Game time counting down already?

Holycannoli

Ticket submitted with that email quoted. Let's see what they say.

Absconditus

I got a bit annoyed seeing my time starting to tick down as well. I too read their announcement saying they've extended the period until Sunday, and then I am asked to add my payment information for setting up the subscription before I start playing, and it nullifies this extension.. Ridiculous!

I'm already on the fence regarding actually allowing this game to start ticking on the subscription, and with how they are handling things, it feels less and less likely that I will want to do just that. I'm not losing much by not getting this slightly extended period of my Early Access of course, but it's the principle of it. The fact that they aren't making sure that those who enter their payment information today, still gets their promised extension of time. I mean, how in the world can they not have this automated? It should be simple enough to check and to see when at earliest the free period should start to tick, based on if the account in question should have had Early Access status until Sunday or not, at the very least they could have added additional days to the free period (31 days remaining instead of 29). They must have a system in place for compensating game-time to players, right?

It becomes hard to swallow the idea of going back to a subscription, old deprecated maintenance downtimes, false/misleading advertisement (Early Access extension is just that), a somewhat lack of proper communication; all these little things that people seem perfectly accustomed to and happy with, these things I even see people defending. I have been playing a Buy to Play MMO for over a year now, that miraculously does not have any of these things (and I didn't even realize how impressive that game's systems are, before I starting to play a different MMO again). It's not like ESO is all that different from this other MMO either. The combat is similar (active combat w/dodging), the game modes are similar (PvE, large-scale PvP between 3 enemy "factions", and small-scale PvP too for that matter), the worlds are obviously different, but equally large and filled to the brim with lore and aesthetics. You can fast-travel between waypoints on the map for a fee in both games as well. They have different approaches to questing mind you, ESO having you do the traditional go speak with x and fetch/kill/do y, while this other MMO just gives you the quests based on if you're in the vicinity to these "dynamic events" happening in the world, but that's about it, at least when thinking about them on a very basic level. Well, that and ESO has mounts, this other game doesn't. Now I ain't one to namedrop another competitor on an official forum, so I won't, but I'm sure there's plenty of people that knows what game I'm referring to none the less.

ESO's a fun game, it is, I am enjoying it. But the people handling it, considering I have to pay in order to keep playing, are not doing the greatest of jobs managing it so far. I know it's still early granted. I am well aware of MMO's usually having troubles at launch, as it's not exactly my first MMO. I just hope those in charge of maintaining this game can quickly turn these negative things around, and convince me (and others feeling the same as me) that this game is something I should want to pay for. You got competition before you even got out the door and launched, ESO, so you need to convince me on why I should subscribe, when I already got a very good alternative to your game that is B2P, that does not have maintenance downtimes, and that are seeing frequent updates to its content, etc.

Yes, yes, to those that wish to defend the game, I know, nobody's forcing me to play, nobody will miss me if I don't continue to subscribe. I am perfectly aware of that, but I also think that you need to look at the bigger picture here; with enough players feeling unmotivated to subscribe, the game can't feasibly survive for all that long, not as a subscription-based game at least (and pretty much every MMO so far that went Subscription → Free to Play, tends to become a bit of a mess in my opinion). So.. should you really just keep telling people to go play something else? Because chances are, that could in the long/short run kill off the chance of the game gaining a healthy amount of players, that is somewhat needed for a healthy community, which again is needed for it to stay as a subscription-based game and not become one of these messed up hot-cakes that was initially subscription based, but that went F2P because the revenue wasn't anywhere near where it needed to be.

Stiler

I just got an email response to my ticket...and it was simply a copy + paste of how to redeem my early access code.....literally NOTHING to do with the question I asked about the two day extra they announced.

Paske

ZOS_TristanK wrote: »

Hi, folks. The Early Access period has ended, as ESO is officially live. Once players activate their Game Codes on their accounts, they will see the timer begin counting down. This timer is currently counting down the 30-days of unlimited free game-time that all players receive with the purchase of ESO. After that time hits zero, the paid subscription will kick in.

It might seem some people have minor problems with activation:

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/67461/bank-account-being-charged#latest

Also there was an announcement stating early access will be untill 6th.

dannmargie85b14_ESO

what about the damn 14.99 that has been charged to my account after putting in the key? I understand charging to check the account but it has now been 3 days and the charge is still there , hell I am not even getting 1 day of free time with my box order =/

guess ill go try out that other beta and see how that is working out!

Holycannoli

Oh I got a response:

Greetings!

Thank you for contacting The Elder Scrolls Online Team.

Two day early access is over sorry

You can also find this information in our knowledge base, which we consistently update with any changes. Use the following link for the most up-to-date information regarding your question:

http://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/home?region=US/track/AvMuyQp~Dv8S~ZnDGrAe~yILie0qey75Mv91~zj~PP_8

Currently, the best way to keep an eye out for upcoming news about The Elder Scrolls Online is to watch our official page and social channels:

You can find more information about The Elder Scrolls Online on our website and social channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Google+).

Thank you for your continued interest and support!

Warm Regards,
The Elder Scrolls Online Team

First off there is no "Two day early access" and second it's not over. It was extended by two days. That's what my ticket is about.

Here's what I sent them:

The extension of Early Access by two days should have given those of us who played during early access two free days, extending our billing cycle to May 6th, or 32 days after launch. I along with many others lost those two free days by entering our subscription info yesterday when we received our codes instead of waiting until after the extended early access.

I quote an email sent to another player dealing with this issue:

"Response By Email (DeJuan) (04/03/2014 04:10 PM)
Greetings!

Thank you for contacting The Elder Scrolls Online Team.

The Grace Period is an extension of free play for, roughly, an additional 48 hours for all players that pre-ordered or pre-purchasedThe Elder Scrolls Online. We are granting additional free game-time to these players for their patience throughout the various maintenance windows that we experienced as we readied for launch day.

Thank you for your continued interest and support!

Warm Regards,
The Elder Scrolls Online Team"

That confirms that we are supposed to have two free days added to our accounts. I think those who are waiting until these two free days are done before entering their codes will correctly show their first billing day as May 6th. Mine is currently May 4th because I did not wait.

I do not want to lose those days simply because I entered my information as soon as I received my game codes. I'm sure this is merely an oversight and can be rectified by changing the billing date to May 6th.

These people don't have a clue do they? One says it was extended for two days to make up for the various extended maintenance downtimes we experienced, another says "sorry two day early access is over."

Now I'm pissed. I will be cancelling my subscription later. This is the third strike. Scratch that, I send a replay telling them to escalate my ticket or I cancel my subscription. If they don't, or if they're rude in any way (which will be at my discretion) I'm leaving this game behind. This launch is ridiculous now.

steveb16_ESO46

If I had spent untold millions developing a premium sub game I would be fighting tooth and nail for every customer. But ZMO just seem to swerve between not bothered and actively alienating. Yea. Sunday morning maintenance. That's the ticket.

Brasseurfb16_ESO

Wtf, want to acces my account information and I have to wait in a queu now!?

Ok after checking the billing section nothing is notified about the account check, but I'll definitly keep an close eye on this when I get my credit card expense from the bank.

Perseas

They will be punished from my behalf as well, when the end of april is near.. because bad boys and girls should be punished...

Mostly because they made an announcement about extra free time and they send us a virus to erase our games, so we must forced to redownload and activate our subs... guess what... punishment is coming.

There is more reasons than punishment though...

1) I am a soloer and I cant sell my stuff, I want my personal vendor...
2) Cyrodiil is so dull for me, I travelled twice and I desperately left after 5 min and the last time I was lost with this compass map, I made 20 minutes walking be able to find a shrine and teleport out!... lol I love open world pvp, so there is no point for me, walking miles to kill 20 players for a quest. At the same time, when you die, you must wait 10 min to ress!!! Or you have to walk 20 min to go back.. Cyrodiil makes me feel tired.

3) another thing that it feels strange, I am always lower level than the area I am questing. Not by 1 or 2 lvls, but for 4-5 lvls! I dont know what I am doing wrong, maybe because I am not playing cyrodiil. I am only questing! I love quests. Another thing that bugged me, was the mage guild quest, to help salidor get his island back. I was 32 and the quest was 44lvl! But I did it. I shouldnt be able to do it, under normal conditions!

there is some things that must be "re constructed " I believe... it needs time

Stiler

Bump, did anyone hear anything more on this?

My ticket was "escalated" and I have heard nothing in the four days since then.

mccobleb14_ESO

ZOS_TristanK wrote: »

Hi, folks. The Early Access period has ended, as ESO is officially live. Once players activate their Game Codes on their accounts, they will see the timer begin counting down. This timer is currently counting down the 30-days of unlimited free game-time that all players receive with the purchase of ESO. After that time hits zero, the paid subscription will kick in.

Cool Story, here let me go buy a time card so I can play.....OH WAIT I CAN"T. ***