Defiance Free-to-Play Arrives June 4!

[Scapes]

After my "free" 30 days runs out will I still have all my extra stuff and key code cap of 75 or is that when i have to buy the game again?

Yes! The Patron status does not affect your capacities.

[Shadow Andreas]

You're reading into it a bit too much. As mentioned, we're working with Microsoft on plans for Defiance Free-to-Play.

Thank you Scapes....I was not trying to read into it. So with the following:

Lock it in Ark Hunters! Defiance® for PC is going Free-to-Play June 4, just in time for Season 2 of the show which starts June 19 for US viewers and June 20 in Germany, Spain, Australia, Latin America, and Asia. Our console launch will follow shortly after, with Defiance Free-to-Play for PS3™ targeted for July 15!

When will the 360 vets get their patron status?

[Scapes]

You guys do not plan on adding any more content to this game?

Let's clarify: we don't have more DLCs planned at this time but have LOTS of Season 2 content planned. The first of our crossover missions are being added mid-May and will be available to all players.

[Scapes]

When will the 360 vets get their patron status?

We'll have that answer once we finalize planning with Microsoft for Xbox 360.

[Shadow Andreas]

We'll have that answer once we finalize planning with Microsoft for Xbox 360.

Thanks again for the clarification Scapes.

[Pandemonium]

as far as upgrading rarities on our weapons will we have the option to make our purple shields legendary?

[boogiejive]

Arkforge from Daily and Weekly Ark Hunter Bonus Lock Boxes. (Playing on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3? Be sure to link your account to get this bonus!)

if i have daily and weekly boxes in my claims will they now have ark forge in them

[Rokea]

Let's clarify: we don't have more DLCs planned at this time but have LOTS of Season 2 content planned. The first of our crossover missions are being added mid-May and will be available to all players.

By season 2 crossover content you mean hunt down the Data Recorders right!?

[Deunan]

Ah. And suddenly 1.5 makes sense. Evil sense, but sense. With version 1.5 and above of Defiance, if even one high-level player wanders into where you are, you start dying over and over again and your weapons turn useless. Why haven't they fixed this yet? Because it's on purpose. Version 1.5 creates a huge incentive to level up as fast as you can. How can you level up the fastest? Pay a monthly subscription for the +20% permanent XP boost.

If I'm interpreting this wrong, somebody tell me what my mistake was. Because that's how I read this interview, and it's coming across to me as more than mildly evil.

You're interpreting it wrong. Patron status isn't necessary to make good progress in the game. It's a convenience package and, unlike a lot of things in their micro-transaction store it's a reasonably priced one for players that can actually use most or all of the benefits. There is zero "cash grab" aspect to it.

Let me be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with game developers coming up with strategies and development plans that involve monetization of the players. It is an absolutely necessary aspect of commercial game development for both F2P and B2P games. Only P2P games don't have to rely on it (and even TESO has a micro-transaction store). It's when monetization takes priority over good game design that it becomes a cash grab and it's exacerbated when the target group for the monetization constitutes a minority of the player base. The only aspect of DLC5 that was part of that kind of monetization was Arkforge drop rate design and, at least for the time being, Trion has reversed course on that game design decision.

None of what we're seeing with regards to open world dynamic scaling creating negative playing experiences in the game was intentional. It was simply poorly designed and implemented and probably overambitious. Over the past few patches they've adjusted it so that it is more manageable and self correcting than it was before with the downside of it also being less challenging for those of us that liked the level of challenge it involved initially.

[Raphinha]

You said that the F2P will have a cap of KeyCode of 50. So I can imagine that a F2P player will not have access to a Tier 4 Lockbox cause it costs 64 KeyCodes. How does it affects a F2P gameplay?