Introducing our VIP Loyalty Reward Program!

[Dom]

VIP access depends on expansion ownership, license terms etc. The SSG team has shrunk over the past 5+ years and its debateable whether they create any new content.

My guess is with the freebies the executive board changed strategy, offering the older content free then licensing newer content so it is only accessible by buying the products

And why do you think they shrunk? Has it crossed your mind that it could have something to do with their inability to jump on opportunities to generate revenue, including this VIP loyalty rewards opportunity that they screwed over?

One of their main streamers, someone who often gets new players, and players who haven't played the game but have interest in trying it, literally created a separate video saying how bad this incentive is, and actively discourages new players from joining DDO. Just take 2 minutes and actually think about how bad that is.

 

[DDO Gaming]

ROFL. No, it's not because of licencing, it's because paid expansions makes more money.

The freebie content WAS previous paid content and remains so for new accounts. Though I agree if x was previously paid and only freely accessible via VIP...but has since become a freebie...that does indeed devalue VIP

 

[DDO Gaming]

And why do you think they shrunk? Has it crossed your mind that it could have something to do with their inability to jump on opportunities to generate revenue, including this VIP loyalty rewards opportunity that they screwed over?

Nobody denies SSG marketing is dire but equally this is a 2008 deployment and I'm guessing SSG is limited in what they can market whilst keeping the business viable

 

[Guntango]

that does indeed devalue VIP

Yes.

 

[seph1roth5]

x is only devalued when it no longer possesses the same value as before. As far as I am aware no expansion from VIP has been removed from (for example) 2018 thus your claim VIP has been devalued by a loss of expansions is false.

If you are arguing that NEWER expansions cannot be access by VIP then its likely those expansions are licensed by SSG and the terms of that license prevent SSG from providing VIP access

I get your thinking, but how I see it is, SSG used to release lots of adventure packs and xpacs were very spread out until ravenloft. Now, they devote more effort into xpacs (and horrible mini xpacs) that they're releasing less content that is free to vip in general. So instead of working to give us say, 20 quests in a year that vip would get. They make an xpac with 13 that vips have to pay for, then a pack or two with ~6 total, and then maybe a free quest.

 

[The Narc]

And why do you think they shrunk? Has it crossed your mind that it could have something to do with their inability to jump on opportunities to generate revenue, including this VIP loyalty rewards opportunity that they screwed over?

One of their main streamers, someone who often gets new players, and players who haven't played the game but have interest in trying it, literally created a separate video saying how bad this incentive is, and actively discourages new players from joining DDO. Just take 2 minutes and actually think about how bad that is.

Guess alot of people think that SSG has really Rimstrommed the upcoming VIP loyalty program release.

 

[Griglok (Karatemack)]

“It’s good enough” is a terrible perspective. It’s laughably bad but you won’t let go. You have to correct everyone on how fine it is, almost as if you designed this disaster and have pride in authorship. Did you design this ****?

I didn't design it, but I like it overall and find significant value in many of the perks others are dismissive of.

Please, once again, tell me you see my point and you disagree. Again and again, over and over. Because that’s going to magically make this garbage smell better.

I do see your point, and I do disagree. Also, this statement is a bit pot/kettle.

I think you've made it clear you don't see value in the system. It's not really something to be upset over. If you don't see the value of VIP, then don't subscribe. If enough people opt out, I'm sure SSG will come around to your point of view. Either way, I'm really looking forward to the new benefits and will continue to encourage more people to subscribe as well.

 

[Dom]

I didn't design it, but I like it overall and find significant value in many of the perks others are dismissive of.

I do see your point, and I do disagree. Also, this statement is a bit pot/kettle.

I think you've made it clear you don't see value in the system. It's not really something to be upset over. If you don't see the value of VIP, then don't subscribe. If enough people opt out, I'm sure SSG will come around to your point of view. Either way, I'm really looking forward to the new benefits and will continue to encourage more people to subscribe as well.

There are 31 pages in this thread alone... and I'd guess at least half of them are people either saying the VIP "incentive" sucks and/or they are not going to be VIP going forward. There are likely also other threads that include people not wanting to re-sub to VIP, and just from people I know/run with, a lot have unsubscribed even before this incentive finally came out. SSG doesn't care about how many VIPs there are, or if they are doing a good job attracting/retaining them, because they try to make their money off of xpacks/mini xpacks that we all have to pay for.

 

[Fizzix]

The problem is they have monetized almost every single thing in the game through the store. Even basic QoL is monetized.

VIP perks that would make it worth it:

• no waiting on feat swaps, nor material cost.
• no waiting on spell swaps (bard sorc etc)
• Being able to teleport from anywhere to the quest entrance of all the quests(in non-wilderness zone) usable once an hour.
• VIP teleporter in wilderness zones to get you major parts of the zone similar to Stormhorns, but shouldn't cost shards on first use (Looking at you ice area of feywild)

Nice to have:

• Use of a Lammania like beatdown Dojo on live servers.

Larger more involved idea Personal berth on ship (Player Housing):

• Excess storage
• Weapons
• Armor racks
• Newer TP points
• new crafting system to customize interior using current collectables.

 

[DDO Gaming]

There are 31 pages in this thread alone... and I'd guess at least half of them are people either saying the VIP "incentive" sucks and/or they are not going to be VIP going forward. There are likely also other threads that include people not wanting to re-sub to VIP, and just from people I know/run with, a lot have unsubscribed even before this incentive finally came out. SSG doesn't care about how many VIPs there are, or if they are doing a good job attracting/retaining them, because they try to make their money off of xpacks/mini xpacks that we all have to pay for.

I didn't VIP earlier because I wanted to see the new system inplace. Having seen it, I admit it doesn;t really motivate me but I will continue subbing because I value VIP generally. However I should point out SSG [hopefully] aren;t deluded randomly choose monthly rewards...they would have undertaken research and synched on these particular monthly rewards

 

[DDO Gaming]

VIP perks that would make it worth it:

• Being able to teleport from anywhere to the quest entrance of all the quests(in non-wilderness zone) usable once an hour.
• VIP teleporter in wilderness zones to get you major parts of the zone similar to Stormhorns, but shouldn't cost shards on first use (Looking at you ice area of feywild)

That's a coding issue. the fact it hasn't thusfar been implemented despite multiple requests suggests the likely benefits cannot offset the costs to deliver this

 

[Dom]

I didn't VIP earlier because I wanted to see the new system inplace. Having seen it, I admit it doesn;t really motivate me but I will continue subbing because I value VIP generally. However I should point out SSG [hopefully] aren;t deluded randomly choose monthly rewards...they would have undertaken research and synched on these particular monthly rewards

You think they have done research? Their original suggestion included a month reward of additional fletching (just as one example) ... and that got changed to 10% reduction in item wear chance ... come on now.

 

[cdbd3rd]

It looks like people that had unsubbed, or were waiting to see this program before deciding whether to vip, are almost nearly all dissatisfied.

I fall solidly into the latter piece, waiting to see what the 'new'thing' was going to be that re-valued the "VIP" of a sub after so much had been been given out to everyone. (and I'm okay with that part) At this point, "dissatisfied" is not the right word.

Many seem to think this new thing is a free add-on to subbing over and above 'VIP', totally forgetting that this new thing was supposed to refill VIP to a semblance of what it used to be - and this new thing misses that feat by miles.

 

[Dandonk]

Many seem to think this new thing is a free add-on to subbing over and above 'VIP', totally forgetting that this new thing was supposed to refill VIP to a semblance of what it used to be - and this new thing misses that feat by miles.

So much this.

We haven't gotten new free-to-VIP content since november 2022, as far as I can tell. But hey, we can pay for yearly (mini-) expansions like everyone else.

 

[Guntango]

I didn't design it, but I like it overall and find significant value in many of the perks others are dismissive of.

I do see your point, and I do disagree. Also, this statement is a bit pot/kettle.

I think you've made it clear you don't see value in the system. It's not really something to be upset over. If you don't see the value of VIP, then don't subscribe. If enough people opt out, I'm sure SSG will come around to your point of view. Either way, I'm really looking forward to the new benefits and will continue to encourage more people to subscribe as well.

I don't think anyone is upset, but since we both see each other's points and so does everyone else, I'm not sure I understand your need to validate each opinion separately and once again disagree.

You love it the way it is and will reup your sub. We all get it, DDO is lucky to have you. Other people have dropped their subs due to the improvements. Regardless of how you feel or what you're going to do, we still lost those people and your paragraphs of mansplain aren't changing that.

I think that better rewards will keep people subscribing and increase the number of VIP subscriptions moving forward. I think it would be disingenuous for you to say that you wouldn't VIP if the benefits were greater than announced in the OP, and so your pot/kettle analogy is unfounded; you're buying either way but only arguing in favor of what DDO has offered thus far.

 

[DDO Gaming]

You love it the way it is and will reup your sub. We all get it, DDO is lucky to have you. Other people have dropped their subs due to the improvements. Regardless of how you feel or what you're going to do, we still lost those people

DDOAudit after 6 months will likely provide a better indication of population changes, I'm willing to bet there will be little noitceable difference to the overall population.

DDO is a great gaming system, though I still feel those freebie adventurepack giveaways was a commercial mistake but equally its a commercial decision they chose to make and there doesn't seem to be any regrets. I don;t think the chained rewards were an attempt to replicate the old pre-freebie VIP, its likely a new direction SSG want to take DDO and obviously as with all new marketing ideas, they will stumble repeatedly until they get it right

 

[Dom]

DDOAudit after 6 months will likely provide a better indication of population changes, I'm willing to bet there will be little noitceable difference to the overall population.

DDO is a great gaming system, though I still feel those freebie adventurepack giveaways was a commercial mistake but equally its a commercial decision they chose to make and there doesn't seem to be any regrets. I don;t think the chained rewards were an attempt to replicate the old pre-freebie VIP, its likely a new direction SSG want to take DDO and obviously as with all new marketing ideas, they will stumble repeatedly until they get it right

Players still playing DDO doesn't mean they're subbed VIPs. You completely misread what was said in Guntango's post. Him saying "we lost those people" is referring to those player's subscriptions, not to whether or not they're going to play DDO after this.

 

[DDO Gaming]

Players still playing DDO doesn't mean they're subbed VIPs. You completely misread what was said in Guntango's post. Him saying "we lost those people" is referring to those player's subscriptions, not to whether or not they're going to play DDO after this.

Gamers will subscribe if they are playing. Whether its psychological or another reason, the two are inevitably linked

 

[The Narc]

Players still playing DDO doesn't mean they're subbed VIPs. You completely misread what was said in Guntango's post. Him saying "we lost those people" is referring to those player's subscriptions, not to whether or not they're going to play DDO after this.

Thanks to the stacking chain for VIP, i will be staying VIP for the unforeseen future, and i hope the rewards just keep getting better and better later in the chain so that the need to have people will be subbing a year from now to get month 13 or month 18, of course they will cry and wine about it, and i will just simply laugh and respond with you really rimstrommed on that decision to not sub didnt you.

The fact that they arent listing next years VIP loyalty rewards is the best part about this, all the FTP’ers will be crying like little babies when they realize they are going to have to sub for two years to get something they keep having to buy in the store. In the meantime the “LOYAL” VIP customers will be getting it for free, yeah us!!!

SSG needs to create something that draws cash from those that have thousands of astral shards and heaps of DDO points, this is it. The other good thing about the talk ever month is that this is not a reward that can be duped by the dupers. Good job SSG.

 

[rabidfox]

Gamers will subscribe if they are playing. Whether its psychological or another reason, the two are inevitably linked

Not really. People may be likely spend on a game they're playing but that doesn't mean they'll subscribe. We're currently getting a cash expansion (or mini) per year. Expecting people to toss down money for an expansion alongside a yearly sub that doesn't do much for them won't get them to sub. Most of the things I want in-game are raid timers and other little things like that where I'm better off occasionally buying points while leaving my big purchases to the expansions. The 10% XP (and hard/elite unlock for HC seasons) are really the only things that occasionally get me to grab a couple months of VIP.