Creature/Costume packs

ysil6969

I was thinking it'd be a good idea for cryptic to sell creature/costume packs. We've all seen the foundry really isn't being kept up to date. And this is probably because it doesn't create profit. Hunter Ranger gear still hasn't been added, and either has warlock.

I think a good way around this would be to sell creature/costume packs in the zen store. Now let me make this clear, this would be the true definition of a micro transaction. CHEAP packs you sell a lot of. And it's a win win. The design team creates monsters that they can use in the future for expansions, but makes a small profit off it right away. Same for a costume pack. You'd back the current noble finery into a pack, adventurer gear into a pack, etc etc. The costume team creates more costumes and can sell them twice. As clothes for the player, and as costumes for the costume shop.


Nobody likes paying for stuff but they made it clear in the developer interview, if it doesn't make money, it's not going to see the design room.

eldarth

You're about to get a whole lot of negative feedback. Most foundry authors (myself included) are vehemently opposed to be charged for the privilege of creating "infinite content" for free already.

That being said, "costumes" aren't really all that easy to create. It's not like a real costume that you can just "apply" like a texture to a creature model. It pretty much involves creating a costume for every single creature model that can "wear" it. That's A LOT of work.

And that starts down the slippery slope of "haves" and "have nots" -- depending on the items, why would the public play foundries by authors that only have the "default" tool set. Those authors willing to spend money would then have the best assets and draw more players.

ysil6969

eldarth wrote: »

You're about to get a whole lot of negative feedback. Most foundry authors (myself included) are vehemently opposed to be charged for the privilege of creating "infinite content" for free already.

That being said, "costumes" aren't really all that easy to create. It's not like a real costume that you can just "apply" like a texture to a creature model. It pretty much involves creating a costume for every single creature model that can "wear" it. That's A LOT of work.

And that starts down the slippery slope of "haves" and "have nots" -- depending on the items, why would the public play foundries by authors that only have the "default" tool set. Those authors willing to spend money would then have the best assets and draw more players.

Because the alternative is a fading foundry? We already don't have the costume gear from the previous 2 class releases. And the costumes would obviously only work for humanoids that can have customizable costumes. So it would work like the current outfits.

eldarth

ysil6969 wrote: »

And the costumes would obviously only work for humanoids that can have customizable costumes. So it would work like the current outfits.

Doesn't matter that they are "humanoids" -- you would still have to create individual costume models for every humanoid race...

• Dwarf male/female,
• elven male/female,
• human male/female,
• half-elf male/female,
• half-orc male/female,
• dragonborn male/female,
• tiefling male/female
• halfling male/female

So, that's about 16 different costume models for every "piece."

It adds up fast to a lot of modeling.

mrgiggles651

They already won't (I'm assuming they could) make costumes for race that cost $75 (in zen), and there are a lot of dragonborn running around. Witness the hue and cry over dragonborn helms when dragonborn were released. Now they cost what, $20/$30, still no helmets.

orangefiree

Honestly, I doubt they make the costume to special fit each individual enemy. I've seen quite a bit of clipping on enemies with somewhat weird shapes, and as Mrgiggles651 said, dragonborn don't even work properly with helmets.

ysil6969

eldarth wrote: »

Doesn't matter that they are "humanoids" -- you would still have to create individual costume models for every humanoid race...

• Dwarf male/female,
• elven male/female,
• human male/female,
• half-elf male/female,
• half-orc male/female,
• dragonborn male/female,
• tiefling male/female
• halfling male/female

So, that's about 16 different costume models for every "piece."

It adds up fast to a lot of modeling.

They already do it when they release costumes in the zen store? What I'm saying is take the costumes you're already going to sell in the zen store, and turn them into packs. Double profit from 1 design effort.

eldarth

ysil6969 wrote: »

They already do it when they release costumes in the zen store? What I'm saying is take the costumes you're already going to sell in the zen store, and turn them into packs. Double profit from 1 design effort.

Ah. Absolutely. As suggested/requested over a year ago:
12-11-2013 Zen Store assets for Foundry "Product Placement"

ysil6969

Yes precisely. Seeing it's been talked about a year ago now and still nothing has kind of dashed my hopes for the future of the foundry

zahinder

Yeah, for a long time I was also against the idea of attempts to monetize Foundry.

At this point, I think it's the only chance we have of ever seeing Foundry coming back from the hospice.

elvanara

I am also for the idea of having cheap foundry accessories for sale in the zen store given this is the primary reason why I have become hooked on NW and the only real reason I am considering spending on it at all; I am a creative person and alternating between playing NW and the foundry covers all bases for me as a gamer. It would have to be very cheap for me though (I am broke and thus selective with my cash), and each pack would have to have a lot in it (given how much content you can use to create something really worth while). Boosting the foundry may also boost sales in NW over all by improving the game and drawing in more players, so it should be a win win for Cryptic. However, if they do do this, they better do a **** good job and fix the bugs - I would be most unhappy spending on something that just bugs out on me.

If this is what it takes to make the foundry really excel then so be it.

nehemiah217

zahinder wrote: »

Yeah, for a long time I was also against the idea of attempts to monetize Foundry.

At this point, I think it's the only chance we have of ever seeing Foundry coming back from the hospice.

Na, the problems with the Foundry are just too fundamental to be alleviated by anything cosmetic; there needs to be functional changes. The minority of players that actually play the Foundry do it because there are authors out there who have done an amazing job weaving a story together with what they've been given. Anything monetarily motivated will ultimately lead to even few authors building, fewer quality quests, and even less players playing.

zahinder

I don't think that's true.

Clearly, the model of 'it should be free because authors are providing an asset to the game' just doesn't work. PWE manifestly doesn't see Foundry as an asset to the game, only ad copy that might make the game look good but isn't worth investing in any further.

If PWE ACTUALLY thought Foundry was important to the game, they'd devote some amount of resources to it.

So therefore, I think it's better looking at it like LEGOs. Yes, someone making amazing things with LEGOs makes LEGOs look better, but at the end of the day, you still have to go buy more bricks if you want more stuff.

If there is a shown revenue stream from Foundry that has a clear bottom line, if some executives can say 'well, when we release X new Foundry package, there is often approximately Y return in money, trailing off to Z over long term,' then that _proves_ to executives that there is a point in further investment.

The point isn't the cosmetics, it's _proving_ to PWE that there's an interest in Foundry.