Discussing microtransactions/"premium" account systems

[Razzoriel]

Hello there. Not sure if this is relatable to the background behind this discussion, but I'll post it anyway for context. I'm creating a MMO tactic-based game which uses both of these systems to supplement the lower cost of the initial phases of the game and the better (less filled with bullcrap like "Donate $1000 and I'll put your name in my game!) Kickstarter goals for a future campaign.

As much as I adore the old system of selling a game for $X, then there ya go, its your full cost for life for anything related to this game, a MMO requires funding for servers, maintaining a community and bugfixing. For all that, and tackling the huge amount of planned content in the game, I've devised a double-system of microtransactions and "premium" accounts, and they're not that much different from less aggressive games in this regard.

• There is no "in-game currency". You won't buy Gems, or Diamonds, or whatever. You have an in-game credit for your account, and that is used to purchase in-game things (which I'll detail next). The justification of using in-game currencies undermines the whole concept we're taking for this game, which is to be more transparent with the developer-gamer relations.

• Microtransactions are solely limited to cosmetic skins. This does not mean "DOTA/TF 2 hats", nor "out-of-context skins" (we are planning a "WTF" mode, which enables that, in the future, disabled by default). Every unit has a number of skins which can be acquired for a limited way in-game. So everyone that has invested in the game will not be better than those who simply purchased the game, and for a PvP-centered MMO, this is paramount.

• "Premium" accounts will feature a very low cost per month (we're thinking $1-$2/month, even lower for more months per purchase, like 1-year purchases featuring 50% discounts, for instance), which is a simple conversion 1:1/1:<1 for in-game currency, so every cent you put into making a premium account, you'll get back as credit for cosmetic purchases, or more, depending on your purchase. The benefit of premium accounts are priority in new content (we're planning on making dozens of factions; premium account players get a one-week ahead invitation to try them out compared to "free" players), in-game housing (a persistent world, open-for-show depot; non-premium players get "public" depots), and other small things which not necessarly mean the player is stronger, but simply opens up a few more things to do which do not necessarly make the player stronger.

I'd like the genuine take you guys have on these issues, given how they are very delicate to touch. For context, I'm planning for an Alpha release priced at $10; full release at $25 (after the game is complete).

 

[forumvisitor#451]

Monthly fee or pay more for full release. What's wrong with that?

 

[Razzoriel]

Monthly fee or pay more for full release. What's wrong with that?

Quantifying how many months would equate the full release, for starters.

 

[Joined on the 4th of July]

Microtransactions for cosmetic skins is bad because pretty princess dress-up is a core gameplay element of MMOs.

$1 sub fees could be interesting. Has anyone tried that? It always seemed to be that about $10 as established by UO, EQ and the crew.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Planning out the monetization strategy before you've got any engaging gameplay feels like putting the cart before the horse.

Which is essentially what's plaguing the mobile "gaming" industry.

And which is why it's pure cancer.

 

[Razzoriel]

Planning out the monetization strategy before you've got any engaging gameplay feels like putting the cart before the horse.

Which is essentially what's plaguing the mobile "gaming" industry.

And which is why it's pure cancer.

Not going to argue on the basis of "feels".

Microtransactions for cosmetic skins is bad because pretty princess dress-up is a core gameplay element of MMOs.

$1 sub fees could be interesting. Has anyone tried that? It always seemed to be that about $10 as established by UO, EQ and the crew.

As mentioned, players will be able to get skins outside the microtransactions, for limited time. For example, let's say one faction has twenty units. Each unit has on average three different skins; that's sixty skins. You can through gameplay unlock one or two skins for a period of one week. If you get a unit with the unlocked skin, its with you forever, until it dies or retires. But you can ONLY have one or two unlocked skins, and there'll always have a chance that you get a unit with your unlocked skin(s) with the standard one.

 

[mbv123]

MMO's are cancer
Microtransactions are cancer

 

[SerratedBiz]

As mentioned, players will be able to get skins outside the microtransactions, for limited time. For example, let's say one faction has twenty units. Each unit has on average three different skins; that's sixty skins. You can through gameplay unlock one or two skins for a period of one week. If you get a unit with the unlocked skin, its with you forever, until it dies or retires. But you can ONLY have one or two unlocked skins, and there'll always have a chance that you get a unit with your unlocked skin(s) with the standard one.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Does your calculation with the $1 account work if you consider that 95% of the players will be freeloaders who don't ever pay a single dime?

How much work goes into "dozens of factions"? Will it be a niche game (that's what not looks like) or a game with potentially a mass audience?

 

[Razzoriel]

Does your calculation with the $1 account work if you consider that 95% of the players will be freeloaders who don't every pay a single dime?

How much work goes into "dozens of factions"? Will it be a niche game (that's what not looks like) or a game with potentially a mass audience?

Yes. Even freeloaders will have to purchase the game to play.

Pretty much it's the biggest feature of the game.. there'll be about 30 factions fighting each other. Each faction has about ~20 types of units. There'll be some overlap in a few units on what they do, on the core basis that it is a historical game, and warfare at the time was fought slightly similarly throughout the region, but even then, they'll react differently according to how the other units are set (Example: let's say you have the standard "grunt" soldier equipped with spear and shield. This type of soldier is in nearly every faction, but different equipment options, skill trees, and strategies with other units will make each single grunt have slightly different values for each type of strategy). I'm not exactly sure what you mean with niche game, but if it refers to the audience, yes, I want the CK/Europa Universallis/Civilization (pre-IV) players. There'll be an AI algorithm that dictates how many NPC players will roam the world to make sure its not empty, increasing them if there is not that many players.

 

[vonAchdorf]

How about selling additional factions in expansions? I think that would sit better with the audience. And people are more likely to pay if they get something in return.

Skins on the other hand, I'm not so sure about that. Vanity items work in an MMORPG when you have a barbie avatar to express yourself. In a tactical game with group of (presumably) small and unimportant pawns on a battle field, not so much.
And unless the skins are simple recolors - making 30 * 20 * NUMBER OF SKINS (a few thousand skins) of them seems to be a waste of time, which doesn't benefit the core game loop.

 

[Razzoriel]

Expansion packs with factions are not what we are planning; we want some new goodies, like more involving single player modes. If we opted into making this or that faction expansion-only, it would divide the player base into non-exp owners and exp owners; and that does not fit really well with a persistent world multiplayer game.

Some of the skins are recolors, others are sprite reworks. The main benefit of them is to fund the huge amount of content planned. It was the financial model chosen out of hundreds to make it as optional as possible, while being enticing and affordable enough for anyone. It is a customization tool which those who want to put a few bucks into it will find it cool that instead of having six identical archers in his group now can have a couple with a different haircut, trousers' color or whatever. All for very affordable prices, and if they are freeloaders, they can find (or purchase in-game) limited unlocks for specific units. And if they find a unit with this different skin, it is theirs until the unit retires or die, so players with enough in-game currency can simply unlock different skins, get the units they want, then not pay a single dime for some variations.