Is anyone afraid of what will happen to this community when f2p/b2p comes?

heith182ub17_ESO · February 2015

some will / have cancelled accounts

some will try it again after they stopped playing a month or two into release

some will try it for the 1st time on console

as far as the forum community.. i would hope for 3 seperate forums, with exclusive platform access

SantieClaws · February 2015

Of course I am afraid but this is the Tamriel we have and we have to make the best of it. We just have to follow the path the gods (devs) have chosen for us all.

The real world seems to be crumbling around us too - but we pick our feet up and keep going and try to make the best of things. It is just what you do.

I like the justice system so far and I like the availability of more costumes. I don't know how the new players and their approch will affect the game for me. Possibly not at all. I just might get more random footage of jesters riding guar for my ESO movies. Things will be different after March 17 but I'll be here picking up my paws and carrying on with life in Tamriel as usual.

Audigy · February 2015

I don't think there is a big difference between F2P and Sub communities. WOW has a sub and its community is horrible, while AOC doesn't and its community is great.

The bigger issue is the gap between those who pay and those who don't.

This is where SWTOR is so horrible. You need to pay for such simple things like access to hotbars and shortcuts, being able to run or have a mount skill ...

Such restrictions create a very weird community, as you cant play with people unless you paid for the content, like it happened at SWTOR and GW2 with pvp. You meet someone nice and a few hours later he goes into an area and you get the message "you don't have access yet, but you can buy access by going into our shop".

The whole community will be divided and that's bad.

That's why I always say that boosts, free chars, additional mounts, skins, gold ... is fine in a shop, but never is the restriction of having access to content. But sadly this ESO will have with their DLC philosophy.

BlueViolet · February 2015

I'm worried. With the exception of TSW, ESO has the nicest community I've known. I play several other MMO's and most of the people I've encountered in those are appalling. There seems to be something in MMO's that brings out the worst in some folks.

This is the only game that I play where my ignore list is not ten times longer than my friend list. In fact, it's empty here. It is also the only game in which I have zone chat turned on. Everywhere else I have it turned off because I simply can't bear seeing the nonsense that spews through the channel. I've only ever had to report one person here in zone, because they were telling *** stories and making jokes about it. Whether or not it was all in fun or all untrue and a big joke is beside the point; that kind of thing is wrong.

I play mainly on the AD side, and I've found ( with only two or three exceptions ) the people to be approachable, friendly and good natured, always willing to help out.
I'm worried that when the game goes B2P that it will attract people that just want to troll, or bring their toxic attitudes into the game, zone will be filled with nothing but spam, insults and other unsavoury chat, and I'll have to go back to turning it off and playing silently on my own.

It wouldn't normally bother me anywhere else, but ESO has been a really pleasant change, and I've gotten used to having a giggle over things said in zone, or watching a whole bunch of people rush to help someone who asks for aid with a world boss or something, and then stand about laughing and chatting after they've done with it. I don't want to see things like that be fouled up by a bunch of people with nothing better to do than get enjoyment from attempting to ruin the game for others.

I wish ESO had stayed as sub, but it hasn't and no amount of foot stamping is going to change it. That doesn't mean I'm not concerned about what influx is to come.

Edit - Hm, the board filtered out the remark I made about "non-consensual relations"

DeLindsay · February 2015

Nocturnalis wrote: »

Sub fees are what make the WoW and FF: ARR communities so great.

You must be joking right? It's hard to sense sarcasm on the internet. WoW has one of the worst communities I've ever seen in an MMO. Whether it be the Forums or Zone chat, every single day it devolves into "[snip]" comments and various "I'm better than you cuz I do 1 DPS more than you" type of elitist banter. Besides there's PLENTY of jerks already playing ESO that also post on these forums. ESO going B2P (there is no F2P so people need to stop using that term) won't make much difference in it's overall community.

Sure for the first few months after B2P we'll get an influx of undesirables but many will leave when they realize ESO is quite a different MMO from what they're used to.

[Moderator Note: Edited per our rules on Cursing & Profanity]

RazielSR · February 2015

Is gonna be a complete and absolute disaster. I know a bunch of people that is gonna start playing once this goes b2p and they say that now finally they will be able to troll this (censored word) mmo. I know some communities from other games I wont mention that are gona do the same. Some of them plan to "have fun" with some serious pvp disasters and low level pve disasters.
Now the frontiers are open so everybody can enter. And wait for once the game goes completely f2p (no need to buy the box)...
Of course now some will tell me Im just trolling but its ok.
About me,I wont be here to see this Madness Unlimited. Be prepare to see your Tamriel devastated.

Muizer · February 2015

@OP, is your concern based on experience with MMO's in particular? Because the b2p games I've spent a lot of time with aren't MMO's and I've not noticed the communities there being any more toxic or less mature than what I found here.

SantieClaws · February 2015

As regards trolls moving in from other games I suspect for a month or so we might see a similar siuation to the bot situation we had for a while after launch.

Things will be chaos but then Zeni will get a grip on it, most of the worst of the bad accounts will get tickled with the banhammer and then things will settle down again.

TehMagnus · February 2015

Visualize League Of Legend's Toxic community.
Then imagine the game on sale in steam for 5-10$
Then imagine the amount of kikolol toxic waste 14-16y old that will flow into the game.

RazielSR · February 2015

wenxue2222b16_ESO wrote: »

Things will be chaos but then Zeni will get a grip on it, most of the worst of the bad accounts will get tickled with the banhammer and then things will settle down again.

Keep dreaming. Now zos sells boxes,no need for them to fix all the things they would(maybe) fix if you were paying a sub.
In fact,they will need even less people for that and there wont be the same amount of people caring.

Spiritreaver_ESO · February 2015

Der_Deutsche_Hase wrote: »

I'm a tad bit concerned with what's going to happen to this well matured community when it goes into F2P/B2P. I'm concerned because most F2P games usually get a bad reputation with the community because it becomes very toxic, very fast. And because this game is subscription based currently, this means that the adults way out weight the children in numbers currently, and obviously this won't last when it goes into f2p/b2p.

What are your guy's thoughts on this? Does anyone share my concern about this?

I'm honestly not that worried. Moderation on this forum is pretty tight as to what i've been accustomed to elsewhere and if they just maintain the level where it is nothing much will change.

There will undoubtedly be a large crop of blatant troll posts for the first few months after the change. But there will prolly only end up being a few die-hard blusterous types who will either get bored and leaver or get permabanned. All in all most likely not too much drama after the initial crush.

My take anyways. Could totally go to heck or even go the other way and become better. Either way i'll just roll with it.

Robo_Hobo · February 2015

I don't really get involved socially in-game, but when I see these forums, it doesn't give off a mature vibe to me most of the time, it seems more 'elitist' and 'entitled', which I generally associate with immaturity. Interestingly I see the worst cases of it in regards to the announcement of the game going B2P.

In some ways, the community may even benefit, maturity-wise, from the game going B2P, if it means less people complaining about it (since, why would someone whom joined the game only after it went B2P complain about it being B2P?)

cchin256b16_ESO · February 2015

BlueViolet wrote: »

I'm worried. With the exception of TSW, ESO has the nicest community I've known. I play several other MMO's and most of the people I've encountered in those are appalling. There seems to be something in MMO's that brings out the worst in some folks.

This is the only game that I play where my ignore list is not ten times longer than my friend list. In fact, it's empty here. It is also the only game in which I have zone chat turned on. Everywhere else I have it turned off because I simply can't bear seeing the nonsense that spews through the channel. I've only ever had to report one person here in zone, because they were telling *** stories and making jokes about it. Whether or not it was all in fun or all untrue and a big joke is beside the point; that kind of thing is wrong.

I play mainly on the AD side, and I've found ( with only two or three exceptions ) the people to be approachable, friendly and good natured, always willing to help out.
I'm worried that when the game goes B2P that it will attract people that just want to troll, or bring their toxic attitudes into the game, zone will be filled with nothing but spam, insults and other unsavoury chat, and I'll have to go back to turning it off and playing silently on my own.

It wouldn't normally bother me anywhere else, but ESO has been a really pleasant change, and I've gotten used to having a giggle over things said in zone, or watching a whole bunch of people rush to help someone who asks for aid with a world boss or something, and then stand about laughing and chatting after they've done with it. I don't want to see things like that be fouled up by a bunch of people with nothing better to do than get enjoyment from attempting to ruin the game for others.

I wish ESO had stayed as sub, but it hasn't and no amount of foot stamping is going to change it. That doesn't mean I'm not concerned about what influx is to come.

Edit - Hm, the board filtered out the remark I made about "non-consensual relations"

This one does not think the AD will have much of an issue, as the AD tends to be the least popular Empire. This one has seen the other empires daggerfall chat is by far the most toxic.

rawne1980b16_ESO · February 2015

This community has never been all that great. In beta it was okay but not fantastic.

Since it's gone live these forums have been a cess pit. I was looking through my old comments on threads from launch last year and some of the threads were utter garbage as were a lot of comments in them.

We had people that resorted to PM'ing insults to others and threads getting locked/deleted due to insults, trolling and general flame bait.

There is no possible way they could get any worse.

It's not much better in game, chat channels fill up with absolute tripe, especially at prime time. I turned them all off except guild.

kevlarto_ESO · February 2015

Since you still have to buy the client, that will keep the worst free loaders out they don't pay for anything, and I am sure some folks that have bought the client will not spend money in game, but that is ok they at least had to buy the client. I am sure some of the folks that left the game with a chip on their shoulder will return with that chip and I am sure some of the open minded folks might find they enjoy the game, who knows /shrug

JamilaRaj · February 2015

ZOS could sell posting permits in Crown Store for hefty fee. That would ensure that only better people that know value of money would be able to post their deep insights, as it had been the case up until P2W switch.

fromtesonlineb16_ESO · February 2015

Spiritreaver_ESO wrote: »

Der_Deutsche_Hase wrote: »

I'm a tad bit concerned with what's going to happen to this well matured community when it goes into F2P/B2P. I'm concerned because most F2P games usually get a bad reputation with the community because it becomes very toxic, very fast. And because this game is subscription based currently, this means that the adults way out weight the children in numbers currently, and obviously this won't last when it goes into f2p/b2p.

What are your guy's thoughts on this? Does anyone share my concern about this?

I'm honestly not that worried. Moderation on this forum is pretty tight as to what i've been accustomed to elsewhere and if they just maintain the level where it is nothing much will change.

There will undoubtedly be a large crop of blatant troll posts for the first few months after the change. But there will prolly only end up being a few die-hard blusterous types who will either get bored and leaver or get permabanned. All in all most likely not too much drama after the initial crush.

My take anyways. Could totally go to heck or even go the other way and become better. Either way i'll just roll with it.

There's one big difference between these forums and all the others I visit, a forum ban is also a game ban, so while some people can live with being perma-banned in other forums (as I am in LoTRO's thanks to Sapience before he left) if someone wants to risk a forum ban here they also risk being banned from the game.

That's about the only real difference being B2P and not F2P makes, it gives ZOS a weapon to fight the most toxic forum dwellers that companies like Trion (Rift) don't have: trolls won't normally want to risk getting locked out of a game they had to buy and would have to buy again to get back on the forums.

Clearly the same thing applies to in-game behaviour, a ban there would equally mean having to buy again, a few hard-case trolls may, most won't.

Lorkhan · February 2015

Der_Deutsche_Hase wrote: »

I'm a tad bit concerned with what's going to happen to this well matured community when it goes into F2P/B2P. I'm concerned because most F2P games usually get a bad reputation with the community because it becomes very toxic, very fast. And because this game is subscription based currently, this means that the adults way out weight the children in numbers currently, and obviously this won't last when it goes into f2p/b2p.

What are your guy's thoughts on this? Does anyone share my concern about this?

we are all humans

Elloa · February 2015

We ARE the Community, and the community will become how we shape it!

This is my answer to the question (3min video rant)

Lorkhan · February 2015

+ some young people are wiser

phairdon · February 2015

Nothing to fear. Admins here close down discussions. Also throw warnings in when discussions go off topic due to members becoming 'toxic' toward one another. Can only imagine members will have discussions removed, or perhaps even banned if they are only here to troll the forums & the game for that matter.

YstradClud · February 2015

I'm not really fussed as I will be on console and am use to the garbage community of Xbox Live

TehMagnus · February 2015

fromtesonlineb16_ESO wrote: »

There's one big difference between these forums and all the others I visit, a forum ban is also a game ban, so while some people can live with being perma-banned in other forums (as I am in LoTRO's thanks to Sapience before he left) if someone wants to risk a forum ban here they also risk being banned from the game.

That's about the only real difference being B2P and not F2P makes, it gives ZOS a weapon to fight the most toxic forum dwellers that companies like Trion (Rift) don't have: trolls won't normally want to risk getting locked out of a game they had to buy and would have to buy again to get back on the forums.

Clearly the same thing applies to in-game behaviour, a ban there would equally mean having to buy again, a few hard-case trolls may, most won't.

Actually ZOS removed that rule, forum ban doesn't get you in game ban anymore (hasn't for quite some time now). Which is totally fair since attitude in game and in the forums have nothing to do with one and other.

source: Been baned on multiple occasions

But yeah, if the ban hammer is as mighty as it is atm, I don't fear for the forums to become a horrible place to be but there will be a lot more of in game toxic attitude which comes with F2P games.

Mercutio · February 2015

It's not going to make a bit of difference except that more people will be playing. A certain percentage of them will be jerks, just like every game has now. Most will be friendly or, at the worst, apathetic.

A subscription or lack thereof does not magically make someone a good or bad player. Take each individual on their own merit.

eserras7b16_ESO · February 2015

Traisa wrote: »

Nocturnalis wrote: »

Messy1 wrote: »

We can have ESO+ only community forums?

Like a country club?

So it'll be full of rich snobs?

Exactly!

fromtesonlineb16_ESO · February 2015

TehMagnus wrote: »

Actually ZOS removed that rule, forum ban doesn't get you in game ban anymore (hasn't for quite some time now).

Oh really, that went unpublicised, ZOS made a big thing of it last autumn when the uproar over the abandonment of VR was at its height.

I find this news depressing, ZOS stance was refreshing.

Lied · February 2015

Marvel Heroes is F2P and has the most gelled community I've ever seen. Personally, I think the size of the community has more of an impact than whether the game is F2P or not.

If anything, I'm not looking forward to the transition period between now and whenever VRs finally get removed. Not because of the influx of F2P players, but because of the inevitable conflict between people who like/hate the drastic changes ZOS is making to the game.

There's obviously not going to be a friendly 'agree to disagree' on the new directions ESO will be taking. There will [continue to] be a lot of resentment for everyone supporting/condemning the upcoming changes.

stewhead2ub17_ESO · February 2015

Honestly, I don't think the sub model makes a difference. I dabble in 10 mmo's currently, some have subs others b2p and f2p and I haven't noticed any real difference. There are good people and *** everywhere. The sub model doesn't matter imo.

frosth.darkomenb16_ESO · February 2015

stewhead2ub17_ESO wrote: »

Honestly, I don't think the sub model makes a difference. I dabble in 10 mmo's currently, some have subs others b2p and f2p and I haven't noticed any real difference. There are good people and *** everywhere. The sub model doesn't matter imo.

10 MMOs at the same time?
This is a sad time when someone can play 10 games when once upon a time each single mmo was so enthralling it was impossible to play more than one at a time.

fromtesonlineb16_ESO · February 2015

stewhead2ub17_ESO wrote: »

Honestly, I don't think the sub model makes a difference. I dabble in 10 mmo's currently, some have subs others b2p and f2p and I haven't noticed any real difference. There are good people and *** everywhere. The sub model doesn't matter imo.

Completely agree.

One of the most toxic communities is of course WOW, while one of the least toxic in my experience is GW2: I said LEAST toxic, we're talking about internet-based games, ass-hats happen everywhere.

Not everyone is WOW is an ass-hat, not everyonein GW2 is a saint, same is true in Rift but that community is far more sociable than ESO's is right now in some parts.