Home ▶ Fallen London » The Bazaar

This is the place to discuss playing the game. Find tips, debate the best places to find certain items and share advice.

Exceptional Friendship is Changing!

Hannah Flynn Administrator Posts: 491 4/21/2015	Many of you are or have been an Exceptional Friend of the Bazaar. Thank you for your support! Next week we are relaunching Exceptional Friendship with some new features. We wanted to give you a heads-up, and the opportunity to ask us about it. Exceptional Friends will now receive: EXCEPTIONAL STORIES A substantial, stand-alone story exclusively for Exceptional Friends, every single month. Tales of suspense, romance and adventure. Bigger opportunity deck Your opportunity deck will now hold up to 10 cards. (Edit: your deck, not your hand - hand size is still determined by lodgings.) In addition to the perks they currently enjoy: A second candle Twice the actions! Up to 40 at once! Access to the House of Chimes An exclusive private members club on the Stolen River. To reflect these changes, Exceptional Friendship will now cost $7. At the moment it costs around $5 (depending on where you live and how much Nex you buy). We're hoping this will allow us to at least break even on the extra content time. We’re also moving Exceptional Friendship to a subscription. Subscribe, and you’ll receive the new stories and all the above perks every month – but of course, there’ll be a box you can untick at any time if you want to stop. If you have Nex stored up to put into Exceptional Friendship, you might want to top up now, as from next week Exceptional Friendship will be sold in USD rather than Nex. The first Exceptional Story, THE HAUNTING OF THE MARSH-HOUSE, will be available when these changes go live. Edit: blue-ing edited by h4nchan on 4/21/2015 edited by h4nchan on 4/21/2015 -- Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
	+12 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/1/2015	Candidly, we didn't think there was that much stockpiling of Nex! And there are always plenty of other things to spend Nex on; and there will be more. But we always prefer to do the right thing, so: If you had purchased Nex in bulk before the end of April, mail us (support@failbettergames.com) and we'll purchase up to 12 months of EF with it, at a 35 Nex a month. We'll keep doing this until end May, and we'll let existing EFs know in an email update.
	+14 link
Lady Eris Posts: 162 4/25/2015	I would also add my voice to those pleading that new content isn't gone forever at the end of the month. First of all, as others have said, when the writing is as good as it is in this game, to scrap so much of it in this way would be a heartbreaking waste. But also, if the content is tied to a particular month, it would have to be standalone, because you couldn't rely on all that month's EFs having seen any of the previous EF content. Personally, I find continuing narratives - or at least overarching story arcs - to be more satisfying, both as a player/reader, and a writer. I would suggest that if you're having to generate new content every month, removing the constraint that it all be entirely standalone - and allowing sequels and plot development - will make the writers' jobs a lot easier as well. For that reason, some of the suggestions above, such as the stories being presented in a 'Month 1', 'Month 2' sequence, or a menu to choose from (with 'you need to have played "X story" first' and potentially the option to buy a limited number of additional stories open to Exceptional Friends), sound very good to me, and I hope you'll consider them. Edited because punctuation: it matters. edited by Lady Eris on 4/25/2015 -- Lady Eris Psmith, Society darling, devoted wife. Dangerous when crossed. Accepts most social invitations. Distributor of Parabolan Kittens. Welcomes new acquaintances, especially those who write 'in character'. William Templeton, Viscount Manningham, newcomer, gentleman, all-round good egg - accepting absolutely all invitations.
	+10 link
Hannah Flynn Administrator Posts: 491 4/27/2015	We've taken all of this on board, and we're considering making Exceptional Stories available after 3 months at a premium. So, if you miss out on a story it won't disappear forever, but you will always get the best deal by being an Exceptional Friend. -- Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
	+6 link
BlakeTheDrake Posts: 237 4/22/2015	I bet this change will trouble a lot of people... changing payment-options always do. It works equally well for me, though, and I won't have to remember to renew my friendship every month. The only thing I'm gonna miss is doing that clever trick where you make sure you're mostly out of Actions when your friendship expires, and then immediately buying a NEW friendship, netting you a full candle - and hence, 20 'free actions' as a bonus. ^_^ Still, while it's all the same to me, I don't think the whole 'story is gone forever after a month' thing is a very good idea. It's certainly going to disincentivize anyone NEW who comes along, since they can't get onboard at day one. Just knowing that there are stories you will never play is likely to cause a 'sour grapes' reaction, making you go "Well, then, why should I pay for the FUTURE stories? I'll never see them all anyway..." Here's an alternative idea - how 'bout the 'monthly stories' always starts from the first when someone signs up? Basically, rather than being tied to a specific month, they'd be tied to the number of months that has passed since you signed up. Would make it easier to make them interdependent, like a serial. An overarching plot! For damn sure, it'd keep the subscribers subscribing... -- One of these days, I will remember to record interesting things in my journal... http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/BlakeTheDrake
	+6 link
Tektotherriggen Posts: 19 4/23/2015	Ginneon Thursday wrote: ...Having joined FL only a year ago (and missing out on some Kickstarter backer content), I do rather like this idea... I'm in the same position as Ginneon, and I completely agree with BlakeTheDrake and genesis about a "sour grapes" feeling. I know it's completely illogical to feel that way about content that I probably wouldn't miss if I didn't know it existed. I know that it's my personality flaw rather than Failbetter's "fault", and that loads of other Kickstarters do the same. But it's a feeling nevertheless, and makes me feel just a smidgen less welcome as a new player. Also, as a fan of "games as art" (and I do think that FL's writing is good enough to deserve that label), I love to imagine that, in the distant future, a FL server will still exist as some nearly-forgotten subroutine on the networked smartwatch of a grandson of a Failbetter employee, and one or two people discover it every year. Vanishing content makes that vision just a little less interesting. Having said all that, at least this is better than "special deals" for new players that existing, loyal players can't get. Don't copy the banks! -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Tektotherriggen Interested in any fair social interaction.
	+6 link
Hannah Flynn Administrator Posts: 491 4/22/2015	Subscriptions can be paid for by card, and we're working on Paypal support at the moment. It won't be possible to use SuperRewards for subscriptions. You'll be charged $7 for a month, and it's a rolling subscription until you decide to switch it off. You could subscribe for one month if you wanted by unticking the rolling option straight away. Current Exceptional Friendships will be honoured, so if you've been in the habit of buying Nex at bulk with the idea of using some for Exceptional Friendship, you have the opportunity to top up your Exceptional Friendship now, at the current rate. We thought prudent to give you some notice for that reason. I'm digging into the exchange rate question a bit more today. I'll get back to you! -- Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
	+5 link
Ian Hart Posts: 437 4/23/2015	Wonderful news! I've bought Exceptional Friendship out through next year in anticipation. I have done research on Paypal for my day job, and there are complaints about their currency conversion rates/fees, but I'm sure you'll look into that on your own. I've done a (probably excessive) amount of thinking about having "story a month" be a storable resource, gained at the start of each month, spendable on any exceptional friendship story written so far. I think it's a great idea, and that there are some cool things you could do with it. I know I won't be missing any stories, but being able to tell my friends "oh my god, you have to play the story from August of last year, you'd love it" would definitely help me sell them on exceptional friendship. So in addition to that, I think the following could make that idea even better: A) The "store" storylet where you spend "story a month" could use qualities to ensure that sequential monthly stories are played in order. You could even have a story require some progress quality (scholar of the correspondence, for example) and the player could simply return wait to buy it until they earn the quality. You'd just have to add in meta text something like [You must complete Weekend at Schlomo's first] to let the player know which story (or stories) they have to play first. B) Having a section of the forum accessible to Exceptional Friends where we can discuss the (obviously fate-locked) content of the stories, and give advice on which ones are "must play" for players who weren't Exceptional Friends since the first month. C) The store would also be nicely expandable, where you could add options to reminisce about a month's story, pay Nex/months to replay a story, or pay Nex for a fate-locked continuation. D) You could put part of the store in the House of Chimes and part of it outside (your lodgings?) to help players identify which stories can only be played while still an Exceptional Friend. E) I would love the option to buy additional "story a month" credits (especially if they can be spent to replay finished stories) either with Nex or with cash. Two totally unrelated questions to the above breakdown; 1) what date/time will the transition happen? I'm trying to convince my friends to stock up via Nex, and that would help. 2) Will the content be low-level, mid-level, high-level, level-free, or a mix? I suspect it'll be a lot of level-free content to accommodate low level players without having everything be trivial to high level players, but I would find that a little disappointing. I'd much rather have it be high-level (making it something to aspire to for low level player), or have the player be able to chose their own difficulty/reward by making choices in the story (ideally signposted with something like [Pursuing the truth about Dr Schlomo is recommended for players with Watchful of 100 or more]). -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Antifinity
	+5 link
SamNorrey Posts: 41 4/30/2015	First things first: I really appreciate the changes, both the idea of the exceptional stories (and the actual story we got), and the bigger deck. My only issue is communication. I play the game daily, but only check the forums occasionally, around once a month or two (mostly when seasonal or new events come up). I would have appreciated a notification in any other channel, especially as I might have topped up my subscription with Nex, had I known I should. As for the channels, nothing new has to be invented. There's the notice box in the Messages tab, where a link to this announcement could have been placed with little effort. Also, I have allowed direct messages from StoryNexus in case "There is an announcement about the game", which I believe would apply to this. Being notified of such a change seems a bit more relevant than getting an email that Time, the darling, has called again. So my request is, please, don't make this forum your only place for announcements. It's slightly annoying that even though I play throughout most of the day, every day of the week, I would have had to directly visit the forums instead of receiving an in-game announcement or a direct message. Feels like it's my duty to seek out information in case something changes, instead of being informed of relevant updates. -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/Sam~Norrey
	+5 link
NiteBrite Posts: 1019 4/25/2015	Honestly, with it being a monthly thing I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if it worked like seasonal content (ie, repeats but different). Like if it branches enough, you would get repeatability straight away. Or carry over stuff from last year for a meta deja vu expereince. It'd probably make sense for FBG to repeat the stories like that too so that they aren't reinventing the wheel every year. I mentioned the weekly content codes because that's how they were -supposed- to work. They were stated as intended to repeat over the course of a year. If you think about like FoTER or Sacksmas, you can play two or three of those and still have new content to deal with the next year. I have a strong feeling thats how this will work, and you won't -truely- be locked out forever. Since this has a very strong vibe of weekly content codes but this time for fate. (side note, it'd be hillarious if we had a Year of Revolution focused on each member of the Calendar Council. March's story, lets go find out more about coffee ~for some reason~. Or February, time to visit the Forgotten Quarter. That'd be the best) edited by NiteBrite on 4/25/2015 -- I AM currently accepting calling cards. Stats loss counter: reset, irrigo equivalent: none [00:34] <@ortab> NiteBrite's laugh is that of a condemned soul gazing into the abyss. Merciless Modiste avatar by Paul Arendt (based on an original image by Joe England) http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/TheBriteModiste
	+5 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/2/2015	hunk wrote: Well that is weird, since they are actaully using two payment methods and the second payment method, was only put in place for the Exceptional Friendship membership. It would have been just as easy to say that from now on, EF is going to be automatically renewed using your Nex, unless you uncheck the subscription box. It appears to be nothing more that an attempt to take advantage of automatically renewing subscriptions, and it de-values Nex in the process. We looked at that option... and it was really complicated. One of the reasons we nade at the switch was the constant flow of support requests from people confused by a subscription for virtual currency, not real currency. If we supported a Nex-based subscription and a cash-based subscription, we'd have to deal with things like what happens when you run out of Nex in mid subscription, or how we deal with people who want to switch between the two. There were answers to this, but no good, easily communicated, technologically simple ones. 'Take advantage of automatically renewing subscriptions...' It was always weird that we weren't auto-renewing subscriptions for cash, unlike practically every other company on the Web, and the reason that we didn't was simply down to limited tech resource back in the day. Of course we'd switch over when we could. Asking for money for premium content is not a weird, shady cash-grab. We're very clear about what we're offering, and we try our damnedest to offer good value.
	+5 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/4/2015	hunk wrote: Might that mean you are thinking of retiring Nex altogether, and use real currency values instead? I hear what you're saying, and I wouldn't rule it out, but probably not. There are lots of little purchases in choices in stories that make sense as virtual currency purchases, and would be a pain as individual microtransactions; same with action refreshes. It would also mean we couldn't give away Fate in-game. The test for me is what feels weird from expectations in other games. It always felt weird to sell a subscription with virtual currency, but it would also feel weird to sell the smaller nuggets of content for cash.
	+5 link
Danko Posts: 142 5/2/2015	I actually think this is a great direction for Failbetter to take business-wise. From what I've seen from the past (or read, more like it), FB always struggled to make much profit from Fallen London, and as such the content updates were infrequent. With this change FB will now receive a steady stream of monthly cash from loyal friends, and we will receive new beautiful content every month. The sudden change may not suit everyone, but I think Fallen London (and all of us players) will only profit from it in the long term. I have to say I'm also glad that now that the Sunless Sea is released FB can switch more of its attention towards Fallen London - as much as I've found Sunless Sea beautiful and captivating, Fallen London is the game to play for years to come, any time, any place, and I for this I love it. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Danko
	+4 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/2/2015	Danko wrote: I actually think this is a great direction for Failbetter to take business-wise. From what I've seen from the past (or read, more like it), FB always struggled to make much profit from Fallen London, and as such the content updates were infrequent. With this change FB will now receive a steady stream of monthly cash from loyal friends, and we will receive new beautiful content every month. Thanks! You're right - Fallen London has never paid all of our bills. We want to be able to devote writing resource to it permanently, and this is the most reliable way to do it.
	+4 link
Marianne Anders Posts: 127 4/23/2015	I like the changes that are coming about! re: the extra stories, maybe a way to maintain their month-by-month value and encourage maintaining an Exceptional Friend subscription would be to make them just...free for the month they appear, and then afterwards to charge a few points of Fate to catch up? mostly, I just really don't like the idea of all that story just...disappearing into the fogs after a month. I feel like it should have a higher value, you know? edited by Marianne Anders on 4/23/2015 -- Not all who wander are lost. Sometimes, they are very lost. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Marianne~Anders
	+4 link
dov Posts: 2580 4/22/2015	Hannah Flynn wrote: Exceptional Friends will now receive: EXCEPTIONAL STORIES A substantial, stand-alone story exclusively for Exceptional Friends, every single month. Tales of suspense, romance and adventure. Bigger opportunity deck Your opportunity deck will now hold up to 10 cards. (Edit: your deck, not your hand - hand size is still determined by lodgings.) Both of these sound great! Hannah Flynn wrote: We’re also moving Exceptional Friendship to a subscription. Subscribe, and you’ll receive the new stories and all the above perks every month – but of course, there’ll be a box you can untick at any time if you want to stop. Can you please elaborate more on how this will practically work? Is the payment one time for a period of a few months in advance? Are we giving you authorization to charge us the $7 each month? Through which payment options? Hannah Flynn wrote: If you have Nex stored up to put into Exceptional Friendship, you might want to top up now, as from next week Exceptional Friendship will be sold in USD rather than Nex. By "top up", do you mean to buy right now Exceptional Friendship multiple times?If I buy it 3 times now with Nex, does it mean I'll have the Friendship (with the new bonuses) for the next 3 months? How will existing Friendships be affected? In general, it's unfortunate that this won't be Nex based in the future. I usually buy a big amount of Nex at a time, and then over several months use it where I think appropriate - sometimes it will be on holiday content, some months it feels right to me to buy Exceptional Friendship. This change means I'll have to be much more calculated in advance on how much money to put into the game, since I won't be able to choose its usage later. -- Want a sip of Hesperidean Cider? Send me a request in-game. Here's an_ocelot's guide how. (Most social actions are welcome. Please no requests to Loiter Suspiciously and no investigations of the Affluent Photographer)
	+4 link
Kylestien Posts: 749 4/21/2015	Alas, then I am afraid I can no longer be a Exceptional Friend. For various reasons payment by mobile and thus fate were my only real options. May I request you look into a mobile payment option? I would love to keep my friendship. -- I will accept all actions, though I hold the right to refuse for my own reasons. However, if you explain WHY you send me a harmful action like Loitering or Dantes,And I feel the reason good, I will consider it more. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Kylestien Persuasive patron. You want a lesson, send me a message asking for one.
	+4 link
Lady Eris Posts: 162 4/22/2015	I tend to use Nex in the way in the way dov outlines above - I buy quite a lot a few times a year and then spend it as things come up, on content or on Exceptional Friendship. This means I dip in and out of Exceptional Friendship - I tend to let it lapse if I'm away or too busy to play, and pick it up again later. (I'm probably an Exceptional Friend at least 75% of the time). I have always liked the flexibility of this feature, as I tend to be wary of subscriptions, but I can understand why Failbetter would prefer a model with a more predictable income stream, especially if they are going to tie it to the expense of committing to new content. So while I might need to rethink how I budget for my FL expenses, on balance, for me the new content and the bigger deck more than compensate for the loss of flexibility, and the extra quid and change per month shouldn't be hard to find. I do hope a solution can be found for the people who can't manage to subscribe by the proposed method, though. edited by Lady Eris on 4/22/2015 -- Lady Eris Psmith, Society darling, devoted wife. Dangerous when crossed. Accepts most social invitations. Distributor of Parabolan Kittens. Welcomes new acquaintances, especially those who write 'in character'. William Templeton, Viscount Manningham, newcomer, gentleman, all-round good egg - accepting absolutely all invitations.
	+3 link
Vozw Posts: 8 4/26/2015	I don't have the seniority of some of the posters here, but I must agree that the sour grapes reaction about disappearing content does exist, illogical as it may be. I think making it work like seasonal content is a much better idea than creating entirely new stories each month, as this lets you refine the stories more/prevents you guys from running out of ideas and having to make a subpar story because the monthly deadline's coming up. -- A seeker of Seeking. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Vozw
	+3 link
genesis Posts: 924 4/25/2015	The reason this is different from Basking in Light is that this is fate locked. Although I am not a fan of no longer being able it's sort of ok because it has been plenty discusses on forums and blogs and you can participate in that story development at least vicariously. In the case of fate-locked content nothing goes on thr wiki and all forum discussion is super cagey and laboured, at best - relying on coded phrases and PMs. This means that even if you are a Fate-paying user you are locked out of effective participation if you had real life interfere for a month. As for weekly codes, that's basically one of the reason I feel strongly about that issue. I wasn't playing at the time and it's very frustrating to come across content that I am barred from no matter how many hours and pounds I sink into the game. So from my (again very subjective) perspective, the comparison with weekly content is not at all favourable. At least the recent reappearance of De Gustibus suggests that older weekly content will eventually reappear... -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/mikey_thinkin Keeping track of incomplete content and loose ends in Fallen London
	+3 link
Azador Posts: 1 4/30/2015	"Oh, right, my EF subscription just ran out, better go spend some more of that Nex from my bulk purchase a while ago." "Hmm. Doesn't work anymore? I'm sure I did it here last time..." 10 minutes of digging around before I stumble across this forum, and related thread. So yes, not very happy about the complete in-game silence related to this rather substantial change. I also spend my Nex almost exclusively on EF subscriptions, so that's just a large dead weight in my pocket now. Ah well, I'll miss my double candles. =\
	+3 link
Hannah Flynn Administrator Posts: 491 4/28/2015	Danko wrote: So I have a quick, but important question - when exactly this week will the change go live? Or, in simpler words - do I still have a couple of days to become Exceptional Friend with NEX? All technical things being well, the change will go ahead tomorrow (Wednesday). If you're waiting to stock up on Exceptional Friendship, the message is: don't wait! Edit: The change has been made! Story is incoming, exceptional friends! edited by h4nchan on 4/29/2015 -- Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
	+3 link
MissCrumpet Posts: 113 5/2/2015	I was initially excited to hear about the addition of stories for Exceptional Friends, especially since I've stopped purchasing access now that I'm close to the stat and content cap. However, I'm disappointed with the change as well. I really wish this had been announced somewhere other than the forums, since I have been busy at work and haven't checked the forums recently. I would happily use Nex to purchase EF, but I'm wary of subscribing and frustrated that the old method of becoming an Exceptional Friend has been eliminated without sufficient warning. Aside from this, the idea that the stories will disappear is not very appealing, for many of the reasons mentioned above. For one thing, if the stories are so discardable, it suggests to me that the stories aren't worth it. It is saying "if you don't pay now, you'll miss it forever!" and that suggests that it's written more for profit than to enhance the game. I'm certainly not opposed to giving you guys money - I gladly purchased Nex for access to several stories, EF membership, special companions at the feast, etc. - but this rubs me the wrong way. It is probably wholly irrational, but nonetheless makes me less willing to subscribe. Finally, I like the suggestions other made that the stories be progressive. It would eliminate my worry that I'm purchasing content for content's sake, as I would be assured that the writing was part of something larger. Also, it could work similarly to an ambition, where beginning stories do not require high stats, but things become more difficult as you progress. That would allow players of all levels to feel excited. Overall, I love this change in theory but I'm not happy with the execution. Maybe if I hear great things... edited by MissCrumpet on 5/2/2015 -- Julia C, a creatively named lady. I am always looking to expand my circle of acquaintances and enjoy pleasant social interactions.
	+3 link
Aodyssey Posts: 43 4/30/2015	I'd like to add my voice to the group of people being upset about the lack of notification. It should not be that Failbetter announces such changes only on the Forum instead of other channels such as Facebook, Twitter, or the Game proper? I count myself fortunate to not have spent money to buy the now less-worth Nex, but I have no doubt that there are people who brought Nex recently; or even had a high amount of Nex in stores who missed the top-up period. Will there be a grace period for such people, and will Failbetter addresses the issue? -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Aoditor - a frequently moral upholder of standards, possessing mysterious and indistinct qualities; countenance; loyalties. Promoted from Pawn to Knight piece of the Great Game. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Char_name - a lady from across the Zee, advocate of Khaganian supremacy. Trying to be cruel. Under the generous auspices of the ever estimable Sam Stephens, an Extraordinary Mind.
	+3 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/2/2015	We're generally very careful about announcements, as you know. But we wanted to soft-launch this change because there were so many moving parts on the technical side, and we were worried we might have to roll back or make an unexpected change.. You may have noticed we do something similar with some content changes - we tell the forums, check everything's OK, and then tell the world. We hadn't realised this would disgruntle anyone, and we always listen to feedback. I'm not going to commit to us telling everyone everything up front every time, but it is something we'll listen to and think about.
	+3 link
Marianne Anders Posts: 127 5/2/2015	I honestly have not been playing that long - maybe consistently for about...wow, seven to eight months now. It did seem like the unexpected change was what made people the most unhappy here, though - that and the fact that it was about money and new story. :/ The Plans addition didn't have nearly the same amount of backlash, but it was more of an addition than a change to a structure already present and established in the game (although it seems they were equally needed). I think that's what might have made the difference in reaction. I know that you guys are pretty hardcore awesome, though, and I know that you wouldn't be making changes that weren't actually needed, and I really appreciate the dialogues that you're willing to have with your fanbase. thank you for handling all this so well! edited by Marianne Anders on 5/2/2015 -- Not all who wander are lost. Sometimes, they are very lost. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Marianne~Anders
	+2 link
Briella Posts: 13 5/27/2015	The new features that come with being an Exceptional Friend are very welcome. The new subscribe system not so much. For those of us unable to subscribe with a credit card it locks us out of experiencing the new content. I would very much like to be an Exceptional Friend and support Failbetter but it's just not viable for me with the current system. I'm sure there are other people in the same predicament. I hope you guys will take that into consideration. The Paypal method (if implemented) is looking like it might be the only viable option for people in my situation. I'd also like to say that I'm really going to miss the option to become an Exceptonal Friend using Nex. It was super convenient. From what I gathered from reading this thread, that option seems unlikely to make a comeback which is a shame.
	+2 link
Lady Taimi Felix Posts: 202 5/31/2015	Yes. If you click on your name in the upper right and select 'edit your account', the lower-left corner has a subscriptions box. It will either read: 'you have no subscriptions' or 'cancel your subscription'. -- Lady Taimi Felix: Devoted Wife. Invisible Eminence. Patron of the Shadowy Arts. Monster Hunter. Lady of Adventure. Exceptionally Lethal. Loves a Good Chat over Coffee.
	+2 link
ruen Posts: 47 5/1/2015	Alexis Kennedy wrote: Candidly, we didn't think there was that much stockpiling of Nex! And there are always plenty of other things to spend Nex on; and there will be more. But we always prefer to do the right thing, so: If you had purchased Nex in bulk before the end of April, mail us (support@failbettergames.com) and we'll purchase up to 12 months of EF with it, at a 35 Nex a month. We'll keep doing this until end May, and we'll let existing EFs know in an email update. I personally really appreciate this, thank you! For being fair, and making players feel like they're listened to. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ruen
	+2 link
Alistair Cray Posts: 114 4/30/2015	Completely agree that this change has caught me unaware. I just recently gifted someone 100 Fate and did not pester them long enough to get an EF - now I doubt they will get it at all. -- Fallen London profile My browser extensions: Chandlery \| Playing Favourites
	+2 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/2/2015	MissCrumpet wrote: I'm wary of subscribing.. Aside from this, the idea that the stories will disappear is not very appealing The happy answers to this probably got lost in the thread: - you can subscribe and immediately unsubscribe (some people are already doing that), then purchase subscription again next month; - the stories will be available again, for a higher price, as back issue orders three months or so further on.
	+2 link
Bellisbroke Posts: 7 5/12/2015	Will it be possible to buy a subscription for someone else without needing to give them your credit card info? As it was, the option of giving a Box of A Hundred Wonders was a great way of giving a hand up to a friend who's met with hard times--or to receive such a hand oneself.
	+2 link
ruen Posts: 47 4/30/2015	Speaking as someone who doesn't check the forum or FL social media very often, it would have been nice to have more than a week's notice on the change, or to get a heads up in the top banner. I definitely would have spent some last-minute fate. EDIT: Except this change wasn't posted on FL social media at all, was it? And it came right on the heels of a functionality change--the Plans--there was actual effort to publicize. Maybe I'm the only one with this opinion, but I don't think the way this was rolled out is ok at all. edited by ruen on 4/30/2015 -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ruen
	+2 link
Corran Posts: 401 4/30/2015	ruen wrote: Speaking as someone who doesn't check the forum or FL social media very often, it would have been nice to have more than a week's notice on the change, or to get a heads up in the top banner. I definitely would have spent some last-minute fate. EDIT: Except this change wasn't posted on FL social media at all, was it? And it came right on the heels of a functionality change--the Plans--there was actual effort to publicize. Maybe I'm the only one with this opinion, but I don't think the way this was rolled out is ok at all. I agree; more of a heads up would have been rather nice. I got very lucky and saw the forum post a day before the change; it was my first visit to the forum in probably two months. I immediately farmed all my Nex into Exceptional Friendship and mine now lasts till July next year. I can imagine how I would have felt had I found out only today. -- My Fallen London profile
	+2 link
Richard Niles Stark Posts: 2 4/25/2015	There could be a happy medium reached wherein some of the monthly content is time-dependent, and fits into a chronology. This gives that feeling of veterancy, or an "I was there!" boasting right. But to have ALL the monthly content locked away forever is nothing more than cutting off your nose to spite your face. There's no doubt in my mind that there many people out there who have yet to discover Fallen London. And many of them would be more than willing to purchase as much back material as the developers allow. And I enthusiastically agree that many of these stories should be interconnected, and part of a longer story arc. Not all of them, but enough to be able to bring out a feeling of suspense, wondering what the next month has in store.
	+2 link
thedeadlymoose Posts: 214 4/25/2015	I am unbelievably excited for these monthly stories! I hope this new experiment works! I play Fallen London constantly, so I'll get a ton of value out of the deeper deck. I mean, I clearly thought it was enough value as-is because I've been constantly subscribing for a long time, so this is even more appealing. I admit, I had a weird reaction initially to the idea of permanent potential loss of stories, even though... I am presently very unlikely to actually miss any of these stories. Would definitely feel bummed if a month comes along when I can'r afford the $7, but that wouldn't be for a while. I do have to admit it might have put me off up front as a consideration for subscribing. Though I'm not sure that's not exactly rational??? I don't know. I mean, I was never bothered by the other retired stories. Maybe it's different because it involves Fate, so these stories can't be publicly recorded except for very partially in journals? NiteBrite wrote: Honestly, with it being a monthly thing I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if it worked like seasonal content (ie, repeats but different). Like if it branches enough, you would get repeatability straight away. Or carry over stuff from last year for a meta deja vu expereince. It'd probably make sense for FBG to repeat the stories like that too so that they aren't reinventing the wheel every year. I'd love this. I also love the suggestion that certain stories might make a return and expand, or that they might build off each other. So exciting! -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/profile/Eris~Jay http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/profile/Red~Rose
	+2 link
Lady Eris Posts: 162 4/22/2015	Rackenhammer wrote: Is the amount fixed, or an estimation of a Dollars to Pounds conversion rate? As a round $7 is the rather un-round £4.68 sterling, I'm assuming they're using USD rather than GBP. Either that or the pricing reflects some arcane numerical symbolism. (Admittedly, the latter is probably not impossible). -- Lady Eris Psmith, Society darling, devoted wife. Dangerous when crossed. Accepts most social invitations. Distributor of Parabolan Kittens. Welcomes new acquaintances, especially those who write 'in character'. William Templeton, Viscount Manningham, newcomer, gentleman, all-round good egg - accepting absolutely all invitations.
	+2 link
Richard Niles Stark Posts: 2 4/25/2015	I had a question regarding the subscription, and a comment.... The question: Let's say I subscribe as an exceptional friend for the month of May and beyond, but I (for whatever reason) cannot log into FL for the entire month of June, even though I have paid for the subscription. Will the June story still be available when I return in July or August? And now the comment: The writing of FL is so fantastic that it would be a shame and a travesty for the monthly content to disappear forever once that month has passed, especially for those who have yet to discover this gem of gems. It would essentially be going to waste to purposely withhold this content Therefore, I very strongly suggest that previous months' stories be made available as fate locked content, for a price at LEAST as much as the cost of a monthly subscription, per story. There are times when I am unable to log in for one or several months at a time, and it is always heartbreaking to see that I have missed content during my absence that I cannot ever return to enjoy. If I had the chance, I would gladly pay a premium to be able to experience that content. I am definitely going to pay the monthly subscription fee to be an exceptional friend. I am merely concerned for those out there in the Wilderness who will be discovering Fallen London in the years to come. Cheers!
	+2 link
dragonridingsorceress Posts: 622 4/22/2015	I am saddened by the thought that there will be content which I will never get the chance to see. Exceptional Friendship is something special that I do rarely. I would consider it an extra incentive to actually buy it if it unlocked multiple Exceptional Stories. As things stand, having seen all the stories in the House of Chimes, the only reason I'd get EF now would be the extra actions - and soon, deck size. Delicious new (to me) content would be more likely to attract my dollars. I'd even be willing to pay a small extra bit of Nex to unlock each past story, if you're wanting to maintain some exclusivity. -- DragonRidingSorceress is an Author of good standing. Mostly good standing. She's happy to accept any social action except Photographer and Loitering, but requests warnings before duping/poisoning/etc. Seeker of Names is a... being with an obsession. They're willing to accept all invitations. One who seeks to know all that is and may be. One who dances in the silence of the void. One whose fantasies make the reality come alive.
	+2 link
genesis Posts: 924 4/22/2015	Eeh. I am generally exceptionally averse to the idea of transitory content, especially if it's paid for. So while the idea of starting the countdown at the sign-up is marginally better it doesn't address (what I, personally, see as) the crux of the issue. Don't get me wrong, Exceptional Friendship is an excellent deal even without new content and I'd pay for it in any case but those sour grapes, yep they be very sour indeed. May I ask what the motivation for that is? I understand the desire to keep the content exclusive and fresh but there are many ways of achieving the same. For example, you could have a storylet in the House of Chimes that allows you to pick any of the previously released stories but only one per month. This way you both keep it exclusive to the Exceptional Friends and keep it fresh as noone will be able to just play through all of them in the same month. -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/mikey_thinkin Keeping track of incomplete content and loose ends in Fallen London
	+2 link
Ginneon Thursday Posts: 265 4/22/2015	Currently, every time I buy Nex with my credit card I pay a foreign transaction fee (a flat fee of 1.25 usd, I believe), which is one of the reasons I like buying Nex in bulk. Since the fee would essentially bump up the monthly cost from $7 to $8.25, it would be wonderful to pay for several months at once. BlakeTheDrake wrote: Here's an alternative idea - how 'bout the 'monthly stories' always starts from the first when someone signs up? Basically, rather than being tied to a specific month, they'd be tied to the number of months that has passed since you signed up. Would make it easier to make them interdependent, like a serial. An overarching plot! For damn sure, it'd keep the subscribers subscribing... Having joined FL only a year ago (and missing out on some Kickstarter backer content), I do rather like this idea. A story-of-the-month could be doled out for every month you are a member. This would also circumvent a potential exploit where people buy Exceptional Friendship in the middle of the month and get access to two stories and then cancel again on the 15th (meaning one could access 12 stories while paying for only six months). The third alternative of having monthly memberships that always expire at the end of the month also seems suboptimal (for one, it would most likely discourage players - especially new players - from signing up if it's not the beginning of the month). Logistical thoughts aside, I'm very excited about these additions! -- Ginneon Thursday: Revelrous Professor of Benthic Departments of Mycoenology, Lepidoptery
	+2 link
Marcus of the Mangrove College Posts: 157 4/23/2015	200 days of Exceptional Friendship stored up. Let's go. On another note, when will this be happening? -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Torterrable
	+2 link
Kylestien Posts: 749 4/21/2015	All I want to say is this: As someone who keeps getting Exceptional Friendship by fate currently, I'd like the option to just pay once per month at my leisure with fate as it is now. I find it easier for me to just spend a bit of fate which I can get from the super rewards mobile option when I top it up, and doubtless with a subscription i would need to go though all the hassle of credit cards and the like. edited by Kylestien on 4/21/2015 -- I will accept all actions, though I hold the right to refuse for my own reasons. However, if you explain WHY you send me a harmful action like Loitering or Dantes,And I feel the reason good, I will consider it more. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Kylestien Persuasive patron. You want a lesson, send me a message asking for one.
	+1 link
Hannah Flynn Administrator Posts: 491 4/21/2015	Kylestien wrote: All I want to say is this: As someone who keeps getting Exceptional Friendship by fate currently, I'd like the option to just pay once per month at my leisure with fate as it is now. I find it easier for me to just spend a bit of fate which I can get from the super rewards mobile option when I top it up, and doubtless with a subscription i would need to go though all the hassle of credit cards and the like. edited by Kylestien on 4/21/2015 Unfortunately it's too complex to support both - but we're planning to have Paypal support in the near future as another option. -- Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
	+1 link
genesis Posts: 924 4/21/2015	Yes, I did mean for Exception Friends. I understand the desire to keep them exclusive to Exceptional Friends but I am less hot on the idea of transient content that you can miss forever because you had a deadline that month or had a wedding to plan or whatever other things real life can throw at you. -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/mikey_thinkin Keeping track of incomplete content and loose ends in Fallen London
	+1 link
lady ciel Posts: 2548 4/21/2015	Questions - If I am already an Exceptional Friend when the change happens will I have access to the story and 10 card opportunity deck? Why US Dollars? I'm sure my bank adds charges for payments in other currencies so having a subscription for all my alts might end up being expensive. -- ciel Sorry RL means I am not a very active player at the moment. No social actions unless you are prepared to wait and definitely no sparring or other mult-action things. No Calling Cards or boxed cats please. Will take dupes on the affluent photographers. Other social invitations welcome. Parabolan Kittens usually available, send me an in-game social action saying you want one and I will get one to you as soon as possible. storynexus name - reveurciel
	+1 link
bitterhorn Posts: 61 4/21/2015	I am already calculating the number of cigarettes per day I will have to refrain from smoking in order to net an additional $7/month. I'm pretty sure it's less than one. -- Marsh(-)mark(ed) thurifer, bookkeeper, &c. of Blackfen-on-Zee; Bazaarine aesthete, unnatural historian, thing-about-town. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/bitterhorn
	+1 link
phryne Posts: 1351 4/26/2015	NiteBrite wrote: I think the 12 Days of Mr Sacks lets you put it off for a long time after starting it. It was definitely open indefinitely once started a few years back, but I haven't tested this since Penestocks Wicket became a thing. I'd imagine it still works that way (can anyone confirm?) Yes, I can confirm this. I only started playing in January and knew I wouldn't get enough Taste of Lacre for the fancier Penstock things, so I took my time about Mr Sacks. The Feast of the Rose was already under way when I finished the story, and at no point was I told that I had to finish until Day X. I probably could've discarded the Day 12 opp card indefinitely. -- Accounts: Bag a Legend • Light Fingers • Heart's Desire • Nemesis • no ambition Exceptional Stories, sorted by Season and by writer ― Favours & Renown Guide
	+1 link
NiteBrite Posts: 1019 4/25/2015	I find the idea of ephemeral content fascinating. Like, that one year when there was sunlight at the end of FoTER. Yeah it had it's problems (too short only 4 hours long, and completely unannounced), but it generated so much buzz that we are still talking about it two years later. I think, done right, ephemeral content has a place and could provide an interesting diversity of player experience as time goes on. Progression goes from being linear one story to the next to branching paths, tales experienced by some on one day that are completely different from those who played the next and now the players get to tell each other stories of content come and past and how it affected them. It will really make the progression of real world time feel like in game time progression whereas the world right now is rather static and can feel paused when you aren't around playing. I dunno, it could be nice. Like, remember when weekly twitter access code content was a thing? It was a nice bonus bit of story that lasted a short amount of time and not everyone played it, but overall it added something to the play experience. And it wasn't the end of the world if you missed it since it was just a nice bonus but nothing critical. This is just like that, except monthly and FBG gets paid for it via subscription. I'm totally imagining this as three of those short weekly twitter code stories (and nothing more) mashed into one larger story and released monthly. The way I see it, this chimes format fixes the issues most had with the Sunlight. It's well announced in advance, you will know when its going to appear and when its going away and can plan accoridingly. And it will appear for a whole month and allow you to complete it (once started) after that month is up allowing for plenty of time to get cracking at it. This could be very interesting indeed. edited by NiteBrite on 4/25/2015 -- I AM currently accepting calling cards. Stats loss counter: reset, irrigo equivalent: none [00:34] <@ortab> NiteBrite's laugh is that of a condemned soul gazing into the abyss. Merciless Modiste avatar by Paul Arendt (based on an original image by Joe England) http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/TheBriteModiste
	+1 link
navchaa Posts: 561 4/30/2015	I'm another one of those who just found out - especially since I was planning to get a whole bunch of nex to also dole out to a couple of friends to join me as exceptional friends. Guess that isn't going to happen now. -- Paramount Presence (London's Marrow 2, London's Nerves 2, London’s Sinew 3, London’s Blood 3) and mercenary Notary Married to Myrto :: Exchanging Surprise Packages with anyone interested :: Exchanging cat boxes with Kitty Rambunctious http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/navchaa
	+1 link
Estelle Knoht Posts: 1751 4/30/2015	Weird. Usually FBG does do announcement on Twitter and Facebook, but now that you mentioned it I found that the whole EF change is not announced anywhere except on the forum (not even in game). You guys might want to do that now. I would say a grace period for newly notified people to spend their Nex for EF would be great but you guys are probably too busy for now. -- Estelle Knoht, a juvenile, unreliable and respectable lady. I currently do not accept any catbox, cider, suppers, calling cards or proteges.
	+1 link
A B Nile Posts: 414 5/21/2015	Kenshiago wrote: It is VERY disapointing that when you subscribe to exceptional friendship now you don't get 20 free actions, it increases your candle but doesn't give you a whole candle, just a nub to slowly grow when you leave it alone. Is it really? I would suggest that given the increased deck size and new content Exceptional Friendship now brings, you might consider whether being VERY disappointed might seem a little unreasonable. -- My profile: A B Nile My alt: Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate (seeking Acquaintances and accepting all social actions) Item conversion table - finally complete with all rare successes! Bloody, bold and resolute
	+1 link
Hannah Flynn Administrator Posts: 491 5/21/2015	A B Nile wrote: I have arrived at the stage of this month's Exceptional tale that requires me to make the final decision. Will the storylet taking me to that choice remain after the end of the month? Or will it disappear once the June story starts? If you've started the month's story, you can complete it at your leisure - no matter where you're up to when the next story is released. Not long now until the next story! I am getting fidgety to announce it! -- Wields the news canon, aboard the hype train.
	+1 link
Estelle Knoht Posts: 1751 5/21/2015	A matter of luck: this could go either way. -- Estelle Knoht, a juvenile, unreliable and respectable lady. I currently do not accept any catbox, cider, suppers, calling cards or proteges.
	+1 link
MissCrumpet Posts: 113 5/2/2015	Alexis Kennedy wrote: MissCrumpet wrote: I'm wary of subscribing.. Aside from this, the idea that the stories will disappear is not very appealing The happy answers to this probably got lost in the thread: - you can subscribe and immediately unsubscribe (some people are already doing that), then purchase subscription again next month; - the stories will be available again, for a higher price, as back issue orders three months or so further on. Sorry, I did miss the subscribe/unsubscribe option. I'm happy to hear that! I still wish that the stories were more long-term (and connected), but I understand that might not be your goal. I apologize if my post sounded too harsh. I love this game and have spent more money on it than I probably should, but I'm not a fan of the unannounced changes. I wouldn't bother commenting if I didn't care about it! I'll continue to play (and pay) regardless. -- Julia C, a creatively named lady. I am always looking to expand my circle of acquaintances and enjoy pleasant social interactions.
	+1 link
ruen Posts: 47 4/30/2015	I am very glad I'm not the only one upset about the lack of announcement about this change. It's like...if you buy a gift card for a restaurant, the restaurant can't later say that gift cards can only be used for appetizers and you still have to pay for your entree. They can of course begin selling appetizer-only gift cards, but they can't retroactively apply the same limit what they've already sold under different rules. The money has already been spent and should be allowed to be used for its original intended purpose. I paid money for Nex with the expectation that it could be used for exceptional friendship, and found out a day late that the rules had been changed with suspiciously minimal effort to notify me. Now I've spent money that I wish I hadn't, and I'm extremely disinclined to ever spend more. Did Failbetter not think that people might have some issues with this? -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ruen
	+1 link
Emain Ablach Posts: 348 5/1/2015	ruen wrote: I paid money for Nex with the expectation that it could be used for exceptional friendship, and found out a day late that the rules had been changed with suspiciously minimal effort to notify me. Now I've spent money that I wish I hadn't, and I'm extremely disinclined to ever spend more. Did Failbetter not think that people might have some issues with this? Seems like the short time to buy before the change, and low visibility of the indication of this change, are the main problems. Even though I don't feel the same way as you do about this, I can kind of understand the feeling. edited by Emain Ablach on 5/1/2015 -- Went NORTH. Got salted. Never came back. We won't remember him. https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Emain%20Ablach
	+1 link
Bellmoore Posts: 2 5/1/2015	I'm also annoyed by the lack of notification. I found about the change a day late, while checking whether the increased deck size was a bug. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Bellmoore
	+1 link
Flyte Administrator Posts: 671 5/1/2015	Lord Coward wrote: I feel like an idiot but I cannot see a link to subscribe anywhere I look! Are you currently an Exceptional Friend? If so, don't worry – you'll be able to subscribe from the Nex page once it's expired. (We know it would be nice if you could subscribe right away and first get billed when your current subscription expires – unfortunately, it's difficult or impossible to communicate a requirement of that kind to our payment services provider's systems.)
	+1 link
Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 5/1/2015	navchaa wrote: Sorry to say that this turnaround did nothing for me - i found out yesterday about the change. Was unhappy that had I bought nex 7 days and pre bought the subscription, I'd be fine. Now I find out that if I had bought nex YESTERDAY, I would now be able to get the subscriptions (plus the gift subscriptions I intended to give) I'd wanted. This makes things even worse. I think there's been a misunderstanding - you can still buy a subscription now, and you couldn't buy gift subscriptions before (you could send someone Nex, but that's no different from sending them $7).
	+1 link
Kaigen Posts: 530 5/31/2015	Thank you! I suspected as much, but wanted to confirm before money was charged to my account. -- Just a simple doctor with a chess habit. Publisher of The Flit Dispatch. "One must remember that the impossible is, alas, always possible." -Jacques Derrida
	+1 link
Reshemin Posts: 226 5/3/2015	Estelle Knoht wrote: I guess it is mostly because of money involved, especially when it involves price going up (even if it is better value). Kind of like if a restaurant added a dish to their set meal and charges more, and stopped taking gift certificates for that. You'd have people arriving just to discover they suddenly can't pay for it. Oh, for me it is basically still about payment methods involved. The restaurant suddenly decided you can buy that one dish only with credit card from now on. Unlike with the rest, they won't accept cash on this one any more. Well, they have announced they would be looking into possible cooperation with that one piece of corp trash I've been boycotting for over ten years now (eBay's Bastard Daughter, starts with P...) Nah, I'm not that happy.
	+1 link

Failbetter Games Community

Home ▶ Fallen London » The Bazaar

Exceptional Friendship is Changing!