I think i figure out a way for do the "oxygen" effect on a ship or building,
without work with fluid simulation and to realistic things that would need a super computer to process...
They can add a "Compare algorithm" to encapsulate a ship or building,
like the blueprint system for repairs ore rebuilt,
this algorithm will compare the actual ship with its previously saved blueprint after it receive any attack,
(after shields absorb the extra damage and any type of armor or damage reduction)
the comparison is a % percentage of how much of the ship was removed / exploded / vanish some parts away ,
or how much damage was taken. If the structure is
1% ~ 9% different of its saved blueprint you can (if your ship have the sensor for it) receive a signal that its compromised and need repairs, 10% ~ 20% between its actual state and original state, simply attach a "negative status" to all ppl inside like: "Low Oxygen level 1"
that would works like an accumulative poison, reducing the player capabilities and giving slow and few damage, and slowly progressing to its next level, if the player stay in the area it will progress to "Low Oxygen level 2" (and so on) with stronger negative effects and until the effects kill the player, (or he find a pressurized suit, or repair the ship during the battle)
higher percentages of damage also can make the status advance to a higher level instantly and all crew inside would need to use pressurized suits to avoid the negative effects. Also you could install a bridge protection upgrade for your ship to seal the bridge and negate the effect inside so you could fight until your ship is complete wiped from existence (with you inside).
sorry friend, but go to ESO and take a look the desert that is inside, what makes a server alive are the players, player come to a game that is easy and welcome to join.
if server have 10k+ online the game shop will pay and be way more lucrative than subscription method, i hope you have read the P2P part of my article, i know its huge, but i think the explanation is clear about why P2P don't prioritize the costumer and are very unbalanced because of different currency's of real world, plz analyse as a company not as a player, and it turns P2W to if a player can sell those PLEX
[ Not to small ] Article about Monetization in MMORPG games.
Hello All
[Prologue] I want express my point of view on this subject, I hope it reaches some one of Novaquark. I will write in form of an article and will try to not be repetitive with all of already said before. Continuing where devblog have stopped.
Also will not let my personal preference as a player influence on the analysis
Speaking as an analyst, I'm not a hater of any of this methods they are all ways to do business.(as player i have my preferences, since I've been in a lot of serves with different ways of monetization)
[ The Analysis]
P2W - Serious players will never tolerate it, simply because its unfair, so i will ignore this one at this time. Just a mention to take in consideration: P2W is a valid method and still a very lucrative one, used in special by the mobile game developers, and yes it works for their public!
F2P - The 1st Big MMO company to adopt a true F2P, breaking the paradigm of P2P on their games was NCSoft, that once notice that almost 50% of ppl that was playing their most successful title "Lineage2"(P2P), were not playing on their servers, most of serious players were preferring to play on open source private servers. The main reasons: F2P, Bot-protection, faster leveling up. Some well administrated (few bugs, Not P2W, ant-cheat) international servers had about 5k+ active players on 2006. NCSoft took about 5 years of study players style and desires and learn from their mistakes, when they announce that Lineage2 would open its new version remade from scratch and complete F2P it produced a commotion on the MMO market, they delivered a game that was not only F2P but done based on players desires, and with this they got back all players and put an end to the private serves era. Now they use the same method to almost all their games.
Following NCSoft, experience many companies have changed to F2P, but not all of them manage it to well.
F2P can keep your game alive for long time always bringing new players to the pool, MMO games are all about to interact with others and make friends, this new players not only replace ones that left but make the old players want to stay in, once a player reach the end-game, they get bored easily, and use to act like: "since I'm already on a nice position let me try this new game" and soon he lose the interest and move on to the new game that has new things to explore and challenges him again, specially if our game is P2P, few ppl i know would pay for 2 games at once. One of the things that most keep the players inside the game are the newcomers that can be one friend or relative you call to join you or a random new player that you become friend, and by helping this guy will keep the player away from get bored and leave the game.
Conclusion: F2P is a valid method if well implemented. It's totally possible to run a F2P game server without become a flat crappy or P2W. But need an advanced administration strategy and close follow up by the dev studio, what is a hard thing do to.
B2P - Method Used by many games like ESO (and Minecraft but that's a different story)To start in the game the company can let the player insinde for about 2 weeks, just to get ride of refund requests by those that doesn't enjoy/can't run the game well on their hardware. Most players will love this method because its the easier one for those that can afford, if one loved the game and think will have fun for a long time he will agree on purchase from about $50 to $300 since he would only pay once. For the company is a nice way to get the invested money fast and move on.
Sadly this method only works for real on single player games, not for MMOs that need to be kept alive for years paying the server and crew and also finance the next game years later. There is a high chance that the server will run out of players and die fast, because no matter if you have an in-game store selling stuff for real money, since few new players will join the game from 10 months later the launch.
And obviously the players will have to face 2 obstacles just at the beginning, the price itself that its not cheap for many gamers, specially for those who depends on parents to pay for his game. And payment method that many times require and international credit card that most ppl don't have. (the so called pay wall)
Conclusion B2P is a great method for a single player game that development ends few days after the game launch. Not for MMORPGs.
P2P - The most classic MMO charge method of all, and still been used by some of the "big fish" like WOW and EVE.The company/studio will always love this one!!.. Because its the easiest for the company! Its like have your house rented, The money will keep coming monthly, and for a game, its almost an automated management, The crew can focus on their specialty, develop games! Not waste their brains and time on complex marketing planing.Business administration was always one of hardest and vital jobs on any company, specially on MMOs game market where most of "Business Master Degree" professionals has zero know-how and zero experience, so how can the software house will find the right man for the job ? how to keep a game server on and fun and alive and lucrative ? the easy way is pay to play a monthly fee... As its notorious by reading the community posts that many players agree with this method, because they look trough a customers optics, not of a business: "If the company provide a good service, and can afford for it, I'm OK on paying the price its charged".
So P2P is the best and viable method to work right ?
On a basic analysis, it seems to be, but a company must look forward and deeper.
If you do study a little deeper the P2P method you start to find out why its considered obsolete and most of companies stop to use it and the few who still using it had implemented some workarrounds technics to keep things running.
As start, since it is a payed service it also recommended to give a free limited period to players test the game, the customer seems with good eyes and once more works to avoid lots of refund requests and some legal issues.
But lets analyze some drawbacks of P2P method: Players once leave the game to "test" other games will rarely be back.
Players with low budge will include the game as "superfluous" on their monthly house accounting and have unconscious inclination to think hes not suppose to be paying for the game, its not the game price itself, but it's how the mind assign priorities. Like when you pay for play at a private tennis court, when the budge get tight you stop paying and cross the city to play on public tennis court.
The "Pay Wall": Its way higher than it seems to be in the begging! Lets calculate. Game Companies use to charge $15 USD per month. I heard many times the argument: "the player can chose to not go the Mc'Donalds once a week and pay for the game, so its cheap and healthy".
But, Lets pretend You start to play the game today, its great! So you girl that hate you playing FPS games, just like this one because its a creative one and she seems herself more an artist than a gamer girl, and obviously your son will want to play with you and your nephew that you always had purchased games because your boring brother think games are a waste of money. ... Ops! you just notice you end up with 4 subscriptions $60 USD per month! How long you can afford for it ?
I knew and still know many ppl on this situation in games like WOW and ESO when they were on P2P model .
Second very important situation that many international game server and studios haven't notice yet! (or don't care, what i don't think so): Not all countries have USD or EUR as currency! What brings us to some big problems described below:
1st The Price: This time using myself as example: I live in Brazil, (that's considered one of the biggest game market in the world) if I decide to play EVE today, i have to play $63,84 BRL for the 1 month PLEX!. Its almost as high than my energy bill, higher than my water bill, double than my internet bill, enough to pay for 1 month cooking gas, and so on. When i start the game I will have my consciousness and my family over me every month trying to convene me to stop to play this expensive game, it will be a matter of time for me to drop out.
2nd Loneliness:
When a player join a new game, he use to bring many of his friends to start a guild/company and play competitive. With this pay wall, many players will be alone inside, simply because his friends can't afford for it. (I felt that on 1st ESO year).
Since MMO are all about team work and friendship, the player friends will be together playing other game, and soon he will drop out to join them.
3rd Payment Method:
Many times price isn't the problem, example, Bethesda (ESO) only accept international credit card before start sell ESO on Steam, most potential players, that spend hundreds of dollars per year with games, still don't have international credit cards, nor paypal accept national cc for international purchases. Teenagers, College students, low budget workers and freelancers, rarely will be able to pay for play an international monthly fees.
4th Pay to Win:
Most ppl think since a game is P2P its impossible to become P2W, that's not true IF:
The player can buy items or PLEX with real money and resell inside for game money.
Its unfair and unbalanced like selling bazookas on server store! Lets use the situations above as subjects: Suppose a player living in UK pay £ 15 EUR, for his monthly fee and buy one more PLEX to sell for game money. while a Latin American player if uses Brazilian Real (BRL that is the strongest LA currency) must pay $ 55 BRL for his monthly fee and more $ 55 BLR for a PLEX to sell. The UK player spent 30 buck while the Latin player 110 bucks. Not only Latin America currency is lower than USD and EUR, in fact may international community currency are.
At the initial months of the game a player could sell any "Buyable-Only-For-RL-Money" item like a PLEX, Cosmetic, Pet, etc... For about 1k game money or less. but after the server achieve more than 1 year, the players will be heavy monetized one of those items can easy reach 1kk+.
Now imagine that End-Game TOP PVP gear that can wipe entire planets, are you afraid?! A new player starting today with $ 1000,00 USD to spend can start the game today, buy a lot of items/PLEX on the game store and resell ingame becoming an instant millionary and full heavy equipped, Overpowering many hard work players and unbalancing the game like in any other P2W game server.
At same time other MMO economic phenomenon (that must times is worse than overpowers heavy cached players). Is, that ALL ingame market will be balanced in real world money, bringing big advantage for strong currency and rich players, the best items will be priced in real money even when only could be purchased from other players by game money.
Sell items for real money that can be resold inside the game is a very well known technic used by private server owners to mask the P2W unbalanced situation of his game. The store and website says: "We don't sell items that interfere on game competitively" but once you start to play the game you will notice that all powerful ingame items are overpriced and referenced on real world money like: The top weapon cost 1 billion, or 10 items that can only be purchased with real money. Normally no one can get this 1 billion with out buy items and resell them ingame. Also a big black market use to grow fast selling game items and weapons out of the game for real money, in sites around the web what makes the game more P2W.
I could tell more details but is enough for now.
Short Answer: P2P its viable and easy for the software studio manage, but is the worse method for the players, so that's why its obsolete. It goes against the modern business paradigm where the company to become successful in the market MUST take the customer satisfaction as main priority, in this case the players are the customers and the service is entertainment and fun play time.
[My Personal Opinion]
I don't know the gold formula, but pondering about what was posted at developers blog, and my own analysis about many game companies.
The best monetization method is a Mix of smart use of many technics at once, that as any other company must be well administrated and followed closely. What will not work is any method that company turn ON and think it will work as a static wheel.
To play the game players must buy a "coin" (as COIN read: pass, Access Level, token, etc..) That will be available in different types and prices.
Coins can be purchased and sent as Gift to an other account but once received its untradable.
My Example of modern MMO monetization system:
Free "Coin": This allow the player join the game for real, not a 2 weeks demo. The free player can enjoy the game with restrictions, this restrictions MUST be well explained, in a video, not in small font inside an EULA, know exactly how nice are the features they are missing will make them want to buy the payed coin every time they have the money to spend. Many free players will spend a lot of money on the game when they have it in hand, and also will fell safe and well satisfied in the months they can only pay for their internet.
Free players also will keep the server full and alive, and always recycling, there is not worse than a ghost server for a new player, if you join Bethesda ESO today, you have a big chance to close and ask for refund. They created a state of art game, beautiful and hand made in every single detail, but as its an expensive B2P, there is almost no one there to see their work, all the players are at end-game zones and unless you are expecting a single player game you will find yourself running from one ghost city to an other populated only for NPCs.
Its notorious that what makes a game alive for years is a fun and populated server it will keep the old players and attract new ones, its a circle.
About the restrictions: Free player can have less inventory slots, less space to protect for his base, less access fast mining tools, no automated mining / crafting equipment while they are off line, no access to the (untradable) engine fuel for fast travel on the same system taking half an hour to reach a place that could be reached in 2 minutes with that engine that can only be purchased at game shop, no free warp drive to a free player could only warp to other side of the universe trough warp gates ruled by other players and charged by ingame money.
Also free players can be asked to watch a full advertisements before login and fill surveys sometimes and other off game methods of publicity to keep their free access and bring more player for the game.
Low price "Coin" (something around 5 to 10 bucks)
For the casual players and low budgets, it will simply give access to more game features, faster mining, use of local auction system to sell items while his off line, more area to protect for safe base creation, and very few credits to buy untradable items on game shop like cosmetics, pets, slots, fast engine fuels etc. If a player purchase this "coin" 2x during 30 days he wins a bonus color/mark/medal/hat/ship-logo etc... and few more credits to expend.
High cost "Coin" (about 15 bucks)
This coin is the P2P method under other skin! And suppose to have the same price of a P2P subscription, this coin technically unlock all features of the game, automated mining, off line sells, few more credits to buy on game shop, probably a anti-material fuel that only runs out 'mysteriously' when the player pass more than 30 days with out buy this coin, than the player must buy his fuel with his left credit on the game shop.
This player can use his credits to buy exclusive untradable cosmetics that others cant. Also this Coin if purchased every month, could allow the player create one warp gate and set an ingame fee for those who want to cross, and one more portal each 3 months eh keep buying this. In other words, if you like P2P this is your method !
Special coin (about 50 bucks)
This coin is for those who works hard to have a stable budget but no time to waste on farming and mining. The player gain the same benefits of "high cost coin" and also lots of raw mats and some tier 1 parts, probably a free combat ship (that he will destroy in battle). Special Pet at 3rd time the player purchases this. Exclusive cosmetic and ship parts also possible. Experience multiplicators fast leveling skills also possible to.
What the dev studio must be aware all time is that this IS NOT a P2W coin, so it can give a free ship, but never with simple mid-game weapons and equips, One thing must be clear while defining the kit of advantages of this coin, focus on make things fast but never stronger the normal players.
Credit coin (5 bucks)
This coin gives no advantages, it only brings ingame credits to use as currency on game shop. this must also be untradable ingame as all coins are. Many players including the free players will be buying a lot of this type of coin every month.
The Game Store (where player can spend the credit they get when buy coins)
you can sell all kinds of items that not impact on game balance, like the cosmetics and character modifications, fast engine fuels, space ship visual 3D parts, pets, ships and vehicle with no default weapons. The Key here is sell many different consumables, good ones so players will purchase them many times and always need more. Like: Fuel, best mining tool that breaks after mining a determined mass amount, energy packs, medicines, buffs and potions for the player character, shield generator for ships that breaks after determined amount of damage received, scanner with limited time of use and not rechargeable etc..
As many consumables as possible must be available, they must have ingame craftable versions but the one you purchase on the store must always be strong and last longer than its craftable versions. like any one can craft a tier 1 shield generator for his ships, but the game store shield generator absorbs 10% more damage and take 300% more before it breaks. the 10% its not to much to unbalance a fight and the durability makes you don't need to expend hours on mining and crafting a lot of shields for one PVP day.
Also the store must provide limited period items, and promotions that will make the players behave like "Black Friday" customers.
Also random 3 hours discounts that will make the players always want to buy coins have some credit on hands to don't lose good consumables at cheap prices.
IMPORTANT not a single Item of the game shop can be tradable ingame or it will unbalance the economy. Most of them are account bound others are character bound.
OFF Game Market
This is a website where players can sell the items that they craft ingame for Real money and Game money. It works with a license system, a player that buys a "low price coin" will gain a low level access license to sell his items on the site for other players for game money only, a player that brought the "high price coin" will gain a high level access license and can sell for game money and real money. All transactions are taxed by the intergalactic game studio developers the ones with game money have low tax (10~20%) and send the gold back for the player in 24 hours after the transaction, the item goes to the buyer account as a package delivery instantly, but money must have a configurable delay.
Transaction with real money have heavy taxes (40~60%) and the money only goes to the player twice per month via pay pall account.
this works like a PlayStore. If game modding are present modders can also sell their mods here following the same rules. The dev studio can add some off game items to sell here to, like T-shirts, hats, plush pets, 3d printed ships models, and all other geek gamer stuff relates the the game.
[Final Consideration]
In this long article provided some personal research of monetization with a different point of view that i think can be interesting for any dev team or server administrator, but also i hope serve as instructive reading for any one that want understand more about game monetization.
I also hope I can help the Novaquark managers to refine their strategy
because I really believe that they are developing a great game for us all to have fun.
I also want to thank you very much for your time reading this very long and not perfect text. And home the Big text don't makes forum ppl hate me. See yah!
since i just joined this community of this great game i think ppl should know a little about me,
i do love:
RPGs, i use to play a lot of traditional table RPGs Like D&D, WoD, Gurps and Pathfinder. books, fantasy, si-fy, mystery, magic, adventures, philosophy.....
to do Art, traditional or digital, painting, model, sculp etc...
like to work with IT and computer related stuff. Or nautical stuff.
I use to play MMOs since Early days of Ultima Online,
In MMOs I play more with craters and engineers than with fighters,
I like cute characters and beautiful landscapes like on ESO
Before a I use to play as leader of big clans, today i play more out of spots
I'm a natural creative and love create things, in games or RL
And that's enough i will grab some wine cause this place is a Pub btw....
As soon as the party starts I will be crafting and sell the best ships of the known part of the galaxy !!! take a look at some samples:
I think the element should be "a script obj" and the graphics a voxel sandbox mesh
so a builder can design what his imagination think it looks like an "Landing hydrogen engine" ,
than he attach all parts and attach the blueprint (that can have a look of a microchip ingame, but in fact is a script that tells how the game engine treat that voxel how to behave as a "Landing Hydrogen Engine" for the game engine).
As this any player can create any visual mesh for his engine and use this chip (script) his creation will have the same characteristics of default "Landing hydrogen engine". But the variables saved at moment of creator attached the script could be composed of something like:
Default script values for a "Landing hydrogen engine": Acceleration, weight, fuel consumption, push strength, resistance and so on..
All should behave something like this model: (lets use Acceleration as example)
Default acceleration value for "Landing hydrogen engine"............................................... = 100
Engineers skill level bonus .............................................. ................................................= +25 (depends of skill level)
Material rarity or refinement bonus .....made of duraluminum (tier 2 mat)...... ..................= +10
Random generated value at time of creation bonus......... .................................................= + 27 (if get a random 95+ the item will be considered a rare master work)
Final "Landing hydrogen engine" created by player X will have acceleration power = 162
Like this no metter all player of the game create "Landing hydrogen engines" not a single one will be the same, some will be better than the other and all will be unique creation, if your ship needs a "Landing hydrogen engine" you can buy or craft a basic one or travel arround the galaxy looking for the best of the best.
that a good idea you could even ad that to my idea so like for E.g. 2 people build the same engine but how much power it yous when it yous it and if it can over clock
since i just joined this community of this great game i think ppl should know a little about me,
i do love:
RPGs, i use to play a lot of traditional table RPGs Like D&D, WoD, Gurps and Pathfinder. books, fantasy, si-fy, mystery, magic, adventures, philosophy.....
to do Art, traditional or digital, painting, model, sculp etc...
like to work with IT and computer related stuff. Or nautical stuff.
I use to play MMOs since Early days of Ultima Online,
In MMOs I play more with craters and engineers than with fighters,
I like cute characters and beautiful landscapes like on ESO
Before a I use to play as leader of big clans, today i play more out of spots
I'm a natural creative and love create things, in games or RL
And that's enough i will grab some wine cause this place is a Pub btw....
As soon as the party starts I will be crafting and sell the best ships of the known part of the galaxy !!! take a look at some samples:
since i just joined this community of this great game i think ppl should know a little about me,
i do love:
RPGs, i use to play a lot of traditional table RPGs Like D&D, WoD, Gurps and Pathfinder. books, fantasy, si-fy, mystery, magic, adventures, philosophy.....
to do Art, traditional or digital, painting, model, sculp etc...
like to work with IT and computer related stuff. Or nautical stuff.
I use to play MMOs since Early days of Ultima Online,
In MMOs I play more with craters and engineers than with fighters,
I like cute characters and beautiful landscapes like on ESO
Before a I use to play as leader of big clans, today i play more out of spots
I'm a natural creative and love create things, in games or RL
And that's enough i will grab some wine cause this place is a Pub btw....
As soon as the party starts I will be crafting and sell the best ships of the known part of the galaxy !!! take a look at some samples:
since i just joined this community of this great game i think ppl should know a little about me,
i do love:
RPGs, i use to play a lot of traditional table RPGs Like D&D, WoD, Gurps and Pathfinder. books, fantasy, si-fy, mystery, magic, adventures, philosophy.....
to do Art, traditional or digital, painting, model, sculp etc...
like to work with IT and computer related stuff. Or nautical stuff.
I use to play MMOs since Early days of Ultima Online,
In MMOs I play more with craters and engineers than with fighters,
I like cute characters and beautiful landscapes like on ESO
Before a I use to play as leader of big clans, today i play more out of spots
I'm a natural creative and love create things, in games or RL
And that's enough i will grab some wine cause this place is a Pub btw....
As soon as the party starts I will be crafting and sell the best ships of the known part of the galaxy !!! take a look at some samples:
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