What Services would you be willing to pay for ?

[Entropy]

Horses

 

Remove horses needing creature food and make them turn back into a whistle when dismounted or attacked but make them p2p ie: $X a year for unlimited access to a horse

 

So basically give someone double speed in half the areas, for a whole year, for a fee?

 

BTW, if you guys want to play a totally, 100% free game, without any shop items or paid services, go and play Planeshift.

[conavar]

Horses

 

Remove horses needing creature food and make them turn back into a whistle when dismounted or attacked but make them p2p ie: $X a year for unlimited access to a horse

 

So basically give someone double speed in half the areas, for a whole year, for a fee?

 

 

Pretty much yes

 

But wasnt that the intention of horses in the first place to give people double speed in half the areas ? Imo at least this way the game would get some $ and all the hard work done on the horses would be put to use.

 

I think people's biggest issue with the horses and hence their lack of use, was the fact they were lost so easily.

 

If double speed would unbalance the game to much then I for one wouldnt mind if that was lowered (as I see them more as a cosmetic item or pet than anything else)

 

But If enough whistles are sold from the shop as is, then this suggestion is a moot point

Edited April 3, 2009 by conavar

[Entropy]

No, as I was saying, I will remove the double speed from the horses, and the food requirement too.

[DHT]

Horses, maps, and other items that would otherwise be closed off to have-nots is very frustrating.

etc etc and similar statements

 

What makes you think that those "haves" or whatever you call them can't sell those advantage-giving items to "have-nots" for gcs?

[Pyewacket]

DHT is spot on, there is no have-nots on this. there is only "cant be arsed raising the gc to buy it from someone", which is just your own damned fault.

 

Ok, I brought up the idea to have either a golden serp sword or golden pickaxe as a members benefit on the thread radu made, so am posting it here as well for completeness. Items to have 5k or so guaranteed uses before breakage can occur.

 

I'd also like to see ingame "titles" purchasable from EL shop, which would go above the Players name ingame, and can be tied in with the awards system currently "in teh works".

 

For a reference point on title purchasing for players, I'd have to quote the methods used by Worldofkungfu.com

The WoKF game has some interesting approaches to rl revenue raising which I believe radu would do well to adopt to his own uses/purposes here in EL. It shouldnt be too hard to use some of their underlying strategies within EL and make them still unique enough that EL doesnt suffer from "omg thats so copying" syndrome. They have some pretty innovative approaches to selling items to players over there (ok innovative to ME, perhaps) and I'd be willing to stake my cynical reputation on it that if you guys checked out the Shop over there, you'd see things you'd like to see EL versions of. You too Radu.

[Dchels]

Make a new continent for Gold memebrs only, lots of things in life have members only areas why not in EL. (you dont pay, your not coming in)

[Idria]

BTW, if you guys want to play a totally, 100% free game, without any shop items or paid services, go and play Planeshift.

 

Interesting comment.

 

Then why advert it as free to play?

 

Home page says;

 

You're at the official homepage of Eternal Lands! Eternal Lands is a FREE MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) currently under development.

 

and in the Donations section;

 

We are making this game for FREE, all the time we spend making it we don't get paid for, so please help us out!

 

I've only played for about a week. I don't really feel moved to donate on most things until I get a genuine "feel" for it. Right now I can't say too much as leveling is a bit of a road and I can't tell yet if this will be a "home" for me or not yet.

 

To make myself completely understood I am going to try to re-iterate what I feel is the important thing I said. Can't speak for others, but I don't wish my POV lumped in with everything else. I don't live in Lemmingville.

 

** To take items or functions that are necessary to BASIC game play mechanics and charge real money for them will be disastrous to the players morale and willingness to play this game **

 

I can see making basic game play maps that are stripped down of some graphics and are BASIC game play central to the game experience of Eternal Lands. That means that all necessary items to skill up in any of the skills should be available. Do I think it should be fast and easy? Not necessarily.

 

Instead make additional extended and better graphic rendered maps for pay. Let's say that basic play has eight maps. Extend for pay on tiers of service to 3 more $20 a year, 6 more $40 a year, ten more $60 a year <--this is ONLY an example.

 

Additionally put fashionable items that cannot be made in-game (without nixing in-game crafting/tailoring), but put other fashion items into a Cash Shop structure.

 

I don't know about the horses, but you can charge for speeding them up. I've seen this done in another game and simply haven't chosen to speed mine up. Others do though and love it.

 

Charge for special events if your player base is asking for these - weddings, birthday parties, etc., you can have special event maps for these that cost to rent.

 

Ornamental weapons and armor that don't necessarily give better damage etc., but that look really cool can be sold for cash.

 

If I like a game well enough I might buy a house. I don't know if I would lease one. Depends on what the yearly cost was.

 

There MUST be some things that you folks get PM'ed about that players want added to the game that you can't see a way to do based on whatever costs are associated with adding and maintaining them. Many of these can probably be developed for sale.

 

I don't necessarily expect a game or world to be free for everything they offer, what I like and more importantly what makes me stick around, is a choice to spend when I have, and not have to spend when I don't have.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Idria

[marack]

I like to believe that EL will always be available for free...this is its strength imo and important for its future. I played for more than a year before I spent a single RL$ in game. Once Ashiana and I knew we were hooked we decided to support the game by spending RL$ in game. We often use items, bought from EL shop, as prezzies to guildies, friends and not for personal advantage.

 

I would like to see more items available from the EL shop. I would also like more guild services; more guild map size selections and quantities available per guild. I would like to see a available a NPC available for guild maps. I think there are alot more things for guilds that can be dreamed up as a way to generate revenue.

[Enly]

Horses, maps, and other items that would otherwise be closed off to have-nots is very frustrating.

etc etc and similar statements

 

What makes you think that those "haves" or whatever you call them can't sell those advantage-giving items to "have-nots" for gcs?

 

DHT is spot on, there is no have-nots on this. there is only "cant be arsed raising the gc to buy it from someone", which is just your own damned fault.

 

Make a new continent for Gold memebrs only, lots of things in life have members only areas why not in EL. (you dont pay, your not coming in)

 

You can't go earn gc to buy access to a gold member only continent.

 

These are the sorts of things that establish a "have" and "have-not" idea that concern some people. Yes, you could go earn gc to give to someone to buy you a membership, but what if its a scam? What if you can't find someone willing to do it?

 

Paying for items or a showy p2p or something that can really be accessed by any player isn't that bad of an idea... it's what we have now.

 

Creating the potential for a "members-only" area, gain, or some other such thing (That creates a real benefit! Not something for show or a very very small gain like a p2p race) that can ONLY be gained by being a member (spending $$), or taking part in a risky gc > rl $$ exchange is what creates "have" and "have-not"s. And that's what I don't like, and what other have/have-not opposers probably are concerned about.

 

-

 

More on topic -- I think more items added to the EL shop, that are only coming into the game from the EL shop, for always (such as tiaras, crowns, special hats that we have now) are a good idea. Any player can end up with one, as they come into the game they go on sale for gc and people without $$ can still get them. Things like BroD, BoD, SoM, etc that have been suggested, new vanity items like clothing. Rather than just putting items in the shop for a little while before they're fully ingame, create more items that are *only* from the shop, forever. If more money needs to be made, I think that's the fairest way to go about it. -edit- Oh, and stop gold farming

 

-edit-

 

As for planeshift, I tried that game, took ages to get it to work, then it crashed when I was in the middle of figuring out what to do lame game, EL pwnz.

Edited April 4, 2009 by Enly

[popeye]

BTW, if you guys want to play a totally, 100% free game, without any shop items or paid services, go and play Planeshift.

I tried to play Planeshift once. I couldn't get out the main room. Could not find the help channel to even ask how to get out. I like EL. A lot. My wife does too. I'd pay to play but I don't like the idea of the different color names. In cases ladder <spades> you couldn't tell the difference between a gold, platinum or diamond member by their avatars or colors. I voted yes for the experience, new p2p races, special items from the shop, ability to donate gold memberships, Wizzy's reset idea, less break rate, and a few others. There are alot of different ideas coming out. More funds for game development helps the game, doesn't it? I'm for it. I like EL. <I said it again.> It is only a game though folks. It is free to play, with perks if you pay for things. I've lost my train of thought............catch you all in game.

[korrode]

I'd just like to add support for Wizzy's resetting idea too.

 

A 'soft' reset where ur attribs/nexus/perks are reset but you keep your OA (so you can redistribute pp's), would be great. I'd think @ ~US$40 quite a few sales would be made.