I've been playing Planetside 2 since the beta. I've told every friend I know that would listen about it. I've convinced most of them to at least try it out. A few of them are even still around and playing it regularly. All of this occurred within a few months of the game launching. This SOE Recruit Rewards program ignores all of that. Had I known it was coming I wouldn't have said a word to any of them. As it stands right now I could not get a single referral/recruit out of most everyone I know. Why? Because they've already tried it. They either tried it and didn't like it or they are still playing. Those "recruits" are f'ing worthless to me. Of the friends I think I could coax back with some of the recent game improvements, they've all logged in in the past 6 months so they are useless to me as well. I am a subscriber (bought a 12 month subscription), I've spent hundreds of dollars on Station Cash for this game. I enjoy playing it (most of the time) but this just grinds my gears in the worst way. There is no way on this Earth or any other Earth I am going to be able to get 2, let alone 25 other people to do this recruit thing with me. Had it been there at launch or if prior people I've convinced to join counted, sure. Maybe. Everyone I would have "recruited" has already been recruited. Plus, places like Reddit and most major forums where you could attempt to find new players have strict policies against all types of referral programs. I hate when I get spammed on forums and other sites with referral links, I'm not going to do it to other people. I know SOE owes me nothing and I am not entitled to anything but I will say this, and I hope someone from SOE is reading this (Luperza, Higby, Clegg... anyone), I am less likely to spend more money on your game now, due to this. I have put hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars into this game. I've spent the past 8 months basically doing everything this recruitment programs wants me to do and I have NOTHING to show for it. Sure, I could shell out $250 on dummy accounts but I shouldn't have to. This should be something to reward loyal and long time players, not the person who has the largest Facebook friends list or a rich daddy. Quiet frankly, I'm disappointed SOE. Any member of the Glorious Terran Republic Empire who proposed this plan to their superiors would have been shot on sight.
I don't know about you, but i invited my friends to the game to have fun with them, not profit off them. I think you may be playing the game for the wrong reasons and need to rethink your life. And stop crying about the referal program, it's fine as is.
The problem with the referral program is that SOE is making it difficult for me to give them money. I'd pay 7$ for that NS helm, but I can't, and I wont make dummy accounts and spend stupid amounts of money to get around it.
I think the program is fine. Paying, loyal customers have received free items previously such as the loyal soldier camos and titles. I'm sure SOE will give more out in the future. New, paying customers are worth more, over the game's lifespan, than your $7. SOE needs to make money to keep putting in resources. I wonder if people that don't go to SOE Live will QQ when attendees receive swag like camo codes, etc. I guess so. Anyway, the whole point of the game is have fun, not to acquire virtual goods, right?
If he sees his friends as a way to profit, then yes, he does. I couldn't give less a **** if SOE took things away from me for playing with friends, because the game is far more fun when you play with them.
Mostly cosmetics, the 2 and 5 recruit rewards have NS weapons, there are tank weapons in the 20 recruit and also a 6 month 50% exp boost in the 25 recruit reward, but it's only the cosmetic's that you can't buy in the store.
You make it sound like your exploiting your friends by referring them to some kind of Bernie Madoff pyramid scheme or something, your forgetting they get free stuff to for signing up thru your referral link and not just some garbage guns either, they're arguably the best LMG's in the game you can buy and well worth 700sc/100certs. I admit it sucks for us vets that got in early, but the program isn't exclusive to PS2, it encompasses the entire SOE lineup. If this expands the playerbase and helps ensure PS2 will be more successful in the longrun, then I think it's more important then some cosmetic swag that will be pretty much useless if the game meets a premature death because of lack of new players or revenue.
The refferal Program is a good thing, but it would have been a fine Treat for all the loyal Customers to implement something that gives them the same Stuff for their Loyality. Something like "every 2nd Dollar spend will count towards the refferal Program". Spending 500 Dollars = all the Stuff for 25 Recruits.
I think you've misunderstoon the concept, OP. The referral program (recruitment, right) is not for you, nor for loyal fans - they can go screw themselves. It's to bait Youtube/Twitch stars to promote the game.
Yeah, but OP made it sound like the only purpose he invites his friends to the game is getting the cosmetical items.
Thanks there Dr. Phil, I get right on that. Did you bother to read my post? No, didn't think so. Had you actually read my post you would have noticed that I commented several times that I've already referred my friends to the game. I spent 8 months talking about the game to anyone who'd listen. Why did I do this?? Not for ***** and giggles, I got them to play because I enjoy playing with them. My main point is this is something that should have been there at the launch of the game. They are saying that you could have gotten some additional free stuff when your friends joined if you had waited until we finally got around to doing this program. They are basically saying that anyone you got to sign up for prior to this (for any reason) doesn't matter.
SOE cares about it's loyal fan base... at least those devs at Planetside 2. However, they care a bit less about loyal soldiers than the ADD ridden super-noob out there with the patience of a gnat willing to get in game, get frustrated and spill cash to get a perceived advantage by choosing the latest pre-nerf super weapon. That's how it is folks...
I read your post and you said that if you knew they would add this now, you would not tell your friends about the game until now.
A lot of knit-picking going on about the OP in an attempt to make it look bad. RadioActiveLobster gets my +1, I can't agree with the Referral System. I'd have no problems if we got a Veteran System with even better benefits, dare I say even actual benefits and not just cosmetics(Though that would be OK too)? It's the idea that bothers me. I don't REALLY regret telling my buddies about PS2 since we're having fun... It just doesn't feel right that I missed on some cool stuff and even though 2 of my friends actually subscribed I have no way of getting that stuff now or later. Not even a title such as "Recruitment Officer" just for the Lolz Not acknowledging this is simply being stubborn.
Agree with OP, this entire thing is bad and SOE needs to feel bad - not only did they tease these items and then make them unattainable by anyone who isn't one of the five people on YouTube who can get views for their Planetside 2 gameplay videos, but their responses to the issue have been completely contradictory and borderline deceptive; Which was then proceeded by;
This program is silly in that it was released way too late for it be of any use for marketing for the game and frankly only serves to restrict the 80/20 principle for certain items that SOE should be selling right now to the consumers that actually want to buy them with no strings attached. I just don't get why they chose to release this program when most of the player base had already arrived to the game and not release it earlier, then I could see the recruitment rewards program being a more effective marketing tool in getting people into the game when it was new and people didn't know about the game as much. The program is nasty in that the timing to release it was way off and the exclusive items in it only serve to restrict people from actually buying those items. To me this is was a bad business decision.
