Feldon 
If you’ve been waiting to buy EverQuest II: Age of Discovery and were expecting to get Destiny of Velious included, get ready for a surprise!
Here’s the original announcement about the Age of Discovery Pre-Order:
Digital Collector’s Edition
The Digitial Collector’s Edition is a Station Exclusive and is specially priced at $59.99 for pre-order only. This version includes the base game, all seven expansions, a Cloak of the Truespirit, Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #1, Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #2, Armored Flying Pegasus Mount, Unique Beastlord Warder Pet, Lavastorm Prestige Home, Custom Dungeon Maker Map Layout, and a Robe of the True Spirit. New accounts will also receive a free 30-day subscription.
Please note that after the pre-order period ends, the price of the Digital Collector’s Edition will increase to $89.99.
and here’s what it was revised to say:
Digital Collector’s Edition
The Digitial Collector’s Edition is a Station Exclusive and is specially priced at $59.99 for pre-order only. This version includes the base game, a Cloak of the Truespirit, Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #1, Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #2, Armored Flying Pegasus Mount, Unique Beastlord Warder Pet, Lavastorm Prestige Home, Custom Dungeon Maker Map Layout, and a Robe of the True Spirit.
Please note that after the pre-order period ends, the price of the Digital Collector’s Edition will increase to $89.99.
And this info from the Pre-Order page which was not operational when today’s news first broke:
EverQuest II will transition to a “Free to Play” model concurrently with the launch of the Age of Discovery expansion pack. This means that all players will have access to EverQuest II through free and optional paid membership levels. All membership levels will provide players with access to game world content through the EverQuest II Sentinel’s Fate expansion. Platinum-level subscribers will also have access to the EverQuest II Destiny of Velious expansion. For all other players, the EverQuest II Destiny of Velious and EverQuest II Age of Discovery expansions may be purchased separately.
Paying for AoD is like pre-paying for Velious part 2, except that you have to pay for Velious part 2 is your account didn’t already have that.
And they really should have not released AoD with the GU if they didn’t want people relating AoD to a GU so much.
But they have said that Platinum is being discontinued.
Not including past expansions is a huge shot in the foot in regards to new players. It’s the first time that they have not done so and DoV is so content-lite in any case that I’m seriously starting to think that they really are the clueless twunts that we’ve all been suspecting.
SOE has to have the worst marketing department of any major MMO house. Way to go to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, guys!
Looks tome like they never intended for Velious to be included with AoD but someone couldn’t count to six without getting seven.
Shit like this is why I just cancelled my subscription today. Heh. 🙁
Wait now….these kinds of mistakes are NOT the problem. The problem is that people have been paying a monthly subscription.
Yes, as they find it hard to balance their budget and still pay $14.99 a month. So much easier to have handy Station Cash, isn’t it? To spend on stuff and then add more because oops, you ran out of SC for your subscription…
After a visit to the official forums, I find it amusing to count the number of locked threads and wrist slaps by RadarX. Leave Smokejumper aloooonnneee!
I agree that more people coming into the game is great. However, players at different levels of subs I see as problematic, and that is certainly going to add a level of elitism to the game that wasn’t there before. We all won’t be on the same playing field. And the fact that DoV isn’t included in AoD means many, many more things will only be available for SC, which is another disturbing trend.
There are plenty of other million dollar MMO titles that didn’t see the need to go FTP and tier levels, and are still successful.
I am very disappointed in these changes, since we were promised two years ago they wouldn’t happen. It’s like Orwell’s 1984 around SOE lately. I hope this doesn’t affect my gameplay, but I know that’s just wishful thinking. I really don’t want to play a game where I have to spend real cash to buy virtual items, that I will probably end up needing. All the promises of how the SC marketplace would be fluff only I am sure will also be broken. It’s a sad day.
First social gaming conference I went to two years ago – simple point given to the audience. Why limit your revenue for your top customers to $14.99 a month when you can be getting hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars a month from them? Free to play micro-transaction is the business model SOE is moving towards, and moving towards fast. This example was backed up by a guy who was spending $10K a month in virtual currency for a dinky Robin Hood Facebook game – 1 guy. They may not be selling plat for real money just yet, but you can bet those items that takes weeks to harvest will be available for $19.99 or $99.99 – that is just the next step. As someone who works 80+ hours a week with a nice salary, I don’t actually mind. Of course for the poor person or maybe disabled or retired person with limited income, I can see the screams of “well you didn’t earn it” – well, you have the time to go earn it if you don’t want to pay the money for it. Not trying to be harsh or saying this is inherently a good thing, only that it will continue to move in this direction as Sony realizes the power of revenue gains through micro-transaction.
Farmville used to make 1 million in revenue every DAY. Imagine what SOE is thinking for an immersive, rich 3D MMO.
I don’t know what’s worse, the continued bungling of the marketing team, the confusing mixed and incomplete messages, or the crystal clear message that $medley’s greed has reached a new tier.
How did they really expect the community to react to all of this? The official forums are on fire and are being heavily censored, and in-game chat is flooded with a lot of not-too-happy people.
What a perfect early Christmas present.
lol nice pic choice feldon.
they delayed these announcements how long, then when they finally thought they had it right they delayed it another 2 days – and they still had this big of an f-up in there. starting to believe SOE marketing dept is an intern or perhaps one of smed’s kids cause he doesnt want to pay another sallary.
Wow, if this is true, that totally sucks. I came back to EQ2 a couple months ago after a break (vet from Oct 2005), and there’s no freakin’ way I’m paying for BOTH Velious and Discovery to get current content.
In the words of Herman “Grabbyhands” Cain: “Ain’t gonna’ happen.”
I call shenanigans everyone get their brooms. Why do users like this? So if the people who skipped DoV want current at minimum they will have to spend $60.00 – $70.00 for both standard expansions. If they go through SOE then $80.00 unless they want the collectors then $140.00 for both right now then $160.00 after it is live. And for those low low prices you don’t get anything new content wise with AoD. Reminds me of listening to crazy Eddie commercials growing up in Brooklyn.
well it will be nice to see how many ‘players’ are in the game for the farming.
We all know the cycle Station Cards or $$ for Plat which is then used to buy items from the same set of people that sold/traded you the Plat.
If you can buy the items for $$ who is going to pay lots of plat for them? Less demand for plat, less farmers.
Bottom line: $80 to get the full EQ2 game. OUCH!
Wait, seriously? I just started playing EQ2 and I updated to the “gold” subscription plan yesterday.
So – does this mean that I will have to pay $15 sub + $40 Age of Discovery + $xx for Velious? How much will Velious cost, do you think?
If this is the case, I will not play the game beyond the $15 I spent on the sub. $70-80 PLUS a sub is way too much for a freakin computer game. Someone tell me this isn’t true…I was really looking forward to playing this game.
@Lashe, yes that is all correct. Your sub will now net you all character classes and races, unlimited coin, access to expert and master spells etc. You could stop paying the $15, and just unlock the race and class you want to play.
If you stopped paying your sub, payed $7.50 for the class and $7.50 for the race pack, plus bought both expansions for $80 your looking at $95 upfront. But in a single year it would come out to be $7.91 per month. Thats the new model, subscriptions are optional.
Subscriptions now make more sense for people with Altisim (the obsessive need for alts), or Single instance purchase for exploration (finding the class/race/expert or master spells you need to scribe/get the better gear), and the hardcore. Alacart is truly amazing.
it be nice if could actua]ly get past the launcher screen, I have never had more problems with a game then I have had with eq oh wait all soe mmos I install the game and then I get launcher with the soe logo and then the launcher crashes and this happens with all there game !! try everything in the book too and after two hours I said screw it
I am not subscribing to them for this and the above reasion
Someone asked about this in the game and also CS ticket.
TSR Aaron H.: Hi, my name is TSR Aaron H..
choppernikita soe: Hello
TSR Aaron H.: All previous expansions will be included in the new DLC.
choppernikita soe: That’s good, I just want to confirm that, thankyou very much!
TSR Aaron H.: Is there anything else I can help you with today?
choppernikita soe: No, thanks
TSR Aaron H.: Thank you for contacting Sony Online Entertainment and have a great day!
—
Greetings choppernikita,
Thank you for contacting Sony Online Entertainment. I do want to confirm that you will in fact receive Destiny of Velious. If you have any more questions or concerns, please let me know.
Answer Title: [EQ2] Age of Discovery Pre-Order
Answer Link: https://help.station.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30439
Regards,
TSR Alexander S
I forget what I was originally searching for… but I did want to pop a message in and say this was why I didn’t return to the game. I originally bought AOD because it said it included DoV and other previously expansions, only to see later that it didn’t. I called them up, demanded the money back, and haven’t played since.