Astral Diamonds should cost Gold

[AZgreentea]

Thats right, I said they should cost gold not plat. I like the gold standard, Just like whomever wrote the code for the Airship NPC's did...

There are two reasons for this:

1. I started playing as a Premium Player because Turbine said their goal was to let me buy most everything in the store ingame. (No, grinding for favor does not count in my book.) I really enjoyed that model of F2P, because it meant I could pick up a few tools from the store (the Packs) and I could set a few goals for other things (the favor rewards) and it would give me something to do with my game time. I didnt mind that some things were only available with TP, like the packs. That seems like a perfectly fair method of making me spend TP's that is based on supply and demand. If I want a pack, and it is worth my real money, I will. If not, I wont. That is the kind of balance that will make me stay with DDO (and continue to spend money on the game and not my wife).

2. Its a gold sink. I never said I wanted AD's to be cheap. There is a lot of gold floating around in the game. There arent a lot of places where that gold can truly be removed from circulation. If we could buy AD's, even at high prices, I think it would create a balance in the economy. If turbine is worried people will spend less money on TP's, then my argument would be you dont get huge amounts of gold in the game unless you are VIP or Premium.

I make this suggestion because I am worried about AD's becoming a new currency ingame. I dont mind that, per se, but it has to be balanced. Making AD's worth ingame gold would give them a place in the economy, and justify their value to the community without making them feel like a real life gold sink. I have played many F2P games in the past, and I would be terribly disappointed if DDO turned into just another Silkroad Online, a ROSE Online, or a Ragnarok Online.

or SWG online, but that is another thread...

PS I'm sorry if there is already a thread like this:
Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

[Impaqt]

Thats right, I said they should cost gold not plat. I like the gold standard, Just like whomever wrote the code for the Airship NPC's did...

There are two reasons for this:

1. I started playing as a Premium Player because Turbine said their goal was to let me buy most everything in the store ingame. (No, grinding for favor does not count in my book.) I really enjoyed that model of F2P, because it meant I could pick up a few tools from the store (the Packs) and I could set a few goals for other things (the favor rewards) and it would give me something to do with my game time. I didnt mind that some things were only available with TP, like the packs. That seems like a perfectly fair method of making me spend TP's that is based on supply and demand. If I want a pack, and it is worth my real money, I will. If not, I wont. That is the kind of balance that will make me stay with DDO (and continue to spend money on the game and not my wife).

Just because you dont like to grind favor for turbine points doesnt mean its a perfectly acceptable way to accumulate AD's.

2. Its a gold sink. I never said I wanted AD's to be cheap. There is a lot of gold floating around in the game. There arent a lot of places where that gold can truly be removed from circulation. If we could buy AD's, even at high prices, I think it would create a balance in the economy. If turbine is worried people will spend less money on TP's, then my argument would be you dont get huge amounts of gold in the game unless you are VIP or Premium.

You can already buy an airship with Plat.... There is no reason youever have to buy an airship for Astral Diamonds.

I make this suggestion because I am worried about AD's becoming a new currency ingame. I dont mind that, per se, but it has to be balanced. Making AD's worth ingame gold would give them a place in the economy, and justify their value to the community without making them feel like a real life gold sink. I have played many F2P games in the past, and I would be terribly disappointed if DDO turned into just another Silkroad Online, a ROSE Online, or a Ragnarok Online.

Astral Diamonds are not actually "in-Game" they go from the turbine store to the boat broker. THey cant be looted. they cant be put on the Auction House. this would make it very difficult for them to efect the in-game economy in any way shape or form.

or SWG online, but that is another thread...

PS I'm sorry if there is already a thread like this:
Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

[Dysmetria]

The only thing you need to spend ADs on is the best of the 6 airships, and since most guilds will not be able to reach guild level 85, even that is optional.

All ammenities for any ship can already be bought with both gold or ADs. Making ADs purchasable for gold is redundant.

[AZgreentea]

Astral Diamonds are not actually "in-Game" they go from the turbine store to the boat broker. THey cant be looted. they cant be put on the Auction House. this would make it very difficult for them to efect the in-game economy in any way shape or form.

In the recent interview with Fernando Paiz he indicated his desire to include AD's in the game economy:

The introduction of Astral Diamonds as a new currency seemed like a pretty big addition for a single line of airships. Can we hope to see something more to spend those on in the future -- more airship styles, perhaps?

I can't comment on specific details, but that is definitely the plan. Over time you will see a few more NPC's who will be very happy to accept astral diamonds in exchange for goods or services -- guild related or not. We'll keep you posted when we have something to announce.

Thus my concern that they would become a TP based economy outside of the ingame gold economy unless they were available with ingame gold. .

[Eladiun]

Thus my concern that they would become a TP based economy outside of the ingame gold economy unless they were available with ingame gold. .

/Amen

[Thorzian]

The only thing you need to spend ADs on is the best of the 6 airships, and since most guilds will not be able to reach guild level 85, even that is optional.

All ammenities for any ship can already be bought with both gold or ADs. Making ADs purchasable for gold is redundant.

no way. if that were the case, make the diamonds pay an optional way to pay.. not the only way to get good ships. and im pretty sure every guild out there will be able to hit level 25.. and that ship is so much better then the lvl 20 plat purchasable one its sick. put a plat and AD price on everything or leave the AD's out. hell, accept epic dungeon or raid tokens if you want it difficult to get the ships.

Turbine points = real life cash, wether subscription fees or character purchases for favor grinding, or adventure pack purchases for favor grinding, TP's are only available to those who pay real money!! And thats plat farming at its highest.


There should never EVER be a turbine store option that isnt available somehow in game (favor grinding for turbine points is not an acceptable answer as it makes use of the turbine store)

[AZgreentea]

There should never EVER be a turbine store option that isnt available somehow in game (favor grinding for turbine points is not an acceptable answer as it makes use of the turbine store)

I would disagree with that on one point. I am ok with the adventure packs costing TP, and having to grind to get them. Development costs money, and I dont mind if Turbine tries to get its money back. Like I said, If the packs are worth it, I will buy them ect. Then Turbine is encouraged to develop packs I like to play. Circle of life ensues.

Granted, Guild Amenities cost money to develop as well. However, in that case turbine makes its money back indirectly through greater game satisfaction, and therefore player loyalty. The longer I stay in the game the more I pay.

I dont mind the gold seal Guild items, but that can be achieved (in theory) by buying them directly with TP. If there is a technical issue with doing so, then AD's are ok, but what I dont want to see is them becoming the new way to buy slightly-better-than normal items, ingame, from the vendor when you dont have gold (like in every other F2P game).

[AZgreentea]

So I listened to DDOCast #178 and I took some time to think about it before I posted. Here is what was said:

AD's will be available ingame as an alternative to gold for certain items. This is intended as a way to use TP to buy ingame items.
What Items, you may ask?
Not many specifics were given. Portable Holes and Feat Respecs were the only two things suggested.

My Thoughts:
I'm uncertain if this is a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, it does not violate my rule about DDOStore things being available ingame. If you want to spend your hard earned cash on things you could get for free, more power too you. I like working towards unlocking things, it gives me something to do with my game time (185 points until I unlock Veteran Status!!!).
On the other hand, it will create a way for people to bypass the ingame gold system (depending on what will be available for purchase). That means you can get things easily through the store instead of getting them with work ingame, if you want too. While that kinda rubs me the wrong way, some people like playing that way.

So, I guess overall I am ok with AD's being used to buy things ingame as long as I can still get them ingame without AD's.

Now, about my suggestion that AD's be available for purchase with ingame gold. I stand by that. Sure, as long as you can get the same stuff either way, its ok, but it would still be nice to have access to the AD stuff without spending TP's on them. I know that wont happen, but I can try.

[AyumiAmakusa]

No amount of discussion will get this changed. AD are in the game to generate revenue/income for Turbine.