The cosmetics really have improved. As have character animations and appearance. I think this is a great indication of the game's continuing development. DDO isn't closing down anytime soon, yet there are critical flaws in their decision making process and that is what the community and the OP are pointing at, yet again. Hoping to have a voice because we care.
I think it's disingenuous to dismiss someone as just another 'doom and gloom' post. What we are seeing is feedback from a long time, passionate player. They've taken the time to give feedback. And instead of being acknowledged, get's mocked. Not cool.
The reason we keep seeing these types of posts is because of the underlying trust issues the players have with the staff. Stop dismissing them as trash, and recognize the opportunity. These are areas of growth and potential, avenues to retain players and attract new ones. OP is just one more player who has reached the end of their patience with bad decision making and gimmicks to screw over players for $$.
And yes, this game is technically, on the decline and will obviously close down one day. That's just life and the nature of technology and change.
This game will be struggling in ten years because there is little to no effort to on-board new players. This is a critical flaw in fiscal responsibility. And ignoring players who give feedback, and mocking them, is a sure fire way to encourage their departure and on-going diminishment of DDOs player base. but twenty years? thirty? fifty? No. This game will be gone as the player base ages and dies, and no new players are brought on.
It's not rocket science to understand someone who goes "I will spend money if you do x, y or z.' I've seen these comments for well over a decade, and SSG does nothing. As far as I am concerned, SSG doesn't want to make money, they really don't care about growing the game, and player opinions and experience are mostly meaningless.
I play this game b/c of long time friends and enjoying their company and chaos in quests and raids. but as for 'playing the game', I never read the stories, I don't chase gear, I never buy the latest content ... for me the game is a glorified hack and slash. There are little to no RPG elements in it.
As my friends have disappeared back into real life and moved onto other games, my desire to play has greatly diminished. I hit hardcore, and xp bonus weekends. That's it. I've not spent money on this game since feywild, and will only offer support if the staff demonstrates it can be trusted and stops treating the player base like a bunch of stupid idiots that can be milked for $$ with dumb gimmicks.
I think the patron coffers are insulting. I'm able to literally buy an amazing game with DLC and updated graphics for less than a cosmetic and some bank storage. Shennanigans like this guarantee my on-going lack of support. I think it stinks of desperation and lack of strategic marketing.
There are so many other ways to generate sales than ripping off the current, long term customers.
Not only did they have one insulting patron coffer, they doubled down on it. While continuously ignoring and passing on other opportunities to generate revenue. Like fixing VIP.
WoW. just, wow, really.
As you, i consider DDo a better hack and slash (has great character skill and build customization for starters) has many downsides, and allows you to play the same character with different aproaches.
On your thought on cosmetics, yes, and this is what bugs me most.
We have, ugliest faces (i could have made an erroneous typo for giggles, but I'll avoid this time) like the PdK (yes it was one of my posts and in the old forum I raised many times the point, clearly, as always NOT answered, the only time i got an official answer was to close the thread because i called someone Paladin, tremendous, right?) we have skinless Tieflings...
Then we have, for example the collector of IoD that is awesome, we have the Vecna content, the steed, the full set of armor that is insane...
So, it seems that there are endeed talented devs inside SSG.
VIP is complete horse shoe, for many reasons, like, nothing to offer, 500 lousy point per month, they even removed the gold roll and whatever nonsense (and if by quality of service we are refering to daily rolls, well, we are deep under the horse shoe level)
They should give someone with the knowledge a marketing position, so they can work the magic to make us FEEL better, and make us spend more money.
And about reaching the point, of non being able to handle it any longer, well, yes and no, i keep DDo installed in my PC all the time, its one of the few games that has this right.
And after all this time, I still care about it, that is why I still make posts, I still try to be listened (without any success, aside from the time i got my post closed...) and i do it because I still hope that someone will stare at the monitor and start thinking.
I do it because I still think that we, as a comunity should let the developers of our game that we care and some things they are doing are not ok.
For this i thank you, for trying to see my point even if you don't agree with me fully, and this is more than normal.
I was trying to get a common ground to build something, clearly there are some kids that just wants to see other sand castles to crumble right?
No matter what you propose, no matter what you say, there will be, alyways no answer from the official channels, and insults from the... how do i call them? hoping in? what? a back rub? a smile? a wink? from whom? who listen? who reads?
There are games that practically thrive on cosmetics, there are games that have choosen other paths, this one... has chosen a bit of this, a bit of that, and made a big mess (this is clearly my humblest opinion) and have achieved nothing in every ground.
The only thing they achieved is that they are feasting and making money over frustration, they make the game frustrating and tiresome so, to avoid running that quest another time, to avoid playing that class\race you hate so much or that is borked, you pop a hundred and... boom! here's your Otto and skipperoo boxes to avoid playing the game you are paying to play, makes sense right? that's a good market economy, clearly there are worse.
And to the others that are saying go play another game, well I do, sometimes, but sometimes i like to get back here and I see all the mistakes are keep on going and I can't stand still watching and I make a thread, getting all the hate I can get (have a big, fat laugh) and keep on doing the same things I was earlier.
You will never see me post in other games forums, because I don't give a shoe about other games.
