Test Server

That's the crux of it: DO the devs want to do it? If they really wanted us to have trial versions of powers, they could have had a trial worked into the store when they contranced it. They could unlock the Test Server, in whole or in part, for Premium players. They could create free versions of the powersets that only include the first three powers (Like it and want the full version? Buy the power, delete and reroll!).

Or they could tell you to go play the game, team with people using the new powers, and decide if you like it based on what you see and/or the in-game real numbers.

As Agge said, Power Customization was never impossible. It was "more than we can do with the available manpower, unless you want NOTHING new for over a year while we work on it."

I honestly think this falls into the realm of "Don't Wanna", as opposed to "Too Difficult/Can't Do It."

However, you could always log into Twitch.tv tomorrow for the coffee talk and try to ask during the Q&A at the end, or log into Facebook for Freedom Friday and ask there.

Yup that's what I've already done once or twice. But honestly I don't think it's really fair to ask to pay to try something, that's the whole point of the discussion.

Well that has always been the end point obviously. It's their game and they do what they want. I was just saying that it would be nice to have the chance to try it before buying it.
Your idea of the three powers isn't that bad either!

Wrong. She didn't say that. Agge knows that there are things players have asked for that are impossible to add to the game because the game doesn't support it and can't be made to support it.

Originally Posted by PleaseRecycle it has gone from unconscionable to downright appalling that we have no way of measuring our characters' wetness.

Originally Posted by Brillig It's hard to beat the entertainment value of Whackjob Wednesdays.

Yeah, nothing is impossible, you are correct and I agree with you that that is a fact. But there are things that are both unlikely and improbable to the point of being 'this side of impossible' - things that require rewriting the whole game engine to function, or things that would make the devs break promises, or things that go against design decisions, etc., that will likely never happen.

Running up vertical surfaces won't happen without rewriting the game engine to allow such a thing; same thing with running across water instead of swimming really fast in water.

Grappling hook travel will likely never happen because there are several devs on board that think it looks stupid when you're traveling across a big open zone like Perez Park or Independence Port.

Long skirts that are closed all the way around (a la Tsoo Sorcerers) will likely never happen because it looks silly during roughly half of player animations, and the devs don't really like 'silly' in their 'mostly realistic' game.

Free players getting to 'try before you buy' things will likely never happen because it reduces the amount of money that the business will get in the long run, and no business is likely to side with that one. And NCsoft/Paragon Studios is a business, regardless of the fact that they're in business to provide a type of entertainment.

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.

Over four years now, 2008-05-20 patch.

Sorry but I couldn't disagree more.
Car dealers are business, yet you have test drives.
Music shops are business, yet you can try instruments before buying them.
Software houses (just to stay on the same field) are business, yet you have demos.
And the list could go on.
So, don't take it personal, but saying that no business is likely to allow customers to test their products it's a huge bunch of crap.

I agree tho that it's risky, but no more and no less than releasing a demo of your video game, sure it can change minds but in both way.
I've tried a lot of demos of games I wouldn't have spent a dime on them and I ended up buying them instead, and obviously viceversa.
At the end I honestly don't think that it would really get that bad, some people would not buy something while others would buy something they didn't plan to.

How things work now instead, since my bad luck, or choice your pick, with Dual Pistols I'll think about buying a new powerset more than just once or twice and most likely, if I'm not sure 100% about it, I'm gonna end up not buying it (i.e. staff fighting).
And before someone repeats that you could just team with people with that power, or look for videos of it, I think that it wouldn't work.
We all have our own limits, let's call them this way, and I've seen people playing god with powersets I simply suck so badly with them LOL, so unfortunately some things have to be tried on your own to get the real idea about them.

Just curious, did any of those demos include the entire game for free, or were they limited?

Not relevant.

Restaurants doesn't let people walk in off the street and try everything on the menu before deciding if they want to place an order.

Amusement parks don't let people ride all the rides for free before deciding if they want to buy admission.

Movie theaters don't let people walk in and watch movies before buying a ticket.

Best Buy doesn't let people test cook on a stove before buying it.

Home Improvement stores don't let you take a toilet for a test drive before buying and installing it in your home.

Just because some businesses choose to offer free samples/demos doesn't mean customers are entitled to free samples/demos from every business. Nor does a businesses decision to offer some things for free mean customers are entitled to get everything for free.

Let me explain. We understand it just fine. But we DISAGREE with you. We understand your point, we read your reasons and we STILL think it's a bad idea. It's that simple. Intelligent people with similar experiences (i.e. years of playing this game) can have different opinions on how things should be done.

Well for first if CoH was giving us the entire game this thread would have never existed, since we're talking about locked stuff.
Second single player games have an end, giving the entire game for free, once again, would be like CoH giving all for free and that's not what I'm asking.
Once more all I'm asking for is to try stuff not the get it for free.

Oh I agree with you, but go telling that stuff to Aggelakis, I was just pointing out that saying "no business" is stupid since some do it and yet they're successful anyway.
But I don't think that a movie, where you have trailers, or a ride is really similar to this. With the ride you already had all the fun on here the fun, if you like a poweset, is to take it to the max not only try it.
I agree with you on that, but I think I'm anyway entitled to question why they don't.

Oh I love when people disagree with me, but "intelligent" people would give better reasons than "it's not possible" or "it's not gonna happen" and so far Roderick and Aggelakis has been the only that really tried to answer me mate. By the way this is your second post and still you haven't told me why YOU disagree with me!
We already know that, so far at least, they don't wanna do it if not they would already have done it hehe, the whole discussion is why? Seems like money is the only reason at the end.

Bingo. As I said before.

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.

The devs are doing it to spite you. That's the real reason. It's all a conspiracy to make you grumpy.

Damn I knew it!

No it's exactly like the test server and your try before you buy argument.

A movie trailer only shows you what the company wants to tantalize you with. You don't get to demand to see specific scenes before deciding to watch the whole movie.

Amusement parks don't let every Tom, Dick, or Harry walk up and ride a new ride before opening it up to the general public. When they test a ride to see if it will be liked they choose who they let in to get feedback.

No one ever said you couldn't or shouldn't ask any type of question (within forum rules and guidelines of course). But you are NOT entitled to an answer that "satisfies" you. That simply isn't how the world works. It's a simple fact of life we all have to live with.



And I love how quickly people with entitlement issues dismiss explanations they don't want to hear, and resort to insults when they realize they can't win an argument.


Oh and before anyone thinks about mentioning it. Being told one has entitlement issues is not an insult. It's an observation. Everyone has entitlement issues to one degree or another about something.

Bing.... dammit!
My first reaction was "Bingo" but then I saw you had already said it.

But yes, it is primarily about money. As I said in another thread today, people who pay more get more. And that's an effective strategy to get more people to pony up some cash. I'm willing to pay for unrestricted (VIP) access and I've been playing nearly 8 years. I'm still very happy with the game and would like to play for many additional years. If they start giving everything away for free, the game won't last very long. They have to strike a balance and I think they're doing a good job of it so far.

I don't have a strong opinion about the Test Server SPECIFICALLY. In that situation, my default position on a feature is that it should continue to be restricted to VIP's. There are some things it would clearly be harmful to the game to be restricted - forum access, for example. If Premium players can't come here and ask for help, that would be bad. Firstly, they would be hindered in their enjoyment of the game if they can't figure something out on their own. Second, we have a particularly helpful and friendly community and that's a strong selling point.

So, in the absence of a clear and compelling reason to have full access, the default position should be to restrict access to VIP's to encourage more people to subscribe. Not a popular position, perhaps, but a prudent one for the long-term benefit of the game.

Drink!