Memnir @ PAX: A Report with Artificer Info

[Calebro]

Now, if they made them a global favor unlock at the max attainable favor, that would be technically keeping their word. But, I would consider that a breach of the spirit of VIP. I'd have to question whether I felt comfortable spending money on something that apparently gets me such negligible value. If I wanted to farm tons of favor, I'd be F2P.

Was Drow a breach of the spirit of VIP? Was Favored Soul a breach of the spirit of VIP? Are 1750 favor tomes a breach of the spirit of VIP?

The fact that they are unlockable by favor is not what's in question at all.
What's in question is the fact that said favor is unavailable at the moment, which will allow Premiums to unlock the class before VIPs can unless the VIPs also pay. And that design is less than honest to the spirit of VIPs, to say the least. As a matter of fact, it's a slap in the face.

[houxer1]

Yup! The plan is to get out U12 by the end of the year.

As i would like to believe this as i have come to trust the posts you make Cordovan. I like many have heard these type of "promises" about other content and classes and have fallen short and none existent with the holidays just around the corner. we have festivult(christmas), mabar(halloween time), and crystal cove yet to show up yet along with what ever other event is coming. So what kind of hope do we truely have to see this favor unlock to actually come to pass? As being one of the long time paying VIPs and not being able to have the Druid yet(still delayed i understand) this one class and the first of an actual Eberron campaign stting specific class making it live what real do we have to get it?

[bradleyforrest]

Yup! The plan is to get out U12 by the end of the year.

Way to dodge the real issues being discussed.

[dkyle]

Was Drow a breach of the spirit of VIP? Was Favored Soul a breach of the spirit of VIP? Are 1750 favor tomes a breach of the spirit of VIP?

Tomes were never a promised benefit at all, so besides the point. Drow are trivial to earn.

FvS is borderline. It's a lot of favor. Saying VIP includes all classes, then quietly excluding a class that takes a lot of effort to earn is a bit questionable, I think. But it's an exception that's been there from the start, so it still does not violate any promises made.

Requiring every bit of favor in the game would strike me as a rather blatant exploitation of a loophole that they, technically, could exploit. But it would be a question of whether I'd be willing to tolerate such underhanded tactics.

Consider another possible "technically at their word" loophole: requiring favor for a faction with a single quest that, on completion, gives the required favor. The single quest is a timed survival quest that takes 40 hours, with no shrines, and continuously attacking, increasingly difficult monsters. Technically, that favor is achievable. But it's rather clearly not what anyone would expect.

What's in question is the fact that said favor is unavailable at the moment, which will allow Premiums to unlock the class before VIPs can unless the VIPs also pay. And that design is less than honest to the spirit of VIPs, to say the least.

It certainly is less than honest to the spirit. It's a blatant contradiction of their word. Their statements cannot be taken as anything but a statement of what would be "at the moment", without simply adding words that aren't there.

[Samadhi]

See below ^^

[mudfud]

While the calendar can always change based on a variety of factors, the plan is to have Artificers available to unlock through favor by the end of the year.

Yup! The plan is to get out U12 by the end of the year.

You made the first quoted comment 4 days ago. Which at the time you made it, it was fine since the thread was fairly new.

Now the 2nd quote is 4 days later, 10 pages later, and you still say the same exact thing. Why so vague? Why not comment more on what is actually being discussed? Or is your comment more along the trolling lines of "read by a dev" with just different wording?

[Cordovan]

Really, that's all we get?

Can you at least confirm (or deny) that:

* Artificers will not be free-to-VIPs in U11.
* Artificers will not be unlockable via favor in U11.

Or, alternatively, tell us that the above is still undecided?

Artificers will be available in the DDO Store upon the release of Update 11, and be unlockable through Cannith favor as well starting in Update 12.

[Samadhi]

Artificers will be available in the DDO Store upon the release of Update 11, and be unlockable through Cannith favor as well starting in Update 12.

So will VIP's be getting a discount rate up until U12 since we will not have full content available to us?

[dkyle]

Artificers will be available in the DDO Store upon the release of Update 11, and be unlockable through Cannith favor as well starting in Update 12.

Well, that's half of what I was asking. But the half I was most sure about.

Will Artificers not be free-to-VIPs in Update 11?

[redmexz]

Artificers will be available in the DDO Store upon the release of Update 11, and be unlockable through Cannith favor as well starting in Update 12.

Ok DDO Store how much tps?

[Kalari]

Artificers will be available in the DDO Store upon the release of Update 11, and be unlockable through Cannith favor as well starting in Update 12.

Well thank you Cordovan for saying this but I am still waiting for the official announcement as well. I do not like that they are using you community specialists to give this announcement in forum posts and nothing being splashed in an official thread or on our log screens yet.

Is it too much to ask when that will come about? So we know the pricing and maybe a simple explanation of why they would release an update with a class that is favor unlock but not enough favor to un lock said class? Note I am not asking you to explain that here just hoping that if we do get an official thread on this that maybe that little tidbit will get hashed out. Right now I feel kinda let down for the update now the motivation I had to get ready for it is gone. Its not the fault of community reps they have to deal with the messenger mentality so I am not going to shoot you for your answer. Just state its still not satisfactory enough because I cannot make sense of why they did not let us know this right as the class went out for preview. And why it took Memnir's thread for the news of it being store only for the first couple of months was the way it broke to the community.

[mudfud]

Well thank you Cordovan for saying this but I am still waiting for the official announcement as well. I do not like that they are using you community specialists to give this announcement in forum posts and nothing being splashed in an official thread or on our log screens yet.

Is it too much to ask when that will come about? So we know the pricing and maybe a simple explanation of why they would release an update with a class that is favor unlock but not enough favor to un lock said class? Note I am not asking you to explain that here just hoping that if we do get an official thread on this that maybe that little tidbit will get hashed out. Right now I feel kinda let down for the update now the motivation I had to get ready for it is gone. Its not the fault of community reps they have to deal with the messenger mentality so I am not going to shoot you for your answer. Just state its still not satisfactory enough because I cannot make sense of why they did not let us know this right as the class went out for preview. And why it took Memnir's thread for the news of it being store only for the first couple of months was the way it broke to the community.

That just seems how turbine is doing things now. Crystal Cove was said by Tolero at gamescom to be back around talk like a pirate day which is a few weeks away. The thing about artificers Fernando talked about at PAX.
When you login to the game it seems you will be the last actual person to know if you don't read and browse the actual game forums, or know someone who does.

[bradleyforrest]

Artificers will be available in the DDO Store upon the release of Update 11, and be unlockable through Cannith favor as well starting in Update 12.

Still dodging the questions. We knew this, you didn't answer anything.

Honestly, my issue is the fact that you won't let us use veteran status on them. Even if we paid real money for that ability. You won't let us G/LR into artificer levels. Even if we paid real money for the heart.

Bait-and-switch. Not fair and not good for long-term business

[Cordovan]

Well, that's half of what I was asking. But the half I was most sure about.

Will Artificers not be free-to-VIPs in Update 11?

Artificers will not be free to VIPs upon the release of Update 11, although they will be unlockable through favor to people regardless of account type upon the release of Update 12.

[Chai]

Premium. Pay to play for ~3.5 months, pay or favor unlock after next update release.

VIP. Pay to play for ~3.5 months, pay or favor unlock after next update release.

Was going to TR an old toon thats just been laying around on the account, but I just might wait until U12 now. If I do succumb and actually do buy it, its a gamble, because if I pay for it as a VIP and dont like the class, that will be the last class I succumb to under these marketing terms. Still undecided, but leaning toward waiting.

You guys could have done the right thing and ended the debate while keeping customers happy.

[Calebro]

Artificers will not be free to VIPs upon the release of Update 11, although they will be unlockable through favor to people regardless of account type upon the release of Update 12.

We all understand that fully.
Now I'm going to back you against a wall.
As a former player, do you have an opinion on this method of release?

[Chai]

Artificers will not be free to VIPs upon the release of Update 11, although they will be unlockable through favor to people regardless of account type upon the release of Update 12.

So not only eroding away the VIP benefit, but ramping up the premium benefit to match that of VIP.

What reason is there for a new player who is weighing the pros and cons today to go VIP?

[dkyle]

Artificers will not be free to VIPs upon the release of Update 11, although they will be unlockable through favor to people regardless of account type upon the release of Update 12.

Thank you for the confirmation. Being up front about this is, at least, something.

Then as of Update 11, Turbine will not be providing me what I paid for. If I decide to cancel my subscription at that time, can I expect a refund?

I suggest changing the following ads so they are not inaccurate:

http://www.ddo.com/vip
http://www.ddo.com/en/news/1278-vip-...-month-special

Both promise VIPs all classes that are not unlockable with favor. You have confirmed that Artificer will not be unlockable with favor, as of U11. Turbine is currently selling things they are planning to not deliver on.

[Gleep_Wurp]

Way to dodge the real issues being discussed.

remember when kate had "PLANS" for druids? that was several years ago and i still dont see druids. and my favorite from the big guy "you can take paralizing off something and put it on something else" yeah right thats how it works alright.

[ZeroTakenaka]

As a premium player, I say artificer should be available to VIPs as soon as U11 hits BUT NOT BUYING THROUGH THE DDO STORE.