Happy 11th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons Online!

[HAL]

~a unique to the birthday cosmetic,
~Cosmetic skins.. look like a kobold cosmetic.. or some such other creature..
~a unique pet, a clicky item 1x/rest that a no min level Haste clicky/DDoor clicky/Freedom clicky..
~unique items.. Jesus slippers.. lets you walk on water (do not equip if already swimming)..,
~portable bank interface (only works in open area's)
~ permanent spell component for level 'x'
~ Permanent thieves tools +x (not as good as the +5's.. but better than nothing)

promote items that don't sell in the store.. like bigby's hands packs, .. or even offer DDO store items.. +x lesser stone, ..


Its a birthday anniversary.. give players something that makes other players wish they were around for the birthday item.. and then offer an inferior version in the DDO store.

It looks like you chose to ignore the "not be a store item" caveat for most of these suggestions. And that I think is the dilemma SSG faces - how to give a gift that won't end up undermining the game, either content-wise or income-wise. Because I hope everyone realizes that SSG isn't making a profit with DDO currently. Since I can't imagine that Turbine just gave them DDO for free, they are in the red after purchasing the game and hope to at least make back their investment. They probably have some kind of financial outline for that in order to get a loan and I am more concerned with them making those numbers so I can keep playing DDO than what kind of pixels I received for the game's anniversary...

[Qhualor]

It looks like you chose to ignore the "not be a store item" caveat for most of these suggestions. And that I think is the dilemma SSG faces - how to give a gift that won't end up undermining the game, either content-wise or income-wise. Because I hope everyone realizes that SSG isn't making a profit with DDO currently. Since I can't imagine that Turbine just gave them DDO for free, they are in the red after purchasing the game and hope to at least make back their investment. They probably have some kind of financial outline for that in order to get a loan and I am more concerned with them making those numbers so I can keep playing DDO than what kind of pixels I received for the game's anniversary...

If that's the case than there should be nothing offered as a gift because no matter what you come up with it is going to be an item that drops from the game or something that is or could be sold in the store.

I was going to provide a few examples, but if that's how you feel than I won't bother.

[Annex]

It looks like you chose to ignore the "not be a store item" caveat for most of these suggestions. And that I think is the dilemma SSG faces - how to give a gift that won't end up undermining the game, either content-wise or income-wise. Because I hope everyone realizes that SSG isn't making a profit with DDO currently. Since I can't imagine that Turbine just gave them DDO for free, they are in the red after purchasing the game and hope to at least make back their investment. They probably have some kind of financial outline for that in order to get a loan and I am more concerned with them making those numbers so I can keep playing DDO than what kind of pixels I received for the game's anniversary...

HAL, your heart is very much in the right place but I doubt things are as dire as you suggest. Let me give you an example. Over in Lord of the Rings Online, my avatar and her sister each have over 100 unique mounts. I earned every single one playing the game. Yet, for all the mounts I own, the store includes at least 30 more mounts, costing between 800 and 2,000 points each. When I ride around at festivals, I see many of the store mounts. The players over there constantly try to find some unique item to make their characters stand out and SSG provides with a steady stream of new mounts to earn and new mounts to buy. The same is true of Creature Companions. Of late, every festival in LotRO includes one or two new Creature Companions to earn, but they also put new Creature Companions in the store at a regular rate. Again, you see all kinds as you ride about the world. If it works in LotRO I see no reason it cannot work here. A day does not go by when I do not see someone in the cosmetic armour from the last Night Revels. It was big hit! If players are excited about a gift from the Anniversary and what they can earn in game they will pay up for more from the store for the same reason rich people buy sports cars they have absolutely no skill to drive. They want to stand out! Cosmetics, creature companions, minor one-off magic items, they are all good, no power creep ways to keep us interested in playing and looting. If we are playing and looting, a goodly number of us are also paying.

As I have stated elsewhere, I took 20 Commendations of Heroism for the free gift and am truly thankful for them as I will probably never play those raids. I am a sucky solo player. Even so, I understand the frustration of veteran players. But taking a step back, looking at the chain of events from a marketing perspective without emotion, it was a missed opportunity. Most of the players responding in this thread are not rubbing the collective noses of everyone at SSG in it, they are giving marketing feedback about their preferences. A savvy business person could take that information and turn it into a better product for customers and higher profits.

[HAL]

If that's the case than there should be nothing offered as a gift because no matter what you come up with it is going to be an item that drops from the game or something that is or could be sold in the store.

I was going to provide a few examples, but if that's how you feel than I won't bother.

Giving out items mainly from older content that people don't grind anymore doesn't hurt the game. Some people still enjoy getting these items - like me. The alternative is what you give to the "hard to buy for" uncle: the gift card of XP or Comms.

[Tscheuss]

My favorite part of this Anniversary is the Alabaster Lioness

on every character

forever.

[Fedora1]

That is definitely a good policy when talking about a specific person and probably certain groups like religious, political, etc. But when speaking about group of gamers who are whining that a digital gift that they got for free isn't good enough, I think that mocking is definitely in order.

Well I guess it's up to the individual to decide which is worse, some complaints about a birthday gift, or a bunch of self-appointed Internet Mommies who take it upon themselves to lecture them about manners and being grateful when getting underwear for your birthday. lol

[Qhualor]

Giving out items mainly from older content that people don't grind anymore doesn't hurt the game. Some people still enjoy getting these items - like me. The alternative is what you give to the "hard to buy for" uncle: the gift card of XP or Comms.

it doesn't hurt the game? this after you want some alternative suggestions besides loot than when someone does you shoot it down because SSG needs money to get out of the red? none of the old loot is game breaking to give away and nobody is suggesting that should be the case. lets not pull out the extreme card until someone actually does suggest something ludicrous.

that's great you found something actually useful, but none of this obviously applies to you.

[Pyyro_del_Drago]

It looks like you chose to ignore the "not be a store item" caveat for most of these suggestions. And that I think is the dilemma SSG faces - how to give a gift that won't end up undermining the game, either content-wise or income-wise. Because I hope everyone realizes that SSG isn't making a profit with DDO currently. Since I can't imagine that Turbine just gave them DDO for free, they are in the red after purchasing the game and hope to at least make back their investment. They probably have some kind of financial outline for that in order to get a loan and I am more concerned with them making those numbers so I can keep playing DDO than what kind of pixels I received for the game's anniversary...

Saying they are "in the red" isn't really true, acquiring an asset is generally entirely separate from your yearly business targets. Say a company makes 400k in a year and they acquire a new company/asset/title for 500k, this doesn't put them 100k in the red as it was not part of their operating cost, it is something separate entirely. If anything, say they do include it in their year end for whatever reason, they would balance it out by adding the market value of the acquisition as a surplus. I doubt they bought the titles outright (unless they have large investors?), more likely they purchased them with bank funding, meaning the only thing in the red collumn from their acquisition will be monthly debt servicing.

[HAL]

HAL, your heart is very much in the right place but I doubt things are as dire as you suggest. Let me give you an example. Over in Lord of the Rings Online, my avatar and her sister each have over 100 unique mounts. I earned every single one playing the game. Yet, for all the mounts I own, the store includes at least 30 more mounts, costing between 800 and 2,000 points each. When I ride around at festivals, I see many of the store mounts. The players over there constantly try to find some unique item to make their characters stand out and SSG provides with a steady stream of new mounts to earn and new mounts to buy. The same is true of Creature Companions. Of late, every festival in LotRO includes one or two new Creature Companions to earn, but they also put new Creature Companions in the store at a regular rate. Again, you see all kinds as you ride about the world. If it works in LotRO I see no reason it cannot work here. A day does not go by when I do not see someone in the cosmetic armour from the last Night Revels. It was big hit! If players are excited about a gift from the Anniversary and what they can earn in game they will pay up for more from the store for the same reason rich people buy sports cars they have absolutely no skill to drive. They want to stand out! Cosmetics, creature companions, minor one-off magic items, they are all good, no power creep ways to keep us interested in playing and looting. If we are playing and looting, a goodly number of us are also paying.

I have played LotRO on and off since Beta so I am aware of the situation there. And DDO also has introduced MORE cosmetic items to the list you are able to earn from the Anniversary Party dungeon. But earned items are different from something given for free. It is the free item that people are fixated on as not being good enough for them.

[HAL]

Well I guess it's up to the individual to decide which is worse, some complaints about a birthday gift, or a bunch of self-appointed Internet Mommies who take it upon themselves to lecture them about manners and being grateful when getting underwear for your birthday. lol

Only those who are whiners need feel that I am speaking about them :> I didn't direct them at anyone in particular. I also didn't say anyone had to be grateful, I simply stated how I was taught.

[Hydian]

Giving out items mainly from older content that people don't grind anymore doesn't hurt the game. Some people still enjoy getting these items - like me. The alternative is what you give to the "hard to buy for" uncle: the gift card of XP or Comms.

The alternative could be things that are otherwise not available. For the 8th anniversary, we saw eternal flasks and all sorts of unique consumables among a bunch of more common items. For the 2nd and 6th, we got cake Djinni. There have also been pork barrels, rains of tasty hams, and other unique (if not useful) items. IMHO, those things are all more interesting than this year's list. Again, I'm not complaining about it...I took the comms for lack of anything actually useful or interesting, but I'm not going to complain about something that just goes on the stack in one of my bag slots. I just feel that the complaints could have been prevented and there is a lesson to be learned for next year.

[HAL]

The alternative could be things that are otherwise not available. For the 8th anniversary, we saw eternal flasks and all sorts of unique consumables among a bunch of more common items. For the 2nd and 6th, we got cake Djinni. There have also been pork barrels, rains of tasty hams, and other unique (if not useful) items. IMHO, those things are all more interesting than this year's list. Again, I'm not complaining about it...I took the comms for lack of anything actually useful or interesting, but I'm not going to complain about something that just goes on the stack in one of my bag slots. I just feel that the complaints could have been prevented and there is a lesson to be learned for next year.

I think a lesson needs to be learned only if the devs agree that this year's gift was not good enough. I hope that they don't agree. I would rather that they spend development time on content that will last rather than a one-time gift.

[Cordovan]

[Zeleron]

I think a lesson needs to be learned only if the devs agree that this year's gift was not good enough. I hope that they don't agree. I would rather that they spend development time on content that will last rather than a one-time gift.

I think what most forgot is the Anniversary was supposed to be about the release of the new Race: Dragonborn. I could care less about the gift if they worked more on releasing the race.

[Generic_Player666]

Being a casual FtP player, can I get suggestions on which of these are decent? I have a variety of characters, mostly aorund lvl 12 but Im more than happy to work them up if the item is worth the effort. I have on Drow 18th lvl fighter thief.

Sardo

[Krelar]

Being a casual FtP player, can I get suggestions on which of these are decent? I have a variety of characters, mostly aorund lvl 12 but Im more than happy to work them up if the item is worth the effort. I have on Drow 18th lvl fighter thief.

Sardo

Spinal Tap is nice, if you have a bastard sword user. (It's also harder to farm yourself then most of the other items.)

Mask of Comedy has a useful clicky.

Shard of Xoriat is just kind of fun.

Personally I feel like the other items are either not worth it or are pretty easy to farm yourself.

[Zeleron]

Being a casual FtP player, can I get suggestions on which of these are decent? I have a variety of characters, mostly aorund lvl 12 but Im more than happy to work them up if the item is worth the effort. I have on Drow 18th lvl fighter thief.

Sardo

Vim and vigor! Think thats one of the harder to get items on that list. Carnifex is a good low level axe for leveling up early game if you have access to shared bank. If you have access to the pack with any of the items in it, they are generally a easy farm to get. But take your time and look through the list see if anything looks appealing to your current build or a future one you might want to play.

[Zeleron]

Being a casual FtP player, can I get suggestions on which of these are decent? I have a variety of characters, mostly aorund lvl 12 but Im more than happy to work them up if the item is worth the effort. I have on Drow 18th lvl fighter thief.

Sardo

Here just found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW6GrNaaKzs

[Hydian]

I think a lesson needs to be learned only if the devs agree that this year's gift was not good enough. I hope that they don't agree. I would rather that they spend development time on content that will last rather than a one-time gift.

First, my comments aren't about the gift being "good enough" but about it being more celebratory.

Second, I don't see how populating the list with one group of already existing items takes more work than populating it with a different group of already existing items. There are plenty of items out there in the database that could have been used.

Third, I agree...I wish that they didn't have to spend time looking at a bunch of threads complaining about this stuff and could spend their time on more useful endeavors. To that end, I am making suggestions as to how they can avoid these problems in the future with minimal development time.

[Captain_Wizbang]

..

Thanks. Mine are one of the most valuable items in my D&D collection. Happy 11th Anniversary