To clarify, you get an free character slot every year, effectively. When vet rewards were introduced, these slots were all granted at once to existing subscribers.
When we got the ability to purchase new slots, one or two (I can't remember) were given out to every player, plus the vet reward slots they already qualified for. So a newbie player who had an active sub during that period would have gotten a free slot, but a vet would have gotten four or five, etc, depending.
Going further, when you reach the new vet reward marks, the new slots simply show up as a new slot token to apply on whatever server in the character creation screen, same as if you'd purchased one.
Regarding the 60 month reward... that is interesting. True travel power for any character on any AT at level 6. Granted we do have the temp travel packs nowadays, but there's more nifty factor in this for many people, I suppose. Also helps some tight builds, I imagine.
I'm rather bemused by the hairball on the official forums. Some people are complain' that the 60 month reward breaks the dev's 'promise' that vet rewards wouldn't alter game balance. Others are like 'meh what's the big deal? It's not that huge a thing'. There doesn't seem to be much in-between. I just think the whole thing's silly. On the other hand, I can reasonably expect to see 60 months myself, so I'm probably biased there.
-- Acyl
When we got the ability to purchase new slots, one or two (I can't remember) were given out to every player, plus the vet reward slots they already qualified for. So a newbie player who had an active sub during that period would have gotten a free slot, but a vet would have gotten four or five, etc, depending.
Going further, when you reach the new vet reward marks, the new slots simply show up as a new slot token to apply on whatever server in the character creation screen, same as if you'd purchased one.
Regarding the 60 month reward... that is interesting. True travel power for any character on any AT at level 6. Granted we do have the temp travel packs nowadays, but there's more nifty factor in this for many people, I suppose. Also helps some tight builds, I imagine.
I'm rather bemused by the hairball on the official forums. Some people are complain' that the 60 month reward breaks the dev's 'promise' that vet rewards wouldn't alter game balance. Others are like 'meh what's the big deal? It's not that huge a thing'. There doesn't seem to be much in-between. I just think the whole thing's silly. On the other hand, I can reasonably expect to see 60 months myself, so I'm probably biased there.
-- Acyl