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Is it fair you need to stay subbed to complete the WOW expansion?

TwistedSister77TwistedSister77 Member EpicPosts: 1,144
edited December 2020 in The Pub at MMORPG.COM
So buying the expansion gives you a lot of the story.  But you have to wait for updates/patches for more of the story to be released.

If you bought the expansion, shouldn't you be able to play the main storyline through?  Additional updates are cool, but isn't it incomplete?  In a way a partial product to keep you subbed?
mmolouAlBQuirky[Deleted User]FrodoFraginsKidRiskGdemami[Deleted User]bcbully
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Comments

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    Yes it is a scam and time for people to stop supporting it.I no longer support any subscriptions or monetization.

    I am tired of being ripped off an I don't NEED any game,i am not some addicted junkie,i am the consumer,they need to conform to us not the other way around.
    mmolouAlBQuirky[Deleted User]MightyUncleanGdemami[Deleted User]TokkenPalebaneSyanisbcbully

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    yah.. I demand they make multi-million dollar game that has dozens of professionals updating and maintain it, and give it all to me for free! 

    I refuse to fiscally support their efforts till they understand I am the costumer and I should not have to pay for anything! 
    SovrathKyleranmmolouAlBQuirkyRoin[Deleted User]KidRisk[Deleted User]TokkenNanfoodleand 2 others.
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • bonzoso21bonzoso21 Member UncommonPosts: 380
    It's more than fair to argue that a game charging a DLC box price on top of a subscription free equates to double dipping, but at this point WoW is 16 years old with 8 expansions that have all been monetized exactly the same way. Fair or not, players know the drill by now.

    I will say, though, that I thought they used to give 30 days of game time with the regular $40 box and now I think you need to buy the deluxe $60 box to get that, which is lame. People buying the expansion should get a month to see the launch content.
    AlBQuirkyGdemami
  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    KyleranTokkenBabuinix[Deleted User]
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • TwistedSister77TwistedSister77 Member EpicPosts: 1,144
    edited December 2020
    Ungood said:
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    I have no problem paying a sub to a mmorpg I like.  But to pay a box price for a expansion that has an incomplete solo storyline, to keep you subbed for months afterwards while they dribble out new parts of the story... not cool.

    There should be plenty of other content to keep you subbed in the expansions without affecting solo storyline (dungeons, crafting, new classes, pvp, etc.)
    AlBQuirky[Deleted User]
  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    edited December 2020
    Ungood said:
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    I have no problem paying a sub to a mmorpg I like.  But to pay a box price for a expansion that has an incomplete solo storyline, to keep you subbed for months afterwards while they dribble out new parts of the story... not cool.

    There should be plenty of other content to keep you subbed in the expansions without affecting solo storyline (dungeons, crafting, new classes, pvp, etc.)
    Well Technically, you need to pay the sub to have access to the game at all right?

    Or did WoW go F2P or something. Honestly I have no idea.

    But last I knew (and I could be very wrong) WoW was still a sub based game, so, you're not paying the Sub for Expansion content, you're paying the sub to get access to the game in the general sense.

    As for spanning out the Story to keep people subbed into the game, that is brilliant really, sounds like a trick they picked up from GW2, where they release story content in some small intervals, free to anyone that is actively playing, so people stay around playing the game for the free content updates. (with the idea that if they can keep players coming back and playing, they will spend money.. obviously)

    I would like to feel your outrage, and no doubt it feels like they are playing you with this latest trick, but, come on, that is the whole nature of how subs work, from making things with impossibly slow grinds, to flat out time gated content, to rare spawns that are a type of randomized time gate (That is a  real pisser), to a slew of other ways they put in means to stall progress that mask as gameplay, the goal is to get players to maintain an active sub, that is how they make their money.

    This is just their newest trick.

    mmolouAlBQuirkyWhiteLanternKidRisk
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,975
    Ungood said:
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    I have no problem paying a sub to a mmorpg I like.  But to pay a box price for a expansion that has an incomplete solo storyline, to keep you subbed for months afterwards while they dribble out new parts of the story... not cool.

    There should be plenty of other content to keep you subbed in the expansions without affecting solo storyline (dungeons, crafting, new classes, pvp, etc.)
    Couldn't you just wait a few months until after all of the new content is in then jump in and sub to play the full game?
    UngoodIselinAlBQuirkysome-clueless-guyPalebane[Deleted User]

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

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    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

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  • SandmanjwSandmanjw Member RarePosts: 531
    Ungood said:
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    I have no problem paying a sub to a mmorpg I like.  But to pay a box price for a expansion that has an incomplete solo storyline, to keep you subbed for months afterwards while they dribble out new parts of the story... not cool.

    There should be plenty of other content to keep you subbed in the expansions without affecting solo storyline (dungeons, crafting, new classes, pvp, etc.)
    How does WOW work anymore? By that i mean, can you still start the game and play like BC, Wrath, and the other expacs? Or have they remade the whole game?

    Used to be you would get all the expacs after the next one came out, but not played in long time other than classic so i have no idea what retail looks like since pandaria.

    So for a sub for a month you can play classic and every expac except the latest. is the way it used to be unless things have changed. 

    Anyhow if you can still play old the stuff...you could wait i guess. Or pay the early access fee:P That's what the expac price is really:P


    AlBQuirky
  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    Kyleran said:
    Ungood said:
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    I have no problem paying a sub to a mmorpg I like.  But to pay a box price for a expansion that has an incomplete solo storyline, to keep you subbed for months afterwards while they dribble out new parts of the story... not cool.

    There should be plenty of other content to keep you subbed in the expansions without affecting solo storyline (dungeons, crafting, new classes, pvp, etc.)
    Couldn't you just wait a few months until after all of the new content is in then jump in and sub to play the full game?
    This is Brilliant.. 

    Just .... Brilliant! 
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,273
    Subscription plus paid expansions gave us the best MMOs we have ever had, so yes.
  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432
    edited December 2020
    Kyleran said:
    Ungood said:
    I have got to admit.. a part of what keeps me on this forums, is seeing people talk through rose colored glasses about the good old days of subs based games, and then seeing people complain about paying a sub for a game.

    That kind of stuff just makes this place special.
    I have no problem paying a sub to a mmorpg I like.  But to pay a box price for a expansion that has an incomplete solo storyline, to keep you subbed for months afterwards while they dribble out new parts of the story... not cool.

    There should be plenty of other content to keep you subbed in the expansions without affecting solo storyline (dungeons, crafting, new classes, pvp, etc.)
    Couldn't you just wait a few months until after all of the new content is in then jump in and sub to play the full game?
    Not without first purchasing said expac. But definitely do-able. Maybe by that time, they'll have announced the next expac :)

    I get where Twisted is coming from. You who scoff are off base, in my opinion. They put out a story-based expansion. That should include the whole story. Or charge less for an the incomplete parts of it. They finish the story in bits and pieces, released here and there.

    Is it fair? Not one tiny bit. Is it business as usual? You bet!

    As for this:
    Ungood said:
    yah.. I demand they make multi-million dollar game that has dozens of professionals updating and maintain it, and give it all to me for free! 

    I refuse to fiscally support their efforts till they understand I am the costumer and I should not have to pay for anything! 
    It's not like Activision/Blizzard is hurting. They still getting over $15 million each month yet (1 million subs)? Did they do massive layoffs lately?
    [Deleted User]

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • some-clueless-guysome-clueless-guy Member UncommonPosts: 227
    They got away with it the first time they tried it, they will keep the formula as long as they can. Maybe this is the last time and in near future they might adopt a more GW2-like model, or maybe the players will still pay and let them keep it up for a decade longer.

    Personally I find that a monthly sub with nothing else added and all content available is the best but it is  a luxury we don't deserve anymore: players are too easily manipulated in spending twice as much a month on a cash shop, publishers would have to become non-profit organizations to just ignore this.
    AlBQuirkyGdemami[Deleted User]
  • mmoloummolou Member UncommonPosts: 256
    How dare they charge a subscription so people can continue to play a subscription based game....


    Scot[Deleted User]KidRiskAlBQuirky
    It is a funny world we live in.
    We had Empires run by Emperors, we had Kingdoms run by Kings, now we have Countries...
  • BeansnBreadBeansnBread Member EpicPosts: 7,254
    If you think it's unfair, just don't buy it.
    QuizzicalAlBQuirky[Deleted User][Deleted User]
  • TwistedSister77TwistedSister77 Member EpicPosts: 1,144
    edited December 2020
    Again, people flippantly chiming in about subs are missing the point.  Yes WOW has a sub, not arguing you need a sub or that subs should be free.

    I'm trying to rethink my perspective, maybe WOW is a different beast (unlike other MMORPGS/DLCs that have complete storylines day 1). 

    Agree with others, maybe I should see WOW differently.  I guess it would help to see expansions more as a new MMORPG launch... with content delivered throughout the product lifecycle to complete the storyline.

    I was reading a small poll of players that said from the last expansion (BFA)- strickly doing the main storyline was about 100hrs, but most spent about 350hrs in game.  

    MendelKidRiskAlBQuirky
  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    remsleep said:
    Maybe there is a misunderstanding on how WoW is monetized (it's always been this way):

    1. Monthly subscriptions
    2. Paid expansions


    So to play WoW - you have to pay a sub at minimum - to play the latest content - you need to buy the expansion as well.

    So paying for both expansion and sub has always been how WoW's done it - if you don't like this - you simply don't buy/don't sub - don't play.
    Well to be fair to the OP, WoW expansions used to be all inclusive story-wise. That is no longer the case and, since I skipped several expansions between MoP and Shadowlands, I'm not even sure when that started.

    I won't complain about the Xpac + sub business model since I prefer that over any other MMORPG payment models but from purely a game play perspective it's kind of disappointing to go trough the whole Shadowlands story quest content and not see a final resolution for Sylvana and all the other faction leaders. I'm not crazy about this "stay tuned" crap either.
    KyleranAlBQuirkyPalebane
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  • AntariousAntarious Member UncommonPosts: 2,843
    I've never personally had an issue with the subscription part of the game.  I was playing classic to kill time and decided to hop over to retail.  I dunno... the game world in some areas was beautiful and all but...  Ya I guess I can see why you don't want to pay a sub if you can't finish that story in a month.

    I only played a couple days of shadowlands and didn't even go back to classic after.   Oh and to be repetitive for me the subscription isn't the issue.  
  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    AlBQuirky said:
    Ungood said:
    yah.. I demand they make multi-million dollar game that has dozens of professionals updating and maintain it, and give it all to me for free! 

    I refuse to fiscally support their efforts till they understand I am the costumer and I should not have to pay for anything! 
    It's not like Activision/Blizzard is hurting. They still getting over $15 million each month yet (1 million subs)? Did they do massive layoffs lately?
    My post It was not about the individual gaming company involved but about the mindset of players that feel entitled to get everything for free.
    AlBQuirky
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • CuddleheartCuddleheart Member UncommonPosts: 391


    I'm trying to rethink my perspective, maybe WOW is a different beast (unlike other MMORPGS/DLCs that have complete storylines day 1). 




    What modern MMORPG on the market releases expansions without releasing the content in a piecemeal fashion?  I'm legit trying to think of one and can't.
    AlBQuirky
  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,534
    I'm trying to rethink my perspective, maybe WOW is a different beast (unlike other MMORPGS/DLCs that have complete storylines day 1). 
    Time gating Releases to continue/generate hype is not a new thing. And just because you do not have access to it, does not mean it is has not been completed.

    Case in point, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the whole thing was shot all at once, and then it was broken down into Three Movies, and had time gated release dates. This obviously to give people time to watch the movie, buy all the apocopate merchandise, and allow it to simmer in and maximize their hype time and profits, and then the next movie was released, all new merchandise was released, all new hype, and it keeps the fans involved, it keeps the hype alive, and it keeps the profit from merchandise flowing.

    Sure they could have released all 3 movies on day 1, allowed the masses to gorge on something like like 9 hours of movie, and burn out in a few months. Instead they made releasing the Trilogy it's own saga, and thus milked it for the most money they could, this profited everyone involved in the making and selling of that movie.

    WoW is just doing the same thing. You bought the expansion, all content included, you will get all the stories and everything, just with a time gated release.

    Now they will say things like, releasing in sections, allows players to enjoy the story as it comes, it allows the casuals to catch up to the hardcore players, so they all talk about the story and discuss the next chapter as it comes, and when it gets released, they can all charge into the next section together.

    This way, there will be less in the way of end story spoilers at the end of the first day, because some people can do 100 hours of content in 10 hours.

    While all of that is true, and those are in fact good noble reasons to time gate the release of large blocks of story content, so that each story section/chapter can be enjoyed by the population at a time, and not having players trying to gorge on all the content within the first week in a mad race to see who can be first place.

    Like the Harry Potter book sales where people would line up at midnight to buy the book, take it home and not sleep till they finished the book. And while that has it's place in the world of entertainment, game developers need to make the call how is the best way to release their content.

    Time gating story also allows players to do that one chapter this month, and then move off to other content things, like dungeons, raids, etc, this is something else that GW2 did, where in the personal story, it was level gated, so you did part 1 between levels 1 - 10, if you completed the story before you made it to level 10, then you had to go about and do other things to get to level 10, before you could start the next chapter.

    This was done, so that players would play the other parts of the game as they followed the story, as opposed to being on rails from cradle to the grave, like some games, and they lay this on you fast too, like, you do the story and you're only like level 3, and they are all saying "Well go out and see the big open world.. scary AF ain't it! Go get 'em tiger! 

    I mean, Obviously, no matter what they do, there is always going to be some group that will be upset, the question I guess becomes, do the people that are upset understand why they did what they did?

    When it comes to sub based games/services, sure, it's also trick to keep players subbed in, that is why companies can film like 10 epoxides of your favorite show in a month, and only release a new episode for you to watch once a week, so they will keep you as an active viewer over a long period of time.

    Same with an MMO, they want you to keep an active account waiting for the next chapter to be released, and that can seem shady AF to the people that otherwise would not keep an active account, but to the players that were enjoying the game, gated release has many advantages as I explained above, their is also good fiscal reasons for them to do it this way, and it does allow for minor tweaks and changes, in case something gets discovered that they missed along the way.

    Just saying there are many ways to look at this, and it might not be as cut and dried as you think it is.

    KyleranAlBQuirky
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,483
    If you think it would be more fair to rely on a heavily pay to win item mall rather than subscriptions, then there are plenty of games that offer that.
    [Deleted User]KidRisk
  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    I don't have a problem with subscriptions or the expansion model.  The issues start when the current expansion is 1/3 of what has previously been an expansion.  I don't expect to pay for chapters 1-7 of a 25 chapter book, either.



    TwistedSister77Hawkaya399AlBQuirky[Deleted User]

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • Jamar870Jamar870 Member UncommonPosts: 573
    Damn, where have you been hiding? Don't you know you can stop your sub for awhile(couple of months or more) and then when you feel like it restart and pickup where you left off. I already did this for over 6 months. Sheesh what a whiner.
    TokkenUtinni
  • FrodoFraginsFrodoFragins Member EpicPosts: 6,050
    If that is your concern wait until they release the last content patch to buy it.  Of course it's fair and desirable in an ongoing supported title.
    Tokken[Deleted User]
  • TwistedSister77TwistedSister77 Member EpicPosts: 1,144
    Jamar870 said:
    Damn, where have you been hiding? Don't you know you can stop your sub for awhile(couple of months or more) and then when you feel like it restart and pickup where you left off. I already did this for over 6 months. Sheesh what a whiner.
    You know this is the mmorpg forums where we discuss and debate stuff.  Not whining... carry on ;)
    AlBQuirky
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