Discussion: Featured Items at the Paragon Market - 12/20/11
By
Adam Maqil,
Posted on: 2011-12-20 11:15 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
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it's like when you buy a new phone, if you'd just have waited...*shakes fist*|
Originally Posted by DarkGob
So glad I bothered to get the 25% off character slots when if I had just waited 2 weeks I could have gotten them for 50% off. That's a pretty crummy move. Pick a sale price and stick to it, quit jerking us around.
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though I didn't know the server slots were already on sale >.> picked up the 5 packs
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I was just thinking I was glad I didn't grab two slots when they were 25% off, and then sorry for the people who had bought those. |
Originally Posted by DarkGob
So glad I bothered to get the 25% off character slots when if I had just waited 2 weeks I could have gotten them for 50% off. That's a pretty crummy move. Pick a sale price and stick to it, quit jerking us around.
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It's the old buyer beware thing, though. You never know when sales are going to happen, or when you are going to buy an iPod and have a newer version come out before it even finishes shipping to you (this happened to my wife). Knowing you have had the character slots for a little longer is not much help, like it hopefully is for those that pre-purchased GR for Dual Pistols.
So... I feel your pain. But it's kind of inevitable with things being sold and put on sale. I could have gotten another $20 off of the Nook I bought for my wife's Christmas present if I had waited a week, but it was already cheaper than it had ever been when I bought it. It is what it is.
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pretty sure the weapon skins had that timer on it
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Originally Posted by Feline Praetorian
Well that sucks, if I'd known that I would not have bought it.
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If it did I sure as hell didn't know about it.
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Originally Posted by Mr. DJ
pretty sure the weapon skins had that timer on it
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http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=279563|
Originally Posted by Feline Praetorian
If it did I sure as hell didn't know about it.
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There is is. Right in the original Titan Weapons announcement. If you didn't read the whole thing.....
To myself and others apparently, the announcement implied the pack came as a bundle deal, not as a 0pp cost extra item you needed to buy. To be honest, I can't recall if I noticed that is how it was done before or after I saw ZombieMan's post.
Which reminds me, forgot to buy it on my second account, blah.
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We are now at the point where people feel comfortable saying that selling a snowball power is Paragon Studios explicitly catering to griefers and withdrawing support for RPers.|
Originally Posted by Angerdog
heh, you're concerns do no matter to the new glorious direction of City of heroes: nickel and dimed.. Errrr I mean freedom! The days of of being concerned for the small, but loyal RP'ers and long time supporters, is long gone. Long live the days of rushed Packs, and money grabbing. So long as the griefers shell out the cash, they'll keep a light on for em. ;P
Cynical, me? |
A power with no combat effect whatsoever and cannot in any way affect gameplay is being used to prove that the developers don't care about roleplay, and trying to nickle and dime players.
And here all I thought it was evidence for was that Paragon Studios was being lobbied by the American Association for the Advancement of Crystalline Precipitation.
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From the announcement:|
Originally Posted by Rajani Isa
To myself and others apparently, the announcement implied the pack came as a bundle deal, not as a 0pp cost extra item you needed to buy. To be honest, I can't recall if I noticed that is how it was done before or after I saw ZombieMan's post.
Which reminds me, forgot to buy it on my second account, blah. |
For a limited time, purchase the Titan Weapons Power Set in the Paragon Market™, and you can purchase the Weapon Pack: Titan Weapons #1 for free!
And in actuality you could buy the Weapon Pack without the Power Set. I bought the pack after the original announcement and when I bought the set days later the weapons from the pack were there.
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Originally Posted by Adam Maqil
On my ... account I just purchased Titan Weapons thinking I'd get the weapons pack #1 for free and I did not. So how do I get more weapons?
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Originally Posted by Aggelakis
You have to "purchase" the weapons pack (it costs 0 pp). It's a separate item.
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EDIT: ... somehow I skipped from page 1 straight to page 3. I see now that this was already discussed on page 2. My bad.
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!
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...and like usual, my response is, "Hell no. Not at that price."
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Originally Posted by Canine
I believe this has been mentioned before, but 'Featured' doesn't mean 'On Sale', it just means 'Hey, look, you may not have seen this on the market before, doesn't it look shiny, don't you want to buy it, eh?'.
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Yeah, I did the same, and feel the same. Total jerk move.
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Originally Posted by DarkGob
So glad I bothered to get the 25% off character slots when if I had just waited 2 weeks I could have gotten them for 50% off. That's a pretty crummy move. Pick a sale price and stick to it, quit jerking us around.
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Well, people complain about the prices and that they don't adjust them based on feedback or low sales numbers.|
Originally Posted by minimalist_NA
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So they make an adjustment based on feedback or low sales numbers and people complain that they changed the prices.
Ghost Falcon needs to remember the first line of my signature.
If the game spit out 20 dollar bills people would complain that they weren't sequentially numbered. If they were sequentially numbered people would complain that they weren't random enough.
Black Pebble is my new hero.
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Every sale that occurs before I buy is a smart move. Every sale that occurs after I buy is a dick move. True for everything from Cheetos to the Louisiana Purchase.
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Originally Posted by Texas Justice
Well, people complain about the prices and that they don't adjust them based on feedback or low sales numbers.
So they make an adjustment based on feedback or low sales numbers and people complain that they changed the prices. Ghost Falcon needs to remember the first line of my signature. |
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I'm sure it seemed like a good price at the time.
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Originally Posted by DarkGob
So glad I bothered to get the 25% off character slots when if I had just waited 2 weeks I could have gotten them for 50% off. That's a pretty crummy move. Pick a sale price and stick to it, quit jerking us around.
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Originally Posted by Mr. DJ
pretty sure the weapon skins had that timer on it
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Originally Posted by Feline Praetorian
If it did I sure as hell didn't know about it.
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Yeah.. I kinda feel the same as well. I always wanted char slots pretty badly but was patient enough to wait for a Sales. So when the 25% came around, I snapped it up.|
Originally Posted by DarkGob
So glad I bothered to get the 25% off character slots when if I had just waited 2 weeks I could have gotten them for 50% off. That's a pretty crummy move. Pick a sale price and stick to it, quit jerking us around.
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If I had knew we were getting a 50% discount, I wouldn't have bought it when it was on 25%. I'm not happy with what Paragon did here but I can't really blame them either.
I'm now agonizing over the decision if I should buy another 5 more char slots. And to do that I have to buy Paragon Points from the Market.
Really wish Paragon Studio would just give me my paragon points due for December, I normally get them on the 13th of the month itself but its taken till the 30th Nov for them to give me my Nov points. I would really hate to have to buy more points simply because my stipend came in late again.
I will miss you City of Heroes..
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So... France had another Louisiana to sell...?|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Every sale that occurs before I buy is a smart move. Every sale that occurs after I buy is a dick move. True for everything from Cheetos to the Louisiana Purchase.
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Also yes this is totally comparable to tangible commodities, I'm sure Paragon had a whole warehouse full of character slots they wanted to move before the Christmas holidays oh wait
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A sale is not a price adjustment. One is temporary, one is permanent. The limited-time aspect creates a somewhat powerful incentive to buy immediately that is not there for a permanent price change. Especially as there is not, to my knowledge (and I could be wrong), any precedent for a sale item going back on sale at a significantly greater discount -- particularly within such a short time period. |
Originally Posted by Texas Justice
Well, people complain about the prices and that they don't adjust them based on feedback or low sales numbers.
So they make an adjustment based on feedback or low sales numbers and people complain that they changed the prices. Ghost Falcon needs to remember the first line of my signature. |
If there were precedent, or if there was a greater passage of time between the two sales (say, more than a week), it would be easier to swallow.
First of all let me say that I am a 7 year veteran player of Co* and also well aware that I don't post often to the forums. However when i do it usually has merited thought behind it. So please, I ask that you read the entire post before "flaming" or deleting this post as I have some valid points that many of my fellow VIP's will, I am sure, agree with.
1) Featured Items: While yes this is an excelent way to promote players to spend money, especially the Free Access Users; What are you doing to your content?
a) By putting the Winter Event Items on the Market. You completly make doin the actual Events to Earn the items a mute point. Why should I spend the time in first building up a team and then leading said team against Lady Winter and Snaptooth to Earn the prizes. Santa Hat for 10 candy canes (aka Stocking Cap, confusing btw since there is already an item in the character creation screen with the other Pirate Hats) Santa Gloves-Reward for Completing the Lady Winter event in Pocket D. Santa Boots, awarded the same way. Ear Muffs, awarded via randomness of opening presents during the event. Which, I can only assume is what you want people to do since you spawn them every year. So why make them a Buyable item if you actually Want people to Play your Content? I know you take the time to develop the content so you obviously want people to Play it. This seems very counter productive and highly annoying to those of us that would like to have Something that you can't just Buy.
2)New Power Set: Prior to CoH: Freedom (i.e. when we were All VIP's) New Power Sets were a Free Perk with almost every new Issue and were also very prevelently announced usually with a nice lil preview trailer. (Hell even Walking had it's own trailer!) Immagine my surprise when I log in, decide to make yet another new Brute. (Sooo many char slots lol!) Only to find that some new powerset, Titan Weapon, is there... WTH is titan weapon I ask myself. (Btw I don't have Facebook so if it's there it's a non issue to me because I just don't care for social media forms such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. My daily life isn't that important lol) Not only has some new powerset shown up, but even being a VIP I had No Knowledge it was even coming. Once again. I have to Pay for it via my monthly stipend... NC Soft...Seriously! Why are VIP's being charged for Any new powersets? First it was Beam Rifle, then it was Street Justice (fun powerset btw, I highly recomend it) and now Titan Weapon (also fun, for a Brute, I've heard mixed reviews from my scrapper friends)
This post all boils down to Why are VIPs being charged Extra for things we use to get for Free? Why are you making the Event Content flat out Pointless to play? This seems highly counter-productive to actually Playing your hard worked and finely crafted game? It would seem as if your cutting your nose off just to spite your face and I for one am getting tired of having to save my 400 (plus 150 bonus via Paragon Reward Level) 550 points a month to get a powerset that no less than 6 months ago I would have gotten for Free as part of some kind of well thought out Issue. (Issue 22: Titanic Reign?)
Yes I understand we will be getting new issues faster (course we've all heard that before =) as well as the lovely Soon answer to highly anticipated items) but are you seriously trying to keep your subscribers, or are you, meaning NC SOft, trying to get everyone to just say "To hell with sub'n. I can be a premium and still get the same stuff." It certainly seems that way.
3) Paragon Reward Token: I have read the FAQ and it states that Paragon Reward Tokens are rewarded After the Paid month has actually been Played. What? That doesn't make any sence. If I pay for a month, even if I cancel immediately after paying, I still have that month of time so I therefore have no choice but to play out that month, or just let the 15 I just spent go to waste. Would it be to much to ask that the Paragon Reward Token system be linked to our payment schedual. Yes I understand this would entail the crew at NC Soft, which has been outsourced customer service wise to other countries in case y'all didn't know, to actually have Something to do while they wait on Tickets or other customer service needs/complaints. I mean maybe just a date on my Master Account Page? It lists all of the dates I have recieved my stipend, which isn't even on the same date every month even though my billing date has Never changed. So what gives.
Please NC Soft, I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy this game. All the immitators, Champions Online (formed from former NC Soft members) has failed in comparison. Even the ability to play DC Universe Online for Free hasn't pulled me away from my City of Heroes. I just hope that we havn't had happen what I fear has. That the NC Soft team is now more worried about earning that next $1 rather than making sure it VIPs are Still treated like they are VIPs.
Yes, VIPs have unlimited access to our AH's (Wents for Heroes, Black Market for Villains) My Reward Status gives me that if I were to drop to Premium.
Yes VIPs is currently the only way to access and even participate in Incarnate Trials. However, I don't see us making it through 2012 without even That perk being purchasable on the Paragon Market. Even if it is only a recuring monthly purchase like the Invention System (rental?...best way I know how to put it.)
So I'm asking this again. WHy are you not only making your content, the holiday content at least, redundant to even bother with and why are you treating your VIPs no better than a high access Premium player.
VIP Status gets you... 400 points a month... Cool.
1 Char transfer a Month... Cool somewhat useless but still cool. I wish we could "Cash In" this transfer for it's Point Value but hey, that's just my view on it.
Free access to the Monthly Story Arc... Well you decided to go and ruin the suspence of "Who Will Die" by announcing it's gonna be Statesman. Poor Choice IMO
And a nearly limitless amount of character slots. Great for my altitis lol.
I know this has been a long winded post. Some of you may read it and view it as just another player thinking their Entitled to more. Well considering I've been paying for this game for 7 years and will continue to pay for it. I sorta am. As are the other VIPs out there. We are Entitled to get Free what we Always got free. Nothin more, Nothing less. The extras are great. But... they still make some of us feel as though we aren't as VIP as you have lead us to believe.
Here's where I'll close by saying Thank You NC Soft. For a very well developed game, for a very fun experiance and for continuing to put your best efforts forward concerning new content and new power sets for us all to enjoy.
Loyal Son of Paragon,
Living Fyre - lvl 50 Fire/Fire/Energy Tanker - Pinnacle Server
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Alrighty. I figured I'd reply to this since I see it ALL the time from people. None of this is actual knowledge from NCSoft or Paragon Studios, but it is my understanding of their choices.|
Originally Posted by Living_Fyre
*snip*
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1) Featured items are a wonderful way to get people to actually buy them. There is nothing wrong with this tactic. It's used in many different businesses to promote certain items that either 1) wouldn't make sense at any other time (ie. the winter pack) or 2) make sense as a limited promotion. (ie. Free Titan Weapons? Duh. Not going to keep that around forever.)
a) My understanding about putting Winter Event items on the market is
because not all people have the energy, time, and ability to go through every character to unlock the items. While these items weren't on the top of my list to get, I still got the pack. Why? Because. I know that I'm not going to want to grind through all that content to get the pieces unlocked on a chosen character I want and because if I want to make a winter themed character outside of winter -- I'm screwed until next winter for these pieces.
You also mentioned the content now becoming pointless. If you examine, there are certain things that you cannot buy through the Paragon Market but yet you can buy them with candy canes. That, to me, makes the idea of grinding the missions still understandable if you would like one of those things.
2) Prior to CoH: Freedom, releasing powersets has nowhere near "every" issue.
Here is to show how powersets have been released over the issues;
Issue 1: No new powersets
Issue 2: No new powersets
Issue 3: Epic Archetypes released, Epic Power Pools added.
Issue 4: No new powersets
Issue 5: Archery, Trick Arrow, Sonic Attack, and Sonic Resonance, Electric Mastery (EPP) added.
Issue 6: City of Villains released (Villain Archetypes and Powersets released. Some new, some not)
Issue 7: Patron Pools, Thugs, Electric Melee, Electric Shields, Dark Melee, Dark Armor released.
Issue 8: No new powersets
Issue 9: No new powersets.
Issue 10: No new powersets.
Issue 11: Dual Blades and Willpower added.
Issue 12: Villain Epic Archetypes released, Powerset Proliferation.
Issue 13: Shield Defense and Pain Domination released.
Issue 14: No new powersets.
Issue 15: No new powersets.
Issue 16: More Powerset Proliferation.
Issue 17: Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning were released as a pre-purchase reward for Going Rogue.
Issue 18: Electric Control, Kinetic Melee released (w/ Going Rogue). Epic Powerset Proliferation.
Issue 19: No new powersets.
Issue 19.5: No new powersets.
Issue 20: No new powersets.
Issue 20.5: No new powersets.
Issue 21: Time Manipulation released (free for all VIPs), Powerset Proliferation.
Issue 21.5: No new powersets.
As you can see, powersets being released has always been sporadic. Now, with Freedom, they have promised that VIPs will get a new free (for them) powerset with every issue. (Or so I believe. I know I've seen that a billion times before. I'll find the quote for you.) But, with them selling powersets, it is a way for them to release powersets more frequent w/o simultaneously Issue releases.
3) I have nothing to say here. I know that there are issues with Paragon Reward tokens/Monthly PP stipends and I trust that they are doing everything in their power to relieve the issue.
What it gets down to in the end is that they aren't making marketing decisions to deter us away from playing through content and keep up our subs -- they're doing it for us. They are doing it for the ones that want powersets quicker than issue releases, they are doing it for those who want new costume options constantly, they are doing it for those who don't have the time to grind through the winter event, etc. They are doing it for us.
If I missed something, let me know. I'm just attempting to help you undersatnd what you may think is "treating us wrongly" is more like "treating us all wonderfully".
Have a great day. ;D
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I'm fairly sure that dark melee and dark armor existed long before issue 7...
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Originally Posted by Fay
Issue 7: Patron Pools, Thugs, Electric Melee, Electric Shields, Dark Melee, Dark Armor released.
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Originally Posted by Fay
Issue 7: Patron Pools, Thugs, Electric Melee, Electric Shields, Dark Melee, Dark Armor released.
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Originally Posted by Arctic Man
I'm fairly sure that dark melee and dark armor existed long before issue 7...
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http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Dark_Melee#Historical
"But it wasn't anything some purples and oranges and lots of screaming in fear couldn't handle." -- Werner
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Well, yes, but Fay included DM and DA with a list of NEW powersets instead of separating them out as proliferations. |
Originally Posted by Eldorado
Dark melee and dark armor have been around for scrappers since Issue 0, but they were new to STALKERS as of Issue 7. http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Issue_7#New_Power_Sets
http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Dark_Melee#Historical |
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Originally Posted by Dispari
I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.
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So glad I bothered to get the 25% off character slots when if I had just waited 2 weeks I could have gotten them for 50% off. That's a pretty crummy move. Pick a sale price and stick to it, quit jerking us around.
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