Topic

Subscription Concerns

So I am a player of a former MMOG that was shut down, much to the dismay of most users (some who are here now), so I have some concerns about signing up for a subscription.
First, the previous game site I played on was great in the beginning, but once it was made public (via the devil social network), it became almost unplayable.  The servers were overwhelmed with the number of players, slowing down or stopping game-play completely.  Also, many of the "new" players were young children and were just plain rude and obviously unsupervised.  There was a constant race for "resources" and things were stolen right out from under you.
There was a part of the game similar in many ways to Glitch's auction, that became completely obsolete, with so many players price gouging it made it impossible for "regular" players to make any money.  As time went on, I found myself playing less because it was just plain stressful every time I got on.  What happens if we go live and I find the world too crowded?  Of course I want Glitch to succeed, but at the same time I'm selfish as i like the ability to roam alone (like the gnome).
Another concern I have, is with Glitch itself, what other ideas do the devs have in mind?  I love all the quests and the huge world to roam in, but I have gotten so far in a very short time, I am afraid I will become bored.  Also, i would love to know if home decor will be an option, because that is a huge draw to me.  And with that, the options to purchase multiple homes would great.  (even if we have to use "credits" instead or a as fee for multiple homes-another site I play on offers 2nd homes for a fee and cost goes up exponentially for every home you purchase.  This keeps the overbuying to a minimum since real money is involved)
The subscription page states that cancellations made after 72 hours are non refundable...I'm confused as to whether we as beta testers are paying in full for the subscription or is it a monthly fee.  I understand we don't pay until the site goes live, however that puts us past the 72 hour mark. If I pay in full and once the site goes live I don't like it, then I think I am entitled to some money back.  If its a monthly fee, then I assume the auto withdraws would just end?
Finally, another person did post this, but I agree that the Tin subscription should offer some credits and teleport tokens per month.  Maybe only 25 credits & 1 token.  I understand that many people will be very interested in the voting option, but they should be able to reap the reward for what they voted on then (even if its a small reward).  I personally don't see a point in buying the tin level, as i would rather pay for credits as needed.

Maybe I should have posted this in "Ideas" instead, but I just wanted to see if others were concerned as well.  Thanks for any input.
This game has A LOT of potential and I love it so far (even with bugs) and I am very excited for what new things are to come.  I'm very glad i was given an opportunity to test this game and hope I will be here for a while!

Posted 16 months ago by Gadzooks Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • I think these are fair concerns.

    The first one can't really be addressed except by seeing what happens. TS has been very responsive to issues in the past but you never know what happens if the site becomes super swamped. (Scaleability with making new streets will help... but you never know.) If this is a concern to you, you should probably wait until you see how it pans out.

    The second point (about becoming bored). Well, yes. There are plenty of ideas that TS has hung out there as possible things they'll add. They have also said that launch is only one milestone and that won't freeze the game. But again, if you are concerned about this, than you should wait until you see that there is enough to entertain you in the future.

    The price on the subscriptions page is for one year. It is HALF of what they plan to have subscriptions cost after launch. As to refund, well, buying a subscription now is a risk. You are buying on spec. But that is part of the reason it is half off. You take the gamble, you reap the rewards or get screwed.

    The tin level is for people who want access to the subscriber only items but want to buy credits ala carte.

    As with all of this, if you have concerns that make you uncomfortable about buying now, don't. You can still play if you don't pay a dime. You may miss out on the discount but that's the risk.
    Posted 16 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

    To answer your question regarding cancellations, Beta testers are indeed paying for subscriptions in full. If you sign up during Beta, you get a 12-month subscription at a 6-month subscription rate. In addition, the subscription time doesn't start counting down until we launch. You're entitled to a full refund if you decide to change your mind within 72 hours of buying the subscription.

    As Lord Bacon-o said, it's a "risk" to subscribe, but not a bad one, we think:) We've only implemented a fraction of what Glitch will eventually become and there are many good things in the works. Judging by your first reactions, you’ll probably love playing with us whether you subscribe or not, but chances are that you’ll love it even more if you do.
    Posted 16 months ago by sugarQb Subscriber! | Permalink