Why Going Legendary Is Becoming An EPIC FAIL....

I tend to evaluate things as objectively as possible. I look at what I am getting in return for my invested time, energy, and money. DCUO is a fun and unique game that I enjoy playing from time to time. But make no mistake about it DCUO, in my humble opinion, is a work in progress.

For starters, DCUO needs to drop this whole Legendary and Premium account non-sense. I know there will be individuals who will not agree with what I am about to say but what I have to say needs to be said.

Its time for DCUO to get on the ban-wagon and either be completely Free-To-Play or Subscription based; no more of this hybrid account non-sense. Look at other successful mmos like Tera, Runes of Magic, Rift. Those are Free-To-Play games without the DUCO style limits, highly successful, and most of there income is via gear-modding and market-place micro-transaction. Heck, I will even toss in games like Guild Wars and Diablo 3. Yes, you have to buy the game ( the real hybrid model) but still Free-To-Play and none of the DCUO style Iimitations. I will even go a step further and say some of the mmos I have just listed players actually make real-life money.

Being Objectively Honest, Legendary players are seriously not getting their money's worth. For what going Legendary gets said players in comparison to most Free-To-Play games its really sad and needs to be evaluated. I would dare not compare DCUO to WOW or Final Fantasy. What can I really say, pay $120 bucks a year to be limited on how many times you can run an on-duty instance, you still have to buy vanity items out of the market-place, limited to The Vault, and when your sub is gone you won't be able to run post tier 2 or 3 content. Seriously what do you get? Unlimited cash and the ability to open those lock-boxes. Objectively, you paid $120 bucks a year to have unlimited cash and the ability to open lock-boxes. By the way everyone else can do those things to via market-place items.

I once went Legendary and I will admit it was fun but for the same $15 buck I could have gotten more bang as a premium account holder. This whole concept of a Hybrid do not work because Legendary players get nothing Premium players get for a whole lot less money. See objectively subbing is suppose to an exclusive like WoW and Final Fantasy. But here at DCUO, paying $120 bucks a year get you what again? Bypass the login screen.... Everything I have just listed, and probably other things, is why most player do not go Legendary. In fact, most players only go Legendary to support the game. There really is no objective reason to go Legendary. That is why going Legendary is becoming an EPIC FAIL. Subscribing is an all exclusive deal where only subscribers are only suppose to have access to said feature, gear, events, etc.

Any ways I just want to post this and hopefully the developers or someone with power will take notice and make the changes necessary for DCUO to not just be successful but thrive.

I agree.

I'd suggest increasing the number of convenience items available in the marketplace myself, as well as styles, lair item sets, clothing item sets, amenities, ect....

I have fun that is all that matters to me.

I completely agree with this. There are too many restrictions to Premium players. My Wife and I have both bought ALL the DLC and will keep doing so, but we only get a 2k cash limit and tha'ts not near enough to repair with if you're going to be doing raids, especially Nexus or Dox.

I agree too. I think that they should make it so that once you've spent $50 dollars on DLC or other items, that you get legendary for life. That's the price of a game. I know that my husband and I between the two of us have spent over $150 Dollars on this game, and even after doing so we can't buy the items for mods we need from a vendor because we have a cash cap and don't give them a FURTHER $15 dollars a month. It's not fair. After spending that kind of money, we shouldn't have to do workarounds to get what we need or to repair.

Legendary for life...lol...that's a sound business model.

If u got the game when it came out pc could spend 200 dollars for a lifetime membership.

Us ps3 players never got that option.

Also unless those lifetime are buying lots of marketplace items they are no longer making any money on them.

I have bought 3 things in the marketplace, they only make money on me cause of my sub. Lifetime would not help them at all in the long run.

First thing you have to look at is SOE, the company. They weren't doing too well a few years ago and there were several publicized layoffs. When this game released there were a lot of subscribers for both the PC and PS3, but it was very clear the game was not ready to be released. It's core architecture is... trying to be nice... 'not refined' to where they were trying to get it, but after several release delays and the cancellation of The Agency, this needed to get out.

After DCUO lost 2 game directors (Chris and Mark), the pickup crew stepped in and had the daunting task of creating content that would gain positive reception and fend off the backlash from it's first update event (Valentine's Day oriented, heavily disliked by most), while tending to the unstable engine's bugs and not being able to finely tune the code for the more complicated PS3 version with less staff and more limited resources.

This trend continued on and DCUO bled out players. Their multiple servers were dead zones and the decision was made from up top to recoop losses and restructure the game to allow for both a subscription based model as well as a free/premium access level, while still emphasizing the subscription model above all else. That in mind, there are still many many elements in the game that have never been touched or adjusted to compensate for the change in structure. Many things are still designed with that subscription in mind. It wasn't until recently that they adjusted the sell price of those 'junk' items to reflect this structure change and add some maneuverability for premium/free users to at least make quick income to repair gear.
* On this note, I have a secondary household account that is premium, and tested out the new leveling path. Selling the junk items alleviated any sense of stress. By the time I cleared level 29 I had generated nearly 50k in escrow just from selling junk and used armor/weapons.)

SOE heads were reluctant in the F2P change, but the 'bottom line' (a favorite company term) hurt too much and it had to be done. They will not jump to make the game fully free to play without restrictions as they do want people to subscribe. This being said, the large influx of new PS4 players and return of retired PS3 players has seen a marketplace revitalization, and the change to the cash system has only helped this further. I'm seeing the most players since ever before using style and toy trinkets from the MP and a lot of people purchasing individual DLCs when the biggest advantage this late in the game would be to unlock everything for 15 bucks (USD) as opposed to spending near 100 bucks on the DLCs. Legendary has a huge advantage now for new players, AND SOE was flexible enough to include a pay-as-you-go 1 month sub. (Cancel the sub if you cant pay for an upcoming month, restart it when you can).

As previously mentioned, players can grind out the content in a month, maybe a little more for the inexperienced. That is more than enough reason to sub up while playing, and drop the sub when you get bored of it and then pick it back up again at a later time. The game was meant to be played at the legendary level. It's a ridiculous bargain. If you're not capable of subbing up, then make some legendary friends as SOE has still included item trade flexibility at the premium level.

The game is still in recovery mode, but it's getting there, now more quickly than in the past. Things are still being tweaked to adjust for the free to play change. Armories are essentially getting rid of that respec station cost that currently can cripple free/premium players who just want to test out their powers/builds. By giving everyone a free armory, they are going to be able to save the state of their character in a 'non spec' state, allowing them to respec at will and spend points without having to make the trip back to base/hq and leave an instance (most important, as players these days are keen to open them back up when you're out). There will be more changes down the line.

As for you, SOE, do not let this MP opportunity go to waste. You stopped creating market items a while ago for the wrong reasons. This resurgence spells out the potential the MP always had. Light 'em up.
* You're going to want to do something about the horrible lag with the 'redeem' function in general. May be less of a problem on the PS4/PC, but the PS3 has suffered for years. There has to be a faster way.


--- prediction
Item transmogrification is a much needed feature for DCUO. This can go hand in hand with the new 'own loot' system to allow players to re-roll an item for a cost SOE would find sufficient. There should be appropriate scaling costs with the quality of the item in mind. This would make the heavy replay badge costs at the raid level much more sensible for the player. This would also allow players to take their gear with them when they change power types as well, complimenting armories in the process.

Didn't even read it to be honest. I've already seen too many of these. Legendary is well worth what I pay per month. Actually, imho it is worth more than what I pay per month. So I am a very happy customer.

I think it should go back to the way it was. Either subscribe or nothing. This would cure a lot of ills. It will cut out a lot of the idiots in game. Big difference acting the fool when you're playing for free than when you're paying to play. It will also cut out the incessant whining about the cash cap. Everyone has the same thing, there's no reason to cry.

Legendary players need more perks. Lockbox styles were nice and so was the armor they'd occasionally drop. I loved the rings also. A slight pay to win isn't wrong if it's kept minimal. There's a fine line between teasing people and angering people.

I like the 'if you pay $50 you should be legendary for life' LOL! I guess I'm good since I bought the original on disk.

Keep saying Spoon...maybe we will get it...

DCUO is an expensive commercial license compared to other games, who can afford to run on a cheaper model method of payments. This said, they need to find a way to generate continual revenue to pay it off.

In contrast to all this in Brazil SOE not available for purchase on psn legendary. And yet there is only 3 DLCS available to be purchased.
I'm just legendary playing because the PC. On the PS3 and I wanted too. But it is impossible.

I always wonder if people really get the price of using this ip, and the restrictions it can lead too.

All the games the people bring up on how it is better are made up games so they are not working with partners....I love DC which is why I play DC put a green aura in champions I don't care ur still not a lantern...

But thats what u agreed to when u decided to be premium instead of legendary. No where does it say heres the limitations but if u buy bunch of dlc you get more if you want the perks of legendary then become legendary.

You knew the limitation associated with premium lvl access you chose to play under those limitations if you want no limitations then sub thats the trade of pay 15 steadily or buy what u want when u want with limitations.

Both Premium and Legendary account levels need completely overhauled.

Premium players should "progress" as they purchase the DLC. Likewise, Legendary players should be rewarded for their continuous tenure. If you don't get involved in the higher end content, then you don't need the higher end stuff. Likewise, if you get involved in the higher end content, you shouldn't have to sit behind a pay wall in order to access basic features.

Stop alienating players who choose an alternative option to subscribing and quit hiding behind these ridiculous and petty pay walls for stuff like R&D vendor components and repairs. They don't work. If your intention is to piss me off so much that you get an extra £3.99 out of me for an Escrow pass, then don't bother. It isn't going to work. All you're going to do is push me away from the game.

Pushing me away from the game means you won't be getting my £80 for the next 10 DLC packs or any of the items you add to marketplace in the future (including armories). Pretty sure you value that from me more than a chance at me subscribing/buying Escrow to repair my gear/build my own mods.

If not, then no worries. I'll take my business elsewhere. There's a whole new generation of games on the horizon and giving up this one won't be too difficult knowing the direction it seems to be heading.

Explain to me why you'd pay for DLCs individually and other marketplace items but not an escrow unlock. Serious question, since Premium player should be (by definition) more amenable to these kinds of microtransactions.