Sub perks...what kind of things would make traditionalists happy?

[LordArtemis]

A few notes before I begin.

 

1) Traditionalists, IMO, are players that do not generally care for the F2P/Market system of rewards for RL money. They generally believe that something in the game should be earned by in game means, reward without challenge (or effort, as some have coined) is not healthy for a game. They could also be called hardcore players.

 

2) All players are important to a game IMO. Certainly it is impossible to please everyone, but there should always be an attempt to please all of the playerbase, even if such an attempt would be futile.

 

3) Though I do not consider myself part of the traditional or hardcore group I can sympathize with their position. This is NOT an anti-traditionalist thread. This is a thread to discuss what could be added to the game to satisfy, even if only partially, the traditionalist crowd that subscribes to the game.

 

Now that that is out of the way....

 

There have been some concerns posted recently by traditionalist players that too many items are making their way to the market....that subs are getting very little love. The coin stipend does not seem to be having the effect it should, as it naturally provides coins for a system that traditionalists do not care for in the first place.

 

What could be added or changed in the game to satisfy traditionalists if they are subscribers?

 

Here are my suggestions.

1) Crafting speed and other crew skill considerations

 

I think this is one way that subs could really shine. Crafting speed is really slow, especially if you can't leave the crafters alone and log out because you are light on resources and are trying to conserve while looking to hit the blue and purple schems. The only way to speed it up at present is affection, and the increase is negligible IMO.

 

I would suggest they offer a 25 percent speed buff to subscribers in crafting, 50 percent if affection is maxed.

 

I also think an increased chance for mission success, say 10 percent would be in order, as well as increased output from nodes and harvesting if possible, also 10 percent, but only if the crew skill is max.

 

Finally, the ability to send out one more companion per level for missions or crafting items for subs. So if F2P and Preferred can send 5 companions, you can send 6.

 

2) Legacy heroic summon

 

I have suggested this in the past...the ability to summon one of your other characters or companions, same faction, inside your legacy or crew to fight by your side for 30 seconds during your heroic moment. This would be a sub only perk.

 

The alternate character would be controlled by the AI, and would not suffer any damage to gear from combat or death. Your alternate characters would use standard companion abilities based on normal setups for that class, but would benefit from current gear and level.

 

3) Turbo boost for speeders

 

Again, a sub only perk. This would be a speed boost, similar to "on foot" speed boost abilities that would or could be used while mounted, providing a short burst of speed comparable to similar abilities.

 

4) Further reduced repair and mod extraction costs

 

This would be a third tier, the current costs would be moved to preferred, and a new reduced cost tier would be put in place that would provide a 50 percent reduction in both repair and mod extraction costs for subs.

 

5) Unique subscriber speeder, faction specific color

 

I would suggest the speeder that is at most taxi points in the game, since that speeder is very rare. Subscribers would be given a gift like this in either black for empire or white for republic. This would be a 3 tier speeder similar to the speeder provided for digital upgrade players, and would be provided across the account.

 

6) Subscriber rewards (loyalty)

 

Similar to the system that was in SWG, except that rewards would be based on total SUBSCRIBED time for the account. At different intervals you would receive a gift...title, emote, pet, etc....based on the total amount of time you have been a subscriber.

 

Some examples

30 day - "Loyal citizen" title

60 day - jawa emote pack

90 day - Legacy equipment token

120 day - faction holo

 

and so on.

 

 

I may add more later. I would like to hear other NON CM suggestions from the community. Thanks for reading.

[CosmicKat]

I think the biggest thing they could do to boost subscription attractiveness, and retention, is to honor the originally stated wording of what a subscription would cover... all playable content (expansions, races, classes, etc) should be included.

 

That would make having to pay extra for fluff far easier to swallow, and would probably result in more CM sales.

[spectreclees]

I'd be content for every 3 months of subscription I get an extra 500 Cartel coins. Edited July 6, 2013 by spectreclees

[Jeweledleah]

if I'm not mistaken - free and preferred can only send out 3 companions right now, and when crafting, you can do only one item at a time. that said... I'm pretty fond of Secret World's subscription model. and yes, that includes access to DLC's at no additional cost for subscribers (that and you get $10 worth of shop points vs SWTOR's $5 AND shop discount, plus I'm personally liking it that free players are not punished. they just need to pay separately for any extras they might want)

 

I do like a lot of your ideas though, but to me personally, I want to feel like I'm being rewarded for choosing to subscribe, not that I'm being punished if I do not (and don't get all the extra unlocks - which I do have at this point)

 

YMMV naturaly

[chimex]

First-borns of BE/EA employees

[bowlergirl]

Very broad suggestion, but something that would completely set subs from f2p'ers. something that would make f2p'ers say "hey, I want that, maybe i should sub." Im not talking about unlocks that can be purchased through cc or gtn either. Speeders, actual kick a** clothing, perks... If i could find the post i would quote the fact that a BW person said that subs purchase more cartel packs than f2p'ers, i would. We need to feel that our subscription is worthy.

[Desolaytore]

I support this.

[RisenDragon]

I really like the comment about getting all story content as part of the subscriber package. That would go a long way to making me happy- provided they actually were making new story content with any regularity.

 

I've also had an idea that would make subscription worth something more, and even go towards increasing cartel market sales, which would be an incentive for BW/EA to create it.

 

Give Subscribers the ability to purchase any non super-rare item in the cartel packs directly from the cartel market. This would give Subbers the ability to get the items that they want without relying on gambling packs, still give them a reason to buy gambling packs, and be a perk that is actually worth mentioning on the list of things that subscribers get.

 

There are other suggestions that are worth taking note of by people who have been gaming longer than me, for sure.

 

As for the OP's suggestion regarding Heroic Summon- I don't think that it would work as written; but perhaps the ability to have two companions out when traveling solo/ during Heroic Moments could work?

[AlrikFassbauer]

The "Preferred Status" group has either been

 

- neglected

- ignored

- silenced to death

- all of them.

 

They were once subscribers, could well become subscribers at one point again

 

- but traditionalists regard them as "traitors" because they left the game

- F2P players regard them as ... well, I don't know, but not as "pure" F2P at least, too.

 

 

Having said that, I'd really like to see far more appreciation towards the "Preferred Status" group.

 

Right now they are treated by both the "traditionalists" and the developers as if they were "pure" F2P players - including insults coming from subscribers who strongly believe - and say so in the chat & forums - that everyone not paying is bad anyway.

 

Imho the worst are subscribers who don't have any clue on how to distinguish "Preferred Status" people from "pure" F2P people - and throw both into the same kettle.

 

Once I was insulted in the chat as an "F2P Noob" or so (it's long ago) because as an "Preferred Status" player one isn't able to display one's Title - and thus he decided that I was an F2P-player anyway - and a bad one at that

(he believed that i had killed "his" mob in the Jedi Temple, although he didn't even give any sign that he wanted to attack the same group I attacked, and he was standing far away, and I very close to that mob).

 

So, to use a saying / kind of proverb here : "Preferred Status" players are "sitting between all stools".

 

I'd like them at least to be able to show their Titles.

[evodude]

honestly i dont need anything, im happy paying £8:99 an just playing

[RisenDragon]

honestly i dont need anything, im happy paying £8:99 an just playing

 

You happen to be in a quiet percentage of the subscriber consumer base, then. Those most vocal are the ones who are dissatisfied with the value of their subscription in comparison to the attention the Cartel Market and free to play consumers have been recieving.

[GorZie]

I think the whole argument is going down the wrong road, the thing what really matters for subscribers, in my opinion, is what will happen next to the game and in the long run. Therefore the only answer to the question "what would be the right reward for a subscriptions?" is to have a say what is coming next.

 

It's like holding shares!

 

Subscribers should be able to vote what content would come next and where they think the funds should go.

Every month a vote between PVE - PVP - RP - Fluff - ETC.

 

Stop this madness off different rights, give them full excess to everything but with a 2 month delay for F2P and 1 month for PP's. Let the F2P&PP's buy the new content for CC's or they have to wait extra until they can participate in a new warzone or Operation/FP.

 

Just my 50 cent's!

[Altheran]

Some things I'd like they give surscribers :

 

Cartel "VIP" market.

All items from Cartel Market pack, put "on-demand". Prices would be purposely made so that only buying through the "VIP market" is more expensive buy trying chance into packs. Let's say a pack costs 450¢ (Cartel coins), then a single "silver-rarity" item will cost 450¢ too. A gold-rarity item will cost 600¢ (or higher).

They could also leave old shipments in this VIP market, making suscribers have the privililege to not wait for their return.

 

Improved Speeders

Either be implemented as a Legacy Character perk which unlocking method only allows credits at a price not attainable with F2P/Preffered restriction, or as a hidden automatic perk given to all suscribers (like free respec - my favorite option), that will make Speeder Piloting training to overwrite speeders speed if its speed is under the higher level of training. Basically, it will forcefully turn every speeder into adaptable speeders as long as you're suscribing. Suscribers will have the privilege to use whatever speeder they want at end game (exemple : Gurian Scorpion, which speed usually tops at 100%), and not only a part of them, and when levelling, sucribers won't be forced to buy multiple speeders or use a cartel one.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Altheran

[Hessen]

I'd give subscribers what they get for their money in pretty much any other MMO.

 

Access to existing content. And an occasional slap to remind them they don't deserve anything more than that.

[CaptCody]

When the Cartel Market was first released for me it set what at the time I thought would be how it worked. What it made me think it would be like was it had fun items (Which it still does) and contains unlocks that subscribers receive gratis. The biggest thing that originally was in the cartel market that at the time, that I stupidly believed would be how the market was handles, Section X.

 

Section X was a story area complete with an unlock-able companion that subs automatically had access to and while F2P players could gain access, that area made me feel that my subscription was still worth it, when the transition happened. I liked HK-51 and Section X that was a good perk to me for being a subscriber.

 

Now though it like the rug was pulled out from under me. Sure people can say that I should not have had that expectation, but hey I did. Now we have bonus story content only accessible from the market, or GTN where the seller got it from the market, but to me buying something with credits does not equal an acceptable alternative to see story content. We haven't seen anything like Section X since the cartel market has been released and this is what I feel is creating this unhappiness with subscribers. Sure some will claim they want exclusivity, but over all many of them would be perfectly content getting something that a F2P has the option to buy access to, but a subscriber gets access just from being a subscriber.

 

Now we have a new companion on the horizon, this is a good think I like story added to the game. Unfortunately it's been presented int he worst way. We have to purchase this little guy? I mean come on, this was a golden opportunity to do some actual subscriber appreciation. If the Ewok was set up like HK-51 and section X, I guarantee

a lot of this subscribers feeling unappreciated talk would stop. Instead you make some mention of subscriber rewards just to give out some cartel coins. People are looking at this the wrong way too, both sides. Have you ever heard the expression "it's the thought that counts" when receiving gifts. This "gift" we received had no thought or even any kind of work placed into it. This makes us feel bad. Do we mean so little that you didn't even want to put any thought into what you gave us even after you teased us with "look forward to a gift of appreciation for being a subscriber", you placed almost no work into what you gave us.

 

This is just my thoughts. Take it how you want. I aspect many will disagree, but I am not saying it to change any minds. Just wanted to get my opinion out.

[LordArtemis]

Well, I think the Veteran reward system that SWG used would be very useful here.

 

The only thing was that the SWG system rewarded you for the total time since you had started your account...I suggest instead this system should reward the total time you are SUBSCRIBED.

 

This way the system is directly for subscribers only.

[Samiel]

honestly i dont need anything, im happy paying £8:99 an just playing

 

I was going to say something just like this, and personally for me I am in total agreement. I'm not posting this in opposition to those who hold an opposing viewpoint merely expressing my personal feelings on the subject. In context when the cartel market opened I did eye up the possibility of buying the unlocks to try and create a preferred account that was as close to a subscription as possible (quickbars, hold access, guild bank access, character slots & basically everything else - account wide and not just per character), and it came to something like 20k - 25k cartel coins, and I'd still miss ops access and limited war zones and flash points.

 

I do not for a second want to denigrate anyone's choice to go f2p, for some that is the best choice. I am just for one happy for thriving servers, and plenty of people to play with. I do get how some people feel lied to, and as such may have a point, but outside that issue I feel my subscription is very much worth it to me, and I will continue to do so as long as that is the case.

[Ayelinna]

You don't have to be a hardcore player to want to spend time in game earning things.

 

Thats like saying everyone who played SWTOR before the CM was released is a hardcore player.#

 

But anyway, I would like for subs to get all future content updates for free.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Ayelinna

[happyscrub]

Give us bonus free coins based on how many months we've sub. Like you get 50 free coins X how many months you've ever been sub.

 

So if you been a sub for 13 months, you would get 13 x 50 = 650 extra coins.

[Mridc]

I think adding bonuses is taking it way too far. What I (and probably many) subscribers want, is a "carefree" package. What I get should be available to preferred customers who choose to pay for select options rather than the complete package.

 

Things I would like to get included with my subscription fee and expansion pack purchases:

- Free access to new flashpoints/operations

- Free access to newly introduced races on new characters (provided the class allows for the race)

- Free access to new quest zones

- Free access to new companions

- Some cosmetic changes to character appearance (e.g. hair, facial hair, body type) for credits instead of CC

 

Here's a list of what I think should remain CC options for everyone:

- Game-changing character modifications (race change, gender change, name change, different face)

- Cartel Packs

- Optional cosmetic armour pieces and speeders

- Optional minipets

 

I don't think this is too unreasonable. Again, I do not want anything a preferred customer would not be able to buy separately. I just want to pay once and not have to worry about additional hidden fees later.

[LordArtemis]

Hey, I appreciate everyone's feedback and additions to the list. Please, keep them coming.

 

I for one hope to see a legacy cargo bank added soon if they find any value in that suggestion I made a little while ago.

[Ayelinna]

Hey, I appreciate everyone's feedback and additions to the list. Please, keep them coming.

 

I for one hope to see a legacy cargo bank added soon if they find any value in that suggestion I made a little while ago.

 

I would love to see that actually, a legacy cargo bank. Would be very convenient for switching items between alts. Hopefully if its in, it would be subscriber exclusive

[MrGreaterGood]

I would like to see a perk that comes in for extreme players. Not just targeting sub players, but people who have been here for quite a bit that have invested true time into the game. An example of an extreme perk would be something such as being allowed to have permanent double XP for a character after having legacy level 50 and having legacy perks done for the Imperial/republic side classes. This means having reached level 50, completing the story, and having gained max affection with all companions on one or both factions. This would be an optional perk for those who want to have more characters and have beaten the content before.

[DarthTHC]

When I subscribed to this game way back in December 2011, there was no free to play option. I guess that makes me a "traditionalist"?

 

What I thought my subscription would bring was new content consisting of flash points, operations, quests, planets, all the stuff we play. I wasn't concerned with space missions or war zones because I don't play those, but I expected those to come too for the people who enjoy them.

 

What would make me, as a traditionalist, happy?

 

Exactly what I wrote above. I don't care about "perks", whatever those are. I don't care about more cartel coins. I don't care about fireworks or pets or speeders or cute outfits.

 

I care about content I can play through.

[Darevsool]

When I subscribed to this game way back in December 2011, there was no free to play option. I guess that makes me a "traditionalist"?

 

What I thought my subscription would bring was new content consisting of flash points, operations, quests, planets, all the stuff we play. I wasn't concerned with space missions or war zones because I don't play those, but I expected those to come too for the people who enjoy them.

 

What would make me, as a traditionalist, happy?

 

Exactly what I wrote above. I don't care about "perks", whatever those are. I don't care about more cartel coins. I don't care about fireworks or pets or speeders or cute outfits.

 

I care about content I can play through.

 

As a subscriber from Day 1 (on my other account) I agree with this. I don't consider expansions to be part of the "included perks" I was expecting based on what was promised when I bought the game, but new content on a smaller scale? Should absolutely be free.

 

I haven't been "offended" with anything I've seen in the cartel market, and to be frank I love that some options are available via in game credits or CC (cargo bay tabs/rocketboots..legacy perks as an example).