Memnir @ PAX: A Report with Artificer Info

[Drakos]

Let me get this straight... Artificer is not available to VIPs?

Oh no they ar avaliable if you want to shell out TP's for them. VIP's don't get them for free, and as a favor unlock, there won't be enough favor in game at U11 launch to unlock them. Untill "later this year..." whatever that means, VIP's will have to buy them. So much for unfettered access to all game content. Not unlocakble at launch, epic fail.

[QuantumFX]

I still think they should - even from their own business perspective - make Artificer free to VIPs. Mainly because if someone's playing a WF artificer on their VIP account, they are less likely to drop to Premium as they'd need to buy a class, a race, and whatever adventure packs they consider important.

They don’t even need to go that route. The favor unlock would be fine if we actually had the favor necessary to do it. In the meantime they could just sell single server unlocks and give VIPs a 1TP Coupon, and made it part of a U11 content/single server artificer unlock package for freemium.

[Drakos]

I think you overestimate the amount of development time going into U12 unless they've suddenly completely changed their development cycles. Even so it won't have a new class. So it should be considerably faster going through testing just on those grounds alone.

Also the period of wait is a one-time thing. After U12 comes out, any waiting period will no longer occur. If a newcomer wants to own the class, they simply have to purchase two adventure packs. Compare this to Favored Soul where you would need enough content to get 2500 favor. It is easily conceivable that someone could hit level 20 and get a decent amount of gear while still lacking enough content to get 2500 favor. Thus Favored Soul is far worse.

No it is still a favor unlock like the FvS, and will have a higher favor cost. So how is it better.

[oradafu]

They don’t even need to go that route. The favor unlock would be fine if we actually had the favor necessary to do it. In the meantime they could just sell single server unlocks and give VIPs a 1TP Coupon, and made it part of a U11 content/single server artificer unlock package for freemium.

This isn't a bad idea. However, I don't see it happening since this is the same company that won't let VIP buy classes and packs because apparently they are scared that VIP will be able to purchase everything on their 500 TP a month...

[Stardock85]

Thanks for the update Memnir!

[Hunta-EU]

I 100% support turbine with the purchase class in u11 unlock in u12 idea. This is a great way to make money from some who have the spare points or money and still offer a way to unlock for those who cannot afford it in the future. Similar to the VIP unlock situation. Some brilliant work there Turbine thats thinking of everyone.

[parvo]

I'm not sure I understand...are you saying as a VIP I will have to pay for artificer or go do a bunch of high level quests to unlock?

[mystafyi]

I'm not sure I understand...are you saying as a VIP I will have to pay for artificer or go do a bunch of high level quests to unlock?

you will have to pay for arti's even if your VIP. You cant favor unlock it till U12 is released.

[parvo]

Oh no they ar avaliable if you want to shell out TP's for them. VIP's don't get them for free, and as a favor unlock, there won't be enough favor in game at U11 launch to unlock them. Untill "later this year..." whatever that means, VIP's will have to buy them. So much for unfettered access to all game content. Not unlocakble at launch, epic fail.

If this is fact, I agree wholeheartedly.

[Ziindarax]

Howdy all!


Just got home after the first day of PAX 11. Amazing show that is taking over more and more of downtown Seattle every year. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the Expo Hall is now ten times the size it was when I was an Enforcer in 05 and 06. In fact, there are now three Expo Halls scattered about the con. I only got to two of em today, between the panels and game demos in the main theater.


DDO, I'm sad to say does not have a large or impressive presence this year. It's a cog in the overarching WB Games booth. I think DDO has 4 machines set up playing. DDO does have a rather nice bit of swag, though, one of the nicer I've seen this year. It's a messenger bag, and of pretty good quality. No tee-shirt, though, which is very disappointing. Fernando was gracious enough to talk to me, even though I was interrupting his lunch - but he was the only non-marketing Turbine personnel I saw on hand. There may be more, but he was all I saw.


IMPORTANT: Fernando told me that they are having a DDO Crystal Cove Challenge set this year. It's a four player affair - and if you win, all four players get Lifetime VIP Memberships. My wife and kids do not feel up to the challenge since they've not played much... so...


Is there any DDO folks at PAX who'd like to give it a go with me on Sunday? If so - shoot me a PM and we can coordinate a time. It'd also be really cool to meet more DDO players face to face.

/end tangent.

Fernando also gave me some tips and tricks for the Lord of Blades raid, that I imagine will come in handy when I attempt it again. Over all, Fernando was a genuinely nice guy who was a pleasure to interact with.


However he did tell me one thing that was kinda on the bad-news side of things. And that would be the pricing for Artificers come Mod 11.

Artificers will be like Favored Souls... you can buy them or unlock them via Favor. That Favor being of the appropriately enough the new House C variety. You can buy them for an undisclosed amount (I honestly forgot to ask, so that's my bad) on the day U11 drops. You can unlock them via favor... in U12.

Yep, you read that right - the Favor unlock won't be until the update after this update. So, for the whole next update cycle - anyone you see playing Artificer opened the pocketbook to do so. Not saying that's a bad thing, I mean I've really come to enjoy the class so I'm seriously thinking about it. But, you will not be able to play them without paying for them till U12.


Ug.



They were giving out codes for free Pirate hats for DDO and Mounts for LotRO. Anyone play LotRO, I've got three codes for free mounts... good to the first three who PM me about em with one per customer. I'm probably gonna use the hats myself.
***edit* all mount codes are gone. sorry if ya missed em, but thems the breaks.

Anyways, that's my PAX report on DDO for this year. Sadly, DDO seems lost in the shuffle this year. I'll hold out hope that PAX 12 will be bigger and better for my favorite MMO.

Edit: NVM about the contest.

As for the tips and tricks on the Lord of Blades, I have a feeling it's nothing most of us on Lama don't already know. Still, it was cool of Fernando to share some tips and tricks.

[Ystradmynach]

Would it have been better if the Artificer wasn't released until update 12 to accommodate VIP players?

What if Artificer was free to VIP, and then they changed the model to the current one when the next update came out? Could you imagine the outrage from VIP players that they could no longer play their artificer class?

Is there really an advantage of playing a artificer now when there is still a few bugs to work out with the class and only one tier of one PrE?

I'm just saying, if you care at all about the money or turbine points, let the people who don't care about it bug test the artificer for a couple of months, and in the meantime consider it for it is, an unfinished class. This applies to just about all other software as well, never be the first in line to buy the new product when you will most likely be waiting for a bug fix anyway.

[gloopygloop]

I'm not sure I understand...are you saying as a VIP I will have to pay for artificer or go do a bunch of high level quests to unlock?

I fully expect that you, Parvo will have to pay for Artificers even after U12 because doing those high level quests/raids on Elite on a Permadeath character will be completely rediculous - especially with the hyperinflated Elite raid bosses that are coming with U11.

Edit: that's not a snub on your abiltiy as a player, just a comment that the raid is kind of insane from what we've seen so far and being severely undergeared is a big part of what permadeath is all about.

[oradafu]

Players are full of joy and amusment.
They get bonus TP as sunscribers and almost all content and then complain that they can buy real content, or cant rebuy it all on 50% sales so can go free forever.
Then finally shows up something solid to buy, and still compain...
Or actually do not have to buy just need to do like 10 adventures and its their.
Or just hold on sp pots for month and buy it for all servers.
Chillout.

Why there is a lot of overreacion here, some minor discount for subscribers would be welcome. Like 20% discount for vips only after release, so they feel they are care about.

Not singling this post out since there are several similar to this one across many threads...

Wasn't there a big fight recently about non-VIPs not wanting to wait a few minutes or buy Hard/Elite keys to unlock quests to gain access to the Bravery Bonus?

Well, now VIPs have to wait a few weeks or maybe months for some quests so they can gain access to Favor to unlock Artificer if they don't want to buy it.

A few minutes...several weeks or months...
Don't have to spend money...Must spend money...
A perk and access gained...A perk and access denied...

And all happening within days of each other...
Where's the punchline?

[BrightAsh]

Which is kinda part of the problem, Cordovan. And I refuse to believe that Turbine thinks that players will be at all happy to hear about this.


You have an Update that focuses on a new class. The name of the Update features this new class. You even feature this new class on the test server, where the points to buy them are freely handed out - the class discounted in price - in order to get people excited about them and playing them. And then people find out that the only way to play said new class for an unspecified measure of time is to pay outright for them.


That kinda sucks, but strike the kinda.

/notsigned

Really it is great news. + it gets announced now. I am thrilled that there will be a reason to get favor again for a nice unlock!

*oops i notice now that this topic is 7 pages long :P srry bout the old quote

[dndcrazednc]

and the turbine train of stupidity rolls on

no surprise there

[Dysmetria]

I don't get what the big deal is. Instead of holding off and releasing the artificer class in U12 when there will be enough favor to unlock them for free, they are releasing them an update earlier and giving those that want to the chance to purchase them and play them months sooner. How is them giving us the option to not wait months longer to play them a bad thing?

[Angelus_dead]

Instead of holding off and releasing the artificer class in U12 when there will be enough favor to unlock them for free, they are releasing them an update earlier and giving those that want to the chance to purchase them and play them months sooner.

False dichtomy. There are more than just two choices: The could also release the favor to unlock Artificer in U11, at the same time as the Artificer class first appears.

How is them giving us the option to not wait months longer to play them a bad thing?

Because it breaks the advertised advantage of VIP subscriptions: getting access to additions immediately without having to wait or pay.

[FrancisP.Fancypants]

What I read was this:

Which I took to mean the favor will be there, just not the unlock option.
So when U11 hits, I can buy the packs and get the favor and it'll sit there until U12 hits and the option appears.

The favor doesn't currently exist. Currently on Lam it is ~92/150.

Well...that sucks a little more than I thought. :/
Ah well.

[Dysmetria]

False dichtomy. There are more than just two choices: The could also release the favor to unlock Artificer in U11, at the same time as the Artificer class first appears.

I'm unsure what a dichtomy is, as is my dictionary, but sure, they could release the U12 adventure pack and all it's half-finished dungeons along with the pack already in U11 so that people could get enough favor to unlock Artificers, but wouldn't that put U11 off as long as U12 anyways?

Because it breaks the advertised advantage of VIP subscriptions: getting access to additions immediately without having to wait or pay

The VIP advertisement lists favor classes as unlock or TP purchase for all players, not just VIPs. Nowhere in there does it state you will get access to them immediately without having to wait or pay. Are you looking at a different advertisement than I am?

[smatt]

Well, why do you think they made the Artificer so powerful??? Yep, so they could charge for it over and above the VIP subscription that's why... Business is business... And heck if you buy one you will get to pay for the TONS of lag and the big mess they will create when they go live... And if you don't pay for one, then you will be paying for the lag anyways...
Meh.... BYE BYE 2k TP's