Plot reclamation?

[Vlisson]

When? How? im a bit confused about this

will the plot reclamation "feature" happen regularly? When will it happen the next time?

Which plots will be reclaimed? inactive for how long?

Will there be an eMail to the "old" owner as a warning?

How can you get the info which plot will be available via reclamation soon?

thanks ^^

[gopher65]

When? How? im a bit confused about this

will the plot reclamation "feature" happen regularly? When will it happen the next time?

Which plots will be reclaimed? inactive for how long?

Will there be an eMail to the "old" owner as a warning?

How can you get the info which plot will be available via reclamation soon?

I don't want to put words in the mouth of Vi's employees and interns, but I can tell you how it use to work in the past.

Plot reclamation was a largely automated process. Once a month someone at Tulga would start a script(or whatever you call those things), and it would go through the accounts database looking for inactive accounts that had plots, and had been inactive for X amount of time (I don't know how long). Once those accounts were located the script would put them all together into a list, and send out emails to the owners of those accounts, warning them that their accounts had become inactive, and that their plots would be reclaimed in Y amount of time if they didn't resubscribe to Horizons (again, I don't know how much time they were given).

Once this had been done, the plots were set for sale (or for auction? I don't remember), with all structures and contents intact, and the purchase price of the plot was refunded to the now-inactive character who had previously owned it (but they lost all their structures and such).

I assume that once plot reclamation begins again, it will be done on a monthly basis just like it was before.

[Vlisson]

ah thanks

and how many reclamations happened the last 2 years?

i think that montly reclamations are too often

this forces you to keep your account activated

reclamations every 2 month would be great, maybe the montly cycle will be discussed or maybe changed ^^

[LOVWYRM]

I understood it this way: They look monthly, if an acc is unpaid for more than x month.

[C`gan]

Unfortunately, no reclamations were done since the EI/PME/NGW buyout fiasco that closed down both Blight and Unity. Order shard is already compiling a list of critical plots that we are concerned about having destroyed when the reclamation happens. These plots are critical to development in the surrounding areas and, to some extent, even across all Istaria. As for those of you from Unity transferring to Order, this means you'll have a tremendous capability of aiding the community from the moment you buy these plots.

And as for the length of time on plot reclamations, I do believe that it was something like consistently inactive for a period of months, then you get an e-mail allowing you a full month to resubscribe before the plot is reclaimed, so I think the whole process was around 2 months, give or take, from the time an account is cancelled to the time the plot is reclaimed. It was a very slow procedure to give the cancelled account owner time to get a subscription reupped.

[Vlisson]

yes you are right, 2 month should be enough

but if you want to take a brake then 2 month can be a very short time

maybe there should be a "vacation mode" allowing 1 time per year an additional 2 month? but you have to activate it?

but only the future will show how the reclamation will take place

thanks for the infos!!

[aine]

By "consistantly inactive", do you also mean unpaid, C`gan? Because it seems to me that a paid sub should retain its property, despite inactivity...which would cover any absences for illness/vacation/etc.

Unpaid, however, is another story. If you are not paying for a product I see no reason why that product should be held in reserve for you. (Aye, I know this sounds harsh in the event of temporary financial distress or paypal boo boos...but you would not have a right to merchandise in a department store, for instance, if you did not pay for it, despite the reason. Not sure why property in a MMORPG should be any different.)

[Mairynn Nalnair]

By "consistantly inactive", do you also mean unpaid, C`gan? Because it seems to me that a paid sub should retain its property, despite inactivity...which would cover any absences for illness/vacation/etc.

Unpaid, however, is another story. If you are not paying for a product I see no reason why that product should be held in reserve for you. (Aye, I know this sounds harsh in the event of temporary financial distress or paypal boo boos...but you would not have a right to merchandise in a department store, for instance, if you did not pay for it, despite the reason. Not sure why property in a MMORPG should be any different.)

not sure what C`gan means but normally this is it.
By inactive people mean not paid for looking from a business point off view.

So people can bye a plot/lair prepay for the next 6 months and log out and return to the game after 5 months and the plot/lair will still be theirs.

[C`gan]

By inactive, I am meaning a lapsed subscription, no paid accout currently.

If you feel the need to take 5 months off but are still paying for your account that entire time, your plot remains. The repo script still sees an active account, regardless of any logins or activity with said account.

[aine]

That being the case, then I think an email reminder unnecessary, at least as far as the plot goes. A reminder toward the end of a non-renewed subscription may bring in a payment, however.

Mine is paid month-by-month automatically until/unless I cancel it...not sure how others pay...but if it requires a cancellation to unsubscribe, then I should think no further concessions need be made. You snooze (ie: sleep), you lose.

Sounds harsh, I guess...and I don't mean to be. I am just looking at it like any other purchased product or service.

[velveeta]

i think that montly reclamations are too often

this forces you to keep your account activated

which, i believe, is the point and i, for one, do not see the problem.......

[aine]

which, i believe, is the point and i, for one, do not see the problem.......

With you on that, Vel. It is clear to me why you are our queen.

[Vlisson]

which, i believe, is the point and i, for one, do not see the problem.......

i only remember the UO way, where your building has been wearing off, and if you or a friend havent looked for it on a regular base it vanished ^^

ok this is too much player friendly *g*

but if im correct:
1rd month: pay
2nd month: dont pay
3rd month: get eMail that your plot is in danger
4th month: reactivate or plot is gone?

[Takora Drakan]

Plots are the "heart" of horizons, you can see now how much incative subs hurt the community/economy when decent plots are taken by intact accs. So it's only fair if you have a unpaid acc the plot gets reclaimed. New player also should have a chance to get a plot/lair.

[LOVWYRM]

Why not open a "guess/wild speculations"-thread

As nothing is official- we simply have to wait.

When everything is planned and done, we`ll get all necessary informations.

anything else is only confusing

[C`gan]

Vlisson, that's exactly the sort of thing that goes on. And since the script runs monthly, it picks up on new additions to that list as well as clears off the ones that have gone through repo or been reactivated.

[Vlisson]

Why not open a "guess/wild speculations"-thread

As nothing is official- we simply have to wait.

When everything is planned and done, we`ll get all necessary informations.

anything else is only confusing

this question thread was meant to get an official answer ^^

but like the past of HZ it seems that we get the info 5 mins before it get patched

@takora yes plots/lairs are important and every player should have the chance to get one. but i dont think that its fine to loose it if you dont play for 2 month

[aine]

snip> @takora yes plots/lairs are important and every player should have the chance to get one. but i dont think that its fine to loose it if you dont play for 2 month <snip

No offense, Vlisson, but in my opinion, what would be unfair would be people who are not actual paying customers (such as yourself, perhaps?) holding properties, which results in paying customers not being able to use the full compliment of features of the game.

If I don't pay my electric bill for two months, I don't get to turn on the lights...it's a matter of responsibility, and in the case of HZ, also a matter of distribution of resources.

I feel very sorry for anyone who loses an account and the attending accouterments due to financial troubles, but bottom line...you [should] get what you pay for. No more, no less. Particularly when your holding it prevents someone else from having their "fair" share.

[Vlisson]

i agree to your opinion!! it would be unfair for all willing persons if good plots/lairs arent available because of inactivity of the former owner!

but there comes my but ^^

is a person (not me) who pays 3 years without an interrupt and then goes 3 month on vacation (wanted to have a hz brake, or imagine an other reason...) and stops to pay for his account (what i dont use that i dont pay?) this person is not really inactive (for the rest of his live, like the majority of leaving players)

[GalemThawn]

and stops to pay for his account ... this person is not really inactive

If he's not paying, he's inactive.