Is there going to be any replacement for these passes? Because if not, your statement from the Livestream of "nothing is changing for Preferred" is pretty clearly outright wrong.

That's slap in the face. People paid 600cc for those passes

Thanks, really appreciated. That is the most fair solution for your players, and didn't expect that move from you. Wish i could say thanks and good job more often.

 

That's slap in the face. People paid 600cc for those passes

I paid 240CC for each of my 2 operations passes in jun 2015, not discounted price. They are still in my cargo.

well... congrats to the people who snapped them up from GTN in hopes of this happening. sometimes speculating does pay off.

are we gona see commmann rank passes?? or are you really saying screw you to all the f2p/perfered people that droped alot cash on CS stuff

are we gona see commmann rank passes?? or are you really saying screw you to all the f2p/perfered people that droped alot cash on CS stuff

 

Oh how much have these people spent, especially compared to people with subs?

 

Oh, let me guess, you don't actually know.

 

You know, I'm sure some F2P/Preferred players have thrown some cash at this game, but isn't it remotely possible that you might be overstating their share in the total spending?

Oh how much have these people spent, especially compared to people with subs?

 

Oh, let me guess, you don't actually know.

 

You know, I'm sure some F2P/Preferred players have thrown some cash at this game, but isn't it remotely possible that you might be overstating their share in the total spending?

 

most Sub people underestimate that either way. and fail to realize majority of all profit made by this game from the CS.

 

140$ for 1 year sub, vs 100$ a MONTH alot people spend on CS EVER Month. and I know alot people that do that.

Edited October 27, 2016 by Kyuuu

You know, I'm sure some F2P/Preferred players have thrown some cash at this game, but isn't it remotely possible that you might be overstating their share in the total spending?

 

You, like Bioware, don't actually understand the entire design philosophy behind the F2P model when it comes to MMO's and why it has proven more successful than the Subscription model overall.

 

Yes, non-paying users serve as potential customers down the line. That is absolutely true. Just about every paying user used to be a non-paying user, and you need to squeeze the NPU's a bit in order to get them to convert.

 

But the NPU's provide a second function: They make a Massively Multiplayer Online game, um, Massively Multiplayer. It increases the population count significantly, it allows for more users to participate in the group content that makes MMO's interesting and exciting.

 

Do you find the queue times, the number of mostly-empty servers and the massive difficulty in finding an Operations group enjoyable right now? Because the entire point of Non-Paying Users is to fill the servers out and make things more fun for the paying users.

 

That way those paying users are more willing to spend more money on cartel packs, of course. Money is at the root of all of this, which is what makes this decision so bizarre on the face of it. It's the classic phrase "Cutting off the nose to spite the face" in action.

 

And Bioware just seems content to shrug, sit back and sip their coffee while the house burns down around them. "This is fine" indeed.

Hey folks,

Once Early Access launches on 11/29 all passes will be removed entirely from the game and players will see the Cartel Coins added to their account. It is important that any passes which are in Guild Banks are removed before this happens. If a pass is in a Guild Bank it will be deleted and no compensation will be provided.

 

Legacy bank is ok?

Legacy bank is ok?

Probably.

It would still refund the coins to your personal account since you own it.

Hey folks,

 

As we discussed in my previous post, the Cartel Market Access passes are all being removed from the game with Knights of the Eternal Throne early access on 11/29. One of the big questions that has come up from that announcement is what our compensation plans are for anyone who still has passes. Our plan is quite simple, for each pass that is present on an account as of 11/29 you will receive a 100% refund of Cartel Coins for the cost of the pass. Note that whether you directly purchased the pass from the Cartel Market or received it from another method such as the GTN, trade, etc. you will still receive the refunded Cartel Coins. As a reminder, here are the Cartel Coin costs for each of the passes which are being removed:

 

• 240 CC - Weekly Pass: Flashpoints
  
• 240 CC - Weekly Pass: Operations
  
• 240 CC - Weekly Pass: Space Missions
  
• 240 CC - Weekly Pass: Warzones
  
• 4,320 CC - 180-Day Pass: Starfighter
  
• 720 CC - 30-Day Pass: Starfighter
  
• 240 CC - 7-Day Pass: Starfighter

 

Once Early Access launches on 11/29 all passes will be removed entirely from the game and players will see the Cartel Coins added to their account. It is important that any passes which are in Guild Banks are removed before this happens. If a pass is in a Guild Bank it will be deleted and no compensation will be provided.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

-eric

 

Eric, please just tell us straight up:

 

Will there be any form of weekly pass or ALTERNATIVE METHOD to subscribing to access the Galactic Command Content ASSUMING a player subscribes in order to level to level 70. IE I subscribe for the first 2 months of KOTET in order to level to level 70, then subsequently I go preferred because there have not been new operations and I'm only playing to play with friends, will there be a way for me to continue to raid?

 

I ask this because if you say no, off of the top of my head I can think of 8 players who won't resubscribe for KOTET and will drop the game entirely. Maybe they'd return for new Operations, but at this point their faith in bioware is absolutely no.

 

IF you don't say anything, they'll probably still not sub, or at least wait to see if any new pass appears when 5.0 drops before subscribing.

 

Before you removed the passes there was a significant market of players that spent real money to generate credits using passes, and other players with large credit pools who could afford to buy passes to bankroll their fellow preferred players. Without passes, or some form of replacement for passes that preserves this cartel coin -> credit -> trade market, many players won't resub and will probably just quit entirely.

So my question is... on the stream, you said something to the effect of, "Preferred will be exactly the same as before," as kind of like a "don't worry" thing.

 

But with the removal of these passes, Preferred will not be the same, unless you're planning on opening up the old content without the need of a pass (and I don't remember you saying any such thing).

 

So will it be the same or won't it be? I'm confused on this one.

most Sub people underestimate that either way. and fail to realize majority of all profit made by this game from the CS.

 

140$ for 1 year sub, vs 100$ a MONTH alot people spend on CS EVER Month. and I know alot people that do that.

 

Yes, and Bioware has stated that the overwhelming majority of CM purchases are made by subscribers .... not F2Pers.

 

Why would someone spend 240 CC per week for <insert content pass> (or roughly 1000CC/month or roughly $9.95) when they can just spend $15/month for unlimited?

 

If you know people that spend $100/month on the CM and aren't subs .... send them my way, I have some beachfront property here in Afghanistan they might want.

Why would someone spend 240 CC per week for <insert content pass> (or roughly 1000CC/month or roughly $9.95) when they can just spend $15/month for unlimited?

 

It's common practice between f2p and preferred to have a sub buy things for them and then use the multiple COD mails to pay with credits.

Is there going to be any replacement for these passes? Because if not, your statement from the Livestream of "nothing is changing for Preferred" is pretty clearly outright wrong.

 

it isn't "wrong", it is a lie, it is important to make that clear.

 

Being "wrong" can be an honest mistake. This isn't an honest mistake, this is outright intentional deception and dishonesty, aka lying.

 

It isn't the first time either, this has happened too many times in the past.

Pretty douchy to pull them off the CM without a bit more notice so players had the ability to buy enough to finish out 4.x

This is at least a fairly good decision on your part, to fully refund the passes.

 

I don't agree with the removal of the passes, still.

 

~ Eudoxia

Edited October 28, 2016 by FlavivsAetivs

Yes, and Bioware has stated that the overwhelming majority of CM purchases are made by subscribers .... not F2Pers.

Why would someone spend 240 CC per week for <insert content pass> (or roughly 1000CC/month or roughly $9.95) when they can just spend $15/month for unlimited?

If you know people that spend $100/month on the CM and aren't subs .... send them my way, I have some beachfront property here in Afghanistan they might want.

 

Yes this boggles my mind as well for $5 a month more i have full access to approximately 4800 CC's worth of content plus more tool bars, unlimited probes, and stuff like that. The only reason i can see the benefit of buying the unlocks instead of a sub is that you can buy 1 or 2 passes here and there. This certainly doesn't add up to $100 per month

It's common practice between f2p and preferred to have a sub buy things for them and then use the multiple COD mails to pay with credits.

 

Thanks for the input, but that has nothing to do with what I was talking about. What you describe is a way for them to finance their passes via credits. I was refuting the claim that there is even such thing as a, F2P CM whale.

most Sub people underestimate that either way. and fail to realize majority of all profit made by this game from the CS.

 

140$ for 1 year sub, vs 100$ a MONTH alot people spend on CS EVER Month. and I know alot people that do that.

 

Except that you are ignoring the fact that BW has stated numerous times that the vast majority of CM purchases are made by SUBSCRIBERS and NOT F2p or preferred.

 

Are there players that choose to play with restrictions who spend some one the CM? I'm sure there are, but I would guess those are a small minority.

Except that you are ignoring the fact that BW has stated numerous times that the vast majority of CM purchases are made by SUBSCRIBERS and NOT F2p or preferred.

 

Are there players that choose to play with restrictions who spend some one the CM? I'm sure there are, but I would guess those are a small minority.

 

Subscribers absolutely make up the vast majority of monthly revenue, that's absolutely true. Preferred help out here and there but there's no way it's even more than 10% per month.

 

But that's not why Preferred players matter. The purpose of Preferred and F2P players in an MMO is to:

 

A: Potentially convert into a paying user

 

B: Act as content for Paying Users

 

They do B by joining in on group content, Flashpoints, Operations, PvP, RP, stuff like that. Their entire job is to make a Massively Multiplayer game Massively Multiplayer. The restrictions that Bioware has placed on them prevents them from actually taking part in that content, which is why the queues for group content are so awful.

 

Bioware's doubling down on a bad monetization strategy. That's all there is to it.

So my question is... on the stream, you said something to the effect of, "Preferred will be exactly the same as before," as kind of like a "don't worry" thing.

 

But with the removal of these passes, Preferred will not be the same, unless you're planning on opening up the old content without the need of a pass (and I don't remember you saying any such thing).

 

So will it be the same or won't it be? I'm confused on this one.

 

Don't know if this has been said yet, but preffered can currently walk up to the door of the op and buy an ops pass for 240 cartel coins. Not sure if its intended, but if it is, that could be what they mean, they still have access but they have to spend their own money to do it. I expect that to be how it stays, but its just speculation.

What happens to passes in guild banks? Edited October 28, 2016 by KyaniteD

What happens to passes in guild banks?

 

"It is important that any passes which are in Guild Banks are removed before this happens. If a pass is in a Guild Bank it will be deleted and no compensation will be provided. "

 

If you're talking about right now, the person that removes them, gets them bound to their legacy.

Edited October 28, 2016 by Krazhez