7.0 is the last hope for the game but the same thing was said for the previous patches and it didnt get any better. If the P2P server was populated it would be amazing but we all know how things are there.
Yea... Unfortunately people prefer to spend money, hundreds, to have a level 65 forgetting the time and money top players invested... on extras, mounts, runes, gearing up, etc...
That's why the P2P was created and, against all odds, when all other MMOs went completely other way from subscription/buy to free.
Unfortunately "free" server is so messed up that they had to clear all player from there and reset it. But with player and their money invested, there's nothing to do now...
Free server will not have more than the actual players. No one, wants to spend now thousands of euros just to catch up an average player on a free game. From now on, players will go free, may spend a bit, but then give up from the game at end game. They won't go much to P2P server because they don't want to pay to play when they already paid like 300€ just to level and a low level runes and mount... that's simply more than 40 months in P2P every you have all this (not mentioning all the P2W items, 2nd earings, ruby scrolls, talent points... etc!) so what's free?
Yes, you can play completely free but, like VashBog said, and very well:
People want to win not carry. Simple.
And like some defend the idea that farming is the way to play on F2P server, why dont farm only gold for the need stuff in P2P if you are willing to do it, 1000 times more, on F2P to have nothing to compete... To play the PVE content, alone, get some game to play alone, not a MMO...
So free players have no room in F2P version of this game and will have no more. (It's my conviction) They will go, test, some (because like this threat it's a grind game made for people to buy experience scrolls and use the cash shop heavily) will get to end game and then, leave because of the same reason: P2W.
Someone said correctly about last hope on version 7.0 and i have the same, last, hope that 7.0 bring a lot of changes and of course, many of them for the P2P like a lot of them in the start like a mount at level 4 in Hero Reward (the one from 5 to 5 levels) and bigger bag/bank. Thats not an advantage to other players since everyone would get it. Even F2P server gives one bag better like this in start. (Of course they are not a must because you can play and get them later like some fellas want people to believe).
So, yes, i do leave all my hopes to P2P server or else this game will have the same population, it's image ruined everyday more, and worst of everything, it's days might be counted because those that invested and kept this project alive already have everything so no more thousands of euros into the game and so, no income and this project is considered a fail and shutdown.
I do leave a note here to people that will read this and are, like RedCatCZ right now:
Why don't you try P2P, see the differences (that are many and better except, of course, population) stay there, help improving the server and just don't say that the server is unpopulated when you have your share of fault on this issue?
When people start to spend money on F2P and do the simple math about the money spent and how many time they could play with everything on P2P, they will realize a whole different reality about this game.
(Note that i have proof about this facts and not like some that claim you can have everything freely but never proved anything...)
Facts: took me 54 hours to have a level 65, 5 mounts (4 rank 4 and 1 rank 5) and i could have more but low population don't let me do raids for them, Path of Great done, almost a reinca (no days enough yet for those 10 needed), a big bag, a big bank, a double ear, all rubies, all stat points, finishing my double profession road, etc.
This in 54 hours, you read it correctly...
I didn't needed, Elixirs, combat mounts (PVP is against players not against mounts like this new model of PlayervsMountedPlayer), boxes to get trash to get a green second earing, or a more talent point and... so many money (hundreds to say the least) i could spend on Free Server to get all this.
NOTE: You can farm on F2P but with what? You don't have runes, you don't have mounts, you don't have anything except a level 65 char that is completely useless for PVP, RAIDS, and even you can gear with mercs on astral, you'll be farming money for upgrades for your gear not for items. The dream is different from the reality!, and some free players, got this server when farming was for CS items not for playing like it is today
(an upgrade of item from green to blue is around 6k each and there are 18 items to upgrade so, just to get blue astral gear you need: 108 000 gold so, guess how much for the rest when one mount is sold on AH for 1 500 000 gold) and they have years of game play. So go free and in 4 years you'll have a reasonable character, not good because with the same gear, a level 8 runes player can't win a level 11+ like there are almost everyone now... and these players, have years of this and money invested. (considering good pvp players).
And more, no one wants to carry you to private allods, to astral or anywhere else because your no positive addiction to their/their guild goals. You wont be select for Dominion because you will be a benefit to the adversary team, and so...
There's nothing much more to say than this... I hope 7.0 will bring many good changes for the good sake of this game (and mine coz it's my last try) and of course, they write some differences (the game owners not players thinking they are right....) about servers and they realise that spending a "little" money on F2P server is "a lottt" of play time with much more stuff.
Cheers,
"Don't make much noise"!!
EDITED: The NOTE:.