. EverQuest II Extended is slated for a beta launch on August 17th, and features a separate server set providing all of the game's original content via the insanely popular F2P business model.
They sure do use a lot of double-speak in the FAQ. Reading between the lines makes their free to play service sound like it's going to be more stripped down than the DDO model is.
Baron Alarik Ze'Kaiden Crusader of Tunare Errant Knight of the Brell Serilis Server -RETIRED-
Mordwin Paladin of the Alliance Suramar Server -RETIRED-
(Occasionally known to play an Ogre Warrior named Thulghor on Project 1999).
This has been changed recently. It is much improved, IMO.
If you copy a character over, you can play that character, regardless of race or class restrictions, no matter what your EQ2X membership level is at the moment.
So in other words, if you copy over a Dark Elf Illusionist, you can play it. If you're a Gold member, you'll play without restrictions. If you're Bronze, then you'll have all Bronze membership restrictions *except* for race and class, on the copied character only.
Make sense?
You will not be prevented from playing your copied character because of race or class.
With this latest F2P model and the shady stuff they're pulling on the live servers, I've ended billing on both my accounts, though they both have over 6 months left on them since I was paying yearly. They're throwing their loyal paying subscribers under the bus in the hopes of recouping them with F2P players and RMT. The new update forces this new experience bar (that you can't turn off) with a big station cash button on it. They dumbed down all the spell effects and turned the user interface into WOW in advance of this abomination that is F2P.
On a more positive note, I totally trolled the lead developer (Rothgar) on the forums and he made a complete ass of himself. At least they've made their intent clear.
Why troll Rothgar? He is one of the best Devs that game has left. And if he is now lead Dev something horrible has occured because he is a systems and database guy, not a developer. If you want to troll someone troll Smokejumper, he's the guy they transfered from Free Realms to run things.
I meant to troll Smokeblower but Rothgar of all people chimed in, and he sounded like a total dick. People are still quoting those posts lol (and on flames too).
I wouldn't have a problem with the F2P model sitting side-by-side with the monthly subscription model, but it seems to be sucking the dev team away from the core game and into the Free Realms style stuff. I think a lot of the hard core people are going to leave, which is sad.
They laid off half the dev team and put the rest of 'em on EQ2X, and the paying subscibers (who bankrolled this abomination) get basically "there's the door" for a consolation prize.
It would be different if they had a whole bunch of people working full time to give us value for our subcriptions. Nope, we get "your subscription doesn't guarantee you content" straight from Rothgar. Well, lack of content doesn't guarantee our subscriptions either - not that they care.
And I'm not even a hardcore player. The raid gear I have is from saving up plat through crafting/harvesting and buying it via the auction channel, which I look at much differently than clicking the station cash button and just buying raiding gear, which is the direction this is all headed in.
Yeah - that's sort of what I was referring to. F2P could have worked well alongside subscriptions and they could have used the SC stuff to bankroll good content across the board, but for some reason they've decided that's not where the future is.
I'm kind of amazed that they're not even pretending they want to keep the current subscribers. I bet it's something like they're eyeballing all the live servers so they can "repurpose" them to F2P as the subs die off.
Most companies (with very few exceptions like where there's no competition) at least make some sort of token attempt at customer retention. They better make shitloads of money from F2P or else they're totally screwed. They don't appear to have a plan B.
I'd say I'm totally pumped for Rift, but I've been at the launch of most MMOs and most of them have been less than compelling at launch. Just a string of disappointments really. When Vanguard launched the missus and I went out and built new rigs from the ground up and we could still barely run it. Heh, I remember groups where everyone had to camp in and out over and over to try and unbug the group. I'll probably just find another way to spend my time until Rift matures a bit and picks up some steam. I'm tired of paying to be a tester.
Freecare Spiritwise wrote:I've been at the launch of most MMOs and most of them have been less than compelling at launch. Just a string of disappointments really.
....
I'm tired of paying to be a tester.
I hear ya, the last MMO I purchased at launch (age of conan) was pretty fucking horrible. I hate how releasing a MMO long before it's ready has become the norm.
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* Classes can now be purchased individually off the Marketplace and through character creation.
* Armor crates have been added to the Marketplace selling sets of armor for all levels.
* You can now purchase Broker Credits from the marketplace!
* Broker Credits can be used for a one-time purchase or sell action on the broker for Bronze and Silver members.
* Selling and purchasing stacks of items count as a single broker credit so use them wisely!
They've completely alienated the subscriber base on the live servers, but yet they're doing a half-assed job on EQ2X, even though they've made it pretty clear that they're betting the farm on EQ2X. It's almost like they're trying to fail.
I have 6 months left on each of my cancelled accounts and I don't even think I'm going to run off the clock. I think I'm done. In fact I think I'm done with Sony. I haven't bought any of their electronics in years and after what they did to EQ1 and Vanguard (they made it worse when it shouldn't have been possible to make it worse), and now EQ2, I just don't see how they're ever going to see another dime from me. The quality of everything they touch seems to be getting worse and worse. The final straw was when Rothgar replied to me personally and told me that my subscription doesn't guarantee content. Well guess what, my subscription isn't guaranteed either.
I wasn't even going to play EQ2 but the wife did the free trial (which btw they took out) and she loved it, and kept harping on me until I tried it, and I liked it too. Now every time she hears mention of EQ2 she rolls her eyes and asks me about Rift, and I've been back on Team Fortress.
