This is also completely wrong but I will only say one simple sentence instead of bringing up a ton. Free players will be worthless to everyone else on the team and they would feel just as worthless.
Cause paying money magically makes you skilled at ns2. *snip* Refrain from needless name calling - Ironhorse
Also if the game's first impression is so crap that only people who have sunk a significant amount of money will have inclination to stay around (by implication only because they feel bad throwing the money away) and learn to play it then the devs might as well give up now and move on to something better.
I don't think NS2 has many avenues to profit as a F2P game, just by virtue of the basic game design. They would be better off just continuing to lower the price over time.
While I don't see F2P as a viable option atm, but if everything improves over the year and such, F2P would work wonders with a proper matchmaking system
I've had some random thoughts about lulzy NS2 pay2win suck4free model based on ingame microtransactions:
- Tres - at 0.01$ for 1 tres
- Pres - 0.02$ for 1 pres
- Medpack or ammo - no comm required - 0.05$.
- Instant power node repair comm ability - 0.35$.
- Instant hive - 2$ for hive that is fully grown when dropped.
- Onos - from 1$ to 0.40$ based on game time (more expansive early game).
- Dual flamethrower exo research - 0.20$, no tres research option, can later be bought for 1.5$.
- Bile Onos - alien counterpart of falmer exo, can be acquired under same conditions.
- Nuke for marines or xenocide for Onos with the same effect (Onos included in the price) - 5$.
- To encourage teamplay and help poor folks with little money, players may add money to team's pool, so they can afford upgrades like flaming babblers, exploding macs, backstabbing drifters etc.
- Also, things like text chat, voice, scoreboard, ability to chose team rather than be always forced random should be unlockables for certain price.
- Trading should be introduced, so you can actually trade base you don't need for some of real money (those money can't be used in the same game against team you sold base to, for balance reasons).
- Hats.
I read it more as sarcasm .. thought it was funny enough
Anyhow, F2P .. I dunno .. I like the idea to just bring in players
I don't think it'd help NS2/UWE though.. I'm not quite sure if any thought went into a F2P business model for ns2 .. and whether or not the framework is already in place .. which I doubt
So to go F2P there'd have to be some serious changes I think so some form of payable content could be released.
F2P doesnt guarantee players .. I think DOTA has it right though.. not in the Free2Play but.. but in how they get people to just LAUNCH the .exe and they'll top the player list on steam.. I think DOTA2 does this by allowing players to spec matches at will .. but they've to launch DOTA to do it .. ie. fooling steam into thinking more people are playing it that are.. and making everyone think it's a great game
If you want to create a F2P game, you have to build your game from the ground up to support that business model (or create complex additional content that supports F2P). NS2 does not include any "progression" stuff (levels/ranks, xp, unlocks, etc.) and I love it for that. A more fitting way would still be F2P-Weekends, Sales or maybe a bundle like the Humble Bundle (it would not only get exposure, a huge ammount of players would pick it up "only" as part of the bundle; mainly buying for a different title, but a lot might at least try NS2.
All that said, ANY kind up promotion/sale/etc. at the current time is plain stupid. The game still suffers from bad performance and a very "do or die"-ish new player experience. You gotta make it count...
If NS2 did go free play, I'd still donate money to them just for being awesome. I would not be bothered one single bit if I bought it and people don't have to pay no more because I love the game
Comments
Cause paying money magically makes you skilled at ns2. *snip* Refrain from needless name calling - Ironhorse
Also if the game's first impression is so crap that only people who have sunk a significant amount of money will have inclination to stay around (by implication only because they feel bad throwing the money away) and learn to play it then the devs might as well give up now and move on to something better.
- Tres - at 0.01$ for 1 tres
- Pres - 0.02$ for 1 pres
- Medpack or ammo - no comm required - 0.05$.
- Instant power node repair comm ability - 0.35$.
- Instant hive - 2$ for hive that is fully grown when dropped.
- Onos - from 1$ to 0.40$ based on game time (more expansive early game).
- Dual flamethrower exo research - 0.20$, no tres research option, can later be bought for 1.5$.
- Bile Onos - alien counterpart of falmer exo, can be acquired under same conditions.
- Nuke for marines or xenocide for Onos with the same effect (Onos included in the price) - 5$.
- To encourage teamplay and help poor folks with little money, players may add money to team's pool, so they can afford upgrades like flaming babblers, exploding macs, backstabbing drifters etc.
- Also, things like text chat, voice, scoreboard, ability to chose team rather than be always forced random should be unlockables for certain price.
- Trading should be introduced, so you can actually trade base you don't need for some of real money (those money can't be used in the same game against team you sold base to, for balance reasons).
- Hats.
Uh, I guess you didn't read from this point on. It's actually 1$ for an Onos! Just one dollar for endless fun.
Anyhow, F2P .. I dunno .. I like the idea to just bring in players
I don't think it'd help NS2/UWE though.. I'm not quite sure if any thought went into a F2P business model for ns2 .. and whether or not the framework is already in place .. which I doubt
So to go F2P there'd have to be some serious changes I think so some form of payable content could be released.
F2P doesnt guarantee players .. I think DOTA has it right though.. not in the Free2Play but.. but in how they get people to just LAUNCH the .exe and they'll top the player list on steam.. I think DOTA2 does this by allowing players to spec matches at will .. but they've to launch DOTA to do it .. ie. fooling steam into thinking more people are playing it that are.. and making everyone think it's a great game
All that said, ANY kind up promotion/sale/etc. at the current time is plain stupid. The game still suffers from bad performance and a very "do or die"-ish new player experience. You gotta make it count...