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?

[2akcor]

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

I have got 4 slots without vip for free. Is it just something that happens or what?

[Uska]

I have got 4 slots without vip for free. Is it just something that happens or what?

If you spent any money in the store you get 4

[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

[Rabbi_Hordo]

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

What if we were waiting on the next mod to pay our sub and it is suspended...if we pay it up are we automatically back up to VIP or do we have to jump through all the hoops?

[shores11]

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.

No reason to be confused he said 4, who cares what the players are saying.

[Rexthor007]

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.

You get 4 slots if you have ever purchased something like a DDO card with points on it you get extra bonuses like 4 character slots.

[Big_Fab]

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.

So, it's four is it?
So having downgraded from VIP, why was I just asked to pick FIVE out of my nine characters? I have just purchased the Druid class to activate the fifth character and guess what - it now says 'Over character limit'. Why ask me to pick FIVE when I can only use FOUR without an additional purchase- Sounds like a classic 'Bait-and-Switch' to me- tell me I'm getting five and then give me four - Oh, and now if I want to use the Monk, I have to pay for it. Again. Not a happy chappie- seems like a deliberate deception in order to coerce (more) money from the players.

Get your act together.

[Big_Fab]

...And now I look at the character selection screen, at the bottom it actually says:
"Characters: 9 of 5
Premium Account"

just below the button to purchase upgrades- Eh? Is this for real?

Are you guys deliberately trying to mess with peoples' heads?

This is EXACTLY the type of sloppy effort that led me to cancelling my VIP account in the first place.

Or, guess what the outcome of this is: Assert.assertTrue(5 == 4);
Smells to me like someone, somewhere has hardcoded a 'magic number'. Incorrectly.
Find it. FIX IT. Done.

PS, the fun continues:
Just purchased additional slot-
Now asks me to pick SIX characters (and won't let me continue with only five selected)...

See, my gut feeling there was that after clicking 'ACCEPT' I would only have access to five (randomly selected through some unknown factor) out of the six- NOPE- now have all six. THIS IS A DEFINITE BUG!
Ho-Hum.

[GoMeansGreen]

it should read, '... downgrade to Premium'
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I initially rejected the TR mechanism, but now realize it is just another way to play, to continue enjoying the game. You don't 'have' to be overpowered if you don't want to be. You can play with zero armor or buffs, etc. Or you can be a one-shot wonder kid. Either you enjoy playing or you don't, regardless of vip or premium.
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I would find it hard to believe there are any players who never bought any TP who still play after a while. What is so hard to get about 'buying' a game that you can't just pay at least $5 for it if you like it?
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So, there is 'vip', which should be just 'sub' or 'member' or 'patron'.
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And there is 'premium', which is ok, but could be something else maybe.
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The 'free' account is really just the 'try-it-before-you-buy-it' method initially introduced by Doom back in the early 90's called 'share-ware'. You got the first 3 levels free and so had a way to try it and see if you liked it before buying the rest of the 10 levels. Fun game. Great style. DDO has great style.
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So, you can either take the easy way and pay $15 or less per month to play, or you can go hard and buy all the packs and stuff.
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After NCSoft killed CoH (City of Heroes) I swore I would never sub another game again. So, if the game doesn't have a viable 'premium' option, then I won't play it. SWTOR, for example, has a horrible 'f2p' experience. And now the game is ruined, same as Rift.
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I think DDO does a good job of trying to balance the different pay styles, monthly or piece by piece. And you can do both. For example, you could start a new character, buy a couple months of 'vip' status and get elite opener so you don't have to pug.
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So, I came back to DDO after a while off playing other games. It is simply a better game than most, with a higher level of maturity. Wow, for example, went the other direction, dumbing down their game to appeal to the younger audience, such as with that shameless rip-off of 'kung-fu panda'.
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I like pugging just fine. I'm to level 20 without any problem just joining groups doing whatever. I'm staying at 18 to finish 'vale of twilight' and do 'shroud' the raid. Then it is to 20 to farm the whatevers for the heart of wood to tr. I've decided to continue being a warforged regardless of class, just because I can do that (rp-style), and also doing each class 1,2,3 rather than going for one of each to get 'completionist'. I will get completionist when I have completed every class 3 times in a row.
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A suggestion: after you have completed a class to level 20 (or iconic and epic to 30) then you should have the option of reincarnating into that same class at the completed level, say after you have done a class 3 times. But it is so quick to level up to 20 that you can just play a class a 4th time. Besides, you want to do all the content again to farm for this or that special drop item. For example, the acid wand from water-works. I destroyed mine, but now I want it back. What if I was at life 42? I'd be playing a class for no 'benefit' other than to make an attempt at getting another acid wand. They are nice for shooting barrels if you are arcane.
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Ok, rant over.
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have fun, and good luck.

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Greenpak, WF Sorc, Cannith
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p.s.: oh, and please, just go ahead and merge the servers, i mean ... really!

[GoMeansGreen]

oh, i did decide to do a second character, after considering what use my other 9 character slots were other than as holders.
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I want a 2nd character who is NOT a warforged, regardless of class. Though, I am not particular about what race per class, except not warforged. It is just a thing I have in my head, like a control chip.
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Besides, my main is xp maxed, nearly, so I can use the upcoming xp bonus days to level my 2nd to 20. It was a hard call, but it will be 'Elgreen' the elf ranger. Hmm.... now it is looking like this may be a situation where the character will be Elf for all 42 lives (or more). Oh boy, so I may have to make another character for another race. Hmm...

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I can guarantee you will get more players if you merge the servers.

[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]

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