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Veteran Rewards - Yay or Nay? And if Yay, what?

NerrorNerror Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
edited January 2021 in General Discussion
First, please direct any talk of daily login rewards to the appropriate thread. This topic is not about that.

For AOC, veteran rewards would likely be rewards based on how long players have subscribed to the game. We can debate other veteran reward systems as well of course, but it should be applicable to AOC somehow, preferably :smile:

1. Have you experienced a game where you actually liked the Veteran Rewards system?
Specifically, did it add your gameplay experience, and to how fun and engaging your experience with the game was? If so, which games got it right? Or at least partially right? WoW? Final Fantasy? Everquest? Rift? The list is pretty long.

2. Have you experienced a game where the Veteran Rewards system didn't add to the fun and engagement? Or was directly harmful?
Which games and why do you think that?

3. You are hired tomorrow by Intrepid to design a Veteran Rewards system for AOC. What would it look like?


I have personally yet to see a Veteran Reward system I felt improved how I enjoyed the game, or made me want to subscribe for longer. So I guess the answer to 1. is No.

My answer to 2. is all the ones I have played. Long list. Generally speaking, while a lot were pretty harmless, the ones I disliked and thought detracted from the game, were the ones where you essentially just got a bunch of stuff right away for every month subscription you paid for in advance. I doesn't feel like a veteran reward at all if you just get the stuff right away. It just feels like a cheap, manipulative ploy to get players to buy the most amount of months up front. It's akin to a P2W system, even if the stuff you get isn't P2W in the narrow sense it's usually defined as.

So, 3., if I were hired by Intrepid tomorrow to make a Veteran Reward System, I would be fired right away, because I would say the game shouldn't have one.

However, sword to neck, if I had to come up with one, I would make sure of the following:
  1. No rewards up front. Ever. If there is to be a reward for 12 months of subscription to the game, it will be awarded at the beginning of the 12th. month, not a second before.
  2. There will be no rewards every month. Or every 3 months. Maybe every 6 months would be fine. It shouldn't be a common thing, where after a few years the veteran rewards are just considered crap to add to the pile of crap that takes up space and doesn't feel special.
  3. The rewards should be cosmetic, including furniture and what not, or a title of sorts for example. They should involve a little quest to solve as well, so players don't just get it in the mail.
  4. No exclusives, ever. None of that, if you subscribe all year in 2023, you'll get a super special skin that you will never get again! That anxiety and depression inducing FOMO BS can f... right off. Everyone can get the same rewards, if they are subscribed long enough. Some will just get them earlier.

Comments

  • TSGTSG Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    I think Runescape captured this idea very nicely in the fact that they gave out a cape that various milestones. E.G. 1 year cape, 5 year cape, 10 year, cape, etc. These looks decent (not amazing or better than the end game items, just unique) and gave the player a unique emote tied in with the cape. Something like this would be pretty cool.

    My suggestion would be to either give out an item (lvl 1 with no stats) or a cosmetic for reaching specific milestones ( 1 yr/3 yr/5yr/etc) until you eventually have all 16 items/cosmetics. This could be a long-term achievement that doesn't give boosts/BiS items, and could end in a fun and unique looking armor set.
  • NerrorNerror Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    edited January 2021
    I think Runescape captured this idea very nicely in the fact that they gave out a cape that various milestones. E.G. 1 year cape, 5 year cape, 10 year, cape, etc. These looks decent (not amazing or better than the end game items, just unique) and gave the player a unique emote tied in with the cape. Something like this would be pretty cool.

    My suggestion would be to either give out an item (lvl 1 with no stats) or a cosmetic for reaching specific milestones ( 1 yr/3 yr/5yr/etc) until you eventually have all 16 items/cosmetics. This could be a long-term achievement that doesn't give boosts/BiS items, and could end in a fun and unique looking armor set.

    I like the set idea! And the emotes, I forgot about those :smile: Perhaps tie the emotes to the set somehow too. An emote for the cape like in RS. Another for the gloves, etc.
  • VhaeyneVhaeyne Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    I would go into the interview for "Veteran rewards designer" and encourage them to get rid of the position and use the salary to fund literally any other aspect of the game.

    These "Reward" threads are getting tiresome. The game is its own reward. That is my final answer.
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    If I had more time, I would write a shorter post.
  • NerrorNerror Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    edited January 2021
    Vhaeyne wrote: »
    These "Reward" threads are getting tiresome. The game is its own reward. That is my final answer.

    I hear you, I just wanted this part of it out there as well, because apparently this is what is a topic now. I kinda hope we don't need a dev discussion on this anymore. The people have spoken in that other thread and it was was a resounding no.
  • I think Runescape captured this idea very nicely in the fact that they gave out a cape that various milestones. E.G. 1 year cape, 5 year cape, 10 year, cape, etc. These looks decent (not amazing or better than the end game items, just unique) and gave the player a unique emote tied in with the cape. Something like this would be pretty cool.

    My suggestion would be to either give out an item (lvl 1 with no stats) or a cosmetic for reaching specific milestones ( 1 yr/3 yr/5yr/etc) until you eventually have all 16 items/cosmetics. This could be a long-term achievement that doesn't give boosts/BiS items, and could end in a fun and unique looking armor set.

    I like this idea too. Whatever the rewards will be, it's probably the best if they're kept on a fun / toy / cosmetic level. No stats.
  • SWG had them so why not? I loved the SWG vet rewards. Maybe one of them could be a flying mount, but it would have to be for players who have played the longest from day one.
  • ILLPeonUILLPeonU Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I'm ok with it, a once in a lifetime reward as long as just cosmetic sounds nice.
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  • NoaaniNoaani Member, Intrepid Pack
    Vhaeyne wrote: »
    I would go into the interview for "Veteran rewards designer" and encourage them to get rid of the position and use the salary to fund literally any other aspect of the game.

    These "Reward" threads are getting tiresome. The game is its own reward. That is my final answer.

    This sounds about right.

    I just don't see the need for rewards like this. Give me a good game with a good reward structure for it's content, and leave it to people to work for what they want.

    Why is it people think that this is not enough?
  • I think veteran rewards are okay.

    But seriously, a job as veteran reward designer sounds unrealistic, I think it's something that Steven could think of in a couple of days, since it's quite simple. I like the idea tho, just make it simple but meaningful.
  • In Guild Wars, every year on your "game birthday", they'd give you a random non-combat mini-pet. It was purely cosmetic, but some of them were cool and helped to add to the RP feel of the character you were playing.
    This link may help you: https://ashesofcreation.wiki/
  • daveywavey wrote: »
    In Guild Wars, every year on your "game birthday", they'd give you a random non-combat mini-pet. It was purely cosmetic, but some of them were cool and helped to add to the RP feel of the character you were playing.

    As a very, very casual GW2 player, in recent years I often find my bank & bag slots occupied by all those present junks though ...
  • bloodprophetbloodprophet Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Veterans rewards? Time played or time subbed?
    Time played means people will just never log out. Time subbed means all of us with lifetime sub automatically get the stuff.
    I say no to any of it. Use the resources to make the main project better and don't waste a moment or nickle on any thing of the sort.
    Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
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