How to create a money sink and ADD benefits

[Dragonboy]

Maybe a nice idea:
Create2 new NPC's (1 biped and 1 dragon).
Which charge massive amounts of cash (500s to 1g or higher) for a permanent increase of stats.
The more cash you invest the bigger increase ONE of your stats...
No large increases though since I am well aware of the money gathering capabilities that are found in Istaria...

For a high price it might just make a difference in battle or while crafting...

And while you are at it give craft trainers the ability to permanently increasing your skill by paying large amounts of cash...

[Gordok]

If I had to spend the first hour or more of my game time earning money for these no choice money sinks I think I'd probably stop logging in. Why force people to do what they hate?Sounds liek a flame, dont knwo how to not have it but atleast it's an attempt just nto one I'm for :) hehe

Now the fluff ideas you bet! I'd pay to change my chararcters appearance for sure used to do it all the time in other games. Plot fluff would be great but I wont count on it in the near future but tables, drinks and all that fun stuff. We dont really have any way to just sit around and chill in this game, infact I've almost never seen it happen but it does all the time in other ones.Playing tunes in ac2, chilling in the tavern in ac1, eq never really had a great way for it other than being forcedto wait for a group and UO had it all over. The hours I'd spend in uo dying clothes, hair, moving my furniture around my house was nuts sometimes but Iallways enjoyed it when I was bored of pvp or pve and needed a break.

[Aboroth]

What if you added 4 new NPCS....2 Biped, 2 dragon, one of the Bipeds would be an adventure, and one would be a rafter, same with the dragons. However these NPCS have a new school you can use. However got to pay to get in. After you pay to get in you can lvl off it, but got to pay for the abilitys, stats and all that. The abilitys may be masters, but you got to pay to master them. And if you switch classes from this one, and want to go back in for something to do, you got to pay again. Same would go with the other NPCs, crafters may not have master abilitys, but maybe an increase in stats.

That stats recieved would be enourmes for your lvl, if you payed for them all.And the master abilitys would be ok, butjut like every normolr school.

I think this would give the adventures something to do when the WA isnt raiding a city.

[Jayne]

Interesting, but if schools are at an NPC that you pay for. How do I get money to pay for it? Guess it would work if you were just paying to be a mason per say, but not if your paying for all comps, techs and such to actually work as a mason. Of course I could be reading this wrong.

Jayne

[Aamer Khan]

I'll tell you what I have learned so far from this thread.

Folks want only gain, but NO pain, Fluff over accomplishment, and to not have to compete with anyone for anything.

It makes understanding why players want the Vielo to stay, much easier.

But here is my conclusion. The devs cannot add the fluff that so many feel will be the answer. At least, no time soon. Whatever attempts the devs will make from now on, will generally be hated and complained about on the boards. So, since none of us can even agree on a consistant concept on how to make it more tolerable, using the current TG staff and game resources, the best I can hope for, is to wait it out and see what happens.

No more economy comments from me, save this... It's broken, and until a method is devised that accomplishes the 3 parts of a working economy, that the playerbase will tolerate, it will stay broken.

( waits for the collective sigh of relief )

[Jayne]

Aamer check your PM's

Jayne :)

[evilkarl]

Permitting players to change their base appearance is a proven gold sink as at some point--indeed, often several points--most players want to change the way they look.

So let's say for 100 silver you get a new hair color. For 200 silver you get both new hair color and style. And for 500 silver you get a trip to the character creation page for a complete makeover--hair color and style, physique, height, etc.

I'd be willing to wager that any number of players would plop down that silver more than once--perhaps even once a month--just for a change of pace.

I like this idea and have before when its been suggested but there are some thing that I don't think should be changeable unless there is magic at play and those are Height, eye colour, and face. There are no coloured contacts that I am aware of in istaria, nor plastic surgery heh.

Personally I have wondered by my character has never grown a beard 150+ days in game time without shaving and still no beard :P

[Crazyfingers]

10 gold for a Horizons T-shirt.

15 gold for an extra large.

NimK

[Gordok]

I have 200 silver that's it if you think you have so much money that you want it to bleed away then give me some:)

[Bulgrim StoneCleaver]

Tiered Oils, Tinctures for temporary boosts to weapon dmg. Of course, being an Alchemist, I would like to eventually be able to quest or find such formula. I'm not against seeing them added as a money drain for the time being tho.

Being able to add a coat of arms to a shield would be cool - not sure it can be done tho. Baldrics, Sashes or Talberds could be nice. How about an over the shoulder harness for my two handed battleaxe? Right now weapons unequiped don't show anywhere - that's worth some cash to me.

How about, since Tulga has added dye kits, being able to add Horns, Antlers orTusks to helmets. They could even have a small quest of getting the items themselves and still paying to have it done. I would be willing to kill some Flame Kwellans to get some flame horns for my helmet.

Bulgrim