Open Letter to Mr. Garriott - the pay to play thing

Only instead of cheating you're buying a dresser that someone else can make in-game without spending a dime.

Oh the humanity.

 

Oh, is that what you were saying? Well in that case could you explain to me how someone that doesn't cash out is subject to anything you're talking about?

Also you twisted my words to be about RMT, which is a different topic entirely. The OP is about pay to play, not RMT. Please do not confuse the two.

 

So we are living in a post-achievement world then? No need to show off your cool armor and weapons you earned for slaying the fearsome dragon and saving the maiden fare, easier to just buy them on the market, not like anyone would be able to tell the difference.

 

You can do that in every MMO ever made. Have you ever seen that John Cusack movie, High Fidelity? Where Jack Black says, "Lionel Richie? Oh, is your daughter in a comma?"

That's what this conversation is like.

 

I'm not a tax lawyer, but I've hung out with plenty on a tax fraud forum where this type of stuff came up regularly. Converting assets to cash is the easiest way to trigger a tax obligation, but it isn't the only one. Any exchange of goods triggers a tax obligation based on their relative fair market values unless the trade is considered "in kind" which many a court case has revolved around the definition of. Aside from that, many states require that you pay sales taxes for goods bought out of state, once again not paying in cash doesn't necessarily remove that obligation.

 

How many MMOs endorse RMT?

 

I totally agree, it's on me. I'm not angry. I could spend my gold on buying from other but I don't want to.

But you must also understand it's also on the developers for developing a system like this.

They could have made sure that add on store did not overlap with things players can craft. But they chose not to, so their sandbox game play is weaker because of that. It wasn't enough that they charge for the land deed, and the house, and the trees and the pavers. They also had to charge for the furniture that carpenters could craft. And the outfits that the tailors could sew.

I'm sorry to say that it gives me a sense that the developers are more interested in their bottom line than the quality of their game. And that's the opposite of what an indie company should be.

 

The whole reason they have the overlap is so people would stop saying play to win. You can't have it both ways, unfortunately. So you either understand and are at peace with that reality, or you hold the devs accountable for something that can't coexist, which is completely unreasonable.

 

Can't have it both ways?

You understand that the devs could have chosen not to sell furniture in the add on store right?

There'll still be many other things to sell. deeds, masks, emotes, trees, dyes etc. to earn money off.

Is it unreasonable?

Or is thinking that whatever the devs have chosen to do now is the only choice they could have made unreasonable?

 

Ha! So let me get this straight. There's furniture that you can craft that isn't sold in the add-on store, and some that is a different color, but you're taking exception to the stuff you can't craft, and that's worth all the outrage? That's the great evil?

If yes, that's unreasonable. And indefensible when you consider that the alternative furniture makes it possible to have the game in the first place.

 

If the game I'm playing involves decoration. Then yes it's an evil to me. I'm not playing a combat game.

More choices mean more game. There are glass cabinets and counter tops that aren't craftable amongst other things. Tables of different shapes and sizes. It's not just the colour.

And even if it was just the colour (and it isn't) why shouldn't a master carpenter be able to craft it? You're trying to pivot from that. Why are there furniture that a master crafter have to purchase from another player?

That's why I think the game is weaker than it could be. The assets are all there. It's just that the devs choose to put it behind a pay wall.

For me, the game is extremely pay 2 win. Bigger house, more variety of furniture all the result of money.

 

Sigh.
I'm not pivoting and the game is not pay to win because you want to craft everything and not trade for it. It might be trade to win, but there's nothing wrong with that.

 

And outrage? Why do you guys like asking us questions then say we're outraged when we share our views with you? Or dismiss our views as unreasonable, invalid?

You asked what's stopping me from buying and I answered. If you don't wanna hear the views, don't ask.

 

To a combat person it isn't. To me it is.

There is something wrong when a crafting profession isn't able to craft a large amount of things because they're behind the add on store. Especially if the crafting is one of the things the game advertises about.

• Player Driven Economy: Deep crafting system where the best items are made by players and player items are the main source of loot found in the game.

 

I understand and agree with you that all types of furniture should be craftable by master craftsmen even the glass cased furniture or a variant of that for the game. The thing is we should fight for this to be true but also to understand that while we get versions that have all the features of the add on variants and understanding that this game has to have income with no subscription. It just has to.

So we call the Devs to task for that part and at the same time realiz some versions we just have and have to figure out how to buy from them from other players. That would be those Players who were willing to spend to have them on the add-on store.

We can't have everything exactly as we like since this is a pay to play game. If we could change that to subscription yeah maybe some changes could occur but it is all touchy.

The add-on store has to be there and yes what is offered in it can truly be affected by our feedback to make it better. I don't mind that fancy versions are there but all types should be in game like glass doors that open and stuff imo. Also dying furniture like in UO would be awesome, well eventually

edited to make sense. sorry try reading again.

 

With respect, from the very first Kickstarter offering, it has been quite clear that some decorations would be available only to people spending large amounts of money. If you came into the game with other expectations, I don't know where they came from.

The issue is that the same argument you're making about decoration can be made about anything. Why should I pay for emotes? I want to have access to all the emotes! Why should I pay for land? Surely land should be purchased with in-game currency!

The harsh reality is that the money has to come from somewhere, and every revenue stream the devs swear off is a greater chance the game fails to realize it's potential. If they were really just after the money, "pay to win" would be a huge revenue stream ... but they've largely disclaimed it.

 

And all in the game if you find them for sale. I can't afford sparkle dyes all that often from the add on store but I do want them and I find them in game. I don't think that should change. I totally understand what you are saying. It is a fine line since we are pay to play and we have to be super aware of the big picture to help this game survive.

 

I'm not mad, I've given up on it. Heh heh.

I spoke about it because someone asked. I don't start threads about it.

@Sarg Like I mentioned they could offer stuff for sale in the add on store that aren't to do with crafting profession. I mean, if money is so important why not just make really powerful weapons for sale? Because it'll make combat a pa2win game and there won't be a sense of achievement right? So why do it to furniture? I'm okay with pledge items, certain seasonal items for sale.

Anyways, as I've mentioned before. Port needs to earn money. I understand that. They've chosen this method of monetization and that's their prerogative. I personally don't like it and think it makes the game a shadow of what it could have been. That's my opinion.

I'm currently unimpressed but I'll just wait for the game to launch and see how it is then.

 

I think this is what you're referring to my friend, funny part is, my wife and I danced to that song at our wedding which just happens to be my avatar pic here lol. Love that song!

 

@Autumn Willow So that I understand your perspective, you're saying that they can sell anything they like in the add-on store EXCEPT things which would/could be made by a carpenter. Presumably, because that is the profession you have chosen in the game. If so, that seems rather odd.