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Charging Reallife Money for Cosmetic Appearance is Problematic
anashim
Member Posts: 259 Bounty Hunter
Dungeons & Dragons is both a storytelling game and a combat game. Visual appearance of the hero of the adventure pertains to the storytelling side. Statistics pertains to the combat side. Any D&D game needs to accomplish both well.
Free-to-Play
The Neverwinter designers keep their commitment to make this game free-to-play. They also affirm they strive to avoid products that become pay-to-win. I am happy. I want to see this economic model succeed.
No Selling Stats
So, creating reallife money revenue to support the game becomes tricky. There cant be ingame products that realmoney can buy that give pure statistical advantage in combat.
The best guarantee of gaming balance is the prerequisite level. Powerful items have magic that the hero cannot wield effectively unless gaining a high enough level of experience. So it only helps to purchase exceptionally powerful realmoney items when high enough level to use them.
So far, at least before Level 40, my Wizard has never seen a realmoney item that gives a pure stat boost. The rare items are roughly equal to the common items in power. Maybe slightly better, but not enough to throw off gaming balance. Meanwhile, it is possible to acquire rare items via quests and Auction House purchases. Perhaps the most valuable items I came across were in a quest reward. I received Profession rares, a contract for Master Tailor and some kind of tongs for metalworking. For the Wizard, I really want and appreciate this Master Tailor. But being uninterested in the metalworking at this time, I was able to sell it at the Auction House for a significant amount, over 10k Astral Diamonds. For Level 30s, this is a significant amount ingame money. At the current levels, I still havent spent it all.
In sum, the commitment by the designers to avoid pay-to-win seems real and effective. I cant find an example of a realmoney item whose statistical advantage breaks the gaming balance.
Reallife money for Convenience
Neverwinter avoids reallife money payments for statistical advantages in combat. Officials from Neverwinter have mentioned in these forums, the reallife money revenues will come from "convenience/cosmetics".
Convenience is fair. But charging reallife money for cosmetics is problematic.
The best example of convenience is the mount, such as one of the horses or something more exotic, that only reallife money can purchase. The mount allows the hero to move thru the ingame world at higher speeds. Heh, the number of times I had to traverse opposite ends of the Enclave, definitely makes the mount convenient and valuable.
Note, the mount offers mobility. Movement is a statistical advantage, and being able to outrun monsters is a real combat advantage. The most difficult quest I have done so far is to try reach the Cathedral in the devil-ridden town of Helmshold. My onfoot Wizard is incredibly squishy, and swarms of powerful devils proved impossible to overcome. Mainly he survived by climbing and attacking from rooftops, and by traveling along sideroutes hidden by trees. This is only possible in some places, and most of the town remained inaccessible. Meanwhile onmount heroes bypass the threat. Eventually I did complete the quest, when several heroes of other players happened to also be on the same quest thus attacked the devils in concert. Even a number of these heroes happened to be on horseback. This might be a situation that is unintentionally pay-to-win. Die without a realmoney mount or survive with one. However the problem is with the excessive aggro of monsters in the town of Helmshold. It isnt a problem with the mount itself. The combat advantages of movement via a mount require monitoring, but generally, the ability to avoid unwanted combats on the open road, within reason, tends to be a convenience.
Other examples of convenience include extra Bags to hold items. Being able to carry consumable and sellable items is necessary "to win". But extra space to carry more items at once, thus carrying items for future levels, and making fewer stops at merchants, tends to be a convenience. Also, spending money to speed up the Profession tasks are moreso a convenience.
Initially, designers considered a "respec" (respecification) of chosen combat features to be a convenience, but this is probably an error in judgment. For many players, the ability to change ones mind powers thus explore different powers, is necessary to understand how powers work, thus is a necessity "to win". At least, for many players, to respec a hero is necessary to enjoy the game in the first place. Likewise, these players who need to respec to play, respec often making per time expenses unthinkable. A solution here is to make a "respec" possible by means of ingame effort - in the context of a narrative that makes sense, such as magical shapechange transformation, and time to retrain. Then reallife money can bypass these efforts, truly as a convenience. There needs to be a model that works better.
In sum, Neverwinter seems to moreorless strike the right balance when charging reallife money for convenience. The reallife money purchases goods and services that are genuinely useful, yet strictly speaking, not necessary to win.
Charging Reallife Money for Cosmetic Appearance is Problematic
Charging reallife money for cosmetic is problematic. In brief, "cosmetic" is the same thing as player-base creativity. Charging reallife money, thus regulating access to "cosmetic", kills creativity.
The death of creativity will ultimately kill the game. The game will become stereotypical, stale, and lifeless. With limited access to diverse choices, the game will never quite meet the personal needs of paying customers.
Cosmetic is everything.
Cosmetic includes customizing the physical appearance of the hero: bodyshape, height, facial characteristics, and so on. It also includes Fashion Items that customize the appearance of the hero. These aspects of personal appearance need to be fully in the control of the player.
Dungeons & Dragons is both a storytelling game and a combat game. It has always included these two conflictive modes. In the online Neverwinter game, the combat statistics pertains to D&D as a combat game. But the "cosmetic" appearance pertains to D&D as a storytelling game. It is important to D&D to be able to conceive an interesting character concept for the hero, and for the hero to express this concept well during the game. The personality that ability to express this personality is a necessity for any D&D game.
In Neverwinter, the player needs to be able to express a vivid character concept via physical appearance. The ability to create unique faces is already amazing. But players need to be able to change their minds about what the hero looks like, by ingame efforts without needing to spend reallife money.
Also, players need to express the identity of their hero, whether unique or fashionable, by means of fashion items: head gear, shirt, and pants. Far from the choice of five or ten official styles to choose from, that require reallife money to purchase, the player needs tens of thousands of styles to choose from. The player needs powerful tools that allow one to customize the appearance of Fashion Items. Reallife artists need to supply the ingame markets with the perfect items that less-artistic players want to use to express their character concept.
Rather than tightly control cosmetic appearance, Neverwinter needs to open it up to the full diversity of player-base creativity.
The best solution is a free-market economy. Players by-and-sell player-designed items. If players sell their personal creations to other players for reallife money, under the guise of Zen or high-price Astral Diamonds, Neverwinter can "tax" these transactions. Thus indirectly, Neverwinter makes reallife money while supplying the player-base with exactly the items that players want. Meanwhile, Neverwinter can also supply official items, designed by professional artists, as a kind of official brand name, that tends to set the standard for player-designed items.
It would be nice to be able to redesign all items, including combat gear, but the three slots for fashion items are a good place for players to express their creativity.
The Professions are a good place to customize Fashion Items. For example, a Tailor should be able to design and create head-gear, shirts, and pants. The chainsmith can customize the appearance of chain armor to wear as a Fashion Item, without statistical value.
D&D is a storytelling game, and more than anything, the player needs to express well the identity of their hero. In this case, in an online game, express oneself visually.
Some cosmetic items are external to the hero. These include exotic mounts, exotic companions, and so on. For example, I really - really - want to customize the facial appearance of my standard companion, a Manatarms. But since this is beyond the hero, in this case my Wizard, it is probably a fair line to start requiring reallife money to change appearance. If this becomes a payable option, I will happily pay reallife money to personalize the appearance of my companion.
If Neverwinter designers are feeling particularly generous, the Leadership Profession could be a place to customize one of the standard Companions: Wizard, Cleric, Manatarms, or pet. In story, the Leader "searches for and finds the perfect companion". Indeed, reallife money can speed up the task. Meanwhile exotic companions can remain official creations that require reallife money.
But for a D&D character, Neverwinter needs to make the expressiveness of ones own hero free-and-easy, at least doable ingame, with powerful tools. As mentioned, players already have powerful tools to determine physical appearance at the time of creation, but this needs to extend to reasonable respecs of appearance later on without reallife money if the player changes their mind or becomes more comfortable with the many options for customizing physical appearance. Importantly, character customization needs to extend to personalizing Fashion Items.
Free-to-Play
The Neverwinter designers keep their commitment to make this game free-to-play. They also affirm they strive to avoid products that become pay-to-win. I am happy. I want to see this economic model succeed.
No Selling Stats
So, creating reallife money revenue to support the game becomes tricky. There cant be ingame products that realmoney can buy that give pure statistical advantage in combat.
The best guarantee of gaming balance is the prerequisite level. Powerful items have magic that the hero cannot wield effectively unless gaining a high enough level of experience. So it only helps to purchase exceptionally powerful realmoney items when high enough level to use them.
So far, at least before Level 40, my Wizard has never seen a realmoney item that gives a pure stat boost. The rare items are roughly equal to the common items in power. Maybe slightly better, but not enough to throw off gaming balance. Meanwhile, it is possible to acquire rare items via quests and Auction House purchases. Perhaps the most valuable items I came across were in a quest reward. I received Profession rares, a contract for Master Tailor and some kind of tongs for metalworking. For the Wizard, I really want and appreciate this Master Tailor. But being uninterested in the metalworking at this time, I was able to sell it at the Auction House for a significant amount, over 10k Astral Diamonds. For Level 30s, this is a significant amount ingame money. At the current levels, I still havent spent it all.
In sum, the commitment by the designers to avoid pay-to-win seems real and effective. I cant find an example of a realmoney item whose statistical advantage breaks the gaming balance.
Reallife money for Convenience
Neverwinter avoids reallife money payments for statistical advantages in combat. Officials from Neverwinter have mentioned in these forums, the reallife money revenues will come from "convenience/cosmetics".
Convenience is fair. But charging reallife money for cosmetics is problematic.
The best example of convenience is the mount, such as one of the horses or something more exotic, that only reallife money can purchase. The mount allows the hero to move thru the ingame world at higher speeds. Heh, the number of times I had to traverse opposite ends of the Enclave, definitely makes the mount convenient and valuable.
Note, the mount offers mobility. Movement is a statistical advantage, and being able to outrun monsters is a real combat advantage. The most difficult quest I have done so far is to try reach the Cathedral in the devil-ridden town of Helmshold. My onfoot Wizard is incredibly squishy, and swarms of powerful devils proved impossible to overcome. Mainly he survived by climbing and attacking from rooftops, and by traveling along sideroutes hidden by trees. This is only possible in some places, and most of the town remained inaccessible. Meanwhile onmount heroes bypass the threat. Eventually I did complete the quest, when several heroes of other players happened to also be on the same quest thus attacked the devils in concert. Even a number of these heroes happened to be on horseback. This might be a situation that is unintentionally pay-to-win. Die without a realmoney mount or survive with one. However the problem is with the excessive aggro of monsters in the town of Helmshold. It isnt a problem with the mount itself. The combat advantages of movement via a mount require monitoring, but generally, the ability to avoid unwanted combats on the open road, within reason, tends to be a convenience.
Other examples of convenience include extra Bags to hold items. Being able to carry consumable and sellable items is necessary "to win". But extra space to carry more items at once, thus carrying items for future levels, and making fewer stops at merchants, tends to be a convenience. Also, spending money to speed up the Profession tasks are moreso a convenience.
Initially, designers considered a "respec" (respecification) of chosen combat features to be a convenience, but this is probably an error in judgment. For many players, the ability to change ones mind powers thus explore different powers, is necessary to understand how powers work, thus is a necessity "to win". At least, for many players, to respec a hero is necessary to enjoy the game in the first place. Likewise, these players who need to respec to play, respec often making per time expenses unthinkable. A solution here is to make a "respec" possible by means of ingame effort - in the context of a narrative that makes sense, such as magical shapechange transformation, and time to retrain. Then reallife money can bypass these efforts, truly as a convenience. There needs to be a model that works better.
In sum, Neverwinter seems to moreorless strike the right balance when charging reallife money for convenience. The reallife money purchases goods and services that are genuinely useful, yet strictly speaking, not necessary to win.
Charging Reallife Money for Cosmetic Appearance is Problematic
Charging reallife money for cosmetic is problematic. In brief, "cosmetic" is the same thing as player-base creativity. Charging reallife money, thus regulating access to "cosmetic", kills creativity.
The death of creativity will ultimately kill the game. The game will become stereotypical, stale, and lifeless. With limited access to diverse choices, the game will never quite meet the personal needs of paying customers.
Cosmetic is everything.
Cosmetic includes customizing the physical appearance of the hero: bodyshape, height, facial characteristics, and so on. It also includes Fashion Items that customize the appearance of the hero. These aspects of personal appearance need to be fully in the control of the player.
Dungeons & Dragons is both a storytelling game and a combat game. It has always included these two conflictive modes. In the online Neverwinter game, the combat statistics pertains to D&D as a combat game. But the "cosmetic" appearance pertains to D&D as a storytelling game. It is important to D&D to be able to conceive an interesting character concept for the hero, and for the hero to express this concept well during the game. The personality that ability to express this personality is a necessity for any D&D game.
In Neverwinter, the player needs to be able to express a vivid character concept via physical appearance. The ability to create unique faces is already amazing. But players need to be able to change their minds about what the hero looks like, by ingame efforts without needing to spend reallife money.
Also, players need to express the identity of their hero, whether unique or fashionable, by means of fashion items: head gear, shirt, and pants. Far from the choice of five or ten official styles to choose from, that require reallife money to purchase, the player needs tens of thousands of styles to choose from. The player needs powerful tools that allow one to customize the appearance of Fashion Items. Reallife artists need to supply the ingame markets with the perfect items that less-artistic players want to use to express their character concept.
Rather than tightly control cosmetic appearance, Neverwinter needs to open it up to the full diversity of player-base creativity.
The best solution is a free-market economy. Players by-and-sell player-designed items. If players sell their personal creations to other players for reallife money, under the guise of Zen or high-price Astral Diamonds, Neverwinter can "tax" these transactions. Thus indirectly, Neverwinter makes reallife money while supplying the player-base with exactly the items that players want. Meanwhile, Neverwinter can also supply official items, designed by professional artists, as a kind of official brand name, that tends to set the standard for player-designed items.
It would be nice to be able to redesign all items, including combat gear, but the three slots for fashion items are a good place for players to express their creativity.
The Professions are a good place to customize Fashion Items. For example, a Tailor should be able to design and create head-gear, shirts, and pants. The chainsmith can customize the appearance of chain armor to wear as a Fashion Item, without statistical value.
D&D is a storytelling game, and more than anything, the player needs to express well the identity of their hero. In this case, in an online game, express oneself visually.
Some cosmetic items are external to the hero. These include exotic mounts, exotic companions, and so on. For example, I really - really - want to customize the facial appearance of my standard companion, a Manatarms. But since this is beyond the hero, in this case my Wizard, it is probably a fair line to start requiring reallife money to change appearance. If this becomes a payable option, I will happily pay reallife money to personalize the appearance of my companion.
If Neverwinter designers are feeling particularly generous, the Leadership Profession could be a place to customize one of the standard Companions: Wizard, Cleric, Manatarms, or pet. In story, the Leader "searches for and finds the perfect companion". Indeed, reallife money can speed up the task. Meanwhile exotic companions can remain official creations that require reallife money.
But for a D&D character, Neverwinter needs to make the expressiveness of ones own hero free-and-easy, at least doable ingame, with powerful tools. As mentioned, players already have powerful tools to determine physical appearance at the time of creation, but this needs to extend to reasonable respecs of appearance later on without reallife money if the player changes their mind or becomes more comfortable with the many options for customizing physical appearance. Importantly, character customization needs to extend to personalizing Fashion Items.
Post edited by anashim on
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Comments
Try think of ways that you honestly believe will generate significant reallife money and that you feel are fair for a player who is enjoying the game without reallife money.
Also think of compromises. Things that might take effort ingame, but that reallife money can get instantly.