Silver/Vendor Items are Overpriced

[mmo4gamer]

That cash shop price is O.O


derail from http://forum.salemgame.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=19

[Zou]

I agree. I think silver is very overpriced.

[TotalyMoo]

I agree. I think silver is very overpriced.

Posts like this prove why we started the silvershop in closed beta. We need to test out the prices.

[Sevenless]

For 10s/1$ it's really not worth considering paying real money at all. 50s/1$ seems like a more reasonable value to start at, and I don't think the scaling should be that steep (or exist at all). The point of microtransactions is to let people pay to their ability/desire to pay. Scaling is incredibly unfair to the people that are paying lower amounts of cash.

If anything, take scaling out of cash purchases *entirely*. Instead, give high value purchases additional vanity items. Buy 500s? Get a ______ hat. Buy 1000s? Get _____ outfit. The only way to get these must be cash shop purchases, and they shouldn't have any effect on gameplay. This will reward the higher paying players (who are likely buying cash to buy vanity items anyway), without punishing the economy of paying small amounts of silver to help your hermitage start off.

A good way to look at cash imo is earnings per hour. When you're looking at something in the order of 10cents ->50cents an hour in-game earning, it's more reasonable to buy coinage. Currently killing crickets I could probably (as a complete nub) kill 11 per hour with some food. That's 40s, or 4$ of in game coin. 4$ an hour is half minimum student wage where I live, and I'm playing a game I enjoy to do it. With 50s/1$, we're at least in a range where it's an hourly wage only for poorer asian communities.

Problem being that you're running into silver for power issue. If you make silver too cheap, it does become a hefty in game advantage. Still, 50s/$, no scaling, get some vanity rewards only acquirable through cash shop, and I think we're good to go. Also consider making some kind of "starter" package that vends backpacks, nails, everything needed to start off. If it's cheaper than the silver required to buy these (purchasing the pack vs purchasing the silver) I think we'd see it be possibly popular. You could also make a nice mention to it in the tutorial. Once someone starts using a cash shop, they're much much more likely to come back to it.

[Dopefly]

Packages would be nice from the shop.

Maybe a starter pack with a backback, couple nails, something like that.

I realize that the feature might be putting it into your bank, so maybe make it available on the town vendors. People would be inclined to buy these packs at a starter, because later on the items involved would not have as much need.

[Zou]

Sell claim writs and stuff too. I'm sure people would rather pay $10-$20 for a village writ than 2500 silver, or whatever insane price it is.

[sabinati]

Packages would be nice from the shop.

Maybe a starter pack with a backback, couple nails, something like that.

I realize that the feature might be putting it into your bank, so maybe make it available on the town vendors. People would be inclined to buy these packs at a starter, because later on the items involved would not have as much need.

I don't understand, those items are all available from the vendors in town already.

[MagicManICT]

The difference would be that players that haven't spent a dime on the game would still have access to them, but at a higher price than the people that wanted to pay actual money to buy them. It's not a bad idea.

[Sevenless]

Packages would be nice from the shop.

Maybe a starter pack with a backback, couple nails, something like that.

I realize that the feature might be putting it into your bank, so maybe make it available on the town vendors. People would be inclined to buy these packs at a starter, because later on the items involved would not have as much need.

I don't understand, those items are all available from the vendors in town already.

Sell them cheaper than you can buy the silver for them for. It's a "savings" that gets beginners going but doesn't particularly overpower anyone by abusing it (though backpacks could be sold for a profit potentially). But hey, that gets more cash into the game right?

[Dopefly]

Packages would be nice from the shop.

Maybe a starter pack with a backback, couple nails, something like that.

I realize that the feature might be putting it into your bank, so maybe make it available on the town vendors. People would be inclined to buy these packs at a starter, because later on the items involved would not have as much need.

I don't understand, those items are all available from the vendors in town already.

Sell them cheaper than you can buy the silver for them for. It's a "savings" that gets beginners going but doesn't particularly overpower anyone by abusing it (though backpacks could be sold for a profit potentially). But hey, that gets more cash into the game right?

Exactly. The items would not be desirable to an established player, but a package would be good for new players. Discounting the package still results in a total net sale, so its good for business. At least in the real world.. take a value meal. They knock of 17 cents but get you to buy 3 things instead of individual items.