Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4436775-20130713014204/@comment-10365583-20130923001207

I got the same thing as well (again translated by the same dude):

That Guy wrote: > Was the current project originally intended to be a F2P title? Kono: Yep. It was designed to be F2P from the start.

> And what will the pricing model be? Kono: The charges will be for the Sortie Fuel System and items. The Sortie Fuel System will recharge over time, but you can also buy it. Think "Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation," and you'll get an idea of the pricing model.

In the game itself, the main mechanic will be the aircraft tree, fighter and special weapon unlocks, leveling up, and customization unlocks. All of this will also be free if you wait for the Sortie Fuel System.

> The exhibitor's version at TGS 2013 had 2 missions, but how many missions will one be able to play when the service is introduced? Kono: The test flight mode will have one mission, and we plan to include five campaign missions with the story. Even though the maps are the same for both, the mission content will be completely new and different for the online co-op campaign mode, which makes that five more we'll be including. What's more, additional events may break out while you're playing.

> Looks you'll have a nice volume right from the start. So from what you're saying it seems as though additional later versions will shape up to be even fuller. Kono: Pretty much. We're planning to be making changes to our additional content based on player feedback. This is the epitome of our business plan.

> So that way you'll be able to keep your support flexible. Kono: Precisely. Simply, rather than just wanting to stay mobile, since we'll hit our timing no matter what we do from now until the release, we're really trying to meet the demand ahead of time. We're looking for [ways of formatting???] our PR outlet for that purpose as well. For instance, if a lot of players are saying "we want multiplayer tournaments!" we'll be looking at that information and making a decision.

> It sounds like two teams will be taking down the CPU opponents separately, but will anyone be able to compete with each other directly? Kono: You can play the campaign until you beat it, but direct competition will take the form of the senior ace pilots having to worry about new users coming in and hunting you down to the ends of the earth. They'll come to understand, "this is the true nature of the world!" *laughs* In cases where a missile's gotten you from behind or something, new players might be confused even as to why, aside from the usual getting shot down that happens in Ace Combat. When you've "gotten a game over and I couldn't have done anything to prevent it," it may be free, but even though you've put a lot of effort into getting to where you are, things can go sour in the blink of an eye. Since one wants to avoid this, making friends while playing is something you'll want to do this time around.

> So those are the grounds for consent, huh. And the Sortie Fuel System is a solution to your problems. Kono: I think F2P is a system where the value the users feel something has must be the same as the pricing. You don't just buy it and it's over, our management model has to apply all while you're playing, so we're being very careful.

> The beta testing will be put into place soon, but what is its main goal. Kono: We plan primarily to play test the limits we've placed on power.

> By soon I wonder just what you mean? I *think* you mean this year, but… Kono: It's not gonna be *that* long. It's going to be much sooner. We're doing the closed beta and having meetings to figuring out how to recruit people at this stage.

> At this rate you guys must have a really tight schedule. Kono: The game is already made. The truth is we wanted to have already launched, but we can't be impatient at this point. We've chosen to do the beta testing and let the opinions influence the product for perfection's sake. This is the first step in our management style.

> For this beta, which aspect especially is it your aim to test? Kono: The first thing is for unexpected errors around our systems. More than that the fact of the matter is this is our first large-scale test, so that's a bit scary too. Also for other parameters and adjustments to the time axis. We plan to be watching all our β-testers and making adjustments accordingly.

> Finally, do you have any words for the fans out there?

Kono: To all the Ace Combat fans out there, you know well that all the fine points of the old system have been refined. I know that no matter what I say, your anxieties won't be erased, so if I can really reach out to you guys, I think you'll all be blown away. To the newcomers…I want to reach out to you guys too. *laughs* Ace Combat isn't that inaccessible of a game. We've also made sure there are simplified controls, so you can choose. If you're playing and become even the slightest bit interested, given that this game is free, thank you very much.

Source: http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/doc...920_616194.html