Access VIP by "pointscription".

[Salvidrim]

That's quite a mouthful, and I don't recommend using that word to describe the actual feature if used, but I felt it conveyed the idea well.


Basically, I suggest having the ability to buy a month of VIP using DDO Points (at a USD/day rate worse by X% than buying VIP directly with RL cash), to enable VIP by DDO Points gift cards, and DDO.Pts favor farmers could then buy a month of VIP with their Points.

I know there are pros and cons, I'm just starting a discussion, not saying "It should be done."

[DaSawks]

If TP = RL money then why not? Favor farmers would have a hard time paying for VIP which would lead to more $ for Turbine.

/signed.

[Salvidrim]

It's not meant to be easy, it's meant to be possible. If anything, a favor-grinder would pointscribe one month of VIP and then like it so much he'd buy more.

[Darkrok]

As long as the back-end logistics aren't too difficult it looks like a big win for Turbine. That said, I know that there are some payment issues with subscriptions already (can't use Paypal for VIP) so I'm not sure if the back-end issues outweigh the potential to gain new VIP customers.

[Salvidrim]

Yea, but Paypal options are a completely different argument.

It would make the game potentially completely F2P as far as content goes, although that'd require rather extreme effort, the point is they could advertise it as possible.

[Bodic]

if you own everything the only benefit VIP has is first life elite opens.
I see no point as RL money is the issue here you can farm up 1000 favor on each server for free which is 250 TP + first time bonuses per server
from there you by up the high xp/favor pack the lower the level the better. Sands and GH having plenty of both. grind out the favor to get that 1750 mark free. then you can build new toons 32pt vet'd.

So end all I don't see a point to it. I am almost positive there are those that have ground TP to death, and own everything.

[Musouka]

if you own everything the only benefit VIP has is first life elite opens.
I see no point as RL money is the issue here you can farm up 1000 favor on each server for free which is 250 TP + first time bonuses per server
from there you by up the high xp/favor pack the lower the level the better. Sands and GH having plenty of both. grind out the favor to get that 1750 mark free. then you can build new toons 32pt vet'd.

So end all I don't see a point to it. I am almost positive there are those that have ground TP to death, and own everything.

I agree. In order to make it seem right, it would have to be quite expensive on points. At which time it makes no sense, as you can just buy the packs that make the game great and not buy the packs that are just there to be there.

[Salvidrim]

Having bought all quests and having bought everything are two different things.


Non-quest buyable stuff that VIP get just for being VIP:
-More Character Slots!
-Monk & Warforged
-Helf & Horc
-Shared Bank

Non-quest stuff that can be bought at the unit but VIP get unlimited of:
-Any Difficulty Quest openings
-Guild Creation

Non-quest stuff that cannot be bought and VIP get:
-Greater use of Auction House
-Augmented Gold Storage
-Customer Service!
-Editing the DDO Compendium
-More Forums functionality
-Higher Beta Access
-Longer auto-logout delay
-More items in buyback history


So even with buying every quest there is room for VIP to be invaluable, and even if you've bought every last thing from the DDO Store, VIP can still net you a number of super-useful ameliorations.

[Musouka]

Having bought all quests and having bought everything are two different things.


Non-quest buyable stuff that VIP get just for being VIP:
-More Character Slots!
-Monk & Warforged
-Helf & Horc
-Shared Bank

Non-quest stuff that can be bought at the unit but VIP get unlimited of:
-Any Difficulty Quest openings
-Guild Creation

Non-quest stuff that cannot be bought and VIP get:
-Greater use of Auction House
-Augmented Gold Storage
-Customer Service!
-Editing the DDO Compendium
-More Forums functionality
-Higher Beta Access
-Longer auto-logout delay
-More items in buyback history


So even with buying every quest there is room for VIP to be invaluable, and even if you've bought every last thing from the DDO Store, VIP can still net you a number of super-useful ameliorations.

You're not helping the pro case when you say VIP to be invaluable. So the TP Price for going VIP for one month should be 10,000 TP

[Salvidrim]

I have no idea what a reasonable price for a pointscription would be, this should probably analyzed indeed. Why 10,000? Is that an arbitrary value?

Oh and by the way, as I've said, I don't "argue a case" here, as I'm not saying it is a good or bad idea -- it is a suggestion to be discussed.

[umeannothing]

I have no idea what a reasonable price for a pointscription would be, this should probably analyzed indeed. Why 10,000? Is that an arbitrary value?

Oh and by the way, as I've said, I don't "argue a case" here, as I'm not saying it is a good or bad idea -- it is a suggestion to be discussed.

I would say this is a very good idea, as you have a few extra payment options IN GAME this way to purchase VIP. I would reccomend price be set at 1250 or less TP. Reason being, 1250 TP (+350 bonus for total of 1600 TP) is 19.99 in the store, I would say that is a very reasonable price myself for the use of TP to get VIP for a month going that route, and you still get 350 TP extra, so every 3rd and 1/2 month, the 350 bonus TP gets you a free VIP month, and that is not counting the free TP you can earn by having all the quest packs to earn favor on.

Overall, I think it is an exceptional idea. But alot of hands still would need to get into the pot, and alot of bean counters would likely dilute this even more to milk every last penny/TP from us poor blokes they can.

[Musouka]

I would say this is a very good idea, as you have a few extra payment options IN GAME this way to purchase VIP. I would reccomend price be set at 1250 or less TP. Reason being, 1250 TP (+350 bonus for total of 1600 TP) is 19.99 in the store, I would say that is a very reasonable price myself for the use of TP to get VIP for a month going that route, and you still get 350 TP extra, so every 3rd and 1/2 month, the 350 bonus TP gets you a free VIP month, and that is not counting the free TP you can earn by having all the quest packs to earn favor on.

Overall, I think it is an exceptional idea. But alot of hands still would need to get into the pot, and alot of bean counters would likely dilute this even more to milk every last penny/TP from us poor blokes they can.

The pricing seems odd. Sure, I know a subscription is 15 dollars a month. However, all the content together in one lump sum of TP is a LOT.

TP is also attainable without paying any money. So it should have an inflated number.

[umeannothing]

The pricing seems odd. Sure, I know a subscription is 15 dollars a month. However, all the content together in one lump sum of TP is a LOT.

TP is also attainable without paying any money. So it should have an inflated number.

You are right. That is why I suggested the $19.99 pricing, because after 3 1/2 months, a NON VIP player could convince themselves they were getting almost a free month, while the rest of us know they are not (not the average player, but likely the very frugal player could pull it off).

1250 TP costs $19.99/month, with a BONUS of 350 TP at this time, so if you want perfect math, I with my pre algebra failure in high school am not the guy to give it. But just in my head, that works out to just over every 3 months a free/premium player could think they get a free month, while the vip player pays $9.99 a month, and every 3 months they have 1500 TP to do whatever they want with.

[Musouka]

You are right. That is why I suggested the $19.99 pricing, because after 3 1/2 months, a NON VIP player could convince themselves they were getting almost a free month, while the rest of us know they are not (not the average player, but likely the very frugal player could pull it off).

1250 TP costs $19.99/month, with a BONUS of 350 TP at this time, so if you want perfect math, I with my pre algebra failure in high school am not the guy to give it. But just in my head, that works out to just over every 3 months a free/premium player could think they get a free month, while the vip player pays $9.99 a month, and every 3 months they have 1500 TP to do whatever they want with.

Ok... then if you keep saying 19.99, why not just pay the 14.99 for 1 month? It just doesn't make sense.

[Yetzederixx]

I have no idea what a reasonable price for a pointscription would be, this should probably analyzed indeed. Why 10,000? Is that an arbitrary value?

Oh and by the way, as I've said, I don't "argue a case" here, as I'm not saying it is a good or bad idea -- it is a suggestion to be discussed.

A subscription is 9.99/mth if purchased by the quarter and 15ish if done month by month. TP are just about 0.01/point if purchased in a $50 pack (5kTP for 49.99), so 10kTP would run you $100... just get a 3 month'er for 30, get 1.5kTP with it, and farm all that lowbie **** for TP that you'll never run again... Why would anyone pay more than $15, worth of TP that took far more time to farm than it would take them to mow the neighbor's grass, for a month of service is beyond me.

[oradafu]

It won't happen.

Let's take the extreme example of someone being able to level a character to 20 on a double TR in two days (which has happened). Let's say that person needs another five days to hit max favor of 3757 and gain 975 TP (without counting the bonus TP for first time on the server). With access to all packs and multiple slots, this extreme version could farm quite a bit of TP that would make the TP purchase of VIP a joke.

Since currently the meme on the forums is that anyone should be able to level a character to 20 within three weeks or less, then my extreme version of ~900 TP a life on one character within a month not so extreme. Include a few other toons and first time on server bonus, then I can foresee that being VIP without ever paying for it would happen. And I don't think that would be good for the company.

[umeannothing]

It won't happen.

Let's take the extreme example of someone being able to level a character to 20 on a double TR in two days (which has happened). Let's say that person needs another five days to hit max favor of 3757 and gain 975 TP (without counting the bonus TP for first time on the server). With access to all packs and multiple slots, this extreme version could farm quite a bit of TP that would make the TP purchase of VIP a joke.

Since currently the meme on the forums is that anyone should be able to level a character to 20 within three weeks or less, then my extreme version of ~900 TP a life on one character within a month not so extreme. Include a few other toons and first time on server bonus, then I can foresee that being VIP without ever paying for it would happen. And I don't think that would be good for the company.

You are hitting extremes, the only realistic way a person will hit 20 on a double TR with a FIRST character is if they are vip. Now, using the model here, it is NOT a very likely circumstance. Then lets add in the first time on server bonus. Happens exactly 8 times. Then what? even at 1000k TP per server (lets also assume that Turbine would make this easy for people by offering VIP for 1k per month) ok, fine. For 8 months you get FREE TP. Then, you max out your favor by 11 months. Then you are stuck buying TP from the store.

It would honestly never come to pass that ANY F2P/prem player would be able to skate by forever as VIP unless they were a) Extremely poor and all they can pay every month is basic utilities/rent/house payment/internet and NOTHING else (lets assume they do not smoke/drink/eat as well) and all they have in life is 18 hours a day to farm favor. Or...........

They have no life, and a disposable income (retiree/veterans come to mind) and they just do not want to pay if they don't have to/they have more spare time than they can possibly use.

As far as AVERAGE player, honestly, they want it now, and if they can buy it on their savings account using Paypal without needing mom or dads credit card, then POOH-YAHH!!!!!!!!!


Git-er-done! More power to them.

Dagnabbit, I forgot to factor in the cost of not only 1, but 2 druidic true heart of wood to double TR on if you are F2P, and I think they are 1295 ea, so basically, all your FREE TP as first time server bonuses would go to pay for those. THEN, you can farm for VIP/content. Lets just assume they buy the heart of wood at level 7 or 8 when they will be done with the first time server bonuses.

[DMCain]

That's quite a mouthful, and I don't recommend using that word to describe the actual feature if used, but I felt it conveyed the idea well.


Basically, I suggest having the ability to buy a month of VIP using DDO Points (at a USD/day rate worse by X% than buying VIP directly with RL cash), to enable VIP by DDO Points gift cards, and DDO.Pts favor farmers could then buy a month of VIP with their Points.

I know there are pros and cons, I'm just starting a discussion, not saying "It should be done."

OH HE** NO!!

We actual VIP's have few enough perks as it is (IF you can call what we have perks) and now you want to give them away to favor farmers? Well bugger that.

[justhavinfun]

/not signed x1,000,000,000

IMO my being a VIP is my way to help support a game that I enjoy. If you enjoy the game and wish to support it then spend the money. A VIP subscription cost such a small amount to begin with. If you get the 1 year subscription it only comes out to about $8.30 a month.

I do not feel that this should ever be given away for free. This would only be a slap in the face of all of us that are currently VIP's. IF YOU WANT THE "PERKS" SPEND THE DOLLARS. Enough said.