New Game Concept?
 

I wanted to ask if there are plans existing to substantially change the currently failing concept of the game?

Of course iPhone Graal is running great - yet it just running along Graal.

Are there any plans like:

a) Turning it into a real sdk - free to play, servers that still cost money but can reearn it
b) Free to dev as an easy SDK - less scripting, more officially useable graphics and templates, so that an easy start is possible, with devs still able to create innovative gameplay. Maybe subscription fees for players (the levels should stay the same, it's rather overpriced right now, as the game is only playeable with a community - and this very community is shrinking in a fast way)
c) Free to play free to dev - ads enabled on every server, maybe with a VIP subscription that removes ads for players

I don't think that the current concept can still get the turn around to become sucessfull again, so I am curious about comments and co.

They should make the servers free and sell items and advertisements to earn money.

you should be able to buy different servers :)

like, a server with 100 levels as limit, or a server with 1000 and 10000 or more...and the higher the limit, the higher the cost!

I think the player side is the bigger problem. It has become quite expensive for the players to enjoy graal (well its becoming cheaper for americans as euro is in free fall atm) - while you can play most cashshop games for free without many limitations.

I think the main goal should be to put finances on another base (i'd prefer ads or servers that still cost money - but can make money due to optional cashshop items and so on) - yet the "general" playing should be free.

Of course, some limitations were removed of trial accounts, yet unlimited playing still costs money - and we just cannot compete to the mass of cashshop games in this point.
As graals graphics are furtheremore mostly quite simple (although the engine offers quiet some effects) - we have another con here.

Stefan has already posted interest in doing that especially since he let Zodiac already do it minus the advertisements but I'd hate to see in-game advertisements.

Yes that would be bothersome. If it was a repeating ad anyway. If there was like a 30-60 second ad the first time you log in per 24 hours, that wouldnt be as bad. And might be perfectly doable assuming they keep a particular ad up for at least 24 hours. Like if youve ever been on Hulu, they'll fill in commercials (iirc) with ads. And theyll usually stick with one particular ad per day.

Might not work so well with multiple ads though. As the interruptions would require to be more frequent.

Graal's playercount isn't high enough to benefit from advertisements though and it would only piss the existing playercount off.

Indeed, and the majority of games do not do this in-game anyway. Quality cash-shop items would be fine so long as they are both: items of quality and/or uniqueness, and do not act as an outright deterrent for non-cash-shop users (I.E.: Super Omega Sword of Ultimate 1-hit-kill Death Blow & Infinite HP).

I'd buy it.

I agree with you with cash shop Items, but I still think ads could work. Especially as it would be more attractive for iPhone users if they can play on PC too without paying for an account - the iPhone playercount is still decent if I renember it right.

+ There could be easy marketing over facebook, like a group "GraalOnline - free mmorpg", your friends would see it and it could be attractive for them to try it out if its free. Generally people are more open to try it out if its free.

They had adverts for a while but it didn't really result in any great returns, if I remember correctly. The adverts were also very unrelated to the players. I remember toothpaste.

graal ought to focus on what it's current players want to make their gaming experience better. how can you expect to pull in new players when the current ones all think it sucks?

besides, what cash shops is a server like UN or NPulse going to use? you can buy hats and...useless NPCs that make particles float about your player?

i've been saying it for awhile: graal could become reincarnated if stefan himself made us a new server (with help, of course)

Graal is a very hard game to advertise. There are tons of ads advertising crappy MMOs out there, none of which I would ever click. The same is true if you advertise it as a development platform.

Do what Evony did, just throw up a bunch of cleavage. I assure you, clicks would happen.

I like the f2p with cash shop items idea. The items dont have to be of any gain to the players far as indeph gameplay goes. If I recall my experience on flyff, I probley spent around 85$USD in a few months on items just to change how my character looked.

Doing this method cant just be asked for in a update though, In my option all managements of servers need to vote on how it should be done. Then the servers could have a global update once stefen approved. Where all servers could release this new content on a date they all voted best fit. This method could also give servers another resion to have updates, even if there not real big a few items added to the cash shop every month or so would still catch players eye. If all servers had this content done and waiting on him , theres a higher chance he would respond faster and think about the options infront of him.

I been noticeing talk going around again about a new website. There could be a page where u can buy CS items for servers. New players seeing this on the website would give them something to look into and make them want to try out graal.