Plot Reclamation : Special subscription

[Dragoniade]

As suggested in another thread, I am posting this in the Suggestion forum.

The Plot Reclamation has begun and the first set of email warning plot/lair owner without the propers subscription that their properties risk of being taken away if they don't take the proper steps.

I am one of such. Since the day Horizons started to juggle between owners and rotting (EI Interactive, couch) , the stalling of dragon adventuring and the end of university for a full time job, I had to put Horizons on sabbatical.

I truly wish to play, bur right now, I cannot, but I do plan to return one days. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in this situation, who have put their current characters into sabbatical. I would be real return killer to see the work of many years being whipped out because of such impediment.

While I realize that with the merge plot can be harder to find (if they truly are), I don't think it's good to penalize some of the people that have been there since the beginning of the true game.

There have been new subscription options with the new take over. I would suggest an extra one: plot only account.

For a mere 2 or 3 dollars per month, this subscription allow the player to own 1 plot. However, this won't allow the player to play the game.

This way, Virtrium gets some money from the inactive player, get an insurance that the plot still belong to a potential player (and future income), the player get to keep his plot secured until his return without the need to play a FULL subscription that he won't use.

And those not taking that subscription are truly showing they won't return and their plot could be retaken.

I think this would make the live easy for everyone who fear to lose their hard work with the recent announcement.

[Landowyn]

Man, if you want to keep your plot pay the $14.95 a month. It's as simple as that. If it's that important to you it worth $14.95 or the cost one trip to the movies, one lunch at McDonalds, one or two fitness magazines or one pizza.

[Vahrokh]

Man, if you want to keep your plot pay the $14.95 a month. It's as simple as that. If it's that important to you it worth $14.95 or the cost one trip to the movies, one lunch at McDonalds, one or two fitness magazines or one pizza.

You are right, but in business you can be right and still go in ruin, as it's not a linear thing.

A number of players already answered with a "no" to the "just pay $14.95" solution.

Now, this clearly shows you that they are not attached to the *game* (not just the plot) enough to shell out that money any longer. This also shows that despite they are not attached to the game they still care, for whatever reason, enough to pay "something". Something that they feel it's "fair" for one who is not playing, but not a full subscription, because the latter will just "push" them into finally deciding to drop the game completely (hence, you are right but will lose money vs going another solution).

A business savy company will get two birds with one stone and find out a solution to make everyone happy.

I.e. making a "sabbatic player" subscription with a WEB page button: "Go active".

When the guy presses "active" and a "are you sure" prompt, the game immediately charges $14.95 and flags the player active for a month. At the month expiration, the switch automatically goes "inactive" and the remainder of the "lower rate" subscription takes over.

This is what I'd implement that is not code-breaking for the existing payment code and yet makes more people "happy".

[Vlisson]

i dont like to loose my plots/lairs if i dont pay for VI and make a break

but i dont like that the rare good plots are blocked by inactives too

i dont know a good solution for both sides

maybe plot reclamation marks all "inactive" plots but they dont get sold automatic, only if someone wants to buy it, if there is no one interested in it you keep your plot till you subscribe again or someone buys it?

[Terao]

I'm totally against any solution of holding a plot for just a small amount of money. All those people that active pay their subscriptions and new players that join game and pay would have the disadvantage of purchasing a decent plot if too many plots are hold by inactive players.

It may be hard for those that spent a lot of time building their plots, but it can't be that you get a service if you are not willing to pay those 15 bucks a month. You are free to decon your buildings and get 80% novians and sell back your plot to the community, if you rejoin the game it would be easier for you building a new plot again.

[Vahrokh]

i dont like to loose my plots/lairs if i dont pay for VI and make a break

but i dont like that the rare good plots are blocked by inactives too

i dont know a good solution for both sides

There's no good solution to make everyone happy. There's a solution to bring more income, though (the one proposed in this thread), and more income = more Istaria life span.

At the same time, if you let non active players pay, they are indeed entitled at keeping a plot.

Basically I see:

Gifted subscription = $14.95
Basic subscription = $9.95

The delta is basically the ability to hold a plot plus more consignment slots.

Considering a "sabbatical" player won't use any consigmnent at all, nor log in at all, I suppose the "fair" amount for an hypothetical sabbatical fee would be something in the range of

$14.95 - $9.95 = $5 or whereabouts.

[Landowyn]

And what would you tell the person who has been paying $14.95 for the past seven months or more just for the purpose of keeping his plot while he doesn't play, waiting for better days for Istaria?

GAME COMPANY: "Gee, bud, sorry ... would you like a refund?"

BUD: Really?

GAME COMPANY: "Gotcha!"

[Vahrokh]

And what would you tell the person who has been paying $14.95 for the past seven months or more just for the purpose of keeping his plot while he doesn't play, waiting for better days for Istaria?

GAME COMPANY: "Gee, bud, sorry ... would you like a refund?"

BUD: Really?

GAME COMPANY: "Gotcha!"

What refund are they entitled to? None.
The option starts at date XX, not before.

Do you ever see a company lowering their fees and retroactively refund those who paid full till now? No, they just make an advertisement at how from date XX the fee is reduced.

I don't understand why MMO laws are reversed from common sense:

If there's a "buff", those not getting it whine, despite they lost nothing.
If they fix an enormous bug letting a level 10 item destroy level 100 mobs, they whine like it's fair to use a level 10 item to achieve so much.

If they lower a fee, those getting it, whine.
Those who won't get the reduction, will whine.
Those not even playing the game, will whine.

I don't know a solution when all people do is to whine and find excuses to feel otrageous and righteous disapproval regardless of what happens.

[Seenu]

Dragonaide I love your idea - the other people are just being moronic trolls!

[Sigi]

I'm not for a reduced pay for not playing but keeping the plot, I think it's rather weird to say at least to want to hold on to things you are not using and probably never will again and not willing to pay the price for it.

If ever the suggestion of Vahrokh is considered I would like it to be an option for a limited time like 3 months (6 months being the absolute maximum) after which you either go active and pay the full price or your plot will be automatically reclaimed.

Also the "reduced price to keep your plot" should only be available for people who have payed the normal subscibtion for a minimum of a year.

To Seenu: duh dude, looking in the mirror are you?

[Amarie Ancalimon]

The "price" of keeping a plot is at least $12.95 per month. (I believe that's about what the yearly subscription works out to per month when paid in advance.) I'm sure that many players would like the opportunity to pay something less than that for us to "hold" everything for them, but this is not going to happen.

We have offered others, and I extend the offer again to you. Should you wish a week to come in and take care of your plot (move items to the vault, take structures down for novians, sell it to a friend or back to the Empire yourself), we are able to give a free week's time to do so. There will not, however, be a reduced price for us to hold a plot in limbo. That I can very clearly state.

And before this thread turns in to yet another flame-fest between players, and since a clear answer has been given, I'm closing it.

[Amarie Ancalimon]

Just to clarify... To "dispose" of your plot, you must use the Sell Back To Community" option after taking the structures down for novians.

If you mark the plot as "For Sale to Players" and set a price on it yourself, that plot is still considered "yours" until such time as someone comes to purchase it. If someone does not purchase it from you prior to reclaim, you stand the chance of having the plot reclaimed if you don't have enough subscriptions.

(This is outlined in the email we're sending out, but I wanted to clarify here because there have been some questions.)