Removal of subscription [POLL]

[masteryoba]

You’re someone who played mo1, participated in the big sieges, the economy, the build diversity. You really think mo2s problems are based on the payment system and not the lack of depth of the gameplay?

MO1 had the option for new players to join via FTP.
These new players provided content for MO fans.
Now, the number of fans of games with empty worlds is dwindling.
MO2, in its current state, isn't saved by additional content. In my opinion, there's a lack of growth in the game's fan base.
Even if they now complete everything Henrik promised, it won't provide a stable online environment for populating the world with players.
In my opinion, the main problem in solving the influx of NEW PLAYERS.
With the current subscription-based gameplay policy, in my opinion, new players won't be able to enter such a complex game as MO2.
Today, game developers NEED to fight for the MO2 PLAYER fan base.
Dozens of my friends refused to try MO2 because of the subscription.

 

[Teknique]

MO1 had the option for new players to join via FTP.
These new players provided content for MO fans.
Now, the number of fans of games with empty worlds is dwindling.
MO2, in its current state, isn't saved by additional content. In my opinion, there's a lack of growth in the game's fan base.
Even if they now complete everything Henrik promised, it won't provide a stable online environment for populating the world with players.
In my opinion, the main problem in solving the influx of NEW PLAYERS.
With the current subscription-based gameplay policy, in my opinion, new players won't be able to enter such a complex game as MO2.
Today, game developers NEED to fight for the MO2 PLAYER fan base.
Dozens of my friends refused to try MO2 because of the subscription.

I disagree with the idea that the problem is an inflow of new players. Obviously I agree just in the general sense that players in should exceed players out but it isn’t because of any monetization model. The game actually got infront of enough people and significant population it just failed to retain players because the game play is maybe not bad per se but soulless. Like ibarruri alluded to above there’s no impact, no warlords, no great merchants, no politics etc etc. the guilds we have today should have died and reformed several times over and been refined by the flames of war to produce a steel like resolve.

 

[masteryoba]

I disagree with the idea that the problem is an inflow of new players. Obviously I agree just in the general sense that players in should exceed players out but it isn’t because of any monetization model. The game actually got infront of enough people and significant population it just failed to retain players because the game play is maybe not bad per se but soulless. Like ibarruri alluded to above there’s no impact, no warlords, no great merchants, no politics etc etc. the guilds we have today should have died and reformed several times over and been refined by the flames of war to produce a steel like resolve.

You may be partly right, but I have a different opinion and perspective on the current issues. Specifically, 10 of my friends didn't want to play such a hardcore game with a subscription. They bought it, played it for a month, and said they weren't ready to pay for it without even delving into the game's mechanics.

We must understand that the gaming world is empty right now and the situation will get worse and worse with each passing day...

If new players don't join MO2, then no amount of content or mechanics can save the project.

And the very first off-putting step for newbies is the subscription, where you are forced to pay money without understanding the game mechanics.

If players can figure out the game and become fans, they'll pay for a subscription, and like me, maybe not just one, but for their alts.

MO2 is a very hardcore sandbox, and it takes time for a new player to understand how to sculpt and build the game.

 

[Teknique]

You may be partly right, but I have a different opinion and perspective on the current issues. Specifically, 10 of my friends didn't want to play such a hardcore game with a subscription. They bought it, played it for a month, and said they weren't ready to pay for it without even delving into the game's mechanics.

We must understand that the gaming world is empty right now and the situation will get worse and worse with each passing day...

If new players don't join MO2, then no amount of content or mechanics can save the project.

And the very first off-putting step for newbies is the subscription, where you are forced to pay money without understanding the game mechanics.

If players can figure out the game and become fans, they'll pay for a subscription, and like me, maybe not just one, but for their alts.

MO2 is a very hardcore sandbox, and it takes time for a new player to understand how to sculpt and build the game.

True, subscription is probably one of the most difficult payment models. Outside of the giants like wow. It generally only works for extremely popular games like world of tanks or the old republic

 

[masteryoba]

True, subscription is probably one of the most difficult payment models. Outside of the giants like wow. It generally only works for extremely popular games like world of tanks or the old republic

A subscription is perfectly appropriate for MO2, it should give players access to high-quality content.
but not at the beginning of the game for new players who are trying to get acquainted with the world of MO2.

 

[Emdash]

You may be partly right, but I have a different opinion and perspective on the current issues. Specifically, 10 of my friends didn't want to play such a hardcore game with a subscription. They bought it, played it for a month, and said they weren't ready to pay for it without even delving into the game's mechanics.

It's SV's fault that they didn't get enough of a taste with their free month. They want you to grind grind grind. I think the sub model is ok. We sub to so many things. The price might be wrong, but let's put that aside.

I was looking at my tv today and something said, "Free, with Ads." In this world, there is so much shit that is labeled free, but it's not really FREE it just doesn't cost money. Time, sanity, whatever, those are still not free. With a sub in MO, you are knowing that you won't get any of that stuff, and yeah, they did kinda mess up a few times with capes and shit, imo, but in general they have kept that part clean.

WE would prefer the game be kept clean in general. We would prefer that the servers run well, alas. Those are issues and they need to be addressed at some point, but I would say... reduce the grind so that people get to spend at least half of their free month playing the game as it is supposed to be played. There are more things to learn that you can't learn in a month, but learning and speccing are not the same thing.

Also, I would consider just switching stuff around. LIKE instead of putting the game on sale for 15 bucks with a free month sub, why not try making the sale like... game's 39.99, you get TWO months of free sub, and if you choose to resub you can sub for up to 6 months at 10 dollars a month. One time deal.

Not saying that is exactly what the pricing should be, but that sort of shit... it's weird they don't think like that. Even with the game staying as grindy, I don't understand why they continue to troll people with their one fking month to play when you are prob spending half of that time in haven, even.

Sub also allows us to hold SV accountable. I dunno if they can right the ship now, but they are being forced to try because their pop numbers are DOGGY. They dropped a patch that had some good stuff, but probably wasn't exactly what the community wanted, and now... they are back to 400 avg.

 

[skibba5000]

Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer players every day. If this continues, our beloved game MO2 will face the same fate as MO1 (this must be accepted as a fact).
To fix the situation, in my opinion, we need to:
1. Make the game FTP;
2. Introduce restrictions for all FTP players (house building, TC, marketplace sales, access to high-quality content);
3. ON a subscription that disable all game restrictions;
4. Add an in-game store for visual items (cloaks, weapons, dyes, horse armor, etc.);
5. Introduce an in-game subscription token (make it very expensive so that the player can farm 2-3 weeks 24/7);


We all need to understand that if we don't do something now, our favorite game will soon disappear...

Unfortunately, but again, in my opinion, people won't just jump into this game and subs up. It's a true sandbox, where every player needs a lot of time to figure it all out. And if they like it, they'll stick around and pay for the subscription.

The world of MO2 is too vast, and its lack of players completely kills the game and makes it boring even for fans of the game.

In today's gaming industry, you can't just assume "If you don't want to pay, screw it." Players will leave, and the game will die...

better buy to play instead f2p no?
with f2p in a full loot pvp game you will have absolute chaos because everyone can make unlimited accounts and characters.
f2p Haven would be a good thing though.

 

[masteryoba]

better buy to play instead f2p no?
with f2p in a full loot pvp game you will have absolute chaos because everyone can make unlimited accounts and characters.
f2p Haven would be a good thing though.

Of course, you need to buy the game so that there are no bots. But the subscription must be deleted in order to play not in the empty world of MO2.

I meant it

 

[Ibarruri]

Having a subscription is one of the few things SV got right. Without it, 95% of players would be bots and exploiters.

What makes me mad is regional pricing around the world , and the fact that people can just use a vpn and pay cent on the dollar for both game price and subscription, while i have to pay the equivalent of 15 US dollars (even though i don't make the equivalent of US salaries).
So i end up paying around 22$ which is very high for a non AAA game that has huge ping issues a endless plethora of bugs and problems.

Still, id rather pay a sub than watch this game become all bots and hackers.

Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer players every day. If this continues, our beloved game MO2 will face the same fate as MO1 (this must be accepted as a fact).
To fix the situation, in my opinion, we need to:
1. Make the game FTP;
2. Introduce restrictions for all FTP players (house building, TC, marketplace sales, access to high-quality content);
3. ON a subscription that disable all game restrictions;
4. Add an in-game store for visual items (cloaks, weapons, dyes, horse armor, etc.);
5. Introduce an in-game subscription token (make it very expensive so that the player can farm 2-3 weeks 24/7);


We all need to understand that if we don't do something now, our favorite game will soon disappear...

Unfortunately, but again, in my opinion, people won't just jump into this game and subs up. It's a true sandbox, where every player needs a lot of time to figure it all out. And if they like it, they'll stick around and pay for the subscription.

The world of MO2 is too vast, and its lack of players completely kills the game and makes it boring even for fans of the game.

In today's gaming industry, you can't just assume "If you don't want to pay, screw it." Players will leave, and the game will die...

I disagree with the idea that the problem is an inflow of new players. Obviously I agree just in the general sense that players in should exceed players out but it isn’t because of any monetization model. The game actually got infront of enough people and significant population it just failed to retain players because the game play is maybe not bad per se but soulless. Like ibarruri alluded to above there’s no impact, no warlords, no great merchants, no politics etc etc. the guilds we have today should have died and reformed several times over and been refined by the flames of war to produce a steel like resolve.

This empty and magnified structure was an attempt to rebuild what had worked in MO1, but taken to a much deeper level. However, in the end, they strayed from that and went for what would allow them to monetize the game.

They want to keep players tied to brutal and tedious grinding to achieve banal, stupid, and alienating objectives. MO1 wasn't like that. I spoke a lot with Henrik during the combat alpha about this, about the need for players, their achievements, and their stories to have a much greater impact. But it was all in vain. For me, the crafting system is a classic example of the game's descent into darkness. Where did those promises of a unique and personalized system go, Henrik? Where has the desire for each player to be able to do something unique and special gone? My God, MO1 lasted far beyond its expected lifespan thanks to the creativity of its community; in the end, it was the players who created its content, who gave life to the game. That's over now. That's why there are no more legends, no more profound stories, no more tales of great battles; everything has been reduced to utter banality. The world is bigger, yes, but its spirit is much smaller.

I remember the day of the Steam release; Henrik did a live stream with several streamers. A bunch of idiots, who had nothing to do with this community, who didn't know our history, our legacy, or the great adventures that had taken place in the history of Myrland. Seeing him there, strutting around with them talking about the game, I realized that Henrik was lost and that the game would fail. Why didn't he invite to the stream those who had made it possible for the game to survive years later? People whose creativity sustained the community? Personally, I found it insulting. And the funniest thing is that, just as I predicted, those streamers, who were supposedly going to give the game visibility, have completely disappeared, and their impact has been minimal. It's taken me years to understand the value of what many players did. With their energy and creativity, they kept mo1 alive, fueling it with their motivation and ingenuity. In the end, I learned to love the game by learning from others who were better than me, more creative and expert. I was fascinated by meeting groups and analyzing their history and legends. I remember when I started playing the game, and the ES found me. They had been there for years, and had long histories of wars, rivalries, hatred, and also friendships and loyalty. Adventures, dramas, everything you can imagine. Later, I met the wonderful madmen of ICH, speznat, Ichorus, Azidano. I analyzed their playstyle and thought, "My God, they are so creative," if only the game gave them the tools...
Everything was special. It isn't anymore. They are all gone.

Henrik never appreciated the effort of many players to keep alive the dream that was once his and that others made our own. I remember just a few months ago receiving several letters from new players who told me they didn't know who I was, but they'd ended up joining this world because they were interested in the stories I wrote on the MO1 forum, which they'd stumbled upon by chance, and they'd also read things I'd written on the MO2 forum. While it was flattering, I couldn't help feeling a bit down. I'd felt the same way when I started. But that feeling has faded now.
It's so sad to see how it all ended.

 

[finegamingconnoisseur]

I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of this, but MO2 is an online mmorpg with ongoing expenses required to keep it running, and it is not cheap in my estimation. Server costs, staff salaries, maintenance, utilities, office rental, etc. That means it needs recurring revenue flowing in not just to pay for all the costs, but for the company to break even and make a profit. It is not going to magically fund itself out of thin air, a fact that I'm sure we all understand and appreciate.

While its nice and all to want to live in a world where we don't need to pay for the mmorpgs we love (assuming you are a fan), the reality is that getting rid of the monthly subscription effectively means defunding the game. It will force SV to seek alternative means of revenue generation, which usually means bringing in a microtransactions cash shop.

If people are okay with a cash shop, then that's cool. But do we really want SV to divert their limited manpower and resources away to create and incentivise us the community to spend on the said cash shop? I would hope not. A monthly subscription is the better way to go, if you ask me.

Having said that, I'm open to improving the monthly subscription model to a nice middle ground where SV will be able to meet and exceed its revenue target, and keep us the community happy to continue to fund the game.

I would say lower the excessive grind which is repulsive to me (case in point, the mastery and orb systems), and barrier of entry for simple things like having a heraldry which most other mmorpgs would want to put in players' hands as soon as possible. For some reason, SV wants people to grind 2k gold and 50k prominence before we can have a piece of cloth to represent our guild.

 

[Ibarruri]

I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of this, but MO2 is an online mmorpg with ongoing expenses required to keep it running, and it is not cheap in my estimation. Server costs, staff salaries, maintenance, utilities, office rental, etc. That means it needs recurring revenue flowing in not just to pay for all the costs, but for the company to break even and make a profit. It is not going to magically fund itself out of thin air, a fact that I'm sure we all understand and appreciate.

While its nice and all to want to live in a world where we don't need to pay for the mmorpgs we love (assuming you are a fan), the reality is that getting rid of the monthly subscription effectively means defunding the game. It will force SV to seek alternative means of revenue generation, which usually means bringing in a microtransactions cash shop.

If people are okay with a cash shop, then that's cool. But do we really want SV to divert their limited manpower and resources away to create and incentivise us the community to spend on the said cash shop? I would hope not. A monthly subscription is the better way to go, if you ask me.

Having said that, I'm open to improving the monthly subscription model to a nice middle ground where SV will be able to meet and exceed its revenue target, and keep us the community happy to continue to fund the game.

I would say lower the excessive grind which is repulsive to me (case in point, the mastery and orb systems), and barrier of entry for simple things like having a heraldry which most other mmorpgs would want to put in players' hands as soon as possible. For some reason, SV wants people to grind 2k gold and 50k prominence before we can have a piece of cloth to represent our guild.

Absolutely agree. It's pathetic that they've implemented a heraldry system like this, unpleasantly forcing players to meet ridiculous and pointless requirements. It's forced, tedious, and imposed. What freedom is there in that? If a player can sew, has materials, and can dye cloth, why can't they make their own tabard and add their heraldry? That's the essence of MO. I detest the way they try to keep players engaged by forcing them into tedious and unpleasant activities to achieve goals that are ultimately meaningless. Henrik has completely fallen to the dark side. It's such a blatant attempt to trap players in grinding and enslave them within the game, forcing them to accumulate hours and monthly payments, that it makes me nauseous. It's disgusting. It's the opposite of the spirit of MO.

When I came back a couple of months ago to take a look and saw the heraldry, I was stunned. It was absolutely pathetic.

Welcome Grinding Offline.

 

[Ibarruri]

Of course, you need to buy the game so that there are no bots. But the subscription must be deleted in order to play not in the empty world of MO2.

I meant it

Given the absolutely pathetic state of the game, a middle ground solution could be to bring back the old free-to-play system from MO1. Admittedly, it's not a game-changer, but it could allow new players and disillusioned veterans to try out Myrland without risking their money and see if they get hooked again. I don't understand why they don't implement it again.

 

[Wyndorn]

Very disingenuous poll, as it does not address other consequences. There is more to consider than sheer quantity of players.

 

[MortalEnjoyer42069]

Very disingenuous poll, as it does not address other consequences. There is more to consider than sheer quantity of players.

Another marketing and business savant enters the chat. We are so blessed to have your opinion on matters like shilling for a company that doesn't care about you and creating artificial barriers to entry for new players. Your insight will be monumental in discouraging player retention. Despite your desire to be king of a 100 player game, others would like to play with a higher population than their kindergarten student body.

 

[SeaShadow]

If you can afford the computer required to play without crippling lag you can afford the sub.

 

[Wyndorn]

Another marketing and business savant enters the chat. We are so blessed to have your opinion on matters like shilling for a company that doesn't care about you and creating artificial barriers to entry for new players. Your insight will be monumental in discouraging player retention. Despite your desire to be king of a 100 player game, others would like to play with a higher population than their kindergarten student body.

You need to evaluate your life. You spend a lot of time on a forum for a game you hate just to poorly roast people.

The best part is, everything you said is unrelated to what I said. You're just out here trying to kick over sandcastles because daddy wouldn't build you the exact sandcastle you wanted.

 

[Suggestion]

Very disingenuous poll, as it does not address other consequences. There is more to consider than sheer quantity of players.

I don't agree. It's a simple question asking about the quantity of players. Also there are over 30 comments discussing consequences and considerations.

 

[MortalEnjoyer42069]

You need to evaluate your life. You spend a lot of time on a forum for a game you hate just to poorly roast people.

The best part is, everything you said is unrelated to what I said. You're just out here trying to kick over sandcastles because daddy wouldn't build you the exact sandcastle you wanted.

What are you even talking about? I never said I hated the game, and I'm not trying to "roast" you. Your opinion is ass and your opinion is why the game has no one playing it.

 

[Dalam]

If you can afford the computer required to play without crippling lag you can afford the sub.

I play like on a mid-range rig I made 7 or so years ago. Would probably be able to buy it for 500 buckarillos now. It runs fine. When I had 3 accounts active I ran a GFN + steam game + epic game also btw with some ocasional lagg/fps drop.

 

[masteryoba]

I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of this, but MO2 is an online mmorpg with ongoing expenses required to keep it running, and it is not cheap in my estimation. Server costs, staff salaries, maintenance, utilities, office rental, etc. That means it needs recurring revenue flowing in not just to pay for all the costs, but for the company to break even and make a profit. It is not going to magically fund itself out of thin air, a fact that I'm sure we all understand and appreciate.

While its nice and all to want to live in a world where we don't need to pay for the mmorpgs we love (assuming you are a fan), the reality is that getting rid of the monthly subscription effectively means defunding the game. It will force SV to seek alternative means of revenue generation, which usually means bringing in a microtransactions cash shop.

If people are okay with a cash shop, then that's cool. But do we really want SV to divert their limited manpower and resources away to create and incentivise us the community to spend on the said cash shop? I would hope not. A monthly subscription is the better way to go, if you ask me.

Having said that, I'm open to improving the monthly subscription model to a nice middle ground where SV will be able to meet and exceed its revenue target, and keep us the community happy to continue to fund the game.

I would say lower the excessive grind which is repulsive to me (case in point, the mastery and orb systems), and barrier of entry for simple things like having a heraldry which most other mmorpgs would want to put in players' hands as soon as possible. For some reason, SV wants people to grind 2k gold and 50k prominence before we can have a piece of cloth to represent our guild.

Wake up, friend! You're playing an online game with an average of 400 players online.
This means that you can ride a horse for a whole day around Myrland and not meet anyone for PVP.
I'm very glad that I managed to catch the best time of MO1 and MO2 when things weren't as bad as they are now.
I will pray that my favorite game(MO) will improve and find a new audience, but with the current policy of the game, this is impossible.