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Introducing Pantheon Seasons: Gameplay for all Pledges

    • VR Staff
    • 576 posts
    February 5, 2024 10:49 AM PST

    Introducing Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen SEASONS

    Chapter 1, Season 1: Into the Pass

    ALL Pledges play. NEW playable areas every 6 weeks. UPDATED Pledge packages.

    Explore the overland region of Avendyr's Pass starting:

    VIP - February 17th.
    Champion - March 16.
    Supporter - March 23.

    Visit www.PantheonMMO.com/seasons for details and please join us on February 8th at 5PM PST (-8 GMT) for a Seasons Q&A. Share your questions or concerns in this thread and we will address those live.

    Haven't had a chance to play Pantheon yet? ALL pledges are invited to visit Terminus for 24 hours before we launch Seasons and AVP. The servers will open on February 10th at 10AM PST. Watch your email for that invite.


    This post was edited by Savanja at February 5, 2024 7:26 PM PST
    • 5 posts
    February 6, 2024 9:57 AM PST

    Hello,

    sounds really cool. I am exited!

     

    Greetings,

    charly


    This post was edited by charly22 at February 6, 2024 9:58 AM PST
    • 33 posts
    February 6, 2024 10:17 AM PST

    This is great news!

    • 23 posts
    February 6, 2024 11:44 AM PST

    Sounds great, will be able to plan some game time in with the set dates. I did do the Knight's pledge back in 2016 so not sure what the equivalent is called now. I imagine it is in the supporter tier?

     

    Cheers guys

    • 41 posts
    February 6, 2024 11:54 AM PST
    Knights pledge from way back should be 2nd tier. We were alpha access. None of the other low tiers even gave beta. I feel like as a whole the idea is great but those early backers who paid for alpha are getting short changed.
    • 8 posts
    February 6, 2024 12:28 PM PST
    Sounds great! I did the Legate Pledge back in 2018 which looks like it makes me a Supporter. Is there a download client? How do I get in?
    • VR Staff
    • 576 posts
    February 6, 2024 12:33 PM PST

    ottawacloset said:

    Sounds great, will be able to plan some game time in with the set dates. I did do the Knight's pledge back in 2016 so not sure what the equivalent is called now. I imagine it is in the supporter tier?

     

    Cheers guys

    Knight's Pledge has Champion access.

    • 41 posts
    February 6, 2024 12:43 PM PST
    Great to know savanja. Thanks for the update, so thankful we get the two weeks!
    • 6 posts
    February 6, 2024 1:25 PM PST

    This sounds like a worthy adventure! Thank you for letting us get some hands on involvement.

    • 31 posts
    February 6, 2024 2:16 PM PST

    Sounds mega awesome, exactly what I wanted.  

    • 6 posts
    February 6, 2024 2:50 PM PST

    Awesome! thank you!

    • 11 posts
    February 6, 2024 2:54 PM PST

    travdood said: Sounds great! I did the Legate Pledge back in 2018 which looks like it makes me a Supporter. Is there a download client? How do I get in?

     

    ALL pledges are invited to visit Terminus for 24 hours before we launch Seasons and AVP. The servers will open on February 10th at 10AM PST. Watch your email for that invite.

    • 2 posts
    February 6, 2024 4:06 PM PST
    Are you kidding me?! I paid $300 to have alpha access early. Now you change it and the only consolation is I get 1 more week than people who paid $50?!?! I feel robbed! You lied to me. After waiting 8 years for alpha then it not working you decide this is best?! All you've done is make my purchase basically worthless!! I should have never invested the amount I did. Thanks for stealing my money!
    • VR Staff
    • 391 posts
    February 6, 2024 4:32 PM PST

    Geodee said: Are you kidding me?! I paid $300 to have alpha access early. Now you change it and the only consolation is I get 1 more week than people who paid $50?!?! I feel robbed! You lied to me. After waiting 8 years for alpha then it not working you decide this is best?! All you've done is make my purchase basically worthless!! I should have never invested the amount I did. Thanks for stealing my money!

    Currently, you will get 1 more week per each season than supporter testing access. However, that doesn't mean we won't open Champion tester access for more access at a later date. 

    • 44 posts
    February 6, 2024 4:45 PM PST

    Geodee said: Are you kidding me?! I paid $300 to have alpha access early. Now you change it and the only consolation is I get 1 more week than people who paid $50?!?! I feel robbed! You lied to me. After waiting 8 years for alpha then it not working you decide this is best?! All you've done is make my purchase basically worthless!! I should have never invested the amount I did. Thanks for stealing my money!

    I paid $100 for a Knight's pledge years ago, which included Alpha access, among other perks. I could take the same stance as you, but I would rather focus on the positive aspects of:

    A) This will help generate more testing data for the VR team.

    B) The additional revenue this might generate for VR in the form of new pledges and pledge upgrades could allow them to hire more developers, which would help get the game to full release faster.

    Isn't that what we all want?

    I'm not trying to minimize your thoughts and feelings on this, but we've lamented the fact that it's taken so long to get to this point. I think even if I had spent an additional $200 on my pledge, I would still think that this change is a net positive for the project and getting us to full release faster. What I've tried of the game so far gave me a feeling that I've not had since the early days of original Everquest. The game is still pretty rough, and there is a ton of work left for them to do. But it recaptured the kind of game I've been wanting to play since Vanguard floundered and then got shut down.

    I think it's worth the money I spent, even though I'm not getting as much "value" out of the Alpha testing component of my pledge. Hopefully you can come to see the positives may outweigh the negatives when all is said and done.

    • 31 posts
    February 6, 2024 5:08 PM PST

    Corwyn said:

    I paid $100 for a Knight's pledge years ago, which included Alpha access, among other perks. I could take the same stance as you, but I would rather focus on the positive aspects of:

    A) This will help generate more testing data for the VR team.

    B) The additional revenue this might generate for VR in the form of new pledges and pledge upgrades could allow them to hire more developers, which would help get the game to full release faster.

    Isn't that what we all want?

    I'm not trying to minimize your thoughts and feelings on this, but we've lamented the fact that it's taken so long to get to this point. I think even if I had spent an additional $200 on my pledge, I would still think that this change is a net positive for the project and getting us to full release faster. What I've tried of the game so far gave me a feeling that I've not had since the early days of original Everquest. The game is still pretty rough, and there is a ton of work left for them to do. But it recaptured the kind of game I've been wanting to play since Vanguard floundered and then got shut down.

    I think it's worth the money I spent, even though I'm not getting as much "value" out of the Alpha testing component of my pledge. Hopefully you can come to see the positives may outweigh the negatives when all is said and done.

    100% agree.  I'd even be fine if they put it on Steam Early Access instead of this, but this is more than fine for me and I literally just upgraded to Alpha pledge a couple weeks ago.  

    I want this to succeed, that's the point of pledging, not being first/second/third/etc.

    Besides, 24 hours this weekend and two weeks next month, that sounds good to me.  Some friends are thinking of pledging because of this as well.

    In the meantime, I'll have Caribbean Legend to play (Sea Dogs: To Each His Own remaster) next week.

    • 4 posts
    February 6, 2024 5:15 PM PST

    Also, there is at least 6 seasons already planned so you are actually getting six weeks longer than champion with just the first 2 chapters. That also means you see the new content each season before them and can experience it for a full week ahead of them. 

    This announcement is also getting you into the game earlier than everyone expected and for longer periods of time. For many having a week to play is a lot more manageable than the one 24-hour period each month or so. 

    And nothing ever stated how long Alpha was supposed to last compared to pre-alpha or beta. VR could have easily had only a two-week alpha along with the dozen or so 24-hour periods, so the additional time over the betas you would have gotten before may have been less than you are now slated for. 

    • 79 posts
    February 6, 2024 6:07 PM PST

    Corwyn said:

     

    I'm not trying to minimize your thoughts and feelings on this, but we've lamented the fact that it's taken so long to get to this point. I think even if I had spent an additional $200 on my pledge, I would still think that this change is a net positive for the project and getting us to full release faster. 

    Overall this openness and transparency is very good but if you don't want another Project Faerthale or project restart, I would start advocating for actual dates and timelines for Alpha and Beta. Unless you want to sit through years and years of "seasons".

    Reagan used to tell the Soviets : "Trust, but verify"


    This post was edited by Xerion at February 6, 2024 6:07 PM PST
    • 1 posts
    February 6, 2024 6:12 PM PST

    Is there a post somewhere that says what the old name's of pledges are under this new, VIP, Champion, Supporter format? I have a Keeper's Pledge from back in the day but I'm not finding any posts that say what that might fall under, if any.

    • 161 posts
    February 6, 2024 6:15 PM PST
    It's not clear to me that Seasons replace Alpha or Beta test phase access.

    As I read it, Supporter and Champion are getting limited access to pre-Alpha testing, not just for improved public relations, but more importantly to better test pre-Alpha.

    I may not have read correctly, but it seems to me that there will be a specific Alpha test phase for Champions, possibly with limited early access for Supporters, and later, a Beta test phase, which should include all Pledges.

    There's also no reason to believe that Seasons will span the entire pre-Alpha phase. I would expect a gap between the last Season and the beginning of the actual Alpha test phase.

    All in all, Seasons seems like a smart and generous improvement on the previous testing model.

    I especially appreciate not having to clear my calendar for the rare Saturday, but having a week or two window to participate.
    This post was edited by Balanz at February 6, 2024 6:17 PM PST
    • 31 posts
    February 6, 2024 6:25 PM PST

    Xerion said:

     

    Overall this openness and transparency is very good but if you don't want another Project Faerthale or project restart, I would start advocating for actual dates and timelines for Alpha and Beta. Unless you want to sit through years and years of "seasons".

    Reagan used to tell the Soviets : "Trust, but verify"

    There is no other MMO like this coming out likely ever again.  I don't mind backing something like this at all.  

    But DikuMUDs and their offshoots are in my blood, more or less.  

    • 2403 posts
    February 6, 2024 6:45 PM PST

    wiscoeskimo said:

    Is there a post somewhere that says what the old name's of pledges are under this new, VIP, Champion, Supporter format? I have a Keeper's Pledge from back in the day but I'm not finding any posts that say what that might fall under, if any.

    First and easiest, click on your forum name. It will take you to your profile. In the panel on the left, it will show your 'User Level'. That corresponds to your access level for the newly announced testing access.

    For the majority of members, your access status follows the rule: If you had Beta access with your pledge, you are now Supporter status. If you had Alpha access, you are now Champion status. If you had Pre-Alpha status, you are VIP.

    Some of the oldest pledges - roughly Kickstarter thru 2015 - will not fit this pattern as there were different combinations of rewards. The User Level in your profile SHOULD reflect the proper access level for your pledge, but if you believe it is incorrect then submit a ticket to support about it and they will discuss it with you.

    VR Support

     

    • 2403 posts
    February 6, 2024 6:52 PM PST

    Balanz said: It's not clear to me that Seasons replace Alpha or Beta test phase access. As I read it, Supporter and Champion are getting limited access to pre-Alpha testing, not just for improved public relations, but more importantly to better test pre-Alpha. I may not have read correctly, but it seems to me that there will be a specific Alpha test phase for Champions, possibly with limited early access for Supporters, and later, a Beta test phase, which should include all Pledges.

    You are correct. We are still in Pre-Alpha, and the progression you envision is currently what VR intends to happen. As always, things could change.

    • 44 posts
    February 6, 2024 7:06 PM PST

    Xerion said:

    Overall this openness and transparency is very good but if you don't want another Project Faerthale or project restart, I would start advocating for actual dates and timelines for Alpha and Beta. Unless you want to sit through years and years of "seasons".


    Reagan used to tell the Soviets : "Trust, but verify"

    I understand the skepticism. I agree that actual dates and timelines for Alpha and Beta would be nice. But I've seen too many projects fail to live up to dates and timelines, to then have people turn around and scream "But you said it would happen by date X!!! You're LYING to us!!!"

    I don't love the idea of "seasons" due to connotations derived from modern, nearly-predatory monetization practices in other games, and they probably should have chosen a different term for this model. That said, someone else pointed out that these six-week seasons align with agile development structure and are something that the VR team has undoubtedly determined they're confident they can supply some form of content in that timeframe for the foreseeable future.

    I'm betting there will be hiccups, and delays due to pesky bugs, etc. But that is to be expected from a small team in a pre-Alpha or Alpha state of development. I think as we get closer to having a client with the requisite features for release actually in game and working as intended, they will probably be confident to give a timeline for official Beta phase. Until then, these six-week sprints are a step in the right direction.

    • 19 posts
    February 6, 2024 7:22 PM PST

    My gut reaction... THANK YOU for not just being that one Saturday in a month/6weeks/3mos/whenever.

    I work every weekend Fri-Sun and it's hard to get any game time when there's testing going on. I got a full session in the January one due only bc I was home sick from work on just the right days. I am not mad or faulting anyone bc ofc we all know that the majority of the public work with some regularity, and have some weekend day(s) off. I wish I was one of them, LOL

    I will see you every possible day that I can get away from work and online!  --cheers--

    ~ Mayeia/Doslyn/Nareena