the game however f2p with restrictions (similar to Trial Accounts – Ultima Online) and a full subscription model will SAVE it. They need to keep adding novelty items to the store and once the game is healthy again... bring back UO:KR with updated graphics as the secondary client. The EC has better functionalities but it's just so ugly, the only artwork I like is the remaining KR art from the client. UO is and will always be ugly in 3D, best option is 2.5D and something like that will attract new people... the problem with KR was that it was an unfinished product even when they decided to get rid of it
We also need more gold sinks, including the store items they should offer novelty items for in game gold (ex: Hair Dyes, Tatoos, Piercings,Decorations, Weapons & Armor Dyes etc) or start deleting the gold from cheaters/dupers like they use to do. Another great attraction would be to have daily incentives, something like a spinning wheel that pops up when you login and offers a daily spin... rewards could range from temporary skill buffs to rare items that are [Replica] or account bound. It would encourage people to login daily and a chance for new players to get a rare item
We also need more gold sinks, including the store items they should offer novelty items for in game gold (ex: Hair Dyes, Tatoos, Piercings,Decorations, Weapons & Armor Dyes etc) or start deleting the gold from cheaters/dupers like they use to do. Another great attraction would be to have daily incentives, something like a spinning wheel that pops up when you login and offers a daily spin... rewards could range from temporary skill buffs to rare items that are [Replica] or account bound. It would encourage people to login daily and a chance for new players to get a rare item
No. please no. It was a hideous abomination.