HK-55 for non subscribers

[SteveTheCynic]

You know how people think about giving special rewards that were time-limited. People are happy they have something others cant get..

Having an exclusive thing is not the only reason that people cite, actually.

 

My own view is that, quite frankly, I don't care one way or another for the reward itself, BUT I *do* care about the message that it sends about "subscribe on date X" or "subscribe continuously from date X to date Y" offers.

 

What message is that?

 

The original marketing message is always in these cases "subscribe for the date / period mentioned to get this thing" then, closer to the time, "last chance to get this thing", and so on. The intent is to offer us something special as a reward for meeting the condition. But what if they take one of these rewards and make it available again later? What message does *that* send?

 

That message is corrosive: "Subscribe at the time to get this, or what the heck, wait until later because you'll be able to get it anyway." These offers are always done to encourage people to stay subscribed during a period where the studio is worried that people won't keep subscribing (e.g. during the wait for Chapter X of KotFE, or more accurately during the wait for *all* of KotFE X to XVI). But now the message is "subscribe now to get this now and help the game's revenue stream, but if you just want it and don't care when, then blow us off and wait for later."

 

So what does that mean for the *NEXT* offer like that?(1) Well, there were people who expressed their intention to desubscribe until all of KotFE was out and then subscribe for just a month to get the whole thing. And there were people who (by their own admission on one of these threads) stayed subscribed because they wanted the bonus storymission that's called a chapter, and who would have desubscribed if they had known it would be available later some other way.

 

Not good, I guess, because those people will know that staying subscribed is not necessary to get the content. It's only necessary if you want the content *now*.

 

(1) There's a semi-separate debate about whether this kind of offer is the right way to go about this. I'm far from convinced that it is. Some kind of direct veteran's reward scheme, offering interesting things for total subscription time (debate: total or continuous?), does seem like it would be a better way.

 

EDIT: one last thing: I'm well aware that the cat is already out of the bag following the general release of Nico and Shae. I don't have a good answer for that, although as an argument, the validity of what I said is not reduced. It has merely been rendered less applicable to the situation.

Edited June 27, 2018 by SteveTheCynic

[TUXs]

Having an exclusive thing is not the only reason that people cite, actually.

 

My own view is that, quite frankly, I don't care one way or another for the reward itself, BUT I *do* care about the message that it sends about "subscribe on date X" or "subscribe continuously from date X to date Y" offers.

The mistake made was making these companions that are actual in-game characters. There's no good way to allow other players to earn something so specific without shafting the people who earned them the 1st time.

 

The only way I can think of would be with unique armors...that way, I could have the OG Niko, while you could earn a differently dressed Niko (or hairstyle or whatever). We'd both have Niko and we'd both be able to change his outfit, but only "I" would have his original outfit. That's what I think they should have done, was make the original unique in some tiny way.

 

The rewards I truly like are the utility ones, like Jabba the trainer or the Revan vendor (CM item). They could introduce 100 unique "trainers" or "vendors" that all serve the same functionality, but are all unique to a certain promo. Everyone could earn them in time and nobody would be left wanting.

[Estelindis]

That message is corrosive: "Subscribe at the time to get this, or what the heck, wait until later because you'll be able to get it anyway." These offers are always done to encourage people to stay subscribed during a period where the studio is worried that people won't keep subscribing (e.g. during the wait for Chapter X of KotFE, or more accurately during the wait for *all* of KotFE X to XVI). But now the message is "subscribe now to get this now and help the game's revenue stream, but if you just want it and don't care when, then blow us off and wait for later."

I think there's another way to see it. "Subscribe at the time to get this now and enjoy it for much longer than anyone who has to wait." I received Shae as part of the initial subscriber reward and her high DPS has been helpful for the whole time between then and the second time she was offered. Those who are glad to receive her the second time still didn't get what I got. When the time between the initial offering and a second offering is reasonably long, I think that's enough.

[IoNonSoEVero]

I think there's another way to see it. "Subscribe at the time to get this now and enjoy it for much longer than anyone who has to wait." I received Shae as part of the initial subscriber reward and her high DPS has been helpful for the whole time between then and the second time she was offered. Those who are glad to receive her the second time still didn't get what I got. When the time between the initial offering and a second offering is reasonably long, I think that's enough.

 

I think that is a really good point. Even if they were to offer the chapter and HK back tomorrow, those who got it on the first go-round have enjoyed it for far longer than the rest of us.

 

We're so starved for content right now that the extra mission could at least give people something new to do.

 

But aside from that, IMHO there's no reason they could not just write a new HK droid in. It could even be another HK-55 model. Bring it back into the story that way, and nobody has any reason to complain.

[Paulsutherland]

 

but aside from that, imho there's no reason they could not just write a new hk droid in. It could even be another hk-55 model. Bring it back into the story that way, and nobody has any reason to complain.

 

hk-47?

[TUXs]

I think that is a really good point. Even if they were to offer the chapter and HK back tomorrow, those who got it on the first go-round have enjoyed it for far longer than the rest of us.

 

We're so starved for content right now that the extra mission could at least give people something new to do.

I hope they do allow people a way to access this mission - it was creative, new, innovative and has a completely unique feel to it. Arguably one of the most unique missions in the game. Although I advocate for access for all, I don't mind rewards being gated, I understand why they do it from a marketing standpoint, but not content...content is too critical to gate imo.

[IoNonSoEVero]

I hope they do allow people a way to access this mission - it was creative, new, innovative and has a completely unique feel to it. Arguably one of the most unique missions in the game. Although I advocate for access for all, I don't mind rewards being gated, I understand why they do it from a marketing standpoint, but not content...content is too critical to gate imo.

 

I agree. I don't think mission content should ever be gated off as a reward, even if they do that with other stuff. Especially now when there's so little of it.

 

Even if one didn't get the droid companions at the end, I still think it would be a fun mission to run.