A better way to monetize the standalone?

[Obsolescence 129]

1) IF YOU INTERPRET THIS IDEA AS PAY2WIN I URGE YOU TO READ THE WHOLE POST OR RE-READ THE POST.

2) THE PRICES LISTED IN THE EXAMPLES ARE NOT PER PERSON -- THEY ARE PER GROUP.

Last I heard, Rocket was planning to charge people for the standalone and then charge for additional maps. I have no qualms about charging people for the standalone (following the minecraft model of pricing). However, I think there is a better way to make money than charging for maps.

What if Rocket et al offered custom clothing/banners/cloaks etc with group emblems or markers on them for a group fee?

For example:

You're group could purchase an armband in the color of your choice for $20. Anyone you gave permission to could use this armband.

You're group could purchase a helmet with a custom single-color emblem of your choice for $30. Anyone you gave permission to could use this helmet.

You're group could purchase a trenchcoat in the color and with the markings of your choice for $50. Anyone you gave permission to could use this trenchcoat.

If there is a crafting system, you could still force people to craft the items (so they don't get some nice or camo type of item from the start). I think this system would be better than charging for additional maps because charging for maps will inevitably split the community. I might be happy to purchase every new map, but if my friend doesn't we can't play together and get the full experience of DayZ. Also, using custom identifiers like this would allow Rocket to force no nametags on all servers, because not being able to identify your team by pointing at them would incentivize groups to purchase these items.

Anyway, that is my idea. Of course, the examples listed are just a meagre sample of the possibilities using this system. Also, once a design/item is purchased it would be locked from duplicate purchases (so no two groups would have identical items).

What do yall think?

Yeah I know they were just ball park figures, but who in their right fucking mind is going to pay up to $50 for some in-game clothing?

The charge would be a 1-time event for your whole group. If you have 10 people in your group then it would only be $5 each. If you have 20 people it would only be $2.50 each. The charge isn't per person, the charge reserves the item/design and gives you the ability to permit your group members to use it.

I think it would kind of ruin the experience to have "swag" He said different clothing will be findable, I think it would kind of make the experience feel less authentic.

I would agree that it would make the experience feel less authentic if you just got them at each new spawn or something. However, I'd suggest that you must find the base item and then craft it and some materials to make the unique item. In real life, gangs use unique identifying markings/items/colors to distinguish group members from outsiders. Why would we expect anything less in a zombie apoc? Without this system, there isn't likely to be any way to reserve uniquely colored/designed pieces of clothing for your group to use.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Obsolescence

[Tweakie 199]

1: i think you like MMO's

2: He didn't say they were going to charge for maps, he said they COULD charge for maps if they don't sell enough copies to continue development otherwise.

3: I would rather pay a small fee for a whole extra map, than a emblem, which should be part of the base game anyways.

[mio.rogvall@gmail.com 107]

Dayz will never be pay2win. You should look into warz for if you want shit like that.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Goldeen

[Hydra (DayZ) 472]

I'm alright with having to pay for some extra piece of clothing such as a "who's shooting in cherno?" t-shirt. Anything that would provide an advantage? Ni!

[Toilet 204]

Yeah I know they were just ball park figures, but who in their right fucking mind is going to pay up to $50 for some in-game clothing? Or maybe you could get a special forum badge too? . . Oh wait . .

In my honest opinion I have zero qualms paying for extra maps. What a lot of people might not realise is that those maps are pretty expensive to make, Chernarus took a team of 4-6 people 2 years to make.

[jukaga 271]

I've got no problem with merchandising out of game swag, but the second micro-transactions rear their head in DayZ and I'm out. There are plenty of games out there and I refuse to play any pay2win games, and that goes for paying $$$ for new skins.

[Obsolescence 129]

Did I do a bad job of presenting my idea? I also hate pay2win systems (here's looking at you, Diablo 3), but how is purchasing a colored armband pay2win? How is purchasing a helmet with your group logo on it pay2win? How is purchasing a trenchcoat with group markings on it pay2win?

Presuming you must still craft the items in game, and that the generic forms of these items are available to anyone, why are your complaints about this idea valid given that there is no gained advantage to purchasing these items except being able to visually identify your groupmates? I'm not suggesting they sell cloaks of invisibility or something functional like that lol.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Obsolescence

[Regicide 111]

$20 for an arm band? $50 for a trench coat? Are you out of your mind?

[rolling 19]

I think it would kind of ruin the experience to have "swag" He said different clothing will be findable, I think it would kind of make the experience feel less authentic.

[Toilet 204]

Nah bro you did a fine job of presenting it. I just don't think paying for in game items will slide with this community, whether it's pay to win or just pay for arm bands.

I know micro transactions put a lot of people off The WarZ for good, myself included.

[Obsolescence 129]

$20 for an arm band? $50 for a trench coat? Are you out of your mind?

I just edited the post to make it extra obvious that the charges are NOT per person. You pay to reserve the design so that it is unique and you are given the ability to permit your members to wear it. If you have a group of 20, the $50 trenchcoat designs would only be $2.50 per person.

I think it would kind of ruin the experience to have "swag" He said different clothing will be findable, I think it would kind of make the experience feel less authentic.

I would agree that it would make the experience feel less authentic if you just got them at each new spawn or something. However, I'd suggest that you must find the base item and then craft it and some materials to make the unique item. In real life, gangs use unique identifying markings/items/colors to distinguish group members from outsiders. Why would we expect anything less in a zombie apoc? Without this system, there isn't likely to be any way to reserve uniquely colored/designed pieces of clothing for your group to use.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Obsolescence

[Toilet 204]

I know what you are saying, but I just don't think paying for gear regardless of its price or functionality is going to sit well with a lot of people.

But hey, I could be wrong.

[Obsolescence 129]

I know what you are saying, but I just don't think paying for gear regardless of its price or functionality is going to sit well with a lot of people.

But hey, I could be wrong.

Thanks for being civil about your opinion lol. I'm wondering though, don't you think most people would like to have unique pieces of clothing that they could craft to identify their group, and do you think there is any other better way to create unique pieces of clothing?

[Toilet 204]

Thanks for being civil about your opinion lol. I'm wondering though, don't you think most people would like to have unique pieces of clothing that they could craft to identify their group, and do you think there is any other better way to create unique pieces of clothing?

I try.

I find solid communication to be more than enough. What we do, as a group, is training missions focused solely on squad communication. It helps in a ridiculous amount of ways and everyone can be wearing what ever they like.

Also on the plus side, if you are in contact with someone or a group that can't tell that you are all together (may also mistake you as one of their own) it causes further confusion amongst them.

Target1: Hey is that you over there?

Target2: No I'm to your left

Target1 was killed

Edited October 5, 2012 by Toilet

[mr_chabowski@live.co.uk 2416]

A lot can be communicated through movements too (if you're looking out for cues) , You really don't need a uniform, or even strict tactical squad formations.

If your group can communicate, and understand eachother fine, you just saved yourself the need to buy an armband! :D

I can see why people don't like the idea, and (no offence intended) if you feel that having a recognisable emblem gives you an advantage by making it easier to spot your friends when shit goes down, that sounds pretty Pay2Win to me.

[bazbake 456]

Sounds like what EVE tried to do not too long ago. That turned out perfectly...

[pvtjace 37]

Try this over at the war inc z game thing

[thomas28 31]

maybe you could make those group emblems, using the Crafting system that is coming to standalone.

Edited October 5, 2012 by thomas28

[hawc 63]

I stopped reading at "monetize the standalone".

I don't think these developers are trying to make shit tons of cash(maybe just a little) but rather create a great game. f they are going for community operated game servers then they only need a few hive servers which will cost much less.

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

A community as big as this one, Arma, DayZ Mod, DayZ SA, I doubt there will ever be a limited interest in the game. I never read Rocket say he would charge for maps, If the coffers are ever so low, I would offer money as a donation.

I am looking into map making, I would not dream of asking for money for one. I would offer it for free, to Rocket or the general Community.

Money is spent on server rental as it is. Player lifespan is limited by a host of conditions and new introduced factors of the SA (Disease Blah Blah Blah) BI are releasing the game and they are not going to run out of money any time soon (Contractual obligations met of course) Players do not live long enough to have a viable system where they may want to pay for anything. For me personally it makes no sense to pay for an item and them lose it. In game gangs are already there, all you need is TS and agree to meet and greet when in the same server, Communication in game is all it takes. Clans are gangs, there are a lot of them out there who do not want to be seperated by style and clothing.

I read some of the General suggestions and find they are logical ideas and some of them should be in the game but, I would rather the ideas are stockpiled and released as an add-on pack. I would pay for this if it added to the existing game play. In fact i can see DayZ going down a long and profitable road in the future because the fan base will want new stuff all the time, Player choice in game extends the life of the product.suggestions on here are great and would fit the story and setting to a T.

Crafting items in game would mean anyone could do this? why pay for it?

The community to me is split as it is right now, Private v's Public hives. The only damage is control over the DayZ SA, private hives will still host the game no matter what Official servers there wil be when released. Look at the new additions the private communities are offering, more safer environments to play being one. You can play safe in a pass-worded server no need to worry about hackers no more meanwhile in the public servers they still run rampant. I could understand donations for this but not for virtual items in a game that should by default offer things as standard.

This is, and will never be WarZ.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Michaelvoodoo25