City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Additional Character Slots Announcement

13th_Stranger

By 13th_Stranger,
Posted on: 2008-04-15 07:36 in Developers' Corner

 

Posted

Totally awesome, Positron! It's especially great how you are giving everyone some free new slots too, and the pricing for purchasing is even more reasonable/cheap than I expected, especially I love that you have implemented that "bulk" discount

 

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So....since you're answering all sorts of other questions Lighthouse, what about being able to transfer across accounts under the same master NC account with this? If you don't know, just an 'I don't know' would be nice so we know at least someone's reading the posts and know its a concern

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We're aware of the desire for cross account transfers. However I don't have any public statement on it, nor would I hazard a guess if or when or under what conditions it would be implemented.

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Well, wont you deliver my request for consideration???

Max Out Character Slots on 1 Server for 84.99$ ??
and
Half price Character Return to your Home server??

Example: I moved Love Hysteria to Freedom so I would have more space on Virtue.. But now that I can have 36 slots on Virtue.. Cant I move her back for just 4.99$ ?

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We discussed larger price points like what you are suggesting. However, doing so sets us up for more possibility of being in a refund situation.

For example, a customer purchases 36 slots for whatever nifty price we offer it for, thinking that they can apply them all to a specific server, only to find out that they can't because of the current max slots limitation. We can then envision that they won't like that and, not wanting to apply those slots to a different location, contact us for a refund. Unfortunately, all sales are final (as will be clearly stated in the disclaimers when you purchase said slots).

Given this possibility of buyer remorse, we'd prefer to have the user buy them as they go and feel the 5 for $19.99 is a very reasonable "chunk" to do that in.

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Um no, no, no it's not Light_House, 10 slots for 20 dollars would seem more reasonable. The prices that are listed now are too high for my taste, I know im not buying any.

My Lego Models http://www.flickr.com/photos/30369639@N07/ lemur lad: God you can't be that stupid... I'm on at the same time as you for once, and not 20 minutes into it you give me something worth petitioning?
Lady-Dee: Hey my fat keeps me warm in the winter and shady in the summer.

 

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We discussed larger price points like what you are suggesting. However, doing so sets us up for more possibility of being in a refund situation.

For example, a customer purchases 36 slots for whatever nifty price we offer it for, thinking that they can apply them all to a specific server, only to find out that they can't because of the current max slots limitation. We can then envision that they won't like that and, not wanting to apply those slots to a different location, contact us for a refund. Unfortunately, all sales are final (as will be clearly stated in the disclaimers when you purchase said slots).

Given this possibility of buyer remorse, we'd prefer to have the user buy them as they go and feel the 5 for $19.99 is a very reasonable "chunk" to do that in.

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While I agree that the 5/$20 is very reasonable (more than I was expecting, actually - I was originally thinking the price point would be at or above the transfer price given that I've only transferred to make room on a server), with maximum increase of 24 having factors of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 is there any chance of getting 6 for $20 instead, so you can fill up one server without breaking up the packages?

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I thought about that, too, but remember, you get some freebies. So, if you buy 4 5-packs and fill up 20 of the 24 extra slots, you can then use your two free ones and, in two years, get two Veteran Reward slots to fill up the server.

Speeding Through New DA Repeatables || Spreadsheet o' Enhancements || Zombie Skins: better skins for these forums || Guide to Guides

 

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*cough* RIP OFF *cough* why spend money on slots when there are many servers to play on and other games give MANY more slots for free? just my opinion.

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Ya would you care to name said games & just how much character custimization do they offer along with "ALL" their slots?? Just curious you know, cause I don't know of any offhand that are currently available that offer quite the same combination that CoX does.

IMHO I think what the Devs' have done is simply wonderful & the fact that we're getting 2 slots as a bonus to place on the server(s) we wish along with retroactive VETs rewards. What would make it totally Gasmatic is if they do the "max your slots on 1 server for $84.99" idea or even impliment $34.99 for 12, $47.99 for 24 for those SERIOUS altoholics that really do luv their HOME Server(s). **starts handing out depends & towels just incase they do**

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Yeah, actually more and more MMORPGs are limiting slots, not giving more. For example, SWG you can have 2 character per server, but I think like 8 total? Something like that. Everquest II I KNOW is like 8 characters across all servers, all one one or one on each, you get 8 characters. Period. Want more? Get a second account (which is what people did with CoX before this).

So, what NCSoft is doing here is the OPPOSITE. They are giving us MORE SLOTS than any other MMORPG on the market currently.

Those that think they should just open up all 36 slots on every server for free, you forget that each character is data that must be saved. Prices for everything else are going up, but MMORPG fees are not... This is a way they can give us more characters, necessitating them to increase their server hard drives capacity, and not have to raise their monthly fee to pay for the new hard drives! I'm sure that's the kind of data they looked at to determine their pricing, and the vet reward slots are a GREAT loyalty bonus that was totally above and beyond what they had to do. Try asking OTHER MMORPGs for more slots on a server, and you'll only get it from one so far at a cost of $1 per MONTH after the 1st. So, just to get up to the number of characters you have BY DEFAULT on CoX on ONE server, you'd have to increase your monthly fee by $7.

So, to the person that said "other games give MANY more slots for free" please, do as I have done and tell us what MMORPG out there gives you anywhere near 36 slots ON ONE SERVER FOR FREE?

 

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you live in space man, Dragon_King you probally have 12 level 70 characters on Victory right now. And you have all the items in your base. Raise the level cap to 100? NEED more POWER!!!!!

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Someone get this boy a sedative.

�Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play!� - Thomas Gray

 

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I'm torn between yelling in excitement or slumping into shivering delight, I think I'll do both, hope the neighbors don't call the ambulance this time..

 

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So....since you're answering all sorts of other questions Lighthouse, what about being able to transfer across accounts under the same master NC account with this? If you don't know, just an 'I don't know' would be nice so we know at least someone's reading the posts and know its a concern

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We're aware of the desire for cross account transfers. However I don't have any public statement on it, nor would I hazard a guess if or when or under what conditions it would be implemented.

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Thank you! I'll hold for more information at a later date

*hums along to Girl From Ipanema*

 

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Beautiful upgrade. Best feature of I12, in fact best feature of the last 3 issues, to me. I'll definitely be using and buying slots, and then paying for some transfers.

Can't complain about the pricing, the free slots, and in the end NCSoft will still be getting lots more money from me.

Well done both from a gaming and a business perspective.

 

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Wow folks!

Very generous, Thankyou!

 

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I am being serious, what if you guys did a One time MAX OUT YOUR SLOTS on a specific server for the price of 99.99$ ?

So you would still have the 1 for 6$, 2 for 10$, 5 for 20$ and then MAX for 100$

I would honestly just max his and my accounts on Virtue as soon as possible.
Please consider

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Uh...the way they have it set up, 5 slots for $20...24 slots available. 5 slots times 4 = 20 slots for $80, 25 slots for $100. If you have two years in the game, 4 free slots plus buying 4 5-slot packs = $80 total to max out a server...

The same price as, or cheaper than your request. ?!?

 

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First off, thank you Posi and the rest of the Dev team. Second I have a question, for those who plan on purchasing the multiple slots, do you have to place them immediately or can they be banked to be used as needed?

 

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So....since you're answering all sorts of other questions Lighthouse, what about being able to transfer across accounts under the same master NC account with this? If you don't know, just an 'I don't know' would be nice so we know at least someone's reading the posts and know its a concern

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We're aware of the desire for cross account transfers. However I don't have any public statement on it, nor would I hazard a guess if or when or under what conditions it would be implemented.

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That way lies madness.

Imagine the possible DOOM. One player steals a character from someone else's account to their own. Characters either lose or unfairly gain Veteran Rewards. Players buy old accounts and transfer their best characters to it, in order to gain the advanced Vet rewards. Players circumvent account bans. Players trade characters, but one of them cheats on the deal and the otheer gets a crappy character or less loot/cash than they bargained for.

Worst of all - far more players would be tempted to subscribe to PLing websites. Most people don't buy levels from websites because handing out their account password jeopardises any other characters they own on (and of course the account itself).

If the websites could PL their own characters, on their own accounts, to level 50 and THEN transfer those characters to anyone who paid enough cash...that would just be catastrophic. With renaming and server transfers now set up, there would be nothing to stop a rich kid buying instant level 50 toons, over and over, with no risk.

The Widow's Dark Hand - leader of Faux Pas
Champion Server
Tee Hee!

 

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First off, thank you Posi and the rest of the Dev team. Second I have a question, for those who plan on purchasing the multiple slots, do you have to place them immediately or can they be banked to be used as needed?

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Dude, Lighthouse already answered that question IN THIS THREAD.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....ue#Post10604341

Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
Main Villain: Evil Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1193 Badges
Mission Architect arcs: Doctor Brainstorm's An Experiment Gone Awry, Arc ID 2093

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Originally Posted by Nethergoat View Post
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!

 

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That way lies madness.

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Madness?

THIS. IS. PARAGON! *boot!*

Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
Main Villain: Evil Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1193 Badges
Mission Architect arcs: Doctor Brainstorm's An Experiment Gone Awry, Arc ID 2093

-----
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat View Post
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!

 

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I am going to stay with paying the monthly $15 fee instead of the $12 yearly subscription just to give this game more money to stay active. 5-6 Slots at I12 release plus the option to buy 18 wins. Can't wait to see this when beta opens.

"I never said thank you." - Lt. Gordon

"And you'll never have to." - the Dark Knight

 

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Wow. What in the world can you complain about with this?

This is way too cool and with the other options that the game has, this is the unsung 'hero' of MMORPGs. Kudos!


Servant 12 (50 Defender)- Millennium Paladins
Servant-12 (50 Blaster) - Millennium Paladins
Servant.12 (50 Tank) - Millennium Paladins

 

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you live in space man, Dragon_King you probally have 12 level 70 characters on Victory right now. And you have all the items in your base. Raise the level cap to 100? NEED more POWER!!!!!

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Someone get this boy a sedative.

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Won't work.

We already used up all the elephant tranqs.

Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net

Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.

 

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We discussed larger price points like what you are suggesting. However, doing so sets us up for more possibility of being in a refund situation.

For example, a customer purchases 36 slots for whatever nifty price we offer it for, thinking that they can apply them all to a specific server, only to find out that they can't because of the current max slots limitation. We can then envision that they won't like that and, not wanting to apply those slots to a different location, contact us for a refund. Unfortunately, all sales are final (as will be clearly stated in the disclaimers when you purchase said slots).

Given this possibility of buyer remorse, we'd prefer to have the user buy them as they go and feel the 5 for $19.99 is a very reasonable "chunk" to do that in.

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I think that if a player chose to buy that many, knowing they can apply them one-by-one to any server (that isn't already at the maximum of 36) and that there are no refunds (since, if a given server is already full, the remaining tokens can be applied to a non-full server) that is the purchasers own responsibility.

A 'max-one-server' package of 24 slots for $75 (approximately $3/slot, continuing the progression of 6/1slot, $5/2slot, $4/5slot)
is not unreasonable. And even if they had some left over, asking for a refund based on that would be silly (and the purchasers own fault).

Say they only need 18 to fill the server they want. They'll have 6 left over. To buy 18 would be 3 $20s, 1 $10, and 1 $6. That's $76. So they'd save $1 instead by buying a full 24, and have 6 extra to put toward another server. If they are buying fewer than 18 slots, then it would be cost-inefficient, unless they are already happy to put the additionals on a second (or third, or fourth) server.

Just put plenty of info on the purchase page explaining the 'break-points' for cost. If they can't be bothered to read it, including the BIG BOLD FLASHING NEON "slots purchased are non-refundable", then it is their own fault.

The only case where this would be an issue is if someone has 36 slots on almost all the servers, and tried to buy more than they could possibly slot. The purchasing system should get a total number of slots available to purchase (based on the max - applied), so the buyer can never buy more than they could possibly use. Shouldn't be that tough.....

CuppaJo: **waves wand - you are mesmerized by the shiney bouncing Positron**

HypnotizerZero, Psyche-Delia, Twilight Samurai, Burning Rubber, Ignitrode & more...on Virtue.

AMD x2 4600+/7950GTKO/2Gb PC6400/Win2kPro

 

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That way lies madness.

Imagine the possible DOOM. One player steals a character from someone else's account to their own. Characters either lose or unfairly gain Veteran Rewards. Players buy old accounts and transfer their best characters to it, in order to gain the advanced Vet rewards. Players circumvent account bans. Players trade characters, but one of them cheats on the deal and the otheer gets a crappy character or less loot/cash than they bargained for.

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That's why I said under the same NC master account in my post You can't move a game account between different master NC accounts, therefore its only between accounts created by the same person(I realize families and stuff may share a master account, but still if its someone you're trusting with your credit card information, you should be able to trust them with your characters)

 

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Positron your my hero! I love this idea.

 

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If anybody's curious about how rearranging characters on the character select screen works, I created a short video off the test server. Hope it enlightens you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQbbMrTJc

Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
Main Villain: Evil Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1193 Badges
Mission Architect arcs: Doctor Brainstorm's An Experiment Gone Awry, Arc ID 2093

-----
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nethergoat View Post
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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So....since you're answering all sorts of other questions Lighthouse, what about being able to transfer across accounts under the same master NC account with this? If you don't know, just an 'I don't know' would be nice so we know at least someone's reading the posts and know its a concern

[/ QUOTE ]

We're aware of the desire for cross account transfers. However I don't have any public statement on it, nor would I hazard a guess if or when or under what conditions it would be implemented.

[/ QUOTE ]

That way lies madness.

Imagine the possible DOOM. One player steals a character from someone else's account to their own. Characters either lose or unfairly gain Veteran Rewards. Players buy old accounts and transfer their best characters to it, in order to gain the advanced Vet rewards. Players circumvent account bans. Players trade characters, but one of them cheats on the deal and the otheer gets a crappy character or less loot/cash than they bargained for.

Worst of all - far more players would be tempted to subscribe to PLing websites. Most people don't buy levels from websites because handing out their account password jeopardises any other characters they own on (and of course the account itself).

If the websites could PL their own characters, on their own accounts, to level 50 and THEN transfer those characters to anyone who paid enough cash...that would just be catastrophic. With renaming and server transfers now set up, there would be nothing to stop a rich kid buying instant level 50 toons, over and over, with no risk.

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Eh? None of that can possibly happen if NC restricts the moving of characters to accounts that are under the same master account.

For example, I have 2 City of accounts under my master login. I can't sell one of those accounts because I'd have to then share my master login with another person who could then steal the other account - all they'd have to do is change the passwords. Oh, and then they can get a chunk of my credit card info, too.

Honestly, I think moving characters from account to account with the master account restriction is a great idea. Many people get their spouses/parents/kids involved by letting them try on their own account, but are then forced to reroll when they buy a second.

 

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We discussed larger price points like what you are suggesting. However, doing so sets us up for more possibility of being in a refund situation.

For example, a customer purchases 36 slots for whatever nifty price we offer it for, thinking that they can apply them all to a specific server, only to find out that they can't because of the current max slots limitation. We can then envision that they won't like that and, not wanting to apply those slots to a different location, contact us for a refund. Unfortunately, all sales are final (as will be clearly stated in the disclaimers when you purchase said slots).

Given this possibility of buyer remorse, we'd prefer to have the user buy them as they go and feel the 5 for $19.99 is a very reasonable "chunk" to do that in.

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hmmmm .... How about a package of 20

that would all fit on one server with 4 slots to spare

Just an idea

thanks

Supreme Slacker

 

Posted

Post deleted by Niviene