Discussion: Paragon Rewards program details


Acemace

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
Allow advancement to the next tier without fully picking all of the previous tier.
I'm torn, from a personal point of view I would like this. There are a lot of Veteran rewards I do not care about in the least and a more free-form system would definitely benefit me. The problem is that implementing it would require the devs to break their word that people will not lose any existing veteran rewards.

Now personally I'd be satisfied if the system did revoke all of my veteran rewards but gave me enough tokens to re-buy them all, or purchase other things if I desire (with the implicit understanding that if I opt not to repurchase my existing rewards then I have no right to complain). However, I can see some people doing exactly that so I think opting for a non-optional system makes sense form the devs point of view.

Overall though I like the system. No matter what the final form is I'm advancing by one veteran reward a month instead of one every three and that's a bonus anyway you look at it.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Puppycrusader View Post
I thought I'd gotten a decent grasp on how this was going to work from the dev chat
thread, but this part tossed me back into confusion:



While I like that, it means I no longer understand how the Tiers work exactly. Say you're
a veteran player, with quite a number of months behind you. Can you place them wherever,
at any time, and all the Tiers are automatically open to claim rewards from from the start?
Or do you have to fill out lower tiers to open the higher ones? Or do you "unlock" tiers
just by virtue of having a certain number of months behind you, like the current reward
system?

This also seems to imply that if you are a VIP player, the VIP Tier 9 may be open
automatically from the start to them. Is this the case, or again, do you have to fill out the
lower tiers to open the VIP tier?

The summary from the dev chat implied if you were a Veteran, you would have these tiers
auto-filled for you or tiers had to be otherwise unlocked in some ascending-order
way(Things such as "may start at Tier 7"), so I'd appreciate greater clarification on how
exactly this all functions.
As would I. I wasn't able to attend the dev chat, and would like to know exactly how my vet status will affect this tier system. Can we get some specifics? Like, "if you are a 69 month vet, it would place you here, and if you're a 21 month vet, it would place you here" and so and so forth...

Either way, it looks very promising.

"Alien"


Quote:
Originally Posted by Infernus_Hades View Post
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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
Will CoH even be here 7 years from now?
Who knows? Games like this don't really have a natural lifespan, they last as long as people are still willing to pay. A certain 12 year old MMORPG is still getting expansion packs.


Arc #40529 : The Furies of the Earth

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlienOne View Post
As would I. I wasn't able to attend the dev chat, and would like to know exactly how my vet status will affect this tier system. Can we get some specifics? Like, "if you are a 69 month vet, it would place you here, and if you're a 21 month vet, it would place you here" and so and so forth...

Either way, it looks very promising.

"Alien"
Check out the dev chat highlights thread, it has a lot of good info (including a few people mapping the current system onto the tiers):
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...266298&page=24

A rough analogy I like to use is that each spot on the chart (except of the first one) corresponds to one 3-month veteran reward under the current system. So count how many veteran reward badges you have and that's where you'll start. Additionally for every full year you've been subscribed you get one bonus. Since the bonuses follow pretty much the same order as the current rewards (with a limited ability to reorder them) this is roughly equivalent to increasing your veteran rewards level by one step for every year you've subscribed.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
FEEDBACK

Overall

I really like this solution to the current Vet Reward system which has become untenable in that a brand new player would despair of every getting to a really good reward locked away behind a 7 year subscription to the game. Will CoH even be here 7 years from now? Supplanted by CoH2?

The new system speeds up the rewards to a three year plateau and gives long time Vets still more rewards without making the gap between them and the newbies insuperable.


Problem with Lack of FREEDOM

I know Posi said people won't like the aspect of having to fill a Tier before progressing to a new one with the implication being "we're doing it this way even if you complain." And Zwillinger has said, "it's not a tree!"

Well, I'm going to complain about this tree. It is a tree. Period. No amount of redefinition will change that. And because it is a tree, it locks rewards behind other rewards. Just because someone climbing up the tree gets to chose the order of seven Rewards in a Tier, doesn't really make it any less a tree or lack of *overall* choice.

And so, there really isn't the FREEDOM here which this reinvention of CoH is supposed to be all about. It's still the same Vet Reward program with internally scrambled segments.

One of the eternal complaints of the Old Vet System is something you've heard from players over and over: Some of the rewards are less than stellar. I'm looking at you, Boxing Set and Greek Letters. Compare that to Assemble the Team or Portable Auctionhouse. Or compare that to Angelic/Demonic Wings and Kilts, which you see people actually use in the game. I can't remember the last time I saw a Greek letter being used.

And the Paragon Reward system is still making new players take those unwanted rewards before the ones they want. Why? Why make players take rewards they don't want? (Yes, *some* do, but they should have the choice.)


Suggested Solutions to Lack of FREEDOM


Allow advancement to the next tier without fully picking all of the previous tier. Progression may go like this:
  • Allow Tier 2 with one previous reward
  • Allow Tier 3 with two previous rewards
  • Allow Tier 4 with 4 previous rewards (instead of 5)
  • Allow Tier 5 with 6 previous rewards (instead of 8)
  • Allow Tier 6 with 10 previous rewards (instead of 13)
  • Allow Tier 7 with 16 previous rewards (instead of 20)
  • Allow Tier 8 with 22 previous rewards (instead of 27)
  • Allow Tier 9 with 28 previous rewards (instead of 34)
A very well formed post and great feedback. After taking time to review the program more closely, I'm going to agree with Z_M here. His proposed method is much more inline with what many people have been clamoring for with vet rewards.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
And the Paragon Reward system is still making new players take those unwanted rewards before the ones they want. Why? Why make players take rewards they don't want? (Yes, *some* do, but they should have the choice.)
In the Ustream one of the presenters said something to the effect of, "Long-time vets don't like it if newbies can get stuff they have. They want people to pay their dues and not get the remote auction house on day one."

As a long-time vet, I don't feel that way. I don't need to repress others so that I can feel superior. If they pay their money they should be able to get whatever they pay for.

I can sort of understand the sentiment that vets had to accept years worth of "filler" rewards (respecs, costume change tokens -- I've got more than 80 costume changes on some characters, etc.) while waiting for the one or two decent rewards that came out each year.

But as long as I get to keep everything I already have, I don't really care if someone else can get all the same stuff I have by paying the same amount of money in one day that I paid over seven years. Because in the future I'll be able to skip over the stuff I don't care about and get only those things that do interest me.


 

Posted

I read the details on the news page about this and I confess that I am confused.

Can anyone who understands the new rewards clear up my confusion?

Am I failing at reading comprehension, or is this information actually not clearly defined?

This statement:

"The freedom to keep all of your earned badges and rewards you've earned through the Veteran Rewards Program, while unlocking new exclusive rewards."
Seems to be contradicted by these statements:
"When the Paragon Rewards program begins, Veteran Rewards and subscription time in City of Heroes® convert to Reward Tokens."
The word "convert" means to me that the veteran rewards I already have earned will be gone and will have to be purchased. Conversions mean that something is lost as well as something gained.
"All the same badges from the Veteran Rewards program can still be unlocked in the Paragon Rewards program. You can choose to reslot them as rewards. "
The word "reslot" means to me that I have to regain these badges rather than "keep" them as the first statement I quoted claims.

I don't see anything addressing how this affects existing characters who have already consumed many of the veteran rewards. By consumable, I mean respecs, xp bonuses, costume tokens, merits.

If I get credit for all my veteran rewards, and can use the new points to purchase consumable rewards that I've already consumed under the old system, then I get a heck of a bonus.

And if existing characters do lose existing veterans perks until repurchased, what happens to salvage in bonus salvage slots?


 

Posted

*shakes like a junkie* Need.... celestial.... costume set....


 

Posted

WOW!!!!!!!!

or as Keanu Reeves said....whoa....lol


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Posted

I agree with Rodion. If I get to keep or better yet, upgrade what I have, I don't care if others get it too.
My brain hurts with trying to figure it out. I'm going to go log in and play instead of worry about what might happen this fall.


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Having fun everyday.

 

Posted

I have a question. I watched all of the U-Steam stuff, I read all of the info, and one thing they were never clear on, is just HOW in game, the new system works. Is it something done account wide that you set up? Or is it per character, you open the UI, put the tokens in and unlock the stuff? If it is per character, I'd have to guess, every character would get the same amount of tokens, and they wouldn't make you pick and choose WHICH characters got what rewards. That would be a rather large downgrade to how it is now (every character able to get all rewards). I'm just confused on this, and maybe someone can shed some light on it for me.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beastyle View Post
You can then use Reward Tokens to unlock Paragon Rewards. All the same badges from the Veteran Rewards program can still be unlocked in the Paragon Rewards program. You can choose to reslot them as rewards. Or you can choose different rewards. The choice is yours--
So wait. Wait wait wait... (re-reads it again)

If I'm reading this right, we'll lose all our current veteran badges, but can re-purchase them if we want them?

Everything else seems totally awesome, and I'm looking forward to it, but having to re-buy stuff we already have seems kind of bogus... or did it mean veteran badges we currently don't possess but want we can still buy in the new system?

It's the word 'reslot' that has my head tilted.

Just looking for some clarification...

Lyc~ the 'devil's in the details' werewolf


"I play characters. I have to have a very strong visual appearance, backstory, name, etc. to get involved with a character, otherwise I simply won't play it very long. I'm not an RPer by any stretch of the imagination, but character concept is very important for me."- Back Alley Brawler
I couldn't agree more.

 

Posted

Excited?! Hellz yes! Can't wait.


 

Posted

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Originally Posted by Lycantropus View Post
If I'm reading this right, we'll lose all our current veteran badges, but can re-purchase them if we want them?
No. The Paragon Rewards you've "already" accrued up to this point will be allocated for you, in exactly the stuff you've already unlocked. You'll get the choices, if eligible for choices, after you earn another token after I21 goes Live.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Obscure Blade View Post
Huh, is that pistol new?
Unless it's from the Beam Weapon power set.

EDIT: Weird. Double post, sorry.


There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
Some of the rewards are less than stellar. I'm looking at you, Boxing Set and Greek Letters.
I don't like to complain, but this is the truth. Some of the rewards probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but that was a long time ago. They are now looking rather long in the tooth.

Quote:
Allow advancement to the next tier without fully picking all of the previous tier. Progression may go like this:
Or just replace some of the lack-luster rewards with something else.

One idea might be a "gift certificate." Replace for example the Greek letter chest symbols with a 40 Paragon Point "gift certificate" (about 50 cents) and allow the player to pick one small item they'd like. (I *think* I saw items for as low as 50 cents on the store list).

Etc. A few small improvements here would go a long way, I think.

You'll have to keep the old rewards around so players can earn them somehow. My opinions: Greek letters: give them away free to all Premium players. Boxing costume set: $0.50 or $1 item in store.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by DumpleBerry View Post
No. The Paragon Rewards you've "already" accrued up to this point will be allocated for you, in exactly the stuff you've already unlocked. You'll get the choices, if eligible for choices, after you earn another token after I21 goes Live.
Thanks! That's what I thought was said previously... I just got hung up on the use of the word 'reslot' implying that it was possibly going to be 'un' slotted and you could slot it again if you wanted to, or not.

I'm going to presume, until told otherwise, that it was just poorly worded.


"I play characters. I have to have a very strong visual appearance, backstory, name, etc. to get involved with a character, otherwise I simply won't play it very long. I'm not an RPer by any stretch of the imagination, but character concept is very important for me."- Back Alley Brawler
I couldn't agree more.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
I don't have clue how they're working the Vet Badges.

What they say about the badges is not precise enough to know what their plan is.
That was my concern, especially with the wording. I'm going to go with DumpleBerry on this one though and keep optimistic that it was just poorly worded, and we keep what we already have, and that we can use tokens to get the other vet badges we may not have gotten yet, making the icons tier based instead of month based or something.


"I play characters. I have to have a very strong visual appearance, backstory, name, etc. to get involved with a character, otherwise I simply won't play it very long. I'm not an RPer by any stretch of the imagination, but character concept is very important for me."- Back Alley Brawler
I couldn't agree more.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by gameboy1234 View Post
One idea might be a "gift certificate." Replace for example the Greek letter chest symbols with a 40 Paragon Point "gift certificate" (about 50 cents) and allow the player to pick one small item they'd like. (I *think* I saw items for as low as 50 cents on the store list).
I *like* that. If my scheme truly is technically insurmountable as much as Arcanaville says, then the booby prizes can be replaced or sweetened with Paragon Points, which in turn allow the player to buy an item they're really interested in (maybe an emote).


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
You'll get it for free if you've played long enough
This does not help new players in the least. Nice try though.


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Posted

Oh yay... Two more currencies to try to keep up with. I hope we get a few dozen more. Then I won't be able to remember how any of them work.

*facepalm*


Tech Support Rule #1 - They will lie to you. Usually intentionally.

 

Posted

Can I trade out Vanity pets and Greek Letters and instead get something I want and would find USEFUL? 57 months, so hopefully not too bad off for the new system. But I agree that 'Freedom' isn't the way I would describe a tiered system like that.

And I want that damn armour. That better not cycle out before I can get there!


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Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon View Post
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Posted

A few questions I'd like to see officially answered...

1.) What happens to those of us that are subscribed out way into the future? For example, my sub runs through Feb 2013 and so I won't be billed again until then. Do I get a credit of tokens (and paragon points) upon conversion to the Freedom model?

2.) What happens to our unredeemed vet rewards on existing characters?


@Texarkana
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Posted

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A Reward Token is a free bonus you earn that you can use to unlock Paragon Rewards. Reward Tokens and Paragon Points™ are not interchangeable. Reward Tokens can only be used in the Paragon Rewards program. You cannot purchase Reward Tokens using Paragon Points, and vice versa.
Forgive me, but this seems to be a bit disingenuous, when stated below is:

Quote:
Earn 1 Reward Token for every 1,200 Paragon Points (approximately $15) that you purchase through the Paragon Market.
So, you can in fact purchase Reward Tokens for $15 or 1200 Paragon Points.


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