all my characters locked.

This, from my understanding and experience, is how it works, how it's worked since Freedom started, and how it is supposed to work. It sounds like the OP used all their slots on one server and Global slots get turned into server-specific slots once redeemed on a server, they don't pop back up as Global when you go from VIP to Premium (you just get to reassign which characters the server slots go to on servers that have slots).

So yes, the only options I see that the OP has are to:
1) buy character slots for the server the characters were transferred to,
2) use the unlocked slots on the old server, making new characters or transferring characters back into them, or
3) be VIP and not need to deal with unlocking slots at all

But that does not answer the OPs question about how to get back to their desired characters, does it?
And if they cannot access the VIP server to move them...

(I am just trying to figure out if the characters/Exalted being in the mix is what is making his experience different and try to help him/customer support.)

...is true...
...you should know that the players, everyone here who has posted, is already on your side.

You made a bad decision. In your defense, you didn't know how things would turn out. It would seem to make sense that unlocking character slots means unlocking characters--but that's not how things work around here.
And as for that, you need to understand that you're talking about other human beings. They have other obligations which, yes, do sometimes involve preferential treatment to others. But getting mean about it isn't going to solve any problems.

Frankly, I think the cost of resubbing for one more month is cheaper than buying character transfers or unlocking extra slots. Plus you'll get a reward token that unlocks more things, and a stipend--which you can think of as a refund. So really, you have to decide if you want to pay your sub for another month. As an eight year player, I certainly recommend it. It's a quality game with an amazing community, and you're short-changing yourself if you ragequit now. I'll personally gleemail you some swag if you decide to sub. (It's also worth noting that you can get a "refer a friend" code and get extra points for you and a friend, too.)

Best wishes.

i wasnt trying to be mean, but the customer service rep has just ignored me since yesterday. i do my best not to be mean to any one, but when im ignored because its more convenient, i tend to lose respect for people, and this situation is no different. At the very least i should have gotten a responce back telling me they would look for an answer or something, but all i get is my ticket closed and the silent treatment from the support team.

I could be wrong, I haven't moved or unlocked any slots on my main account since Freedom, but I think this is incorrect. When we were receiving character slots as annual rewards (pre-freedom) or even purchased slots they state specifically that these unlocked slots would be permanently opened to that server only (i.e. you could not change your mind and move an unlocked slot to another server).

The post-freedom free global slots work in the same manner, once unlocked on a server, they are permanently unlocked there and only there. It matters not what you do with the character in that slot.

If you haven't gotten a response, how do you know that they're ignoring you? Maybe they're trying to get an answer for you. They're not going to send a progress report every 20 minutes, nor every time you ask. They have more important things to do - like actually finding your answer.

Did they tell you that that's what they're doing? If not, then how do you know that's what's happening? And you know the old bit about what happens when you "assume", right?

No you shouldn't. See above.

Your ticket isn't closed unless YOU told them to, or three days have passed since they last communicated with you with no response from you. The ticket is specifically left open in those cases so that you can add additional information about the problem if need be.


However, from the character select screen:

They didn't exactly spring this on you from nowhere; you WERE warned in advance.

You are aware that Customer Service isn't available to Free and Premium accounts. The CS Rep may have initially thought you were still a VIP or you weren't clear that your sub had lapsed, and once he or she found out your actual account status (Maybe their supervisor told them to close the ticket) they correctly followed company procedure and closed the ticket because only VIP's get access to Customer Service



http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/freedom/about-freedom/



http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/...ntitled3-8.png

Live Customer Support is a service provided only to Subscribers i.e. VIP's.

You really should read that chart again. Premium in-game customer support is only available to VIP customers. Free and Premium customers still get support, but only through the support website by submitting a ticket there. The Live Chat support on that site is for VIP only as well.

NCSoft and Paragon Studios are apparently defining "Live Support" as direct interaction either through a rep appearing in-game as one of the Police Drones and having a conversation with you to resolve your problems or through the Live Chat interface.

All players have access to support through the support site, but only VIP have access to in-game support. That is apparently what they've defined as "self-help support" in that last part you quoted.

Some of us have actually tested those support options and found that non-VIP accounts do indeed have access to those support options.

If they just shot you down with a closed ticket, without remotely explaining what was going on--even going so far as to say, "Sorry, Customer Support is only available to Premium and VIP players," then I completely agree with you. (It's important to note that the perception of being ignored and an actual CS ticket that has been closed are different things.)

I know a lot of people are pointing out, "The website clearly says this," and even, "You would have to deliberately ignore the explanation and instructions to accomplish what you did," and doing so with pictures--and it's true--but it's not going to help you out right now. If the game allowed me to gift you server transfers, I would--but I can't. You're going to have to make a tough decision.

That being said, I would still encourage you to try and enjoy the game--whether by making new characters in your now empty slots--or by unlocking/moving your wayward characters. Please don't give up!

If you are a VIP subscriber, there are no restrictions to cause that that I am aware of, short of running out of character slot space on that server.

So now you're putting your interpretation of the situation on someone else, and then blaming them for it. Certainly not mean, per se, but definitely not a classy move.

I know that, and from the tone of the OP's posts it sounded to me like he was using the Live Chat Support on the support website.

Being a premium account he has to wait in queue behind any problems VIP's are having because paying customers take precedence. CS Reps aren't going to sit around twiddling their thumbs while they wait for a response on something they escalated. They put the open ticket on hold while waiting on an answer and work on something else.

Yeah, things only get locked when you downgrade an account.

Please, don't contradict yourself on my account. You clearly told him that only VIP's have access to Customer Service. In case you've forgotten, I highlighted it in bold text for you.

I expected better of you than to try to claim you were saying something different than what you had said in the post I quoted.

However, they don't get UNlocked when you upgrade to VIP. Any server you log into while Premium gets all the characters on it locked. Then, when you resubscribe, any characters that you didn't unlock remain locked, but you're given enough unlock tokens to unlock everything on every server. So yes, you can play all your characters as a subscriber.

...unless they've maxed the number of open character slots on a server.

You can't have more characters than slots on a server when you're VIP. The only way to end up in that position would be to buy character slots for that server, and the game remembers that you did so, and adds them to your base 12.

As a VIP, you can always access all the characters you have created.

I believe it might be possible to create characters while you have unlocks to redeem. And if you do that, you can end up with more characters than unlocks.

I had Victory all locked.

I showed 12 slots available on it when transferring a character recently. Looking at it, it showed me with 12 server slots on there and my old 12 locked. So considering i don't have max slots purchased on that server (+36 for the VIP total of 48) then I can have more characters than slots as is being stated by Android5.9 and others.

As a Premium, yes you can create a new character in an unlocked slot while you still have locked characters. What Rajani says suggests that it would work that way for VIPs too. Since I'm resubscribing in a couple days, I think I should test that when I do. It would be interesting to see what happens.

So I forgot to include the word "live" in the first paragraph of my post. Accidents happen TeeJay. I never claimed to be perfect. I know what I was trying to say.

The funny thing about this is that if you had bothered to read the last sentence you might have seen that I said

Seeing that incongruity some people might ask for clarification as to what was being said or give the person the benefit of doubt. But if you want to assume the worst that's fine by me.