So what do we do when RoK releases?

[Chondrichtheyia]

It's pretty much guaranteed that I'm getting it on release. What I'm not certain about is, how do people who have existing versions of the game normally get subsequent expansions? I started off with EoF (about a month ago) so it was all fine and dandy since it included all the expansions plus the original, and was well worth the $40. And from what I understand, RoK will also include everything that was released prior to it, and will cost $40 as well. So for existing players, is this the version we have to buy? I know there will be a download for just RoK, but I would rather have something tangible, like an actual box with discs. In this case, is buying the complete package the only option?

[Isisalthea]

<p>If you want the box, then yes that is your only option. </p>

[Leemeg]

I buy the new expansions with the digital download thingy. Since I don't need "all expansions", I got them already <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> The thing with the box including all expansion is for new players (or old players to catch up after a big break). Who would pay full price for the original game and full price for all the expansion if they want to start playing the game? That's just too expensive (for one time expensive that is).

[Kellin]

<p>Box editions include a house pet.  Original game collector's edition had a baby dragon, DoF had a monkey, KoS had an ambulatory carnivorous houseplant, and EoF had a clockwork helicopter.  Who knows what they'll have for RoK.</p><p>Other than that, there's no real difference between the box edition and the download.</p>

[Freliant]

<p>Here is the deal:</p><p>If you buy the Digital Download, it will be cheaper and you are guaranteed to have it the moment the expansion goes live.</p><p>If you buy the retail copy, you get an in game item (ussually a neat little house item), you get all the disks in case you have to redo your computer, or buy a new computer (which cuts down on all the downtime). You get a map, and up to now, they have all included a collector's coin (I am proud to have em all) It is 5 dollars more expensive than the download version, and you are not guaranteed to have it on release date unless you either spend much more money on quick delivery, or go to the store the day of the expansion with a reservation.</p><p>With that said, I almost always get the retail box. I like having disks of the game, plus I get a code to give to a friend to try the game free for a while... and I must admit, I like the trinkets you get with the box... the maps, the coins and the in game items.</p>

[StoneySilen]

<cite>Freliant wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Here is the deal:</p><p>If you buy the Digital Download, it will be cheaper and you are guaranteed to have it the moment the expansion goes live.</p></blockquote>As of yet not a single DD of a expansion has been cheaper then the retail version on release.  It's always better to get the retail box.

[TheSpin]

<p>The direct download for EoF was 5 bucks cheaper, not much.</p><p>You don't necessarily get into the game faster by purchasing it via direct download because those who get the box version on day of release get to skip a lot of downloading and the servers get very backed up on days like this.</p><p>I play a lot, I love housing, and I'm still upset that I don't have either the house plant or the clockwork thing in my house because I bought it with digital download.  I didn't even get into the game before anyone else, I was stuck dowloading pretty much all day when it came out.</p><p>BTW....if I buy the box version of RoK will I get to have the plant and clockwork pets?  Anyone know?</p>

[xOnaton1]

Nitelen@The Bazaar wrote: <blockquote><cite>Freliant wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Here is the deal:</p><p>If you buy the Digital Download, it will be cheaper and you are guaranteed to have it the moment the expansion goes live.</p></blockquote>As of yet not a single DD of a expansion has been cheaper then the retail version on release.  It's always better to get the retail box. </blockquote>If you bought the SOE download with the pre-sale discount they were cheaper by a few dollars. <cite>TheSpin wrote:</cite><blockquote>BTW....if I buy the box version of RoK will I get to have the plant and clockwork pets?  Anyone know?</blockquote>I've read that brand new players that bought the EoF retail version got all the normal retail extras from the expansions so it will probably be the same for the Rise of Kunark. Othesus - Dirge - Lucan DLere Vaspar - Fury - Lucan DLere

[novok]

If you get the retail box, here's a tip - don't use the DVD to install. Just go to the activate expansion button on the launcher and enter your key from there. You will the download the most current build of the expansion and not need to install then patch.

[TheSpin]

Lois@Venekor wrote: <blockquote>If you get the retail box, here's a tip - don't use the DVD to install. Just go to the activate expansion button on the launcher and enter your key from there. You will the download the most current build of the expansion and not need to install then patch.</blockquote><p> I would say this is a bad idea because the vast majority of the content on the disc is not stuff that will be changing.  If the DVD has say...5 gigs of data....I bet at least 4.5 gigs of that data would not change once you patch the game.  </p><p>We're talkin about a dif. between downloading 5 gigs with graphics and all or downloading 500 megs of updates. (of course it's just theoretical numbers, but it shows my point)</p><p>I'm pretty sure my computer can read a disk faster than it can download one.</p>

[Beldin_]

I normally buy the boxes via Amazon, however at KoS-Release i still didn't had my box from Amazon, so i canceled it and downloaded it <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[novok]

<cite>TheSpin wrote:</cite><blockquote>Lois@Venekor wrote: <blockquote>If you get the retail box, here's a tip - don't use the DVD to install. Just go to the activate expansion button on the launcher and enter your key from there. You will the download the most current build of the expansion and not need to install then patch.</blockquote><p> I would say this is a bad idea because the vast majority of the content on the disc is not stuff that will be changing.  If the DVD has say...5 gigs of data....I bet at least 4.5 gigs of that data would not change once you patch the game.  </p><p>We're talkin about a dif. between downloading 5 gigs with graphics and all or downloading 500 megs of updates. (of course it's just theoretical numbers, but it shows my point)</p><p>I'm pretty sure my computer can read a disk faster than it can download one.</p></blockquote>I installed DoF via disk - 1 1/2 hour installation followed by a 30 minute patch. KoS and EoF I installed without ever taking the disks out of the box - 30 minute patch and done. YMMV.

[TheSpin]

Lois@Venekor wrote: <blockquote><cite>TheSpin wrote:</cite><blockquote>Lois@Venekor wrote: <blockquote>If you get the retail box, here's a tip - don't use the DVD to install. Just go to the activate expansion button on the launcher and enter your key from there. You will the download the most current build of the expansion and not need to install then patch.</blockquote><p> I would say this is a bad idea because the vast majority of the content on the disc is not stuff that will be changing.  If the DVD has say...5 gigs of data....I bet at least 4.5 gigs of that data would not change once you patch the game.  </p><p>We're talkin about a dif. between downloading 5 gigs with graphics and all or downloading 500 megs of updates. (of course it's just theoretical numbers, but it shows my point)</p><p>I'm pretty sure my computer can read a disk faster than it can download one.</p></blockquote>I installed DoF via disk - 1 1/2 hour installation followed by a 30 minute patch. KoS and EoF I installed without ever taking the disks out of the box - 30 minute patch and done. YMMV. </blockquote><p>That's amazing then, because when I had to reinstall eq2 on my computer it took me 12-15 hours to download everything and I only have disks up to DoF.  </p><p>I don't think SoE sends the files ahead of time so I don't know how you downloaded it so fast.  Maybe they do send data ahead of time and I just didn't have my settings right to download it in advance.</p>

[novok]

<p>Well I do have the checkbox to download content in background enabled, perhaps that makes a difference? I dunno but I do have good results using the method I do <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[StoneySilen]

Didn't they allow us to download (most of) both KOS and EOF before their release so it would lighten the load on the servers on patch day?  That may explain why the above poster was able to patch and get in quickly.

[Chondrichtheyia]

Hmm...thanks for all the replies. I think I'm going to bite the bullet, pay a bit extra and get the retail. Call me old fashioned, but I like having tangible discs in case of reinstallation. Plus the house pet is really nice to have. And depending on the extra features, I may even opt for the Collector's Edition, if they will have one. I suppose there's no word yet on what the CE will include? Since someone was asking, I can also confirm that when I bought EoF (boxed version), I also received all the bonuses from the previous expansions. Novok, something can't be right if it took you 1.5 hours to install the game (DOF in your case) via discs. Even given that EoF has way more content on its 2 DVDs, it took me less than 30mins to install. Perhaps you had an older DVD-Rom with around 2X-4X read speed?

[xOnaton1]

Nitelen@The Bazaar wrote: <blockquote>Didn't they allow us to download (most of) both KOS and EOF before their release so it would lighten the load on the servers on patch day?  That may explain why the above poster was able to patch and get in quickly. </blockquote>For EOF, yes there was an option in the Launchpad to pre-download the expansion before the release date. You could pre-download even if you hadn't purchased it or pre-ordered. There was still a big patch the day it came out though. By the time Rise of Kunark comes out we should have the new Launchpad, Station Launcher I think it's supposed to be called. Othesus - Dirge - Lucan DLere Vaspar - Fury - Lucan DLere

[Lariu]

<p>When I returned to the game a little while ago, I downloaded the patcher and installed the entire game on 2 pc's at the same time, with all expansions and adventure packs. I have a 2.5 meg connection, so nothing special... But I was very suprised at how fast the whole process was.</p><p>I've always bought digital download and (apart from the glorious screw up on DoF release day when every Euro customer who bought the download from Ubisoft didn't have their account flagged) I never had a problem.</p><p>I'll do the same on RoK release day. I'll have both pc's patching as soon as the software is available and I will be in the game at the same time as everyone else... Just like with KoS and EoF.</p><p>The reason I prefer DD is that EQ2 is marketted and distributed really poorly here, so going to the stores on release day is likely to result in coming back home empty handed. Add to that my innate laziness and DD is the perfect solution - just please don't make us buy it through Ubisoft.</p>