VIP Downgrade to Free F.A.Q.

[Patience]

Greetings! This post answers many of the questions we have received from players about what happens if they downgrade from a VIP (subscriber) account to a Free account.

Q. What about the limits on chat, mail, auctions, and gold storage?
A. As a former VIP, you won't be subject to the same limitations that a new, Free player has.

Q. What happens to my characters?
A. Your characters are never deleted by Turbine! As a VIP who downgraded to a Free player, you'll have four character slots. When you enter the game as a Free player you'll be asked which characters you wish to unlock for these slots. If you'd like to unlock an additional character, you must purchase a slot for it. However, when you purchase this slot you'll also be given the option to exchange the characters in any previously unlocked slots with any of your locked characters.

Q. What about the DDO Points I have banked? I got them every month and have some left over.
A. Keep them. They're yours!

Q. What happens to the things I've unlocked through the Favor system?
A. Nothing happens; you'll still have them!

Q. What about items in my shared bank slot?
A. If you downgrade to a Free account, the items will go to a "withdraw only" status. You can remove them, but you cannot place any items back in unless you purchase the shared bank slot from the DDO Store.

Q. What if I decide to go back to VIP status? Do I get a credit for the things I've purchased?
A. We're sorry, but there are no refunds or credits for Free players who decide to become VIPS, so choose your path carefully before downgrading! If you’ve purchased any additional character slots above the 10 you get as a VIP, you will still have access to those slots.

Q. What happens to items I purchase if I go back and forth between Free and VIP?
A. Anything you've purchased as a Free player will still be yours if you upgrade to VIP and then back to Free.

Q. If I downgrade, what content will I still have access to?
A. You'll be able to access any content a Free player can access. Additional content will need to be purchased in the DDO Store before you can access it, even if you could access it when you were a VIP.

[lissa_981]

Q. What happens to my Warforged characters?
A. If you downgrade to a Free account, you must purchase the Warforged race in the DDO store to play any existing Warforged characters.

Q. What if I have a Monk character?
A. If you downgrade to a Free account, you must purchase the Monk class in the DDO store to play any existing Monk characters.

What?!?

[dread333]

Greetings! This post answers many of the questions we have received from players about what happens if they downgrade from a VIP (subscriber) account to a Free account.

Q. What happens if I've already unlocked Drow?
A. If you've unlocked Drow as a VIP, you'll still have access to your Drow character and can continue to create new Drow, as long as you have a free slot.

Q. What happens to my Warforged characters?
A. If you downgrade to a Free account, you must purchase the Warforged race in the DDO store to play any existing Warforged characters.

Q. What if I have a Monk character?
A. If you downgrade to a Free account, you must purchase the Monk class in the DDO store to play any existing Monk characters.

Q. What about the limits on chat, mail, auctions, and gold storage?
A. As a former VIP, you won't be subject to the same limitations that a new, Free player has.

Q. What happens to my characters?
A. Your characters are never deleted by Turbine! As a VIP who downgraded to a Free player, you'll have four character slots. When you enter the game as a Free player you'll be asked which characters you wish to unlock for these slots. If you'd like to unlock an additional character, you must purchase a slot for it. However, when you purchase this slot you'll also be given the option to exchange the characters in any previously unlocked slots with any of your locked characters.

Q. What about the Turbine Points I have banked? I got them every month and have some left over.
A. Keep them. They're yours!

Q. What happens to the things I've unlocked through the Favor system?
A. Nothing happens; you'll still have them!

Q. What about items in my shared bank slot?
A. If you downgrade to a Free account, the items will go to a "withdraw only" status. You can remove them, but you cannot place any items back in unless you purchase the shared bank slot from the DDO Store.

Q. What if I decide to go back to VIP status? Do I get a credit for the things I've purchased?
A. We're sorry, but there are no refunds or credits for Free players who decide to become VIPS, so choose your path carefully before downgrading! If you’ve purchased any additional character slots above the 10 you get as a VIP, you will still have access to those slots.

Q. What happens to items I purchase if I go back and forth between Free and VIP?
A. Anything you've purchased as a Free player will still be yours if you upgrade to VIP and then back to Free.

Q. If I downgrade, what content will I still have access to?
A. You'll be able to access any content a Free player can access. Additional content will need to be purchased in the DDO Store before you can access it, even if you could access it when you were a VIP.

Just a little confused, everyone is saying that if you down grade from VIP to free you get to choose 2 of your toons, but this post says 4...is this right? Thanks Patience.

[Lorichie]

Just a little confused, everyone is saying that if you down grade from VIP to free you get to choose 2 of your toons, but this post says 4...is this right? Thanks Patience.

i think if you start as a f2p player you get two, if you were a vip player you get an additional two for total of four. thats how i read it anyhow.

R

[Steiner-Davion]

What content is immediately available for Free Accounts? In otherwords, if I were to down grade (not saying I would) what could I play without purchasing anything?

[Patience]

Just a little confused, everyone is saying that if you down grade from VIP to free you get to choose 2 of your toons, but this post says 4...is this right? Thanks Patience.

Yes, if you were a VIP and downgrade, you'll have 4 slots.

[Leovor]

Nice FAQ, it clarifies somethings, but this faq applies to the Former VIP as I understand it, but lets define former VIP. It refers to a player who was VIP and decides to downgrade after launch. But what about of players who at some point were subscribers but have their accounts inactive prior to DDO EU launch, and get their account converted automatically to Free after launch? are they considered Former VIP and all included in this faq applies as well?.......logic says to me it should but just to be sure.

[Tolero]

Nice FAQ, it clarifies somethings, but this faq applies to the Former VIP as I understand it, but lets define former VIP. It refers to a player who was VIP and decides to downgrade after launch. But what about of players who at some point were subscribers but have their accounts inactive prior to DDO EU launch, and get their account converted automatically to Free after launch? are they considered Former VIP and all included in this faq applies as well?.......logic says to me it should but just to be sure.

Yep "former VIP" is anyone who used to be a subscriber

[SneakThief]

Q. What if I decide to go back to VIP status? Do I get a credit for the things I've purchased?
A. We're sorry, but there are no refunds or credits for Free players who decide to become VIPS, so choose your path carefully before downgrading! If you’ve purchased any additional character slots above the 10 you get as a VIP, you will still have access to those slots.

So if one purchases slots on Free Play, they still only get 10 if you upgrade to VIP?

What if one purchases slots on VIP? Will they get more than 4 if they downgrade? What if they go back to VIP?

If possible, someone should look into making it so that any slots purchased are always added to your 'base' slots. So if one slot is purchased, you have 11 on VIP and 5 on free, regardless of how many times you go back and forth.

Make sense?

[Pyromaniac]

What about downgrading from VIP to completely cancel and then resubscribing? i.e. play 2 months, cancel for 8 months, resub for 2 months.

Does it automatically put your account into free status when you cancel from VIP, or can you just go to complete cancelled from VIP?

[Lorichie]

So if one purchases slots on Free Play, they still only get 10 if you upgrade to VIP?

What if one purchases slots on VIP? Will they get more than 4 if they downgrade? What if they go back to VIP?

If possible, someone should look into making it so that any slots purchased are always added to your 'base' slots. So if one slot is purchased, you have 11 on VIP and 5 on free, regardless of how many times you go back and forth.

Make sense?

if you start out f2p you get two slots
if you are vip and go down to f2p you get four slots, two more than if you were not a vip, with ability to "buy" remaining slots with points.

as far as adding one to base, i'm not sure what i think about it, but certainly is worth kicking around.

R

[Lorichie]

What about downgrading from VIP to completely cancel and then resubscribing? i.e. play 2 months, cancel for 8 months, resub for 2 months.

Does it automatically put your account into free status when you cancel from VIP, or can you just go to complete cancelled from VIP?

i suspect canceling as it is now. when you resubscribe i'll bet it'll give you the option to f2p or subscribe in the account section, but someone from the big house will probably have to confirm or deny that. it's the only way i'd think it would make sense and be simplistic tho.

R

[ArkoHighStar]

So if you are looking to get the most bang from your buck find a ddo box for 5.99 and activate prior to unlimted going live, that way you get full chat, you can get a drow for free if you want to grind for it, and you get 4 slots

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Thanks for the clarification FAQ T, it was needed!

One more question... The Free account has a cash limit. If you have more than that cash limit and you downgrade to free what happens?

[pscomputers]

Thanks for the clarification FAQ T, it was needed!

One more question... The Free account has a cash limit. If you have more than that cash limit and you downgrade to free what happens?

Q. What about the limits on chat, mail, auctions, and gold storage?
A. As a former VIP, you won't be subject to the same limitations that a new, Free player has.

Answered in the FAQ.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Answered in the FAQ.

Ug, how'd I miss that? Thanks!

[gorsh1]

First question to come to mind; in Beta, which I presume is underway, I guess I dont get access to my toons on Khyber ?

[Lorien_the_First_One]

First question to come to mind; in Beta, which I presume is underway, I guess I dont get access to my toons on Khyber ?

When they brought Lama up as the test server a couple months ago they brought it up with a copy of whatever chars you had from all servers based on what you had maybe 6 months ago.

[Thebanker]

i got the email... i loaded the beta key onto my account.. i am downloading the content at the moment to look at what i assumed was mod 9 content...

What is all this about 'Downgrading' is that what i am doing by downloading this Beta thingy ?
I dont want to down grade to 'free to play' i have 10 capped toons and 3 years of blood sweat and tears...

my account now shows..

Game Version History
Stormreach™ Standard
DDO Free to Play Beta

Have i stuffed it up ?????

[Hafeal]

Perhaps I missed it in the deluge of posts ... is it 4 slots period or 4 slots per server?

Thanks.