Disappointed about so-called "New In Game Barber-Shop"

[Omisri]

I think a lot of people are also forgetting that completing some achievements in 2.0 grants Cartel Coins also.

 

I do agree that this should of been something developed way out of the cartel markets way. Maybe the cartel market could of had some exotic hair models or what not...

 

..but nope

[DaRoamer]

You haven't played to many MMO's have you.. And I doubt you have played all the content in WOW.. I would also suggest you consider what content is, as some of the things you named, I wouldn't consider content..

 

As for the expansion.. Way to list something that isn't out yet.. How about we stick to the here and now and the year that passed..

 

If you can only respond to a single line in a rather long thread.. Then perhaps it would be best not to respond.. Because you certainly didn't respond to the point of my post.. You totally missed it.. Just saying..

 

If your only point is to say they have put some stuff out.. I think you might be in the wrong thread.. Again, Just saying..

 

I've played dozens of MMOs. A number for extended periods. I didn't feel the need to quote your entire wall of text because the rest of your post was related to the question at hand, you're claim that they've added no content since the market. This is patently false. You give an example about content to get a new pet but discount a quest chain to get a new companion as not being content? I can get 2 new pets from the gree event, by doing quests. You even stated in your original post that they haven't added space missions which they clearly did. Is this not content? A new warzone isn't content? A new daily area isn't content?

 

Perhaps it's you who hasn't played many MMOs. Since the launch of free to play they've had 2 content patches. It's been 4 months since f2p so that's a content patch every 8 weeks which was their goal. Christmas was in there as well. When the expansion hits it'll be approx 16 months since launch and there will have been 8 content patches. That's a very good clip for an MMO.

 

Stating they have an expansion coming next month is cheating because it's not out yet? What a ridiculous statement. You're more than aware that the content exists and it's coming very soon. You can't sit there and say "they don't release any content!" when there is a huge chunk of content right around the corner. Go ahead and cover your eyes and pretend it doesn't exist so you can continue your false accusations. Guess what? You're in a thread complaining about a feature that has only been announced and has not been given any kind of release date and very few details. Why are you in a thread complaining about content that hasn't released? Just sayin.

Edited March 24, 2013 by DaRoamer

[Amyas]

All subbers should be able to do this with in game credits!

[Pantaro]

All subbers should be able to do this with in game credits!

 

^ that is all!

[HoboWithAStick]

Subscribers should be getting this for free, no questions asked.

 

The only thing within this store that should cost money is the possibility of them adding additional char styles that were not in the original game. I would be okay with paying money for things like additional hair colours, styles body types but not for content I've already paid for.

 

More then this they have stated in the past that the team that works on game content and cartel market stuff is completly different. I'm pretty sure though that implamenting a barber shop would require much time from the devs that aren't a part of the cartel team meaning that Its the subsribers paying for this barber shop and not income from the cartel market.

[SithEmpress]

I understand that Barbershop (let's call it that for lack of better term) is tied to CM. However, how about just making extra stuff unlockable via CM, but making the Barbershop itself (changing looks from selection of basic stuff and unlocked CM stuff) freely accessible to subscribers? That is win-win, right? You want to look cool? Buy special "hair schematic", but the barber will create it for you for credits.

F2P/Prefs could have it limited, sort of like Med Probes for field revive.

 

^This is how they should have done it. I love the game but you can really see the focus is complete on the cartel market and getting every dollar they can. I know they need to make money, but they also need to make it worth continue to sub to the game. Right now it doesn't feel like they’re are putting much effort into the game beside the market. Just look at the reputation vendor the one in game didn't get a single new outfit but the cartel reputation vendor got all sorts of new things. Now we have to pay to customize our characters, these sorts of choices are leaving a sour taste in my mouth and making me consider going F2P. I’ll wait and see how the expansion turns out.

[Jherad]

Kinda sad. This should have been a no-brainer as a standard quality of life improvement, with an in-game credit cost. As it has been in every other MMO I've played that has implemented post creation customization as a feature.

 

But, you know. Cha-ching.

[Lent_San]

Kinda sad. This should have been a no-brainer as a standard quality of life improvement, with an in-game credit cost. As it has been in every other MMO I've played that has implemented post creation customization as a feature.

But, you know. Cha-ching.

 

:(

[SeanC]

Subbers should be able to do the basic features of the barber shop for free.

 

I really have no issue if changing your species,sex, body shape requires cartel coins.

 

I'm actually shocked they haven't had the idea of changing advanced class spec with the Cartel Market when they plan on using a basic barber shop feature that uses in game currency in other mmos with the cartel market.

[Nastrod]

I am kinda shocked that all this stuff is not available to subs. It is completely dumb. Subs should have access by paying a certain amount of credits. Edited March 25, 2013 by Nastrod

[Ailie]

I am kinda shocked that all this stuff is not available to subs. It is completely dumb. Subs should have access by paying a certain amount of credits.

 

That is the ultimate resolution, just like other in-game perks that are available for large amounts of credits or cartel coins. Most people would still use cartel coins because it's just easier, but the option is there if people prefer to use credits.

[Elyxin]

I wanted to pop in and address some of your concerns about our barbershop and its use of Cartel Coins and not credits. There are a couple of design implications that go into these decisions I wanted to highlight in the hopes that it makes our decision in this regard a bit clearer.

 

• We very consciously design these systems around the fact that subscribers get monthly Cartel Coin grants. Pricing, etc. has these monthly grants in mind to ensure that our subscribers have access to these systems.
  
• We want to set the expectation that cosmetic systems like these are where you are going to see us use the Cartel Market. It is our continued philosophy that we will not implement a form of pay to win so cosmetic systems and other non-game impacting features are our best opportunities to make additions to the Cartel Market.
  

As we continue to release more information about our barbershop please continue to give us your feedback.

 

-eric

 

the problem Eric is that you are limiting a lot of items to the CM, whether they be "cosmetic" or not. many things that even other f2p games offer INGAME for ingame currencies. You guys still aren't getting the point. first you put reputation in the market, previously a grind only thing. Now...I can understand why you would offer market comms as an ALTERNATIVE to grinding out rep (many games do this), or offer boosters for rep gain via the store (other games do this as well), but you're making an entire fraction available ONLY to those who spend CC.

 

I am in the same boat with others. you say that you are "basing" it on a Sub's monthly currency...but all the items you are putting in the store are stacking up friend....we are going to run out of our monthly allowance soon, and we will have to start spending money to get all these items you say are based on our monthly allowance.

 

Honestly...the market only fraction was almost it for me. with harstyles and such being added to this...I keep looking at the DLC and still have not bought it....I may just drop my subs on my two accounts. LotRO has a shop...and they don't do this kind of thing. I can get 90% of the market items in game ON MY OWN...not bought from someone else who bought it from the market. i can grind them in game without involving myself in the market. period. your pushing more costs to the end user, sub or no. it's simply too much. Oh yeah, and their barber is about 10 silver (dirt cheap in that game). no market currency. just sayin...

 

It will be interesting to see how many go to ESO and such....I'm really looking forward to a game that just has a sub, and doesn't nickle and dime you to death.

 

By the way...hairstyles and cosmetics are free (or a minimal amount of ingame currency) in WoW, as well as LotRO...Aion...I can go on. other f2p and sub games offer it for free. I'm not happy with your decision to add cathar as a market item (i remember the previous promises too)....but i can deal with a racial unlock being on the market. but a hairstyle...jeez guys, cmon. I actually like this game, but things like this will drive me away. I almost wish the old sub model was back. wow did it for years...and they never nickled their playerbase with a barber shop.

[TheSeventhJedi]

I love how the latest state of the game post assures us that they're working on quality of life improvements, and then mentions this - setting the precedent for charging for QoL improvements from here on out. Open up your wallet, folks!

[Elyxin]

^This is how they should have done it. I love the game but you can really see the focus is complete on the cartel market and getting every dollar they can. I know they need to make money, but they also need to make it worth continue to sub to the game. Right now it doesn't feel like they’re are putting much effort into the game beside the market. Just look at the reputation vendor the one in game didn't get a single new outfit but the cartel reputation vendor got all sorts of new things. Now we have to pay to customize our characters, these sorts of choices are leaving a sour taste in my mouth and making me consider going F2P. I’ll wait and see how the expansion turns out.

 

Just saw this. great solution...but unfortunately they prob wont do it. whoever is in charge of the store development doesn't get that people will buy stuff they think is cool, just because it's cool. they have a mindset that they should lock 3/4 of the market stuff behind Coins instead of giving incentives for the coins, and keeping the basic stuff free.

 

and they toss a bone to the subs and call it "free" 500 CC (which is shrinking rapidly in value lately as more "regular" stuff is locked behind coins these days), and think they're being nice because of it. they just don't get it. they don't realize that a TON of people out there would pay for rep grind boosts, even if the rep is already available in game, because they don't want to spend the TIME to grind it. instead, they lock the whole fraction behind the market.

 

In LotRO, I can at least play the game and feel like Im playing a game. more and more this game is feeling like i have to "play the market". its feeling very cheap.

[CelCawdro]

In short, if something can plausibly be easily done in-universe, you should be able to pay for it with in-universe currency. That accounts for hairstyle/colour, scarring, tattooes and the like.

 

If the change is so extensive that an in-universe explanation would not make sense, use real world currency. That accounts for bone structure, build, gender, species and the like.

Edited March 25, 2013 by CelCawdro

[Liquid_Drano]

Then don't use it. It rules.

[Soulwave]

I'm really hoping titan project from blizzard comes out soon ,those guys know how to make games, these guys, know how to make a mess, and not clean it up.

Same here, i am only waiting for a better mmo to come out, then i am gone for good.. unless they start treating subs with more respect. I already unsubbed. well only resub if they change there views:)

[Knockerz]

Just saw this. great solution...but unfortunately they prob wont do it. whoever is in charge of the store development doesn't get that people will buy stuff they think is cool, just because it's cool. they have a mindset that they should lock 3/4 of the market stuff behind Coins instead of giving incentives for the coins, and keeping the basic stuff free.

 

and they toss a bone to the subs and call it "free" 500 CC (which is shrinking rapidly in value lately as more "regular" stuff is locked behind coins these days), and think they're being nice because of it. they just don't get it. they don't realize that a TON of people out there would pay for rep grind boosts, even if the rep is already available in game, because they don't want to spend the TIME to grind it. instead, they lock the whole fraction behind the market.

 

In LotRO, I can at least play the game and feel like Im playing a game. more and more this game is feeling like i have to "play the market". its feeling very cheap.

 

Every thing on the cartel market is cosmetic. I don't see any thing wrong with that so long as BW release new cosmetic items each time a new tier of pvp and pve comes out. As for rep booster that is just your opinion. BW being a large company has already done their research as to what will be the most profitable avenue. If this method you suggested were the most profitable with the least risk, then BW would have chosen this path. However, what I suspect is that a lot of people simply want bw to provide "the basics" so that they don't have to pay for any thing they want. The only difference would be how long it would take to acquired said item, but it's different if said service is built into the cartel market. There is now way around having to pay for said service, which is less to me appears less risky with guarantee rate returns.

[Vitas]

I guess if they wanted to compete with the other MMOs, they should probably make the barber and cosmetic services as vendors, just like WoW and TSW have done. I can't imagine it to be that hard to do.

 

If it was a question about making a profit, they could make it limited to restrict F2P players from using them but allowing them to purchase access through the Cartel Market. I'm just not sure why they can't go down this path so not to alienate subscribers.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Vitas

[DarthZak]

So its been a few days since they made their last post and this thread has accumulated 100 pages of discussion etc

When will Eric or anyone else comment on this?

 

We've given fine alternatives so what we'd (we as in the people opposing this move) like is some communication on BW's end. They claimed a few weeks ago that "more communication with the new team!" is happening but so far I have seen little dialogue and a lot of one-off posts

I know you have more to do as a Community Team but this kinda deserves some attention

[DarthTHC]

So its been a few days since they made their last post and this thread has accumulated 100 pages of discussion etc

When will Eric or anyone else comment on this?

 

We've given fine alternatives so what we'd (we as in the people opposing this move) like is some communication on BW's end. They claimed a few weeks ago that "more communication with the new team!" is happening but so far I have seen little dialogue and a lot of one-off posts

I know you have more to do as a Community Team but this kinda deserves some attention

 

They generally only post on weekends if there's emergency maintenance or something, so counting Saturday and Sunday "against" them is wildly unfair.

 

Eric did come in here and comment. He reiterated that they view it as cosmetic so it's going into the RMT shop. His post seemed pretty clear that they weren't really considering changing this approach.

[DarthTHC]

Every thing on the cartel market is cosmetic. I don't see any thing wrong with that so long as BW release new cosmetic items each time a new tier of pvp and pve comes out. As for rep booster that is just your opinion. BW being a large company has already done their research as to what will be the most profitable avenue. If this method you suggested were the most profitable with the least risk, then BW would have chosen this path. However, what I suspect is that a lot of people simply want bw to provide "the basics" so that they don't have to pay for any thing they want. The only difference would be how long it would take to acquired said item, but it's different if said service is built into the cartel market. There is now way around having to pay for said service, which is less to me appears less risky with guarantee rate returns.

 

That is untrue. Anything with stats is not just cosmetic and there are plenty of items with stats on CM.

 

If they were to ensure that nothing with stats could ever be on the cartel market - and remove everything currently on it that has stats - then I'd probably have less heartburn over being charged real money for "cosmetic" stuff even though competing MMOs do it for "free".

 

EDIT: Woo hoo post #1000?

Edited March 25, 2013 by DarthTHC

[Apeth]

I expected this to be on the cm. Its the model of the game now. I don't see a problem with it.

[PlasmaJohn]

They generally only post on weekends if there's emergency maintenance or something, so counting Saturday and Sunday "against" them is wildly unfair.

And they don't usually reply to serious issues on Mondays either. Probably need several levels of meetings to consider a response.

 

Eric did come in here and comment. He reiterated that they view it as cosmetic so it's going into the RMT shop. His post seemed pretty clear that they weren't really considering changing this approach.

The are sensitive to general opinion. They did reconsider the repair costs and the gold scalene armor got yanked from the CM pretty quick. Both of those issues generated a large volume of negative commentary. I'm hopeful that they'll refine the policy on this issue as well.

 

If not... well I guess the gaming press needs something new to laugh at.

[Omatche]

I refuse to pay real world cash on top of the money i already pay to play this game.

I would have liked to switch body type on some of my characters and refined their looks further however if they price these options highly on the CM then i just won't bother.