F2P with No PvP

[Super_Duck]

I started my trial account to check out the changes cataclysm had brought. My plan was to level through all the available zones and then either pick up my subscription again or quit and play another game. If there were no trial pvp bracket I'd have done exactly that, but most likely the last option though, because paying for wow makes you feel like you have to play it all the time.

Instead I started playing pvp and realized it was pretty good fun, much less complex than high level pvp, but that just meant the little things like jumps, back strafing and scroll clicking matters more.

Now I've been playing for more than a year :O

 

[Activate]

I'd be gone in an instant. I would have quit WoW years ago, my interest in PvE could not possibly be lower. Maybe I'd learn to play EVE Online and tackle stuff in nullsec.

 

[Lil]

Ohh didn't know you meant f2p only.. Ya that would be a pretty stupid move for blizz tbh. This whole bracket is made for to get subs and if they take away the biggest part of their game why would we want to sub? (even tho half of us knows wow and endgame and doesn't think its worth subbing ^-^ )

I still think this bracket would die cause we run it as f2ps and no idea why f2ps would stick around if there wasnt any bgs or arenas.

Edit: this coming from a huge achievement whore... No bgs no lil.. Pve isn't that interesting

 

[Taylondor]

No PvP in world of warcraft for f2p's

is like a cheeseburger without cheese

 

[Neon]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo.

 

[Deadismanly]

F2ps without BGs = Gosupermodel

 

[Kincaide]

So, I agree with the majority of you: PvP is the thing that keeps us hanging around as F2Ps. It's certainly lucky that they decided to not do something goofy and eliminate it from the total slices of the game that they let us participate in. If PvP is the only thing keeping most F2Ps around as F2P, rather than subscribing (or getting off their servers and reducing load if we aren't going to subscribe), then it would have actually been a better business model for Blizzard to exclude that access. People who were genuine trials would still be able to sample the majority of the game, but people who never intended to subscribe wouldn't load down their servers.

On the other hand, as Lil points out, we DO bring some value to their game, by giving their subscribers the most stable PvP bracket in which they can twink. With a steady supply of fresh faces to fight against, we make the 20-24 bracket a reason for other twinks to keep subscribing and twinking in our bracket. If we went away, I wonder how many actual subscribers who twink at 20-24 would also go away?

So my point is, for as long as our value to their subscribers outweighs our burden on their servers, we're still a net benefit to the company, right? Does anyone agree with that or is that just malarkey?

This whole bracket is made for to get subs and if they take away the biggest part of their game why would we want to sub?

So that we would be motivated to subscribe and get access to that part of the game again.


I also think about this in terms of why/why not give F2Ps access to Pet Battles. Interested to hear if anyone thinks the principles of one could be applied to the other. Pet Battles are, after all, another way of competing, and another aspect of the game that is available at low levels and that true trials are not able to sample. Plus the same logic could be applied as I applied to the 20-24 bracket: having F2Ps be able to do pet battles would give subscribers more people to battle against. Do you all think that idea holds any logic?

 

[Deadvulcano]

Ask any recently bankrupt company what happens when you put content behind a paywall. Blizzards subscription model only exists because of network effect.

Look at Activision/Blizzards quarterly reports and look at the relatively minuscule figure that represents server costs. Look at any site which lists wow server populations and ask why they are not consolidating servers.

Blizzcon 2013 is coming, when is the next expac annoucement? What is an expac annoucement expected to do to server populations?

 

[The Saint]

no pvp? but what would happen to all those poor druids? and i'm not adopting another kitty

 

[Clag]

i just want arena and im happy , remove bg if u wanna

 

[Lil]

I wonder how many actual subscribers who twink at 20-24 would also go away?

100% of them silly ^-^ no f2p to faceroll over = no bracket for 24s

I also think about this in terms of why/why not give F2Ps access to Pet Battles. Interested to hear if anyone thinks the principles of one could be applied to the other. Pet Battles are, after all, another way of competing, and another aspect of the game that is available at low levels and that true trials are not able to sample. Plus the same logic could be applied as I applied to the 20-24 bracket: having F2Ps be able to do pet battles would give subscribers more people to battle against. Do you all think that idea holds any logic?

Pet battles I think WERE intended to be available for trials. I have a hunch that we were supposed to be able to use them but when they were first announced we couldnt and alot of trials complained and I think that led blizz to not letting us. If we got the option in the first place the complaining would have been ALOT less and only from a p2p here and there about how f2p can do everything they can but for free and wouldnt have gotten as much interest from blizz.

Also comparing pvp to pet battles is silly. I get your concept about how well blizz took pets away from us they could easily take pvpv away but that isn't something logical. PvP is the core of this game. Even tho blizz has shown time after time they dont care about pvp only pve I think they know that this game is run by pvp. As you know alot of trials have had previous subs. Alot of us has played endgame. Alot of us didn't like it and think the only good reason to play this game is for free. I think secretly blizz knows that (how couldn't they? I'm sure they track the # of trials every now and then) and so I think if they did anything for this bracket it would be to make the f2p experience better.

Alot of us know what this game is like outside of f2p yet we still choose to play it cause its one of the better things blizz can offer. Cut out pvp from that offer and it has no reason. We now either have to suffer through endgame like we didnt want to do or just quit playing. And since alot of people came here to not go through endgame I think blizz would lose alot of potential subs, current subs and previous subs just by taking out the f2p pvp option.

tl;dr: blizz would be incredibly stupid to take pvp from us but knowing them I won't be surprised if it happens nxt xpac

 

[Kincaide]

PvP is the core of this game. Even tho blizz has shown time after time they dont care about pvp only pve I think they know that this game is run by pvp.

That's actually an interesting perspective and I'm curious how you came to that conclusion? I've never really thought that WoW was PvP-centric, having been a subscriber and raider/raid-leader for most of my WoW history.

 

[R Prime]

The drink of choice for nonPvp f2p'rs!

 

[Lil]

That's actually an interesting perspective and I'm curious how you came to that conclusion? I've never really thought that WoW was PvP-centric, having been a subscriber and raider/raid-leader for most of my WoW history.

I just look at it like this.

How would blizz be reacted to with pvp completely gone (no arena/bg/wpvp/no fighting vs other players)

How would blizz be reacted to with pve completely gone (no mobs/questing/raids/dungeons/no fighting vs npcs)

Imo the 2nd one would keep alot more subs and people around then the first which makes it pvp orientated to me. after awhile pve gets boring. Same moves, same abilities, same techniques, same fights. Now pvp can become the same way after awhile but it will always refresh itself and give you something new atleast.

 

[Kincaide]

I just look at it like this.

How would blizz be reacted to with pvp completely gone (no arena/bg/wpvp/no fighting vs other players)

How would blizz be reacted to with pve completely gone (no mobs/questing/raids/dungeons/no fighting vs npcs)

Imo the 2nd one would keep alot more subs and people around then the first which makes it pvp orientated to me. after awhile pve gets boring. Same moves, same abilities, same techniques, same fights. Now pvp can become the same way after awhile but it will always refresh itself and give you something new atleast.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I will say that I don't agree. I believe the vast, vast majority of actual subscribers do not PvP at all and have no interest in it. There is probably a bunch of data on this somewhere, but anyhow we're getting off topic so in the absence of evidence, let's agree to disagree on this point

 

[MarzRider]

If there was no PVP, i would not be playing, and would never ever even thought about playing this game.

PVE makes me want to blow my brains out.
Not sure how people have fun walking into a room, fire shoots out of the floor and 1 shots you. But hey, everyone enjoys their own things i guess.