Payment System status?

[Tryagain]

Billing and integrating it into any application is about as a simple a process as you can get.

Its a good test for Vitrium. If this takes them more than another week well then .....

[Menkure]

Billing and integrating it into any application is about as a simple a process as you can get......

I think that, given what has been expressed by ex-Tulga developers after the sale, regarding the client and how much "spaghetti code" there is, which they had to deal with... Horizons is not just any application.

If Virtrium was to set up the billing system with ibill (PBT).. it would not be as hard as starting over from scratch. The billing system that PBT used had nothing to do with the client, and the changes that were needed had to be made to the login webpage (and possibly the accounts database).

IF Virtrium is trying to set up a completely new billing system, which would be a logical choice.. then in theory they would have to make some pretty drastic changes to the server end and accounts database. If they were going to add in a client-side login system (similar to WoW), then that would require code work on the client (which will need a LOT of testing, to make certain it is both secure, and bug-free). Even adding the system to the stand-alone launcher would still need the same massive amount of testing. As I am sure you are aware.. the last thing you ever want to do is screw around with someone elses money and financial data (Which EI found out, the hard way.)

A week deadline is setting yourself up for disappointment. We aren't even aware of the fallout from the acquisition of HZ from Baker, or the mess that the Virtrium crew has to clean up. For all we know, they might still be busy moving into new offices!

Because we have no idea what's all going on behind the scenes, I think it would be prudent to hold on and wait for Virtrium to give us an update on how they are doing, before we jump into imposing player-deadlines on them.

-Menkure

[Fridlekh]

I recall a client-side log-in / char-picker somewhat similar to the char creation screen being worked on at some point... I wonder how far it was to being done?

[I See Unicorns]

I like Shur's idea of a Paypal donation button. Heck, even some people that won't be playing Horizons may go ahead and donate! I know I will be happy to contribute to a pizza donation while I wait for billing to be secure and working as intended.

[Goffy Monekin]

Billing and integrating it into any application is about as a simple a process as you can get.

Its a good test for Vitrium. If this takes them more than another week well then .....

As mentioned, HZ is not a normal application. Sure, anyone can whip up a secure billing system in a quick hurry if your selling a simple product but, when you add in a few *minor* things like subscriptions, log in credentials, and in this case, just for fun, lets mention plots in a different world so to speak... things do get a bit difficult. Oh, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with a MMO's billing checks and balances

In my deluded opinion, if they get the billing all squared up within a month, that'd be very impressive.

That's not saying anything against the new guys, heck, I'd even guess that they have the new billing system 90% but are gonna beat the heck out of it and try and break it any way they can. Once they can't, then they'll let the masses have a whack at it

I say give em a bit more time and patience, then let the games begin!

[Shur]

aye, considering the troubles with billing in the past, this issue they are certain to put on their egg-walking shoes for.

[Steelclaw]

A system to collect billing information is actually pretty simple to set up. In a few minutes, I can have a page that asks you for your billing info and emails it to me. (Wasn't this done before? ) Making it work in a secure manner is a different story. Making it work in a secure, reliable manner is even more difficult. Now, add in some complications like new features and making it talk to an application in a manner that has never been done before.

Asking for it to be done in a week, two weeks, or even three is a bit absurd. I'd rather they take the time to do it right. I'd rather play for free for a few more weeks than have billing issues.

Now, if you were around last year, this does sound familiar. "Just give them more time!" was the reply that left many seething and gritting their teeth.

This time it is a little bit different. The people running the game have experience doing it. They did it before. They have demonstrated competence by bringing Blight back up, patching the forums, re-establishing a forum presence, are answering trouble tickets, and are letting you play (apparently free) while they work on fixing things. Compare to EI who knew nothing about the game or its community, did nothing (well, they did lobotomize the billing system, ban a few players, break a shard, and let two other ones decay), but did their best to take money from the players.

I think they deserve our patience.

Edit: Okay, I don't know for a FACT that it's /free/ as in, I'll never have to pay for the time I played. At least I'm not being asked to provide my billing information in a broken or insecure manner. While I don't think there will be retro-billing (it should have been brought up by now if there was), I would not consider it unfair if I were asked to pay Vi for the time I played while they had HZ. As pointed out above, they are doing things, and I feel confident that my money would be supporting HZ instead of Some Other Game.

[velveeta]

Given the vast responses across so many different threads about people willing to subscribe, resubscribe, add more subscriptions and such, I think they're as anxious to have the new system in place as we are!

personally, i would like to have the ability to play the game on my vista machine before the pay systems......i can't pay for a game i can't play, no matter how much i love it!!


however, i realize that is a very egocentric view.....

[velveeta]

[QUOTE=Steelclaw;156534]

I think they deserve our patience.

[/qoute]

agreeing with goffy's post as well.....

remember it takes much less time to destroy than to create.
the previous 'owners' (**hocks a huge loogie**) left quite a mess and it took them amost a year to do it.
Vi has a lot of cleanup to do before they can get to fixing things.
IF the noobies are legit and honest in their efforts (bringing my beloved blight back as certainly a step in the right direction for me!), then i am willing to wait for both vista capability and the bugfree billing system. in honor of the 6+ months i played for free, abeit unknowingly, i would be more than willing to make a donation towards development.

believe me when i say there are very few peeps around here more willing to pay any reasonable price to get back home!

[Arietna]

how about setting up a PayPal contribution option and those of us that would like to pay for our subscriptions can simply "donate" the cost of a subscription once a month, until they get the billing sorted...

[C`gan]

From the horizons.istaria.com site:

- New Accounts -New account creation is disabled pending an update to the billing system August 29, 2007. We appreciate your interest and apologize for the inconvenience.

- Expired Accounts -All expired accounts have been activated pending an update to the billing system August 29, 2007. If your account was expired, you can now log in. We're glad to see you back and apologize for the inconvenience.

[Tryagain]

no its not difficult

the simplefied version for HZ

Account management system --- this can be any DB based system. there are a number of cheap to free options out there. these systems integrate themselves with what ever billing system OR ENTITY you have in place.

You then need to authenticate an account with characters on a game server( most mmo's use a seperate auth type server to do this ). Or in an MMO's case ACCOUNTS setup on said game server. Simple transaction between the two servers ( loose term you can virtualize the two if you wanted
) two verify the status of an account. From active to cancelled to how many character slots you have left to whether you have a plot or not.

it isn't hard and is done on the WWW all the time and other MMO's have no problems pulling it off.

However it does seem that Vitrium has set August 29th as the date so this is all moot.

[Lunhilde]

A paypal button.. hehe..

... heck, I rememebr sending flowers to the office once... *evil grin*

[C`gan]

personally, i would like to have the ability to play the game on my vista machine before the pay systems......i can't pay for a game i can't play, no matter how much i love it!!


however, i realize that is a very egocentric view.....

I know you're frustrated with the Vista/Horizons disconnect. A lot of people are. But I would ask you to consider this: if we can get a decent billing system back in place and get it secure, I know of so many people who've said in these forums and outside as well they'd be putting in multiple subscriptions. That translates in to lots of dollars to put towards staff and, likewise, to get a staff member or two to work on a Vista solution so everyone can play, thus even more subscriptions.

I don't want to shortchange your plight to play. Unfortunately, I have no experience with Vista so I have no offerings to bring you to see about solving the problem. I know you've been keeping an eye on every posted fix, attempt, patch, etc. I feel, though, that the very base for making Horizons work on Vista lies solely in the interaction between server and client. That being said, the final fix I believe will have to come from the devs.

[Star]

Well I was charged the full subscription fee on 11/8/07 ... Calling my bank to prevent any deductions made by EI.