Time for the cash store?

SFBryan18 · July 2014

_subjectnamehere_ wrote: »

SFBryan18 wrote: »

Again, they already sell a horse so it's too late. The shop already exists.

Better they sell the items than release them to exclusive players and no one else, like that damn beta monkey. I'll always hate that they did that. They play for free and get a monkey, while we pay for the game and get an ugly armless runt dino or a crab.

I want that cat already!

We weren't just playing, we were working too. At least, that is what beta testers were supposed to be doing. I spent more time posting bugs than leveling my character. And it was all for nothing...complete wipe.

The monkey was a thank-you to those who helped them out during beta.

I've played betas before. It's not work. It's a free test game with bugs. Those who choose to point those bugs out do it by choice.

I don't mind that they gave beta testers something exclusive, but I do mind that it was the only immersive pet available. That's not cool.

Phantax · July 2014

IF the only thing this fictitious cash shop does is sell account related stuff then yes (extra character slots, race change, server change etc) then fine.
If it sells anything at all that is useable in-game then NO, we already pay for everything that is in-game with our subs !

Wolfshead · July 2014

Soloeus wrote: »

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Cash shops are really not necessary when you're paying a subscription, IMO.

We all know its coming, it was announced way back before beta. It was stated the store would not sell equipment/crafting mats or things like that. That would be P2W. I don't want that.

However many subscription based games perform "services" to your account for a fee, and that is what I mean.

I would buy a name change, some more inventory a respec token and maybe 2 more character slots.

And where is your source of this info coming from i would like to read myself so please post a link of this info.

Faustes · July 2014

If it meant not having these features vs. having them with a cash store, I wouldn't mind. Similar to WoW store like how you can buy cool mounts.

Liquid_Time · July 2014

I want more achievement related gear. You know.. by playing what we are already paying for.

Costumes
Motifs
Pets
Armor Skin kits
Weapon Skin kits
Skill/achievement capes (yes I know people hate capes, but it's an idea)

Phantax · July 2014

Liquid_Time wrote: »

I want more achievement related gear. You know.. by playing what we are already paying for.

Costumes
Motifs
Pets
Armor Skin kits
Weapon Skin kits
Skill/achievement capes (yes I know people hate capes, but it's an idea)

Definite YES for these... Motifs, Pets

Costumes may become obsolete with incoming dye system.

Armor skinning, or as I see it the ability to swap the looks of one piece of gear for another (visual only, not stats) is something we should have at some point.
This would add yet another way to customise the visual appearance of our characters.

Still early days yet so lets wait and see?

Liquid_Time · July 2014

Phantax wrote: »

Liquid_Time wrote: »

I want more achievement related gear. You know.. by playing what we are already paying for.

Costumes
Motifs
Pets
Armor Skin kits
Weapon Skin kits
Skill/achievement capes (yes I know people hate capes, but it's an idea)

Definite YES for these... Motifs, Pets

Costumes may become obsolete with incoming dye system.

Armor skinning, or as I see it the ability to swap the looks of one piece of gear for another (visual only, not stats) is something we should have at some point.
This would add yet another way to customise the visual appearance of our characters.

Still early days yet so lets wait and see?

They do not need to come out with stuff like this immediately I agree. The coloring will hold off the players for a while. I like they brought that in so early.. Good call on their part IMO.

If you have IMP Edition you can right click on a piece of gear and change it to that style.. They can do skins in a very similar way.. Whether it be paid for with IRL cash or earned

martinhpb16_ESO · July 2014

Only if it is done in a non-invasive way.

In Lotro there are so many grotesque store buttons and pop-ups on the UI.

Also they specifically develop game content that is store orientated.

PVP definitely became pay-to-win.

I remember a pvp junky telling me he had spend £300 in a month on pvp pots and buffs.

No amount of rage on the forums ever made a difference and the Lotro store became more omni-present.

And don't forget store development = dev-time = less real content. Stores have ever growing targets so they invent trash ways to make money all the time.

It also started the development of cheap slot machine style games called hobbit presents.

Many players cite the introduction of the store as the point when the game started to downturn in quality.

Be careful what you wish for.

DeLindsay · July 2014

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Cash shops are really not necessary when you're paying a subscription, IMO.

There's nothing at all wrong with a cash shop for a sub based MMO. There's also one thing that works VERY well in some cash shops and that's the company selling monthly game time codes. These codes are bought at the cost of a single month, can be gifted to people via email, or sold in game to others for Gold (or w/e currency that game has). It's a great way to help keep players from buying gold from foreign companies that are really only out to hack your account anyway. Eve Online is one such sub based game that does this to great effect.

It's a win win for the game company and the players. Game company gets more money out of players, players get access to a legit way to buy gold, other players get a legit way to play the game without actually paying real money (buying the game time card with gold they make in game).

Other obvious options are just like the OP stated, though I wouldn't want to see Dyes added yet, not until 1.3 has been live and we've tried it out for a while. But companion pets, different mounts, storage space, etc would be perfectly viable. Fact is there are people with plenty of money to burn, why not allow them to give more of it to ZoS which in turn can put some of that money back into ESO. As long as top level gear is never for sale then there's nothing wrong with it, always should be vanity items or what some call fluff.

martinhpb16_ESO · July 2014

Phantax wrote: »

IF the only thing this fictitious cash shop does is sell account related stuff then yes (extra character slots, race change, server change etc) then fine.
If it sells anything at all that is useable in-game then NO, we already pay for everything that is in-game with our subs !

Thats how its tarted in Lotro, but they push the barriers all the time. Its all bout micro-transactions.

Within a year there are all sorts of things in there that would never have got through at the start.

_subjectnamehere_ · July 2014

martinhpb16_ESO wrote: »

Only if it is done in a non-invasive way.

In Lotro there are so many grotesque store buttons and pop-ups on the UI.

Also they specifically develop game content that is store orientated.

PVP definitely became pat-to-win.

I remember a pvp junky telling me he had spend £300 in a month on pvp pots and buffs.

No amount of rage on the forums ever made a difference and the Lotro store became more omni-present.

And don't forget store development = dev-time = less real content. Stores have ever growing targets so they invent trash ways to make money all the time.

It also started the development of cheap slot machine style games called hobbit presents.

Many players cite the introduction of the store as the point when the game started to downturn in quality.

Be careful what you wish for.

I played LOTRO since launch and quit when I knew it was going F2P.

IMHO, if LOTRO did not try to launch right in the middle on WoW's upturn, or if WoW never existed, it would have done a lot better on the market...I absolutely loved that game...I left WoW for it. Sadly, not enough people followed suit.

hk11 · July 2014

I wouldn't mind name changes, race/faction changes.

Soloeus · July 2014

hk11 wrote: »

I wouldn't mind name changes, race/faction changes.

This right here, because I don't want P2W either. However I am willing to pay to keep my "time" invested into my characters instead of being forced to roll new alts. Sad that I would rather pay but I would.

Vendersleigh · July 2014

martinhpb16_ESO wrote: »

Phantax wrote: »

IF the only thing this fictitious cash shop does is sell account related stuff then yes (extra character slots, race change, server change etc) then fine.
If it sells anything at all that is useable in-game then NO, we already pay for everything that is in-game with our subs !

Thats how its tarted in Lotro, but they push the barriers all the time. Its all bout micro-transactions.

Within a year there are all sorts of things in there that would never have got through at the start.

This, so very much this.
A cash shop is the thin end of a very thick wedge which drives out fun, innovation, a sense of caring on the part of developers and players. At least that is what I have experienced.

Soloeus · July 2014

Vendersleigh wrote: »

martinhpb16_ESO wrote: »

Phantax wrote: »

IF the only thing this fictitious cash shop does is sell account related stuff then yes (extra character slots, race change, server change etc) then fine.
If it sells anything at all that is useable in-game then NO, we already pay for everything that is in-game with our subs !

Thats how its tarted in Lotro, but they push the barriers all the time. Its all bout micro-transactions.

Within a year there are all sorts of things in there that would never have got through at the start.

This, so very much this.
A cash shop is the thin end of a very thick wedge which drives out fun, innovation, a sense of caring on the part of developers and players. At least that is what I have experienced.

I agree with you, then it makes the developers design game features that force you to purchase microtransactions. But a lot of games that aren't P2W have Cash Shops for name change, gender change, race change, etc, etc, etc.

These things aren't usually associated with P2W.