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Yes, I have used the New Eden Store and purchased currency for items in-game. No, I do not agree with the casual disregard for any account with less than 1000 AUR. From my understanding, this would cause an excess of PLEX on the market system and drop the price. SO? Apparently this was leaked and the PLEX market jumped significantly, almost overnight. A healthy excess should counter the current speculation inflation and nullify the gains by those who possibly leaked it for gain. If there was no leak, then the excess would still serve to balance the market and soften the blow to the price shock from the split.

Now, I cannot agree that 1 PLEX = 30 days game time being "clunky" for players. There is no way that 500 PLEX = 30 days game time - OR - that 1 PLEX = 1.44 hours game time is not clunky. Both "excuses" do not counter the "clunky" statement for easy transition.

Second, why 500? If you plan to swipe AUR from hundreds of accounts (if it's not, then you prove it), why not make it 720 PLEX? If the number is higher, then you can lower the AUR recovery limit by converting more AUR to PLEX. The 720 PLEX is for 1 PLEX = 1hr game time (As stated previously).

But hey, why stop there? Why not make PLEX 7200 for 30 day play? From there you can convert almost on parity with a close 2:1 conversion between these two currencies.

Next - Splitting any asset with a price sensitive market share will inevitably cause inflation creep. 1B for 30 days has already become 1.2B from just speculation... Wait until it only costs 2M for a PLEX, then it will creep to, what, 3M - 4M? When does the price per unit become unjustified? Here we can introduce an EVE-approved solution... Drop your new PLEX in ratting loot. Cringe, right? No.
This will serve two purposes:
1. Balance the price with supply. Those who rat for game time will have a small portion of the item and need to purchase less from the market. CCP will have control over the drop rate based on the market and PLEX use to keep this new currency model balanced. Lower the bounty on rats if you want value (ISK/hr) balance, but add a mechanism for players to control some portion of the market creep.
2. This puts PLEX back into the cargo holds of players increasing the risk / reward balance.

All together, this is a badly thought out solution for a poorly implemented market model for micro transactions. The NES is a disconnected add-on to the game. However, skill extractors cannot be made in-game. Therefore, the New Eden Store will still be needed for items... why not get rid of PLEX and keep AUR? Something tells me you have not thought out the fact that by combining the currencies into one, we can purchase skins from the store with ISK (essentially) without having to buy expensive AUR tokens. Your idea of micro transactions becomes convoluted by the loss of currency separation.


It feels like a big money grab and a push to inflate the price of PLEX in game. Doesn't feel much like a player-centered game anymore to me.

Hi CCP devs,

I really like the idea of merging PLEX and Aur to one entity. Very good move.

At this moment it seems to be good idea to remove Aur and add PLEX currency, but consider other option.

What is PLEX? it is Pilot's Licence EXtension. It is a little strange to buy something for a Pilot's Licence. If you want to create a new currency in the game AUR seems to be much better choice. After one year or two, newcoming players will be confused why they buy gametime for Pilot's Licences

In my opinion much better would be:

AUR - "gold currency" that appears in the wallet (not inventory), with an option to redeem as an item "AUR token", which will appear in the hangar. It will be possible to back to the wallet, even remotely. It will be also possible to be traded, given, contracted, sold ect.

PLEX - will remain the synonym of gametime. It will be possible to buy gametime or just extend Plex. Buying PLEX would have two options of payment : ISK at the current price or at the fixed price in AUR (3500).

If you want to avoid confusion with old Aur, and new Aur described above - give the other name to the new currency.

Agreed on all counts, there's no justification whatsoever for arbitrarily invalidating the purchases of thousands of paying customers. There's no technical limitation reason they can't just convert all aurum regardless of the amount. In fact I suspect it'd be easier to implement.

The product has already been sold, they aren't losing out on custom. It's a cynical cashgrab - if a person with 790 aurum now misses on the conversion for whatever reason but in the future wants to buy a SKIN, I guess it's tough **** and they'll have to buy the full balance again! Good practice if you're hustling somebody once, but not something to do if you want repeat custom.

Maybe it's my fault, but I expect CCP to at least have the decency to at least give people the product they pay for. It's especially egregious when, as the two posts I've quoted point out, they have employed and continue to employ the classic microtransaction peddler shtick of selling the good in amounts incompatible with the use of it, necessitating further purchases or 'wasted money' - a 'fallacy' that stops being fallacious when that 'spare change' is exempted from this upcoming conversion because of an arbitrary cutoff imposed.

This sort of business practice makes Wargaming look scrupulous.

Suggestion;

If you really have to add shameless unwanted advertising to the game - There is a tab in the character sheet that says "Pilot License", as it is now it is completely useless unless you're dual training.
Why not give it a make over so you can see when your account expires (regardless of how you pay) and put your advertising vault there.
This would be a nice player enhancement removing the need to check emails or log in to "account management" just to see how long until your account expires.
Putting the plex vault in there you can spend, trade or renew your sub - All in one place.
You could also have a link to account management for those who pay $ for their subs or just want to buy more plex.

I find those who shamelessly advertise their products right in your face are far less likely to get any money out of me.
Subtle unobtrusive advertising over something you are forced to look at every time you enter the game for the whole time you are in the game.



PS; Thank you for making our Aurum Xmas gift worthless.

NB; I haven't played a game from EA for quite a while due to their - Pay for the game then get inundated with constant advertising to buy this, that and everything else. Please don't let Eve go down that line - It really is a turnoff.

just HUM BUG....should be divisible by 30.
If PLEX going to be broken into units then game time should be broken down into units also.

At least put those ads out of sight in the character sheet Pilot License tab. Not a good way to go at this. I also agree 100% with what Capqu said.

And, while I don't roleplay, I've always enjoyed how most things in eve feel like they belong, like they could exist in this universe. All of this "buy game time" and "resculpt your character" are an eyesore.

Some people like you might pay more than you do currently (if you're not playing at all), but I have a hunch that more people would end up paying less if they had the option to only subscribe on the weekends to the like.

^^^ This

Disheartening our new Alphas is a bad route to take, CCP. They've been invited to carry the budget weight upset older Omega customers have dumped after fighting one too many changes beyond their tolerance. There's no need to drive off the new blood as well, while there's many reasons we'd want them to stay flying with us.

>Jeven's Ever Suffering Keyboardist

[–]TekkiME! Pandemic Legion 71 points an hour ago
Simple solution: Any amount below 1000 AUR gets converted into game time +% to make player happy.

This will never happen. If you were the CCP owner, would you resign from steady subscribtion income for "pay for 1 hour of game"?
CCP is not running their business to work for free. They deserve to get paid for their job.

However - the AUR from paid sources (plex, codes) should be compensated, not taken away.