Free-To-Play

               This article describes Free-to-Play access, but it also describes various account types that alter or unlock greater access if and when you choose to upgrade a membership plan. Because the information on this page is subject to change at the discretion of [[SOE|Sony Online Entertainment]], please see the [[http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:Free-To-Play discussion on this topic]] before making any major edits or removing information.  
== Overview of Free-to-Play ==
Free-to-Play is often written as Free To Play in online game culture. The most common abbreviation is F2P though occasionally you will see FtP. 
* The basic game is free-to-play, but some restrictions in areas such as spell quality and communication may apply. Since the introduction of Free-to-Play, some restrictions have been changed or completed eliminated. For the most up-to-date information you may want to see the official [http://www.everquest2.com/free membership matrix]
*There is '''no time limit''' on Free-to-Play access as there may be with similar online games.  
* Some of the restrictions can be eased by paying one-time fees to unlock them. These unlocking fees are paid through the in-game [[Marketplace]], using Station Cash.
* Broker tokens can be purchased by players with Free-to-Play accounts in order to sell items on the [[Broker|broker]]. See the in-game Marketplace for details on pricing and use. 
* Some restrictions can ''only'' be removed by paying for Gold Membership.
===Limits that May Apply to All Membership===
Free, Silver, and Gold accounts may have limits based on the features added with the most recent expansions; as of March of 2014 all memberships are limited to level 92 unless they purchased a specific expansion. 
::*With the purchase of the [[Tears of Veeshan]] expansion, all account members can advance to the maximum level 95.
::*A full listing of available expansions can be found on the [[:Category:Expansions and Adventure Packs|Expansions and Adventure Packs]] page.

== Membership Plans ==
{{FactCheck|The status of Silver membership and limitations needs to be verified. Previous editor indicates a membership change in that section, following the bold text.}}
There are three tiers of membership in EverQuest II. 
:As they progress from free to a monthly subscription, additional features may be unlocked and benefits (rather like a thank-you for committing your support to the game) may apply. Most are described below. <br>
''Due to international law, some membership benefits may not apply to those who play outside of the continental USA.''<br>

* '''Free Membership:''' (once called Bronze) entitles the player to create up to 2 characters.  They are limited to Adept spells. Silver members can not send mail to other players, though they can receive mail. They can chat with other players by using /say /tell /group and /guild.
* '''Silver Membership:''' for a one-time purchase of 500 [[Station Cash]], the player can upgrade to silver membership.  This adds 2 more character slots (for a total of four), enables unlimited chat channels, and allows guild creation.  Silver accounts are  limited to Expert spells, and the [[Broker]] can be used for unlimited buying only. Selling on the broker requires broker tokens that must be purchased from the Marketplace. '''See Fact Check Above''' Has been removed on 18/6/2014 
* '''All Access''' (aka Gold Membership):for $14.99 (USD) per month, the player gets All Access membership.  Members have 7 character slots, open access to the Broker, and unlimited spell and equipment tiers. Those on a recurring membership plan also receive 500 [[Station Cash]] per month. In 2014 additional benefits were given to gold members that include a 15% currency bonus, and a 10% speed buff and double tokens (special currency, like [[Loyalty Point Token]]s). Additional membership discounts are available when gold members pay for their subscription in lump payments of three months, six months, and twelve months. The discounts can be viewed when you log into your account on the official SOE website.


'''Gold membership benefits have incoming changes in April of 2014 (on or around the 16th).'''

Info below, including the date may change as well; for details see [[https://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/index.php?threads/the-new-all-access-plan-information-faq.545157/ the official forum announcement]] to confirm. Some great changes are in the works though, so here are the projected changes: 
*All Gold memberships will be granted "All Access," allowing them to play almost all PC games offered by [[SOE]]. The prices for membership (including multi-month plans) will remain the same
*Gold members will get a discount on items purchased from the [[Marketplace]].
*The double tokens (special currency, like [[Loyalty Point Token]]s) bonus (added in Oct 2013) will remain. 
*In the past some benefits were limited to those who paid with a credit or debit card issued by a bank and also applied only to recurring subscriptions. After the changes, '''all''' payment methods for gold membership will get:
:*The 500 SC ([[Station Cash]]) monthly stipend, but players will now have to log in at least once a month to add it to the "wallet" through the [[Marketplace]] (this was done to remind players they have ''free'' station cash to spend). Any remaining SC you do not spend will not be lost, but remain in your "wallet". 

===Payment Options for Gold Membership===
Like membership benefits these payment options may change at any time, but apply as of March 2014; see the official SOE website to verify these methods of payment. 
*Gold membership can be "gifted" to other players by purchasing a [[Krono]]. It can take up to 24 hours for it to appear in your inventory, but once it does, open a trade with the person you want to give membership to by right clicking on their character while logged into the game.
*Gold membership can also be paid for by purchasing a [[Krono]] with normal, in-game [[Coin|currency]] (usually sold for enormous amount of platinum) from the [[Broker|broker]] if other players are currently selling them.
*For those who can not or do not have a credit or debit card issued by a bank, membership can be paid for using a game "time card", sold at several retailers like Best Buy, Gamestop or Walmart.

==Getting Started==
If you are a new or returning player, you may wish to browse through our [[:Category:User Guides|Beginner Guides]]. The guides may be of interest to returning players for the following reason: A ''great'' deal has changed since the game launched and continues to change. For example, guild [[Cloak|cloaks]] were added in one game update; gear and mount [[Appearance|appearance]] customization in another; players can now own multiple [[Housing|homes]] -and those are only a ''few'' examples!

===Download and Play===

You can begin to play EverQuest II by downloading the free (software) version. To get started visit [https://launch.soe.com/installer/EQ2_Streaming_setup.exe this link] on the official [[SOE]] website.