Complain, moan, gripe...

When I left CoX some 6 months ago for pastures green, I did so because I was bored, and because all my old team mates had one by one left for other games. I myself have spent the last few months running around The Other Game.

"Perhaps, when I14 goes live I'll start a trial account and see if it's time for me to come back." I thought.

You can imagine then, just how delighted I was to read the patch notes to learn;

[ QUOTE ]
Trial Account Restrictions:

Players using Trial Accounts may not access Mission Architect terminals. Trial Account users can be invited to teams that are using the Mission Architect Missions, but cannot create, rate or start any published Mission Architect Missions until they “upgrade” their account with either:
an online serial code purchased from the online NCsoft store,
an NCsoft Game Card (purchased from a participating retailer) or
a serial code from a City of Heroes / Villains boxed retail product.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps, instead of essentially ruling the likes of me out of playing with the shiny new issue stuff, trial accounts could have a 'delete after seven days' flag? I've got all sorts of complaints about the trial account system but this, the main reason I came back only to be told "we don't want your type around here" before I'd even logged in, well, it extracts the urine and no mistake.

Devs, this retired veteran (45 months!) is deeply disappointed in you.


*sulks*


/Edited for spacing... looks better now.

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Yeah, I remember the old days when I was on a trial you could do anything you wanted, now one of the most unique parts of CoX is going to be mostly blocked off to trialers. Very sad.

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Would think this was added to prevent anyone from creating multiple trial accounts and voting their own arcs to inflate their rating.

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Villains: Necron Phobos, Khorne-Berzerker, Full Metal Panic, Smasher Devourer, Degrees Kelvin.

Co-Leader of The Echelon
Visit us at http://www.theechelon.eu

[ QUOTE ]
Would think this was added to prevent anyone from creating multiple trial accounts and voting their own arcs to inflate their rating.

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Maybe, just maybe, preventing trial accounts from rating other content would have addressed that issue.

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By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
Funny: Ee-Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! #3662 * The foul-mouthed Handyman! #1076 * City of Norms #132944
Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)

If I'm honest, my renewed sub was depending on whether MA brought enough back to the game to tempt me back.

Ah well... it'll be another £9 for my local.

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You DO have a legitimate account. So you should be able to do MA missions. Wait for reactivating weekend or pay for one month.

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Maybe, just maybe, preventing trial accounts from rating other content would have addressed that issue.

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An elegant solution there Dave... my thoughts exactly, though I hadn't thought of the multi-trial upvote thing.

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You DO have a legitimate account. So you should be able to do MA missions. Wait for reactivating weekend or pay for one month.

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I was hoping there might have been a reactivation weekend this weekend for the I14/Easter goodness... again, I am disappointed. I'm not going to renew my sub for something that might only keep me interested for an hour or two (like Spore... there's £30 I won't see again!)


/edited for reply @ GrinningSpade

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There's a very simple reason why they don't want trial accounts creating arcs. Orphaned arcs. They don't want potentially loads of arcs uploaded by people who aren't going to pay to play the game...

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@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

So tag said arcs as 'trial' and to delete after 14 days?

Anyway, cut 'n'pasted from Announcements because I can't be bothered to type it all again:

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Trial Account Restrictions:

Players using Trial Accounts may not access Mission Architect terminals. Trial Account users can be invited to teams that are using the Mission Architect Missions, but cannot create, rate or start any published Mission Architect Missions until they “upgrade” their account with either:

* an online serial code purchased from the online NCsoft store,
* an NCsoft Game Card (purchased from a participating retailer) or
* a serial code from a City of Heroes / Villains boxed retail product.


[/ QUOTE ]

more restrictions on trial accounts I'm beginning to wonder if they would be quicker just releasing video demos of other people playing.

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I've gotta say I find this a little odd. All the time spent advertising the Mission Architect, getting potential subscribers interested and starting trial accounts to try it out, finding they cannot and are barred from the very content they want to try out? - sorry but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see thats just plain ridiculous.

A better option would be tagging arcs by Trial players to last only as long as their trial subscription. Surely?.

/em,utterdisbelief


In short, I totally understand your frustration Predatory Sock.

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[ QUOTE ]
There's a very simple reason why they don't want trial accounts creating arcs. Orphaned arcs. They don't want potentially loads of arcs uploaded by people who aren't going to pay to play the game...

[/ QUOTE ]

Then don't allow them to publish them? And what Spade said, dont allow them to rate?
That way they can try the editing out and experiment and get a good taste of all the I14 goodness...

Sometimes I do wonder if only Avatea in the US offices has a brain. Maybe the Clockwork King stole them all to keep himself supplied? Oh Vahzilok?

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You can be pretty sure they'll run a re-activation weekend or something pretty soon. It would be so incredibly foolish not to, not even NC would let that one slip out of their hands...
...if they get the servers back up at all, that is!

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[ QUOTE ]
There's a very simple reason why they don't want trial accounts creating arcs. Orphaned arcs. They don't want potentially loads of arcs uploaded by people who aren't going to pay to play the game...

[/ QUOTE ]

Hence my suggestion that they should have them flagged for autodeletion after 7 days... no more orphaned arcs.. simple.

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...if they get the servers back up at all, that is!

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They still not up?!

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I'm not going to renew my sub for something that might only keep me interested for an hour or two...

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On the other hand, it's equivalent to about 3 pints of bitter, which would last no more than, and probably a good degree less than, a couple of hours. So instead of going down the pub at 8, resubscribe to CoX and go down the pub at 9.30

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There's a very simple reason why they don't want trial accounts creating arcs. Orphaned arcs. They don't want potentially loads of arcs uploaded by people who aren't going to pay to play the game...

[/ QUOTE ]

Then don't allow them to publish them? And what Spade said, dont allow them to rate?
That way they can try the editing out and experiment and get a good taste of all the I14 goodness...

Sometimes I do wonder if only Avatea in the US offices has a brain. Maybe the Clockwork King stole them all to keep himself supplied? Oh Vahzilok?

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, I'm not saying their reasoning isn't incredibly short sighted, and quite frankly, stupid. I'm just offering a fairly obvious reason. Sure they could alleviate that, but that's extra programming...

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@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, it's equivalent to about 3 pints of bitter, which would last no more than, and probably a good degree less than, a couple of hours. So instead of going down the pub at 8, resubscribe to CoX and go down the pub at 9.30

[/ QUOTE ]

Quite good thinking, though your calculations may be a little off, depends how badly I'm playing pool... there may be sorrows to drown

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, it's equivalent to about 3 pints of bitter, which would last no more than, and probably a good degree less than, a couple of hours. So instead of going down the pub at 8, resubscribe to CoX and go down the pub at 9.30

[/ QUOTE ]

Quite good thinking, though your calculations may be a little off, depends how badly I'm playing pool... there may be sorrows to drown

[/ QUOTE ]

It's actually quite satifying to blow up large groups of rikti when you're angry

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, it's equivalent to about 3 pints of bitter, which would last no more than, and probably a good degree less than, a couple of hours. So instead of going down the pub at 8, resubscribe to CoX and go down the pub at 9.30

[/ QUOTE ]

Quite good thinking, though your calculations may be a little off, depends how badly I'm playing pool... there may be sorrows to drown

[/ QUOTE ]

It's actually quite satifying to blow up large groups of rikti when you're angry

[/ QUOTE ]

True.
Just not if you are desperately hunting VG Merits >.>
-kills Boss- Damn you, I need Merits! -sob-

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Three beers will actually make you happier!
I can afford three beers and the sub though, but I'm addicted and it's a constant pain.

Come to think of it: If they DO offer you a few days for free, stay clear of the game, don't get pulled in again!

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too bad beer tastes awful.

I'll rather drown my sorrows in hard cider or raspberry vodka.

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[ QUOTE ]
Three beers will actually make you happier!
I can afford three beers and the sub though, but I'm addicted and it's a constant pain.

Come to think of it: If they DO offer you a few days for free, stay clear of the game, don't get pulled in again!

[/ QUOTE ]

I've spent a week on trial, it's already trying to suck me back in... it calls in the night.

On the upside my neighbour gave me a case of beers for watching their house while they're gone... it's really tempting to fire up the old account...

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[ QUOTE ]
too bad beer tastes awful.

I'll rather drown my sorrows in hard cider or raspberry vodka.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tsk. When you speak of googling catgirls, I sometimes think we have much in common. Then you come out with this sort of blasphemy. Bah.

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DON'T eat muffins while I'm developing you.

Pants! Turkey Magnates! A man in a box! Rogue AI! Come one, come all, to arc ID 10107 - It's [i]'Not as long as some other arcs'[/i]!

They also can't let trial accounts publish because it's an ideal place to put "buy inf now" messages. One posting that advertises equally on all servers worldwide, and stays up until a GM catches it? The unrated missions in the mission browser would be swamped in spam.

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"The Hamidon is a what what of what?" - Brian the mission guy.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Would think this was added to prevent anyone from creating multiple trial accounts and voting their own arcs to inflate their rating.

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe, just maybe, preventing trial accounts from rating other content would have addressed that issue.

[/ QUOTE ]

That doesn't stop people posting missions that advertise cheap internet perscription meds, <bleep> enlargement and internet casinos. Sure they'd get banned - but so what if it's on a trial account?

I had it up to here with that on WoW and anything that stops CoH going the same way is fine by me.

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[ QUOTE ]
They also can't let trial accounts publish because it's an ideal place to put "buy inf now" messages. One posting that advertises equally on all servers worldwide, and stays up until a GM catches it? The unrated missions in the mission browser would be swamped in spam.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I guess that's a damn good point... I'm still gonna sulk though

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I had it up to here with that on WoW and anything that stops CoH going the same way is fine by me.

[/ QUOTE ]
SpamMeNot works a treat for that.

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Let Trial Accounts test missions they make, and play others uploaded creations.

Don't let Trial Accounts rate, comment on or upload missions, along with everything else they're forbidden to do.

As I posted over in the patch notes upon reading about this, it seems very silly and counter-productive to get those MA skits done, to spread the word, then effectively bar people from trying before they buy. Unless NC weren't confident with the MA and wanted people to try to get that moeny in their accounts.

NC has a bad rep among the MMO community already ,from what I've read on various sites. Stuff like this? Not helping.

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