@movementcat: yes, you can get all items with normal playing. but certain very rare stuff will have lower drop rates and will be a bit more common in the stores. at the moment, unique items drop with a 20% chance in most situations. the same uniques appear in the shop with a chance of 33% (not all at the same time, mind you: when the map is built, the shopkeepers wares are generated randomly. sometimes no unique items will be available). I think that's fair. we will however integrate some very rare items. these will drop with about 5% chance ingame, but will be around in the stores with a chance of about 15%-20%. It has to be said, that all the items in the stores can be aquired without ever paying one cent for Ur-Steel. just scrap enough items and buy the stuff you like. @ubisububi: I see your point. as I said above: everything that you may buy during one game can be gathered by playing without paying. so you don't need to buy Ur-Steel. the game will be as enjoyable as ever. For our next game, Time of Heroes, you may buy items which will be available every time you play the game. But we will also integrate consumables. And again, you don't need them. It's just for the players who WANT this stuff.
I do not mind iap, but as many said before this should be for permanents objects as well. Especially rare expensive items should be permanent ...nit too mention that many games with iap ends up forcing a choice between a lot of grinding or money. S, whateve you do I hope you get your balance right .... Otherwise instead of a great game, like for the current companion, you end up with zenonia boring stuff.
This is a great point. Being "available in-game" does not necessary mean REASONABLY available in-game. The way many of the freemium titles make their money is by making the process so time or labor intensive that the game isn't fun anymore. Technically, you don't need the consumables, but that only goes for those with an obsessive compulsive personality or the patience of a saint.
My issue wasn't that it must be available in-game. My concern is that whatever is purchased with real money should be permanent. Seriously, that's it.
hmm, I'm just thinking: once we have some more time on our hands, we could do item packages, which are available on certain maps every time you start a new game. I guess it would be rather cool if this items would change the look of the characters or add some nice effects or stuff like that in addition to their general usefulness (good stats etc.)... WE NEED MORE TIME! (or more money to employ more people ) @Ubi: I understand. I just ask me this question: when I buy a cup of coffee I drink it and feel awake for some time (or I like the taste or whatever). If I buy a consumable in-game and have fun using it I enjoy myself and have a good time. What's the difference? (don't take this to seriously please: I know that the virtual world is...ahhh...virtual. but nevertheless, you could make such a comparison and it wouldn't be a wrong argument)
The question is tha certain things are consumables. Potions, exp boosters, and similar. You can even imaging, in a new game, a system with weapons with slots that allow consumables to be bound to them till emptied. But rare weapons or shields that require quite some money should be treated differently. I think an idea is that you make the drop rate be, let s say, 5% and you increase it by, let s say, 5% every time it is bought in a store.
Love the idea of item packs! Regarding your question, I believe I answered it previously. If the game is crippled in some way (requires grinding or substantial time investment) without the consumables, then I will always pass on it. This can also take the form of subtle imbalances that compel, yet don't require the player to make these purchases. Every time I have hit the "pay to win" wall, I have been filled with irritation and deleted the game, never to return. Besides, if the in-game "cup of coffee" makes the game more fun, why not make the game that fun to begin with? By definition, not doing so is effectively crippling the game. A cup of coffee is not required to get through your day. You were not designed as a human to be only partially functional without it (although, some people willingly addict themselves to it and more), only achieving success and fulfillment with a regular infusion. I have heard that freemium games make all of their money off 2-3% of the players. The fact that this business model is financially successful makes me wonder how much these poor sods are paying so that the rest of us with self-control can play for free. To me, this is a predatory business model. My advice is to sell everything you can in-game, but make sure whatever you sell has lasting value.
The difference is, in the real world, I get to control my own environment, and how much coffee I drink. In the game world, the designers construct it so that you have to buy more and more and more potions or coins or whatever, to enjoy the game. If the coffee were being sold to you by a company that controlled your working and living environment, and sounded loud klaxons at random times at night so you would wake up more tired and need more coffee, you wouldn't like that either.
good morning! great idea. we'll discuss this! as to the coffee analogy: yes, that's what those evil greedy money-horny dudes do. not us. we need money to work on our dream, that's for sure. but I don't want to be seen (or feel myself like) one of those guys above. we will offer players the chance to be stronger, better, whatever - but you won't compete with anyone and you don't have to worry that the game will only be playable if you spend money. I'd like to be rich someday without f****** anyone. I invested 20€ over four month in the freemium game World of Tanks, just because I like to get more experience, buy some cool stuff for my tank and generally enjoy the game very much. the developers did a good job and I don't feel as if I'm under some spell of sort. I paid consciously. (as to free will etc.; now that's a philosohical question that would need a lengthy nigh neverending discussion )
Hopefully you find a Good Balance best Free 2 Play Game with perfect Balance is League of Legends you can reach same power as People that spend 500 $ on the Game, bcs you can only buy some Items that change your Optic not Stats. I dont Like IAP Consumabels bcs i want a Complete Game where i have everything, and no disadvantage to others. Thats why i bought every Bug Heroes IAP, but there is a Limit you can buy all Bugs and good is, the limit is important. With consumabel IAP i feel restless, and that destroy the fun. Regards Movementcat.
we already have a good balance I think. Companions will never be a F2P game...the concept as it is wouldn't work in such a way. you know, we're learning. Companions is our first game and we have to try things out to learn for future projects. we want to implement a shop where people can buy stuff but are not obliged to do so. everyone shall have the same experience, wether they spend money or not, that's a promise we will keep.
It's hard to fight the economics of the market. I think it would be better to worry about whether the game will actually be fun to play if you just ignore the IAP, rather than about a philosophical objection to making money this way from other people. I share your biases, but ultimately, you're going to see more of this, not less, because developers need to make money.
as DaviddesJ says, don't worry too much about the OPTIONAL (I can't stress this word enough) IAP. on a side note: you know, I live in germany, every time I go to the supermarket and buy some coffee (again ) or fruits or stuff like that or I buy some new cool electronic toy (filled with copper and whatever resources they need to produce such a thing) I make myself clear that I have blood on my hands. this makes me worry much more than spending a few euros here and there for a game I like to play.
This is not a philosophical objection. It is based on the track record of previous developers who have demonstrated that consumable IAPs almost always reduce the enjoyment of a game; either through crippled features, or game imbalances that can only be uncrippled/rebalanced by their purchase. Hope springs eternal, however. I love this game, and will dive in and support it when the time comes.
As I have PREVIOUSLY AND REPEATEDLY STRESSED, I think IAPs are a great way for developers to generate revenue. I simply prefer these purchases be for lasting features. Sorry for the caps. I am a bit frustrated because I feel that you are purposely missing my point because you disagree with me.
I am not sure that you're not reversing cause and effect. I think maybe that is a pattern that has to do with the developers that have historically chosen this kind of model, rather than anything intrinsic to the model itself.
hey ubisububi, I understand you. don't get frustrated. as it is you have every right to be cautious when it comes to business models. just try and believe that we won't do this. we are old gamers ourselves and I want people to like our game wether they buy IAP or not. that's the spirit!
After doing a bit of reading on the issue, I have learned that consumable IAPs are a good hedge against piracy. No matter how you monetize this game, I'll support it financially. However, others may not, so I can see the draw toward these consumables. Ok, I'm in...
