Remove the referral system

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Rendezvous, Jul 18, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Serrow

    Honestly I don't feel like the "Soe needs to stop this because they'll lose money!" approach is going to get very far with the devs, it sounds like something that would just make them roll their eyes.

    The real sticker for me is the lack of communication and understanding when it comes to this referral program and its core player base. Why is stuff being added to the game that approximately 99.99% of the player base has no realistic opportunity to obtain? Who hasn't already invited their friends to the game to play with them? It's like the program was designed for new players to bring in new players, and the existing ones can sod off.

    I'm not going to try to tell SOE how to run a business or say that I'll never spend a dime on PS2 again for as long as I live, because honestly it'd be extremely arrogant of me - and likely untrue. I like PS2, I feel like it's a worthy investment of my leisure time and entertainment money. I just feel a little jaded that their new referral system doesn't appear to think of anyone except people with massive followings, Totalbiscuit's comments on the situation only disgusted me further.

    But hey, maybe if I want the items I'll 'work' towards them. Guess I should print some pamphlets or something and hand them out on the street. :D
    • Up x 2
  2. RadarX

    There has been plenty of communication regarding this particular issue but I think a lot of folks core problem is they aren't getting the answers they want. This program is meant to motivate folks to recruit their friends and required rewards worth chasing.

    I think 99.99% of the player base might be slightly exaggerated but this is definitely considered a long term program. We don't expect people to accomplish the higher tier goals immediately. Also at the end of the day the central frustration seems to be over the helmets and camo (the MBT gun to a lesser extent). Admittedly awesome helmets and camo but these are cosmetic items that don't affect gameplay in any way.

    I do appreciate you personally expressing your concerns constructively and looking at this realistically. We're very closely monitoring the program and seeing how it performs.
    • Up x 1
  3. Gremmel


    Did you really just say that black camo don't affect gameplay? In what world do you live in? I'd like to come live there as well.

    I don't mind the referral program but when you're offering clear upgrades that you can't get any other way there's a problem, if you can't see that the discussion isn't worth having. Also I can't refer any of my friends because then I'd also have to buy them a new computer so they can play the game.
    • Up x 1
  4. sindz


    Black camo doesn't change anything nor does it affect gameplay. Bad players just _think_ it does. For one the nights arent dark enough for it to actually matter, and the people who think it completely hides you at night, forget that this would also make you stick out like a sore thumb during the day. I play all 3 factions and I have no problem with seeing VS at night in their standard "camo".
  5. Bohrir

    And there it is folks, the official "we still don't get it". Good luck trying to convince those dummy accounts to convert to subs. I think there are some windmills around you can tilt at in your spare time
  6. Crewell

    I have said several times in this thread I understand SOE's desire and need for a recruitment program. I also understand wanting to reward people actively recruiting. What I don't understand is SOE not offering alternate methods to get some of the items which could generate more money than the recruitment program will for PS2 players.

    The recruitment program is good for newer games, but as has been stated many times here not good for a game like PS2. It's not because PS2 is a bad game. It's because the FPS genre is a limited market with a new game always a few months away. PS2 is just not generating interest of people who haven't already or currently are playing it. The MMOFPS is also very unforgiving to the new player. Many get frustrated and quit within weeks. This is why people are so frustrated.

    While the thread title calls for removal, the posts are the opposite. The rational posts here aren't asking for the recruitment program to be stopped. They just want an alternative way to get some of the rewards (or something similar). Naturally the subscription membership lends itself to the same feel from a player perspective. You have people who have been loyal customers for over a half year and rarely see anything for it except for the occasional early access to a cosmetic. Why not put recon camo or max lumifiber (or some of the other items) on the premium member store page? Sell each type of recon camo for 1000SC. You make a bunch of money off the sale and new subsciptions in some cases. It's a win-win.
  7. JonnyBeanTown

    What's going to happen is this:

    SOE will monitor this program and if they see that's it's not really working very well, they will release the camos and helmets on the store for us to buy.

    Because of the buzz this created, they are going to be patient and see if these rewards are motivation enough for people to actually recruit. Now personally, I don't feel it will get the response they are hoping for because they are just cosmetic items. However, they will no doubt get the few people who have money to burn to make dummy accounts and get them, but that will be short lived.

    All we have to do is wait.
  8. Morticai


    We have yet to receive confirmation that any of this is going to happen. RadarX missed an excellent opportunity to say something along these lines, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that they're sticking by their policy: The items will never go beyond recruitment-rewards.

    They can't find a middle-ground because they want this to work, even though it's plainly obvious that the profits would increase by accepting income from both the recruitment system and the depot.
    • Up x 1
  9. PS2Freak

    Please Ask Cosmetic-Designers, to make little different Dark Camo ["refferal"-art as template] same with Helmets and Lumifiber. Change the refferal items a little bit there and there and sell it.

    "the central frustration seems to be over the helmets and camo" [sic]

    and you also know why - you showed us this before without information it will be for "refferal".

    and to repeat the mantra over and over (cosmetic items that don't affect gameplay in any way ) (items should be worth to work towards it) - dont change the fact, that you failed to communicate the restricted nature of this items.



    just to do nothing will not make it better..
    • Up x 1
  10. Bohrir

    Fact is, nobody would have bought the open helmets if they had known the closed would be unobtanium
  11. JonnyBeanTown

    Now if you were RadarX would you go and say 'You don't have to recruit because we will be putting these items in the store as an alternate way of getting them' ? No, because no one would bother recruiting.
  12. Morticai


    I would go out and say "If you've either recruited these people or subscribed for this measure of time-" Because hey, it's profit.

    Besides, last I checked, the people with friends that can be drawn in by the recruitment system are in a vast minority. What does it provide? It gives a chance for people to get it for free if they're absolutely adamant on not paying anything at all for what they want.
    • Up x 2
  13. RottenGroinArea

    More hilarious nonsense from our good friends at SOE.

    Hey, SOE, here's a clue for ya:
    Everyone recruited their friends months ago.

    What gamer, that has friends willing to sink money into this mess, hasn't
    heard of PS2 and already tried it ???

    This referral program is for people who don't exist...
    • Up x 1
  14. Stew360


    it will only perform with youtubers with a Huge dedictated fanbases , and these peoples arent going to stick to the game like we do , if you could accelerate the developpements process of the Core elements of the game like ( improove squad lead options ) , bring all 3 battles insland and hossin , remooving the nanoweaves non sens , and increasing multi treading performance etc..

    I could bring back over 40 of my clans mates who have quit the games for these reason( even if they are going to not be available as a recruits ;) ) and will gladly come back if they are fix , so if you think about a long term plans , you should think about having us Happy and not angry agains you guys ...

    Sorry but after the open forman helmet disaster and controversy it was abusive from you to put the close versions of that very helmet as the last reward of this awefull ( for day ones player ) programs


    making Free stuff reward and some awesome stuff is all good

    making it ( exclusive ) NO hell no , its a really , really bad decision , but since this programs was in beta , and i clearly see thats our feedback dont matters then ...

    i think ill have to not buy anything for the next few months then to protest agains this pratice , wich is unfair for us who as already advertise this game for quiet a while now
    • Up x 1
  15. JonnyBeanTown

    Just give it time. The items will be in the store before you know it.
  16. Rendezvous

    I wish you would just understand that many people, if not all, have already dragged all the friends they have into the game. People that don't have a lot of friends, especially, most likely don't have anymore friends to drag in.

    In the end, the majority of us will have to be printing out advertisements and sticking them on polls on the street, going to 4chan, spamming forums, begging people, or even making dummy accounts.

    In order to achieve this, you're asking us to find people who have the following:
    1. Strong PC
    2. Interest in FPS games
    3. Willing to grind for unlocks
    4. Willing to deal with low frame rates
    5. Interest in gaming

    25 is too much. Lower it and make achieving a certain BR as the goal, not spending money.
    • Up x 1
  17. Chinchy

    Constructive Criticism:
    having it set up so no matter who purchases the maximum needed amount of SC would make more sense than requiring the 10 people to all dish out $10, think about it this way as long as your getting money for it, it really doesn't matter who payed the amount. That being said recruiting 10 players should still be required.

    short form for the stupid people (Player base) that are not SOE employees

    • Player tells 10 friends about game
    • all ten sign up
    • $60 (as far as I remember) must be accumulated among the people you recruit regardless of who pawns up the amount needed for the reward
    • Player gets reward not having to worry about bugging his friends to all spend $10 on the game
    • Profit
  18. Oheck


    I think the Devs core problem, or those that communicate regarding this subject, is you don't seem to realize that CONTENT is important to not only a recruiter...but to your existing subscribers. Yeah (waves hand), us folks that have been with you since November, December, etc.....you know..playing your game...spending money on the depot.

    We know what the intent of this program is for, but we also see that it was done in a shallow manner that didn't take into account those members and non members that have been waiting for new content to spend money on. Most free to play games make most of their money not on subscriptions but on continually releasing content to their stores for players to buy and customize their avatars, etc. You seem to be missing the mark on this completely.

    I'm sitting here with money in the bank, I want you to have some of it...find some way to get it...don't you want it? I thought you did. But I'm not seeing the effort on the depot side. Oh wait...we did get early access to something. GOLD TRIM! Holy batballs! (yeah...I bought it...cause i'm a p1mp.)

    You would think someone in the business would find a way to earn my cash. Instead lets take a bunch of items and isolate it while neglecting the interest of our subscribers.
    • Up x 1
  19. Rhapsody

    Figured i'd add a reply directly to your post Luperza.

    • What changes would you make to the program to make the goals more attainable?
    Change the " spends x-$'s " to "gets to X-br (say br 15?). Asking someone to spend $ on a FTP game they may not even like can come off (and has come off) as a money-grab. Asking them to 'try out' the game, up to a specified level, means you want them to actually 'enjoy' the game, not simply hand over $$. It also gives them the chance to actually TRY the game, rather than simply log in, spend 10$, then never touch it again.
    • Do you feel that the exclusive items are good enough for the program?
    Are they good enough? Yes, though i'd probably have offered the NS Carbine, or the NS SMG instead of the NS AR (i think?) so it could be used on more than just 1 specific class.
    The problem with the current rewards is that they are items you dangled in front of people in the same manner that you did ALL other items that have been available to everyone, then without warning, suddenly decided to make the items you saw people had the MOST interest in, an exclusive item part of your recruitment program. Why isn't the Windshield add-ons for the Harasser on there? Why isnt the Lumifiber for the Tanks on there? Why isnt the 'open-face' helmet on there? Did you chose the items you chose, which have yet to be released 'in-game', purely because you KNEW there was a high interest in them? Or did you chose them simply because you knew the popularity of stuff already in game was not as high?.
    What you did with the greatly anticipated Closed helmets, Max Lumifiber/Max Armor... are in all honesty the 1 and only reason for the outcry that is displayed on this thread, it is the 'only' real complaint we have about it. The fact that it requires 25 people for the 'bundle' of items, would not have even come up as vehemently as it has if we could purchase those items 'individually' threw the store just as we can everything else that you have teased us with in the exact same manor that you did these now 'exclusive' items.
    • If you were to make a refer-a-friend program for PlanetSide 2, how would you envision the system working?
    As i mentioned in the second part, All rewards would be 'bundles' just as the current ones are. BUT, those individual items would ALSO be available individually, in the in-game store. This way everyone has access to the items, but if you want to 'save money', you work towards moving up threw the reward levels of the recruitment drive. The only "Exclusive" items should be titles or 'badges' specifically made FOR the recruitment drive to help make those who took part in it, and managed to complete it, stand out. Not something that has been pandered around for 2-3 months as being a 'work in progress for you guys'.
    You could also look into giving them a special 'boost' if the new recruits join the same Faction as their recruiter. Thi'sl both give you an idea on what factions are more popular, as well as keep faction loyalty going strong.
    Also, as mentioned before, i would remove the "Must spend x-$'s", and instead make it a "Must reach or exceed x-Battle Rank.". If the new recruits like the game.. they WILL spend money on it at some point, even if its just one installment of 15$ for the membership so that they can see just how much of a godsend being able to skip to the front of queue's is.
    • Up x 2
  20. Rhapsody


    The thing is Radar, that:

    1. The program came too late for many of us to ever get ANY of the tiers, even in the 'long-term' vision of it. I only have 2 or 3 friends within 50 MILES of my house who even play Computer games and/or have computers capable of running a 'modern' MMO decently well. Ive gotten both to try out PS2 already (did it MONTHS ago, with beta keys i had gotten extra threw twitter). One flat didn't like it, while the other is to deeply involved in DAOC to join me on PS2 like we use to play with each other on PS1. Two people.. thats ALL of my options. Why?.. Because i can literally HUNT from my back porch. I dont live in a city of 300,000. I dont live in an area were there are 80 houses within 1 mile of mine. There are no 'gaming centers' anywhere within shooting range of me. Even thinking long-term, there is no way i'll even be able to reach the FIRST goal, let alone the 5th.

    If this had come out prior to PAX East, i may have gone around the show-floor handing out business-cards with my PS2 handle on it + a link to the recruitment website. But, it came out now.. Not months ago when it could have been used a lot better. As it is, the 1 and ONLY option available to me is to go around to gaming websites, and spam their forums about PS2. Which in all likelihood will end up with 0 recruits being gained, + me being banned from those forums for spam.

    And 2.
    It is not the fact that these items are included in the recruitment drive specifically, As it is the fact that the recruitment drive is the 1 and ONLY way to get them.

    It doesn't bother me in the least that someone who manages to pull in 25 'qualifying recruits' gets:


    Foreman Helmet + Predator Helmet + Aurora Helmet + Grand Ambassador Decal + 6-month Boost + Ambassador Decal + 150mm Titan Skin + P2-120 Skin + Supernova skin + Reaver Lumifiber + Mosquito Lumifiber + Synthe Lumifiber + Diplomat Decal + Undead Calvary Decal + Bear Decal + PS2 Glow Decal + Reaver Delux Fins + NC Glow Decal + Mosquito Delux Fins + TR Glow Decal + Scythe Delus Fins + VS Glow Decal + Counsul Decal + NS011 Compound Helmet (all factions) + MAX Lumifibor Armor (All factions) + Recon Camo (all factions) + Attache Decal + NS-15mp + NS-11cp + Delegate Decal + NS-357p Underboss + Pixelate Cammo (all factions)

    What does bother me is that there are items on that list that i can NEVER get individually. Not because they affect the gameplay (as you said, they don't, and if there WERE items in that list that DID effect the gameplay, you'd have a whole different mess on your hands in the PR department.), Not because they are part of a 'bundle' and the person who manages to recruit 25 people gets a Crap-tone of items for free. But because there are Items in that list that i want INDIVIDUALLY, and am more than willing to PAY for them individually, yet am being told that 'No, you must either spend 250$ in dummy accounts, or manage to find 25 people to spend 10$ each, despite the fact that you literally live in the woods, so that you can get ALL of the above items even though you only really want 1 or 2 of them."

    I know they dont affect Gameplay, But i WANT them. Ive wanted them since they were first 'teased' to us in Development sketches and 3d-renderings. I 'expected' to be able to get them in the same manner that we have available to get every single other object you have shown us in the same way over the past 6 months. Being told "sorry, there only for the 'elite' in the you-tube/blogger/city-life social groups" feels like a kick in the gut and leaves me feeling as if i had been lied to when those renderings and artwork were shown to us under the guise that they would be 'available soon'.

    That is the 1 and only issue i have with this whole mess.
    • Up x 1
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.