Segregating Arcanists: A Free Playing Menace
Posted by Omali on April 17, 2008
On April 9th, 2008, Arcanists received one of its biggest updates since release: The ability for free players (f2p) to play unrated games. The resulting flood of free players would change the game forever. In this very special first edition of PF-Investigates, I look at cause, effect, and what this is doing to Arcanists everywhere.
Arcanists, a game every Orber knows and knows well. The game was well received from the start of FunOrb, gaining a great response from the players and a perfect 10/10 from Planet FunOrb[1]. Over the next few weeks, the game received several tweaks and balances that only added to the fun and fairness of the game.
So on April 9th, along with the addition of Shattered Plans, and a multiplayer lobby update, came the news that free players would have access to unrated games.
But why? Arcanists was, and still remains, the most popular game on FunOrb, blowing away the several other online games by a long shot. In an attempt to grow a humble member-base, Jagex released a taste of the game to free players, in the hopes that this taste would give them more incentive to join members.
The forums were quiet for the first few days after the update was released. On the 11th of April, the threads started: F2p swamping the unrated games, spamming in chat, poor attitudes, and quite possibly the worst; bias towards paying members.
1.1 You’re Too Good For Me
Part of the disadvantage of being a nonmember in Arcanists is that you can only play unrated games, which disallows for the obtaining of wands, which does not allow f2p’ers to obtain new spells. The base spell book can do very little against a battle hardened member with all kinds of new spells and books. Members also are the only players who can gain or lose rank, making them very easy to notice.
In order to investigate this, I logged on to Arcanists and was almost immediately invited to about 5 games, only one of them had an average rating of other than 1000. My first reaction is that the claims of kicking must be exaggerated, so I joined a game and played with a group of 5 free players, won the game to no effect of cussing or flaming coming my way, and headed back to the lobby.
This time I decided to enter a random f2p game, I entered the room and two seconds later-
Okay, one game isn’t enough to confirm this claim, maybe I was just unlucky. I joined quite a few more f2p-started servers, and out of about 40 of them, I would say I was kicked out of about half, without anything said by the room owner, and the room usually went to private thereafter.
1.2 Light the Burner, the Flames are Coming
It is common knowledge that anything on the internet that is freely accessible by anyone will inevitably attract less desirable players, and the likelihood of flame wars becomes more and more prevalent.
Such is the case in Arcanists, where anything from the presence of members, to unbalanced games, or even losing the game will set off what can only be considered a smoking bomb. It’s times like below that make me glad that Jagex has a censor in place:
And of course, when people get angry, every once in a while on Arcanists you’ll see a random person that spams quickly, and then leaves:
1.3 Seriously? A Flood?
Throughout my time doing this investigation, I found that more than half of the lobby was generally people with 1000 rank (Default), but that’s certainly not a guarantee that they’re all free players. Most of the unrated servers had an average rating of 1000, which isn’t a guarantee but is a sign that they’re filled all the way with free players.
But would I consider it a flood? Probably not. Arcanists brought together a large portion of the members of FunOrb, but considering that FunOrb doesn’t have very many subscribers to start with, that portion does not pull off large figures.
So maybe more members just need to start playing Arcanists to balance out the numbers.
1.4 Player Reaction[2]:
I get called a noob everygame or get teamed by most of them
When we are killed we get called losers, no lifers and nerds.
Every unrated game I play is a horror. I gurantee that 1 minute or less into the game some player says ”hey its a member lets all kill him/her”
every time i try to play one its with the free players and their like ” omg its a member get him!” and they all team and pile on me!
The lobby is packed with people who have no respect and no grammar.
Wont be told by some freeloader, that I am hated in a game, I have paid to play in
1.5 What do we want?
So here we stand: How to fix this problem that is clearly plaguing both members and free players. The answer to many is simple, and it’s the title of this investigating article: Segregate Arcanists. Members want their own servers, not unlike how Runescape is set up (Members can access members and freeplay, freeplay can only access freeplay). An addition to this option is for free players to be able to spectate on members servers but not join them, which would allow them to see the possibility of more powerful weapons and entice them to become members.
Here are a few more ideas that are on the table:
- An option to filter out either members or free players in unrated games. I feel this would be better than segregating servers, and would be easier and more cost effective to implement.
- Only allow subscribers (p2p) to chat in the lobby: One of the harsher ideas, but it would make sense, and the ability to chat would be just another perk of paying for membership, which is the entire reason Arcanists is available to f2p in the first place.
- Remove the f2p option from Arcanists: Not going to happen.
1.6 So Where Do We Go From Here?
It didn’t take long for this to gain attention from Jagex, what with the large number of threads on the rants forum and developers forum of FunOrb. Here’s the official response, as of publication:
Hi Orbers!
You will be aware that non members can now access the Arcanists game.
We did this to let free players know what some of the benefits of membership are but at the same time we did not want to devalue the membership status.
By allowing free access to Arcanists we hope to give free players an insight to the game whilst still keeping rated games, wands, full screen mode, forum posting and so on for the exclusive use of members.
Hopefully, some of our free players will love Arcanists and sign up to join the elite FunOrb members group!
That will be good news for everyone as there will be more people to play against and the community will grow.
However we are aware that some members are unhappy with this update and we have noticed a number of threads and posts addressing the subject.
We always welcome feedback and we are concerned that the theme may be lost if it is diluted across many different threads.
For this reason we have created this sticky thread on which everyone can express their view.
This way all your comments and thoughts will be held in one place and it will serve as a ‘one stop shop’ reference point for the topic.
Please remember to always respect other players – you are free to share your views and opinions but please be constructive with your suggestions and comments.
Thanks,
Steve
At the very least, this means that Jagex are aware of player concerns and are listening to the complaints being raised. What will come of this? Only time will tell.
This is Omali, signing off.
Not satisfied? Want to see members get grilled next? Check out the followup to this article written June 2008! http://funorb.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/segregating-arcanists-the-fist-of-cash/
Hey! Are you a big fan of Arcanists? Join the Planet FunOrb Forums today, it’s completely free and there’s no annoying ads or popups! Join the Arcanists League, find a game, or just talk about your favorite FunOrb moments. Click on the “Forums” button in the links section today!
[1]: Review: http://funorb.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/arcanists-review/
[2]: The views expressed in this section do not represent the opinions of Planet FunOrb and are entirely for research purposes
jaffa man said
very well put out but hard to unser stand
Tao Songow said
I just want you to know. I am a f2p. I love this article. I too am sick of F2ps teaming up on members. Its no fun. You make a 6 player match hoping for 3v3 or 2v2v2 and a member comes in. And everyone goes nuts. I love fighting members. When I find one I always request a 1v1 afterwards
My view is that “Hey cool I just beat a member fair and square. I must be really awsome”
or “Well hes a member so you cant beat em everytime”
Everyone else hates you guys. I just cant understand it. Often times your not more powerful, your just cooler. Add me Tao Songow if you dont want that hating crud. And if you want a challenge from an F2P
Tao Songow said
oh sorry for the double post but i forgot the main reason i love fighting members. its fresh new and challenging. fighting people with the same as you gets old after a while
blowup16 said
i think that arcanists should have a free trial for the non mems. im a mem on runscape but i tihnk if we could try first would show non mems what it would be like.
Anonymous said
GAH
Edgevile_Tb said
i think that arcanists should have a free trial for the non mems. im a mem on runscape but i tihnk if we could try first would show non mems what it would be like.
Comment by blowup16 | April 22, 2008
blowup, thats a ridiculous comment. you can clearly see what members is like when you fight one and they never gave runescape f2p “trial members”. you should be glad they even gave you multiplayer. pay the money, get the upgrade. simple as that.
Edy51 said
Man i was f2p but i join RS member and FunOrb members just to play Arcanists (and put my old members armor on b4 i quit again)
r1ky said
I am a funorb mem.
I get OMG MEMBER shouted at me all the time.
I just call them cheapies;)
?????? said
WHERE IS ARCANIST!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!??!
44titan said
Dude im a member and free players are so annoying!Its got to the point ot where i almost only play rated games cause every time you join a game you get kicked.Or if they let you play they team you.It is so annoying!!!!!!
Bowchikaw0wa said
“WHERE IS ARCANIST!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!??!”
You, are a fail cat! O’dear…
I got p2p the other day for Arcanists and i’m glad I did. I dunno what the f2p lot get out of hating members. However, I was teamed on by 3 f2p’s one time, and I killed every single one. They camped in one spot near the bottom of the map, I was just waiting for Volcano, finally.
BOOM!
Dead.
Not that I like what the asshole f2p’s are doing, to be fair, if you don’t like it, go on fucking Ranked matches you pussies.
A person said
Dude,
I’m an f2p and and i kinda realize ur problem but it’s not only u guys.
I once went into a game that was full of mems and then I was removed…
I was freaking pissed.
That’s all i have to say so we f2p’s feel ur pain…
sort of.
Eh… forget it.
Just forget i posted this
zack said
THAT WAZ MEAN IM A FREE PLAYER!
godzilu31 said
Im a member on funorb and i make an unrated game and 5 non mems always join and team on me when i just want a 3vs3 or 2vs2vs2 game but its kinda funny cause they always backstab each other and i end up killing all of them with overhead atks like rain of arrows or fire. Sometimes noobs are good.
mjcabooseblu said
You know, I have thought about this myself for ages (about 3 day and 6 hours. ^_^). So I decided to test something. I wanted to see the F2P’s reaction to a person that can only be identified by the ring by their name. I wore F2P armor and only used the starting spells. and guess what? After 5 boots and 7 ignores, I found a game that let me in. They were all F2P. Hm…Deja vu all over again? Then all of a sudden, with no warning–they actually started cheering. as in typing in song lyrics and sound effects. I was amazed. we play 3v3 and wonders of wonders, one of them actually killed me 3 turns in. I was killed by the most kickass, bitchin-est magma bomb I ever saw. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. It turned out, two of these guys were P2P’s looking for a change of pace! and they were my teammates! WE UNKNOWINGLY STARTED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIBLE GAME, AND ACTUALLY GOT THE BEST F***ING GAME I EVER PLAYED!
I conclude that, if you join a game of F2P’s, only to get kicked, you should not feel annoyed at their bitching, but rather smug, for they have unwittingly missed out on a potential friendship, whereas you have lost nothing.
Hope that helps calm down all the contraversy about F2P’s and you should try it too! GO OUT AND PLAY MATCHES WITH ONLY BASIC STUFF! If you get booted, then you can just write the off as prejudiced/biased/judgingbycovered/lame!
Add me if you agree, or are jacked up on mountain dew! ^_^ F2P’S YOU STILL COUNT! HELLO SERVER 15! ARE YOU READY TO ROOOOOOOOOCK?!
bloodxmage10(funorb name) said
i feel members pain because i am one, but f2p get treated badly by the members.So i think we all need to quit fighting.or maybe we could all become members.but the membership is a rip off.(im including rs too)there are way better free games like cabal online, knight online, shaiya, ect. and they have better graphics.so i think this funorb and runescape member should end and be completly free
pure rage136 said
i agree with you. i’m f2p and i mostly create games rather than join them. i also make it open, so members can have fun too. i find that sometimes, whenever a member joins the game, people tell me to kick him, but i never do. sometimes when 2 mems join a 5 player game, i ask everyone, want to do mems vs non mems? they say ok, and we end up getting f–king owned man (srry for the f)
well, the point here is that, f2p should be fricking nice to members man, they don’t pay to be harassed!!! i’m serious. i feel so bad for those angelic mems lol. f2p noobs should use their heads, and i hope one day, when they become mem, they will be harassed like f^^^ing hell. thats all i gotta say folks
Goldpump56 said
We non-members have to work to stop this nonsense. I just came up with an interesting idea: Whenever someone says “kill teh membr”, I’m just going to attack the speaker instead.
teamkiller-08 said
Lol non mems faced me in a match once it was 1 on 4 considering im a mem i killed them easily and they cried about it i think that tere should be a seperate non mems server and a f2p server
teamkiller-08 said
and if non mems team on me i give it 110% but the p****** keep using noob lock ons and rain fire or fire arrow rain and they call me noob for not blocking it and if u do.. block it they cry because u didnt let them kill u easily
mr_arcan said
too bad… F2P deserve to play too, not everyone work and have money to spend on… Even if they do, how are they going to pay it online. I do not support what you wrote. I am a P2P after trying th F2P version, idc if people flood. Just add them to your ignore list or report them.
~MA
coby516 said
well…if u go on server 14,f2p is way nicer…i hardly ever get kicked r teamed on when im on server 14…mostly just kicked by ppl who just want their friend to fight them instead.but if they team on u y the hell did they let u in a game!?its a waste of time cuz theyre just gettin low hp from killin a mem n after they kill each other easily…
dendramon said
hahahaha! dudes was up
yah im a mem. IF YOU REALY DONT WANNA GET KICKED MAKE THEM THINK YOU SUCK AT THE GAME!!!! I JUST GOT A RATING OF LIKE…. 60 SOMTHING AND IM GETIN IN. THOW IT DOSNT HELP THAT I GOT A HAT…..
dynamyte717 said
there are alot of problems against the f2p and p2p in arcanist an all…i mean most of u have a point….all of my freinds in arcanist are mems and wen i get f2f 2 join our game-me and my p2p freinds- they do usually say kick the mems…but then i tell them if they gunna h8 on the p2p’s then ill kick them and theyll either leave or theyll stop and a few times i see them agen and they ask about if ne p2p’s are coming and they dont6 hate on p2p’s as far as i no…
all u mems ull b seein me soon in server 15 >
cuz im gunna be a mem soon sop be redy…and btw im searching 4 some more freinds 2 play arcanist w/ so plz pm me if u understand the mems and accept them on either my account dynamyte717 or dynamyte44
Anonymous said
i dont think your ideas are very well thort out. it is very very anoting how mems get kicked from non mem games but that dosent mater and with a member world out it maters evan less. the genril idea is thet 1 mem can own non mems no mater wat, well its not true, shore 1 mem can destroy an army of nons but 1 non mem can destroy an army of mems.
in think in the end haveing f2p in arcansist is a good thing.
Omali said
Thanks for your comment, Anonymous. I don’t normally respond to comments, but I believe I should clarify a few things:
This article was written on April 20th, a little over a week after Arcanists originally allowed f2p players to play unrated games. At this time, there was no way to tell members from free players aside from rank, as the insignias did not exist, and the members only server did not come into play until either the day of or a few days after the massive Arcanists update on June 18th (correct me if I’m wrong), and you’ll find that Jagex announced that members servers were coming only a few days after this was posted (This article alone has received thousands of hits in the past three months)
This article was meant to show what comes naturally when you release a popular game for free, not a biased attack on free players, which is why I followed it up with Segregating Arcanists: The Fist of Cash, detailing what members are doing wrong in their respects as well:
http://funorb.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/segregating-arcanists-the-fist-of-cash/
And don’t worry, you’re not the only one who took badly to this article. Check out the first picture in the link I posted, that’s what my email inbox looked like. I sometimes fear that I was actually harsher on members than free players, since it’s supposed to be balanced out.
mjcabooseblu (back from the dead) said
HEY PEOPLE! If you still read this article, check out my earlier comments to soothe your raging fury. kthx bye.
Aryogaton said
I am a f2per and I do not suppose most of your arguments. When I first played Arcanists, I played many matches with members, and every time I got completely owned by the overpowered spells. No, I am not jealous of them. As a wise gamer said, “It’s a horrible idea to let your game be unbalanced by paid benefits”. Personally I think that there should be an option (instead of f2p-only or p2p-only) for f2p spells only or all spells. That way we can actually have fair fights.
Either way, feel free to go to the members-only server, or make a game and kick all the f2pers out. Much better solution than to rant.
grandpa said
/\ . /\ im f2p and i think jagex should make funorb and runescape completly free
grandpa said
srry for double post but i just need to say play stickarena!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous said
how do u talk!!!!!……..and it doesn’t say press tab on my computer
??????? said
well good points all of u but when there is a mem playin against me they use mem attacks and after start messin with you it gets
aggervating you see mostly the reason why they dont like mems it makes me so mad they think there better than you because they mem and then call you names.
??????? said
and no offense but mems think there so freakin cool and that they
are better and most are jerks.
My Name said
LOL!!
Well right, ???????.
And i am an f2per too and i think mems hate f2ps too not just because they get kicked in some games but sometimes i get kicked when i join them… why not f2ps join member’s games and get a game on? Or are you scared with f2ps? Well then, YOU MEMBERS ARE NOOBS + LOSERS.
LOL!!
My Name =Þ
Ajones said
I am a member of both RuneScape and FunOrb, and I understand what you free players feel. I never kick a free player tho, I’m surely beatable by some of them, no problem.
djdjdjdj said
i think that it’s very cruel and retarded to diss a member just because they have paid to get extra features in this growing game. I happen to be a free player my self and i have witnessed alot of dissing and teaming on members. i think that if they pay for this game, they definitively deserve to get those features and extra stuff. I am not against members in any way.
Rapidranvir said
uuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm how do i respond ok first i would liek to say im a member and pretty much i dont get teamed on rated but on f2p games unless im on there fricken team they say kick kick kick fuck you f2p noobs but Tao Songow your cool
Me said
Seriously, some non members are jelous idiots who say that “members are greedy” or “selfish”. Saying this automatically makes you wrong, stupid, and a noob, because people who pay a little extra each month are not some different species that all have something in common. (all members are selfish? thats stupid) any non members who say this are just jelous. Besides that, i dont hate non members anyways, i like them lol
Me said
Also, any of you who are saying ‘mems’ in general like ‘i think mems are *blank*’ are dumb because every human is different, and last time i checked, paying an extra 2 or 3 bucks a month doesnt turn you into something else. Complain about the individual user, not the fact that theyre member or not. Its like you just wanna have something to blame it on. Just because 1 member is mean doesnt mean we all are.
Maybe said
I haven’t played arcanists in a long time but last time I played it was horribly inbalanced. Members could use all their spells and absolutely destroy the F2P people. If F2P people kick members I don’t see the problem really. I will have to update this later once I play again to see what you guys mean better.