I will still give the game a go since I have so many good memories from the first one. However, the first time I see some douche in pink armor from dye that was bought in their cash shop or some lame arse bunny ears on his head the game will get an insta-delete from my hard drive.
At this point, I'm not sure whether we should trust SOE to make a free to play game. After all, EQ2X offered a huge amount of questing content... but almost no classes or races. A double-edged sword as far as content goes.
I see people saying things like oh its not expensive to pay for things while others say it is. Either way its money that needs to be spent and for those of use who are in rather poor families money is not something we can simply dish out. If your rich hell great for you but we would like to play to end game without having to dish out cash for great items. I dont mind having to work the extra hours to earn the gear you can pay for because mommy and daddy can afford it. Anyways just saying some of us need to have the ability to earn those same items through work cause if its only available in the cash shop then gaming companies are just stealing.
+1 to insight
+1 for truthiness
there is a fundamental disjunct between various classes of people in this country right now. it'd be nice if game companies would recognize this and that the economy is still in full retreat.
i can only hope those of us w/ StationPasses will have a reason to play this game. otherwise its just going to be another empty slot in their StationPass offerings.
-1 for politicizing the conversation
-1 for hyperbole (the economy is not in "full retreat" everywhere on the planet, or even everywhere in the US)
There will always be rich people who do not understand the poor, ect ect race/class warfare insert troll bait here.
I agree with the fundamental train of thought of these posters, however. Let people spend money if they want so they have to spend less time getting to the same point that people with more time than money can get to in the same general fashion.
Do not make having way too much time on your hands a l33t skill.
Do not make having access to way too much money a l33t skill.
Balance.
so do you mean to imply that poor people have more time on their hands?
"There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play." Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
I am happy to see them try it, as Planetside 1 did not get as many people as it should have. F2P will get many more to try it and possibly make for a much larger community. IMO large battles with everything Planetside had to offer is what makes it great.
I just hope the 20% power difference between a BR1 and BR20 is all gotten by cash shop. If it costs me less than $15 a month, I am fine. Not to mention not having to purchase the game. I'd even pay up to $20 a month for the Station Pass or whatever they call it now to have access to everything in PS2 and all their other games.
In the end I am just waitng to see what they have done with Planetside 2 gameplay wise. If it sucks then F2P or not won't matter.
Sorry but you either did not play it or you couldn`t understand the mechanics.
First of all ONE of the good regions in Clan wars gives the clan 4500 gold per day. (a one month sub is 2500 gold)
Second, gold ammo is only used in clan wars but if you get some land your clan covers the cost np.
Third, nobody uses it in random, it`s too expensive. Or ok maybe the very rich dudes. And even then if one person out of a team of 15 people uses it... it doesn`t mean they win by far. It`s a team game, skill and coordination > gold ammo.
Forth, in my clan we have people who have a tier 10 playing for free(yea it took some grinding) and people who just spend like 300 EURO to get it by converting xp. We NEVER allow the guys who spent all that money to get there to play in Clan Wars.
Why? Becouse they simply suck, they skipped all the tanks and never learned how to play. So getting a tier 10 tank doesn`t do much if you don`t learn how to play.
So.... again.... maybe you didn`t understand how it works exactly... or didn`t have the money... or just got rolled and started getting mad and hated the game. But don`t spread lies. It just makes you look more butthurt.
All the best!
EDIT: This is in reply to jedi_knight. Looking at the name i know what game you will play. And if more like you join, i won`t be playing it.
Free to play in any sort of FPS style game seems to always mean P2W. Which is unfortunate.
World of Tanks is like that. In order to get anywhere near the end, you really need to spend money. If that amount of money were somewhere near the usual $15 a month, I would be good with that. But folks drop a LOT more than that, and in order to really participate at the high end, it becomes the same issue.
I would much rather have a pay to play situation...oh well. I also dont mind Free to play with a subsctiption option like LotRO, that way both styles are catered to.
[Mod Edit]
1- there are several players I know in teir X tanks on WoT that have never spent a dime on the game and yet still use gold ammo in clan wars & regularly win matches.
2- there are ways to get gold (cash currency) in game that dont have anything to do with spending real life cash
3- there is virtually nothing you can get with $$$ that can't be gotten without using $$$ (no cash-only items)
4-gold items offer minor advantages at best, but do not bork the competition.
That pretty much busts the comment that WoT is P2W. Yes, there are players hoarding or buying gold and running gold ammo/consumables/ect in every fight that can be a bit annoying. However, those people Can and Do get killed.
What I have heard from P2 is that cash items will be, like, individualized looks for your clan, ect.
The F2P = P2W rant is getting a little tired and old. Yes, some games are like that but IMHO its less and less becoming P2W and more & more becoming P2 look cool, get to the end quicker, ect.
In summation, as long as a "pay" option only allows things that can be gotten without cash, does not bring huge advantages, and does not upset the balance of the game.. it is NOT P2W.
my2cents
Ok, so how exactly do you gey Gold in WOT without spending real cash. Color me curious. I haven't seen any options to earn it in game. Admitedly, I only played for a couple weeks before I got bored and stopped (never spent a dime - that's more an ethics thing on my part - I wont pay for advantage in a game.) So, I'm not disputing you...but what is the EXACT procedure?
I'm very skeptical, as are many in this thread, that F2P is actually good for anything other than the super casual whom don't care about advancing to the top in a game.
EQ Next and now this...ugh. I just hold out a small bit of hope that it's not P2W.
Well, I can't same I'm not disappointed. I had really hoped SOE would stick with the Subscription model to keep the riff-raff out.
As it is now, Since I'm paying $15 a month for PS1, I'll give PS2 a try at that same rate, but if it becomes anymore expensive than that or if the F2P losers start clogging up the servers with fail, then I'll just go back to PS1 until SOE takes the last server down.
Oh, and WoT is SOOOO P2W. The very fact that the sell you special ammo should be your first clue.
This doesn't work. This has never worked. Scumbags inhabit subscription-based games just as they do the free ones. The worst communities I've ever had the misfortune of coming across have been in subscription games.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to be skeptical of RMT-based, F2P games, but this is not one of them.
Well, if this wasn't SOE and good old Smed, I'd have more hope that it would work out. While I do not typically play PvP MMO games, I quite enjoy FPS games. We will have to see how this works out. No doubt this will devolve into the typical hysterics about "P2W", from people with an entitlement complex the size of the great out doors. I have NO problem spending money on games I enjoy. These games take a lot of time/talent and skill to create. I want the Dev's to be rewarded for their efforts.
Omg if they do it League of Legends style, I might just shit my pants in excitement.
EDIT: After looking through the posts, most users don't even understand how League of Legends works. They just see "F2P" and instantly put all their rage on it. League of Legends offers only COSMETIC upgrades to players, or CONVIENCE upgrades (XP, IP, getting a champion faster). Anything and everything pertaining to actually competing isn't touched. Hell, I've never put a dime into it, have half the champs and rune pages for each role. If you want to play a champion, you play enough games to unlock it via IP (which is earned from winning OR losing games), or spend real life money (RP) money to buy the champion outright. Cosmetic skins can also be bought for RP.
TL;DR League of Legends has the best F2P model to date.
Free to play for a FPS? Well, so much for being interested in this game. Not only will it be infested with hackers, it'll be pay-to-win. I would HAPPILY pay a subscription for this game. The F2P aspect is only to try and pull in more than what the game is worth each month from the consumer with their "cash store".
So much for looking forward to Planetside 2. Next.
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
Sub > F2P every day, every time, every game.
Some times simple is more complex than it appears. Subscription is simply one of many possible business models. F2P is another possible business model. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). F2P games have cash shops for a reason... So the Dev's can make a profit on their work. I have no problem with that.
Cash shop items are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Time/Money is a matter of what one values the most. Its up to each player to make that determination. Bottom line, if you don't like F2P games, don't play them. Now that IS simple. ^^
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
Sub > F2P every day, every time, every game.
Some times simple is more complex than it appears. Subscription is simply one of many possible business models. F2P is another possible business model. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). F2P games have cash shops for a reason... So the Dev's can make a profit on their work. I have no problem with that.
Cash shop items are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Time/Money is a matter of what one values the most. Its up to each player to make that determination. Bottom line, if you don't like F2P games, don't play them. Now that IS simple. ^^
I must not have communicated what I was actually trying to say very well. Sorry about that.
I wasn't disputing that F2P was a business model. I was pointing out that unless the only thing available for purchase in a cash shop was vanity items, then no matter how you look at it, the game is a Pay To Win system. I guess I was too ambiguous.
It doesn't matter if items only cost a penny. If the item I buy changes the outcome of any encounter in the game in any way differently than another person that did not pay, than I just "Paid to Win."
A subscription puts everyone on equal plane, where it's up to you as a player, to be as succesful as you desire, not what you decide to charge at the store today.
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
Sub > F2P every day, every time, every game.
Some times simple is more complex than it appears. Subscription is simply one of many possible business models. F2P is another possible business model. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). F2P games have cash shops for a reason... So the Dev's can make a profit on their work. I have no problem with that.
Cash shop items are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Time/Money is a matter of what one values the most. Its up to each player to make that determination. Bottom line, if you don't like F2P games, don't play them. Now that IS simple. ^^
I must not have communicated what I was actually trying to say very well. Sorry about that.
I wasn't disputing that F2P was a business model. I was pointing out that unless the only thing available for purchase in a cash shop was vanity items, then no matter how you look at it, the game is a Pay To Win system. I guess I was too ambiguous.
It doesn't matter if items only cost a penny. If the item I buy changes the outcome of any encounter in the game in any way differently than another person that did not pay, than I just "Paid to Win."
A subscription puts everyone on equal plane, where it's up to you as a player, to be as succesful as you desire, not what you decide to charge at the store today.
It is simple.
Not necessarily. There's been a growing trend in cash shop games where there is NOTHING that can affect gameplay that cannot also be bought for in-game currency. League of Legends, whom SOE claims they like the model of, is a great example of this.WHile cash shop buyers can acquire these things a little faster, it tends to not matter very much. Esp as the level restrictions on most items and item slots mean you can't get too far ahead of a 100% free player no matter how hard you try. Mostly you can just unlock characters a lot easier.
If it actually works like LoL it would be excellent. I can easily see how selling character skins would work. LoL is one of the few examples of an almost perfect cash shop IMO. Other games are also taking note. See Super Monday Night Combat.
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
Sub > F2P every day, every time, every game.
Some times simple is more complex than it appears. Subscription is simply one of many possible business models. F2P is another possible business model. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). F2P games have cash shops for a reason... So the Dev's can make a profit on their work. I have no problem with that.
Cash shop items are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Time/Money is a matter of what one values the most. Its up to each player to make that determination. Bottom line, if you don't like F2P games, don't play them. Now that IS simple. ^^
I must not have communicated what I was actually trying to say very well. Sorry about that.
I wasn't disputing that F2P was a business model. I was pointing out that unless the only thing available for purchase in a cash shop was vanity items, then no matter how you look at it, the game is a Pay To Win system. I guess I was too ambiguous.
It doesn't matter if items only cost a penny. If the item I buy changes the outcome of any encounter in the game in any way differently than another person that did not pay, than I just "Paid to Win."
A subscription puts everyone on equal plane, where it's up to you as a player, to be as succesful as you desire, not what you decide to charge at the store today.
It is simple.
Once again, its time vs money. They are simply different exchange types. Just so long as the same options are available to everyone, its all the same to me, as long as I enjoy the game. I doubt this debate will ever end. Some people have 10 hours a day to throw at a game. Others have less. Some think nothing of spending money in cash shops, others go into hysterics about such things. Different games for different people. As I said, if you don't like games with cash shops, don't play them. Simple and to the point. ^^
Heck yes, Can't wait to pimp out my Galaxy with skins! Just need a bright orange skin to stand out from all the other pilots, so everyone looks to me for a quick way to their destination!
ok maybe not like that but yeah looking forward to being able to making my galaxy look a little different at least
It doesn't matter how much you all want to dress up the context with silly little wordsmithing. In the end, no matter how much lipstick you try to put on the pig, it's still "Pay to Win."
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
Sub > F2P every day, every time, every game.
Some times simple is more complex than it appears. Subscription is simply one of many possible business models. F2P is another possible business model. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). F2P games have cash shops for a reason... So the Dev's can make a profit on their work. I have no problem with that.
Cash shop items are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Time/Money is a matter of what one values the most. Its up to each player to make that determination. Bottom line, if you don't like F2P games, don't play them. Now that IS simple. ^^
I must not have communicated what I was actually trying to say very well. Sorry about that.
I wasn't disputing that F2P was a business model. I was pointing out that unless the only thing available for purchase in a cash shop was vanity items, then no matter how you look at it, the game is a Pay To Win system. I guess I was too ambiguous.
It doesn't matter if items only cost a penny. If the item I buy changes the outcome of any encounter in the game in any way differently than another person that did not pay, than I just "Paid to Win."
A subscription puts everyone on equal plane, where it's up to you as a player, to be as succesful as you desire, not what you decide to charge at the store today.
It is simple.
Once again, its time vs money. They are simply different exchange types. Just so long as the same options are available to everyone, its all the same to me, as long as I enjoy the game. I doubt this debate will ever end. Some people have 10 hours a day to throw at a game. Others have less. Some think nothing of spending money in cash shops, others go into hysterics about such things. Different games for different people. As I said, if you don't like games with cash shops, don't play them. Simple and to the point. ^^
This is just word smithing to justify "Pay to Win" mechanics and I won't fall for simple bait and switches like this.
Time vs. Money as being referred to as "just different exchange types" is not even close to being valid. One is earned rewards through personal goal setting and actions to achieve them, the other is a click of the mouse because that person is too lazy. And no, you can't use "time to earn that money" either. The time spent to
And no, you can't use "time to earn that money" as a variable either. The "time" spent to earn the money has nothing to do with the hobby, just as my time to earn my money at my job has no effect or bearing on my jogging stamina. I have to invest time to reap the benefits.
Any hobby you have, if you want to become good at it, requires your time investment. If you don't have the time to invest in it, then you do what everyone else does and pick a different hobby.
I can only imagine peoples reactions if in the middle of a race a runner went to the sidelines to buy half a lap "because they simply don't have the time." Yet, it's perfectly OK to "buy" instead of earn stat points in these video games to some people.
But I forget, this is the society we live in now... instant gratification. ^%$# the actual sense of trying to work for and earn something. What was I thinking?
Comments
I will still give the game a go since I have so many good memories from the first one. However, the first time I see some douche in pink armor from dye that was bought in their cash shop or some lame arse bunny ears on his head the game will get an insta-delete from my hard drive.
"If I offended you, you needed it" -Corey Taylor
Now I wanna try this game more.
At this point, I'm not sure whether we should trust SOE to make a free to play game. After all, EQ2X offered a huge amount of questing content... but almost no classes or races. A double-edged sword as far as content goes.
so do you mean to imply that poor people have more time on their hands?
"There are at least two kinds of games.
One could be called finite, the other infinite.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
I am happy to see them try it, as Planetside 1 did not get as many people as it should have. F2P will get many more to try it and possibly make for a much larger community. IMO large battles with everything Planetside had to offer is what makes it great.
I just hope the 20% power difference between a BR1 and BR20 is all gotten by cash shop. If it costs me less than $15 a month, I am fine. Not to mention not having to purchase the game. I'd even pay up to $20 a month for the Station Pass or whatever they call it now to have access to everything in PS2 and all their other games.
In the end I am just waitng to see what they have done with Planetside 2 gameplay wise. If it sucks then F2P or not won't matter.
Initial reaction .. .. NOOOOOOOooOoooOoOOO!!!!.....
Second reaction ......You got your free to play stuck in my planetside 2
Third reaction..... Well if it is done right, there is still hope
Conclusion.... (sigh) .. .. Smedley
Work hard Play Harder
Sorry but you either did not play it or you couldn`t understand the mechanics.
First of all ONE of the good regions in Clan wars gives the clan 4500 gold per day. (a one month sub is 2500 gold)
Second, gold ammo is only used in clan wars but if you get some land your clan covers the cost np.
Third, nobody uses it in random, it`s too expensive. Or ok maybe the very rich dudes. And even then if one person out of a team of 15 people uses it... it doesn`t mean they win by far. It`s a team game, skill and coordination > gold ammo.
Forth, in my clan we have people who have a tier 10 playing for free(yea it took some grinding) and people who just spend like 300 EURO to get it by converting xp. We NEVER allow the guys who spent all that money to get there to play in Clan Wars.
Why? Becouse they simply suck, they skipped all the tanks and never learned how to play. So getting a tier 10 tank doesn`t do much if you don`t learn how to play.
So.... again.... maybe you didn`t understand how it works exactly... or didn`t have the money... or just got rolled and started getting mad and hated the game. But don`t spread lies. It just makes you look more butthurt.
All the best!
EDIT: This is in reply to jedi_knight. Looking at the name i know what game you will play. And if more like you join, i won`t be playing it.
Ok, so how exactly do you gey Gold in WOT without spending real cash. Color me curious. I haven't seen any options to earn it in game. Admitedly, I only played for a couple weeks before I got bored and stopped (never spent a dime - that's more an ethics thing on my part - I wont pay for advantage in a game.) So, I'm not disputing you...but what is the EXACT procedure?
At least make it B2P.
I'm very skeptical, as are many in this thread, that F2P is actually good for anything other than the super casual whom don't care about advancing to the top in a game.
EQ Next and now this...ugh. I just hold out a small bit of hope that it's not P2W.
The future is almost here my friends.
Planetside, firefall, GW2 and quite a fwe other games decide to go subscriptionless..
It's a great time to be a mmorpg fan. adapt or leave it behind.
No more paying to rent our games with a monthly fee even after we pay for a box fee...
Ahh times are good.
Playing: Nothing
Looking forward to: Nothing
This doesn't work. This has never worked. Scumbags inhabit subscription-based games just as they do the free ones. The worst communities I've ever had the misfortune of coming across have been in subscription games.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to be skeptical of RMT-based, F2P games, but this is not one of them.
Well, if this wasn't SOE and good old Smed, I'd have more hope that it would work out. While I do not typically play PvP MMO games, I quite enjoy FPS games. We will have to see how this works out. No doubt this will devolve into the typical hysterics about "P2W", from people with an entitlement complex the size of the great out doors. I have NO problem spending money on games I enjoy. These games take a lot of time/talent and skill to create. I want the Dev's to be rewarded for their efforts.
Omg if they do it League of Legends style, I might just shit my pants in excitement.
EDIT: After looking through the posts, most users don't even understand how League of Legends works. They just see "F2P" and instantly put all their rage on it. League of Legends offers only COSMETIC upgrades to players, or CONVIENCE upgrades (XP, IP, getting a champion faster). Anything and everything pertaining to actually competing isn't touched. Hell, I've never put a dime into it, have half the champs and rune pages for each role. If you want to play a champion, you play enough games to unlock it via IP (which is earned from winning OR losing games), or spend real life money (RP) money to buy the champion outright. Cosmetic skins can also be bought for RP.
TL;DR League of Legends has the best F2P model to date.
He who keeps his cool best wins.
To SOE:
DCUO says hi
DCUO
How much WoW could a WoWhater hate, if a WoWhater could hate WoW?
As much WoW as a WoWhater would, if a WoWhater could hate WoW.
Free to play for a FPS? Well, so much for being interested in this game. Not only will it be infested with hackers, it'll be pay-to-win. I would HAPPILY pay a subscription for this game. The F2P aspect is only to try and pull in more than what the game is worth each month from the consumer with their "cash store".
So much for looking forward to Planetside 2. Next.
As much as people try to twist or convolute the issue however they can, it really is simple if you don't let yourselves get distracted by comparisons or side discussions about things that are affected BY a micro-transaction F2P model. The issue is the F2P micro-transaction business model itself.
It is simply this:
Any business model does not have all it participants on an equal level of access due to what is or is not paid for, no matter how minor, is a pay to win system.
The absolute only possible exception to this would be if the extra paid for items in game were purely cosmetic that had absolutely zero effect of anyone’s outcome.
Period, end of story.
Sometimes life really is that simple... this is one of those times.
Sub > F2P every day, every time, every game.
Some times simple is more complex than it appears. Subscription is simply one of many possible business models. F2P is another possible business model. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). F2P games have cash shops for a reason... So the Dev's can make a profit on their work. I have no problem with that.
Cash shop items are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them. Time/Money is a matter of what one values the most. Its up to each player to make that determination. Bottom line, if you don't like F2P games, don't play them. Now that IS simple. ^^
I must not have communicated what I was actually trying to say very well. Sorry about that.
I wasn't disputing that F2P was a business model. I was pointing out that unless the only thing available for purchase in a cash shop was vanity items, then no matter how you look at it, the game is a Pay To Win system. I guess I was too ambiguous.
It doesn't matter if items only cost a penny. If the item I buy changes the outcome of any encounter in the game in any way differently than another person that did not pay, than I just "Paid to Win."
A subscription puts everyone on equal plane, where it's up to you as a player, to be as succesful as you desire, not what you decide to charge at the store today.
It is simple.
Not necessarily. There's been a growing trend in cash shop games where there is NOTHING that can affect gameplay that cannot also be bought for in-game currency. League of Legends, whom SOE claims they like the model of, is a great example of this.WHile cash shop buyers can acquire these things a little faster, it tends to not matter very much. Esp as the level restrictions on most items and item slots mean you can't get too far ahead of a 100% free player no matter how hard you try. Mostly you can just unlock characters a lot easier.
If it actually works like LoL it would be excellent. I can easily see how selling character skins would work. LoL is one of the few examples of an almost perfect cash shop IMO. Other games are also taking note. See Super Monday Night Combat.
Steam: Neph
Once again, its time vs money. They are simply different exchange types. Just so long as the same options are available to everyone, its all the same to me, as long as I enjoy the game. I doubt this debate will ever end. Some people have 10 hours a day to throw at a game. Others have less. Some think nothing of spending money in cash shops, others go into hysterics about such things. Different games for different people. As I said, if you don't like games with cash shops, don't play them. Simple and to the point. ^^
Heck yes, Can't wait to pimp out my Galaxy with skins! Just need a bright orange skin to stand out from all the other pilots, so everyone looks to me for a quick way to their destination!
ok maybe not like that
but yeah looking forward to being able to making my galaxy look a little different at least 
It doesn't matter how much you all want to dress up the context with silly little wordsmithing. In the end, no matter how much lipstick you try to put on the pig, it's still "Pay to Win."
Period.
This is just word smithing to justify "Pay to Win" mechanics and I won't fall for simple bait and switches like this.
Time vs. Money as being referred to as "just different exchange types" is not even close to being valid. One is earned rewards through personal goal setting and actions to achieve them, the other is a click of the mouse because that person is too lazy. And no, you can't use "time to earn that money" either. The time spent to
And no, you can't use "time to earn that money" as a variable either. The "time" spent to earn the money has nothing to do with the hobby, just as my time to earn my money at my job has no effect or bearing on my jogging stamina. I have to invest time to reap the benefits.
Any hobby you have, if you want to become good at it, requires your time investment. If you don't have the time to invest in it, then you do what everyone else does and pick a different hobby.
I can only imagine peoples reactions if in the middle of a race a runner went to the sidelines to buy half a lap "because they simply don't have the time." Yet, it's perfectly OK to "buy" instead of earn stat points in these video games to some people.
But I forget, this is the society we live in now... instant gratification. ^%$# the actual sense of trying to work for and earn something. What was I thinking?