I know that Vet AA are not really on the docket...

A good question was posed on Allakhazam (Zam) -- what happened to Vet AA's?

If I were to guess, I'd say it was deemed "unfair" to players who had not been here from the start and thus do not have the "years" of paid time to qualify?

If so - here's a solution: Station Cash.

Sell 1 Year Credits via Station Cash. It serves Sony's cash flow concerns and provides players an avenue of getting those Vet AA's. Problem solved.

Another theory would be they ran out of ideas.

Well... that's an easy fix also. Ask players for ideas on the boards.

So let's see... 16 years coming up and so far we already have...

* Vendor
* Jester
* Gate to Lobby
* Blessing of the Devoted (25% reduction in Vet AA reuse)
* Armor of Experience (rune like)
* Staunch Recovery (refill HP/MP/EP)
* Tribute guy (personal)
* Aug Vendor
* Banker
* Servant (buffs)
* Intensity of the Resolute (increase DPS)
* Infusion (increase resists/run)
* LOTD (Double XP)
* Expedient (100% rez)

That's 14. They owe us one and one more coming up.

Ideas? Okay -- how about these...

* Blessing of the Devoted 2/2 (50% reduction in Vet AA reuse) (innate)

* Gift of the Gods (similar to the Mage Cauldron) (when used you are granted a gift from the Gods -- of actual good/decent items -- not the standard crap we have come to see and expect from Sony like water or food -- stuff like Coin bags sold by the Loyalty vendor, raid ornaments, Glyphs of Stored Experience, items otherwise only obtained via Station Cash or LoN cards, XP Potions...) (1 a week) (No Trade items only).

* Irresistible (for 2.5 minutes your melee and/or magic can not be avoided or resisted -- 100% strike/landing rate... this does not mean 100% critical rates and such... just 100% of casts/swings land... I am guessing Sony will insist some things are excluded like Mez, Stun... just to nerf the idea) (1 a week).

* Political Amnesty (for 1 hour, you are ally to all factions -- or until you decide to attack something (then it's on again) -- this will allow you to go anywhere, speak with any NPC, use any vendor...) (1 a week).

* Traveling Translocation Specialist (just like the Guild Hall Vendor, buy a stone, give it back to him and poof -- off you go to the selected zone) (1 a day).

* Automated Grandmaster Artisan -- don't have the trade skills to make something yourself? Don't have the special trade skill ability you need (i.e. Poison Making, Alchemy, Tinkering)? Once a day you can call on the services of the Ultimate Robotic Grandmaster! He is the ultimate no fail trade skill Grandmaster of all skills. Hand him the ingredients, and he will recognize the recipe, do the combine while complaining of your lack of skills and slacker-ness, and then hand you back the completed item. (One combine per day, to include single combines/recipes that can make multiple items) (hand it the wrong items that also happen to be a recipe, you get what you asked for!) (Hand him items that are wrong for any recipe, he will insult you as the mendicant you are and refuse them, for wasting his valuable time).

Hastened Loyalty -- let's face it. Loyalty is earned way too slowly. Seriously. Double the pace! (Innate)

Uninhibited Loyalty -- why is Loyalty capped? Really? Remove the cap! If we earn it, even if we don't spend it, we should be allowed to bank! (innate)

Wayfarer Travel Magus -- A Wayfarer Magus that can send you to any of the other Wayfarer Magus Locations (1 a day)

Translocator of the Seas -- A Translocator that can send you to any of the other Translocators found on Docks in various zones (1 a day)

Buffy the Buffbot -- Buffy is the ultimate buffer. She hang around 30 minutes or until you zone -- and offer you Enchanter (Haste or Clarity), Shaman (Unity), Paladin (Brells), Ranger (Strength, Thorns), Necro (DMF), Druid (Runspeed, Wood...)... (via key words) that are appropriate for your level and your mercenary progression (Rank I unless you have Merc progression for Rank II). Note that Cleric buffs were not included as Mercenaries have that covered.

They got tired of adding them. They felt adding more that are that many years down the line would make it impossible for newer people to ever see them.

Just no point in it, until the last one the prior 4 or so had been minor convenience fluff anyway.

Someone had posted some ideas on another forum though and had suggested another rank of blessing of the devoted.

Their idea was a second rank to bring it to 50% cool down on all vet aa from 25%.

I personally find that jump to be a bit extreme... however..... maybe 5%... per rank... per year?

Would allow for 2 rank to be immediately added (and allow 35% cool down reduction, 1/4 to 1/3 essentially, not drastic) with the easy add in of future ranks? Shouldn't be too awful code wise I would think?

Not trying to beat a dead horse, was just passing along an idea that may be worth a thought.

Mugs

Well if you are going to beat a horse it would be better if it was already dead anyway. I like the idea.. even a small reduction would be nice.

it is a dead horse, they announced a while ago that the veteran reward program was being discontinued, there will be no additional awards beyond what there is now.

it would be nice if they added some passive perks for veteran subscribers.

Vet AAs were a player retention idea made obsolete by the f2p model that took over the electronic games industry. That's all.

I fully support an alternate (SC based? sounds appropriate) route to add these to a character.

I really hope they revive the Veteran Reward AA with something simple if Parcel NPC/new Lesson is out of the question.

Example:

15th - Corruption Resist Buff?
16th - Spell Rune/Spell Shield?

Other ideas short duration Overhaste, Snare, Knockback, Mez, Spirit of Cheetah/Bard Speed, Forward Shadowstep, etc.

They have neat effects on some of the CoTF/TDS trade-skill gear. I see no major impediment to even implement a small buff.

More Lessons means you'll just get bored faster.

Meanwhile eq2 getting their vet Aa's like clockwork. I can easily think of a dozen different ideas and I'm guessing an intern could probably create them.

I honestly think they should start adding more to previous years.

Yeah I think it came down to the point where they felt it just wasn't worth the programming effort to create new ones. Probably because there stats said there were few people left who could use the higher ones.

I've said this before and probably will say it any time Vet Rewards come up. They should give them to all toons on the account and get rid of the confusing one toon per year, once it's claimed you can't get it back thingy. Just open it up to all toons on your account already. And if I want to get another year that I haven't reached yet, let me buy it on a toon by toon basis with loyalty points.

Merged two threads on a similar topic.

Happy discussing!

~04

Personally, I think veteran rewards should be added to. Anyone who has been playing this game since 99 really ought to have SOME kind of elite something for all that time and exp (not to mention money)!
Maybe statues or feign death at year 15 or single exodus or at least something and aura of a certain color for people that are or were entitled to a year 15 vet reward. Just my 2 cents. I also don't believe 15 years worth of rewards should be given to all toons on an account that's 15 years....just to the toon that was created that long ago. Even if your account is 15 years, if you changed your main to a toon that's 5 years old then you should only get on that toon that you chose up to 5 years of vet rewards.

I'm thinking another way they could do future Veteran AA abilities is do something similar to what EveQuest 2 has been doing. Grant the future versions at like say once per 3 months if not 6 months.

Simply make each year past 14 a reduction in Vet AA reuse timers.
Code once and forget it till sunset.

I am actually glad that they discontinued the veterans program, it saved me $119.98 a year from subscription costs. I primarily roll alts now, so FTP suits me well. If they ever roll out a new progression server I might sub again, but looking at the recent Sense Heading it doesn't look like it is in the works any time soon. So, thanks SoE on saving me cash and letting me spend it else where!

Lesson usually annoyed me (adding to what Edrick posted)...oh look let's be in a hurry for 30mins.
So we can wonder what we will do with future exp quicker.
Is this a good time for lesson? Really, is it? (inner facepalm, not again).

It started out good.
Vendor - useful...Jester - annoying? sometimes, but that was the fun with it.
Armor of experience - nice clickie if you remembered in emergencies.
Staunch - goes without saying, added to seriously planing when to use it (for Casters at least)

Then it got weaker and weaker...
Intensity of the Resolute - didn't even stack with other DPS clickies.
Infusion - seriously, what for if items give max. resists already.
Lesson - see above, don't even get me started. Hate. Dailys. More hate.
100% rez - yawn, if you die just pay with exp. What veteran who is not a wuss cares about exp loss.

So...no loss it ended. They ran out of creative ideas, don't beat a dead horse.

Umm, 7th is actually all kinds of amazing. The long cooldown is the only weak part about 7th. It's probably better for melee than casters, but it's still extremely beneficial for casters on longer events.