An idea has occured to me...

idk man . you seem to be like a motivational speaker profiteer saying things that seem peachy and mean something but they dont. and you contradict yourself some so i read like the first half and became to be in a state if wtf and thought to myself...maybe this person needs to let anet run they bidness and you run yo bidness and ....well who's millionares and whos flaming their opinion on a webite?

and yet again you fail to explain why you HAVE to have monthly fees to improve it

i remember it fondly, the first conversation i had with her we clicked almost immediately. the more time we spent together the more i fell in love with her. words cant describe the happiness and joy i felt when i was with her. nothing was going to seperate us...

as time went by, i thought the impossible was happening. feelings of familiarity, comfort, stagnation started to creep into my thoughts. what was happening? how could i fix this?

we tried everything to rekindle that magic we felt when we first met. nothing seemed to work. after exhausting all options, we decided to move on with our lifes in different directions.

the end.

Math inept huh? Alright... First of all, let's go to the realm of being exact.

You can't include the range for the new chapter, unless you are going to allow a range for the monthly fee as well. The reason there is a range is because we get non-game-specific items. My Varesh 3-D poster thingy, my maps and all the other little trinkets that came with my CE did not affect the actual game itself (one could argue that the music at least affects it in some way, but that's more semantics.)

Unless the fee includes physical items, added music or what not, go with the base price for the chapters.

Let's also adjust your monthly fee to keep it the same, so roughly $8.33 a month.

Now, in that one year, both ways, we're spending roughly $100

Unless you are suggesting we pay a monthly fee AND buy bi-yearly chapters, how is ANet making any difference in revenue?

It's either they get the money all at once and then don't care so much if you stop playing after three months, or they get the money MAYBE if you play the whole six months.

If you are suggesting a monthly fee and chapter costs... there's no way I'm paying $200 bucks a year for one game.

How is ANet going to do more with the same OR LESS money on a yearly basis?

---

If they went with the "some pay monthly, some don't" suggestion you were giving before, it couldn't produce anything that would have an effect on gameplay. Remember ANet's basis of everyone is equal regardless of time or other factors, it's only skill. Giving a gameplay benefit to those who pay for a monthly fee (in addition to chapters?) only would create a gap.

Also, since titles are part of the current free service, would you then require persons wanting to get the full cartographer titles to pay a monthly fee?

So, essentially, if you wanted to maintain the above values as "Free," what are you left with? The equivilent of putting sparkles, fireworks, or a new coat of wax on something to catch your attention, but ultimately... nothing new.

---

I, and many whom replied above, value Guild Wars as a Free-to-Play game. I like the ability not to have to play at some level just to feel I'm getting my money out of it. I enjoy being able to step away and come back later (usually never do that, unless of the course the military has something to say about it...) without worrying if my account is inactive, or paying when I'm not playing.

I get the same value of the game if I play it for a day, or two years.

---

Boredom is inherent to anything. Every person has a varied level of attention spans, what holds mine may not hold yours. What I value, you may not.

Look how many persons beat the game in the first weekend vs. how many haven't beat it after a month.

Look how many threads appeared within the first week of "I'm bored already" both for Factions and Nightfall. Then look at how many people still are playing the game and enjoying it.

For an example, I started playing Tachyon: The Fringe (it's a space combat game) again after a long break. When I first started playing online (it has both online and offline content) you could easily get into games involving 20+ persons. As of last week the total amount of games added up to ONE and there were four people, myself included.

Interest waxes and wanes.

Prophecies has been out for over a year, Factions is even getting "old." The online community in Guild Wars is like a Wave, you will find the largest amount pushing along similar lines in a certain area, with smaller amounts surrounding it. Occasionally when new players buy an old chapter you get more persons in some areas.

If ANet started adding new content to old areas, one would indeed see an increase in players there, as the wave would head that way. But how long til that got old, and a new place was needed?

How many updates, how much would ANet have to poke and prod to the original chapters until they didn't even resemble what they first were, to hold player interest?

What ANet is doing right now with their business model is, imo, the best they can do for their game content and layout.

Release a chapter, the wave purchases said chapter and playes it. Depending upon difficulty, value of replay and rewards, the wave progresses either slowly or quickly through the game.

New chapter, the wave pays out, and starts out again.

The chapters are spaced to when roughly the largest block of Guild Wars players has put one character through the game and/or starts to wane in interest.

This way, ANet gets their income regardless of how quick you lose interest, or how often you play.

are you saying stop making new chapters and revamp the old chapters with new quests?

if so you are saying new quests in new scenery are not new content .....

but putting the same new quests into the old tired chapter IS new content.

i personally would rather have new quests in new scenery to explore.

if you are speaking of a 2 tier game content with some people having extra content the game engine wont support it and the playerbase would for the most pare ragequit.

i think ANET/NCSoft have a better grasp of the finincial end than a small *vocal minority*

Ok, well how would you guys go about adding new content to older chapters and making them lively again? Do you think this current product model of installing new and new chapters will remain the same forever?

I just put a possible solution. A monthly fee gives incentive for ArenaNet to expand on content on previous chapters. Geez, I mean I knew I was going into dark territory with this suggestion, but I wasn't quite expecting EVERYONE to be against me. I still don't think its that bad of an idea.

See the thing is, you still haven't explained how changing the time interval in which ANet gets their money will change how they design the game. Same money but slower, to me, doesn't seem to say "let's do more work."

Hmm..ok. Well, I did state that their would be more people playing over a larger period of time, because there was like a big thread on bored players here and I feel much uncertainty about the next chapter sales ( maybe others don't but I just feel a ceartain sense about it). If more people play, there are more profits, and Anet doesn't have to worry about new expansion sales until they squeeze out every bit of potential out of all three continents.

I wouldnt.

Why try to refresh old stuff, when you could concentrate on making something new.

Forever is a long time

its been around nearly 2 years, if it makes it to 5 hell, even 3 or 4, i would call it a sucsess.

Also exactly what is the issue, you seem to think that people abandoning old chapters for new is bad?

Youve put a solution foward for what many dont see as a problem anyway.

A monthly fee just gives incentive for people to play other games. Lets be honest, ive played guild wars, i havnt played some other p2p games, if i had to play for guild wars i would quit for 2 reasons

1. guild wars should be free as advertised
2. if im going to pay for something to recive new content, then i may as well just pay to play a game i havnt tried

Yes, you did state this, numerous times, but at no point proved it.

What logic are you using to come to the conclusion that monthly fee = more people playing.

If anet add chapters that are dull and un-innovative (for arguments sake), that has nothing to do with monthly fees.

Oh cmon this is just getting old, you just keep repeating and repating monthly fee = more content and people playing, but never back it up with anything, i know ill play your game.

Imo, I think with the landscape areas, Anet can make YEARS of entertainment just out of even CANTHA. I'm sorry if I left some unclear things in my OP, I wanted some people here to discuss what Anet could do with such potential of a monthly fee.

Aron, your right about that, but there are also many other players who do see a lot of problems.

A monthly fee does maybe discourage some players, but again it could be optional (in the sense that it would not affect core gameplay or the balance of the game, but give fun minigames or events.) So, people could still do their missions while others could play for instance a bounty hunter game (I think suggested in sardelac) all over Tyria and for instance and get titles for it. I want you guys to expand on the original thought though of what this could bring to the Guild Wars Table.

I'm not completely against you. I would also like to have new things in old chapters, but I don't think it's worth it if we end up paying monthly. And if we end up paying monthly, but don't have to buy the games, then that doesn't really change anything from how it is now(besides making players quit) If there is a better way, that doesn't involve monthly fees, then I might agree.

Trust me..I thought about for a long time, and I advocated in many threads for Anet to do it gamecube187. But once I looked at it from their perspective instead my own ignorant one, I realized this is probably the only way it will work.

Discussion with you is pointless when you just ignore most of what people say, dont have any counters, and rubbish your own points.

I don't know any facts of figures here, but is money the reason for lack of "upgrades". Maybe, the idea of a free MMO is rare. I think the reason so many people are against it is because they are so use to not paying, and alot of people don't believe in paying for a game, then paying monthly just to play it as evident from all the negative feedback.

I'm more neutral on the subject. If it turned around the game with the extra revenue, I might be willing to pay, but I don't really expect that. At the same time, I hate the idea because, as I look at the other MMORPG that I payed $10.00 a month for seven years it totaled $840.00 just to play the game. Ouch.

When it boils down to it, Guild Wars has made a name for itself as a free MMO, and turning their back against that by charging would be far too damaging to their image and their PR. it's just my opinion, though. I don't have solid facts to back it up. Since I don't work for them, I cannot honestly say why or why they could not impliment it.

On the subject of monthly fees. I'd be out of GW like a shot and I'm sure some lonely gamer somewhere would hold up their GW ch1,2 and 3 boxes in court and say 'It says NO monthly fees'.

If I wanted to pay for my gaming I'd find a primarly non instanced world where the considerable limitations placed on us in GW due to it's design model were not present.

As for the suggestion that there should be a two teir system for montly fees - voluntary fees for mini games etc. The better way to implement this is through add on packs via the online shop. These could be used periodically to give a cash 'boost'.

However it's all moot unless anyone have a copy of the last returns filed by Anet and a copy of the accounts of NcSoft and the pages figures relevant to GW.

I know, but with this "stay the course" policy they have I just am not sure how long it will last. Nothing of course lasts forever, but with more gameplay features that don't affect the balance and core this game was built on, I am sure it will last much longer.

I agree with a price being put on any content added to polish up previous chapters, but a monthly fee isn't required for those things to get done. If players want whatever extra stuff you mentioned, we can just pay like a one time price of maybe 10-15 dollars and thats it. I'm fine with paying once for any new content addedt to Proph or Factions. But a monthly fee isn't necessary.

I really hope anet does add quests or housing or minigames in the future.

I don't think a monthly fee is the answer for GW. I think the solution really is that the PvEers (like myself) need to accept that GW is not long lasting role playing game like it has the potential to be.
Focus is constantly on change and balance, and PvE is by nature unbalanced and is where the challenge and fun comes from. Fighting a massively over powered foe with unique abilities and powers is far more fun for PvEers than chasing after a mob monk with player like skills and abilities that have been balanced to be the same as the players... (wow, what a run on).

Most complaints about boredom seemed to show up around the same time as when the AI went Benny Hill and drops turned to crap.

Adding a monthly fee to this game model will not change the model; only add fees (and additional optional content per the OP ideas) to the model.

I would suggest PvEers (like myself) that are unhappy or discontent with GW's PvE game find another online game to play, or simply a game with a richer more open PvE type play... such as the fanboys of Anet have been saying for a year (true fans... sending customers away... lol). I am, for example, happily paying a monthly fee for another online game with a deeper PvE experience and am only playing GW on a rare occasion. I am, however watching and keeping an eye on the state of the game and awaiting some major improvements and "fixes" so that I can continue enjoying a good game.

This is only my opinion and in no way do I claim to speak for any minority or majority.

NCsoft® Corporation (KSE:036570.KS) today announced third quarter 2006 sales of KRW (Korea Won) 85 billion (US$90.1 million), operating income of KRW 17.5 billion (US$18.7 million) and net profit of KRW 12.8 billion (US$13.7 million), all on a consolidated basis. Compared to the previous quarter, sales decreased 1% while operating income rose 944%. The company reported a turnaround in net profit from the previous quarter, an increase of 16.4% excluding the Q2 Auto Assault® write-off of KRW 11.2 billion.

The results were due to brisk sales of the world’s leading MMORPG franchise Lineage®, Lineage II and City of Heroes®/City of Villains® that beat market expectations and a decrease in operating costs such as labor and marketing.

By region, domestic sales amounted to KRW 53.9 billion (US$57.5 million), up 2% from the previous quarter thanks to the continued popularity of Lineage and Lineage II. North America and Europe recorded sales of KRW 15.8 billion (US$16.9 million) and KRW 6.1 billion (US$6.5 million), respectively. In Japan, steady sales of the Lineage series, buoyed by an increase in the number of users of Lineage II and the Chronicle 5 update in September, led to sales of KRW 9.1 billion (US$9.7 million), up 22% q-q. The percentage breakdown of regional sales shows Korea with 57% of total sales followed by North America with 19%, Europe with 7% and Japan with 11%. Overseas royalties amounted to 6%. Meanwhile, the percentage breakdown of sales by game titles shows Lineage and Lineage II with 36% and 35%, respectively, followed by City of Heroes/City of Villains with 9% and Guild Wars® with 14%.

NCSoft CFO Lee Jae-ho said, “The company’s accumulated earnings up to the third quarter exceeded its initial projection. Therefore, we are revising our 2006 earnings outlook upward to KRW 339 billion (US$361.8 million) in sales from the previous forecast of KRW 330 billion (US$352.2 million). The projection for operating income is upgraded to KRW 39 billion (US$41.6 million) from KRW 20 billion (US$21.3 million). The revision reflects the ongoing success with our game titles and the positive effects we’ve seen from the company’s cost controls.”

On October 27, NCsoft carried out a simultaneous global launch of the third campaign in the Guild Wars franchise, Guild Wars Nightfall™. This week, NCsoft is showcasing for the first time in Korea its hugely anticipated MMORPG project, Aion™. The game is being shown at G-star, Korea’s largest game exhibition. Early public testing for the game is slated to begin within the year. Additionally at G-star, NCsoft is showing off another new project, ATrix™. Testing for that game is slated to begin in the next two months.

Hmm..yes, this is an option. But, the question is, why?

You will end up paying more anyway, and you will not get a game as good as guild wars. You will not get such a good idea as balanced pvp. Balanced pvp is something before Guild Wars I literally dreamt about, and that it is actually skill based. PvP, like I have been saying, should be balanced or restricted. The only updates that pvpers should get are new battle types, 1 on 1 mode, etc and skill balances or such. It is fair, and it truly depicts which player is better not which player has the most "leet" weapon.

Do not say I hate pvp because of this, because pvp is really fun and right now the best feature this game has. Still, pve has time to catch up. Dude, this game can accomplish more open pve content, but without monthly cash incentive Anet or any other sane person in the world wouldn't implement it.

The way Guild Wars is, it should probably divide this pve and pvp type. My opinion is make pve more effective, with optional monthly fees that will expand gameplay on these current vast continents. Examples are fishing in magumma, and Anet can make uses for fish. Players can use them for to feed themselves and give them a temporary pve health bonus (some 20 points or so, the details are not important. Anet could even add a special "chest" that would be a very lucky catch that gives a surprise item or something.

Or mining, where players can mine for ore-type materiels for the armor crafter. They can get rubies or gems too if they are lucky, and if they mine in the very dangerous FoW or UW an ecto or shard might appear . The key though, is to make the likelihood of this the same as though they went in a UW farm group, it is just an alternative to constant fighting.

Their could also be games, like in Shing Jae Island in Cantha. Players can have hide-and seek type games there, with there being a huge instance type Arena of 40+ people. Or 2 sides of capture the flag, with cities having no invisible boundaries so teams can hide the flag wherever they want.

I am not saying I support these examples, but they are just possibilites.
I want this game to progress, not to decline, and I think that ideas like these could help it.

On behalf of myself and probably many other gamers.... We chose this game strictly for the on pay per month feature, its sad but true.

If they change it and make you pay per month, many will leave.

So what you're saying is that you're bored with the game? I can understand that, but your solution is no new chapters? How would that keep things fresh? I would think that after a few years with only the currnet chapters people would get very bored, even if everything that has been asked for was added and we got new SF like areas. Also, adding a monthly fee to the game would basically be them saying, "we failed, our buisness model doesn't work." Which would not be true. If you're bored with the current state of Guild Wars then stop playing. Take a break for a month or two and pick up another game for a while. You can always come back and it won't cost you anything, or ANet anything. When I get bored with GW I go back to games I've enjoyed in the past, like Diablo II and Counter Strike.

Wont be playing if there was a monthly fee option.

No. If you asked me this a year ago when I use to gladly play 6-8 hours a day I might have said yes but now I'm at a point where I can't get passed the login screen..

I'd consider paying IF they went back to the Chapter 1 style layout

Training Area
Low End Areas
Mid Range Areas
High End Ares
Range of High End explorable areas (SF/FoW) type places.

An option for timed missions/quests (on/off)
An option for the locked gate system (on/off)
An option for the inscription system (on/off) players with inscriptions on "off" would not be able to use inscriptable weapons.

Such things will never happen of course so Anet will never get any monthly subscription off me.

Who wants to be on a contract? The thing that's nice about having to just buy a game once is that there are no credit card issues or cancellation problems, it's said and bought and if you stop playing for a month, you can easily get back into the game without worrying about the hassle of getting back in.

Well frankly these few years might be Anet's best bet right now, plus with a pretty large player base monthly subsription they would be getting, I don't think it would be considered a "failure". Anet is always making us adapt I think they should get a taste of their own medicine, except that they should be happy about that. Surely the creators of prophecies can cook up something fun right?



Hmm..I think chapter 1 was probably the hook of the three next chapters, which is why it was so good. Anet themselves know it was the best chapter I guess, and plus it did get the most planning and developement time.


Hmm...well in order for these things to happen, they do need some type of optimistic support right? I mean, for the sake of the game and your fun at least try and support em. They are the creators after all .

I'll give all the support they need the day they announce they are reverting back to the original game.

I've said this before.. i'd rather pay to play and get more/better content on a regular bases rather than every six months.

Hmm..but there is one thing about that though admin. One, if they did make another chapter like prophecies, its longevity would SUBSTANTIALLY increase over factions and nightfall imo, thus (if we are still talking about Anet's original bussiness model) make them have lower profits. People can be entertained with a prophecies-type game for a long long time, something Anet just needed to use as a hook for future chapters. It is a longshot to make another one like that, so my monthly fee idea seems somewhat more feasible. You could be right though, it is very hard to tell the future .

I dont understand the hooplah about Prophecies. Everyone seems so hung up about it. Why? Why do we want to revert back when so many things have been improved on? Prophecies was the first big step in a really great franchise but it was hardly the best one. I think people are strictly going on nolstagia here and nothing rational.

I agree but for me to pay there has to be major changes...there has to be more choices made available and more freedom allowed.

Meeting another players that has the same armor/hair/height etc is disturbing..all old topics but something that would have to be addressed.

I think you're all talking about some really wild speculations there.

On the surface this idea looks great, but you need to think about it and take some examples from another game. *Cringes from the laughter* Runescape is the example. When Jagex made runescape they were planning on making the best F2P online rpg. Picture perfect, eh? Well they couldn't. Then they created the membership system. This system is paying $5 a month (Optional, of course) for more content. NOW they had the perfect F2P online rpg didn't they? Suddenly, the updates for the free players slowed down. They came to an abrupt end soon thereafter. Now F2P updates happen so rarely that in the last 9 months that I played the game there wasn't one that I can remember. I'm sure that there were small tweaks and such, those are always going on, but major content just isn't there. Now I would estimate that 90% or more of Runescape can only be accessed by being a member.
That is why Guild Wars would die off. Everything would be perfect at the start of this paying system, but eventually and inevitably the designers would favor the people that pay them. Guild Wars would just end. Btw that would be bad.

EDIT: If Anet ever imposes a monhtly fee, I would consider switching to another game. WoW... Runescape... There aren't many online games out there that intrigue me anymore. I'd end up on one of those two though.

Why must that be the case? They can always sell unlocks to new zones ala sorrows furnace style. People who don't own the unlocks will just see a lame NPC outside a locked gate who doesn't let them in, not like we have not gone through such lameness in factions already.

HELL NO........ ARE YOU INSANE ?

Monthly fee is not going to alter the enjoyment factor of the game, if your bored, take a break......

Arenanet work by a different business model to your obvious point of referance, being WOW. So far it has prooved exceedingly sucessful for the company and the customer.

Seriously i think people expect way to much sometimes, and as for monthly fee's, honestly ? What kind of expired breakfast cereal are you eating ?

My broadband fee's, PC hardware and games cost enough $$$ as it is!.

Tell you what, since you obviously enjoy giving money away....... PM me, and ill send you my address, you can pay me monthly fees !...........

that should help satisify the burning urge you have to spend your money AIMLESSY.


GO GIVE TO A CHARITY, for crying out loud......... hows that sound ? hey

NUTTER!.

What kind of weird, distorted 3RD World, newpaper for underwear, homeless ,starving lump of programmer's do you think ARENANET IS ?

ARENANET are in a extremly healthy financial position, whatever gave you the impression otherwise, is beyond me !...

They don't need your charity, or your god-damn monthly fee's you utter fruit cake,

and they CERTAINLY do not need monthly-fee's, to simply add "CONTENT".

Unbelievable.

Your talking about a very successful, first-rate multi billion dollar developer, with a extremly successful businesss model and franchise.

Not some bunch of pocket lint eating , pigion feeding , insane muttering alchoholic street bums !

I'm really trying not to flame you so I'll make my point quick. If ArenaNet wanted to add more feddex quests and crappy minigames to old chapters they would be in the GW Shop right now.

Actually their parent company NCSoft has only just returned into the black after losing money for a few quarters, so it is not like Anet is doing as well as you imagine.

Where did you find that tidbit?

PvE is always balanced enough for you to win. ITs to create the illusion of unbalanced fighting not for the fighting to be purely unbalanced. Which is why the monsters are always 10 times bigger and massively slower. The gameplay of PvE is not to face an uber monster with little chance to win. They don't make games like that anymore for a reason. People won't buy it if its hard.

PvE is about unique experiences like you did say. The game is always balanced, but you might need to meet the requirements before going ahead. Which gives the illusion that the enemy you are about to face is strong. But it was already planned that way.

I hate the whole "service model". I won't ever pay a monthly fee for gaming. I buy products at a time of my choosing and that's it.

Regarding putting new content in old chapters - there's nothing to stop anet selling mission packs, if they want to. So long as I never get the impression that content is being dropped from a release, to be sold later (*cough* EA *cough*), I would completely support add-ons.