126076-wildstar-is-going-to-a-hybrid-free-to-play-model-in-august-what-are-your-thoughts

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== Content ==
			
http://www.reddit.com/r/WildStar/comments/35weqk/wildstar_is_going_to_a_hybrid_free_to_play_model/
 
 
This was on reddit once, it was removed but the mods finally put it back. 
 
Text for those who cant click the link or dont want to 
 
 
 
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NOTE: I have submitted proof to the mod that I am not a troll.
Hello everyone! As has oft been discussed around here, Wildstar is going to be changing its business model in August(tentatively of course, patch stuff etc) to a Hybridized Free to Play model. Now thankfully it is not going Pay to Win, I suppose you could call it "Freemium" in a way as a lot of the stuff that the paid accounts will get is buffs to experience/rep/renown etc gain and character slots and the like, no direct power buffs or anything like that.
MTX (Microtransactions) will be included moving forward as well and you will hear more about that very soon. What are your thoughts on the model? I personally like it and am excited as I can't see how this wouldn't bring players back and new players in.
Feel free to ask me anything about the game, company, folly of man, etc.
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			Is there definite, actual, tangible proof in that thread or is it just one guy who says it's going to happen?	
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			Why wouldn't they make an official announcement instead of relying on some person who came out of nowhere?	
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Is there definite, actual, tangible proof in that thread or is it just one guy who says it's going to happen?
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Of course there's no proof, he and this guy here are just hype mongers... feeding their own egos, nothing more.
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inb4 removal for forum mods.
 
They been removing the reddit links for the past hour. It only supports the speculation!	
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Search the comments and there is proof in the thread. I wont link them here. I dont want to risk the thread being deleted. 
 
Also I did quit the game, I still have time left on the account. Might as well keep giving the community info and such...lord knows carbine wont :(
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Search the comments and there is proof in the thread. I wont link them here. I dont want to risk the thread being deleted. 
 
Also I did quit the game, I still have time left on the account. Might as well keep giving the community info and such...lord knows carbine wont :(
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Is there definite, actual, tangible proof in that thread or is it just one guy who says it's going to happen?
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Ego. Be a man and delete the post.
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As long as they make it work and it keeps the spirit of wildstar, power to them I say.
 
I'll carry on playing. And then at least we wont have any more "gaem goin f2p omg" doom and gloom threads 24/7	
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Ego. Be a man and finally accept change for the business model. 
 
Breathe life into this wasted potential of a game!
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			why quit yet still try and stir up the forums ? goodbye posts are kinda silly......but this one ?	
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why quit yet still try and stir up the forums ? goodbye posts are kinda silly......but this one ?
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i dunno...
it's pretty easy to fake a W-2 on a computer screen...just sayin' and if it is real then they left enough information there that Carbine could narrow it down and someones head is gonna roll. Like whatshisface during CO's Vibora Bay thing...
 
Regardless here are my thoughts...
*takes a deep breath*
 
As long as the game itself is enjoyable, I don't care. If the game goes to poop, I'll say my good byes and move on.	
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He is not trying to stir up anything, he is providing info for you guys and you should be thankful for that.
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There's zero info.
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What? There's zero info. He's an unhinged egomaniac trying to stir up trouble. The post should be deleted. Period.
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"unhinged egomanic"
 
that sounds like someone we know
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What I do now!?
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I want to hear some sort of official announcement from Carbine to end the rumors and speculation. Everyone has been discussing the business model for months. There are trolls everywhere, and I don't know what's real or what's fake.
 
Carbine, please give us answers. :(	
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So, if you look at his "proof," it says that Carbine is in Bellevue, WA. Well, that's entirely false. Carbine is located in Orange County, southern California (I forget which city).
 
If you actually believe that guy... just *facepalm*	
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So, if you look at his "proof," it says that Carbine is in Bellevue, WA. Well, that's entirely not true. Carbine is located in Orange County, southern California (I forget which city).
 
If you actually believe that guy... just *facepalm*
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So, if you look at his "proof," it says that Carbine is in Bellevue, WA. Well, that's entirely false. Carbine is located in Orange County, southern California (I forget which city).
 
If you actually believe that guy... just *facepalm*
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Just because it's an NCsoft office doesn't make it Carbine. Anet is in Bellevue (which is why NCsoft would be nearby), Carbine is in Aliso Viejo, CA. If you google for Carbine, you find them ONLY in California and Texas (their server).
 
This guy's just a troll, and he's doing a good job of it. :P
 
And at 40k a year, he's a janitor or something. He's not a developer or programmer or anything. So don't read too much into it.	
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And at 40k a year, he's a janitor or something. He's not a developer or programmer or anything. So don't read too much into it.
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Just because it's an NCsoft office doesn't make it Carbine. Anet is in Bellevue (which is why NCsoft would be nearby), Carbine is in Aliso Viejo, CA. If you google for Carbine, you find them ONLY in California and Texas (their server).
 
And at 40k a year, he's a janitor or something. He's not a developer or programmer or anything. So don't read too much into it.
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Just because it's an NCsoft office doesn't make it Carbine. Anet is in Bellevue (which is why NCsoft would be nearby), Carbine is in Aliso Viejo, CA. If you google for Carbine, you find them ONLY in California and Texas (their server).
 
This guy's just a troll, and he's doing a good job of it. :P
 
And at 40k a year, he's a janitor or something. He's not a developer or programmer or anything. So don't read too much into it.
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			SMH.....come on people, while I did read the commets(some of them), this is more than likely not true or at the very least only half truths. Look, we all know the numbers and that more than likely we are going to see a buisness model change, still we should wait for an official announcement from a CRB rep, otherwise this is all speculation. Just enjoy the game for now and stop worrying about how you will be paying for it in the future.	
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SMH.....come on people, while I did read the commets(some of them), this is more than likely not true or at the very least only half truths. Look, we all know the numbers and that more than likely we are going to see a buisness model change, still we should wait for an official announcement from a CRB rep, otherwise this is all speculation. Just enjoy the game for now and stop worrying about how you will be paying for it in the future.
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You really don't know the sad truth...
 
You think all the game dev are making 6-7 figures a year?
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			*Opens arms up to Typrop* Come here buddy!	
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Well, according to websites like Monster, Craigslist and etc, starting wage for a programmer is ~70k a year, which is a lot more than 40k. So...
 
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			Ahahahaha... Wow I can't believe people actually believe that guy? Sifting through the comments in that thread is depressing.	
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Well, according to websites like Monster, Craigslist and etc, starting wage for a programmer is ~70k a year, which is a lot more than 40k. So...
 
 
In the entirety of the Seattle area (Bellevue is pretty much Seattle, it's just across a puddle), there are lots of businesses that share the same address (towers), and there are MANY companies named Carbine in the Washington area. The Carbine we all know is located in Aliso Viejo, CA. That's a good 10-14 hour drive from Bellevue.
 
At 40k, more seriously, they're likely an office person, and know what a W-2 looks like. In the spirit of trolling, they whipped up a fake one, blurred everything they couldn't fake, and slapped "Carbine" on it without thinking to change the address. Don't be dumb, guys, let's look at facts.
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Just because it's an NCsoft office doesn't make it Carbine. Anet is in Bellevue (which is why NCsoft would be nearby), Carbine is in Aliso Viejo, CA. If you google for Carbine, you find them ONLY in California and Texas (their server).
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... 
If you don't think Wildstar needs a change in business model, you are downright delusional and holding the game back from other people. 
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If you think F2P makes ANY game good, then you need to wake up, kid. The moment a game starts earning revenue from a cash shop, that's when the game's soul dies, and all content quality goes to absolute shit. They shift focus from retention to milking whales and kids who steal their parents' cards. That means that, instead of making content that keeps you playing for as long as possible, they make content that's so horrid that you feel you "have" to pay money in order to progress, or they take everything aesthetic and put it in the cash shop and make the normal armor and whatnot look ridiculous, again trying to force you to go throw money at them... That's what F2P is --  coupled with HORRIBLE communities, pay walls for everything, and dev teams who couldn't care less about the quality of the game so long as you throw money at their cash shop.
 
Is that what you want?
 
And before you say that F2P doesn't have to be that way, it does, sorry. They have to make money somehow, and if the game isn't just so unbearable that you feel like you have to pay, then they're losing money.
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			While the details may be nebulous, I'd be willing to bet there's more truth to this info than not. WS physical boxes are being discontinued at several retailers (Best Buy is closing them out, as is Gamestop); once an MMO goes download-only, that's a very strong harbinger of a business model change. It began with the Snarfelynx/Glitterkitty/Marauder promo (a clever way to clear inventory off of store shelves), and I suspect we'll see more clues over the course of the fiscal year. 	
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Uh ok "kid". This comes from someone who does not know the meaning of "average" and finding jobs correctly.
 
I bet you didn't even bother to read what the leaker had to say. So, dense. Aren't you?
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In the entirety of the Seattle area (Bellevue is pretty much Seattle, it's just across a puddle), there are lots of businesses that share the same address (towers), and there are MANY companies named Carbine in the Washington area -- and all throughout the country. The Carbine we all know is located in Aliso Viejo, CA. That's a good 10-14 hour drive from Bellevue.
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Eh, I don't think folks are saying it's real or fake, but just clarifying the location. I personally don't know NCsoft/Arenanet/Carbines employee structure and distribution, but it isn't unheard of for sister and parent companies to share space.
Without giving too much info I as a freelance artist I may be writing a n invoice that goes to the HQ of a parent company, but it bares the name of the subsidiary. My day job  even though I work for one company my checks and W-2 come from our parent company. It's not as black and white when it comes to that stuff is all I'm pointing out personally speaking.
 
As I posted earlier it's very easy to fake a W-2 on a computer monitor no less, with little to not context to really back it up.I think it's a fake and if it's not someones definitely gonna get fired.
 
 
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Well, according to websites like Monster, Craigslist and etc, starting wage for a programmer is ~70k a year, which is a lot more than 40k. So...
 
At 40k, more seriously, they're likely an office person, and know what a W-2 looks like. In the spirit of trolling, they whipped up a fake one, blurred everything they couldn't fake, and slapped "Carbine" on it without thinking to change the address. Don't be dumb, guys, let's look at facts.
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Oh, I read it. So, tell me, how much content has GW2 had since its release? Hmm...
 
Oh wait! What about SWTOR? No, not much there either... especially if you don't pay... What about Warframe? Well, they get some silly side quest like once every four months, I guess that's something... What about... nope. I can't think of any F2P games that have quality content and a bearable playthrough without paying through the nose for cash crap.
 
All those games are "F2P" and all those games promise that the cash shop isn't P2W, but hey, you know, they're totally fair and not at all sleazy, money-grubbing piles of garbage who need to stop humping their wallets.
 
F2P, B2P and all the variants are never a good thing. They're the death sentence of quality, and only lead to a game's downfall. But, game development companies aren't in it because they enjoy gaming, it's all about the money. So, I mean, I can't say I'm really surprised.
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Oh, I read it. So, tell me, how much content has GW2 had since its release? Hmm...
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That abundance of content really takes its toll on a team, man.  Just saying.
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Oh I'm sure! You guys must be exhausted after making so many new places and dungeons and all that! I mean, gosh! That game has just quintupled in size!
 
... probably also feel bad for how much you nickel and dime people too, I bet. xD
 
 
 
 
"A hybrid F2P model with MTX (AKA cash shop)" -- am I wrong? So, basically, SWTOR.
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You guys must be exhausted after making so many new places and dungeons and all that! I mean, gosh!
 
... probably also feel bad for how much you nickel and dime people too, I bet. xD
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If a store buys something that doesn't sell, chances are they won't want to buy more of them. Just saying. That applies to any and all products.
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You didn't read everything. Just slow down before you embarrass yourself, buddy. 
 
Come back when you actually read everything instead of glancing over it. 
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Who owns Carbine? NCsoft. Who owns the copyright? NCsoft. If copyright issues come up, they go to the copyright owner, not someone who manufactures the copyrighted thing. But, nice try. ^^
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That right there proves it's all a hoax. If he was in California, he wouldn't have a W-2 from Bellevue. As Vince said, he got his paycheck from Anet. Carbine is in California, but his W-2 says Bellevue? And he says he's physically in California too? Hmmm.
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			Vince, it's all NCsoft. It would be handled just like any other NCsoft-owned company, since they ultimately have control of the money.	
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I'll put it this way, unless said person takes a picture of themself in the offic, holding up their reddit name, in a office that isn't jsut any office but Actual Carbine/NCsoft office I aint buyin it.
It's an interesting read at best to me that very well written and could very well be true and I'm wrong. However I can't take this for anything more than just a rumor until proven otherwise.
 
I will admit to one thing...it is at least entertaining.	
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If you think F2P makes ANY game good, then you need to wake up, kid.
 
 
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You obviously don't play the game very much. The population has been surging so much it's ridiculous. I see dozens of new / returning people every day. Q1 ended in what, March? It's now May, and since Drop 4, things have been getting a whole lot better. Even more so with Drop 5. -- and really, not many people buy physical copies of games anymore.
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All righty, so I see Sciela is still spouting off nonsense he still has no idea about a year later. Goody. Now let's fix some misconceptions, shall we?
 
 
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Oh, I read it. So, tell me, how much content has GW2 had since its release? Hmm...
 
Oh wait! What about SWTOR? No, not much there either... especially if you don't pay... What about Warframe? Well, they get some silly side quest like once every four months, I guess that's something... What about... nope. I can't think of any F2P games that have quality content and a bearable playthrough without paying through the nose for cash crap.
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Whelp, you better go yell at the millions playing LoL and DotA 2 that their games have no quality to them.
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So I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the dude posting all this stuff on Reddit is trying to get himself or someone else fired, given his recent posting activity.
 
"Logins and paperwork aren't very secure here. This will get buried so I don't really mind, plus it doesn't change the info, but it's pretty easy to get the fingers pointed at someone else."
"My job has their heads so far up their asses they will never see this. I was very strategic with what I did and who I got the finger pointed at."
 
:/
 
Here's hoping no one loses their job over someone else framing them.
 
EDIT:  And his account was just deleted as of 11:45 PST.  Either this guy is a resourceful troll or he doesn't want to lose his job.	
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So I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the dude posting all this stuff on Reddit is trying to get himself or someone else fired, given his recent posting activity.
 
"Logins and paperwork aren't very secure here. This will get buried so I don't really mind, plus it doesn't change the info, but it's pretty easy to get the fingers pointed at someone else."
"My job has their heads so far up their asses they will never see this. I was very strategic with what I did and who I got the finger pointed at."
 
:/
 
Here's hoping no one loses their job over someone else framing them.
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F2P doesn't necessarily mean the end of quality if the developers care about the worlds they've been given charge of, and I think Carbine's sunk enough heart and soul into Nexus to want to keep it that way.
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It doesn't matter how much a company loves its game. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much money they drum up. If a game goes F2P, they will do everything they can to make you pay for crap and keep playing the game long enough to want to pay for crap. That's just how it works. : / That soul you see would slowly whither and blow away in the wind because of NCsoft's endless black hole of a wallet.
 
There's a reason people like indie devs recently. They don't have the suits to answer to, and are generally more passionate about gaming. :P	
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EDIT: And his account was just deleted as of 11:45 PST. Either this guy is a resourceful troll or he doesn't want to lose his job.
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It doesn't matter how much a company loves its game. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much money they drum up. If a game goes F2P, they will do everything they can to make you pay for crap and keep playing the game long enough to want to pay for crap. That's just how it works. : / That soul you see would slowly whither and blow away in the wind because of NCsoft's endless black hole of a wallet.
 
There's a reason people like indie devs recently. They don't have the suits to answer to, and are generally more passionate about gaming. :P
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Because, Zora, I can't argue that your opinion is wrong. It'd just turn into us bashing each other in a circle.
 
In MY experience, I've never seen an F2P game that had a soul or was worth playing for more than a month. The only games that have kept me around for a long amount of time were WoW and now Wildstar - which is quickly fading.
 
As with anything, ymmv.	
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Except it isn't opinion. You're trying to claim that games that are F2P get no substantial new content. Meanwhile games such as Rift or TERA have released entire expansions for free with the F2P model in place. 
 
You're backing up now and trying to leap on the opinion train; that isn't the point of my post, nor was it the point of yours I replied to. Your feelings regarding the games are irrelevant. Content added is very much quantifiable.
 
The F2P argument can go in circles forever, you are correct in that. So you can take it or leave it, feel free to stick with your false conceptions about the games you cited, that you just freely admitted you have little experience with.	
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			My thoughts? It's a steaming pile of Bio Shell. Anybody can pretend to be what they want on the Internet, anybody can say what they want on the Internet but until it is from a reliable source I will call Bio Shell. I never believe "leaks", and more times than not, it has helped me.	
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Except it isn't opinion. You're trying to claim that games that are F2P get no substantial new content. Meanwhile games such as Rift or TERA have released entire expansions for free with the F2P model in place. 
 
You're backing up now and trying to leap on the opinion train; that isn't the point of my post, nor was it the point of yours I replied to. Your feelings regarding the games are irrelevant. Content added is very much quantifiable.
 
The F2P argument can go in circles forever, you are correct in that. So you can take it or leave it, feel free to stick with your false conceptions about the games you cited, that you just freely admitted you have little experience with.
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I've played TERA, I've played RIFT, I've played SWTOR, I've played just about every game you can think of. None of them held me for over a month. Rift held me for about 3-4 months, and GW2 for about 5-6 months. I've gone back from time to time, and I see very little that's new. A dungeon here and there, a zone here and there, but after years of being out, that's kind of pathetic. What you call substantial content, I call a joke.
 
We'll never agree on it, so just drop it.
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Hey folks, 
 
Just a reminder please to stay on topic. This thread is for discussion of WildStar the game. All non-WildStar discussions belong in off topic. 
 
- Team WildStar 	
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			I'm looking forward to it if it's true! I've reactivated my sub to get back into the game beforehand. This game deserves more players, it's beautiful and well designed, it should be played by millions not thousands :) moderator edit: content
			
				
	Edited May 14, 2015 by Chillia	
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Oh, I read it. So, tell me, how much content has GW2 had since its release? Hmm...
 
Oh wait! What about SWTOR? No, not much there either... especially if you don't pay... What about Warframe? Well, they get some silly side quest like once every four months, I guess that's something... What about... nope. I can't think of any F2P games that have quality content and a bearable playthrough without paying through the nose for cash crap.
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DC universe online is f2p and had a lot content released since going to f2p. It got 16 new raids, 6 new powers, 8 duos, 14 new alerts, 5 new solos, few new zones and some other stuff.
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Also Age of Conan has a fair amount of content still :) GW2 actually hasn't done that badly for content!!
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			Finally... make it happen fast please. iWant faster popzzz pvp and bring new battlegrounds. Thank you	
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GW2 is buy to play.
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Edit: original material off topic according to mod post above.
 
So... I'll just repeat what I've said before, which is that I hope the model retains some kind of optional sub, because I think the game is worth it.	
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			I believe it's coming to steam as there is actual proof of that. Anything else I am a non-believer. Not against the "rumor" from above just no need to get excited for it.	
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I believe it's coming to steam as there is actual proof of that. Anything else I am a non-believer. Not against the "rumor" from above just no need to get excited for it.
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He is not trying to stir up anything, he is providing info for you guys and you should be thankful for that.
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If he's right, then it means no one new plays the game for the next three months. Which then makes it difficult for me to replace folks on my raid team who decide to quit over the changed.
 
If it is going F2P, I'd prefer that info not be leaked until it's ready to happen. He sure isn't doing me any favors and I'm not thankful.
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Basically the exact reason why they wouldn't want to have something like this leaked. That, and it gives their competitors time to plan their own stuff in August.
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Well, a leak isn't a good way to have the word get out, but how early would be too early to let us know?
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It's definitely coming to Steam and the business model is definitely changing. The only question is what exactly is it changing to? I'm excited. I am really looking forward to seeing a packed house in Nexus again and Qs that pop constantly. This game is brilliant and once the masses get a taste of it, it will be successful. I felt the same way about Age of Conan. It's rough launch turned into a F2P success after Rise of the Godslayer expansion and it is currently going strong.
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Well, a leak isn't a good way to have the word get out, but how early would be too early to let us know?
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I'm sorry if everyone feels I shouldn't be providing info but I can't stand by and let this community get caught off guard. That's not fair to you. 
 
 
As for free to play. I see this being good as long as they don't freaking crazy like SWTOR did. If they avoid that I think is will help the game. 
 
Please also please respect the forum mods. They do their job and are not responsible for anything in game or choices carbine makes.	
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I'm sorry if everyone feels I shouldn't be providing info but I can't stand by and let this community get caught off guard. That's not fair to you.
 
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I'm sorry if everyone feels I shouldn't be providing info but I can't stand by and let this community get caught off guard. That's not fair to you.
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This could be real...
 
It might not be.
 
I am the middle ground.	
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A "mysterious, anonymous insider" appears on the very morning of terrible financial news ... with "real proof" of the very same payment model that EVERY TROLL ON THE INTERNET has been begging for, for a a year. One poorly photoshopped W2 form later and people are biting like fish.
 
Look, I ain't against any kind of model switch. Whatever they do is fine with me (well, outside of shutting us down, cuz that would suck) ... but COME ON, PEOPLE! Really? You're going to really believe this load of horse-hockey and get bent out of shape over it?
 
It *might* be true. It *might* be a halfass rumor. There could be some truth, it could be genuine BS. You don't know and it's pointless to fall for such an obvious troll without REAL documentation from REAL OFFICIAL SOURCES.
 
One thing I *do* know for certain: taking the "word" of a random, anonymous person on Reddit is probably the most ignorant thing a human being can do for their health, welfare or sanity.	
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Oh please. This isn't about being "fair to me". I don't know what this is about, but if this is all true, all you are doing is hurting the game and community by making it public before its time.
 
And if it isn't true, it's that much worse.
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This could be real...
 
It might not be.
 
I am the middle ground.
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I would hesitate as well, we all know how Reddit is a useful fountain of information. 
 
 
 
I call Bio Shell on that lol
 
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A "mysterious, anonymous insider" appears on the very morning of terrible financial news ... with "real proof" of the very same payment model that EVERY TROLL ON THE INTERNET has been begging for, for a a year. One poorly photoshopped W2 form later and people are biting like fish.
 
Look, I ain't against any kind of model switch. Whatever they do is fine with me (well, outside of shutting us down, cuz that would suck) ... but COME ON, PEOPLE! Really? You're going to really believe this load of horse-hockey and get bent out of shape over it?
 
It *might* be true. It *might* be a halfass rumor. There could be some truth, it could be genuine BS. You don't know and it's pointless to fall for such an obvious troll without REAL documentation from REAL OFFICIAL SOURCES.
 
One thing I *do* know for certain: taking the "word" of a random, anonymous person on Reddit is probably the most ignorant thing a human being can do for their health, welfare or sanity.
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I really hope this free to play builds up WS rather then completely destroying it. Sadly if NCsoft has any say in the model they are using...I fear for the worst.
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I dont see how sharing info that is now all over the internet is hurting the community. 
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Why would you call BS? I don't think its any secret that I have always been very strong in my opinions and such but have I ever lied to the community or tried to hide anything? That would be a big fat no. Wildstar has meant a lot to be over the last almost year now. I've tried my hardest to keep the community in the loop, I wouldn't have put so much effort into it if I didn't care about the game or you all as a community. 
 
After constant BS from carbine and them going from transparent as hell to pretty much silent on any major issues why would I keep trying, Better yet why would I care at that point. 
 
 
I really hope this free to play builds up WS rather then completely destroying it. Sadly if NCsoft has any say in the model they are using...I fear for the worst.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
So stop spreading your fear and go do something productive with your time.
----
			
I'm still skeptical, I mean...there's no reason to treat it like gospel. 
 
All I'm doing is keeping an open mind to things. :)	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I dont see how I am spreading fear. Free to play is not a horrible thing is done right. I think people simply fear change and they freak out if something happens that they dont understand or do not chose to.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
 
Explain? Has sharing info here before that much of a scare to the community? I think that said a lot about the current state of the game if that is the case.
----
			Yall need a little chill pill with your coffee (yes Jeff and Tex, you too)! Seriously I get that it's totally suspect, because it is, but the mods have actually posted in this thread. If it was that bad, they'd take it down.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I dont see how sharing info that is now all over the internet is hurting the community. 
 
 
... k
----
			
Oh, I'm fine. I read and digested all of this over 24 hours ago.
 
And like I said, it might be true. I could be true. I don't know and neither does the OP. Until Carbine gives the word, it's pure speculation and pushing an agenda.
 
I have no problem with F2P or B2P or P2P for *any* game I have an interest in. If they offer a subscription in their model, I subscribe. If it's not worth a subscription, I don't play it, because I refuse to be nickle-and-dimed to death to enjoy a game. I'll make cosmetic purchases all day long - but lock my toons, my bank, my gear slots behind a paywall and I'll never look back if it's not worth the subscription.
 
Fortunately, I know that Wildstar is *worth* the subscription for me, so any model they choose, so long as there is an option to sub, won't affect me one tiny bit.
 
My beef is with rumor-mongering and pushing an agenda, not against payment model changes. I'm all for that.	
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{| class="blockquote"
You have NO PROOF.
 
None.
 
Period, man. You are dealing with fictions, rumor and unfounded, baseless internet noise.
 
You and your so-called "sources" have provided NOTHING concrete - and everything you have provided, *I* could fake in less than an hour of prep-time. I'm a PROFESSIONAL graphic artist and trust me, if I wanted you to see my W2 form from being the President of the United States, I could do it and you'd never be able to tell the difference. It's my JOB to Photoshop pieces of artwork together, to create believability out of pure lies. I've been doing it for 20 years and I say, again, your "source" is a far, far worse Photoshop user than I am.
 
And you *are* fear-mongering. You are purposefully trying to convince people of something you either know to be a lie, suspect to be a lie or have come to believe to be true through your proximity to the issue. Either way, you are pushing an agenda, causing strife and attempting to inflame the community - all of which are pretty much against the Forum rules.
 
In short, you are NOT being a hero. You are NOT being a value. You are not being anything except a rumor-spreading fear-monger ... or you're a troll, working with the "source" to get your chuckles.
 
Either way, your attempts to turn this around on the community speaks volumes toward your true intention.
 
Shame you encountered some actual adults in this thread, isn't it?
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{| class="blockquote"
Yall need a little chill pill with your coffee (yes Jeff and Tex, you too)! Seriously I get that it's totally suspect, because it is, but the mods have actually posted in this thread. If it was that bad, they'd take it down.
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{| class="blockquote"
Gang free to play is what will bring more people into the game.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
It's simply not your job, especially as a departing player. 
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{| class="blockquote"
Oh, I'm fine. I read and digested all of this over 24 hours ago.
 
And like I said, it might be true. I could be true. I don't know and neither does the OP. Until Carbine gives the word, it's pure speculation and pushing an agenda.
 
I have no problem with F2P or B2P or P2P for *any* game I have an interest in. If they offer a subscription in their model, I subscribe. If it's not worth a subscription, I don't play it, because I refuse to be nickle-and-dimed to death to enjoy a game. I'll make cosmetic purchases all day long - but lock my toons, my bank, my gear slots behind a paywall and I'll never look back if it's not worth the subscription.
 
Fortunately, I know that Wildstar is *worth* the subscription for me, so any model they choose, so long as there is an option to sub, won't affect me one tiny bit.
 
My beef is with rumor-mongering and pushing an agenda, not against payment model changes. I'm all for that.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I also still have just as much right as you do to post here.
----
			
Hey guys, 
 
Lets cool off a bit with the personal insults please. We encourage discussion about the game here in general so long as it remains constructive and on topic. If you want to debate other things, we have the off topic section for that. If you want to pick fights with one another, this isn't the place. You can make your opinions known without resorting to name calling and insults. 
 
Thank you.
- Team WildStar 	
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{| class="blockquote"
Ive also done photoshop for about 20 years...whats your point? I get you disagree with me but mate...calm down....If you want to call your self an adult you would react like this. 
 
People simply do not like hearing things they dont want to hear. "hear no evil see no evil" kind of thing. This bring them to over react and flip out and then forces them into a emotional state with then causes a overload of their normal thinking. Thus then go "OMG WTF WHY NO!!! YOUR BAD!!! IM CLEARLY MORE MATURE THEN YOU BEFORE I DISAGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR WRONG!" 
 
Gang free to play is what will bring more people into the game.  WoW has lost more then 3 million subs before the game has not changed in 10 years...so this will allow people who where put off by another sub game or entry fee to come here and try it. Possibly even stay. Yes if the model is horrible it wont end well but NCsoft does like money and based on what the leaked said the model does sound reasonable. This change is coming no matter if you want it to or not. 
----
			I suppose this is why when I posted back in February about the "recall" my post was deleted....Im kinda glad it was now. Fear mongering? This is a game........I don't.....as someone currently dealing with political and social events at the moment... I just.....what the actual ?	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I don't get paid for this so no its not my job.
 
I also still have just as much right as you do to post here. Please don't try "you don't play you have no opinion" BS. 
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Why wouldn't they make an official announcement instead of relying on some person who came out of nowhere?
----
			
Going F2P is good news. Breath of fresh life is needed. 
 
I'm sure there'll still be plenty of ways the "hardcore" WS players can still feel elitist. 	
----
			Have the devs came out and rejected this claim?  If not, after all the attention it's gotten, I would say it's probably true.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
You only came here to start trouble. Not to discuss the game. It's embarrassing that this thread is left to stand.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Going F2P is good news. Breath of fresh life is needed. 
 
I'm sure there'll still be plenty of ways the "hardcore" WS players can still feel elitist. 
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Actually, that they've left it standing this long (and you KNOW it's been reported!) sort of tells a story all it's own.
 
Read between the lines. It's a quick read. ;)
----
			
I think F2P with a robust cosmetic shop would be a fine way to go. Lock every new thing behind a DLC paywall, so the subscription option is more attractive than piecemeal purchases. This is what DC Universe does and they've been amazingly successful with it. Honestly, they took everything I hated about F2P and made it both attractive *and* lucrative. They put out new content all the time and still offer pretty much everything to those who subscribe.
 
I'm down with it. Heck, let's do it this week and get it over with, like pulling off a Band-Aid.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I think F2P with a robust cosmetic shop would be a fine way to go. Lock every new thing behind a DLC paywall, so the subscription option is more attractive than piecemeal purchases. This is what DC Universe does and they've been amazingly successful with it. Honestly, they took everything I hated about F2P and made it both attractive *and* lucrative. They put out new content all the time and still offer pretty much everything to those who subscribe.
 
I'm down with it. Heck, let's do it this week and get it over with, like pulling off a Band-Aid.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Agreed. Need to pull the trigger ASAP. 
We all know it's imminent and the existing paying player base is going to bleed away until it happens. They don't want to feel like they're paying for something that'll be free shortly. 
----
			I agree that pulling the trigger sooner rather than later would be better. But the technical side has to be done first . . .	
----
			I just hope they lower the instance limit for players, the game already slows to a crawl with 150+ people in one area. That, or turn off particle effects for most other players. It's bad enough now, can't imagine if population keeps growing.	
----
			
Pretty sure League of Legends has the model perfectly. You can purchase trivial bonuses in-game such as bonus exp etc, which let's face it... In the long run doesn't mean much. Also you can purchase cosmetic upgrades galore, just a shop FULL of awesome ways to make you as a player unique, totems, skins etc. 
 
I'd love for them to keep this decision (if there's actually been a decision made), in the best interest of keeping this game anti-P2W, which I have amazing faith in NCSoft to do this :)
 
They have done a GREAT job with Guild Wars in my opinion, you cannot really get an edge over other players with the in-game store. Sure you can buy gold, but that's the way the MMO market is going now a days anyways to avoid illegal purchases that are going to happen regardless of the rules.
 
Just the news of the game potentially going B2P or F2P has sparked my interest in playing again, I really can't be paying for like 10000 online subscriptions, Eve and WoW are taking the main seat for my gaming budget at the moment! So this news is HUGE! Hopefully this re-sparks other players interest and gets some more people on-board! 	
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{| class="blockquote"
I'm sorry if everyone feels I shouldn't be providing info but I can't stand by and let this community get caught off guard. That's not fair to you.
As for free to play. I see this being good as long as they don't freaking crazy like SWTOR did. If they avoid that I think is will help the game.
Please also please respect the forum mods. They do their job and are not responsible for anything in game or choices carbine makes.
----
			
As someone who has played other games who have gone F2P, and been there on the forums before the official announcement was made, I can tell you that the fact that this thread has not been closed pretty much proves F2P is happening.
 
 
{| class="blockquote"
Wait, what? How???
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{| class="blockquote"
Monster and....Craigslist(ugh), etc tend to go by "averages". This does not factor in various aspects such as level of position(entry,lead,senior,etc...) and difference in industry standards and practices, but rather a overall broad scope of saying "hey you could potentially earn X". I know some artists who earn 35k a year and others who earn 70k as example, heck that 40 even sounds like my friends old salary when he worked in a studio in that area.
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{| class="blockquote"
 
Silence from the devs, especially on such a short time scale, is proof of nothing.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Silence from the devs, especially on such a short time scale, is proof of nothing.
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{| class="blockquote"
Actually threads like this get closed within a page, sometimes 2. This has been kept open for a reason
----
			
Doctor Jones gets it. TryHard gets it.
 
That, right there, is proof in the pudding to me. There is just no way they'd let this stay open otherwise.
 
They can lock threads that lie. They can lock threads that are unfounded trolls. They can even lock threads just because the topic torques people off (inciting the community).
 
What they won't do, as Doctor Jones so eloquently pointed out, is lock the thread because it's "false" and then get caught in a lie about it. They have no good option but to let it run it's course.
 
The double-upside to this is, when the official news DOES hit, everyone has already been prepared for it.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
If you are out in California with its high cost of living and only making 40k a year as a programmer then you are doing it wrong.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Doctor Jones gets it. TryHard gets it.
 
They can lock threads that lie. They can lock threads that are unfounded trolls. They can even lock threads just because the topic torques people off (inciting the community).
 
What they won't do, as Doctor Jones so eloquently pointed out, is lock the thread because it's "false" and then get caught in a lie about it. They have no good option but to let it run it's course.
 
The double-upside to this is, when the official news DOES hit, everyone has already been prepared for it.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
You're right, silence itself does not prove anything. But the mods letting this thread stay open does. If you think I'm wrong, then feel free to explain why you think they would leave open a thread about something that was not true and that was misleading people? The fact is, they wouldn't. Mods do not allow "rumor" threads like this to exist this long when there is no truth behind the rumor. The mods have basically been given a "stand down" order until an official announcement is made. I've seen it before, and I'll see it again. This is nothing new.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Because of the discussion?  They've left all sorts of topics open that had interesting discussion.  Letting a topic about it go on also allows the mods to better contain and redirect people creating similar topics.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Because of the discussion?  They've left all sorts of topics open that had interesting discussion.  Letting a topic about it go on also allows the mods to better contain and redirect people creating similar topics.
----
			
This thread is going to cost them money either way.
 
I do think that the lack of Carbine response leans away from "This game is staying P2P forever, amen". It could be that they are considering a conversion or are already planning one.
 
I just don't know, but I expect it to go F2P at this point.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
This thread is going to cost them money either way.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
You're right; since the game is going F2P, some people will do what I said earlier, and go ahead and cancel their sub. However, that cannot be avoided at this point without lying to us, and the mods have been told not to do that. But if the game were not going F2P, they would simply say so and close the thread to prevent people being misled and any sub cancelations based on a false rumor. 
----
			
Can a mod please update the thread title to either:
 
Is Wildstar going to a Hybrid Free to Play model in August? What are your thoughts?
 
or
 
I think Wildstar is going to a Hybrid Free to Play model in August. What are your thoughts?
 
The title in it's current form is misleading.
 	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I'm not disagreeing, except to say that if they are even considering going F2P they wouldn't be able make a statement.
 
And the lost money isn't so much from people unsubbing, but no one in their right mind is going to buy a copy of the game right now if there's a real chance it's going F2P/B2P in the next two months. A lot of folks have been coming into the game after drop 5, and that faucet just closed.
----
			
One thing I didn't notice/understand in the "leak" was the talk about steamboxes. This seems very, very unlikely to me . . .
 
Unless I misunderstand what that means. Being on steam is one thing. Being default installed on all steamboxes is a stretch.	
----
			
So I've been playing this game since launch. I've played wow, rift and ESO, so my mmo experience is kinda limited when it comes to pay model changing. I played rift a year before it went f2p. WoW just adopted the credd like system. ESO just went f2p in less than a year. I've heard ESO was planning on going that route, anyway, before the launch on the consoles.
 
Sorry for the long lead to my question. How long does an mmo usually get before it pulls the trigger for a model change? I ask because I'm curious how long most publishers give the pay model a chance. Is a year long enough for a game to test the waters and adjust to player feedback?	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
How long does an mmo usually get before it pulls the trigger for a model change? I ask because I'm curious how long most publishers give the pay model a chance. Is a year long enough for a game to test the waters and adjust to player feedback?
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
So I've been playing this game since launch. I've played wow, rift and ESO, so my mmo experience is kinda limited when it comes to pay model changing. I played rift a year before it went f2p. WoW just adopted the credd like system. ESO just went f2p in less than a year. I've heard ESO was planning on going that route, anyway, before the launch on the consoles.
 
Sorry for the long lead to my question. How long does an mmo usually get before it pulls the trigger for a model change? I ask because I'm curious how long most publishers give the pay model a chance. Is a year long enough for a game to test the waters and adjust to player feedback?
----
			I see no reason how this game can benefit in the long run by staying P2P, A B2P model leaning towards TSW would do wonders. 	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I see no reason how this game can benefit in the long run by staying P2P, A B2P model leaning towards TSW would do wonders. 
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I see no reason how this game can benefit in the long run by staying P2P, A B2P model leaning towards TSW would do wonders.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I don't really want to find myself along side that kind of player.
----
			
So just out of curiosity, at this point are we arguing technicalities for the sake of arguing about them? Is there really anyone who thinks the status quo is sustainable? And if you don't, then why would you imagine that people who actually depend on this game's livelihood for their salary would?
 
Hands up, anyone who thinks a conversion to F2P is NOT coming sometime in the next few months.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
For me, the reason is inviting in an audience of players who weren't interested enough to play the game back to play the game they disliked so much that they left.
 
Here's a random sample of one of those players from a blog comment: 
 
"ooh good now I can get back into Wildstar. Maybe they'll be forced to overhaul their shit endgame as well now then. Anyone actually finish one of those dynamic challenge mode thingies? Half the party left every single time I tried to do one because we didn't get "gold" or whatever it was."
 
I don't really want to find myself along side that kind of player.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
 
 
Hands up, anyone who thinks a conversion to F2P is NOT coming sometime in the next few months.
----
			
LOL, check out this old post of mine I found a year ago:
 
https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44527-p2p-or-f2p/?p=432452	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
LOL, check out this old post of mine I found a year ago:
 
https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44527-p2p-or-f2p/?p=432452
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
LOL, check out this old post of mine I found a year ago:
 
https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44527-p2p-or-f2p/?p=432452
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Hardly a mention worthy prediction looking at how every mmo has progressed, it's much harder to predict which mmo will remain with a P2P exclusive payment model then the other way around ;)
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
If I didn't have Eleventy Million posts, I'd go looking for mine, too.  :lol:
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
So just out of curiosity, at this point are we arguing technicalities for the sake of arguing about them? ...
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
So just out of curiosity, at this point are we arguing technicalities for the sake of arguing about them? Is there really anyone who thinks the status quo is sustainable? And if you don't, then why would you imagine that people who actually depend on this game's livelihood for their salary would?
 
Hands up, anyone who thinks a conversion to F2P is NOT coming sometime in the next few months.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I find this to be greatly exaggerated in every mmo this happens, consumer studies have shown that people are for some reason more likely to spend money if they aren't forced to spend it and if it can happen in small amounts, there's a reason we price things 19,99 instead of 20. Our mind is funny like that.
----
			
I'm just worried that, given Carbine's size, content devs will be pushed into being MTX devs.
 
Not fun.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
LOL, check out this old post of mine I found a year ago:
 
https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44527-p2p-or-f2p/?p=432452
----
			
I've been talking about this pretty much everywhere, but I think this is the best possible outcome for Wildstar.  There's a rabid userbase on steam for MMO's, and Wildstar is very unique in its humor, writing, aesthetics etc.  The rumored pay model would be ideal for this sort of game, where there's an optional sub and micro items.  I don't think anyone would mind housing cosmetics, or locked boomboxes that can be opened for a tiny fee available through cash shop or exchange.  Tera increased tenfold when they went free to play, and even more than that once released on Steam.  This is an *incredible* opportunity, and I thank NCSoft and Carbine for arranging a Steam release.  It shows great confidence in their game.  My only hope is Carbine and NCS go easy if they find who was talking about the upcoming stuff, as I think that person really did the community and game a favor.  For the first time in I don't know how long, the subreddit is looking positive, and there's an increase in subscribers.   Not only that, but the game is being spoken of *positively* in the mmorpg subreddit due to these changes, which is almost unheard of.
 
Also, I think that optional subs will do great with the psuedo-grindiness of the title, as users won't feel like they *have* to play it and it alone because of a paid sub.  It will make grinding very laid back and enjoyable in my opinion.   I have very high hopes for the future, and I hope I can bring some others into this exciting new time with a smile.  For those of you that are skeptical of the model, go look at Tera's increase in users, and their payment model.  Wildstar will be great with these changes.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I'm just worried that, given Carbine's size, content devs will be pushed into being MTX devs.
Not fun.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
SWTOR, TSW, and DCUO all make content available by microtransaction or by subscription, your choice.
As far as I'm concerned, that's the sensible way to ensure that the game's development effort remains firmly focused on developing additional game content and not just fatter snarfelynxes.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
SWTOR, TSW, and DCUO all make content available by microtransaction or by subscription, your choice.
As far as I'm concerned, that's the sensible way to ensure that the game's development effort remains firmly focused on developing additional game content and not just fatter snarfelynxes.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
Not disagreeing, but I don't want the content made available to subs to just be what they've stuck on the cash shop that week, you know?  Even CoH was guilty of that in several places.
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
There are always going to be people in an MMO you would prefer not to play in a group with. However, whether you like that guy's attitude or not, he will probably wind up buying something from the game store, and his money will help pay for the development of the game you like. 
----
			
If.. IF.. if they go free to play I'm hoping the follow the example Grinding Gear Games has with their game. I love PoE, I love GGG, I throw money at them to make my HC toon look sweet with costumes and die horrible after I go. YAH I CAN TAKE THAT.. dead...
 
What I don't want to see is lock boxes.. I haven't played GW2 in a very very very long time but I remember my bank being cluttered with them and them dangling the keys in front of me in a cash shop.. hells no.
 
I also was horrible in Champions Online when it was a sub game with cash shop.. then PW bought them out .. its horrible now.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
FWIW, I don't feel forced to spend money with a subscription.  I do feel forced to spend money if it's a game that doesn't have a sub but I have to nickel and dime for anything I want to do in the game.  How is spending a little here and a little more there, that almost always adds up to more than a typical sub, better than knowing you're spending a flat rate every month to have what they would be charging a little here and a little more there in a non-sub game?  I don't get that mentality.  Are people really that... um, wow, I can't think of a nice way to put it  :(
----
			
I play several F2P games. My least favorite model is TOR, because playing free is painful. They charge you to be able to sprint, or color coordinate your outfit. IMO, that is ridiculous. My favorite model is STO, because absolutely all mission content in the game is free. You can literally play every piece of playable content(missions, PvP, every zone, etc) for free. What they do charge for are ships, which are very cool, but not required to be able to play the game(as you get basic ships for free). 
 
What really makes STO great is they have a player exchange where one person can trade in game currency to another person for game store currency, meaning if you are willing to grind you can actually get any of the items from the game store without spending any of your own money. You really can't get more "free" than that. And if you are wondering how the game makes money with such a system, it is because the person who has the game store currency to trade had to actually buy it, so every unit of game store currency in the game was still purchased by someone.
 
The basic principal is some people have more time than money, and other people have more money than time. The exchange lets those people trade with each other so that they both get what they want, and Cryptic(the developer) still gets their money either way.	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
I meant content in terms of playable stories, missions, world zones, and so on--not just fluff that gets stuck on the cash shop in a given week.
 
No game is going to make new non-fluff content available to subscribers on a weekly basis. This one is only doing it once every three months.
----
			
While the rumor can't be confirmed the person did confirm his carbine employee status.
 
http://www.mmofringe.com/forum/5-Current-MMO-Games/34301-rumor-wildstar-going-to-a-hybrid-f2p-model-in-august#38780	
----
			
{| class="blockquote"
While the rumor can't be confirmed the person did confirm his carbine employee status.
 
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