Umm...so why pay $9.99 a month again?

[imported_Founder]

Im still paying customer...at least for the rest of the month, but as Im playing, I began to wonder: Why do people insist on paying and playing in EAL, when they can play in TC3 for free?

As per EA-Land website:

"The rules are different in EA-Land and in Test Center 3:

Because we do not intend to ever enable the 'cash-out' feature in Test Center 3, we are able to let free players experience the full game experience there, as they would if they were playing as subscribers in EA-Land."

That's it? Cash-out is the only difference in TC3 between free and premium players? I'm sure that's not the complete list, right?

If it is...wouldnt it make sense for entire EA Land community to simply start playing in TC3 and then we are all winners here as we are all playing for free? And no....dont tell me you get extra sims, because if you want more sims, you can make extra accounts, which will cost you nothing.

Now I understand that many hardcore gamers are tied to their rares and wouldnt want to part with them, since they cant move them to free TC3, However, with all the merges, there are so many rares being circulated, their value is diminished.

By no means am I trying nor expecting people to move, BUT...it just seems that if everyone would move to TC3, everyone would win.

Before you attack me, I actually asked several people this very same question in EAL tonight and all responses were either "Hmm...I dunno" and "Hmmm...Good Point!" Nobody was able to give me a good answer, which is why I'm asking it here:

If everyone would to cancel their subscriptions and we all would to start playing in TC3 for free, what would happen?

 

[Paula777]

I could not tell you why some insist on paying and playing in EAL, when they can play in TC3 for free...

 

[Guest]

Last time I was doing the free ride in EEEEAAAAHHHH-land (sorry, I know it's pronounced "EE-AY", but I chuckle everytime I see EAland because it looks like someone screaming EEEEE-AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!), you could not go to skill or money lots.

And without money, how are you going to buy a pizza machine, which is every sim's goal so that he or she can make some money and...um...wait a minute...

 

[Paula777]

naw, you all keep talking bout the disadvantages free player have in ea-land. me, i don't go there, i JUST play in TC3, it's the same anyway ... i think...

 

[imported_Founder]

<blockquote><hr>

Last time I was doing the free ride in EEEEAAAAHHHH-land (sorry, I know it's pronounced "EE-AY", but I chuckle everytime I see EAland because it looks like someone screaming EEEEE-AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!), you could not go to skill or money lots.

And without money, how are you going to buy a pizza machine, which is every sim's goal so that he or she can make some money and...um...wait a minute...

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, but I'm talking about TC3 here...free accounts CAN earn money and skill there, as Paula added, as well.

 

[imported_sullimix]

Because if everyone went to TC3 and stopped paying to play EALand would be closed forever... because EA wouldn't be making any money to justify cost of running the game...

 

[Paula777]

So you are paying to keep this game alive and help out maxis?
I been a big fan but I couldn't care less at this point. I would just move on and find a new addiction.

 

[Confetti]

Go play the free stuff all you want, that's fine.

I don't care and I'm sure everyone else here doesn't either. I logged onto TC3 to check it out and the population currently is about half of what is on EA-Land right now and it's probably late for most players. So it depends how you want to take it, if you want more populations and places to go or if you want to find a tight knit group. It's all the same, just be happy, and the some others will be happy paying. =) No biggie.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If everyone would to cancel their subscriptions and we all would to start playing in TC3 for free, what would happen?

[/ QUOTE ]

The answer is simple.....EA Games which is a for-profit business, would change the rules, so it would be better to play as a premium player. Actually, the 'rules' for Free Play were not firmed up until recently, and the Dev's can and probably will, change them anytime they begin to threaten the bottom line.

After all if you are not paying for it, you can hardly claim you are not getting your money's worth.......

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If everyone would to cancel their subscriptions and we all would to start playing in TC3 for free, what would happen?

[/ QUOTE ]The game doesn't meet any kind of subscription quota, and EA pulls the plug for good...

 

[imported_gensi]

And there's that TC3 may be wiped at anytime factor. Does that still apply?

 

[imported_Shirl1211]

<blockquote><hr>

And there's that TC3 may be wiped at anytime factor. Does that still apply?

[/ QUOTE ]


I don't like the restrictions that the freebies have. They can't advance, so how could they continue to keep playing and have fun? I'll keep paying. I don't think $9.99 a month is going to send me into bankruptcy anytime soon.

 

[Guest]

TC3 is just like TC from back in the day. It can, and most likely, will be wiped from time to time. They test all new updates there first. If something doesn't work right or a problem arises, then they have the option to wipe and start over. Sim at your own risk as I like to think. This is why I never keep a serious sim in TC3. Why put in so many hours just to have him be deleted?

 

[imported_Qute Pi]

I pay $9.99 a month / $2.50 a week / $.34 a day / $.02 an hour instead of playing for free in TC3 because:

I can go to a skill or money lot any time I want to and NOT have to deal with new players.

...Or old players trying to float by on free accounts.

*You can't see me - I'm in a money lot that you can't joooooin, na na naaa na*

 

[Guest]

TSO Monthly Cost: $9.99
Skilling/money time spent: Countless
Not worrying about my sim being deleted: Priceless

It's simple. We are paying so we know when something new comes into EA-Land, it is tested and known to work well.

 

[Guest]

TC3 is just like TC from back in the day.

One way it IS just like TC is that it has very been wiped. TC was never wiped but Parizad did raise concern when she said it was subject to wiping some years ago.

 

[Guest]

That was the whole idea behind TC. Test new updates without worrying about production sims being affected. TC was never designed for people to play in and develope sims for the long term. TC3 is the same thing. It says it in the name... TEST CENTER!!!! Play at your own risk. It could go years before a wipe or it could be wiped every day for a week. Whatever you had at that time was gone. Sims, money, property... everything. That is the risk of playing TC3 only.

 

[imported_Gracie Nito]

TC3 and EA-Land are quite different. TC3 is a testing ground and will be full of bugs on numerous ocassions through out testing periods. TC3's economy will be skewed by free play accounts and simoleans may need to be wiped there someday. The different money drains and faucets of both places will continue to make both servers different economies.

 

[Guest]

I do not believe the economy will ever be fixed in this game. As long as there are some payouts, people will make money for however long it takes for them to make what they had in other cities. I think the idea is to make it take so long that it isn't worth the time. But, people will do it. I applaud them for being able to do that. Me? Just not worth it. I'll make enough for me to get by. But, if the prices of things do not start to match the economy, then there will be a bigger issue.

 

[Guest]

uhm, because its ONLY 9.99 and you get 500 every week and you can play with many more players and in a much larger world (with all cities once they are merged)

so the question should be why NOT pay 9.99. Its only 9.99 and EA-Land is worth it, TC3 is nice, but EA-Land is where its at

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If everyone would to cancel their subscriptions and we all would to start playing in TC3 for free, what would happen?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm hoping this post and question was made during a time of sleep-deprivation, or a headache or some other high pain, not because I want you to be in that condition, but because you've been around long enough to know the answer to this. Since you don't let me give you the mathematical equation.

Everyone cancelling accounts + Lost Revenue for EA = TSO being closed down forever

which would leave us all out in the cold. So not only would those players who cancelled their accounts for free rides be screwing themselves, they'd in effect be screwing the entire community. How is it that you expect EA to keep the server running even for the one city (TC3) without ANY revenue coming in other than perhaps the occasional cash-in of simoleans people transact? In order to make your dream come true, EA would have to make it so that the same restrictions for EA Land on free players exist in TC3, which means you could NOT make money in the game and you HAD to buy it from EA Land.....in which case you'd end up paying way more than $10 a month.

When spelled out like that it kinda makes you wanna shell out the $9.99 a month and be grateful that you can eh?

Hope that answered your question

 

[Guest]

Because I don't like being limited.

Also, lord knows what else they are going to limit to paying players in the future. I'd hate to lose out on that as well.

But thats just me.
If EA were concerned with Free Play killing hte future of the game they would not offer it.

 

[Guest]

Bingo. What the Dev team needs to do is either put the same restrictions in TC3 or explain to everyone why TC3 is free. Explain that at any time, TC3 could be wiped and people will lose everything. For die-hard players, paying 10 bucks a month is not a big deal. Hyping the "free TC3" for new players, they may not realize WHY it's free to play in TC3.

 

[imported_TheCookieFamily]

I'm sure the free version will be ad supported at some point during the game's development.

 

[Shyanne1]

You only get $500 simoleans a week???

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

You only get $500 simoleans a week???

[/ QUOTE ]

$500 a week is what we are given for paying. I believe we get this in both EA-Land and TC3. We are not limited to $500 a week, however, as we can still make money through jobs, money items, custom content, running stores, etc. It's all about how you invest your $500.

 

[Guest]

How about so you can play those 4 year old sims with all the rare items, skill locks, and houses?

 

[Guest]

If you think about EA offering the free accounts is not necessarily a bad thing. The free players would come into EA-Land, play and see how restricted they are in the game. Then they find out that they can play in TC3 with no restrictions. Little do they know that there dear sim may be wiped out the next day. Let's say that they so happened to wipe out TC3 everyday? If it were me I would get fed up and realize that it may be worth paying the 9.99 a month to 'keep' your dear sim alive. Again this is banking on the constant wiping of TC3.

After all is said and done, I hope that after taking a yr and a half hiatus from the game that I won't be able to enjoy for years to come.

TSO is an escape for me where I meet new people. They must be doing something right because for the past 6yrs I KEPT COMING BACK!!!

 

[Guest]

Let's look at your scenario on the flip side. TC3 gets wiped. New players get upset and don't come back. I think that way is a bit more realistic. To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing warning people in TC3 about possible wipes... though people playing know the possibilites. I could be wrong since I haven't played my TC3 sim in forever.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Let's look at your scenario on the flip side. TC3 gets wiped. New players get upset and don't come back. I think that way is a bit more realistic. To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing warning people in TC3 about possible wipes... though people playing know the possibilites. I could be wrong since I haven't played my TC3 sim in forever.

[/ QUOTE ]

There may be nothing *in* game that tells people of it, however there will be links to the blog and maybe even to here with the web services, where those things ARE said on a regular basis, so I believe that is where the player's responsibility to keep THEMSELVES informed comes in. I don't think it's necessary to spoon-feed everybody.....not all the players are adults, but they are at least old enough teens to know how to click on links provided to them to take them to info pages, they only have to choose to do so. That's my 2 simoleans on the subject

But yes, I do think regular wipes of TC3 (and maybe only partial wipes of free players since they *have* to play there and therefore should not lose everything but partial wipes would be an incentive to become paying customers without wiping them totally) would be a great way to keep paying players OUT of TC3 when they are not supposed to be there....that is, when there is nothing new to test. Perhaps it could be that premium members get a stipend when there is stuff to test, to make up for the fact that their money they earn would be wiped regularly. The wipes I propose would not include avatars or skills, or sim age so those things would still be able to be kept to assist in the testing. We've gotta do something to ensure that TC3 is used as intended, and therefore EA Land would also be used as intended.

 

[Guest]

Brewton,
Great points. The problem I am seeing in all the publicity the game is getting now, the focus is on playing free. TC3 may be a great place to get your feet wet but advertising that it's a free city to play in may be the wrong way for them to be showcasing the game. I would think promoting EA-Land for 9.99 with the added bonus that they can try the game out in TC3 for free might for a bit better. It is the same thing, but just being said in a different way.