The hero and villain epic archetypes are only available by purchase or by being VIP. So pretty much yes. It's not that you're buying your character; you're buying the ability to use that powerset.
Masterminds and controllers are also restricted but those can be unlocked by having enough vet time. (Or buying your way up the Paragon Rewards tiers.)
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
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Oh, and I'll give the standard reply here:|
Originally Posted by Captain Katana
I don't remember if they were automatically unlocked when I was paying, or if I bought them while I was paying, either way it seems extremely unfair that I now have to pay for the ability to play my own ATs.
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Back in the day, if you didn't pay a fee every month, you had access to NOTHING.
So you're complaining that you're not getting enough for FREE. Okay.
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
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I appreciate the standard sarcasm. It makes me feel like you actually care about answering player questions, and all that. I mean, why else would you be in the play questions part of the forum, right?|
Originally Posted by Ironblade
Oh, and I'll give the standard reply here:
Back in the day, if you didn't pay a fee every month, you had access to NOTHING. So you're complaining that you're not getting enough for FREE. Okay. |
But, I'd also like to point out a keyword in my statement--- that being "my *OWN* ATs."
Own:
Adjective:
Used with a possessive to emphasize that someone or something belongs or relates to the person mentioned.
Verb:
Have (something) as one's own; possess: "his father owns a restaurant".
So, the whole idea behind that sentence isn't that I'm complaining at having to pay for the epic ATs, but because I have to pay for the epic ATs that I'd already had.
So, am I complaining that I don't get enough free stuff? No. No, I'm not. I'm complaining that yet another restriction has been placed on me.
Thank you, again, for your concern. It pleases my heart to know that someone out there genuinely wants to help for the sake of helping.
@IronBlade
Thanks! n.n; I understand now. <3<3<3<3 I'll make do I guess.
You really don't own anything in the game, and it's what they call a hybrid model -- some stuff is free to play, pretty much everything that existed when the game launched/when CoV launched -- but the entire game isn't free, they want you to spend money too, of course. Their excuse for the Masterminds and Controllers is that pets take up more game resources (I guess) and the Epic ATs were always a kind of perk -- originally one that you couldn't create until you reached 50, now also something that you need to be a paying customer to have access to (like the incarnate system and some other things). Or you can buy a permanent unlock, just depends on how much that part of the game is worth to you I guess.
my lil RWZ Challenge vid
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City of Heroes:|
Originally Posted by Captain Katana
But, I'd also like to point out a keyword in my statement--- that being "my *OWN* ATs."
Own: Adjective: Used with a possessive to emphasize that someone or something belongs or relates to the person mentioned. Verb: Have (something) as one's own; possess: "his father owns a restaurant". |
Noun:
An MMORPG developed by Paragon Studios and owned by NCSoft; a service offered for profit by a private business; not yours: "NCSoft can choose to charge you for whatever aspect of City of Heroes they darn well please."
Sorry, couldn't resist. I understand your frustration, but them's the breaks. The free model is actually quite generous when you take a step back.
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Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
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You can call it sarcasm or you can call it reality.|
Originally Posted by Captain Katana
I appreciate the standard sarcasm.
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This is how the game works. I explained what you need to unlock and why, plus possible ways around the problem. Okay, you don't like it. We've seen similar complaints a thousand times, but this is a business and you will never ever get access to everything for free.
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
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Your simple explanation to the OP's question was sufficient. But your separate additional "YOU CAN'T HAVE FOR FREE! You mad bro?" response was uncalled for and unnecessary.|
Originally Posted by Ironblade
You can call it sarcasm or you can call it reality.
This is how the game works. I explained what you need to unlock and why, plus possible ways around the problem. Okay, you don't like it. We've seen similar complaints a thousand times, but this is a business and you will never ever get access to everything for free. |
To me the OP seems a bit frustrated but came here to find out a reason WHY he/she couldn't unlock their already created characters.
To the OP, I think if you had unlocked any of the epic archetypes and created characters with them as a VIP subscriber before the game went free-to-play you were allowed to unlock the characters and keep them as a premium player. I've seen reports but it might be inaccurate.
As a premium player you need to purchase the unlocks from the Paragon Market. VIP still have access to them, but I believe for a new VIP they just simply need to get a single character to level 20 to unlock the ATs permanently. Not sure if it's needed to have a separate level 20 hero to unlock the hero epics and a level 20 villain to unlock the villain epic ATs though.
Edit: Forgot to mention, if you have tier 5 maxed in Paragon Rewards tree you unlock the Mastermind and Controller ATs for free. Note: you do not need to place any of your reward tokens in any of the slots. Simply having enough tokens to max a tier will be considered sufficient.
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P.S. I've seen VIP players moan and complain along the lines of "We use to get all new power sets for free before the game went f2p and now you're telling I have to spend 2 months stipend to get this?!"
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Originally Posted by Ironblade
You can call it sarcasm or you can call it reality.
This is how the game works. I explained what you need to unlock and why, plus possible ways around the problem. Okay, you don't like it. We've seen similar complaints a thousand times, but this is a business and you will never ever get access to everything for free. |
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Yeah that always makes me laugh. |
Originally Posted by monkeyslap
P.S. I've seen VIP players moan and complain along the lines of "We use to get all new power sets for free before the game went f2p and now you're telling I have to spend 2 months stipend to get this?!"
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Someone gets upset because he has to wait two months to get a power set for free. Boo hoo. Life is so unfair. It's not like the devs leak info on new power sets months in advance so VIP's can save up their stipends and get them as soon as they are released. And it's not lke the power sets are put on the beta test server before going live so VIP's can check them out before buying them.Oh wait the devs do both of those things . . . nevermind.
Well VIPs did get 8 (or 7 since two of the dark sets are only half price) for free if they hadn't own Going Rogue, 4 (or 3) if they did. So far they've released six power sets for sale. So far I've bought four with my stipends.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
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Warshades, Peacebringers, Arachnos Soldiers, and Arachnos Widows are all free to VIPs, and Purchase-Only for Premiums. There is no free way to unlock them; the people - myself included - who got them unlocked for free during the transition to Freedom are the lucky beneficiaries of a bug. There's no way to tell for sure why some got the unlocks and others didn't, but it was never intended.|
Originally Posted by monkeyslap
To the OP, I think if you had unlocked any of the epic archetypes and created characters with them as a VIP subscriber before the game went free-to-play you were allowed to unlock the characters and keep them as a premium player. I've seen reports but it might be inaccurate.
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| As a premium player you need to purchase the unlocks from the Paragon Market. |
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| VIP still have access to them, but I believe for a new VIP they just simply need to get a single character to level 20 to unlock the ATs permanently. |
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| Not sure if it's needed to have a separate level 20 hero to unlock the hero epics and a level 20 villain to unlock the villain epic ATs though. |
[size=1]*There are theories that there's a new EAT coming up, and that it will be unlocked by levelling a Praetorian, but the only evidence is some data that players found by doing things they aren't supposed to, so we won't discuss that here.[/quote]
@Roderick
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I think that the complaint isn't that they have to save up the stipend for two months, but that they have to use the stipend at all. Many of the ones I've seen defiantly state that they've never purchased a single Paragon Point, and that it's insulting that the devs are trying to force them to buy points to get the power sets.|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Yeah that always makes me laugh.
Someone gets upset because he has to wait two months to get a power set for free. Boo hoo. Life is so unfair. It's not like the devs leak info on new power sets months in advance so VIP's can save up their stipends and get them as soon as they are released. And it's not lke the power sets are put on the beta test server before going live so VIP's can check them out before buying them.Oh wait the devs do both of those things . . . nevermind. |
I wonder if these people are spending their points every month as soon as they get them, thinking that they'll expire if not spent before the next month.
@Roderick
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The mental gymnastics they go thru to justify their entitlement issues is part of what makes their complaints so entertaining.
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Originally Posted by Roderick
I think that the complaint isn't that they have to save up the stipend for two months, but that they have to use the stipend at all. Many of the ones I've seen defiantly state that they've never purchased a single Paragon Point, and that it's insulting that the devs are trying to force them to buy points to get the power sets.
I wonder if these people are spending their points every month as soon as they get them, thinking that they'll expire if not spent before the next month. |
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{Emphasis mine}|
Originally Posted by Captain Katana
[... I]t seems extremely unfair that I now have to pay for the ability to play my own ATs.
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That there would be part of the problem. They aren't yours. Paragon Studios essentially allows you to rent space on their servers using their art assets, and powers, etc. provided you live up to certain conditions (like paying in some cases).
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Originally Posted by Captain Katana
So, am I complaining that I don't get enough free stuff? No. No, I'm not. I'm complaining that yet another restriction has been placed on me.
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Well it boils down to the point that the game allows you to unlock a character whose AT you don't have unlocked. They really need the throw two unlock icons on those character slots.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
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Seconded. I don't have a problem with a returning player being told they don't have access to a character because of the archetype - I do have a problem with the player burning a character unlock and still lacking access. SCR applies, but it would be nice if they could prevent players from unlocking characters they can't actually play.
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Originally Posted by Father Xmas
Well it boils down to the point that the game allows you to unlock a character whose AT you don't have unlocked. They really need the throw two unlock icons on those character slots.
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I thought that people who had them unlocked before Freedom had them grandfathered, or something. So if you unlocked them before a certain date, you didn't have to buy them, but if you did it afterwards, you'd still have to buy.
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Originally Posted by Roderick
Warshades, Peacebringers, Arachnos Soldiers, and Arachnos Widows are all free to VIPs, and Purchase-Only for Premiums. There is no free way to unlock them; the people - myself included - who got them unlocked for free during the transition to Freedom are the lucky beneficiaries of a bug. There's no way to tell for sure why some got the unlocks and others didn't, but it was never intended.
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Originally Posted by Back Alley Brawler
Did you just use "casual gamer" and "purpled-out warshade" in the same sentence?
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I think it was more like the folks who were active during Freedom launch and had the unlock got them permanently. Not sure why. Database hick-up or intended feature, but I think that's how it worked.
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There was never an announcement before or after the fact. That's why I was under the impression it was a bug, and not "here, have a gift!"
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Originally Posted by gameboy1234
I think it was more like the folks who were active during Freedom launch and had the unlock got them permanently. Not sure why. Database hick-up or intended feature, but I think that's how it worked.
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@Roderick
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Not consistently.|
Originally Posted by gameboy1234
I think it was more like the folks who were active during Freedom launch and had the unlock got them permanently. Not sure why. Database hick-up or intended feature, but I think that's how it worked.
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My own secondary, currently Prem account was an active, paid one before and during the Freedom beta period (and for a few months afterwards-). Both characters I have on that one are over 20, and the HEATs were definitely unlocked for it prior to Freedom's launch. (I had a PB on Union briefly to hold a name for a friend, so I know that much for sure-)
Going back and checking it this morning? Peacebringers and Warshades only show up during character creation as "avaialble to purchase"... so, simply having a paid account that could use them during the pre-Freedom period doesn't seem to be the condition that triggered the unlock afterwards. At least not for everyone.
@Brightfires - @Talisander
That chick what plays the bird-things...
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And how are they supposed to know that a given player has no intention of unlocking the AT's after they unlock the characters they want to play? Or what method he intends to use to unlock the AT's?|
Originally Posted by BrainBrillo
Seconded. I don't have a problem with a returning player being told they don't have access to a character because of the archetype - I do have a problem with the player burning a character unlock and still lacking access. SCR applies, but it would be nice if they could prevent players from unlocking characters they can't actually play.
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Maybe the returning player hasn't used his accumulated paragon rewards yet.
A pop up window requiring they confirm that they are aware that the character slot they are unlocking contains an AT that needs an additional unlock to use it would work.
If they click past it without reading it would be their own fault.
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The slot unlocking process warns you twice that you need to unlock the character archetype. Don't see why there needs to be a second lock icon when the lock just means "this character isn't available to play for some reason". Even if it's two reasons. Still same result.
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Originally Posted by Father Xmas
Well it boils down to the point that the game allows you to unlock a character whose AT you don't have unlocked. They really need the throw two unlock icons on those character slots.
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Paragon Wiki: http://www.paragonwiki.com
City Info Terminal: http://cit.cohtitan.com
Mids Hero Designer: http://www.cohplanner.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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Obviously is still a problem for some who either blow by the warnings, or English isn't a language they fully understand, and an additional visual indicator may be enough for them to pause.
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Originally Posted by Aggelakis
The slot unlocking process warns you twice that you need to unlock the character archetype. Don't see why there needs to be a second lock icon when the lock just means "this character isn't available to play for some reason". Even if it's two reasons. Still same result.
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Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
So, I admit I've been out of CoH for a while now. I remember, last time I was in, I'd paid for it- and I even unlocked the two villain epic ATs. I both a Widow and a Spider and I enjoy them very much.
I just came back to find all of my characters locked, since I know about locks and unlocks, I unlocked them all down the list. Finally, I got to my two villain epic ATs to unlock them, too. I've spent 6/7 server locks, and I have two global slots available, but when I click to unlock either of my villains it tells me I have to go to the store and BUY Widow and Spider because I don't have access to those.
I don't remember if they were automatically unlocked when I was paying, or if I bought them while I was paying, either way it seems extremely unfair that I now have to pay for the ability to play my own ATs.
Especially, considering, they're already made! They are already there, in my character list, made. One of them is over level 20 and transferred to the Blue Side.
Is there something I'm missing? Or am I actually expected to pay for them?