kilamanila
07-15-2011, 01:14 PM
All of this discussion about account icons (namely the shields), and discussion of what the shields represent has reminded me of features of Warcraft 3.
The main issues being thrown around are...
1. How do we decide the order in which icons are displayed in the chat rooms? Cost vs. Rarity vs. Color Value (diamond being more precious than purple therefore having a higher value)
2. How do we decide the cost of shields?
With most shop related issues, S2 once again faces the challenge of appeasing two types of customers, the ones who deserve the most benefits as a user because they have earned it, and the ones who deserve the most benefits because they have paid for it. All the while, S2 must figure out how to still make money.
Some important things to consider while reading this post:
1. Players who spend money past the initial 30$ fee should be rewarded for choosing to support S2, as they keep the company alive.
2. Players who are dedicated to the game, play extensively, and are proud of what they earn in the game. For many, such as myself, it gives extra meaning and incentive in the game if i can earn something that i can be proud of and show off. These players also bring revenue to the game, as it is these players who use word of mouth to bring others to the game, thus increasing S2 revenue via word of mouth increase of player-base.
The only reason that this issue hasn't broken HoN is because nothing that can be purchased or earned gives players an advantage over other players. However, it is still an important issue to discuss, as it directly affects the livelyhood of S2, and the general happiness of the community.
Players who spend real life money on icons have every right to be mad when other players have the same things, but didn't pay a cent.
Players who earned their icons have every right to be mad when other players wear the same icons even though they didn't put the time in to earn it but instead just purchased it with real money.
Both sides have valid points. This is important.
I used to play Warcraft 3 like it was my job. I loved the game. What drove me to play it for hours on end every day for several years was pride. When I logged in, in the chat room, players could see my account level and account icon, and they could tell from those two things just how impressive my achievements in the game were. The recognition i recieved for my efforts and accomplishements while playing the game, from other players in the game, made the game enjoyable for me. I loved to win, and I loved that other players could tell I was good at it.
Why players enjoy games:
1. Social Aspect
-enjoy playing with friends
-enjoy trash talking opponents
-enjoy trolling allies
2. Competition Aspect
-enjoy beating other players
-enjoy the challenge and variety of PvP
-enjoy the challenge of overcoming set perameters of PvE (less common in HoN)
3. Reward Aspect
-enjoy the reward of "the grind", common models include quest grinds, loot rewards (Professor Plums), and in hon, "ricing/farming" those epic items
-enjoy earning coins, another form of "grind", for the sake of buying things to show off
4. Recognition
-enjoy being recognized for ones accomplishments, a/i being good at a game, having put time into a game, often refered to as "flexing your E-Peen"
Let me tell you, I'm all about my E-Peen. I'm egocentric in the video game world. When I play a game, I want to be good at it, and I want others to know that I'm better than them. Hell, I don't mind adding in recognition for how much time I've spent honing my skill. (lol, HoNing my skill).
In Warcraft III you had a limited amount of account options available to you, account icon availability was based off how many matches you had won with a specific race (including random). All accounts started off with an Orc peon for an icon, and you worked your way up the ladder. If I remember right the first icon was unlocked at 25 wins, the next 100, 250, 500, then 1000. Those are estimates, and I'm at work so I can't check them, but it's the idea that counts.
Along with account icons, next to your account icon was your account level (at least i remember it being displayed, if it wasn't it should have been, but i'm damn sure it was). Players who competed in ladder play earned a ladder rank.
Needless to say, when you saw a lvl 32 ladder ranking player log in with the highest earnable account icon, if you had a shred of decency as a player, you payed respect, because you knew that guy could kick your ass in the arena. And similar to HoN's "most played heroes", the account icon was based on the race you won the matches with, so if your opponent toted around a 250 Forsaken wins icon, chances are you are going to play against Forsaken, and should adjust your strategy accordingly.
What concerns me about the current debates over sheilds and earning vs. buying, is that effectiveness between the two is not mutually exclusive. Currently there is nothing that can only be bought, and there is nothing that can only be earned.
This point recieves much flaming due to it's implications. Buyers can't stand the idea of not being able to buy something with their hard earned money and Earners can't stand the idea of not being able to earn something.
S2 did a great job addressing this issue by making some things in the shop purchasable with real money, and unrealistic to earn. You can earn it if you are really dedicated, but it's a real grind, and you have to EARN it.
The only issue I see with this model is that doesn't matter if you earn something if it doesn't exclusively represent the efforts you put into it. You may have that expensive Wretched Hag model that you spent weeks of HoNing to be able to afford, but your still going to get ppl making fun of you for "spending your real money on it", because that is the most likely way you got it. And you can forget about a player using a Wretched Hag model getting recognition from other players for "supporting HoN with their own money".
A possible solution to consider is to keep things as they are, but introduce an additional 2 exclusive account features such as was seen in warcraft three. A measure of players skill such as an account level ( and yes i know account level and psr exist currently, but we all know how accurately that depicts skill ), and a measure of time put into the game such as the account icons earned based on how many victories you had with a single rance in WCIII.
I want a feature in HoN that allows me to flex my E-Peen. I want to earn something that can only be earned in one way, by being good, and i want to earn something that can only be earned by time put into the game.
Players should be rewarded for three things (in no particular order of importance):
1. How much time they put into the game
2. How good they are at the game
3. How much they support the company with their own money
And currently there is all this arguement over what should be earnable, purchasable, how much things should cost, and the intangible values associated with such items, because right now, nothing is exclusive towards those three points of reward
Just something to think about. Congrats to those of you who read this whole post. I hope this is well recieved, and that something constructive comes of it. Good job so far S2, Keep up the improvements!
The main issues being thrown around are...
1. How do we decide the order in which icons are displayed in the chat rooms? Cost vs. Rarity vs. Color Value (diamond being more precious than purple therefore having a higher value)
2. How do we decide the cost of shields?
With most shop related issues, S2 once again faces the challenge of appeasing two types of customers, the ones who deserve the most benefits as a user because they have earned it, and the ones who deserve the most benefits because they have paid for it. All the while, S2 must figure out how to still make money.
Some important things to consider while reading this post:
1. Players who spend money past the initial 30$ fee should be rewarded for choosing to support S2, as they keep the company alive.
2. Players who are dedicated to the game, play extensively, and are proud of what they earn in the game. For many, such as myself, it gives extra meaning and incentive in the game if i can earn something that i can be proud of and show off. These players also bring revenue to the game, as it is these players who use word of mouth to bring others to the game, thus increasing S2 revenue via word of mouth increase of player-base.
The only reason that this issue hasn't broken HoN is because nothing that can be purchased or earned gives players an advantage over other players. However, it is still an important issue to discuss, as it directly affects the livelyhood of S2, and the general happiness of the community.
Players who spend real life money on icons have every right to be mad when other players have the same things, but didn't pay a cent.
Players who earned their icons have every right to be mad when other players wear the same icons even though they didn't put the time in to earn it but instead just purchased it with real money.
Both sides have valid points. This is important.
I used to play Warcraft 3 like it was my job. I loved the game. What drove me to play it for hours on end every day for several years was pride. When I logged in, in the chat room, players could see my account level and account icon, and they could tell from those two things just how impressive my achievements in the game were. The recognition i recieved for my efforts and accomplishements while playing the game, from other players in the game, made the game enjoyable for me. I loved to win, and I loved that other players could tell I was good at it.
Why players enjoy games:
1. Social Aspect
-enjoy playing with friends
-enjoy trash talking opponents
-enjoy trolling allies
2. Competition Aspect
-enjoy beating other players
-enjoy the challenge and variety of PvP
-enjoy the challenge of overcoming set perameters of PvE (less common in HoN)
3. Reward Aspect
-enjoy the reward of "the grind", common models include quest grinds, loot rewards (Professor Plums), and in hon, "ricing/farming" those epic items
-enjoy earning coins, another form of "grind", for the sake of buying things to show off
4. Recognition
-enjoy being recognized for ones accomplishments, a/i being good at a game, having put time into a game, often refered to as "flexing your E-Peen"
Let me tell you, I'm all about my E-Peen. I'm egocentric in the video game world. When I play a game, I want to be good at it, and I want others to know that I'm better than them. Hell, I don't mind adding in recognition for how much time I've spent honing my skill. (lol, HoNing my skill).
In Warcraft III you had a limited amount of account options available to you, account icon availability was based off how many matches you had won with a specific race (including random). All accounts started off with an Orc peon for an icon, and you worked your way up the ladder. If I remember right the first icon was unlocked at 25 wins, the next 100, 250, 500, then 1000. Those are estimates, and I'm at work so I can't check them, but it's the idea that counts.
Along with account icons, next to your account icon was your account level (at least i remember it being displayed, if it wasn't it should have been, but i'm damn sure it was). Players who competed in ladder play earned a ladder rank.
Needless to say, when you saw a lvl 32 ladder ranking player log in with the highest earnable account icon, if you had a shred of decency as a player, you payed respect, because you knew that guy could kick your ass in the arena. And similar to HoN's "most played heroes", the account icon was based on the race you won the matches with, so if your opponent toted around a 250 Forsaken wins icon, chances are you are going to play against Forsaken, and should adjust your strategy accordingly.
What concerns me about the current debates over sheilds and earning vs. buying, is that effectiveness between the two is not mutually exclusive. Currently there is nothing that can only be bought, and there is nothing that can only be earned.
This point recieves much flaming due to it's implications. Buyers can't stand the idea of not being able to buy something with their hard earned money and Earners can't stand the idea of not being able to earn something.
S2 did a great job addressing this issue by making some things in the shop purchasable with real money, and unrealistic to earn. You can earn it if you are really dedicated, but it's a real grind, and you have to EARN it.
The only issue I see with this model is that doesn't matter if you earn something if it doesn't exclusively represent the efforts you put into it. You may have that expensive Wretched Hag model that you spent weeks of HoNing to be able to afford, but your still going to get ppl making fun of you for "spending your real money on it", because that is the most likely way you got it. And you can forget about a player using a Wretched Hag model getting recognition from other players for "supporting HoN with their own money".
A possible solution to consider is to keep things as they are, but introduce an additional 2 exclusive account features such as was seen in warcraft three. A measure of players skill such as an account level ( and yes i know account level and psr exist currently, but we all know how accurately that depicts skill ), and a measure of time put into the game such as the account icons earned based on how many victories you had with a single rance in WCIII.
I want a feature in HoN that allows me to flex my E-Peen. I want to earn something that can only be earned in one way, by being good, and i want to earn something that can only be earned by time put into the game.
Players should be rewarded for three things (in no particular order of importance):
1. How much time they put into the game
2. How good they are at the game
3. How much they support the company with their own money
And currently there is all this arguement over what should be earnable, purchasable, how much things should cost, and the intangible values associated with such items, because right now, nothing is exclusive towards those three points of reward
Just something to think about. Congrats to those of you who read this whole post. I hope this is well recieved, and that something constructive comes of it. Good job so far S2, Keep up the improvements!