Dear Mesanna, "Reward the players that pay the FULL Year" ? HALLO ?

[Spock's Beard]

I'm still just surprised the shard shields even exist. It's just such a random, unbalancing thing that presumably cuts into the market for paid transfers at least somewhat. That last thing is what really makes it surprising.

Like seriously, if someone had rolled in here in like 2010 and said "Hey devs I want free shard transfers once a month as a vet reward!" what do you think people would have said to them?

 

[Fridgster]

I'm still just surprised the shard shields even exist. It's just such a random, unbalancing thing that presumably cuts into the market for paid transfers at least somewhat. That last thing is what really makes it surprising.

Like seriously, if someone had rolled in here in like 2010 and said "Hey devs I want free shard transfers once a month as a vet reward!" what do you think people would have said to them?

Thing is they may be making more money this way. The percentage of people who have them has to be very small percentage wise and even less so the percentage of those who attempt to take full advantage of them. What they have done is created something of true value. Something everyone wants. Something that will create an additional reason for many consumers to keep paying.

I personally don't understand the hubbub. Granted I have them so obviously my opinion is effected by that. Many disagree and they do have solid points. The one thing I am most confident in is that it will not change. Pandora has already opened that box and they could very well be making money off of it anyway.

 

[Lord Frodo]

Here's how shard shields could be considered game-breaking.

Player X goes to an underpopulated shard using the shard shield, looks through vendors for powerscrolls that are cheaper than on Atlantic.Player X buys up every last one and goes back to Atlantic to sell them at the going rate there, which is much higher than the underpopulated shard.

Player Y, having played for a couple of years on the underpopulated shard, is looking for a particular item. Unfortunately, Player X has bought them all up and has moved them off the shard.

Player Y now has four options.

1) He/she may wait until someone stocks said item again, which may be quite some time in the future.

2) He/she may attempt to get the item, though the chances are slim that it will be gotten.

3) He/she may pay real money for a two transfer tokens, go to Atlantic and buy the item in question, then transfer back to his/her own shard.

4) He/she may try and get someone else to get said item on Atlantic, then wait for that person to come back whenever they happen to return.

It can be an issue. Powerscrolls might be the worst case in this scenario, and I am fairly confident this does happen.

You can do the exact same thing only replace the types of transfers, so NO THEY ARE NOT GAME CHANGERS.

 

[Lord Frodo]

"I have played this game for a long time, I deserve special treatment." if that's not a sense of entitlement, I don't know what is.- Uthva

The fact that this topic comes up time, and time again, and is so highly contested reveals clearly that there is a problem. Also, it's the only veteran reward that there is an uproar about, and there is a very good reason for that: Never in the history of Ultima Online has an item put players on such unequal footing.

A few other things I find baffling...

- Other players having access to Shard Shields doesn't affect me in any negative way. Not sure the why I would argue against other players being able to choose their limited veteran picks on whatever item they want. I don't understand the motive...really I don't....

Also interesting is that each year your account ages you get more rewards but that is still not enough for Veterans:

5 year 7 rewards
10 years 17 rewards
15 year Vet 30 rewards

A 15 year veteran has 23 more rewards than a 5 Year veteran, but somehow that is not enough, and completely inconsequential! How greedy can you get!?

I think the next rewards they introduce...everyone should have to wait 20 years before they can claim...old players and new alike.

The dev's gave us those entitlements not the players.

 

[Smoot]

I'm still just surprised the shard shields even exist. It's just such a random, unbalancing thing that presumably cuts into the market for paid transfers at least somewhat. That last thing is what really makes it surprising.

Like seriously, if someone had rolled in here in like 2010 and said "Hey devs I want free shard transfers once a month as a vet reward!" what do you think people would have said to them?

i really think it was their answer to the question of shard mergers. cant merge shards becaues of attachment to housing, so do next best thing and give free access to other shards. why this was done as a high year vet reward really doesnt make sense tho.

 

[Fridgster]

i really think it was their answer to the question of shard mergers. cant merge shards becaues of attachment to housing, so do next best thing and give free access to other shards. why this was done as a high year vet reward really doesn't make sense tho.

Perhaps they did it to avoid lost revenue from transfer tokens (purchased ones). Give it to everyone and you eliminate a popular product that costs you nothing to manufacture. Give it to a small % at a reduced power (limited quantities per transfer/Shield recharge timer) and you create a positive push towards loyal clientele. You also create a reason for others to continue with their monthly subscriptions because they too would like this reward.

 

[MalagAste]

Like I said it's a marketing ploy.

Make sure you get that free toaster when you change to that new bank. Then they treat you just like everybody else and you see that fee they charge that you had no idea about.

Make sure you get that best discount and friend for life when you get that new car from that salesman. Then you find out he lied to you when you could of got it cheaper at another lot.

It's game content that means more to players. Not pixels items they give for free. Good game play is the perk. Any game can give you the best shinies ever made but if the game content sucks you are not staying. Content > Free pixels.

Perhaps by your griping and assessment of everything we ought to go to a system like Diablo where you can ONLY have what you get personally unless you are in a party and they share with you AT THAT TIME.... otherwise items can not be traded at all..... and then we should do away with IDOCs all together as well because that is unfair to folk .... and all that stuff should just poof when gone... and then perhaps... We ought to do away with PvP too since after you can't get anything from anyone else what would be the point?!?! And then perhaps we should just go to complete instanced stuff... we won't need EMs anymore because so many then believe that if they can't sell what they get to the highest bidder then no one will be buying or selling so no one will attend the Events...And while we are at it then we ought to get rid of Vendors since we wouldn't have anything to sell to anyone and that would make the shard shields useless because no one would be going to Atl to sell stuff since you wouldn't be able to sell anything to anyone... and then after all that we may as well just shut off UO because I think that would pretty much kill the game.

Be careful what you call for. You just might get it.

 

[Zosimus]

Perhaps by your griping and assessment of everything we ought to go to a system like Diablo where you can ONLY have what you get personally unless you are in a party and they share with you AT THAT TIME.... otherwise items can not be traded at all..... and then we should do away with IDOCs all together as well because that is unfair to folk .... and all that stuff should just poof when gone... and then perhaps... We ought to do away with PvP too since after you can't get anything from anyone else what would be the point?!?! And then perhaps we should just go to complete instanced stuff... we won't need EMs anymore because so many then believe that if they can't sell what they get to the highest bidder then no one will be buying or selling so no one will attend the Events...And while we are at it then we ought to get rid of Vendors since we wouldn't have anything to sell to anyone and that would make the shard shields useless because no one would be going to Atl to sell stuff since you wouldn't be able to sell anything to anyone... and then after all that we may as well just shut off UO because I think that would pretty much kill the game.

Be careful what you call for. You just might get it.

Testy aren't we?

I am just telling how it is. Sometimes the truth just hurts like falling off a ladder.

There are people in this thread complaining about not being fair and another half saying it is.

Then some feel entitled because of some kind of loyalty so they deserve something because they are loyal.

This stuff I quoted from you was nothing I said. Pretty sure this thread is about the rewarding players who play for the full year. Not even sure what you are going on about.

This is how I am saying it so you know what I am saying (not griping as you put it) the fact is no matter how you are paying, every month, every 90 days, every off year, or however you pay, you are paying for a service. To play UO. That's the service. Perks are a plus but EA or BS doesn't really have to do it. They do reward players. They still don't have to. They give you a nice shiny and the kitten complaining is all of a sudden done. You forget the issues you had with the game because you log in to get that so deserved item because you feel you are owed it for being that loyal customer. Personally I think it should be paid every month with a 10 day extension, so in truth 40 days no matter the situation.

Your thing up there is all about pixelated items. Wasn't you the one wanting the game fixed with all those issues you said in another thread? Me get rid of PvP. That's one thing I am all about when it comes to any great game. The thrill of running someone over and going after the next victim. I am just saying kitten the items idealization. The game is more about give me this and that and not about content. Vets vs younger vets vs nubs what it boils down to.

Life is just kittened up now days. It's what have you done for me lately not the other way around. We live in as society that we feel we deserve more without trying to earn it. We should be rewarded. Rewarded for what? Paying your bills? Paying for perks? Well I am entitled aren't I. I pay. No matter how I pay I still pay so I should be rewarded the same as anybody else. Lets bite the hand that feeds us but still complain we should get this and that because I should feel it should be that way. That happens a lot on here. Bite the devs hands to much and you may not get valentine presents. Oh that happened did it. Hey they gave us this and that and complaints still came in because it should of did this and that instead. The devs can't win even if they didn't try and anybody handed them the finish line. They have lost before anybody set up the race.

Loyalty or at least the feeling you are loyal, leads into I should be entitled , and then egos becomes bruised if anything fair comes along to the ones that didn't help dig that ditch at the beginning and moved one shovel of dirt while others moved a million shovels of dirt. I found china the other day just so others will know I dug enough to get there.

Nothing personal to you so take it as I say it and interpret it the way you want. Everything is a marketing ploy. Nothing is for free. It all comes with a cost. Just how much depends on a person and what they are willing to lose to get what they think they want and to find out in the end it was all for not. It's how you earn it and not expect more.

 

[Corwyn]

You can do the exact same thing only replace the types of transfers, so NO THEY ARE NOT GAME CHANGERS.

Except Player A gets it for free and Player Y either pays real cash or shells out 50 million gold plus whatever the inflated price of the item is. SO IT IS GAME CHANGING. (See, I can type in all caps too. Your caps mean nothing.)

 

[HoneythornGump]

Except Player A gets it for free and Player Y either pays real cash or shells out 50 million gold plus whatever the inflated price of the item is. SO IT IS GAME CHANGING. (See, I can type in all caps too. Your caps mean nothing.)

Player A farms items on non-atlantic shard, transfers to Atlantic to sell wares for 102 million. Then transfers back with gold in hand...zero overhead. Profit 102 million.

Player Y farms items on non-atlantic shards, (can't sell on his home shard), transfers to Atlantic and sells wares for 102 million, but is forced to buy 2 Transfer token 50 million each to make the round trip. 100 million overhead. Profit 2 million.

But this ain't GAME CHANGING...

 

[Lord Nabin]

Except Player A gets it for free and Player Y either pays real cash or shells out 50 million gold plus whatever the inflated price of the item is. SO IT IS GAME CHANGING. (See, I can type in all caps too. Your caps mean nothing.)

Sorry it's not game changing.

It's not necessary to play the game for the vast majority of game play styles.

Comparing $20 vs hundreds a 14+ year vet paid to get to the level of use for this very limited trabsfee item is not an equal comparison in any way.

A non 14+ vet can spend less and get a much more efficient and better transfer token at any time.

 

[Lord Nabin]

Player A farms items on non-atlantic shard, transfers to Atlantic to sell wares for 102 million. Then transfers back with gold in hand...zero overhead. Profit 102 million.

Player Y farms items on non-atlantic shards, (can't sell on his home shard), transfers to Atlantic and sells wares for 100 million, but is forced to buy 2 Transfer token 50 million each to make the round trip. 100 million overhead. Profit 2 million.

But this ain't GAME CHANGING...

Player y doesn't have to spend anything as he can catch a free ride pretty much anytime either way

Sorry your theory is not valid. If player Y is going to work the system he would for sure work the free ride system as well Friend

If he didn't then he really was not that good of a trader

 

[HoneythornGump]

What I get the biggest kick out of in this thread...

One of the posters sells Ultima Online accounts, and he's lobbying vigorously that the shard shields remain as they are despite how unjust they are, and the negative impact they've had on the health of the game.

We have a name for a guy like that where I come from, but I can't state it here...

If that person really cared about UO they would be more concerned about the health of the game than lining their own pockets at the expense of others, or the game we all love.

 

[Lord Nabin]

What I get the biggest kick out of in this thread...

One of the posters sells Ultima Online accounts, and he's lobbying vigorously that the shard shields remain as they are despite how unjust they are, and the negative impact they've had on the health of the game.

We have a name for a guy like that where I come from, but I can't state it here...

If that person really cared about UO they would be more concerned about the health of the game than lining their own pockets at the expense of others, or the game we all love.

What I get a kick out of in this thread is a person who really has no idea what they are talking about, complains about what he could just do for himself if he put some effort into the opportunity, and yet feels he shouldn't have to lift a finger because we'll it's just not fair they should have to make an effort.

You really have no facts to back up your accusations around this issue and when you get called out on it you just revert to personal attacks because you can't seem to back up your own argument.

Pretty flat arguments all things considered.

 

[MalagAste]

I'm sorry but sometimes I think WHY am I arguing for the Tokens...

Well you know since the day they came out I wanted them.... don't know why really I don't even do vendors. I wanted to bring all the things I had on those other shards I never play on to the one I DO play on. Why? Partially to throw them away for points. Now if points were account bound and locked to your account and you could gather them on any shard and they pooled together into one pool that any character on that account could use no matter where they were... then I wouldn't care about the shields since I could toss the points anywhere... But that's not the way points work.

I personally like having millions of turn in points. I also like and enjoy collecting stuff... so it's nice to bring back all the snowmen, reindeer and other things to my shard to have one set. Now do you think that the DEVs care what we use the tokens for? Probably. My guess is they never really realized the impact they would have when they gave them to us. Now I don't have a Vendor on Atl... most likely I never will. I own a Luna house on GLs but none of the vendors on it are mine. I don't charge my friends to put vendors there either. But none of that matters.

So I waited many years till my accounts were old enough..... Never picked ANYTHING but the shields... THAT is why I have a full set. That and the fact that since the day I started playing UO just after UO:R I haven't stopped... haven't missed payments other than when they denied my CC because they billed me from Netherlands, Germany or some other foreign country... I've been in UO nearly every day... Does that "entitle" me to anything? By your standards NO. But you know what... if UO wasn't like it is.... I wouldn't be playing it and I sure as heck wouldn't have faithfully paid for my accounts all these years. That much I can say for sure.

Now because you either didn't stay, didn't get in on the "formative" years or whatever you think that that somehow ought to either entitle you to the same as me... even though you didn't remain loyal or put in the years I did? Or you think that we just shouldn't ever get anything??? Well trust me if they never gave us anything... we'd have nothing to look forward to and therefore wouldn't stick around either. There is a reason they reward loyalty... EVERY game does it. Even stupid browser games often reward you for loggin in every day. Trust me I've played a few.

I'm sorry your hurt that others don't have to pay to go from shard to shard.... but you know what? Not all of us use them to go to Atl and sell everything... Not all of us use it to buy up every resource from other shards and take things to Atl to mark up at 10x the cost... for profit. some of us don't play to make money. We play to have fun.

 

[Uvtha]

Comparing $20 vs hundreds a 14+ year vet paid to get to the level of use for this very limited trabsfee item is not an equal comparison in any way.

Eh, I really think that logic is a reach. One is a direct purchase, the other is an incidental benefit on a consistent subscription. What you got for that money was 14+ years of account access to a game you clearly enjoy on some level, it's not like it was a bank for buying vet rewards. You can't compare the real cost of a purchased transfer token to money paid playing the game over the years, it's just two different things.

Anyway, if you want to look at it like that, how many token to token uses before the free side comes out on top overall money spent wise? If you compare it to token granted to token purchased at the same rate, a 10 year account buying one token per month to match the one free token per month (assuming you only have one shard shield, which, I would wager is rare) the account would be aging at 142% speed in terms of dollars paid. 168 a year in subs, and 240 (1.42% of a years subs) per year in tokens. By the second year an account starting at 10 years would have paid more than a 14 year account.

14 years = 2352$ (not potentially counting the years when subs were 10$) 10 years 1680$. Year 1 (11 year vet): 2088$. Year two (12 year vet): 2496$... The further back your year starting point the wider the gap becomes when you compare value for value and over all potential dollars paid to have equal footing, again for just ONE shard shield. If you have someone who has dozens the added value that player is getting ends up being the equivalent of years and years of paid subs.

So an account that only used shard shield transfers to an account 12 years old that within those 12 years purchases at least 24 tokens, which seems pretty reasonable and possible considering how often some people shard jump, and considering that you need 2 tokens for a round trip, that's just ONE trip per year... then you end up paying more than that 14+ year vet, by that time, and if you go 1 to 1 you could easily get there much quicker.

Now I think that's a very silly way of looking at it, but that's because I don't think comparing the purchase of a token, and the being given a vet reward are really comparable. *Shrug*

 

[Uvtha]

Perhaps they did it to avoid lost revenue from transfer tokens (purchased ones). Give it to everyone and you eliminate a popular product that costs you nothing to manufacture. Give it to a small % at a reduced power (limited quantities per transfer/Shield recharge timer) and you create a positive push towards loyal clientele. You also create a reason for others to continue with their monthly subscriptions because they too would like this reward.

I think id take that same starting point and follow it to a different end: You give a small % of people the ability to shift around shards for free on a regular basis, and potentially depending on how many shields the individuals has a rather frequent basis, those people will start taking advantage of prices on other shards to make a profit in a higher demand market (Atlantic) driving the economy of the game as a whole toward that market, so anyone wishing to be competitive (or simply wishing to find good they need) would have to also be out there buying cheap and bringing it back to Atlantic, so they either have to buy tokens in game with gold, find or pay for a "ride" or.... spend real life money on transfer tokens. Then add to that the idea you mention of wanting to avoid all of the extra charges, and the competitive disadvantage they would be less likely to close their account even for breaks, assuming the disparity of positions didn't just make them want to stop playing.

Could lead to nice profits.

Obviously that's not how it is for everyone or how everyone see it... but I do think some people probably do, and I absolutely do think it has had an effect of the economy of all the shards. How big/impactful, I can't say.

 

[Merus]

For something that some would argue has so little impact on the game, why don't we just make them a 1st year reward then. I mean all these people with shard shields are still buying mass amounts of real transfer tokens because shard shields are just so weak, thus there should be no impact to overall revenue right? Furthermore, all those people who already have them don't loose anything, they get to keep all their shields... the only thing that goes away is the exclusivity of them.

If all the arguments put forth supporting the non-impact of shard shields are true, then this should be a no brainer.

 

[TimberWolf]

my solution...multiple houses if you buy a 1 year code, your account is allowed a primary and a secondary residence. If your account status ever goes inactive or when your 1 year sub expires your secondary house drops...period within 7 days.
Every one claims there is an over abundance of housing...so lets fill it, and give a serious incentive players and broadsword.

 

[popps]

Testy aren't we?

I am just telling how it is. Sometimes the truth just hurts like falling off a ladder.

There are people in this thread complaining about not being fair and another half saying it is.

Then some feel entitled because of some kind of loyalty so they deserve something because they are loyal.

This stuff I quoted from you was nothing I said. Pretty sure this thread is about the rewarding players who play for the full year. Not even sure what you are going on about.

This is how I am saying it so you know what I am saying (not griping as you put it) the fact is no matter how you are paying, every month, every 90 days, every off year, or however you pay, you are paying for a service. To play UO. That's the service. Perks are a plus but EA or BS doesn't really have to do it. They do reward players. They still don't have to. They give you a nice shiny and the kitten complaining is all of a sudden done. You forget the issues you had with the game because you log in to get that so deserved item because you feel you are owed it for being that loyal customer. Personally I think it should be paid every month with a 10 day extension, so in truth 40 days no matter the situation.

Your thing up there is all about pixelated items. Wasn't you the one wanting the game fixed with all those issues you said in another thread? Me get rid of PvP. That's one thing I am all about when it comes to any great game. The thrill of running someone over and going after the next victim. I am just saying kitten the items idealization. The game is more about give me this and that and not about content. Vets vs younger vets vs nubs what it boils down to.

Life is just kittened up now days. It's what have you done for me lately not the other way around. We live in as society that we feel we deserve more without trying to earn it. We should be rewarded. Rewarded for what? Paying your bills? Paying for perks? Well I am entitled aren't I. I pay. No matter how I pay I still pay so I should be rewarded the same as anybody else. Lets bite the hand that feeds us but still complain we should get this and that because I should feel it should be that way. That happens a lot on here. Bite the devs hands to much and you may not get valentine presents. Oh that happened did it. Hey they gave us this and that and complaints still came in because it should of did this and that instead. The devs can't win even if they didn't try and anybody handed them the finish line. They have lost before anybody set up the race.

Loyalty or at least the feeling you are loyal, leads into I should be entitled , and then egos becomes bruised if anything fair comes along to the ones that didn't help dig that ditch at the beginning and moved one shovel of dirt while others moved a million shovels of dirt. I found china the other day just so others will know I dug enough to get there.

Nothing personal to you so take it as I say it and interpret it the way you want. Everything is a marketing ploy. Nothing is for free. It all comes with a cost. Just how much depends on a person and what they are willing to lose to get what they think they want and to find out in the end it was all for not. It's how you earn it and not expect more.

"This is how I am saying it so you know what I am saying (not griping as you put it) the fact is no matter how you are paying, every month, every 90 days, every off year, or however you pay, you are paying for a service. To play UO. That's the service."

And what about those "Loyal" players who, instead, pay their subscriptions month after month for a whole year and yet, do not log in to use that Service (the 90 days discussions....) so as to actually support Ultima Online ?

Why shouldn't this Loyalty be rightfully recognized with the Veteran Rewards ? After all, these loyal customers are not using the service and, yet, they do are keeping paying their monthly subscription dues....

Three months is like 30 dollars, do it a few times a year and that quite some money which "could" be saved up that instead goes into supporting Ultima Online.....

I only see it as the right thing that these loyal Ultima Online players who "could" save up tens upon tens of dollars deactivating their accounts, tallying up soon onto hundreds of dollars in subscriptions paid even though they are not logging into the game, would be recognized this Loyalty with Veteran Rewards.

And, to my opinion, it would be the right thing to also see good and valuable Veteran Rewards, in recognition of that Loyalty, of that subscription money spent even when the service was not used, also for 16, 17, 18, 19 and soon to be 20 Years Active Account status......

That's at least as I see it, personally.

 

[Corwyn]

The "I've been here longer, and therefore deserve special treatment" is a toxic way to look at an eighteen year old game with very few new players coming and very few players returning. Yesterday, I'd made the comment that vet rewards should go away in place of new player rewards. While that may have been an extreme statement, I do think that a few of the vet rewards are off-putting to newer and/or returning players. Imagine a brand new player seeing the shard shield and thinking, "wow... I can have one in fourteen years. Will the game even be around then?" Rather disheartening to say the least. And if said new player started on a dead shard because he/she chose the shard based on region (definitely not a far stretch, since the shards are named after regions), then that little bit of time they spent working on a character was for nought, since they cannot find the items they need to further their goals, nor can they find players with which to interact. So they are now stuck and disheartened. "Oh, but you can buy a transfer token for $20 in the game store, since you were dumb enough to choose the shard you chose" is not an answer... not if we want new players. And, like it or not, we not only want new players, we need new players. Otherwise, your high end vet rewards, your rare collections, and yes, your game time will cease to be.

And to say it for either the second or third time now, both the shard shields AND transfer tokens were a bad idea as implemented.

 

[Lord Frodo]

The "I've been here longer, and therefore deserve special treatment" is a toxic way to look at an eighteen year old game with very few new players coming and very few players returning.

LMAO The players did not create the Shard Shields the DEVs did so they are the ones saying that we are entitled and deserve special treatment not the players, get your facts straight. If you have a problem of how the DEVs are running UO than maybe you should write them a letter. The DEVs gave us this VET Reward for supporting this game for 14+ years so you bet your little butt that I deserve and I am entitled to them because the DEVs say so, so get over yourself.

 

[Fridgster]

LMAO The players did not create the Shard Shields the DEVs did so they are the ones saying that we are entitled and deserve special treatment not the players, get your facts straight. If you have a problem of how the DEVs are running UO than maybe you should write them a letter. The DEVs gave us this VET Reward for supporting this game for 14+ years so you bet your little butt that I deserve and I am entitled to them because the DEVs say so, so get over yourself.

A bit blunt... but not necessarily inacurate.

 

[Corwyn]

LMAO The players did not create the Shard Shields the DEVs did so they are the ones saying that we are entitled and deserve special treatment not the players, get your facts straight. If you have a problem of how the DEVs are running UO than maybe you should write them a letter. The DEVs gave us this VET Reward for supporting this game for 14+ years so you bet your little butt that I deserve and I am entitled to them because the DEVs say so, so get over yourself.

Obviously, my point was lost on you. However, I'll say (yet again) that the development team made a mistake when they created the shard shields. They could have made something else that didn't have such an affect on the game, but they didn't.

Let's have some fun with your logic for just a moment. You are saying it's okay because the development team said it was okay. Does that mean that everything in game is the way it should be? If your answer is no, then your logic is flawed and you should rethink your position. Or not... I don't care much either way.

 

[Fridgster]

Obviously, my point was lost on you. However, I'll say (yet again) that the development team made a mistake when they created the shard shields. They could have made something else that didn't have such an affect on the game, but they didn't.

Let's have some fun with your logic for just a moment. You are saying it's okay because the development team said it was okay. Does that mean that everything in game is the way it should be? If your answer is no, then your logic is flawed and you should rethink your position. Or not... I don't care much either way.

*Points down at his signature*

 

[Corwyn]

*Points down at his signature*

Your signature doesn't address the first part of my post.

 

[Fridgster]

Your signature doesn't address the first part of my post.

Your correct. I think we have a core disagreement about the actual effect the shard shields have had on the economy. So arguing that point between each other probably is not going to get us far . I will say this, all of our debating really is without information that would be needed to determine the actual effect of shard shields on the economy and their financials. We have no idea how many have them. The only people that have this important information are the ones who made the choice to create them.

 

[Uvtha]

LMAO The players did not create the Shard Shields the DEVs did so they are the ones saying that we are entitled and deserve special treatment not the players, get your facts straight. If you have a problem of how the DEVs are running UO than maybe you should write them a letter. The DEVs gave us this VET Reward for supporting this game for 14+ years so you bet your little butt that I deserve and I am entitled to them because the DEVs say so, so get over yourself.

I don't think that there was ever a debate as the source of vet entitlement, rather that it was a poor idea to instill people with those expectations, especially when there are functional implications to game play.

 

[railshot]

I call BS

Coming from someone with thousands of dollars in vet account sales, really? You are seeing BS in the wrong place.

 

[railshot]

So I have shard shields, and use them occasionally. To those in the thread who are arguing that they are "game breaking" and a negative aspect, what would you propose to fix it? I don't use them much, but am genuinely curious as to how you think we can put the toothpaste back into the tube, so to speak. It's been a number of years since they were introduced, and it's not like you are arguing against some upcoming change at this point.

The only idea I have that would keep shard shields valuable but not game breaking is to make a global market where anyone can buy things from other shards without having to go there. It's not perfect and I am sure it's possible to come up with something better if there is a will.

 

[railshot]

i really think it was their answer to the question of shard mergers. cant merge shards becaues of attachment to housing, so do next best thing and give free access to other shards. why this was done as a high year vet reward really doesnt make sense tho.

I think that's pretty much it. Classic EA - take a bad situation and make it worse.

 

[HoneythornGump]

A global Vendor Exchange would remove all of the unbalancing. It would also breath life into smaller shards, making it a much healthier game overall, particularly for new players starting on shards where they have the best connection. New players could buy and sell items, gear up and make a profit.

I got no loyalty to Atlantic. I'd be hell and gone from Atlantic if I could sell stuff on other shards...

If such a system existed. I'd go back to my home shard in a heartbeat. I only set up shop on Atlantic because that's where 95% of the commerce is..

Fortunately, I set up shop on Atlantic years ago so... I'm not hurtin' in terms of imbalance. But, the reality is I was forced to migrate there in order to sell items, or have access to items.

I knew this thread would get interesting...some great posts and arguments in favor of allowing Shard Shields access to more players.

I think the one thing that stands out most in this entire thread is smoot posts about a certain level of "healthiness" that is expected from an MMORPG.

Right now that doesn't exist on the vast majority of shards, and it's not good for the game.

 

[Acid Rain]

Back to Shard Shield bashing eh? (repeat graphic ad nauseam.)

Seriously kids, deal with it. It isn't changing. I'll hand out free Kleenex @ Brit Bank for those needing.

 

[Tyrath]

My simple solution to all of this if I were the Game God...... Double all Vet Rewards across the board if you have claimed 20 you instantly get 20 more to pick. At 1 year instead of 3 you get six and 2 each year after until the two kick in and then you get 4. Make a global vendor search that covers all shards, teleports you to the vendor. While teleported you can't move, you can't interact with other players you can only buy from the vendors at the house you were teleported to. Not sure how hard that would be to code and implement but it would help a lot with making things available on smaller shards. I am not moving my prodo account from Legends to Atlantic or any other busier shard. My game history and love is Legends but it is very frustrating trying to find things on Legends. And yes I can shard shield from Legends to Atlantic and back great for me to go on shopping trips, sucks for everyone who does not have access to shard shields. Personally transfers were the worst thing ever implemented in UO IMO. Does not matter at this point its done and the damage was done. Best way is to level out the playing field a bit. Flooding the game with Vet rewards does not hurt anyone unless you only see vet rewards as multi million gold cash cows. As far as reward people who pay consistently year to year I am all for that drop some love on them with a short list of Dedicated Rewards maybe a extra housing spot, a additional vet pick or two, UO Store game code. Hell every year I mail out $20 gift certificates to my regular customers what shop at my business week in and week out and often do drawings for a hog or side of beef and let everyone regular or not jump in the drawing at no cost. Business triples in the months I do the drawings and the regulars love the certificates and make a huge difference in customer retention. I guess the customer that spends $1200 per month with me should be angry that the customer that spends $50 per month with me gets the same $20 gift certificate, They are not infact I have seen many of my more wealthy customers give their gift certificates to some of our not so wealthy customers or ask that their certificate be put towards a donation to a food pantry. Funny how that works. Perhaps if UO players looked at the greater good of the game, rather than their further personal enrichment........................ I would hate being a UO Dev trying to serve and make a bunch of customers that are going to complain no matter what you do happy.

 

[Eärendil]

As far as I can see, both sides have good lines of reasoning. Now that the shields exist, the best thing would be to sell them for heaps of dollars on the origin store. 99,99 or 129,99 $ ;-)

 

[Zuckuss]

Can't we all just get along.

 

[Fridgster]

Can't we all just get along.

What the heck kinda fun would that be????

 

[Eärendil]

Can't we all just get along.

Yes, we can!

 

[Tyrath]

LOL I have thought about claiming a Shield on Siege just to have it for deco

 

[Uvtha]

LOL I have thought about claiming a Shield on Siege just to have it for deco

You can get them from Blackthorn actually! Or you used to be able to anyway. I had one, but I found it looks ugly and out of place on my wall.

 

[Fridgster]

Yes, we can!

 

[Uvtha]

 

[Eärendil]

From a European perspective, that stuff is really hard to understand. Why would anybody pay to visit so much manifest sillyness? Does it have a satirical aspect? ;-P

No offense, my dear American friends! Luv ya!

 

[Uvtha]

From a European perspective, that stuff is really hard to understand. Why would anybody pay to visit so much manifest sillyness? Does it have a satirical aspect? ;-P

No offense, my dear American friends! Luv ya!

People find some kind of catharsis in group chanting? It's a weird sub-culture with a lot of interesting idiosyncrasies for sure.

 

[Eärendil]

I meant rather this "jumping in the face"-thing. Not the chanting. No idea what's cool about that. But off-topic. Sorry!

 

[Uvtha]

I meant rather this "jumping in the face"-thing. Not the chanting. No idea what's cool about that. But off-topic. Sorry!

Just fake fighting. heh

 

[Eärendil]

That's exactly what I mean: Why would I pay to watch someone jumping in the face of someone else in a fake fight and everybody knows that's a fake fight. Where is the thrill? That's why I asked: Is that kinda satirical? I am wondering about that for years now. Boxing, Football... Makes sense to me. Fake fights? Make no sense to me. Must be boring like hell to sit there for hours an know that the winner was decided before the show began...

 

[Uvtha]

That's exactly what I mean: Why would I pay to watch someone jumping in the face of someone else in a fake fight and everybody knows that's a fake fight. Where is the thrill? That's why I asked: Is that kinda satirical? I am wondering about that for years now. Boxing, Football... Makes sense to me. Fake fights? Make no sense to me. Must be boring like hell to sit there for hours an know that the winner was decided before the show began...

It's just a melodrama, but instead of fighting over a girl tied to some train tracks the good guy and the bad guy fight over a shiny belt. Like any other silly scripted thing you want to watch, you suspend your disbelief, and let the "Story" take you away while you root on the good guys and boo the bad ones. Obviously the "story" told in this case only appeals to certain people. I feel it's the same kind of appeal that superheros have, often moralistically simplistic, often sexist, always violence, always at least a little bit silly, usually a lot silly... people who like them often make it out to be a lot deeper than it is...

 

[MalagAste]

My ex used to love that stuff. Personally I can't bear to watch it. Insult to my intelligence or something. But then I don't care for many sports in general... though accepting that as a sport is a stretch of the imagination...

I prefer gaming.

 

[Eärendil]

It's just a melodrama, but instead of fighting over a girl tied to some train tracks the good guy and the bad guy fight over a shiny belt. Like any other silly scripted thing you want to watch, you suspend your disbelief, and let the "Story" take you away while you root on the good guys and boo the bad ones. Obviously the "story" told in this case only appeals to certain people. I feel it's the same kind of appeal that superheros have, often moralistically simplistic, often sexist, always violence, always at least a little bit silly, usually a lot silly... people who like them often make it out to be a lot deeper than it is...

Thank you! Think, I got it now ;-)