Suggestion #1

[ghostoutlaw]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, but this isn't my first gaming project that I have contributed to. I was told to drop suggestions here, so I will. And I am also using a lame title since I really don't feel like coming up with a lot of unique titles and it'll be easier to track them in the long term. Some I will try to keep short and sweet, others I am going to elaborate on because the benefit may not always be so obvious.

So here comes suggestion #1! (and as always, I apologize if this comes off condescending, rude, short, whatever and also if it's already in the works. It's meant to be helpful and beneficial!)

The token system needs a revamp! I know its the way it supports the game but overall it needs a revamp. Now that may require a new client, but that's not a bad thing either! Well talk about that later.

I say the token system needs a revamp because its an older architecture. If you look at most new games, the token system is built right into the game and the economy. In some cases a token system has no bearing on game-play and is purely cosmetic, in other cases, not so! Both ways are correct. It depends on how the developers want the game to interact.

So if we look at current popular games, the token system is built right into the client, so tokens can be purchased more readily. Also, the concept of token, lets change it so something more poke related. So we have poke dollars (name change there wouldn't hurt us either) and maybe Poke Research points. Instead of having people buy PRP freely, which they still can, they also can sign up for membership, which alots them (X) PRP per week and gives them all the other benefits they have now. All this can be done from directly inside the client, no secondary website to do this.

Just a thought on how I would do it, and how all the other big companies do it!

 

[Saric]

The token system is getting a revamp in the new pdex.

 

[Bluerise]

I was told to drop suggestions here, so I will.

Suggestions belong on Playerdex.

it'll be easier to track them in the long term.

...Playerdex

Tokens will remain Playerdex use only.

 

[SViper]

For now Tokens system is good, but in P-dex update 2013 will be changed. So I neutral on this suggestion.

I was told to drop suggestions here, so I will.

Suggestions belong on Playerdex.

I suggest him that, because him wanted to know where post suggestions, but in my post was to suggestions ways: Playerdex and General PWO Talk. And playerdex is not yet suited for suggestions, I think.

 

[Bluerise]

...and as I said - suggestions belong on the Playerdex.

 

[ghostoutlaw]

Looking at the current playerdex, I am inclined to agree with narutofox.

Also, suggestions aren't a one off, one person suggests something and the intent is for others to grow and build on it. The playerdex does not appear to be the best place for that. Usually general forums are the best place to promote active discussions.

Is there a reasoning for Tokens to remain in the playerdex? I am curious, seeing as the model of linking a website to a game is rather dated when the technology to put the store within the game is very, very common.

 

[Bluerise]

Because tokens are linked to donations and the Token Store. We've had issues with a mart system in the past (which is also being moved to Playerdex). You have Pokedollars for use ingame and Tokens for use on the Playerdex.

 

[ghostoutlaw]

I have to continue to question though and not to be rude but if you look at the trends is major games right now. Both currencies can be used in game, the playerdex should be in game.

Look at league of legends, you can spend both IP and RP in the game, but RP can only be purchased with real money, and certain things can only be bought with each currency.

Look at Tribes: Ascend, Gold is purchased and EXP is earned with time played. Both occur in game.

Basically, all the major games released in the past few years are eliminating the need to go to a website. It destroys the meta game to have to go to a website.

So I will ask again, why is it that you want people to log out of the game, to go use the website?

 

[Merse]

Example: Star Trek Online; Star Wars: The Old Republic. Any extra content can be purchased via the website, there is only a link to the appropriate site from the client.
I wouldn't call either an unpopular, dying game

 

[Orean]

I have to continue to question though and not to be rude but if you look at the trends is major games right now. Both currencies can be used in game, the playerdex should be in game.

Look at league of legends, you can spend both IP and RP in the game, but RP can only be purchased with real money, and certain things can only be bought with each currency.

Look at Tribes: Ascend, Gold is purchased and EXP is earned with time played. Both occur in game.

Basically, all the major games released in the past few years are eliminating the need to go to a website. It destroys the meta game to have to go to a website.

So I will ask again, why is it that you want people to log out of the game, to go use the website?

Due to databasing reasons, you have to be logged out of the game, for any changes made on your character data, to be overwritten by queries sent from playerdex. Otherwise, if it is centered on game-activity at the time, it is not possible for playerdex to overwrite it in the database.

Although I can fully understand players preference for an in-game auction house system, as opposed to a web-oriented one, the development of some in-game aspects have been put on hold—whereby more progress has been able to be made on the playerdex website. Many in-game features have been at a standstill, while a completely new client is on board before some overhauls can be made.

I'm not denying that many favor in-game development over web-development, but given the circumstances, the latter may be the only feasible option short-term.

 

[ghostoutlaw]

Actually, I would call both of those dying games.

SWTOR: Released with a monthly fee model initially, after it's release was a total flop it quickly hashed together a F2P model, but because of the engine it uses, an in-game store system like LoL was not viable.

STO: Not dying, but not near the level of popularity of LoL, DotA, HoN, PS2 and all the other games that utilize the system. EVE Online is more popular then STO, and eve is getting up there in age. Neither game is a great example of that system working.

The in game micro transaction system is used because it doesn't ruin the meta game! In the case of PWO I have to physically leave the game, log out to go purchase and use tokens. You know what happened when I logged out to get 10 tokens today? I decided I didn't feel like logging back in and I decided to go do something else while waiting to go to work. That is the exact opposite of what you want to happen in your game. A game has failed any time it's player are required to turn the game off.

 

[Bluerise]

We're not trying to follow the 'trends' of gaming. We're doing the best with the resources available. With the server stability - do you really want the risk of the game failing to save at x point and suffering from a rollback?

By the way, you don't have to log out to donate for tokens.

 

[ghostoutlaw]

Suggestion #2 will be tomorrow. And I like the discussion we can get going here, so if no one will ban me, i'm going to keep posting them here!

So in response to the above. I mean to spend, not to buy, my bad, but still, a nuisance.

As far as doing the best you can with servers, thats actually a good reason to stop progression! But, studies have shown that people are more likely to spend more money in game if the transaction is too quick for them to reconsider it! Not that we are trying to dupe people out of money, but you may see an increase in spending if the process is smoother (and there is nothing smooth about a game being both web based and client based, sorry, there is no counter argument to that!)

As far as following the trends of gaming, you don't have to follow them. You do what works best for you. The F2P model has shown that it can work really well! On the other hand, you have constraints of your own. And I get that, but that shouldn't stop progress, find a fix to that! Maybe fixing one issue will enable a fix for the original issue!

You can always buy more servers. At it's peak, blizzard was spending over $130k a day on servers for WoW. But because of their business model, they were making 6.5M a day (more actually, just off subs it was 6.5M a day). Riot spends even more then blizzard on servers! Riot also makes more then blizzard now because of their business model. Maybe the server isn't your issue! Maybe the business model is! Or maybe the problem is some stupid bug in the code somewhere that allows for a game save to fail! Let's look at the issue again, who knows what well see this time!

 

[Bluerise]

*sigh*

Buying more servers will not help - why not do research as it seems quiet clear you haven't.

 

[Maideza]

Congratulation ghostoutlaw,

You are now allowed to add "New Guy, Same Ignorance" to your signature.

I highly encourage you do it. That way, people won't accidently think you put effort into researching/your suggestions.

 

[TheWyatt2012]

I'm very knowledgeable about Riot Games, having played League of Legends since 2010.

Riot is an actual company compared to PWO which is not. Riot also has large development teams and has more complex programming than PWO. As it has been said, buying more servers will not fix the issue. The issue is the coding, which is what needs to be fixed. Not only that, but getting more servers = dishing out more cash. Someone like Riot can do that, considering they're one of the most popular if not the most popular e-sport company right now.

Since we do not have a dedicated development team, and usually only 1-3 people work on it at a time, you can't expect a lot. PWO is still considered to be in it's beta stage, and that probably won't change for awhile.

 

[HitmonFonty]

Suggestion #2 will be tomorrow. And I like the discussion we can get going here, so if no one will ban me, i'm going to keep posting them here!

I was the person who suggested you post your suggestions here. However for one I didn't realise you were planning to make a series out of them, and secondly you have been told by an Admin that they belong on the Playerdex.

One post with several suggestions could have sparked some useful discussion on here, a series of them is just spam and belongs elsewhere.

So I suggest you not ignore the instructions of Admin Bluerise and continue posting these here.

 

[ghostoutlaw]

Here's the problem, you guys only see riot as it is now. You aren't familiar with the riot that existed in 2007, which was a team about twice the size of the PWO team. They took a business venture an it worked out well! Riot started off with 0 income, player base and only a very small amount of capital. Believe it or not, ignoring the licensing issues, PWO is in a much better position then Riot was to build a game.

Blue - you cited server stability as your constraint, not code.

Maideza - your comment is rather offensive as this is research.

And I ask again, why do you want suggestions, real suggestions not just "more abilities, more Pokemon, more whatever" tucked away in the playerdex which is, after more careful review, not a place that harbors discussion? Any suggestion I am taking the time to post, I want an active discussion and community input! The final product with that will be greater then the initial input!

 

[Chocobo7]

Here's the problem, you guys only see riot as it is now. You aren't familiar with the riot that existed in 2007, which was a team about twice the size of the PWO team. They took a business venture an it worked out well! Riot started off with 0 income, player base and only a very small amount of capital. Believe it or not, ignoring the licensing issues, PWO is in a much better position then Riot was to build a game.

We are in a position where we can never pay anyone who works on the game, doing so would go into the high realms of illegality, never was Riot in a position where the same could be said. Just try getting skilled people to work what is pretty much a full time job for nothing, I can tell you now that it is nigh on impossible.

 

[Bluerise]

Well considering the server stability would be based on the code...

And I ask again, why do you want suggestions, real suggestions not just "more abilities, more Pokemon, more whatever" tucked away in the playerdex which is, after more careful review, not a place that harbors discussion? Any suggestion I am taking the time to post, I want an active discussion and community input! The final product with that will be greater then the initial input!

Then encourage discussion via the platform. The platform is there and nothing is stopping you. This topic will be locked if it ends up into the direction I think it will go. Want to link your suggestion report from this topic? Go ahead however suggestions belong on the Playerdex where it's less likely to be lost.