Hey guys and gals, Chris "Pwyff" Tom here from ZAM. With Lineage II going free-to-play, we got the chance to sit down with the L2 team to talk about some of the details of these changes (and microtransaction costs!). You can check out the interview @ http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=28149
While I didn't have the opportunity to really go in-depth with my questions, it seems like there are a few things that the community wants clarified going forward. Did you all have any other questions I might be able to push along in a follow-up interview? Feel free to sling 'em here and I'll try to get them answered!
NCsoft: We've actually been rewarding active players with a ton of never before experienced events and free items over the last few weeks when we first teased that we were making a transition to a new business model. We'll be continuing these sorts of efforts through November as well.
Incoming "November Bonanza"?
NCsoft: We are actually going to be very careful and selective with the items we are selling in the store. The store will launch with a very restricted list of items, and that will grow over time as we gather feedback from our players.
As you know, Lineage II has a renowned PvP system, and we want to make sure the L2 Store won't create an imbalance on that front. Therefore, the majority of L2 Store items offered relate to game progression. For example, one of the unique items that we will be selling at launch is a Coupon that you can exchange for a time-limited pet that will greatly help you in PvE, especially if you are a solo player.
THIS is what I and a whole plethora of players are waiting. IF PvP Power is being sold, the number of current players will drop and Lineage 2 will be the land of e-bayers and such.
All-in-all, Sace or anyone else can answer how I and many other Brazilian Players, along with Game Time Card Exclusive players will be able to pay for NCoins??
Did you all have any other questions I might be able to push along in a follow-up interview? Feel free to sling 'em here and I'll try to get them answered!
Hi Chris,
I didnt read the interview cause i know it dont include the "hot" and "serious" questions,that all ppl want an answer many years now.
will be pvp cheaters in GOD?how(if) they planning to get rid off them?
this "great" expansion will bring a site update(is outdated so many years)?
what will happen to european players and Naia server?how we gona be able to play GOD with the big ping which might come?are the time zones of the server gona change from eu to us?
A strong reason for players to stay with NCwest and not moving to Innova servers?all the thoose years their attitude made us mad,what gona change?
actually i care for the 1st question,but i know u dont care,either NCwest care,cya
the only question that matters is Woll ncsoft take a real action against pvp bots?...im looking for an answer on the point not again some astral answer..."we will do smt"
when you do a follow-up interview you could maybe ask whether Hellbound will come pre-opened on the new servers. What with the Crystal Caverns instances having been elevated to lvl 95 ...
when you do a follow-up interview you could maybe ask whether Hellbound will come pre-opened on the new servers. What with the Crystal Caverns instances having been elevated to lvl 95 ...
Add L2Shop precise contents and Ncoins cost, pretty please?
THIS is what I and a whole plethora of players are waiting. IF PvP Power is being sold, the number of current players will drop and Lineage 2 will be the land of e-bayers and such.
All-in-all, Sace or anyone else can answer how I and many other Brazilian Players, along with Game Time Card Exclusive players will be able to pay for NCoins??
~Lux
You're in for such a rude awakening if you think some form of power won't eventually be sold. I'm cool with this system of free to play, but I also realize that they have to make a buck. Fashion obsessed noobs buying hats only brings in so much cash. Eventually, the enchant scrolls/etc will appear. For now though I'll just make use of xp/sp pots and scrolls. Lvl 99 here I come.
You're in for such a rude awakening if you think some form of power won't eventually be sold. I'm cool with this system of free to play, but I also realize that they have to make a buck. Fashion obsessed noobs buying hats only brings in so much cash. Eventually, the enchant scrolls/etc will appear. For now though I'll just make use of xp/sp pots and scrolls. Lvl 99 here I come.
If the enchats are hard to get like Demi once told me, I guess I can handle (VERY VERY low chance to get a Diamond Enchant).
Ofc I will use my 3 months lasting time converted into XP/SP itens to get up to Awakening Land and beyond... Then I'll stand up and see how the server grew (Along with the PvE bots that will come eventually)...
People who want to buy power will do so regardless. If ncsoft isn't selling them a means to enchant weapons easier, they will just buy a lot of transferable items and sell them to get the money they need for said weapons. Cash shops are always a means to sell power, even if they only sell "cosmetic" items. So I say, why not just skip the middle man?
People who want to buy power will do so regardless. If ncsoft isn't selling them a means to enchant weapons easier, they will just buy a lot of transferable items and sell them to get the money they need for said weapons. Cash shops are always a means to sell power, even if they only sell "cosmetic" items. So I say, why not just skip the middle man?
The "middle man" is some way of discouraging some of them... Only the "pwnz0rs" will do it regardless... We have e-bay, but if NC announced on their website they are selling toons, we would have a lot more pwnz0rs...
You're in for such a rude awakening if you think some form of power won't eventually be sold. I'm cool with this system of free to play, but I also realize that they have to make a buck. Fashion obsessed noobs buying hats only brings in so much cash. Eventually, the enchant scrolls/etc will appear. For now though I'll just make use of xp/sp pots and scrolls. Lvl 99 here I come.
To everyone else, it really doesn't bother me that they will eventually sell pwnzor stuff, I just think it's silly that some don't see it coming. Same thing as on a priv server, eventually the need to make money will require more and more powerful items get sold. Not saying it's good/bad/indifferent, just that it will happen.
On a side note, I think they should make ebay and account selling legal, with NCSoft acting as 3rd party to insure integrity of the transfer. Let them charge a % or flat fee for doing it, and at least it's out in the open then (cause like 75%+ of the server has done it).
Is it really THAT bad? Maybe 75% of Top Pwnz0rs Clans, but 75% of the whole server??
It's a guess or estimate, just like anyone else's suppositions on here, but I think it's pretty accurate. When you see a random noob broke on Monday, and come Wednesday he's decked out in new armor and wep, it's usually that they broke down and ebayed. Some people are really good at playing the market or farming in demand things, but most people have paid for adena at one point or another, they just like to pretend that they haven't. I should add though that some have just botted to farm the adena and I've kinda lumped that all in together in my guesstimate.
To everyone else, it really doesn't bother me that they will eventually sell pwnzor stuff, I just think it's silly that some don't see it coming. Same thing as on a priv server, eventually the need to make money will require more and more powerful items get sold. Not saying it's good/bad/indifferent, just that it will happen.
On a side note, I think they should make ebay and account selling legal, with NCSoft acting as 3rd party to insure integrity of the transfer. Let them charge a % or flat fee for doing it, and at least it's out in the open then (cause like 75%+ of the server has done it).
Don't know if you have ever checked out Eve's model for doing this but it works well. People can sell characters for in game money, and the seller of the character pays a 20$ transfer fee. It is done with CCP (Eve's owners) backing so if oyu get scammed they reverse the money transactions and ban the account. It works because accounts themselves are not transferred only characters on the accounts.
It's a good workable solution for it and NCSoft would actually make money allowing people to do what mos of them do anyway.
Don't know if you have ever checked out Eve's model for doing this but it works well. People can sell characters for in game money, and the seller of the character pays a 20$ transfer fee. It is done with CCP (Eve's owners) backing so if oyu get scammed they reverse the money transactions and ban the account. It works because accounts themselves are not transferred only characters on the accounts.
It's a good workable solution for it and NCSoft would actually make money allowing people to do what mos of them do anyway.
I've never played Eve, but that sounds like a great way of doing it tbh.
You're in for such a rude awakening if you think some form of power won't eventually be sold. I'm cool with this system of free to play, but I also realize that they have to make a buck. Fashion obsessed noobs buying hats only brings in so much cash. Eventually, the enchant scrolls/etc will appear...
I agree. In Korea they have basically the same fashion items and buff cocktails in their shopping mall (http://l2plex.plaync.co.kr/) as we get during the present event. But Korean players pay in addition to that a subscription fee of 30 US dollars per account per month (or the equivalent in PCcafe time points). I somehow don't see where the salary of the GMs for newly opened servers is supposed to come from with a totally free-to-play game, especially when NCWest can for legal reasons not have an automated bot banning system like Innova, but needs to process every single bot report manually.
I agree. In Korea they have basically the same fashion items and buff cocktails in their shopping mall (http://l2plex.plaync.co.kr/) as we get during the present event. But Korean players pay in addition to that a subscription fee of 30 US dollars per account per month (or the equivalent in PCcafe time points). I somehow don't see where the salary of the GMs for newly opened servers is supposed to come from with a totally free-to-play game, especially when NCWest can for legal reasons not have an automated bot banning system like Innova, but needs to process every single bot report manually.
yeah but the moneymakers are these (http://l2plex.plaync.co.kr/goods/list?categoryPath=1_5) and NCWest can price them so that being 200% exp for a month ~ a monthly subscription and use the vanity items for extra income.
I agree. In Korea they have basically the same fashion items and buff cocktails in their shopping mall (http://l2plex.plaync.co.kr/) as we get during the present event. But Korean players pay in addition to that a subscription fee of 30 US dollars per account per month (or the equivalent in PCcafe time points). I somehow don't see where the salary of the GMs for newly opened servers is supposed to come from with a totally free-to-play game, especially when NCWest can for legal reasons not have an automated bot banning system like Innova, but needs to process every single bot report manually.
What is that $30 for? And, also, that is a bit too much for me as a Brazilian Player... For $30 a month I can buy some great games in Steam or even pay for 2 WoW accounts (4 if they are in the Brazilian Server)...
30 dollars is their monthly subscription fee, like we pay 15 dollars per account per month. Korea is an industrialized country with a very high level of education (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment#200 9). That means the average Korean is significantly more wealthy than the average American or Brazilian. That's a similar phenomenon as in Switzerland or Japan. Where wages are high, prices are also high.
That notwithstanding, Koreans do get a better service for their 30 dollars than we for our 15. Since there are more NCsoft employees per 1000 players in Korea, they have more GM-created in-game events than us: http://boards.rochand.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=350&start=30#p5300
That's another thing I don't see coming for us with a totally free-to-play game. Where is the salary for the GMs and their overtime when taking care of players on weekends supposed to come from?
Well, makes sense. Different mentality there and here...
Any page where we can get the fully translated Korean Shop? Google Translate is really bad in Korean and it can't translate Images (Although I figured out many of the items).
Also LF info on how will the new GMs get money... L2 Future in NA is hazy...