Pay and invest in the community

(GENETX) #1

So DirtyBomb will be F2P. Ofcourse SD, WC and FT need their money, so we will be paying anyhow. Obviously, most of us don’t want to pay to win. But I don’t see myself buying new clothes or weapon tags either… So I’ve been thinking about a business model which I would pay for instead: Investing in the community! Also a little bit based on my experiences on Trackmania Nations which has done everything good on f2p in my eyes.

So first of all, I would just buy an unlock pack for DB (should be EUR 30 max imho or more if it includes new maps) if it would be there for some standard features:

  1. Ability to play custom mods
  2. Ability to play custom maps
  3. (Advanced) statistics
  4. Customizable avatar or so
  5. Ability to join in official matches
  6. Probably getting rid of ingame advertising if applicable

1 and 2 would require non-free servers, much like the FreeZone servers in TrackMania where free players only can access certain servers. People have even to pay in game currency to keep a server in the FreeZone for the others.

I think that would be basic pack that would really unlock all potential of the game to players that really play it regularly. Lets say like >3-4 hours/week. This pack should also open up the community. Allow custom maps on ranked servers for instance. This really is a must, as I found that to be a main limiting factor in ETQW. All the BF players wanted ranked servers so much that the non-ranked servers playing custom stuff were empty…

And then it comes to keeping the people pay for the game in the future. In my opinion, custom skins and so do not deserve my money since they do not add that much imho. The above mentioned core pack would allow SD to make some additional maps as well probably, but there should not be a real DLC that would split up the community. Once you really purchased the game, you should be able to play on all servers with all maps! What does matter is the community. The community (looking back at ET, but also TMN with all custom race tracks) is what keeps a game alive with new content. So i’d rather invest in the community.

So I’d propose to have some kind of kickstarter for DB. Invest ingame currency in mod and map projects from both SD and the community. With enough money earned in such a project, the map or mod could be made avaialble for FreeZone servers as well maybe. But the money could also be used to hire an SD employee for some hours to help with the project as well such as doing some coding on the mod, or creating some artwork for the map to create high quality maps and mods together. The investers would be able to get beta access on a server running the map as beta testers and add their comments. I’d be happy to lay down 5 euros ingame currency for the one creating a Oasis-like map for DB :slight_smile:

And the same would also apply to servers. Drop some ingame money to keep a server up, keep it in freezone or add custom maps and mods to it. A strong clan or community server will be able to obtain the money to add stuff to the server. And since you invested in the server itself, even if it is not your clan (I like to stick with a good friendly clanserver usually even if I am just clanless) you want to come back. Other options would include priority server access when it is full for instance.

So after buying the “Unlocked” DB game, you should have all access and then decide how much the community is worth to you by directly helping the clans, servers, mappers and modders.

All these things would invest in the community. Creating more maps and mods that really add to the game instead of just some artwork. This is what would inspire me to pay as the community is the only thing that makes me really enjoy a game after years since its release. The modders and mappers could keep some ingame money they earn to invest back in their new projects or other project and servers. This as reward for their work for the community.

So what do you guys think about this? Hope SD already had this idea and else I hope they change their mind :slight_smile:

BTW: No new weapons or classes or whatever should be available with money. If they are there, everybody should be able to get them instantly imho! And keep it ET style. XP resets to keep things even. The stats should be a nice feature, but don’t make people really play for all the rewards like in ETQW sometimes. It matters what you do for your team instead. Maybe points could also be given only when the team you are on actually wins. So you would need to play as a team to get your own rewards as well. That would be a nice incentive for both individual achievements and teamplay for stat whores :stuck_out_tongue:

(Falcon.PL) #2

I stopped reading at something I understood as paying for being able to play custom maps… Do you want to kill the game?

We’ve got 4 prices to choose from, I guess the right approach is “pay what you think it’s worth” and that’s it.

(Mustang) #3

4? I see 6… $30, $60, $120, FREE, $240 and $320

(Falcon.PL) #4

I knew someone will finally notice :P. Why I’m not considering the last two is that they are apart from the “basic 4” and I did not read the list of the features included carefully enough to notice more than some t-shirts, CD’s and other stuff. Although you are technically right, there are 6 options, 2 of them does include other products than the game alone, and cost of transport is maybe there either. Artificial division - yes, but I see that thing as “additional” incentive in some other way than I see the extra merc’s… These seems separate products in fact… Also 4 looks like “easier choice” than choosing from 6 possible things…

To sum it up: Yes, there are 6 options, thank you :).

(GENETX) #5

[QUOTE=Falcon.PL;415445]I stopped reading at something I understood as paying for being able to play custom maps… Do you want to kill the game?

We’ve got 4 prices to choose from, I guess the right approach is “pay what you think it’s worth” and that’s it.[/QUOTE]
I don’t think that will be offered after release, this is just pre-release payments. Obviously, money has to be earned so I guess you will have to pay somehow afterwards. It is mainly the second part that would be most interesting, so please read it. It is about some sort of kickstarter for DB to support both SD and modders/mappers.

I do expect a full game, which usually comes with a eur 60 pricetag an maybe even DLC. If the game is good, I would spent some money to keep it playable after years. but as said, I dont like artwork and I don’t want a closed system where SD only will sell their own maps as DLC. Ofcourse it is only speculation at this moment, but if that last thing was that SD intented to do, then I’d like to propose another solution as I just did.

So I hope SD takes the community really serious and is looking to an effective way in which:
a) they can be profitable
b) the community has support and freedom to create stuff
c) gamers are willing to pay for the content that actually adds something to the game
d) certainly no P2W

So I would pay 30 euros for some unlock features, maybe you don’t, that is OK! I already paid $30 for the veteran package as well. Then I would also pay some small amounts in the future for good addons created by the community, in which SD itself should be included, to add more and more to the game and make it as alive for years to come. Just like ET!

The max 30 euro pack for unlocking maps/mods is more to unlock everything on a pricepoint I think is OK for this game. It is a bit mixed pay for what you think it is worth + pay for the game itself. The 30 euro would be for the game, the rest is up to you to support the community and sort of rate the community. With the 30 euro you should unlock all gaming aspects so that you would never ever need to buy a DLC to keep up. DLCs will split up the community as some wont pay for it and are left with other servers. That is what I would like to prevent with this solution. And if you think the game is worth more, or at least the custom content, you can support the people developping them or support the clans and servers that make you enjoy the game.

So please don’t bitch around about the money. Instead, rather think with me about possible models that would make a good community P4F FPS shooter where the developer can earn the money it deserves, the community is actively supported and there is no P2W or only cosmetic upgrades.

So I think the basics of my ideas could form a foundation where there is a win-win-win situation for all of us. We get the mods and maps to keep the game cool over the years. SD gets its money and the modders and clans can get the support they need to keep the community alive.

(Bloodbite) #6

Don’t forget these packages aren’t about us buying the game. This is, in no uncertain terms, crowd funding.

Star Citizen and Project CARS did the same when they started up their projects (the former having also included a bout with the Kickstarter community).

(Litego) #7

Selling maps and server access is terrible ideas! Basically these split the community, at first it’s ok, but as the game gets older it is a killing factor.

I’m guessing they’ll go with what other popular F2P shooters have. You can buy boosters for increased currency/xp gain. You can buy weapons, items and classes for money if you don’t want to grind XP for it, these weapons, items and classes will be side grades catering to different play styles, not more powerful and therefor not P2W. They’ll rent private servers to people who are interested in custom server rules and perhaps custom maps (maps is unlikely though). They’ll probably sell loadout slots so you can easily change between different builds. And of course they’ll sell cosmetic stuff, you and me might not be the people who buy that, but believe it or not, it is extremely profitable.

I think that’s about it, maybe I forgot a few things, but whatever.

(mitsuhiko) #8

The last two packs are the cool ones, and I am not saying that because of the price point :slight_smile:

(mitsuhiko) #9

You missed the important part:

By pledge or invitation, join the Inner Circle, a group of community leaders and VIPs from Splash Damage’s first decade of multiplayer gaming. The Inner Circle has regular and direct access to the powers in control of Dirty Bomb.

(Dysfunkshion) #10

I partially agree with the OP. However, I won’t keep playing if I have to pay to access gameplay content. This includes “ranked gaming” and custom made maps. I’d still rather buy cosmetic and gimmicky stuff than having to unlock huge gameplay parts.

One of the things I would really like to see is ingame advertising. Let me clarify: Make real billboards. Let the billboards change from time to time, just like real ones.

(GENETX) #11

Well, the “unlock”-pack is what I see as a 1 time investment. It seems to work for Trackmania Nations. Half the price of a normal new game to unlock all the stuff you want when you like the core game. For the rest, you wouldn’t need to pay for server access or maps and mods. But you could, so it is optional. Pay whatever you think the content is worth, starting at 0 euro. So unlimited access after the “unlock pack”.

But I see that system as an incentive to support both SD and the community to keep the game alive for years.

The “unlock”-pack is there somehow in my opinion to make sure that there is a one time fee to access all content which I’d rather do than having to buy a DLC pack over and over again to get the latest maps so I could join the servers. That would really split up the community. If there will be no DLC and all maps and mods are free, it is OK to me. But I don’t know whether we can expect that. SD will need to earn their money somehow… And in that case I’d rather pay a one time fee so I know that I can play all new content forever. And if the game is alive and maps and mods come out, iĺl be happy to drop some money to support that SD-mappers/modders-gamers-ecosystem to go on and on.

It is unknown what SD/WC/FT will do with DB. But looking at the fireteam website, they aim at stats to see what players want to pay for and what not. So I guess there will be targetted content to buy. The two things I do not like to see is:

  1. Pay 2 win
  2. SD locking custom maps as they want to sell their own maps/map-packs.
    So I was thinking of another solution where the game could still be profitable, but the community would also profit from it directly by directly supporting good content from both SD and mappers/modders.
(Syd) #12

[QUOTE=Dysfunkshion;415822]
One of the things I would really like to see is ingame advertising. Let me clarify: Make real billboards. Let the billboards change from time to time, just like real ones.[/QUOTE]

they already tried this in etqw.

(Ruben0s) #13

[QUOTE=Dysfunkshion;415822]
One of the things I would really like to see is ingame advertising. Let me clarify: Make real billboards. Let the billboards change from time to time, just like real ones.[/QUOTE]

cereal%u00252Bguy%2Bspit.png800×522 51.9 KB

Ingame advertisement would be a reason for me to skip the game.

(Dysfunkshion) #14

[QUOTE=Ruben0s;415934]

cereal%u00252Bguy%2Bspit.png800×522 51.9 KB

Ingame advertisement would be a reason for me to skip the game.[/QUOTE]
No, I mean subtle. not like the ads on youtube or something. Just let companies advertise on high quality posters while you’re actually on the map. Let me give a simple example. Let’s say you have a coffee shop in the map. Instead of naming it “coffee shop”, they can name it Starbucks. Or lets say that there’s a huge announcement board you can use for cover. Instead of putting random gibberish on it, they could put a real advertisement that you’d find on real announcement boards throughtout the world. I wouldn’t be bothered if ads came in this form.

Pretty much what Syd said: “http://www.crawspace.com/ss/misc3/etqw04.jpg”

(Runeforce) #15

[QUOTE=Dysfunkshion;415942]
Pretty much what Syd said: “http://www.crawspace.com/ss/misc3/etqw04.jpg”[/QUOTE]

Makes…my…eyes…hurt

going to…vommit

(Donnovan) #16

Sorry.

I also would love to see ingame advestise supporting devs & community. Its a way to support without taking money from players.

I even think they are beautifull, very very beautifull!

Those ads dont mean those companies are taking control over the game, comunity & devs have total control. We are a hard audience and they know they can’t fool us. This is a way for then to try to convince us when we are sited in the throne of sarcasm and critcism.

Its very confortable to us, and support the game.

I love to see those ads screenshots. Sadly i never saw one ingame.