I'm pretty sure the whole idea of a VIP server is that you have to be a VIP to play on it. Let's just say I would plan on losing access to that server and if you can't get to it after the 19th you'll know for sure. Take care regardless. 
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Ah, nevermind. I found it on the CoH website: http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/about_...cho.php#tabs-2
Rats.
Well, there's always the option to transfer. I believe VIPs have been getting 1 free transfer per month, so hopefully you've saved up a few?
Note that aany extra slots you've assigned to Exalted will remain on exalted. So, if you have a few bucks/points now, you might want to pick up some character slots.
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And hopefully you have not "spent" your 2 "global" character slots on the VIP server (in other words have 14 character slots on the server), otherwise you'll might need to buy some character slots to apply on the other servers.
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I have had my credit card renewed so I have first hand knowledge.
1. all of your characters become locked, you have to unlock them using your "global unlocks" that any "free" or VIP player can use. you can unlock an existing character or create a new one.
2. IOs and ATOs or any crafted IO will no longer work for you as if your slot was empty.
3. you can't email, AH, AE or use your SG base. not sure if you can trade anything but I know that nothing you can't use can be traded/gifted with you.
when you do finally put a new credit card on, your characters still look locked but when you try to unlock them it doesn't ask you if you want to use one of your global unlocks anymore and then you can play them as usual.
ATOs are not invention based -- they work for everyone, same as store bought enhancements.
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To be a little more precise - there are server and global unlocks. If you've purchased and used character slots on a server, they cannot be moved *from* that server. They'll be used first when you unlock a character. |
Originally Posted by OutaControl
I have had my credit card renewed so I have first hand knowledge.
1. all of your characters become locked, you have to unlock them using your "global unlocks" that any "free" or VIP player can use. you can unlock an existing character or create a new one. |
If you have none, or are unlocking more, you'll need global unlocks.
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| 2. IOs and ATOs or any crafted IO will no longer work for you as if your slot was empty. |
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| 3. you can't email, AH, AE or use your SG base. not sure if you can trade anything but I know that nothing you can't use can be traded/gifted with you. |
So, if Level's been VIP consistently as long as he's had his forum account (I don't know,) he won't notice much change. He:
- Won't be able to pay base rent, or convert INF to Prestige
- Will have to pay for SSAs he hasn't already separately purchased
- Will have to purchase a few powersets (NOT MMs, Controllers, or Epics... again, if he's been a steady subscriber, or at least long enough to be Tier9)
- Won't be able to redeem Paragon Rewards token for Tier9 VIP items after dropping to premium.
The difference between his experience and yours - if the forum registration date is anywhere close - is specifically due to reward tier level. (And you can "boost" yours via buying points.)
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This is not entirely true.|
Originally Posted by OutaControl
I have had my credit card renewed so I have first hand knowledge.
1. all of your characters become locked, you have to unlock them using your "global unlocks" that any "free" or VIP player can use. you can unlock an existing character or create a new one. 2. IOs and ATOs or any crafted IO will no longer work for you as if your slot was empty. 3. you can't email, AH, AE or use your SG base. not sure if you can trade anything but I know that nothing you can't use can be traded/gifted with you. when you do finally put a new credit card on, your characters still look locked but when you try to unlock them it doesn't ask you if you want to use one of your global unlocks anymore and then you can play them as usual. |
1. (I've never been VIP so I do not know how the character slot deal works when your sub lapses)
2. ATOs are NOT crafted. They will work whether or not you are VIP. IOs will work if you have purchased a 30 day invention license from the paragon market or have paragon reward tier 7 maxed out which gives you a permanent invention license. At the very least a new free player never subscribed can purchase paragon points and spend them on super packs in the paragon market and, if they are lucky, get ATOs. No invention license, or VIP membership, is required to use ATOs or enhancements you purchase from the paragon market. They are called 'Attuned' enhancements.
3. Not quite correct. If a VIP stops paying their subscription, at the very LEAST they will be reward tier 2 premium. At reward tier 2 premium you can use in game email, join a super group, or if you are the leader keep leadership and still be able to enter the base but a VIP SG member needs to pay base upkeep to my understanding, and yes you can even trade and receive/give gifts with other players, and play missions in AE but without any xp/inf/ticket rewards. Tier 4 premium gives you a lifetime auction license and allows you to earn inf/xp/ticket rewards in AE, tier 6 premium gives you a lifetime license access to everything about AE which includes creating your own stories/missions. (sadly there is no 30 day AE license to purchase from the paragon market)
To the OP, the whole point, as someone else said, about a VIP server is that you need to be VIP to access it. Do not worry though. I'm pretty sure your characters will still be there, you just can't play on them. But as pointed out, if you have any free server transfer tokens from your VIP membership you may be able to transfer them (come to Freedom if you can, we have cookies
). Or you can purchase a server transfer from the paragon market, but that is kinda pricy and if you can't pay your subscription I doubt you will have the funds to purchase a transfer for each character (unless a transfer token is on sale, it costs 800 paragon points, which would be about $10, and for $5 more you could just resub 
).(Note to anybody that does not know: If you have spent any amount of money, either by subscribing for 1 month or more and your subscription lapsed, or purchased $5 or more in paragon points, you will automatically become a premium member permanently. The tier in paragon rewards you are at is determined by how long you subscribed (1 token each month) and/or for every 1200 paragon points you accumulate when purchasing (the free points you get from buying larger bundles do count).)
For more info go to: http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Paragon_Rewards_Program
(Edited to fix grammar and typos)
One nice thing I noticed for those of us unable to be perma-VIP - I returned as a premium player after about a 6 month hiatus. I had about 6 server slots on Virtue from previous vet rewards and used my global slot on Infinity. Last month I splurged and paid for a VIP month, played all the characters I hadn't touched and so forth, then lapsed back to premium last week. While my slots were all locked into those two servers, when I logged in I was able to re-select which characters I wanted to play. I had been curious as to whether I'd be stuck with the same 7 characters that I'd been playing prior to ponying up.
The nice thing for me in all of this is I can concentrate on a few toons for awhile. When I decide to shake things up, I can VIP for a month, then re-select the toons I want to play when I lapse back to premium. Also, I mistakenly unlocked the wrong character on Infinity this time around, so I'm glad I can reset that choice next time.
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This give or take how many tokens you've racked up...I had to selectively re-unlock any toons I wanted to play. I also lost access to any of the ATs that are listed as "VIP Content" in the market, my pretty golden label here, access to post in about half the forums, and loss of my Avatar/Signature.
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Originally Posted by OutaControl
I have had my credit card renewed so I have first hand knowledge.
1. all of your characters become locked, you have to unlock them using your "global unlocks" that any "free" or VIP player can use. you can unlock an existing character or create a new one. 2. IOs and ATOs or any crafted IO will no longer work for you as if your slot was empty. 3. you can't email, AH, AE or use your SG base. not sure if you can trade anything but I know that nothing you can't use can be traded/gifted with you. when you do finally put a new credit card on, your characters still look locked but when you try to unlock them it doesn't ask you if you want to use one of your global unlocks anymore and then you can play them as usual. |
Note nowhere are Epic ATs unlocked by reward tier - although a bug allows some people to keep access without specifically paying for it as a premium player.
Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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Hmm...interesting.
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Originally Posted by Rajani Isa
Note nowhere are Epic ATs unlocked by reward tier - although a bug allows some people to keep access without specifically paying for it as a premium player.
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The development team and this community deserved better than this from NC Soft. Best wishes on your search.
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A friend gave me a code from the CoV box, made a new account under my own master account and 1st toon i could make was a VEAT, without being level 20. Yes it was a VIP account, but still, VEAT as 1st toon without having a level 20 toon 1st seemed odd.
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Originally Posted by Rajani Isa
Note nowhere are Epic ATs unlocked by reward tier - although a bug allows some people to keep access without specifically paying for it as a premium player.
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Are you sure that's a bug, Raj? I assumed that, once you've unlocked the epics, they remain unlocked regardless of premium/VIP/sewer rat status. In fact, I was able to start a new Kheldian recently, though I assume that since I've only gotten to, er, what's the new epic unlock level again? 30? ... on two servers, that I could only do Epics on those two servers, just like before Freedom.|
Originally Posted by Rajani Isa
Note nowhere are Epic ATs unlocked by reward tier - although a bug allows some people to keep access without specifically paying for it as a premium player.
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I think it's WAI.
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I think all of the pre-Freedom unlocks still work.
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Originally Posted by Dark Energon
A friend gave me a code from the CoV box, made a new account under my own master account and 1st toon i could make was a VEAT, without being level 20. Yes it was a VIP account, but still, VEAT as 1st toon without having a level 20 toon 1st seemed odd.
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That's a concern for me. My SG was born waaaay back in 2006 or 2007, and all have drifted away from the game. If I'm the only player who's active and I'm not VIP then once base rent is overdue I'll be locked out of our beautiful and hard earned base (sobs).|
Originally Posted by monkeyslap
At reward tier 2 premium you can use in game email, join a super group, or if you are the leader keep leadership and still be able to enter the base but a VIP SG member needs to pay base upkeep to my understanding...
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Part of me wants to argue that this move isn't fair, but then again I'll be playing for FREE and shouldn't have access to everything. But I want everything for free.
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Post on the forums or ask in chat for a VIP to help pay your rent. There's pretty much always someone willing.
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Originally Posted by Level
That's a concern for me. My SG was born waaaay back in 2006 or 2007, and all have drifted away from the game. If I'm the only player who's active and I'm not VIP then once base rent is overdue I'll be locked out of our beautiful and hard earned base (sobs).
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Paragon Wiki: http://www.paragonwiki.com
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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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If you have free server transfers, you might want to move favorite characters off of Exalted before your paid time expires.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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So a VIP player that's NOT in my SG can pay my base rent? |
Originally Posted by Aggelakis
Post on the forums or ask in chat for a VIP to help pay your rent. There's pretty much always someone willing.
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Yes. Any VIP can pay rent.
Not entirely sure WHY it happens to be set up this way. But there ya go.
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
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You invite them to your SG and lower the permission to pay base rent to the lowest rank.
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Originally Posted by Level
So a VIP player that's NOT in my SG can pay my base rent?
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Just remember that there is a permission setting that controls who can pay base rent. I believe the default setting allows permission for only the highest 2 or 3 ranks for some reason. A lot of group leaders never change the default, and so lower ranking members are blocked from paying rent even when the base is powered down or closed due to non-payment. So make sure the permission setting is low enough or your VIP friends are promoted high enough that they CAN pay rent when needed!
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Originally Posted by Level
So a VIP player that's NOT in my SG can pay my base rent?
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This information seems contradictory to...|
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Yes. Any VIP can pay rent.
Not entirely sure WHY it happens to be set up this way. But there ya go. |
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Originally Posted by DreadShinobi
You invite them to your SG and lower the permission to pay base rent to the lowest rank.
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I'm letting my VIP status end on April 19 due to financial reasons, and I'm wondering if that will then block my access to the VIP server and all my characters there. My guess is yes, but I want confirmation from my homies before I panic.