On Wednesday 26 October 2011
Returning to a free
City of Heroes
By now most gamers realize that
going free isn't a sign of a struggling game. A previously
pay-to-play MMO that goes free-to-play often sees a major increase in
revenue, an increase in active users, and much more. Perfectly
healthy games with active and substantial populations go free to see
those increases even if the title doesn't "need" the
infusion. Let City of Heroes be a perfect example of that ideal.
City of Heroes has been going strong
for over 7 years now. A sizable and loyal following has been with the
game through 20 Issues (free updates), and with its 21st issue, the
game became City of Heroes Freedom. City of Heroes Freedom uses a
free-to-play hybrid model where an optional subscription is
available, but players can play the game for free with no client
purchase.
Membership comes in three different
versions. Players can be Free, Premium, or VIPs. A Free player is
more limited than a Premium player, and VIPs have access to
everything the game has to offer. Visit the membership matrix for
details on the restrictions of each level of membership. Continue
below for a look at these memberships and how they affect gameplay.
Free Members
Downloading and playing City of
Heroes Freedom for free is an easy process. A gamer just needs to
start an NCSoft Master account or link an existing account to City of
Heroes Freedom. From there, they are just one download away from
character creation and power selection. Someone who has never tried
City of Heroes will be considered a Free member when starting out.
They will have limitations on what they can do in the game, but
without being familiar with it, most players won't see the boundaries
too early.
The biggest restriction a Free
member will encounter, and probably the most obvious, is the
character slot limit. A Free player only has access to two character
slots. City of Heroes is known for creating alt-itus in many gamers,
and the character slot limit will hurt if a new player enjoys the
game. Other restrictions will start to irk a Free player if s/he
truly enjoys the game, too. Free players can't join Super Groups
(guilds), they have limited chat, and no access to in-game mail.
Luckily, though, there is plenty to
hold a Free player's attention. Making a character is not limited in
many ways. There are costume pieces locked out unless purchased, but
some of these; like a good portion of the capes and auras, are
unlocked through leveling a character. Leveling content is plentiful
and those that enjoy the game should consider upgrading to a Premium
membership since it is a one-time and permanent switch.
Premium Members
Premium Members become such by
buying any amount of Paragon Points. This purchase is minimal
depending on how many points the Free player wants to buy. The least
of which costs $5 for 400 Paragon Points. Paragon Points are used to
buy a number things in the Paragon Market. For example, power sets,
costumes, archetypes, and much more are just a click away.
Returning players, gamers that
previously bought City of Heroes before it went free-to-play, will
automatically begin as Premium members. Plenty of previously
pay-to-play only games are jumping on this bandwagon, and each title
has its own quirks and problems when it comes to getting their model
right. Some take too much away from a returning player. Specifically,
a few transitioned titles will take expansion content away from a
player that already purchased it. City of Heroes is not one of those
MMOs.
If a returning player had purchased
Going Rogue, s/he will find much of that content intact. This
includes the Dual Pistols power set, the Demon Summoning power set
(although the Mastermind archetype is required), and the Alignment
system. If a returning player previous bought any of the booster
packs before the game went free, then those will also still be
available.
Premium members still have only two
character slots, but if that member is a returning player, s/he
retains any slots bought or unlocked before the game went free.
Premium accounts can also join Super Groups, receive tells, access
the in-game mail system, and start working their way up the Paragon
Rewards tree. A gamer that just can't handle missing out on the
incarnate system can opt to subscribe for it and other amenities.
VIPs
City of Heroes Freedom VIPs pay
$14.99 per month to have full, unrestricted access to the game.
Systems like the incarnate levels and invention use are included
alongside full access to inventory and bank options. Full access to
the Mission Architect system is included as well.
In addition to having everything the
game has to offer, VIPs also get a 400 Paragon Point stipend every
month they subscribe. With each month a VIP is subscribed, s/he also
receives one Paragon Reward token (explained below). Getting Paragon
Reward tokens lets players that drop to a Premium membership keep
some of the features City of Heroes has for VIPs or paid purchase.
Currently, VIPs don't miss out on
much in the Paragon Market. There are things that must be purchased,
even for a VIP and that's what their stipend is used for. There is a
power set available for purchase that VIPs must purchase like Premium
and Free members, but VIPs do get paid content for free in the form
of the Signature Series.
Paragon Rewards
Paragon Rewards NCSoft and Paragon
Studios also introduced Paragon Rewards alongside City of Heroes
Freedom. This reward program works similarly to CoH's previous
veteran rewards program with some noticeable differences.
If you do decide to spend money on
the game, you'll be given Paragon Reward tokens. For every $15 you
spend on Paragon Points, you'll receive one Paragon Reward token.
This can be done by all membership levels, even by VIPs if they
choose to buy $15 worth of Paragon Points.
Using these points on the Paragon
Rewards table gives players permanent access to features like costume
parts, archetypes, and system access. It's a nice way to promote the
buying of Paragon Points and reward players for their loyalty. Each
token a player spends unlocks something for the game, and filling up
each tier of the Paragon Reward table offers up a boon of bonuses.
For instance, having eight tokens, which is enough to fill up through
tier four, unlocks rewards in the Mission Architect, the ability to
earn Reward Merits and Vanguard Merits, an increased inf. cap,
lifetime access to the Auction House, and much more.
Hybrid free-to-play models often
just strip away content from paid subscribers when they drop to a
non-paid membership. The Paragon Rewards program lets players earn
and keep their bonuses which is a welcome albeit confusing set up.
Check out the Paragon Wiki for a clear and easy way to see what is
available at each tier and with each token.
There's a substantial game to be
played at the Free level, but if you want more like inventions,
auctions, and Mission Architect you're going to have to spend money.
The Paragon Rewards system makes each $15 you spend worth a bit more
in the long term, but it does close off the option to just buy access
to things like using and making inventions (only purchasable for 30
days at a time or unlocked through the Paragon Rewards system). Only
time will tell if the Paragon Market will keep the content flowing
without upsetting paying subscribers or disappointing non-paying
gamers. Most of City of Heroes success will depend on that.
