quill on Rome 2

[Pallidum]

Microtransactions themselves are not inherently wrong. The way game mechanics are tied to microtransactions in certain games is, in my personal opinion, not a customer friendly implementation, but the bottom line is that microtransactions is just another method for handling payment of goods.

That said, there won't be any microtransactions in PDS games anytime soon, and if there ever is, it'll be done in a manner that is consistent with our other policies. We make games to be enjoyed by our fans, as simple as that.

 

[Pallidum]

The majority of microtransactions in League of Legends don't affect game design. They allow you to purchase skins, champions, wards or XP boosts. The actual game mechanics are identical regardless of whether you use the microtransactions or not. Another example is Path of Exile, where microtransactions, with only a few exceptions, are purely for cosmetic purposes.

In terms of our games, what would the difference be between purchasing a music pack with Parabucks in an in-app-store, as opposed to buying it in the Steam Store?


Microtransactions does not equal Free2Play, nor does it equal Pay2Win mechanics. Microtransactions is only another method for handling payment, just like DLC is just another method of distributing content. Both microtransactions and DLCs can be used in customer-unfriendly ways, or it can be used in ways that benefits both the players and the developers.

The point is, if we ever were to implement a microtransaction store in one of our games, it'd be done in a way that we think is right, both for us and for our fans.



But it's fun to troll people with

 

[Groogy]

The point is, if we ever were to implement a microtransaction store in one of our games, it'd be done in a way that we think is right, both for us and for our fans.



But it's fun to troll people with

Wait what? So my entire elaborate microtransaction system I've been working on in my free time to deliberately screw over customers is just a waste of time? Darn it
"I see you have a plot against you, buy this 150 Action Points pack for 99 cent to ward it off!"

 

[Groogy]

Please never do Parabucks. You can do an ingameshop for DLCs, but please never use an arbitrary currency. This is one of the biggest ways to mask, that you pay real money. Also often enough you have to pay more then you want, because of fixed bundles of currency exchanges.
Please just stay on real currencies.

What if we do as Project Entropia/Entropia Universe and become a bank and issue our own currency?

 

[Groogy]

Entriopia Universalis, all newbies fight over one oil well in the middle of nowhere until a larger nation comes and griefs kill them all because lulz. (If you played Entropia for a longer time like me you probably know what I mean :happy
By Balder's balls I wasted so much money and so much time in that game when I was younger.

But yeah that game is the pinnacle of microtransactions, if you haven't played it. Basically everything in the game is purchased by real currency. Anything from mining equipment in order to earn more money to the apartment I decorated with ton of crap that also cost money.

 

[Groogy]

They... They even advertise it



Micro-transactions are now a selling point ?

They did this long before microtransactions were even a thing, and what they did was exceptional for the time as a "What the hell is this? I've never seen this before". I think I was 12-13 at the time?

And yes for some games it is a selling point like in League of Legends its a selling point as "The game is free! The only thing that costs money are unnecessary stuff like skins for your heroes!" Or like Valve's "You want a funny hat?"

However Project Entropia/Entropia Universe wasn't really.... micro-transactions.

Entropia Universe entered the Guinness World Records Book in both 2004 and 2008 for the most expensive virtual world objects ever sold. In 2009, a virtual space station, a popular destination, sold for $330,000.[1] This was then eclipsed in November 2010 when Jon Jacobs sold a virtual resort on Planet Calypso for $635,000; this property was sold in chunks, with the largest sold for $335,000.

 

[Groogy]

Groogy, please tell us: What is your favourite character from Roman history? - Judging by your answer, I will be able to predict, if PI makes ROME II in the next two years.

Alaric I