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Path to F2P Blog #26

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited January 2012 in Galactic News Network [PC]
In the latest entry on The Path to F2P, Stephen announces Early Access for F2P.


Link to the Article.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    When you say no loss, do you mean no loss in Boff Slots, Character Slots, Costume Slots, Inventory Slots, etc... What I am asking is that if you were a gold before this F2P launch, as a silver do you still retain those things?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    A cleaver and acceptable way to test the silver conversion and mechanics.

    Welcome back old friends.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    I wish Cryptic the best of luck and I'm honestly looking forward to the future of STO.
    Good luck, guys.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    When you say no loss, do you mean no loss in Boff Slots, Character Slots, Costume Slots, Inventory Slots, etc... What I am asking is that if you were a gold before this F2P launch, as a silver do you still retain those things?

    The features matrix (referenced in the blog entry) answers those questions clearly. Yes, you lose those those things. The ships, gear, and cash you accumulated is yours.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    When you say "no loss," are you indicating the "no loss" is permanent? Or only for a limited time of the head start?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Early access is our way of thanking the many loyal customers who sat in the Captain’s chair during the past two years.

    Uhm... while I get that this is a good thing for someone whose sub lapsed or who was only here for a little bit, how is this thanking lifers or those who have paid subscriptions for all this time? I'm just wondering if I'm missing something, which is entirely possible. :confused:

    It's a nice gesture, though. I'll be interested in seeing how many people take up this offer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    TonyEx wrote:
    The features matrix (referenced in the blog entry) answers those questions clearly. Yes, you lose those those things. The ships, gear, and cash you accumulated is yours.

    I am aware of what the features matrix says, the statement of "no loss" in the blog is what is in question. The F2P matrix shows you will lose things, but that is contradicted by the statement in the blog post.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    TonyEx wrote:
    The features matrix (referenced in the blog entry) answers those questions clearly. Yes, you lose those those things. The ships, gear, and cash you accumulated is yours.

    Actually, it doesn't answer those questions clearly. In the blog post:
    The most important fact is that previous subscribers can jump right in and play their existing characters with no extra steps and no loss of anything they previously gained for their characters.

    No loss of anything previously gained would include all the BOff slots gained through leveling, ship slots through leveling, vet rewards, etc. This needs to be cleared up ASAP before it causes another firestorm in the community. (it's been so quiet lately)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    When you say no loss, do you mean no loss in Boff Slots, Character Slots, Costume Slots, Inventory Slots, etc... What I am asking is that if you were a gold before this F2P launch, as a silver do you still retain those things?

    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    V-Mink wrote:
    Uhm... while I get that this is a good thing for someone whose sub lapsed or who was only here for a little bit, how is this thanking lifers or those who have paid subscriptions for all this time? I'm just wondering if I'm missing something, which is entirely possible. :confused:

    It's a nice gesture, though. I'll be interested in seeing how many people take up this offer.

    You have earned your veteran rewards for the last two years, these people have not. That is one edge that you ahve over them. Your loyalty is rewarded every 100 days.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Some clarification is needed on the actual conversion process... (especially that no-lose statement...)

    Does this mean that existing characters/BOs/ships/items/inventory that is not supported by 'Silver' accounts are placed in a 'in-active' state? And if so, what is the process to choose what remains 'active' and what becomes 'in-active'???

    Edit:....
    Rehpic wrote:
    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,

    This provides some of the answers. (Though what about 'bound' items in lost inventory slots?)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,

    Thank you very much for the clarification Rhepic, it is truely appreciated. It also seems like a good move to perhaps retain a portion of these past subscribers.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Some clarification is needed on the actual conversion process... (especially that no-lose statement...)

    Does this mean that existing characters/BOs/ships/items/inventory that is not supported by 'Silver' accounts are placed in a 'in-active' state? And if so, what is the process to choose what remains 'active' and what becomes 'in-active'???

    As far as I've read it goes like this: anything you've previously purchased via the C-Store is yours to keep.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,

    Is this only available if you log in during the head start? Or anytime after?

    This is critical to know before I announce this to all my contacts with lapsed accounts. I don't want to provide them the wrong information.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Is this only available if you log in during the head start? Or anytime after?

    This is critical to know before I announce this to all my contacts with lapsed accounts. I don't want to provide them the wrong information.

    This is the general policy for gold to silver conversions. It is not in any way limited to the head start period or people who subscribed before f2p.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    This is the general policy for gold to silver conversions. It is not in any way limited to the head start period or people who subscribed before f2p.

    Great to know! Thank you.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,

    So if I let my sub lapse in three months (when it's next due for payment) and go "Silver" I'll basically lose nothing? I'll still keep my current inventory/bank slots, my current character slots, my current BOff slots and my current ship slots?

    So if all my characters are VAs (and my main ones are) I'll only really lose the 400 CP stipend and have a currency cap by going "silver"?

    If that's the case why would I pay for a sub after F2P goes live?

    I think you need to put a third column in the F2P matrix about what you have when you "downgrade" to silver from gold. Because, I'm seeing no real reason to stay subbing.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    This is the general policy for gold to silver conversions. It is not in any way limited to the head start period or people who subscribed before f2p.

    Soo.. player who has subscribed before and has pretty much unlocked everything in the game so far up and including the latest vet rewards will be no different to any other gold player except for future vet rewards and newly created characters?

    A former subscriber character retains his "gold" status without ever paying again?

    well.. in that case you practically beg people to cancel their subs.... if you ever want to have another gold level character, just sub for one mont, power level the toon for all the unlocks and cancel again to circumvent all tose service unlocks in the c-store....how much money needed to bring a silver toon to gold specs?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,

    Silver users will however lose access to XMPP chat, correct?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rehpic wrote:
    Silver accounts that had previously been subscribers(gold) will retain the character slots, boff slots and foundry project slots of gold accounts. Characters of such accounts will have the extra inventory slots due to rank up from whatever their last rank as a gold player was,
    So being a gold member in f2p practically means paying 15$ for 400 cpoints "worth" 5$?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    To everyone in here concerned right now, here is what I see as happening is if you were ever a gold and go to silver you will:
    • No longer gain Veteran Rewarrds
    • Will not get a 400cp Stipend
    • Have an EC cap
    • Not have priority login
    • Not auto-refine dilithium
    • Any New Character created on that account will have the Silver F2P limitations.

    Thus you never lose anything you already have, you just don't gain.

    Mind you look at what happened with DCUO's launch and SWTOR's launch, I have a feeling priority login is the one aspect of Gold Membership people are glazeing over. You will have the ability to bypass the queue and play the game. Given what has happened with those two launches I would say that is probably the best thing in the matrix. You can't use all the rest of the things you have if you can't get into the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Schneemann wrote: »
    So being a gold member in f2p practically means paying 15$ for 400 cpoints "worth" 5$?

    Only if you dont run new toons ever again. I give them that much.
    However anyone will now sub for 1 month and powerlevel like mad to get 2-3 toons to VA at least... which should be doable even with just playing on the weekends.
    TRIBBLE the story experience and learning the skill system... you can get save a shitload of money by getting around all those c-store service unlocks.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this open up a loop hole similar to why we lost the VA Ship Token? If I pay for one month ($15 USD) and level to max, I get those extra bank slots, inventory slots, BO slots, retrain tokens, foundry project slots and depending on how the stipend works, 400 Cryptic Points?

    A Silver play would have to buy the following to be close to a gold member in terms of C-Store Items:
    2 Additional Character Slots: 500
    3x 12 Additional Inventory Slots: 960
    4x 12 Additional Bank Slots*: 640
    3x 2 Additional Bridge Officer Slots: 600
    5x Respec Tokens: 2,000

    Total Cryptic Points: 4,700**
    Currently 1 USD = 80 Cryptic Points
    Total Cost: 58.75 USD, or 62.50 USD for 5,000 Cryptic Points

    So yea, I'm seeing a massive deal here. Pay for 1 month (15 USD), level up a character to max and save myself 43.75 USD. I save even more if I level more characters!

    *You would need 5 of these to equal gold, but you can only purchase max of 4
    **Not counting the possible stipend of 400 Cryptic Points
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Cursix wrote:
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this open up a loop hole similar to why we lost the VA Ship Token? If I pay for one month ($15 USD) and level to max, I get those extra bank slots, inventory slots, BO slots, retrain tokens, foundry project slots and depending on how the stipend works, 400 Cryptic Points?

    A Silver play would have to buy the following to be close to a gold member in terms of C-Store Items:
    2 Additional Character Slots: 500
    3x 12 Additional Inventory Slots: 960
    4x 12 Additional Bank Slots*: 640
    3x 2 Additional Bridge Officer Slots: 600
    5x Respec Tokens: 2,000

    Total Cryptic Points: 4,700**
    Currently 1 USD = 80 Cryptic Points
    Total Cost: 58.75 USD, or 62.50 USD for 5,000 Cryptic Points

    So yea, I'm seeing a massive deal here. Pay for 1 month (15 USD), level up a character to max and save myself 43.75 USD. I save even more if I level more characters!

    *You would need 5 of these to equal gold, but you can only purchase max of 4
    **Not counting the possible stipend of 400 Cryptic Points

    And all that would be meaningless if you cannot log into the game to play it, i.e. priority login.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Does this also apply to people who've ever used a referral key, but never subscribed?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    And all that would be meaningless if you cannot log into the game to play it, i.e. priority login.
    And what exactly does that have to do with things? Priority Login simply pushes you up in the queue to login IF their is a queue in the first place. I seriously doubt the game will be flooded to the point where silver's cannot login at all.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Cursix wrote:
    And what exactly does that have to do with things? Priority Login simply pushes you up in the queue to login IF their is a queue in the first place. I seriously doubt the game will be flooded to the point where silver's cannot login at all.

    Well, given that it is termed "Priority Login" with priority meaning "taking precidence" and not "Pushed up the Queue Login" I think it is probably safe to say this will allow you to bypass the queue and just enter into the game.

    Now, as far as the game being flooded or not and if there will be a queue is pure conjecture and peronal opinion not factually relevant. Whether there will be a constnat queue or not I think it is safe to say that will remain unknown until 17-01. Noone can say either way, unless they can see the future and if so please let me know what the next MegaMillions Lottery numbers are. People can only give their opinions.

    What does Priority Login have to do with things? Well everything. If you cannot log into the game to play it, everything you have in game is moot.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Well, given that it is termed "Priority Login" with priority meaning "taking precidence" and not "Pushed up the Queue Login" I think it is probably safe to say this will allow you to bypass the queue and just enter into the game.

    Now, as far as the game being flooded or not and if there will be a queue is pure conjecture and peronal opinion not factually relevant. Whether there will be a constnat queue or not I think it is safe to say that will remain unknown until 17-01. Noone can say either way, unless they can see the future and if so please let me know what the next MegaMillions Lottery numbers are. People can only give their opinions.

    What does Priority Login have to do with things? Well everything. If you cannot log into the game to play it, everything you have in game is moot.
    That's not what Priority Login means. When server load becomes high, it begins to queue people before they can fully login. A silver account has to wait until additional resources are freed up by someone logging out. The Priority Login pushes a gold member in front of the line of silver. It does not mean the silver players do not get to play.

    Seriously think about that for a moment; if silvers do not have priority login and using your logic that means they generally cannot login because of that, how is this game free-to-play exactly?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Cursix wrote:
    That's not what Priority Login means. When server load becomes high, it begins to queue people before they can fully login. A silver account has to wait until additional resources are freed up by someone logging out. The Priority Login pushes a gold member in front of the line of silver. It does not mean the silver players do not get to play.

    Seriously think about that for a moment; if silvers do not have priority login and using your logic that means they generally cannot login because of that, how is this game free-to-play exactly?

    Your logic seems to be flawed by contradicting yourself. You cannot say on one hand that silvers have to wait for resources to free up to login and then on the other say they will be unable to login when they are in the queue. Natuarlly, and logically, they will eventually move up the queue and enter the game.

    I can see your point about Gold's beign "pushed up the queue" but honestly it would probably be wise for a dev to step in and explain how "Priority Login" will work rather than continue to conjecture. Following other games (i.e. DCUO) Legendary players bypass the queue with their "Priority Login".
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Actually, it doesn't answer those questions clearly. In the blog post:



    No loss of anything previously gained would include all the BOff slots gained through leveling, ship slots through leveling, vet rewards, etc. This needs to be cleared up ASAP before it causes another firestorm in the community. (it's been so quiet lately)

    The Features Matrix is perfectly clear. In part:


    Feature Gold Silver
    Character Slots 3 2
    Max Free Inventory 72 42
    Max Free Bank Inventory 108 48

    You're lawyer-ing the words "previously gained", looking for freebies.
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