A cheaper, more limited Shared Bank

[suszterpatt]

Consider this: 1 slot, and once you take something out, you can't put anything back in for 3-7 days. Available for ~200 TP. Still useful for passing the occasional BtA item, but doesn't render the 20 slot unlimited access extravaganza that is the current shared bank useless. Heck, it may even prompt people to upgrade to the full bank once they get a taste.

I know I'd pay that price, while I'm very hesitant to shell out almost 1.5k for the shared bank since it wouldn't see much use.

[Angelus_dead]

Currently the Shared Bank purchase provides really 3 benefits:
1. The ability for Account-Bound items to actually BE Account Bound, instead of effectively Bind To Character with no way to trade them at all.
2. 20ish new slots of storage.
3. The convenience of moving 20ish items between two characters before having to relog.

All of those are sold for 1 price, although #1 is by far the most important. So consider this: What would be the reaction of everyone who paid the full Shared Bank price just for #1 be if they later see #1 sold for vastly cheaper by itself?

Turbine may want to pretend that the Shared Bank is more about storage and less about getting permission to shift an account-bound item from one char to another, but that's not how they've decided to sell it.

[Kahless_of_Cannith]

/signed

I'm unlikely to shell out the 1k+ points for a shared bank any time soon, though I'd love to have it. I would certainly take this option, and would be happy with significant limitations so long as I can pass a nice item to an alt every once in a while.

[Alex301]

I don't understand why we can't just send items to our other toons, or why the price for a shared bank account is so high (I sort of answered my own question there ) I could buy several adventure packs just for the ability to actually give BTA items to other toons on my account.

[Shade]

Shouldn't cost you a cent in tp imo.

You get a BTA item, it should REALLY be BTA.. Not BTA if you shell out 20 bucks.

So my suggestion:
Allow us to mail BTA items to our alts.

[suszterpatt]

Currently the Shared Bank purchase provides really 3 benefits:
1. The ability for Account-Bound items to actually BE Account Bound, instead of effectively Bind To Character with no way to trade them at all.
2. 20ish new slots of storage.
3. The convenience of moving 20ish items between two characters before having to relog.

All of those are sold for 1 price, although #1 is by far the most important. So consider this: What would be the reaction of everyone who paid the full Shared Bank price just for #1 be if they later see #1 sold for vastly cheaper by itself?

Turbine may want to pretend that the Shared Bank is more about storage and less about getting permission to shift an account-bound item from one char to another, but that's not how they've decided to sell it.

I'm well aware of this, hence the time limit. There's a vast difference between "I just farmed 20 Crystal Cove items, gonna put them all in the shared bank, then log into each of my alts and take the ones I need", and "I just farmed 20 Crystal Cove items, I'm gonna distribute them among my alts over the course of the next 2 months".

The 20 slot unlimited shared bank would still be popular with the powergaming crowd, especially now with BtA crafting shards to distribute between up to 12 toons.

[Cyr]

Shouldn't cost you a cent in tp imo.

You get a BTA item, it should REALLY be BTA.. Not BTA if you shell out 20 bucks.

So my suggestion:
Allow us to mail BTA items to our alts.

I can't agree more. Requiring game mechanics to only work correctly if you buy something extra is bad design.

[MsEricka]

/not signed

If you want the shared bank then pay 1500 points for it or go ViP. There is no reason to ask for a cheaper alternative other than perhaps you do not want to support Turbine and further development of DDO.

[Memnir]

I really think that Premium players should get five Shared Bank slots, VIPs the standard twenty (maybe up this to 25 default), and totally F2P none. Because right now, BtA is a fairly subjective term.

I also firmly believe that it would get more people hooked on the Shared Bank, and more willing to shell out for the upgrades. I think that the Shared Bank is one of the best things one can acquire for your account, and have bought the upgrades promptly when they have come out.

[suszterpatt]

/not signed

If you want the shared bank then pay 1500 points for it or go ViP. There is no reason to ask for a cheaper alternative other than perhaps you do not want to support Turbine and further development of DDO.

But you see, I don't need all the features of the current shared bank. I'd get better value out of my TPs from buying adventure packs or races/classes, because I'd be using those to their full potential, whereas I don't need unlimited access to 20 shared slots. It's kind of like forcing me to buy a car when all I want is a bike.

[Calebro]

since it wouldn't see much use.

I have 60 slots and sometimes it isn't enough.
You don't know what you're missing.

[suszterpatt]

I have 60 slots and sometimes it isn't enough.
You don't know what you're missing.

Or maybe - just maybe - not everyone shares your playing habits.

It's not like I'm asking for free handouts here. Just an option for a more economic alternative to a luxury item.

[elraido]

One thing I wouldn't mind would be a option on the bank to "gather all bound to account" items that aren't locked.

[Calebro]

Or maybe - just maybe - not everyone shares your playing habits.

It's not like I'm asking for free handouts here. Just an option for a more economic alternative to a luxury item.

Yes, but my point is that your one slot, once you get used to it, will not be enough. You'll grow to love at and want more, and you'll want them available all the time.
Just bite the bullet and buy it. You won't regret it.

[suszterpatt]

Yes, but my point is that your one slot, once you get used to it, will not be enough. You'll grow to love at and want more, and you'll want them available all the time.
Just bite the bullet and buy it. You won't regret it.

Maybe... maybe not. Having a cheap way to get a limited experience would still be much more convinving than words from a stranger on the internet (no offense).

In any case, consider the - likely significant - casual playerbase, who only play a couple hours a week, have 2-4 toons, and pay little, if any, money for TP. Not only would a limited shared bank be perfectly enough for their needs, but the 1.5k TP is waaaaaay out of their budget. They're unlikely to fork over that sort of money any time soon, but they might just pay for a cheaper alternative that still does everything they need. In the end, that's the entire point of the F2P model: allowing you to choose how many benefits you want. But with the current shared bank, it's either all or none.

[MsEricka]

But you see, I don't need all the features of the current shared bank. I'd get better value out of my TPs from buying adventure packs or races/classes, because I'd be using those to their full potential, whereas I don't need unlimited access to 20 shared slots. It's kind of like forcing me to buy a car when all I want is a bike.

A proper analogy would be someone trying to force you to buy a cadillac when all you need is a hyundai.

You're asking for a shared bank when a shared bank already exists. You don't need to buy upgrades for the shared bank (cadillac), you just need a hyundai (base shared bank).

A further analogy would be that a while a hyundai would work for you, a Tata Nano would be more economical. However they don't sell anything made by Tata in North America for many reasons, including the lack of safety devices.

Support DDO and buy the shared bank.

[AZgreentea]

I really think that Premium players should five Shared Bank slots, VIPs the standard twenty (maybe up this to 25 default), and totally F2P none. Because right now, BtA is a fairly subjective term.

I also firmly believe that it would get more people hooked on the Shared Bank, and more willing to shell out for the upgrades. I think that the Shared Bank is one of the best things one can acquire for your account, and have bought the upgrades promptly when they have come out.

Not a bad idea. It might make some VIP's upset that their status is further reduced.

You might need to break the initial 20 slots down into two tens to make it easier to buy the upgrades. Otherwise, it would be a bit of a puzzle to figure out why you have to buy 20 to get 10 more. Alternatively, you can reduce the initial shared bank down to 15, and expand by 10 from there.

On a side note, the shared bank is more than worth the full price. I bought mine on sale, like I bought all that cant be unlocked, but if I had to do it over again, I would be fine with paying full price. Well, as fine as a sale junkie can be paying full price.

[varusso]

I really think that Premium players should five Shared Bank slots, VIPs the standard twenty (maybe up this to 25 default), and totally F2P none. Because right now, BtA is a fairly subjective term.

I also firmly believe that it would get more people hooked on the Shared Bank, and more willing to shell out for the upgrades. I think that the Shared Bank is one of the best things one can acquire for your account, and have bought the upgrades promptly when they have come out.

^^This. And add a spot to transfer $$ between toons to the friggin **BANK** UI, available to all players, with caps based on f2p, pre, or vip, and NOT requiring shared bank to utilize the cash transfer feature. Use it as an additional 'teaser' to the staged shared bank.

No, OP I would *NEVER* purchase your proposed feature, even if it were 1 TP. When I buy an account upgrade, I expect to have it always available, not wait on timers to be able to use it again. It would be a complete waste of TP that I could have saved up to buy the actual shared bank. Shared bank was the 3rd purchase I made in DDO. I waited for it to go on sale (50% off!!) and snapped it up, farming the last 100 or so TP i needed to get it. One of the best investments I ever made in DDO -- before buying up everything else

BTAs cant be mailed (even to your own account) because its simpler just to put a no-mail flag on an item and leave it at that, than to perform a check for whether or not the target is on your account, then decide if it is mailable or not (allwing for bugs and glitches to creep in). Or...say you mail it to a toon on your account, delete the toon, a friend creates the toon on their account, and if done quickly enough, hit a lag spike, etc, you just sent a BTA item to another account. Avoid all the potential abuses and unintended side-effects by simply making it no-mail.

Oh yeah, and people buy shared banks because of it too Memnir has the right compromise. Spice the pot just liek they do with so many other things. Let players get a taste of the freebie version, then make them want to buy the better version when they get tired of such a small transfer rate.

[suszterpatt]

You're asking for a shared bank when a shared bank already exists. You don't need to buy upgrades for the shared bank (cadillac), you just need a hyundai (base shared bank).

No, I don't. That's the whole point. The base shared bank is already overkill for a lot of players.

[rest]

I have 60 slots and sometimes it isn't enough.
You don't know what you're missing.

Ain't that the truth. I'm half tempted to start TRing just for the TR bank to store more stuff in