Free Questing Coupon and a VIP Update – Thank You From Standing Stone Games

[YanPL]

Tactical questions:
1. How long will the coupon code be available? will you be able to claim it for a fixed amount of time only, or will it be available forever?
2. Sharn / Ravenloft - those are available as expansions in DDO market - on website. Will those be included in coupon code, included in 99 DDO Point sale, or neither?
3. Will there be a requirement for an account to be created before some date, to gain access to those? (will accounts created after coupon code goes online get the benefits as well?)

[Stoner81]

Is it the expansions of MOTU and SF that are being given away or just the quests?
MOTU expansion comes with Tomes of Learning/Druid/Eds
SF comes with Iconics.

Are you giving away all of that or just the quests and you have to buy the extras?

Just the quests is my understanding of it, everything else you will have to buy separately or buy the expansion pack from the DDO Market.

Stoner81.

[YanPL]

As much as I might theoretically enjoy reading accusations of elitism against VIPs, and group therapy for remorse (from spending money on stuff that could be later gotten for free, which, was not known in advance), I implore all of you to consider one word and one word only:


Friendship



I bet many people would enjoy bringing their friends, family, roommates, coworkers etc. into the game for free, without the drag of not being able to enter most of the content with them.
Think of people you could be spending time with IN GAME, but you couldn't before, because of financial (or mental "I don't want to spend") barrier to entry (of sorts).
This is your chance to bring them in. Make the best out of it.

That said, I do think that this VIP "gift" of permanent 1% per party member buddy bonus to XP is not significant enough to outweigh the relative loss of value for VIP membership.
If you would ask players, how much is each feature of VIP worth to them separately, for many people, access to all adventures would rank high.
This is compounded by the fact that the bonus is playstyle-dependent - some people like to run solo.

[Red_Knight]

If people are talking about "value", they often forcefully ignore (read : throw outta their minds) how much actual costs are there - mainly because NO-ONE ever did a really good side-by-side comparison of the cost of stuff within DDO for either points or by being VIP.

I think that this is mostly because VIPs are so much exalted as Elitists that they just don't want to lower themselves into the lower kastes to compare themselves - and their VIP money - with those Lowlings.
Plus, they just don't have any comparison data, because they have never been F2P or Premium.

Lowlings, however, at least those who hade been F2P or Premium forever just don't have any comparison scale because they have never been VIP (or only for a short time).

Actually, when the game first went F2P someone did just this. They totaled up the Turbine Point (now known as DDO Points) costs to buy every adventure pack, race, and class except the ones unlockable via favor. As well as to buy enough character slots to equal a VIP and a shared bank. Once that was done, they figured out how much money it would cost to buy those needed points, and compared it to the costs of being VIP if you paid monthly, every 3 months, or once a year. I think at the time it was $250 to buy all the in-game content to be comparable to VIP, vs $149.90 a year if you paid by the month for your VIP status, 119.96 a year if you paid every 3 months, or 99.99 a year if you paid once a year. Of course, the comparison was based on buying the largest Turbine Point bundles. I'm not sure the totals are now. But at the time I looked over the math, did my own math to verify it, and concluded that I would go Premium and buy adventure packs, classes, and races rather then being VIP since in the long run it was the most cost effective method beyond grinding favor. Although I did make a second account to see how long it takes to grind out enough favor. I don't play that account often because it is so freaking tedious and boring. I got enough favor to buy Shin-To-Kor and Waterworks... then got bored.

[Red_Knight]

Is it the expansions of MOTU and SF that are being given away or just the quests?
MOTU expansion comes with Tomes of Learning/Druid/Eds
SF comes with Iconics.

Are you giving away all of that or just the quests and you have to buy the extras?

Just the quests and explorer areas.

[Seikojin]

Thumbs up on this! nice move. Would love to see the VIP group bonus be +2% per party member.

Yes it seems but it its not enough to be incintative giveway should be 10% per player in game to get a 50 % more xp in dungeon, plus the 50 % XP potion, plus the 10% VIP plus, the daily bonus , plus the guild bonus this way we could reach 30K xp in heroic mission an not the poor current 20K heroic with every boosts.

As much as I would like to join the more, more, more train, I also know from experience, this game is definitely once and done for each life you wish to play through. IF you do it perfectly. And that is what I like to be true. I don't play as much because other players are fairly lazy when it comes to questing. Run as fast as you can, get that level ding, get that gear, get that TR. I prefer the play on elite, at level, once, and not have to repeat content to get to the end. It was one of the taglines for the game in beta.

I am VIP and a season pass holder, and think this is a great idea. I don't feel slighted in the least. Ultimately, more people to play with!! A big thumbs up to SSG from me.

I completely agree here. I have been planning on starting my sub up again. It is just the lack of group play that makes me hesitate.

Tactical questions:
1. How long will the coupon code be available? will you be able to claim it for a fixed amount of time only, or will it be available forever?
2. Sharn / Ravenloft - those are available as expansions in DDO market - on website. Will those be included in coupon code, included in 99 DDO Point sale, or neither?
3. Will there be a requirement for an account to be created before some date, to gain access to those? (will accounts created after coupon code goes online get the benefits as well?)

Coupon code will last until Aug 31st (at least from the wording in the OP on the site)
Only in the 99 point sale. Wording on the OP says so as well. And the 99 point sale is not really detailed, however, like any other sale, it will only be for so long.
That is a good question. Wording right now does not enforce a create date. So yeah, in theory (until clarified), you could create a dozen accounts, apply a code, and get a bunch of content. Not to ruin it for everyone. Just pointing out the obvious.

As much as I might theoretically enjoy reading accusations of elitism against VIPs, and group therapy for remorse (from spending money on stuff that could be later gotten for free, which, was not known in advance), I implore all of you to consider one word and one word only:


Friendship



I bet many people would enjoy bringing their friends, family, roommates, coworkers etc. into the game for free, without the drag of not being able to enter most of the content with them.
Think of people you could be spending time with IN GAME, but you couldn't before, because of financial (or mental "I don't want to spend") barrier to entry (of sorts).
This is your chance to bring them in. Make the best out of it.

That said, I do think that this VIP "gift" of permanent 1% per party member buddy bonus to XP is not significant enough to outweigh the relative loss of value for VIP membership.
If you would ask players, how much is each feature of VIP worth to them separately, for many people, access to all adventures would rank high.
This is compounded by the fact that the bonus is playstyle-dependent - some people like to run solo.

Did you just watch the MK11 friendship montage?

VIP adds a lot. The biggest two perks in my mind, every time I see my ddo hotbar icon: 10 character slots, elite unlock. Those are things you can't premium own and are HUGE motivators for me.

When this announcement (and the open content during lockdown) was made, I shared it with all my friends. That is a great incentive to bring people in, get some retention, etc.1% uptick in subs is still 100% more than it is without these activities going on.

[Bainir]

You can apply the coupon to your account while VIP.

Good to know. Thank you for the answer.

[Artos_Fabril]

Horrible idea. What about all the Premium players who paid for everything up-front, or all the VIPs who pay monthly, or all the Season Pass holders who were promised something just to have it all made free anyways.

No thanks.

They all get more people to play with, because people aren't randomly locked out of 14 year old content.

[Chnodomar]

All of you VIP folks who are complaining about this, I can kinda see where you're coming from, especially now considering how tight everyone is for money.
But don't forget the most important thing here. I hope I don't sound naive about Standing Stone's motives, but we're in the middle of a terrible plague that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, and part of the reason it's been so bad is because people can't or won't stay home and isolate themselves. Standing Stone is doing the public a great service here by giving people something fun that they can do while cooped up at home, and not charging anything for it for a few months at a time when 40 million people in the U.S. just got laid off from their jobs.
If you feel like you've been ripped off, fair enough, but consider the public health and happiness factor in your opinion of this extended free play. Other video game companies have done things that are far more unfair, so maybe cut Standing Stone some slack if your complaint is that they are giving away for free something to the masses stuck at home during a pandemic that you already paid money for.
And for what it's worth, I've never been VIP but I did buy Restless Isles, Red Fens, Sorrowdusk and the Archons packs with real money just a few weeks before the virus hit the U.S. and the free play started in March. And as mentioned earlier, they are giving quite a few additional rewards to VIPs. I hope it turns out to be a smart business move for them in the long run, and once this is over I plan to go out of my way to spend some real cash in the DDO store because I feel like Standing Stone has earned a tip.

[Buddha5440]

As a basically F2P player (I am Premium because I received a $20 point card for a gift years ago), I am surprised at how many people say things like 'my VIP subscription is more or less worthless now'. I have all but about 3-4 adventure packs and the expansions because I purchased them with those points and favor reward points I spent years acquiring, so I will only benefit a little from the coupon/sale coming up. I still do not have any of the (non-favor unlockable) races, a few classes, gold rolls, Hardcore access, etc.

While I do agree some extras should be provided in this "Thank You" from SSG (and I firmly believe these are in the works), keep in mind all the things besides the adventure packs you got for your VIP: Shared bank, crafting storage, character slots, AH/ASAH slots, Harper, ED's (and the ability to switch anywhere public), +10% xp, access to all Adventure Packs as released (often years, if not at least months before those of us who bought them with money or points), etc.

Please just enjoy this for what it is... a benefit to the DDO community plus a stand up gesture from SSG in these hard times, and have faith that SSG will add in some new perks for you. This is still just a WiP and by no means all they will be offering.

Happy gaming to all, and to all a good night/morning/afternoon

[MiKe_de]

Horrible idea. What about all the Premium players who paid for everything up-front, or all the VIPs who pay monthly, or all the Season Pass holders who were promised something just to have it all made free anyways.

No thanks.

You already did play it for years and years by now. You got your moneys worth already back.

Get your envy in check. It's a deadly sin.

[12201]

They are doing a great service to the community, today I bought the ultimate sharn fan bundle and year of vip, Because there will be monthly vip gifts, there will be new content to come, and I want to support standing stone because they proved they love this community first.

ps think of all the friends you can bring in that might never had thought about ddo or seen how much content there is to pay for. You get to bring a friend in and give them permanent access to the game. They will bring friends. More ddo population I know plenty of friends that took a break that will return for this sense I told them.

they will get 2 expansions for running just korthos and the harbor. Bonus ddo points to new players.

[SirShen]

Am happy for all those getting free stuff.

You have given something to all those except those that bought the season pass? You could give them a bonus as well.

[Certon]

Whenever someone gives something away, it means there is value to them in giving it away. In this case, player retention/acquisition. People are most likely not spending as much on content as they used to, and the things they have done recently have gone far to undo some of the damage that Reaper has wrought on new players and grouping. Reaper might be optional, but if all the experienced players choose to do it there aren't enough players for "underequipped newbies" to group with. This means that this move will only have a temporary effect and in some instances might have a negative effect. A new player, tired of soloing, is asked by an experienced player to join him in reaper, telling him to sit back and relax and that he's "got dis." If there's anything that this kind of gameplay has taught me is that it gets boring quickly.

I have several toons that can solo low skull reaper difficulty, so its not me I'm complaining for so put that thought out of your noggin.

[K_9]

Just saw someone post the following on steam "People the code is here. "Ddofreequests" enjoy. you have until august 31st 2020 to redeem it. someone posted it in a discord and i tried it in game. it works"

I won't get time to logon as working until later tonight. I've not however seen it on the forums or facebook yet. Does it work ok?

[Red_Knight]

Just saw someone post the following on steam "People the code is here. "Ddofreequests" enjoy. you have until august 31st 2020 to redeem it. someone posted it in a discord and i tried it in game. it works"

I won't get time to logon as working until later tonight. I've not however seen it on the forums or facebook yet. Does it work ok?

It may or may not work. I can't try right now, due to DDO being down.

[Goratoar]

As someone who came back to the game and brought a group of friends who have loved the game, I'm wondering about the possibility of an actual cash sale on MotU and Shadowfell. I really appreciate the free adventure packs and the idea of opening the first two expansion's quests, but my friends would like to pick up the MotU and Shadowfell packs for the goodies involved, especially the tomes of learning and EDs (also one is really interested in a Druid). I was expecting a summer sale around this time akin to other expansion sales, and they'd be happy to pay that rate, with all the other things SSG has been giving away they're itching to put some money forward, but can't afford a ton. I'm sure there's quite a few other returners or new people in the same boat who would love to throw some money at stuff that we consider vital or worth it, but there just isn't anything on sale that grabs your attention. The first two expansions are really in that category for people transitioning to wanting to play the game long term.

[Buddha5440]

Just saw someone post the following on steam "People the code is here. "Ddofreequests" enjoy. you have until august 31st 2020 to redeem it. someone posted it in a discord and i tried it in game. it works"

I won't get time to logon as working until later tonight. I've not however seen it on the forums or facebook yet. Does it work ok?

How would you know if it works? You currently have access to all quests and the adventure packs don't show up in the store because of this. I'd wait until the Devs (Cordo) release something on the forums, otherwise you may think you have it until Sept. 1 comes around and then...Uh-Oh!

[Red_Knight]

How would you know if it works? You currently have access to all quests and the adventure packs don't show up in the store because of this. I'd wait until the Devs (Cordo) release something on the forums, otherwise you may think you have it until Sept. 1 comes around and then...Uh-Oh!

If you try the code and it says "invalid code", you know it's a fake?

[Cordovan]

The Coupon Code is: DDOfreequests (1/Account, available to redeem through August 31st, 2020)


The coupon code grants the following quest packs:

• The Devil’s Gambit
• Trials of the Archons
• The Temple of Elemental Evil
• Heart of Madness
• Haunted Halls of Eveningstar
• Shadow Under Thunderholme
• The High Road of Shadow
• The Druid’s Deep
• Devil Assault
• Three-Barrel Cove
• Secrets of the Artificers
• Vaults of the Artificers
• Phiarlan Carnival
• The Catacombs
• The Sharn Syndicate
• Delera’s Tomb
• The Demon Sands
• The Dreaming Dark
• Attack on Stormreach
• The Necropolis, Part 1
• The Necropolis, Part 2
• The Necropolis, Part 3
• The Necropolis, Part 4
• The Path of Inspiration
• The Reaver’s Reach
• The Restless Isles
• The Ruins of Gianthold
• The Ruins of Threnal
• Sentinels of Stormreach
• Shan-to-Kor
• The Devils of Shavarath
• Sorrowdusk Isle
• The Red Fens
• Harbinger of Madness
• Tangleroot Gorge
• The Vale of Twilight
• The Vault of Night
• Reign of Madness
• Against the Slave Lords
• Dragonblood Prophecy
• The Mines of Tethyamar
• Disciples of Rage
• White Plume Mountain & Other Tales
• The Soul Splitter
• Keep on the Borderlands
• The Lost Gatekeepers