Lamannia Preview - Adventure Pass

[Tolero]

There will be several individual quests rolling out this spring, and 3 of them are paid quests for 175 DDO Points each (each dungeon is free to VIPs).

We're introducing a new Store item called an "Adventure Pass". It works just like an Adventure Pack, adding access to the quests for your account, the only difference being that you're able to add the access ahead of when the quests release (slight discount over getting them one at a time, the Adventure Pass price is in line with a typical Adventure Pack).

Here are the prices for the paid quests that will be coming out this spring:

"Sleeping with the Fishes" - 175 DDO Points (Guest Pass 40) (free for VIPs)
"Covered Culvert" - 175 DDO Points (Guest Pass 40) (free for VIPs)
"Toil and Trouble" - 175 DDO Points (Guest Pass 40) (free for VIPs)

"Tavern Tales" Adventure Pass - 475 DDO Points (Guest Pass 100) (also free for VIPs by virtue of them having access to the three individual quests by default)

We hit an issue with the Questgiver on Lamannia today, so we're going ahead and adding the two individual quests to the Store, but we're also going to go ahead and add the Adventure Pass to the Store today rather than during next week's preview (when we expect to preview Sleeping with the Fishes next, along with a separate new free dungeon).

 

[rabidfox]

Is the adventure pass going to be sold full time alongside the per quest option? The wording "only difference being that you're able to add the access ahead of when the quests release" just made think it could be a pass as presale with it switching to per quest sales after launch type situation.

 

[Eelpout]

Looks like both options are available according to the original post

 

[Tolero]

Is the adventure pass going to be sold full time alongside the per quest option? The wording "only difference being that you're able to add the access ahead of when the quests release" just made think it could be a pass as presale with it switching to per quest sales after launch type situation.

It'll be full time. It'll come out at the same time as the first quest, and stay available after that.

 

[Solarpower]

It'll be full time. It'll come out at the same time as the first quest, and stay available after that.

So, what is the point ?
Now we've got "I can't join, I didn't do 1st quest in a chain" and now we are going to have "I can't join I only have 2 quests out of 5" ?

 

[Anurakh]

It'll be full time. It'll come out at the same time as the first quest, and stay available after that.

Help me understand this, because I'm a bit confused today and don't know if I understood correctly.

That Adventure Pass is actually the same than a regular Adventure Pack, right? The only difference is that you're also selling quests separately now. Did I understand correctly?

If so, it's very confusing to call it something else; the new thing is selling the quests separately. Calling the Adventure Pack something else gives the impression that it's something completely different and confusing. This game has so much bad nomenclature that it drives even veteran players crazy. We don't need more confusing nomenclature.

My opinion, at least.

 

[Aelonwy]

Before I purchase ANY further content from the game I want to know if said content is using the "rare loot" mechanic. I do NOT want to spend points on something that is only going to aggravate me.

 

[Anurakh]

Before I purchase ANY further content from the game I want to know if said content is using the "rare loot" mechanic. I do NOT want to spend points on something that is only going to aggravate me.

I agree.

 

[Dementedleo1974]

Now we get Season passes added besides not able to keep new players due to lack of having to buy everything for the last 19 years.. GG kinda making it easier and easier as time goes by to not want to keep playing the game.. BTW Why havent you all followed the route you took with LoTR.... makes more sense.. but you all don't even listen to anything we say as is .. so its making my choices limited on why to stay here.. I hope you do realize that we as the customer base and players will get fed up and leave.. Don't ask us for opions or feedback you will not follow anyways.
sorry for rant .... but I hate micro transactions that just nickle and dime everything for a greedy corporation.

 

[Dunspartacus]

I'm also very confused about the need to have a new name to differentiate a "pass" from a "pack."

I'm guessing your planning to do this individual quest sales thing for packs that have disconnected stories (e.g this, slice of life, ect.) but if so why not still call it a pack? Categorizing for categorizing sake is pretty much only going to lead to confusion.

And regardless I think "pack" is still a better word for what your purchasing than a "pass." A pack implies buying multiple items as a group, a pass implies getting temporary access to something like a day pass at a theme park or everyones "favorite" modern video game trope of game passes.

Honestly this is something that annoys me more because it's pointless than actually bad, but I'd love to hear some clarification on the reasoning.

 

[LeoLionxxx]

I agree that "Adventure Pass" sounds like a temporary thing since
1) We have "Quest Passes" which are temporary access to single quests
2) The term "Season Pass" in the industry is used for limited time access to ranked matches and whatnot.

The term "Adventure Pack" seems perfectly fine here. Maybe until the last item in the set comes out, you can just give it a very special label; something that denotes that the content for the pack is still in the process of being created/released.

I do like the idea of quests coming out one at a time over a longer span of time; it's like week-to-week TV instead of a whole season being dropped at once; the former allows people to enjoy the individual pieces, talk to each other about them, and build up excitement for the next piece, rather than binging them all at once and being done.

 

[Mnemor]

I find it confusing too...

And speaking of confusing nomenclature, can we have a pass on the game's nomenclature? Too many effects that are the same thing with different names, too many different effects with the same name, too many labels with misleading descriptions.

 

[Dementedleo1974]

I agree that "Adventure Pass" sounds like a temporary thing since
1) We have "Quest Passes" which are temporary access to single quests
2) The term "Season Pass" in the industry is used for limited time access to ranked matches and whatnot.

The term "Adventure Pack" seems perfectly fine here. Maybe until the last item in the set comes out, you can just give it a very special label; something that denotes that the content for the pack is still in the process of being created/released.

I do like the idea of quests coming out one at a time over a longer span of time; it's like week-to-week TV instead of a whole season being dropped at once; the former allows people to enjoy the individual pieces, talk to each other about them, and build up excitement for the next piece, rather than binging them all at once and being done.

Season Pass is also valid on any new quests or added effects within the time frame.. As stated the quest are time gated and if you buy the pass you are essentially buying a preorder.

 

[Dementedleo1974]

I work with Squeenix, US based now... so I do know the industry

 

[Solarpower]

2) The term "Season Pass" in the industry is used for limited time access to ranked matches and whatnot.

But we also have "Season Pass" as the "prepay for the stuff released in the future".
And why do I have a feeling we are going to get "1 quest per patch" instead of "1 Adventure pack of 4-5 quests per patch" from now on ?

 

[LeoLionxxx]

"Sleeping with the Fishes" - 175 DDO Points (Guest Pass 40) (free for VIPs)
"Covered Culvert" - 175 DDO Points (Guest Pass 40) (free for VIPs)
"Toil and Trouble" - 175 DDO Points (Guest Pass 40) (free for VIPs)

"Tavern Tales" Adventure Pass - 475 DDO Points (Guest Pass 100) (also free for VIPs by virtue of them having access to the three individual quests by default)

Personally, knowing that the full pack is less expensive than the individual pieces means I will never consider buying the individual pieces. That's how my frugal mind works anyway.

And in a scenario where I bought one individual pack without knowing that there was a full version that was slightly cheaper, I would feel ripped off and annoyed that it was not made clear to me. If this approach is taken, I hope there is VERY clear messaging on the individual items that the full pack version exists.

Edit to cap off my thoughts: Making the full pack/pass the same price as all of the pieces feels to me like the best way to avoid accidents and to continue fostering good will from players; if both options are equally viable then my choice to buy the single big one is a choice that shows support/faith in the quality of the content, rather than an obligation in order to not waste resources.

 

[Anurakh]

But we also have "Season Pass" as the "prepay for the stuff released in the future".
And why do I have a feeling we are going to get "1 quest per patch" instead of "1 Adventure pack of 4-5 quests per patch" from now on ?

A strategy to increase the price if you buy them separately, and if you buy them in a bundle, you have to wait a while to get them all. I don't think it's a very ethical strategy.

 

[Solarpower]

Personally, knowing that the full pack is less expensive than the individual pieces means I will never consider buying the individual pieces.

Even if it won't be cheaper, why would anyone want something but the full pack ?
The only scenario those "passes" will make sense is the Devs won't release the full Adventure pack and istead went to release something like 1 quest/month. Now the players would have some options : pay for each of the quests as they got released or prepay the full pack.
Otherwise, it's just littering a store that already has a lot of trash.

you have to wait a while to get them all.

People already wait for expansions to appear in DDO Store. So, you know, nothing new really.

 

[Mnemor]

A strategy to increase the price if you buy them separately, and if you buy them in a bundle, you have to wait a while to get them all. I don't think it's a very ethical strategy.

I agree. If all the quests separately cost the same as the bundle, but if you pre-purchase the bundle you get a discount, that would be a different story. But the way it's set up, it's a way to make you pay more (separate quests) or force you to pay upfront (bundle).

 

[Dementedleo1974]

A strategy to increase the price if you buy them separately, and if you buy them in a bundle, you have to wait a while to get them all. I don't think it's a very ethical strategy.

Here is a differnt scenario as well, just think what happens when people buy this new pass and it ends up blowing up in face just like almost everything new that has come up during recent years.. they drop the price or the structure fully and you are standing there like being slapped in face... remember all the Hype for MD... then you get tricked to buying it and locked behind rare loot values that wasnt stated in pre purchase or anything prior.... thats shady business, just adding my 2cents for what its worth