Today, we're making an important and beneficial IRE-wide change to
credits use and bonus lessons. This change means a 2.5 lesson per credit
bonus on the next 1000 credits you spend on your character, but please
see below for details.

Previously, if you bought credits within 21 days after creating your
character, you would receive a bonus of 2.4 lessons per credit
purchased, for up to 1000 credits.

We are changing this:

1. The bonus is being raised to 2.5 lessons per credit.
2. We're removing the time limit, so that you enjoy the bonus on your
first 1000 credits without having to rush.
3. Instead of the bonus being given at the time of purchase, it is being
given at the time that credits are "bound" to your character - meaning
that the bonus applies not only to credits purchased from us, but
credits obtained by other means, such as the credit market or a transfer
from a friend.
4. ALL existing characters and all new characters henceforth can get
this bonus. Even if your character benefitted previously from the old
21-day 2.4 lesson/credit bonus, you still get this bonus on your next
1000 credits "bound"!
5. To receive your bonus lessons, all you have to do is type CREDITS
CONVERT # TO BOUND CREDITS. For the first 1000 normal credits you
convert into bound credits, you will receive a bonus of 2.5 lessons. No
matter when you convert them. No matter how you got them.

Ok, so what's this "bound" business? Well, previously we had three kinds
of credits: normal credits, neocredits, and artefact credits. Normal
credits are what you get when purchasing credits from us, or from other
players. We are simplifying by getting rid of the last two types
(artefact and neocredits) and replacing them with bound credits, which
are credits you bind to a single character. By binding credits, you are
merely acknowledging that all uses of those credits will be for that
character only, such as converting into lessons or artefact purchases.

Once you bind credits, you will not be able to transfer them to other
players or sell them on the credit market. This ensures that the person
receiving the bonus is the person who is actually using the credits,
that's all. It doesn't devalue the credits any, or change things in any
way from before, other than providing us a single point at which to gift
you with bonus lessons.

So, in summary:
1. Slightly more bonus lessons: 2.5/credit instead of 2.4
2. No 21 day time limit on getting bonus lessons with a character.
3. Bonus lessons gotten via converting credits to bound credits, so
credits gotten in any method can be used to get the bonus lessons.
4. Just two kinds of credits now: Credits and Bound Credits. Credits are
used for transferring to other people or selling. Bound Credits are used
for everything else, and are 'bound' to a character forever.

If you have more questions, please read HELP CREDITS and HELP LESSONS
for details.

We hope you guys enjoy this change. I think it's of particular benefit
to those players who cannot afford to buy credits for real money, and
who thus couldn't previously get the bonus lessons at all. Enjoy!

Penned by my hand on the 22nd of Miraman, in the year 415 AF.