A lot of players have been asking us to re-instate the Free Trial feature, and we’re happy to say that this wish is coming true!
Beginning February 8th, new players will be able to get a 14-day Free Trial. This is a great time to use the Refer-A-Friend Program (http://www.lineage2.com/my_account/refer_a_friend.html) and earn yourself some free game time as well! Gather your friends to explore Aden together!
Keep checking the Lineage II website (http://www.lineage2.com/) and stay tuned for more information!
Wasn't this taken away because the masses all complained and wanted it gone? We better not get a ton of those stupid spamming IM's again "BUY ADENA!!!" ... ugh.
Trial serial codes still exist with various NCsoft boxed products, so there have always been some trial players. These new trials will be easier to obtain.
Leonidar, yes, we have implemented several new restrictions on trial accounts to help us prevent abuse.
I doubt those restrictions are top secret, is there a list anywhere? Are they forbidden to speak? LOL They can only IM someone 60 minutes after logging in? There is a limit of a certain number of codes per day?
I'm just curious how you're going to protect me from being spammed non-stop all day and all night every day of the week with IM's saying "COME BY SUM CHEEP ADEENA! Just Visit StealMyRealLifeMoneyForFakeMoney.com!"
better to return back to ability to shout at least, and to drop items and use wh !
what one bot can farm in two weeks is not enough to upset the economy of the server imo
these are serious issues that could turn new players off to the game
which is a bigger problem than bots/spammers abusing these accounts
game is dying, need moar players +++ so make trials as pleasurable as possible
even Aion has way more spam than L2, people will still play it
rmt spam is annoying but we can deal with it I think
Slightly off topic I suppose but I think Sace is doing a fine job thus far. She was a little quiet at first but I'll attribute that to her training and acclimating to the new position. It's still very early and many of us have a list a mile long of things we've been promised by previous CM's that are yet to be delivered. She's stepping into big shoes with a lot of work to finish -- so for that reason people are critical.
My biggest concern with this issue was less that it was being re-implemented and more about how they're going to protect all of us from the same thing happening as before. You know, the definition of insanity is trying the same task over and over and expecting different results.
It really could not of been that difficult to add a function that filters out an entire private message from being sent if a certain url was contained in the message. Even if unusual characters were typed, or spaces between each letter, if the bots tried to avoid the restriction.
It's really late in the game, of all the things to "do because players requested it." Its really time to merge servers and add the ability for players to transfer a single character from one account to another under the same PlayNC.
This game was meant to have a large player environment. Regardless of how those few players who like to role play, or just kill monsters all the time and not compete for anything feel. There should have been less servers and then maybe a few with one of those specific quality. No PvP or an offical, "Role Playing" server.
Previous community manager Lyzira mentioned a concerned with character to another account transfer, which would be players being able to sell more accounts. That is not much more of an issue at all, because those people would have to sell their whole PlayNC account with all L2 accounts together. Not much difference from selling a single lineage 2 account PlayNC, or a multiple L2 account PlayNC. Keeps things grouped and easy to ban anything inappropriate together anyways.
If I had it my way... L2 would be completely free to play like Russian Official L2 is. They only charge for some services, which I feel don't give that much of a huge advantage. To be honest, our monthly fee we pay for is what they get free. Permanent 1x rates I think? For paying a monthly fee we aren't getting anything extra. Like the simple buff pets, or other little special things. Which are already available in-game as seen from PTS. Sure we get events now and then, but isn't that normal? Also would seem like L2 would become a lot more populated again. I know the old players would definitely play who always come back for the free few week reactivation event. Anyone who tried this game out during open beta knows it had a huge amount of people and really looked like it had such a great future in store for it.
imo add two free to play servers (one euro one americas) to current L2NA/Euro lineup. free to play server would probably attact a lot of immature players, but it also would attract a lot of players, which is a good thing; and maybe get them all hooked into the game. there are tons of bored WoW people out there looking for a change, and dissatisfied L2 players who want a fresh start. sure it'll be bot paradise just like always but, it could actually be like C1 again where the real players fought the bots, etc because if it was free probably a lot of people would actually try it.
then add in the ability to transfer from the free servers to the regular servers if they feel the need to compete with the established people, and open up transfer from the regular servers to free servers after 6 mo - 1 year. then we could go beat them down and it would be ok.
Here are the details about the coming Free Trials, including the newly-added or edited restrictions. While the Free Trials don't begin until January 27, the restrictions are already in place.
Players using a trial account may not:
Trade/Drop Adena or items
Buy from/Create a Private Store
Create/Use a Private Workshop (General or Dwarven Manufacture Shop)
Use a clan warehouse
Use the shout channel
Raise a character beyond level 40
Use a private warehouse
Use the trade or chat channel
Whisper to players other than friends (You can whisper to friends and to people who whispered to you first. You can send a friend invite.)
Create more than 3 characters
Send, receive or delete mail (You may view mail listed in your inbox but may not interact with it.)
Here are the details about the coming Free Trials, including the newly-added or edited restrictions. While the Free Trials don't begin until January 27, the restrictions are already in place.
Players using a trial account may not:
Trade/Drop Adena or items
Buy from/Create a Private Store
Create/Use a Private Workshop (General or Dwarven Manufacture Shop)
Use a clan warehouse
Use the shout channel
Raise a character beyond level 40
Use a private warehouse
Use the trade or chat channel
Whisper to players other than friends (You can whisper to friends and to people who whispered to you first. You can send a friend invite.)
Create more than 3 characters
Send, receive or delete mail (You may view mail listed in your inbox but may not interact with it.)
Sace, I am concerned about the restrictions being too restricting on new players. With fourteen days' time, there are many things to explore in the game, the least of which is class selection.
Limiting to three characters, all below 40, is going to stunt the ability of a new player to accurately try out the options available. Not everyone knows what they want to play before they create it, and some may discover they dislike the choices they made, only to find no room to try something else. With a seven day deletion timer, they have just signed off half of their time to watching a clock count down.
Capping their progress at level 40 seems counter-intuitive, as most classes don't start to truly come into their own until at least the mid-40's, if not the 50's. This is something, by the way, that few new players would know. If anyone wanted to experience PVP, well... that's just out of the question given the state of most servers where PVP is something primarily engaged by the s80 players.
I also don't understand the limitation on using their private warehouse. There doesn't seem like there would be any harm in allowing a player to store items and/or gear (especially considering they can't trade / drop it).
I get the purpose behind so many of the restrictions, to prevent farmers and spammers, but I do think that this is so restrictive it will serve only to hinder any possible retention.
Here are the details about the coming Free Trials, including the newly-added or edited restrictions. While the Free Trials don't begin until January 27, the restrictions are already in place.
Players using a trial account may not:
Trade/Drop Adena or items
Buy from/Create a Private Store
Create/Use a Private Workshop (General or Dwarven Manufacture Shop)
Use a clan warehouse
Use the shout channel
Raise a character beyond level 40
Use a private warehouse
Use the trade or chat channel
Whisper to players other than friends (You can whisper to friends and to people who whispered to you first. You can send a friend invite.)
Create more than 3 characters
Send, receive or delete mail (You may view mail listed in your inbox but may not interact with it.)
These are all perfect in my opinion. This is going to really prevent a lot of spam and harassment on the community.
Also, for those confused about a few topics like level cap or character creation limit -- I think I see their reasoning. 1) If they want more than 3 characters... it is a FREE account they can just get another one and make 3 more, and 3 more on the next one and 3 more after that. 2) Limiting them to level 40 gives them incentive to want to continue and purchase the game. It is a "trial" account so there are obvious limitations that will be there. I think anyone using a trial account system already assumes that point.
But I like others am having a hard time understanding why they can't use their private warehouse, I don't see how that can be abused... Is that a database issue or something more than an abuse issue?
Can't buy from private shops? So you mean when they get to level 20 and gets there common Dgrade wep they cant buy Dgrade soulshots?
thats dumb if you ask me.
These are all perfect in my opinion. This is going to really prevent a lot of spam and harassment on the community.
Also, for those confused about a few topics like level cap or character creation limit -- I think I see their reasoning. 1) If they want more than 3 characters... it is a FREE account they can just get another one and make 3 more, and 3 more on the next one and 3 more after that. 2) Limiting them to level 40 gives them incentive to want to continue and purchase the game. It is a "trial" account so there are obvious limitations that will be there. I think anyone using a trial account system already assumes that point.
1) You can hit 40 in like 2 days, maybe 3 or 4 given they are new.
2) Limiting them to level 40 serves no purpose. It's a trial account, so it already has a built in limitation in that it expires after 2 weeks.
3) They are doing themselves a disservice by putting so many restrictions on these accounts. OK the no buying from private shops fine, the no whisper/shout fine, the no dropping is OK too, but just about everything else in that list is far too restrictive.
i don't get the private warehouse thing but the private craft and shop thing is pretty obvious
farmer uses trial account to bot. sells all crap to the shop/players then buys 1 stem for 1 billion adena
farmer uses trial account to bot. turns bone into CBP for 1 million adena a click
I used 4 Friendinvites last year to show Lineage 2 to some Friends.
We comunicated with Skype mostly.
We all made new Chars and leveld Up,
did Nomils Garden at Lvl 20 with common D-Grade,
got a Wolf,
explored the Temple of Fire and Ice, and nearly drowned while diving to the secret rooms
Did a Kamaloka and farmed in Necropolis of Sacrifice.
It was only a 7 Day trial. but i tryed to show many things.
The worst part, was that we couldnt trade, so i had to get them SS and drop them in Packs and to explain the reasons for all those Limits.
I dont know if there was a Warehouse Limitation. That Limitation should be removed, since i dont see a purpose for this.
So are these Trials differnet from the Friendinvites i used ?
I believe you don't need a friend invite to do this free trial account. I don't know what the difference (if any) there will be with restrictions on friend invite accounts or just free trials.
The one reason it went crazy with spammers with the free trials last time was because you didn't need to tie it to anyone and no one needs to invite you, just proxy a new IP and make a new account and spam spam spam/bot bot bot -- rinse and repeat.
Can't buy from private shops? So you mean when they get to level 20 and gets there common Dgrade wep they cant buy Dgrade soulshots?
thats dumb if you ask me.
Leonidar has a point here. If the trial players are prevented from at least buying from private shops and prevented from normal trade at the same time, they won't be able to get SSD and BSSD any other way, which'll make a serious problem after they hit lvl 20.
At least let them buy from private shops. That won't hurt anybody.....on the contrary our dwarven pals could make some profit^^
Leonidar has a point here. If the trial players are prevented from at least buying from private shops and prevented from normal trade at the same time, they won't be able to get SSD and BSSD any other way, which'll make a serious problem after they hit lvl 20.
At least let them buy from private shops. That won't hurt anybody.....on the contrary our dwarven pals could make some profit^^
Sadly it does make it possible for farmers to transfer adena from one to another account.
Still it will make the game very hard on the new players.
Who wants to have a person in there kama party that dont use shots?
You will want to have them in cata partys?
This will effect there soloing ability drasticly.
I understand why they made it this way but still all this restrictions will make it so boring for new players.
Now I'm entering the field of pure fiction but....if we keep the restrictions valid as they're intended to, then how about putting SSD/BSSD into NPC vendors (like the no-grade ones) ...of course the price should be a bit higher then you usually see in private vendors in this case in order not to make the whole D-shot economy extinct.
But since this already starts to be a lil bit over-combined I personaly don't belive it'll become a viable idea.
(but just for my information...how hard it is to add something into NPC vendors sortiment?)
Now I'm entering the field of pure fiction but....if we keep the restrictions valid as they're intended to, then how about putting SSD/BSSD into NPC vendors (like the no-grade ones) ...of course the price should be a bit higher then you usually see in private vendors in this case in order not to make the whole D-shot economy extinct.
But since this already starts to be a lil bit over-combined I personaly don't belive it'll become a viable idea.
(but just for my information...how hard it is to add something into NPC vendors sortiment?)
Close. Just make a special shop NPC in dion or something that only sells SSD/BSpSD to accounts that are in the Trial status.
Really wouldn't be hard to code in as I am sure that account info is already something they can access ingame.
Now I'm entering the field of pure fiction but....if we keep the restrictions valid as they're intended to, then how about putting SSD/BSSD into NPC vendors (like the no-grade ones) ...of course the price should be a bit higher then you usually see in private vendors in this case in order not to make the whole D-shot economy extinct.
But since this already starts to be a lil bit over-combined I personaly don't belive it'll become a viable idea.
(but just for my information...how hard it is to add something into NPC vendors sortiment?)
yea why not :) 17 adena each from the newbie guide sounds fair.
with these restrictions i wouldnt even look at the game, no matter how good its supposed to be
I'm concerned this is true. we have to compete with WoW, AND NC doesn't advertise, so you better make this free trial thing as easy and swanky as possible.
It does this for sure, but we must think about the new players as well... If they can't use shots, that will make leveling tons harder as we all know.
The farmers will transfer their adena anyways, at least let the new guys buy shots/make them.
...um ya, bots aren't important. NEW PLAYERS ARE IMPORTANT. fix it
NC already proved they can't/won't effectively fix the bot problem, so all these crazy restrictions to protect against bot abuse means nothing.
I'm glad ya'll are doing at least SOMETHING to get new players in, but FFS make it WORTH playing at least for the few real players who might consider this game.
Hi everyone! Just a little newsflash, the Free Trials will now begin on February 3rd. I've changed the opening announcement to reflect that date. :rolleyes:
Yeah I have to agree, with these restrictions, you are killing any chance of a new player actually enjoying the game. Especially since you can get to level 40 now in just a few days.
Yeah I have to agree, with these restrictions, you are killing any chance of a new player actually enjoying the game. Especially since you can get to level 40 now in just a few days.
I think level 45 or so would be better. That way a character can see what its like to be more of a specialized class.
Basically, the friend I had referred got frustrated after 3 days and forgot about the game ... just too restrictive, he just couldn't do anything.
I would urge you to reconsider, at least the warehouse restriction (which I really don't understand ... I really don't get what possible abuse can come from a trial character depositing things in their own private wharehouse) and at least take some steps to make a trial account's life easier, maybe with a specialized shop for D shots that only they can access or something.
Why not create a trial server with associated free disk ?
Bombard USA, British and Euro shops with magazine coverdisks.
The disk would contain a restricted game with only noob towns etc. This would reduce file size required.
This trial game would then connect to a trial server that matches the disk requirements.
There would be no restrictions on trade etc. so the player had full capability up to a given level. D grade maybe, perhaps C.
Exp could be boosted and mob levels etc. adjusted to create more interest.
If a trial player then wants to sign up to the real game, he/she gets a "trial to live" bonus.
This would be full C armour, an average C weapon and perhaps a million adena.
The trial wouldn't be time limited but cease when a char/toon reaches lvl 40.
Bombarding stores with CDs might be impossible but, if the trial was restricted in size, the small download file size might encourage more people to play.
Let us have download links on our sites and we could get free time that way, rather than or as well as refer a friend.
Hi everyone! Just a little newsflash, the Free Trials will now begin on February 3rd. I've changed the opening announcement to reflect that date. :rolleyes:
Thanks to NCsoft for giving me the opportunity to return to the game without having to reactivate my accounts. I've been wanting to give the game another try for quite a long time I just never wanted to put money down on something I was going to play for a couple days. Hopefully this will reinvigorate my interest in L2.
Here are the details about the coming Free Trials, including the newly-added or edited restrictions. While the Free Trials don't begin until January 27, the restrictions are already in place.
Players using a trial account may not:
Trade/Drop Adena or items
Buy from/Create a Private Store
Create/Use a Private Workshop (General or Dwarven Manufacture Shop)
Use a clan warehouse
Use the shout channel
Raise a character beyond level 40
Use a private warehouse
Use the trade or chat channel
Whisper to players other than friends (You can whisper to friends and to people who whispered to you first. You can send a friend invite.)
Create more than 3 characters
Send, receive or delete mail (You may view mail listed in your inbox but may not interact with it.)
Hi !I played 2 days on trial account,i have a rogue and i made it lvl 24,was hard because i can`t buy ssd and from now will be very,very hard without them, why i can`t buy from private shop,what can do scammers when they buy???Realy i think this is stupid :|
NC wants to force new players to go to Giran and beg for some kind soul to buy them ssd and drop it on the ground as their new way to encourage interaction between players.
/sarcasm off
while other players might actually take pity and give you ssd, some people don't really want to go around begging for basics they need. this is indeed a stupid rule considering that LIVE PLAYERS might actually try a trial account *gasp*
k, bought shots for a trial account player today, as well as a top D common weapon and gave him some money and got him in academy. also he is a nuker ans was going to buy ssd so...
but we REALLY need to change it so players have some other way to get shots, and they NEED to be able to use private warehouse at least. I'm all worried he'll be weighed down and ppl may not understand that their hp/mp regen will suffer a lot of they are overweight. As well as, what happens when he gets to C grade and has C gear and still carrying D gear? And an active player will get to 40 pretty quickly, I think it's fair to allow people to go to level 52.
to new players, I would recommend that even before you get to level 15, head to Giran, Rune, Aden, or Goddard (in that order) and start talking to anyone you see and hopefully someone will help you out with shots, gears, money, and finding a good clan.
and I'll repeat here what I said to someone who contacted me directly, concerned about money: dont play a char you will be bored with. money won't be very easy to come by anyway one way or the other until you are higher level so don't worry about it too much. if you are on a trial account, enjoy the game 1st and if you stay for regular account, get whatever you want to play to 52 and after that maybe start thinking about playing the market for money for better gear. common items are perfectly fine to get by. most important really is finding a supportive and helpful clan/ally so that's really the first priority and pretty much the only thing to worry about beside picking a class you like and learning the game.
only thing we would ask of players who don't decide to remain in game after the trial time period is up, is to leave clan on your last day. but ofc hopefully people will decide to go regular and keep playing. $15 isn't very much, one movie for 2 costs the same or more these days, and you should get much more than 2 hours of entertainment from L2.
Why not create a trial server with associated free disk ?
Bombard USA, British and Euro shops with magazine coverdisks.
The disk would contain a restricted game with only noob towns etc. This would reduce file size required.
This trial game would then connect to a trial server that matches the disk requirements.
There would be no restrictions on trade etc. so the player had full capability up to a given level. D grade maybe, perhaps C.
Exp could be boosted and mob levels etc. adjusted to create more interest.
If a trial player then wants to sign up to the real game, he/she gets a "trial to live" bonus.
This would be full C armour, an average C weapon and perhaps a million adena.
The trial wouldn't be time limited but cease when a char/toon reaches lvl 40.
Bombarding stores with CDs might be impossible but, if the trial was restricted in size, the small download file size might encourage more people to play.
Let us have download links on our sites and we could get free time that way, rather than or as well as refer a friend.
Why not add an NPC in town where you can buy D-C grade shots and what ever else that is restricted for trail accounts and make it only accessable for trial accounts?
You guys need to take away the white chat from trial accounts.
I'm so sick and tired of running into them spamming adena for real money or they trade adena for game cards. :(
I send petition on them as soon as i see them, but there is a limit to how many petition one can make.. :p
And then they won't be able to talk at all. That would make it impossible for people to find a party, raid or kama group or just make friends. Doing that would prevent legitimate new players from wanting to play the game. If I couldn't talk at all during my trial account days last month I wouldn't have made a full upgrade.
I'm playing in trial account and i think this don't make sense why don't
Raise a character beyond level 40
Use a private warehouse
Watch the stuff of one Private Store
New players don't now about "party matching", you need add some chat to party matching
Create beginners SSD , BSSD or limit the price of them
Delete one char in 5 min
Tell users about restrictions when we start the game
I go play the game because i play it on private servers and now thinking on move for official, but if i get start with the trial account and don't now the game i leave it without thinking 2 times, if i wrong make one mage and try lvl till 40.
This trial don't show the spirit of the game.
There are lots of solutions but the one o decides is NCSOFT, and if this policy don't change i really don't now wot go happen to Lineage2.
PS: the solution is one good trial and some google advertising
I just thought I add here that I just bought the game and a subscription after making use of the free trial offer. I don't think I would have subscribed without a free trial that allowed me to see the game graphics and playstyle first hand. (In fact, I only learned about L2 from the NCSoft website where I came to check on Guild Wars and Aion.)
I think it is great that L2 has the option of a free trial, and the restrictions for trial accounts are entirely reasonable and in line with those of other games (EQ2, WoW, Eve).