Pay-to-Play Events
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 1:04 pm
I have begun playing again, and while it is still fun, it is very disheartening to see that the once booming population has dwindled to its current level.
I am confident that reintroducing automated events in a circumscribed way will boost the population. I also believe they can be reintroduced in a way that minimally impacts purists, and will likely even enhance their playing experience. I know this topic has been discussed ad nauseum here for years now, but here is the outline for my suggestion. The particulars such as hours, days, counts, amounts, and procedures can all be fleshed out later, so please don't get bogged down in the details.
I propose that there would be a three hour period on Fridays and Saturdays where there would be the possibility for automated events. These times would be well advertised, and possibly rotating to accommodate for different time zones. During these times, players would be able to "buy" events through donations to the server, anonymously or publicly. Maybe the donations would need to be done in advance, but essentially the events occur as a direct result of donations to the server. I am open to suggestions for how it would work; perhaps there would be a predetermined slotting of events, maybe the donor picks within certain parameters, maybe there is a voting system at the event gates, etc. The main idea is that there would be a period of time when players know there are likely to be events, and the server would significantly raise revenue which it could in turn spend on advertising and other necessities. There would be no rewards for winning or participating in events, except maybe stat tracking. (Oh how I wish MYUOSA tracked my winning percentage at bag ball!) The events would just be fun. And yes, I would donate on a per event basis as would many other players I am sure.
At this point, I feel there is a very little left to lose, and much to gain. Sure, this will result in event loggers, but this will also mean that there will be additional players and returning vets. There will be an increase in population before and after the events, and it will be a significant one. There will be an increase in the baseline population as well. I understand and respect that the goal of the shard is to mimic T2A mechanics as closely as possible, but capturing the spirit of T2A should not be completely discounted as an end to aim at. At the end of the day, there is not much fun playing on a perfectly accurate T2A shard without other players.
Regardless of what you think of this proposal, I hope that we can at least consider trying to re-introduce events even on a small scale. If the results are not positive and prompt, the events can be removed and dismissed from further consideration.
I am confident that reintroducing automated events in a circumscribed way will boost the population. I also believe they can be reintroduced in a way that minimally impacts purists, and will likely even enhance their playing experience. I know this topic has been discussed ad nauseum here for years now, but here is the outline for my suggestion. The particulars such as hours, days, counts, amounts, and procedures can all be fleshed out later, so please don't get bogged down in the details.
I propose that there would be a three hour period on Fridays and Saturdays where there would be the possibility for automated events. These times would be well advertised, and possibly rotating to accommodate for different time zones. During these times, players would be able to "buy" events through donations to the server, anonymously or publicly. Maybe the donations would need to be done in advance, but essentially the events occur as a direct result of donations to the server. I am open to suggestions for how it would work; perhaps there would be a predetermined slotting of events, maybe the donor picks within certain parameters, maybe there is a voting system at the event gates, etc. The main idea is that there would be a period of time when players know there are likely to be events, and the server would significantly raise revenue which it could in turn spend on advertising and other necessities. There would be no rewards for winning or participating in events, except maybe stat tracking. (Oh how I wish MYUOSA tracked my winning percentage at bag ball!) The events would just be fun. And yes, I would donate on a per event basis as would many other players I am sure.
At this point, I feel there is a very little left to lose, and much to gain. Sure, this will result in event loggers, but this will also mean that there will be additional players and returning vets. There will be an increase in population before and after the events, and it will be a significant one. There will be an increase in the baseline population as well. I understand and respect that the goal of the shard is to mimic T2A mechanics as closely as possible, but capturing the spirit of T2A should not be completely discounted as an end to aim at. At the end of the day, there is not much fun playing on a perfectly accurate T2A shard without other players.
Regardless of what you think of this proposal, I hope that we can at least consider trying to re-introduce events even on a small scale. If the results are not positive and prompt, the events can be removed and dismissed from further consideration.
