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So brilliant. Unfortunately I'm so jaded that I can't get excited even about a new influx of more optimistic players. All the recent and impending changes have just turned me off this game completely.
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Originally Posted by Chocolate_Bacon
Not directed at any person in particular, but to certain peoples of a specific sort.
Moving all characters to a VIP only server? The concept blows my mind. When the VIP server was first announced it occurred to me that they were doing things backwards: Better to create one or a few servers exclusively for free players... then CHARGE VETS TO ACCESS THOSE. Yeah, that's right. I would pay a fee to play on a server that was filled with a bunch of people new to the game. Veterans, in any game, are the most jaded people you'll ever meet. New features never meet their high expectations, everything has been turned in to a grind, their sense of entitlement sours the very air around them. Veterans rarely get excited... Part of being a vet in gaming culture is competing to see who can be more blase. Vets suck. I hope you all die(in game  ).New players are excited, not necessarily in a jumping around the room kind of way, but excited nonetheless. Playing with them can be like discovering the game all over again. They experiment, sometimes even innovate. The worst thing about new players isn't their ignorance or the occasional poor attitude. The worst thing is watching them turn in to vets, to watch them be instructed in what is "best" and "worst", to watch them be told that regardless of how much fun they're having it just isn't the right kind of fun. The worst thing about new players is watching them turn in to vets. Yes, I'm generalizing. Playing left fiddle to the forums right oboe. Stroking the emu while dancing a jig. So what? Go suck eggs. I'll be playing with the new guys. |
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I don't see why this changes anything for anyone in this sense. If I subscribe now and I subscribe then, the only difference will be the new players that will increase population per server. (and i'll get goodies.) I don't see any reason to assume the new players will be riff raff and If anyone does hold that view then that is what the VIP server is for....|
Originally Posted by Irresponsible
So brilliant. Unfortunately I'm so jaded that I can't get excited even about a new influx of more optimistic players. All the recent and impending changes have just turned me off this game completely.
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But that in itself does bring about my single concern.
I, like many people, happen to like my server. If too many subsribers migrate to the VIP server then that will leave the 50s that stay struggling for leagues with the Incarnate content.
It would certainly decrease the frequency these leagues are available.
Which means, we too would be "forced" (if we want to play content that requires high level and high numbered teams) to migrate to a higher populated server.
And that would be an issue.
Kind of like being forced to leave your home town and friends in order to find work.
now that, I must say, would be a shame for a game that has really thrived because of its server communities.
Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick
Arc 56763 Lord Anarchys heaven
2 mission arc. Bring friends cause Lord Anarchy means business...
Well a mass exodus would do one thing. Generate a lot of revenue. No way I'm paying to move all of my characters plus lose my solo base with billions in stored stuff.
I can understand limiting F2P players to local though. Anyone who has played one of those games can tell you Gold Farmers will camp every store, auction house, etc. spamming in Local. You can't get rid of them because they just get a new account and are back 5 minutes later. Sigh - just when gold farming got under control.
If you think new players are going to have a hard time communicating with existing players wait until all the long time players turn off Local to block Gold Farmers.
I agree though, I don't see this working out very well for players or Paragon.
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You can't please everyone, so lets concentrate on me.
Valid concerns.
Maybe it's because CoX was and is my only MMORPG to ever play but I don't understand why F2P players are almost equated to leapers. I'm hoping F2P will bring in quality new and returning players. There are probably quite a few players that currently pay to play that may be just as annoying as F2P players are seemed to be made out to be.
With that in mind I don't really see the use of a VIP server unless they run server exclusive events including but not limited to; VIP server only Double XP weekends and dev sponsored events.
Who do I have to *&^% around here to get more Targeted AoE recipes added?
Arc Name: Tsoo In Love
Arc ID: 413575
Having played another game with a f2p/subscription model, I can tell you one of the advantages of a VIP only server will be that everyone can do all the stuff that you can do. As f2p, premium and VIP players will all have different access to arcs (and maybe even zones?) not having to determine who can do what may be helpful.
Other than the chance of getting a name I want, I don't see myself using the VIP server that much.
I'm expecting the VIP server to be rather dead since people are mostly where they want to be already.
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Originally Posted by ClawsandEffect
First off, I'm not thrilled about the hybrid business model Paragon Studios is going with. But it's going to happen whether I like it or not, so I'm not going to waste time complaining pointlessly about it. I'll wait and see how it plays out before making any decisions regarding my account status.
That's not what I wanted to address here though. With the number of posts I've seen concerning character transfers to the VIP server, it concerns me that there is going to be a large exodus of VIP players moving to a server that free players can't access. This is potentially a very bad thing. First, if enough currently subscribed players move their primary gaming activities to the VIP server, it is going to leave a false impression on new F2P players that the game is a lot more dead than it really is. With the "going F2P means the game is dying" impression that they may have already, logging in to find very few subscribed players and a lot of free players will just reinforce that impression. If a free player gets the impression that the game is in danger of going under, they will be much less likely to spend any money on it. Second, those free players that stick around long enough to realize that a lot of people are on a server they can't access, it is going to make them feel like we don't think they are good enough to hang out with us. I know *I'd* get that impression if I started playing and the veterans seemed to be avoiding me by playing on a server I can't play on. I don't think I'd be too keen on playing a game in which I feel like a second class citizen. (and sadly enough, it seems that some people are already seeing free players that way, and they don't even exist yet) Third, it is going to be hard enough for free players to get any questions they have answered without the more knowledgeable players being completely out of their reach. They can only talk in Local, Help, and Team chat. I'd be happy to answer questions myself, but if I'm super jumping through a zone the odds of me hearing a new player asking a question in Local aren't very good. And lastly, the rush to go to the VIP server has me concerned about the quality of the community in general. Granted, I understand that some people may be doing it to consolidate a multi-server SG, or to play with friends who have their main on another server. But, I really have to wonder how many people are wanting to do it just to not be bothered by the free players. That doesn't sound much like the "helpful and friendly community" I've come to love about this game. To be honest, it sounds more like the "collection of elitist snobs" I was afraid this game would turn into if we went to a free to play business model. If that's the way the community evolves (or devolves) I'm going to be sad indeed, because it will mean one of my last reasons for sticking around as long as I have will have gone away. So, please, take some of those things into consideration before deciding to jump ship to the VIP server and leaving all the free players to fend for themselves. |
H: Blaster 50, Defender 50, Tank 50, Scrapper 50, Controller 50, PB 50, WS 50
V: Brute 50, Corruptor 50, MM 50, Dominator 50, Stalker 50, AW 50, AS 50
Top 4: Controller, Brute, Scrapper, Corruptor
Bottom 4: (Peacebringer) way below everything else, Mastermind, Dominator, Blaster
CoH in WQHD
I've had (and expressed) some concerns, but at this time I don't expect to move to the VIP server (and yes, it would be a move; I don't play on multiple servers). My home is on Virtue, my friends are on Virtue, and that's a big part of why I'm still playing.
Also, most of the things I'm worried about are things that people already do. Demonstrations of Sturgeon's Law and/or Gabe's GIFT can be easily found if one takes any time to look, and often when one is not. With more people comes more stupid and/or bad behavior - double the population, (at least) double the idiots, spammers and trolls. We already have these, F2P just means more.
Finally, my biggest piece of evidence that the VIP server isn't going to be some perfect ivory tower of refuge - every single person currently on Freedom (the server) would qualify to play there. So yeah.
My characters at Virtueverse
Faces of the City
Honestly, I think all the "I'm going to flee to the VIP server" is nothing more than hot air. People are overreacting, and saying stupid things.
In the end, maybe a few people from each server will leave--and those are the people we won't miss.
When I referred to people wanting to avoid free players as their main reason, I was referring to those posts I've seen where the poster explicitly SAID that's why they were going to play there. I was simply wondering how many more people there are doing so for the same reason and just not saying so.
I don't recall having said in any of my posts in the last few days anything along the lines of "The only reason people want to play there is to avoid free players" or "Everyone who plays there is trying to avoid free players" - which seems to be what you are trying to imply I said.
See, it's gems like these that make me check Claws' post history every once in a while to make sure I haven't missed anything good lately.