Rare Encounters with Astral Shard Spending Options

[ScudRuckins]

During a new random encounter inside the prison I was surprised to see the option to:

(Donate 6 Astral Shards to save them) Tell them to bribe the lizardfolk to escort them out of the prison"

also listed was Str, IQ & Wis check options as well as Bluff, Intim and Diplo.

I am not a fan of micro transactions being added to chests, random encounters, etc. This seems like a bad path to be going down. I think I spend enough on this game that I do not need to be nickeled and dimed on random encounters because my toon is not set up for a specific one w/ the stats and/or skills that it calls for.

[culdraug]

During a new random encounter inside the prison I was surprised to see the option to:

(Donate 6 Astral Shards to save them) Tell them to bribe the lizardfolk to escort them out of the prison"

also listed was Str, IQ & Wis check options as well as Bluff, Intim and Diplo.

I am not a fan of micro transactions being added to chests, random encounters, etc. This seems like a bad path to be going down. I think I spend enough on this game that I do not need to be nickeled and dimed on random encounters because my toon is not set up for a specific one w/ the stats and/or skills that it calls for.

Agreed!

[sjt_12]

Tired of seeing Astral Shards everywhere. Worried that there is going to be loot that you can only get with AS, or quests that will require AS to finish. What are the plans? How far will it go? More places to accidentally click to spend AS? I know AS will not go away so perhaps a confirmation button, or an exchange rate with plat - even a very high one.

[bluejadex]

Tired of seeing Astral Shards everywhere. Worried that there is going to be loot that you can only get with AS, or quests that will require AS to finish. What are the plans? How far will it go? More places to accidentally click to spend AS? I know AS will not go away so perhaps a confirmation button, or an exchange rate with plat - even a very high one.

Agreed with this + OP.

Enough with the AS already...sheesh. Unless I can freely earn AS (such as getting TP for favor), loot/quests/getting past content to complete an objective should NOT require AS. I realize that it's an *option* at this point, but I could see it going down a 'required' path... Not good.

[caissede12]

Agreed with this + OP.

Enough with the AS already...sheesh. Unless I can freely earn AS (such as getting TP for favor), loot/quests/getting past content to complete an objective should NOT require AS. I realize that it's an *option* at this point, but I could see it going down a 'required' path... Not good.

Well if we go whit "it could", we can go prety far the road... Also, you can "freely earn AS" same way you gain TP for favor... just turn your TP into AS, its that simple. Like many said, only use for the AS was the ASAH... which was prety much useless since, exactly, you couldnt use it anywhere else.

So far, Im really happy the way they made it, there is 2-3 attribute and 2-3 skills that can be used, and finaly if you really cant and feel like paying for it, there are AS (for the Quest part). For the loot, it will make a small difference. If you dont have the money for it, well simply dont use it, it wont change anything in your life, but for people who already got thousands of AS, or a lot of TP to use, I dont see why they couldnt spend them. Atm, AS just accumulate on the servers whitout any "sink" to use them... which is bad, Im really happy whit the idea they are coming up whit.

[96th_Malice]

Agreed!

Also agreed !!!!

[Bridge_Dweller]

It is sickening the things fanbois will defend.

[Hendrik]

During a new random encounter inside the prison I was surprised to see the option to:

(Donate 6 Astral Shards to save them) Tell them to bribe the lizardfolk to escort them out of the prison"

also listed was Str, IQ & Wis check options as well as Bluff, Intim and Diplo.

I am not a fan of micro transactions being added to chests, random encounters, etc. This seems like a bad path to be going down. I think I spend enough on this game that I do not need to be nickeled and dimed on random encounters because my toon is not set up for a specific one w/ the stats and/or skills that it calls for.

The new producer covered this.


The social skills should be at the top and the AS choice should be at the bottom.

He wants us to bug report it so it can be fixed.

Please report it so it can be seen and addressed.

[Cetus]

sickening

hey turbine - I'm a paying customer, and I don't like to be reminded about how I can pay...a little more!

I'll do it on my own accord if you present me with a fulfilling product. Goddamn chiselers.

[pawpaw2000]

They allowed bells of opening for slaves in the Underdark, this is the same thing but they are replacing it with astral shards.

[nibel]

They should be consistent. Add Astral Shards as a payment option for Master Myr'dril (VoN 1 drow), Karn Cold Trail (Titan quest giver), Hargo Kimmare (Delera 4), and Veraxiena (King Forest's dragon).

[hirmor]

They should be consistent. Add Astral Shards as a payment option for Master Myr'dril (VoN 1 drow), Karn Cold Trail (Titan quest giver), Hargo Kimmare (Delera 4), and Veraxiena (King Forest's dragon).

No don't. Drop the concept of making us pay AS in quest. I am not playing NW because of this kind of Pay to loot. If DDO goes that way, I may as well play NW.

[Qaliya]

The social skills should be at the top and the AS choice should be at the bottom.

The AS choice shouldn't be anywhere.

This is getting ridiculous. I have a business background and don't begrudge Turbine earning a living, but they are utterly ruining any sense of immersion in this game.

[terryg40]

The AS choice shouldn't be anywhere.

This is getting ridiculous. I have a business background and don't begrudge Turbine earning a living, but they are utterly ruining any sense of immersion in this game.

This.

[ScudRuckins]

BTW a 42 intelligence did not make the cut for picking the intelligence option. Perhaps you have to spend the shards to have a shot at completing this encounter. I'd be curious to hear if others were successful in completing this encounter without ponying up astral shards.

[Hendrik]

The AS choice shouldn't be anywhere.

This is getting ridiculous. I have a business background and don't begrudge Turbine earning a living, but they are utterly ruining any sense of immersion in this game.

They got to make money too and I don't want it there either, but it is and it is going to stay.

By adding it to the bottom of the menu, people will have to scroll down to see it unless they have changed the menu format in the last week.

It would be out of sight, out of mind. No immersion breaking.

[ForumAccess]

They got to make money too and I don't want it there either, but it is and it is going to stay.

Perhaps so. But if that is the case, I would guess that many of the people who joined DDO when it relaunched as "The first fair F2P MMO" will not be staying.

[zaphear]

Perhaps so. But if that is the case, I would guess that many of the people who joined DDO when it relaunched as "The first fair F2P MMO" will not be staying.

If this is released with the current hodgepodge of bugged content I plan on making a video of me deleting my 15 chars and posting it everywhere. Millions of plat and 4 bank toons. Absolutely SICK of the money grabbing I understand businesses need revenue, I work for a Fortune 500 company. However, greed is running beyond rampant lately in good ol Turbine World. I've a very sad feeling this whole "Expansion" was some Executives "initiative" to increase revenue by bringing in a newer crowd from the failed NWO and other MMOs right now. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I assure you that's not any direction I plan on investing in.

[Keldornn]

The AS choice shouldn't be anywhere.

This is getting ridiculous. I have a business background and don't begrudge Turbine earning a living, but they are utterly ruining any sense of immersion in this game.

This is exactly how I feel.

[Kamode_Corebasher]

The AS choice shouldn't be anywhere.

This is getting ridiculous. I have a business background and don't begrudge Turbine earning a living, but they are utterly ruining any sense of immersion in this game.

DDO staff...why are you nickeling us like this....it really takes away from the game immersion and makes us (me for sure) feel abused and used.