Item mall - purchase in game items/abilities

[Royal]

Many free to play games earn money with their item mall.
The item mall is a place where you purchase in-game items with 'real money'.
I was wondering how the Istarians think about an Istarian item mall.
If it is a way for VI to survive, what line shouldn't they cross?
I know some players would love to spend more money then their monthly fee. Would for example love to buy Horizons t-shirts or posters.
Just buying a second or third subscription doesn't satisfy them.

What items do we accept, can we come up with, what items do we (obvious) don't want to see in the mall.
Beside resources, xp and in-game-money.

Vault upgrades, does that cross the line?
The ability to recall to your plot perhaps?
Will it hurt players if other gifteds buy out their death penalty with some $$$? While others have to use food?

Speak your thoughts...

Happy gamin'

Royal

[Zexoin]

I am against any in-game stuff paid with real money. For one single reason : I couldn't afford them. I also think it'd be unfair, because it would reveal the RL social status of people, and thus interfer with the immersion in this fantasy universe.

[Justa Mirage]

Their "ala carte" system might be able to, but you open a new can of worms with that system also.

Vault upgrades and things of that same nature, are not game unbalancing. No other player in the game is going to be affected because you paid real money for a bigger vault.

however

When you start adding in-game items, items that give one player an advantage in battle (such as a sword, armor, scales, etc) then the game becomes unbalanced to "those who can afford" vs. "casual players that don't need a money sink to be 'as good' as those with good gear."

It's an age old argument about "real money purchased items"

Edit: you can recall to your plot now... just build a tier 1 Guild Hall (materials are easy)

[Takora Drakan]

If its just fluff stuff its ok for me, but what goes beyond fluff like having a advantage if you buy from the shop from other players then no no and again no!

[Charys Stormchild]

I've never been in favour of this system, it just shows up who has money and who doesn't in real life - real life is something I like to avoid whenever possible, that's why I play HZ. Personally, I can't even afford a 2nd account atm so that my husband could play as well, having to use RL cash for in game items would only make maters worse, it would cause bad feeling with players who don't have spare money

[Sigi]

Out of game fluff would be nice and wouldn't effect the game play in any way.
I've always wanted a ice-golem action figure

[Royal]

When you start adding in-game items, items that give one player an advantage in battle (such as a sword, armor, scales, etc) then the game becomes unbalanced to "those who can afford" vs. "casual players that don't need a money sink to be 'as good' as those with good gear."

Yeah, I'd stop the moment that would happen.
On the other hand, players who have less time and love to adventure with their friends shall be able to team up with their friends more easilly. Temporary armor improvement of 1000 for 1$/hour or something like that.

I've never been in favour of this system, it just shows up who has money and who doesn't in real life - real life is something I like to avoid whenever possible, that's why I play HZ. Personally, I can't even afford a 2nd account atm so that my husband could play as well, having to use RL cash for in game items would only make maters worse, it would cause bad feeling with players who don't have spare money

In your situation I'd be in favour of the system... when VI starts to earn enough money with their Item-Mall (or cash shop) they could lower/remove the monthly fee.

[Takora Drakan]

I thinked again about it, I would love to buy horizons merchandise from the game, like a dragon statue or such and have it in my home, but ingame items for RL money? nahhhh!

[Terao]

Those free to play mmo's are based upon other gaming systems, those I played you can level fast your characters up, even faster if you use RL cash aso, they are mostly based for relative short gaming period (lesser then one year in most cases what I experienced).

Horizons is a game that takes a long breath as a new player to get the first lvl 100, to buy and build the first plot aso, like a good wine it becomes better with the years. And that's one of the strength of Horizons to bind customers for a more or less long period to the game, that could give more money counted over time, and you can already add some options to your account (like more characters aso).

Some kind of fluff to collect like action figures, t-shirts, bags, caps or a nice istaria cloth map ... everything that has to do with merchandise products could help to raise the cash flow and wouldn't affect ingame issues, might be a better choice then adding those options used by "free" mmo's.

[LOVWYRM]

I still want that posters,
big and colored
for our house and used as gifts for friends
who lookin`at it shall feel the urgent wish to visit our world.

Other benefits than fluff stuffs- pls no!
I know a lot of players who hardly can affort to pay one acc,
and as we discussed in annother thread, the economic situation is insecure and
hard everywhere.

As it is already said: This is not RL- that is why we`re here

[Zexoin]

I thinked again about it, I would love to buy horizons merchandise from the game, like a dragon statue or such and have it in my home, but ingame items for RL money? nahhhh!

I'd love to buy those too Far better idea than in-game item purchasing.

[aine]

I agree with Terao, Zex and Lov. No in-game item mall, please, although out-of-game merchandise would certainly sell well. Cafe Express (or whatever it is called) is evidently easy enough to use from what I understand.

I have played those free-thanks-to-the-Item-Mall games and while it is an economic system that seems to work quite well for the company that owns the game, it is one that brings a completely different customer base than the one HZ enjoys. They are indeed short-term players, and usually a bit less devoted, and a LOT less mature. I do not wish to play with them, and I think making HZ free (for any reason) would cause it to lose otherwise devoted, willing to pay
customers.

I want VI to succeed...but I do not think this is the way to accomplish that.

[C`gan]

My personal vote is to still put RL stuff up for RL money and do some intensive advertising by merchandising.

Coffee mug, sweatshirt, t-shirt, posters, bookmarks, stuff of that nature.

I do believe I'd mentioned cafepress in another thread for this sort of thing.

But to keep it consistent with this thread, I am against RL money spent on in-game items, no matter what sort of fluff it is. No matter if it does or doesn't give any sort of bonus, it can still lead to an atmosphere of haves vs. have-nots and our community as a whole has thrived without this sort of elitism.

[lightning claw]

Sorry i am agents Item mail its a bad idea. Need Proof play Last chaos Usa, there item mail has been hijacked so many times i hesitate to play the game any more

[Steelclaw]

Gah! This sounds familiar for some reason...

Anyway, I agree with those above: RL money for RL items, in-game money for in-game items. (Though, I have traded RL work for in-game hoard. ) Part of the appeal of Horizons is that you can be successful in game even if you aren't in RL. Let's try to preserve that.

[Takora Drakan]

(Though, I have traded RL work for in-game hoard. )

"Honey I want my massage now!"

"Ok, I if i get 500k hoard!"

ahaha I laughed so much now!

[aine]

That's it, C`gan! Cafepress. LOL. Thanks. (On Last Chaos they had a contest for t-shirt designs. I did not win, alas. I am old, love sepia toned, but the kids wanted brights, evidently). No reason VI could not utilize the talents of their player base, too, if they chose to sell stuff via cafepress, I think.

And Lightening, I have a few chars on LC too, although I seldom play them anymore. I have seen what the Item Mall does to gameplay. (I am aine and cerridwin there, too, of course. Do I know you there? Server 3C usually).

And Steelclaw > LOL!

[DharSii]

i want to be able to buy RL stuff also but ingame no...i'm going with statues and posters XP

[Vaz]

Being able to buy out-of-game items, like t-shirts and ornaments, would be great.

Availability of in-game items for RL money has no place in this type of game. It's for Korean grindtrash where concepts like immersion, community, and crafting are already nonexistent.

[velveeta]

i would totally support the idea of vi using a merchandising plan. as an american, i am all about consumerism.
i would love vel and snake plushies, or critter action figures (a nice isotope one you can take your frustrations out on would be sooo sahweet!) or a t-shirt to show my dedication.

i would even not be adverse to ingame mall to 'buy' fluff like fall or winter fest stuff (spooky pants, personalized tombstones, different trees or flowers to build, et.) and the like - but absolutely and totally opposed to anything that can be 'farmed' for real cashy money or that would give unfair advantage ingame.
horizons is not WoW and i for one do not want it so.
i don't want to see 100/100/100 ancient draggys on sale at ebay.
that is not the kind of money horizons needs.