Legacy Promotion now expanded

[Shiroiyami]

I didn't read all the 50 pages but I can't really get the complaints.

 

The game has been out for a while now, I didn't played 24/7, nor I grind really much, in fact I have no 50 tool.

 

But since I tried a lot of classes I have Legacy Level 8, and I am quite happy to receive a free month.

 

If you guys do not have the requirements and feel you won't have it by the 22nd, I'm sorry for you but you can't really say it's just for hardcores.

 

I didn't play that much. In fact, some weeks I didn't play AT ALL.

 

Well, what can I say : thank you, Bioware!

[glubglub]

Well unless they changed the requirements, before you had to have game time left on your account in order to be eligible. I guess I will find out soon enough.

 

Yep I'm hoping for clarification on this but just the way its worded makes it sound like anyone who was in the window of the 12th-22nd for subscription rollovers will now have an inactive account when it comes time to flag for the free game time.

 

I'm hoping we'll get a post that says if you were already flagged for the game time then your good, but I'm not going to hold my breath and expecting the worst.

[Gazzaho]

OK, now I feel appreciated as a valued and loyal customer, the thing is, I shouldn't have felt excluded from that group to start with.

 

At least you had the integrity to admit your error and expand the criteria for inclusion in the promotion.

[Marcus_Cade]

They lied to us about Legacy unlocks.

 

How so? Last I read they were going to be how they are. Some as rewards, some need to be unlocked by level, before you can buy.

 

For those interested in PvP they lied about ranked warzones.[/Quote]

 

They didn't lie. They never promised they would be in 1.2, as with anything: All things being well, they should be. Unfortunately as a last minute problem was found, on the PTS, it was deemed better to hold them back & fix said problem, than release & not work. (Either way, they were in a lose-lose situation, for getting moaned at).

 

How much more money are you going to give them for lying to you?[/Quote] - See above, regarding lying, which moots this comment.

[Dastey]

I have not recieved 30 days of game time, not even a mail like the rest. This is despite the fact that I HAD an active recurring subscription until you ****ed up big time in 1.2. I have 2 lvl 50s and 1 in the 40s. So well once again Bioware is ****ed up, but I guess it wouldnt have made a difference since I had it with this customer service, worst bunch of lying **** I ever seen

[Darchaos]

Nice! They did listen to the "small Minority of whiners" and accepted that what they did was wrong in so many ways.

 

Should also learn even the most hardcore Biodrone that voicing an opinion does matter! So dare to speakout instead of just accepting everything blindley.

 

Maybe this will also learn people that there isnt a small Minority that are "whining", but infact a group that would make an inpact on the game if they stopped to play.

[SawyerX]

I will do nothing to get legacy 6 or lvl 50 because I dont have so much time to play. If I dont get 30 days free anyway I will let the sub run out and finish with swtor. If im a second class custumer because I dont ride your servers so much as other geeks so be it. You made your decision in which you made it pretty clear that you dont value me at all.

 

Luckily Guild Wars 2 is coming out soon.

Edited April 14, 2012 by SawyerX

[Mirandel]

As much as I am thankful to BW for that free month (would get it anyway, have a 50) I still think it's a bit strange criteria. If they really wanted to reward loyal customers it would be more logical to grant that month simply to those who payed all that time without unsubscribe.

 

Though now they might get unsubscribers to come back...

[Hakkz]

I have a level 48 JKG, 30+ Vanguard and then a bunch of lvl 1-14 characters and I'm legacy level 8. Does this mean that I still get the 30 days free ?

[SawyerX]

They just want us to go ride the servers so there game doesn't appear dead.

[nhstjean]

I always wonder that if they should add Cathers, Togruta, and others.

[DarthSpuds]

How so? Last I read they were going to be how they are. Some as rewards, some need to be unlocked by level, before you can buy..

 

There's several copies of the BW quote that states that "legacy perks will be unlocked either by Legacy Level _OR_ Credits, but not both".

 

They lied.

 

End of.

 

All The Best

[Kubernetic]

The only way you could play video games was to go to the local arcade and drop quarters in a machine for very little game time and for a kid it was alot of money for very short entertainment session

So 50 cents a day to play swtor no matter how long you play really isnt crap to me.

There is more negative responses to the first free month offer based on your level, than there is posative.

And the fix for the response is still creating negative responses.

 

And finaly the negative responses are valid because it wasn't a wise choice to descriminate against long term players who are trying to enjoy all aspects of this game then give joe blow who blew through the content who hasnt even been charged his 1st month a free month.

 

thats the issue.

 

Speaking as someone who beta-tested, pre-ordered and has been here through 3 full billing cycles so far, and someone who does not currently meet (and may not meet at all) the requirements for the free month, I have to disagree with this.

 

It is true that there was a heap load of angst over the "just hit level 50" concept. But I honestly never expected them to ever WITHDRAW that offer. I don't think that's reasonable, and the idea that they gave out a promotion, then yanked it back would have caused MUCH more of a flurry of bad press than any of this could have.

 

But they did at least expand the promotion so that they WERE identifying and rewarding those active players who instead of rushing to 50 (in the case of someone who may have purchased the game on March 30th and spacebarred their way to 50, not that all or even a sizeable number did), chose to level multiple alternate characters to the point where they reached legacy level 6.

 

I agree the initial promotion was clumsy and stupidly worded. But the part they did get in there was "very active" players. BioWare DOES have an interest in reinforcing the behavior of players who play their game often enough to help create a vibrant environment. Granted, they didn't do it for everybody.

 

But even at 1.2 million subscribers, if they had just given everyone a free month, you're talking $18 million dollars. That's nearly a full fifth of their total subscription revenues so far. Is that really reasonable? Can they last without that? I think it's only natural that they'd do something to pare that number down a bit so that they have at least SOMETHING coming into the game for revenue.

 

Granted, it does seem like they are discriminating against long-term subscribers, but it IS a legacy promotion. To reward people and incentivize them for not really using much of the legacy system doesn't really make sense.

 

And just because we were here in the game first shouldn't mean we get every single promotion. There will be others, I would expect. But you have to agree that they ought to be targeting the players that most fit their desired business model. And although you might say that someone who pre-orders and pays every month but doesn't play very often should be considered as a primary target in that model because of the flurry of revenue without the stress and overhead, that doesn't exactly wash when you're trying to build an online game with a flourishing community.

 

The negative responses and customers who feel like they've been kicked in the teeth are still valid, I believe, and I hope management doesn't do this or allow this to happen again.

 

People who are frequently playing the game and either getting one or more characters to the endgame (to help flesh out the endgame community) and people who play frequently enough but across multiple characters enough to reach level 6 in legaxy XP are valid metrics, IMHO.

 

As many have pointed out, there ARE a lot of 50s who haven't been trashing the game and have been playing through endgame content.

 

I wanted an open apology. I wanted something more concrete than this, but I do understand that they're still a company and expanding the promotion and listening to the outcry on the forums is in it sown way an apology and a mea culpa. Was it explicit enough? I don't think so. And the long-time players who are truly loyal deserve some respect.

 

But to say they deserve every promotion ever devised in the game is not rational. In fact, other players who showed up 2 months after a founding player, but have been playing 4x as often deserve some more focus from BioWare.

 

Games like this need active populations. It only makes sense that they would subsidize this in any way they could.

 

______

 

To those still trashing players who have a gripe with this, you aren't really making this much better. They do indeed have a grievance. And some of them may not be able to word it properly, but a lot of them are upset because it has shaken (or reinforced) their concerns that management still doesn't quite have its head screwed on right.

 

Calling one group loyal when an entire other group who has really been here for the long haul is essentially ignored is not exactly a light thing. In many cases it is this that they were addressing. They wanted an apology. But even an apology could have been faked.

 

So I think we'd best be served by management just flying right and showing more positive leadership in the future. Actions DO speak louder than words. If we get the unstated mea culpa this time with an expanded offer, and that is accompanied by a more even-keeled future of promotional execution, I think that's a great sign for the game.

[Quantum_Icecube]

Yawn... so much hate and QQ.

 

Legacy Level 6 does not take long to unlock. At all. But I guess haters gonna hate.

[Kubernetic]

I have a level 48 JKG, 30+ Vanguard and then a bunch of lvl 1-14 characters and I'm legacy level 8. Does this mean that I still get the 30 days free ?

 

From the directions I read, yes. You have surpassed level 6 in legacy by the April 22nd Noon CDT deadline. You make the cut.

 

Just don't get banned in the mean time! And don't let your sub run out.

[Kubernetic]

true dat i reached legacy 6 a couple hours after it and only reason i didnt have a 50 was because i had a kydney transplant but still paid for my account to be active i should be able to get a free 30 days i didnt or couldnt play in the hospital fu**ing g**

 

If you reach Legacy 6 by the April 22nd Noon CDT deadline, you make the cut.

 

Just don't let your subscription run out and don't get banned.

[ColonelGonzo]

Giving something worth real money (game time) to some players and not others is always going to be contentious. Whilst this move has now appeased those that qualify for it, it still leaves those of us unqualified rather annoyed.

 

Also I dont understand the purpose of the reward. Legacy is a system designed to incentivise those at 50 to roll another character and start again, thus planets will be full of people playing with characters at various levels and not have 90% of the population at lvl 50 doing dailies.

 

Offering a real money incentive for those at lvl 50 (or Legacy 6) is going to create a goldrush of people trying to get there in a week. All 40 somethings will now be grinding like crazy to get to 50 by the 22nd.

 

Moreover my pain is that Ive been planet clearing, enjoying every side quest, talking to people, as such despite playing since day 1, I have one character at lvl 32. Despite logging as much game time as anyone else and indeed being in the mid-game where Bioware want more people, Im now being encouraged to level up quickly or miss out.

 

Loving the whole plan around Legacy and loving the game but in my opinion this was a bad move as per my first sentence in this post.

[Humlan]

This announcement is nice, but still give me nothing. I have pre-purchased the game, had an active subscription from day one, but still havent reached lvl 50 on one char or legacy 6 on one server....

 

Have played casually and have chars on three servers...

 

Oth I have 8 days to get my current main (lvl 19) to 50... Challenge accepted!

[Kaylia]

Speaking as someone who beta-tested, pre-ordered and has been here through 3 full billing cycles so far, and someone who does not currently meet (and may not meet at all) the requirements for the free month, I have to disagree with this.

 

It is true that there was a heap load of angst over the "just hit level 50" concept. But I honestly never expected them to ever WITHDRAW that offer. I don't think that's reasonable, and the idea that they gave out a promotion, then yanked it back would have caused MUCH more of a flurry of bad press than any of this could have.

 

But they did at least expand the promotion so that they WERE identifying and rewarding those active players who instead of rushing to 50 (in the case of someone who may have purchased the game on March 30th and spacebarred their way to 50, not that all or even a sizeable number did), chose to level multiple alternate characters to the point where they reached legacy level 6.

 

I agree the initial promotion was clumsy and stupidly worded. But the part they did get in there was "very active" players. BioWare DOES have an interest in reinforcing the behavior of players who play their game often enough to help create a vibrant environment. Granted, they didn't do it for everybody.

 

But even at 1.2 million subscribers, if they had just given everyone a free month, you're talking $18 million dollars. That's nearly a full fifth of their total subscription revenues so far. Is that really reasonable? Can they last without that? I think it's only natural that they'd do something to pare that number down a bit so that they have at least SOMETHING coming into the game for revenue.

 

Granted, it does seem like they are discriminating against long-term subscribers, but it IS a legacy promotion. To reward people and incentivize them for not really using much of the legacy system doesn't really make sense.

 

And just because we were here in the game first shouldn't mean we get every single promotion. There will be others, I would expect. But you have to agree that they ought to be targeting the players that most fit their desired business model. And although you might say that someone who pre-orders and pays every month but doesn't play very often should be considered as a primary target in that model because of the flurry of revenue without the stress and overhead, that doesn't exactly wash when you're trying to build an online game with a flourishing community.

 

The negative responses and customers who feel like they've been kicked in the teeth are still valid, I believe, and I hope management doesn't do this or allow this to happen again.

 

People who are frequently playing the game and either getting one or more characters to the endgame (to help flesh out the endgame community) and people who play frequently enough but across multiple characters enough to reach level 6 in legaxy XP are valid metrics, IMHO.

 

As many have pointed out, there ARE a lot of 50s who haven't been trashing the game and have been playing through endgame content.

 

I wanted an open apology. I wanted something more concrete than this, but I do understand that they're still a company and expanding the promotion and listening to the outcry on the forums is in it sown way an apology and a mea culpa. Was it explicit enough? I don't think so. And the long-time players who are truly loyal deserve some respect.

 

But to say they deserve every promotion ever devised in the game is not rational. In fact, other players who showed up 2 months after a founding player, but have been playing 4x as often deserve some more focus from BioWare.

 

Games like this need active populations. It only makes sense that they would subsidize this in any way they could.

 

______

 

To those still trashing players who have a gripe with this, you aren't really making this much better. They do indeed have a grievance. And some of them may not be able to word it properly, but a lot of them are upset because it has shaken (or reinforced) their concerns that management still doesn't quite have its head screwed on right.

 

Calling one group loyal when an entire other group who has really been here for the long haul is essentially ignored is not exactly a light thing. In many cases it is this that they were addressing. They wanted an apology. But even an apology could have been faked.

 

So I think we'd best be served by management just flying right and showing more positive leadership in the future. Actions DO speak louder than words. If we get the unstated mea culpa this time with an expanded offer, and that is accompanied by a more even-keeled future of promotional execution, I think that's a great sign for the game.

 

That was some of the points I was trying to make. And I get that they are a company, and well they want to make money. I would like to make money too. Long players were ignored, even if they hadn't hit the quota. But nothing has been done about it. That's the problem and should have been addressed first. Then address things with those who no offense community, those who do not have social vigilance, and play the game more than they should.

[_Atrial_]

While I'm glad that I will have a chance to get this promotion I completely agree with Raisx that even this "second chance" is insulting.

 

BioWare has literally told me that I am not a valuable customer because I don't play the way they expect me to. I feel betrayed and I am seriously considering not renewing because of this insult.

 

I am a "very active" crafter with three 400s (armor, cyber, artifice). My main is lvl 36. I have six alts, but only use two: lvls 14 and 21. I'm 20% into Legacy lvl 2. I ran a /played across my characters and since launch I have over 30 days of game time (a lot of it afk while waiting for mats to arrive). All this while balancing work and a life. I don't think you could question my dedication to the game.

 

I am one of the biggest GTN sellers on my server and cater mostly to lvl 15-40 players, so I don't care about endgame mats... nor the endgame, for that matter (my answer to the inane statement that "Lvl 1-49 means nothing"). I contribute a lot to the health of my server's economy.

 

I quest a bit, but don't find it compelling; if we had more freedom and it felt like Star Wars, maybe I would. I don't pvp, I'd rather play Battlefield 3 for those kicks. This is how I like to play this game and no one, especially BioWare, should be judging me or excluding me.

 

BioWare can easily include plyers like me in this promotion: either as a Crafter (anyone with one or two 400s) or by play time (an account with more than X days of play time). By the responses I've seen I know I am not alone.

Edited April 14, 2012 by _Atrial_

[Kalfear]

As much as I am thankful to BW for that free month (would get it anyway, have a 50) I still think it's a bit strange criteria. If they really wanted to reward loyal customers it would be more logical to grant that month simply to those who payed all that time without unsubscribe.

 

Though now they might get unsubscribers to come back...

 

yeah I dont get the criteria.

 

They say its a legacy patch now so then shouldnt the criteria be unlocking your legacy?

 

Whats legacy lvl 6 got to do with any thing?

Whats lvl 50 and taken part in end game got to do with anything?

 

LOL, funny thing is, ill get the 30 days now anyways (legacy 6) but what I cared about was the straight out, no double talk appology and they all skipped and slide and squirmed around just saying

 

"Im sorry, we screwed up, we will do better from now on"

 

Read multiple postings from all heads and not one of them could just say that.

 

they will get some back, not all. Remember boards are only 5% normally of the population so when 1 speaks out here, 20 up and quit with out a word. Getting those 20 back will be much harder if they dont participate on the forums or media conversations. BW has to hope word of mouth reachs them and its positive word of mouth rather then negative.

 

Im just killing out 92 + 30 days now. Account is cancelled and ill just play when friends want to do something. Otherwise ill play something else.

 

If they start to focus on things that matter, I might change mind in those 123 days, but Im not holding my breath. I closed beta tested for months and they dont seem to have taken those feedbacks to heart from way back then. Why expect different now in retail.

 

Its a shame to, I do beleive they trying.

I just think they are being directed by people that have no clue what they are doing in the MMORPG genre. Just suits that look around and go "ohhhh shiny, that will work! I have no clue why or what the mechanics are or how they will effect our games balance but they look cool and work for WOW so must be correct".

 

Saw same thing in SWG, combat upgrade, ect ect ect. Those that say the game died at NGE are delussional. Sony had a group of players they got feedback from and that feedback was faulty and self supportive and every update the game lost a bigger chunk of its remaining player base! LOL, by the time NGE came around they were so low already in population that in truth the NGE couldnt actually fail and reduce numbers, they were already at bussiness level 0.

 

Bioware needs to get educated and experienced people to give them quality feedback. People that were around for 2 decades and seen the ups and downs and whys of the different games and know what works and doesnt and why.

 

till that happens I really dont hold out much long term hope for this game.

 

Regadless what the same 20 fanbois spam on forums every night in defence.

[Raisx]

I think the reason for many people still being upset about it, is -

 

Some of us are just sick of having to kiss ***.

 

These are bad financial times, people have to do a lot of *** kissing just to get a by. We always have something to prove to someone. Lately companies have started asking people to compromise their principles to get a job - such as asking you to hand over your Facebook/social media passwords at the job interview, so they can go in as yourself and see everything you post and make an evaluation about you as a person. It's bordering on illegal, but they can still do it since many people will just go along with it, if you want the job you grin and bear it. Stuff like that. We have to kiss *** to survive and as someone pointed out yes we are constantly being evaluated to see if we measure up, if we are doing enough, if we have enough value.

 

For me it's just a dealbreaker that a video game company asks us to prove our worth to them.

 

This is not a job. We shouldn't have to play all our free time to be considered valuable. I know we are a big part of the product they are selling - it is a social game and we are what's social about it - and I know we are a better product to sell if we are online 24/7. But they could try to keep that to themselves and let me live in the illusion that I am not a battery in a giant Matrix.

 

I'm just tired of kissing ***.

This one is easy since I can just unsubscribe and get the free month, for free. And keep my self respect. I don't want to change and start playing here all my free time just for a few dollars. They'll have to pay me more than that if this is supposed to be a full time job.

[Kazumii]

Still no word about whether this applies only to the level/legacy criteria or all the criterias. >.>

[Kaylia]

While I'm glad that I will have a chance to get this promotion I completely agree with Raisx that even this "second chance" is insulting.

 

BioWare has literally told me that I am not a valuable customer because I don't play the way they expect me to. I feel betrayed and I am seriously considering not renewing because of this insult.

 

I am a crafter with three 400s (armor, cyber, artifice). My main is lvl 36. I have six alts, but only use two: lvls 14 and 21. I'm 20% into Legacy lvl 2. I ran a /played across my characters and since launch I have over 30 days of game time (a lot of it afk while waiting for mats to arrive). All this while balancing work and a life. I don't think you could question my dedication to the game.

 

I am one of the biggest GTN sellers on my server and cater mostly to lvl 15-40 players, so I don't care about endgame mats... nor the endgame, for that matter (my answer to the inane statement that "Lvl 1-49 means nothing"). I contribute a lot to the health of my server's economy.

 

I quest a bit, but don't find it compelling; if we had more freedom and it felt like Star Wars, maybe I would. I don't pvp, I'd rather play Battlefield 3 for those kicks. This how I like to play this game and no one, especially BioWare, should be judging me or excluding me.

 

BioWare can easily include plyers like me in this promotion: either as a Crafter (anyone with one or two 400s) or by play time (an account with more than X days of play time). By the responses I've seen I know I am not alone.

 

*giggles* Thank you. This just made me think of something. Not to cross and try to poke at seperate games and all..but..didn't STO have a veteran system where as long as you had X number of days subscribed, no matter when you joined, as long as you hit that number, you got a nice present?

 

All I'm sayin.

[cloverman]

Fantastic to hear

 

Not only are you guys the first I've seen in the MMO game to offer such a lavish gift, but to also listen to your subscribers concerns and accommodate rather than ignore them - that's really something. Keep it up BioWare!