Feel the Wind Beneath Your Wings with the Aerakyn Player Race!

It would only seem fair that if Aerakyn could show their wings with a stat mount equipped that Fae/Arasai would also be able to at some point (I hope).

Maybe for 2200 SC you will be able to use Arasai/Fae wings on a stat mount.

oops, I meant use their own wings as an appearance flying mount with stat mount equipped, not show wings

I didn't say I saw everything they say as a lie, I said I don't trust that what they say will come to be. There is a difference.

I stuck around SWG because I enjoyed the space game. I never really touched anything on the ground after the NGE.

I come off and on here because I do enjoy the game and I can play with people I know IRL.
That second reason is starting to go away as they 'discover' other MMO's.

Every company makes mistakes. Every company has to announce bad news.
It's how they handle those things that shows the integrity or lack thereof at the top.

I may skip both expansions this year (Iron Horde being the other - another game I play with peeps I know IRL). I've got The Witcher 3 coming to save up for, and I'll buy that even if my current computer can't handle it just to show my support for DRM free games. If I do buy the expac, it will be the standard edition, and I'm usually a sucker for a decent CE - this one just doesn't have enough going for it unless Silver Surfer turns out to be godlike, in which case they've just blatantly gone for "pay to win".

If it weren't for the playing with folks I know, I've got a big enough backlog of cRPG's and HOPA's to keep me gaming for nearly a year. None of them offer the depth and breadth that a game like Everquest 2 does, though.

Even though your response was to someone else, I will state my own reasoning for staying, while being somewhat disenchanted as of late and why I feel many, self included are less than pleased.

• Many of play this game and the games we have played in the past with friends and family. It's our main source of entertainment and we can agree that over time it's inexpensive when compared to other forms of entertainment. That said, we enjoy the "complete" game; not the "You don't really need all that" version. Add up this "complete" addition to the game and you are at $89.00 + $42.00 + House (if you're into decorating) x the accounts in the family (4). Bring in a friend that wants the complete game since they also are into playing the full version and add in AoD for another $40.
• Many of us also are long time gamers. I date back with my clan to Beta EQ1. F2P has become a necessary evil to online games and we accept that most games could not survive without it. That said, we would rather pay a higher monthly fee for a complete game, single subscription than piece meal to support the crowd that looks to spend as little as possible without a subscription.
• Being long time gamers that understand the concept of perks in a store, often buying into the perks, we fail to accept how game mechanics, classes and races are not part of the subscription model. When I played Lord of the Rings Online it was simple. Drop the subscription, lose the perks and a bunch of access that you could either purchase or resubscribe to retain. I personally feel that AoD, races and classes should be something a FTP player is forced to purchase or do without, not a subscriber.
• They claim they need more money. Well, subscribers bring in more income but how many people not introduced to the game by friends and family are willing to plunk down the cost of entry to this game? Our migration from Vanguard after it's sunset cost hundreds of dollars to return as a family and friends.
• They plan and know their business model well in advance of the release. It's called project planning and funding acquisition. Why not be upfront about it instead of hinting and skirting around issues.
• Don't play games with the customers insulting their intelligence. Don't raise the price, then have a sale which makes the item more expensive than it was the day before and explain that it's cheaper because a week from now it will cost more than the sale price. Don't explain to us how the CE is technically the same price, it just costs more because it's not being discounted as a pre-release as it always was in the past. If it was the same cost to the consumer, it would not be $81.00 with the discount.
• Don't explain that we "don't need it" to play. If it were not needed/wanted by so many, it would not sell in the first place. You have the advantage of designing the content to make the SC items appealing and compelling. It's like turning up the heat in a room and charging $5.00 for cold bottled water. We won't technically die without it, but we really would like it for our enjoyment.

We often stay because we invested our free time long term in a game that suits our fancy. We both know that we will justify the cost of the game against the enjoyment we gain long term by playing. That does not mean we enjoy being fleeced endlessly as customers.

Having a customer spend money in the SC store because they feel it's a great value that adds to their enjoyment is far better than having a customer begrudgingly spend money because they feel they are forced to spend, or have a scaled down game. For example, in Vanguard, I could purchase a flying mount from the store at a low level. That felt like a fantastic perk and having played several characters without one at a young age, it felt worth it. Having to pay for the ability to use my FREE mercenary here? That felt sleazy.

In the end I don't feel "slapped in the face" as some put it. I feel that the company is attempting to keep a form of entertainment that we enjoy as a family alive. I simply question why more of the cost is not put on the FTP crowd and the logic of having the entry costs to the game so high that it discourages those wanting a "complete" game from joining us.

Reading this thread has made me decide to spend the bare minimum on this game now. Between the ridiculous prices of the new races, the lack of a pre-order discount for the collector's edition, and the many other comments in this thread, I have no desire to spend anything extra. I'll buy the expansion, I'll keep my discounted sub, and I'll use my 500 monthly SC, but I will not be spending any money on SC going forward. I really enjoy the game, but not the price gouging.

I've been considering not buying more station cash due to the pricing in the market place, and the lack of discounts in the market place, and lack of discounts on station cash. This thread has made up my mind. I guess this is going the way of most F2P mobile games... a small percentage of players will pay a lot so the large percentage can play for free or very little.

Great, that's me priced out and I was really looking forward to this too. Why can't the basic one at least be included in the price for the xpac? Why on earth do we have to pay a huge amount to be able to use our wings? This was not mentioned in the original announcement.

The basic aerakyn should be dropped or included in xpac and the upgrade should cost no more than 2000sc.

As it stands I can't afford to buy the aerakyn and the xpac, and this pricing model has now got me wondering whether I'll even bother buying the expac.

Oh well, the World of Warcraft expansion starts on the 13th Nov, I guess I'll go play that instead. I might take another look at it in 6 months when I'm burned out on WoW.

Have fun.

I have a big problem with this "complete game" attitude. What you are saying is you do not want additional perks to be available unless they are included at the standard edition price and to every one. What a shame that would be!

Is the veteran reward house a requirement for playing a complete game? No. I'm actually in agreement with those that feel it shouldn't even be an option to buy if you haven't earned it.

Is the new race a requirement for playing a complete game? No. Can you not raid without it? Quest? Decorate? Craft? Which aspect of the game are you missing out on if you can't play the new race other than playing that race? Can you not compete with others on an even playing field as a different race? This is purely cosmetic.

Is the new merc a requirement for playing a complete game? Here you might have some wiggle room. It might actually affect how the game plays, particularly if you solo (although if you are buying AoM for 5 accounts as you claim, it shouldn't actually affect you either). However, the CE merc is just one of many new mercs that will be available. A pragmatic person might buy the standard edition and wait and see if the other new mercs are just as good. Or you can just decide that you're missing out (on what, you don't really know yet) from the start and by all means don't let reality get in the way of your predetermination.

I will go back to my original analogy. This is an al a carte menu, and you want the whole menu for the al a carte entree price. What you are saying is that you want the whole menu, no matter what the choices are. The result will fewer choices for everyone because you can't afford to have it all.

Respectfully, I never said I can't afford it, I said it's getting a bit much.

As for your analogy, it's more like paying for a membership to a health club, then having it go a-la-carte to accommodate free, pay if you want members. Things included for years now cost extra, extras that you paid for like a sauna and swim now cost even more. You then explain it's to encourage new people to join and free people to subscribe when it's becoming the most expensive club in town. All while explain the staff has been cut and it's no longer so pristine, pay more so they can afford to open a new one.

I'm more than willing to glad pay for perks as I have done in the past. I just don't feel game mechanics, classes and races are add in perks. Give me a complete game, charge more for a subscription if need be, charge for upgrades to the perks, that at least feels like it has value.

Why should I pay extra for handball courts or swimming pools when all I really want are the yoga classes? I get that you want everything at one low price, even if you can afford it. But others cannot and like it or not, MMOs are about gettng large numbers of people to play. Having said that, if your argument is against the f2p model overall, then I think that's another discussion topic entirely.

I completely agree that game mechanics should not be add in perks. Which game mechanics are you missing out on by purchasing the standard edition instead of the collectors edition? I think you would have a very valid concern here if you could please point out what it is that we all will be missing.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no new classes being offered at an additional price. If this is about the existing classes that are offered for an additional cost, then again, I think that's an entirely different topic.

As for races, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Race, like it or not, is purely cosmetic. If our choices were extremely limited outside of the new race, I might be more inclined to agree. But with so many options to choose from, I don't feel your point is valid. EQ2 offers far more races than any of the games I play, and at less expensive price. Furthermore, cosmetic items are exactly what I want offered at additional cost - fun stuff that does not affect game "completeness".

Honestly, I find this idea that the game is incomplete without all the fluffy extras quite fascinating. I've never seen people in a game believe that if they can't have every cosmetic perk then it shouldn't be available. Every MMO I've played offers a standard edition which covers all content and game mechanics. Games are complete with the standard edition. Then they offer fluffy fun stuff for the collectors edition. Some are worth the extra money, some aren't. It varies from game to game and expansion to expansion. But, regardless, in every MMO I have paid, the standard edition offers a complete game. EQ2 has not broken that paradigm with AoM.

For me, the price is unreasonable, & I can't afford it. For others, who can afford it, the price might not be "unreasonable" at all, & for those people who wish to pay more to unlock the Noble Aerakyn than they're paying for the expac itself, more power to them, & I hope they enjoy their new toy.

I'll scrape together the money for the expac, because that's "necessary," but with the holidays coming & my fixed income, I can't do more than that ... & honestly, I'm not really seeing the big reason for this race in the first place. I would have greatly preferred Gnolls or Orks, but maybe that's just me.

I think that both "sides" have valid arguments.

It's "fluff" ... it's not needed to play the game.

but: If you take away everything from the game that is fluff and not needed, the game won't be fun any longer.

So while the "it's not needed" argument in itself is valid concerning this issue, if you take it further, it's clear that there will be a problem.

Additionally, I guess even if I don't need things, I should be allowed to say that those things are too expensive and not worth the money - and I feel this is the case here. Lord of the Rings Online introduce the Beorning a couple of days ago (new class/race) and the game also has "Turbine Points" (similar to SC). Subscribers get 500 every month for free ... sounds familiar? Now the class PLUS an extra class slot was a bit less than 1300 points ... go figure.

I still think they should let people test this in beta so some of the confusion is cleared up and so people can find out if they want this new race for now its no thanks for me

That's another red flag for me. Why aren't these things being tested out in beta?

Reminds me of the Age of Conan launch. They wouldn't let anyone level past 20 in beta because they didn't want to spoil the 'surprise'. The surprise was they poured all of their money into the first 20 levels and the rest of the game was varying levels of suck.

When you have an easy avenue to allow people to temporarily test your products, like Birdman and Silver Surfer, but you choose not to, so the first customers will have to buy them 'sight unseen', that gets my attention, and not in a good way.

Probably because people would realize they can't have a Stat mount equipped and use their wings as an appearance mount. People will have already purchased them so it will be too late. But hey if I'm wrong please feel free to correct me.

yah Age of Conan rocked! up til level 20 haha.

Honestly since you replace your free wings mount at 95 with stat mount anyways the noble upgrade is only a cosmetic upgrade. The extra for glide flying etc only helps when leveling up anyways and sicne we level up so fast anyways all it does is save you a few quests for mounts

I just can't see spending that much on a new race to be honest especially with the new xpac being released at the same time at such a higher price then we have all been paying in the past. People like consistency, it makes them comfortable. When you take away their comfort they will look for a new place that will give them what will make them comfortable. It's sad to say but it looks as if Sony is pushing the customer base to find a more consistent and comfortable place to hang their hat and I don't really blame them especially after I have been all access for 9 years (10 years if you count the extra bonus they give for buying the xpacs). I might buy the new xpac, I still haven't decided yet, if I do it will be way after the new year and the holidays are past, I am sure I am not the only one with this decision either.

Exactly, the reason I like this game and keep coming back is BECAUSE of all the fluff things, like housing, appearance, all the variety of races and classes (most of which could be combined I am sure..), and the live events and fun things.

I couldn't care less about end game mechanics and end game gear as long as it's enough to accomplish my little goals. Does that mean I should have to pay out of the nose for each new fluff item that would otherwise keep me playing the game longer? I don't believe so.

Enjoying the fluff of the game is just as valid as enjoying gear and game mechanics, my idea of "winning" might be getting a super hard to come by house item. There is no one definition of winning. So yeah I feel a little shafted when all the things I enjoy in the game are starting to cost more and more above and beyond my subscription fee and buying expansions when it used to be that got you everything. Also, one could argue that you could call anything in a video game fluff, even getting gear, we're talking about a hobby here..

But all of it, including new races, is still game content that people want to have access to! Playing a shiny new race can keep someone around for longer and keep them subscribed and playing. If they had charged for every little fluff thing right from the beginning like each new race for $42 I think i may have jumped shipped lonnnng ago.

I can't help but think we are kind of like frogs slowly being boiled.

And maybe this is the crux of the problem: EQ2 is trying to be too many things to too many people. Really, if you want the fun fluffy stuff - which I agree adds depth and character to the game - where else are you going to go? Who else has housing anything close to EQ2? The reason games like WoW don't is because they cost money and time to develop. Lots of it.

The biggest issue with the Aerakyn is not the cost (although a bit steep, perhaps) but the bait and switch tactic with regard to flight at level 85, and that only available on the most expensive of the two versions (the splitting of which there was no hint at all).

Considering the Noble Aerakyn in isolation:

2k SC for a new cosmetic race = on a par with existing cosmetic race (Freeblood)?. Check. I've not purchased the Freeblood on either of my accounts because the appearance doesn't offer anything of interest to me (not a vampire 'fan' )

2.2k SC for the functionality of 3 different mounts, for all Noble Aerakyn made = pretty good value, really, considering I've paid close to 2k each for a variety of single-function mounts, that I've had to trade across to use on different characters. With the Noble, I won't have this inconvenience. Okay, the appearance isn't going to change a great deal when each Noble Aerakyn changes from a leaper to a glider to full flight, but hey, it'll be a change. Throw in the wing attacks too, it'll be fun to have a Noble Aerakyn or two...I might not purchase straight away (might save up my monthly free SC, so ultimately I get the race 'for free'), but I'm definitely interested, and think the [Noble] Aerakyn represent a fun 'fluff' addition.

Do I consider the addition of a cure an element of pay to win? Nope (although perhaps getting a bit close) - other races have abilities too, that at different times are worth their weight in plat, depending on the situation you find yourself in. Even things like the high/dark elf cross-zone portal


However, unless I've missed/overlooked something, I do think the failure to live up to earlier 'promises' by SOE with regard to flight at 85, and the wing attack animations, for [all] Aerakyn to be somewhat ...... distasteful. By all means, offer an enhanced Aerakyn ..... but broken promises?

Bad form! (think of Pan (the late, great, Robin Williams) eventually finding himself in the position to say it back to Hook ) - that may be me as I leave EQ2 behind to return (kinda) to Elite after 30 years (!).