Further control for free users

I raised a lot of these points in another thread that was subsequently locked due to getting a bit… personal. I know this is a touchy subject and a divisive one around the community so I'm going to raise it here in the hopes of having a mature discussion and in the hope the devs chime in with what their view is on the subject as it may determine, personally, if I renew for another subscription in the future.This will be a long post as I want to get all my points and arguments out first so people can see the full picture, as I believe that's where a lot of the conflict around the topic comes from. So, please read it all before commenting and don't read 1 section, disagree with it and hit the reply button.The main part of the disagreement on both sides if if the subscription is a value add package or simply a advantage package. Some players see it as something which enhances the experience with the ability to see the cars work in real time with a nice UI. Some see it as a package that gives you an advantage due to extended player controls allowing you to have a full picture of the telemetry and react to the changes where a free player cannot. I would like to see free players given the telemetry and controls on the same scale as 2D subscribers, but without the 2D maps and animations.My argument sees it as a value added package and I strongly believe the subscription should add value without being an advantage. What you are buying with the subscription is clearly labelled a "2D Pack" which enables a 2D Viewer and Premium Content. I believe this is what you should get. I believe premium content should strictly be limited to conveniences and features such as the livery builder. There are a number of reasons why this makes sense:
[list]
[*]Free to play players gain more enjoyment out of the game if given proper controls
[*]Leagues become more competitive
[*]Due to more enjoyment, the game would grow and lead to potentially more subscribers
[*]People that may not be able to pay or afford the game can still enjoy the game (such as children)
[*]Players can have a second account and still be competitive.
[/list]
In short, the quality and challenge of the game would rise with free players given proper telemetry and controls. As a sample, I know this would be correct due to running my own league since launch. Many players have not renewed a subscription due to only genuinely racing other 2D subscribers. Many free players have left due to being so uncompetitive, a trend I don't really see changing with the free controls as they are in the game now. If free players had access to proper controls, both parties in that example would be happy.There are 2 main arguments against this model
[list]
[*]What would encourage people to subscribe, if not a clear advantage?
[*]I would cancel my subscription as I believed I paid for an advantage.
[/list]
The first one has an obvious answer as it's been the big question in a lot of subscription/free to play games for a while now. Soccer game xperteleven for example, provides people with the ability to customise their jersey, view rivals tactics on the match screen (players otherwise needs have to go through 2-4 screens to find the data) and view statistics about other teams in their league (wins, losses, richest, etc). iGP could do something similar - an expanded strategy screen where you can see what strategy the previous race winner had, the most common strategy to win the race. A statistics page with league stats - wins/losses/avg position/richest/graphs of finishing positions/etc. The livery editor is a good start to this concept. The iOS/Android app could be another advantage of being a subscriber - I'm sure a number of people would subscribe for 2d mode on their droid or i-device. Once again, not an advantage, but a convenience.I believe this will become easier as time goes on - as engines/tyres/fuel suppliers become more dynamic, give subscribers some extra stats to see how each supplier would suit their car and driving style. Allow subscribers to see "On average, Bridgerock softs last 15 laps at Push Hard". This is obtainable information if you dig for it, but the convenience of having that information would allow the subscriber to match up suppliers with how they play the game quickly.Not everyone would pay for such stats - but it has to be viewed differently. How many customers is iGP losing due to free players being as a disadvantage, becoming frustrated and losing? If they weren't quitting for such a reason, how many of those customers would eventually become subscribers and support the game due to being able to race competitively and get in to the game without frustration? By breaking down the barriers of entry, you're enabling a potentially much larger audience and subscriber base.This fits in to the second point - some subscribers may leave as they have their advantage diminished. This is a fact, some subscribers would. I believe that a large quantity would be retained due to a few reasons 
[list]
[*] Players often pay developers as they enjoy the game
[*] If you build enough extra content, the reason to subscribe is still there
[*] With entry barriers down and competition increasing, friends and family of the player would be more likely to join and stay and thus keep the subscriber happy with his purchase.
[/list]
The players that do unsubscribe would be surpassed by the number of players that continue playing and choose to subscribe in my view. There may be a larger drop initially as players realise their lack of advantage, but long term I believe it will lead to a healthier, larger, more community based game.I've seen a suggestion to allow Free/Paid/Mixed leagues. This isn't really a solution and in my view, should be avoided. It's a red herring solution. This format segregates the player base in to multiple groups and will lead to an increase of different types of leagues that will be mostly empty. The best solution is to allow everyone to race competitively.I don't really aim to change people's mind that are entrenched in the "I paid for an advantage" camp, as I don't believe I can be swayed by that side of the argument either. All I really want out of this game is to race against a full field of friends in an ultra competitive field where anyone can win - free or subscribed - while supporting the developers and getting some extra features on the side. I believe my suggestions above address the concerns of anyone that wants a similar style of play and will ensure the health and longevity of the game for years to come, but I understand that not everyone will agree.As stated above, I would like to know the views of the development team on my opinion if they've got time to read and consider as it really is a key factor in if I keep subscribing past the Q2 patch - if I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel, I will likely unsubscribe (not a threat, just stating how I feel)

No problems, it's just good to get a response in a thread as usually it's a mess by the time everyone has bothered to chip in their 2 cents. I don't question the time you and Andrew and put in to the game - for such a recently released game it is quite polished as far a web games go (Not intending this as a backhanded compliment, just in comparison to multi million dollar game development projects). I'm glad you're taking the time to look at the issue - I don't expect an overnight shift but it is something I care about for the game and it's the competition that keeps me here. I'm willing to stick it out and see what developments you come up with.

I know you're better than this, but if you came out and simply said "We intend to give subscribers an advantage and we have no plans to change or tweak that", then I'd be concerned. Since you haven't - I'm looking forward to see what happens over the next few patches. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond.

What sort of numbers are you looking at in terms of people that drop out of the game? As iGP is fairly new on the scene, I can understand why signups and subscribers would be rising, but the important stat is how much of that user/subscriber base is retained. The long term prospects for the project rest on retention of both free players and subscribers, not on how many people sign up then get bored.

What a very intersting thread and thank you Kade for putting down in a very plain and reasoned way what a lot of us are probably thinking.
Thank you also Jack for your response.  I am sure a lot of the players were unaware of your situation and being honest will help them to understand that with only two of you working part time on this is is amazing that it is as well developed as it is.
I have to say, that I think if you were in it for the money, you would both have sold out long ago and gone to one of the big companies which must be head-hunting you by now! - so I can see the commitment is genuinely there.
I would also say I would support the devs in whatever decisions they make for the game as I really do think they know best having worked on it so long.  Sometimes I think I know best but I am only seeing it from my point of view (blinkered!) where as they see the whole set-up (literally!)

It may be a pain in the ass spending so much time on the forum instead of working on the game but it is very much appreciated by everyone. Especially when there is a "state of emergency" with some people. They calm down if they know someone is listening to them and working on it.
 
I completely agree with Kade about the whole advantages part and thanks for writing it down (calm and with reason instead of agitated and emotional).
 
I think the heated discussions in the previous topics are a sign of people liking the game and just want to see it improved (in the way they see it) to increase the fun they get out of it. You can also see this in the suggestions part of the forum which is filling up with good and bad ideas.
 
At the end everyone will have more fun if the field is competitive and you don't win every race easy (like the Lord also said before).

Very well written post kade.
1+ For everything you said, great ideas.
I'd write a little more but i'm on my iphone.

Confirmed

I agree that the performance gap should be cut, but I also think that at the same time, there probably are quite a lot of players who blame the '2D advantage' in every situation. I admit, that in a lot of situations, being able to watch the race live is an advantage, and can lead to an easier path towards winning. However, at the same time, there are also a lot of factors outside of this particular performance benefit, which can almost certainly outweigh that of the advantage of having 2D, if the other player with 2D does not have the same knowledge as you.

I also think that there will always be people who will blame their lack of performance on the 'subcscriber advantage', whether that's added information to the subcribed player, or having access to different facilities, or whatever else there might be. 

I'd also like to mention that I had no idea that the development team was that small. I mean, I knew it was very small, but two people is extraordinary - so to see the work they've done since the beta is really incredible, and I have absolute faith that Jack will follow through on everything he mentioned in his post and that this game will develop into an even more fantastic game than we have currently.

^ +1 well done Bubba Bones and Gus Guzzler (jb and aw/jack and andrew)