F2P

[Larkan]

Hey,

Just wondering what people think of the F2P idea? It seems like a good plan to me to try and introduce new people to the game, albeit about 5 years too late!

Have people actually seen many newbies roaming around?

Larkan

[mgoddess]

Hey,

Just wondering what people think of the F2P idea? It seems like a good plan to me to try and introduce new people to the game, albeit about 5 years too late!

Have people actually seen many newbies roaming around?

Larkan
It's definitely been a good idea, albeit with with it's positives and negatives. I've seen plenty of newbies, plus lots of oldbies-with-new-characters around (me being one of those), so it's certainly brought a revitalizing energy back to the game.

Of course, I'm plenty biased because the F2P option means I can be in the game, enjoy the people I know who are playing, and (even with the grind) be able to (slowly) level a character up... all for free, with no need to send a single penny/nickel/dime/etc. to Simu.

[BLZrizz]

l've been playing on and off since 1996 when AOL went unlimited. My last break was five years long and I came back when I heard about F2P. I'm certainly enthused about the infusion of energy that F2P has brought, but I long for those days right after AOL went unlimited when the lands abounded with an unmatched dynamism. That's what new players bring to the table. While the lands were much smaller in 1996, perhaps too small for 2000 players at once, I fantasize about how alive these lands would seem with 2000 players living in it.

I agree with others, though, that F2P may have come too late to stem the player base decline. As I remember, the nightly player tally in the 04-05 timeframe was still 700+, and such a community may have provided a better inducement for new players to remain. In turn, the energy the new players provided may have convinced some folks to stick around.

A sustainable player base also keeps the real-world prices of items up. I can't say for sure, but it seems that some established players are seeing the writing on the wall and are cashing out while they still can.