So what if its a promotion for the Origins pack?! Buy one or dont. Just because they put a hard cap on things doesnt mean they actually expect many if ANY to hit it. Just means...thats where the cap is. Good GAWD I will never cease to be amazed at the **** people will ***** and moan about. If you have a problem with the event then dont participate.

It IS a bit of a redundant subject... BUT, actually the idea that the event is alternately a scheme to "push" Origin Packs is one of the things I LIKE in this game, entertainment-wise.

Let's make no mistake, a "Free" game (website, bicycle, dinner, etc) means PAID FOR BY SOMEONE ELSE,... "Free" is just the catch phrase used by almost everbody who's marketting a product to you. The agency who's paying for the "free" thing, hopes to profit on the money they're spending, by getting SOMETHING from the free-users (namely, you and me). LOL, we shouldn't have a fit about that... that's business!

Sony is the agency "paying" for your free use of Dust, so CCP agrees to push Sony-profitable items wherever/whenever.
I don't mind---I think the way they've incorporated it into the "mercenary" mindset of the game is cool, and downright fun to read!

The #1 pleasure of walking around in the warbarge was, for me, hearing the woman promoting Aurum. Promoting it like it was as steriod. "...makes you do FASTER", "short on time?--get AURUM". Confident, almost bedroom voice, "pushing" the "fast-way-to-muscle-up" in this game. I wish we'd have that bombarding our living quarter's video screen too--it would be hilarious!

Dust 514 is not intended to "help" you play well. That, they want you to GRIND in order to develop. It's deliciously devious, but it falls in line with the way that the devs never seem urgently concerned with improving tutorial menus, offering ISK-free training modes, or special events that are free of CATCHES or CONDITIONS (call them, New Eden tricks).
Heck, the greatest "trick" CCP pulled on players, is making you think that the "math" of the gear/vehicles/hitpoints will determine your success. (Your combat resourcefullness and ability to interact strategically with fellow players are what determine that--those are the two tools CCP deviously hinted for us to win the matches with).

The math that some of us get steamed up about and call rubbish (but secretly are still hooked on like the rest of us---come on, you know you love this math like the statistician-betters at the casinos who think they've figured out a winning system),... this math is just the fun frosting flavoring the cake---it's still a GRIND-cake. It's always a GRIND cake. Derrith, it's always going to be a GRIND cake. !!!!

Correction.... it's always a grind cake, WITH a built-in incentive to purchase a Sony-profitable steriod (like Aurum, or an Active-Booster, or Aur-pack with booster included, etc). Sony agreed to pay our membership-accounts in the game, so it's only business that they get their products promoted in "generous SP events" like this.

As long as you don't raise your expectations above what I explained here, you stay mellow and the promotions don't deceive you TOO much. Maybe in fun, CCP's promotions are MEANT to deceive and be ambiguous. To me it's like Ishukone, Duvalle, Lai Dai, etc pushing whatever tech product they can on mercs: we're the new boys (and GALS) on the New Eden block, and there's just as much profit to be made by pushing "rubbish" events and tech to us, as there is from pushing "GOOD" events and gear to us. New Eden is devilish, but SO entertaining.

Incidentally, Derrith, I like your character name. Always cool to see unpretentious but original, non-earthly names created by players for New Eden.

+1 hot black b*tches..mmm Jada Fire. 'nough said.