[Kipper]

People should be free to have their rocket pod upgrade today as long as I can get it next week just by spending time playing and earning XP. After all, time is money - so in essence, those who pay to play will be subsidising those who spend more time playing but do so for free just the same way as first class airline passengers make coach seats cheaper; but they still all get to the same place at the same time on the same aircraft.

I like the model because if you take something like World of Tanks - I wouldn't subscribe to it because I don't play it enough. I play a few rounds a week, then maybe not at all for a month. Then I get really into it and play it for a week non stop - this is the time when I pay for a premium account to boost the XP I'll earn while I'm hammering it. But I can still dip in and out casually at no cost - and that keeps me interested enough that there will be another time when I'm really into it.

If you're subscribing - its a decision, once you go to casual play, and decide that its not worth it - it takes a lot more to make you resubscribe than it does just to say - "nice having you around, come back anytime for a few minutes or an hour to remind yourself how GOOD this thing was, when you've recovered from your burnout, had your baby, earned that promotion at work or just got bored of the next big thing that distracted you."

I'd have still had the original Planetside installed probably if it hadn't been for the subscription after my outfit all moved on. The entire outfit probably would have, and it wouldn't have died - just gone more casual.