I have read these posts and some of the complaints really baffle me... first off... this game doesn't cost $15 a month anymore if ur smart... if u took advantage of the 25% off long term subs back in the summer...then its only $8.09 a month.. and if u didnt but want to do so now... then its $10.83 or so including taxes on both prices...if ur smart but just cant afford $97-$130 at one time on ur credit card then i am sorry... its gonna cost u more.. secondly if u dont want to pay extra for delivery... then dont have it delivered... ever buy something online ...usually there is a shipping and handling fee... some companies give free shipping but thats because they are paying for it and loosing some of their profits... but the shipping cost is still there... now perhaps SOE could add that as a feature for the sellers... to offer free shipping in the game by paying the delivery cost instead of the buyers do so... only via parcel deliveries... but still someone is paying for a shipping cost...but i stress this point of the feature... the seller gets the option to pay the shipping cost... thirdly...SOE isnt forcing anyone to use the marketplace nor nickle and dime anyone.... they offer something new and charge us for it... so what... if i dont like it i dont have to pay for it... i will continue to go to the bazaar myself and buy from the sellers in person lastly for all of you that keep complaining that SOE is charging us for stuff that other games dont... go play the other games and stop complaining... GEEZ... i for one am glad that SOE is making this expansion just the way it is...i love the off-line trading... even that the buyers are paying for shipping and handling fees..if they want it delivered...and i also love that we get another expansion to add to an old game...
I love the fact that I can now have a trader up when I am not loged in. Also, I can browse and not run to the bazaar untill I decide that there is something that I want. Paying plat or SC to have items delivered is optional...you can just do your shopping the way you have always done...that doesn't bother me. All marketplace items are optional...they are not required to play the game, they are for fun. So if you don't want to spend real money, you dont have to. I dont understand why everyone is always complaining about the Marketplace and all the things you can buy. You don't have to have them...so you are not forced to buy them in order to play the game. I love the marketplace...it gives me the option to have some items that are a little different. I also love the FREE STATION CASH that SOE gives me each month!! I also love the LOYALTY POINTS that I get each week that lets me get some nice things...like the food with all the stats on it, a large inventory bag or even a bag pf platinum!! Why not use your free loyalty plat or your free station cash to pay for item delivery.....just a thought. I often save my SC up untill I can get an item. I'm tickled when I finally get it. Also, buy SC when it is on sale...that helps...and save it till you need it. I also love the FIVE FREE PACKS of LON CARDS that I get each month...I have gotten some nice mounts, pets, and familiars that have stats on them. I have gotten ornamentations, paintings, personal tribute statues, even a house from those free LON cards! It's called a Hermits Hideaway! Nobody gets on here and says they are happy for any free stuff...they only complain about having to pay for items that you don't really have to have in the first place. The free stuff is not instant because you have to save, but its well worth the wait for some nice items. But I guess I'm just thinking positively. I also love that they put out ANOTHER expansion for a very old game that I lOVE to play! Thanks SOE!!
If the marketplace was kept to strictly cosmetic items then I would have no problem with it. When it starts granting unique advantages within the game or changing gameplay then I have a problem with it. While nobody is forced to use the marketplace those that do will have an in-game advantage and in my opinion that is wrong.
i dont see the marketplace giving advantages as being wrong...its available to everyone that wants to use it... what i find wrong is raiders in t4 raid gear farming half of a t1 zone or worse... hotzone... while true everyone can raid as well.... not everyone has the time to do so... but everyone can have time to go to the marketplace .... if u dont want to use the marketplace then dont but any advantages that it may give are minor compared to raiders in a group zone fighting group content...
The unique advantages that you get from marketplace are just fluff...not truely needed to play the game. Yes ,it might be nice to have items just come right to you...but running to the bazaar is still available and free. I stand by my statement that all marketplace items, however sweet they may be, are still fluff for those who don't mind spending extra cash to get them. They are NOT required to play the game or to advance your character. Items with stats such as mounts are nice...but not truely needed...free mounts are offered with some expansions and they have stats as well. Bonus potions are nice...but again you can get xp for free the old fashion way. None of the items are truely needed. They are just options for those who want to pay for extra unnecessary but nice items. Just because you choose not to spend the money doesn't make it right not to offer the Marketplace to those of us who would like to spend the extra money on these items. I know some people don't have extra money to spend...but again, the items offered via Marketplace are not needed to play...they are just nice things to add or not as you choose. It would be different if SOE took out the free bazaar and made you pay to use the new system. However, that is not the case, you can still buy and sell for free. Marketplace items do not change gameplay any more that those nice LON loot cards. They are all just extra items that we don't need but are fun to have. I for one and pleased that these items are offered to us and I know others share my opinion since I see the Marketplace items all accross Norrath!
Why cant this game update its features to that of other games and allow you to buy and sell while your playing the game. Seriously, the fact that you have to make a trader and load it up is archaic. Time to give the people what they want SOE! If we have to pay a fee of >in game< currency to sell it or buy it so be it. Its a small price to pay to sell/buy some items and still play the game.
They did give what the players wanted. People most wanted a way to sell without leaving their pc on over night. Like it or not, that has been far more requested than playing while selling.
They don't want to do that for a reason. This way it forces you to subscribe more accounts if you want a toon setup in bazaar and play at the same time. Makes good business sense I guess in the short term, but I have to wonder how many players they've alienated using the current design, and the one going forward. Maybe it might create more accounts subscribed but it sure as hell isn't increasing new players coming into the game who might go on to purchase more from the marketplace/or buy more accounts themselves, or making the game more FUN in general for everyone. Whole design concept is flawed, but they are in the business of making money in the short term then to actual try and revive this game for long term, at least the decisions they are making sure seem that way. Those who can afford to have more accounts win, while those who who have 1-2 are alienated even more. A design of those who have vs have-nots that is short sighted though from a business decision, cause they are loosing new business from new players coming into the game, as well as alienating some of their existing customer base.
I have to agree, the current business plan looks short-sighted. The majority of customers are returning players who now have better paying jobs, so the first thing they probably do is spend $100 in the marketplace within the first 3 months. I can only speak for myself here, but I will probably take Piestro's advise and let my account go bronze and just stop playing my main for a while. After dealing with merc slots, guild halls, hero forge, bazaar tokens, paying full price for expansions, and basically getting nothing back in return except access to the precious servers, well, it has finally taken its toll on me and driven me away. Yes, I have great times in this game, but really, $15 a month should be enough for the shareholders, I just cannot bring myself to spend more on a game feature each time I want to use it, that was suppose to come with the expansion, and this all out of principle.
I can't say I don't agree with 95% of the people on here, SOE makes more than plenty of money that it is not necessary to charge us for basic in game or advanced in game systems and features, that why there are cash toys like mounts and ornaments, if you really want to regail us cash out here then add more candy to the cash shop, faster mounts, armor ornaments only available to SC, stronger pets usable by all classes so necros mages and beastlords arnt the only ones with pets that can out tank a warrior in non raid gear.If our servers cost you so much to up keep then try merging them down some more I check the server capacity meters occasionally on the main page and notice that none of them seem to ever get over 20%, half of us cant even get in on any raids because there is only a single or couple of guilds on each server that caqn collectively raid and typically stay at members only and only raid the current expansion and nothing older. Global Baz is great I am sure everyone will use it in as free a capacity and refuse to pay extra for any conveniences if it even grants them any or do things the goiod old fashion way. You want to give us good game play then merge us so there are enough lower end new comers on a single server to dive into older content, the measley achievement points for completing old content aside from the total completion rewards for those coming in fresh is highly lacking. I don't expect to see this new feature generate any new revenues for you your grasping at straws instead of listenning to the masses. Business 101: listen to the wants and desires of the mob, give them the things they want in moderation and you will get thier interests, give it to them in abundance and they will gorge themselves to death on it, find that happy median between the two and you can rule them. Start listenning to us and quit holding boards of a few ceos or chair members or developers to get all your answers, while I am sure their educations were invaluble, I doubt they are capable of thinking like a consumer anymore.
But they aren't charging for basic game features. The basic game feature is being able to buy something from the bazaar. If you want to buy something from the bazaar, you can do that. There's no cost beyond what the person is charging for the item. The charges come in when you want convenience. If you don't want the convenience, as you indicated, then run to the bazaar and it will cost you 0 extra. Want that pizza delivered to home, they charge a delivery fee. Need that milk at 3AM, run to 7-11 that's open 24 hours a day, but you pay extra. Things nearly always cost more when there is convenience involved.
Normally I would agree, but I don't have to buy the item, pay a fee for convenience, and pay a monthly subscription fee as well.
Would you like for Pizza hut to charge a $15 a month subscription fee, whether you buy pizza or not? Honestly, I am really surprised that so many people are OK with this. We are forced to buy the expansion to use this feature, yet, we must pay extra money each time we want to use the feature. Why is the expansion $50 again? And why is the monthly fee $15? Seriously, we get no extra benefit for paying top dollar each month. Anything we want in this game, we still must pay extra in order to use it. At this point, there really should be no monthly fee for anybody, and just force us all to pick & choose each feature we want to use in the marketplace.
You can use the feature without paying any extra Station Cash. You just have to pick a different delivery option.
Research & development finally comes up with a great new idea never before seen in a MMO, but, you're telling me I can't use it unless I pay extra $$? I pay a monthly fee, I bought each & every expansion, I pay extra for features in marketplace, yet, I still cannot use this great new feature, unless I fork over more cash. Thanks for nothing. I have always left EQ in the past to play a new game, and then came back after I became bored with that new game. This will be the first time I've stopped playing EQ, because I am disgusted with the direction this company is going. At least, this will make it easier to stay gone for good this time.
I didn't know having an item appear on your cursor from the bazaar was such a huge selling point in people staying "gold".
