Adventure Packs, Expansions, Live Updates.

[Raolinx Aeromancer]

Shayalyn from Ten Ton Hammer posted an enteresting editorial today, about Brad McQuaids coments on a never ending MMO. Shayalyn's coments mainly went over Live updates (your standard patches), Adventure Packs (substantial updates with new adventuring areas additional features ect..), And Expansions. You can Find the artical HERE.


Go read the editorial before reading further.

I'm not fond of the whole pay MORE to get these new features. Unless it is in a full bore expansion.

The only way I would be ok with Adventure Packs is if they were the ONLY way we got new content. That means no Expansions for 39.99 once a year. However I would be willing to shell out the same amount over time. Say 4 to 5 Adventure Packs through out the year each one adding new content, features, races, and expanding old content.

This would let a new continent slowly unfold over a year.

This would keep High end guilds from finishing a new expansion with in two months of release.

Add a sense of events happening around you instead of only getting major updates once a year.

Give the Dev team time to test each smaller chunk instead of having to release it all at once.

The down side to this is marketing. Expansions Sell. They draw new people into the game. Gets the name out on shelves with a current date on the item. Game Reviewers will review an expansion but probally wont make a big deal about the 4th adventure pack release of the year.

So basically Im not really into two types of content upgrades. If sigil decides to do adventure packs thats great as long as there free or are the only means of adding new paid for content.

Rao

[MochiKing]

I agree, I don't like the adventure pack idea. Among other things, I think it splits people up into the haves and have nots. The usual response to this is "well the APs are highly optional content". My response to that is, if they are THAT optional, why even have them? If they don't add anything meaningful to the game what is the point?

So they are a bit of a catch 22. It isn't a huge deal, I'd probably buy the interesting ones and not buy the ones that didn' interest me, but I'm not huge on the AP concept.

[Raolinx Aeromancer]

If they do decide to add in paid Adventure Packs then these adventure packs should also be added to each new expansion. The benifit of getting to the content earlyer whould still get people to buy in to them while still letting the "have-nots" get the content.

Rao

[Naurki]

I am against having to pay for adventure packs totally. One reason is they are already going to be getting enough of my money with the initial sales price, subscription fees, expansion retail costs, geeze give me a break people.

Another reason is as a guild leader I have seen in the past so many times how adventure packs for a price can and will segregate guilds and friends. There are always some whether younger and dont have access to alot of cash or older and broke, dont have the monetary resources to keep shelling out 10.00 here and 10.00 there, then 30.00 for an expansion, on top of the 15-20 a month subscription cost. Then the end result is they cant go on adventures with their guild mates in the new content because they couldnt afford to continually buy adventure packs.

Sigil, just say no to charging for adventure packs and be satisfied with the money you will be getting from box sales and expansion and subscription fees, you have a great product on the horizon, people will buy it and play it.

Just release the content as free live updates and be free from this nonsense!

[handsomejack]

Originally Posted by Naurki

I am against having to pay for adventure packs totally. One reason is they are already going to be getting enough of my money with the initial sales price, subscription fees, expansion retail costs, geeze give me a break people.

Another reason is as a guild leader I have seen in the past so many times how adventure packs for a price can and will segregate guilds and friends. There are always some whether younger and dont have access to alot of cash or older and broke, dont have the monetary resources to keep shelling out 10.00 here and 10.00 there, then 30.00 for an expansion, on top of the 15-20 a month subscription cost. Then the end result is they cant go on adventures with their guild mates in the new content because they couldnt afford to continually buy adventure packs.

Sigil, just say no to charging for adventure packs and be satisfied with the money you will be getting from box sales and expansion and subscription fees, you have a great product on the horizon, people will buy it and play it.

Just release the content as free live updates and be free from this nonsense!

I don't think sigil means that the AP's will replace the usual content updates that most games do (l2 and coh/v come to mind) I think they mean instead of working on a whole new continent(expansion that takes 4 months), they'll do different zones of the new continent like one quarter of it(small fee) another part of it (small fee) so it equals up to the price and content amount of an expansion in the end but it comes out quicker. It should be a download purchase too because that would be too many boxes and everything to make.

Maybe have the piece by piece feature with those who have a better connection/wish to have it via download, and those who like to feel something in their hand for there money can have it all compiled on a disc at the store as an expansion.

So thats how I think they could have both AP's and expansions.

[Naurki]

I don't think sigil means that the AP's will replace the usual content updates that most games do (l2 and coh/v come to mind) I think they mean instead of working on a whole new continent(expansion that takes 4 months), they'll do different zones of the new continent like one quarter of it(small fee) another part of it (small fee) so it equals up to the price and content amount of an expansion in the end but it comes out quicker. It should be a download purchase too because that would be too many boxes and everything to make.

Maybe have the piece by piece feature with those who have a better connection/wish to have it via download, and those who like to feel something in their hand for there money can have it all compiled on a disc at the store as an expansion.

So thats how I think they could have both AP's and expansions.

and I dont think they think that either, but I am very opposed to paying for the adventure packs after having to already pay for the box retail 39-49$, (or 89$-100$ if I go the collectors route) then pay the monthly sub 15-20$ a month, then pay for expansions 30-40$ a piece, thats already enough money out of my pocket to be part of this realm! Will it ever end?

The thought of having to buy adventure packs as well is just ridiculous. I should get ap's as a free download periodically or they should just concentrate on saving their time and energy working on expansions and concentrating time to the live teams efforts in game. What ever happened to giving your paying customer some perks so that they feel like they can have some value with their purchase? I enjoy free stuff, it makes me more inclined to funnel said corporations my money for other fees and costs.

lets do a little math here and then you guys think about it;

retail box price: a reasonable amount to figure is 50.00
+
16.00 a month is a reasonable amount to consider for a monthly subscription multiplied by 12 months= 192.00
+
at least one expansion a year, a reasonable amount to figure is 30.00
=
thats @ $272.00 a person, per year just to be part of this realm, thats not taking into consideration the cost if you decide to go the collectors route, then it would be more on the order of $311.00 a person a year with a reasonable retail box price of 89.00.

Looking at those kind of average but pretty close costs I would say that they have enough of my money and dont need any more, it would be time for them to be giving me some coupons or some free updates and ap's!

[Ra Hag Ghen]

I`m not for paying Adventure packs either but i`m willing to pay for an expansion box.If the game have enough content + periodically added AP then waiting 12 to 18 months for an expansion is fair enough for me.

[Pirotess]

Originally Posted by Raolinx Aeromancer

If they do decide to add in paid Adventure Packs then these adventure packs should also be added to each new expansion. The benifit of getting to the content earlyer whould still get people to buy in to them while still letting the "have-nots" get the content.

I could stomach that but if they add them to the new expansion then people who already purchased the Adventure Packs should be able to purchase the expansion for a reduced cost. So if they delivered 3 Adventure packs at $10 a piece then the expansion should retail for $34.99 and people who bought the Adventure packs as they came out should be able to buy the expansion pack online for $4.99.

[Cyrus]

Most people here seem to hate AP's.

I think if they realesed adventure packs to be peices of the main expansion, through the year. Guilds would run into the same problem. I think the problem with AP is only paying for content to get it early. I would like to see AP's to be free, perhaps every three months instead of having a routine live update have a HUGE update, an AP. Then once a year an Expansion pack. With extra content. That way I have something to look forward to with the Expansion arrival.

One thing I do hate though is what EQ2 did with EOF. All the expansions and the game in the same box for $40!!! Thats ludacris, I know that they got more new people to play the game, but what about the veterans that bought every expansion pack as it came out. The real backbone of the game got ripped off. I spend $50 - $60 more then people who just bought EOF.

Okay I'm done venting.

[FEDS-91]

Sorry, that doesn't really bother me with the 40 all in one thing. Thats the nature of the business. The expansions always go down as the next ones come out. Granted I'll admit that the EoF having the full game, PLUS all 3 expansions its a bit much, but if you want to play the content right away when it comes out, thats kind of the price we gamers have to pay. Sad, but true.