2014 Membership - Update from Smed

I support Player's Studio and my good friend Icesy, she makes wonderful stuff for HoT housing items. Once in a while I'll buy from Sony if I don't see something that she made, but I spent a ton of my SC on some of her items she made over Frostfell, still on my lawn and since it's still winter it's not getting packed until spring

I don't understand why people are saying the 2k thing is a better deal. Its not a deal any more and anyway you only got to claim 1 item up to 2k not as many items you want for up to 2k. I also think that people are not looking at the big picture. $14.99 a month then you log in and get 500 =$5.00 a month for free. That is like only paying $9.99 a month for ALL THE GAMES!! omg that is unheard of WHOOP WHOOP!!

Now that is an amazing deal and if you players that "just don't like it so I'm going to somewhere else" Well ya'll are not thinking right and adding your words and ideas. I don't know where I can go and play 15-17 game and be a member for EACH game AND get free stuff each month! Oh yeah Ima gonna be mad at SOE for that.... Wut? How does that make since? ....... You get FREE STUFF FREE if I could make this blinky I would!!

Then if I think of the bonus monthly membership where break it down and its cheaper each month but I still get the 500 SC (1yr membership = 9.99 a month but break that down and I only pay $4.99 per month instead DAMN!!) HOW is SOE making money on that deal! NO GAMING co can top that NOT ONE!!

Then you all moaning and groaning,, eh I have to log in to claim my reward.... Really you all stop your bitchin' and be glad that the offer is there. Apparently you care enough to log in to the forums so you all know you are going to be logging in each month. If your afraid you are going to forget.. Get that smart phone out and set an alarm or get your email calendars working for you and set a reminder email up to remind you... I doubt you will need it 1 month is a long time and I am sure like me you play at least 2-4 or more a week.

Count your blessings SOE is doing their best regardless of the past. Don't look that way it does not pay look to the future and where they are going now. The past is done and can't be changed but the future can be and they are changing it!

Oh and don't bother copying and quoting and replying.... I'm going back in game and not goning to read this thread any more, unless there is a Smed update cause he is the only one with power all you whiners need to stop. Thank Smed and just go play the game. I need to do some raids anyway come on...

Smed plays EVE Online...not EQ...where do you think all his (good) ideas come from anyway??? LOL....

Modular Elements on Indexed and Cataloged Accounts.

The game on game servers.

Accounts on Accounts servers with list of stuff a GM can access any time for service.

A COMMERCE Server where money is kept by SOE and players.

Because SOE is an entertainment company I can not say I am sure what the best accounting practices are for your money. I could only suggest that a CATALOG with an Index would help your accounting staff very much?

The value of a subscription should have never been a part of Station Cash.

The value of a subscription should always manifest itself directly on the game server!

The value of a subscription should be an expression of SOE loyalty to the game?

SOE needs to change tunes soon, because the community would like to see model that is can last forever?

SOE must assign some value to Free To Play subscriptions with an effective value at the community level.

Why do all player accounts have value to SOE?

SOE might want to try to make some kind of task force arrangements at the company for each game and treat each game like a money tree that needs stewardship from development team and player studio team and the station cash team and the commerce team and subscriptions team.

The community is your treasure SOE do not let it spoil in confusion.

Thank you in advance, then!

you need to think the whole "waste" thing through a bit, clapclap....if the points are free and the deal is 2k max/one purchase a month, then you aren't "wasting" anything....what you choose to buy is your "gift" for that month. Generally speaking, I'm with you on the 500/month, but I see times when the 2k gift could come in handy as well, so I'm all for them giving the player a choice. It's not a hard thing to do, nor should it be a hard thing to comprehend how either could be used effectively.

If someone wants 10 poly wands at your price of 700 each, that's 7k points. It would take you 14 months to save up your 500 per month freebie points. It would take the guy wanting the wands only 7 months with the "up to 2k" points for a one time purchase per month, for the exact same thing. All I'm saying is that just because it doesn't fit with what you or I would use the points for, doesn't mean it's a stupid or useless deal/idea.

Love this, as does the family. Long, longtime player of EQ and EQ2. Would like to ask two questions.

1: If you are a current subscriber to one of your games will this change be retroactive or will everyone have to re-sub to the new station pass all access for the change over to occur?

2: When will this change be implemented?

Thanks ahead of time.

Lady E

Like some other posts, I am only concerned with preserving the value of my existing subscriptions on an 11 year account and a two year account.

My recurring subscriptions come 'due' soon. If I change the period from 3 months to one year what have I potentially lost?

1) Will I be automatically upgraded to All Access on both accounts? For the remainder of the one year subscription I will have a monthly subscription to all existing SOE PC games?

2) Will my monthly subscription include subscription to PC versions of Landmark and EQ Next?

If I can't be sure of SOE's intentions I should remain flexible with recurring 3 month plans(?).

If I should upgrade to one year EQ subscriptions I may have to buy another subscription just for Landmark and EQ Next(?).

Ymir.

This argument has been discussed already...it is still flawed.

The 500/month was in place...and instead of simply making a change to "one item per month" without a number attached...but allowing for exclusions such as Kronos purchases...it became a math problem.

Your example is one example that shows the 2k/month as "better" for that specific usage. There are other counterarguments showing how "up to" 2k/month is a horrible change over 500/month that accumulates.

Had SOE simply made the change to "one item per month" and left no number associated...there would have been negative responses to it...arguments for letting folks build up a stockpile of SC over time...but not nearly as much of an issue as "up to" 2k/month...since it would mean that things like bundled bags would be possible as a purchase...among other things.

Folks would have been unhappy...but more likely it could have been tolerated...as a "bad" decision by SOE.

It boils down to SOE thinking its community is unable to do the math and thus would simply accept the change without much grumbling. Insulting to many in the community at being treated as such simpletons.

Honestly I find this extremely disappointing and hardly a compromise. It seems the most obvious and best compromise is to allow the players to "pick an item" or 500 SC. If they don't by the end of the month then automatically give them the 500 SC. Requiring someone to manually claim what is supposed to be a benefit for a payed subscriber is nothing short of ridiculous. You are also overlooking the fact that a lot of your players cannot login for extended periods of time due to deployments or other life reasons.

1. Our goal is to make it "retroactive".

2. We're working out final details on this still. We've got more news on this topic coming still, we just have to iron out a few more points.

i 100% want the item a month on each game instead of 500sc total on account plz.
anyone that is complaining about it i think doesnt understand the value of ur offer

I would have rather had the 2000 SC every month than the all access pass. I really only play EQ and have no interest in other games.

I have 9 toons on one server (a few others on other servers), each could use a mount, Hero's Forage slots and armor sets, weapon illusions, xp potions, merc slots, etc. Not to mention the fun stuff like illusions, pet and merc names, house items. As it is, I have to wait 3+ months to get the armor slot unlocked.

I'd rather have the option of either all access or the 2000 SC each month. Then those of us who like to perfect our characters and play one game can still be rewarded.

The best compromise....really???

So now, instead of just getting it getting the 500 SC passively we now have to claim it...and that is better for us?

And people are actually thanking Smedley for this?

Personally I thought the 2000 SC voucher was the best deal. I would have loved the idea of being able to buy a new mount every month, for example.

Ah well, personally I think we all got screwed with this deal, even if you liked the 500 SC, having to claim it every month kinda sucks, but I guess we just have to deal with it for now.

I liked the 1 item for up to 2k sc per month deal also, I wish they did give the option to choose. This is one of those cases were the squeaky wheel gets the grease but we are lucky SOE even gives us a voice in decisions in the game sometimes.

It would only be worth it for other games, we have little that was near that amount and there is no shopping cart option to load up. Actually I'd go for it if they gave us a shopping cart... Hmmm.

You really need to look up WHY we will have to claim it.
And I'll say again, if they had stayed with the 2000 SC for 1 item, you would have had to log in to claim that too.


Thank you, Smed.

We all have our own opinions and spending habits. Id of used it for polymorph wands, tradeskill potion, the reindeer mount, 40 slot tradeskill bag, and bunch of other items, were as now id have to wait for 2 to 3 months to save up to buy them.

The people posting on these forums represents a small percentage of the eq playerbase and were not even considering the other games that were involved. Id also wager that a few people actually use multiple accounts to make things look better or worse on the forums. When things like this happen you always see a bunch of "New Members" coming out of the woodwork. People can come here and preach their opinions and thank Smed all they want but that doesnt mean it was the best way for SOE to handle it. Im sure if it was actually put on a in game poll, thats advertised in game for a few weeks, the decision could have been different. Im not saying my choice would even be the winner of the poll but you would see more accuracy to what everyone wants.

The poll system and yellow text message updates to let everyone know to make a choice are already in the game. They should start using them more. They could even limit the polls votes to subscription types. It could be used as a honest gauge of what all want and help them not to be potentially bullied into things.

I read every post in this thread and my head hurts more than reading my server's General chat on a Saturday morning.

We go from the current system (500 SC per month automatic) to a proposed system that is better (one item in each game per month worth up to 2000 SC that must be claimed manually) to a proposed system that's even worse than the current system (500 SC per month that must be claimed manually).

I'm absolutely baffled how so many people can argue so vehemently for a system that's WORSE than the original proposal. I guess it's easy to listen to the players when so many demand that you only give out a fraction of what you're offering...

I think what irritates me the most is that while Piestro has made approximately 30 posts in this thread, he completely ignored the one good idea that was posted on page 3 about adding an item to the marketplace for 2000 SC that could be purchased as the once per month claim and would add 500 SC to your account balance.

Problem solved, end of discussion, right? No...No, it's not.

Any more news on this or will it be next week?