Is Graal really going to be free to play? Well...

[WanDaMan]

Originally Posted by fowlplay4

The reason UC servers barely get any interest is because they barely produce anything of interest.

Allowing 'developers' to skip the 'working on the server' part to get on the list is just a giant cash grab in my eyes.

Yeah it is going to boost sales - but it would also bring new material to servers, introduce players to developing, get PWA involved more within the community to name a few.

I like the idea as it would bring competition to Graal amongst servers.

[fowlplay4]

Originally Posted by WanDaMan

Yeah it is going to boost sales - but it would also bring new material to servers, introduce players to developing, get PWA involved more within the community to name a few.

I like the idea as it would bring competition to Graal amongst servers.

Boosting sales does not mean it's going to make the development state of Graal any better nor do I feel that the Graal community should have to worry-about/suggest changes that would make Graal more profitable (we shouldn't need to run their business for them) and what not.

It would bring about as much competition as the recent Maloria did to Zodiac. none at all.

[kia345]

Originally Posted by WanDaMan

Yeah it is going to boost sales

At the cost of quality content. The people willing to pay for servers aren't always the most capable of managers, and the more capable ones will likely want to keep the private UC phase until they have a polished server - in which case, it would probably make it to the list regardless

introduce players to developing

This isn't necessarily a good thing. Graal depending purely on playermade content is part of the reason why it's slipping. Couple that with your suggestion: making people pay to give players more reason to pay for Graal, and that's going to deter some developers more than Graal already does.

In fact, I contend that Graal has too many playerworlds as it is. With so many servers spreading out the already small talent pool, none of them really see any progress in improving.

get PWA involved more within the community to name a few.

PWA obviously don't care about quality control (or else can't handle it), and the few times they step in currently have usually been rushed and considered bad decisions by all involved. They either need more stricter rules for themselves or to get more hands on with the current servers.

[WanDaMan]

Originally Posted by fowlplay4

It would bring about as much competition as the recent Maloria did to Zodiac. none at all.

You got scared for one minu..second, ADMIT IT!

Yes, but it also means a server with one talented scripter could create something never seen before on graal - his downfall is that he can't motivate anyone to work for him on graphics / levels so he has no chance in having an opportunity to go on the server list because of this set back.

[WanDaMan]

Originally Posted by kia345

At the cost of quality content. The people willing to pay for servers aren't always the most capable of managers, and the more capable ones will likely want to keep the private UC phase until they have a polished server - in which case, it would probably make it to the list regardless.

" Quality Content " - I haven't been around UN for about three years (properly), I highly doubt anything has changed or been heavily modified in this time. Actually, the last time I had a walk around they were developing some docks I'm now wondering if it's been finished... EDIT - Yes it has, looks good too!

I concur - which is why PWA would have to be more involved.

Originally Posted by kia345

This isn't necessarily a good thing. Graal depending purely on playermade content is part of the reason why it's slipping. Couple that with your suggestion: making people pay to give players more reason to pay for Graal, and that's going to deter some developers more than Graal already does.

In fact, I contend that Graal has too many playerworlds as it is. With so many servers spreading out the already small talent pool, none of them really see any progress in improving.

Developers will develop regardless whether or not the server got released because of its content or if they decided to pay to get online. They have no opportunity to improve when players don't log on them servers so my theory is that given the amount of interest at release will encourage players to have their own server and new developers will emerge because of this.

[sssssssssss]

Originally Posted by WanDaMan

Yeah, we buy to have access to these servers - I'm suggesting you check them out sometime; eventhough they haven't got much material it's still interesting to watch servers being developed. Check out Europa - it's got a lot of potential !!

I was saying if graal was free to play it would be ok, being if graal still charged for servers, since you posted "do you know how much it costs to have 100+ servers online". I was simply saying we mostly pay for most of them, im not saying that is a problem.

I've been on plenty of UC servers btw, and ran my own before more than 4 times so far...

I would agree that UC should be in some kind of list on the serverlist. Maybe not in plain sight, but somewhere so people who are interested can get on them. If the rules are broken then the rules are broken and those people who broke them should be subject to the punishment just like on any other server at all.

Anyways, basically what I'm saying is, I think I half ass agree with you at the least, its just Graal should be free to play regardless, with iphone, soon facebook and andriod revenue, along with people purchasing playerworlds. If that were to happen, people from those other platforms would, at least logistically, move to pc graal as well. IF that were to happen, you could even keep gold subscriptions, but only for kingdoms and zone and it would grow. Kinda would be easier if servers were merged too...

[kia345]

Originally Posted by WanDaMan

Developers will develop

If that were the case, why is this so true:

I haven't been around UN for about three years (properly), I highly doubt anything has changed or been heavily modified in this time.

Servers are lacking in good development as it is, and these are servers already pushed far enough down the road to have a suitable springboard for developers to both learn to improve their own skills and contribute to improving Graal. Allowing more servers on the list isn't going to suddenly inject developers with the morale to pump out something new and amazing. It'll just put more money in Eurocenter's pocket, and people will continuing playing Era and Zodiac.

[WanDaMan]

Originally Posted by kia345

If that were the case, why is this so true:

Servers are lacking in good development as it is, and these are servers already pushed far enough down the road to have a suitable springboard for developers to both learn to improve their own skills and contribute to improving Graal. Allowing more servers on the list isn't going to suddenly inject developers with the morale to pump out something new and amazing. It'll just put more money in Eurocenter's pocket, and people will continuing playing Era and Zodiac.

UN has already got so much content, these UC servers have nothing. The servers online at the moment are pretty much stagnant and unfortunately it's not giving anyone opportunitys to develop or introduce new blood as the managers have no ambition to progress any further and have became complacent with the content they have at the moment. These new servers would inspire players to jump on board and help when they start seeing content from other servers on a regular basis.

[kia345]

Originally Posted by WanDaMan

These new servers would inspire players to jump on board and help when they start seeing content from other servers on a regular basis.

They don't have to be on the playerlist for that. Just because they don't show up on the list of playable worlds (for good reason, they're not playable!) doesn't mean they're completely unknown. People who can develop will see hiring threads on these forums without low tier UC servers cluttering the playerworld list. People will get inspired to work on playerworlds so they'll eventually be able to get hired on UN and the like, as they do now - even if it is ultimately a waste of time on their part.

And not everyone on Graal is a developer, or even interested in developing. Multiple servers that are nothing but money farms for Eurocenter and places to draw new players into getting hired aren't going to be very good for the majority of the players, who will most likely want to stay on the already established servers that they've spent a lot of time on (playing; not developing). Which is why the PWA should be more dedicated to the servers we have now, and Graal as a whole should focus on them, rather trying to be something it's not (a dev. platform and not a game).

If anything (just spitballing here), heavily UC servers should be hosted on the owner's computer, that way Eurocenter can't ever pull the "gosh, it's so expensive to host everything!" card. The tools to actually host a UC server on the owner's own machine and allow Graal accounts to connect to it, those should cost money (gelats?). If the server's good enough and draws enough attention post-development, Eurocenter should be "purchasing" it from the owner (whether that's with gelats, money, or some other stipulation) to host themselves, or if the owners want to get it attention themselves, they should be purchasing a hosted playerworld slot. IF the former option was taken, then put the PWA on watch to make sure the server keeps doing what it did and changing management if need be.

[Rufus]

ITT: Overcomplicating things.