F2P Players need chat love

yeah , the idea of selling costumes , auras is nice .....but not worth it

why buy an costume set while u are f2p? if u are really interested in having fun go VIP and u get 400 points that u can spend on whatever u wanted in the 1 place.....

Unfortunately this was predicted months ago. IMO the lockdown on freemium talking is a pretty serious disconnect with common sense. Of course they are are going to talk in the Help channel. That is if they bother continuing with the game after discovering they can't talk (I wouldn't if it had happened to me in the games I've free-played).

Anyway for some reason there actually is a filter for a LFG channel but no actual mechanic for chatting on it that I know of.

For the Death from below trial especially, more people should use and explain how to use the LFG queue when forming, that way you form one, and more will form from the LFG. Let it actually be used. And I've had good experiences using the LFG queue for the sewer trial several times now.

Sounds like I definetly do not want to go ftp I will stay a VIP

Yes the LFG I have used it on Exalted server. I makes it really easy and trouble free to find a team for the sewer trials.

What a few of us are trying to do is get it known that if a player is organising a team/tf/trial, then that person shouts it out on the help channel and also states if somebody can repeat it on the TF channels and to send them a PM for an invite.

Well if you are forming a team and are willing to accept Freemies then you broadcasts should include a location that they would/could be familiar with so they can find and talk to you with /local.

The obvious choices are around the Atlas statue or by the steps of City Hall or what I use to do around Christmas, prop myself up on the wall adjacent to Ms Liberty so my name is above the crowd around her. Never had problems with people finding me when I was giving out Inf to low level characters.

I have to agree with Sugar here, having just logged off from Virtue for the maintenance.

Help channel is being used as a general chat channel, the discussions this morning were not about forming groups or anything other than random noise. Now that's actually healthy, the community feels vibrant and alive with all these new players so it's something to be encouraged.

However - legitimate questions easily fall underneath all of the noise or get flooded off the channel before anyone sees them. Responding to questions also suffers the same issues, indeed you have to add **PLAYER NAME** to try and get their attention, which works but is not ideal.

I would dearly love to see some form of server wide channel implemented which is open to everyone, regardless of account type. A unified channel people can advertise groups on or just chat about whatever crosses their mind. This then leaves help clear for it's original purpose and gives others the option of disabling this new unified channel if they don't want to read it, but still allowing them to provide help.

I understand the issues over potential RMT spam, but if anything it's worth a trial run and cannot be that difficult to implement.

I think my concerns about chat restrictions mainly stem from the fact that I want people to sub.

1) If I reffer a friend to the free to play DEMO, but cannot speak with them properly, it causes them to leave. Many of my gaming buddies were playing other games with sub fees but are growing tired of them. They know I have been playing this for a long time and I suggested trying it. I mean, it's free, and they might like it. "Meet me on Virtue where we can...Oh wait...not talk ever"

(I know my forum account says differently, but I did at one point have an alternate account which was taken in the divorce )

2) In a game that requires teaming, and heavens knows redside is needs the love a ton on Virtue, at least, it's almost strange that the one most important concept of City of Hero's Freedom, feels so limited. Yes I know there are work arounds, and yes I know that we could all move to Exalted to be rushed away from the onslaught of new players and technical issues, but the main concern I have is that the element of team building which has always been the shining gem of CoX has been replaced by clunky work arounds which effect new players and old players alike and create a rift between the two types of players.

Now I am not saying things should be 100% free, but we cannot tote the fact that the community is one of the best features of CoX if the new player entering the game cannot experience that community spirit that we go on so much about.

Limiting communication is fine. No custom channels is fine. Not being able to broadcast, send tells, or communicate with others just means old VIP players don't pick up new players. This can leave a bad taste in their mouths.

Right now as it is, I am having a hard time inviting friends to try the game, because word of mouth is only effective if the other person can hear, respond, and communicate back.

Free Freedom from horrid chat restriction!