$15.00 a month?

[sndlwood]

Well the original thread is intended to get information for a promotional campaign clearly geared at drawing away players from other MMO's that do charge a monthly fee. The other game (which is verboten to mention by name in these threads) permits players to have all the action they can handle in a month for a fee. Calypso won't be comparable to it in terms of graphics until the cryengine2 release. Likely the big boys figure they can get gamers attention with the stunning graphics. Since those folks are already paying 15 bucks a month why not try to entice them in this direction.

However all you can really say about spending $15/month compared to other games is that with Planet Calypso you can theoretically withdraw from your Entropia account the value of your skills/items/peds....theoretically. That and the graphics boost will work for some folks.

This game can be played with little or no deposits. The big difference will always be your limits on how much you can play. Chances are that the less you have the more likely you'll need to spend hours upon hours gathering sweat to get even just the most basic armor, weapons, tools and equipment. Then you can expect to be an auction zombie, a ruthlessly tightwad and a merchandising genius just to profit a few peds every day and hold on to your nest eggs.

There are a lot of people out there that will enjoy that aspect of the game as well. The rest of us would rather just keep hurling money into our avatar in a vain attempt to strike it rich and/or because we have a fear of boredom or a gambling addiction or both.

[Hurrikane]

Originally Posted by CrestIV

FPC shameful marketing strategy starts right where MA left off, no surprise since its done by the same incompetent people.
It is still painful to watch that they managed to utterly destroy what was a brilliant idea and a good basic concept, not only by poor design and balancing choices but by outrageous claims and just plain lies over and over again.

How are they lying? They are asking us to let them know what we think about the $15 a month issue. They will form a conclusion based on those replies, many of which say yes, you can play for $15 a day. If their marketing is incompetent and shameful what made you listen to it?
The player base is bigger, the game is bigger, most of us like it.... how is that "utterly destroyed"?
I can't stand people getting irate about stuff they obviously made up out of their own mind, sulking because things aren't going their way. Grow up or go play WoW.

Hurrikane

[Dark Cat]

People who try to do too much too fast will always lose out. The game depends on the impatient to throw money at it and later moan about not getting returns and having lost that money (which is what feeds the lootpool for everyone else.)

This avatar didn't put a penny in for about 6 months and did just fine. Admittedly now I often chuck in a couple of hundred via deposits and lose it fast, but I suffer from the impatient bug too. But I never moan about it because it was my own choice to do that. No-one forced me.

I know many people who play smart, and slow, and never lose out.

$15 is a huge amount when u are brand new. As I said, this avatar had a whale of a time without depositing at all, until I took it over (when my sis gave it up) and as I don't play the sensible way, I am another loot pool feeder. No regrets.

[Tekkie]

Originally Posted by Hurrikane

How are they lying? They are asking us to let them know what we think about the $15 a month issue. They will form a conclusion based on those replies, many of which say yes, you can play for $15 a day. If their marketing is incompetent and shameful what made you listen to it?
The player base is bigger, the game is bigger, most of us like it.... how is that "utterly destroyed"?

I think what you are commenting on is mostly frustration, which I think alot of players feel. Yes a few people are saying its do'able to play and enjoy on $15 per month but just to throw it out there.... 800k created accounts and estimate about 10k-15k active players. That says to me 785,000 didn't think it was possible or value for money regarding $ for entertainment, they have done more than post an opinion on a forum, they have left and gone and played a differant game.

EU is too expensive. For example, to be a main team for the Semi-finals of wof this weekend you are going to need about 1000-1300ped of ammo and suck up about 400ped of decay.

Thats roughly $150 just to have the resources to take the field and hunt 3 hours.

Im not playing atm as I want to be sure to have the resources to help England as much as possible this weekend. Loot being so unpredictable im not willing to risk having a bad run and being left short.

Here is an example of crazy loot:

Leading up to Land Grab I was in the same situation, I wanted to be fully geared up for the event so I thought I would hunt lower level mobs as efficiently as possible. Im "close" to max blp rifle so I used an ml35+Dante (thats quite eco) and hunted mid longu. I didnt have ANY armour or fap decay as I can kill them before they reach me. Thats gotta be eco hunting.

-1200peds of ammo later + decay of gun and amp I was 500ped down

I thought sod it, so hunted Falx, horrible armour and fap costs but after 600 ped of ammo made a profit of 700 ped incl decay costs

Try and find logic in that. (btw, this happens all the time, this is just an example)

Originally Posted by Hurrikane

I can't stand people getting irate about stuff they obviously made up out of their own mind, sulking because things aren't going their way. Grow up or go play WoW.

I would say with a ratio of 785k players who have left and 15k players active I would say the VAST majority have done exactly that and that suggests to me that there is a problem and no glossing over of that or calling people moaners is going to fix it. Its called having the blinkers on to an obvious problem.

[Dan59]

Its big difference about how much of EU one is going to play.
Sure you can use 1% of whole offered MA product and service for free.
Even more eco - you can look link to download EU ewry day for free.
But if you want to use all what MA offer with their product and services instead of looking it only .... heh
Btw also in real life u dont have to pay trawell costs to first shop to shop owner or his employees ( free download ) and u can look items for sale for free ( non depositors ) but what you are doing there ( ah yes free chat with other customers, free feel smell of food - like sweating....) - try to buy something ( for free ) lol

[Sirhc]

Originally Posted by Tekkie

I would say with a ratio of 785k players who have left and 15k players active I would say the VAST majority have done exactly that and that suggests to me that there is a problem and no glossing over of that or calling people moaners is going to fix it. Its called having the blinkers on to an obvious problem.

Is that accounts or downloads of EU? Also there is no calculating multiple accounts......lets face it there are plenty of multiple accounts and people who sign in from time to time maybe play a couple weeks and leave for XBox or something else until they come back.

I personally see new faces in EU everyday and I see new HOFs and ATHs from new people all the time. Some leave some stay and some leave but continually come back for whatever reason.

You can play EU for $15.00 a month if you have patience and pay attention. I had a stretch of non-depositing that lasted long enough to pay off some high balance CCs at one time. Nothing is impossible no matter how difficult it might seem.

There are certain levels of play in EU that just cost more and tend to be more fun. For myself I treat those times as rewards for doing the not so fun activities in EU and building my PED card. Sometimes my card grows quick and other times it just seems like I am on continual hold or can't seem to make a dime no matter what but I prepare myself for those times and I would hope to think most would as well.

I'm not saying there are no problems with EU because it has its faults and there is always room for improvement. EU is what you make of it and your getting your goals in-line with your budget and fun is part of the experience IMHO.

There is no A+B+C=D pattern to EU in growing your avatar. Its entirely up to each of us and how we choose to be entertained in the system MA and now FPC is developing. In PE I was limited to the amount I could deposit and I played everyday sometimes 8+hrs. With the sweat cap no fruit, dung, or stones it was harder to make your PED card stretch between deposits but I made it work and I think enterprising individuals starting out today or after CE2 will find a way to make it work as well.

[Hurrikane]

I'd say it wasn't the best game for everyone to play.

It involves money, so all choices mean more. I know my choices aren't good (I hunt no-eco with insufficient skills for any of my equipment) but I don't blame EU because I know there are many ways to play and mine ain't the best for returns.

I know with no big spenders the WoF would be a very different event, but the event itself is trying to cater for all tastes; including those who can spend $500 in a weekend. The event is a celebration of excess among other things, and a bad example of regular expenditure (at least for Main Team members). This is a bit like real life; we can all drive fast now and then, but how many have the cash to take up motorsport properly? Not many. Even less can go on to drive F1 cars.

But just an account of any size can be that ropey honda civic with the bumpers hanging off that still puts a smile on your face when you take a slow-changing BMW at the traffic lights.

Those that leave couldn't handle it/couldn't handle their cash/saw a free download and glanced at it like a million others, not realising the depth of commitment required. Cheap thrills are here, but not in abundance like the "Master it in under a year" competitors.

We don't need countless millions for this game to do well, look how it's grown in turnover since the beginning. The people who stay are an example of natural selection.

Hurrikane

[Karmic]

Originally Posted by Tekkie

I would say with a ratio of 785k players who have left and 15k players active I would say the VAST majority have done exactly that and that suggests to me that there is a problem and no glossing over of that or calling people moaners is going to fix it. Its called having the blinkers on to an obvious problem.

Maybe you should check the churn rate of other games as well. The majority of MMO's that have come out since PE started are dead now. We've done this thread a hundred times now. Some people can play this game for free, forever, and do very well, most can't.

[timmmers]

I think there are some good points about playbase numbers, and those who decided not to stay made here...but, I can't help wondering how many who have left waaaay back will either return to try CE when it's running, or simply couldn't handle the bugs and lag etc ?

It's well possible to survive on a budget of 1 dollar a day IRL, many people sadly have to do that...but no-one enjoys it. I think it's the same in EU, possible but not desirable. A little like a guy eatig rice on his dollar a day food budget while all around him people are scoffing steaks.

EU is mainly entertainment, so scraping by isn't the object of the excercise really..and 15 dollars a month would definitely be a low budget for most folk...I can't begin to imagine anyone crafting on that budget either so the profession seems important in this too?

The eco weapons are mainly (L) now too...so once yours dies you have the cost of that to consider...I haven't seen a weapon yet that lasts a month, or anything decent that I can buy and feed with ammo for 15 dollars a month.
This takes no armour or FAP purchases or decay into consideration either, a lot of armour isn't (L) yet happily, but FAPs are going that way meaning a bigger inital outlay before you do anything and less ammo peds meaning less loot possibility.

I know people who pass their time in EU happily without depositing a cent, but there comes a time when they reach a plateau building up their ava and find it hard to go higher. 15 dollars a month just delays that happening IMO...you'll still need to invest a lot more if you want to progress at some point. Or be very lucky with loot.

t

[Zacariaz]

I'm quite sure that is is indeed possible to play this game spending only $15 a month, however, I would not be able to hunt, mine or craft at that level. I need entertainment. There's plenty of boring stuff I can do IRL which will actually make money instead of wasting them.