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Rill View Drop Down
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    Posted: 01 Jun 2014 at 21:45
I can imagine that I will be vilified for even bringing this up, but it seems to me that Illyriad might benefit from charging a modest subscription fee -- perhaps $5 a month.  Perhaps it could be free to play in the beginning, with a fee charged beginning in the third or fourth month of the account life.

I can see some negatives about this: Some people might not even begin playing a game that was not free.  I might have hesitated to do so myself.  I'm sure there are other negatives I don't perceive; I haven't played a subscription game like WoW myself, so I'd be interested to hear what some of the other negatives are.

I see the following possible benefits:

1)  Steady and predictable income stream for developers  --  this could also make it easier and cheaper for them to get financing, once they've established a track record with it.

2)  Discourages multi-accounting since the fee would be charged for each account.

3) Eliminates problem with perma-sat accounts, if only account holders are able to pay subscription fees.

Perhaps the subscription fee could come with x amount of prestige per month.

I'm proposing this as a person who doesn't spend all that much on Illy (or any game) but does want to support the game and see it stay healthy.  A big part of the reason I don't buy prestige is because there's nothing I really care about using it on.  Having a regular subscription fee would get folks like myself contributing to the game monetarily more regularly.

Perhaps this is a complete no-go from the perspective of the developers in any case, but I think the benefits I've identified above, particularly 2 and 3, are compelling arguments in its favor.
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Flavius Aetius View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Rill Rill wrote:

I can imagine that I will be vilified for even bringing this up, but it seems to me that Illyriad might benefit from charging a modest subscription fee -- perhaps $5 a month.  Perhaps it could be free to play in the beginning, with a fee charged beginning in the third or fourth month of the account life.

I can see some negatives about this: Some people might not even begin playing a game that was not free.  I might have hesitated to do so myself.  I'm sure there are other negatives I don't perceive; I haven't played a subscription game like WoW myself, so I'd be interested to hear what some of the other negatives are.

I see the following possible benefits:

1)  Steady and predictable income stream for developers  --  this could also make it easier and cheaper for them to get financing, once they've established a track record with it.

2)  Discourages multi-accounting since the fee would be charged for each account.

3) Eliminates problem with perma-sat accounts, if only account holders are able to pay subscription fees.

Perhaps the subscription fee could come with x amount of prestige per month.

I'm proposing this as a person who doesn't spend all that much on Illy (or any game) but does want to support the game and see it stay healthy.  A big part of the reason I don't buy prestige is because there's nothing I really care about using it on.  Having a regular subscription fee would get folks like myself contributing to the game monetarily more regularly.

Perhaps this is a complete no-go from the perspective of the developers in any case, but I think the benefits I've identified above, particularly 2 and 3, are compelling arguments in its favor.

How much money will be gained when portions of the community leave to another free to play game? 
Cry havoc and let slip the eagles of freedom - The Raven King
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Rill View Drop Down
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That would depend on how much money that portion of the community is currently spending and how many of them leave.

I would be more concerned about losing diversity of community members than money; it would be my prediction that most Illyrians would be willing to pay a modest fee to play.

The point of the fee, in my mind, would not necessarily be to substantially increase the amount of money collected (although it might).  Rather, it would be to help address some of the other issues, like multi-accounting and perma-sitting.  It wouldn't be a panacea for that (especially not multi-accounting), but it might help.
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Captain Kindly View Drop Down
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I think you are overestimating the situation, Rill.

A lot of people I know are only staying here for the community, and regardless of that still buy prestige.

I think having your credit card charged on a monthly basis (even for 'only' $3) would make many of them stop out of principle.


EDIT: speaking of principles, I don't see why the community would have to be charged in solving the multi-accounting/permasitting problem. 


Edited by Captain Kindly - 01 Jun 2014 at 22:19
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Flavius Aetius View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Rill Rill wrote:

That would depend on how much money that portion of the community is currently spending and how many of them leave.

I would be more concerned about losing diversity of community members than money; it would be my prediction that most Illyrians would be willing to pay a modest fee to play.

The point of the fee, in my mind, would not necessarily be to substantially increase the amount of money collected (although it might).  Rather, it would be to help address some of the other issues, like multi-accounting and perma-sitting.  It wouldn't be a panacea for that (especially not multi-accounting), but it might help.

It could decrease the number of instances of perma-sitting. If someone was dedicated to their perma-sits enough, couldn't they be willing to pay out of the few dollars a month to gain a numerical edge over their opponents?

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Artefore View Drop Down
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How about have the cost of playing optionally be prestige?  Have the daily bonus for prestige upgraded to 2 prestige and then charge say 20 prestige per month to play?  That way it would still be free and also put a strain on permasitting, as the daily bonus can't be claimed by a sitter.  Also, people could simply pay a subscription fee instead of using prestige, if they wanted the extra daily bonus.  

I really don't think any amount of money over £.50 is a reasonable amount to charge based on Illy's current business model.  
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I would personally have to leave illyriad if this gets implemented. My family has a strict "No paying to play games" rule out of money tightness. That's why I pay people in-game to buy prestige for me.
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Dragonwort View Drop Down
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NEVER..NEVER...NEVER

AND RILL, CONSIDER YOURSELF VILIFIED....
Now ask me how I really feel....lol Smile Dragonwort
Just another wrench in the works..
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Detritus View Drop Down
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...hm, I don't even have a credit card, so that might be a problem... never needed one so far...  Wink

And I really can't see how that would help against permasats better than a "only sit 90 days and then Finito!" rule? Can't see any problems with that one suggested by SC....

I might buy some few prestige as soon as I get a regular income... but being forced to pay a regular fee out of principle would drive me out of the game. The optionality of prestige is the big point Illy has, and it would be dumb to loose that.

Oh, and Rill, no vilification from me at all, notice  Tongue . It's an important point to discuss, even if only to clarify the stance of the community... mines AGAINST.
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Hiei View Drop Down
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Disagree with this, regardless of any reasons.
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