Prestige

This isn't WoW...it also doesn't cost nearly as much to develop nor operate as WoW.  A flat monthly cost for this would be a fraction of that for MMO's like WoW.  Nevertheless, I do realize that paid access will never work, not because of the value but the predisposed "you don't pay money for a browser game" notion many hold.

That is why I instead believe that paid benefits should be of a form that can be duplicated by dedication, so that the only unfairness is defined by degrees of convenience.  Paid players can schedule an attack for 3 am their time.  Free players have to set their alarm for 3 am.  Paid players can set rules for auto-producing equipment or units, scheduling additional construction when resources are available, or otherwise ensuring excess resources do not go to waste.  Free players have to pay closer attention to their storehouse limits, visit the site frequently to keep construction going, etc.  Paid players never see ads.  Free players have little cause to complain about *reasonable* ad placement since they are the ones insisting they won't even pay a tiny fee to support the game.

There are many opportunities for offering benefits without clearly unbalancing the game.  Other games that take this route can be frustrating, but only because they are so hell-bent on convincing as many players as possible to play, that they utterly cripple the interface for those who do not.  It doesn't have to be that extreme, especially when the devs are actually working with a system supporting significant depth and breadth of gameplay.

I respect the devs here and the work that they are doing.  I just dearly hope they manage to stay out of the pitfall of selling the outcome.  Given what others have said here that even I had not thought through as thoroughly before, I fear that line is already crossed.  I've been turned off from many more games over that issue than mere required payment itself.  I can easily afford the cost, but being on the favored side is no less disappointing.

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The changes I have proposed are very unlikely to be applied, and I bear no resentment over that.  The devs have already invested heavily into the existing plan.  There is one thing they could do that would still the greatest fears:  set a hard limit on the amount of prestige any single account is allowed to spend per unit of time.  Set it somewhere slightly above what the average, balanced player with some disposable income would spend, but below what the unhealthily obsessed would spend.  At least ward off those who would buy victory at all cost.  If there's no upper limit, the victor will almost assuredly be whomever spends the most...especially as the breadth of spending options expand the aggregate benefit possible.

fluffy wrote:  whats the point of having different grounds then?  isn't the fact that you have to figure out city strategy from what resources you can gather supposed to be a part of the game?

fluffy wrote: whats the point of having different grounds then?  isn't the fact that you have to figure out city strategy from what resources you can gather supposed to be a part of the game?

Yes, absolutely - and it still is a massive part (and still applies).

If you choose to base your army/production/strategy on wood-heavy items such as spears and bows, then you'll be better off on a wood-based square than someone who chooses a clay-based square. 

Sure you can spend some prestige to swap some clay for wood, but this is still far less efficient than choosing to spend some prestige to (eg) boost your wood resources on a wood-heavy plot, or having settled a wood-heavy plot to begin with. 

And the combat terrain bonuses stay the same, ofc.

You can choose squares to settle based on the combat bonuses/penalties that suit your army, or the production bonuses/penalties that suit what you are producing.  If these 2 elements coincide then you're getting the best of all worlds!

I realise I might need to duck generally, regarding this thread, but want to throw two other things out here that may or may not have any bearing on what we're all discussing.

1. The Combat Magic Positive (Blessings) Spell School will have bonuses and (in the polar opposite, the Curses School) penalties of up to 10% in each direction.

I do (completely) realise that much of this discussion is on the principle rather than the content of the bonus.

2. We are also intending on releasing another Prestige Spend Option (that players such as Lorna Doone will probably dislike intensely, and for which I offer pre-emptive apologies).

This Prestige Spend Option will allow you to exchange the 5 basic basic resources (Wood, Clay, Iron, Stone, Food) on a 1:1 ratio with each other for a one-off Prestige cost.

/me runs for cover

sigh - I was so trying to not involve myself in yet another interweb forum community... j/k