<p>Hey all!</p><p>As you have <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=483443" target="_blank">just read</a> from Smokejumper, there's a new service being offered.</p><p>The forums for this service are being set up now, but until then, please leave your constructive feedback, questions, comments, etc here.</p><p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Question.</p><p>Is there going to be a new server for this feature, or will it be active on all servers?</p>

<p>I take it this will be on NEW servers?</p>

<p>What does this mean?  (Gold and Platinum membership)</p><p>Raises character skills/spells above the <em>Adept</em> tier of power to <em>Expert</em></p>

<p>Didn't he say just a month ago that EQ2 would never go F2P?</p>

<p>There's a contradiction in SmokeJumper's post: he says you can play for free up to L90, but the membership matrix says you can only go to L80 since you don't get SF.</p><p>The only other things I have to say about this... announcement... is that a) I'm glad they're going to be separate servers and b) please do not remove the ability to recruit-a-friend or otherwise trial on the real servers, since you've said theres no way from F2P to the regular servers.</p>

<p><cite>Raknid wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I take it this will be on NEW servers?</p></blockquote><p>Yes. If you read the FAQ, they're totally separate servers, thankfully.</p>

<p>Finally! I'm happy with this announcement. Hopefully this will bring a lot more people into EQ2.</p><p>I just think the new service could be named better.</p>

<p>I've read the FAQ.  I don't like a lot of this.  But as you said, I can ignore it.  I can't ignore this though:</p><p>For $200/yr you get 10 character slots.</p><p>For my current $15/mo ($180/yr) I get 7.  Can I pay $20 to get 3 more slots on my subscribed account or are you still going to "require" Station Access to go beyond 12?</p>

<div><p><cite>SmokeJumper wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As I said in that interview, we will not be changing your subscription model. We've heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don't want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.</p><div></div></blockquote></div><p>Posted 6/25/10 on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?&topic_id=481725">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=481725</a></p><div><p><cite>SmokeJumper wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As I said in that interview, we will not be changing your subscription model. We've heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don't want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.</p><div></div></blockquote></div><p>Posted 7/14/10 on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?&topic_id=481725">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=481725</a></p><p>How quickly we change our tune.......</p>

<p><cite>Ekum@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Didn't he say just a month ago that EQ2 would never go F2P?</p></blockquote><p>Yes.  He did.  Fool me once...</p>

<p><cite>Barx@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yes. If you read the FAQ, they're totally separate servers, thankfully.</p></blockquote><p>I'm happy that SOE can afford to spend the profits they've made off of us on NEW servers for a service no one wanted while we continue to play in a lagfest on old junky hardware.</p><p>Rift and TOR can't come out soon enough.</p>

<p>our subscritpion model hasnt changed. another option is there for those who choose to take advantage of it. I personally abhor f2p, so i wont be, but since theyre on different servers i dont care much about what those who choose to use this do.</p>

<p>If they are indeed DIFFERENT servers then this is quite awesome.  The pervasion of ultra-casual players into the game is what is bringing the game down for me (although I know from a business perspective it's a good thing and I don't blame SOE).  Hopefully this will divert many of those players to the servers which cater to them.  In the beginning the paid servers may take a hit, although I'll bet most of those ultra-casual players are pre-90, but I think it will solidify them in the long run with players who really want to group and raid, although a server merge would help things out quite a bit.</p><p>It's kind of weird to be an old school player and learning to love to earn stuff, this whole P2P stuff is a bit weird to me.  Yes I'm a full time worker with a family who only plays occasionally and I can still earn my raid stuff the old fashioned way, by killing mobs.  I guess the P2P thing is here to stay, but please give us old timer dinosaurs a couple more years of earning stuff before you go completely WoW.  Keep them separate servers.</p>

<p>I like the idea to expose more people to the game.  Some things I have not found yet, are can people transfer from one of those servers to our servers.  Also, for all of us loyal customers, give us some more character slots. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Maybe I will let me kids play on the f2p servers. lol.</p>

<p><cite>Malachani wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><div><p><cite>SmokeJumper wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As I said in that interview, we will not be changing your subscription model. We've heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don't want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.</p><div></div></blockquote></div><p>Posted 6/25/10 on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?&topic_id=481725">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=481725</a></p><div><p><cite>SmokeJumper wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As I said in that interview, we will not be changing your subscription model. We've heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don't want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.</p><div></div></blockquote></div><p>Posted 7/14/10 on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?&topic_id=481725">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=481725</a></p><p>How quickly we change our tune.......</p></blockquote><p>Technically he can get away with it since "your world" (servers) are not really changing and neither is OUR subscription model.  </p><p>Sure smells like Legends from EQ.  That worked really well...</p>

<p><cite>Malachani wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><div><p><cite>SmokeJumper wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As I said in that interview, we will not be changing your subscription model. We've heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don't want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.</p><div></div></blockquote></div><p>Posted 6/25/10 on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?&topic_id=481725">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=481725</a></p><div><p><cite>SmokeJumper wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As I said in that interview, we will not be changing your subscription model. We've heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don't want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.</p><div></div></blockquote></div><p>Posted 7/14/10 on <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?&topic_id=481725">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=481725</a></p><p>How quickly we change our tune.......</p></blockquote><p>The magic of double talk. They're not changing our subscription model, they're adding a completely different one beside it.</p><p>I'm generally behind SOE, but even this has got me pretty jaded.</p>

<p>This will end badly for subscription players.</p><p>We'll see less support, because we'll be generating less revenue.</p><p>We'll see less content, because it won't be as profitable.</p><p>We'll get things last.</p><p>I know they'll come here and say this isn't true, but it IS true.  Look at the items that get put on the SC store vs the items we get in game.  What is better?  Oh the stuff people pay more for.</p><p>That is how this "service" will work.</p>

<p><cite>Gaige wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This will end badly for subscription players.</p><p>We'll see less support, because we'll be generating less revenue.</p><p>We'll see less content, because it won't be as profitable.</p><p>We'll get things last.</p><p>I know they'll come here and say this isn't true, but it IS true.  Look at the items that get put on the SC store vs the items we get in game.  What is better?  Oh the stuff people pay more for.</p><p>That is how this "service" will work.</p></blockquote><p>Don't forget less players.</p>

<p><cite>Gaige wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Barx@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yes. If you read the FAQ, they're totally separate servers, thankfully.</p></blockquote><p>I'm happy that SOE can afford to spend the profits they've made off of us on NEW servers for a service no one wanted while we continue to play in a lagfest on old junky hardware.</p><p>Rift and TOR can't come out soon enough.</p></blockquote><p>First off, the new service will be using hardware that the company already owns.  The only NEW hardware that we purchased are for the two new server clusters that will replace Antonia Bayle and Nagafen.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

<p>Surely the matrix is wrong. Four races for the Gold level?</p>

<p>Okay...I just looked at the FAQ more closely. There are 2 concerns of mine:</p><p>1. EQX is going to have their own servers? This does not help the population on the existing servers at all. Please look into integrating this on all servers.</p><p>2. I have a station account which has 10 character slots. When EQX goes live I'm going to suddenly lose 3 slots and go back to 7?   ...or is this only true if you have a SC account on the EQX servers?</p>

<p>So let me see if I've got this right.</p><p>You'll be able to buy more gear on the marketplace, but that gear will still be inferior to legendary and fabled.</p><p>So basically, you'd be able to buy mastercrafted on the market place (where mastercrafted is inferior to legendary anyway).</p><p>Why bother?  Mastercrafted is easy to get now and at the top tier available I for one quickly move beyond it as fast as I can.</p><p>But if you're happy with whatever limitations they impose, you do get to play for free.  Maybe they figure enough people will want to start paying the $15/mo once they've been playing awhile and the restrictions are starting to get tiresome.</p>

<p><cite>Rothgar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>First off, the new service will be using hardware that the company already owns.  The only NEW hardware that we purchased are for the two new server clusters that will replace Antonia Bayle and Nagafen.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>That could've been used to further reinforce existing servers that are all but unplayable during prime time.</p>

<p>The less features for the F2P servers, the better. You NEED to be giving them perks to actually play on the live servers.</p>

<p>P.S. This thread will be heavily moderated, Please keep it civil and PG rated or risk having your posting privileges suspended.</p><p>This isnt a warning, just a heads up <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

<p><cite>Rothgar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>First off, the new service will be using hardware that the company already owns.  The only NEW hardware that we purchased are for the two new server clusters that will replace Antonia Bayle and Nagafen.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Hmm... old VG or EQ1 hardware maybe? Or is the old AB/Nagafen hardware going for the free to play service instead of the other servers? It has to come from somewhere, and I know there's a lot of folks like myself that would like to know that the new hardware isn't coming from anything EQ2.</p>

<p><cite>Raknid wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Surely the matrix is wrong. Four races for the Gold level?</p></blockquote><p>Yeah, that just made me exclaim an expletive aloud at my computer.  Surely no-one's foolish enough to cripple the accounts of the $15/month paying subscriber base?</p>

<p>Personally I think it's a great idea.  It makes it much easier for someone to try out EQ2.  You can muck around on the free side at your own pace and get a good taste of the game.</p><p>EDIT:  This has the potential to bring some long needed new blood to the game.</p>

<p>I'm actually disappointed this isn't being put onto the current servers, albeit without the ability to buy equipment.</p><p>As it stands, I can't see many new players on the extended servers coming over to ours.</p>