2014 Membership - Update from Smed

Discussion in 'News and Announcements' started by Ashlanne, Jan 6, 2014.

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  1. aspekx Well-Known Member

  2. daicia Well-Known Member

    Thanks for listening. My guild mates have let out a collective sigh. This is reasonable (so far) and your time sensitive response is very appreciated.

    Here's one question that needs to be clarified: will the SC perk apply to all sub-accounts, regardless of payment type as described in the very first forum thread on this topic? I was one who canceled based on that info and figured I'd just sub randomly as I it would suit my lifestyle instead when the old perk was going poof. Will we still see a auto-renew subs or will those poof with the potential 14.99 All Access?
    Uwkete-of-Crushbone likes this.
  3. Sandyfoot Well-Known Member

    Will recurring Gold membership still be required to claim the 500 SC? Or will any type of Gold Membership be able to claim the 500 SC, such as accounts paid with Krono or SC game cards.
    Awkk, Kellden Darkleaf and Brezard like this.
  4. Grazel New Member

    I think this is probably going to be the best compromise without a convoluted system being put in place. You can't satisfy everyone and I'm sure while the all-access for everyone is a nice boost there are many who are and always will be single-game players. Those players lost out on the 2k voucher system because it removed flexibility. Now the multi-game players lose out a bit because it's a single 500SC claim instead of item per game, though they still keep the flexibility in what they can buy and how (spend now, save for later, buy a big item when enough saved, or buy a bunch of small items without giving up the lion's share of the voucher value, etc.). I think the increased flexibility with the limits of having to log in and claim it is the best compromise for all parties involved (the accountants, the dev team, and the playerbase of ALL games).

    I'm not sure about the offerings of non-EQ2 games for subs but for EQ2 at least the 500SC stipend has become the major seperator between f2p and gold access so having it go away really felt like a devaluing of the sub cost. I'd still like to see a couple more perks thrown in for EQ2 gold member to help make gold more appealing. Not locking out of services (which has always turned me off from p2w-f2p games where you can't really do anything without a ton of microtransactions that end up costing more than a monthly sub would) but just extra perks, like the (hopefully still) now permanent double currency. The marketplace discount does help of course but I'd like to see some game-specific/in-game benefits as well.

    A few possible suggestions based on what's currently in-game: housing discounts for subscribers (reduced purchase, and coin rent costs, status costs are neglibile as there's TONS of status reducing house items but almost nothing that reduces coin rent), vendor discounts (maybe just a boost in faction discounts so your sub discount just adds value to the faction discount rather than a flat discount). Travel orbs like veteran rewards that have charges (the number based on the length of sub you're on). Overall I'm not asking for anything major but a few new minor perks would add value to being gold if you only play EQ2 without being a major increase if you play more than just EQ2.
    Katra and TarnaX like this.
  5. paa5403 New Member

    I like the all access change, but don't like having to /claim and still get just the 500 SC. It will take me longer to finish getting my mounts/prestige houses collection complete now.

    Here is something to consider for your next meeting:

    Many, many, many of us avid EQ and EQII players as well as other SOE gamers have multiple accounts. Now, I currently only subscribe with my main account but if there were an option to get a multi-account subscription at a discount, I might just subscribe all 6 of my accounts.

    I have suggested this via /feedback since I don't usually do the forum thing and I am only here now because I can't login since the server went down for a "brief" update over 2.5 hours ago on EQ II test.

    I love the game(s) but I prefer to spend my time playing rather than doing the forum thing. ;)

    I <3 EQ and EQII!

    :)
    Awkk and Simparri like this.
  6. Magic Missiles Active Member

    message deleted

    Was flogging a sc horse.
    Kitzy likes this.
  7. Spindle Well-Known Member

    Thanks for listening Smed. It will be good to see the final, baked product.
    GrunEQ and TarnaX like this.
  8. Svenone Well-Known Member

    I would have been happy with merely changing the 500SC to a /claim'able item....having All-Access being changed to $14.99 is simply a bonus for those who play more than one game. Good work, SOE.

    Personally, I buy little things like health and power potions, but mostly I hoard my SC to get research reducers after an level cap change. That adds value to my game. Not appearance-only armor or weapons. Not housing items. Not even most of the mounts. The 500SC bonus works to that end, the proposed 2000SC bonus did not. So again, thank you SOE. Definitely a positive compromise.
    Awkk, karmamule, Tylia and 2 others like this.
  9. ColbyJack Well-Known Member

    Finally, an update that actually makes me happy I still have my account at gold. I was ready to unsub after all these years, but thought I would wait until the hubub all died down, and I'm glad I did. This announcement makes me happy about my membership, as well as valued as a customer, and shows that you guys listened to our feedback and came up with a good plan to try to satisfy both sides.
    Well done.
    karmamule, Tylia, GrunEQ and 2 others like this.
  10. Brezard New Member


    I too am interested in this. I'm awaiting a response to a message to Customer Services about my 12 month subscription and the fact that I removed my credit card details so that I could pay in future with Paypal. The way I see it, unless ours is an official credit card style recurring subscription then we miss out entirely and from my perspective - my 12 month subscription is worth less than a 3 month recurring one.
    Juraiya and Griffon Lady like this.
  11. Burningice Coldfire Member

    Since we're going to need to do a /claim to get the reward each month, why not give us the option to choose between the 500 SC and the "use it or lose it" 2K item?
    NayHomey, Katra, Estred and 6 others like this.
  12. Griffon Lady Well-Known Member

    now THAT's how you keep customers. ^_~ you listen to them! ^_^ Loyalty abounds when you know the one you are loyal to cares about you. ^_^
    One little tweak though that could smooth it out for the people who liked the pick-an-item idea. Have a choice between an item or the 500 sc, claim one or the other once a month.

    I am wondering though, what will happen to the year long subs that get a discount? or will there still be pay-per-year available?

    *edit LOL the 2 people above me were saying the same thing at the same time. XD
    Belenos, TarnaX, Charlice and 2 others like this.
  13. Calthine Well-Known Member

    That there. You want more people opting for membership over FTP? That.
    NayHomey, Torvaldr, Finora and 5 others like this.
  14. Burningice Coldfire Member

    The original post states that all-access will drop to $14.99 and will be the only subscription option available (with a possible exception of the younger players), so the price is dropping to meet the current single-sub price, not going up or meeting in the middle.
    Kellden Darkleaf likes this.
  15. DrunkenShaman New Member

    Wow, you try to hand people a great deal and they spit in your face.
    A free item worth up to 2000sc in every game every month and you people whine until you lose that and get your 500sc back?
    I would rather have the potential of 20 to 40 dollars(or more) worth of merchandise then $5 that i can do with what i please when i please.
    Ya your giving up a little freedom, but IMO it was well worth it.
    I can see if you only play EQ2 or PS2 then you don't really care, and it looks the majority of SoE players are one game only peeps.
    That's a shame, I for one will be playing EQ2, PS2 and DCUO for sure with this change.
    Too bad the community just ruined a great potential deal for those of us that do play all the games.
    EQNL and EQN can't come soon enough!
  16. Juraiya Well-Known Member

    Ah well, I was actually looking forward to the change, even though I recognized that most people were unhappy with it. But, even though I've been a subscriber for 9 years, because I am All Access (or maybe because I'm yearly, and thus non-recurring) I've never actually gotten the free 500 SC per month. I was looking forward to the single item, because then I would be guaranteed receiving it.

    I have a question, however: If I paid for All Access with the original yearly rate, will it be extended beyond its normal expiration because I paid for a higher rate for it? At the previous rate I was good until August. Does this mean it might extend now into September or October or some such?

    Or... if you're going to say that I paid approximately $14.99 per month (I'm not sure how the monthly rate works out if you pay yearly), the whole reason I do a yearly subscription was to get a discount. So are you going to make it discounted lower than the $14.99 per month for those of us who pay yearly? If not, then I'd rather go monthly, so I'm not locked in again if you guys make a change I don't like, and I suspect others will feel the same.
    Ayumi, Afista, Belenos and 1 other person like this.
  17. Polychrome Member

    Kinda reminds me of the Xbox One. (Yeah, I know, ironic for me to post this in a Sony forum.) We were supposed to get this awesome service in which we could share our games with friends and family while still playing them, but people complained so hard about "what if?" that the idea got nuked to hell and back.

    And I understand it. I really do. I liked the idea of saving up my 500 sc month after month. And I missed the idea that if I went inactive but left my account running, my SC would still accumulate and I could come back and go on new quests and build to my heart's content when done. But on the other hand, I got to thinking what I could do with that 2k item and was thinking about getting some new prestige houses to build on... To me it came out a wash, and heck, maybe I'd actually get something better this way. And now it's gone. So now we gotta be here to /claim that 500 SC or lose it for good, and we don't even get a 2k item to make up for it.

    So, thanks a lot guys. Now the people who cycle MMOs (that is, other than Sony ones while still giving them our business) when the new content gets out are out of luck both ways. We lose our 500 per month when we don't log in, and now we lose the 2k items too. Enjoy your win. I'm not going to quit my gold over this or anything because I'm not blaming Sony for this one. Plus I like the idea that my sub carries over to other games. But pardon me if I feel like I missed out on the "compromise".
    jazmeena, ShyMidnight and Belenos like this.
  18. Tholin Member

    wow. i'll say that i'm impressed.
    i've been around since the beta of eq2, and i've consistently watched what i felt was SOE ignore its customer base and make bad change after bad change. we've talked, we've complained, we've pleaded.... and it's never worked.
    but this time, enough of us spoke with our wallets, and it actually worked. this was the nail in the coffin to kill off the guaranteed monthly sub revenue of so many longtime players, and i've gotta say... i'm quite happy with the end result.
    gold membership needed a boost of some kind to the perks. the game is already free, we wanted to feel rewarded for our monthly $15. taking away the biggest (and arguably the ONLY) perk of gold membership just wasn't going to work.
    to see smed and SOE listen, give us back our 500SC perk, AND to give us added value of gold now = all-access...
    you've definitely won me back
    TarnaX likes this.
  19. Maizing Member

    I would love to see some way to eliminate the coin cost for a standard house entirely.
    daicia and TarnaX like this.
  20. Vimemol Niflungasaga New Member

    Very casual player here. I subbed a couple times a year when I come play for seasonal events, FF et all. And grab a krono when I save up for masters to scribe them. Not a big SC buyer, except when SOE had the 2x and 3x sales.
    I, for one, was looking forward to the new change and was thinking if was a great bargain and worth reoccurring subbing instead of just the occasional paid sub. BRING BACK THE 2000SC.
    Kitzy, jazmeena, Afista and 2 others like this.
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