Why are the crown store items only on the server you bought them on? And will this ever change?

Ergo_E

I ask this because I started on the EU server and bought some limited time mounts and costumes, but most people on the EU server didn't speak English so I decided to play on the NA and it was much better but I realised I didn't have any of my purchase items and there's no way to get the stuff that is no longer being sold. I just wonder why this is because the number of crown I have are still the same.

Paazhahdrimaak

Because some will buy everything twice. For both servers.

But yeah it's lame that you can only access what you bought on one server.

Enodoc

This is because when you make a purchase in the Crown Store, you are already logged into the server, and your purchases are stored on the server itself, like your characters. The Crowns, on the other hand, are part of the account system database and not the server database, so the total number of Crowns carries between servers.

Ergo_E

Enodoc wrote: »

This is because when you make a purchase in the Crown Store, you are already logged into the server, and your purchases are stored on the server itself, like your characters. The Crowns, on the other hand, are part of the account system database and not the server database, so the total number of Crowns carries between servers.

Yes but why are the purchased items that are one time purchases (like mounts) not stored on the system data base?

Enodoc

Ergo_E wrote: »

Enodoc wrote: »

This is because when you make a purchase in the Crown Store, you are already logged into the server, and your purchases are stored on the server itself, like your characters. The Crowns, on the other hand, are part of the account system database and not the server database, so the total number of Crowns carries between servers.

Yes but why are the purchased items that are one time purchases (like mounts) not stored on the system data base?

Because they are purchased in-game. There's no way currently for an in-game purchase to link back out to the out-of-game account system. If they were purchased from outside the game, then they would be.

Aelthwyn

I just have to say that I really feel like having to buy things for both servers seriously deters me from wanting to buy anything from the crown store at all because if I actually get it and like it, I'm probably going to want it for characters on the other server too but I am NOT buying it twice, so I'm better off not buying it at all. If all my characters could use it I'd have more incentive to buy a mount or costume, but it doesn't really feel worthwhile if the characters I would use it with are not all on the same server. This is especially true for the DLCs. I'm NOT buying Imperial City nor Orsinum because I won't be able to play it with all my characters unless I buy it twice. I can understand the consumable items that only one character is going to use only showing up on the server you bought them on, but it feels like being cheated when the permanent things like mounts and DLCs are not Account wide. They just are not cheap enough to justify buying more than once, and there are NOT enough character slots available to us on a single server. If I could have made all my characters in the same place I probably would have (though I like playing on both, I know there are some people with friends on both who would really need to be able to play on both servers). But as it is... yeah... I'm really unhappy with the crownstore DLC/mount/pet/costume situation. They would be FAR more likely to get my business if anything I bought in the crown store was accountwide, as it is... nope, I don't think so.

Enodoc

While it may not happen for mounts and pets, I think setting DLCs and Upgrades (like the Imperial Edition and Adventurer Pack) as account-wide would be a good idea. On the other hand, the fact that they don't carry over results in a good incentive to get ESO Plus if you play on both servers.

adriant1978

Paazhahdrimaak wrote: »

Because some will buy everything twice. For both servers.

This. I refuse to believe there is any technical reason why purchases couldn't have been cross-server, given that the Crowns themselves are. It's just a cash grab from people who want to play on both.

Enodoc

adriant1978 wrote: »

Paazhahdrimaak wrote: »

Because some will buy everything twice. For both servers.

This. I refuse to believe there is any technical reason why purchases couldn't have been cross-server, given that the Crowns themselves are. It's just a cash grab from people who want to play on both.

You didn't buy the whole "technically separate storage locations" thing then?

I think the technical reason does exist currently, but I also think it wouldn't be too much trouble to change it.

adriant1978

Enodoc wrote: »

You didn't buy the whole "technically separate storage locations" thing then?

I think the technical reason does exist currently, but I also think it wouldn't be too much trouble to change it.

A limitation which wouldn't be too much trouble to remove but they choose not to is not a real limitation, it's a feature.

The game is able to deduct Crowns from your server-independent account record when you make a purchase, ergo it has some kind of hook into that database. It must have been a design decision to record purchased items in the server-specific database.

Aelthwyn

Enodoc wrote: »

While it may not happen for mounts and pets, I think setting DLCs and Upgrades (like the Imperial Edition and Adventurer Pack) as account-wide would be a good idea. On the other hand, the fact that they don't carry over results in a good incentive to get ESO Plus if you play on both servers.

I can see this point sort of.... except I prefer to feel like I actually own the DLCs, not just renting them... Membership cost would still pay for buying the DLCs twice over the course of 4 months anyways, except then if you cancel you don't still have them. But one of the main reasons I would never get ESO plus is the increased experience gain. I feel like I level up too fast as it is and am always overleveled if I want to do every quest, which I do. Until there is a way to turn that off I wouldn't consider getting a membership even if I want the other perks.

Dragonking06

Ergo_E wrote: »

...most people on the EU server didn't speak English so I decided to play on the NA and it was much better...

The exact reason I give to people on the NA server when they find out I'm a UK player, lol.

But keeping on topic, I think they *could* make the purchases cross server very easily, but why would they when there are some people that are willing to buy items twice? But the same could also be said for "More people would buy from the crown store/limited time items, if they could access them on both" I suppose.