Feldon From EQ2Players:
Introducing the Etheral, Sinister, and Ulteran Prowlers!
Each mount comes in your choice of one of the following versions: Fierce and Arcane. The Fierce version increases Slashing, Aggression, Ranged, Piercing and Crushing of caster by 5, while the Arcane version increases Focus, Ordination, Disruption, Subjugation and Ministration of caster by 5. Both versions of the mount reduce the maximum falling speed of your character and have a 65% run speed.
The Prowlers are guaranteed to be available for at least one month and adventurers can now purchase these new mounts for 2500SC from the Marketplace. These are the first Station Cash items of their kind and are immediately available in-game, upon purchase.
UPDATED Commentary
Close inspection of these three mounts indicates they are NOT a reskin of an existing mount (such as the Highland Stalker in the SF retail box) but something unique.
For 2500
you are getting a single heirloom* 65% runspeed mount with either +5 to all mage skills or +5 to all melee skills. 2500
is $25 ($12.50 if you took advantage of a Double StationCash weekend).
It’s interesting to compare this to the Highland Stalker mount in the Sentinel’s Fate: Collector’s Edition which for $30 gives you a 65% runspeed mount for up to 12 characters on your account.
And I’m sure some of you noticed the “available for at least one month“. So after that what? They go back into the Disney vault for 20 years?
*NOTE: These Prowlers were intended to be flagged HEIRLOOM and will be after next Tuesday’s update.
Nice, kinda expensive I think though.
Agreed! 2,500 is a little expensive, 1,000 to 1,500 max. would seem reasonable to me.
Surely new mounts should be available from quests or mob drops. I dislike the Station Cas Shop extending into normal gameplay items rather than just a few potions.
Cash shop for fluff; quests and mob drops for gameplay affecting items.
This is completely wrong, very good items, probably usable by all levels, can be bought for cash and not gained through the course of gameplay. Have SoE not promised us to only sell fluff. Crap, I hope there will be some good alternative popping up soon…
I just got an email about this offer from SOE. I expected items like this to hit the marketplace a long time ago. I am very disappointed in the move although I can’t really justify why I feel that way. I can’t blame the company for trying to make a buck. I guess I’ve always held onto a childish belief that EQ and the like were created and molded around the love of the game. This just tears down that wall and shows the make-a-profit motivation that makes the game possible in the first place.
Buying Sentinel’s Fate: Collector’s Edition gives to EVERY character on the player’s account:
* A cat mount with 65% runspeed.
No questing is required, you are just paying extra for the expansion to get this mount.
The Prowlers are 65% runspeed mounts for just one character, (they will be flagged HEIRLOOM after a hotfix next Tuesday).
This mount is $25 (if you bought your StationCash at regular price) or $12.50 (if you bought your StationCash on a Double StationCash weekend) is pretty extreme.
Here we go, i’m sure this is just the start. They bring in a Micro transaction focused director.
They give everyone a little sniff of Station Cash, you know “First ones free” and give away a free item on marketplace. You know introduce and get you comfortable, even the hold outs will go get the free item, who wouldn’t whether you want it or not.
OK, now you’re comfortable and familiar.
WOW!!! a really nice mount that has stats pops on a week later, (potions i almost didn’t care as I’ve used them with any free station cash I’ve received) this is providing an advantage over other players for cash, this is wrong on so many levels.
Afraid this is the prolly just the tip of the iceberg, wont be long until we can buy almost anything, straight up to a mythical.
It was bound to happen.
So when are they set to do another double cash weekend? $25.00 is way to much. they frown on people who sell plat and their doing the same thing but with items. I’m not liking this trend either but I might spend the $12.50 on it if i get the chance.
Here we go, i dont think it will be very long before Fable items start showing up the same way. This type of item should only be aviable on the exchange servers.
I want to play with people that have got there gear and items from game play not from just making more $$ then me in RL.
I have to say the day i am passed over for a group or raid become they bring someone else that is better becasue the have items only aviable from SC. I will quit ASAP. and at this rate i dont think that will take long.
Why don’t they sell something you can obtain in the game but get it quicker through SC, like 50 SC for an AA…
Who they hell wouldn’t spend $100 on 200AA… Sign me up in an effing heartbeat, I hate the AA grind, HATE IT. If you’ve done it once, open it up to the character allowing alts to buy there way up. That way it is available either through purchase OR through SC…
Who would biatch about every player at 250, heck it’d make pugs better 😉
Crap I meant, That way it is available either through game play, or through SC…
As Dunce stated, once they have items that I need to have to join a group, will be the day that I leave the game.
I’m not liking the muddy slope we are on and headed, it’s gonna rain more and more I’m afraid and get us closer to it affecting gameplay.
While it is nice, i hope SOE don’t let it go to their heads and bring about the original fear we supportive players feared right off the bat when the marketplace first took off. You know the fear they would start selling items that would effect how well you play the game and make it easier for some. Run speed is not a big deal to me, but lets hope they don’t go beyond that. When i start seeing high level armor and spells up for sale i will have a issue with that.
like eschia said lets hope they dont go beyond this but lets look back.
SC was just apperince items. Then it was exp type pots, then it was mount with stats.
Seems to me they are pushing forward adding a little bit each time hopping everyone will just say well as long as it just this and nothing eles.
dont forget they also added a zone that could only be accessed if you got LoN card. that had its own loot that you could not get elsewere in the game.
Also if people keep buying SC items they will spend more time on SC items less on in game items. Just look at what has happen to carpenters. All the best house stuff is SC now, they just get the left overs. Art team puts all thier time in the SC items not the in game items.
It has nothing to do with the new producer it’s just another case of what is in WoW must be in EQ2.Personally i’m glad I quit for good a month ago becuase this is where all the time and effort is going now in EQ2..Station Cash!.
Maybe you guys can buy a ticket to Queens colony from the market place soon lol.
When I first went to Fan Faire in 2008 Sony had a survey about all their games in general. One of the questions on the survey was about micro-transactions (if you’d want them or not and how “game effecting” you’d accept, etc.). Later, at one of the discussion panels, someone brought up the survey to the Devs on the panel and asked if micro-transactions were coming to EQ2 . . . “because it’s probably not something we’d want.” They paused, looked at each other, and finally one (who’s name escapes me now) answered, “Uhhh . . . no. I think that was just a general survey for all games and the micro-transactions question was probably meant for the new Free Realms game that’s coming out.” . . . This was followed by a big sigh of relief by those in attendance.
Cut to now where game altering items (ooh, 44 slot backpacks for my newbie character AND a mount!) experience bonuses and skill increases can be bought through the Marketplace (which wasn’t going to exist). Though, I guess it isn’t any worse than getting mounts through LoN cards. Except this is guaranteed loot, instead of having to buy box after box to either HOPE you get a mount or to have to trade for one.
/sigh We’ll see what they say THIS year at Fan Faire. Most of what they said they were doing for class balance didn’t happen (though a lot may be contributed to Aeralik no longer being in charge and the new guy went a different direction). I can’t wait to hear what kinda lines their gonna feed us face-to-face. Though it’s fun, each year it seems I’m going to Fan Faire with greater skepticism and a little more cynicism.