117854-an-open-letter-to-carbine

== Content ==
			
Dear Carbine,
 
It's time to admit to yourself that your business model isn't working.  With slow content drops, the departure of talent, layoffs, and server consolidation, the game feels like it's on life support.  Whether it is or not, anyone doing a cursory search on wildstar before deciding whether or not to play it would quickly decide that it's not a risk worth taking at a $60 buy in.
 
On behalf of everyone who likes this game, and wants it to still be around in 2015, I beg you to adopt a freemium business model along the lines of The Old Republic or Sony MMOs.  All the pieces are already in place.  Costumes, player housing, mounts, mount customization, dyes, the list goes on.  The game is jam packed with things that could be sold to players for real money without negatively affecting gameplay.
 
Signed, Shut Up and Take My Money
 
P.S.  This game already has an in game profit obsessed entity to pin an in game store on, Protostar.
 	
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Dear Carbine,
 
Please disregard the previous letter.  Customization should not be monetized in an MMORPG, as it is practically at the core of the genre (and contrary to the previous opinion, does constitute gameplay).  All you need is a free trial, either time limited, or level limited, and maybe a price drop on the box since it's coming up on 6 months, but do not charge for content that helps players become invested in their character.
 
F2P and freemium have no place in this genre.
 
As a side note: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS4VRbsjZrQ	
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			Its been a while since I've seen one of these. No. o/	
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Dear Carbine,
 
Please disregard the previous letter.  Customization should not be monetized in an MMORPG, as it is practically at the core of the genre (and contrary to the previous opinion, does constitute gameplay).  All you need is a free trial, either time limited, or level limited, but do not charge for content that helps players become invested in their character.
 
F2P and freemium have no place in this genre.
 
As a side note: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS4VRbsjZrQ
 
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Devs,
 
Please don't listen to this post. Carry on, drop 3 is tomorrow and there are definitely people excited for *cupcake* to go down	
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			I personally dislike a F2P model, I don't understand why people like it so much! You end up spending more money anyway. This is such a great game!! I am still having a blast. Here, take my money every month, please :)	
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Dear Carbine,
 
Please disregard the previous letter.  Customization should not be monetized in an MMORPG, as it is practically at the core of the genre (and contrary to the previous opinion, does constitute gameplay).  All you need is a free trial, either time limited, or level limited, and maybe a price drop on the box since it's coming up on 6 months, but do not charge for content that helps players become invested in their character.
 
F2P and freemium have no place in this genre.
 
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On behalf of everyone who likes this game, and wants it to still be around in 2015
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			I do agree w spending more money as I spent more on the cash shop when I went preffered status on swtor. In theory I was going to go pref. Status (like f2p) but something always came up and I ended up needing this or that and buying from the cash shop (we call it cartel market on swtor) I spent like $60 that month! When my sub debits off a get $500 free cartel coins (currency) and dont even think about and it ends up being the same price as wildstar. So yeah just my experience w swtor. Its just way easier to subscribe esp. If you are on a budget. I would rather subscribe and perhaps buy expansions here and there if needed.	
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			How about a big NO! F2P = Terribad and Troll 'R Us.	
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Wow. I disagree with your post at such a fundamental level it's hard to find anything of use in it.
 
 
You already have your cash shop. Buy some CREDD and spend the plat on the AH.
 
moderator edit: content 
			
				
	Edited November 11, 2014 by Chillia	
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Dear Carbine,
 
Please disregard the previous letter.  Customization should not be monetized in an MMORPG, as it is practically at the core of the genre (and contrary to the previous opinion, does constitute gameplay).  All you need is a free trial, either time limited, or level limited, and maybe a price drop on the box since it's coming up on 6 months, but do not charge for content that helps players become invested in their character.
 
F2P and freemium have no place in this genre.
 
As a side note: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS4VRbsjZrQ
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People can buy mounts, decors, costumes, they can bring more money to the company and it can spend those money to develope a better content.
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Dear Carbine,
 
Please disregard the previous letter.  Customization should not be monetized in an MMORPG, as it is practically at the core of the genre (and contrary to the previous opinion, does constitute gameplay).  
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I don't like f2p either but at this point it's pretty obvious that the game has to go that way if it wants to survive. It's not fun, but it is the reality.
 
And just look at The Old Republic,that game became quite the success after it went f2p.	
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			All the die hards just want to go down with the ship a la Tabula Rasa before seeing it go B2P or F2P. NCSOFT has done both to a failing game, shut it down or convert to F2P. Be interesting to see which one they choose if this game isn't miles better by drop 4 in Jan/Feb.	
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I've tried pretty much every current F2P MMO (I was even in a paid one when it changed over... yech!) and it really does nothing to improve the quality of the game.  The ones that start out free seem to have bland landscapes and slightly sub-par graphics, and glitches that are never addressed even though the cash shop is constantly updated with new items.  The ones that start out paid run into a whole host of issues, updates tail off or become more problematic, and balance between P2W and F2P always seems to get blurred very quickly, and customer support seems to tail off and die- especially with regard to bad behaviour in the community.
 
I have to say, given NCSoft's attitude towards another MMO that I played for many years, I am nervous to see what happens to Wildstar.  However, I really don't think F2P would be a good move.	
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On behalf of everyone who likes this game
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			I prefer the subscription model myself.  Feel free to disregard the F2P endorsements.	
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I love the game and I love the subscription model.
 
I don't consider myself an elitist... Seriously not at all. But it does kinda keep the riff raff out :D	
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freemium business
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Haven't seen any reasonable argument against CashShop with customization items. People can buy mounts, decors, costumes, they can bring more money to the company and it can spend those money to develope a better content. If cashshop doesn't include items that ruin somehow balance in the game - I'm not against it.
The only reason people can be against it - they don't have money to buy these pretty things or they are afraid, that cashshop in the future will include more then just customization items.
 
Again, if it's not Pay to Win - it's only better.
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OP-
 
they are probably already thinking about this since it looks like they are preping pretty much for a new model change with all these 'bug' fixes- wait till the new year.
iam sure they are know.	
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I don't like f2p either but at this point it's pretty obvious that the game has to go that way if it wants to survive. It's not fun, but it is the reality.
 
And just look at The Old Republic,that game became quite the success after it went f2p.
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On behalf of everyone who likes this game, and wants it to still be around in 2015, I beg you to adopt a freemium business model along the lines of The Old Republic or Sony MMOs.  All the pieces are already in place.  Costumes, player housing, mounts, mount customization, dyes, the list goes on.  The game is jam packed with things that could be sold to players for real money without negatively affecting gameplay.
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