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| Scott Clay |
Free at last, free at last!
05.28.15 - 10:15 AM
NCSOFT and Carbine Studios have announced today that their critically acclaimed MMORPG, WildStar will go free-to-play this fall. Now I know what you're thinking, the minute most fans of MMOs see that their favorite MMO is going free-to-play they start to worry about the quality and the future of the game. Fear not WildStar fans, as Carbine Studios is committed to making sure that WildStar stays a AAA game, and they will continue to deliver quality regular updates.
A lot of MMOs that go free-to-play often limit the amount of content one can explore and enjoy, but WildStar will not be doing this. As the game goes free-to-play, players will be able to level up to the cap of 50, acquire all Amps and abilities, and participate in all dungeons, raids, adventures, shiphands, and PvP. In other words, everything you can do now under subscription, you can do when the game goes free-to-play.
If you still wish to support the game after it has gone free-to-play, you can purchase an optional membership for a monthly fee. This membership will only give a few conveniences such as bonuses and enhancements to XP, crafting, currency, item drops, and reputation. Members also get an additional character, costume, bank, supply, and décor items. If you want more, you can purchase NCoins that allow players to buy these items from the in-game store. NCSOFT and Carbine Studios will not however be selling power. There will never be items in the shop that allow you to get an edge over other players. Progression items are and always will be received in game though time, skill, and effort.
Now what if you already have a subscription that runs though the free-to-play transition? Well all players that maintain a subscription from June 15, 2015 though the free-to-play transition will receive items and rewards. Those that have supported the game since launch will get even more goodies. Carbine will be offering a loyalty program for time and effort invested into the game, even if they are not currently subscribers. If you want to check out all the player appreciation rewards head over to WildStar's website.
Since the start of 2015, Carbine Studios has focused a lot on player feedback. MMOs are social games, and without the players you don't really have a game. The developers over at Carbine understand this all too well, making sure that there is content for the entire player base. It doesn't matter if you're a causal or hardcore player, there is always something to do for everyone. They have also focused on removing the grind, and increasing the fun. To much grind in MMOs often leads players to becoming burned out or not feeling adequately rewarded. As the game goes free-to-play, they will continue to deliver in this regard. Quality of life and content changes will be coming this fall as well. Check them out below:
- Streamlining player and item stats to be much more intuitive while adding high-level options to give players more flexibility.
- Making the Amp system easier to use by unlocking all Amp slots.
- Reviewing dungeons and open world content so that the experience is challenging, but not brutal.
- Changing the tutorial and early game experience to provide a better and quicker introduction.
This is only the start of what’s to come for WildStar, and if you want more information on their transition to free-to-play check out their announcement livestream at 10:00 PDT on Friday, May 29th over on their Twitch channel. Also check out their website to sign up for the closed beta.
