28 replies to this topic

[Kell Commander]

So I came to the realization that my premium time from the challenge activated immediately. I thought initially this was a bug, so I emailed support. Support wrote back telling me that was how it works now, even if you buy it. Instantly activates now.

Why? What was wrong with giving the player the option of when to activate their premium time for when they could best take advantage of it and use it? Also, I never remember seeing an announcement for this change in policy. Granted PGI hates their own website for some reason so that shouldn't surprise me.

Still though, why?

[Sandpit]

Don't forget that the game is all but unplayable for many since the move

[Kyynele]

There will never be big announcements of policy changes that are going to be perceived very negatively by the players.

I guess the logic is that when you can't save up premium time that you get for free for the time you get to play a lot, you're more likely to:

a ) play a bit more when you weren't going to play much because you will have premium time running

and

b ) actually buy premium time when it's convenient for you to play more than usual, instead of using accumulated premium time at that point

= hopefully better retention and more profit, despite being an unpopular change of policy.

[Sandpit]

It's hard to play more when the game is unplayable and has been since the move

[Deathlike]

Kell Commander, on 31 August 2014 - 01:42 PM, said:

So I came to the realization that my premium time from the challenge activated immediately. I thought initially this was a bug, so I emailed support. Support wrote back telling me that was how it works now, even if you buy it. Instantly activates now.

Why? What was wrong with giving the player the option of when to activate their premium time for when they could best take advantage of it and use it? Also, I never remember seeing an announcement for this change in policy. Granted PGI hates their own website for some reason so that shouldn't surprise me.

Still though, why?

At this point, I'm convinced the mounds of Founders or players with hordes of Premium Time are still there and PGI/IGP wants those emptied out ASAP because then you're forced to buy more for lobbies and what not.

Kyynele, on 31 August 2014 - 01:48 PM, said:

There will never be big announcements of policy changes that are going to be perceived very negatively by the players.

I guess the logic is that when you can't save up premium time that you get for free for the time you get to play a lot, you're more likely to:

a ) play a bit more when you weren't going to play much because you will have premium time running

and

b ) actually buy premium time when it's convenient for you to play more than usual, instead of using accumulated premium time at that point

= hopefully better retention and more profit, despite being an unpopular change of policy.

That's the most backward logic for an option that is dependent on convenience (not your fault, I meant PGI/IGP's logic on the matter).

Edited by Deathlike, 31 August 2014 - 02:07 PM.

[Deathlike]

I would like to add that banked Premium Time is Lostech.

[Joseph Mallan]

Sandpit, on 31 August 2014 - 01:47 PM, said:

Don't forget that the game is all but unplayable for many since the move

You talking about the low frame rates? That is rough! Its been a long time since I was death at 4 FpS!

[Sephlock]

Deathlike, on 31 August 2014 - 02:06 PM, said:

That's the most backward logic for an option that is dependent on convenience (not your fault, I meant PGI/IGP's logic on the matter).

I think you fail to understand whose convenience the system is set up for .

[Deathlike]

Sephlock, on 31 August 2014 - 02:21 PM, said:

I think you fail to understand whose convenience the system is set up for .

Obviously:

[CycKath]

Its the divide between client bought/bestowed and externally bought premium time. Any time either given for free or bought by the client has been automatically activated since UI2, where premium time that has to be manually added like that of the Clan packages can be set to non-active.

They could theoretically change the client to add it non-activated, but frankly I think the rate things are going that there are going to be many people who have hundreds of days banked and never activated by the time the game dies, and I'm optimistic and don't expect that for years yet...

[Davegt27]

I thought they where going to extend the time to make up for the change over


David

[Kilo 40]

I've got tons of premium time that I'll never use. well...not until they change it to where PT is only used when I'm actually playing.

what ever bean counter thought up the current system wasn't thinking things through. I think they could make a ton more off of premium time if was only active while you're logged in. Instead you have people like me who won't buy it, ever, because if feels like a rip off.

but either way...meh.

[Rando Slim]

They need to let me activate it and shut it off as I damn well please. Its my RIGHT to do so, I PAID for it, its MINE, I should be able to do whatever the **** I want with it whenever I want with it. Period. If PGI has a problem with that then they should have made it a subscription game so they'd have the cash flow required to not be douchebags. Why do you think EVE still exists? Cash flow and crazy Russians. I wasted a MONTH of my Clan premium time because gee I actually have real life and I had things to do and I had to be somewhere with no internet access for a whole month.

This policy is like telling me if I go to the grocery store I have to eat all the ******* food I buy right there on the spot or leave the store and forfeit my food with no refund. If some ******* from Wal-Mart tried to make you sit there and eat all your food before leaving the store just because they gave you a discount card wouldn't you just laugh in thier face? What part of OWNERSHIP do these people not understand? Im not using up your server if Im not playing so theres no reason to keep my time ticking. Like seriously who the hell knows what they will be doing over 90 days to know for sure thy will be able to play each day? Its inexcusable and devoid of ethics.

Edited by Scrotacus 42, 31 August 2014 - 09:54 PM.

[BLOOD WOLF]

I dont remember to many games being friendly with premium time and accounts. exceptionally subscription games.

[CycKath]

Davegt27, on 31 August 2014 - 09:40 PM, said:

I thought they where going to extend the time to make up for the change over


David

They did, but OP never mentioned losing time for the migration, just in general that would have prefered to have chosen when he could activate it rather than just have it activate instantly.

[DrAwkward]

Kell Commander, on 31 August 2014 - 01:42 PM, said:

So I came to the realization that my premium time from the challenge activated immediately. I thought initially this was a bug, so I emailed support. Support wrote back telling me that was how it works now, even if you buy it. Instantly activates now.

FYI, bought Premium Time has always worked this way. The Redeem Button was added for Founders who (rightfully) did not want their Premium Time to start ticking down at the start of Open Beta. (See: "Russ Bullock on Open Beta")

Russ Bullock said:

I don't think it's fair that my Founders premium account should start at Open Beta - At an estimated Nov 13th patch all Founders will have their premium time reset once again (two free weeks of premium time!) and be given a "button" that allows Founders the opportunity to choose exactly when to start their premium time. It will not start counting down until you, the Founder, decide it is worth it.

I've been buying Premium since Dec 2012, it's always started instantly, ahead of any banked time.

Quote

Why? What was wrong with giving the player the option of when to activate their premium time for when they could best take advantage of it and use it? Also, I never remember seeing an announcement for this change in policy. Granted PGI hates their own website for some reason so that shouldn't surprise me.

Still though, why?

Consider that those who bought Clans and/or those who have been hoarding Promo Premium from Founders and Phoenix would not be able to redeem these event-based Premium awards without redeeming the whole stockpile. This was a big point of criticism back when they did one of the holiday giveaways last year. The response at that time was that PGI couldn't redeem Event Awards ahead of banked time until UI2.0 was in place. Notice that the redemption happens the same way as Achievement Notifications in MechLab?

So, in closing, the "policy change" you're talking about has been in since October 2012 and the auto-redemption was a requested feature from last year that was waiting on UI2.0.

[Mudhutwarrior]

Got no issues with it. It was free so I cant complain. Would I like to turn it on or off. Sure but its a gift and I take it as such.

[El Bandito]

Farmed enough C-Bills during premium time so no complaints here.

Perhaps, gifted premium times are meant to be spent immediately while bought premium time can be stored, by PGI logic.

Edited by El Bandito, 01 September 2014 - 03:44 AM.

[Sandpit]

My issue isn't with a start/stop option, it's with the fact that many of us CAN'T play and take advantage of the premium time

[Kell Commander]

DrAwkward, on 01 September 2014 - 01:47 AM, said:

I've been buying Premium since Dec 2012, it's always started instantly, ahead of any banked time.

That would explain how I would never have noticed because I have never actually bought premium time. This still seems to me like a poor business model. Why not give people the option to buy premium time while they know they have available funds, then when the player knows they can maximize the use of that time activate it?

I don't really have an issue with not being able to turn it off once it has been activated, otherwise they would have to change selling premium time to hour bundles instead of days. In the end though, knowing that as soon as it's bought it activates probably discourages more people from buying it than anything. Really a shame when I consider premium time to probably be the only thing in the game I feel is priced correctly.