A new name

[Rainflush]

It occurred to me that perhaps the P99 staff could charge a fee (say 10000p, for example) for renaming characters. The money paid for the service would be deleted to combat inflation. This would also work well for those buying new accounts, because they could personalize those characters in that regard (not that I necessarily condone trading accounts but that's something else altogether). There may be some pejorative consequences to this idea that I've failed to consider, though I thought I'd make a post about it anyway.

What do you think then?

[Slave]

Well, no. Then there's nothing to stop someone from acting like a total dick, because consequences for your actions would be basically nonexistent as long as you didn't incur a ban.

[mostbitter]

a name earns a reputation that is priceless and this is a stupid idea because of that

[bonehand]

Funny that in a game where you can have many names, a concern exists over changing a name. I would support the 10K to name change...even other changes such as sex, race would be good money sinks.

[guineapig]

Money sinks are good for the economy and the game could definitely use more of them.
Name change would definitely be a hot topic for debate though.

[Samoht]

even other changes such as sex, race would be good money sinks.

not race. there are exp penalties associated with race. imagine i create a halfling warrior to get the exp bonus and then at level 60 switch to an ogre.

and don't even get started on updating faction for the new race...

[Korisek]

not race. there are exp penalties associated with race. imagine i create a halfling warrior to get the exp bonus and then at level 60 switch to an ogre.

and don't even get started on updating faction for the new race...

Agree. There are a lot of cosmetic changes you can do for money sinks that would work -- armor appearance, weapon appearance, auras, sex, titles -- but race would not, because it is not solely cosmetic in this game.

[Kabilos]

You also have to look at what would any of the dev team get out of doing this? More work for nothing. It's not like they are selling PP and making anything off of it. And the second you start donating for special features you run into the legal issue of them taking money for SOE's product.

Very slippery slope that we are approaching here.

It would not be worth it to the Dev's or Coders to do this because there would be absolutely no benefit to them, it might draw some new players, but it may cause a whole slew of players to leave because this is not classic like and you turn this into EVERY other mmo out there. There's a reason were not playing those other MMO's. Reputation is EVERYTHING in this game, you know someone by their name, if you give that up.. it just would not be the same at all.

[Mcbard]

Money sinks are good for the economy and the game could definitely use more of them.
Name change would definitely be a hot topic for debate though.

I agree with both of these points!

TBH the largest money sink in the game for me at the moment is definitely potions. 10 charge port potions are around 3k a pop, and resist potions around 750. Having to carry all of these easily starts to add up, especially if you factor in the price of single charge gate potions that cost 1k. I had heard rumors of Lynuga being too common of a spawn, or the rate at which mallets are awarded being too high, which is also a fairly large money sink for most people/guilds. Unfortunately the current in game money sinks (potions/recharges) only seem to be utilized by a narrower crowd of people.

Something with a more broad scope that could be used by all players would be neat/handy however due to the very small community we have and the fact that reputation does matter on your current character (this is classic!) I don't think name changes are the best way to go about having a money sink. The MOST classic money sink I could thing of would be something similar to the Shadowhaven casino that was introduced on live (I can't remember if this was during Luclin or later) since it was actually introduced by Sony, albeit a little after the current period.

Edit: I just wanted to add that currently I'm not sure this is a big issue, because the amount of platinum in the system doesn't seem to be THAT crazy. Top items are selling for about what they were on live at the moment, and our economy hasn't really become stagnant yet (as I'm very sure it will a few years after Velious is released under the assumption this server becomes locked in that state) so prices fluctuate within pretty standard bounds that can be farmed by most all players. The top prices I remember things selling for on T-marr during Velious were SoDs and BoCs selling for around 500k a piece. That seems pretty on par with how top end raid items (CoFs/BCGs) sell around here, and then there are the lower tier items like Manastones/fungis/RBBs that are a bit cheaper. Longest edit ever.

[Murphy]

Let's keep it short and simple on the debate:

"Not Classic"

[Korisek]

And the second you start donating for special features you run into the legal issue of them taking money for SOE's product.

Your post brings up valid points, but this one doesn't particularly apply due to the fact that this topic has only been discussing platinum sinks, rather than real world money sinks.

[Samoht]

I just wanted to add that currently I'm not sure this is a big issue, because the amount of platinum in the system doesn't seem to be THAT crazy. Top items are selling for about what they were on live at the moment, and our economy hasn't really become stagnant yet (as I'm very sure it will a few years after Velious is released under the assumption this server becomes locked in that state) so prices fluctuate within pretty standard bounds that can be farmed by most all players. The top prices I remember things selling for on T-marr during Velious were SoDs and BoCs selling for around 500k a piece. That seems pretty on par with how top end raid items (CoFs/BCGs) sell around here, and then there are the lower tier items like Manastones/fungis/RBBs that are a bit cheaper. Longest edit ever.

No mention of FBSS at all. Is that because you know that it's price is being skewed and you don't want to admit it since that doesn't support your argument, or you don't know that its price is skewed because you didn't play classic?

[Extunarian]

Cultural smithing will help take plat out of the economy, and is classic.

Also, folks amassing huge amounts of platinum and then quitting or getting banned certainly plays a role.

I don't think this is necessary and I doubt enough people would even use the service enough to make a dent in the platinum supply.

[Mcbard]

No mention of FBSS at all. Is that because you know that it's price is being skewed and you don't want to admit it since that doesn't support your argument, or you don't know that its price is skewed because you didn't play classic?

What's a "price skew"? If you mean items cost more here then they did on live, well that's a terrible argument because prices varied from server to server on live, and while some are higher here (in your example FBSS), some are also lower then they were on live. I don't see how this affects the grand scheme of things.

I used the items I did to highlight the very top end of both markets as an example to gauge just how much platinum is floating around in relation to live. The fact that the cost of these items is virtually in sync with what I remember them going for on live tells me that the high end person at most probably is only willing to spend around 400-500k on an item max in either market. There will always be exceptions, and some items have had more offered on them due to rarity (see fungus staffs), but in general I think regardless of what's going on at lower price points, there simply isn't enough platinum on the server to facilitate the need for a money sink quite yet.

[Kabilos]

Your post brings up valid points, but this one doesn't particularly apply due to the fact that this topic has only been discussing platinum sinks, rather than real world money sinks.

The reason I mention it is because while a Plat sink does wonders for our community, it does nothing to negate the fact that the dev's would have to do additional work for nothing.

It's like your boss coming to you and saying, Hey congratulations on your new promotion, you get to do X and Y tasks and your still getting paid the same.

[mala]

the big money sink that sony introduced were mounts, i remember prices on high end items going crazy right around the time those were released. that of course wont happen on p99, but i think something along those lines would definitely help the economy a bit. name changing is something id be completely against though. the most important thing anyone has on p99 is their reputation, its not something that can be bought or sold (well i guess you just give money away or something), and it should always be that way

[Korisek]

The reason I mention it is because while a Plat sink does wonders for our community, it does nothing to negate the fact that the dev's would have to do additional work for nothing.

It's like your boss coming to you and saying, Hey congratulations on your new promotion, you get to do X and Y tasks and your still getting paid the same.

Yes, but we're not the bosses, and my time looking through the posts already up in several forums has shown that the devs have made plenty of vetoes on player suggestions or player demands, so in the case of this particular community it's more like an employee dropping a suggestion in the suggestion box, then other employees coming to the box to start debating/arguing with him about the suggestion, while the boss plays Angry Birds in his office at the opposite end of the building.

Basically what I'm saying is we don't need to worry about those particular concerns in suggestion threads precisely because the devs know what they can/will or cannot/will not do, and have had no problems telling their players so in the past.

[pickled_heretic]

in a game where trading accounts is allowed / encouraged by the staff, what is the point of caring about names?

some people wear their names as badges, some people throw them away on a whim. learn who is who and associate with the group you feel is superior.

[quido]

and resist potions around 750.

Who's gouging you? I'll sell you resist potions for 600 a stack! ;)

[citizen1080]

I support this idea.

[Diggles]

bob can buy out the money sink and just take your plat

[Kassel]

Guise merchant for 250k a pop

[Clever]

Guise merchant for 250k a pop

Yes.

[Mcbard]

Who's gouging you? I'll sell you resist potions for 600 a stack! ;)

Ha! My math was wrong it's 700 for 2 stacks, or 350pp for the 10 dosers! :P

[Naerron]

Name changes were def part of classic. I am Surprised no one has suggested this yet, but on live it was simple they just made a sticky on the boards of every name change. Rep sticks but you could still personalize the toon. Or I know on live a few of my mules became alts and were stuck with dumb names like Lodez. I also don't get the slippery slope legal argument as log as peeps arnt paying RL cash. I forget what server I think it's KMRA. But they have an in game npc that will do this for a fee. So the extra leg worked is solved minus updating the boards, but that can be as easy as copy and paste with logs kept from the in game npc.

[Samoht]

i recall that coming along later, like luclin or POP at least, not classic

[Kika Maslyaka]

not race. there are exp penalties associated with race. imagine i create a halfling warrior to get the exp bonus and then at level 60 switch to an ogre.

and don't even get started on updating faction for the new race...

the way faction tables work its same as if you were under illusion. So changing halfling to an ogre will get you exactly same BASE factions as if you were an ogre to begin with.

HOWEVER, it does creates an issue of - you could have never gotten faction X to Ally, cause you can only raise that faction with a quest, which requires at least Amiable to that faction to begin with, which is only available to halflings, so an ogre could never had that faction quest opportunity to begin with.

[Softcore PK]

I'd pay 10k to have my race changed to froglok!

[Rainflush]

Hrm, well perhaps when you paid to have your name changed (in platinum, of course), your previous names could be indelibly written into the personal blurb beneath your equipment in the inspect window, that way a character's reputation could not be effaced. I'm unsure if this particular method could be readily implemented, but you get the idea.

[Kika Maslyaka]

even if people who do change their names are publicly listed somewhere and even shown that name on inspect - only 1% of players will actually go as far as looking up this lists to make sure to know if someone they hate have recently changed their name. Which means a known dickhead/ninja/ks/trainer, will be safe and sound after name change, even if his old and new name is listed all over the internet for people to find.

Gender changes on other hand pretty harmless... Minus the broken hearts in in-game marriages :D