Lots of great questions in chat about subscriptions, and some answers too. Let's get some questions here so we can answer them and everyone can see. Plus, we can discuss!
Are the credits going to be useful for things other than clothes in the future? Also, what do the teleportation tokens do? And it seems like you can always play for free as long as you don't care about customizations or teleportation tokens or voting?
Aniloverl, re "If there are clothes that I did not buy with tokens (but I don't know if they are simply free or free for subscribers), the wardrobe says I own them so do I keep them even if I did not "Buy" them?"
I just went to check and saw that there is no indication of whether an item is totally free or just free for subscribers after you buy it (there is supposed to be; it is part of the design, but it looks like it never got implemented — it will be soon). Totally free (vs. subscriber-locked but free) items are distinguished in the store part (in the bottom half).
The totally free items you are able to keep regardless of subscription status. The ones which are subscriber-locked but free will eventually be removed after your subscription lapses.
DrSteve: (i) There is a thread about teleportation tokens which should answer your question. (ii) Credits will be useful for things other than clothes in the future — aside from buying teleportation tokens, we have not yet announced anything yet. (iii) You can always play for free, if you can do with the things which are paid :)
Stoot, could you make a Facebook application that serves only to buy things in Glitch? It doesn't need to be anything special, just something to get around the "Facebook Credits only on Facebook Apps" rule.
I read through the thread - forgive me if you feel like this has already been answered.
I'm absolutely interested in subscribing but my current-cy is short at the moment and may stay that way for a month or two (total career change on my part) - how long might I have to subscribe with the alpha/beta perks?
Here's my thought. While I applaud the attempt to not give subscribers any advantages in game-play over free players, it does make subscriptions less attractive. I'm going to get one just because I can afford it and want to show my support for a great game. However, if I was a new player coming into the game, I would see very little reason to pay for a subscription just to get some extra clothes or save myself the trouble of walking.
Here are some things that would make it worthwhile for me:
removal (or increase) of daily caps on meditation/eating/quoins
learn skills faster (for example, you get better learning without having to learn it)
access to special subscriber only quests or areas (obviously 90% of areas/quests would still be available to all)
better tools that break less or are more efficient at mining, grinding, etc..
Yes, those do give in-game advantages, but the game is not really a competition. My having better tools or learning skills faster, doesn't diminish a free player's enjoyment of the game, does it?
Well then,if I understand the offers correctly,this is what I think we pay as long as we start our subscription before the launch:
1.50% off, i.e. 12months for the price of 6months;
2.subscription time does not start until the game launches;
3.but the benefits start right away,well,as soon as you've paid;
So,if I get an annual subscription today,I get the monthly credits starting today,but the actual subscription time of 1 year does not start until the game launches,which is rumoured to be 2 or 3 months from now,lets say it is August (for example),then my subscription would be good until August next year ~did I understand that correctly?
My other questions are:
a) At the moment, it says my current subscription ends on June 2nd,how/why June 2nd?
b) If we get a subscription,but then decide to upgrade,can we do that; and,if yes,which price do we pay for the difference,the special 50% off offer,or the full post launch price?
c) US Dollars or Canadian? ;}
and: +1 to what FrankenPaula and Cabinwood have said.
ScillyGirl5, as I understand it: you're already getting the benefits of a subscription as a beta tester, so there are no extra benefits that will be conferred upon you when you subscribe (you're just locking in the special price). I don't think the montly credits will begin until the game goes live. Anything else would 't make sense, as you would end up with more than 12 months of "free" credits. Your monthly credits and subscription begins whenever the game goes live (we don't know when that will be yet), and will expire 1 year from then.
June 2nd is a place-holder date, and that will be extended continuously until the game goes live, so just ignore it.
I don't know the answer to whether you would be able to pay the special price when you decide to upgrade, but I suspect that if you make that decision after the game goes live, you will have to pay the regular price. The advantage to paying now is that you are guaranteed the special rate--you are making an investment in your future game play, even though you aren't getting anything for it right now.
I am almost completely, utterly certain that all prices listed are in US dollars. I don't know how conversion would work exactly, but I presume your bank will handle that.
if you buy a subscription now, we'll start giving you the benefits right away (credits, tokens and votes. you'll start accruing them even though you can't use tokens and votes yet). we'll give you the monthly allowance every month until beta ends. at that point, we'll re-start the clock and you get *another* 12 monthly allowances. if beta ends in (for example) 2 months, you'd get 2 'extra' months of free credits/tokens/votes during beta, then the full 12 after beta.
ScillyGirl5, re "If we get a subscription,but then decide to upgrade,can we do that; and,if yes,which price do we pay for the difference,the special 50% off offer,or the full post launch price?" You will be able to upgrade (you can't yet, but we'll be adding it). And it will be based on the current price difference between the two tiers, not what we change it to in the future. Example: the price difference between Copper and Molybdenum is $35: that's what you'd pay to upgrade it now. And if you upgraded halfway between, it'd cost half that.
Hope these questions have NOT been asked if so I do apologize:
1. Are monthly credits carried over i.e. if not spent in the month will they be added to the next month then the next etc..........
2. Teleportation tokens are they carried over if not used in the month................
Thank you Tiny Speck for a 50% discount on full year subscription. I am anxious to click the Molybdenum subcription but hope if I do NOT use all my credits and or teleportaion credits in one month I am really hoping I do not loose them and that they will carry over and over as long as I am a paying subscriber (it allows one to save up for something special). I will await your reply again, Merci Thank you.
@PEKES... good question.... I subscribed at the Molybdenum level, but the only sure thing, from my read anyway, is that the votes accrue. But really, I'd be very surprised if the credits and teleports didn't as well. Still, would be nice to hear some confirmation of that.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I very much appreciate that.
The Dollar-question was somewhat tongue-in-cheek,but it may be an idea to specify $US,just to avoid any 'confusion'.
Speaking of money, I intend to get a membership,but I am a bit weary of putting in all the 'details' because of what happened at SOE. I understand there is no such thing as 'fool-proof',but how will TS handle (protect) my info?
PEKES: credits, vote and tokens all "roll over" (they don't expire in that month).
We have no current plans to let you give them to another player, but gifting clothing items is something we will add (and teleporting someone to you — with their permission, of course — is something under consideration).
ScillyGirl5: if you mean your credit card info, we not only don't store it, we don't even see it at all. We use Braintree, a "Level 1 PCI DSS compliant" payment service provider (mind-numbing info on PCI standards, if you are interested).
Thank you stoot, that was a hard question for me to ask,and I hope you know my question was not directed at you,or any of you guys personally, and I hope you understand, I had to ask that question? and: Yes, I was one of the many people affected by that SOE fiasco,though I was able to close down my credit card before it got abused,but I can't help but feel,well, vulnerable.
I know you must have planned for security,but I needed to hear it. Thank you!
Oh Please...PayPal! am missing getting hi-heels....lol
and the full pink bunny suit...and the ballet slippers, both pink n black...and..and..and..
the black top hat..and the black velvet cowgirl hat....and the corsets...oh.oh. oh....
I have to admit...I would immediately pony up the annual subscription fee if the Glitch Gods gave us PayPal integration -- even by email payment as a work around....
I just wanted to thank you for the great beta break in pricing. As soon as you announced the subscription during the last test, I jumped right in. This thread is just the sort of thing that made me not even hesitate. Stoot, you and your team are so helpful, it just blows my mind!! That you're all out playing with us and helping us when we run into trouble, and getting emails from my bug reports... all that says how invested you all are in this game. And that means the world to me!!
I've had such fun in the game, and have complete faith that it's only going to get better. :-)
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer question and to take our suggestions into consideration. And I look forward to a lot of years in Glitch!!
I too wish to add my thank you for the opportunity for a greatly reduced rate. I received my invite Friday evening and only had two evenings to explore the world. I'll give the world another try with the next test, and will no doubt subscribe if I have as much fun the second time around as I had with my first visit. I was charmed by the world you folks have created and really appreciate the opportunity to try it out ahead of launch. Thank you so much.
3) We would like to accept Facebook credits, but we can't yet: they are only allowed for "apps on Facebook" at this point (ie., games/apps that run in a page on facebook's site). We are friends with many people at Facebook though and when they get around to support off of facebook.com, we will likely hook it up.
To solve the problem, you could run a Glitch Shop as a Facebook App.
Stoot, I very much appreciate how you and your team,communicate with and treat us,the customers.The fact you are all joining in, playing the game,and talking with us is especially good to see ~it says a lot about how you feel about the game and us,and that is not 'just another job'.
I am so glad to be part of this experience,and hope that my little contribution in the form of a membership helps to show this.
Well done! =)
Stoodt, so just to clarify, if we choose to upgrade during our first year, the upgrade price will be based on the 50% off beta discount (even if we decide to upgrade once the game is live)?
1. If I remain a "free" player will I be able to travel the entire world or will the areas be limited?
2. Hate to ask this one but if somehow this game does not last, would I get a refund on the remaining months for the game closing.
DrSteve: Yes — if you buy one of the current annual subscriptions, you will be able to upgrade it to a higher tier by paying the difference between the tiers, based on the current pricing. At some point (when there is not much time left in the year) we'll stop offering the upgrades.
Midnight1226 and Hburger: Who knows what the future holds?!
Thank you "staff" for addressing all these queries............... I guess one must have faith that all your hard work and our little contributions which will blossom into the awesome reality we all envision...........I personally believe the best of intentions and sincere hard work are being infused into "Glitch" , therefore, I for one, will journey along with the road with you and see it come to fruition. Thank you devs for you patience, devotion and caring. Merci
I was thinking of subscribing, but like many have said before I don't find the benefits useful for myself.
I think Tiny Speck should have the balls to charge for playing the game. That way I would be more than happy to pay for the suscription like I pay for my xbox games, you would have a more limited player base with maximum payoff (if every single player pays $30 to $90 a year sounds really profitable) and we would keep the servers in perfect condition.
And I truly believe that people will pay to play this game like they pay for WoW and other MMOs.
I hope Tiny Speck will stay true to their belief that this is a game for all no matter what their real life income is, That they hold true to subscriptions be a enhancement not in game advantage and that all who want to play this wonderful game can do so on an equal footing.
i dont agree that subscriptions should grant us a greater benefit, I want all my friends to experience this game in the same way I do both now and in the future.
Yaya and Faereluth — you two can argue about it then! ;)
Though we'll continue to add new things for subscribers and non-subscribers alike indefinitely, we have no plans to change the fundamental arrangement: the game will remain free-to-play and paid items will generally be restricted to visual differences.
The future can always end up different than the forecast, but we have so much left to do right now that we are not going to add a bunch of special work just to make subscriptions more attractive to those that don't want to buy what is currently on offer.
Ah, I just hope the level of your subscription won't be indicated by the hearts in the forums - it'd put more pressure on social status between players, sparking 'Molybdenum group!'s etc. :[
Is it sad that I only want a subscription for the clothes? The votes, the tokens, even the facial features and hair and eye colors I actually only use the nonsubscriber options. But the clothes. Those I can't live without! I need my furry boots, my cute colored denim, and adorable vnecks.