Alright, so theres been a lotta talk about this subject. Once we get the game done...how wes gonnas makes teh moneyz?

Possible ways (one or a combination):

1) Get a pay for download system going.

2) Pay for a subscription. (Access the game entirely or bonus areas)

3) Item Shop. (Buy in game items for real cash)

4) Sell the game on a CD? (Very questionable as this gets a publisher involved like EA or Ubisoft)(Nathaniel says no)

-Ian

- Way off. Good to be thinking about it, but lets not focus here. However, I'll provide what I think will be best.

Answers to each item, numbered respectively:

1)Free download.

2)Optional subscription (f2p, with a slightly lesser leveling rate after a certain level. One subscription rate that gives a 'normal' rate of leveling, etc. A 'premium' subscription rate that gives bonus features, maybe a slight increase in leveling rates, etc, maybe...slightly better interface[things like that])

3)Optional item shop, ITEM SKINS ONLY. Maybe pets, that are there for aesthetic purposes. Mount skins, possibly. Item shop will not require a subscription of any sort. Shoutouts...things like that, methinks

4)CD/Hardcopy of some sort; I don't support it. It'd be too hard to do, and expensive. None of us have the experience to handle it yet, and none of us will for a long time.

id agree with you except for #3 if you want a decent profit youd do more than Item Skins because not enough people would buy, like armors and weapons could be added. though all would be obtainable through the game, just an easier route to them

i know its early to be talking about this, but we need to clear areas of interest.

Maplestory makes its money solely from item skins. Having existed for only 3 years+ it hit a 1 million player mark last year (sometime in winter, i think).
It is multi-national and that 1million player mark is just in the USA.

Item skins should be given a time limit if implemented. The easier route to the armors/weapons should not be added if merely obtainable through the game, as it would give people a large advantage over others, especially if you could buy in bulk. Also, I imagine that such items would not be able to sell for very much (not much over a couple dollars, which is already expensive for just 1 in game item that would be otherwise obtainable). Other disadvantages exist, but...believe me.

item skins make huge amounts of money, if implemented correctly.

Hm, that wasnt just the only thing i suggested either.

Pets: actual pet/pet skin(for pets already in game). Optional pet accessory that allows it to pick up items. Optional pet accessory that allows it to pick up cash. Optional asthetic pet accessories.

That alone would be very money making.

All these 'premium' items that are no more than conveniences do not ruin game balance and increase player appreciation A LOT. And item skins arent limited to just things from the time period in which the game takes place, you know...for all I care, we can make a lightsaber skin for 1 handed swords/2 handed swords. Gangsta outfits, ninja outfits....everything. Different types of clothing, etc.

And for most, we'd probably have it so these items would only work for you for 3 months, then you'd have to renew them at a lesser cost (small discounts for renewing more items at once).

Things like that....heh....I'm relentless when it comes to thinking of money-making methods

Lol. But with the Premium Items we aren't removing any restrictions on them so its not like "Yay im in a new game! I can just buy the best sword and go at it!" plus not everything will be buyable. Not to mention we will make them 'spensive.

I do like the item skins, but it won't bring in enough cash until we get some truely devoted players, so until then we should offer either partial subscriptions or premium items.

well, u guys didn't play LC and they gave out EXP redution pots, so when u died u lost less exp, animal specials so ur animals could be dyed orange or blue or pink, weapon skins, item finders, special stones so you could upgrade your weapon with out chance of failure and so on, so yes



OWND MOFOS!

fail. i played LC

i know all this, but we are thinking basics now. Lets not get really ahead of ourselves.

You dont need truely devoted players to make money, you know.

Ian, you don't get it.

I would like to have both multiple optional subscription rates (premium, non-premium) and 'premium' items available (preferably convenience only, eg. skins, exp loss reduction, etc, to prevent gamers complaining about inbalance and unfairness due to older more wealthy and of-age players being able to buy weapons that gave substantial bonuses, etc.).

Why not both? Why only 'either'. You are being far too limited in how you approach possible ways to make money. By making both optional, and allowing players to play just normally, for free, is an incentive itself. Peer pressure, as well as gaming pressures will serve as incentive, and what if you dont want to have a subscription, but you like to give youself..say, a suede jacket, and an overall 80s look. Why not? It also provides prizes for in-game events, etc. Remember, you are providing incentive for the players. Dedicated or not, the more benefits they can see from playing, the more likely they will stay playing.

i am against out time skins..thats my 2 cents..it just makes the game stupid some times...

You arent the one buying these skins, Nate. If we intend to have skins at all, we need to have time limits, at least, on the ones that are for clothes. Maybe skins for tattoos, hair-doos, etc, wont be timed. Maybe pets are time-less.

As for making the game stupid, be a little less vague.

Timed skins = more moneys.

Also, having timed skins is reasonable in terms of making money. If we have non-timed skins, users may choose to content themselves with 1 set, perhaps making purchases later on for things they find interesting.

However, we have money concerns, and are aiming to profit. And, renewing skins at a lesser price (with discount for multiple renewals at once) dampens down on whatever lack of incentive derives from having 'time-outs' at all.

It also makes people consider between having subscription (a type of their choice) and time-out skins (some of which are permanent), or choosing a combination of the two. Sure, time-out skins may be a turn-off for you because you have to pay eventually to get them back. But hey, we're trying to make money here, and we've put a mess-load of effort into this game.

Lets try to get our money's worth here, no?

Also for premium items: extra item slots.

hmm im not saying not both. sean was critizing my knowledge of LC

i dont mind skins, and im all for subscriptions...thats where the money is really at.

but what im saying is why not premium items?

and yes, there is a great profit to be made in devoted players, as in players that will buy more than one item and keep coming back to the shop. Thats what im talking about when i say "devoted".

i meant out a time skins....uh light sabers wtf

Oh. That makes more sense.

Ok, thought you meant devoted as in 'MUST GRIND UNTIL EYES MELT GRRRR!1111'.

Why not lightsabers as skins?

Ok. Fine. Premium items I'll live with. Just as long as they dont double someone's HP or anything like that. I keep having nightmares about private WoW servers i've tryed where a person could have ....upwards of 20k hp as a FRIGGIN' MAGE.

Lol. Why not? Because its way out of setting.

No im talking about like:

-Sets of Armor
-Rare Weapons (not uber, just rare)
-Arrows (no one likes gathering these)
-Regular Materials (metals, woods, etc)
-Amulet that prevents you from losing XP when you die

Stuff like that for an item shop. No uber "OZMGZ Y0UR XPs AR3 TRIPL3D" type things.