Premium subscription
Of the three available subscription tiers of GemStone IV, Premium is the second, priced at $25.00 on top of the Basic subscription fee. Being subscribed at the premium tier is often referred to in-character as being a member of the Four Winds Hall.
Subscription Benefits
Members of Four Winds have many special membership benefits. The current list of what Four Winds Hall members receive is as follows (also available via PREMIUM 2 in game):
Extra character slots
Each premium subscription comes with 15 free extra character slots.
Quicker Responses
We handle Premium assists and Feedback letters before all others.
Premium Long Term Benefits
- Main article: Long-term Benefits
You are eligible to choose from a number of items to work on with your Premium Points. For more information on point costs, please see Premium Point Costs or PREMIUM 9 in game. For more information on how to use a Sadie scroll, please see Alteration scroll or PREMIUM 10 in game.
Lockers
Additionally, Premium subscribers get a locker in every town, larger lockers (increased by 30), and access to nearly instant locker moving. When you use the locker moving company, Premium members have a greatly reduced cost for all moving speeds and an additional speed choice. Other benefits include access to the LOCKER verb, and the locker manifests (see below.)
(Note on lockers: when first upgrading to Premium, you must visit your original locker before your lockers will convert to the Premium system.)
Bankbooks and Manifests
Locker manifests and bankbooks allow portable but read-only access to the character's bank balances and locker contents worldwide. Bankbooks and manifests are available east of the teller at the Four Wind Isles bank.
Isle of the Four Winds
- Main article: Mist Harbor
Premium members have an island of their own. Visit Mist Harbor, which houses everything from lockers to shops, from nearly anywhere in Elanthia! The island also features two extensions, the Eastern Harbor and Western Harbor, which contain their own unique atmosphere, shops, services, and activities.
Four Winds Halls
- Main article: Four Winds Halls
Many towns have areas which are accessible only to premium subscribers known as Four Winds Halls. These halls each have a table providing Premium subscribers access to the teleportation jewelry necessary to reach Mist Harbor. Directions to each hall can be found in game by typing PREMIUM 4. Other benefits located at the halls include: Premium flowers, gambling tables, super nodes, and wandering live merchants who chance to stop by.
Premium Transport System
- Main article: Premium Transport System
Inside each of the eight Premium halls, you'll find a Transport Room (each room has its own unique colored doorway) (see PREMIUM 4 for directions to the hall in your town), and in this room is a ticket and a portal. Each transport room will have a sign with ticket purchasing instructions, pricing and restrictions, and a portal. You can purchase a ticket to then enter the portal. Once inside, you'll be in a nexus of rooms that leads to all the different towns, allowing you to choose your ultimate destination. This system provides you instant, inexpensive, one-way transport to the town of your choice up to ten times per month. A sign with more information can be found in the Transport Room of your local Four Winds Hall.
Teleportation Jewelry
- Main article: Premium teleportation jewelry
Access to the Isle of the Four Winds is available to Premium subscribers by means of special teleportation jewelry. These jewelry items are available at a town's Four Winds Hall.
Premium Spell of the Month
- Main article: Premium spell of the month
Subscribers may pick up an item that will change spells monthly and is for one or two uses per day, depending on the spell.
Premium Homes
- Main article: Premium home
Premium members who maintain their subscriptions for 90 consecutive days can purchase a fully-customizable home of their own in the game. Homes also allow you to own your own interactive pet that will even follow you around the neighborhood.
Premium Only Contests
We hold monthly member-only contests, with the winners able to choose from various fabulous prizes. Contest rules can be found at PREMIUM 6 in game, and the current contest is posted on the Premium message boards as well as PREMIUM 5 in game. The list of winners is located in PREMIUM 7, as well as the prize choices!
Type-ahead Lines
You get an extra type-ahead line as a Premium subscriber, preventing you from being kicked out of the game for typing too many commands at once! An additional type-ahead line can be purchased in Mist Harbor for 900 points by drinking from the fountain.
Quarterly Premium Meetings
These meetings provide a place for you to express your ideas and opinions about your subscription. You can also learn what projects or events are being worked on for Premium members, and even suggest your own. The Premium/Mist Harbor meetings occur in March, June, September, and December each year, and are hosted by the Premium guru.
GM-assisted Wedding Services
Premium members get a discount on GM-assisted weddings. See Prime - Weddings for more details.
Discounts
Premium members enjoy a 10% Discount on all Simutronics merchandise, quests, festival tickets, and convention fees.
Advanced Ticket Sales
Premium members enjoy the first pick at event tickets when they go on sale, giving you an advantage for the events with limited amounts of tickets!
Merchant Services
A number of merchants visit Four Winds Isle or the various Premium Halls at the discretion of the Premium Guru (these are not part of the premium subscription and are considered extras). Some of these include:
- Xerria Unlocks (monthly)
- Lady Merrielle Monthly Raffle
- Animal companion grooming raffle (monthly)
- Felthrop's Raffles (monthly)
- Ravias Raffle (usually an Arkati symbol, monthly)
- Artifact Raffle (monthly)
- Naelyne Sews (monthly)
- Soirissa Sews (monthly)
- Jebariah (transporters, bi-monthly)
- Geltrude Tattoos (bi-monthly)
- Arbigail (bi-monthly)
- Nycolle (labels, bi-monthly)
- Item property removal (occasional)
While the premium guru will try to announce these in advance on the calendar it is not guaranteed (so check often).
Other unscheduled merchants will appear occasionally and usually send a message to all premium subscribers that are logged in.