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Thursday, March 23, 2006
Roma Victor
I got an e-mail with a press release from Red Bedlam, makers of Roma Victor. It is always nice if some PR guys thinks that I am "press", thus I'm always blogging these press releases, which is obviously what the PR guy wanted. The whole public relations business is about flattering people into spreading the news about your product. And it works! :)
The press release is about a particular form of "ban" for a player who was found guilty of ganking other players: virtual crucifixion for one week. I'm not sure how it works, but I guess his avatar is visible to everybody nailed to a cross, whether he is online or not. And if he *is* online, he sees himself nailed to the cross and can't move or do anything for a week. Temporary bans in MMORPGs is a good idea, some "crimes" are just not serious enough to deserve a permanent ban for the player.
Roman Victor will officially launch on July 1st 2006, and as you might have guessed is a MMORPG with a Roman theme. As the FAQ is dated 2001, you can see that the game has been long in the making. Roma Victor has a new Virtual Economics Revenue Model (called VERM), which is similar to the Doubloons Oceans of Puzzle Pirates: You buy an account for £20, and get virtual currency worth £10. From then on the game is "free", there is no monthly fee. But you will most likely find that while playing you don't earn enough virtual currency (sesterces) to pay for all the nice virtual stuff you want to have. Then you can buy sesterces directly from the game company.
I think that this is in principle a good concept, we'll have to see how it works out in practice. It means that when you don't play, you don't need to cancel your account, you aren't billed anything. And if you play, you can choose how much money you want to pay for it. If you want to have the nicest possible gear, without earning it yourself, you can have it, but it will cost you cold hard cash, which then enables the game company to pay for their servers etc.
I don't know if I'm going to try this. Roma Victor has free-for-all PvP, with the possibility of robbing somebodies stuff, a concept of which I am not in favor. Just like EVE Online, there are safe zones, like Rome itself or Londinium, where a heavy presence of police forces prevents players getting ganked. But I'm an explorer at heart, and don't like being forced to stay behind walls to avoid being griefed and robbed. Of course if you love free-for-all PvP, this might just be the right game for you.
- posted by Tobold @ 12:49 PM Permanent Link
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does this mean one can pay $20 upfront,
get very nice gear and then gank all people to get a nice revenue, hence not having to pay anymore???
get very nice gear and then gank all people to get a nice revenue, hence not having to pay anymore???
# posted by 
: 23/3/06 13:35
: 23/3/06 13:35
Yes.
Only that every other player in the game is going to have the same idea, and you might end up getting ganked and robbed more often than you gank and rob others. :)
Only that every other player in the game is going to have the same idea, and you might end up getting ganked and robbed more often than you gank and rob others. :)
Not good. I'm assuming that somewhere in the EULA, they'll have to disclaim responsibility for lost or stolen cash, but that might not fly. It's one thing if the game's policy is no RMT so that anyone who loses something they bought in a rollback or because of their own idiocy has no legal recourse--they can try, but the terms spelled it out.
On the other hand, I could make the argument that as the service is owned and operated by the sellers of virtual cash and equipment, if that equipment or money is stolen in game, destroyed, or otherwise lost, that the operator of the game did not take sufficient measures to protect my property. The agreement would also have to be carefully written to indicate that payments for in-game items can't be taken back out of the system (if I am banned or quit, I might want to take my investment with me). I don't put anything past a slimy lawyer and the right U.S. court, despite a tightly written EULA.
KOL's donation system seems enlightened by comparison: you donate and get a prize back, not dissimilar from the funding model that public and educational television systems use in the U.S.
On the other hand, I could make the argument that as the service is owned and operated by the sellers of virtual cash and equipment, if that equipment or money is stolen in game, destroyed, or otherwise lost, that the operator of the game did not take sufficient measures to protect my property. The agreement would also have to be carefully written to indicate that payments for in-game items can't be taken back out of the system (if I am banned or quit, I might want to take my investment with me). I don't put anything past a slimy lawyer and the right U.S. court, despite a tightly written EULA.
KOL's donation system seems enlightened by comparison: you donate and get a prize back, not dissimilar from the funding model that public and educational television systems use in the U.S.
# posted by : 23/3/06 16:42
: 23/3/06 16:42
According to their FAQ they claim that risking your cash in PvP combat is a bit like gambling on long odds in a casino. If you lose, it is your own responsibility.
Something very similar is the drafting tournaments in Magic the Gathering Online, which have become the most visited part of that game. It is basically online gambling, just that you play for "boosters" of cards. The winners win enough boosters to keep them playing for free, or even profit. The losers have to buy boosters from the company to keep on trying.
If these companies get in trouble with the law, it is more likely to be for allowing illegal online gambling without a license, and making it available to minors.
Something very similar is the drafting tournaments in Magic the Gathering Online, which have become the most visited part of that game. It is basically online gambling, just that you play for "boosters" of cards. The winners win enough boosters to keep them playing for free, or even profit. The losers have to buy boosters from the company to keep on trying.
If these companies get in trouble with the law, it is more likely to be for allowing illegal online gambling without a license, and making it available to minors.
Free-for-all PvP with permanent item loss on a PC death? No thanks! Not for me.
# posted by : 24/3/06 14:46
: 24/3/06 14:46
"Does this mean one can pay $20 up front, get very nice gear and then gank all people to get a nice revenue, hence not have to pay anymore??"
One of the differences between RV and other MMORPGs, is there are no "Uber-sword of lightning death". Just, a Gladius, a short sword, a round shield. The gear you get is just as accessable to anyone else. Now you might use that money to hire guards (better keep paying them, or they'll look for work else where), hire someone to build you a nice villa, etc. But dont expect someone with no combat expierence and good equipment to beat a vet with a loin cloth and a knife every time. ;)
"Safe Zones" in RV are relative. The streets of Londonium are safe compaired to the middle of nowhere, but you can still be killed. When a PC is killed by another PC, they drop one of their equiped items, the others are hit with a big decay penality, and they go to elysium. If you've led a life of relative boredom, your trip through the afterlife will be very quick. However if you're the guy that's been killing whole cities, expect to take quite awhile longer to get back to the land of the living.
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One of the differences between RV and other MMORPGs, is there are no "Uber-sword of lightning death". Just, a Gladius, a short sword, a round shield. The gear you get is just as accessable to anyone else. Now you might use that money to hire guards (better keep paying them, or they'll look for work else where), hire someone to build you a nice villa, etc. But dont expect someone with no combat expierence and good equipment to beat a vet with a loin cloth and a knife every time. ;)
"Safe Zones" in RV are relative. The streets of Londonium are safe compaired to the middle of nowhere, but you can still be killed. When a PC is killed by another PC, they drop one of their equiped items, the others are hit with a big decay penality, and they go to elysium. If you've led a life of relative boredom, your trip through the afterlife will be very quick. However if you're the guy that's been killing whole cities, expect to take quite awhile longer to get back to the land of the living.
# posted by : 13/6/06 03:18
: 13/6/06 03:18<< Home
