Heartaches of being locked out of freeform characters due to the switch to F2P
This is another thing that generally ticks me off about CO, and discourages me from considering subscribing.
Sure, I could sub, convert my characters to freeforms, obtain extra default costume pieces, and enjoy all the perks that go with it. Thing is, I usually don't play MMOs, and particularly F2P MMOs, consistently for years on end (CoH was, and has been, the only exception). I typically play for two to four months, then I stop for a while, sometimes a couple of weeks, sometimes a month or so, and then if I really liked the game, I come back for another third of a year.
Sometimes, it takes me a two or three weeks to decide whether or not that an MMO I've just gotten into (or returned to), is something I really want to invest time in. Under CO's model,
that entire time would be spent locked out of characters I developed as a subscriber. Characters that, in my opinion, I've already paid for the right to use as they are. I wouldn't mind being locked out of their costume options if I went to change their costumes, or maybe being forced to go back to an archetype if I wanted to respec them, but I should at least be able to play them as they are.
To me, that's a pretty hefty discouragement. It's a big reason why I don't sub in the first place - if I ever let that sub lapse, all my characters I developed and worked on during my subscription are kaput unless I'm willing to accept a F2P archetype for them. And then on top of that, only half the archetypes in the game are available to a basic Silver account - the rest have to be purchased with Zen, so even if there
is an archetype that fits my character design fairly well, I've only got a 50/50 chance of having access to it. I also have to remake their costume and remove costume parts that are free under a Gold account, but must be purchased with Zen or unlocked ingame if you're Silver.
When you're subscribing, you're essentially getting your characters on a lease. If you ever let that sub expire, they send the digital equivalent of a repo man after your stuff, and give you a list of demands you must meet if you ever want to play them again. That's offputting, to say the least.