There are two types of TFW players: those who spend money on the game and those that don't.

1) Let's take a look at those who don't spend money on the game. It is very possible to play this game for "free". Take WrathofGods as an example: As he will gladly tell you, he hasn't spent a dime of real money on this game, but earns power in the EC, gold in the weekly tournaments, and slowly, piece by piece, trades power for the cards he wants to build a better and better deck. He's built a very competitive deck without spending a dime of real money.

2) For those of us who have spent money on the game, we have done so in one of two ways: a) buying gold and/or starter decks from the developers, or b) buying gold and/or cards from other players.


Let's think about all the time and, yes, money that the developers have put into this game. We enjoy playing the game. We benefit from their hard work.

How do you all feel about the fact that with option 1 and with option 2b, the developers don't receive any of our money for their work?

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Altren wrote:

I agree with Keyser, and that's what I'm planning to implement actually.

|| The Rise of the DCC | Plasmatium Netherious | Tastes Like Chicken | The Astridian Conspiracy ||

Guild -> | Platypus Rising|

Gamers:

It is great that people can play for free. WrathofGods has great skillZ, and his patience has been rewarded with a very good deck. Somewhere along the line though, if you really like the game, players need to start supporting the designers by spending a few bucks here and there. Most people don't want to work for pennies. Keep the dream alive by parting with some moola. It will make the world a better place!

Once you have a great deck it does not matter how you got it. Time is money. I did not want to battle a gazillion times and have to treat the game like work to get a decent army up and running. That is just me. There is more than one path to enlightenment.

Chillaxin,

DarkJello

P.S. Main point = spend money to improve our world/planet/species.

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Ad astra per alia porci!$!

I'm not entirely sure what it is that you want us to think about, Keyser. I'm also not sure why you put 'free' within quotation marks under your (1).

The game is advertised as free to play. You find that stated on the website where it says "Play now for Free!". If people play for free and legitimately participate in in-game events that give you gold if you are good (and lucky) enough, then I can't see why there is anything wrong with that. In fact, I think that is positively intended since it sends a message to new players along the lines of 'You can be good at this game and get good cards without paying any real money for it'.

There are countless games out there offering the same kind of model: Free to play with an in-game store. An essential part of that model is obviously that there is an incentive to buy stuff from the store for real money so that the developers can make a living out of their product. In TFW this model is probably not working as of yet since there are not enough players. It is, perhaps, too easy to gain gold from EC, ladder and leagues. Imagine that there were, say, 100 people online at all times. It is unlikely that the same people would be at the top of the ladder each week (unless, of course, they abuse the system, as so many have done and still continue to do). Thus they would not be able to make great decks from just playing ladder. At any rate, they would not be able to do so within a fairly short space of time.

What I am trying to say, I guess, is that I don't think that there is anything special or awkward or weird that we have to think about when it comes to a player who does great without spending any money. The problem lies elsewhere and, I believe, once again comes down to the small player base.

Now, I do have a feeling that I've missed something here and maybe my post is off the mark. Sorry in advance if that is the case.

Voices,
You didn't miss anything, nor are you off the mark. I did not write this post with the intention of leaning people to one side or the other. I wrote it to create a discussion and see what people thought, as it was and is something that I wonder about myself.

Yes, the game is advertised as being free, and yes, it can be played for free. And kudos to those that decide to not spend a dime of real money on the game. Also, kudos to those that do decide to spend money on the game.

Like DJ said, he spent money, because he didn't want to take the hours upon hours upon hours it would take to earn the power/gold. I chose to do the same. Players like WoGs have taken the free route.

I don't believe there is anything inherently wrong in either choice. Apologies if my post came across differently?

_________________

Altren wrote:

I agree with Keyser, and that's what I'm planning to implement actually.

|| The Rise of the DCC | Plasmatium Netherious | Tastes Like Chicken | The Astridian Conspiracy ||

Guild -> | Platypus Rising|

i noted the economic bias towards easy gold (been bz for 2 weeks, no gold gained since...)
and is among the reasons i joined, as i may get an early boost.

I think this site should consider alternative revenues, like shirts and what not, that will boost profits. It helps

Took me one or two hours almost daily for like 2 months to get nice, deadly deck (via, ehm, new characters to play ladder few more weeks. I am bad, I know... sticked with a single one as soon as I got like 500g from ladder tho.) - which earned me enough Gold in Minor Clashes to start my 1st Domain. Continued to win some more Power which let me buy more boosters there.. and start also in the next one.. (By then my payment finally got through to Doiron and so I got 1k gold from him.. but I was already with a decent deck (another, as the 1st one was almost completely nerfed not long after I made it..)

The game is about fun, I suppose. I enjoyed it at these days, when I was starting.. and I was looking for having a good deck. Finally with it.. well,I am sure you know the feeling, it's better to work for something hard, than to get it for 'free'..

Of course, I see the other side, then jed and others (?) need to live from something.. so thanks Keyser and others, who in fact are allowing me to play this great game