This has probably been suggested multiple times before, however I want to get my word in on the matter without necroing a thread. So, here we go.

Freeform.

Freeform is what sets Champions Online apart from other superhero MMOs, the ability to pick powers from ANY powersets. It is, at least in my opinion, the biggest draw to Champions Online, I know it's what brought me here and why I got Gold for awhile. I honestly believe it's a shame that Silver members don't have access to this. I understand why, since it would eliminate the need for archetypes to some extent. I mean, why buy the archetypes if you can make them yourself?

SOLUTION:
Allow Silver players to access Freeform, however, only with the powersets that belong to the current free archetypes. If they want access to more powersets, let them buy the powersets, or archetype that owns said powerset. That way, Cryptic is still getting paid for archetypes/powersets, through either their C-Store or Gold membership, and Silver players can have access to Freeform. I know I would be more willing to buy C-Points (through PWE Prepaid cards) more often if I was buying more powersets for a Freeform character, over just Hideouts and Costume Pieces (what I currently spend C-Points on).

Another thing I suggest is to not give Silver players access to Freeform right off the bat with their first champion. Instead, do it the way Epic Archetypes were handled in CoX. I find that around lv.20, a player can get a good idea on what makes up a decent character build by how the Archetypes progress. So maybe have it so around that level, Silver players may take a one time per account mission chain that will eventually unlock Freeform for their account, and maybe a Full Retcon token award so they could go and make their current champion a Freeform. Of course, since Gold members help support the game just as much, if not more, as us Silver players and those who spend money on the C-Store, Gold players will have access to Freeform right off the bat and wont need to take the missions unless they go Silver.

Going by my logic, Silver players will either being paying for their powersets for Freeform since they may not like the ones from the free archetypes (Hence, money for Cryptic) or go Gold for access to all powersets right off the bat and instant access to Freeform (still money for Cryptic).

Now, you may be thinking; "But Hero, what about Questionite? Wouldn't that make it so Silver players can just buy the powersets?" My response:

Currently, 2000 Questionite gets you, roughly, 20 - 25 C-Points in the Questionite Exchange.
Each of the current premium archetypes costs 920 C-Points.
There are 13 of above mentioned archetypes.
13 times 920 equals around 11,960 C-Points.

If 2000 Questionite gets you around 25 C-Points, and a grand total of 11,960 C-Points gets you all of the powersets, then, if my math is correct, you will need close to 1,000,000 Questionite in order to successfully unlock all of the premium archetypes.

So, by going by the math, if a Silver player wants to unlock every current premium archetype using Questionite alone, then I think they deserve it considering the vast amount of Questionite to accomplish such a feat. So, if Silver players are given Freeform, and we use archetypes to unlock powersets, if a player uses only Questionite to unlock the powersets, no one should be able to complain seeing as how much work would have to be done in order to acomblish such a feet.

This is just going by the current archetypes, I havn't even factored in archetypes not yet made. So if there is an archetype for each powerset, then there will be even more work to be done in order to gain access to all possible powersets with a Freeform character.




Anyway, I hope this was all logical and gets supported.

This is a very dangerous topic. I see a huge s@#$ storm on the horizon in this thread.

How so? I gave very logical reasons as to how it could be implemented.

douple post....

Seeing as how Freeform is pretty much the main, if not only, reason for being a gold member, the majority of gold players (myself included) feel it should stay that way. While I'm not going to get into a long debate about it, as it always goes nowhere, there are plenty of people who will fiercely debate you on this until the thread has to be close by a mod.

The idea of a silver freeform option is right up there with wall crawling and vehicle travel powers in frequency of being requested. Its kinda like clone threads--just when you thought people were done bringing it up, the subject comes up again, often followed by heated debate on merits of freeform being locked behind a sub vs. allowing it to the general public as a c-store item.

These debates are very heated because many gold subscribers feel that freeform is the most desirable feature behind a subscription and that providing a c-store option would undermine and devalue their subscription and be financially detrimental to the game in the long run. Personally, I think that as long as the price is right and people end up paying a comparable cost for a freeform option as they would for a sub that it doesn't matter.

Anyways the devs have already stated that a c-store freeform option is at least under consideration, though, there has been no official word on whether it will actually be implemented.

Ohhh one of these again!!

*quickly opens up a little shop selling pitchforks and torches*

Ok, carry on :D

For what it's worth, the devs have openly discussed this idea. Currently, the concept is that one day, a Silver might be able to purchase a single Freeform slot, presumably for a price far higher than an AT. Each such slot would, of course, need to be purchased separately, should the player want to have more than one FF character (which is kind of the point of the game, yes?).

For myself, I support this concept, and feel that (assuming the price for the slot is high enough) this will not significantly impact the perceived value of the Gold subscription I still intend to one day resume; remember, after all, that the sub includes eight such slots, along with the other Gold bennies (free costume sets, monthly stipend, and certain other privileges).

Actually, the suggestions about making it cost something for Silver Players does seem a little more logical than my 'free for Silver players but they still have to pay for powersets' idea.

I'd be willing to pay $20+ for one Freeform slot, or at least a retcon of a current character into a Freeform.