DDO goes F2P. - (DDO Unlimited)

[Mrbloodworth]

I think the name Bat country, is simply doomed to being a Temporary guild in any game. With a life span of one month.




That, or we are just to diverse a group of gamers. That could not be it though.

[NiX]

The irony of this discussion is that BC in EVE, the people having the least amount of fun, have lasted the longest.

[Mrbloodworth]

Least amount of fun? lol

[Kail]

Least amount of fun? lol

Actually, if you'll check this flowchart here, I think you'll find that it clearly shows a 2.27% increase in fun-related activities.

[tazelbain]

BC EvE merged into an uberguild.  Not complaining, this is probably the idea solution.  Allows them to meet there objective(be apart of End Game) and play together. Zombie Bat Country is also what the Lotro folks are doing.

[Lantyssa]

If people have fun, why does it matter if Bat Country live 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years?

It doesn't whatsoever.  I've enjoyed playing with BC people when I've been able to.  I was only saying don't expect it to last because we're a flighty bunch.

Also poking fun at our tendancies, thus the .

[NiX]

Least amount of fun? lol

I guess we need to start using green again...

[Mrbloodworth]

Least amount of fun? lol

I guess we need to start using green again...

Yeah, I am very bad with the sarcasm.

[Furiously]

Isn't it 3 years for BC in EVE?

[NiX]

Just over 3 years. December 05 is when they first opened shop.

[Morfiend]

My friend just found out the point costs. I don't know if they are under NDA or not. I can post the point buy prices, or just my opinion of them if I am allowed.

[Lantyssa]

I'm going to take a big, educated guess and say your friend just learned them from beta.  I wouldn't post even your opinion unless you can link to a dev revealing them.

[Xilren's Twin]

 

And of course, any information you currently have could change quite a bit by the time this goes live.  Im thinking 6 months minimum but thats just a guess

[Ard]

It won't be six months, pretty sure the devs said this summer, sooner than later.  I'd be surprised if it wasn't out within the next month, that game is just going to bleed people with this change who suddenly have no reason to keep subscribing with it going to this model, and they'll need the influx of new money to keep the servers afloat.

I'm still really confused as to why it's even got an NDA, other than to possibly hide the cash shop prices, when they're letting in nearly every subscriber and whatever chunk of the populace signs up.

[Nerf]

I've got a couple of level 16s, but i'd gladly make a noob to roll with f13 when this goes free, DDO was great fun until I hit the cap and it was just grinding for random drops.

[Mrbloodworth]

Source

[Brogarn]

I don't know if I could ever do micro transactions. It just seems like it takes away from the game. Like, so you're playing a Drow. BFD, you obviously have more disposable cash than me. Nothing special about it at all.

Eh... or maybe its just something I'd have to get used to.

[Mrbloodworth]

Most, is just unlockable content. Like the original DnD.

[Brogarn]

Most, is just unlockable content. Like the original DnD.

Huh. That's actually a pretty good way to put it. Perspective I guess.

[Numtini]

For whatever reason that kind of microtrans doesn't bother me at all. It's when you buy your axe that it bothers me. And selling in game acquisitions a la classic RMT I absolutely loathe. Opening up races and locations is already something that is unlocked through an expansion, so why not split it all up. I'm never going to play a fay or a sarnak in EQ2, I'd happily have had them sell me the content of the expansion for $15 and save me the $5 for the new race.

I didn't see a points/dollar. Is it the usual 1 point = 1 cent?

[Mrbloodworth]

Most, is just unlockable content. Like the original DnD.

Huh. That's actually a pretty good way to put it. Perspective I guess.

Yep, quite sure I spent more than 40$+ on a book, just about the Drow. Same thing to me. Now, if I could only play a Drider...

[Brogarn]

For whatever reason that kind of microtrans doesn't bother me at all. It's when you buy your axe that it bothers me. And selling in game acquisitions a la classic RMT I absolutely loathe. Opening up races and locations is already something that is unlocked through an expansion, so why not split it all up. I'm never going to play a fay or a sarnak in EQ2, I'd happily have had them sell me the content of the expansion for $15 and save me the $5 for the new race.

I agree with everything you said there. Mr BW's point about expansion D&D books opened my eyes about that and you've expanded on that further. And the axe thing gets under my skin as well. It's like circumventing the game at that point. Why bother?

[Mrbloodworth]

Mr BW's point about expansion D&D books opened my eyes about that and you've expanded on that further.

 

[Ard]

I agree with everything you said there. Mr BW's point about expansion D&D books opened my eyes about that and you've expanded on that further. And the axe thing gets under my skin as well. It's like circumventing the game at that point. Why bother?

This is the point where I just say go play DDO and you'll quickly understand why anyone who actually buys cash shop equipment is a moron.  The only time someone might get that desperate is if they've had utterly no luck getting a specific weapon type.  Even in that case they still lose, given that +1 bane weapons are handed out like candy even in the starting areas, and it quickly ramps up from there.

[Mrbloodworth]

Um, are we talking about a hypothetical cash shop axe? Because I personally have not confirmed they are selling gear at all.

[Ard]

I was talking in generalizations.  DDO as it is nowadays, and I was mucking with the trial a few days ago due to this announcement, drops loot at almost a diablo like level.  I vended far more than I ever used.  You get TONS of weapons and pieces of armor, of varying types and stats.  Some from chests, some from quest rewards, some from collection turn ins.  Anything of moderate use is readily available.  If equipment is going to be sold in a cash shop in that game, I'll laugh long and loud to their face if someone actually buys it.

[Mrbloodworth]

I was talking in generalizations. 

Ah, got ya. Just trying to keep us on track here.

[Morfiend]

I didn't see a points/dollar. Is it the usual 1 point = 1 cent?

No.

I have the point values, but I do not know if that is NDA or not.

[sam, an eggplant]

1 point = 1 cent wouldn't be usual at all; that would be uncommonly consumer-friendly. The raison d'être of the microtransactions points system is to distract customers from thinking in terms of currency by abstracting costs to "funny money". I would expect 100 points to cost something like 80 cents.

Just in case I guessed it dead on, I'm not in the beta or under NDA.

[Ard]

It wouldn't be 80 cents.  That's makes the math in the customer's favor.  It'd be in the other direction.

[sam, an eggplant]

That's the idea. If it costs more, then 500 turbine points is over five bucks. How much over? Who knows, but over. You want to decouple funny money from real money. That's the whole point of well, points.

FYI, microsoft points on xbox live are 80 to the dollar. That's where I got the number.

[schild]

I never buy anything that costs funny money, nor will I ever. Nor will I ever endorse it. Real money or bust. I don't care whether there's a good argument or not. Any company that wants to do this can shove their spacebucks right up their ass.

Microsoft drove me to this, btw. I'm going to have 200 points left in my dead XBL account Forever.

[sam, an eggplant]

Yes, funny money is blatantly anticonsumer, and the comments here in what's supposedly a fairly savvy audience of "1 penny = 1 point like usual" and "but it'll be more per point, not less, amirite" drive home just how effective it really is. Scummy.

[Ard]

The whole point is a psychological trap.  Making the dollar value below the point value makes it look to the customer that they're paying more than they really are.  Do it the other way around, and it makes it feel like you're paying less.  That's where the trap and the money lies.  Making you pay more than you thought you did, without you realizing it.

edit:  and no, I'm not defending it.  I hate anything token based, and I really hope that it's 1:1.

Also, this only applies to using numbers that look like dollar amounts.  The other trap is an actual token based system completely decoupled from currency values, like arcades liked to use.

[sam, an eggplant]

They also force you to buy a minimum to hold a balance.

Schild didn't set out and purchase 200 points, he probably bought 2000 for $24.99, then (for example) picked up a fallout3 expansion for 800 points, some viva pinata flower seeds for 600 points, a supercharged volvo in project gotham for 400 points, and had 200 left over with nothing but worthless themes and avatar accessories to spend it on. So microsoft gets to keep his $2.50 forever.