I will admit, the immediate thought that crossed my mind was one of cancellation. I've invested A LOT of money in this game. I've bought the higher priced base game. I've stayed through the Beta. I've defended you when I had little to stand on. I've said over and over that the game needs time. Can I continue to do so? This change puts doubt in my mind that you've committed to giving this game time. You seem rushed to gain a console crowd. I'm sorry if I have a bad taste in my mouth, but I've been in on these experiences before. Many of them. I have multiple MMOs under my belt.

I'm not seeing a pattern of strategic, sustainable growth. Which has me wondering if your investors are getting ancy and impatient.

You want to know why WoW was so successful? Sustainable Growth. It wasn't the addition of content. It certainly wasn't a refined game, a bug-free game, a enticing game. It was the investment in the community. The anticipation, but dedication, to preferring the slow gain of dedicated players, over the instant grab of new markets. I left because I didn't agree with where the gameplay was going. It wasn't for me. I'm a casual solo quester, who loves to team up with people because I ran into them, not because I planned on it.

I knew that you had a problem to solve when you wanted to enter the console market. Console players already pay a sub to play online. The alternative would be to give console players a discount, but that would divide the community. So this is a natural choice.

However, I wonder if you're alienating your sustainable dedicated players. Maybe you think you'll quickly replace them with the new market influx. Either way, you're getting a lot of negativity for this.

So, let me tell you my terms and conditions. Prove to me that you're committed to avoiding cheap cash tactics that would alienate players like me. Prove to me that you won't balance the game around the cash shop. Prove to me that my continued investment through a subscription will be worth it.

Don't forget, I'm one of your investors too. I don't get the perk of gaining wealth from your success. I prefer to gain enjoyment in the form of playing the game. But my investment is even more valuable than your investors. They give you seed money, I give you life blood money.

1. I need more interaction with the devs and moderators. When I reported a bug involving Solar Flare not working with many powers, I was told that it doesn't affect dots. I responded that it affects SunFire, and therefore should affect other powers with front-loaded damage like Fire Rune or Spear Shards.... and crickets. I reported this multiple times. Is this all I get, once chance to be denied any more open discussion? Are you afraid I'm going to flamewar? The power is still broken past usefulness, and if you have plans for it, I would like to know.
2. I need more honesty about your plans for the game. When you canceled the 6 month sub, everyone wanted to have some idea of why. All you had to do was say that you were looking into other ways to incentivise long term subscription pay. It would at least be true. Yet, you said nothing. You let rumors abound and did nothing to protect the confidence of your long-term invested players.
3. If you want a cash shop, you have done nothing but prove that you can't produce a fair one. When you offered Steam players a dog, you said the dog would eventually be available to everyone under another purchase. You locked that purchase behind a toy. You didn't even advertise that this was the method to unlock the dog. You also locked your long term players out of the option to have a Steam account.

So as you can see, you've done everything to prove that you cannot produce a commitment to subscribers, a fair shop, and a fair pay model. How can I trust that you are capable of moving this game into the new system without ruining it.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

With Tamriel Unlimited, we are [not currently considering] changing the current rate at which your characters progress. That includes experience and AP gain rate, gold gain speed, what your character can equip, etc. The overall experience will be no different than the game you're playing now.

FTFY

This is entirely my point.

You have to work against a history that proves you wrong.

Vanishingly rare has a game introduced a cash shop without balancing the game around it. Vanishingly rare has a game introduced subscriber perks without balancing the game around it. Vanishingly rare has a game introduced this model without dedicating more resources to expanding the money grabs, than enhancing the content, which is the primary reason to subscribe.

You're going to have to prove history wrong, and I will need a little more honesty and transparency to give you the benefit of the doubt.

I want to continue to invest in you. Give me that reason.