Subscriptions - The shady way?

[Ettanin]

I've put that under rant deliberately because it's written in an emotional tone.



It's a good idea to add ad supported payment for a subscription, but it's a two edged sword:

Advantages:
- Independence of local payment methods.
- Can make Istaria entirely free to play for the willing ones.

Disadvantages:
- Some ad offers may ruin your computer installation
- Some ad offers may force you to install programs you definately don't want to install
- Some ad offers may send you RL spam and/or fill your email address with unwanted adverts.
- Also, this system is very similar to bux systems and may go bust rapidly. Scam is VERY likely the result later.

I don't want VI to stop that, it's a good alternative for people who don't have an option to pay their subs with any of the other offered payment methods, but personally i would neither want nor recommend to use this.

Be cautios and careful while doing so. Remove any adware after you got the credits!

Your opinions? Discuss!

[Dhalin]

Is this a suggestion, or is this something they're actually doing? *blinks*

I've never heard of this...

[Steelclaw]

Having the option for an ad-supported subscription isn't all that bad. I'm sure players or potential players with plenty of free time but not so much money would agree.

That being said, yes, you may very well encounter malicious stuff since no ad broker can prevent 100% of malicious submissions from getting through (unless the scope of their permissible content is extremely limited). The best you can do is to reduce the chance of malicious ads working on your system.

Don't install anything you're not comfortable with; make sure to run an updated antivirus; and absolutely make sure that your browser, Windows, Java, Acrobat Reader, and Flash are kept up to date. You'll want to do this regardless -- falling behind on patches, even by a couple of weeks, means you can get compromised by visiting a site -- even a trusted one.

[Ettanin]

I've tested it and it's VERY bug-laden. Especially in the german localization.

My opinion is still: NOT Recommended.

Also: It's badly rated on MyWOT

[Nisse]

Out of boredom, I completed some of the offers. I only got points for three.
I also did one or two of the tasks. The website said the points would be awarded within 15 minutes. Of course, no points.
I am wondering why Vitrium felt it was necessary to add this?

[Steelclaw]

Perhaps someone with more background can explain.

My guess is that it's to give people who can't afford a subscription (or extra subscription) an avenue to play.

Would I use it? Probably not. (Although the idea of clicking ads while crafting so I can get additional plots does sound interesting...)

[Nisse]

In theory, these types of 'services' sound like a good exchange. Person needs money, completes n number of offers, gets points. Advertisers get views, or whatever.

The brand names mentioned in the offers are not even associated with these companies. That's stated in almost in every offer.

Sadly, these things do not work. They take your time and information and only rarely give you what you earn or attempt to confuse you with popups and endless incomplete offers. Some will attempt to install adware/spyware. Others will sign you up for a paid subscription 'service' via your cell #. Those are often very hard, or laborious to cancel.

Other offers aren't really free. You pay them, they give you points. Which isn't really the supposed point of an ad supported subscription.

[Ettanin]

it's additionally to say that most high-dollar offers are subscription traps.

Also, some of the 'free' offers contain well-hidden sub-traps as well.

I'd recommend to change the ad broker if vi wants to keep this idea, because this ad broker is definately not trustable.

[Nisse]

I have continued to try to get something out of the 'offers'.

Nothing.

Because of this development, I don't feel comfortable supporting a company which thinks it's ok to present these scams as a valid option to current or potential customers.
I only subscribed for a month's time, and I was considering returning for much longer, but this will no longer be the case as a result.

It deeply upsets me that something like this has to happen in my beloved Istaria, but this is unacceptable.

[Dhalin]

I have continued to try to get something out of the 'offers'.

Nothing.

Because of this development, I don't feel comfortable supporting a company which thinks it's ok to present these scams as a valid option to current or potential customers.
I only subscribed for a month's time, and I was considering returning for much longer, but this will no longer be the case as a result.

It deeply upsets me that something like this has to happen in my beloved Istaria, but this is unacceptable.

You talk like they intentionally 'scammed' people, in fact, you even used the word "scam" in your post.

The problem is, others in this thread have pointed out that they did, in fact, get the system to work though it is obviously buggy and glitchy.

It isn't like VI is intentionally scamming people; they are trying to use a third-party system to further support the game, and a lot relies upon the third-party and VI's systems both working together, which doesn't seem to be the case.

You weren't scammed, you just merely ran into a glitch in the system, an unintentional accident. It is unfortunate that you were not rewarded for whatever you did, but they didn't intentionally take your money and run as it were.

Unsubscribing purely because of that sounds a lot like rage-quitting and/or knee-jerk quitting to be honest.

[Nisse]

I'm not blaming VI for trying to help players and themselves. I've had nothing but negative experiences with similar things in the past, but I am willing to be more tolerant in VI's case because I know that they are not the kind of company which scams its playerbase.

If the offers end up being fixed, I'll come back. I quit with perhaps a bit too much emotion, but I have strong feelings for this game.

[Dhalin]

I'm not blaming VI for trying to help players and themselves. I've had nothing but negative experiences with similar things in the past, but I am willing to be more tolerant in VI's case because I know that they are not the kind of company which scams its playerbase.

If the offers end up being fixed, I'll come back. I quit with perhaps a bit too much emotion, but I have strong feelings for this game.

I realize that you wrote that post (and quit) with a lot of emotion, that's why I tried to be as polite as possible in writing that.

The way you worded your earlier post made it sound like VI was at fault, but I pretty much knew you weren't saying that, I was merely trying to let you know that it could be taken that way.

I'm sure, VI knows of the problem and will take whatever steps are needed to fix it, or remove it entirely if it won't work right. We just need to give them time, 'tis all.

[Ettanin]

UPDATE: It's now called "Promo supported" but it's in essence the same non-working system as before.

[Frith-Rae]

I hope everyone is filling tickets on this as well...

[Demonwing]

I tryed to use this to renew my sub. but after getting the nessisary credits the link to use them dosn't come up...any suggestions?

[Bahkar]

I have successfully used this third party system to resub for a months time recently, however, it is quite difficult to get it to work correctly, and in my experience, requires submitting a ticket to VI once you have the required amount of credits to sub up, all in all, im in favor of the system, just not the particular company they went with, responses are slow and dont really address anything remotely related to what your ticket to the third party site might have been about (not complaining about VI here, have never had problems with VI's support system in the past).

In my personal opinion, a different PTC company/site needs to be used, as ive had nothing but headaches with the one currently in place, and the offers dont ever seem to change, making it difficult to use this option as a method to keep a P2P account active if you happen to have fallen on hard times and cant pay through the regular method.

I tryed to use this to renew my sub. but after getting the nessisary credits the link to use them dosn't come up...any suggestions?

Demonwing, submit a ticket to VI stating youve earned the required credits through the third party site, and explain that the link to redeem those credits for your one-month sub up hasnt appeared, hopefully youll get a response and your account subbed through VI that way, its the only way i was able to resub using this method in the past.

I also started a thread regarding the third party option sometime ago. link here http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=25631

[Demonwing]

thanks will try that

[Demonwing]

that worked tyvm

[Valareos]

Looked at it... and id say its like any other. the group that is doing the promotions is a bit iffy.

1: watched video, no credit.
2: did a task, had over 70% accuracy and still said I failed accurcy test at page 10! hours work wasted
3: free games wouldnt install, and i dont like that the install file vanished as it called to a second install

The others ive been burned on before, so there really is not enough there for me to be willing to spend a day to try to get 15 bucks on.

[CottenCandy]

Honestly i would of had a reward system for those that helped spread the word of this wonderful game. I don't trust most of those that they got listed on there and even if i'm hard up for money i wont use it. (i've gotten to many viruses that way) But if they had something like if you joined the group on facebook you could earn so many points, same withe myspace, twitter, ect, gamer sites and put a link to the game. stuff like that. 1. it would make the company more popular 2. it would bring in more people 3. it would make more money 4. It would help those that love this game but can't afford to pay and so on and so on.. just my two cents worth