$70 for a port clickie?

I don’t think you understand what game breaking means. Both of those bugs do/did in fact disable the game from being played. Your input does not trigger what it is intended to trigger. If you want to talk about annoying bugs that list is far too big to even start on. You just don’t like my opinion but can’t come up with any credible response. Their stewardship is deplorable. However, I recognize that some of the problems stem from things beyond their control. Such as when they were owned by an investment firm that gutted the company to cook the books to project a higher company value when they were in fact preparing the company to be sold. Finally, what are you going on about with them not knowing about the bugs they haven’t fixed? You asked for examples, I gave them to you and you dislike being wrong so you’ve come back to pout? Both those bugs have/were known about for a year or more before the one was fixed and the other continues to go unfixed. I respect your interest to defend the company of the game you love, I love this game too, my passion comes from the same place, however, I as a consumer am fed up with their empty excuses and I as a consumer have chosen not to continue giving them the money I used to. These boards are the valid place for players like you and I to discuss our concerns. You asked for facts, I have provided.

A grocery store does not complete with your entertainment dollars. Would you mind making a comparison with something more representative? Also consider the fact the most people pay for multiple characters.

Let's look at the luxury or optional items that one can cut to save in a grocery bill: alcohol, cigarettes, steak, lobster, etc. If one forgoes a 2-lb filet mignon or 2 cases of beer, that already covers the cost of an expansion.

As I said, some players only purchase increase level expansions thereby spreading the cost of $35 to 2 years.

It's crazy that people were complaining about affording Premium Edition prices when they got their $1,400 stimulus checks just a few years ago. I don't expect that behavior to change (even with "free" government money).

It's up to individuals to budget. I'm not sure a financial advisor is needed over a $35 purchase.

Edit: I also don't care how people spend their money. For all I know, people going on about expansion prices are also dropping $1000 parlays on their NFL team.

Again, a grocery store does not complete for entertainment dollars. And there is a difference between 'can't afford' and and not worth spending extra cash on.

You don't find entertainment from grocery goods? Here's a budget tip: Cut 1 item of choice once a year and save $10-$20. (Multiply by number of accounts if applicable). Buy the $35 level increase expansion every other year.

If you're unhappy with the offerings, that's on you. I'd rather see people complaining about "boring" expansion goodies than complaining about Pay-to-Win and missing out on a game-changing premium expansion item.

Don't get me wrong. I'd encourage you to suggest and promote specific non-P2W examples of better expansion offerings.

I would suggest checking out the Extra Life rewards for other offerings:

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/extra-life-2022.286064/

You seriously think people who have a limited budget are buying lobster and expensive cuts of meat?

Since examples or continued discussion may not be allowed. I will condense my response: I am cynical of human nature.

Benito, is only pointing out that if you want something bad enough you’ll make adjustments to get it. I used to donate plasma to fund my EQ subscription and other hobbies as a broke college student.

Edit:
Personally, I think their price points leave money on the table. I think having some reduced sales price in the early pre-order stage would be a positive impact. There’s just price points that a consumer will cause the consumer to hesitate.

I've seen worse than just buying lobster and expensive cuts of meat.

Personal price points adjust based on personal income and age. And, discounts, if only a perception of one, also encourage buying in the same way FOMO does with a "limited time" or "limited quantities". I also agree that $35, $70, and $140 are all higher than most people's 'comfort' price point but are entirely inline with the current prices of video games (i.e. market rates).

In my own opinion, having the 'pre-order' benefits as a weapon ornament, entry to beta, and unlocks for any previous unbought expansion is rather weak. The last one also dilutes the worth of the sale of the previous expansion for such a short time before pre-order opens, unless one wants the CE or PE stuff.

I also find the Friends and Family to be the least value of all the packages since it is only a PE + standard + heroic + a -few- tradables that are not everything in the CE while it is the same price as PE + CE + Heroic. It's definitely not a discount in any stretch of the imagination. The 2nd expansion doesn't get the merc, self-travel item, 42-slot bags, or metamorph even if all tradeable items are given to that account. But, there is an extra tradeable mount and non-tradeable overseer agents and ogre heritage crates. Are those equal? or equal enough to justify paying CE for the 2nd account without getting the CE value?

Their pricing for the 'tiers' is just a double on the previous, 35 / 70 / 140, and is exactly the same pricing (with exactly the same arguments/complaints on the forums) as the last 2 expansions. I was on hiatus from EQ prior and don't recall the pricing on EQ expansions from more than a decade ago. The same arguments about the expansion prices were on the forums years ago, too, and for EQ2.

The only pricing which has changed is the F&F teir. The price went up this expansion because the price of the top-level heroic is $10 more. To keep the PE + CE + Heroic price, they increased it vs last expansion. I could have sworn, too, that there was more than 1 tradable standard expansion in the 2020 F&F, but it was only 2 in 2021. I was not at a point in my return to the game to want to fund more than one account in 2020 so I am not 100% positive it was more than 2. Now, though, the plurals on that package are pretty, well, misleading even the 'and' is misleading, but Friend or Family doesn't have the same perception of discount.

I could see support for a senior citizen or EBT/Medicaid discount for a one-time 20% expansion discount.

The problem is verifying someone is a senior citizen or on EBT/Medicaid is probably way more trouble and expensive than it is worth.

Darkpaw's offering of Free-to-Play up to 2 expansion behind (no expansion or sub purchase required) and granting of all previous expansions with a purchase (therefore, you can purchase bi-annually) addresses the low income concerns.

Again, EverQuest exceeds WoW and FF14 in terms of affordability on a AAA, non-mobile, no-ads, less market (P2W/lotto) heavy MMO.

Absolutely!

But for those who think the only game is the latest expansion, max level, and max AA, they can still whine and complain

Fair enough. But at least a good portion of the revenue is used to pay hardworking employees and hire new ones. I don't think the level of criticism (prices/revenue) is warranted at this time.

I don't think you understand. There is a difference between can't afford, and not worth spending the extra cash on. As it currently stands, the collections edition is not worth spending the extra cash on. Oh, and stop blaming the players, the fault is solely on the shoulders of DP.

You seem to be playing both arguments (affordability and desirability) to cast aspersions.

No one is stopping you from offering specific feedback. How do you increase desirability?

I just said Pay-to-Win and time-sensitive exclusives tend to generate controversy. Special access or higher tier DLCs will lead to ill-will among the playerbase.

I am not playing both arguments. It's worth buying the collectors edition. And yes, they can add value to the collectors edition without making it p2w. There several suggestions already...

And I thought when I made my apology with the 25th post in this thread, admitting ignorance and stupidity, that the thread would die or get locked. Never thought it would go another 70 posts.

Carry on FQ. Carry on.

The discussion has morphed but I want to avoid "reporting" discussions.

Generally, you can ask a moderator to lock your own thread if you request it. You would PM a CM.

Sometimes you feel like a nut allowing off-topic.
Sometimes you don't.