Announcing Our European Community Coordinator
By
2wierd,
Posted on: 2004-11-12 11:04 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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I agree, there are good reasons to have Euro servers. Depending on what you mean by "separate" I may or may not agree with the second part of that statement. If "separate" means "not sharing space on the same hardware" then I agree. If it means "not located in the same country" I agree. If it means that "one version of the game will not let you play on both sets of servers" then I completely and 100% disagree.
If there really is a good reason for segregating your player base, then just tell us what the reason is. If it really is a good reason then many of us will accept it and will stop banging on about this topic. If it isn't a good reason then (obviously) we quite possibly won't.
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I'd go as far to say two 'versions' are even ok, in the sense that you need to run two 'versions' installed to run on test and on live servers.
But having seperately purchased accounts, and no access to the primary forums, and no access to the test server for EU players, and presumably no access to cross-continent global chat, and no access to servers not running with localisation delays (admittedly only a big deal in every country other than France and Germany), and no access to servers running in the other continent; all of which are available under current arrangements, and under the european server arrangements for many of your competitors, is, in fact, a problem.
All that aside Bridger, thanks for the responses, must be something of a pain to have bearing bad news to be your first main communication with the community. But the openness is appreciated.
You know, I think Ramas may well have hit the nail squarely there. Subscription is presently what? $15 US at the moment. What do we recon UK sybscription rates are likely to be. My guess would be at the £15 UK mark, just like everything else over here in good old Blighty, take the US price and just put a £ in front of it. The exchange rate be hanged.
This would be the only reason I can think of for this move.
I've been thinking about this very deeply since this thread started and I've had to come to the conclusion that sadly, I will end up buying the game again. Much as I feel exploited, I love this game too much to miss out on the UK server goodness.
I do hope, however, that the possibilty of transfering characters from US to European servers becomes a reality. (Preferably for free, or very little)
This might at least take a bit of the sting out of the whole business for a lot of people.
Mr Bridger, are you able to give us an indication as to the cost of UK subscription?
That's what I'm waiting to hear as well, and my guess is very similar to yours (i.e. almost double what we pay at the moment)
Still it won't have any effect on my choice of whether to move to the Euro servers or not as the implication here: [ QUOTE ]
* Anyone purchasing or activating a Lineage II account or a new City of Heroes account after these titles launch in Europe, that lives in the United Kingdom will be asked to pay in Pounds instead of Dollars. For the time being, existing accounts will continue to pay in Dollars.
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is that we'll be billed in sterling in the near future anyway (and I can't see them billing two different rates for the same product).
8 posts and stil have 5 stars! You're off to a good start Bridger! 
Hehe, welcome. 
Champion Heroes: The Wu Jen Adept(50)/Major Madcap(50)/Panther Ice(43)/Nightshadow Dragon(42)
Champion Villains: Freezing Night(49)/Tactical Widow(44)/Umbral Servant(38)/Mister Mechanical(33)
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we'll be billed in sterling in the near future anyway (and I can't see them billing two different rates for the same product).
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You can't?
Maybe I'm a cynical, twisted old bugger then, but I have no problem forseeing double standards.
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but I have no problem forseeing double standards.
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Oooh no! I have no problem forseeing double standards! I fully expect US players to be billed at US rates ($15) and Euro players on US servers being billed at Euro rates (hypothetical £15).
What I have trouble envisaging is UK players on UK servers being billed (hypothetical) £15 and UK players on US servers being billed $15 (about £8/£9). I mean we're using the same product as the US customers, so why shouldn't we be paying the same rate as US customers?
Also, if we're playing on US servers at UK times, but paying the UK organisation to nominally get support from local people at local time zones, does this mean that UK support will have access to US servers?
Given my expectations that UK players will be moved to the UK billing plan, I find it difficult to understand why we can't be moved to UK (Euro) servers without having to buy the Euro version of the box.
Sorry to be cynical Mr Bridger (but the information that's come out so far has brought out the Marvin that hides at the back of my head - and sometimes I like to be Old Nick's barrister), but could you let us know if my assumptions are along the right lines?
Eh, said it before. Somewhere. I'm German, playing on the US servers, like a lot of other guys from around here. Some 80% of German kids pick up English as their first foreign language and learn it from 5th to 10th grade. Even those other 20% who either start out with French or Latin or Ancient Greek or whatnot as their first foreign language usually pick up English as a second or third foreign language. Gamers from across the world mostly communicate in English.
Well, and some talk in numbers, but the Malleus Malleficum covers how you deal with those who speak in tongues. Anyhow...
Most German superhero comic fans eventually end up buying parts of their comics as US imports, because quite frankly, the German editions are years behind and/or there plainly are none. Good stuff like Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns does of course get translated much more quickly, but I digress.
Can't speak for the French (but frankly, I believe them to be a tougher market than most anywhere else in Europe due to their own huge comics tradition), but the two core target audiences of COH, online gamers and superhero fans, already will have an adequate grasp of English and not require localisation to begin with.
All COH would require would be some actual advertisement in Germany, I'd say, and then they'd flock to the US servers. But hey, what do I know? I only live here.
Only positive thing I can figure out about the idea of Euro servers is that I don't have to deal with little fascist idiots that play supposedly heroic characters based off of criminal contemporary governments. Oh hell, you know who I mean. Ashcroft-Man, KKK Guy, Patriot Act, Hitler Youth Lad, stuff like that.
No, I'm not grumpy, just globally annoyed with the announced shape of things to come. Yes, I can see how it might work better for support. But then again, I was under the ikkusion that support was handled by server already. It did seem kind of... logical to me.
Bleh.
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
RoentgenStorm asked:
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Mr Bridger, are you able to give us an indication as to the cost of UK subscription?
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The exact details are still being worked out - I'll let you know as soon as everything has been finalised.
I can say, though, that it won't be £15 a month
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I can say, though, that it won't be £15 a month
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thanks
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RoentgenStorm asked:
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Mr Bridger, are you able to give us an indication as to the cost of UK subscription?
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The exact details are still being worked out - I'll let you know as soon as everything has been finalised.
I can say, though, that it won't be £15 a month
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Lol, with the Dollar dropping like a rock you guys should pin your price now and reap the benefits later. 
I've got a tenner that says the price will be set at £9.95.
And you see, this way, I'll be up 5p for a month. It will still annoy me though, because the exchange rate right now means that this month's play cost me a mere £8.31. I'm also thankful that my American wife doesn't keep any savings in her US accounts...
/wildspeculation
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I can say, though, that it won't be £15 a month
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14.99 it is then!
Bridger, I know you guys are still finalising things and don't have many answers for us yet but is it set in stone that the servers will be seperate?
Is there any chance that they will be all linked together, with access to all servers by all players, no matter where from? Or will the business people not listen to the majority of the people who have posted here and go ahead as planned?
Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy!!!
If anyone is interested, I've compiled a FAQ based on what Bridger has told us here.
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Is there any chance that they will be all linked together, with access to all servers by all players, no matter where from? Or will the business people not listen to the majority of the people who have posted here and go ahead as planned?
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What, do you mean the five people who've posted again and again how much they don't like the plans?
Yeah, you've got the makings of a popular revolution there, buddy. I think I'll start stockpiling food in the basement.
Let's face it: there are certain things NCsoft will tell you... and there are certain things they won't. Ever. No matter how much you ask. So here's my advice: wise up and stop bloody asking.
Here's an alternative plan for you: sit back and just wait. Enjoy the game. And calm the **** down. Things will happen, and we'll all wait and see what happens when they do.
BTW, those of you talking about subscription prices... Lineage II got launched in Europe recently. Have you thought of checking out the prices for that?
Or would you prefer to just keep asking over and over and over and over and over, so someone who's taken time out of their day to respond to your questions can do that again - when perhaps, just perhaps, they should be busy doing other things, like, say, launching a website?
Reading this thread is just getting tedious and annoying for me. You're asking the same things and never getting answers. Why not ask something, y'know, interesting for once?
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Is there any chance that they will be all linked together, with access to all servers by all players, no matter where from? Or will the business people not listen to the majority of the people who have posted here and go ahead as planned?
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What, do you mean the five people who've posted again and again how much they don't like the plans?
Yeah, you've got the makings of a popular revolution there, buddy. I think I'll start stockpiling food in the basement.
Let's face it: there are certain things NCsoft will tell you... and there are certain things they won't. Ever. No matter how much you ask. So here's my advice: wise up and stop bloody asking.
Here's an alternative plan for you: sit back and just wait. Enjoy the game. And calm the **** down. Things will happen, and we'll all wait and see what happens when they do.
BTW, those of you talking about subscription prices... Lineage II got launched in Europe recently. Have you thought of checking out the prices for that?
Or would you prefer to just keep asking over and over and over and over and over, so someone who's taken time out of their day to respond to your questions can do that again - when perhaps, just perhaps, they should be busy doing other things, like, say, launching a website?
Reading this thread is just getting tedious and annoying for me. You're asking the same things and never getting answers. Why not ask something, y'know, interesting for once?
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I asked Bridger, not you. And the question if you read it was, if it was a FINAL decision.
Writerguy try being a READERguy for a bit.
It might not bother you but it bothers the FIVE of us (lol) that have posted. It also annoys US players I have spoken too.
If it don't bother you, then frankly, that's fine with me but as long as it bothers me I will keep asking, either untill I get an answer or untill the game comes out.
Also if the final decision is one I am unhappy about then I will leave plus so will my already online mates plus my friends who were going to buy the UK version, won't buy it. They will buy another game instead.
I am a customer, I have the RIGHT to get customer service for the amount of money I have paid and continue to pay in subscriptions. If you are OK about putting up with not getting answers to questions you ask of people you PAY, then again that's fine by me.
Just because, in most respects, CoH have spent time listening to us should I not ask for something I want?
The way I see it is, if they have listened in the past, then they may listen about this, if I (and others) don't let them know what I (us) think then they may go ahead and do something I (we) don't like. At least if people say how they feel, then CoH won't be ignorant of what us 5 players want.
A lot of people don't even come near the website, maybe they should ask the people in game more of what they think? Especially on the big decisions. I never recieve emails from CoH, unless it's about ingame petitions.
Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy!!!
i just have to say : please make us a character copy tool(from US to Euro servers) at the launch (or even before) of European version.Thank you.
Please, please allow us to copy our chars over from US to Euro servers.
I have so much time invested in my characters on the Infinity server that I don't want to lose them. But I do want to play on a server that is busy at peak European times.
Is cost the main issue? I personally would not mind paying a 1-off fee to move my chars.
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Let's face it: there are certain things NCsoft will tell you... and there are certain things they won't. Ever. No matter how much you ask. So here's my advice: wise up and stop bloody asking.
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Then they should say "we won't/can't tell you" and stop fudging the issue. As for your advice, I'll give it the weight it deserves. Should everyone else "just wise up and stop bloody asking" about everything else? Should people not mention overpowered 'flavour of the month' builds and just assume that everything will be alright in the end? Should people pretend that no problems exist in the game? If we did that then (a) nothing would ever change, and (b) there would be no point in having these discussion forums.
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Here's an alternative plan for you: sit back and just wait. Enjoy the game. And calm the **** down. Things will happen, and we'll all wait and see what happens when they do.
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I'm calm, I'm enjoying the game, but I'm not sitting back and ignoring this issue. Why keep quiet and not ask any questions until after it is too late to do anything about them? Cryptic/NCSoft are free to completely ignore our concerns as they want (and as I expect they will). Segregation of players into two (or more) different markets is a big deal to some people and we should be able to ask questions about whatever concerns us about the game.
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BTW, those of you talking about subscription prices... Lineage II got launched in Europe recently. Have you thought of checking out the prices for that?
Or would you prefer to just keep asking over and over and over and over and over, so someone who's taken time out of their day to respond to your questions can do that again - when perhaps, just perhaps, they should be busy doing other things, like, say, launching a website?
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If we are asking the same question again and again, then it is probably because we want to know the answer (and thanks to Bridger we have an answer to the specific question of prices - they are not finalised yet). Personally, I would question why they are using resources building a new website when they have a perfectly good one right here. What is so different about the EU version of the game that makes a new website necessary? I could understand having French/German/other language translations of the site, but for the UK it seems a bit superfluous and reminds me once again of DAoC (where in my opinion the US/EU segregation went so horribly wrong).
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Reading this thread is just getting tedious and annoying for me. You're asking the same things and never getting answers. Why not ask something, y'know, interesting for once?
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Then don't read it, go and ask (or respond to) something interesting instead. No-one is forcing you to read something that doesn't interest you, but for some of us these are important issues.
Well, my brother's now decided he wants to play CoH and so he asked me about it last night - should he get the UK or the US edition. I said that currently there's no way I'm going to be able to play with my characters on the UK version and so he's now getting a copy of the DVD box imported. We both might change over to the UK version if you guys want to provide char copying.
@JohnP - Victory
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...if it is unavoidable to split the two, then at least give the "overseas-ers" an option to keep their account on US server, but register as Eurpoean players, and thus be able to pay in their currency, get the comic, etc.
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Ooh, now this IS a good point. If I decide to stay on the US servers, I will be peeved if I still don't get my comic. Hopefully eligibility for the comic and competitions will be based on billing address and nothing else. It would not surprise me if European-game accounts were still held on the same NCSoft server as the US players (in a previous post I asserted that EU data protection laws, specifically the UK ones, do allow this) so hopefully regardless of which servers we use, we will still be eligible for the goodies.
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Please can this be addressed. I would really like to know as I am based in England but currently planning on staying on the US/Can servers and I would love to be able to join in with the competitions and receive the comic etc. I know I would get these benefits if I buy the euro-version of the game. But since I have settled into the Victory community on these servers it looks like I am here to stay.
Please please please let us all know!
Thanks,
~Red
oop! where are my manners!??
Hi Bridger, Welcome to the boards! It's nice to see a new face around here 
All the best,
~Red
ps. Goodluck with all the questions...
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when perhaps, just perhaps, they should be busy doing other things, like, say, launching a website?
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Personally, I would question why they are using resources building a new website when they have a perfectly good one right here. What is so different about the EU version of the game that makes a new website necessary? I could understand having French/German/other language translations of the site, but for the UK it seems a bit superfluous
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They are most definately producing a website Let's just say I have certain knowledge about this (i.e. that .co.uk domain is currently mine but about to be handed over to NCSoft Europe.)
Folks
I want to apologise for riling people up in this thread. Re-reading my own comments I can see I flew off the handle a bit. Blame it on a bad day and a sore head.
While I understand a few - heck, maybe even most have issues with what's being discussed about the Euro launch, I have to say for me, they're not a big deal.
I've been playing CoH for months, and I expect to continue playing it in just the same way I am now for the forseeable future. To me all the talk about character transfer and stuff just doesn't really matter. As Bridger has said a few times, if you want to keep playing the game you are now... just keep playing.
But, like I said, this obviously matters a lot to some of you, so I'm gonna take it like a man, stand up and admit I'm in the minority.
Vive la revolution... of one. And keep enjoying the game.
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) Euro subscription cost ... hmm, I've become the devil's advocate it seems 
I think the key phrases here are 'business', 'real world' and 'multinational company'. Pretty much all multinational companies are organised into regional divisions, which are run as seperate profit centres.
And let's not forget that it's not just NCsoft that's doing it this way - from what I read, WoW is going to work the same way...
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There are obvious reasons for a seperate billing/support infrastructure as above. Maybe I've been spolied by other online games because I expect to be able to play with gamers from anywhere in the world when I play an online game.
If US and Europeans are being charged different amounts then I can see people saying "hey, me and my US bud both play on Infinity - why do the US folks pay less?", so maybe this is all a way of justifying a higher/lower (although we know which of those is most likely
It's a minor annoyance really, I'll just continue to play on the US servers as I can't justify buying another 2 copies of the game so me and my girlfriend can play only with our European based friends instead of only with our US based friends.
One day, maybe the Iron Curtain will be lifted lifted and we can all play together, regardless of where we are in the world, because that's what online gaming is about - there are no borders - seems COH (and WoW apparently) has forgotten that