@ZOS, (current) subscribers deserve more

Lynx7386 · January 2015

I've played f2p and b2p games before, and I've seen the good and bad of them. Because of that, I'm on the fence about how it will work out with ESO.

That said, the current 'incentives' I'm seeing for subscribers dont seem like enough. You're giving a monthly allotment of 'crowns' for use on the cash shop - that's fine, but to be expected considering we're shoveling money your way every month and will only be seeing intermittent updates. You're giving a 10% boost to experience, gold, and inspiration gains and reducing research times by the same amount, that's a nice boost for subscribing as well (though certainly not groundbreaking, IMO).

The problem is that anyone who subscribes after the tamriel unlimited release will get the same perks, whether they've been around for a year now like some of us have, or whether they're just getting into things. That is what I have an issue with.

You're losing loyal subscribers by the hundreds if these forums are anything to go on, I think that could be remedied by providing something unique to players who have had a subscription prior to the release of tamriel unlimited (something that is -not- provided to players who only subscribe after that release).

I have a few suggestions on what these perks could be, but any new ideas I'm sure are welcome. I just hope zenimax doesnt completely turn away from those of us who have been loyal customers and intend to remain such.

Some ideas for pre-unlimited subscriber perks:

1. A free, one-time name change token usable on any character on your account. Obviously a paid name change is something that would do well in the cash shop, but offering the service for free (even if only a single use) to prior subscribers is a fairly nice and harmless perk.

2. Reduced gold costs for certain ingame features. Mounts are the thing that comes to mind first here, but reduced repair costs, wayshrine recall costs, or general vendor costs would also work (hell, maybe all of them).

3. A unique VIP (Let's call it "Ambassador") area that only pre-unlimited subscribers can access, perhaps a seperate area for each alliance. These ambassador areas could provide free teleportation to major areas of tamriel, a collection of crafting vendors and stations, dye station, cash shop npc, so on and so forth in a conveniently accessible location for these players (not to mention a way to get away from the free players). I'm thinking something like the VIP area in SWTOR, or the captain's table in star trek online.
I'd also say add a set of crafting stations to this area that allow the creation of an 'alt' set of gear that boosts experience gains, so that players with access to the vip area are able to make gear that helps their alts (or possibly mains) level faster. Something with set bonuses like: (2) +10% exploration experience, (3) +10% experience gain with skill lines, (4) +10% additional experience from killing enemies, (5) +20% additional experience gain while in a group.

4. Titles, dyes, costumes, mounts, and other cosmetic items unique to pre-unlimited subscribers, something a player can put on or use to say "I was here from the start".

In most other games, these kinds of features are beta-tester rewards, but they're just as fitting here I think.

@ZOS

Tanis-Stormbinder · January 2015

Just hoping we get the 1500 and the 100 crowns per month for our current sub's.

Denaia · January 2015

I wouldn't want more of these paid features. What I would like is discount on all dlc's while subbed or possibly to make every so many months subbed include a free dlc to keep after it has lapsed. (like every 3-4 months has one dlc for free included)

Outside of that, the bonusses to xp and gold weren't even needed in my opinion.

Lynx7386 · January 2015

Denaia wrote: »

I wouldn't want more of these paid features. What I would like is discount on all dlc's while subbed or possibly to make every so many months subbed include a free dlc to keep after it has lapsed. (like every 3-4 months has one dlc for free included)

Outside of that, the bonusses to xp and gold weren't even needed in my opinion.

DLC is going to be free for subscribers already.

tinythinker · January 2015

Tanis-Stormbinder wrote: »

Just hoping we get the 1500 and the 100 crowns per month for our current sub's.

https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/home?region=UK

As a current subscriber: If you are an active subscriber when The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited launches, you will receive 500 crowns for having a game account, plus 100 crowns for each 30-day period you have been an active subscriber. In addition, you'll be automatically enrolled in ESO Plus for the remainder of your subscription period.

Muizer · January 2015

I don't want a bribe.

Darkrogue671 · January 2015

You know what I would pay for every month after the B2P come out? A dedicated RP server with a dedicated RP Cyrodil as well that would NOT be separated by factions (i.e. AD/DC/EP can all talk to each other in chat). Why pay? It would separate the trolls and only the serious RPers would join.

Dueling, cross-faction groups, real battle RP... all of that would be possible.

Lynx7386 · January 2015

Muizer wrote: »

I don't want a bribe.

With that attitude you wont get one.

EsORising · January 2015

All they had to do was fix some bugs and get rid of VR to keep their subbers, but instead they had this grand scheme and 10x what we asked for, which took 6 months too long to achieve so now ESO is going b2p or f2p to make ends meet. I don't understand ZoS.
Subscibers might be dropping like flys every month but they should of addressed the problems instead of throwing our carrot on front of our face to drag us all the way to f2p. If i knew this was going to happen I would of unsubbed till this fiasco was done. I been DI CIEVED! But i guess that was the point all along.

Aevric · January 2015

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Denaia wrote: »

I wouldn't want more of these paid features. What I would like is discount on all dlc's while subbed or possibly to make every so many months subbed include a free dlc to keep after it has lapsed. (like every 3-4 months has one dlc for free included)

Outside of that, the bonusses to xp and gold weren't even needed in my opinion.

DLC is going to be free for subscribers already.

DLC for subscribers will be "rented".
If you ever cancel your Plus subscription (even if you continuously subscribe until years from now) and want to keep playing, you'll have ZERO DLC and have to purchase all of it in order to have it.
Whether or not the monthly allotment of Crown for having a subscription will cover all of the DLC remains to be seen, and doesn't take into consideration spending any of those Crowns for mounts/potions/outfits/etc.
Unless the monthly allotment of Crowns far exceeds the cost of all of the DLC available, a Plus subscription would be a waste of money, even with the 10% extra xp/gold/etc. incentive.

biggman83b14_ESO · January 2015

I agree that with OP for the most part, I have been a sub since day 1 and I feel cheated by ZOS with the new payment or "lack of" method.

I hate the idea of a cash shop to begin with but the paltry "bribes" they are offering is an insult. +10% bonus to whatever doesn't really help a whole lot when most your xp Is capped and traits researched.

100CP per previous month sub'd...really? at least make it 500, that would then show some appreciation to the people that have stuck with the game the entire time.

How about a discount on bag/bank slot upgrade costs, a title, or something else that may actually stand out as a gesture of good faith to those that feel like they have been victims of the old "bait and switch".

I'll continue to play but if the game continues in the direction many fear it is then I guess I'll happily cancel my sub. It'll make my decision to move on to Pantheon a little easier when the time comes.

burningcrow · January 2015

EsORising wrote: »

All they had to do was fix some bugs and get rid of VR to keep their subbers, but instead they had this grand scheme and 10x what we asked for, which took 6 months too long to achieve so now ESO is going b2p or f2p to make ends meet. I don't understand ZoS.
Subscibers might be dropping like flys every month but they should of addressed the problems instead of throwing our carrot on front of our face to drag us all the way to f2p. If i knew this was going to happen I would of unsubbed till this fiasco was done. I been DI CIEVED! But i guess that was the point all along.

Exactly.

Arato · January 2015

I think the amount of crowns we get per subbed month should increase. As it is, we won't even get 1 month's worth of crowns for having subbed for 11 months when this change in revenue model goes live. It'll be just over 1 month's worth of crowns if you count the 500 that are given to everyone who has an account.

I have a feeling that 1600 won't go very far.

We've endured a lot as founders of the game, as it is, we're having the entire system turned upside down on us with the change from veteran system to champion system, I can't think of an MMO that has done that drastic of a change post launch without a complete relaunch like Final Fantasy XIV.

Because of this kind of drastic change, I halted leveling my main character, he's been VR6 for months because I've been so confused about the champion system that I felt like I should just wait and see.

So that's what I did.. wait and see for months, tinkering with alts and crafting mostly, as I continued to pay for it, waiting for more news.

What's that getting me? Less than a month's worth of crowns and a minipet basically.

OrangeTheCat · January 2015

I would probably stay with this game if those of us who have stayed subscribed since release (actually, since beta for me), and have put up with all this broken and lackluster BS for the last 9+ months, gave us free subscription (with no time limitations) access to the game as a reward for what we've been through. Anything less, then no, I for one am out of here. It's just not worth it anymore for me (someone who has had to deal with all the crap over the last 9 months), both in time and money.

Vlakna · January 2015

i will like an additional 70 CP's for the whole time I been paying. LOL
just joking.

liquid_wolf · January 2015

I do agree. The stuff former subscribers are getting just doesn't seem like enough.

Nice, yes... but I keep wondering what makes me different from new subscribers after the change-over. What says I've been here since the beginning?

I believe a few things were talked about in the ESO Live about Tamriel Unlimited... some kind of mount?

But still... I'm going to be sticking with the game and I want players to know I've been here through all of this.

I don't yet FEEL like this change-over is good for me... I don't yet FEEL like i'm being enticed and encouraged enough to accept it.

Perhaps it is just greed... but we keep playing these types of games so long as they make us FEEL like it is worth it.

So I believe @ZOS can do a little more to achieve that.

Edit:
It is also possible that I am not seeing all the stuff former subscribers are getting access to, or rewarded with. If there is some kind of consolidated list, please let me know. Perhaps seeing it all in one place, directed at former subscribers, will help change my opinion.

AlexDougherty · January 2015

Lynx7386 wrote: »

I've played f2p and b2p games before, and I've seen the good and bad of them. Because of that, I'm on the fence about how it will work out with ESO.

That said, the current 'incentives' I'm seeing for subscribers dont seem like enough. You're giving a monthly allotment of 'crowns' for use on the cash shop - that's fine, but to be expected considering we're shoveling money your way every month and will only be seeing intermittent updates. You're giving a 10% boost to experience, gold, and inspiration gains and reducing research times by the same amount, that's a nice boost for subscribing as well (though certainly not groundbreaking, IMO).

The problem is that anyone who subscribes after the tamriel unlimited release will get the same perks, whether they've been around for a year now like some of us have, or whether they're just getting into things. That is what I have an issue with.

You're losing loyal subscribers by the hundreds if these forums are anything to go on, I think that could be remedied by providing something unique to players who have had a subscription prior to the release of tamriel unlimited (something that is -not- provided to players who only subscribe after that release).

I have a few suggestions on what these perks could be, but any new ideas I'm sure are welcome. I just hope zenimax doesnt completely turn away from those of us who have been loyal customers and intend to remain such.

Some ideas for pre-unlimited subscriber perks:

1. A free, one-time name change token usable on any character on your account. Obviously a paid name change is something that would do well in the cash shop, but offering the service for free (even if only a single use) to prior subscribers is a fairly nice and harmless perk.

2. Reduced gold costs for certain ingame features. Mounts are the thing that comes to mind first here, but reduced repair costs, wayshrine recall costs, or general vendor costs would also work (hell, maybe all of them).

3. A unique VIP (Let's call it "Ambassador") area that only pre-unlimited subscribers can access, perhaps a seperate area for each alliance. These ambassador areas could provide free teleportation to major areas of tamriel, a collection of crafting vendors and stations, dye station, cash shop npc, so on and so forth in a conveniently accessible location for these players (not to mention a way to get away from the free players). I'm thinking something like the VIP area in SWTOR, or the captain's table in star trek online.
I'd also say add a set of crafting stations to this area that allow the creation of an 'alt' set of gear that boosts experience gains, so that players with access to the vip area are able to make gear that helps their alts (or possibly mains) level faster. Something with set bonuses like: (2) +10% exploration experience, (3) +10% experience gain with skill lines, (4) +10% additional experience from killing enemies, (5) +20% additional experience gain while in a group.

4. Titles, dyes, costumes, mounts, and other cosmetic items unique to pre-unlimited subscribers, something a player can put on or use to say "I was here from the start".

In most other games, these kinds of features are beta-tester rewards, but they're just as fitting here I think.

@ZOS

I seriously doubt that we will see those extras, I think it's probably in comparison to the B2P option, so we will see them getting 10% less XP/Gold/Inspiration (and 10% longer for research) for the same quests, while we stay the same.

now your ideas.
1. Free Name Change token, Nice I could use that.
2. Reduced Gold Costs, I doubt we will get that one, but it would be nice.
3. VIP area for Pre-unlimited Subscribers, that definately won't happen, they've already promised that B2P players get access to everything we do (they may have to pay, lets wait and see) and they won't seperate us off from new subscribers either. So there are at least two problems to that one.
4. Titles, dyes, mounts, etc, I like this one too.