Talk:VIP

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I hesitate to include a link to the official Turbine account type chart, because it hasn't been updated since the game became f2p and some of the information in it is wrong. For anyone looking for clarification on what is included with different account types, this forum thread is a better place to look: Answers about the account types. -- Elinnea (talk) 13:33, 22 May 2012 (EDT)

I agree. The official chart is bad, not at all updated. Didn't help m much at all. The link on the other hand was great, and helped me a lot! -- Candlelight (talkcontribs) 13:37, 22 May 2012 (EDT)
No fair!!! You're supposed to make comments like these BEFORE I update something... :) Couple of things:
  1. The interesting thing which got me started here and on the Free to Play page update me is the reference to "Swift-travel". I realize that being a Founder/Lifetime subscriber I never encounter some things, however, I never before even HEARD of any kind of Swift-travel restriction other than those of level and rep. Was that "restriction" something instituted with F2P?
  2. Looking at a couple of items, I noticed "Funny Nominclature" -- Skirmish traits - "You have access to the first 7 ranks of Skirmish traits." I have no idea what that means. (Granted I don't Skirmish very much.)
  3. The posted list only indicates crafting available up to T6.
  4. Unless I missed it, no mention of the Lvl 35 Riding Skill quest availability (which was the original level)
  5. I noticed that the thread you pointed out has no official Turbine comments. Don't know if that is good or bad.
Guess I'll have to find the time to create a toon on the F2P account I just created to try out the new Gaiki cloud gaming feature. (Which I haven't been able to get to work yet.)
--Wm Magill - Valamar - OTG/OTC (talk) 15:14, 22 May 2012 (EDT)
  1. Swift travel routes (horse rides that uses a loading screen) is not available for F2P/Premium players unless it is unlocked by being VIP and logging in to that toon.
  2. I think that applies to VIPs as well. It has to do with skirmish soldier upgrades, you can't upgrade their skills above rank (/level) 7.
  3. Not sure about this.
  4. The riding quest is level 20, and only available while VIP.
  5. People seem to know these things pretty well.
-- Candlelight (talkcontribs) 15:26, 22 May 2012 (EDT)

Swift travel

A newly created f2P account with lvl7 Dwarf is chatting with the Stable-master in Thorin's Gate.... He is offering, according to the tooltips:

  • Swift travel to Celondim -- to anyone
  • Swift Travel to Michel Delving -- to anyone
  • Swift Travel to West Bree -- to anyone
  • Swift Travel to Combe -- only to a current or past subscriber i.e. not available to a f2p to Premium upgrade!

or put another way, the implication, assuming this same tool tip appears in other areas is that Swift Travel is available to active VIP accounts, or VIP accounts which have been downgraded to Premium.

West Bree similarly offers ST to Thorin's, Michael Delving and Celondim... and interestingly to the Hengstacer Farm even though I have not been there! (Toons on my other accounts have required visiting the Farm before West Bree offers travel there.)

On visiting South Bree I find that ST to West Bree, Celondim, Michel Delving and Thorin's gate is also only available to "Current or past subscribers."

Walking round to Combe, I find that again ST to Thorin's Celondim and Michel Delving (only those three, not West Bree) is available to Current or past subscribers."

So it looks like there are two different kinds of kinds of "Premium Players" -- upgraded or downgraded :) Just looking at the dialog with Eogar at Hengstacer Farm... in essence -- "VIPs at level 20, but Free and Premium must spend TP." So, he is not making the distinction between upgraded and downgraded, but implying that ALL Premium players must spend TP. I know that it sticks to downgrades, or at least everyone claims it does. One assumes if a new character is created on a downgraded Premium account that character has to purchase the skill. -- Meaning, I guess, the ability to purchase the skill is on a per character, not per account basis. No wonder everyone has constantly got their panties in a knot!
--Wm Magill - Valamar - OTG/OTC (talk) 19:08, 22 May 2012 (EDT)

Correct, f2p and VIP are fairly clear distinctions, but there are many flavors of Premium. This is why everyone recommends that a person willing to spend a small amount of money should subscribe for a single month, rather than purchasing points. It unlocks quite a few character-only benefits. It's also why the thread that I linked above explains what happens to an account in terms of "What happens if I..." (subscribe, buy an expansion, drop subscription, etc.) It's more accurate than a simple Free/Premium/VIP categorization. There is nowhere that an official Turbine source has explained these things, which is why community information is much more reliable on the topic.
We recently discussed how this applies to Swift Travel over at Talk:Swift Travel, and updated the information on the Swift Travel page to be more clear. I think the link from this page to that one should be sufficient. -- Elinnea (talk) 20:53, 22 May 2012 (EDT)

Actually, Turbine does define Swift Travel officially. They have an extensive FAQ that covers all of these issues. Turbine Free-2-Play-F-A-Q I stuck the definition at the bottom of the Free to Play page.

At the moment, the only issue I have is the "flavor" of the opening "compositional structure" of the Free to Play page is that it reads like a Turbine marketing piece. I guess the second paragraph in particular strikes me as pure Turbine Marketing Fluff.

And, one last comment -- reading the Talk:Swift Travel page I note that it only refers to "VIP and Premium" -- but the in-game tool-tips only refers to a current or past subscriber a "subtle" distinction? Simply different nomenclature? Maybe. But one which resolves all of the issues surrounding the VIP vs Premium discussion. (One wonders if Turbine changed the verbiage "recently" or did folks, in trying to "interpret" things, really make matters worse?)

At any rate, I'm not even certain any more how I got side-tracked on these 2 pages from updating Moria. I really need to get back -- lots more work to do there!

--Wm Magill - Valamar - OTG/OTC (talk) 17:54, 23 May 2012 (EDT)