Craftable Items in the Add-On Store

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Browncoat Jayson, Sep 24, 2015.

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  1. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    I have to say, I dislike having craftable items available in the Add-On Store. I feel that this diminishes the work of crafters by instead making items that would otherwise be made by other players suddenly available to anyone with cash. It also sets a very dangerous precedent; how can we be ensure a player economy when we never know what craftable item will be available for cash.

    Now I understand that this game requires funding. I'm happy to have pledged as high as I have been able to, buy as many add-ons as I feel comfortable with, and support every charity. However, if this is the path that we are going to, I find my enjoyment as a crafter being severely infringed upon. I want to be a premier carpenter, and planned to offer things like bows, crossbows, lutes and pianos to my clients. But now I have to balance whether it is worth gathering and refining the hundreds of trees, which will take unknown numbers of hours, when the end result is worth $7. You have placed a cap upon my worth.

    @RichardGarriott, @dallas; Please, please, reconsider this path! The Add-On Store should be reserved for things that cannot be crafted, even if it is just a different skin for existing items. These should be of limited nature.

    On the same token, why are things being introduced to the Add-On Store that properly belong to part of the Stretch Goals? Elven houses that do not help us meet the Elven stretch goal make no sense! Every decorative building is the same; the crypt, outhouse, and abode stables need to be part of the Flexible Placement goal. I know these goals are not getting the traction you wanted, but ignoring them does not help!

    I trust you to make better decisions for this game!
     
  2. David J Thompson

    David J Thompson Avatar

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    I cant agree with you here my friend. Im glad to see them there.
     
  3. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    Do you do any crafting?
     
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  4. David J Thompson

    David J Thompson Avatar

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    That is why is joined the game. Darkstarr mentioned on a show that the things we craft will be the in game drops. That greatly interested me.

    I belong to this guild: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...us-society-for-industrial-enlightenment.7300/

    I am a co-owner of this Metro: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...city-with-a-crafting-and-trading-theme.11472/

    So yes, I am HEAVILY invested in crafting. Thank you for your interest friend. Since you are also greatly in crafting I hope we can be on friendly terms.
     
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  5. Curt

    Curt Avatar

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    This part I can agree with the new elven stuff would fit well in the elven stretch goal and some of the others in flexible placement goal.
     
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  6. Gabriel Nightshadow

    Gabriel Nightshadow Avatar

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    Well I can see your point, Browncoat Jayson, but putting these items in the Stretch Goals section is NOT likely to generate much income because most of us have already contributed what we can to them o_O Those figures have barely moved in quite some time...:rolleyes: Putting them in the Add On Store will ensure a decent revenue stream by appealing to a larger pool of people ;)
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
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  7. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    If you are so involved in crafting, I am really confused by your acceptance of this. You do realize this means that hours, perhaps even days, worth of work have been trivialized for just a few dollars? I see no reason to craft any of the items available in the Add-On Store now. There is literally a 110-piece set of stone blocks available for $10. That is probably 300+ raw materials. I mined all the time while killing wolves and bears, and never ended up with close to enough to craft that many after DAYS.

    With their focus on making everything craftable in-game, and having a working gold economy, I'm beyond disappointed to see that this gets thrown away so easily.
     
  8. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    I don't object with the placement (I actually thing everything in the Stretch Goal Store should be on the Add On Store page), but that they are not affecting the Stretch Goal numbers. Nothing is going to happen because we can't get more backers to get those items. Having new items affect the goals would stimulate those numbers, which can have a snowballing effect on people pledging toward related items.
     
  9. Sindariya

    Sindariya Avatar

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    I would agree with you if it would be something like armor or something that would really influence economy. But those blocks are something that won't influence economy. I love the fact I can buy some basics and add the missing items to it. It will give me no headstart on anything.
     
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  10. David J Thompson

    David J Thompson Avatar

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    I understand your point, but I like to see different paths for each player to take in these games. I work 6 days a week so I do not mind a short cut and I also want the game to be well funded. Also I expect they will expire like most things in the store.

    Edit: we have decorations in Vanguard that are both crafted and from the add on store. We would not have had time to make it look as nice if we had to rely on crafting. Long term I agree with you, just don't mind the short cut now.

    P.S. I actually like gathering best, it relaxes me.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
  11. Gabriel Nightshadow

    Gabriel Nightshadow Avatar

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    That is a really BIG assumption...I honestly don't believe that adding more items to the Stretch Goals section will change those number significantly o_O
     
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  12. David J Thompson

    David J Thompson Avatar

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    I expect you are right unless they add some "must have" items.
     
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  13. Sold and gone

    Sold and gone Avatar

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    What I do think though is those items in the stretch goal store will be true rares, and people might want to buy them anyways.
     
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  14. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    No, but it does take away the backbone of those who use those blocks to start their crafting skills. You can add just a few items to it and finish, while they miss out on hundreds of skill xps and sales.

    Again, some will get a short cut, but the crafter gets undercut.

    Regardless of the loss in initial work, the biggest thing this sets is value for time. If it takes 10 hours of doing nothing but mining to get 300 blocks, that means that time is now worth less than $1 per hour. Making nearly ANYTHING else in this game will outpace that, but weapons and armor especially. Carpenters and masons just got kicked hard.
     
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  15. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    As I said, items in the Stretch Goals Store will not help (because noone goes there). But if the items in the Add-On Store would actually provide funding for the stretch goals, we would see some momentum.

    Currently, we might as well just dump the Stretch Goal Store; the numbers havnt changed in a LONG time.
     
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  16. DarkStarr

    DarkStarr Executive Producer SOTA Developer

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    There are valid points on both sides. We are definitely listening and considering.

    It is worth noting that we actually added these at the request of players.
     
  17. Selene

    Selene Avatar

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    I can see having these in the add-on store while we are in alpha. Trying to build mazes and whatnot when you lose all your items every three months or less is extremely tedious. Or being a bard and having to keep crafting your lute again and again. It would make sense, however, to take the craftable items OUT of the add-on store when the game goes live.
     
  18. Vaentorian

    Vaentorian Localization Team

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    I can understand why some crafters wouldn't want to see items in the add-on store that can also be crafted.
    Personally I see it from the other side, I like add-on store items being made also available in game for free. I'd rather spend 10 hours gathering and working materials, than spend £5 I don't have to - despite having pledged to a high level.
    Just my personal preference and since a relative minority of items will be available via both routes, I doubt it will have a significant impact on the game economy.
     
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  19. Wagram

    Wagram Avatar

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    How many players.
    Crafting is a major part of the game, and its being devalued before the game is even launched. If they want Bricks put them in the NPC merchants until the last wipe before the game releases.
     
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  20. Lithius

    Lithius Avatar

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    I personally think that having craftables available for purchase in the add-on store is a great idea. I personally never intend to purchase a craftable item in the add-on store but I do appreciate that it is an excellent way for Portalarium to generate cash (for game development). It's also great for those players that do not have hours and hours of free-time to accumulate the in-game cash to purchase the items that they want. Some people are cash-rich, some people are time-rich and some people (those lucky few) are both :) I think it's good that SOTA provides for all these people in some small way.

    I suspect that most people will prefer to purchase stuff in-game. I also believe that crafted in-game items will have their own type of value and uniqueness. I think players will consider things like the Makers Mark (i.e. crafter name or brand) and whatever other benefits (i.e. social, enchantment, reciprocity etc) crafting an item might have. I certainly would prefer to purchase a piano that is crafted by a friend or "friendly premier carpenter" because the name/brand attached to that item possesses a sentimentality and a personal edge that a generic add-on purchase doesn't have.
     
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