Selling unlocks for races, classes, etc.
I think that Broadsword is really missing out on a good source of revenue by not selling unlocks for things like additional races and classes so that EC players can customize their game experience. Unlocks are the norm for so many free-to-play games that it must be a good money maker. I know that I would definitely be interested in unlocking the frostalf race, the heretic class, and probably a few other classes.
Other things which could be unlocked for EC players for a fee include, but are not necessarily limited to, crafting, housing, champion abilities, higher realm skill point spend cap, the ability to buff and be buffed by someone outside of your group, the ability to turn off experience, and the ability to use regular dyes. Many players, both EC and subscribers, might be interested in more individual and shared bank storage. I know I've probably spent more for this than anything else in other games. I've also spent a lot on return to ____ type abilities as well as for the option to use these abilities more frequently.
As long as there is a wait period between subscribing and going free-to-play, I will probably never resubscribe. With all of the other EC restrictions, I have significant reservations about playing again at all since I would be unable to play several of my characters including some of my favorites. On the other hand, I would happily pay for some of these unlocks if they were made available at a reasonable price which would encourage me to start actively playing again as an EC player who would then spend additional money from time to time which otherwise probably isn't going to happen.
A few things could be kept as subscriber only such as having no cap at all on spending realm skill points and possibly having access to the stealth classes. That way subscribers would still keep an advantage, but EC players could be a good bit more competitive than they currently are (for a price) which would encourage them to keep playing (and spending more money) rather than giving up in frustration if they don't want to subscribe. Offering unlocks would be a way to ease some of the EC restrictions without removing them altogether while at the same time creating a new revenue stream parallel to, and in some instances in addition to, that which is generated through subscriptions.
Other things which could be unlocked for EC players for a fee include, but are not necessarily limited to, crafting, housing, champion abilities, higher realm skill point spend cap, the ability to buff and be buffed by someone outside of your group, the ability to turn off experience, and the ability to use regular dyes. Many players, both EC and subscribers, might be interested in more individual and shared bank storage. I know I've probably spent more for this than anything else in other games. I've also spent a lot on return to ____ type abilities as well as for the option to use these abilities more frequently.
As long as there is a wait period between subscribing and going free-to-play, I will probably never resubscribe. With all of the other EC restrictions, I have significant reservations about playing again at all since I would be unable to play several of my characters including some of my favorites. On the other hand, I would happily pay for some of these unlocks if they were made available at a reasonable price which would encourage me to start actively playing again as an EC player who would then spend additional money from time to time which otherwise probably isn't going to happen.
A few things could be kept as subscriber only such as having no cap at all on spending realm skill points and possibly having access to the stealth classes. That way subscribers would still keep an advantage, but EC players could be a good bit more competitive than they currently are (for a price) which would encourage them to keep playing (and spending more money) rather than giving up in frustration if they don't want to subscribe. Offering unlocks would be a way to ease some of the EC restrictions without removing them altogether while at the same time creating a new revenue stream parallel to, and in some instances in addition to, that which is generated through subscriptions.
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Da fly family - 4501 4502 4503 4504 4506 4508 4509
Da spider family - 441 442 443 444 445 447
Ywain 1 Mid - Carlingford Hib - Tullamore Alb - Dalton
https://divoxutils.com/user-characters
This is a 20-year-old game. The community of players is small. People aren't knocking down the doors to play this game, not because of the age, but also because of the leveling grind (this game has one of the most grueling out there), the learning curve, the competition in RvR, and quite frankly the severe lacking of being able to group with other players. If you aren't part of the clique, you aren't getting in and run solo most of the time.
EC accounts have a ~90% reduction in realm points. Yes, ~90%. I experienced this last night in one of the best battles I've been in since playing DAoC when it came out. At the end, everyone was boasting about the realm defense bonus they received - most players got 52,000 RPs just for being there to help defend the keep.
I got 6000. I got 11.54% of what everyone else received for doing the same thing for the realm defense bonus. My RR never moved, others got two RR levels being there for the same amount of time. My other RPs gained from players dying was also substantially low.
You can't level certain classes and races unless you are subbed. I have no other words for this other than 'Stupid'. This alone is a reason not to play.
Once you subscribed and play a bit, but then stop the subscription you can't play for another 6 months after the end of the sub.
There are still bugs in this game from when I left it 15 years ago. I came back hoping that this would no longer be a concern. I was again, wrong in doing so.
Things like the Bottomless Dye pot that I earned when I was subscribed to this game - I cannot use. I'm not allowed. Potions - not allowed. Some RvR items - not allowed. Some equipment - not allowed. Classes I've leveled - not allowed. Housing - not allowed. I can't even walk in to look at someone's house. Really? Guild management -not allowed (and it's the guild I created).
I can go on about all of the woes of EC which quite frankly have given me the opposite effect of wanting to resubscribe to this game. BS claims they saw an large number of people subscribe, yet you don't see that in RvR, and anyone you talk to in game laughs about that. Player numbers don't appear to have changed on the surface. So where's all the new subs? I've been to all the good leveling spots and they've been utterly bare. I've run into maybe 5 people leveling.
I also play SWTOR - another EA run game. I thought SWTOR's F2P model was completely hindering - until I started this game back up. BS has brought hinderance to a whole new level with this model. It's so frustrating it actually makes you not want to subscribe. At least with SWTOR, you could function and play all classes, most races and top-level gear equipping is hidden behind the Cartel Market (Mithril Shop equivalent). You had to sub or buy the authorization to be able to even equip the high level gear. Eventually, you could play the game just fine on a F2P model with enough unlocks purchased, but you still couldn't raid in a large group (operations) and a couple of other things, but at least it was playable. Other limits were of course housing, inventory space, guild stuff (but you could still be a GM of a guild as F2P), and a few other items. It was just enough of a bother to make you want to subscribe. This model makes me want to do the opposite, it's that frustrating.
I think the OP has a good idea on race unlocks in the Mithril Shop, and a couple of good ideas with the shop.
Here is what I would suggest to BS if they ever want to re-evaluate their way of thinking (which I doubt, or it wouldn't be this limited in the first place):
- Don't hinder classes. If you want to limit races, fine, but at least make them available in the shop to unlock. Let people make any class to play.
- Don't hinder the RPs, BPs, realm defense and champion points of EC account until certain levels. You seem to love RR5 so much on teetering things, so make it up to RR5. After that, implement your crazy RP reduction. Let them get to CL5 so they can at least keep up with everyone else on horseback, or bring down the CL requirement for the champion horse. Otherwise, people are paying 10 platinum for a horse. That's over half of what I have. I can't even afford a buff potion with what I have left over. The market to buy items are priced for those that have been here for years.
- Fix your bugs, for the love of God. It is so disheartening to see a bug that has been in game for 15+ years. Have you really not gotten around to fixing that? Bonedancer pets are a prime example of what I'm referring to. Such a broken class that could be so much fun to play, but you spend more time managing pets then you do playing the class. And, because they are so broken they become pigeon-holed into one spec line. Hunter pets - you butchered this class pet line. I actually spec'd my Hunter out of it it's so worthless (and I used to be a Hunter TL who would have gladly taken this line), but those that do have it have to deal with such bad pet pathing in the game, it's just as frustrating for them. Hell, pet pathing in general in any aspect or realm in this game needs some serious adjustments. God help you if you go out to Svarhamr with a pet class. You can't even make it out of their camp with your pet because it wants to go see the sights.
- Subscribers have no incentive other than gameplay to subscribe to get past this limiting model. Let them accrue mithril, even if it's like 300/month for a sub, or let them earn it based it off of how much they play, but give them an incentive to subscribe and stay subbed.
- Housing - at least let all accounts in a house! There is absolutely NO reason to not allow me into a house that's open. This is just completely baffling to me. If this has to do with a binding issue, then don't let EC be able to bind in a house. I see no purpose in that other than just being a bully. You want to sell your housing - it's one of the best features in the game, so let people in to look at what other people have decorated.
- If you earned items in the past, let EC players continue to use them. I can't even use my puppy whistle I earned when I was subbed. I can't use a dye pot. I can't use a cloak because it's EC restrictive. I can't use buff potions, but you expect EC to participate in RvR. Guess who doesn't give buffs? That's right, no one does. Not even a keep lord, so if I die at a keep, I'm essentially and totally screwed for buffs. We all know that buffs are king to compete. If I can't compete, I can't stay there. It just means I'm fish food for the next 5000 Hibs to come along.
- Your four hour long timer is one of the most infuriating, atrocious things I've yet to see in the game. I completely get it though for the RvR aspect. I don't get it at all for the PvE aspect. If I had a bad night of RvR or realm issues, I don't want to stay there, so I would log out, and go to another realm, even if I just wanted to level a new class. But because I got one 1 RP, I can't do that for four hours? I thought you wanted people playing the game, not keeping them from logging into to do something else.
- The realm imbalance that plagues the game is still here. It's always about Hibernia. I had this discussion when it was Mythic Entertainment with the developers, and still couldn't get an answer on this. I know the one thing that people go to play Hibernia over everything else, and it's not the housing. It's one ability - the cast stun-lock. It was a problem 15 years ago, and is still a problem now. Hibernia and Herorius running around the realms dominating Midgard and Albion. I'm frankly surprised anyone keeps playing anything other than Hib. This was an issue on Tristan, and the players took care of it when the developers wouldn't, or didn't. Hibernia got staved for RPs in RvR after Mid and Alb had enough of being dominated nightly. It got to the point that all keeps, towers and relics were owned by Hibernia. Alb and Mid would fight each other, but once Hibs came along, they left. No one took back keeps or towers and left them in Hib hands. What was the point? Other than to give Hib some realm points, they meant nothing. It continued for weeks like that until Hib was starved to the point that they started making other toons - not on Hibernia. The realms balanced themselves out to the point the players made the game fun again for everyone playing, not just for themselves. I push that agenda in game, but the sheep to the slaughter and all... I believe the majority of people in this game have an insanity issue when it comes to RvR.
- Buffing limitations are just another bully tactic. I'm not even going to get any further into this other than to say that the limitations are too limited.
I doubt this will go anywhere, but most of the issues in this game keep me from resubbing, and they aren't just my problems, they are problems for BS to solve. You actually have a model that lacks interest in either subbing or staying subbed to the game for returning players. I know this is different for the veteran players, because, well they are subbed and aren't plagued with the limitations other people face with the game. I just hope you re-evaluate your stance and adjust. We always hear from a developer that "they will take a look" or "we may adjust this in the future" and my favorite "not at this time" clause. These are really a negative aspect to take when you have no time limitations and people already know what you mean when you say it, because no action had been taken on issues.
They would have had much more success if they treated it as a pay per use kind of thing, but that would have required work from them.
Easier to hope ppl sub and forget their password, cashing in money until the credit card expires.
It's painfully obvious that EC in its current form is a failure and that the game is essentially on life support. This may work for Broadsword, but how long will it be until EA decides to pull the plug. Adding a second source of revenue definitely couldn't hurt. When done properly, going free-to-play can same a failing game as was demonstrated by DDO and LOTRO. DAOC could have followed the DDO/LOTRO model, but instead the devs decided to reinvent the wheel. Now that its been confirmed that square wheels in fact do not work very well, it's past time for changes.