Free play vs pay play!

[Mystogan]

I was just thinking how awesome it would be if they divided the game into free players where there is no option to buy gem/gold and just have advertising. Then a paid person where people can buy gems/gold.

The wars would be fun and not so one sided and would involve more strategy and time into being the top guild.

What do you guys think?

[Ratma2001]

Not for this little black duck ! You must remember that some players only pay now and again like myself, I used to spend hundreds on this game but not anymore! If I was classed as a spender and put in that area I would fail to achieve anything against current spenders , plus peoples budget are changing all the time , some spend this month and not the next , so forth and so on, or if you we're not a spender and invested say $20 this month,would you be classed as a spender based on that spent monies?

[Mystogan]

It would make no difference how much you spend it's just if you want the option to spend but not a heavy spender then you'd still be in the same position you are now. Or a more challenging game play that doesn't involve the gem advantage.

[Ratma2001]

I must admit that when the previous war to Giants Alley (can't remember) was on and we had limited gem use, that was exciting battling other guilds using nothing but your stats and normal refills, it came down to what you had and how you managed your resources, it was close nit and more exciting than normal wars, could you imagine if FUN and RK's and the likes only had 4-5 hits per hour??? Along with the non gem spenders? It would be a war of attrition and everyone would have a chance (excluding those that shall not be named)sort of putting the fun back in the game,maybe we need one war where there is No spending just good old fashion bashing each other to bits !
Ok dream over . Back to reality , people would join the no spend team then spend big to win cause that's what we do, join the little fellas and get the big rewards from paying out!
Good idea in theory but would lack as Gree has other plans for everyone's monies

[rutty]

There's lots of grey between "free" and those that spend a fortune to be "winners" - I don't really see a way to split it up without creating more problems than your solving.

The inequality is built in. If people want to spend a fortune on something as impermanent as this game then fair play to them. Free players like myself will find goals to achieve regardless (like breaking into the top 500 or getting to 300k attack etc).

I can see the appeal of such a game though. I'd love to play a game like this where you cannot buy gems but perhaps subscribe for, say, a few £/$ a month. I wonder if that would be a sustainable business model?

[Ninjasasquatch]

I like being in with the pay to play guys

[E-I]

There's lots of grey between "free" and those that spend a fortune to be "winners" - I don't really see a way to split it up without creating more problems than your solving.


This.

Plus Gree wants to entice you to buy gems, so segmenting off free players doesn't make sense for them.

[E-I]

Also, gem players have better buildings to raid. Not that many free players have the patience to buy a pair of gold mines.

[jonny0284]

I have been an advocate of this for a long time.

Free players then would have nothing unfair to cry about when they go up against fellow non Gem buyers. Heck, make the prizes lower, too. Top 10 Unit for Guild Wars: Spender = 10k/10k Free = 2k/2k

While we're at it, take away their free Tapjoy Gems that are unrelentlessly cried about. Seriously. Bye.

[l3lade2]

I never really get the big deal, most heavy gem spenders are in the upper levels echelon (not all but most), which is why I like to conserve my XP and move up slowly, enjoying the game as I go (albeit less so recently). In the 9-10 months I've been playing KA I have probably spent no more than $600, which at $60 I think puts me firmly into the light category and I do alright...

[Dexter Morgan]

I have been an advocate of this for a long time.

Free players then would have nothing unfair to cry about when they go up against fellow non Gem buyers. Heck, make the prizes lower, too. Top 10 Unit for Guild Wars: Spender = 10k/10k Free = 2k/2k

While we're at it, take away their free Tapjoy Gems that are unrelentlessly cried about. Seriously. Bye.



Perfectly said!!!

[boneshaker]

I have been an advocate of this for a long time.

Free players then would have nothing unfair to cry about when they go up against fellow non Gem buyers. Heck, make the prizes lower, too. Top 10 Unit for Guild Wars: Spender = 10k/10k Free = 2k/2k

While we're at it, take away their free Tapjoy Gems that are unrelentlessly cried about. Seriously. Bye.

Yea, what he said. Well said.

[Max Power]

The inequality is built in.

As it should be. I would be pissed if I spent a lot of money and free guys could hang with me.

Why are people constantly looking for something for free? That's not how this medium works. These posts have been going on since these forums started. Waaah waaah waaah....I want free stuff.

Jeez, it gets old.

[Mystogan]

I think you guys misinterpret what I mean... many games are free to play... so it's not about wanting free stuff.. just means a free version that has no gems involved and obviously the version we have now.

So Free play would be the same just no gems at all. As Jonny suggested in guild wars the units could be lower stat.

Pay play just as it is.

Although many people have two accounts already I wouldn't be surprised if people would play both versions. They could get money off advertisements in respects to it being a gem free game. There are many tactics etc that would change the game enormously without gems. So just to clarify because people get the wrong idea there would be no gems from tapjoy or watching the video adds meaning NO GEMS AT ALL. Get the drift?

[Shinazueli]

What you don't understand is how much money they make from this model. Go look their company up on google. They're a publicly traded company with required quarterly earnings reports. Those dollar signs followed by way too many zeroes are the reason the game is the way it is.

Just think this through. In one game, KA, just counting the top 10 guilds, every two weeks so twice a month, each guild will spend at least (!) 1k per person and I'd wager that those guilds have at least 50 members by now. These assumptions are conservative. That's 50k per guild, 500k per war, 1 million a month. From just the top ten, under the most conservative assumptions. The number is in all probability about two to three times that much. But a million bucks a month? Advertising isn't going to cover that. That's TV advertising money, nobody's paying that for an iPhone game. No matter how many users you get.

Side note, that's just for one game. They have dozens of these things. Dozens. Loooooooots of zeroes.

Are you beginning to understand why we are angry at their bad coding and service?

[TempusDA]

<cut> Although many people have two accounts already I wouldn't be surprised if people would play both versions. They could get money off advertisements in respects to it being a gem free game. There are many tactics etc that would change the game enormously without gems. <cut>

So like commercial intermission as you play an event hehe. You have to watch a video every 3 or 5 minutes of play.

You may have just created another monster. lol

Might be doable Gree could make money off that maybe a cheap commercial breaks event version with weaker units. Gree makes money off of you having to watch a video every 5 min. Tho i dont think i would want to watch a video every 5 min but some may.

[LordIndy]

I've spent like $20 total on my game so I am not a totally free player, and I've probably acquired a couple of mountains ignoring videos and installing apps to uninstall. That stuff generates income for Gree too.

At 600k stats at level 104, I can whack all but the top 2% in my battle pool. I have had people accuse me of hacking, but it's really about being smart and efficient and willing to work hard at making the best game possible. It took me a little while to get where I am but I am OK with that. Buying gems does give the spenders an advantage as it should, but a lot of gems are spent for stuff that you can get for free. I appreciate raiding those level 8 gold mines that someone spent most of a mountain on.

Free players can't whine about the stats of the people who outspend them on the game. They have shown a financial commitment to the game and they pay the bills. I am perfectly good with that. So the one time a month my manor gets raided by a monster gem spender with 1M stats, I simply say good for you and move on.

[rutty]

As it should be. I would be pissed if I spent a lot of money and free guys could hang with me.

Why are people constantly looking for something for free? That's not how this medium works. These posts have been going on since these forums started. Waaah waaah waaah....I want free stuff.

Jeez, it gets old.

Nobody complaining in this thread - just a discussion about the balance of the game ;)

[Max Power]

I think you guys misinterpret what I mean... many games are free to play... so it's not about wanting free stuff.. just means a free version that has no gems involved and obviously the version we have now.

So Free play would be the same just no gems at all. As Jonny suggested in guild wars the units could be lower stat.

Pay play just as it is.

Although many people have two accounts already I wouldn't be surprised if people would play both versions. They could get money off advertisements in respects to it being a gem free game. There are many tactics etc that would change the game enormously without gems. So just to clarify because people get the wrong idea there would be no gems from tapjoy or watching the video adds meaning NO GEMS AT ALL. Get the drift?

Yeah, I get the drift, you want them to spend programming money to accommodate your wishes, on top of the investment that they have already spent on the game, so that they can create a segment of players that will use their resources and not provide a nickels worth on compensation. You might as well wish for unicorns to fetch your paper in the morning. This is a business, a business that depends on people spending money to pay for what Gree has developed and provides. It's pure fantasyland. Once people accept that Gree is looking to make money by providing these games, and that they are running a business where added expenses for reduced revue are not part of any business model, people's lives will get a lot easier.


Nobody complaining in this thread - just a discussion about the balance of the game ;)

There are issues with balance in the game, but one issue that will never be fixed is the issue that people who spend money will have a distinct advantage over those who don't. There is really no point in discussing it. That's the design, it ain't gonna change.

[Person]

I was just thinking how awesome it would be if they divided the game into free players where there is no option to buy gem/gold and just have advertising. Then a paid person where people can buy gems/gold.

The wars would be fun and not so one sided and would involve more strategy and time into being the top guild.

What do you guys think?

no one starts a game with the intent to pay a lot of money lol.

so this would cost Gree a looooooooooooot of money.

[Cabby]

It is hard to entice lions to play.. when there are no sheep to devour....