March Madness - We're halfway through and...
whispers65
Posts: 952
A short while back I said what I would buy and wouldn't buy and here the madness has overtaken me and I bought the Freak, which if memory serves me correctly I said I probably wouldn't buy...oh well...I'm having fun.
Anyone else buy something they thought they wouldn't??
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Not really. i have only gotten a couple of things. most of what i am seeing doesn't really interest me or I know i will have no use for it.. The clothing for the most part is rather boring and doesn't fit the style I want and freak and Aiko I really have no need for and I never use teen figures. I did really like Platea but couldn't justify the price based on how little I would use it. I thought about Luxor, but i am a big Reality user and fan and from what i have seen wouldn't be much different than what i already have since they both use the same renderer.
Plus this new pricing scheme really sucks, just let me buy what I want with the MM discount without the required items for the discount.
Oh well, still some time left, hopefully something will pop up I want. Lord knows i have plenty of content already to keep me busy, LOL
BTW nice image!
Yeah, its definitely the most boring March "madness" ever. The same gimmick every day, repeated sales.... if there's one thing I want, and only the one thing, then I don't buy, because is not worth it. I did get luxus, which I find easier to use than reality. And I got Aiko 5 but only so I can make hair for her. The sales are always these lame "buy this along with this to get a discount" and sorry if I have to pay more to save, well its not really saving money and generally not worth it. Sure if I wanted both things, great woo hoo. But yeah, don't usually, and Daz doesn't get much of my money these days.
Nice Render Whispers65... wish I had bought Predatron's Pool Hall. For me March Madness seems really different... good daily sales... but not the Event it used to be.... there isn't alot of excitement in the forums etc. Yea I bought Luxus even though I have Reality since I think it came out to be around $10 if my math is somewhat correct. The purchase decision I haven't made yet is between Look at my Hair and Garibaldi ... I would have expected to pick up one or the other during MM.... but will probably wait and see.
Not to derail the thread too much, but I'm curious as to whether you had the same issues with Reality that I had. Why do you find Luxus easier to work with than Reality?
On topic, I ended up buying a few things for the added discount. I managed to knock a good few items off my wish list, including the glute and breast movements, which has helped me create more natural bends and Garibaldi, even though I presently suck at using it. I also took advantage of a few sales and got the Shuttlestar with extra textures (another off my wishlist) and in doing so found some cool toys in Kibarreto's store to go with it, namely the Alphabase.
So, yeah... I guess you could say I was bitten by the March Madness a little.
No, I swore that I wouldn't spend a dime at DAZ's store until DAZ fixes their attitude, and since I've seen no proof that they've done anything to turn themselves around, I've been fairly successful holding on to that promise. I used to spend about $50 to $100 a month here, and that's been pushing zero for some time now. Any money I do spend now goes to Renderosity or Content Paradise or Renderotica. In fact, I just grabbed the $149.99 deal for Poser Pro 2012 (along with a whole lot of other people I know). DAZ's content looks great -- DAZ's customer service and attitude this past year sucks, and I see no reason to pay to be insulted or screwed over...
This is my first official March madness and I know I've gone overboard even though there hasn't been anything just earth shattering that I couldn't live without. Mainly I bought things on my wishlist already. I haven't been crazy about the clothes but didn't have any so snatched those up. I've been more into teens because it was what was released when I came back after been away for a while so I bought the bundle so had some good starter stuff.
I have Reality but haven't gotten anywhere with it.
I've never used Aiko but then again until a few days ago I hadn't used the Freak either lol so anything is possible.
I bought Luxus too. I really blow at lightning so just trying different things to see if I can get my renders better. I do have Reality also and working on a few tutorials but haven't gotten far yet. As far as the Hair, I bought Garibaldi but didn't know for sure they were even the same product until after purchase.
Looks like I'm going to be home sick today so maybe I'll get a chance to work on something.
Sorry to hear that. I haven't had many issues. I tend to buy all over the place because no one place has things I'm usually looking for.
Not to derail the thread too much, but I'm curious as to whether you had the same issues with Reality that I had. Why do you find Luxus easier to work with than Reality?
On topic, I ended up buying a few things for the added discount. I managed to knock a good few items off my wish list, including the glute and breast movements, which has helped me create more natural bends and Garibaldi, even though I presently suck at using it. I also took advantage of a few sales and got the Shuttlestar with extra textures (another off my wishlist) and in doing so found some cool toys in Kibarreto's store to go with it, namely the Alphabase.
So, yeah... I guess you could say I was bitten by the March Madness a little.
I've had my eye on the Glutes but that is far as it has gone. Oh the Shuttlestar. I'll have the check that out. I'm really a SciFI nut at heart but don't have much so far.
Sorry to hear that. I haven't had many issues. I tend to buy all over the place because no one place has things I'm usually looking for.
If the things I've read and the things I've been told are to be believed, DAZ drove away bunches of its Platinum Club members this past year -- read through the forums, and if they're still there, you should find quite a few posts from people publicly announcing that they were canceling or not renewing. Several different things have contributed to it, but basically, the feeling is that DAZ's relationship towards its dues-paying members really changed for the worse this past year. Many people (myself included) have seriously cut back or even stopped buying anything at all from DAZ as a result.
When I first joined the forums over a year ago all everyone talked about was March Madness and how much fun and what great deals were to be gotten. Then it was that time last year and it was good but not great. Then this year's madness rolled around and it has been so so. While there are some great items to be had I don't want to have to buy 2 items to get the great deals. As well it has been pretty much the same PA store's on repeated sale. The forums here are pretty much dead compared to what it used to be and I have been spending my money over at Rendo.
Daz needs to take a very hard look at itself and change a great deal of customer service back to what it used to be otherwise it will continue to lose those from it's PC and continue to turn off those like me who once considered joining it. Let us have the MM sales but on just one item not 2.
Just my opinion but I know that I'm not alone in it and that will in the end hurt Daz's bottom line if they don't change things around.
As good as Renderosity is I find their marketplace is a real pain to search through. I've bought several things from their store before, but usually found via other people's links. I've only bought two items out of the ones found while browsing because there's no way to narrow the search field easily.
I can do a search for clothing, but it shows EVERY item of clothing, whether its Genesis, V4 or ChibiBel. Half of the advertised goods don't actually display which figure it's designed for, which can be a bit of a minefield in itself, and using the search bar just gives you a very long list of categories which are overly specific and narrow your search too much.
I like that they gave the site a redesign, and it's certainly easier to find things than it used to be, but one of the reasons I still do most of my browsing on the Daz store is that it's far quicker to narrow down what I want to browse and therefore easier to find what I want.
I voiced out the rather lukewarm response to MM through the Zendesk and they have been gracious enough to reply as being considered. So go ahead and voice out yours, as well. While we can all say them aloud here, directly going to the ears of the company has a better chance. The more you speak out there, the more they'll get a clue (especially since they have mentioned multiple times that the movers and shakers in the company rarely, if ever, even skim through this here forums).
I don't really care for the sale myself, but it hasn't stopped me from buying. I usually stop buying because I don't have the money and sometimes that don't even stop me.
The repeat of this and that is what is really disappointing. I also wish things were on sale for a few days so I could get a couple of things off my wishlist rather than just have one thing on sale in the list and you need two to get a decent discount.
I have purchased quite a bit of the new content that has been released. I would have loved to bought the newly released Maze, but it's for Carrara. Too bad. It really looked nice.
I'm also somewhat meh about March Madness, but I think that was the case last year*, and as I recall there were similar comments then. For me I think it's that I feel "saled out" these days as there almost always seems to be some kind of sale on. It's probably still great if you are relatively new to DAZ, and even though I'm only about 18 months in I feel I've got almost everything I want from the back catalogue. I'm not really sure what DAZ would have to do to excite me by way of a sale these days. I buy everything I want as it comes out (obviously getting the introductory discounts) and if they are DAZ products I get my PC discount as well. This doesn't really leave much for me, although there's always one or two things I've missed, or which have always seemed too expensive (I'm a skinflint!).
However, to answer one of the OP's questions, I bought Mediaeval Tavern this time round, which wasn't something I was planning on doing, and I bought the Odd Bundle, which is something I was planning on getting.
*Edit: I must be thinking of the PA or someother seasonal sale, as MM 2012 was my first one, and I wouldn't have been blasé at that point!
Most of the women's genesis clothing has not been my favorit. . I've bought a few men's clothing outfits, and gotten a few figures. I am surprised that I use the freak as much as I do- his muscle's are useful for beefing up M5. I use him at very small degrees... Such as .10 or .20 I also bought the freak clothing although I've had problems with an outfit.
I did try lux- but didn't like it. It doesn't add anything to the existing light sets I own, and It rendered slowly for me on my machine.
I haven't purchased anything I thought I wouldn't, and I've purchased far less than I planned.
Because of the added requirement this year of having to buy two or more products to get the 50% discount, I have not purchased as many of the products on my wishlist as I would have in previous years. They were wishlisted expressly for this sale. I put them in my cart, verified the discount was being applied, but then emptied the cart instead of purchasing. Frequently, the additional discount is NOT being applied ... especially, with the new releases. Apparently, there is a hidden condition which excludes products from that 50% discount, even when there are two or more new products in the cart (on the day of release, no less).
As usual, in this Genesis world, most clothing/figure products are Genesis. I gave Genesis a try after the introduction of the DSON Importer, but neither Genesis nor Genesis clothing work as well in Poser as pre Genesis products. Since Genesis products are more expensive than pre Genesis products, I am NOT spending more money on lower quality. Some of the issues I have with Genesis and Genesis clothing can be seen in the promos, so it's not "just" a Poser problem.
The lack of Poser promos is still working against DAZ and vendors. If I can't see what a product is going to look like in an application that is supposedly being supported, I'm less inclined to purchase that product. A 50% discount isn't any incentive to purchase something that may not work. Not with the increased wait to receive a refund. While I once would have purchased a product, knowing I could receive a refund the day of my request, I'm far less inclined to take a risk with a questionable product knowing it could be days or weeks before I receive a refund.
I've requested more refunds in the last six months than I had in the previous six years. I've also requested the money be refunded to my credit card rather than refunded as store credit. Something I never would have considered in the past.
There also seem to be fewer vendors being featured this year. Those I purchase the most from during March Madness have yet to be featured ... which isn't normal.
I was a Platinum member last year and this year as well. Have had no real problems. Pleased as punch with them.
They changed a few things but comapnies do that time from time. Changes were probably made to protect their bottom line which I can respect. They are, after all, a business.
I still get my monies worth. When that changes, so will my membership.
Can't figure out why someone would want to stay if they were angry at a company and repeatedly complain about it to no seeming avail as you claim. Why not make your life easier and vote with your feet? Keep your eye open and visit from time to time and if things start looking up, come back. If they don't, then keep your current habits.
As for buying stuff, I bought Luxus but haven't really played with it much yet as I have some other things I have to do but I am looking forward to digging into it later.
I would like to see some more historically accurate costume and some more super-hero options as well. A little tired of the "cutesy wear" but the Victorian Nurse was a nice surprise.
Hoping Marieah and Sickleyield make a Victorian Era expansion for their Morphing Business suit product. *smile* Longer coats and top hats and such. *smile*
Archimedes Prime just made me smile so I had to buy him. Antfarm's stuff is awesomer as are DZFire's and Jack Tomalin and well... crap... just about all the major PA's. I guess that is why they are PA's :)
Not buying every day but still happy I don't HAVE to buy every day and happy their are repeat chances to buy the same thing if you don't get it on the exact right day.
Seeya. :)
I haven't bought nearly as much (this is actually my first March Madness sale) as I had expected, since the majority of what's currently on my want list isn't actually included in the sales. I think I've actually only made one March Madness purchase so far (Maclean's Streets/Interiors-Office plus Alysa Character/Hair), and then last weekend I bought Fashion Lace-Up (which wasn't part of March Madness but which I wanted to expand Overknee Lace-up Boots for V4), and that's been it so far. Several other items have actually come up as sale items but funds are limited and I haven't really been able to find items to match the "at least 2" requirement to get the full 50% discount per day, or at least not stuff that I wanted enough. Though I'm still looking hard at the Victorian Nurse for V4; there's such a shortage of good Victorian/Edwardian Era stuff that even though the dress is a "specialist" one I think I could kitbash it using various texture sets (such as Ye Olde Cloths) to turn it into nice formal gowns, and use long gloves from other sets to cover up the sleeves and armbands. If Daz would just put the entire store on sale at some point, not just certain vendors and not just Daz Originals, I might well be persuaded to buy again, but for right now, I'm just sitting tight.
I've bought a few hairs and a LOT of props, which was kind of expected (I make clothes, so of course I need lots of these for promos). I mean I knew I was getting Maximum Madness and the Outpost the second I saw their WIPs, and I had a giant squeefit when I saw Orestes sets on sale. Everybody loves Jack Tomalin and Stonemason, and I am no exception. But Orestes has done some things that are very special to me because besides being great fantasy sets, they remind me of the Elder Scrolls games' visuals, and those games are what got me into 3d.
I didn't exactly plan to buy the Utahraptor or a bunch of the skins I got, including Ibrahim and Caleb, but I am just a sucker for good male content. Also, the person who can look at Dinoraul's store and not reconnect with their inner eight-year-old (ZOMG DINOSAURS) is dead inside.
Haven't bought any clothes. I feel like I'm more motivated to do good work if I don't fill my library with other people's outfits, so I mostly only buy outfits I want for my D&D roleplaying portraits or the inexpensive very full-featured sets that are in the Plat Club (and these two categories do overlap). I did end up with a couple of cheap female sets a while back as part of another promotion, and I don't care for them except for Scorching Black and Red, which has a very detailed necklace and shoes that are worth the price all on their own.
Yeah, I bought the Young Teens bundle. I never thought I'd get them since I didn't really care about them when they first came out. Now, I keep adding them to almost anything, lol.
Most of the stuff I've been buying has been stuff on my wishlist. I'm kinda disappointed that a few PAs that have stuff I want haven't come up for sale yet. :/
Three reasons I've spent a lot more this MM than the past 2 years:
1) No chain sales, thankfully. I know what items I'm getting discounts on, not gambling whether tomorrow's items will be something I want.
2) Lots of male and everyday clothing. I think last year there was only one male outfit.
3) 55% off on hundreds of PA items. That's what I've mostly been buying -- PA items I've had wishlisted that I've never seen for more than 50% off.
Yes!! Last time there was a chain sale I ended up with some pieces I ended up hating and now never use (mostly small, cheap clothing sets with no features) in order to get the pieces I did. And there have been a lot of items by other PAs I was just waiting to see on sale.
I have not spent much during this year's march madness, mainly because a lot of the new items they've released each day don't appeal to me, or aren't something I'd really be able to use even if they do look cool. And I cleaned out my wishlist the last time all the PA items were at 50% off, so the older items that are included each day haven't really been something I need/want, either. Last year I recall I spent quite a bit, but then I was also pretty new to this then and didn't have the content library that I do now.
I bought nothing from the new items, but some from the shops (like the magnificent Dinosaurs from DinoRaul, and the beautiful Iolanthe Symphony from Esha). The Asian series is very attractive too, but I don't have any use for it now. Many of the other new clothes for V5/Genesis/S5 etc. are not very appealing (exactly like described by SereneNight in the 'What would you buy...' thread).
Archimedes Prime is a jewel; I put it on my wish list. I made the decision to stop grabbing anything I like at first sight, and instead try to wait until I can use it. Ahem, decisions… ok.
I like the repeated chances to buy a MM item, and I like it that there are no chain sales.
I think I've bought every day. I'd budgeted for MM anyway (but leaving some to grab the birds I don't have from Ken next month). My problem is that I love every genre but have been a bit disappointed by much of the similar skimpy fantasy clothing for Genesis that is so ubiquitous for V4.
Love the vendor sales.
But my huge disappointment in DAZ stuff in general has not been lessened. Where is the Nursoda of DAZ? There are a lot of fantasy creatures and neat forms for Genesis but so much of it is, though fine and wonderful on its own, derived from comics and gaming, anime and movies. With a few exceptions, there's really not all that much out-of-the-box originality.
There's only one item I really want this month, and it hasn't yet come on sale. Time will tell whether this is a March Madness for the ages or not.
That said, I've spent about $150 so far on various things. Mostly environments and male clothes.
...been fairly choosy, mostly waiting for wishlisted items to come on sale or new products announced in the last month or so be released.
Didn't much care for the "BOGO" approach this year (to get 50% off you now need to purchase more than one item). Hence didn't make my first purchase until almost the end of the first week as I wasn't going to plunk down hard earned Zlotys on something I may not use just to get the extra discount. So missed on a few things (hopefully there will be a "ketchup" sale). Then surprisingly two items I wanted, Sickle Yield's/Marieh's Flower Power & MattyManx's My Best Friend poses (both on the wishlist) went on sale at the same time. The next was Stalker Girl Hair along with the lovely Daydream and Punked for Daydream (nice basic "real" looking clothing). After That it was the long awaited release of Maximum Madness and the Maximum Destruction add on. Finally there was Geishas and Yuriko Hair which were first hinted on the Aiko5 promo thread in February.
The odd purchase I didn't think I'd make? The last one. As I am in the process of installing apps & content to the new 64 bit workstation (which includes Carrara 8.5Pro) I ended up purchasing two Howie Farkes Harpwood County bundles and two single sets which included the new release: World Garden's Maze. I've always been impressed with the detail of these beautiful environment sets, but never considered adding them because I've been working in 32 Bit and Carrara8 Pro just didn't run well for doing very detailed scenes because of memory issues. With that soon to be behind me, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to finally get them at such savings (55% as I did purchase the Aiko5 Starter Bundle in February).
Mareiah had to talk me into that Flower Power set, but it turns out a lot of people have liked it!
Also: Today is 3dream day. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
*Pauses to breathe*
I got three new hairs. Not the very newest one, because it looks like it doesn't have a tuck-behind-shoulder morph. The fact that they're almost the only ones who actually DO those morphs in a hair that's in front of the shoulders is a big reason why I buy their other long hairs and almost no one else's (and SAV's, she does that, too).