179 replies to this topic

[Heimdallr]

What are we doing for the holidays?

Well part 1 is inviting everyone back that has been a supporter of RO. Within the day or so any account that is not suspended, and has made a subscription/Points/VAS purchase since 2004 is going to get a code emailed to them for 14 days free subscription. These codes will only work 1 time per account, but that shouldn't be a problem given the next part.

The above is how we are letting everyone back in for the holidays.
And below is the big news that many of you have already thought about.

We will be going Free2Play in 2011. We are working out the timeline and the minute details (like our tools to handle it) currently, but it is planned to happen in the first month or 2 of 2011. We will switch to a premium subscription model, that will control:

• Bonus exp
• Bonus drops
• upgrade rate
• death penalty
• extended storage
• access to premium content NPCs
• Access to premium dungeons.
• And accesss to create characters

In reality the extra offerings will be more than it is currently, but what it won't control is access to the game on premium servers. Everyone that thinks about this has asked almost immediately about the bot stopping, and for that we have an answer that only premium accounts can create characters on the current premium servers, thus an initial payment, or a special invitation would be needed to create a character on our current Premium servers. Valkyrie players will get an option of the premium account as well, but you can create a few characters on Valk without an initial purchase; thus Valkyrie is still a free server.

[Axylus]

Yay! I love Valkyrie's community but hate the server's annoying restrictions.

[sgvince]

this is THE BOMB. what more can you ask for!?!?! bext christmas present evurr.

[Ralis]

This is more scary than the current upgrading fiasco.

Giving members an option to pay for benefits is going to majorly unbalance some aspects. It will become much easier for characters that pay on the same server to level, make higher upgraded equipment and find items.

What will happen to the cards that are not on Valkyrie, such as Deviling, GTB and Vitata? Will these be reimplemented for everyone? Or only for those that pay?

Edited by Ralis, 10 December 2010 - 04:23 PM.

[Heimdallr]

Some changes will remain on Valkyrie.

GTB is one, likely some of the item prices as well.

Mostly it is valkyrie, with option to have more.

For ymir it is free access, but for the sub (as now) you get all the old features back, and the new ones we will add in like the premium dungeons and buffs and such.

[Ralis]

Some changes will remain on Valkyrie.

GTB is one, likely some of the item prices as well.

Mostly it is valkyrie, with option to have more.

For ymir it is free access, but for the sub (as now) you get all the old features back, and the new ones we will add in like the premium dungeons and buffs and such.

Storage expansion is one thing I would love. *Looks at clogged storage*

[JAYRAD]

mind=blown

[Freedom]

Well I really hope you guys knwo what you are doing to this game. I really really hope yu guys dot your I's and cross your T's this time around. If not then I bet you can say good bye to everyone that plays now.

[Realus]

I understand all changes... But storage?
I've been around 550~600 items for the past... >_>; Ever since storage was expanded.
Cutting our (Ymir) storage back to 300 if we don't pay is really going to hurt me. (And players who have similar hoarding problems as me)

Or do you mean paying will increase storage even more; such as to 900 limit or something?

---

Also, is there no way to just make it that if you pay for an account once, you always have access to character creation?

Kinda weird if you're casually (no subscription) playing to be forced to pay if you delete-remake a character.
Or a new account has to create 9 characters in the first month, they can't take their time thinking of names or anything.

---

I like the subscription-premium benefits idea though.
You can use battle manuals for regular leveling when you have some free time.
Or if you know you'll have a week (or even longer) of spare time you can devote to RO, you can pay a subscription fee to get a month of bonus.

$10 Subscription, would mean 25 Regular Battle Manuals, or 12.5 hours.
Yet, the subscription is good for a whole month.

And yet, it won't cut down on battle manuals, because why level at 1.5x rate when you can get 2.25x. (And I can see the subscription sales whenever there's a 2x event or whatever)

Edited by Realus, 10 December 2010 - 04:37 PM.

[hesho]

so.... wait, the ppl already on ymir/ygg that is already paying a monthly must pay again to get the premium stuff? Isn't that kinda.. stupid?

also, i guess those 30 free days coupons are going to be useless?

edit: oh, the 14 day return coupon thingy, is it 1 per RO account or 1 per warp portal since i only got one...

Edited by hesho, 10 December 2010 - 04:45 PM.

[DeltaRay]

Regarding "premium subscription" is it going to be like all servers will be free but if you pay the fee you will get more exp/drops/other kool stuff?
I think thats how some servers were operating.

[ikeren]

I'm confused, there's still going to be two servers, premium and not premium right? ?__?

[robinsuu]

When I try to enter my coupon code that I recieved in my e-mail it just says "There has been an error with the product information". I haven't played RO for about 4 years and I figured it'd be cool to try it again over the winter holidays at least.

Am I doing anything wrong? I enter it in the WarpPortal account management where you can redeem coupon codes.

[Scott]

Codes work once per account. Having to pay for premium benefits isn't stupid, seeing as it's going free to play. If you play for free, you won't get increased benefits, but the game on the whole is still largely playable. If you do pay, it's just like always paying on Premium servers, so it's not really changing that much. It just opens to gates to free alt accounts for players after the initial payment, as well as allowing people to play after their subscription runs out.

On Valkyrie, I'd like to know more about what's happening to it. It's probably the server that will be affected the most.

[Kitten]

.. Wow. Misleading information over the past month was misleading, eh?

[Tofu]

Some changes will remain on Valkyrie.

GTB is one, likely some of the item prices as well.

Mostly it is valkyrie, with option to have more.

For ymir it is free access, but for the sub (as now) you get all the old features back, and the new ones we will add in like the premium dungeons and buffs and such.

Wait, so if you DO have a GTB, or Deviling on Ymir, what happens? Can you not use it unless you pay the subscription?

[ikeren]

When I try to enter my coupon code that I recieved in my e-mail it just says "There has been an error with the product information". I haven't played RO for about 4 years and I figured it'd be cool to try it again over the winter holidays at least.

Am I doing anything wrong? I enter it in the WarpPortal account management where you can redeem coupon codes.

I think something is wrong with the codes?
I'm getting the same thing. :<

[Tofu]

You might be trying to put it in the Warp Portal Points redeeming section. You need to click on your account, and the Kafra Point conversion menu should open up. Click the tab that says Redeem on it on that page.

[coolfish1103]

They are KP coupons not WP coupons.

[JAYRAD]

im curious to know how they are gonna combat the bots on ymir and ygg

[Symm]

surprise surprise

[ikeren]

Oh that did it, I could have sworn I did that in the first place though. :/

[Kitten]

surprise surprise

I know, right?

[Ralis]

Wait, so if you DO have a GTB, or Deviling on Ymir, what happens? Can you not use it unless you pay the subscription?

That only applies to Valk. If you don't play on Valk, don't concern yourself with it. xD

[robinsuu]

You might be trying to put it in the Warp Portal Points redeeming section. You need to click on your account, and the Kafra Point conversion menu should open up. Click the tab that says Redeem on it on that page.

They are KP coupons not WP coupons.

Whichever way I go I always end up at the WP points page. When I go to my game account all I see is this:
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m95/Robinsuu/RORORO.jpg

Seems to be a lot of trouble to go through for returning players that aren't used to this new warpportal thingie.