Star Trek Online gets Free To Play at 17. January 2012

**Christopher** · Jan 6th, '12, 05:45 AM

On stardate 1701.2012 it's finally time:
Star Trek Online goes free to play. The feature matrix looks a lot like lot like the one Champions Online Free to Play. For example, there is no "paid something once or was subscriber, get's a little more" - level.
I am not entirely certain how powerfull the character creator is now, but back when I played it as demo it was quite usefull for any humanoid alien. Afaik some non-Uniform Clothing is availible too, but I am not certain if it is free/unlockable with silver play. So you might even be worth the download for people not in a Star Trek Campaign.

One intersting aspect for all those who already have champions online: Since both are cryptic games, you can actually use the same launcher for both games and even download the bulk of the files now, so you don't run into the other F2P players at 17th. Just follow this short route:
Spoiler:

**danbuter1** · Jan 7th, '12, 02:41 PM

If they gave some bennies to previous subscribers, I'd be more interested. As is, I'm not going to bother.

**culhwch** · Jan 11th, '12, 09:40 AM

Makes me wonder why I'm playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. I should have just waited until it went free-to-play.

**RexMundi** · Jan 11th, '12, 09:49 AM

Everything is going to go free to play with micro transactions eventually. They make more money that way in the end and cast a much wider net for players. The problem is, the sheer WHINNING the F2P do if there are Pay to Play folks getting more stuff or bennies then they do. Kinda funny that.

~Rex

**Christopher** · Jan 11th, '12, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by RexMundi

Everything is going to go free to play with micro transactions eventually. They make more money that way in the end and cast a much wider net for players. The problem is, the sheer WHINNING the F2P do if there are Pay to Play folks getting more stuff or bennies then they do. Kinda funny that.

~Rex

Not everything. Star Wars Galaxies couldn't go F2P. Could be that the same is true for SW:TOR

**Kraven Kor** · Jan 11th, '12, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Christopher

Not everything. Star Wars Galaxies couldn't go F2P. Could be that the same is true for SW:TOR

George Lucas would glare at the person recommending the Free 2 Play model, open his gaping maw, pointing down his gullet with a stubby finger. Then, men in white plastic suits would come and seize the offender, who would be carried away screaming, never to be seen again.

(I'm totally kidding, but SW is too valuable a property, I doubt they will need to go F2P. If EVE Online has survived without a F2P model, SW:TOR probably can as well.)

**RexMundi** · Jan 14th, '12, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by Christopher

Not everything. Star Wars Galaxies couldn't go F2P. Could be that the same is true for SW:TOR

Star Wars Galaxies wasn't able to hit water by falling out of a boat. I'm predicting F2P for the current Starwars MMO....at about the same time frame WoW did it, in a similar restricted fashion. Folks respond well to bait if you chum the waters enough.

~Rex....says this F2P for STO will actually get him to look at the game at least, even if it's no where near as cool and as fun as the StarFleet Command series was.