114888-why-is-wildstar-not-trying-to-bring-in-new-players

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			it seems like they are making a real lackadaisical effort to help grow the game, and it was just made worse by destiny. in July they gave out invite only trials and now it is entering october, but open trials arent available. even a trial to level 10 would get people to buy the game, as it seemed most people were pretty hooked right away. i just think it is kinda crazy that in the day and age of f2p mmos, the one where they charge 60+15 isnt doing anything to help boost a player base. mega servers will help but this is an mmo without the massive part so far mainly because the entry fee is pretty steep in a world of f2p. giving players a trial will alleviate the worry of wasting their 60$..	
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			While I (strongly) approve of the concept, it's probably a good idea to hold fire on that until Drop 3 is in place both for the technical improvements (performance improvement confirmed!! :D) and to bring people in during 'the bump' so they see the game in the best light.	
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While I (strongly) approve of the concept, it's probably a good idea to hold fire on that until Drop 3 is in place both for the technical improvements (performance improvement confirmed!! :D) and to bring people in during 'the bump' so they see the game in the best light.
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			the game is not in a state that would encourage new players to join. mega servers and gear/itemization fixes will do wonders.	
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Drop 3 (might) coincides with the most popular month for all of video gaming.
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			I'd be more concerned with plugging the player leak as it is, rather than attract new players.	
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I agree with everyone above actually!
 
I think Carbine should have a substantial marketing effort that includes a free trial at the very least before even considering going in the F2P direction. What I don't agree on is to do anything right now. Wait until Drop 3 before implementing anything of this nature.
 
Why? All the reasons stated above and more.
 
Considering a large portion of the player's that have left the game left because of one or not limited to the population of servers, gear issues (several different issues), runes, RNG, balance issues, performance issues, a lot of bugs, available casual content, Amp availability/rewards and many others. Why would anyone offer a trial of any game that they know is flawed in the minds of many gamers, those that have and even haven't played but you have fixes for many of those issues in the next big drop? You shouldn't and wouldn't. Fix the issues that we believe are the reasons why WS is/has flatlined and then turn on a big push to get players trying out what is in my opinion the best MMO on the market.
 
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for everything to turn around because with all the uncertainty over the past few month's I'm finding it hard to have the desire to even play the last couple of weeks. It's not because I don't like the game, it's because I won't invest my heart and mind again into a game that very well may not be here for long if things don't turn around. When I/we get 'into' a game it becomes a big part of our lives. We find another family and friends so to speak, our virtual ones. Many turn into RL friends and even become like family. I want that with Wildstar, I need a new home away from home.
 
So yes, we do desperately need a marketing push with a free trial attached but not yet, not until a lot of issues are addressed first.
 
 
EDIT: corrected a lot of 'issues' of my own...haha That's what I get for posting at 3:30 in the morning.	
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			I had a bland idea for a trial but yeah they have people leaks that need plugged and more importantly incentives to play because I hear the elder game sucks.	
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it seems like they are making a real lackadaisical effort to help grow the game, and it was just made worse by destiny. in July they gave out invite only trials and now it is entering october, but open trials arent available. even a trial to level 10 would get people to buy the game, as it seemed most people were pretty hooked right away. i just think it is kinda crazy that in the day and age of f2p mmos, the one where they charge 60+15 isnt doing anything to help boost a player base. mega servers will help but this is an mmo without the massive part so far mainly because the entry fee is pretty steep in a world of f2p. giving players a trial will alleviate the worry of wasting their 60$..
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Drop 3 (might) coincides with the most popular month for all of video gaming.
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I had a bland idea for a trial but yeah they have people leaks that need plugged and more importantly incentives to play because I hear the elder game sucks.
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the elder game doesn't suck. Raids are a blast.
It's the issue of getting there and then staying there that sucks. :(
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Ello!
 
Obviously, we want new people to come and check out WildStar. We've run a few trials before hand and every purchased copy of the game comes with 3 friend codes (so there's plenty of codes out there if people want to try the game) as well. We've got plans for more things in the future as well, but I can't really share any information on that right now.
 
Basically, hear what you're saying and we're working on stuff.
 
Personally, i agree that waiting for the megaservers is the right call. Once those are in place it will bring a lot more life back into the cities and quest hubs, which is a much better experience for new players.	
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Ello!
 
Obviously, we want new people to come and check out WildStar. We've run a few trials before hand and every purchased copy of the game comes with 3 friend codes (so there's plenty of codes out there if people want to try the game) as well. We've got plans for more things in the future as well, but I can't really share any information on that right now.
 
Basically, hear what you're saying and we're working on stuff.
 
Personally, i agree that waiting for the megaservers is the right call. Once those are in place it will bring a lot more life back into the cities and quest hubs, which is a much better experience for new players.
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I wish the Guest Passes could be modified slightly, all my friends have/are already playing WS and I feel a bit iffy about giving my codes to a stranger when it's linked to my account if that player misbehaves for some reason, which I hope they wouldn't do, but you never know.
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I have 2 Guest Passes left, my husband has 3, would love to give them out but not going to until they change it. The 'may have' isn't very reassuring.
 
 
"any misbehaving on a guest account may have repercussions for the associated account as well!"
 
http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/guest-passes/	
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rightnow ArcheAge is the big draw.. with 11 full servers so far
and yes WoW has an xpac to come so it isnt going to be easy	
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rightnow ArcheAge is the big draw.. with 11 full servers so far
and yes WoW has an xpac to come so it isnt going to be easy
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rightnow ArcheAge is the big draw.. with 11 full servers so far
and yes WoW has an xpac to come so it isnt going to be easy
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			Absolutely zero point getting heaploads of people in now while megaserver tech hasn't been fully tested and the game NEEDS Drop 3 for various reasons as has been stated.  When it's in a stable state and minor tweaks are needed and minor bugs exist, not game breaking bugs and exploits for classes then it can be marketed properly to stand a chance.	
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rightnow ArcheAge is the big draw.. with 11 full servers so far
and yes WoW has an xpac to come so it isnt going to be easy
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			Not knowing how Archage did it but each sub = 5 trials, so ummm the initial numbers were bloated by the trial passes as well at the beginning.	
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Well something to keep in mind with ArcheAge as well is that it is a ummmm "freemium" model as some put it. You don't need a sub at all to really play...but you get some patron stuff if you do, so anyone and anyone(barring an IP ban or something) can just hop into the game...
 
In regard to the friend codes. I wanted to post this the other day, but it seems like the codes are region locked? I was trying to give a code to my friend and it told him the code couldn't be used for that reason. They even made an entirely new account as well. Do I have to make their account for them?
 
We tried all 3 of my codes and non of them worked...
 :(	
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I still have my 3 codes, but will not give them out to just anyone. Too much of a risk with my account being connected to them. I'm not one to trust just anyone on the internet. If Carbine changes this, then I would have no issues giving them away. My IRL friends don't play online games, so have no one to give the codes to.
 
My hubby plays ArcheAge. I know the game is bustling right now, but am starting to see the burn-out from some of his guildies and other players. AA is a very time intensive game. Most people don't have the luxury to spend 12 hours a day doing farming/pack turn ins/etc to make gold and guilda stars for what they need.
 
 
 	
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			Definitely need more free trials.	
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Well something to keep in mind with ArcheAge as well is that it is a ummmm "freemium" model as some put it. You don't need a sub at all to really play...but you get some patron stuff if you do, so anyone and anyone(barring an IP ban or something) can just hop into the game...
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It's true, but not even being able to use the AH is a tad too much of a lock. I hate playing games with restrictions and I know many feel the same way as me.
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Madda will gladly take not being able to use the AH / own property over tighter restrictions any day.
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I have 2 Guest Passes left, my husband has 3, would love to give them out but not going to until they change it. The 'may have' isn't very reassuring.
 
 
"any misbehaving on a guest account may have repercussions for the associated account as well!"
 
http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/guest-passes/
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It's true, but not even being able to use the AH is a tad too much of a lock. I hate playing games with restrictions and I know many feel the same way as me.
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What the...? I didnt know that lol but I havent thought about giving them away atm it would deliver a bad experience so I rather thought about waiting but after this I keep them forever as it seems. Translates to me into "Please don't spread the word, we don't like new costumers!" just facepalm...
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If you really want people to try and enjoy the game, start them at 20 and allow them to level to 30ish.
The start of this game is a mess to be honest.  I hope to never see that aweful starting ship again.  SOOOOO boring.  I wanted to stop playing right away, but my coworker kept telling me it got better later on.  Then I got to try the dungeons, and that's what hooked me.	
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			I think it would be a good idea for Carbine/NCSoft to wait until the ArcheAge, Destiny, and WoD hype dies down and start pushing more WildStar advertisements with a free trial account(Not one that they have to get from someone else, just one that you can get off their site).	
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			I'm hoping they have something out and ready for the beginning of December trial wise.  Give people a chance to experience the game over their Christmas break and then do a sale on the box in January giving people something to spend those Visa/MasterCard gift cards on.	
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I feel a bit iffy about giving my codes to a stranger when it's linked to my account if that player misbehaves for some reason
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that's the whole reason why. So you invite people you know, who are more likely to stay because you're playing the game too. Rather then random strangers who are inherently less likely to stick around because they may not have any connection to people already playing.
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I think it would be a good idea for Carbine/NCSoft to wait until the ArcheAge, Destiny, and WoD hype dies down and start pushing more WildStar advertisements with a free trial account(Not one that they have to get from someone else, just one that you can get off their site).
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so they are just being wasted not being used.
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That doesn't change the reason behind them doing it like they did.
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What makes my friends any less likely to bot than a random stranger I see at GameStop asking about WildStar?
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That doesn't change the reason behind them doing it like they did.
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Drop 3 plus a very obvious change that will accompany it(if you don't see it coming you are blind) will bring in new players. Deciding to stand pat is actually a good call at this time. They have my permission to not do anything until the changes hit*
snickers*	
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From the Nexus Report today, they don't want to try to bring in new players until they're confident in the state of the game
 
"The worst thing would be to invite people into a buggy game"
 
Which is really quite a huge admission
 
http://www.twitch.tv/wildstar/b/573588935?t=40m48s	
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From the Nexus Report today, they don't want to try to bring in new players until they're confident in the state of the game
 
"The worst thing would be to invite people into a buggy game"
 
Which is really quite a huge admission
 
http://www.twitch.tv/wildstar/b/573588935?t=40m48s
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For that to be 'a slap in the face', you'd actually have to ram your head into somebody's hand. Or they'd had to have said "we know its buggy and we're not gonna do anything about it, so nyaa!" There was no "and it's ok."
 
Honesty. From a company that wants to earn your money.  Shocking, I know.	
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For that to be 'a slap in the face', you'd actually have to ram your head into somebody's hand. Or they'd had to have said "we know its buggy and we're not gonna do anything about it, so nyaa!" There was no "and it's ok."
 
Honesty. From a company that wants to earn your money.  Shocking, I know.
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They don't want to get more players into the game when they know we are struggling with actually playing the game because of lack of players. Yeah it feels like a slap.
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I can agree with you here, to some extent. At least they acknowledge there are problems instead of what BW did at the beginning of SWToR "it's probably your computer, our game is fine". 
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I agree they are acknowledging the problem. But I think they are going about it the wrong way since it's putting the current players off when they can't play the end game properly. I've read so many threads where people ask what other people are doing and that they only log on to log off again.
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After Megaservers hit live....I think giving players a 30 day free trial would do wonders with boosting population numbers. 
 
So it can be something like a reverse of what we have now. Right now you pay for the box and then get 30 days free. Just do it the other way around. Give 30 days free and then require to pay for the box price and on top of that, give like 15 days more for free to give time for players to decide and pay for sub. The 15 days free is mostly so that players wont feel ripped off that they would have to pay for the box price and then instantly for another 15 bucks to keep playing. 
 
Also, time to lower box price to 30-40 bucks. 	
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"HARDCORE Cupcake!!!!" and the horrible way they implemented it is killing the game. All the gating/attunment, grinding and little reward for time invested. Also, the hardcore player (those who have lots of time to invest) are the minority and not the majority in the MMO community. So until they fix the end game content to work for all game styles (hardcore, casual, etc ..), the game will always have a small population. Lots of players warned them early on in beta and after launch that their end games design is not what players wanted and they did not listen. It is what it is until they choose to open their minds and learn what has and has not worked from other MMOs in the past. There is many reasons why WoW abandoned the vanilla WoW hardcore game model and what they still have 7 millionish subscribers (at one time over 12 million) and Wildstar has less than 500K. Nuff said, get your head out of your cupcake Carbine!
 
Thanks	
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After reading the Nexus Report today, I have renewed faith in Drop 3 and beyond. I would suggest you unsub and wait until Drop 3. Come back 1 week after Drop 3 and if the game isn't where you want it, I will personally pay for that re-sub fee. I have complete confidence in Carbine as of today.
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I don't want to unsub, I want to play the game. That's my point as well though, your saying it's better to unsub for these months now, that's really really bad and not a solution at all.
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Ok, this isn't that hard:
 
The game as it stands has a measureable exposure-to-retention ratio. And frankly that ratio in not good right now.
 
If they push people through here now, that current ratio is gonna pare all their effort down to slivers. Scraps of permanent new players who will, yes, help fill out your ques right now.
 
In a month they'll have implemented a number of changes they have good reason to think will increase the ratio of newly exposed gamers who stick around to become players.
 
If they push people through then they keep more people and the return on effort for promotion is greatly multiplied.
 
Fact is for each new gamer they try to entice, they get one shot and only one shot to win them over. Second chances border on urban myth.
 
They don't get to have it both ways, and while the game is bleeding subs every day, holding the promotional push until then is still the only call they can make.	
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I don't want to unsub, I want to play the game. That's my point as well though, your saying it's better to unsub for these months now, that's really really bad and not a solution at all. With that mentality they may as well shut the game down for a couple of months and "re-launch" it with Drop 3, freeze it so players subscriptions can resume at that point.
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ArchAge?
That game I played yesterday and cringed at the tutorial, slow combat, bland story and dull play style?
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But I think they are going about it the wrong way since it's putting the current players off when they can't play the end game properly.
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			Probably waiting for drop 3 because a lot of bugs fixes, mega servers, performance changes will be made	
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			Sad that this debate is even happening . For myself Wildstar was a amazing game and I liked it so much I bought it for 3 friends that was on the fence . Had no less then 20 friends purchase and leveled toons to 50 .Not one plays now . I truly believed it is the best game on the market core wise , but then it went straight down the tubes . I been saying this over and over . They built the best MMO game to date , Great combat , Great Graphics , Hilarious humor , Lore surprised me . And Housing is cutting edge and truly a game within itself . But they structure the game so bad at max level , they ran the fan base off themselves , no one's fault but whoever green lighted this and they deserve to fail to be that blind . Rebuttal all you want but there was no reason at all not to have a parallel skill entry into the raid content . Under no circumstance's was trying to be a elitists only game  good . This structure will go down in the history book for future games on WTF not to do . With no experience I could of taken this game into the top 3 of all MMO's hands down . And aspire to be number one . Focus on your player base and truly listen , don't use it as just a marketing tool . The devs are listening ? I heard this slogan 1000's times now and you still have basic issues and bugs that plague the game for day one.	
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