Spiral Knights - Item expiry speculation thread

Item expiry speculation thread

12 replies [Last post]

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 01:56

Prizmat

Legacy Username

Recently, I began suspecting that OOO is going to introduce some kind of item expiry model, like making items break apart after 30-60 days or something similar. A less drastic method would be to make them lose heat over time and break at -5 levels or something, so that using them constantly would prevent losing them.

Main reasons that made me think that are (in this order):

- "Rose Regalia items never expire. Once equipped they are yours for as long as you wish." So, will other items expire? Why else would they specify that?

- Three Rings other game has expiring items already, I'm not sure how it works there, because I've never played Puzzle Pirates, so I'd be glad if someone cleared that out.

- We already have some expiring items e.g. the weapon and trinket slot expansions,

-And the last, smallest reason is Shoebox's post in this ( http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/5867 ) thread, where he says "I'm not going to give away any more than I have already, because all the rage it will ensue now could be entirely for nothing if they execute it properly". I hope he was talking about the Rose Regalia, but why would that ensue rage? The thing that would really make players rage is making their items expire.

I really hope that I'm just being paranoid :P , and there is nothing to worry about. Please share your thoughts about this.

And remember that is just a *speculation*, I'm not saying I'm certain.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 01:59

Hazel

Why else would they specify

Why else would they specify that?

Many games' event-only items expire after a while. Or, they could be planning to place holiday items in the game that expire at the end of the holiday. (Again, a model several free, and even P2P, MMO-style games employ.)

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 02:06

Dogrock

Quite simply, there was a

Quite simply, there was a costume event during the Preview Event over the Winter Holidays (the Holiday Cheer Update) with temporary items.

During this time the monsters all had cute little hats on and santa-hat helms dropped (they made it snow around you). To make sure that people would not be sporting these out of season they only lasted for about two weeks from the time you picked them up. Once the event was over the drop was disabled.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 02:12

Shoebox

PvP Crowns also expired, on a

PvP Crowns also expired, on a week to week basis. You would need to consistently win at PvP every week to keep your shiny crown.

But other than that, I wouldn't expect your actual items to expire, because then that means you can become naked.
And nobody wants to see that.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 02:19

Dogrock

Good thing I've always got my towel handy.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 02:20

Shoebox

A towel handy? Don't you get like, friction burn?

I don't even want to know why you always have a towel handy.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 02:22

Hazel

I'd think it was more for the

I'd think it was more for the after than the during, Shoebox.

...or, I'd at least hope it was.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 02:26

Dogrock

*sigh*

Gutterbrains

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 03:05

Trouser

Puzzle Pirates item expiry

"Three Rings other game has expiring items already, I'm not sure how it works there, because I've never played Puzzle Pirates, so I'd be glad if someone cleared that out."

Puzzle Pirates has items with a variety of expiration models. There are swords and budgeons to make fights somewhat easier, clothing which is purely decorative, and badges that are required for certain activities, all of which expire after some number of log-in days from purchase, typically 30. Nautical charts (which can be left on a ship to be used by more than one person) and labor badges (which allow a player to "work" for crafting shops even during offline hours) expire after a certain period of real time. Furniture items, with or without practical uses, only age on days in which they are moved around, so rearranging furniture gradually wears it out. Ships do not age, but can be sunk and lost forever along with all goods aboard in certain danger zones. There are also a few consumable items that change a pirate's hair, restore lost limbs, or teleport a pirate to any island. Most of these things require spending doubloons (the Puzzle Pirates micropayment currency) on doubloon oceans. There are also non-expiring items such as gift cards and exotic pets available.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 03:42

Prizmat

Legacy Username

"Quite simply, there was a

"Quite simply, there was a costume event during the Preview Event over the Winter Holidays (the Holiday Cheer Update) with temporary items."

Uff, that calmed me down a bit, you are probably right. Thanks for the response, and not calling me a conspiration theorist right away ;-)

+ for the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 05:46

#10

Algol-Sixty

You are never naked in Puzzle

You are never naked in Puzzle Pirates, if your clothes "dust", you get rags to wear instead. *IF* item expiry comes to SK, I would expect your proto equipment to never expire and if your main weapon/armor dust, the some other kind of equipment would automatically be installed along with a message saying so.

Trouserman did a great job of outlining the general types of item decay in puzzle pirates, but it is important to stress that most decay is by *log-in days*. Many casual/intermittent players have items that last 2 to 10 times as long as hard core players. Item decay does a very good job of creating a long-term demand for crowns (PoE in puzzle pirates) along with a long term demand for materials. There *are* complaints from players on a regular basis, or proposals to remove it, but those are generally from new players who aren't used to it. It seems to be well accepted by most players. If it was introduced here, I would expect a bunch of Hand-waving freak-outery (HWFO), but it would die down fairly quickly.

In SK, beside extra item slots that decay, your access to lower tiers on gates decay, since gates get cycled through every week (8 days?).

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 07:13

#11

Alpha

Item expiration? No plz.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 08:57

#12

FlashbackJon

Legacy Username

From a design perspective...

I can understand, at least, some of the value in item expiry as a means of causing resources to leave the system. However, the feeling generated in players by asking for "maintenance" is a terrible one, and developers are much better served by creating services and bonuses that players want and value as resource sinks, instead of paying to keep what they already own.

Obviously, item expiry on holiday and "ladder-type" items is fine.

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Item expiry speculation thread