Adernath wrote: »

Of course its not based on how long people are playing... it is based on whether you support the game at the right time

Adernath wrote: »

Thats why I was referring to long-term supporters

So, is it about supporting the game at the right time, or long-term support? Because you can't have it both ways. Supporting the game at the right time can literally mean playing for a day, getting the item, then not playing again for a year. Tell me again how such people are supposedly deserving of being 'rewarded' with 'exclusive' items.

As @adriant1978 pointed out, the only thing this rewards is impulse-buying: plain and simple. Most MMOs do it, because it makes them money, that's all there is to it.

adriant1978 wrote: »

Adernath wrote: »

adriant1978 wrote: »

Has nothing to do with long term support. These are not rewards based the length of time played, just an indication that you were in the right place at the right time when something was in the Crown Store. You could have played for a week at just the time these items showed up and got them, while someone who had played since launch could have been taking a break from the game at that time and missed them.

Jeez do you have any idea how such things are done in mmo's? There is usually an advertisement to purchase a bundle or an expansion pack, or pre-order something and you gain unique features for it. And these things are usually not showing up later because their uniqueness is part of the damn reward. Of course its not based on how long people are playing... it is based on whether you support the game at the right time - in ESO this is also very predictable, you have advertisements and usually an e-mail and a blog. People who take a break nonetheless and don't support the game any further are consequently not rewarded. Thats why I was referring to long-term supporters. Very simple. Welcome to the internet.

You can keep telling yourself that it's about rewarding long term support if that helps you feel better about your exclusionary attitude but it really has nothing to do with long term anything. The fact that someone who has been playing the game for a week can impulse buy a limited item while someone who played since launch and happened to be away from the game or short of funds at that time will miss it is proof enough of that.

Ghanima_Atreides wrote: »

Adernath wrote: »

Of course its not based on how long people are playing... it is based on whether you support the game at the right time

Adernath wrote: »

Thats why I was referring to long-term supporters

So, is it about supporting the game at the right time, or long-term support? Because you can't have it both ways. Supporting the game at the right time can literally mean playing for a day, getting the item, then not playing again for a year. Tell me again how such people are supposedly deserving of being 'rewarded' with 'exclusive' items.

As @adriant1978 pointed out, the only thing this rewards is impulse-buying: plain and simple. Most MMOs do it, because it makes them money, that's all there is to it.

@adriant1978 I already told you that it is not about playing the game, but supporting the game at the right time. And if you do this over a longer period of time (= long-term supporter) you gather a nice collection of unique things @Ghanima_Atreides . They provide a unique appearance for your character as reward for following and supporting the game actively and in the past. This is a very clear thing, also answering the last quote.

I am only telling you guys that this is common practice in many MMO's and you should start to acknowledge that this is also the case here. But honestly I am getting tired of trying to get this into your heads.

(As a side note, impulse buying is also not a reward but an act.)

adriant1978 wrote: »

Adernath wrote: »

I am only telling you guys that this is common practice in many MMO's and you should start to acknowledge that this is also the case here. But honestly I am getting tired of trying to get this into your heads.

And I keep trying to get into your head that something being common industry behaviour does not make it right and is not in itself a justification of that behaviour. Yes, everyone does it, but it's still scummy.

Well, I am fine with this particular practice as long as it does not go out of hands. The alternative would be a sub requirement for everyone, as it was done in the past. But concerning other things like the boxes I agree with you. But that is a little offtopic.

Zelos wrote: »

BRASSY ASSASSIN PERSONALITY BETTER COME BACK

And the naryu costume and the hair, cmon ZOS DEMANDS THERE

YES please.

I missed the Vivec furnishing pack last year and have wanted it really badly ever since. There's a few projects that I would love to do but they require the huge pools that come in that pack...

Personally I think it's extremely silly to NEVER rerelease limited time offer stuff. IMO, it should be yearly. Or else bring past offerings back for a limited time in a Black Friday sale... something, anything. One and done is a terrible model. People wanting to remain "exclusive" is a terrible excuse. If these items come back a second time for a limited window they'll still be exclusive anyway.

I buy some of the limited items because I really wanted them. I don't feel special because I have a Linchal Grand Manor and know a bunch of people who really want one. I sympathize with them and say I hope ZOS rereleases it soon. Why wouldn't I want everyone to enjoy neat stuff?

I'm a proud owner of Tel Galen and wouldn't mind at all if it was re-released. In fact, I would rather have seen limited-time items return to the CS rather than returning in crates.

I don't see "Limited-Time" as "One-Time Only." It means it's for sale for a limited time - a limited number of days in the CS, then it's removed. But, it doesn't mean that it can never come back. Sure, many things probably won't come back unless they're in a crate, but we've already seen the MW collector's/pre-order items released in the CS. Plus, the Elven Hero costume was re-released.

The only things I would like to have remain exclusive are things that are earned in-game - of course, these aren't exclusive either, since anyone can earn them in-game (though DLCs have to be purchased or rented with ESO+). Also, there are the old PC loyalty rewards that I think should remain exclusive, as well as the beta monkey.

I've never purchased anything from the CS because I thought it would be rare and few would have it. I purchase what I LIKE!

ETA: I don't really even notice all the mounts/pets/costumes/outfits in the game anymore. It's all so much visual noise now to me. I do see the morons who sit right in the middle of a busy area or on top of crafting stations or whatnot with their new shiny apex mount they happened to get lucky on. It's hilarious that they need that approbation for their gambling addiction or simple luck with a free crate.

ETA2: Sometimes I get really nostalgic for the early days, when we all ran around in mismatched gear that we couldn't dye and covering them with disguises. When the epitome of crafting was finding the daedric motif.

adriant1978 wrote: »

Adernath wrote: »

The alternative would be a sub requirement for everyone, as it was done in the past.

You really think the game couldn't survive without artificial scarcity and FOMO induced impulse buying, and the only alternative would be to go back to a sub model? I get that you personally like time limited items because having them makes you feel "special", and that's your prerogative I suppose even though I disagree strongly with it, but now you're suggesting that this business model is essential for the game? That's a pretty big assertion.

There's 3 possibilities here:
1) Artificial scarcity does not actually make ZOS any more money than having everything available all the time, or on a reoccurring basis.
2) It does make them more money and 100% of that goes to bonuses for people at the top or some other non-essential expense.
3) It does make them extra money and that is then put back into the game to fund future development. (Which may be development of more crown store items, but either way it leads to more stuff in the game.)

Of course we don't know what the real situation is because ZOS, as a privately owned company, is under no obligation to tell us what they do with their money or even how much they make.

But 1 is unlikely simply because research in all kinds of situations shows that artificial scarcity does work. You can see why in this topic - in addition to people buying things because they actually like them there's people buying them just for the sake of having something other people don't, and people who will spend more or buy things they're not completely sure about because they won't have the chance later. (Pop-up shops rely entirely on this model and can make a lot of money doing it.)

2 is also unlikely simply because of how company finances typically work. It would be extremely odd for one type of product to specifically fund bonuses and nothing else.

Which leaves us with 3 - they're using the money they make from this to fund development of other things. If it just funds the creation of more crown store items then we're pretty much back to 1 and it seems unlikely that's the case for much the same reasons - they wouldn't keep a system like that going because it's not practical to do so. So the most likely conclusion is that the sale of these items funds creation and maintenance of the game. Meaning if they were to get rid of them they'd have to either scale back development to reduce the costs or find another source of income. That could be increasing subscriptions, it could be more of other types of in-game purchases, or it could be something entirely new, but it would have to come from somewhere.

I'm not saying I like this approach, it's not a tactic I'm a fan of personally even though because I understand how and why it works, anything which relies on buyers remorse to get people scrabbling for the belief that there's 'hidden' benefits to their purchase (like other people being jealous they've got it) isn't a system I'd want to support. But I understand that it works and why ZOS and other companies would like to use it. It's a fairly simple way to get more money for relatively little extra effort and they get customers defending the practice and actively encouraging others to not only buy the items but also buy into the system and the mentality required to justify it thrown in completely free.

There's hope for Tel Galen and other MW items! They just announced the Orsinium anniversary event coming up, where they are re-releasing Pariah's Pinnacle and the Malacath furnishing pack!

So, it's possible that since Morrowind is now a DLC, it'll get the anniversary treatment next year. And, possibly, Tel Galen would return along with the Vivec furnishing pack.