plasticbatMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 12,355Arc User
edited February 2016
VIP gives you one lockbox key per day + many other things. Lockbox gives you t-bar + many other things t-bar could be used to buy stuff in t-bar store which contained c-ward and many other things.
If all these cannot be changed, we will not have new lockbox (which may not contain certain items when VIP was created). We may not have many new stuff from T-bar store.
When I got my VIP, c-ward was 200 t-bar and next to nothing else to be bought. I am not saying there are a lot of stuff right now but it is way more than when I got my VIP.
I am not saying I am happy with it. But the c-ward "promise" is based on only one post long time ago and most people who bought VIP might never read that post. Many people based on assumption nothing would be changed and in fact, a lot of thing had been changed already before this disaster.
We may say VIP means c-ward but technically, it is only whatever VIP provides (stated in its description) which is one lockbox key (+ other VIP stuff).
*** The game can read your mind. If you want it, you won't get it. If you don't expect to get it, you will. ***
VIP gives you one lockbox key per day + many other things. Lockbox gives you t-bar + many other things t-bar could be used to buy stuff in t-bar store which contained c-ward and many other things.
If all these cannot be changed, we will not have new lockbox (which may not contain certain items when VIP was created). We may not have many new stuff from T-bar store.
When I got my VIP, c-ward was 200 t-bar and next to nothing else to be bought. I am not saying there are a lot of stuff right now but it is way more than when I got my VIP.
I am not saying I am happy with it. But the c-ward "promise" is based on only one post long time ago and most people who bought VIP might never read that post. Many people based on assumption nothing would be changed and in fact, a lot of thing had been changed already before this disaster.
We may say VIP means c-ward but technically, it is only whatever VIP provides (stated in its description) which is one lockbox key (+ other VIP stuff).
Yes, you are right here - they didn't just made it worse (censored myself here) for VIP holders, they also made it worse for people buying keys from the ZEN-Store
So the last change is not harming VIP directly but the key you get from it or buy from the ZEN Store.
Please fix Zhentarim Warlock companion's skill "Arcane Warping" to the originally intended "Arcane Boost" zhentarim-warlock-companion
The payments go through MS to Cryptic/PWE for those "services", which might also give some players ground to get their money back on the PC side, if they paid through Steam, and if Steam is willing to go through with this like MS is. And MS is pretty much stepping over Cryptic/PWE and giving the players the money back, but MS will take back this money from Cryptic/PWE in return... that should also be obvious.
Hey... they have to make that money back somehow, no? Why not pull a fast one on PC, where MS can't interfere, eh?
Anyway, VIP perks are not bad all in all. I mainly used it to move faster (walking around is a grind itself) and for wards. 1/2 cut off right there.
You're right, these perks are not bad at the moment, but if that past has taught us anything, that perks can change quickly... therefore it's hard to say what ViP is worth now or in the future.
Name me one f2p game where it's worth buying VIP / Patron / Premium / Subscription status, besides ArcheAge which is sort of pay to play game with free demo.
Seems to me that all games offer you only speeding the things up, which kinda beats the purpose of an RPG for me. This genre isn't about getting stuff in 2 months of gameplay... I don't know, it can be just me but I like to have some stuff to do and upgrade or farm at any given time. I hate being "given stuff". I wanna earn them by playing.
When I do spend money it's on mounts and cosmetic stuff like outfits and maybe some housing stuff if game has that feature.
And you should realize that Xbox users can get a refund from MS, so much for your EULA talk...
And if Miley Cyrus only shows up, but doesn't sing or stops singing in the middle of the concert without any reason, you can demand your ticket money back.
Anyway, back on topic, another point you might want to consider, what will Cryptic/PWE also change in the future? You should think about this as well, before you start or continue your ViP.
Miley did sing although she sang a different song than what was announced before. Neverwinter Online VIP buyers do get VIP benefits although content from the Trade Bar shop was changed. Either case, nothing can the consumers complain since their agreements do not cover exactly what fixture content is covered.
When xbox users get a refund from MS, it is between MS and THEIR xbox users. The EULA between Cryptic and NWO players have nothing to do with MS. It is the extremely obvious.
The payments go through MS to Cryptic/PWE for those "services", which might also give some players ground to get their money back on the PC side, if they paid through Steam, and if Steam is willing to go through with this like MS is. And MS is pretty much stepping over Cryptic/PWE and giving the players the money back, but MS will take back this money from Cryptic/PWE in return... that should also be obvious.
And we can do this dance all night long with different real life examples, but this doesn't change one simple fact: If you advertise and then deliver a certain "service" for a payment, and the contract goes over a certain period of time, you can't just alter the content of that "service" in the middle of it. You either have to pay back the customer, or you have to deliver the advertised "service" until the contract ends.
In this case, the Coals/Pres/Rubies should stay in the TB market for the same price, until the ViP runs out. After that, they can remove those, and the players can decide if they want to continue the ViP under the new terms.
And i'm also pretty sure, that depending on where you reside, there are allready court decisions about EULAs, and that those can't cut out every right of the customer with just one wall of text and a simple click.
Something else is also "extremely obvious", this whole thing is a two way street... and that games need players, and that it's not the other way around. To still make a profit from ViP, you need other players to buy the loot from lockboxes... and to keep the ViP up and running, you either have to spend your money on ZEN, or trade your time/AD for ZEN on the ZAX.
And i'm also not sure about what to make of doing this ViP change so close to the release of the next module... the worth of ViP might change with that release too.
How MS deals with xbox users has nothing to do with the EULA Neverwinter Online players signed with Cryptic. MS also did not issue any comment what about Neverwinter at all. That's 1000000% obvious.
We don't have to go over any example at all regarding change of game features any time. The game developers simply can and all of them have done it. If you have to pick a bone with Cryptic, you can even say they were not allowed to change payment model in their games like STO from subscription to free-to-play. Sure players could complain, especially the ones who paid for LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS. They were not supposed to pay a cent more to buy cash shop items but that's only under the old subscription terms which Cryptic could and had changed. They could complain but nothing they could do since Cryptic had the rights to change any term anytime. Did subscription model players get their money back? Did LIFETIME MEMBERS have to pay more? Did Cryptic break any law? ROFL!!!! ROFL!!!! ROFL!!!! We all know the answer since every online game deverloper has changed their subscription terms. Nobody got their money back. No developers was sued. Nobody can complain anymore now. It has been 5 years since many of these game developers changed their terms, particularly from subscription to free-to-play. They did it and no subscription holders including lifetime members could do anything because they signed EULAs that allowed the game studios to do it.
Any EULA will be debated in a court and shunned if deemed abusive. There have been precedents both to support this as well as otherwise (simple google search). It really only depends on how good a lawyer you get. The fact that nobody tried this against Cryptic yet doesn't mean it's not possible.
As for the MS case, it's doubtful it's over. Give it time. I'm leaning towards the belief that MS will do everything in their power to "collect" what they've lost. Hopefully, it'll set an example.
I am new. Not even level 20. Will this game be enjoyable if I plan on spending NO money?
There are currently many people I bet that are doing just that since the latest change to TB store. I'm sure as HAMSTER not spending another dime on this game until Cryptic get their collective finger out of their HAMSTER.
It will take a bit longer but you can convert AD to Zen to get what you need (epic mount, extra character slots, bank space etc). NO need to spend any hard cash on this game and I don't recommend that you do.
Our pain is self chosen.
The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.
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putzboy78Member, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 1,950Arc User
You have to spend money to at least get an Epic Zen mount and extra bank space. If not, you are in for a hard time.
mount yes, but you don't need extra bank space, make 2 characters to store your stuff for you and leveage the mailbox. That's a reasonable amount of storage.
Name me one f2p game where it's worth buying VIP / Patron / Premium / Subscription status, besides ArcheAge which is sort of pay to play game with free demo.
Any EULA will be debated in a court and shunned if deemed abusive. There have been precedents both to support this as well as otherwise (simple google search). It really only depends on how good a lawyer you get. The fact that nobody tried this against Cryptic yet doesn't mean it's not possible.
As for the MS case, it's doubtful it's over. Give it time. I'm leaning towards the belief that MS will do everything in their power to "collect" what they've lost. Hopefully, it'll set an example.
Any person can take any company to court with or without reason in a country which allows him to do so. The question is why doesn't he if he thinks he will win. The question is whether the Court will even look at it. He can sue God. He definitely can. The FACT is almost ALL the online game developers have made more changes to their EULAs in the last 5 years, particularly since Turbine changed DDO from subscription to free-to-play, resulting in the wholesale changes and the almost total "loss" of ownership of virtual items the players thought they have purchased with the money they paid for subscription but in reality still owned by Turbine. So man had sued God. Not only once but twice but humanoids have never sued any game developers on terms regarding VIRTUAL items with no real world values attached to it. No! Not even a monkey.
Talk is cheap, even cheapest than the tangible value of a virtual item. Yes, that's right! The ENTIRE online gaming industry has taken away almost ALL the virtual items from their subscription members, but Cryptic only offer less item players can "buy" with Trade Bar after the recent change. Even a monkey can tell if a game developer is allowed to take away your LIFETIME "ownership" of ALL "virtual item" in the game, it is absolutely allowed to change a what they offer in a virtual shop within the game.
Again, how MS handles xbox users is THEIR business with the XBOX users under THEIR AGREEMENTS with THEIR users. They have no position in how CRYPTIC handles their players in their games under the EULA BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR PLAYERS. MS is not a NWO player under the NWO EULA. MS has said nothing. AFAIK, you do not represent MS, at least, you have not properly identified yourself as a representative of MS. Even if you are one. If you want to talk about the XBOX EULA, sorry, wrong forums. It belongs in the MS XBOX forums.
Because of a little something called cost-effectiveness. Maybe you've heard of that.
ROFL!!! ROFL!!!! ROFL!!! ROFL!!! ROFL!!! Translation: that's all talk... did I mention talk is even cheapest than the tangible value of a virtual item, which is ZERO? Stop talking and starting taking action if you want. Go ahead, make my day!!!
I am new. Not even level 20. Will this game be enjoyable if I plan on spending NO money?
You have to spend money to at least get an Epic Zen mount and extra bank space. If not, you are in for a hard time.
just save AD convert to zen. get a zen mount so you have it for all characters on same amount. have some alt characters with own guild and get guild bank space there with AD.
I am taking action. In a cost-effective way. I'm doing everything I can to "enlighten" people about what's happening here, in as many places as I possibly can. Spare them some possible to-come grief. Have you noticed the false advertisement on Steam, regarding what MOD9 brings? Hehe...
Since I haven't spent anything, I have no reason to file a legal complaint. Those who have (spent) however, do have a reason. Although, if I were them, I'd wait to see what happens with MS, first. (if anything happens; there's always that possibility as well)
There are people hell-bent on principles in this world. Who's to say Cryptic hasn't come across one with this move? Or that they won't in the future? Fun times.
I am taking action. In a cost-effective way. I'm doing everything I can to "enlighten" people about what's happening here, in as many places as I possibly can. Spare them some possible to-come grief. Have you noticed the false advertisement on Steam, regarding what MOD9 brings? Hehe...
Since I haven't spent anything, I have no reason to file a legal complaint. Those who have (spent) however, do have a reason. Although, if I were them, I'd wait to see what happens with MS, first. (if anything happens; there's always that possibility as well)
There are people hell-bent on principles in this world. Who's to say Cryptic hasn't come across one with this move? Or that they won't in the future? Fun times.
If you don't realize players have been "enlightened" the last 5 years, you are the one who needs some enlightenment. Educated consumers know what they pay for. It is their responsibilities with their wallets after all. If you don't know what "all-you-can-eat-buffets" with "the menu is subject to change without notice" means, only God can help you. Not every consumer is so stupid. Some little kids may stomp their feet when their parents are broke, but they get what they paid for. Some smarter customers may not like what the sale pitches a shop pulls on them, but they keep their mouths shut when they are doing the same things in their own shops.
If you don't realize players have been "enlightened" the last 5 years, you are the one who needs some enlightenment. Educated consumers know what they pay for. It is their responsibilities with their wallets after all. If you don't know what "all-you-can-eat-buffets" with "the menu is subject to change without notice" means, only God can help you. Not every consumer is so stupid. Some little kids may stomp their feet when their parents are broke, but they get what they paid for. Some smarter customers may not like what the sale pitches a shop pulls on them, but they keep their mouths shut when they are doing the same things in their own shops.
Then there's no harm in me continuing to give them exact details about what's going on here, so that information goes out to the educated customer and otherwise alike.
Pardon me while I go educate myself. You stay here and keep posting how much you know about all gaming companies and switching the course mid-meal on your customer.
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santralafaxMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 2,896Arc User
I am taking action. In a cost-effective way. I'm doing everything I can to "enlighten" people about what's happening here, in as many places as I possibly can. Spare them some possible to-come grief. Have you noticed the false advertisement on Steam, regarding what MOD9 brings? Hehe...
Since I haven't spent anything, I have no reason to file a legal complaint. Those who have (spent) however, do have a reason. Although, if I were them, I'd wait to see what happens with MS, first. (if anything happens; there's always that possibility as well)
There are people hell-bent on principles in this world. Who's to say Cryptic hasn't come across one with this move? Or that they won't in the future? Fun times.
If you don't realize players have been "enlightened" the last 5 years, you are the one who needs some enlightenment. Educated consumers know what they pay for. It is their responsibilities with their wallets after all. If you don't know what "all-you-can-eat-buffets" with "the menu is subject to change without notice" means, only God can help you. Not every consumer is so stupid. Some little kids may stomp their feet when their parents are broke, but they get what they paid for. Some smarter customers may not like what the sale pitches a shop pulls on them, but they keep their mouths shut when they are doing the same things in their own shops.
Customers complain, and educate the shopkeeper as well. Sometimes they walk.
Um....you guys do realize that laying out the way you still earn a months VIP without spending $$ for it (ZEN) is making this post a nice resource of what to "Fix" next or the next "balancing" of the in-game economy.
Right ?
This was the sole reason this whole change took place. Coals and Pres Packs gave people a very easy way to gather AD (make a few enchants every month-sell-buy more VIP) and renew.
Including me. I've farmed my way all the way to VIP 7 without spending a DIME.
This is a trend easilly measurable on Cryptic's PWE's side and what happened was only a matter of time and purchase monitoring.
For me VIP ain't worth it's price anymore or at least its value has been greatly diminished to the point where it will soon be better to keep my farmed AD and just buy what I want from the AH right off the bat and not flush it down another month of VIP
The OP's poing on ZAX prices going high is a very good point.
Price goes up and VIP has Effectively been turned into another AD sink. Spend 400-500K on sth that MIGHT bring you a great reward out of a lockbox or maybe borderline make enough ad for next month's VIP.
And what ? PWE/Cryptic brass thinks that we're gonna jump over to our wallets to go for more VIP ?
I won't be suprised if they roll back to the 24K ad refinement limit soon and just blatantly admit "we think you guys are making too much in-game currency too easy"
The only thing I'll probably miss will be the Injury immunity but I think I'll be able to live without it sans VIP.
I do understand the need to make money and support a "Free" to play game but these neurotic rollbacks to services and their value is something I've never seen before.
I'd spend real hard cash in NW if there was real content and no mind numbing repetition, I just Did a few days ago. Spent €100 on another game's preorder without even thinking about it.
Why ? Because CONTENT, Because BALANCE because I saw/heard a content manager Live talking about how they shaped the game/gameplay according to the feedback they got on the forums....went there read forums and did confirm myself in-game that they indeed balanced/implemented changes to make a game along the lines of what people suggested so that it's more enjoyable and fun to play.
In NW's case what happened is the exact opposite and it drives me insane.
Content was removed and is being reintroduced in dumbed down trivial short versions even against the player base's suggestion. Just like what happened in MOD 6....people URGED the content managers devs or whoever was monitoring feedback at that time to not go forward with the changes. We all saw what happened.
This is just insane....
I came back here after a long mod 6-7 hiatus thinking "hey! they're on a good pace with the game. It's looking like it's going to a nice direction" then came this change. then came the NEW-OLD dungeons....that are nothing like the OLD and I wouldn't dare compare them to what they used to be.
Too bad. It makes me sad and I'll miss a lot of good people/friends I made since I got back on
Signposts save time, vip still pays for itself, but I miss preswards the most. Coals are things used rarely, and 100% guarrenteed to work. Preswards though, buy in bulk, and zerg that 5% chance.
Trying for a mythic wheel atm. 120k already down the drain. "Free" tbar wards used to make it a lot less painful.
I am new. Not even level 20. Will this game be enjoyable if I plan on spending NO money?
Play the game without paying anything up to level 70.
If you have fun all the way, you might consider to get ZEN through the ARC web page, so that you get Bonus ZEN and the First Time Buyer Pack. Two things you won't get, if you buy ZEN through for example Steam... Then get any cheap epic account-wide mount from the ZEN shop with your ZEN, and if something is left, save it up until you have gotten more ZEN through the ZAX (AD to ZEN exchange) to buy ViP with a discount coupon or when there is another 50% sale.
Before all these latest changes i would have encouraged new players to buy the mount directly, now i encourage them to play the game for free until they reach level 70 and have experienced the game more or less fully without spending anything.
ViP might still be worth something, if you can get it with AD. But ViP to be worth real money again, Cryptic/PWE would have to improve it again...
I'd spend real hard cash in NW if there was real content and no mind numbing repetition, I just Did a few days ago. Spent €100 on another game's preorder without even thinking about it.
Why ? Because CONTENT, Because BALANCE because I saw/heard a content manager Live talking about how they shaped the game/gameplay according to the feedback they got on the forums....went there read forums and did confirm myself in-game that they indeed balanced/implemented changes to make a game along the lines of what people suggested so that it's more enjoyable and fun to play.
In NW's case what happened is the exact opposite and it drives me insane.
Content was removed and is being reintroduced in dumbed down trivial short versions even against the player base's suggestion. Just like what happened in MOD 6....people URGED the content managers devs or whoever was monitoring feedback at that time to not go forward with the changes. We all saw what happened.
This is just insane....
I came back here after a long mod 6-7 hiatus thinking "hey! they're on a good pace with the game. It's looking like it's going to a nice direction" then came this change. then came the NEW-OLD dungeons....that are nothing like the OLD and I wouldn't dare compare them to what they used to be.
Too bad. It makes me sad and I'll miss a lot of good people/friends I made since I got back on
ditto on the preorder. and combat is amazingly fun there as well. no dnd world though...
I have in the past recommended that people get VIP - it does offer definite quality-of-live benefits (like the signpost) and the daily key allows the VIP to more than pay for itself. If you sold all the lockbox drops (possibly "upgrading" the Genie's Gift first), you would get back what the VIP cost you in the first place and you should be left with around 200-250K AD in profit per month.
Add to this the fact that you could spend your trade bars to cover your preservation/coalescent ward needs, and the VIP was a pretty sweet deal - one of the best ideas they have had in a while.
This just changed.
So, is the VIP still profitable?
At this point, I have to ask - "who cares"? The TBar nerf is just the latest in such a long series of fan-unfriendly moves by the developers that I've finally learned (I'm really slow at that, it appears) it DOES NOT MATTER. Whatever you buy today with whatever AD you earn from VIP WILL get nerfed.
Do you realize this game is not officially 3 years old yet? And we've seen how many paradigm shifts? I can count at least 5 - mod 9 will represent the 6th (because of the mounts, and this Tbar nerf ahead of it). Each time, the previous gear/mounts/companions became significantly less valuable in end game content. For example - just a month ago purple Axebeaks were selling for nearly 4M AD on the AH (I know, I sold one!) Next month's big reveal of the new mount system will make that 4M AD seem like wasted effort to whoever I sold that mount to...again.
By the fall, there will be a mod 10, and much of what was of value in mod 8 will start getting nerfed. And don't even THINK about anything from mod 7 or before.
Comments
Lockbox gives you t-bar + many other things
t-bar could be used to buy stuff in t-bar store which contained c-ward and many other things.
If all these cannot be changed, we will not have new lockbox (which may not contain certain items when VIP was created).
We may not have many new stuff from T-bar store.
When I got my VIP, c-ward was 200 t-bar and next to nothing else to be bought.
I am not saying there are a lot of stuff right now but it is way more than when I got my VIP.
I am not saying I am happy with it.
But the c-ward "promise" is based on only one post long time ago and most people who bought VIP might never read that post.
Many people based on assumption nothing would be changed and in fact, a lot of thing had been changed already before this disaster.
We may say VIP means c-ward but technically, it is only whatever VIP provides (stated in its description) which is one lockbox key (+ other VIP stuff).
Yes, you are right here - they didn't just made it worse (censored myself here) for VIP holders, they also made it worse for people buying keys from the ZEN-Store
So the last change is not harming VIP directly but the key you get from it or buy from the ZEN Store.
zhentarim-warlock-companion
Pure -> Transcendent Plague Fire weapon enchantment giving 80damge/20 seconds for 500k+ AD is a joke.
plague-fire-weapon-enchant-r11-vs-r12
Anyway, VIP perks are not bad all in all. I mainly used it to move faster (walking around is a grind itself) and for wards. 1/2 cut off right there.
Let me think....
**** No.
Seems to me that all games offer you only speeding the things up, which kinda beats the purpose of an RPG for me.
This genre isn't about getting stuff in 2 months of gameplay... I don't know, it can be just me but I like to have some stuff to do and upgrade or farm at any given time.
I hate being "given stuff". I wanna earn them by playing.
When I do spend money it's on mounts and cosmetic stuff like outfits and maybe some housing stuff if game has that feature.
We don't have to go over any example at all regarding change of game features any time. The game developers simply can and all of them have done it. If you have to pick a bone with Cryptic, you can even say they were not allowed to change payment model in their games like STO from subscription to free-to-play. Sure players could complain, especially the ones who paid for LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS. They were not supposed to pay a cent more to buy cash shop items but that's only under the old subscription terms which Cryptic could and had changed. They could complain but nothing they could do since Cryptic had the rights to change any term anytime. Did subscription model players get their money back? Did LIFETIME MEMBERS have to pay more? Did Cryptic break any law? ROFL!!!! ROFL!!!! ROFL!!!! We all know the answer since every online game deverloper has changed their subscription terms. Nobody got their money back. No developers was sued. Nobody can complain anymore now. It has been 5 years since many of these game developers changed their terms, particularly from subscription to free-to-play. They did it and no subscription holders including lifetime members could do anything because they signed EULAs that allowed the game studios to do it.
You've already been told off regarding your comments on EULAs. Pages 20-22 on:
http://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/neverwinter#/discussion/1212367/update-on-the-trade-bar-store
Any EULA will be debated in a court and shunned if deemed abusive. There have been precedents both to support this as well as otherwise (simple google search). It really only depends on how good a lawyer you get. The fact that nobody tried this against Cryptic yet doesn't mean it's not possible.
As for the MS case, it's doubtful it's over. Give it time. I'm leaning towards the belief that MS will do everything in their power to "collect" what they've lost. Hopefully, it'll set an example.
In my gameplay, Wards were actuallly a tertiary benefit.
The extra AD, the no injuries, the Invokve-anywhere, etc... are all benefits I use all the time while playing.. on every character.
The Wards I need, I can get from Invoke or using the ZAX to get the zen.
And to be honest, only percentages at 10% or less do I ever use a coal ward.
Rest of the time, preservation wards are more than sufficient.
It will take a bit longer but you can convert AD to Zen to get what you need (epic mount, extra character slots, bank space etc). NO need to spend any hard cash on this game and I don't recommend that you do.
The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.
Talk is cheap, even cheapest than the tangible value of a virtual item. Yes, that's right! The ENTIRE online gaming industry has taken away almost ALL the virtual items from their subscription members, but Cryptic only offer less item players can "buy" with Trade Bar after the recent change. Even a monkey can tell if a game developer is allowed to take away your LIFETIME "ownership" of ALL "virtual item" in the game, it is absolutely allowed to change a what they offer in a virtual shop within the game.
Again, how MS handles xbox users is THEIR business with the XBOX users under THEIR AGREEMENTS with THEIR users. They have no position in how CRYPTIC handles their players in their games under the EULA BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR PLAYERS. MS is not a NWO player under the NWO EULA. MS has said nothing. AFAIK, you do not represent MS, at least, you have not properly identified yourself as a representative of MS. Even if you are one. If you want to talk about the XBOX EULA, sorry, wrong forums. It belongs in the MS XBOX forums.
Since I haven't spent anything, I have no reason to file a legal complaint. Those who have (spent) however, do have a reason. Although, if I were them, I'd wait to see what happens with MS, first. (if anything happens; there's always that possibility as well)
There are people hell-bent on principles in this world. Who's to say Cryptic hasn't come across one with this move? Or that they won't in the future? Fun times.
Pardon me while I go educate myself. You stay here and keep posting how much you know about all gaming companies and switching the course mid-meal on your customer.
Right ?
This was the sole reason this whole change took place. Coals and Pres Packs gave people a very easy way to gather AD
(make a few enchants every month-sell-buy more VIP) and renew.
Including me. I've farmed my way all the way to VIP 7 without spending a DIME.
This is a trend easilly measurable on Cryptic's PWE's side and what happened was only a matter of time and purchase monitoring.
For me VIP ain't worth it's price anymore or at least its value has been greatly diminished to the point where it will soon be better to keep my farmed AD and just buy what I want from the AH right off the bat and not flush it down another month of VIP
The OP's poing on ZAX prices going high is a very good point.
Price goes up and VIP has Effectively been turned into another AD sink. Spend 400-500K on sth that MIGHT bring you a great reward out of a lockbox or maybe borderline make enough ad for next month's VIP.
And what ? PWE/Cryptic brass thinks that we're gonna jump over to our wallets to go for more VIP ?
I won't be suprised if they roll back to the 24K ad refinement limit soon and just blatantly admit "we think you guys are making too much in-game currency too easy"
The only thing I'll probably miss will be the Injury immunity but I think I'll be able to live without it sans VIP.
I do understand the need to make money and support a "Free" to play game but these neurotic rollbacks to services and their value is something I've never seen before.
I'd spend real hard cash in NW if there was real content and no mind numbing repetition, I just Did a few days ago. Spent €100 on another game's preorder without even thinking about it.
Why ? Because CONTENT, Because BALANCE because I saw/heard a content manager Live talking about how they shaped the game/gameplay according to the feedback they got on the forums....went there read forums and did confirm myself in-game that they indeed balanced/implemented changes to make a game along the lines of what people suggested so that it's more enjoyable and fun to play.
In NW's case what happened is the exact opposite and it drives me insane.
Content was removed and is being reintroduced in dumbed down trivial short versions even against the player base's suggestion. Just like what happened in MOD 6....people URGED the content managers devs or whoever was monitoring feedback at that time to not go forward with the changes. We all saw what happened.
This is just insane....
I came back here after a long mod 6-7 hiatus thinking "hey! they're on a good pace with the game. It's looking like it's going to a nice direction" then came this change. then came the NEW-OLD dungeons....that are nothing like the OLD and I wouldn't dare compare them to what they used to be.
Too bad. It makes me sad and I'll miss a lot of good people/friends I made since I got back on
Trying for a mythic wheel atm. 120k already down the drain. "Free" tbar wards used to make it a lot less painful.
If you have fun all the way, you might consider to get ZEN through the ARC web page, so that you get Bonus ZEN and the First Time Buyer Pack.
Two things you won't get, if you buy ZEN through for example Steam...
Then get any cheap epic account-wide mount from the ZEN shop with your ZEN, and if something is left, save it up until you have gotten more ZEN through the ZAX (AD to ZEN exchange) to buy ViP with a discount coupon or when there is another 50% sale.
Before all these latest changes i would have encouraged new players to buy the mount directly, now i encourage them to play the game for free until they reach level 70 and have experienced the game more or less fully without spending anything.
ViP might still be worth something, if you can get it with AD.
But ViP to be worth real money again, Cryptic/PWE would have to improve it again...
Do you realize this game is not officially 3 years old yet? And we've seen how many paradigm shifts? I can count at least 5 - mod 9 will represent the 6th (because of the mounts, and this Tbar nerf ahead of it). Each time, the previous gear/mounts/companions became significantly less valuable in end game content. For example - just a month ago purple Axebeaks were selling for nearly 4M AD on the AH (I know, I sold one!) Next month's big reveal of the new mount system will make that 4M AD seem like wasted effort to whoever I sold that mount to...again.
By the fall, there will be a mod 10, and much of what was of value in mod 8 will start getting nerfed. And don't even THINK about anything from mod 7 or before.
And so it goes.