[MUD-Dev] Buying benefits

[Corey Crawford]

-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Brown
Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Buying benefits

> --- Corey Crawford <myrddin at seventh.net> wrote:

>> Honestly, I think one of these days one of the "big guys" is
>> going to do this, and once players get use to the idea of paying
>> extra for extra features, everyone will be doing it. I think it's
>> all a matter of acceptance; once players are use to it, it won't
>> be a big deal. I'm use to paying the high prices for the gas I
>> put in the car now, though I sure b*tched when it first went up
>> ;)

> It's a possible revenue-stream, which the bean-counters always
> like to see, but I think a lot of care needs to be taken when
> implementing an idea like the purchasable stat increase:

> I used to play Magic: The Gathering. I was never very avid, I just
> played for the fun of it.  However, I found myself getting
> trounced time and time again by some players because they had
> spent loads of cash buying all these super-rare and powerful cards
> to put in their uber-decks.I finally stopped playing because the
> game no longer felt like a test of skill on even ground - it felt
> like a test of investment size with a small dash of chance thrown
> in to make me feel better.  It really went against what I look for
> in a game.  It's like letting hockey players buy rocket skates and
> powered-armor and then still letting them play against opponents
> who can't afford it.  While I can certainly afford to buy Magic
> cards, I'm really not interested in buying my way to achievement,
> and I get irked when someone is able to do so and thus unbalance
> the playing field.  Especially if there is no other way to achieve
> the same results without purchasing them.  If, in-game, I could
> also find stat increase items, then the issue would be somewhat
> lessened, but it still wouldn't feel right to pony up $50 and
> suddenly be Braniac the UltraMage.

True, things that can affect the actual game need some kind of
moderation.  I've talked about this with my staff and if we went
this route, the best way I can see to do something like this is to
have a limit on the number of increases you could buy. Something
along the lines of no more than what you could earn playing 5-10
hours a week. So maybe one stat increase per week, etc.

Now, Achaea actually allows you to buy items (weapons, armor) and I
think Matt has the idea right when he limits these items to
*buy-only* (that's right, isn't it?). To me, this would be more of a
status thing as long as you could get a similar blade (although by
another name) from playing and not just with cash.

> Of course, in the MTG case, this applied directly to the variables
> of the contest between myself and my opponents.  Armor with a
> customized look or custom housing in a combat-oriented game
> wouldn't necessarily fall under this definition.  You'd have to be
> careful here in setting the price so that it wasn't so expensive
> that nobody would buy it, but not so cheap that EVERYONE would buy
> it.  I can imagine walking over that last rise before you hit the
> city and suddenly your display goes into epilleptic slideshow mode
> as your machine desperately tries to download the 1500 new houses
> that weren't there last week ;)

With my own game, I'd be much more interested in selling things of
this nature. Houses, re-dyed equipment, furniture, and anything else
that's frills or status related. Since this doesn't affect the game
play itself, you don't have to worry so much about balancing, but
your right on the fact that it has to cost enough that not everyone
gets one.

I'm also considering selling web space/email hosting/domain hosting
for any clans/guilds within the game; which is something I think
most guilds would go for especially if it tied into the game somehow
(i.e.: you could login to your protected guild area and see stats on
guild mates, messages that are also posted in the game, war status',
who's online, etc).

Personally, I think offering *optional* buyable benefits is a better
way to get income than forcing players to pay for subscriptions. I
think finding out a text MUD is subscription-only is a good way to
drive away new players, though it may be less of an issue if you
went to subscription after your player base is already established.

Matt, I think I'm going to have to talk to you about how your doing
stuff on Achaea ;)

---
Corey Crawford | myrddin at seventh.net

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