$4.99 sub option for playing with one character slot past limit.

[Vergial]

And none of those games are worth a crap.

Well you just proved how useless not only your info is, but how useless your opinion is.

Also, statistically speaking, those games have over 100x the amount of players Isty has at any given moment of any day.

So if those games aren't worth a crap, one must think what your opinion is of Istaria? Not a fast thinker, are you?

Isty has promise, I can always admit that. It can shine with a few changes here and there. You, however, don't have promise. You don't even have an open mind.



TL;DR your opinion managed to be wrong (which is quite the feat), and the OP has a very very valid point.

[Calyndrell]

False. Completely and utterly false. There are tons of free-to-play MMOs that are anything but pay-to-win (Wildstar, The Old Republic, Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, etc) and there are tons of pay-once MMOs that are doing extremely well for themselves (Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, Elite: Dangerous, etc). Please don't spread such misinformation and do a little research.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the subscription prices that Istaria is currently charging are far too much for such an outdated game, especially one that can't keep up with other MMOs of its time in terms of content and appearance (WoW, EVE Online). It WILL be the death of this game. I have personally suggested several alternatives, but if advice isn't heeded and the playerbase keeps stubbornly insisting that "everything's fine, really!!", there's not much I can do for a game in its death throes.

Ok folks brace yourselves but I actually agree with Kida here, Istaria as much as I love it IS expensive and slowly I am struggling more and more to justify that cost. I have touched a fair number of sub based mmos over the years and most offer more than Istaria for pretty much the same money. The reason I personally haven't left is due to the friends I have here.

And none of those games are worth a crap.

I am gonna go out on a limb here guaran and assume you haven't touched the other none sub-based games. I have and two of the previously mentioned I do play and find extremely entertaining for you to simply dismiss them as "rubbish" is simply astounding. Especially when you consider that these other games which have a player base in the 10,000k, 100k or even millions to a game which often has only double digit players online between all its servers.

[Vergial]

Calyndrell, good post. VERY good post. Good thought, and you show an open mind there. If I could +rep you, I would. But I can't, so have a post glorifying your post.

[Kida]

Hah, thanks Calyndrell. Good to have a little common sense and not-blatant-fanboyism shining through the forums.

Especially when you consider that these other games which have a player base in the 10,000k, 100k or even millions to a game which often has only double digit players online between all its servers.

Gotta say, this. This is what matters. You can call them trash all you want, but playerbase numbers are factual and not debateable. Istaria has ~100 active players at best, on any given day. All the games I named have thousands. Hell, even the free-to-play Toontown Rewritten, brought up after the game was shut down two years ago, has over 1,000 people across all their servers at any given time. And that game is privately-hosted, doesn't accept donations, and is simply there for the community to enjoy.

[Alisto]

A $5 sub option would be nice. I'll eventually be busy enough that I'd simply stop subbing to the game if the $10 remains the only option, but would stay subbed if there was a $5 option, even if I could only access one or two characters.

[Guaran]

We have varying opinions. That's what is great about a free country. You know mine. I know yours.

Fact: This game will not survive on $5 subs.

Opinion: All of the other mmo's in the free category that I have played, I got tired of. Your mileage may vary.

[Calyndrell]

Guaran its questionable that the game will survive as it is.. this is the christmas rush and rarely have i seen many people on

[meepsa]

Fact: This game will not survive on $5 subs.

Fact: far from everyone currently paying would downgrade to a single slot, no plot sub, current subs would most likely not diminish, and if so only slightly. New players would have a cheaper way of experiencing more of the game, yet still relatively restricted. And older players who simple cannot keep up with the higher sub costs could potentiall start again.

This would propably bring in more total revenue then it would take away.

[Alisto]

Fact: This game will not survive on $5 subs.

Facts can be proven - insofar as I know, the only way to prove that the game cannot survive on $5 subs is to actually implement a $5 subscription. As best I can see, you've got a guess and not a fact (and it'll stay a fact until proven).

I'd be happy to read any reasons you think the game will not survive if a $5 sub option is implemented. For the sake of the argument, have it be 1 active character/concurrent login.

The only thing that comes to mind is that someone could have one active character and a gazillion archived ones, then switch them out as needed. However, that's a massive pain in the butt and doesn't seem likely...on the off chance that someone actually did do it, I assume that whoever was answering those tickets would quickly get fed up with it. Heck could lock someone into one character with the $5 sub.

Fact: This game will not survive on $5 subs.

Opinion: All of the other mmo's in the free category that I have played, I got tired of. Your mileage may vary.

Slightly off topic...You -think- the game won't survive on $5 subs. It can (and has) been disputed. However, no one would ever take me seriously if I asserted "Naaaaah, I think you really enjoyed all those games you say you got tired of. You're totally wrong about how you felt about those games." So...you might've gotten those two switched up :P

[Alisto]

Hee...you might've gotten the two mixed up, just like I did in the second line.

[Arzel Rashemi]

We have varying opinions. That's what is great about a free country. You know mine. I know yours.

Fact: This game will not survive on $5 subs.

Opinion: All of the other mmo's in the free category that I have played, I got tired of. Your mileage may vary.

Let's change that to the truth:

Your opinion: This game will not survive on $5 subs
Your Opinion: All of the other mmo's bored you to death.

In my opinion, I do find the latter to be a little bit of pulling the tail. I don't know if I truly believe the honesty in that statement of opinion. Ista is very grindy and repetitive, something which almost no one denies. So if you are getting easily bored with all those other games out there, then in comparison Ista's long term repetitive game play should be like having your back molars pulled without being numb. Unless of course your preference for games is akin to OS provided games like solitaire and minesweeper. I suppose ista would be the best thing since sliced bread in comparison if that were the case.

Ista needs to do something for those that can not justify spending $10 a month towards accounts. I think I tend to agree with Meepsa and Alisto here. I think it could be good in keeping subs around and active players in the game. It wouldn't hurt to consider it on a limited basis anyway to see if it would help more than it would hurt.

[Terao]

We get a new graphics enginge and new server hardware, which needs to get payed. The game needs new customers. Those that can't or don't want to spend 15$ and don't need a plot or lair and more then 2 characters have no option at moment. For those would the 5$ fit, and add new customers to Istaria - which we lose at moment. It will lower the barrier to get started and try this game. I'm pretty sure that the one or other will be willing to upgrade their account to a full subscription after they played some months.

[Calyndrell]

The only thing that comes to mind is that someone could have one active character and a gazillion archived ones, then switch them out as needed. However, that's a massive pain in the butt and doesn't seem likely...on the off chance that someone actually did do it, I assume that whoever was answering those tickets would quickly get fed up with it. Heck could lock someone into one character with the $5 sub.

A $5 sub option would be nice. I'll eventually be busy enough that I'd simply stop subbing to the game if the $10 remains the only option, but would stay subbed if there was a $5 option, even if I could only access one or two characters.

Question for you alisto, Which character would you choose?

[LOVWYRM]

Istaria is not like other games
(and I do not explain the 100 reasons why)
and what works for other mmos does not neccessaryly work for Istaria.
We would have vanished , if we had followed every hickup of the (game) market.
And pls- the number of players of a game says nothing-
really nothing-its just statistics and numbers- no empirical prove.
New ideas to get more players and money are highly welcome.
MORE money- not less. Additional money.
until then

pay- play- love

Fanboys and fangirls did exactly that- and kept the game alive, even through hard times. So stop disrespecting us.

[meepsa]

Fanboys and fangirls did exactly that- and kept the game alive, even through hard times. So stop disrespecting us.

ehm....what?
I'm going to have to stop you there Lov, because there's no disrespecting going on, atleast not from the side that's for this idea.

[Dacurly]

I think Istaria needs better Advertising on the web. Google "dragon games". Which should bring up Istaria, but it don't. If anyone has a cheap idea how to get Istaria better advertised on the web would do more to get players than price changes. $15 a month is very cheap entertainment compared to any other. TV, going to a movie, even buying music cost more than that. I can't even think of any other entertainment that you can spend as long as you want doing costing that little.

[LOVWYRM]

you are right, with what you say, meeps
but I do not take back what I wrote

I put on ignore again- what belongs there

[Kesstryl]

Think of my answer as a response to everyone with same or similar question to the OP, who will find this thread in the future when using search. I answered all three possible scenarios knowing full well that only 1 applied to the op.

I could have been clearer about that.

Thing to remember regarding the free sub option, it is mainly meant as a way to get people introduced to the game. The whole point is to draw someone in as the OP has, at which point they decide to convert to a paying option.

Want to play? You need to pay. Those servers aren't free. In other words I don't support a $4.99 subscription option. Free to play games always make you pay for other stuff, they call it microtransactions. And those just become pay-to-win games. Istaria has never been that.

Ummm, the $4.99 is a sub, and is therefore not pay to win in any sense, nor is it a microtransaction. You pay to advance your one character. More money for the company. The $9.99 option gives extra character slots for those who like alts. I don't want alts so it's not attractive to me. In today's age there are many free to play games with way better graphics and IMO way better quests (the kill 10 rats driven quests of Istaria make me never want to have alts because I don't want to do all that all over again). Istaria will probably lose money from me because I can't justify ten bucks a month for slots I will never use just to advance my one free character. Istaria will probably make money off me to give me a lower cost option to advance my character without additional character slots. Because it's a sub, it's not in any way a microtransaction. I'm still renting my character. It's not free anymore. If I advance beyond my free level cap, that character is forever sub access only. I can't revert it to a free character again unless I delete and start over. I don't think your comparison is applicable.

[ArchDemon]

Sounds nice.
Maybe a 4th option too - like: an extra plot or lair for an extra $4,95 a month but only in combination with a poperty holder access - 1 month.
So:

Property Holder Access - 1 month.
(14.95 + 4,95 =) 19,90
7 Character Slots
2 Plots or 2 Lairs or 1 plot + 1 Lair
Guild Ownership
150 Global Consignment Slots
1 Concurrent Login

Personally I would love this possibility!
Could also help to get rid of a number of the now empty plots/lairs and let the world look more inhabited ;-)

Anyone else who would like this 4th option?

I like this option too. more the merryier!

Also Pay to win games are like Everquest 2 and Wow

[Kesstryl]

Fact: far from everyone currently paying would downgrade to a single slot, no plot sub, current subs would most likely not diminish, and if so only slightly. New players would have a cheaper way of experiencing more of the game, yet still relatively restricted. And older players who simple cannot keep up with the higher sub costs could potentiall start again.

This would propably bring in more total revenue then it would take away.

Not to mention that for me to have come back at all and play my dragon, I had to delete two alts. Yes I'm using an account that I subbed for one month like years ago. I only subbed for that one month and never came back. I only cared about my dragon. My other two alts were still on the noob island so they were very low level. I deleted them so I could play my dragon (which was still way under the current free level cap). Because they were low level, I didn't mind tossing them into the blender.

Now what about all these people who have filled up char slots with high level characters? They would have to delete all but one to access the $4.99 sub option I'm proposing, and with all the work that went into leveling those characters, this scenario will not happen. No one is going to delete high level characters just to spend $5 less a month. They will continue to pay the sub that lets them keep all their characters. This will not hurt revenue from the current player base. No one in their right mind would kill off high level characters. If I had back then decided to sub and level up those three characters, I would pay to keep them. But as it is, and after coming back and having found experiences as a dragon peppered with an unforgiving grind of unoriginal kill 10 rat quests, I still have no desire to make more characters to subject myself to this. I am interested in my one dragon, and I'm interested in what that dragon could do at higher levels, but I could take it or leave it at this point.