Brainstorming Ideas

[Velea]

Much of what you suggested in your first post we've already done, Daulnay. Just making sure you know that, as it might not be clear:

1) You can convert from a Free Access account to one requiring a subscription at any time. Just create your dragon character, you'll have some free trial time (I believe it is two weeks) before you have to have a Basic Subscription (which is just $9.95 per month, btw, it is only $14.95 if you want a plot.)

3) The cost of plots is something we're always looking at and adjusted. The most recent adjustment reduced them to where we believe that by the time someone is of level to join the construction schools, they should be able to buy a basic plot. We've compared this to how much coin reward for doing quests (don't forget to include Town Marshall quests, for example) as well as "Junk Loot" drop rates. There's a lot of ways to earn coin in Istaria now, and though we're always looking at that balance, we think we've got it pretty good at the moment.

4) When you leave the game and stop subscribing, even if you leave your plot "as is", when it is reclaimed you do not lose everything. The plot is automatically deconstructed and you get 80% of the novians from it, as well as all items stored on the plot, back, plus the cost of the plot (minus the "Imperial Tax" of course.) For most players, rebuilding that 20% and repurchasing a new plot if they return even after years, is a pretty fast process. So really, a plot is "mothballed" (as you put it), just in the form of novians in your vault.

And thank you for your support on Greenlight.

[Daulnay]

Much of what you suggested in your first post we've already done, Daulnay. Just making sure you know that, as it might not be clear:

1) You can convert from a Free Access account to one requiring a subscription at any time. Just create your dragon character, you'll have some free trial time (I believe it is two weeks) before you have to have a Basic Subscription (which is just $9.95 per month, btw, it is only $14.95 if you want a plot.)

This is close! But for anyone who cruises over to the Istaria.com website or the Community website, this isn't noticable. Please put something right in the home page so that anyone wandering by can clearly see that 1) there's a free to play option, and 2) it's convertible to a 2-week trial with Dragon.

Second, it's not quite what I mean. Istaria is somewhat a shock for people used to the current crop of MMOs; so much is spoon-fed to the players in them. Istaria requires patience, exploration, and for some perhaps a mentor. Two weeks as a hatchling may not be enough, especially if it's calendar weeks and they're an adult with work and responsibilities. If they get their sea legs playing a human to 20, then they might get enough out of playing a dragon that they'll stick around.

Another alternative might be offering a ftp weekend once a season, to players who've let their subscription lapse. Encourage old players to come back, see their friends once again, and maybe stick around. Let newer players who haven't levelled their dragon come back and work at it a little. (Sort of like the way supermarkets hand out small samples - it's not enough to satisfy, but enough to spur a purchase.)

3) The cost of plots is something we're always looking at and adjusted. [snip ]There's a lot of ways to earn coin in Istaria now, and though we're always looking at that balance, we think we've got it pretty good at the moment.

So when I fly over to Lesser Aradoth, many of the plots are taken, and built on? (The right price for something is the one at which people start to purchase/use it.) I hope this is so. If not, please lower the prices even more.

4) When you leave the game and stop subscribing, even if you leave your plot "as is", when it is reclaimed you do not lose everything. The plot is automatically deconstructed and you get 80% of the novians from it, as well as all items stored on the plot, back, plus the cost of the plot (minus the "Imperial Tax" of course.) For most players, rebuilding that 20% and repurchasing a new plot if they return even after years, is a pretty fast process. So really, a plot is "mothballed" (as you put it), just in the form of novians in your vault.

This what faced my daughter, and it wasn't good enough for her. She was at a point in life where even a minor setback was too much (early teen). Yes, it's possible to rebuild - you're not completely destroying what the player did. But you're kicking them more than 1/5 back down the hill, (20% of the novians, plus redesign and rebuild). Building a plot is a great deal of work, and 20% of that is still quite a lot.

I understand that you think something like this is necessary in order to keep people subscribing -- they don't want to lose their house! But current system is too harsh, and was pretty painful for my kid. While I'd like to build a home in Istaria, because I've not tried the building system, the thought that it'll get erased if I have to stop paying for a while has made me pause (and I've had a plot subscription for 6 months, which I recently renewed.) I've lost my house in 3 other MMOs, for various reasons, and it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to build one in Istaria and have that happen.

If you must keep something like this, add stages to it so that the harshest parts can be avoided. Or add a payment option that allows a player to nearly completely restore their home.

And thank you for your support on Greenlight.

The game is worth it. Still one of my favorites of all time.

[Tzael]

This what faced my daughter, and it wasn't good enough for her. She was at a point in life where even a minor setback was too much (early teen). Yes, it's possible to rebuild - you're not completely destroying what the player did. But you're kicking them more than 1/5 back down the hill, (20% of the novians, plus redesign and rebuild). Building a plot is a great deal of work, and 20% of that is still quite a lot.

I thought I should comment on this since I'm technically a returning player even though I've been back in Istaria for four months. All I had when I got back was a vault full of novians, so I purchased a new plot in Harro and started building. When I found another plot available that was much larger I moved again, and built up the new plot. I've now just moved to a third plot, again bigger than the last one and again I am rebuilding.

Each move has resulted in 80% of novians being returned, and each time I've found that once I get annoyances like obsidian and cobalt out of the way the construction is very quick.

The point I'm trying to make is that building plots and lairs in Istaria is now much easier than it ever was, lots of vault keepers around, lots more portals and travel destinations, insane amounts of storage in the vault eliminating the need for silos for many people. Sure silos and storehouses are still useful if you want to have a huge reserve of resources to ensure you can craft anything a friend asks for, but in general most people can make do with the incredible bulk capacity of vaults nowadays.

I understand what you are asking for, but as a returning player I do not think it is necessary given how easy construction is nowadays. I hope you don't mind a different perspective being added to the discussion

[Azath]

Second, it's not quite what I mean. Istaria is somewhat a shock for people used to the current crop of MMOs; so much is spoon-fed to the players in them. Istaria requires patience, exploration, and for some perhaps a mentor. Two weeks as a hatchling may not be enough, especially if it's calendar weeks and they're an adult with work and responsibilities. If they get their sea legs playing a human to 20, then they might get enough out of playing a dragon that they'll stick around..

Imo - two weeks is certainly enough. On trial you're not MEANT to get anywhere, it's supposed to see what it's like playing a dragon. Maybe you get to lv20 and then buy a sub. And even people who work should be capable of that progress. Maybe 3 weeks at the very most is all someone should get.

So when I fly over to Lesser Aradoth, many of the plots are taken, and built on? (The right price for something is the one at which people start to purchase/use it.) I hope this is so. If not, please lower the prices even more.

Price isn't he only factor that goes into a buying a plot. There are more convenient locations, more aesthetically better locations, and bigger plots elswhere.
The chances are people aren't buying plots there, because they have plots in higher teir areas, in areas closer to resources, in guild plots, in rp related places etc.
And sure, some of us would like to be bale to buy plots in lesser aradoth, but we just don't have to the plot slots so must have plots in the most important places to us, and there isn't exaclty a huge player base to fill istaria...
As far as new players go for plots, i find that lots of people actually buy plots in lesser aradoth to get the hand of htings..and then due to the above factors, move.

I understand that you think something like this is necessary in order to keep people subscribing -- they don't want to lose their house! But current system is too harsh, and was pretty painful for my kid. While I'd like to build a home in Istaria, because I've not tried the building system, the thought that it'll get erased if I have to stop paying for a while has made me pause (and I've had a plot subscription for 6 months, which I recently renewed.) I've lost my house in 3 other MMOs, for various reasons, and it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to build one in Istaria and have that happen.
If you must keep something like this, add stages to it so that the harshest parts can be avoided. Or add a payment option that allows a player to nearly completely restore their home.

Mach already stated there were two sides to things...as someone who would do anything for a certain owned plot, owned by a player who isn't even online anymore, it's hard for me not to be biased. :P
But i agree. The current system is sorta harsh. You get 1 month (iirc) after payments stop for you to renew, and if you don't your plot is deconned and sold. Maybe something like 3 months would be better, in that time you have a better chance for people to return or make a judgement on how to deal with their plot, but also aren't hindering people who may want that plot too much.
The payment is a good idea. A small payment just to keep your plot...good for those who have trouble paying. (But i do fear it could give a wider oppertunity for people to take up plots to spite others. And larger opperunity for my sitaution - i'd really love that plot on order's central valley so i could build better facilties on it and such...but unless i'm mistaking an alt of an active player for owning it, i'm not gonna get it until whoever owns it fails to pay. with small payments like that, you're gonna get filled plots only because no one's ever gonna let them go. people won't be able to get their much wanted plots because no one will leave them. sure - it was their plot - but if you're not gonna come back for a good few years,at least someone else can expand it in those few years.)

[Daulnay]

in general most people can make do with the incredible bulk capacity of vaults nowadays.

I understand what you are asking for, but as a returning player I do not think it is necessary given how easy construction is nowadays.

I'm glad to hear that! Vault size has always plagued me. For my daughter, it was losing her long-worked-on lair just before she'd almost finished. The 20% loss and having to rebuild everything from novians is pretty daunting for a kid.

Imo - two weeks is certainly enough. On trial you're not MEANT to get anywhere, it's supposed to see what it's like playing a dragon. Maybe you get to lv20 and then buy a sub. And even people who work should be capable of that progress. Maybe 3 weeks at the very most is all someone should get.

The real problem is how to keep new players, and to bring back players who've left, in a way that generates enough income. What you really want is people to get committed to their dragon characters so much that they'll buy a subscription. Is 2 weeks enough for that? Not sure. If the 2 weeks are an exercise in frustration because they're also learning their way around the system, probably not -- that's why I suggested a trial period after someone's gotten a human to 20 (and it could be 40, or both).

Price isn't he only factor that goes into a buying a plot. There are more convenient locations, more aesthetically better locations, and bigger plots elswhere. The chances are people aren't buying plots there, because they have plots in higher teir areas, in areas closer to resources, in guild plots, in rp related places etc.
And sure, some of us would like to be bale to buy plots in lesser aradoth, but we just don't have to the plot slots so must have plots in the most important places to us, and there isn't exaclty a huge player base to fill istaria...

That's very true. Maybe you'd want to just allow mothballing on medium-sized or otherwise unwanted plots; leave the small plots to new players, and large plots for the active players.

As far as new players go for plots, i find that lots of people actually buy plots in lesser aradoth to get the hand of htings..and then due to the above factors, move.

Good, that's the way it should work. Now, if there were only some public works projects always available in Lesser Aradoth.

I agree, you don't want non-paying players to be able to keep desirable plots from active players. I think I didn't express what I meant very well; some way of mothballing the buildings on a standard-sized plot, so that when the player returns, they can find an identically-shaped plot and just restore their home, intact. Plot-squatting of the kind you described, Azath, would be awful.

[LOVWYRM]

after some days of absence (vacation) first thing I realized:

only dragons and humans online (on chaos) same goes often enough for order.

Can`t we have a very special, very nice reason to play the other races too?
Its sleeping potential- and worth a second thought!

[Lio]

Could it be possible to have an earthquake happen somewhere (even if its just announced on the forums) and have a bridge go down and we have to rebuild, (a world project). I have heard of these world projects from older players and everyone that remembers them say they where great fun.

I very much concur with Dacurly here, the world projects are such fun and can be done at any time ..no spawn/despawn worries .. definitely worth serious consideration...even something that repeats irregularly etc due to earthquake or whatever .. Crafters really do need some more social projects to do .. while we intermittently build on our one, or two ..er .. or more personal plots ../grin

[Lio]

after some days of absence (vacation) first thing I realized: only dragons and humans online (on chaos) same goes often enough for order. Can`t we have a very special, very nice reason to play the other races too? Its sleeping potential- and worth a second thought!

meeeeeoooooow..er...rooooaarrrggghh .. /cough../deep cough ....[furball] .... phew, needed that, thanks Lov !

[Lio]

My daughter used to play Istaria passionately. She levelled her dragon, Malaquion, to adult and built a lair. But we were unable to afford to maintain the sub for a while, and all the work she put in on her lair disappeared, and with it went her enthusiasm for Istaria. Sometimes people just cannot afford to maintain a sub, and destroying their home just ensures that they don't come back when finances improve. That model has driven me permanently away from three other MMOs (AC1, DAOC, and LotRO) as well.

4) Give players a way to 'mothball' their plots, for a small fee or micro-subscription, so that they can come back without having lost much of their work. [Edit: An alternative is to designate some of the unwanted out-of-the-way plots to have a very long time before the home is forfeit. Sort of like a vacation home, that's only lived in a month out of the year.]

The old-school style of games (hard, challenging, with a real feel of accomplishment) has come back into style. So has retro gaming. Istaria is one of the few old-school MMOs left, so there's a real opportunity to draw people in right now.

This is tricky isn't it... on one hand you've got players who for one reason or another can't pay for their sub and lose their hard work on a plot and on the other hand you've got other players who are looking to buy reclaimed plots. However seeing as there is likely a bit more in column A than column B we might want to look into this suggestion... a smaller payment just to hold onto the property without a login slot could be something interesting to think about.

I'm glad to hear that! Vault size has always plagued me. For my daughter, it was losing her long-worked-on lair just before she'd almost finished. The 20% loss and having to rebuild everything from novians is pretty daunting for a kid.

I agree, you don't want non-paying players to be able to keep desirable plots from active players. I think I didn't express what I meant very well; some way of mothballing the buildings on a standard-sized plot, so that when the player returns, they can find an identically-shaped plot and just restore their home, intact. Plot-squatting of the kind you described, Azath, would be awful.

I'm sure I remember suggesting sometime in the very distant past, that ALL re-claimed plots should have 100 percent conversion into Novians .. this would look after all situations like your daughter's Daulnay, even though she would need to replan the lair or plot, at least you would have regained all the gathering, mining and processing work you would have done ..easy to do and would be something.

Though I can't believe that some sort of 'planning archive' isn't possible, thus covering all bases, assuming you can find a similar or larger size of plot on return.

[Guaran]

...But i agree. The current system is sorta harsh. You get 1 month (iirc) after payments stop for you to renew, and if you don't your plot is deconned and sold. Maybe something like 3 months would be better, in that time you have a better chance for people to return or make a judgement on how to deal with their plot, but also aren't hindering people who may want that plot too much...

I think 3 months before reclaim/decon would also be reasonable.

What if someone has pc problems, doesn't see the email about pending plot reclaim in time, and their work gets wiped? What if they use an alternate email account for plot sub, or just rarely bother checking their email? What if the reclaim notice gets accidentally ignored in a wave a spam? Just saying that a bit longer period wouldn't hurt anything. It's not like there are tons of people waiting to buy plots, but can't because nothing is available. There's plenty of plots. So a plot sitting for a couple months before decon/reclaim is not a big deal in the least.

[LOVWYRM]

I sign this too.

Once we lost our fully build lair due to a reason, Guaran explained.
Next time I only saw by accident that Luna`s Aiya was going to be reclaimed- Saved it in last second.

Though it might be risky to be that generous-at this state of the game, I think its worth it.

[AmonGwareth]

To me, it seems like something that could be very badly exploited and cost the company money.

[Guaran]

To me, it seems like something that could be very badly exploited and cost the company money.

Just have a max of 3 months of time per 1 year. So if someone uses 3 months, resubs, then immediately cancels again, it goes back to the default of a single month.

Can't people abuse it now? sub for 1 month, cancel for 1 month, sub for 1 month...?

While a plot is in "pending reclaim" the permissions get all locked down, no one can use it anyway. It seems unlikley it would really be "abused".

[Galdethriel]

I love the ideas for Withered Aegis raids. Those sound exciting, it'd be nice if there was always a sense of a little danger.

As for the plot suggestions, I like the idea of being able to pay a smaller amount to just hold onto a plot. I think it could actually be good source of income for VI. I know a lot of Istaria players including myself who held onto their accounts for the sake of keeping their plot until the money either a) wasn't available or they b) couldn't justify the expense of a fully priced MMO subscription suckling away at their bank account. Perhaps if the price of just holding onto a plot was lower, it would be easier to justify the cost and more people would hold onto them for longer, potentially adding up to be reasonable background income even though the players are inactive. I don't really think there's much of a risk of people holding onto these for spite because they'd literally have to keep paying forever to do so... and there are a lot of free plots around. I swear, for every ten plots I see maybe one is owned. Maybe less.

I actually think the expensiveness of plot-holding subscriptions may be something to look at. I know this would be a bit of a hit to VI's income, but perhaps if the right to own a plot (perhaps of a limited size, and excluding special plots like guild master plots?) was added to the basic subscription, more people would get one and with a bit of luck want to hold onto it. Increase the likelihood of people getting a plot, becoming attached to it, and holding onto it via small payments mentioned above? As it is now, there's sort of a pay wall in front of one of the best and most unique aspects of the game. And unlike the pay wall in front of non-human races, this one's really not just aesthetic - it's a pretty big portion of the game's content.

And other races... I agree the bipedial races do need some unique draw to each of them. Maybe a few racial-specific specialised classes? (Everyone who mains a biped is probably searching for a sharp implement with which to hurt me for suggesting that, but it could be an idea? XD ) I find one of the biggest draws to a specific race or group in a game for me is the lore behind them. The bipeds need racial pride, they don't seem to have much attitude. Maybe a bit of sleaze, too. Sleaze always makes things interesting!

[Azath]

And other races... I agree the bipedial races do need some unique draw to each of them. Maybe a few racial-specific specialised classes? (Everyone who mains a biped is probably searching for a sharp implement with which to hurt me for suggesting that, but it could be an idea? XD ) I find one of the biggest draws to a specific race or group in a game for me is the lore behind them. The bipeds need racial pride, they don't seem to have much attitude. Maybe a bit of sleaze, too. Sleaze always makes things interesting!

YAAAAS.

This. this. give us this. I once pondered on suggesting maybe a new area for exploration of races (like a resort island turned into a racial island) where you'd besically be given a tonne of lore behind the race and their diety.

And please dieties. We know like nothing of most dieties because there is almost NO LORE QUESTS FOR MOST OF THEM. Okay so there's a bit written down invovling Alyssa and...Only Nyrevin has a lore quest specifically for her, if only all the prestis of Nyevin weren't dead. All we relaly know about Merrasat is something about being kind? I'm pretty sure there's a lizard god too but i don't know if it exists the ssliks rarely mention them?

So lore behind them would be really nice.


Also: As for racial classes, a nice idea. Buuut...all types of class you could think of for istaria is already covered by the current adv system.
So if anything like that would be considered, i'd like it to be a class more for grouping useful abilites together maybe? (inclusive of unmasterable abilities and abilities above the stage at which you can master them.) But i'm not exaclty sure what would go with each race or if the current adv system is sufficient.


Alternatively (and and idea i like better), you could have say at a high level, you're offered a racial quest for a tech/weapon/armour/spell race specific.

Like for example, you could have an epic spell specific to each race. Will need skills from a school at a certain amount to be able to complete it (e.g. your fiend might need 100 spiritist, dwarf 100 zerker or warrior, satyr migth need 100 scout/ranger etc. as most races are associated with classes) depending on race. The epic spell might require defeating a boss closely linked with that race (like dryads and the mylocs as an example) or crafting something that race is well known for on the way (gnomes might need to tinker a device). The epic spell awarded would depend on the race too. Fiends, needing spirit magic mostly, would get a spirit based epic spell/ability. If a race is more the warrior type (like dwarfs) it would be a melee ability. They benefit in different ways by not only damage, but things debuffs and DoTs, or likley for fiends absorbing health, messes/stuns too or even epics which are set to buff the user a lot upon use etc. especially attatched to the epic ability depending on race.

As for epic racial gear, attuned gear which is greater than normal armour/weapons. They would give buffs to certain skills depending on what that race is supposed to specialize in, and epic effects on the weapons like for example - a hammer for dwarves with a chance to stun, a staff for dryads with a chance for a powerful flame dot, a staff or bow for elves which emits an arua of health//has a chance to heal or something. As strong as epic gear should be, with an epic quest needed to gain it, and likely needing an epic sort of craft.


Just ideas i guess??? I'm not sure how well that would go down if a new pleyer picks a race that they hate the specialization of? Maybe list/explain magic types/classes they specialize in on their thing. (And no, no jsut what they're base stats would prove good at like it is now.)

[Galdethriel]

I just popped back because I thought of some other brain farts, mostly in regards to plot ownership and subscriptions.

The world of Istaria is pretty empty. Like, very empty - and the more I play, the more I stumble across completely empty communities. It makes things feel pretty lonely, especially on Order where I can only assume the problem is worsened by the low population. I think we're missing a trick here, especially since it's essentially content that keeps people logging in for longer.

Sort of drawing off my earlier post, I think if we're going to stick to the subscription model, we should consider trying to get people to take plots via:

- Basic subscriptions should be entitled to a plot of a limited size
- Gifted subscriptions should have more character slots along with its plot of any size
- Owning subsequent subscriptions should be at a discounted price; your first sub is full price, your second sub is half price?
- Linked plots and communities such as guild settlements should offer some advantage to having people populate them, perhaps some sort of settlement-wide discount if more than one plot in such a place is owned?

Perhaps free to play accounts could be entitled to a very small plot (and limited to biped plots?) but are required to pay in-game money as rent to keep it. This would let them get a taste of building but if they stop playing, it'll be reclaimed as usual. This could also be an option if the game ever went free to play as a method of making sure players who have left aren't occupying all the plots, as they would need to log in to pay rent to stop reclamation (and collect money for said rent if they run out, which at least gets them in-game and playing for a bit).

Sorry to press the point, but I do think we need to reconsider what's going on with plots. We drive away old players by deconning them and put a pay wall in front of them to stop new players from trying them.

As for quests, I was thinking - is the game capable of cutscenes? Not fancy ones, but the ability to fix a camera at a certain place, move you and npcs around and make you do a few emotes, accompanied with a bit of text? Really simple cutscenes. If possible, this would be a great way to spice up questing - not every quest but maybe longer, story based quests or lore quests.

Perhaps also quests that have a more complex structure than what we're used to. Say, you take a quest from a dwarf clan who're squabbling with their rival clan. They want you to smuggle a few dead rats into the opposing clan's ale barrels (that'll teach 'em!) but you get caught by a member of said rival clan. You then get the option to knock him out (by fighting him) and tainting those son-of-a-gnome's ale, or accept his request to prank the original clan instead. Whichever clan you end up helping will have casual friendly text when you speak to them or compliment your wisdom in choosing the best clan to ally with, while the one you turn on insults you.

It sounds daft, I know, but it would be nice to have a few race-based funny or amusing quests to break up the seriousness of 'Blight is killing our faces, you must train and stuff'.

And crafting!

I know this is an ooooooold, ooooooold and long-requested feature by now, but furniture in housing. Is this in the works, or not doable? I know once there was mentioned a problem about lagging players out by having all these tiny objects rendering out of sight, but I'm not sure if there were plans to work around it, whether doors could be added to buildings and using them triggers the items inside to load or something?

In any case, placeable furniture would add a lot of customisation and depth to player housing (and also give craft schools more items they could make). If individual placeable items aren't possible, how about a sort of Skyrim-style 'this part of the house is now furnished' idea, where you can pick from a handful of furnishing styles which come in sets to modify the house? I found a load of interest in EQ2 purely because I found I could make furniture and decorate my very own home with it - I couldn't even be bothered to level my combat, I just wanted to craft. This feature could not be more at home in HZ.

That's all I have for now though. Sorry for rambling on, as usual!

[AmonGwareth]

Cut-scenes, branching quests, and furniture in housing aren't doable with current tech. Sorry.

Regarding plot ownership, I don't believe the issue is a lack of interest in owning plots. Rather, its a lack of population in general. Its not the price-point, its just the simple fact that the game has never had a huge population, has suffered at times over the years from ownership, from lack of advertising, etc, and has a small population because the game is nearing 11 years old and doesn't cater to the "modern" MMO player-base.

[Galdethriel]

Cut-scenes, branching quests, and furniture in housing aren't doable with current tech. Sorry.

Bonfire has officially been p****d on. Ah well... XD

Furniture and the like is probably still something worth considering (in the sense that I don't know in what way, specifically, the tech is incapable - in the 'we'd have to do a lot of work' way or the 'completely out of the question cannot do it ever' way)? If the former, I'd still say it would be worth the effort as an ambitious goal. If the latter, then I understand. Although, perhaps not the ability to place or move furniture around... how about if a completed structure which is suitable can be 'upgraded' to a 'Furnished suchandsuch'. Take a completed, finalised model and have one or two style options... and when selected, actually replaces an empty version of the model with a furnished version of that model? I mean like... static chairs, tables and the like - just added as a part of the building's model?

I agree the population is definitely a large factor. However, I'd disagree with your statement about the price point. On its own, HZ isn't particularly expensive - the gifted subscription price is roughly the same as most other MMOs. The problem is MMOs nowadays are increasingly moving away from these payment models and people become dubious when they run into them. While that is an inescapable problem so long as the game is running off subscriptions, it's aggravated by the price itself. HZ charges the same price as World of Warcraft. It charges the same price as Elder Scrolls Online. Making subscriptions cheaper and plots more widely available could help to ease people's hesitation, and offering a cheaper way to hold onto a plot will almost definitely help encourage players to return.

To give another perspective, I asked a friend, long-time player of HZ who no longer plays, what he thinks, and this was his reply to me.

A: It's a high price cost for such an old game. It's hard for people to justify paying fifteen dollars a month to grind out a plot/lair, when they could spend that for something else.

B: My number one problem is maintaining the fifteen dollar cost. While actively playing the game I don't have a problem paying the price, because I'm getting my full interest paid of. However when I need to stop for whatever reason, boredom, life, etc, I struggle to justify the cost and feel discouraged when I have to cancel the subscription. It's a hard toll being pressured into 15 dollars a month to avoid losing 100's of hours of hard work. That's why I won't go back. And why I will never get a plot again, because I don't want to be trapped. At least when I stop paying for WoW because of life, I can pick things up where I left off later on. In Istaria, I lose all that hard work and I have to do more work to catch back up.

<snip>

Here's what would get me to come back: Another type of subscription for holding plots, like they do for additional character slots. Something like 5 dollars a month. Small enough that it's fairly open to people and not limiting, but large enough to discourage random people from holding plots forever.

Another random subscription idea could be to take the customisation of your subscription to the next level. We already know subscriptions can be stacked in the same account. What if character slots were each their own tiny, individual subs, as were plots? For instance, lets say each character was 2 dollars a month, and plots, I dunno, 4 dollars a month. You could customise your subscription to be exactly what you need at any point in time. Want 4 characters but no plot? 8 dollars a month. Want only one character but 3 plots? That's 14 dollars a month. Obviously with a bit of adjustment made to the figures, since I'm pulling easy numbers out of my arse. It has the mothballing of plots effectively built in. Could be an idea.

[AmonGwareth]

Lowering the price does nothing but create a situation where updates would come even slower than they do now. Which would effectively kill the game. Pretty sure people don't want that. The reality is that people justify payment of any game if they really want to play it. Istaria still offers gameplay that newer games, including World of Warcraft, Rift, ArcheAge and many others, don't. So, what is it worth to each person? They have to decide for themselves.

[Galdethriel]

Lowering the price does nothing but create a situation where updates would come even slower than they do now. Which would effectively kill the game. Pretty sure people don't want that. The reality is that people justify payment of any game if they really want to play it. Istaria still offers gameplay that newer games, including World of Warcraft, Rift, ArcheAge and many others, don't. So, what is it worth to each person? They have to decide for themselves.

You and I both know the suggestion is a little more constructive than just making the game cheaper. The idea is that a less expensive game is more manageable and appealing, especially when wanting to hold onto plots long term. This could well mean more players, more plot holders, and VI could potentially be making more money from that than it currently is holding onto old MMO pricing.

People will justify payment for a game if they really want to play it - assuming that they can manage to justify paying for HZ instead of various other modern MMOs that still charge as well as the increasing number of MMOs that don't - can they then continue to justify paying for HZ when times are hard? And when they can't do so for a while, can they then justify coming back, having to work to get back to where they left off so that they can repeat the process all over again? My friend couldn't.

And as for offering gameplay - we need to get this idea out of our heads. HZ offers playable dragons. That's it. Everything else is covered in other MMOs.

I can see that I'm not going to get too far, but I just want to leave you with this final suggestion for the subscription model, one I think wouldn't step on VI's toes in the way you believe the other suggestions will.

Basic sub - same price and character slots, but add a single plot ownership right to it
Gifted sub - same price, 10 character slots, add two plots
Single Holding sub - low price (eg. 3-5 dollars), no character slots, one plot
Double Holding sub - low-mid price (6-7 dollars), no character slots, two plots


Get the old players back, let people hold onto plots, populate the world a little. Things can add up.