{"id":15700,"date":"2012-04-23T05:27:40","date_gmt":"2012-04-23T10:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/?p=15700"},"modified":"2012-04-23T05:27:40","modified_gmt":"2012-04-23T10:27:40","slug":"swtor-free-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/?p=15700","title":{"rendered":"SWTOR “Free” Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago I created a SWTOR account, planning to take advantage of the free weekend. But then Mass Effect 3 came out and I played that instead<\/a>. I didn’t even realize that I’d missed the free weekend until Mass Effect 3 was over. I think it was Tuesday when I finally noticed the SWTOR icon on my desktop.<\/p>\n

So then another free weekend came along and I tried to get in. But it wouldn’t let me, because the free weekend was for “new accounts only”. I complained in Twitter, and the TOR twitter minder told me to email support and they would fix me right up.<\/p>\n

I sent an email explaining the problem: I have never logged in. I never used the free weekend promotion. I want to try the game, but the free weekend is only for “new” accounts.<\/em> I was detailed and specific. Two days later (after the free weekend ended) they sent me a reply that just moronically repeated back exactly what I told them. “The free weekend is for new accounts only.” Thank you. You have correctly identified the stupid policy I was asking you to fix \/ reconsider \/ adjust. (More sensible policy: One free weekend per account.)<\/p>\n

I had someone try the invite-a-friend program on me. Same result. You can’t get into the game unless the account is “new”. (New? Like, what? In days? They don’t tell you.) <\/p>\n

I suppose I could create another<\/em> new account. I’m not crazy about this idea. Making a new account is a massive<\/em> pain in the ass. I’m talking about filing-your-taxes level of hassle, here. They make you set up multiple secret questions, and were very, very picky about what my password needed to look like, so much so that I was forced to break from my password-generating system. (They INSIST you use a special character.) Worse, my now-useless SWTOR account is inextricably linked to my EA \/ Origin account. So, if I created a new account for the free weekend I would never be able to join that with my existing EA account. I’d have to go through registration again, using a different email, and then maintain a different set of credentials just for SWTOR, and why am I even contemplating this?<\/p>\n

While I’m annoyed at having my time wasted (downloading the client takes a LONG time, on top of the account-creation paperwork, plus the time wasted trying to idiot-proof my support email) I’m more mad at the sheer single-minded stupidity of the company. On one hand, they are running advertisements and sending out mass emails. Free weekend for new players! Free weekend for existing players! Account extensions! Invite-a-friend!<\/em> They’re begging people to come play this thing. But then I show up with a very minor problem and nobody can do anything about it. <\/p>\n

Isn’t this supposed to be a promotion? Like, to attract new people to the game? I do not feel very attracted by this point. I feel like BioWare owes me for the time I wasted jumping through their hoops. <\/p>\n

The result? I’m playing a lot of Tera<\/a> and Firefall<\/a>. Have you heard about Firefall? I missed it two years in a row at PAX. Then I saw this look at the game from Extra Credits:<\/p>\n