Gold Crowns of the Obsidians

First of all, every MMO has a secondary market that allows you to buy gold for cash, every one in the history of gaming. So that train left the station in the 1990's.

But please explain to me how paying $1 for faster harvesting ends up making me a better MMO player than someone that doesn't pay that $1. During that time you could be out killing mobs and earning more gold somewhere. Or you could be able to put more time into the game than I can and harvest more than I can in a day. Or you can take your gold that you earn and turn around and sell it to another player and get Obsidian coins without paying any money at all.

TIME = MONEY

If we're going to proclaim that TIME is the only thing of value here, not only does that not pay the devs bills it also makes the game pay2grind which is every bit as unfair as pay2win would be. So let's balance this out, let's have a system where your time is equal to my money. That's what's happening here.

 

I'm extremely disappointed in these decisions by portalarium. The tax free Viking packages are pledges, so lets call them what they are. Pledges that the early backers don't have grandfathered which include tax free deeds that were supposed to be exclusive to early backers. We've taken a horse, strapped a Velcro horn on it and called it a unicorn.

The obsidian crowns are officially pay-to-win, these are not convenience items, its a way to pay RL cash to bypass the entire in-game repair system putting a dagger in the side of the player economy for the sake of Portalarium revenue.

I understand, appreciate and even support the need for an ongoing revenue stream, but you've gone about it the wrong way.

 

It will have no effect on your pledge

 

So, people will buy gold from Portalarium instead of from gold farmers. That's a win.

 

+1

 

Aye, I can see this curbing the gold sellers a lot. It's a good thing.

 

So either the money i earn is "taxed" to keep buying coins or i can't compete with people doing an activity (gathering) without spending dollars.

Whether something reaches from inconvenience to pay-to-win is probably just a matter of degree. If Crowns take a month in game to farm one... Then it's going to take a lot more than 2500 gold to buy one. If they actually cost 2500 a week then it's inconvenient.

@Rofo posted numbers saying that any high level the potion gave like 20%-25‰ time reduction. I'd call that notable.

 

The drop-rate is really what matters. Not that the crowns are for sale.

 

Well, except the gold farmers have to go out and actually PLAY the game to make the gold. (generating resources, killing mobs) It has a control and a limit on how fast it can generate gold. Port is just printing money , and at the same time curbing the ability for players to make gold WITHOUT buying golden crowns. It'll cause massive inflation and gold will essentially be useless.

 

@DarkStarr

Can we stack Obsidian Crowns as decorations yet?

 

Just rare enough to encourage add-on store purchases eh? I'm adventuring level 69 and these have NEVER dropped for me. Not even once.

 

Fister gets it!

Something like the 100 gold a day lot taxes doesn't kill a game but 10000 a day could do some damage.

 

I have some concerns about the balance of the economy.

Aside from that, I hope the new cash model allows them to put more focus on content that is RP-oriented and fits the game world. One of my biggest misgivings about the add-on store model they've used previously is that it cut into the integrity of the game. If not, then its just a lose-lose.

I also hope they continue the promise to make versions of most add-on content available for crafting, to keep the economy player-centered.

 

The drop rate was placed on all things in R30, not before, correct? SO we have had a full day to test this thoroughly?

 

Aye, I think the drop rate needs to be upped a bit, I don't know anyone that has gotten one yet as a drop.

 

new cash model, awesome way to word it.

 

Give me a chance to play, hehe! This has been placed yesterday, and I personally haven't had a chance to get harvesting.. just patching I plan to have a few this weekend easy, if not, then there is a problem.

 

@DarkStarr please make bundles with clothing (helm, cloak) and the pet (bloodraven). As I am a collector of cloaks and of course hats this is much appreciated.

 

They were in before. I got one two days ago at around level 68, my first and only one. Now it's totally possible they've changed the drop rate for R30, but I haven't seen anything about that.

 

feeling very sad about the new Viking packages... the way I see this is they are a pledge but by not calling it a pledge it doesn't have to be grandfathered to the current higher pledge levels... most of the items in the "package" I already own... I prefer a la carte items that are truly add-on store worthy... if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck... I am hearing some major QUACKING!