Station Access!

[Gnobrin]

What is Station Access?      

Station Access is an account subscription option offered to customers who want to subscribe to more than one of the SOE premium games and grants players access to EverQuest®, PlanetSide®, EverQuest® Online Adventures™ for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, EverQuest® Macintosh Edition, EverQuest® II, Star Wars Galaxies™, The Matrix Online, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes™ and Pirates of the Burning Sea.

Full access Station Access is available for the low monthly subscription price of $29.99/month (plus applicable sales taxes, if any). The Station Access subscription fee is a recurring charge (just as current individual game subscription account charges), which means that SOE may charge your credit card each subscription period unless and until you cancel. Station Access subscriptions can be paid for with a valid credit card or debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo. In addition to the fees described above, if you are a resident of a country or territory within the European Union, you will also be charged a value-added tax (VAT) equal to 17.5% of the applicable fee.

Each Station Access subscription may only apply to a single account. You must sign up for a Station Access subscription for each account separately. Also, while you have access to all games as listed above, you can only play one game at a time per Station Access account (e.g. You can not run PlanetSide on one machine or in one window, EverQuest on another machine or in another window, both on the same Station Access account).

With a Station Access subscription you will receive:

Access to your favorite SOE Premium games - A Station Access subscription will give you access to your favorite live online games including: EverQuest® II, EverQuest®, PlanetSide®, Star Wars Galaxies™, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes™, The Matrix Online and EverQuest® Online Adventures™.

Additional Character Slots - Receive additional character slots for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (4 slots), EverQuest II (6 slots) and EverQuest (2 slots).

Bonus Adventure Packs - Expand your adventures in EverQuest II with three Adventure Packs: The Bloodline Chronicles; The Splitpaw Saga; and The Fallen Dynasty, all included at no additional cost with a Station Access™ subscription once you have been subscribed to Station Access™ for at least two months.

Casual Strategy game Packs & Starter Decks - Launch your pirate fleet with two game packs for the Pirates Constructible Strategy Game™ Online, as well as one of the four starter decks (randomly selected) from both the Stargate™ Online Trading Card Game and the Star Chamber game and a starter deck for Legends of Norrath: Oathbound.

Newsletter - Sign-up for the Station Access newsletter for exclusive offers, featured content, SOE news and more!

Standard features of Station Players™ - The Station Access subscription includes access to some of the standard features of Station Players™ for EverQuest, EverQuest II and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes but does not include access to the premium features of the Station Players service.

A Station Access subscription does not include the software for the games themselves. You must purchase the software at retail or via a digital download and register a valid account key for each game/expansion you wish to play. For example, if you sign an account up for Station Access service but you have only bought EverQuest and PlanetSide, that account will not be able to play EverQuest Online Adventures unless and until you purchase a copy of EverQuest Online Adventures. A Station Access subscription also does not include subscription services for non-SOE published titles, such as certain versions of EverQuest, EverQuest Online Adventures or PlanetSide published by SOE partners outside of North America, or SOE's wireless or handheld games. Nor will a Station Access subscription include services for which SOE may from time to time charge (for instance, a name change and/or server transfer service). Additionally, you must provide your own Internet access and all required hardware.

If you cancel your Station Access subscription or it is cancelled or terminated, but you continue with your individual game subscription, you will only retain access to the standard number of characters for that game. You will only have access to your additional character slots while you are an active Station Access subscriber. You will also lose access to any Adventure Pack content you received as part of your Station Access subscription unless and until you either purchase the Adventure Pack(s) or re-subscribe to a Station Access subscription.

If you would like more information about Station access, please visit Station Players for additional details.

[Tyndaleon]

Gnobrin wrote:

Additional Character Slots - Receive additional character slots for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (4 slots), EverQuest II (6 slots) and EverQuest (2 slots).

Unless this means Station Access folks are about to get an extra character slot beyond what we have now, should that not read 5 slots?  7+ 5 = 12.

[Journee]

Could it be?  Could we possibly be getting another character slot?  Oh I could make yet ANOTHER toon   WOO HOO!

Come on Gnobrin give us come clarity, don't leave me to wonder ... my mind is much to small to be out on its own   LOL

~Journee~

[Daine]

I subscribe to Station Access but it's becoming less of a deal.  With Kunark, everybody gets the adventure packs, and dual-boxing is not possible with Station Access, but it IS possible with two accounts.  I play EQ1 from time to time but my computer's spec aren't up to Vanguard and I'm not really interested in many of the others.  For me, a second account might be a better choice if only I didn't love all of my current characters and not want to lose them!

[Spyderbite]

Daine@Everfrost wrote:

I'm not really interested in many of the others.  For me, a second account might be a better choice

I'm considering downgrading for similar reasons. I really don't use all the character slots and I don't play any of the other games. However, I haven't been able to downgrade successfully as of yet. So, a 13th character slot really doesn't add any value to me. meh.. we'll see. I might reconsider if they toss something else in each month like a free booster pack for LoN perhaps.

[Fox_Roshak]

Spyderbite@Venekor wrote:

Daine@Everfrost wrote:

I'm not really interested in many of the others.  For me, a second account might be a better choice

I'm considering downgrading for similar reasons. I really don't use all the character slots and I don't play any of the other games. However, I haven't been able to downgrade successfully as of yet. So, a 13th character slot really doesn't add any value to me. meh.. we'll see. " /> I might reconsider if they toss something else in each month like a free booster pack for LoN perhaps.

You have to totally cancel your subscription let it expire then open it again ...which ever one ya wanna play that is.

[MikesterBrau]

   I love my station access and for me it is fantastic, but to the general public it has become a less attractive option with the release of ROK for EQ2 and it's inclusion of the adventure packs.  I am also fairly certain the Agency will not add value to the plan for the majority of EQ2 customers but perhaps POTBS will be of interest to some and I imagine the hard working folks at SOE may already be looking at ways to make the plan more attractive.

`

[Sola]

Biggest complaint about Station Access?

The Price!

When it was $25, I was really considering it to be able to play EQ1 from time to time when EQ2 was being patched or I just wanted a breather.  Since they raised it to $30 a pop, forget it.  Maybe they think they'll make more money doing this, but in reality, we won't buy other games that somewhat interest us and we'll cancel to go back to regular subscriptions.  Face it SOE, playing "greedy" ain't going to make you rich.  Focusing on providing a quality product at a reasonable value, will!  Simple economics.

[Josgar]

Station Access is still useful for those of us with EQ2, EQ1, VGSOH, SWG, etc.

[Sola]

Josgar@Unrest wrote:

Station Access is still useful for those of us with EQ2, EQ1, VGSOH, SWG, etc.

True, but you're an exception to the norm and I think even most of those similar to your situation were upset when they raised the price to $30.  Just think how many of us would have purchased Secrets of Faedwar at $40 had the price of Station Access been reasonable...

[Vonotar]

I'm sure I saw a smed interview about the possibility of Station Access including all games and all expansions at no extra cost (i.e. if you play one game and go S.A. you get rental on all expansions and all other games until you cancel S.A.)However I can only assume that this is now not on the cards, hence the fact the OP has posted this 'advert' for the service.Basically as it currently stands it is a cash cow for Sony, and not seriously worth investing in unless you want to play more than two Sony games.1 Year Station Exchange (12 slots) = $359.881 Year Everquest II only (paid upfront) (7 slots) = $143.99 (Saving $215.89)2 x 1 Year Everquest II only (paid upfront) = $287.98 (Saving $71.90)For those who only play Everquest II there is NO value in Station Access.In addition, if you play two Sony game, but don't intend to use the additional character slots, you would still save around $70 by paying for the two separately.

[Ahnlak]

The biggest problem is that they still don't offer any sort of discount for longer term subscriptions - if they offered the same discounts for subscribing in, say, 6 month blocks that they do for regular game subs, I'd re-sign back up tomorrow.

[Wingrider01]

Daine@Everfrost wrote:

I subscribe to Station Access but it's becoming less of a deal.  With Kunark, everybody gets the adventure packs, and dual-boxing is not possible with Station Access, but it IS possible with two accounts.  I play EQ1 from time to time but my computer's spec aren't up to Vanguard and I'm not really interested in many of the others.  For me, a second account might be a better choice if only I didn't love all of my current characters and not want to lose them!

Confused here - you can't dual box with out 2 accounts anyway - station access or single subscription so that is not really a valid point. SA is perfect for me, I play most of the other games and looking forward to the new one coming out that will be on SA

[MikesterBrau]

   Now what if to sweeten the deal they gave you all the advanced character profile services on all the games that offer that?   Do you think anyone would be moved by that in any way?

[Sola]

MikesterBrau wrote:

   Now what if to sweeten the deal they gave you all the advanced character profile services on all the games that offer that?   Do you think anyone would be moved by that in any way?

That would help for those who desire those services.  However, for myself and most, those services should NOT be additional fees.  There's very little maintenance overhead for them and most of the features they provide are features many fansites either do or have incorporated in the past.  It may sweeten the deal for those who are guild officers and use those features for their guilds, but the general population feel paying extra fees for those services is ludicrous and should be free bonuses of why someone would enjoy EQ2 over other competitive MMO platforms.