Graal Currency

[petro1212]

I personaly like games that have a system in where you can play for free but can buy in game currency to pay for items, extra's ect.

A system like this could work for graal, yes it would give the "rich" an advantage but life is tough, deal with it.

There could be a global currency of some sort which players can obtain with:
*Buying a Gold Account (you get a small ammount as a presen)
*Buying a Vip Account (" ")
*Buying the currency for Euro's
*Global Event Awards

With this currency people can buy items from Classic & Gold servers from special shops. Purchasing such an item can be done by either using the Global Currency or Global Currency in combination with local currencies*.

The global currency should not be trade-able, if people want to give it to someone else just transfer money to someone else trough paypal and let them purchase it on their own.

* = To prevent people getting powerfull by just using the global currency, they could be obligated to pay X ammount of global coins and an X ammount of local currency. Items that can be bought can be exclusive things that alot of people want to have but can be exclusivly bought with global coins or the item has a major discount on the local currency and you need to pay some global currency.

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Give some constructive critisism and don't just go "I don't like it" or "Cool"...

[Tyhm]

a similar idea I had when the Global Gralats came out - a Currency Exchange. You can buy Global Gralats with Real Money: One per penny, so for a quarter you've got 25 gralats (negotiable), and naturally it doesn't work Both Ways, but you get the idea; then you can trade in Gralats for Kingdoms Platinum - say there's ten thousand Gralats in circulation but only the equivalent to a thousand platinum in circulation, 10 gralats only buys you 1 platinum piece. You buy a beefy sword, whatever, it's way faster than mining.
Conversely, say a server where money's poorly controlled - old Classic - has a million gelats, and there's only a thousand gralats in circulation. One Global Gralat is then worth a Thousand Classic Gelats - instant fortune there. So you can slash bushes forever on Classic hoping in vain to get rich, or you can mine for a little while on Kingdoms hoping the same, or you can send Graal a little money and jump ahead.

My only concern - Gold Upgrades better get a fair ammount of Gralats, otherwise you're paying to get in, paying yearly for access to the Good Servers, then paying for items on same - three tollbooths just to get an IWD scroll.

[CheeToS2]

Who is going to decide how much items cost and who's going to manage the "store" over all the servers? You couldn't just do it through script, otherwise you'd be putting players in charge of other player's real money.

[Tyhm]

Hmm, fair point.

If we had a Global Scripter providing us with a default Shop Script - one that read in the "Gralats In Circulation On This Server" variable (which ought to be hardcoded, or at least difficult to manipulate), and said each weapon would cost (gralats on the server/players who have accounts on the server), then we'd know the sword will always cost a little more than the average wealth on the server. Granted, that average can be thrown off by a lot of newbies who never got any money, so it's not perfect - the Players On The Server variable would have to take that into account - but the important thing is that the cost is a factor of the local currency's value.

Though now that I think of it, maybe it should be a factor of the local currency's value in Global Gralats. That's much more stable. "Crazy Red Weapon - 1000 gralats ($10 US) (1,000,000 Classic Gralats) (100 Kingdoms Plat.)"

[Twinny]

I've never really liked online games where you can pay for huge advantages. If you could only buy cosmetic stuff with global graalats then that would be cool but i don't think you should be able to get server money with global graalats.

[Mykel]

Originally Posted by CheeToS2

Who is going to decide how much items cost and who's going to manage the "store" over all the servers? You couldn't just do it through script, otherwise you'd be putting players in charge of other player's real money.

Kind of, but not really. I mean, this would be a benifit that they didn't have before. So, even if they charged ridiculous amounts, you'd still have more than you used to.

[Galdor]

Originally Posted by petro1212

it would give the "rich" an advantage but life is tough, deal with it.

wtf screw you dude >.>

[excaliber7388]

No
No no no no no no no...NO!
Part of graal is the economy developed in the different servers.
The only thing I may agree with is developing exchange rates between the servers.
Plus, without jobs, selling, trading, etc, Graal could become boring.
Sure, there's a chance of making an actual profit, but it could also destroy the fun of Graal. Do you really think the players of Graal would pay more money?

[petro1212]

Originally Posted by CheeToS2

Who is going to decide how much items cost and who's going to manage the "store" over all the servers? You couldn't just do it through script, otherwise you'd be putting players in charge of other player's real money.

A shop tab could be made on the "login" server. People purchase items on there. A Global (PWA, GST ect) could be given edit rights for the Shop. The shop could have a list of servers (simmilair to the Update tab) where you can select the items, see a description/picture and the currency it uses.

You can select an option to buy that item and than the "Login" Gserver will connect with the other Gserver to check if the player has that currency and make the required changes (When loging into the server a player could be prompted with a text that he/she got that specific weapon)

If servers want weapons added, prices changed they can request it with the Global in charge. They have the final say as it goes for accepted weapons, prices.

Originally Posted by excaliber7388

Plus, without jobs, selling, trading, etc, Graal could become boring.
Sure, there's a chance of making an actual profit, but it could also destroy the fun of Graal. Do you really think the players of Graal would pay more money?

Part of it is that you release speficic features that can be bought with global currency and do not effect game play (alot). If they do effect gameplay in a significant way an additional local currency can be added to make sure the player has spend a significant ammount of time/work into the server. (You didn't even read half of what I said excaliber or you just didn't get it)


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Server examples:

Unholy Nation:
You can release a variaty of things:
Toys: small things that don't cost much, nice special effects maby..
Furniture: people could buy specialized "themed" seasonal furniture sets..
Weapons: weapons that are fun to pk with but aren't more powerfull than the maximum sword damage. (You get people to spend their money on something that does the same damage as a sword but just looks cooler... good way to make a profit)
Hats: Special hats that are made or used specificly for the global shop...


Era:
Specialized guns or excisting guns that come on a discount if you buy them in combination with a little bit of "Global Currency". You can make additional cars available for the same "Era currency" as other cars but with a small ammount of "Global Currency" added ontop for these limited edition cars

Zodiac:
You could release special swords... (not to sure on how and what since I don't really play it)
You could add some simmilair skills to those that already excist but make them a real eye candy.

Graal Kingdoms:
Pets: You could add new pets that can be bought only trough the Global Shop (not sure on pricings and such... )
Furniture: Special furniture sets...


If done correctly this could make graal more profitable withouth ruining gameplay.

Since Graal uses Euro's for payments right now something such as 1 Euro equals too 100 Graal Dollars.


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As for obtaining them, when you purchase a vip account you get 400 Graal Dollars for free (allows you to buy some basic fun items on servers or some nice furniture) Same could be done for the 1 Year- Gold accounts.

Graalympics, Forum contest ect. "Graal Events" could have Graal Dollars as rewards...

(Possibly you can also donate Graal Dollars to servers to extend hosted/UC times)

[Chris]

Originally Posted by petro1212

Era:
Specialized guns or excisting guns that come on a discount if you buy them in combination with a little bit of "Global Currency". You can make additional cars available for the same "Era currency" as other cars but with a small ammount of "Global Currency" added ontop for these limited edition cars

Also the up and coming house & apartment system. Possibly reduced rent or the ability to purchase one of the units.

[HitmanJ2XX]

Okay, this system reminds me of another game, which shall not be named, but is produced by Nexon. (If this post gets deleted then thats bull, because i didn't say what game) Well, anyways, you can buy some extra money using USD, and that is converted to a SET amount, 5 USD = 5k points, 10=10k 30=30k, and that can be used to buy different items that cost anywhere from 800-11k points. But the thing is that their items disappear after a while. Thats what sucks. They also have a "lottery ticket", where you use the ticket at a machine and recieve anywhere from an orange juice to a high level sword.
How's that for an idea? Copy their system, cause there isn't a copyright/patent.

[jacob_bald6225]

Originally Posted by Tyhm

a similar idea I had when the Global Gralats came out - a Currency Exchange. You can buy Global Gralats with Real Money: One per penny, so for a quarter you've got 25 gralats (negotiable), and naturally it doesn't work Both Ways, but you get the idea; then you can trade in Gralats for Kingdoms Platinum - say there's ten thousand Gralats in circulation but only the equivalent to a thousand platinum in circulation, 10 gralats only buys you 1 platinum piece. You buy a beefy sword, whatever, it's way faster than mining.
Conversely, say a server where money's poorly controlled - old Classic - has a million gelats, and there's only a thousand gralats in circulation. One Global Gralat is then worth a Thousand Classic Gelats - instant fortune there. So you can slash bushes forever on Classic hoping in vain to get rich, or you can mine for a little while on Kingdoms hoping the same, or you can send Graal a little money and jump ahead.

My only concern - Gold Upgrades better get a fair ammount of Gralats, otherwise you're paying to get in, paying yearly for access to the Good Servers, then paying for items on same - three tollbooths just to get an IWD scroll.

I concur!

[excaliber7388]

If you were able to have both the global currency, and your own on your server (like many have gralats and event coins) that'd be fine.
But do you really think hackers won't take advantage of this?
One thing that would be cool would be being able to exchange the gralats for money then. There'd have to be an exchange rate, and it would have to favor Graalonline,but it would allow for 'businesses' to be set up and actually make money.
Personally, I like the current system, however, this isn't so bad of an idea.

[petro1212]

Originally Posted by excaliber7388

But do you really think hackers won't take advantage of this?

If you fear hacking, than just burn your modem... most thing's can be hacked but you can atleast make it secured enough so that no one would even want to attempt such a thing.

Originally Posted by excaliber7388

One thing that would be cool would be being able to exchange the gralats for money then. There'd have to be an exchange rate, and it would have to favor Graalonline,but it would allow for 'businesses' to be set up and actually make money.

The idea isn't exactly like that, exhchange rates would just end up in the favour of the people that are addicted to graal and spend their every dime on it. Not to mention that it could ruine other gameplay aspects on servers.

You can use the coins to buy non interputive weapons/items/skills, some of these will be nerfed so that you also have to use a local currency. (See Kingdom example)

Most important remains that you only offer items that cannot drasticly effect gameplay or ruine economies.



Graal Kingdoms example,

Cute Pet
You could buy a cute fury companion for 1 Euro, these pets have a randomized lifespan (up to a year?) and increase the owners mining abilaties.

Sword of Bhaal
A rare sword with some nice stat boosts and a cool light effect
Price 1 Euro and 20,000 Plat (no idea how much that is)
(You sell the "interuptive" weapon for a reasonably medium high price combined with a the global currency)

Potion Pack
A pack of healing potions for 0.5 Euro's

Guild Castle Voucher
Same concept as player house.. but much bigger (10 Euro's?)
On Graal kingdoms you turn in the voucher and an npc will "build" the castle for you if you bring him certain matterials and pay him some local currency

Christmas Furniture Set
For the price of 2 Euro's and some local currency you will get:
1x Christmas themed table
6x Christmas themed ornaments
1x Christmas themed carpet

[Tyhm]

Concern - Paypal's fees on Small Transactions are (I hear) prohibitive enough to make it not worth bothering: Charge someone $0.25, Paypal takes $0.20; charge someone $5, Paypal takes $0.50. Is that even true? *shrugs* I don't generally pay that much attention to Paypal, so.

I still like the idea of it just trading in for local currency. So your options for gaining currency are - work in the real world, pay Graal some of your real money, get Graal money as though you'd been mining that whole time -or- Mine on Graal for hours and hours, get Graal money as though you'd just donated $1. Yes, the entire currency system would have to be completely overhauled on all participating servers to ensure nobody can Just Hack that they found $50 worth of Gralats under a bush, but other than that, not gonna throw off the economy...people won't be considerably richer just because there's a new "job" on Graal, not any more than they were when bread started selling well on Kingdoms. It's like buying a VIP Pass and getting Free Stuff on Kingdoms, only more direct.

An important detail I'd like to see: People who have upgraded to VIP in the past get some free Gralats to jumpstart the economy.