Subscribing
The game is free to play online out of the box, but there are several benefits when subscribing, the list below shows what is already available and what will be available in the future. This is the offical list from FSS. Remember that this is only the ONLINE part of the game. In Singleplayer you get everything even though you are not a subscriber. Is it any point in subscribing has been discussed even before the games release, the discussion can be found here
X = Live Content
x = Upcoming Continuing Content
| Features & Benefits | Standard | Subscriber |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Storyline-Driven Game | X | X |
| Hosted Gameplay | X | X |
| Nightmare Difficulty | X | X |
| Elite Mode | X | X |
| Player vs. Player (PvP) | X | X |
| Achievements | X | X |
| ~Guilds | X | X |
| Buddy Lists | X | X |
| Hardcore Mode | – | X |
| Guild Creation & Management | – | X |
| Larger Stash | – | X |
| Additional Character Slots | X | X |
| Themed Events & Quests | – | X |
| Unique Event Items | – | X |
| Special Event Pets | – | X |
| Auction Houses | x | x |
| In-Game Email | x | x |
| New Levels to Explore | – | x |
| New Monsters | – | x |
| New Weapons | – | x |
| New Skills & Spells | – | x |
| New Quests & Storylines | – | x |
| New Character Classes | – | x |
| Raid-Level Areas | – | x |
| More Seasonal / Theme Events & Items | – | x |
| Additional Difficulty & Gameplay Modes | – | x |
| Additional PvP Modes & Rewards | – | x |
| Achievement Rewards | – | x |
| Advanced Guild Management Tools | – | x |
| Web-based Rankings & Character Viewing | – | x |
Guilds: Only subscribers are able to create guilds, although everyone can join one.
