ESO need Free Trail for newcomers

Razzak · December 2014

Gyudan wrote: »

Iorail wrote: »

Gold sellers is probably what's holding this, but all they have to do is give a 14 day trial with no chat access, no pm's and no trading allow, and mostly limited to the starter zone, with no option to bypass to go to the first zone.

How would that experience be enjoyable?
Sure, the game is great, but if players can't even talk to each other to ask for advice orhave a conversation with a friend that brought them to ESO, do you really expect them to stay?
A video of ingame footage featuring nice graphic environments and intense combat sessions would be much more effective imho.
(and maybe a bard song or two)

14 day trial that offers everything but trading. You can experience everything, including VR levels, if you are fast enough. Every aspect of the game but trading. How would that bring them back?

Cherryblossom · December 2014

I think now would be an awful time to give free trials, people would log in to lag and bugs and never sign up!

Alphashado · December 2014

Sagatho wrote: »

Hello ppl

now with the release of WOD i realized that blizzard have a big number of subscribers, and i was thinks what blizzard do to get newcomers attention and i realized that blizzard now give the opportunity to play the game with a lot of locked features but the are allowed to taste the game and get involved to buy the game and get a subscription.

i think it will be amazing for ESO to give free time to newcomers to taste the game, because some people don't want play the game because the have a bad comment about because the bad release experience,

what do you think ESO must do to increment the number of subscribers?

sorry for my bad english.

regards

I think it's a good idea. But not until the Champion system is fully released and running (fairly smoothly). If they ran a promotion like you suggest right now, new players would just be put off by the current VR system that is being changed. So they might subscribe at first, but then they would just leave like everyone else is.

Pallmor · December 2014

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once.

Gold farmers happened.

Sagatho · December 2014

Pallmor wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once.

Gold farmers happened.

Just remove PM and trade to trail accounts, another games do this, they trail account just play a limited levels and cant send PM or open trade with another person, you can even block they banks to avoid bankers acountts.

thats my 2 cents

AlexDougherty · December 2014

Sagatho wrote: »

Pallmor wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once.

Gold farmers happened.

Just remove PM and trade to trail accounts, another games do this, they trail account just play a limited levels and cant send PM or open trade with another person, you can even block they banks to avoid bankers acountts.

thats my 2 cents

You would also need to stop them mailing stuff out too, otherwise you'll get trial accounts as bots feeding a gold seller account.

Pallmor · December 2014

ZOS: Okay, here's a trial. You can't trade in it. You can't chat or talk to other players in it. You're on a separate server, so the population is low (not that you'll ever be able to group anyway, with no communication). You can't PvP. And you can only go to level 5.

End result:

Player: This game sucks.

AlnilamE · December 2014

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Iorail wrote: »

Gold sellers is probably what's holding this, but all they have to do is give a 14 day trial with no chat access, no pm's and no trading allow, and mostly limited to the starter zone, with no option to bypass to go to the first zone.

There's a reason they stopped forcing people into the starter islands after beta.....just saying. I think your idea is kind of on the right track but doubt that part would work.

Yeah, the press didn't like them.

Every time I start a new toon, I scratch my head about that. The starter islands are a really nice start. It was a stupid decision (and it doesn't make much sense story-wise to wake up in the first zone).

Pallmor · December 2014

Razzak wrote: »

14 day trial that offers everything but trading. You can experience everything, including VR levels, if you are fast enough. Every aspect of the game but trading. How would that bring them back?

Every zone/guild channel flooded with gold seller spam. And, of course:

Whisper from Goldsellz: Hey go buy gold at this site.
Whisper from Goldsella: Hey, want to buy some **^^gold^^**? Check this site out
Whisper from Goldmasta: Want gold. I got it at this site.
Whisper from IGotsGold: Best gold here at this site
Whisper from Goldmemberz: Hey, go here for all the --GOLD--
Whisper from FtKnoxGold: Check out this site for all the gold
Whisper from Goldsella: You want gold, I got it! Go here for more
Whisper from BestGold: **Gold**, all you want! Great prices. Check out my site
Whisper from GoldzJim: Best prices on gold here
Whisper from : GoldMineAllMine: GOLD, GOLD, GOLD. Check this site out

AlexDougherty · December 2014

Pallmor wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

14 day trial that offers everything but trading. You can experience everything, including VR levels, if you are fast enough. Every aspect of the game but trading. How would that bring them back?

Every zone/guild channel flooded with gold seller spam. And, of course:

Whisper from Goldsellz: Hey go buy gold at this site.
Whisper from Goldsella: Hey, want to buy some **^^gold^^**? Check this site out
Whisper from Goldmasta: Want gold. I got it at this site.
Whisper from IGotsGold: Best gold here at this site
Whisper from Goldmemberz: Hey, go here for all the --GOLD--
Whisper from FtKnoxGold: Check out this site for all the gold
Whisper from Goldsella: You want gold, I got it! Go here for more
Whisper from BestGold: **Gold**, all you want! Great prices. Check out my site
Whisper from GoldzJim: Best prices on gold here
Whisper from : GoldMineAllMine: GOLD, GOLD, GOLD. Check this site out

Aaaagh, don't, I'm getting a flashback to the launch.

ers101284b14_ESO · December 2014

AlnilamE wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Iorail wrote: »

Gold sellers is probably what's holding this, but all they have to do is give a 14 day trial with no chat access, no pm's and no trading allow, and mostly limited to the starter zone, with no option to bypass to go to the first zone.

There's a reason they stopped forcing people into the starter islands after beta.....just saying. I think your idea is kind of on the right track but doubt that part would work.

Yeah, the press didn't like them.

Every time I start a new toon, I scratch my head about that. The starter islands are a really nice start. It was a stupid decision (and it doesn't make much sense story-wise to wake up in the first zone).

I think people didn't like them because then it forces you to go there before opening up the map and there is a good 4-5 hours of content just on the starting islands. But if you wake up on the main area then you can choose to go there. Now obviously you want to go there for Skyshards and levels but if feels more like a choice and less like its forced now.

HydroCanuck · December 2014

Dude, it's $20.

Slurg · December 2014

The problem with a free trial is, in order to protect your paying customers from being harrased by those who would abuse the free trial, you have to lock down most if not all of the social features that make ESO an MMO.

That approach would not do a whole lot in the way of recruiting new paying customers and would probably be more trouble than it's worth.

Being a little selfish here- if restricted trial accounts are implemented on the mega server, I am not looking forward to logging in after that patch and wondering whether my guilds, mail, and other communications are still intact or if they've been accidentally wiped out. Because everyone who's been around for a while knows how patches tend to go!

SteveCampsOut · December 2014

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

SteveCampsOut wrote: »

How about this? Free to PTS but you must submit bug reports for every incident you experience that impedes your game progress and you can't transfer your character to the live game. EVER. They get free beta testers back in the PTS server and people get to try out the game with the only cost being time spent and sending in bug reports....Win/Win.

I had that idea months ago. But unfortunately people where quick to say no because the trial people would then get to experience the new content before us and that upset people.

Well I think great minds think alike so I poo poo all those who poo poo'd your idea.

ers101284b14_ESO · December 2014

SteveCampsOut wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

SteveCampsOut wrote: »

How about this? Free to PTS but you must submit bug reports for every incident you experience that impedes your game progress and you can't transfer your character to the live game. EVER. They get free beta testers back in the PTS server and people get to try out the game with the only cost being time spent and sending in bug reports....Win/Win.

I had that idea months ago. But unfortunately people where quick to say no because the trial people would then get to experience the new content before us and that upset people.

Well I think great minds think alike so I poo poo all those who poo poo'd your idea.

I still think they should do the free trial on the PTS. And keep them to the opening islands. Then either transfer them or make them start new on live server. But whatevers.

Sleep · December 2014

In my opinion, just open the PTS for everyone, not only subscibers. Of course there should be some differences for subs and non-subs, just like, non-subs can only play for a certain peroid of time. Maybe it will get more people into testing and more people to subscribe.

WhiskyBob · December 2014

Trial but STRICTLY limited:
- Only starter zone
- No chat access
- No mail access
- No bank access
- NO GOLD GAIN
- No trading
- No guilds
- Level limit: 10
You can still do quests and get quest gear, gain materials and craft to feel what the game is like. But you cant sell the gear, cant make money, cant spam zone chat.

poodlemasterb16_ESO · December 2014

Gyudan wrote: »

Iorail wrote: »

Gold sellers is probably what's holding this, but all they have to do is give a 14 day trial with no chat access, no pm's and no trading allow, and mostly limited to the starter zone, with no option to bypass to go to the first zone.

How would that experience be enjoyable?
Sure, the game is great, but if players can't even talk to each other to ask for advice orhave a conversation with a friend that brought them to ESO, do you really expect them to stay?
A video of ingame footage featuring nice graphic environments and intense combat sessions would be much more effective imho.
(and maybe a bard song or two)

Nice, but mom would have been classic.

He really does not care.

AlexDougherty · December 2014

WhiskyBob wrote: »

Trial but STRICTLY limited:
- Only starter zone
- No chat access
- No mail access
- No bank access
- NO GOLD GAIN
- No trading
- No guilds
- Level limit: 10
You can still do quests and get quest gear, gain materials and craft to feel what the game is like. But you cant sell the gear, cant make money, cant spam zone chat.

They need chat, to ask to join groups, and to ask/respond for help, otherwise they might as well be playing a solo game. But they rest of the limits seem fine, especially no trading and no mail.

Razzak · December 2014

Pallmor wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

14 day trial that offers everything but trading. You can experience everything, including VR levels, if you are fast enough. Every aspect of the game but trading. How would that bring them back?

Every zone/guild channel flooded with gold seller spam. And, of course:

Whisper from Goldsellz: Hey go buy gold at this site.
Whisper from Goldsella: Hey, want to buy some **^^gold^^**? Check this site out
Whisper from Goldmasta: Want gold. I got it at this site.
Whisper from IGotsGold: Best gold here at this site
Whisper from Goldmemberz: Hey, go here for all the --GOLD--
Whisper from FtKnoxGold: Check out this site for all the gold
Whisper from Goldsella: You want gold, I got it! Go here for more
Whisper from BestGold: **Gold**, all you want! Great prices. Check out my site
Whisper from GoldzJim: Best prices on gold here
Whisper from : GoldMineAllMine: GOLD, GOLD, GOLD. Check this site out

Considering the chat now, where you barely see anyone saying anything at all, and then it's usually LFG, it would actually be a slightly "welcome" change. But I do understand what you mean.
That said, you could always limit them to guild chat only. Let their guildies deal with that.

zaria · December 2014

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

AlnilamE wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Iorail wrote: »

Gold sellers is probably what's holding this, but all they have to do is give a 14 day trial with no chat access, no pm's and no trading allow, and mostly limited to the starter zone, with no option to bypass to go to the first zone.

There's a reason they stopped forcing people into the starter islands after beta.....just saying. I think your idea is kind of on the right track but doubt that part would work.

Yeah, the press didn't like them.

Every time I start a new toon, I scratch my head about that. The starter islands are a really nice start. It was a stupid decision (and it doesn't make much sense story-wise to wake up in the first zone).

I think people didn't like them because then it forces you to go there before opening up the map and there is a good 4-5 hours of content just on the starting islands. But if you wake up on the main area then you can choose to go there. Now obviously you want to go there for Skyshards and levels but if feels more like a choice and less like its forced now.

Yes but ZOS overreacted, instead of putting you in an zone you are under-leveled for, simply ad an npc who take you off the island, same as today but you start on the island with an quest marker to take you on rather than opposite.

WhiskyBob · December 2014

AlexDougherty wrote: »

WhiskyBob wrote: »

Trial but STRICTLY limited:
- Only starter zone
- No chat access
- No mail access
- No bank access
- NO GOLD GAIN
- No trading
- No guilds
- Level limit: 10
You can still do quests and get quest gear, gain materials and craft to feel what the game is like. But you cant sell the gear, cant make money, cant spam zone chat.

They need chat, to ask to join groups, and to ask/respond for help, otherwise they might as well be playing a solo game. But they rest of the limits seem fine, especially no trading and no mail.

Perhaps you are right. But restrict that as well:
- Zone chat only in trial zone
- No PM's
- Grouping restricted to people with trial status

AlexDougherty · December 2014

WhiskyBob wrote: »

AlexDougherty wrote: »

WhiskyBob wrote: »

Trial but STRICTLY limited:
- Only starter zone
- No chat access
- No mail access
- No bank access
- NO GOLD GAIN
- No trading
- No guilds
- Level limit: 10
You can still do quests and get quest gear, gain materials and craft to feel what the game is like. But you cant sell the gear, cant make money, cant spam zone chat.

They need chat, to ask to join groups, and to ask/respond for help, otherwise they might as well be playing a solo game. But they rest of the limits seem fine, especially no trading and no mail.

Perhaps you are right. But restrict that as well:
- Zone chat only in trial zone
- No PM's
- Grouping restricted to people with trial status

I have no problem with limiting them to zone chat, well maybe group chat as well.

But you can't have grouping limited to trial only groups, you might limit them to say two or tthree groups or maybe for an hour and a half, but you need them to experience what the player base is like, so they will want to subscribe (I find most players are kind and helpful)

But I'm fine with

Only Starter Zone
No Mail Access
No Bank Access
No Gold gain (you don't need gold for starter area and it gives incentive for paying)
No Trading
No Guilds
No PMs
Zone Chat Only
Limited Grouping

Tandor · December 2014

I don't mind having trial accounts, just so long as the restrictions applied to them are also applied to anyone who calls them trail accounts!

Audigy · December 2014

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once. They are a wonderful way of presenting a game to those that are unwilling to buy it just yet. And in my opinion only enlarge the number of players, so they are definitely benefitial.
Why does ESO not have a trial or something similar? They must have a valid (from their view point) reason for such a decision, but I would really like to know what that is. If nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity.

Well, a trial an MMO is never good.

If someone created 1000 Chars and you can do this with trials, then he will block 1000 names. Now lets assume a few k of people do that like at wow - what is the result?
-
Right, like at WOW names without ASCII code can no longer be made. Blizz realized this and freed up many names with WOD but loads are still blocked

If there would be a server for trials then this is a totally different story of course or if trial chars would only have numbers.

You also need to consider that WOW has huge issues with bots and they are mostly in the lower brackets where people have nothing to lose.

Also a level 20 can farm a few k of gold a day.

firstdecan · December 2014

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

AlnilamE wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Iorail wrote: »

Gold sellers is probably what's holding this, but all they have to do is give a 14 day trial with no chat access, no pm's and no trading allow, and mostly limited to the starter zone, with no option to bypass to go to the first zone.

There's a reason they stopped forcing people into the starter islands after beta.....just saying. I think your idea is kind of on the right track but doubt that part would work.

Yeah, the press didn't like them.

Every time I start a new toon, I scratch my head about that. The starter islands are a really nice start. It was a stupid decision (and it doesn't make much sense story-wise to wake up in the first zone).

I think people didn't like them because then it forces you to go there before opening up the map and there is a good 4-5 hours of content just on the starting islands. But if you wake up on the main area then you can choose to go there. Now obviously you want to go there for Skyshards and levels but if feels more like a choice and less like its forced now.

A lot of the feedback in beta was that the game felt too much like a "roller coaster" and not the open exploration associated with the single player TES games. They made the starter islands optional in response to this feedback. Personally, I don't see how that changed anything, levels 1-50 are still a roller coaster. You don't really see the freedom to explore until VR ranks.

Back on track, there's a conundrum with offering a limited trial. If you limit the amount of social contact a trial player may have, they're missing out on many of the selling points of any MMO. If you don't limit it, you get the gold spammer garbage. Plus if you offer a trial, there are people who will just play the trial, and sign up for it over and over again instead of paying (nothing wrong with that per se, but I don't think that's good business for a subscription game).

There doesn't seem to be any kind of win with offering a trial. It might attract new players, but most people will base their decision off of the advice of friends (or by a friend letting them play a bit).

WhiskyBob · December 2014

Audigy wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once. They are a wonderful way of presenting a game to those that are unwilling to buy it just yet. And in my opinion only enlarge the number of players, so they are definitely benefitial.
Why does ESO not have a trial or something similar? They must have a valid (from their view point) reason for such a decision, but I would really like to know what that is. If nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity.

Well, a trial an MMO is never good.

If someone created 1000 Chars and you can do this with trials, then he will block 1000 names. Now lets assume a few k of people do that like at wow - what is the result?
-
Right, like at WOW names without ASCII code can no longer be made. Blizz realized this and freed up many names with WOD but loads are still blocked

If there would be a server for trials then this is a totally different story of course or if trial chars would only have numbers.

You also need to consider that WOW has huge issues with bots and they are mostly in the lower brackets where people have nothing to lose.

Also a level 20 can farm a few k of gold a day.

Separate server for trials is a good idea.
Name blocking isn't an issue really, TESO does not have the limitations WoW had when it comes to creating names (special characters limitation)
Gold input can be blocked. Trials dont need gold.

Wolfshead · December 2014

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once. They are a wonderful way of presenting a game to those that are unwilling to buy it just yet. And in my opinion only enlarge the number of players, so they are definitely benefitial.
Why does ESO not have a trial or something similar? They must have a valid (from their view point) reason for such a decision, but I would really like to know what that is. If nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity.

This should answer your question

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QM6LoaqEnY

Well the video show DEMO but it not say anything about free trail so i would say free trail is not a DEMO a free trail is show you how game works and most of time it is lock to just few lvl and you basically download the whole game but you need to pay to unlock to continue lvl up.

And it is show time and time again that free trail will boost number of player and i know like 6 people that would start pay to play ESO if the could try it out but as OP say thank to all the bad press on internet the wont buy the game.

Beside i would mostlike not have go back to WoW after i left 3 year early if was not for free trail version i try out before i pay to unlock rest of lvl for you could only lvl to 20 back in of start of Cata expansion.

Audigy · December 2014

WhiskyBob wrote: »

Audigy wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once. They are a wonderful way of presenting a game to those that are unwilling to buy it just yet. And in my opinion only enlarge the number of players, so they are definitely benefitial.
Why does ESO not have a trial or something similar? They must have a valid (from their view point) reason for such a decision, but I would really like to know what that is. If nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity.

Well, a trial an MMO is never good.

If someone created 1000 Chars and you can do this with trials, then he will block 1000 names. Now lets assume a few k of people do that like at wow - what is the result?
-
Right, like at WOW names without ASCII code can no longer be made. Blizz realized this and freed up many names with WOD but loads are still blocked

If there would be a server for trials then this is a totally different story of course or if trial chars would only have numbers.

You also need to consider that WOW has huge issues with bots and they are mostly in the lower brackets where people have nothing to lose.

Also a level 20 can farm a few k of gold a day.

Separate server for trials is a good idea.
Name blocking isn't an issue really, TESO does not have the limitations WoW had when it comes to creating names (special characters limitation)
Gold input can be blocked. Trials dont need gold.

Well if a trial cant buy bag space he probably just quits

Names are already blocked though, on release we had that discussion here where people complained about this a lot.
Its just very silent now since everyone has his or her 8 chars. But new players can already run into issues, especially since many names are blocked by dead chars who are never played due the subscriber not renewing.

I really think that having a server or instance for trials which doesn't impact the subscribers is the only option.

ers101284b14_ESO · December 2014

Wolfshead wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Razzak wrote: »

I really don't understand what happened to demos and free trials that were so abundant once. They are a wonderful way of presenting a game to those that are unwilling to buy it just yet. And in my opinion only enlarge the number of players, so they are definitely benefitial.
Why does ESO not have a trial or something similar? They must have a valid (from their view point) reason for such a decision, but I would really like to know what that is. If nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity.

This should answer your question

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QM6LoaqEnY

Well the video show DEMO but it not say anything about free trail so i would say free trail is not a DEMO a free trail is show you how game works and most of time it is lock to just few lvl and you basically download the whole game but you need to pay to unlock to continue lvl up.

And it is show time and time again that free trail will boost number of player and i know like 6 people that would start pay to play ESO if the could try it out but as OP say thank to all the bad press on internet the wont buy the game.

Your right Demos and Trials are not the same. And almost all sub based games have a free trial. The problem is that if this game really has all the problems the forums claim then doing a free trial could hurt more than help.

However it did take WoW a few years to do a trial. It also took FF14 a year to get a trial going. They did however do a free weekend after every update which is every 3 months. If ZOS does it after a year then they could possibly already have console out and smoothed out. Then free trials for everyone!