A Small Item Shop Update

[Fhinn]

I also have an update about the side change items:
I will look in to making a neutral application form.

whoa there horsey, what!? I presume this is the side resignation form ie sided to neut. Thats great news, there has always been people posting that they would go back to neutral if they were able.
F

[-Bugsplat]

We love AO and want the game to be fun to play.

You're side-stepping the grid nano issue. I'm assuming you're going to go ahead with this regardless. This is one of the reasons I've opposed the item shop since the beginning. Now you're breaking the line of convenience and simply selling a game mechanic for the cash.

[Gaveup]

You're side-stepping the grid nano issue. I'm assuming you're going to go ahead with this regardless. This is one of the reasons I've opposed the item shop since the beginning. Now you're breaking the line of convenience and simply selling a game mechanic for the cash.

Really hope it's not usable in combat.

[Lazy]

so patch is coming next week that should be swtiching these on. are all of these slated to go live? or are any of the more contraversial ones being scrapped?

[TheCatlady]

Wear a helmet, Wind is here.


Combat Buffcans – Sorry but hell no. One of the reasons why players go to a raid where they are not looking for any items from such a raid is for the buff they gain from it. If these buffs could be purchased, then those who were raiding just to get that buff are less likely to join a raid for it. This discourages team play, so no.

Grid Nanoprogram – Again, hell no. This is practically removing the unique aspect of being a prof that gets people into the grid (Doctor, Agent and Fixer specially). Don't do this please.

Recall Beacon – I'm not too happy about this, you're selling items which were Veteran ONLY because it was a reward for customer loyalty. Now anyone with a credit card can get them? Not only that, but you add a new one which Vets (as far as I know) won't be able to get from the Vet Shop? If you're in need of money to the point of selling Veteran items... you better sell each for at least $358.8, because that is the exact amount it takes for a player paying $14.95 a month for 24 months to get 10 Veteran Points to buy ONE Recall Beacon. I may live with the RK Recall Beacon being sold, but the SL one and a new one? No.

I can only agree with those points. My main account is 10 years old, the 2nd just a little younger. Because of that I could walk with every toon to the vet booth and get the 2 beacons right away. I see no way why I should pay extra in RL-money for the 3rd one.
Especially since the idea is in the name itself, it's a VETERAN booth, not a "who has the biggest wallet gets stuff" terminal.

The way I see it, this game is more and more turning into an endless money sink. I have yet to see a spring offer or a summer offer so that those whose renewal dates are around that time have a chance to use them and get rewards like the fall offer has now. And no, not everyone can dish out a years subscription "just so", I struggle to save the money for my accounts and so far I managed.
The idea of everyone being equal ingame, no matter how wealthy you are IRL, is long gone now anyways with the advantages you can buy already in the items store, like the xp buffs or the insta buffs. Tokens at least can be bought in the Vet booth too, VP packages can't.
Don't make it worse by screwing over the Vets who are the solid base that keeps the AO part of FC in the black numbers.

And on a sidenote (that bugs me for ages already): I acutally pay in Euro, so like all the others here in Europe we pay more for the game anyways.
Even Blizzard got the idea and converts their fees, sad thing that FC after all those years isn't able to. I would love to see that happen from FC too, but I guess I'm too much of a realistic person to ever expect that.

End of rant. ^^

[dduath]

as a new player (less than 3 months of not every-day playing), with a fixer lvl 171 as main, here is what i think:

Breed Change – If the rebalance makes also no-atrox toons viable, we need these.

Garden Keys –I don't like this idea, but i can imagine ill be bored of redoing the same quests over and over on every character ill ever have, also with this state of population it is really hard to find a group for a new player. So - just get the flag system going - every player has to complete the quests at least once, then he can buy the keys for another toons.. (lvl locked)

Heckler Juice – I don't have an opinion here as i did hecks once for 7 lvls.. i enjoy lvling.
Again, this can change when i'll level my 2nd character.

Combat Buffcans – HELL NO!!!!

Gender Change – cosmetic

Grid Nanoprogram – I choose a fixer cause of his mobility. As i read fixers are not a top lvl buffers or DD's, so WHAT will a fixer be good for if this becomes reality?
FIX RUN SPEED, MAKE FIXER THE SINGLE FASTEST PROFESSION.
While one-time grid beacons - out of combat - are OK.

Side Change – Yeah i would perhaps like to be neutral again at some point.

Twinking Buffcans –Yeah, please, it is really hard to find buff help at times.. I once needed 2 days...

About your "sub sale" - so i bought the game in summer, paid for 3 months, i even BOUGHT all the expansions... Now i buy the sale for 1 year as an existing customer.. but i would really LOVE to also get the jobe luxury apartment!!!
Shall i delete my account and start anew because of that? You could simply add this to the table.. please..

[lyledesol]

We are extremely sensitive to “pay-to-win” situations which are always a danger with any item shop in any online game, and we simply won’t cross that line. I can’t overstate this enough.

Combat Buffcans – We’ve packaged some of the popular raid buffs in a handy can format. Note players will not be able to obtain anything they can’t already, and all requirements are otherwise preserved.

Sorry Ilaliya, those two sentences completely contradict one another... Buying raid buffs from the store is most certainly a “pay-to-win” situation and it does cross the line.

Note players will not be able to obtain anything they can’t already

And next patch is buyable iGoc's, BoC's and RBP's because, lets face it.. It's not like they can't get it in game already, right?



Let me quote Means from a previous update..

Before anyone gets upset (probably already too late) speculating about us selling BOC or RBP in this store let me assure you that the general guidelines we set out years ago of not selling "power" for money is still very much in force. The items/services available from the store will focus on social and convenience uses only.

social and convenience uses only

And by convenience I don't think he meant Anything that's already obtainable in game!

[Lazy]

Grid Nanoprogram – I choose a fixer cause of his mobility. As i read fixers are not a top lvl buffers or DD's, so WHAT will a fixer be good for if this becomes reality?
FIX RUN SPEED, MAKE FIXER THE SINGLE FASTEST PROFESSION.

reroll before it's too late. fixers are useless.

[AGPEcko]

Indeed

Edit: Please ensure that the new recall beacon is in the Veteran Booth please, just like the others!

Yes please.

[Psikie]

Garden Keys- Wow I think it's a bad idea, even with a pure rk leveled toon up to 200, it's a bad idea. Navigating SL is part of the experience. Otherwise you might as well allow yalms/flight in SL too.

Combat Cans- Wowx2 If it's just player buffs...no problem. If it is raid buffs I think it's a bad idea. However if it were reduced raid buffs of +25/+50 instead of +100/+200 I suppose I could live with that because there is still reason to do the raids.

[Liwa]

With all the new items being added to the Item Store, some with level restrictions different from the item spawned, some with warnings of loosing items or access to quests, is the item nodrop, yesdrop, etc. ...

Perhaps it would be possible to add the little "I" icon to all the items in the Item Store that links to the database, Helpbot, or where-ever. Then 'customers' could check out all the information they need before buying something without having to over-load the store description? Keep the warning, level lock notices, but the rest would be available by clicking the "I".

True we could all do an items search before buying anything ...

Kinnik

[dduath]

reroll before it's too late. fixers are useless.

really? so my options are engi, crat, enf or doctor?

i for once enjoyed my fixer a lot, cause i like to play solo. with fixer grid and ability to travel all around rk i also got a feeling for the world and lore.
now i hit lvl 172 and am just doing the dailies,
cause i found myself not to be able to finish the ado brain quest by myself, not to speak about penumbra mobs..
ill try again at lvl 180.
(and i also didn't manage to find an org which would actually DO some stuff, apart from helping me with an elite daily mission 3 times.)

i really really HOPE fc will revamp fixer to get him a place midst useable dd's again!

in the meantime i rolled a trader, which i like, but it takes ages to kill something,
a doctor - very bad dmg
a shade - i realized i don't like melee
an agent - i don't really grasp how this works
an NT - i suppose this will be my second main, followed by the trader..

i really wanted to be clan, but i let myself go and after questing with some omni guys i joined their org with my NT. i was surprised to find a living, helping, very nice community on the "evil" side!

regarding item shop upgrades - revisited - i find the prices are too high..
im a lifer with tsw (i haven't log-in for months now, AO just filles up my limited time with more fun), and funcom should think about a strategy how to keep people playing more of their games - give them some bonuses. i can't really imagine how, but there should be some perks or price adjustments if u are subscribed to more than one fc games. some 20% off or some vet points..

or, i could imagine a system where subscribers to tsw could make a froob account of AO and get access to SL lvling, just without the perks and stuff, capped at 200 (and/or some other expansions too). that way i could invite my newfound friends from tsw to AO, and enjoy lvling with them. it is just bad to be limited to showing them subway and perhaps TOTW, on low lvl everyone moves slowly, the game lacks pace and they get quickly bored.

regarding the fall sub sale - still pissed off cause i want a jobe apartment also. considering waiting for a christmas sale. will there be a christmas sale?

[Lazy]

really? so my options are engi, crat, enf or doctor?

i for once enjoyed my fixer a lot, cause i like to play solo. with fixer grid and ability to travel all around rk i also got a feeling for the world and lore.
now i hit lvl 172 and am just doing the dailies,
cause i found myself not to be able to finish the ado brain quest by myself, not to speak about penumbra mobs..
ill try again at lvl 180.
(and i also didn't manage to find an org which would actually DO some stuff, apart from helping me with an elite daily mission 3 times.)

i really really HOPE fc will revamp fixer to get him a place midst useable dd's again!

in the meantime i rolled a trader, which i like, but it takes ages to kill something,
a doctor - very bad dmg
a shade - i realized i don't like melee
an agent - i don't really grasp how this works
an NT - i suppose this will be my second main, followed by the trader..

i really wanted to be clan, but i let myself go and after questing with some omni guys i joined their org with my NT. i was surprised to find a living, helping, very nice community on the "evil" side!

regarding item shop upgrades - revisited - i find the prices are too high..
im a lifer with tsw (i haven't log-in for months now, AO just filles up my limited time with more fun), and funcom should think about a strategy how to keep people playing more of their games - give them some bonuses. i can't really imagine how, but there should be some perks or price adjustments if u are subscribed to more than one fc games. some 20% off or some vet points..

or, i could imagine a system where subscribers to tsw could make a froob account of AO and get access to SL lvling, just without the perks and stuff, capped at 200 (and/or some other expansions too). that way i could invite my newfound friends from tsw to AO, and enjoy lvling with them. it is just bad to be limited to showing them subway and perhaps TOTW, on low lvl everyone moves slowly, the game lacks pace and they get quickly bored.

regarding the fall sub sale - still pissed off cause i want a jobe apartment also. considering waiting for a christmas sale. will there be a christmas sale?

regarding fixer dd i did an analysis of endgame fixer dd back before the nanodmg change. i might revisit it to see if we benefited from it but i highly doubt it. pretty sure we're still bottom of the barrel in terms of pvm dd down there with MP's and Keepers.


engies are nice but expensive.

crats are super cheap, super easy to level, get top dd without trying and are one of the most wanted profs for teams. nt's are pretty easy fun and cheap too, do good dmg but are slightly less wanted than crats because people take them for the dd not the debuffs.

[dduath]

regarding fixer dd i did an analysis of endgame fixer dd back before the nanodmg change. i might revisit it to see if we benefited from it but i highly doubt it. pretty sure we're still bottom of the barrel in terms of pvm dd down there with MP's and Keepers.


engies are nice but expensive.

crats are super cheap, super easy to level, get top dd without trying and are one of the most wanted profs for teams. nt's are pretty easy fun and cheap too, do good dmg but are slightly less wanted than crats because people take them for the dd not the debuffs.

thank you for the analysis.

how about a christmas/winter sale? will there be one?