City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Ghost Falcon

Business Manager

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  1. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lazarillo View Post
    To my knowledge, all the Rares added so far have been limited time offers. The ones "normally" on the market are the uncommon sets, no?
    For now, we only plan on releasing Rare IOs on a limited time basis (the general schedule is once a month with a one week duration).

    The next sets of Rare IOs will be released in January. I've already penciled in a couple of sets, and will be releasing them onto the Beta server for testing later this month.

    Uncommon sets will always be on the market.
  2. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post

    If you're saving it for some other time, please at least announce when it will be available.
    TL DR - ...at the end of the day, it's just about having fun and playing together.

    The Winter Holiday Pack goes on sale next week.

    The schedule for the month of December is:
    12/13 - Mini SnowBeast / Rare IOs (Numina's/Eradication/Obliteration) / SSA Ep 4
    12/20 - Winter Holiday Pack
    12/27 - New Year's Pack

    I *intentionally* put the Winter Holiday Pack after the start of the Winter Holiday event because I wanted players to have fun with the Winter Event first.

    Players get to play through the content with all of their characters..., and then after getting all their badges on the characters they want, they can then choose to unlock the Winter Holiday Pack items on their remaining characters.

    It's not a lost marketing opportunity at all. It's giving new and existing players the Freedom to choose whether to purchase optional items after the event has launched.

    If I had front-loaded everything, it may have reduced the number of players looking for a team, and ultimately, we really do want players to play together.
  3. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dispari View Post
    It's also possible the sales were better than they expected, and they said in a Neo voice "Whoa," and decided to leave the sale up and make even more money.
    Actually, it was extended because we recognized that there were many players who wouldn't get their stipend points until the 28th, 29th or 30th, so we decided to extend the sale until 11:59:59 PM Pacific on 12/1 to benefit those customers.
  4. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lazarillo View Post
    Just to confirm, this means that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales will run concurrently for one day, correct?
    The Black Friday promotions will run through Monday, Nov 28 - 11:59:59 PM Pacific.

    We technically don't have a Cyber Monday Sale. Nothing new will be added on Monday. (...I got quite a few too many chuckles when I said "Cyber"...., so Black Friday became the focus. ).
  5. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Emberly View Post
    Just to confirm, these IOs are sticking around after this sale, just at the regular (higher) price, right?
    The IOs are only available for the Black Friday sale and are scheduled to be removed on Monday, 11/28 at 11:59:59 PM Pacific.
  6. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Psychoti View Post
    Accidentally purchased 2 invention licenses on my second account (by quantity, not double-clicking or anything like that), dunno if it will give me 2 months or I just wasted 80 points.
    It should give you 2 consecutive months. It doesn't / shouldn't run concurrently with itself.
  7. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DrOctagon View Post
    So when exactly does this go live? It's 9:25pm PST (which is Friday on the East Coast) but the prices aren't updated.
    The sale prices went into effect shortly after 12:01 AM PM Pacific. If you don't see the prices, you may need to close the Paragon Market window, and relaunch the shopping cart to refresh.

    To access the Black Friday Sales, click on Paragon Picks > Black Friday through the left-side Nav.
  8. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zenlon View Post
    I'd pay billions for that Rulu-Shin costume
    ...well if you're patient, you will eventually be able to buy the Rulu-Shin Transformation Power from the Paragon Market for 480 points (much like the PPD Hardsuit, Rikti Mentalist and Harlequin Transformation powers).
  9. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dr_Zemius View Post
    I see Gunslinger!

    EDIT: Nevermind they removed it.
  10. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMoneyHustla View Post
    Wait ... do you mean we'll be able to make those costumes for our characters if we own the Transformation Powers ?
    No. I mean that we won't sell Transformation powers that can be easily replicated by the Costume Creator.

    The Transformation Powers do not grant access to the Costume Pieces.
  11. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Texarkana View Post
    I'm pretty supportive of the Paragon team and the market, but am I the only one here thinking...."they ran out of new stuff to sell already?"
    Not at all.

    It boils down to getting a regular flow of items and having a balance of the types of releases.

    In the past month and a half, we've released costume sets, power sets, a travel power, micro-content releases (the Signature Stories), and more.

    The item(s) per week had different price points and targeted different types of play styles. Since we released the Halloween Event and the Halloween Costume Bundle, it made sense to release the convention powers now while all players could have fun with trick-or-treating.

    With next week's release, we're aiming to have a little bit more fun with some stuff that compliments our current in-game event.
  12. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolarSentai View Post
    I was disappointed when the other codes were pulled and missed out on a couple that I was saving for.

    The other Transformation powers (that were not convention exclusive) will come back after the Halloween Event has ended, and will have their prices reduced. The exact time is still TBD.
  13. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolarSentai View Post
    I agree with this sentiment 1000%.

    Compared to the cost of either traveling to a convention out of state or having to look to alternatives, these are a great price.

    Hell, even at $10 a pop I didn't have a problem with the pricing.

    So with that, thanks for offering these and hope to see more convention codes in the store soon

    *cough* Ring Mistress *cough*
    The prices of prior Convention codes were supposed to be higher, but after the Spectral Pirate Power offered last month:

    We heard:
    1) Costume Powers? Where are the Costume Pieces?
    In the past, we called the Convention Codes "Costume Powers". They should have been called Transformation Powers because these "powers" transform your character into an NPC. As such, all "Costume Powers" (at least at the store-level in their descriptions) refer to the powers as "Transformation Powers".

    2) 600 Points - too high.
    Noted. Transformation Powers are now 480 points.

    3) Transformation Power can be replicated by the Costume Creator:
    Noted. We'll only offer unique stuff now that can't be replicated by our so-very-robust-costume-creator. (And for the players that bought the Pirate Power, you'll be the only ones who may have that power. Ever. How's that for exclusive/limited?)

    Regarding the Ring Mistriss, that character might make an appearance around Carnival / Mardi Gras time....maybe. (In all seriousness, we didn't want to flood the market with a lot of the Transformation powers).
  14. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Sapphire7 View Post
    Question:

    When you say "These costume pieces will only be available until November 18, 2011."

    Do you mean to say:

    (A) "These costume pieces will only be available FOR PURCHASE until November 18, 2011."

    or

    (B) "These costume pieces will only be available TO WEAR until November 18, 2011."

    ?

    Thanks!
    They will be available for purchase until 11:59:59 PM Pacific on Friday, November 18, 2011.

    So at 12:00 AM, Pacific - November 19th, the Halloween Costume Bundle (and all a la carte pieces and Bat Aura that comprise the bundle) will disappear from the Paragon Market.

    Once purchased, you can wear the costume pieces any time that you want.
  15. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Coolio View Post
    Oh and Snow Globe, I hope your item count for the bundles is taking into account that for each item, if there is a male, female and huge version of it, that it counts as 3 costume items not 1 in the eyes of the devs and the cost to create these pieces.
    For purposes of costume pieces that fit on a single body type (i.e. Dresses for Female body types) or cross-body types (i.e. a Glove), we are now counting that costume piece as one costume piece.
  16. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chad Gulzow-Man View Post
    I know it was that way in beta, but when I made the spreadsheet in my sig--the day the store hit the live servers--there was no Martial Arts pack in the store, but there was (and remains) a Mutant pack. And I actually do check the bundles every time I log in looking for the Martial Arts pack, because I know it was available in beta....
    The Martial Arts Costume Pieces Bundle was removed from the Paragon Market at the VIP Headstart launch. There was a bug that charged players more than the stated price. (None of the other Costume Bundles had this error.)

    We'll provide an update when the Martial Arts Costume Pieces Bundle is re-introduced back into the Paragon Market.
  17. Ghost Falcon
    Hi,

    Ghost Falcon here, and I would like to thank everyone for providing comments on our “Talk Like a Pirate Day” - Spectral Pirate Costume Power promotion.

    We are actively monitoring this thread and the sales data of this item. Both will be used in designing and altering future promotions.

    Please note that at the end of this sale, the Spectral Pirate Costume will be removed, and will not be available for sale in the Paragon Market again in the near future.

    For additional clarification, this is an account-wide "Permanent" NPC Costume Power, and not a Temporary Power.

    I want to thank everyone again for their input.

    Thanks,

    -Ghost Falcon
  18. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Emberly View Post
    Are those costume unlock prices account wide? They should be. Otherwise, we're all looking at a massive increase in cost per costume part. Unlocking the wizard beard alone for all 36 potential slots on a server would cost more than half the current price of the Magic pack.
    Costume unlock prices are account wide.
  19. Ghost Falcon
    Hello everyone!

    Jesse “Ghost Falcon” Caceres here! As we read through all of your feedback and questions about our eventual transition to City of Heroes Freedom, we’ve definitely noticed that there are a lot of questions about what exactly are Paragon Points worth, and how much you’ll be able to buy with points in the new Paragon Market. Well, let’s talk for a few minutes about some of these questions:

    Q: We’ve been told that all VIP players will receive 400 Paragon Points per month as part of their subscription. What exactly does this mean?
    • All VIP players will receive 400 Paragon Points per month as part of their VIP subscription. Currently, 400 Paragon Points is equal to $5.00 (USD).
    Q: As a current subscriber to City of Heroes, I receive 400 Paragon Points per month starting on July 1st, 2011. What does this mean as we move towards City of Heroes Freedom?
    • From July 1st, 2011 until City of Heroes Freedom launch, *ALL* paying customers that have an active billing “day” within the month will receive 400 Paragon Points. (Please note Trial Accounts do not receive this benefit).
    For example:
    • If you renew or start a regular game (non-Trial) account on July 1st, you will receive 400 Paragon Points for the month of July.
    • If you renew or start a regular game (non-Trial) account on July 31st, you will receive 400 Paragon Points for the month of July..
    • If your Subscription ends on July 2nd, and you choose to NOT reactivate your subscription, you will receive 400 Paragon Points for the month of July when City of Heroes: Freedom launches.
    • For the months following, as long as you have an active account during that “month” (i.e. August, September, etc), your account will be credited with 400 Paragon Points for each month leading up to City of Heroes Freedom Launch.
    So I know that right now, 400 Paragon Points = $5.00 (USD) but what I don’t have an idea of is what exactly 400 Points can buy me.

    As mentioned earlier, 400 Paragon Points is equivalent to $5.00 (US Dollars), and I’ve gone on record that 400 Paragon Points will allow players to buy a lot of “stuff”. I’ve listed a smattering of pricing examples below, including the new Signature Stories, that will hopefully give you a better sense of general Paragon Point values. Please note that these prices (and others in our Beta) are currently the *target* prices, and may change prior to City of Heroes: Freedom Launch.

    Points * Dollar Equivalent * Item
    20..........$0.25......................Wizard Beard (From the Magic Pack)
    40..........$0.50......................Classic Steampunk Hat (From the Steampunk Pack)
    40..........$0.50......................Pop Dance Emote (From the Party Pack)
    60..........$0.75......................Bioluminesc ent Chest (From the Mutant Pack)
    60..........$0.75......................Wolf Head (From the Animal Pack)
    60..........$0.75......................Organic Armor Sword (From the Mutant Pack)
    80..........$1.00......................Smoke Bomb Costume Change Emote (From the Martial Arts Pack)
    80..........$1.00......................Wonderful Wind-Up Wings (From the Steampunk Pack)
    80..........$1.00......................Runes Aura (From the Origins Pack)
    100........$1.25......................Technology Origin Cape (Impervium Mantle) – (From Origins Pack)
    400........$5.00......................Complete Magic Costume Set (from the Magic Pack)
    400........$5.00......................Signature Stories
    (NOTE: VIPs GET SIGNATURE STORIES FOR FREE, AS PART OF VIP STATUS)
    800......$10.00......................Character Server Transfer Token
    (NOTE: VIPs GET ONE TRANSFER TOKEN FREE PER MONTH)
    800......$10.00......................Character Respec
    1600....$20.00......................5 Character Slot Tokens

    So let’s say I want to purchase more points than my monthly VIP allocation of 400. What different ways will I be able to purchase Paragon Points:
    • To cover both bases, I want to be sure to clarify the two ways players will be able to acquire Paragon Points:
      • The first is through VIP Subscription where VIP customers receive 400 free Paragon Points per month.
      • The second is through the in-game Store.
        • Points can be purchased in Paragon Point “bundles”.
        • The smallest bundle size will be $5.00 for 400 Paragon Points.
        • If a player buys Paragon Points in larger bundles, additional Bonus Points will be added to the bundle. At this time, the “Bonus Points” for the higher bundle purchases is still being determined.
        • There will be several payment options for players, including various credit cards and Paypal.
    We are exploring additional options for purchasing Paragon Points, and will update you once those plans have been solidified and set in stone.


    Thanks for spending the time to read through this post.

    Next week, I will be covering how multi-month subscription plans and game time cards will be working once City of Heroes Freedom launches.

    -"Ghost Falcon"
  20. Ghost Falcon
    Hi Everyone,

    One of the strengths of City of Heroes is the open dialogue that we have with our community, and with that in mind, Paragon Studios will be releasing a monthly Producer’s Letter. I’d like to introduce you to Nate “Second Measure” Birkholz, who will provide the goals for the Letter and will be delivering these updates to you. Nate has been my right-hand man on the development team during the past year, and I can’t say enough about how good of a Producer he is.

    I also want to take this time to mention that I am moving over to a new role within Paragon Studios to the Business team. I’ll still be here working on City of Heroes (2011 marks seven years for me!), and I’ll still be accessible through the forums. I’m just stepping into a new role, and joining the “suits” so-to-speak.

    Please join me in welcoming “Second Measure.”

    -Ghost Falcon
  21. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Electric-Knight View Post
    I think the point is... Reward Merits, Vanguard Merits, Hero Merits, Villain Merits.
    I'd suggest to stop thinking of reward merits as "merits" and think of them as Reward, Vanguard, Hero and Villain Merits. (Hrm, VM is repeated... RM, HM... Vam and Vim?)
    If you're looking for an acronym, internally at Paragon, we call them HAMs and VAMs (Hero Alignment Merits / Villain Alignment Merits). I didn't refer to them earlier as "Alignment Merits" because I was trying to cut down on typing.
  22. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rodoan View Post
    Thank you for the clarifications, Ghost Falcon. If I may ask for one more, regarding the point above: if a character moves through the GR Alignment System and "returns to the fold" as it were, will they ever be allowed access to those lounges and content? Or will the swap permanently condemn them to wander outside? I'm hoping, even if there is a time limit involved, that one returning to pure hero or villain status will gain access, otherwise, it seems they'd want to remain "pure" gain all the benefits desired (which could be a significant amount of time), then run the GR Alignment System for content, badges, etc.
    We're keeping it simple. Heroes that travel through the alignment system and become Villains can reaffirm their Villain alignment and gain Villain merits. If that same Villain travels on the path of redemption back to a "hero", then they will be able to re-affirm their alignment as a Hero and earn Hero merits. Being a "true" Hero or a "true" Villain will always grant access to Fort Trident (Heroes) and the Crucible (Villains).

    The only penalty is that if you have any Hero or Villain Merits, and then change your alignment to Vigilante or Rogue, your fallen Hero or road to redemption Villain will lose their earned Hero and Villain Merits. (To reiterate, these are rewards for "true" Heroes and Villains.)
  23. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mousedroid View Post
    I don't know if it's old news and that's why it wasn't mentioned, but something I had never heard before that I learned at the panel:

    An advantage of NOT switching sides will be access to Hero and Villain "lounges" - locations that Rogues and Vigilantes can't get into. What's the big deal about that? Well, apparently in these lounges, you can use merits to buy purple recipies.

    Things I'm not clear on and/or don't recall:

    1) Whether you can use existing merits, or they are introducing a new kind.
    2) Whether you can roll randomly (thus potentially increasing the number of purples on the market).
    3) Whether you can go rogue and then access the lounge on the other side, or if only hero ATs have access to hero lounges, and vice versa.

    Guess I should have asked some questions to clear those things up.
    Two questions that many players have asked are:
    • "What are the benefits of remaining a 'Hero' or a 'Villain'"?
    • "Characters in the 'Vigilante' and 'Rogue' alignments have access to both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles and can get badges and experience content on both sides,....what rewards will there be for remaining a Hero or Villain?"

    So quite simply, Heroes and Villains who "re-affirm" their respective 'Hero' and 'Villain' alignments can earn Hero and Villain merits. These merits are different than merits normally earned via Task/Strike Forces and completing story arcs.

    Heroes redeem the Hero merits in Fort Trident, and Villains redeem the Villain merits in the Crucible. Characters will be able to CHOOSE the recipe of their choice. (It is not a random roll redemption.)

    Fort Trident and the Crucible also has additional functions, but the meat of those areas are the Hero and Villain merits reward redemption.

    Only players who have upgraded their accounts with the Going Rogue expansion, and who've chosen to stay true to their Hero and Villain alignments through the Going Rogue Alignment System will gain access to those hero/villain lounges.

    We'll have more information about this as the Going Rogue launch approaches.

    I hope that clarifies it....there were so many things we had to cover during the panel.
  24. Ghost Falcon
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dragorian View Post
    Not trying to start a poop storm or anything, but I'm curious about the "possibility to change your destiny". Does that mean that running tip missions will allow me to change alignment via the new tip mission system without purchasing the upcoming expansion?
    Customers who do not choose to upgrade with the Going Rogue expansion will be able to do "Tip" missions, but will not be able to switch their alignments.

    As mentioned in the ViDoc videos, characters have to do a number of "Tip" missions before they can get a "Morality" mission. The "Morality" mission is the determining mission that changes your alignment, and is only available to players who purchase the Going Rogue expansion.
  25. Ghost Falcon
    Hey folks,

    With the release of the "Issue 18: Overview" today, I wanted to address some questions that would naturally arise within the PvP community regarding the return of the Cathedral of Pain.

    Previously the Cathedral of Pain was used to acquire Items of Power which were instrumental in Base Raiding. The initial implementation of the CoP was exploitable and ultimately removed. We have always wanted to revisit the CoP and return it to something players could participate in, and with Issue 18 we will be doing just that.

    The new implementation of the Cathedral of Pain gives the choice of a number of rewards to players, but it does not contain Items of Power.

    Base Raiding is currently on hold and not being actively worked on. We understand that this may disappoint some of you in the PvP community, but we wanted to tell it to you straight to minimize any confusion or false hope that Base Raiding would be addressed in this new iteration of the Cathedral of Pain.

    Thanks,

    Ghost Falcon