Important Changes to Station Players Premium Features

[Zatozia]

<p>We are pleased to announce that beginning December 17, 2009, SOE will no longer charge separately for access to Station Players premium features for each of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EverQuest and EverQuest II. Access to standard and premium Station Players features will now be included at no additional cost for all subscribers to each of these games (with active, paid subscriptions in good standing.) Station Access subscribers with active, paid subscriptions in good standing will continue to have access to all Station Players standard and premium features.</p><p>Station Players subscribers currently in a paid billing cycle will continue to have full access to the Station Players premium features they have already paid for through December 16, 2009. Station Players subscribers who have prepaid subscription time that extends their subscription period past December 16, 2009 will receive a pro-rated refund for any such pre-paid excess subscription payments*. Such refunds are expected to be issued by January 17, 2010.</p><p>We appreciate your loyalty and commitment to SOE's games and look forward to bringing you more enjoyable products and game features in the future.</p><p>*Please log in to your Station Account to update your billing address. If a valid credit card is active on your account, refunds will be applied to such credit card. If your account is paid via SOE Game Card or other SOE accepted payment method, we will send a check in the refund amount to your current billing address. No refunds will be given for Station Access accounts as a result of SOE no longer charging separately for Station Players premium features.</p>

[Barx]

<p>A big /thumbsup to this. About time =)</p>

[Hirofortis]

<p>I want to say, thank you for doing a good move.  It has always been a frustration to not even be able to see my own character.  Thank you for recognizing those who have stuck with ya all this time.</p>

[Finora]

<p><cite>Zatozia wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> Station Access subscribers with active, paid subscriptions in good standing will continue to have access to all Station Players standard and premium features.</p></blockquote><p>Station access was supposed to be including this? Heh, never did as I could tell, always told me I needed to "subscribe to do that". Oh well. </p><p>Good change.</p>

[Foolsfolly]

<p>Station Access...Station Players...standard and premium features...what?</p><p>Any way you could clarify this announcement for those of us not familiar with all the specific package plans you offer?</p>

[Jack Orb]

<p><img src="http://www.uxian.me.uk/images/subscription.png" width="544" height="412" /></p><p>Maybe quite a number of Station Access subscribers are due a refund after paying for something they should have received for free for years?</p>

[PsiaMeese]

<p>I understand that for the purposes of an EQ2 player that this references the premium features of EQ2players.com?</p><p>Is this correct? If so, does this mean we get the Item Details, advanced Leaderboards and advanced guild tools for free?</p>

[Despak]

Nice change, well done folks

[Whilhelmina]

I must confess that I don't understand the message. What does it mean exactly ?

[feldon30]

I think Psia's got it. It means you can use the previously "extra" features of EQ2Players for free now. Basically looking up guilds, alts, etc. Station Players website access used to cost $2.99/month. The irony is, EQ2Players received little attention and bugfixes over the last year and a half, but in the last few months has finally been assigned some developers again. You can see what's going on at EQ2Players in the EQ2Players forum. This is totally separate from the premium Station Account which gives 12 character slots in EQ2 instead of 7, etc. which as far as I know is remaining premium.

[Whilhelmina]

Ok, thanks a lot for the clarification, that's more or less what I understood, but one needs to be sure <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Cyliena]

<p><cite>Whilhelmina@Storms wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I must confess that I don't understand the message. What does it mean exactly ?</blockquote><p>Station Players will be completely free to use as of 12/17/2009. That means special features that told you that you needed to be premium before to see will now be free instead. Anyone who was paying for it will get a pro-rated refund if any money is due to them. Nothing will change for Station Access people, who apparently already had full Station Players access.</p><p>edit: Nevermind, feldon beat me. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Froed20]

<p>About freakin' time.  Those "extra features" should never have cost money to begin with, hence why I never shelled out the money for it.  Guess enough folks saw it the same way.</p>

[Arislen]

<p>I second the call for Station Access subscribers to question this. Can someone from SOE please clarify that as Station Access subscribers we were suppose to get the Premium Station Access for free instead of being charged?</p><p>I'm one who has had that surcharge for years now, and would like a refund if they were charging me when they weren't suppose to.</p><p>-Arislen</p>

[Obadiah]

<p>Awww. I was rather disappointed in the announcement. A better idea IMO would be to make them work. Spose this is easier.</p>

[Dessellion4]

<p>Could I add my own query to this thread regarding Station Access.  I've had Station Access for years, got it to get the extra alts.  Yes I'm an alt-a-holic.  I had access to some stats but stopped paying the extra dollars, again years ago.  Just checked and although I have SA I can't see anything more than the front page of any character, not even my own.  I can't see my rankings, my achievements, anything.  Does this announcement mean that I should have been getting this stuff as part of my SA?</p>

[Aneova]

<p><cite>Arcos@Splitpaw wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Could I add my own query to this thread regarding Station Access.  I've had Station Access for years, got it to get the extra alts.  Yes I'm an alt-a-holic.  I had access to some stats but stopped paying the extra dollars, again years ago.  Just checked and although I have SA I can't see anything more than the front page of any character, not even my own.  I can't see my rankings, my achievements, anything.  Does this announcement mean that I should have been getting this stuff as part of my SA?</p></blockquote><p>Short answer: Nope.</p><p>Longer answer: Station players was an additional service that cost 3 dollars (roughly, and in american currency) that allowed a few extra perks. It was always offered on the side outside of the conventional subscription but was listed as an option.</p>

[Finora]

<p><cite>Zatozia wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Station Access subscribers with active, paid subscriptions in good standing will continue to have access to all Station Players standard and premium features.</p></blockquote><p>This line right here is where the Station Access players are getting confused. It seems to be indicating that we will continue to have access to the station players features with no change. Except the fact that we've never had access to the station players features without paying the extra 3 dollars that everyone else had to pay.</p><p>Typo maybe? Suppose to read Station Players subscribers with paid active subs? Of course that brings in the question of why even mention they aren't going to refund anything to Station access players...as we weren't even receiving the station players benefits without paying our 3 dollars extra anyway.</p>

[Paddyo]

<p>It's just internal confusion.  The poster was under the impression that station players was included in station access (which it was not). Maybe Station access included station players for EQ1 and Vanguard, but not EQ2? I was never asked to buy station players for Vanguard or EQ1 when I had station access, only EQ2. Since this is a universal message to all station players users for all 3 games, it may only be confusing those of us in EQ2.</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Kurgan@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Awww. I was rather disappointed in the announcement. A better idea IMO would be to make them work. Spose this is easier.</p></blockquote><p>Accually the better Idea would be to make them work AND make it free. Though chances of that happing are slim and none.</p>

[sadveneFoJ]

<p>I am personally still confused.  I am a station access subscriber and I still get "Need to have a subscription to EQII station players advanced profile to access this page" and the link to upgrade.  when ever I try to look at anything besides my player profile.</p><p>Does this change mean that in a few weeks I will get access to these features as part of my Station Access subscription?</p><p>Might be enough for me to hang onto my Station Access subscription.  Was hoping to play some other SOE games but never found the time to dedicate to more than one MMO.  So have to weigh the other perks against more than double the price for an EQ2  annual subscription.</p><p>Side note suggestion.  Would be great to be able to pay for Station Access a year at a time and get alittle discount like a 1 year regular subcription offers.</p>

[kreepr]

<p><cite>sadveneFoJ wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I am personally still confused.  I am a station access subscriber and I still get "Need to have a subscription to EQII station players advanced profile to access this page" and the link to upgrade.  when ever I try to look at anything besides my player profile.</p><p>Does this change mean that in a few weeks I will get access to these features as part of my Station Access subscription?</p><p>Might be enough for me to hang onto my Station Access subscription.  Was hoping to play some other SOE games but never found the time to dedicate to more than one MMO.  So have to weigh the other perks against more than double the price for an EQ2  annual subscription.</p><p>Side note suggestion.  Would be great to be able to pay for Station Access a year at a time and get alittle discount like a 1 year regular subcription offers.</p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">It means that in a few weeks everyone will have access to the features. For no additional cost. They will be provided for free were before everyone had to pay for them. Now you will not.</span></p>

[Jack Orb]

<p><cite>Paddyo wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>It's just internal confusion.  The poster was under the impression that station players was included in station access (which it was not).</p></blockquote><p>It'd be nice to see this with a red name next to it and confirmed as fact rather than speculation stated as fact and maybe a clarification of the OPs last statement <em>No refunds will be given for Station Access accounts as a result of SOE no longer charging separately for Station Players premium features</em> to clarify if Station Players accounts alongside Station Access accounts will receive the pro-rata refund and also whether SOE are going to remove the Players subscription from my account before my next billing date in early December (since it's still on there) or will I have to cancel it myself to avoid paying unnecessarily.</p>

[chelanfarsight]

<p>what about extra character slots? will they also be included or will we be able to purchase them?</p><p><img src="/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Cyberlink]

<p><cite>chelanfarsight wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>what about extra character slots? will they also be included or will we be able to purchase them?</p><p><img src="/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Extra character slots are part of Station Access and not the Premium Features:<em>Entitlement: Extra Character Slots (Station Access)</em>There was a discussion of having the possibility buying new slots at the Station Market but as far as I know it's currently not SOE's stragegy adding such a feature.</p>