BB79 - Rewarding Loyalty?

Blog Banter 79 - Rewarding the Vets?

Should CCP put more effort into rewards for loyal customers? The mystery code from the collector's edition hasn't seen much use and whilst veteran rewards have been mentioned by CCP several times at Fanfests, we have seen nothing. Wasn't there talk of a special station only 10-year vets could dock in at one point?

Is this lack of gratitude towards loyal customers alienating? Do people wish for a change here? Is it too self-righteous to expect small signs of gratitude for being a loyal customer? Is a customer purchasing half a year in advance more loyal than someone plexing every now and than probably missing out a few weeks or months a year? How do CCP place rewards in game without hurting the economy?

Or is it just a case of there is no need and HTFU snowflake?

Am I vet? Eight years is a long time playing one game and I've certainly never played any game that long. Everquest (although in '99 it was known as Neverquest), Star Wars:Galaxies, that very popular MMO with orcs and dwarfs (erm....), Warhammer Online, the list goes on. However none have gone the same length of time as Eve Online.

Should CCP reward me for this? Whilst I'm not going to turn down free stuffz(TM) I'm not that bothered.

First off is how do you classified a vet? Are you really bitter? But how do you measure that?

Is it subscribed time? Drackarn has been subbed constantly since 2008. However does that make me more of a vet than someone who played 2003 to 2009, had a months break in subscription and then subbed from then until now. However, technically in terms of continuous subbed time I'm more of a vet than them? Smeg this could get complicated.

I'll leave the defining of the term vet to others, I'm sure someone will come up with an idea. So what could we get in reward terms? Obviously CCP are a company and out to make money. Any sort of free time/plex etc would be a bad idea. Vets are the ones CCP makes their money from so you don't hurt that revenue stream. Those people who are saying vets should have an enhanced Alpha account that allows them to use all their SP really don't understand simple business mechanics. If they did that what would be the point in vets paying a sub? And if they stop paying, everything stops!

A few spitballing options:-

Access to a Special Station

I'm sure I heard at one Fanfest (note I'm generally drink throughout) of an idea to have a special station where only vets could dock. When WiS was talked about this could have been an interesting idea. Now its just "What's the point?". Also where would it be located? High-sec? Which would stop players like me who have a long-running misunderstanding with CONCORD visiting? Low sec? Which will stop many high-sec players from visiting? Anyway its a mute point as its hardly going to be popular so what's the point?

SKINS
Now this is something I think could work. A selection of unique SKINS that can only be activated by vets. Not sure if the coding is there but that could be rather awesome.

Bonus Gifts
Now we need to be careful when dealing with stuffz (TM). If CCP gave all 10-year+ vets a Wolf as a gift then that would crash the market for that assualt frigate and hurt our builder bros. However when CCP are giving out gifts they could increase the number for vets? Gnosis as a present for Yulia festival? Vets get two? Some Gecko's? Here vets have a couple extra for being so awesome!

Clothing
Similar to skins there could be specific apparel for the vets. Headwear or hats or glasses. Something that shows them as a vet. Then again if you are looking for someone to come at you (bro) do you want to be advertising the fact you probably have a lot of SP (yes they can look at your emploment history but most people are lazy). May be something special for the Matari....

So a few ideas but lets think about this. Is it really needed? Vets have put up with lag, "the 18 months", Incarna, melted graphics cards, the boot.ini, extended downtimes lasting days, more lag, balance issues, even more lag, the scammers and spammers, Jita local, traitors, betrayal, drama and all the tears.... so many tears. Yet even after all that they are still there. Is any of the above "rewards" going to make a rela difference to the vets? Nah.

Concentrate on retaining the noobs and let the vets look after themselves.