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Subscription Games Turned Free To Play (F2P)
13 years ago
I for one approve of subscription based games converting to a F2P policy. However, in my experience so far, many of these game companies are failing miserably at getting it all to work right, especially when it comes to the communication between their various pieces of software in order to make it all work.
One in particular, that I have been 'enjoying' lately, would be Dungeons and Dragons Online, since it recently became free to play as well. A week ago, I made a Lord of the Rings Online account since this game did the same thing and is run by the same people over the same F2P system. However, because I already made a free LOTRO account, making a free DDO account is a total headache.
After scrounging the net to figure out why I could not use my Turbine Account (the account needed to access both of these games) to play DDO, I found posts from 2009 from people complaining about the same problem, before the games became F2P.
Turbine's FAQ page is a joke and you have to literally be a psychic to figure out how to get to the support ticket system. Apparently, they are too lazy to create an automated process to 'generate' a product key needed to subscribe to DDO for free on the same account as your LOTRO account. I'm not going to make and keep track of two accounts for the same interface. That is just stupid.
So anyway, I finally get a ticket in. Life is good. Now I can wait a few days and can finally play the game I downloaded and installed. Nope. No response after several days, so I submit another ticket--and another ticket--until finally I get a reply days later.
Yay! I finally get a product key. Well, that is all good and well, but when I go to submit said product key, I get a different error message every time, ranging from "this product key only works if you already have a subscription" to "this is an invalid product key", etc.
How can you fail so damn much at implementing a F2P structure? Seriously? All of the ground work was laid out when you introduced the game to the world about half of a decade ago. I work in the industry of software development, do you want me to come over there and show you guys how its done? What makes you think that I would even remotely consider buying anything from your game store or subscribing to VIP status when you cannot even make your F2P structure work?
Am I just nuts or has anyone else experienced beyond horrible, nightmarish issues with subscription based games converting to F2P?
I've dealt with plenty, Fallen Earth was another one, but this one by far takes the cake.
One in particular, that I have been 'enjoying' lately, would be Dungeons and Dragons Online, since it recently became free to play as well. A week ago, I made a Lord of the Rings Online account since this game did the same thing and is run by the same people over the same F2P system. However, because I already made a free LOTRO account, making a free DDO account is a total headache.
After scrounging the net to figure out why I could not use my Turbine Account (the account needed to access both of these games) to play DDO, I found posts from 2009 from people complaining about the same problem, before the games became F2P.
Turbine's FAQ page is a joke and you have to literally be a psychic to figure out how to get to the support ticket system. Apparently, they are too lazy to create an automated process to 'generate' a product key needed to subscribe to DDO for free on the same account as your LOTRO account. I'm not going to make and keep track of two accounts for the same interface. That is just stupid.
So anyway, I finally get a ticket in. Life is good. Now I can wait a few days and can finally play the game I downloaded and installed. Nope. No response after several days, so I submit another ticket--and another ticket--until finally I get a reply days later.
Yay! I finally get a product key. Well, that is all good and well, but when I go to submit said product key, I get a different error message every time, ranging from "this product key only works if you already have a subscription" to "this is an invalid product key", etc.
How can you fail so damn much at implementing a F2P structure? Seriously? All of the ground work was laid out when you introduced the game to the world about half of a decade ago. I work in the industry of software development, do you want me to come over there and show you guys how its done? What makes you think that I would even remotely consider buying anything from your game store or subscribing to VIP status when you cannot even make your F2P structure work?
Am I just nuts or has anyone else experienced beyond horrible, nightmarish issues with subscription based games converting to F2P?
I've dealt with plenty, Fallen Earth was another one, but this one by far takes the cake.
Nightstar Skiltaire
~swiftpaw
I don't have much experience in trying out many games (mostly due to lack of time), but I'm not surprised. I do however have very good experiences with the one I play now and then currently, Star Trek Online. :) If anything, it's gotten a lot -better- than it was back when I used to pay for it. Their switch to F2P has had plenty of bumps but I have a feeling they've done it better than most. :)
