<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items --> <!--X-From-R13: "Dlna Bnynpvb" <ecnynpvbNirenag.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 09:22:38 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 0eb201bfa878$885e8160$ba9713ce@verant.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: NDBBLCGJMLFJLCDOFPLMAENKCHAA.rkoster@austin.rr.com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:rpalacio@verant.com"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00359.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00360.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00351.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00430.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00357">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00357">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00357">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: "Ryan Palacio" <<A HREF="mailto:rpalacio#verant,com">rpalacio#verant,com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 07:23:41 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> Raph Koster wrote: > > Simutronics, specifically Gemstone, had "regular service" and "premium > > service". This was much more akin to "renting" an expansion than > > purchasing. People paid extra money for "premium service" which allowed > > them access to special areas and therefore special items and such. The > > purchase of in-game events I have no previous knowledge of, but I > > have also > > never heard of items being directly sold to players by Simutronics. The > > latter of which is the crux of the issue. > > The crux of the issue was actually player-player transactions, as I recall. > Simutronics did in fact witness this, and allow it, and eventually decided > to leverage it. > > Elonka at GDC described several sorts of additional revenue streams mostly > from selling additional service (the wedding example, which I recall as > being $2500, not $25,000, but that's a minor point), as opposed to specific > items. Actually, after long thinking (specifically after the Simutronics issue arose), I have come to the conclusion that *premium service* is the way of future (and past) for MMORPGs. Guess that means Simutronics had it right all along ;). However, unlike the Gemstone III example, I believe this premium service will come in a manner less similar to renting an expansion and more along the lines of subtle advantage with exclusive and prioritized service. Examples of subtle advantage might include higher "luck" factors, birth right (as in D&D - with birth right came bonuses - extra starting cash, items, associations, etc), interest bearing bank accounts, and better overall pricing on big ticket items. Examples of exclusive and prioritized services might include priority on petitions, access to exclusive vendors, automatic inclusion for beta expansions, and access to special boards for voicing of concerns to developers where a response is always provided. On a side note, for balance reasons, I believe that under a system like this, the number of characters per server/shard must be inversely proportional to the "quality" of the account subscribed. Effectively, the better your account, the less characters you can have on any particular server. This would not only help simulate the bottom heavy socio-economic structure, but also prevent potential exploitation of mule/cheese characters by those with premium account benefits. The bonus here is that money does provide an advantage. Additionally, it is overall more palatable to someone who finds player-to-player (or worse yet developer-to-player) transactions for money despisable. And (for the business minded), it completely follows the rules of expendability as subscribers must continue to pay to receive the benefits. > I have come to believe that twinking is a > good thing and should be institutionalized. If anyone asks, I'll explain at > length. ;) <--- asks :) This has been a subject of eternal debate in the office and perhaps a fresh perspective will shed some light on unexplored aspects. Perhaps this warrants another thread? ~Ryan Palacio _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev mailing list MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00431" HREF="msg00431.html">[MUD-Dev] Justifying twinking</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> "Raph Koster" <rkoster@austin.rr.com></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00430" HREF="msg00430.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> "Raph Koster" <rkoster@austin.rr.com></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00336" HREF="msg00336.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Raph Koster" <rkoster@austin.rr.com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00359.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Declaration of the Rights of Avatars</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00360.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Declaration of the Rights of Avatars</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00351.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00430.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00357"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00357"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00317" HREF="msg00317.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:the_logos@achaea.com">the_logos@achaea.com</a>, Mon 17 Apr 2000, 04:51 GMT </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00320" HREF="msg00320.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:the_logos@achaea.com">the_logos@achaea.com</a>, Mon 17 Apr 2000, 04:51 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00336" HREF="msg00336.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong>, Raph Koster <a href="mailto:rkoster@austin.rr.com">rkoster@austin.rr.com</a>, Mon 17 Apr 2000, 06:41 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00351" HREF="msg00351.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:the_logos@achaea.com">the_logos@achaea.com</a>, Mon 17 Apr 2000, 16:21 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00357" HREF="msg00357.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong>, Ryan Palacio <a href="mailto:rpalacio@verant.com">rpalacio@verant.com</a>, Mon 17 Apr 2000, 16:22 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00430" HREF="msg00430.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items</A></strong>, Raph Koster <a href="mailto:rkoster@austin.rr.com">rkoster@austin.rr.com</a>, Tue 18 Apr 2000, 22:20 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00431" HREF="msg00431.html">[MUD-Dev] Justifying twinking</A></strong>, Raph Koster <a href="mailto:rkoster@austin.rr.com">rkoster@austin.rr.com</a>, Tue 18 Apr 2000, 22:20 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00436" HREF="msg00436.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Justifying twinking</A></strong>, adam <a href="mailto:adam@treyarch.com">adam@treyarch.com</a>, Tue 18 Apr 2000, 23:12 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00449" HREF="msg00449.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Justifying twinking</A></strong>, Geoffrey Z. <a href="mailto:gzatkin@verant.com">gzatkin@verant.com</a>, Wed 19 Apr 2000, 01:56 GMT </LI> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>