The business metric they should need is did they get my money, not my time.
Introducing our VIP Loyalty Reward Program!
- Thread starter Cordovan
- Start date
DDO Gaming
Well-known member
Unless you're donating $$$$ the business model SSG will use is the overall gaming community engagement...not the "Oh maa gaaad they didn't offer xyz blah blah" minority backlash
FaceDancer
Olde Wurm
Time is money to some degree. The more you play, the more likely you are to spend money. :0)
I had this same thought, and I think, it's a marketing strategy...any press is good press & the buzz it created most definitely got the word out, so my guess is they always intended to tweak some things and were open to feedback on others.
More pointedly, this may be how the staff prefer to handle the players. Look at Lamania for example, they roll out some stuff that seems untenable at first, so that it may be rolled off and a compromise is reached, thereby mollifying the masses. My guess is we will not hear more from staff on this thread as it's a typical behavior, roll out something, respond for a few hours then it's over.
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DDO Gaming
Well-known member
Agreed but project development demands initial capital. The money you spend as a gamer contributes to the return on that initial capital employed
It's not about the money you already spent, it's about encouraging you to spend more money. All rewards programs (e.g. frequent flyer, game loyalty programs, buy 10 get 1 free, etc.) are designed around encouraging return business. One way that's measured for games is how often you log in. If the company hasn't engaged you enough to get you to log into a game once a month, then you're probably not going to be continuing with that game, at least, that's they way companies look at it.
Lazuli
Well-known member
In any case, this loyalty program does not solve the intrinsic weakness of the subscription right now, although it may attract some more subscriptors this year due to the novelty. SSG should think about actually making the subscription viable. Right now, it is weak for both newbies and veterans. If SSG really wants an influx of new accounts it needs to strengthen the subscription, not sugarcoat it.
It's the difference between attracting a few customers with a treat and having a solid product that attracts a considerable number of payers.
It's the difference between attracting a few customers with a treat and having a solid product that attracts a considerable number of payers.
Depends on what you mean by "donating money" I am giving them the sub fee monthly weather I play or not, so on those months I'm not logging in, I in essence donated them money.
The point is, I PAID my money, I shouldn't also have to give them my time.
As someone stated, "Time is Money", that means my time is valuable as well, I shouldn't have to pay them my money and then also be forced to give them my time just to get what I'm paying for.
Well, 18 years of paying should show them that that is a poor metric. I've continued my sub all this time and gone month's without ever logging in. That is a metric as well.
I also disagree, it is about the "not about Money I spent" as in I PAID my money and I should get the product I am paying for, in a timely manner, otherwise I will take the money to someone who will give me my product. Simple business sense. The whole Monthly fee scheme is to get operating capital, keep the lights on, pay the staff, etc., the rewards program is a benefit/boon to get people to continue to PAY not PLAY. The proposed plan does not encourage loyalty to the company, it encourages people to take their money to a company that delivers.
You can disagree with a basic business principle, but that's not going to change that companies measure engagement. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it just is.
rabidfox
The People's Champion
It's a great QoL change; vets probably won't care too much but for casual/newbies, that means when they take a bad choices (and are VIP) they can easily adjust their setup without getting trapped for a few days(they won't have stacks of blood nor knowledge of what to take/avoid).
They should also do a QoL change for inscribe based casters where their spell books should either survive TRs or ideally just be 100% filed by default (instead needing to run around funding/inscribing to fill out gaps).
Lazuli
Well-known member
How many logs in are counted in all accounts, however, not in specifically payer accounts. It is a measure of game activity, not payer activity. When it comes to monthly accounting, however, what really counts is the money you've left behind - and forcing people who pay to log in can cause them to stop paying.
It is safer to encourage login in general, without tying it to the payers, and to encourage people who want to pay to do so because the subscription is attractive: regardless of whether they later log in or not.
Then stop paying and playing. If you feel like the company is lying to you and forcing you to do something you don't want to do, then walk away.
Lazuli
Well-known member
No, it's more than just a QoL change, it's a change that removes an intrinsic weakness from these casters, and gives them the only advantage left to prepared casters. Do I need color spray for Baba? No problem, I change it before the raid. Do I need sunburst for THTH? No problem, I'll change it for the raid. Do I need flesh to stone? No problem, I'll change it and take it off later.
No. The *only* weakness spontaneous casters have over prepared casters is that they have a smaller spellbook. If you give them the ability to change it at will before each quest or raid that is a BIG ADVANTAGE.
Autofilling the spellbook of a prepared spellcaster (something that already happens with the cleric or druid, by the way) is NOT a comparable advantage.
Lazuli
Well-known member
Not everything works according to your wishes. It's about what is profitable or not. And here people who pay are saying that they could stop subscribing if they are forced to do what they don't want to do.
Do you know the saying that you can take the horse to the watering hole but not force it to drink? Well that. If people don't want to pay, SSG is in trouble.
SilverScreen
Active member
Seems pretty good to me
Dunspartacus
Well-known member
I think I've warmed to the plan a bit more now that a few things have been tweaked, especially the cosmetics not being VIP bound, but I'd still like to see maybe a bit more spice added to the regular VIP bags, they still seem like kinda dead months to me.
EDIT: And the 10% durability ward, I completely forgot about that one because of how nothing it is. Please change that one if any, it's like a few platinum worth of a reward, anything thats going to destroy your weapon (ooze/rust monster) won't be stopped by 10%.
EDIT: And the 10% durability ward, I completely forgot about that one because of how nothing it is. Please change that one if any, it's like a few platinum worth of a reward, anything thats going to destroy your weapon (ooze/rust monster) won't be stopped by 10%.
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This is the type of attitude that SSG should want to avoid. Telling people to walk away will surely keep those lights on.
That is the point, they want people to give them money, login's don't get your employees paid, money does. Putting artificial blockades in the way to waste the players time and good will does not inspire players to keep giving you money. If every player went FTP but logged in religiously every day, how long do you think they will be able to keep going? Money is what keeps a company in business, not log in counts.
Ungermax
Master Artificer
What are the chances of these cosmetics becoming instantly available if someone were to sign up for 12 months up front?
Shear-buckler
Well-known member
Tying the rewards to log-in and current VIP status are both perfectly reasonable.
They want to encourage players to log in, that is not a bad thing.
The only reason it's a problem is because of the infinite track where if you slip once you will never recover. If it was capped it would just be a temporary setback.
They want to encourage players to log in, that is not a bad thing.
The only reason it's a problem is because of the infinite track where if you slip once you will never recover. If it was capped it would just be a temporary setback.