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

[CaptainSpacePony]

I am VIP and have been most of the time I have been here and I think this is fantastic news! The wife has an account but she hardly plays but it I will be unlocking the free content and getting the expansions...

Does MotU come with Epic Destinies btw?

Stoner81.

No. The message specifically says "quests".

EDs cost 995 in the DDO store.

[shawnvw]

I'm still unclear on something.

The current "Event" simply makes all quests and raids Free To Play, through August 31st, correct?

And that's the same as what we get with the upcoming Coupon, right?

Then why end the event? Couldn't they just let it go on indefinitely? Wouldn't that be the same thing?

[Red_Knight]

I'm still unclear on something.

The current "Event" simply makes all quests and raids Free To Play, through August 31st, correct?

And that's the same as what we get with the upcoming Coupon, right?

Then why end the event? Couldn't they just let it go on indefinitely? Wouldn't that be the same thing?

The current event, which has been extended twice now, will eventually end. At that point anyone who isn't VIP and hasn't bought a given adventure pack will no longer be able to play quests from that adventure pack.

The upcoming Coupon is a permanent free grant of every adventure pack released since the game first went F2P through now. You're account will be flagged as if you bought the adventure packs. I'm not expecting any new adventure packs will be released until after the coupon has expired on August 31st.

[Visty]

So you're telling me I just wasted $240 Canadian to buy 2 of the 1 yr VIP memberships for access to all the content you're now giving everyone for free forever ????

What exactly will my vip I've paid for get me now as an extra that other players don't get, besides the 1% perma buddy bonus, 500 points/mth, and a gold roll once per week ? I might as well get my money back before those memberships go into effect :'(

"what will vip give me for free besides what it gives me for free?"

rofl

[Visty]

I'm with this dude. The coupon code will only give current adventure packs to all, so put all vip and seasons pass membership time limits on hold until the next adventure pack comes out then start their timers again. This isnt fair to those who paid for the next 3 mths-3 yrs already. Or keep em running but add however much time there is from April 1st till the next adventure pk comes out. Then give all vip's and seasons pass holders the next expansion pack for free

so yo uwant to be unable to play monks, alchemists, aasimars, etc until new quests come around?

[Roberdt]

What a cool thing to do. I have almost all the stuff on main account but not on my alt this will help me but also catch anyone just starting up. Bring on the mega servers!

[Red_Knight]

I think what people people keep forgetting (specifically the ones whining about the upcoming coupon code) is that you get more then just access to quests from being VIP. You get

• 10% stacking xp boost
• Opening quests on Elite
• 1 free Gold Chest roll per week
• access to Challenges (have to buy separately if you bought an expansion from the DDO store rather then Market)
• 500 DDO Points a month
• All Adventure Packs
• All Races (other then Drow)
• All Classes (other then Favored Soul, I think)
• High Priority beta access
• Exclusive VIP events at E3, PAX, and other major video game conventions and exclusive in-game events (such as Hardcore server)
• Extra character slots
• Extra shared bank slots
• Extra crafting bank slots
• Hall of Heroes teleport between Eberron and Forgotten Realms

Of course, the value goes down with each of piece of content you buy from the DDO store. Own all the adventure packs? You're still getting the Premium races and classes. Bought those too? You're still getting access to the challenges. Got the challenges from buying an Expansion? You still get the other benefits. All your characters are on their 2nd or later TR? Uh, that's one less benefit.

Keep in mind that buying 600 DDO Points costs 7.99 on it's own. Well, that's technically 500+100 bonus points. But those bonus points have been standard for a very long time. It use to be an occasional bonus sale, now it's a permanent part of buying DDO Points. The gold rolls would cost you about $3 a month if you bought the astral shards for them. As such, these two benefits alone are enough to say "this is worth a monthly subscription". Well, to some people. The extra xp is a bigger deal then you'd believe to some people. Think about how excited people get over looting a Voice of the Master, which boosts Heroic xp by 5%.

Personally, I don't usually consider it a good enough deal for me. But to others, that gold roll a week and xp make it worth the money. My point is just because you get a free grant of all current adventure packs, doesn't mean VIP status is worthless.

[thedip]

I was thinking of letting my VIP lapse and just buy up the packs with the points that I had amassed. I will now keep my VIP subscription going as this is such a good offer for newbies and I would like to show my appreciation and keep supporting the game going forward. I am also more likely to buy the super mega awesome version of the Feywild expansion (especially if a hireling folder is included - hint, hint).

[Red_Knight]

Eh, I'm considering buying enough DDO Points next month for another +8 Supreme Ability tome. Or maybe a +7 to +8 upgrade Supreme Ability tome. Venoma has a +7 tome for all stats after all, and could use a +8 tome in all stats.

[Chacka_DDO]

I like the idea of this and I really hope this is a successful step towards a bigger DDO player base in the future.
I would even go further and suggest that every adventure pack should be free to play after two years.
I can even imagine that quests, in general, are free to play.
Of course, not everything can be free to play but the idea is to have as many as possible different player types in DDO.
My assumption is that this leads at the end to the best revenue, of course, some players may never spend even a single coin but with a big player base there also many normal players who know that DDO runs not with thin air and happily pay for a game they love to play (like me).
And the bigger your player base is the higher is also the chance to have some so-called whales who pay enough money to make up for hundreds of players who pay nothing.

But in general, I also agree that if it is not a noticeable subscriber (aka VIP) advantage to have access to all content then a subscription should have other noticeable benefits.
Like VIP should have much more free account bank space, the +10-15% more Exp is already very good in my opinion.
VIP should foremost have quality of life advantages, things who are not must have but nice to have.
DDO needs a big player base but it should also feel worthwhile if you pay and support the game.

[mikarddo]

• 10% stacking xp boost
• Opening quests on Elite
• 1 free Gold Chest roll per week
• access to Challenges (have to buy separately if you bought an expansion from the DDO store rather then Market)
• 500 DDO Points a month
• All Adventure Packs
• All Races (other then Drow)
• All Classes (other then Favored Soul, I think)
• High Priority beta access
• Exclusive VIP events at E3, PAX, and other major video game conventions and exclusive in-game events (such as Hardcore server)
• Extra character slots
• Extra shared bank slots
• Extra crafting bank slots
• Hall of Heroes teleport between Eberron and Forgotten Realms

- Access to the Hardcore server (with no other way to get that)
- Being able to change ED in any public place (which is very convinient)
- Runspeed bonus in public areas.
- Saga, ability to skip one quest (very handy, I use that 2-3 times every life)
- Monster manuals
and my #1 favorite perk
- Not having to spend time buying stuff when it comes out (I am lazy, $100 a year is cheap).

Wiki: https://ddowiki.com/page/VIP

I will certainly remain VIP and will continue to enjoy being so.

[Chacka_DDO]

Goody for you. I also have been a VIP for 11 years and enjoyed the benefits. I bought Season Pass, which was 50% more than a standard VIP sub and expires this December, meaning I may get 1 extra update worth of content over and above everyone who didn't pay $300 to support SSG when they needed the cash.

You should maybe remember that you got with this season pass also a bonus Otto's box which is alone "worth" 50$ (by the way the reason because I passed on the season pass because I loathe those Otto's Boxes)
And do you know that every gold roll has a normal price of 0.67$?
A two years season pass includes at least 365x2 gold rolls but you can even gold roll on every server and this gold roll is also a good advantage on the hardcore server before normal VIP subscribers.
Not to mention that you got a special cosmetic, I dont think you have a reasonable reason to complain unless your a person who prefers in general only to see what he dont have and if you feel bad because someone else gets something good and you not (because you have it already) maybe your just only a zero-sum player type? It's maybe better for yourself to change your mind.

[Chnodomar]

Cheers to Standing Stone for doing this. What you're doing is commendable, and don't think that I won't forget it. I've never been a VIP and only play when the mood strikes me, but when this free play is over, I will make a point of it to spend some real cash at the DDO store because of how you've treated people over the past few months. This has given me an opportunity to sample some adventures I was curious about, and it turns out there are a lot of really cool ones I otherwise probably never would have tried. I have also encouraged several friends to give DDO a try.

Honstly, the two games I've played the most over the past year or two are this and Grand Theft Auto V, and the contrast between Standing Stone and Rockstar couldn't be more stark. Standing Stone gave a very generous gift at the beginning of March, then extended it through May once it was clear this pandemic was putting millions of people out of work. And over the past week, I was really hoping they'd extend it through June but wasn't optimistic, considering how generous this has been already. But you did even better than that going through August, and all the while encouraging people to stay isolated at home and do their part to contain this plague.

Rockstar, on the other hand, talked big back in March about how it was going to come through for its players during these tough times, but it really hasn't done anything more than usual. It's just the same old stingy Rockstar whale-milking factory. They said they were going to donate 5 percent of their proceeds to some vague COVID relief efforts, but they haven't been very transparent about it, and they said on March 31 "As things progress, we will share more on these efforts," and that was the last anyone heard of that.

Remember stuff like this when you shop for games. Vote with your wallet. I had longstanding gripes about Rockstar before this pandemic, but just when you thought they couldn't get any greedier, they one-up themselves. I've had several friends recommend that new Red Dead game, but I don't plan on ever spending another penny on anything that wretched company turns out. I will, however, keep an eye on Standing Stone and see what you folks have on the horizon.

By the way, I'm premium, hubby and I have purchased everything up to this most recent adventure pack x2 including expansions, our son's account has most everything except the most recent expansion and a handful of packs and our daughter has 2 expacks and a handful of adventures and I do NOT feel slighted in the least.

And you all play together? You sound like a way cool family!

[janave]

Great development, thanks for letting in new players!

- Access to the Hardcore server (with no other way to get that)
- Being able to change ED in any public place (which is very convinient)
- Runspeed bonus in public areas.
- Saga, ability to skip one quest (very handy, I use that 2-3 times every life)
- Monster manuals
and my #1 favorite perk
- Not having to spend time buying stuff when it comes out (I am lazy, $100 a year is cheap).

Wiki: https://ddowiki.com/page/VIP

I will certainly remain VIP and will continue to enjoy being so.

The ability to skip another quest in sagas on top of the extra exp already worth it, imo the edestiny anywhere swap should have been free being a separate purchase. I would consider greatly reducing the cost for a tree respec tho if someone is VIP, or giving out cheaper feat swaps.


After years of ghost towns, seeing all the new players flocking in, is priceless.

[Gniewomir]

I know DDO for 10 years, so i think i can say... it's the most suprising thing in my life. I'm not kidding.

Good job and thanks, I hope after all those years without new players it'll bring them here.

[Red_Knight]

I know DDO for 10 years, so i think i can say... it's the most suprising thing in my life. I'm not kidding.

Good job and thanks, I hope after all those years without new players it'll bring them here.

I doubt we'll see one. But an extended ad campaign would help in that regard.

[TheWalruss]

Dear SSG

This will definitely allow more new players to participate in many of the inspiring events in DDO.

Personally, I insist on sticking to my VIP-subscription. Paid subscription and the occasional DDOpoint-purchase is my way of telling you that you're doing a great job, and that I keep adoring this game.

Thank you.

/Wal

[Darstav]

This is by far one of the most generous things a company have done that i can remember. I tip my hat if i had one. Good job and thanks SSG.
Let's hope the community grows more and more.
Long live DDO.

[donblas]

I started DDO not long after it went "FTP".

I bought quite a lot of the packs as a premium, but eventually just went VIP as it seems more convenient (so I guess the cash spent on those packs was wasted - but that was spent long ago). I am happy that other people can enjoy the content.

I've bought all the expansions, at the launch prices. I have no problem with players getting some of the older ones at a substantial discount.

I must say that i think your announcement here is an amazing and generous one. I hope and suspect that it is also a financially sensible one too, as i want DDo to continue into the far future!

This game has never been better than it is under SSG's ownership.

thanks

[newmart]

I'm happy with the news, i have a group of 6 friends that begin to play in the quarantine and they cant really afford VIP, because in Brazil dollar real conversion is VERY expensive.

Even so, I'm VIP, and while all free players are very happy with news, i think the news to VIP are very minor. 1-5% xp bonus? U gave to everyone 100.000 ddo points worth content and we that pay get eternal minor light wound xp wand? 5.000 ddo points and we start talking...

While overall is a good idea to keep new players, i don't think its enough to solve the new player problem of DDO. I think its essential to all players get enough quests to reach lv 30 without problems, and game is far from that. These measures will solve today problem, but not future players. U should convert to free at least some very old packs like catacombs, restless isles, red fens, and GH to give players a taste of the game. When I first played for free reach lv 15 was too hard because of lack of quests. Also i think that starter quests (khortos) should be VERY aesthetically beautiful to attract new players (and khortos isn't) rework on starter quests should be priority.

A very important final note: Dollar is extremely expansive in Brazil as should be in many places. U should expand ddo services through steam in local affordable local money. In brazil VIP is 6x times more expansive and limits number os players A LOT. World of warcraft is 10x cheaper because they ask for local money with a very good discount.