Slow Free Platinum

[Quetzhal]

Allods Online is another game that allows the exchange of in-game currency with another in-game currency that is basically the equivalent of paid currency, allowing you to purchase things from the cash shop. Granted, they have maybe four different currencies and it's a bit ridiculous. Turbine MMOs (DDO, LoTRO) generally also offer you some way to earn paid currency through gameplay. As I recall, you could earn Turbine points by completing dungeons, and more points for completing the dungeons at higher difficulty levels. Many casual games will offer some slow way or the other (usually sheer luck or events) to obtain paid currency.

There's a very good reason for doing this. The rate at which you earn this paid currency is usually so ridiculously slow that you'll never really be able to get anything important - however, it keeps the free players happy by giving them the illusion that they can get everything for free with patience. Why is this important? Because some players will only spend money if they feel like they're not being manipulated into doing so. Because it keeps free players happy and reduces the animosity between the free crowd and the paying crowd. Because players that are forced to spend money won't stay with a game as long as players who spend money because they're happy with the game.

However, this doesn't work for Warframe. Not yet, anyway. Warframe's playerbase is too small, and the content is too little. A decision like that might be ultimately profitable, if the number of players who spend more are greater than the number of players who would stop paying altogether - but at this stage, it's a bit too risky for Warframe to try something like that. I don't think DE has the funds to keep themselves afloat if something like that fails.

What I'm saying is that allowing paid currency to be earned from within the game might eventually be a good idea, but probably not now. Not yet. Maybe in the future, when Warframe has a much larger playerbase and more dedicated fans. If it becomes really big and can afford to sustain itself just with cosmetics? That would be pretty cool, and I'd be happy for DE if that happens. In the meantime, I can't blame DE for trying to get what money they can to keep their game running. The system is pretty easygoing on free players as is.

All that, of course, is just my opinion. I could certainly be wrong, and I'd be happy to hear why. But I did my best to look at it objectively and that's the conclusion I came to. *shrugs*

[matrixEXO]

Allods Online is another game that allows the exchange of in-game currency with another in-game currency that is basically the equivalent of paid currency, allowing you to purchase things from the cash shop. Granted, they have maybe four different currencies and it's a bit ridiculous. Turbine MMOs (DDO, LoTRO) generally also offer you some way to earn paid currency through gameplay. As I recall, you could earn Turbine points by completing dungeons, and more points for completing the dungeons at higher difficulty levels. Many casual games will offer some slow way or the other (usually sheer luck or events) to obtain paid currency.

There's a very good reason for doing this. The rate at which you earn this paid currency is usually so ridiculously slow that you'll never really be able to get anything important - however, it keeps the free players happy by giving them the illusion that they can get everything for free with patience. Why is this important? Because some players will only spend money if they feel like they're not being manipulated into doing so. Because it keeps free players happy and reduces the animosity between the free crowd and the paying crowd. Because players that are forced to spend money won't stay with a game as long as players who spend money because they're happy with the game.

Duh, actually that's not really it. I played LOTRO and I must say that the only REAL reason why they added that "Earn cash currency for free" is because of the bloody content block.

 

Basically, you need to farm up to even unlock new areas (and some character classes) to access... or pay cash for it. It gives people a way to access all contents for free. But that's actually about it. You get some neat extra points balance but it's not really worth it... unless you roll tons of new characters to farm for the free points (I did that to check on whether I could "exploit" the system and it works but you need to delete your 1 of 2 characters to give way for new ones so only 1 can be your mainstay character). This way, it really makes you be able to unlock all contents and extras but at the cost of working your &#! off for about... 1 yr or so? And as you all know, MMOs grow and so to will the contents, which generate an almost infinite cycle of farming for cash currency.

 

Normally, people would have broken that chain cause they played long enough and would be willing to put some dough into the game, cause they like it for what it's worth other than the massive grind.

Edited May 11, 2013 by matrixEXO

[se05239]

No.

[Scanation]

This is a free game, you should be lucky. Stop asking for free plat.

[NathanCrowley]

This is a free game, you should be lucky. Stop asking for free plat.

Its demo at best.

It would be free if default warframe slots were 4 or 5, 2 is way to low for this to be considered free game,it is forcing people to pay for slots,where actually f2p game should have optional things you buy.

Just upgrading slots by 2 or 3 would not hurt anyone and it would make this game so much better,and even people who paid for slots would get those so no one would have reason to cry.

[Zarrii]

Kinda feel this thread should be locked, we've established a consensus of "Nope.avi"

[Quetzhal]

For the record, the devs are considering giving you a slot per two Mastery ranks. :)

An alternative is either to sell your frames or create an alternate account and use that account to hold your other frames. You're not really restricted, it's just inconvenient and you need to do a lot more grinding - but you can still have all the existing frames and weapons at full level without having to pay.

[NathanCrowley]

For the record, the devs are considering giving you a slot per two Mastery ranks. :)

An alternative is either to sell your frames or create an alternate account and use that account to hold your other frames. You're not really restricted, it's just inconvenient and you need to do a lot more grinding - but you can still have all the existing frames and weapons at full level without having to pay.

Its not right to punish free players by forcing them to delete everything they worked for each time they want to try something new. (And there will be tons of new stuff since they update game every week)

And also you cant progress mastery without slots either,you will have to delete things again.

[Quetzhal]

Its not right to punish free players by forcing them to delete everything they worked for each time they want to try something new. (And there will be tons of new stuff since they update game every week)

And also you cant progress mastery without slots either,you will have to delete things again.

I also suggested making alternate accounts. You don't have to delete anything you worked for if you manage a few different accounts. :) You would have to re-grind frames you have on the main account and sell those for the sake of mastery, but you'd still have a full-level copy of that frame on your main, as an example. Keep at it and you'd have a copy of every frame and every weapon, spread out across a few different accounts.

[NathanCrowley]

I also suggested making alternate accounts. You don't have to delete anything you worked for if you manage a few different accounts. :) You would have to re-grind frames you have on the main account and sell those for the sake of mastery, but you'd still have a full-level copy of that frame on your main, as an example. Keep at it and you'd have a copy of every frame and every weapon, spread out across a few different accounts.

Then they should give us option to make them.

I won't make 10 emails just to have all warframes.

Its much more simple to just add default slots,I dunno why even limit players to that,sure they need money but this isnt the right way,they already have bundles and founder packs,cosmetic colors and skins for sentinels,alot of things to earn money on.

[krisp]

Eve has in game credits exchanged for game time because it is a subscription based model. I also believe that the game time items are effectively bought by other players and everything can be stolen by other players as Eve is primarily a PvP game. Not the same as Warframe at all.

EVE being different doesn't justify people throwing around the DEVS GOTTA EAT argument as if they were in danger of becoming malnourished if they dared let people have more freedom with their game.

 

In a game like this, server costs are low (because there's no gameservers to speak of) and every extra player is basically one more pip on the community that costs next to nothing to feed and has potential for bringing all of his friends if he's happy with the game. If you want to support the devs, support the devs. You shouldn't have to be guilt-tripped into doing so, that's a bad business model.

[Aggh]

Ahahaha.  Giving people the ability to earn small amounts of platinum (say ~5 a month) would not exactly break the bank.  It'd help even out some of the wonky math on some of the prices that leave you with left over plat and give f2p players the occasional slot or potato.  The people that would spend money are still going to spend money to avoid the grind.

Edited May 11, 2013 by Aggh

[Sorez]

Just my suggestion here: A chance to win 1-5 platinum from tier 3 awards, rarer than reactors/catalysts.

[YourFriendlyNoggin]

Its demo at best.

It would be free if default warframe slots were 4 or 5, 2 is way to low for this to be considered free game,it is forcing people to pay for slots,where actually f2p game should have optional things you buy.

Just upgrading slots by 2 or 3 would not hurt anyone and it would make this game so much better,and even people who paid for slots would get those so no one would have reason to cry.

2 is the normal rate for characters in f2p games, it allows to have a main and an alt, you can literally earn every gameplay effecting item through alerts, daily rewards or farming, you can go to every single level and do it all for nothing. Yeah you might have to delete a character but leveling them up doesn't take long and with the starting platinum you can buy two warframe slots, that makes 4 total, for free, for nothing, zip, nada. Every couple of weeks devs add something new, update the systems, improve online systems and all this is paid for by platinum purchases, which are entirely optional. More slots are convenience, they just mean you don't have to relevel the frame, your mods all stay so you don't have to re-fuse them even if you delete the frame.

This is not a demo, you can't access all the content in a demo, you get every piece of gameplay this game offers, free of charge and that's f2p.

Also eve online requires a ginormous investment of time and effort to earn the premium currency, it's a lifestyle, it's a second job for fun you can't compare the two.

[Venarge]

You already get almost every item ingame for free. Slots are worked on. I dont see why people deserve the real currency for free. If you want extra colors and accesories for your sentinel pay

[GeoffFromAccounting]

seeing as the arguement is still going on:

 

you can already get alsmost any item ingame for free, including other warframes and the arguement you used about GW2, Neverwinter and Eve is invalid because as Girai said GW2 is a pay-to-play game which is slowing going downhill (my friends stopped playing) and Neverwinter is only a recent game for what I know (my friends play it, they like it, bought a Founders pack, which is probably what's keeping it alive atm) and Eve, rarely heard of it, but from what I know it's subscription based, so no free plat! otherwise I could've easily farmed all the plat from my Founders and then there would be no point buying plat anymore

[KrAyZy]

nope...

[Thaumatos]

I have to remind you that there are games in which you can exchange game currency for RL money based currency. And they are currently not dying.

 

So stop using the "devs gotta eat" argument. Devs will be fine.

 

Biggest one on the market currently?  Guild Wars 2.

 

Real money price on gems, or spend fake money for other fake money.  The game's a huge success.

 

So uh...to those who "omg devs will be homeless" .... BAM!

 

Make a better game if that's your issue.

 

That being said, clearly Warframe is not designed currently around any type of market system besides "shut up and take my money" ... so that'll have to change before they can even think of allowing players to get free platinum.  It is definitely something they can toy with AFTER they've decided upon a working market.

[Thaumatos]

seeing as the arguement is still going on:

 

you can already get alsmost any item ingame for free, including other warframes and the arguement you used about GW2, Neverwinter and Eve is invalid because as Girai said GW2 is a pay-to-play game which is slowing going downhill (my friends stopped playing) and Neverwinter is only a recent game for what I know (my friends play it, they like it, bought a Founders pack, which is probably what's keeping it alive atm) and Eve, rarely heard of it, but from what I know it's subscription based, so no free plat! otherwise I could've easily farmed all the plat from my Founders and then there would be no point buying plat anymore

 

GW2 is not pay to play.  Kids, pay to play (or P2P) involves a monthly subscription.  Those games are slowly dying because people refuse to shell out the money for a glorified chatroom with a possibility of changes.

 

No, GW2 is like most other games sold in stores.  You buy the game and play it at your consent.  Warframe is a Free Game.  It's free to play, but it's also free PERIOD.  You do not have to spend any money whatsoever on this game.

[GeoffFromAccounting]

GW2 is not pay to play.  Kids, pay to play (or P2P) involves a monthly subscription.  Those games are slowly dying because people refuse to shell out the money for a glorified chatroom with a possibility of changes.

 

No, GW2 is like most other games sold in stores.  You buy the game and play it at your consent.  Warframe is a Free Game.  It's free to play, but it's also free PERIOD.  You do not have to spend any money whatsoever on this game.

 

alright, everyone gets their facts wrong every now and then about games, but seriously, last time I checked you had to pay to play GW2, again, I may be wrong anyway, I'm not saying you HAVE to pay money on Warframe! I'm saying that if you want to support devs, get plat, if not, farm for it and wait for the build time, simple fix, the only things you HAVE to pay plat for is sentinel customisation and Warframe colours, and they don't affect gameplay in any way at all except for looks

Edited May 12, 2013 by Ninjaboy00

[Aldunari3]

Just No

[Lane]

Counterproductive. Got to pay for what you're enjoying right here, pal. I believe the main reason for one to purchase Platinum is for the Slots. Well, it seems to be one of the two things (other being Color Palettes) that you can't purchase without real-life money. If you love this game, please show your support by offering your slightest contribution.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Pull

[Airanath]

alright, everyone gets their facts wrong every now and then about games, but seriously, last time I checked you had to pay to play GW2, again, I may be wrong anyway, I'm not saying you HAVE to pay money on Warframe! I'm saying that if you want to support devs, get plat, if not, farm for it and wait for the build time, simple fix, the only things you HAVE to pay plat for is sentinel customisation and Warframe colours, and they don't affect gameplay in any way at all except for looks

 

Guild Wars 2 is not pay to play, you just pay once, for the Serial Key, which allows you to create your account. After that, you only need to pay if you want to buy gems with cash.

 

Now, as for Gems only costing game currency, pretty sure its a market. As in, players can buy sell gems for gold, and gold for gems, the rates change, so its also subject to supply and demand. What this means? That your "way" to obtain "free" gems in GW2 just means that YOU pay for gold, but in exchange, you pay the gold you grinded to another player who was lazier and used his credit card to buy gems. In the end, the Devs still get money, and you still get gems, and the other player, well, he gets gold, without paying for a farmer that steals account info and sells other people gold.

 

Pretty sure its the same for EVE, but I don't play that one (haven't played GW2 in a while either, updates improving content are few and far from each other).

 

The Devs must eat IS a valid argument, specially in a game still in its development stage, that is hiring more people to work on its development and buying better servers to meet the increasing demand from the players.

 

DDO? It started on a subscription based model, and then changed to its current F2P model, where you have to unlock some dungeons, races, and classes, with currency, you can earn it in game, yes, but its a hard and long grind, and most likely, will make you want to buy it. Specially because farming the same dungeons over and over just to unlock the next one is a sure fire joy killer.

 

Someone already pointed out that LOTR uses the same method. Neverwinter? Its still on beta, founders have extra diamonds, people can buy diamonds already, and sure, you can get them in game, but the rate is still being tweaked and adjusted. Also, there is a limit to how many diamonds you can get in a day, meaning if you really want that gear, before the next content patch, you better spend some cash. Oh yeah, did I mention that the main selling point there is the foundry? Which is basicaly players using a dungeon making tool that comes with the game to create and publish content? Cuts a lot on the development costs for sure, as most of the new dungeons will come for free... Neverwinter also had a much higher founder base (see how much they got on kickstarter, and then wonder how many others bought founder's packs at later dates) than warframe, meaning they have some cash to work with while getting the game to be self sustaining. And its also made by Pefect World Entertainment, they got a pretty good formula on how to make "f2p" games, and make money on their cash shop already. So their devs, and ultimately the company owners, get to eat.

 

Warframe is, for now, a small game, its growing, content is coming fast and improving, its comunity is growing at a steady pace, for now, it needs every peny it can muster to pay for that. Once that is settled, we will probably see more ways to earn platinum, maybe planets that you need to grind for a key to unlock. People keep demanding dedicated servers to host our games, so we don't have lag issues due to the host connection speed. Do a quick google search, for how much it costs to mantain a server each month, it can't be a weak one, mind you, it has to be able to host for a lot of people, so you'll also have to research server capacity. Once you figure the price and the server capacity out, multiply that for the number of servers you need to have dedicated servers for the current player base. Those numbers will add up.

 

So, in short, nop for free platinum, at least, not until the game has grown enough to have a strong player base that can sustain it, while some people play the game for free. (And god forbid adds on loading screens to pay for the server costs...)

[Taisho207]

then how are they gonna make money on it? hours of game play arent exactly feeding the team.

 

Definitely not.

[Phoenix86]

i agree with... NO, i'm sorry

 

Only thing i may agree with is being able to transfer Orokin Reactors/Catalysts from an item to another