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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Monetization
Iridianny
Member
I am really discouraged to hear that the monetization will be coming from cosmetics. Cosmetics are a big part of the immersion of an mmorpg for me, a long-time role player. Having to pay for cosmetics with real money takes player customization out of the game and makes me enjoy it less.
Player customization is one of the most important features of a game for me. I don't necessarily mean face sliders either! I mean collecting things in game that are unique and special to my character. Collection is a huge feature to me in any mmorpg, but I do not like to pay extra for it as it feels like the fun of playing the game...
Things like outfits, house items, pets, and mounts are what I am assuming is going to be monetized. I feel that this added art could be continuously compensated fairly through a monthly fee.
These things add to the experience of playing the game... like rare items, specialty clothing shops, achievement items, etc.
It gives more to do in the game itself when specialty cosmetic items are earned. A monthly subscription fee is something many mmo players are comfortable and willing to pay for an engaging game. I would be willing to pay more than the average for a game with consistent "free" cosmetics being added to collect!
Player customization is one of the most important features of a game for me. I don't necessarily mean face sliders either! I mean collecting things in game that are unique and special to my character. Collection is a huge feature to me in any mmorpg, but I do not like to pay extra for it as it feels like the fun of playing the game...
Things like outfits, house items, pets, and mounts are what I am assuming is going to be monetized. I feel that this added art could be continuously compensated fairly through a monthly fee.
These things add to the experience of playing the game... like rare items, specialty clothing shops, achievement items, etc.
It gives more to do in the game itself when specialty cosmetic items are earned. A monthly subscription fee is something many mmo players are comfortable and willing to pay for an engaging game. I would be willing to pay more than the average for a game with consistent "free" cosmetics being added to collect!
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Comments
That's good, but it doesn't remove the issue I find with paid for cosmetics.
I know there are a large amount of people who aren't concerned with cosmetics at all, and all they care for is gameplay. I have read many opinions where they are more concerned with pay to win because being behind unfairly bothers them. Which is a fair issue to have. Pay to win has the same negative feeling that pay for cosmetics does to a player like me.
Also, I don't think that is the point of this mmo is to be the best at combat skill, I am fairly sure there are many ways to progress, like just owning a tavern. In that case, there are many types of players who will enjoy this game! You can see what type of player you are using the Bartle test here: https://matthewbarr.co.uk/bartle/
ALL types of players should be accounted for in monetization and how it affects their experience.
If there must be two paths of revenue, box price and monthly fee sounds great to me! Doesn't affect any type of players.
Steven's reasoning for not having box cost + sub. https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/comment/271565#Comment_271565
In the end, your singular distate for them is not going to alter the entirety of their revenue stream and business model.
There will still be plenty of gear and mounts (if not the absolute majority of it) that will solely be acquirable through gameplay. Other skins will only be able to be applied to already owned mounts/gear. For example: you go the Hippopotamus mount, with the default palanquin on top. The cosmetic would simply alter the look of the palanquin and other decorations.
As I understand it, store mounts are mostly being sold right now as a way to entice people to ge the alpha and beta keys. I'm not sure if there has been word on any mounts being sold in the store after launch. The way I understand it, they will sell skins for your existing mounts.
And again, as they often remind us: Equitable cosmetics, both from a quantity and quality standpoint, are achievable through in-game means.
It is early days of this game, if they were to change things, now would be the time. They seem receptive to feedback actually! I am offering a counter perspective on behalf of the people who prefer no cosmetic monetization as it affects their experience with the game.
Like I said, pay to win affects a type of player and pay for cosmetics affects another. Both are equally important and if one isn't being considered neither should the other. Box price affects no type of player.
Then why offer it at all? How is fashion, being the mayor of a city, mount skins, armor, combat skill level, etc. any more important than another part? It is all part of the same game. There are different types of players.
If you feel this way then perhaps you'd be okay with pay to win as well? There are no ranks on who is the best player on a server, so why not allow people to pay for skills and higher levels? Perhaps they want to get to the end where they can finally play the "fashion fashion revolution" part of the game at max level.
Actually pay to win would probably be a betterform of revenue as many more people are willing to pay for higher levels than fashion, like you said.
Trust me on this: your point has been made for the past 4 years at the very least.
Sure, but maybe they should replace pay for cosmetics for pay to win is what I am saying. It would make them a lot more money if having multiple revenue streams is important and it doesn't ostracize players that enjoy cosmetics and social gameplay. They are unfairly putting the burden of monetization on the socializer type players who will:
1. Be the first to build a community in the game.
2. Are more likely to pay for cosmetics due to social pressure.
3. Are the reason to create an mmorpg and not just an rpg.
If you're weighing pay for cosmetics versus pay to win ... pay for cosmetics is the lesser evil by a country mile.
It's not even close.
Why? Why weigh it like that rather than doing a different type of monetization that isn't evil and doesn't affect an entire player type?
Because cosmetics are purely optional ... they don't affect gameplay at all. There's no requirement for players to buy them and no competitive advantage.
If pay for cosmetics were removed, how do you propose the game pay for itself, @Iridianny?
I hope your answer isn't just the monthly sub. That won't be enough to sustain the servers much less new content.
You can't be that dense....
To quote myself answering to you on a different thread:
Box price affects far more people, in that someone may not have 60 bucks to fork out up front for a game they might not like after a bit. Meanwhile with no box cost, you only pay 15 bucks one month and you get the choice to carry on or not depending on your enjoyment. You literally get to experience 4 months of the game for the price of a box-cost game.
Just because you're able to pay those 60 up front, doesn't mean everyone can. tAke eVeRyoNe iNtO aCcOunt, smh
As for P2W: it means that if you don't pay you can't compete and you can't progress. This hurts everyone. Because everyone is either left to leave the game or force to pay to actually enjoy the game.
Pay for cosmetics (P4C?) only asks that if you don't like what the gear you have looks like, and you like the look of a particular item in the cosmetic store, you can buy it. It affects literally no one else.
If you can't handle seeing someone looking a little different from you, because their armor is white and you can't get the white version in game.... you have a whole different level of mental issues.
You are not forced to buy cosmetics to play and look good. You are if you try to enforce P2W. Which in your ideal world it would mean: 60€ for the game + 15€/month + P2W items.
Sounds like you're just someone that's unhappy that others may look better than you.... MAY!
But come on.... It's 2022. You cant expect video games not to capitalize on cosmetics. Did you rly need to start such a topic?
In AoC cosmetics will have grades. You wont be able to equip a high grade cosmetic if your gear is low. You wont be able to wear robe and slap a heavy armor cosmetic. And lastly, I have yet to see a good looking cosmetic that will make me say "I wish the ingame sets are like this."
Do you run an MMO with a monthly sub and know the revenue and budgets? Do you know for sure it's not enough? I have suggested a higher monthly sub than the average and a box price. This takes the burden of monetization off of cosmetics. Doesn't have to be $15 and $60 like WOW! There are tons of options, and they could do a one week free trial to remove the entry barrier. They already have received money through paying up to $500 to play alpha and beta, which... is kind of a box price... so they aren't completely against the idea.
This does affect some players. Many players find cosmetics to be important to their gameplay experience and would rather it not be monetized.
No need to be rude about this, it's just a discussion about a video game.
Doesn't have to be $15 and $60 like WOW! There are tons of options. Higher monthly fees and smaller box price. Also, they could do a one week free trial to remove the entry barrier.
I am not advocating for p2w, but do you see how you felt and reacted when it was suggested? You assume that p4c doesn't affect anyone because you don't care and couldn't possibly see a different perspective from the way you play an mmorpg.
This is not true. I could care less what other players look like. I am talking about what I enjoy in a game in regards to my character and how it feels a bit unfair to put the burden of monetization on players who enjoy collecting cosmetics. If you read my original post you may understand.
You can if you use full costumes. There are no restrictions for them.
Yes! That's the perspective I am trying to offer. If many people feel this way, why can't we express it? We are the consumers, producers cater to us.
Why can't it be discussed? It's 2022 and this game wants to be "a breath of fresh air" to mmorpgs. So perhaps they could consider doing something different and not put the burden of monetization on players who enjoy cosmetic collection as part of their game experience.
Okay? I am simply offering a counter perspective to monetization, but it sure is interesting that it sparked you to spend money.
I'd agree, if they were actually good.
From a combat perspective it doesn't affect the gameplay experience though.
I don't see Steven changing a fundamental part of the game's revenue stream ... due to "gameplay experience" as it relates only to cosmetic appearance.