What would happen if OOO removed elevator energy costs altogether?
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:25
I've played Spiral Knights for a few months and absolutely love it. Creative artwork, nice gameplay, emphasis on skill over gear, awesome music, interesting weapons, etc.
The only thing that really bugs me about this game is the energy system, because it just feels so unnecessarily limiting. The Elevator Pass was fun, but I had to pay for it. So I wondered what would happen if OOO removed the energy cost of elevators altogether (meaning everyone gets a free permanent elevator pass). You'd still have to pay for CE, but you could ride elevators for free. Would this hurt the economy? I'm a total economics idiot so I kinda want some answers from people who know what they're talking about.
*I learned that the "well duh, infinite crowns destroy the economy" theory doesn't actually apply, because being able to ride elevators at no cost doesn't mean you have infinite time to play the game.
*Not making this a suggestion, I just want to know what would possibly happen if OOO made such a fundamental change.
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 07:57
#2
good to consider playing time
I don't know the answer, but I appreciate the fact that you consider playing time a finite resource. A lot of people, when attempting economic analyses of this game, ignore playing time. Playing time definitely has concrete in-game value, in addition to its psychological value to the player (enjoyment or tedium).
Here's an example. An experienced player with friends at FSC depth 23 can run FSC using 50 CE. He or she earns 8,000 crowns, 3 Almirian Seals, and materials. Even ignoring materials, this is enough loot to buy 150 CE. So the player turns 50 CE into 150 CE; the time spent running FSC is worth 100 CE. If elevators were free in this scenario, then the net profit would be 150 CE, rather than 100. The difference is sizable, but probably not economy-wrecking.
Here's another example. A less experienced, less connected player might use 80 CE to run all of the RJP tier, earning enough to buy about 80 CE. In the current system, there's little-to-no profit. But if elevators were free, then there would suddenly be a big profit. Given how common such players are, this might be economy-wrecking?
The numbers here are approximate, of course. And the distinction between ME and CE complicates such arguments a bit.
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 09:59
#3
Surprisingly...
It would only temporarily destroy the economy. As Metagenic and Bopp point out, it still costs CE to craft; we would just hit a different equilibrium where 100CE was worth maybe 10k or 15k- but life would go on.
Would it affect F2P newbies? Sure, they now face the daunting task of gathering enough crowns to craft better gear... but wait- they can run clockworks for free! In the end, it might actually be advisable to do away with elevator energy costs- what a lot of newbies dislike is the sudden, abrupt "ran-out-of-energy" wall when they first start SK. It might take them longer to reach 5* as F2P with CE being worth 15k per 100, but they will never be limited by an inability to play the game. Unfortunately, I don't see such a shift occurring because many people have paid for elevator passes, and OOO would be seriously screwing those people over.
On a side note, how about a steam/whatever promo like this: Sign up now and receive a FREE 1 week elevator pass! This would be a fantastic way to get some new players hooked.
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 11:22
#4
Convoluted wall of txt ftw
Would this not just transform into a mmorpg grindstyle game? Like, runescape. You can get everything, if you spent the time to grind for it.
Because currently, we can get all the gear in a reasonable amount of time. What if the only limiting factor is time? That would get pushed up higher, as more and more total hours is iinvestedby more players. Crowns/ce gets pushed up, increasing the amount of time you need to spend to obtain them.
Then it hits upon the problem of grindstyle games. They get tedious. This energy system makes people want to come back to finish, instead of commiting them to an equivalent amount of time as the energy system, including the time waited for energy regen.
For example: 22 hours to spend 200 energy, assuming you start with 100 and play again after reaching a full tank. Grindstyle, this turns to 22 hours of grinding for the same amount of reward. The total time spent playing grindstyle would be a huge amount, compared to the 1-2 hours on the energy system.
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:20
#5
Having played various other
Having played various other MMORPGs, especially City of Heroes, I can say that I would prefer Elevator costs remaining. MMO economies NEED plenty of money-sinks, to prevent horrendous inflation. CoH had practically no money sinks, so as more enemies were defeated, more money kept flowing into the system without going back out again, resulting in hilarious auction prices which were incredibly harsh on any newer player joining the game.
I think I prefer the energy system because it's a nice and convenient way to measure your time and take a break when it's appropriate. I just wish my brother did the same -_-