Can we please setup a subscription service for SotA?

As I stated before many times, please setup a subscription service for players that want to go above and beyond in supporting the game. Have multiple tiers with even a $99.99 monthly option. I would gladly pay for this! This would give a more reliable revenue stream to help support the devs we love.

Maybe feature perks and badges on the forum that shows your level of support. This would be a dream I've had come true!!

 

+1

 

NO.
The game doesn't have enough content to justified an sub. The outdated look doesn't justified that either.
Also, we're not enough to play to make it enough lucrative. Sub plus a cash shop? Best way to kill the game.

ps: don't forget people like me who paid a lot of money to have access to the 5 chapter. I paid already, be sure that I don't want to pay a sub.

 

Have you seen EvE? Because you just described EvE.

Cash shop: They have one... have had one for years, actually.
Single Server: Operates one server for MOST OF THE WORLD.
Subscription based: Works on subscription as well, with about 15k actual subscribers, when you account for alts, but has around 20k users logged on most of the time.
Content: Actually, I think that in terms of ACTUAL CONTENT, they might be on a par.

• Story: Even if Shroud had a storyline of "A moon hit it. The End.", it would have more story than EvE really has.
• PvE: I might have to say they are on a par here, as there are only a few dozen semi-instanced encounters you can run in EvE, with a handful of mini-games tossed in there to give the illusion of other playstyles or "professions", while Shroud has dozens of variable-instance encounter scenes and a wrecking ball careening through every couple of releases to make sure we never evolve anything resembling a playstyle, and has zero mini-game hardpoints.
• PVP: Eve wins, hands down. Even if shroud could handle the thousands of connections to a single instance server that EvE is capable of, there is nothing near the mechanics supporting this particular aspect that EvE currently fields.
• Economy: EvE once again, wins hands down. Economy is completely player driven, as everything from the ammunition used by weaponry to the megalopolis sized stations anchored to provide corporate or alliance logistic support are crafted by players, and they employ an economic analyst to assist in making the market function properly.
• Looks: EvE wins again, but only because it has been iterated and improved upon constantly for over a decade.

Also, remember WoW? You still paid sub money, but you also paid to access new features with each expansion in order to enjoy the benefits it conveyed. Same could apply here, although most would see it as a bait and switch. You paid for access to all five chapters, which means that those who didn't, but still wish to play when they start releasing the subsequent installments would have to pay an extra amount when they release. Doesn't mean they can't levy a subscription fee, especially if the experiment that this whole project represents needs it to continue. It just means that subsequent chapters would have to be created using those funds, rather than the kickstarter model, or they would definitely face complete ruin.

 

I think the graphics are great. I guess it depends on your machine and monitor and what settings you run. I've got an older video card and it looks beautiful on best settings. My wife has a better machine and it looks even better on hers. But you know what they say about "art"...

I think, IF a subscription was setup, that you wouldn't lose out on anything you've already pledged for. In fact, it would probably not affect you at all. I would think that it would add temporary bonuses, incentives, that people would receive for paying the subscription, and those incentives may not appeal to everyone especially those who already have a lot of stuff under their belt from playing all these years, but for newer people... definitely. Like, one bonus could be an additional 250-500 bank slots, reduced rent (or none), daily/weekly/monthly thank you gifts (things that would not make anyone OP or be considered P2W gifts), bonus cosmetic options for characters, etc

 

And this right here points out the very flaw that is SotA. It's not "UO's spiritual successor" to a lot of people. You didn't even say "Remember UO? They have a sub and cash shop".

I'm sad now.

 

That's cause I quit playing UO looooooong before a cash shop was even an idea...

The point is, they need to get their money from somewhere. You want IMPROVEMENTS? That costs in terms of development time, and the money to pay developers to create them. You want FIXES? Same thing... gots ta pay the people to make the fixes. You want a game... AT ALL???? People gotta eat...

Bring on the subs, and charge people for the expansions when they launch (as was obviously the intent, IF there is anyone left that they haven't already sold all of them to in the first kickstarter), so I can respect these guys instead of them have to parade out, PBS-style, to do the newest iteration of dialing-for-dollars. I would rather you launch a sub-for-social-perks program and see the game live long enough to launch episode 2 (much less episode 5).

 

The op was talking about an optional subscription which is perfectly reasonable. They have many things already that make sense for it. Subscriptions could be like permanent obsidian potion buffs on your character and have teirs with how many you get to select each month and automatic entry into the telethon items. They could even do things like 1 entry into the lot raffle each month. While I appreciate that some people don't want to pay more for the game some of us are quite willing to spend the extra money each month and ease of use which subscriptions allow are very attractive. In stead of arguing for no funding which we all know is impossible lets look at what is reasonable. Optional subscriptions for non game breaking items seem like a good way to go. For all you other Governors consider a town upgrade. They just increased the max size to a municipally and man those extra decor slots are very attractive. I liked the increase so much I had to have two of them .

 

No it's not the right to promote a sub even if it is a voluntary one with perks. The game is not ready for it. We have some things to address before that time.

I'm looking forward to the much needed focus coming back on incomplete systems in this game such as fishing, cooking, agriculture, and even our character customization system. Systems were put in game as bare bones with promises of more updates to them later and now they can have their turn before we add upcoming episode 2 systems on top of this. Bring full systems in the game. Stop the bare bone systems happening please. It doesn't mean they can't be tweaked but they are full featured coming in.

This difficult decision had to be made. Incomplete systems do a disservice to this game. This needs to be stopped now. Let's get to it now. Make all of them shine. Make the game shine.

I want to look forward to upcoming things but if I doubt they will ever be anything other than bare bones I lose faith in the game. So now is an opportunity to rectify this and focus. Give us systems that do the game proud so we are not always making excuses for it like ' well it's not done yet'. Then they say when will it be done and we have to say ummmm I don't know and start to wonder if it will be *sigh*.

I'm so tired of this. Ive been doing it since 2013. I am very tired of it in fact. I want to be proud of all parts of this game and stop making excuses for it. It's an amazing game in so many ways.

 

I kind of thought the livestream was the de facto subscription, which is a model I love. Can afford to support a lot this month? Do it! Can’t afford this month at all? No problem! Personally I would not want to see a required subscription introduced, or even a subscription that “felt” required in order to have a chance at keeping up with others. As it is it feels fun and engaging and not like another bill to pay. I like that the items in the telethons are mostly decorative but limited edition, fun, and accessible to everyone even if they can only afford five bucks that month.

 

I'd support a sub because the game getting a better revenue stream is a less worse alternative than it shuttering, but I think, given the history of the playerbase they'd revolt if that happened.

I mean people that paid 40 bucks 4 years ago still complain they're not getting their moneys worth so......

 

We've got a 3/4 completed bridge (I'm looking at you fishing update! - among other things)

Now you want to put in parking meters, charge a toll, then throw in some free bumper stickers and stick on chrome engine parts for our trouble? No thanks, not even voluntarily .

As stated in previous threads of this sort - buy some COTO's each month - give them to others if you don't need them.

SOTA already has a P2W perception problem, and in fact a real problem...take a walk around most major NPC towns - filled with empty houses - 2nd, 3rd, 4th extra throwaway deeds from high level pledges.

This game needs less people throwing large sums of money just to throw it away and more people throwing small bits of money more often. Yes, this sounds like an argument for a subscription - but what we really need is more players.

I'd rather have this game loved by many, than propped up by few - that's what has caused a great deal of this games problems.

We can just hope more players come, people sell/give their extra deeds away to people that want to get in and actually bring life to the game.

 

I don't think any one is saying it should be a mandatory subscription. This has been brought up before and a dev (think it was Chris) said they had discussed having a small subscription fee (voluntary, not mandatory) and you'd get as many cotos per month as you put into it - plus if you sign up for 6 months you get a special 6 month item (like an instrument) or a 12 month subscription gets a special pet (I'm paraphrasing but that's what I recall).

 

I think some of you are not interpreting the call for a subscription the right way. It's not asking for a pay to play subscription, just an option for another way to give revenue to SotA and benefits for those that do. It wouldn't hinder or harm standard game play at all or those who have pledged and backed the game all along.

Some people have already pointed this out but it seems to be overlooked for some reason.

 

Exactly. Same feeling here. I just treat the live stream as my (voluntary) monthly subscription.

 

Like the example of EvE, Elder scrolls Online did a similar sort of thing, where once you paid thegame, you had to pay for the expansions, and could buy cash shop currency, but you could also pay a subscription which gave you access to the expansions, and also gave you the ewuivalent in currency for the cash shop as a benefit. This resulted in people who could pay 1 time and get what they wanted, but others get to pay to get a small benefit (which gives no ingame advanrage) and support the game.

I would be all in for this kind of option, and would gladly pay the sub fee considering I play this game so much.

Dont forget this sub fee is optional, and gives no unfair ingame advantage, so where is the wrong in that?

 

While not really opposed to the idea in general, I kind of agree the monthly livestream already serves this function. Throw $5 into the pot and get some goodies. Don't have the cash to spare this month? Not a big deal. Ultimately, if Port can't convince a person to voluntarily give at least $5 a month, then forcefully taking it from them probably wouldn't end well.

Also +1 everything Majoria said, and I would also add to that fixing a bunch of broken combat things that don't really become apparent unless you try to pvp. They've already gone ahead and "Launched" a game with too many things still unfinished. Probably wouldn't be the right time to make people subscribe.

But it's great to be wanting to offer financial support! COTOs are always on sale, and you can always use them instead of pavers if you want your support to be on display.

 

Except that you're not getting services that you would probably get with a subscription. Plus, $5 a month is hardly a subscription and there would be no "forcefully" taking money from anyone. I'd assume it would be business as usual with multiple tiers of subscriptions and options for 1 month, 3, 6, 12, etc. You could still do your livestreams for stretch goals and rewards and still have a subscription. The services and goods received would certainly have to be non-pay to win stuff as we have people complaining about stuff like that before the idea even takes off (not just this thread), so I'm sure care will be given towards that issue regardless.

 

I would like to see a $10 mystery item each month in the store some months it would be a unique item other months it could be a great deal on items already sold in the store and you don't find out what you get till the end of the month after that months mystery item is no longer for sale.

 

That’s just a recipe for disaster. People will complain.