Read moreWell written, but I don't think this goes far enough.
Think of the opportunity cost. Consider how much time has gone into these accounts. Think of dailies missed & raw frustration. Let's not mince words, this was an unexpected catastrophe and too many players lost their accounts for no fault of their own.
The solution needs to be twofold: Prevention so that this *cannot* happen again. And justifiable compensation for those effected. Refunding components & gizmos is an interesting idea: these players will still need to roll for their most expensive perks. Adding a month of membership/discount to future premier is great; but what about the things these players can't get back. (Note: I understand how art teams often have time or breathing room at different stages in a game's development process.) Cosmetics are interesting, but the priority should be on restoration or even compensation rather than some sort of "exclusivity".
Think about the trust lost. ...
Thanks for the extensive, clear thoughts here. We'll pass the feedback to the team.