Curse

Amon Warrior · May 02, 2007, 02:41 PM // 14:41

Online Store: in-game ENHANCEMENTS

Guild Wars is a high quality online game with a no-monthly-pay concept that lured me, a complete newbie, into online gaming. It’s the only one of its genre that I’ve been playing for nearly two years now, with some ‘relaxed’ pauses in between, and experiencing its growth, evolution and player expectations. There is much that Arenanet has been offering and doing, but there has been a limit when it comes to expectations in development that goes beyond what’s possible from such a client-friendly concept. After all, it’s still a business in need of juggling income and costs. Implementing all the neat and highly sought improvements into a new game is a compromise between a better non-bloated experience and feasible income. Too bad about the waiting time though…

But still, there are enhancements into a game such as Guild Wars that would require intensive maintenance and there’s also the issue of a deep-rooted notion that really good online games are only worthwhile if you pay regularly for them. I also think that GW online store lacks in offer and doesn’t get much use.

Taking that into consideration I thought (I think too much sometimes

) about an option to purchase ‘credits’ to be used for in-game enhancements. They would be a matter of choice that couldn’t CONFLICT with basic free gameplay. Basic features would still be in place such as the reconnection option in case of a network problem.

1. Ability to SAVE in instanced areas
- For example, a group playing in an elite area that takes a lot of hours to vanquish; it would allow for a needed break and resume at another time.
- Select option to save game. Everybody agrees to meet at another time. Some credits are taken from the total amount you have to spend.
- Proactive for player’s management of time: a growing concern with online games in particular is player addiction. People have been dying because of extreme play time. Sooner or later companies will have to come up with more active processes. “But if I stop playing I can’t get that awesome weapon! I would have to start all over again!!!”… Particularly helpful for areas of the World that already don’t allow minors to play more than a certain amount of hours.
- A nominal maintenance in credits would be a welcome and reasonable feature so that this option could become available.
CONFLICT? There’s no such option right now. Players can always come back and try another day.

2. Ability to SAVE player’s location in persistent areas (GW2)
- I’m exploring an area, it’s getting too late and I need to go to work/school in the morning. Leaving would mean having to spend hours to get to that place again.
- Select option to save player’s location. I would be able to return another time. Some credits are taken from the total amount to spend.
- When returning, there could be a warning broadcasted in the vicinity: “A portal is opening, <Character Name> is entering the area.” – might even be an opportunity to team-up with other players.
- You could do that only once in an area, over a certain amount of time (in order to avoid farming exploits).
CONFLICT? Just leave the town/outpost and go forth and explore again.

3. Change Character’s Name
- If you really want to do it, you can. But that’s going to take some credits.
- This shouldn’t be an arbitrary action. There is a consequence.
CONFLICT? A player could change the character’s name once for free; other than that, two more times by spending credits.

4. Personalize and Customize Guild Hall
- Allow Guilds to personalize overall decoration, even change weather and time of day.
- Ability to make their own battle scenarios within their Guild or ultimate ‘death chamber’ for guild members to practice their skills, even offering prizes for winning members.
- Guilds would be able to unlock design and decoration features by credits.
- Within a week/month, modifying the placement of structures or setting up a pre-made design could be made any number of times.
CONFLICT? Guilds would have the basic Guild infrastructure until a ‘customize’ option would be unlocked by credits. After all, it would take a LOT of work for the dev team to pull this one and add more features in the future.

5. Tradable credits
- To keep the free-game concept in good health, emphasizing the ‘optional’ credit acquisition (from online store) and because some players don’t have a credit card to buy online. They could trade in-game money for credits, in a controlled manner.
- There’s this unrestrained allure of players buying gold for real money that in turn damages the economy. Why not turn the problem into another pioneering initiative? There could be a limit for monthly/weekly tradable credits per player.
CONFLICT? There’s already a lot of money sinks in place that help control the economy and to handle the periodic ‘newly rich’ players.

6. Other possibilities?

In Conclusion
Any player would take whatever time they want to spend their credits or not use them at all. Casual players or others with limited time wouldn’t have so much of a déjà vu ‘grinding’ feeling to get to a particular place or do a particular long mission. Dedicated players would have more options available to whatever in-game buffs Arenanet could think of. The online store would have clients more regularly.

That’s it. Thanks for reading.

mikeejimbo · May 02, 2007, 04:45 PM // 16:45

Huzzah! Excellent ideas! When I first read the topic title, I thought it was going to be something where you pay money to get cupcake-like things, but these are even better.

Lydz · May 02, 2007, 04:58 PM // 16:58

Id SO pay to change my character's name!

Amon Warrior · May 02, 2007, 05:15 PM // 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeejimbo

Huzzah! Excellent ideas! When I first read the topic title, I thought it was going to be something where you pay money to get cupcake-like things, but these are even better.

Thank you for your comment and for pointing out my poor choice on the original title! [in-game consumable buffs

]

tenshi_strife · May 02, 2007, 10:49 PM // 22:49

OMFG YYES YES YES YES YES YES

i want to buy all that shit for my GH i would so pay cash for that HELL YEA

/signed come on anet free money

bhavv · May 02, 2007, 10:56 PM // 22:56

oooh, how about being able to buy extra hero slots for your account like character slots. £5.99 allows you to use an extra hero in PvE on your account.

XD.

tenshi_strife · May 02, 2007, 11:11 PM // 23:11

that would be awesome, but i dont know how much that is >.< *im american so of course i only understand $ lol*

MithranArkanere · May 02, 2007, 11:50 PM // 23:50

1. You can re-enter after disconection. I believe that is because they 'save' the instance for some time. So... saving a full area, with position of monsters and such... would be a big change I don't think will ever happen.
2. Not applicable.
3. That would be fine. Can be actually done, but is some trouble, sp àying for it would make up for that trouble.
4. That would be better if it wasy paid with ingame gold.
5. No. Never. That would be like selling gold, and they forbid it. How could you do something you forbid?

Amon Warrior · May 03, 2007, 04:40 AM // 04:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by MithranArkanere

1. You can re-enter after disconection. I believe that is because they 'save' the instance for some time. So... saving a full area, with position of monsters and such... would be a big change I don't think will ever happen.

If you could re-enter an instance from the nearest resurrection shrine from where you left, minus the quantity of monsters and specific bosses you already killed... it didn't had to be perfect, but just take into account all the mopping you've done so far.

Quote:

4. That would be better if it wasy paid with ingame gold.

Like your comment in (3) which is related with a lot of programming, paying for it would make up for a lot of designing, programming and future updates. Also guild members could share the burden and donate credits to the Guild.

Quote:

5. No. Never. That would be like selling gold, and they forbid it. How could you do something you forbid?

True, but I was thinking in 'quenching a thirst' for gold buying in a very controlled way. Just a thought...

Bottom line is that Anet devs would probably know of other ways to make a credit system work for in-game enhancements. This is an option that I believe would have a good acceptance among players as long as the fundamental 'free' game would be safeguarded.

aaje vhanli · May 03, 2007, 07:42 AM // 07:42

1.) I think players would find a way to abuse this. While I am one of those who don't have as much leisurely time that some people do to play GW, I don't think it would be fair to those who can not afford this service if those of us who can afford it where able to "cheat" instances in such a way.

2.) Not applicable because if someone logs out in a Persistence area, when they log back in their avatar remains at the exact location of log-out (assuming GW2 persistent areas are similar to those previous experienced).

3.) I really like the idea of everyone getting a chance to change a character's name once. I don't think more than this should be necessary though, but I don't see why not; as long as it is an extremely small limit and also controlled thru expenditures (both of which you had detailed).

4.) I absolutely love the idea of customized Guild Halls and recreating the Guild Hall experience to make it actually feel like a gathering place for Guild Members. This might seem like something better implemented in GW2, however, depending on the amount of time and programing that it would take to rework into GW1. I agree that payments might "make up" for this programing and design attention and labor, but I can't help but feel that this time and effort would be better spent investing in an intelligent system like this for GW2 -- which case, I think it would be better payed for with in-game currency. I understand that your intention would have added to the theme of deterring gold-buyers; but this is a feature that should be available to anyone who owns a guild, not only those who can afford it with IRL cash.

5.) I agree with MithranArkanere.

Ultimately, it seems like a good idea, except for the fact that a Cash for Credits system will only expand the gap between the rich and the poor; just as does Cash for Gold trading. Not to say that these ideas couldn't be expanded on in order to design a more reasonable (somewhat similar) system.

Amon Warrior · May 03, 2007, 03:46 PM // 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaje vhanli

1.) I think players would find a way to abuse this. While I am one of those who don't have as much leisurely time that some people do to play GW, I don't think it would be fair to those who can not afford this service if those of us who can afford it where able to "cheat" instances in such a way.

Cheating could indeed be a problem if you don't limit the number of times that the same instanced mission could be saved or loaded. The minute you would step outside that resurrection shrine (from my previous example) the load option would be gone. Saving again could also depend on your progression, time spent or none at all - a one time deal for each mission (unless if played again from the start). Players would have to understand that this feature exists ONLY to allow a better management of playing time and couldn't in any way bear the same capacities of a single player game.

This could meet the interests of both players with limited time (and yes, with money to spend) and Anet, which has been expressing a concern over playing time, although in a very passive way. It comes to my mind that placebo of a warning: "You have been playing for 3 hours, please take a break" - when an elite mission can last a lot more than that. Not to mention maintenance costs that such an option would bring.

Quote:

2.) Not applicable because if someone logs out in a Persistence area, when they log back in their avatar remains at the exact location of log-out (assuming GW2 persistent areas are similar to those previous experienced).

Yes, in that case no credits would be required.

Quote:

Ultimately, it seems like a good idea, except for the fact that a Cash for Credits system will only expand the gap between the rich and the poor; just as does Cash for Gold trading. Not to say that these ideas couldn't be expanded on in order to design a more reasonable (somewhat similar) system.

Unfortunately, the richer are usually the ones to reap the benefits first. From what I've been reading, Anet has been trying to come up with other ways than a credit card to allow people to purchase from the online store. Hopefully this problem will be dealt with soon. And then there's this other successful online game that has the gall to ask about 6 million of its worldwide players for a monthly fee...

Yanman.be · May 03, 2007, 03:55 PM // 15:55

/notsigned.

Anything that involves money is a bad idea.

mikeejimbo · May 03, 2007, 04:44 PM // 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenshi_strife

that would be awesome, but i dont know how much that is >.< *im american so of course i only understand $ lol*

About 12USD, on the current exchange, apparently.

Weird, didn't it used to be more like 1.8 dollars/pound? Now it's about 2.

tenshi_strife · May 03, 2007, 05:39 PM // 17:39

great point Yanman.be... wait no it isnt

last time i checked GW costs money... hum, and with no monthly fee anet gets much less money than other game makers. and this would not be REQ so anet could get more cash to make the game EVEN BETTER, and you wouldnt have to pay a cent my friend.

Amon Warrior · May 04, 2007, 02:41 AM // 02:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenshi_strife

this would not be REQ so anet could get more cash to make the game EVEN BETTER, and you wouldnt have to pay a cent my friend.

Like tenshi_strife said. That would be the main purpose of this