
Good news, free players! In a recent forum post by Lead Designer Damion Schubert, based on feedback via the public test realm (where free to play is currently undergoing trial), Bioware has decided to ease up on some of the restrictions on free players. You will now be able to enjoy a second quick bar, as well as five warzones instead of three per week. Additionally, Cartel Coin item locks will be reduced to three days for free players and two for subscribers. But don’t think that these changes are permanent. If Bioware gets even the slightest hint that you are cheapening the experience for their subscribers, all cards are on the cutting board:
That being said, one of our golden rules is that the Free-to-Play experience should not cheapen the experience for paying subscribers. If it turns out that the Free-to-Play conversion results in a degraded Warzone experience once we go live for subscribers, you can rest assured that we will quickly make adjustments to the system to ensure that subscribers have an optimal experience.
With the competition of so many free to play MMOs, The Old Republic still lands somewhere on the more restrictive side towards free players, like limiting the player to two hotbars. The Old Republic will feature a “preferred” player status for previous subscribers and those who purchase something from the cash shop, that removes more of the limitations.
(Source: The Old Republic)