Gold Crowns of the Obsidians

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Faster computer, better internet connection also gives you an advantage. Is that Pay to Win?

 

If someone wanted to, for example, purchase a Town Lot deed in game, and didn't want to 'work' for it and was willing to give Portalarium $2720 for the privilege, would you have a problem with that?

I have a 40" Monitor, and a rather speedy internet connection... because I can afford it... Isn't that pay to win?

 

Good internet and decent computer is a must to play SOTA.
I dont see a point to get sarcastic here.

 

Guys, just google what pay to win means, ok ?

 

I saw no sarcasm in either @Onyx of EVL or my questions. I'm attempting to get you to look at the reality of the situation rationally rather than emotionally.

Please cite a realistic example of how being able to sell a Gold Crown of the Obsidians to an NPC vendor at a rate of $1 US => 250g would adversely affect the game.

 

Would suggest you lock the thread then as there is nothing more to be discussed that hasn't already been stated the the last 35 pages.

EDIT: Better that then deleting posts.

 

The problem is that Obsidian Coins are the first items that sold in the addon store AND dropped in game. Portalarium gave a RMT price to a dropped item. They can manipulate the both the RMT price and the drop rate %. This is the new gold standard.

 

I don't have to. I know what it means, and you yourself provided your definition:

I'll work with that, since you provided it.

 

Ok, just read all my posts in this thread in firstplace.
Otherwise this is just a sentece taken out from broader context.

 

That's PAY TO KEEP THE GAME GOING

Something different as my last one was deleted I think the boldness, size and colour is good

 

Please provide a realistic example of how Gold Crowns of the Obsidians sold to NPCs at the rate of $1 US => 250g might have a serious deleterious effect on the game.

 

I feel you brother, my previous post to you was deleated too

There are other ways to keep this game going.
I am not against donating or paying for game development and new content.
That's just a matter of implementing nondistructive methods of monetarizing strategies.

 

Please provide a realistic example of how Gold Crowns of the Obsidians being sold to an NPC vendor at the rate of $1 US => 250g would be destructive to the game.

 

I'd like to take this one if I may... It's because 250g is not an accurate representation of what the trade rates will be in game. I assume the 250g static rate is solely for the introduction of the Gold Crown into the game - and it was much much higher when it first dropped. Its rate of 250g per is an outcome of community backlash and concern. I think the 2500g mark was a more reasonable estimation of what to expect - after all, the devs most likely set it initially knowing full well what sort of metrics they were hoping to capture.

I don't mind at all if this is a P2W point of contention - that's neither here nor there. What I am interested in is how Portalarium wants to go forward with this being a direct path to gold purchases in a player run economy where the players will set the price in game. In the OP you have @DarkStarr saying "Selling Gold Crowns and allowing those Crowns to be exchangeable in game for Gold currency and potions with game benefits (like repairing of maximum durability) is something we believe is a good and fair balance of revenue while still maintaining play-ability and player economy." -- which is fine. But then you have @Chris making statements that it is not Portalarium's intent for the Gold Crowns to be used to purchase in-game gold. I'm confused, tbh. The static rate of 250g is temporary and once the economy turns on we will see the trade price of Gold Crowns increase in game.

I'm curious to know what measures will be taken in our player run economy to limit the growth potential of the Gold Crown. Because, well, if there's a way to use the Gold Crown to manipulate the market - people will find a way. There will be stops in place to track and counter spikes... what I'm more interested in is the gradual but progressive increase in trade value the Gold Crown represents to gold in-game and how it will affect the housing and property markets. Don't forget - DS also said: "As you have probably surmised, Gold Crowns function as a premium currency for Shroud of the Avatar." ... and it's been designed to be an economy driven currency where the players set the price - that's sold at a flat rate in the add-on store for real dollars.

 

Examples was provided here many times, by many conserned players.

Selling to NPCs is just one of many options how to use Crowns and probably not smartest one since devs nerfed selling price from 2500 to 250.

 

To avoid further emails i will elaborate on my one line post. I don't like this because...

- It locks a $ value to gold and allows sudden and sizable injections of gold into a player driven economy (been addressed since my post). And yes envy you can sell any addon store item but i don't need an oracle head to fix my sword.
- It is the first item being sold for $ that competitive players are going to NEED. With yet to be implemented mechanics like "sword that killed 10k elves = sword of elf slaying" then an addon store item that is the only way to repair max durability is not an unnecessary luxury.
- EXP boosts, combat/crafting buffs, special events and content that you need to pay $ for, after already paying thousands of dollars to support the project just does not sit well. I would rather pay a flat rate subscription than suffer the death of a thousand micro-transactions.
- It sets precedent for worse things. If people are ok with paying $ to repair equipment and to boost exp, attend special events etc then maybe they will be ok with .. well pretty much anything.
- I just spent 2 years promising people that you will never be able to pay for any kind of combat or crafting advantage in SotA. I am now getting abused as if i made this decision, despite my best efforts to convince people this is Kazyns fault

All that being said, it is not why i no longer play so no need to hate the things because you think i want you to. Like any other change it will be adjusted and tweaked so if you don't like it then complain about it and if you do like it then celebrate it.

 

I see none. Please cite any that you believe to be relevant.

 

You can start with reading Themo Lock last reply

 

More than sarcastic and i do also not support some of Chris's comments and examples about P2W in another thread! In addition, the discussion about selling the crowns to the NPCs is from my pov also to neglect. Especially on the current low rate. This does not mean i like that way. No, i don't like it to bring additional currency into the world which can be used to convert it into gold. This is not the core issue why i imagine the new introduced business model in R30 will raise the risk to a high level of self-destruction of the game and it's potential player community. Only the hard cores will remain if this business model continues. Portalarium should very fast hit the emergency brake. As i already wrote and predicted, i will be not the only one who is going to leave if this business model will continue with the approch of R30. I have no evidence, just a feeling. Just reading Steam and other forums and these are not only a few players. This has nothing to do that i do not like the core game, because i usually loved the game until R29, but with 100% confidence i will not support a game which runs in manipulative P2W direction. It doesn't matter how many impact P2W to the total economy has. As i multiple times wrote, I don't backed a game and paid so many to get milked by addidional payments. With my account worth of 800 USD i could pay more than 50 month subscription by a rate of ~15/month. Yes, i loved to back that amount to get the desire realized, but never with a P2W model like this below. This my last feedback regarding this topic:

This current business model is clearly a manipulation of in game mechanics and the in-game economy. This is not economy driven, you are playing "god" and influence the in-game economy massively. The removal of the ability of repair/max durability options from the economy and compel players, and break their own will because they are now unable to decide how long to wear and maintain their gear, if they do not buy crowns, well that's hardcore P2W and surely has nothing to do with a sandbox game. That really hits core mechanics and nothing is more worse for me as to manipulate game mechanics to increase crown sales/revenue. Pay for a in R29 introduced rare crown (which i firstly liked in R29 because i thought it was a rare in-game coin) which is not really a rare...well there is no space for a valid argument why its still a rare. Sure, you can still get this rare in-game with a lot of effort, but this is still some kind of an ethical explanation, excuse and used for advertisement of new players that crowns are also able to earn ingame. Typical argument for a F2P game. Valid, but in reality a massive immersion and fun blocker. A boost / buff is something different, P2W but different. As i never was interested in PvP i don't care of any kind of disadvantages caused that i need longer time to lvlup.