Prestige

WHAT IS PRESTIGE?
Prestige is the ingame currency that you can spend on both instant effects as well as bonuses over time that provide benefits to your playing experience and your town's growth.

WHAT PRESTIGE CAN DO FOR YOU
You can see all the available spend options by clicking on the Prestige link on the left hand side of your game screen.

HOW TO GET PRESTIGE
You are given some free Prestige when you start playing Illyriad, and you may spend this as you wish.

You can earn Prestige by referring players to Illyriad via our Buddy Programme - and you can find details about this ingame, on the "Prestige / About" page.

You can also buy Prestige via PayPal or via Credit/Debit card.

OUR PHILOSOPHY REGARDING PRESTIGE
Illyriad is going to be around for a long time.

We have a very substantial development and expansion list, much of which is publically accessible in these forums (so you can view, comment, and even influence what we're working on).

We believe that the most valuable players in Illyriad are not those who spend (or don't spend) their cash on buying Prestige. 

The most valuable players are active players who participate both inside the game (active and growing their Empire/Alliance) and outside the game (active in the forums, helping new players, setting up fansites and wikis etc).

We don't believe in trying to fleece players for a quick buck.  We believe that if the game is good, addictive, rewarding to play and has a strong playerbase then the rewards for the company and our shareholders will follow naturally.

Don't get us wrong - at its core, Illyriad Games Limited earns money to pay for the servers, advertising, staff, graphic design, development costs, and everything else that keeps this game both running and developing further - by selling Prestige to players.

However, unlike some other games, we don't believe that the game should be unbalanced - or the game interface crippled - for players who do not choose to buy Prestige.  We know that there are games out there that allow you to spend money on the equivalent of an " I win" button, and there are games out there that (eg) do not allow you to queue building orders unless you spend money with them.  We found these games as frustrating as you did.

Sure, if we added a Prestige Spend option to (eg) instantly complete Research queues, or instantly build Settlers then we'd make some short-term money off of it.  But it would be at the expense of the long term game, and you: our core playerbase.

And we're not going to do that.

We have chosen what we allow prestige to be spent on (and how much it costs) very carefully indeed, and we hope that you think we've achieved a good balance.

We also believe that you should be able to earn Prestige by helping Illyriad to grow, which is why we have the Buddy Programme - where you earn Prestige by referring players to Illyriad.

We hope you agree with this general philosophy, and please feel free to let us know what you think by replying in this thread.

I don't know if this is the right place for this, but:

"We believe that the most valuable players in Illyriad are not those who spend (or don't spend) their cash on buying Prestige."

I think that is a great guiding principle.

I also think giving military/diplomatic benefits like the most recent changes are in opposition to that principle.  If my account has no Prestige, I am further and further away from those who do.  It is quite a disincentive, in my opinion.  Outside of being slower to upgrade, get resources, etc... (which as a basic going in position, I accept) I now have to be 10% better at diplomacy and military actions in order to just be even with my money paying compatriots.

I am not opposed to the folks hosting/developing this game to making a buck to defray the costs.  I really appreciate and value the developer attention and quick response to issues.  I have just seen too many games get killed by the fact that those with money invested are given such a significant leg up that it is non-competitive.

My 2 pence for what they are worth.

Regards,

U

Considering how cheap prestige is, I don't really feel this is imbalanced at all.

Also, I'd like to point out that it doesn't matter how much it costs one particular person.  If we cannot all spend equally, then we are not all on equal grounds.  That is the crux of the issue.  It does not even matter whether the shortage is in willingness or capability.

Stormcrow,

If you felt it was indefensible, I assume you guys wouldn't have implemented it . 

Just a view from outside... mucking around with battle/diplo settings represents a step in the wrong direction.  I think the argument that "there are so many more variables, what's one more?" is misleading.  All those other variables cancel themselves out in aggregate, this one doesn't.  It is unfortunate that military/diplo variables are now subject to revenue considerations.  It sends the wrong message.  I can now buy my way to military advantage... or in the other direction, without spending, I get a 10% penalty. 

While from well above the fray, it may appear mathematically not a large impact, I believe it is chilling and and represents a slide (a slippery one?) towards a lack of balance.  I have already heard this from others... perhaps they will chime in.