Monetization: Zones

Create zones that can be purchased for either $1.99 or $4.99. Naturally, these zones would have to be pretty damn special. We are talking some interesting quests and layouts. Even a non-tradeable unique item or two. Of course they couldn't be integral to the game overall. They would need to be completely standalone zones. Castle Atos wouldn't be a good choice, but something like that.

I wouldn't be mad if there was unique gear like a special halberd or chest plate that can only be obtained from that zone. Something you can't get anywhere else. With the way equipment works, I am sure it is easy to make something with unique traits that don't necessarily give an advantage. Of course this only works if the zones are truly special and given more attention.

 

You're joking, right ?

 

I mean, it sure beats dropping $700 on a town!

 

Unless we can agree that you should pay people for the goods they provide, then we can't even begin to have a conversation. I notice that everyone always shouts down any sort of mention of paying anything for a game. It is always labeled as "pay to win" or characterized as fleecing your customers. I have found that the people who scream the loudest tend to pay the least. If SOTA went back to a flat $9 subscription fee, so many people would leave. People who weren't paying anything to begin with. SOTA will only get better through investing money. If SOTA was raking in money, I promise you Catnip would hire every developer they could afford. But it isn't, because there are lot of people playing who simply don't want to pay anything. They want a free game in every sense of the word. There are people who will play for free for years and scream every time some mentions spending $4.99 on some item. Honestly, Catnip doesn't need players like that. If optional content for a low price disgusts someone, then Catnip is wasting money on them.

 

Heh.

 

That happens if you offer a game for free to download and play.

When a company makes the decision to offer their game for free, then there must be a logic in that - either they expect some of the free players sooner or later to get hooked up and buy something they like or at the very least more players - even those playing for free - makes the game more known to the world and spreads the word to others who might join playing the game. As an "empty" looking game deters some people filling some space with people playing for free is a good idea and having more people play will mean they speak about the game with their aquaintances who might join too - so giving the game away for free instead of demanding a price is like paying for advertising.

 

These new zones would have to offer stellar content to be worth the price. I mean, "regular content" as found in the newest zones added (e.g. Grusk and its factory, Vikland, Outlaw's Run) wouldn't be well received for a fee. There's very little "new content" in there, pretty much a reuse of the game's assets in a slightly different manner. You can get these 3 zones benefits/gameplay in Ep1 zones.

Now if they add some new feature like the old promise of "Perks" or just a new skill tree like when you get Ep2, or maybe make the new zone very interesting to raid for good items / XP / resources, then people won't be that mad at the monetizing strategy.

 

Isn't Episode 2 behind a paywall?

 

Free players tell more free players about a game they can play for a free? That isn't a great business model. I mean if Catnip wants to provide a free game out of the kindness of their heart, then more power to them. But I assume they want to make some money, enough to at least break even. No one has to buy it. Why would all the free players care about optional content? Listening and catering to free players is why we can't afford more content, models, PvP, etc. Free players can be a part of any ecosystem, but you have to paying customers as part of that ecosystem. And for them, you need to give them content worth the money.

 

First thing that came to mind: we pay $25 for a name change, 5 bucks for a complete zone sounds like a bargain ;p.

I get your point tho, but i think 'exclusivety' is not the flavor of SOTA

My 2c

 

~This Idea's Good Salvage Pieces~
Enviorment effecting magic is not a bad idea at all. If there's something in a special area that causes that magic to become available or other magic to become ineffective only in whatever areas this "special whatever it is"... we could then see players working up those skills to deal with those areas, which would leave holes in many a player's abilities to deal with other content... other content where that special magic cannot be used. It would be a chr that would be in need of a group party in other content if it were to become powerful within the special zone content's zone.

(EXP specialized interesting skill sump skills+)
Pay wall not needed... dev funds needed with allot more!
(Time Lord the babbler)
~Time Lord~

 

Variety. Throwing the same fireball on all enemies will become boring after some time. Sure, you could be the fieriest Fire Mage around, but would you thrown fire at a Fire Elemental and expect it to do as much damage as against human enemies?

Arrows and blades rend are somewhat less effective vs. skeletal undead. Why should the colours of magic be different and don´t have targets they work best, normal or not at all against?

I would expect Water Elementals to be stronger in rain, Fire Elemants close to lava pits heat, Ice Elementals in a Blizzard, Earth Elemtals under the earth in caverns of natural stone...

 

"Good Question"

Treasure Hunting comes to mind, player made Golems another (we'd need tinkering). I 'm not mentioning lethal skills because I think we have far too many lethal skills and like you said, things like this already dictated through the monster content without the instance carrying the effect.

I know some places here in Thailand where fireflies cover an area the size of a few football fields. Like a single entity at times and at other times randomly shifting. It would be cool to see some magical place like that.

Random encounters come to mind when I think of special content as the OP mentions.

I couldn't describe such an instance because I think at some point there must be a point to the instance which connects with or complements our game's future storyline secrets.

I think we still need a random instance that produces agriculture fertilizers and or seed treatments. We also so far have yet to have more agriculture instances, places where agriculture tasks can be done for reward.

I think there's allot of "possible content" that we will never see. Also these wishlist things tend to be abstracts. More like pointing a direction than an actual destination motive.
~TL~

 

idk, I've been suggesting the adventure pack idea such as seen in successful games like DDO and LOTRO for a long time. More money + more content = win + win