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View Full Version : Possible Gold Sink While Potentially Increasing Player Base and Revenue



Zylx
05-02-2014, 02:59 AM
Me and OtAtOtomustam were messaging each other about this and the following is what we came up with so far.

This might seem a little crazy at first, but hear me out.

As we all may have figured out, in order to further balance the economy and to expand the player base and possibly increase STS's revenue, the exclusivity offered by platinum needs to be totally removed while still utilizing it as a means of a quick way forward.

I propose STS should experiment with making locked crates unlockable with gold. This would not only become an effective gold sink, but it would allow non-plat users to open crates. Upon learning that the best items in the game are only lootable by buying plat, some new players will get discouraged from advancing in the game.

One major opposition for this idea would be the assumption that people would never use plat to open these crates. To counteract that, i would suggest making the desirables (mythics/arcanes/eggs) a quarter as likely to pop out with gold rather than plat. So desirables would be 4x as likely to pop out of plat-unlocked crates than the gold-unlocked crates.

Another drawback would be over-saturation of the legendary items that would normally be looted because more people would be opening these crates. This could be fixed similarly as the desirables. Make them a third as likely to pop out from the gold crates as the plat crates.

Now, a good reason for this to be done is the fact that it would make desirables lootable by non-plat users. Fewer of the new players would view this as a p2w game, thinking that they can get the best items without spending a single dime (After all, this is a game. If you dont want to be the best, then you aren't fully playing it, right?). They wont be discouraged and quit thinking they have to spend money to get those desirables. They would get gold, pop crates, get addicted, learn plat increases the odds, buy plat, and pop crates. This would increase revenue for STS.

Locked prices will go up because demand will go up. This could also counteract some of the negative effects that came about with the tradeable elixir kits causing more lockeds to be produced.

Two words... gold sink. These crates would eat up the surplus of gold in the market. By making these crates unlockable with 20-30k gold, if 6k gold is looted, 14-24k gold is permanently drained from the market. This could be used to both drain the middle-class gold and recycle the upper-class gold back to the middle class and down the gold sink. The very rich players would buy the locked crates off the lower and middle class players which would recycle gold into their funds.

All in all, i think it could be worth an experiment.

Iliketolol
05-02-2014, 03:06 AM
+1.

Alhuntrazeck
05-02-2014, 03:27 AM
Locked crates are about 10k and drop every non-discontinued mythic and arcane items in the game. The elite golden chests drop only the items found in their season alone, and yet are more expensive. So 30+10=40k for a chance at items that drop from 100k chests?

I don't really see locked crates going above 30k because of the high drop rate. A good theory, but I don't really see it happening in AL.

Have to wait and watch, maybe a dev will think its worth trying! :D

Bigboyblue
05-02-2014, 10:27 AM
This game would definitely draw more people in if there was a realistic chance of becoming an ultimate player. As it sits right now either you spend a lot of money to get the best gear or you have a horseshoe up your rear and get super super lucky. It is discouraging to join a game when you know you will never have the best gear. I don't think the answer is to be able to unlock crates with gold though. The chance of looting an item from them is extremely low. So if you need to spend approximately 25mil to loot an arcane no new player can realistically achieve this.

That being said, it would definitely drain some of the gold out of the game. This in turn makes desirable items much cheaper. If this happens then it can be a lot more realistic for a new player to join knowing they have a shot at the big leagues. The real issue with this is that this will reduce the revenue STS generates. Crates are the money maker. If they can be opened for in game currency it will take away from their revenue stream.

If STS wanted to entice a larger player base to join it would need to revamp their whole system. Remove locks completely. Make all items drop from bosses. This makes it possible for all players to get the best items. Now how do you make money? That's a great question. There are different options that could be tried. Maybe 5 plat to skip over a level and just fight the boss. 1 plat to revive is good. Make level increases purchasable with plat. Like 5 plat a level. Things that will allow players a quicker way to reach the top. This is always a risk though. If it doesn't work we lose a great game.

If I were STS I would keep things the way they currently are. At least until a point comes when revenue is fading and change needs to come. Business tend to change when and only when they have to.

A gold sink can be implemented but I don't feel like crates being opened with gold will benefit STS.

Zylx
05-02-2014, 11:04 PM
This game would definitely draw more people in if there was a realistic chance of becoming an ultimate player. As it sits right now either you spend a lot of money to get the best gear or you have a horseshoe up your rear and get super super lucky. It is discouraging to join a game when you know you will never have the best gear. I don't think the answer is to be able to unlock crates with gold though. The chance of looting an item from them is extremely low. So if you need to spend approximately 25mil to loot an arcane no new player can realistically achieve this.

No, but that wont stop the non-plat users who would succumb to greed and jump at the chance to loot the best thing. No one wants to spend 2500 plat on crates for an arcane item either, but some do.

That being said, it would definitely drain some of the gold out of the game. This in turn makes desirable items much cheaper. If this happens then it can be a lot more realistic for a new player to join knowing they have a shot at the big leagues. The real issue with this is that this will reduce the revenue STS generates. Crates are the money maker. If they can be opened for in game currency it will take away from their revenue stream.

The desirables may or may not get cheaper, but the value of gold will rise from it being drained from the market. Normally, the rarer the thing, the more it's worth right? Less gold in market=higher purchasing power. And the revenue will come after the players get addicted to popping crates. They'll realize they'll have better chances by using plat. Now that they have developed an increased sense of desire for a rare item, rather than joining the game and be shut down by realizing the best items are only obtainable with plat, they'll want to buy plat. Popping crates is gambling. They need a first taste of chance to be urged to continue.

If STS wanted to entice a larger player base to join it would need to revamp their whole system. Remove locks completely. Make all items drop from bosses. This makes it possible for all players to get the best items. Now how do you make money? That's a great question. There are different options that could be tried. Maybe 5 plat to skip over a level and just fight the boss. 1 plat to revive is good. Make level increases purchasable with plat. Like 5 plat a level. Things that will allow players a quicker way to reach the top. This is always a risk though. If it doesn't work we lose a great game.

If they removed crates completely, then most of their revenue would disappear. The player base isn't as big as it should be because players are giving up on playing for nothing. Every player wants the best thing in the game for themself. Who would have a better chance of buying plat? A completely new player who is unfamiliar with STS and doesnt want to spend a single dime right away? Or a gambling-raged gamer who desperately wants to get the best items after that blood-pumping first crate? And if STS allowed level increases via plat, it would destroy the game.

If I were STS I would keep things the way they currently are. At least until a point comes when revenue is fading and change needs to come. Business tend to change when and only when they have to.

A gold sink can be implemented but I don't feel like crates being opened with gold will benefit STS.

Responses in bold.

Doobiez
05-03-2014, 04:02 PM
Ehh...well why not

j3peaz
05-06-2014, 10:23 AM
Make an event to open crates with gold couple times a season

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Foebegone
05-08-2014, 11:50 AM
I like the idea of gold to open locked a few times a year. 10k a pop seems fair you would need to remove plat from the loot table during the event. first few events you would get people opening 1-2k locked trying to get arcane items that sell 20m+