Producer's Letter: AoD Expansion & Membership update!

Thank you, I never understood why the 20 AA were bundled with something that was considered "optional" content. I hated explaining that to new and returning players that would join my small guild that welcomes all membership levels. So again, THANK YOU!

While I am happy for friends and guildmates to finally be able to wear gear, putting them on par with their peers in groups, without having their pockets gouged unlocking gear, I am feeling a bit letdown with being a recurring gold member:

1. Is this a flag on the account and active at all times for the 15% coin increase? Or a buff that must be cast with a set duration and time each day like the summer event? I don't recall seeing a better split while in groups or raids during the summer so will it work in group or raids for your portion of the chests or just solo chests you open?
2. Mount Speed? This would be okay if it was an ability that can be turned on or off such as a casted buff from your ability tab.
3. I suspect other difference still in place but not mentioned, such as AA slider, broker sales, the mail system unlocked and master spells unlocked.
4. Three verses one goblin tickets
5. 500 SC each month

I would like to see perhaps a little more bonus to being gold, such as my suggestions below:

• A 10% experience boost at all times for tradeskills, AA and adventuring. Not everyone will want to be a heroic character and some still want to level a crafter or adventurer more slowly but still want a little boost.
• A 10% increase to personal status, be it from writs, killing bosses or selling status items.

I also would like to know if there will be any compensation for the unused equipment unlockers. I bought quite a few several months ago, when the announcement was made that they would be removed from the marketplace in favor of the instant unlock feature. Was bad enough when they were re-introduced to the marketplace (originally I was waiting for a sale to stock up, but had to pay full price when they were being removed), but now they will be absolutely worthless.

As for the gold account, there doesn't seem to be much value in having gold for EQ2 alone. The all-access account may be the way to go, since it would (presumably) give you gold account in EQ2 and EQNext, and the krono will extend an all-access account by 30 days, same as a gold account.

The slider doesn't take away 50% of your xp, it coverts it into AA. It does not increase your time to end cap at all. It just doesn't give you the control to get your AA sooner (or later) in the process.

They can still be used for master spell unlocks so not completely worthless?

Spell unlockers are a separate item from the equipment unlockers. Never tried unlocking a spell with an equipment unlocker, so not really sure it that would work.

actually only those who use their credit cards for a recurring Gold sub get the 500SC. but yes we do get the other 2.

Will there be a way to get any of the following after October 1st?

Collector's Edition Only

• Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #1
• Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #2
• Armored Flying Pegasus Mount
• Unique Beastlord Warder Pet
• Lavastorm Prestige Home
• Custom Dungeon Maker Map Layout
• Robe of the Truespirit

they can buy but they can't sell.

Good for silver and ftp, but the gold membership should be cheaper then. No more reason to pay 15€ monthly

hey, how about a faction multiplier, like 5X faction on repeatable quests, for gold members? or max faction trinket thingies for factions other than rygorr and (non-tradeskill) thurgadin? sun-dazzled vamp repeatable? lol

One other thing that gold gets though it is insignificant unless you are a new player 450 platinum per month*, unless of course they spend those loyalty tokens on other things.

I do notice that they have not had any recent direct double SC sales (cards bought from certain stores yes, but not SC from them) and probably will not any time soon so as to make buying BL, mercenaries, and reforging cost more than the base expansion did before and the package cost just as much. In the old thread about the cost points I predicted it would sell for significantly more per piece to offset double and triple SC never considered they might limit the frequency of those sales instead. Even so many of us were right on one point buying piecemeal as funds allow will end up being noticeably more expensive than buying the bundle.

*Most months (curse you February).

I bet this is coming - Kronos = SC

I think a percentage boost in XP gained from adventuring, trade-skilling and status will be a nice bonus to give to gold members now that the distinction between paying and F2P users is practically gone.

As someone who has not only been a Gold member but a station access member for several years, I'm feeling like I've just been slapped in the face. What a chump I've been, spending all this money all this time when all I had to do was go silver, pay one time fees to unlock everything and then just wait for everything to be given to me for free.

Also I'm worried that this loss in revenue means that SOE after this year simply won't be making any more expansions for EQ2. Why should they when they won't be getting any more revenue from this game? If you want people to continue to pay for this game, you are going to have to come up with better incentives.

I just don't see how this is going to work.

Another update with only one game audience in mind- new players/ very casual.

1. You haven't been a chump. You received exactly the service you paid for each and every month or year. You received many benefits of being Gold during that time like extra character slots, ability to scribe masters, etc.

2. SoE will sell fluff items. Pretty mounts. Sexy armor. Cool stuff for housing. That's the new revenue model.

Actually, I think this might bring back a lot of people who got bored of grinding the same 3-4 zones and didn't want to pay for the privilege anymore.

Now that they have very few restrictions, they can go silver and still enjoy 90% of the game. I think a good amount of disaffected raiders might show back up.

Love the item restriction lift. Still pretty new to the game, so it's a big plus for me.

While I do think it is awesome for the free to play (I just started an account for my young sisters and means I won't need to pay for a sub when they get higher), the price of a subscription is too much for what little difference there is now. I do not mind paying for a sub, but make it worth the price you are asking.

These are great positive changes. Thank you for listening to the community.