So...VIPs are apparently getting hosed.

[AstorPotamus]

So reading the following announcement from SSG, VIPs are basically paying for what they're now giving away for everyone else now.

https://ddo.com/en/news/free-questin...ng-stone-games

Permanent +1% xp bonus per party member?! Are you guys kidding us right now?! Thinking about cancelling my sub now because due compensation for those of us that are actually paying for this game has been so outrageously lacking, what you've just announced here is an insult.

You gave us a crummy cake last time, now it appears you're giving us something (that doesn't quite belong) in a Mountain Dew bottle.

[Ghwyn]

Don't be such a cheapskate. DDO needs money, and for the value, its the cheapest entertainment out of all the money I spend.

[AstorPotamus]

Don't be such a cheapskate. DDO needs money, and for the value, its the cheapest entertainment out of all the money I spend.

Judging by the attempted snark in your last remark, I'm gonna assume my expenditures in this game have a couple more zeros behind them than yours. What SSG is offering those of us that are paying for what they're currently giving away to others for free is almost as insulting as what you just cavalierly said to me.

[BandVP]

Judging by the attempted snark in your last remark, I'm gonna assume my expenditures in this game have a couple more zeros behind them than yours. What SSG is offering those of us that are paying for what they're currently giving away to others for free is almost as insulting as what your just cavalierly said to me.

What you paid for overtime has became old content. Just like cars and phones, overtime their values decrease. This is just the adventure packs decreasing

[AstorPotamus]

What you paid for overtime has became old content. Just like cars and phones, overtime their values decrease. This is just the adventure packs decreasing

LOL! Did you even think that through? I mean, why am I still paying full subscription price? Am I going to be refunded what I paid over the same period? They just tried to pay me for this **** with a crummy cake, now a measly xp boost.

If SSG wants to lose significant numbers of VIP subscribers, they just created the perfect environment.

[mobilemuppet]

LOL! Did you even think that through? I mean, why am I still paying full subscription price? Am I going to be refunded what I paid over the same period? They just tried to pay me for this **** with a crummy cake, now a measly xp boost.

If SSG wants to lose significant numbers of VIP subscribers, they just created the perfect environment.

Canx your vip and stop playing then, simple. Your choice.
And before you get snarky ;0 I’ve played since day 1 and went premium about a year ago so I’ve paid my fair share of dollars. I hope this move attracts new players and keeps current players online more.

MM

[Merfyn]

Judging by the attempted snark in your last remark, I'm gonna assume my expenditures in this game have a couple more zeros behind them than yours. What SSG is offering those of us that are paying for what they're currently giving away to others for free is almost as insulting as what your just cavalierly said to me.

So if I understand your stance,

• you're insanely furious that SSG is trying to attract new users to a product
• that is FAR past the "obsolescence" phase of the software product life cycle
• on the basis that you've enjoyed it sometime in the past
• and now are extremely resentful others might also enjoy it now
• for LESS than you originally paid
• sometime in the past?

I guess you've never bought a new car, much less a new video game?

Sure the VIP experience might not knock MY socks off, but you'll still get access to content that others have to purchase. The only content I've purchased recently was Ravenloft, and Temple prior to that. You'll get Sharn, plus maybe Rage & Artificers (I don't know for sure) while I don't.

[AstorPotamus]

So if I understand your stance,

• you're insanely furious that SSG is trying to attract new users to a product
• that is FAR past the "obsolescence" phase of the software product life cycle
• on the basis that you've enjoyed it sometime in the past
• and now are extremely resentful others might also enjoy it now
• for LESS than you originally paid
• sometime in the past?

I guess you've never bought a new car, much less a new video game?

Sure the VIP experience might not knock MY socks off, but you'll still get access to content that others have to purchase. The only content I've purchased recently was Ravenloft, and Temple prior to that. You'll get Sharn, plus maybe Rage & Artificers (I don't know for sure) while I don't.

None of what you said there has any bearing outside of your personal bubble, simply because none if it is correct...and, I'm going to assume that you don't fully understand a very important concept: The fact that I'm CURRENTLY paying for what SSG is CURENTLY giving away for free.

If you can't see the disconnect there, then there's no further point in conversing.

[Red_Knight]

None of what you said there has any bearing outside of your personal bubble, simply because none if it is correct...and, I'm going to assume that you don't fully understand a very important concept: The fact that I'm CURRENTLY paying for what SSG is CURENTLY giving away for free.

If you can't see the disconnect there, then there's no further point in conversing.

If you can't see what I was trying to point out, I can't help you. Maybe you need an eye exam?

Using the code will be optional. Use it, or don't. The choice is entirely yours. If you think using the code will strip too much value from your VIP subscription, don't use the code. It's that simple. Someone else choosing to use the code will have zero impact on how much value you are getting from your VIP subscription. Or do you also consider me paying a one time fee to get permanent access to adventure packs to strip value from your VIP subscription?

Between subscription fees, buying adventure packs, buying account upgrades, buying Supreme Ability tomes, and buying the most expensive bundle of every expansion I've spent a couple thousand dollars, at least, on DDO over the years. A new player using the code to get permanent access to all currently released adventure packs in no way makes me think that the money I've spent on the game was "wasted". I've gotten several thousand hours of enjoyment over the years for my money and supported a game I enjoy. I don't subscribe because I don't consider the benefits worth it for as little as I play in a given month anymore. But that is my assessment of VIP's value. My account's access to content should have zero impact on your assessment of "am I getting value for my money". In fact, nobody's account except your own should factor into that assessment. And if you are letting others impact it, then maybe you should reevaluate your priorities. Maybe it's time to take a break for a while.

[Merfyn]

None of what you said there has any bearing outside of your personal bubble, simply because none if it is correct...and, I'm going to assume that you don't fully understand a very important concept: The fact that I'm CURRENTLY paying for what SSG is CURENTLY giving away for free.

If you can't see the disconnect there, then there's no further point in conversing.

I'm happy that the OP realized what a massive tool his original complaints made him out to be, and now pretends he was talking about VIP not being worthwhile going forward. Which is something worth debate & discussion.

It seems like this has been well-covered now, and hopefully everyone is a bit more rational about it: some people think it's good and will continue, while others feel it lost what value they thought it had and will continue to threaten to quit. Personally I dislike subscription fees because of my own irregular usage, so I've probably had no more than a years' worth VIP between two accounts.

There's two complaints about VIP that **seem** to me to be worth further consideration. Here's the first:

How about a partial refund for the 1,000 players that paid out $300.

Sure, there's no chance SSG would pay back money for services fairly rendered, even if we weren't in the middle of the Wuhan Flu epidemic. However, I wouldn't see any reason those who subscribed for a full year getting some in-game goodness like a +8 tome would be unbalancing.

The second I didn't see expressed but which occurred to me is for anyone who's treated this game exclusively on a subscription basis and never purchased modules with TP. If they go Premium after this deal's August expiration, I believe that means they lose access to all the content-y goodness provided?

[Dnarth]

None of what you said there has any bearing outside of your personal bubble, simply because none if it is correct...and, I'm going to assume that you don't fully understand a very important concept: The fact that I'm CURRENTLY paying for what SSG is CURENTLY giving away for free.

If you can't see the disconnect there, then there's no further point in conversing.

As a VIP you don't own any content except the expansions you bought. I gave up VIP in December. I bought a lot of content to keep playing with friends. By all rights I should be the one outraged. Miffed even. But I am not. Actually think this is one of SSG's better moves in the last 2 years. You rent content. I bought it. Since you are so worried about what you pay to rent. You should maths this out. For about a year worth of vip money you could of bought all content in the game. LOL

BTW I just bought 3 months vip to take advantage of the 10 shared storage slots and rent the race's I really don't want to own for racial tr's. Also take advantage of the saga skips, changing epic destinies on the fly. Which I think is complete BS that a premium has to futzy around at a epic trainer to make changes. 10% xp bump. 500 ddo points.

So you as a renter are mad that SSG is giving everyone past content for free including you? Get over yourself. You never owed it in the first place.

[Stoner81]

I'm going to assume that you don't fully understand a very important concept: The fact that I'm CURRENTLY paying for what SSG is CURRENTLY giving away for free.

1. The coupon code will be useable by everybody INCLUDING VIP's.
2. SSG are ONLY giving the adventures packs away.
3. SSG are NOT giving away any of the other things that come with being VIP (races, classes, open quests on Elite, weekly gold rolls, +10% XP etc).
4. SSG are not giving away the expansion packs (though some will be on a mega discount).

Once U47 comes out people will have to purchase that pack/packs but VIP's will get it for free (unless it's an expansion), and yes I am VIP and have been a long time and see no issue with this. I think it's a great idea and will hopefully bring in more players to this game which in turns helps to keep the lights on for us all so we can play the game we love.

Have a cup of tea and relax

Stoner81.

[vryxnr]

I'm VIP and have been for a very long time, and I'm super excited about this!

VIP now get a stacking mini-buddy bonus all the time. That's awesome!

More people will now have access to everything I have access to and thus more grouping opportunities.

My friends (and strangers) who do not have as much money to spend as I do have a chance to fully experience the game I love with me.

(part of me also wants to/is going to point out some of the 'irony' of all of this. VIP don't get enough for being VIP! ok, here is an exclusive event server, hardcore, just for VIP. How dare you give something just for VIP membership! RAGE! btw, we love the buddy bonus weekends, can you make it permanent. How about we reward VIPs a bit more by giving them a permanent version that also stacks with everything else too? Not good enough! huh?)

Besides, VIP isn't purchasing packs, it's renting them. Perhaps the best plan for you is to drop your subscription and use the coupon code to get permanent access to everything regardless of your status. Great! Even though I too have probably spent more than I should have on this game, I personally would rather continue to support the game I enjoy while also enjoying the other perks of VIP. Bonus exp, bonus grouping exp, 500 extra DDO points each month, higher public zone move speed, etc.

[RTN]

Giving everyone access to lots of quests seems like a good idea to me. Making the expansions that cheap seems a slightly bigger deal, but oh well. I run with almost all VIP, but when friends and former guildies come back, they frequently can't join us, which might get them back longer term. This will help with that problem. Being able to start on Elite, is the bigger VIP perk, plus all the other perks. Since so much of the game these days is TRing, I appreciate the extra xp, even if the number is relatively small. It all adds up. I'll never complain about more benefits, especially QoL ones, but I'm relatively satisfied. I'm not hearing complaints from guildies either. Obviously, YMMV.

[Drunkendex]

Judging by the attempted snark in your last remark, I'm gonna assume my expenditures in this game have a couple more zeros behind them than yours. What SSG is offering those of us that are paying for what they're currently giving away to others for free is almost as insulting as what you just cavalierly said to me.

Actually, as someone who bought almost ALL adventure packs before going VIP (only missing WPM and LG) I'm pretty glad to be a VIP right now.

And notice that getting all that for free is only temporary offer, after it passes, well, as an old saying in Croatia says: "Prošla baba s kola?ima".

Most common complaint I saw against DDO was that many quests were beyond paywall, which has put off potential players more often than I'd like to remember seeing.

Plus, there are more "VIP exclusive" stuff than free access to non expansion content.

[ShifterThePirate]

VIP will still be worth it for all the other benefits: DDO points, gold rolls, races, classes, XP boosts, character slots, bank space...
and ALL other Adventure Packs releasing after August.

[Stoner81]

VIP will still be worth it for all the other benefits: DDO points, gold rolls, races, classes, XP boosts, character slots, bank space...
and ALL other Adventure Packs releasing after August.

QFT!

I will be keeping my VIP for sure! £21 GBP every 3 months or £7 a month. Where I live I can buy two pints with that with a bit of change which will last me about half an hour, on the the hand with DDO I can spend all day and night playing if I wanted to!

Stoner81.

[Bainir]

VIP will still be worth it for all the other benefits: DDO points, gold rolls, races, classes, XP boosts, character slots, bank space...
and ALL other Adventure Packs releasing after August.

I agree with you 100% I am currently a VIP and will remain a VIP. There are still many benefits and $14.99 is the cheapest form of entertainment you can get. Plus the statement that I highlighted above is key to me.

[carsonfball]

gold rolls

I completely agree. I bought a season pass, not for the packs, but for the daily gold rolls. If they offer a guest pass again, I'll buy it again.