Premier Questions

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  • hollabackhollaback Posts: 9
    mding said:

    Cybersox said:

    As I suspected would happen when I wrote that, the actual value of the Tokens has, indeed, been radically reduced See New Token Rates here   1 Token is 7% off, 2 Tokens are 13% off, 3 Tokens are 18% off, 4 tokens are 22% off, and 5 Tokens are now 25% off.  After that, the discounting goes to seperate discount rates, 1 set for DAZ originals and another rate for all other products, where 6 tokens will you 30% off DOs, but only 27% off all other product, 7 tokens gets you 35% off D.O.s but only 29% other products, and 8 tokens is still 45% off DAZ Originals, but a paltry 30% off everything else.  That's right, the difference between 7 and 8 tokens is a paltry 1 percent off on Non DaZ originals.  WTH?  Clearly the idea seems to be to incentivize people to use fewer tokens on everything except DAZ original purchases, as there's far less reason to expend 3 additional tokens to raise the 5 token discount of 25% off to just 30% off.      

    Wow, thanks for sharing and I am so happy I didn't choose premier because of the tokens. They still are interesting for DOs up to 45% but for PAs only up to 25%. I know we get less content for more money, but still I believe this tier will actually help me to spend much less now and that is why I am not really unhappy about it. Before, I could go crazy at a great sale like the recent PA sale, but this tier, I believe, will help me stay more rational when deciding what to buy.

    ETA: @ainm.sloinneadh corrected me, that those changes already took place earlier. I missed that and stay corrected. I still perceive the new tier as chance for dazoholics.

    On the flip side, it's really easy to rack up tokens now so you may like get 8 quickly. I have 44 tokens right now without even trying and they are good for another 12 days. So it feels like I'll almost always have 8 (max discount) to apply
  • hollabackhollaback Posts: 9
    Anyone notice that there are almost no YouTube videos about the Premier upgrade / change from any of the non Daz sources that would normally be posting vids. There would normally be multiple videos from other YouTubers about a change this significant but I can't find much. Makes me wonder (hope) if something else with a 5.0 in the name is coming soon. Maybe I'm just dreaming, but makes you go Hmmmmmm
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    nabob21 said:

    Thanks Richard. Here's another question. Does the Premier upgrade with the new plug-ins only work with the latest versions of Daz Studio, and will it work with the Beta (Public?) versions?

    Yes, it works with both - they are plug-ins, and content if that has been rolled out (I don't have Premier myself). The plug-ins, being Daz own-brand, will have been compiled against the specific DS version so, as with others like Measure Metrics, plug-in and DS versions will need to match.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    DustRider said:

    Does anyone know when the Premium features will be available in the regular version of DS? I've installed the current version and don't see any of the new options available (unless they only show if your a Premier member) I'm definitely not going to pay for something I can't get (I literally can't install the Beta, and Tech Support won't respond to help).

    You won't see, or have available to install, the Premier plug-ins. There are a number of othjer features in the new version (compared to the last geenral release) thata re not Premier, some of which will need content updates thata re not yet availabnle (e.g. the Genesis 9 to Genesis 8 AutoFit).

    Honestly, the only Peimer feature I'm really interested in is the sculpting tools (Mesh Grabber 4). Unfortunately though, that alone is not worth 200+ a year. While some of the perks seem nice, most of the previous "pay now for something you will love later" promotions ended up with items that I was glad I didn't pay to get.

    Unfortunately, I also don't see the new monthly DAZ+ being very cost effective for me right now. I usually only use the $6 DO coupon, since I seldom make purchases that quality for the other coupon. I could always justify the cost of membership (usually at around 50% off) with the $6 coupon and the weekly/monthly freebies (most are items I seldom or never use, but the few I do use made it all very worth while). Like others, the new monthly price structure will make it more difficult to justify the additional cost. Everything in the real world is more expensive, and my income has not increased at even nearly the same rate. It's kind of sad since I've benn a PC/DAZ+ member since 2007. But I have until the first week af Jan. to decide what I will do. I have a lot of stuff to render with, so maybe I'll use my remaining store credit over the next couple of months, and plan on buying even less than I have been in the future.

    I must admit I am quite miffed that we are expected to pay a lot more for DAZ+, and store prices keep going up, but we still only get $6.00 coupons. Somehow that doesn't seem quite right to me.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    Cybersox said:

    OrangeFalcon said:

    Cybersox said:

    OrangeFalcon said:

    I think the real value in Premier is the extra 10$ discount across the board AND tokens now start at $5 instead of $10 with Daz +.  With double the tokens (or spending half as much for the same amount) you can easily make up the extra $9.99 a month.  This tier is good for anyone who consistently spends and has an interest in additional features.  Plus, it's great to have in program tutorials, too.

    Ah, but that's assuming that the Tokens will still have the same buying value.  And as for the product tutorials... Bwwaaaa haaa haaa haaa haaa!  DAZ has made so many promises about adding more tutorials in the past and has always fallen through on those, while most of the ones that did get made were of mediocre quality at best.  These are the people who haven't bothered to update their manuals and user guide since the days of Genesis 2, and didn't want to add metadata to all the Rendo product they flooded the store with because it would be too much work.  

    I haven't seen anything about the tokens offering lower discounts, you just get more and they last longer now (2 weeks).  I didn't even realize the longer extension until I added something to my cart.  It looks like right now everyone also gets double the tokens on the new releases (unless is a super secret Premier perk I have right now).  With just one item at $10.77 you get 4 tokens.  And the 2 tokens you can see I have available will get me an extra 13% off.  If you really buy anything on a regular basis, it's worth it.  More tokens with much MUCH more flexibility is a win/win.  Then you add the free bundle each month.  THEN you add the better monthly coupons that replace the Daz + tier.

    By the way, those tokens were acquired yesterday so I'm not sure if it reset the expiration date or it was longer, but 2 weeks is a huge improvement-I have felt the need to decide whether or not to spend my tokens or let them expire and it's caused me to justify spending more than I probably needed to.

    As I suspected would happen when I wrote that, the actual value of the Tokens has, indeed, been radically reduced See New Token Rates here   1 Token is 7% off, 2 Tokens are 13% off, 3 Tokens are 18% off, 4 tokens are 22% off, and 5 Tokens are now 25% off.  After that, the discounting goes to seperate discount rates, 1 set for DAZ originals and another rate for all other products, where 6 tokens will you 30% off DOs, but only 27% off all other product, 7 tokens gets you 35% off D.O.s but only 29% other products, and 8 tokens is still 45% off DAZ Originals, but a paltry 30% off everything else.  That's right, the difference between 7 and 8 tokens is a paltry 1 percent off on Non DaZ originals.  WTH?  Clearly the idea seems to be to incentivize people to use fewer tokens on everything except DAZ original purchases, as there's far less reason to expend 3 additional tokens to raise the 5 token discount of 25% off to just 30% off.      

    Other have pointed this out but to make it clear - the Token discounts have been in effect since Tokens returned, they have not changed just now.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    Quasar said:

    I know some people are fine with a Premier membership, and I'm glad it works for you. However, I already have enough recurring bills to pay each month. The more I add, the less I have to use for other things. We each have our individual max limit for how many subscriptions we can have in a would where everything has gone to subscriptions. I'm at my max now, and that's why I don't use subscription software like Photoshop, and now Studio Premier.

    When I can buy a plugin or new content for a one time price, I can choose when and how I want to get it. I can even hold off until there is a sale, which is what I usually do in most cases because I don't have a lot of spending money. I can also choose when and how I want to use what I bought without worrying that the items are going to continue draining my bank account each month.

    With a subscription, there is a potential for a lot of wasted money when it comes to software. If I don't want to use Studio for a month or two, then I have to remember to unsubscribe, But, if I change my mind and I want to dabble for an hour or two and use the extra tools, I have to resubscribe anyway. The added free content is fine for people who want to subscribe for that, but I have more characters than I know what to do with by now. Any of the few I would want, I would buy when my budget allows for it.

    You do not need a subscription to use Daz Studio as it has been (plus added features for 4.23.0.x) - only for the additional plug-ins.

    Now it's all more trouble and more expensive than it's worth in the long run. I hope Daz will eventually offer the updated plugins in the store, but until then, I will use the older versions for as long as I can.That's just my situation, though.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    triplexcherry said:

    I'm just thankful I was able to grab daz to blender before it was paywalled

    https://www.daz3d.com/daz-to-blender-bridge ? I don't beelieve that the export features are tied to Premier, certainly the improved FBX Import isn't.

  • TesseractSpaceTesseractSpace Posts: 1,406

    background said:

    crosswind said:

    barbult said:

    I think the big plugin problem will come when Daz Studio 5 releases and plugins may have to be recompiled against a new SDK. Those working ManFriday plugins we own, that have been removed from the store, may not be updated, and so would become unusable in DS 5.

    Right, that'll be definitely the problem... then if I still needed to use those plugins, I would have to be a subscriber of DS 5 ~~

    Or stick with DS4 and save a fortune. 

    Best make sure to backup the DS4 installers, last I checked, DAZ doesn't make it easy to get older versions if you don't have backups of your own.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    caravelle said:

    The problem is: if I want to get back at least a fraction of the money or its equivalent that I invested in the Daz+ membership, I have no other option than to become a Premier member - at least for the 3 months I was offered. I have nolens-volens agreed and will now test what Premier can do for me.

    Your existing membeship will run as before, with the same benefits.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    ainm.sloinneadh said:

    What sticks in my craw about the plugins pulled from the store and added to the Premier version of studio is that they're best endeavours. This isn't to knock ManFriday - I already own the plugins and love them - but as someone who develops their own plugins for Daz (and elsewhere), I understand the trade-offs you have to make and the creative steps you have to take when developing against a public API. Plugins are, essentially, convenience macros of things you can already do with a product. You could in theory go further, but the quality-time trade-off isn't one that's often worthwhile as you'd be developing entirely new features without any ability to alter or redesign the underlying code to support them. I expect official features to do exactly that, though, because that leads to better software for the user and for the core developers.

    I'm also a professional software engineer - a good one with a lot of experience under my belt - and the worst thing I can think of from a professional perspective is to have something like a plugin foisted onto you. Any decent engineer I've worked will either rewrite it into the base code or abandoned it when integrated, bar maybe a tweak here and there. But former won't happen because Daz haven't taken that route to begin with. It tells me a lot about the development direction of Studio and I don't like it.

    We already know that the plug-ins, certainly Geoemtry Sculptor (ne Mesh Grabber 4) hae had work done on them by Daz.

  • LeanaLeana Posts: 11,714

    animsakari_38ac6442c6 said:

    Did several of Man Friday's plugins such as the to-G9-converter and new Render Queue plugins get removed from the Daz store and become Premier-only features?

    I believe I saw a message above the indicated the "G9 conversion" in premier is in indeed one of these existing plugins, and it was already confirmed that the new Mesh Grabber 4.0 will not be released as it has become a Premier feature.

    This is not in anyway saying the PA does not deserve to be justly compensated for excellent features, but some of these advanced features are things users may want as they use Daz for more involved workflows.  If these features can no longer be purchased as one-time cost plugins and the only way to get these features is by subscribing to Premier, that should be something they are aware of before investing in Daz as a platform for their work.

    They were indeed removed from the store as they were bought by Daz and are not PA products anymore.

    Maybe Daz will decide to sell their version independantly from the subscription one day (I certainly hope so), but for now they're only available through premier subscription.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    druc said:

    It's easy for software developers to add a "phone home" facility within the software. How many people now have left the default "check for updates". That could easily be updated to check for Premier flagged poducts. Microsoft has for well over a decade checked your Windows pc for pirate Microsoft software whenever a windows update is done. It's no biggie to disable something you don't have access to in acordance with the TOU.

    Check for updates does not send info, and is not logging in to your account - all it does is get the current version number.

    Personal opinion. In the past I have subscribed to Daz+ when I think I will be buying lots in the next 12 months. I purchased additional years when on sale and have had a benefit that has made the money well spent, even with a disappointing exchange rate. I wont upgrade to Premier as I dont have any subscriptions except internet security and evin with that I don't let it auto renew and contact the provider for a better deal, about a week before it expires and they have tried to take money from an empty account for months.   

    I'll ask questions for everybodies benefit as I am sure Daz is "all over this forum like a rash" trying to compile questions so they can answer them.

    My concern is, Daz Studio has ALWAYS been back ward compatable, sure we have moved from older file type, render engines etc. but old content still works and great content providers build converter scripts for us to purchase, because Like me, I am lazy and want to click a button, not do the individual steps for the same result. If Daz starts to introduce a gen 10 or higher figure and content that only has limited functionality in the free version, but requires the Premier version for full functionality, that would be a big problem.

    That is a big pile of ifs. They seem pretty unlikely to me. Daz is fully aware of the role the free application and content play in bringing in users.

  • LeanaLeana Posts: 11,714

    TesseractSpace said:

    If someone were to get premiere for the discounts, is there any way to disable the subscription-based content/plugins so they don't inadvertently create any projects dependent on that content or the plugins? It'd really suck to find all your work tied to a subscription.

    I get that at the moment they're downloaded separately, but I'd expect in a version or two they'd be integrated like so many other plugins. 

    You need to log in from DS so it detects your membership to activate them, so if you don't log in from DS you should be safe.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    TesseractSpace said:

    If someone were to get premiere for the discounts, is there any way to disable the subscription-based content/plugins so they don't inadvertently create any projects dependent on that content or the plugins? It'd really suck to find all your work tied to a subscription.

    I get that at the moment they're downloaded separately, but I'd expect in a version or two they'd be integrated like so many other plugins. 

    The plug-ins and content have to be installed, they are separate from the application. I expect it would be possible for a built-in feature to be linked to Daz Premier, though I don't think theer are currently any examples, which might be harder to remember, but that is presently hypothetical.

  • CybersoxCybersox Posts: 9,054

    Richard Haseltine said:

    Cybersox said:

    OrangeFalcon said:

    Cybersox said:

    OrangeFalcon said:

    I think the real value in Premier is the extra 10$ discount across the board AND tokens now start at $5 instead of $10 with Daz +.  With double the tokens (or spending half as much for the same amount) you can easily make up the extra $9.99 a month.  This tier is good for anyone who consistently spends and has an interest in additional features.  Plus, it's great to have in program tutorials, too.

    Ah, but that's assuming that the Tokens will still have the same buying value.  And as for the product tutorials... Bwwaaaa haaa haaa haaa haaa!  DAZ has made so many promises about adding more tutorials in the past and has always fallen through on those, while most of the ones that did get made were of mediocre quality at best.  These are the people who haven't bothered to update their manuals and user guide since the days of Genesis 2, and didn't want to add metadata to all the Rendo product they flooded the store with because it would be too much work.  

    I haven't seen anything about the tokens offering lower discounts, you just get more and they last longer now (2 weeks).  I didn't even realize the longer extension until I added something to my cart.  It looks like right now everyone also gets double the tokens on the new releases (unless is a super secret Premier perk I have right now).  With just one item at $10.77 you get 4 tokens.  And the 2 tokens you can see I have available will get me an extra 13% off.  If you really buy anything on a regular basis, it's worth it.  More tokens with much MUCH more flexibility is a win/win.  Then you add the free bundle each month.  THEN you add the better monthly coupons that replace the Daz + tier.

    By the way, those tokens were acquired yesterday so I'm not sure if it reset the expiration date or it was longer, but 2 weeks is a huge improvement-I have felt the need to decide whether or not to spend my tokens or let them expire and it's caused me to justify spending more than I probably needed to.

    As I suspected would happen when I wrote that, the actual value of the Tokens has, indeed, been radically reduced See New Token Rates here   1 Token is 7% off, 2 Tokens are 13% off, 3 Tokens are 18% off, 4 tokens are 22% off, and 5 Tokens are now 25% off.  After that, the discounting goes to seperate discount rates, 1 set for DAZ originals and another rate for all other products, where 6 tokens will you 30% off DOs, but only 27% off all other product, 7 tokens gets you 35% off D.O.s but only 29% other products, and 8 tokens is still 45% off DAZ Originals, but a paltry 30% off everything else.  That's right, the difference between 7 and 8 tokens is a paltry 1 percent off on Non DaZ originals.  WTH?  Clearly the idea seems to be to incentivize people to use fewer tokens on everything except DAZ original purchases, as there's far less reason to expend 3 additional tokens to raise the 5 token discount of 25% off to just 30% off.      

    Other have pointed this out but to make it clear - the Token discounts have been in effect since Tokens returned, they have not changed just now.

    Is there documentation of exactly when this was announced? (archived store page, forum thread?)  I've been looking and can't find a single mention of it anywhere, and the "up to 45* off on the actual token portion of the cart has definately never had an asterisk indicating that there was any variance in how discounts were applied.  As someone who's a heavy token user, I'm rather stunned to find that I've been effectively throwing away a good portion of my tokens' value.      

  • TesseractSpaceTesseractSpace Posts: 1,406
    edited October 9

    Richard Haseltine said:

    TesseractSpace said:

    If someone were to get premiere for the discounts, is there any way to disable the subscription-based content/plugins so they don't inadvertently create any projects dependent on that content or the plugins? It'd really suck to find all your work tied to a subscription.

    I get that at the moment they're downloaded separately, but I'd expect in a version or two they'd be integrated like so many other plugins. 

    The plug-ins and content have to be installed, they are separate from the application. I expect it would be possible for a built-in feature to be linked to Daz Premier, though I don't think theer are currently any examples, which might be harder to remember, but that is presently hypothetical.

    We do have plugins that have to be activated. I'm guessing this would be similar, just with activation tied to a subscription.  I'm just hoping that any premier-based plugins are clearly marked once they've become part of the base download. (More than a few items that used to be separately downloaded plugins have become part of the base download.)  Maybe Daz can keep them grouped like they do other plugin bundles? Because again I'm sure there are folks who'd subscribe for the discounts that don't want to risk having their projects inadvertently being locked to the subscription because they used the wrong tool.

    It's rather unsettling to realize just how much of the functionality of Studio is dependent on plugins.

     

     

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    Post edited by TesseractSpace on
  • maravthemakermaravthemaker Posts: 7
    edited October 9

    I just got into Daz about month or two ago. I started with Blender but then noticed that Daz makes it easier to have custom characters, switch their clothing, etc so I decided to take the plunge. Managed to spend about 70$ and just planned to spend about 60 more when this dropped and managed to successfully drive me off and write off those 70$ as a loss. I am sorry but for my country 20$ is a huge amount and I do not earn any money on this as I treat it as a hobby for myself. I am also not comfortable renting software. Make it a 60$ paid version that does not require online connection - sure. It would be a lot of money but just like buying a game. I am not comfortable with renting software though so I guess it is time to go back to blender and maybe just import the 70$ of assets I bought so far. I am really disappointed - subscription with discounts and free stuff is fine but renting software is a scourge of 2020s and it needs to go - people are perfectly willing to pay for the premier if it is one time reasonable payment and you dont need to be constantly online. Hiding previously available plugins behind it is even more anti-consumer.

    Post edited by maravthemaker on
  • LeanaLeana Posts: 11,714

    TesseractSpace said:

    It's rather unsettling to realize just how much of the functionality of Studio is dependent on plugins.

    DS itself is built as a modular app with most features listed as plugins. So yes, the list is pretty impressive.

  • LeanaLeana Posts: 11,714

    maravthemaker said:

    I just got into Daz about month or two ago. I started with Blender but then noticed that Daz makes it easier to have custom characters, switch their clothing, etc so I decided to take the plunge. Managed to spend about 70$ and just planned to spend about 60 more when this dropped and managed to successfully drive me off and write off those 70$ as a loss. I am sorry but for my country 20$ is a huge amount and I do not earn any money on this as I treat it as a hobby for myself. I am also not comfortable renting software. Make it a 60$ paid version that does not require online connection - sure. It would be a lot of money but just like buying a game. I am not comfortable with renting software though so I guess it is time to go back to blender and maybe just import the 70$ of assets I bought so far. I am really disappointed.

    For the record, DS still has a free version. Daz Premier membership is simply an option which gives you access to more features.

  • mmitchell_houstonmmitchell_houston Posts: 2,484
    edited October 9

    Items of consideration:

    1. I do not EVER subscribe to anything MONTHLY. If it does not have an ANNUAL payment option, I am out.
    2. The text that says the upgraded content is "available for the duration of your subscription," which means that if I ever downgrade my tier (due to job loss, income reduction, etc.) I will suddenly lose access to some of my content, which could render some completed projects/files inoperable. 
    3. Although this sounds like a good deal for someone who buys the latest and greatest content, this doesn't sound like something for which I would be interested.
    Post edited by mmitchell_houston on
  • TesseractSpaceTesseractSpace Posts: 1,406

    Leana said:

    TesseractSpace said:

    It's rather unsettling to realize just how much of the functionality of Studio is dependent on plugins.

    DS itself is built as a modular app with most features listed as plugins. So yes, the list is pretty impressive.

    It's just concerning now that we're seeing subscription plugins (that don't require external processing to function) and knowing that many of the plugins we rely on for very basic functions will need to be updated to work in Daz 5.0 if not before.

  • DarkS474DarkS474 Posts: 154
    edited October 9

    mmitchell_houston said:

    Items of consideration:

    1. I do not EVER subscribe to anything MONTHLY. If it does not have an ANNUAL payment option, I am out.
    2. The text that says the upgraded content is "available for the duration of your subscription," which means that if I ever downgrade my tier (due to job loss, income reduction, etc.) I will suddenly lose access to some of my content, which could render some completed projects/files inoperable. 
    3. Although this sounds like a good deal for someone who buys the latest and greatest content, this doesn't sound like something for which I would be interested.

     

    Indeed.

    But you can always pay 1 single month when you need the features and that's it.

    All these businesses all over the world go the full subscription route raising prices expecting each and every customer to then keep paying 12 months continously. But unless you have many projects you are paid for or you are making on your own with your own business to sell and make a profit there is no need to pay any license with subscription model for a whole year. You can just pay for the few months it is useful and needed to your work and that's it.

    The Premier subscription would be more useful to me using assets to make games if it included the Interactive License for any product discounted 90% then they would see a customer like me adding dozens of licenses along with the subscription price.

     

    Post edited by DarkS474 on
  • MalandarMalandar Posts: 776

    ANGELREAPER1972 said:

    tsroemi said:

    I just came back in from watching some gaming news, and I would really like to encourage DAZ to ponder where the words 'players should get comfortable not owning their games' have just recently gotten the company who uttered them. Hint: It's not a good place.

    Edit: Sorry, I didn't read the thread topic correctly, but it seems other people are also posting opinions about Premier here, not just questions, so I'll leave it here for now.

    yeah that didn't sit well with gamers. Oh recently there was a game called Concord on Playstation 5, gamers that bought the digital found Sony had deleted it of their consoles and disc versions would play the loading screen and that's it it was released on August 23 this year and ended starting 6th September sooo if they can do this what confidence do we have in any other company/subscrition service doing the same thing without warning on a whim

    Condord was a failure and they issued refunds to everyone who bought it. There was no sense in them keeping servers open if no one was going to play and no one was. It is pointless to keep servers running for a new game that has less than 100 players.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    Cybersox said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    Cybersox said:

    OrangeFalcon said:

    Cybersox said:

    OrangeFalcon said:

    I think the real value in Premier is the extra 10$ discount across the board AND tokens now start at $5 instead of $10 with Daz +.  With double the tokens (or spending half as much for the same amount) you can easily make up the extra $9.99 a month.  This tier is good for anyone who consistently spends and has an interest in additional features.  Plus, it's great to have in program tutorials, too.

    Ah, but that's assuming that the Tokens will still have the same buying value.  And as for the product tutorials... Bwwaaaa haaa haaa haaa haaa!  DAZ has made so many promises about adding more tutorials in the past and has always fallen through on those, while most of the ones that did get made were of mediocre quality at best.  These are the people who haven't bothered to update their manuals and user guide since the days of Genesis 2, and didn't want to add metadata to all the Rendo product they flooded the store with because it would be too much work.  

    I haven't seen anything about the tokens offering lower discounts, you just get more and they last longer now (2 weeks).  I didn't even realize the longer extension until I added something to my cart.  It looks like right now everyone also gets double the tokens on the new releases (unless is a super secret Premier perk I have right now).  With just one item at $10.77 you get 4 tokens.  And the 2 tokens you can see I have available will get me an extra 13% off.  If you really buy anything on a regular basis, it's worth it.  More tokens with much MUCH more flexibility is a win/win.  Then you add the free bundle each month.  THEN you add the better monthly coupons that replace the Daz + tier.

    By the way, those tokens were acquired yesterday so I'm not sure if it reset the expiration date or it was longer, but 2 weeks is a huge improvement-I have felt the need to decide whether or not to spend my tokens or let them expire and it's caused me to justify spending more than I probably needed to.

    As I suspected would happen when I wrote that, the actual value of the Tokens has, indeed, been radically reduced See New Token Rates here   1 Token is 7% off, 2 Tokens are 13% off, 3 Tokens are 18% off, 4 tokens are 22% off, and 5 Tokens are now 25% off.  After that, the discounting goes to seperate discount rates, 1 set for DAZ originals and another rate for all other products, where 6 tokens will you 30% off DOs, but only 27% off all other product, 7 tokens gets you 35% off D.O.s but only 29% other products, and 8 tokens is still 45% off DAZ Originals, but a paltry 30% off everything else.  That's right, the difference between 7 and 8 tokens is a paltry 1 percent off on Non DaZ originals.  WTH?  Clearly the idea seems to be to incentivize people to use fewer tokens on everything except DAZ original purchases, as there's far less reason to expend 3 additional tokens to raise the 5 token discount of 25% off to just 30% off.      

    Other have pointed this out but to make it clear - the Token discounts have been in effect since Tokens returned, they have not changed just now.

    Is there documentation of exactly when this was announced? (archived store page, forum thread?)  I've been looking and can't find a single mention of it anywhere, and the "up to 45* off on the actual token portion of the cart has definately never had an asterisk indicating that there was any variance in how discounts were applied.  As someone who's a heavy token user, I'm rather stunned to find that I've been effectively throwing away a good portion of my tokens' value.      

    I thjink there are forum disciussions/comments. Asterisk or not, I am sure that the split rates for PA/DO items were present - and listed on the token page - from the return, as was the tapering off in increased rates. I can't absolutely swear to every value, but most of them look familiar from previous months.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,892

    TesseractSpace said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    TesseractSpace said:

    If someone were to get premiere for the discounts, is there any way to disable the subscription-based content/plugins so they don't inadvertently create any projects dependent on that content or the plugins? It'd really suck to find all your work tied to a subscription.

    I get that at the moment they're downloaded separately, but I'd expect in a version or two they'd be integrated like so many other plugins. 

    The plug-ins and content have to be installed, they are separate from the application. I expect it would be possible for a built-in feature to be linked to Daz Premier, though I don't think theer are currently any examples, which might be harder to remember, but that is presently hypothetical.

    We do have plugins that have to be activated. I'm guessing this would be similar, just with activation tied to a subscription.  I'm just hoping that any premier-based plugins are clearly marked once they've become part of the base download. (More than a few items that used to be separately downloaded plugins have become part of the base download.)  Maybe Daz can keep them grouped like they do other plugin bundles? Because again I'm sure there are folks who'd subscribe for the discounts that don't want to risk having their projects inadvertently being locked to the subscription because they used the wrong tool.

    All of the plug-ins have Premieer in the package name in DIM, and I would expect the content proiduct names will too - after all, Daz will want to make sure people know the benefits they are getting.

    It's rather unsettling to realize just how much of the functionality of Studio is dependent on plugins.

    This is how DS is architected. No core feature has been split out to become premer or generally commercial.

  • Richard Haseltine said:

    ainm.sloinneadh said:

    What sticks in my craw about the plugins pulled from the store and added to the Premier version of studio is that they're best endeavours. This isn't to knock ManFriday - I already own the plugins and love them - but as someone who develops their own plugins for Daz (and elsewhere), I understand the trade-offs you have to make and the creative steps you have to take when developing against a public API. Plugins are, essentially, convenience macros of things you can already do with a product. You could in theory go further, but the quality-time trade-off isn't one that's often worthwhile as you'd be developing entirely new features without any ability to alter or redesign the underlying code to support them. I expect official features to do exactly that, though, because that leads to better software for the user and for the core developers.

    I'm also a professional software engineer - a good one with a lot of experience under my belt - and the worst thing I can think of from a professional perspective is to have something like a plugin foisted onto you. Any decent engineer I've worked will either rewrite it into the base code or abandoned it when integrated, bar maybe a tweak here and there. But former won't happen because Daz haven't taken that route to begin with. It tells me a lot about the development direction of Studio and I don't like it.

    We already know that the plug-ins, certainly Geoemtry Sculptor (ne Mesh Grabber 4) hae had work done on them by Daz.

    Of course they have. Any further discussion would get too technical and off topic.

  • OrangeFalconOrangeFalcon Posts: 179
    edited October 9

     

    Other have pointed this out but to make it clear - the Token discounts have been in effect since Tokens returned, they have not changed just now.

    Is there documentation of exactly when this was announced? (archived store page, forum thread?)  I've been looking and can't find a single mention of it anywhere, and the "up to 45* off on the actual token portion of the cart has definately never had an asterisk indicating that there was any variance in how discounts were applied.  As someone who's a heavy token user, I'm rather stunned to find that I've been effectively throwing away a good portion of my tokens' value.      

    Not sure exactly how long, but it's been like that for a while.  I've been using Daz for about a year now and I recall it always being that way, and with the message "Up to 45$ off" being there.

    Edit: I found a couple screenshots from another user showcasing that it existed prior to the release, with no change in how the tokens were advertised before you complete an order.  This was taken from the "There's Always Another Sale Part 3" thread. 

    Token 1.png
    1824 x 641 - 208K
    Token 2.png
    1896 x 1384 - 388K
    Post edited by OrangeFalcon on
  • Having had a couple days to think about it, I don't think the Premier tier is a bad thing per se. Lots of good perks to it. My two concerns are with the direction of development in Studio and the paltry trade-in offer for Daz+ members.

    I'd subscribe to Premier if I had a fairer upgrade path and I don't think many would be complaining if that had been offered without tying Studio features into the tier. Honestly, I think the offer is good enough without doing the, but having done it, I'm not convinced about the longevity of Studio without a subscription. As I won't trade-in my Daz+ for the Premier offer, that makes me wary about putting any more money into Daz assets until my sub expires - in 16 months. I say that as someone who answered the survey saying I would pay for more advanced features in Daz. I even put down $30 a month as a yardstick. But the features announced don't floor me and I've no way to fairly up pay my existing sub. It's a shame, because I love Daz Studio and want to see it succeed.

  • TesseractSpaceTesseractSpace Posts: 1,406

    Richard Haseltine said:

    TesseractSpace said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    TesseractSpace said:

    If someone were to get premiere for the discounts, is there any way to disable the subscription-based content/plugins so they don't inadvertently create any projects dependent on that content or the plugins? It'd really suck to find all your work tied to a subscription.

    I get that at the moment they're downloaded separately, but I'd expect in a version or two they'd be integrated like so many other plugins. 

    The plug-ins and content have to be installed, they are separate from the application. I expect it would be possible for a built-in feature to be linked to Daz Premier, though I don't think theer are currently any examples, which might be harder to remember, but that is presently hypothetical.

    We do have plugins that have to be activated. I'm guessing this would be similar, just with activation tied to a subscription.  I'm just hoping that any premier-based plugins are clearly marked once they've become part of the base download. (More than a few items that used to be separately downloaded plugins have become part of the base download.)  Maybe Daz can keep them grouped like they do other plugin bundles? Because again I'm sure there are folks who'd subscribe for the discounts that don't want to risk having their projects inadvertently being locked to the subscription because they used the wrong tool.

    All of the plug-ins have Premieer in the package name in DIM, and I would expect the content proiduct names will too - after all, Daz will want to make sure people know the benefits they are getting.

    Who expected Daz to roll out a new suscription tier? Or to take a bunch of popular plugins out of the store and make them subscription only? 

  • OrangeFalconOrangeFalcon Posts: 179

    ainm.sloinneadh said:

    Having had a couple days to think about it, I don't think the Premier tier is a bad thing per se. Lots of good perks to it. My two concerns are with the direction of development in Studio and the paltry trade-in offer for Daz+ members.

    I'd subscribe to Premier if I had a fairer upgrade path and I don't think many would be complaining if that had been offered without tying Studio features into the tier. Honestly, I think the offer is good enough without doing the, but having done it, I'm not convinced about the longevity of Studio without a subscription. As I won't trade-in my Daz+ for the Premier offer, that makes me wary about putting any more money into Daz assets until my sub expires - in 16 months. I say that as someone who answered the survey saying I would pay for more advanced features in Daz. I even put down $30 a month as a yardstick. But the features announced don't floor me and I've no way to fairly up pay my existing sub. It's a shame, because I love Daz Studio and want to see it succeed.

    I subbed and don't regret it one bit.  I will save a LOT of money with the discounts, extra tokens, extra time on tokens.  For me, personally, I dropped a subscription for another service (non art related) I was barely using to make up the difference so now I am overall paying less than I was for Daz + for the extra benefits.  Sometimes, that's the way to play the game with subs.

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