Employee discount in the Paragon Store?


Arcanaville

 

Posted

It just occurred to me - I get everything from work (big software company) free, and also can get cheap F&F copies of stuff, too.

Do Paragon employees get free/cheap Paragon Points?


 

Posted

From what I've heard, on their employee accounts, they can have anything they want. However on their personal accounts they have to pay like other players.

I'm sure Zwillinger will correct me if I'm wrong about this.

Edit:
And I'm still partially right after Zwillinger's response. So... Free subscription, but anything beyond that comes out of their own pocket.




Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters

 

Posted

How many hypothetical "fully unlocked employee" accounts are we talking about here? Several dozen, a hundred tops maybe? It wouldn't really impact the game much if the employees got to "cheat" with freebie points or not.

I suppose it would be fun to know how they handle it, but it wouldn't really matter to me either way.


Loth 50 Fire/Rad Controller [1392 Badges] [300 non-AE Souvenirs]
Ryver 50 Ele� Blaster [1392 Badges]
Silandra 50 Peacebringer [1138 Badges] [No Redside Badges]
--{=====> Virtue ♀

 

Posted

As I understand it, they have their "Redname Accounts", which they use to create their personal in-game avatars for dev/community- to-player interactions, and their personal accounts, which work just like the rest of us. Their employee terms and conditions prevent them from using "dev hacks" on their personal accounts (and the consequences of doing so are likely to be a sacking for gross misconduct). They are also not allowed to reveal their personal account global names.

This information has been gleaned over the course of several years, but most noticeably from details (scarce ones) from ex-employees about the treatment of their private accounts after employment ends.

It is also possible for their "dev accounts" to be converted into "personal accounts" with the loss of everything that dev accounts had (like badges and ultra-cheats characters with all tanker powersets, all APPs and all power pools).


The wisdom of Shadowe: Ghostraptor: The Shadowe is wise ...; FFM: Shadowe is no longer wise. ; Techbot_Alpha: Also, what Shadowe said. It seems he is still somewhat wise ; Bull Throttle: Shadowe was unwise in this instance...; Rock_Powerfist: in this instance Shadowe is wise.; Techbot_Alpha: Shadowe is very wise *nods*; Zortel: *Quotable line about Shadowe being wise goes here.*

 

Posted

I think it was already fairly reasonable to think that there were "dev enabled" accounts that have features/commands unavailable to normal accounts.

I think the thrust of the OP's original question was whether employees of the company get free/discounted Paragon Points for their personal accounts. That's the question that I think might be fun to know but wouldn't bother me either way.


Loth 50 Fire/Rad Controller [1392 Badges] [300 non-AE Souvenirs]
Ryver 50 Ele� Blaster [1392 Badges]
Silandra 50 Peacebringer [1138 Badges] [No Redside Badges]
--{=====> Virtue ♀

 

Posted

Also wouldn't bother me either way. As I understand it, the personal accounts function identically to the accounts the rest of us have. I am prepared to be wrong, but I'd be very surprised if I am.


The wisdom of Shadowe: Ghostraptor: The Shadowe is wise ...; FFM: Shadowe is no longer wise. ; Techbot_Alpha: Also, what Shadowe said. It seems he is still somewhat wise ; Bull Throttle: Shadowe was unwise in this instance...; Rock_Powerfist: in this instance Shadowe is wise.; Techbot_Alpha: Shadowe is very wise *nods*; Zortel: *Quotable line about Shadowe being wise goes here.*

 

Posted

We get a personal account subscription paid for free. Additional points, beyond the stipend, we have to purchase.

Many of us have multiple personal accounts, myself included. Most of us have purchased points beyond the stipend, myself included.


Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowe View Post
Also wouldn't bother me either way. As I understand it, the personal accounts function identically to the accounts the rest of us have. I am prepared to be wrong, but I'd be very surprised if I am.
On the nose.

Our personal accounts are no different than your personal accounts.

We just have the added benefit of not telling anyone who we are IRL .


Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
On the nose.

Our personal accounts are no different than your personal accounts.

We just have the added benefit of not telling anyone who we are IRL .
ooo secret identities!


total kick to the gut

This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
On the nose.

Our personal accounts are no different than your personal accounts.

We just have the added benefit of not telling anyone who we are IRL .
Plz we all know that in IRL you like to be called Zwillinger .. even Mrs. Zwillinger calls you zwillinger


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by SwellGuy View Post
ooo secret identities!
It's more about preserving our sanity. I'm fairly active in global channels on my personal account, and I appreciate that I can chat without being deluged with PM's like I am on my Redname account .

Also, I get to spy on you all.

*maniacal laughter*


Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by HardRider View Post
Plz we all know that in IRL you like to be called Zwillinger .. even Mrs. Zwillinger calls you zwillinger
My sons refer to it as my "Super Hero™ Name".

My wife just rolls her eyes.


Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
My sons refer to it as my "Super Hero™ Name".

My wife just rolls her eyes.
Do you roll them back to her, or just pick them up and run?

(See also "I have my father's eyes." "Put those away.")


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill View Post
Do you roll them back to her, or just pick them up and run?

(See also "I have my father's eyes." "Put those away.")
See also: Vermillion Lies, Grandfather


@Glass Goblin - Writer, brainstormer, storyteller, hero

Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day

 

Posted

There's one famous case of a player becoming a Dev because of his hawt AE skills, and so, many of us know his personal account global. He still plays on that account and I've had him a few times on my speed iTF runs. Of course, I'll use the opportunity to make winkingly joking comments aimed at him during play like, "If they Devs knew about this they'd nerf it to heck!" and he'll reply winkingly, "Therefore, we must keep it secret!"

(And it never got nerfed, btw.)


Speeding Through New DA Repeatables || Spreadsheet o' Enhancements || Zombie Skins: better skins for these forums || Guide to Guides

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
There's one famous case of a player becoming a Dev because of his hawt AE skills, and so, many of us know his personal account global. He still plays on that account and I've had him a few times on my speed iTF runs. Of course, I'll use the opportunity to make winkingly joking comments aimed at him during play like, "If they Devs knew about this they'd nerf it to heck!" and he'll reply winkingly, "Therefore, we must keep it secret!"

(And it never got nerfed, btw.)
Careful... don't go gettin' him in trouble!!


@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"
-Dylan

 

Posted

Bah... even if I ever become a dev, I'm keeping my personal account. Doesn't matter that lots of folks know me.

I just dread the day that some newbie over at Paragon takes the redname I staked out for myself years ago.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite


Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark_Respite View Post
I just dread the day that some newbie over at Paragon takes the redname I staked out for myself years ago.
A vampire-cop named Stake Out?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
It's more about preserving our sanity. I'm fairly active in global channels on my personal account, and I appreciate that I can chat without being deluged with PM's like I am on my Redname account .

Also, I get to spy on you all.

*maniacal laughter*
This makes sense to me, and i'm all for it.

This also makes me a bit suspicious of a global friend of mine who does everything he can to hide/preserve his real life identity.
He isn't on facebook, he actually made a dummy e-mail for Mids build advice even when he is on Vent with us, he just keeps using his global name.

*Goes in deep thoughts*



Dark Energon, Founder of the Freedom Legion SG on Guardian server.
(SG founded on 12-08-'09, Top100: 08-17-'10, Top50: 12-23-'10, Top25: 12-11-'11)
Crab Spider Nephila on Titan Tracker
Weekly events on Guardian: W.A.V.E. & FNFN

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark_Respite View Post
Bah... even if I ever become a dev, I'm keeping my personal account. Doesn't matter that lots of folks know me.

I just dread the day that some newbie over at Paragon takes the redname I staked out for myself years ago.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
If I ever became a dev, I don't see what the point of being called anything other than "Arcanaville" would be, because it seems unlikely that could be kept a secret for very long.

On the other hand, if they let me design my own signature character... let's just say there's a lot about the powers system players would learn is possible when I started showing up in Pocket D and stomping on everything in sight.

Heck that would almost be worth applying for a job all by itself. I could take on other devs' super-alts in Atlas Park and it would be like watching Green Lanterns duke it out only more colorful. There'd be Kronos Titans summoned to fight Warwalkers and unresistable damage unleashed on unhittable targets while things kept going in and out of phase and clone duplicates made it impossible to figure out the right one to kill while Storm Elementals and Rikti Heavies blotted out the sky.

So like if one day you see someone in Atlas going all Brad Pitt in Troy calling out Positron and Zwillinger and then yellow mitos start showing up all around them, it might be because I decided to move to Mountain View.

Actually, why Black Scorpion hasn't done this yet I'll never know. "You want to see a decimal point error? Oh, was that supposed to hit for 100? I'm sorry it hit for 10000, my bad. You don't think buffing recharge on pets is overpowered? Well say hello to my 500% recharge Gremlins. Who else has a problem with the powers spreadsheets; show yourselves you cowards."


[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]

In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
We get a personal account subscription paid for free. Additional points, beyond the stipend, we have to purchase.
Wow, cheapskates.
You get a lot more each month working at a cable company.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Energon View Post
This also makes me a bit suspicious of a global friend of mine who does everything he can to hide/preserve his real life identity.
He isn't on facebook, he actually made a dummy e-mail for Mids build advice even when he is on Vent with us, he just keeps using his global name.
And this is shocking? On Ventrilo or Teamspeak I use Ironblade. My Skype account doesn't use my real name since I anticipated I might use it for gaming.


Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanaville View Post
If I ever became a dev, I don't see what the point of being called anything other than "Arcanaville" would be, because it seems unlikely that could be kept a secret for very long.

On the other hand, if they let me design my own signature character... let's just say there's a lot about the powers system players would learn is possible when I started showing up in Pocket D and stomping on everything in sight.

Heck that would almost be worth applying for a job all by itself. I could take on other devs' super-alts in Atlas Park and it would be like watching Green Lanterns duke it out only more colorful. There'd be Kronos Titans summoned to fight Warwalkers and unresistable damage unleashed on unhittable targets while things kept going in and out of phase and clone duplicates made it impossible to figure out the right one to kill while Storm Elementals and Rikti Heavies blotted out the sky.

So like if one day you see someone in Atlas going all Brad Pitt in Troy calling out Positron and Zwillinger and then yellow mitos start showing up all around them, it might be because I decided to move to Mountain View.

Actually, why Black Scorpion hasn't done this yet I'll never know. "You want to see a decimal point error? Oh, was that supposed to hit for 100? I'm sorry it hit for 10000, my bad. You don't think buffing recharge on pets is overpowered? Well say hello to my 500% recharge Gremlins. Who else has a problem with the powers spreadsheets; show yourselves you cowards."
<slaps jacket chest pockets> Where did I put that Dagger of Jocas?


Speeding Through New DA Repeatables || Spreadsheet o' Enhancements || Zombie Skins: better skins for these forums || Guide to Guides

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironblade View Post
And this is shocking? On Ventrilo or Teamspeak I use Ironblade. My Skype account doesn't use my real name since I anticipated I might use it for gaming.
Didn't mean it that way...
I too have my name set as glob name on Vent, yet my friends also know my RL name... He however, never stated his RL, not even when asked.



Dark Energon, Founder of the Freedom Legion SG on Guardian server.
(SG founded on 12-08-'09, Top100: 08-17-'10, Top50: 12-23-'10, Top25: 12-11-'11)
Crab Spider Nephila on Titan Tracker
Weekly events on Guardian: W.A.V.E. & FNFN

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zwillinger View Post
It's more about preserving our sanity. I'm fairly active in global channels on my personal account, and I appreciate that I can chat without being deluged with PM's like I am on my Redname account .

Also, I get to spy on you all.

*maniacal laughter*
Out of curiosity, how do you handle in-game Dev bashing? Not the rage-quit type, but when someone is frustrated at a long standing bug or a design choice? Do you just shrug and keep going? How tempted are you to comment? Do you ever join in? Especially if they're talking about something you think could use improvement/fixing? Take notes for the next meeting?

I remember a story from BaBs about running the Seer Marino arc with a team and they got to the mission with the misplaced door marker. He said the entire mission the team (who he was friends with in game, but who didn't know his day job) was complaining about it. He said he was just kind of quiet other than making a token, "yeah, they should fix that," comment.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Energon View Post
Didn't mean it that way...
I too have my name set as glob name on Vent, yet my friends also know my RL name... He however, never stated his RL, not even when asked.
Hell, I do the same thing. My RL info ain't nobody's business. :tinfoil_hat:




[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint: