tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post1655661253461538600..comments2024-01-04T06:27:01.723-06:00Comments on Troll Racials are Overpowered: Charging for TimeKlepsacovichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07915576683657376929noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post-36143001017680813832011-06-24T05:28:57.254-05:002011-06-24T05:28:57.254-05:00And the people running the servers like system adm...And the people running the servers like system administrators, Oracle DBA, GM and "hacked account recoverer".Kringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03128630042421602039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post-10687853210352360992011-06-24T05:25:14.090-05:002011-06-24T05:25:14.090-05:00Klepsacovic, you are right with the server costs. ...Klepsacovic, you are right with the server costs. I know that was a good argument when subs became prominent. But even then servers were dirt cheap. Nowadays the entire hardware cost is a no-brainer.<br /><br />The biggest cost factor by far are the developers, the employees.Nilshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06468755466492675831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post-2408432552383173452011-06-23T21:20:10.931-05:002011-06-23T21:20:10.931-05:00@Nils: I doubt I'd resub specifically to finis...@Nils: I doubt I'd resub specifically to finish a grind, but if I'm partway through something else, having been pushed back by the grind, then I would effectively be resubbing because of the grind.<br /><br />@Tesh: I should check out this Puzzle Pirates game.<br /><br />Vudu: Long before WoW started printing money, Blizzard had battle.net for Starcraft and Warcraft, which despite both being esentially one-time costs, somehow were able to sustain the servers. Granted Blizzard wasn't taking as much of the burden as with WoW or any other MMO, but continuous service can be paid for by single payments, as long as they can maintain the flow of payments with new customers or new content, such as expansions.Klepsacovichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07915576683657376929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post-56336507529593911332011-06-23T13:52:50.491-05:002011-06-23T13:52:50.491-05:00It's interesting you say that, I myself though...It's interesting you say that, I myself thought it would be a good idea as well, DLC's and etc. but then I remembered why DLC's wouldn't work. Most DLC's cost between $5 and $15 US. For a game like WoW or Rift or any other premium content MMO it requires a server, and when you have many people playing it requires more than one server, and when it requires more than one server it requires power and tech support. All of these factors incur debt for the company producing the game, thus jacking up the prices of the DLC's to a price that is not economical. (PS. DLC's are mainly meant for solo gamers and or FPS's)<br /><br />The Sub model allows an averagely paid person to enjoy the same content as that of someone who makes $500K+ a year. Subs are not mandatory and while you may waist a bit of time sleeping, eating, working, RL, you also get the ability to actually afford the game.<br /><br />The only way to balance the issue is to charge like the old school dial up internet / phone companies did, and balance the amount of time it takes to do content vs the amount of money spent. (And lets face it, if they can't balance PvP they won't be able to do this...)<br /><br />The ONLY way to counter this is to go F2P (bad most of the time unless your Lotro or DDO) and rely on micro transactions to keep you (the company) afloat. This allows the spenders to spend on the things they need to play the game the way they like while allowing the 1 hour a week players to play the way they like and sponge off the rest. (All this really does is turn the tables)<br /><br />Sadly beyond all of this, your right it's ultimately up to the player and his / her choice of game. Historically speaking the only way we will ever have a say is if we band together (not likely) and let the gaming industry know what we want and what were willing to pay for, no more no less...Vuduhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06233791559165587327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post-82656700402209719412011-06-23T10:21:45.639-05:002011-06-23T10:21:45.639-05:00"People with a lot of time should play sub ga..."People with a lot of time should play sub games and they should be designed for them, while people with less time should play games based on selling content packages."<br /><br />I've said as much in one way or another on occasion. So, yeah, agreed, though I'd note that a single game could actually offer both.<br /><br />...and yes, the games that try to capture both audiences might wind up pleasing nobody, but I'd say that Wizard 101 and Puzzle Pirates have demonstrated that it's possible to find a happy middle ground... if you want to. If you just want to pillage and plunder a a playerbase, well... as Psychochild notes here and there, no business model will stop you from doing so.Teshhttp://tishtoshtesh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5462978744516866472.post-32322316199801531642011-06-23T06:34:43.198-05:002011-06-23T06:34:43.198-05:00Monthly subs encourage companies to put just enoug...Monthly subs encourage companies to put just enough content in that players don't want to quit the sub. No more. They have no interest in long grinds, because people don't resub for long grinds. They resub for short bursts of fun.<br /><br />That's why there are almost no required long grinds in WoW left. Only short bursts of fun: a 20min dungeon, a 20min BG. 4 hours raiding every week, 30min arena a week.<br /><br />Sure, you can grind achievements and pets forever, but there's really not a strong incentive to do that.Nilshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06468755466492675831noreply@blogger.com