Expensive Gemstone

[Xcalibur]

I was bragging gemstone to a friend, telling him that it was Role master (best role playing game on dice and paper) within a world, with a lot of players...

He asked me how much it costs
12.95 us

If you want to have an house and some cool stuff, you gotta add 20 more dollars per months, and if you want to play within a small population and less whining people, it's 10 more.

We all know the price
With Paytoplay events, and GOD's weeding, who else think that simu is... exagerating his luck?

we aren't in 1992 anymore, 2003... MMORPG are really neat now, and can have all that gemstone has but WITH graphics, and damn less expensive...

gemstone, too expensive?

[Ramos]

The biggest drawback to Gemstone, as far as I'm concerned, is that they take themselves too seriously as a business. It leads to a lot of gripes from people who see themselves as customers rather than players. It leads to GM's sometimes acting like a Customer Service Representive following policy #43-C, subsection 2, rather than a tabletop GM telling players to knock it off.

One of the selling points for GSIV has been that GM's will be able to create a lot of new artifact-quality items that take advantage of the new engine and game mechanics. I fully expect the first round of these items to be released via a pay event, a la Foehn's Promise.

Of course, I've been premium since GS moved to the web, so maybe that makes me a hypocrite.

[Neildo]

The game isn't too expensive. Why? Because people continue to pay the price, in most cases more than normal (multiple accounts, etc), as well as new customers coming in. Now if a ton of people kept quitting daily because of the price, then it'd be a problem, but it's not.

- N

[Warriorbird]

New artifact quality things already have come out.

[Bobmuhthol]

The big difference that I always tell people is GemStone hasn't been ruined. One of the games I used to play was Dungeon Siege, then everyone went into their save files, altered everything, made them invincible, had 734385682346538765348 HP, and could kill anyone instantly. It got ruined fast. GemStone has been going for about 13 years now and it still hasn't been littered with bigger idiots than Warclaidhm. Plus it's on a network, so to speak, so you can't do a damn thing to the game yourself. Maybe if all the other games stop sucking, I'll quit GemStone. But until then, GemStone is the best game you can get.

[Bestatte]

Maybe if all the other games stopped sucking..

You must have an aweful lot of time on your hands, Bobmuthol, to have gone through all the trouble of researching "all the other games" on the internet. (I'm assuming you -do- mean just "all" those games on the internet, and not outside the net as well.)

I'll grant you, based on the dozens of games I've actually gone through the trouble of checking out, there were maybe a handful I'd consider worth playing.

Out of that handful, I've managed to find two games that exceeded my enjoyment of Gemstone. Out of those two, I've found the one I play now vastly outscores the other in almost all aspects, with very few exceptions.

So my own research is extremely limited, yet I was successful in finding two games that I would rate far superior to GemStoneIII. One of them is cheaper, and the other one is free. Imagine that.

[Xcalibur]

if gs was 12.95 period per month, i think it would be ok

But damn, you want a text house with text stuff, you gotta pay 20 bucks more (yeah you can have 10 more characters, aka mules)..

Their paytoplay events are a slap in the face, and with people playing as mule to get what you need is a reason ALONE to stop them, but they're so greedy.

What's the REAL reward to be a gm? if there's any?
I always thought that they had that special bank account that add 1 million per day... ebay?

[Neildo]

>>>>if gs was 12.95 period per month, i think it would be ok<<<<

It is.

>>>>But damn, you want a text house with text stuff, you gotta pay 20 bucks more (yeah you can have 10 more characters, aka mules)..<<<<

Being a premium member isn't required. A text house isn't required either. Hell, do me a favor and give me a list of people who actually USE their houses. Anything you get as a premium member, it's not required and is a very small bonus. Bigger lockers? It's not as if they get lockers period and basics don't. The extra character slots is nice and is one of the major reasons to go premium if you have multiple characters on an account. The one freebie alteration a year isn't imbalancing as people can get way more alters per year than that if they choose so. A free type-ahead? It's nice but not needed.

Personally I feel premium membership is a waste. But if you fall into one of the categories listed above, then go for it. But for the average one-character account and the like, don't do it.

>>>>Their paytoplay events are a slap in the face, and with people playing as mule to get what you need is a reason ALONE to stop them, but they're so greedy.<<<<

The price isn't really set to where it is because people will pay it, it's so less people will go to it. Well, part of the price is because people will pay it.. it's right there in the middle zone. But those pay events are special events for people that want to go to it. It's a bonus, not a requirement. Imagine if the whole game went to those special events, it would be horrible! No longer can you roleplay with the special NPCs, visit the merchant tents/wagons easier, and the like, people would overrun the whole area and it just wouldn't be fun. There goes your chances of getting picked for an alteration, there goes your chance of interacting with an NPC, there goes all your high chances of being able to have fun yourself. Yeah, it may suck that some people may not be able to go to pay events due to the price, but it's very well worth it. I sure as hell wouldn't want a thousand people crowding a fun place like that. Think of it like Disneyland in a way.


>>>>What's the REAL reward to be a gm? if there's any?
I always thought that they had that special bank account that add 1 million per day... ebay?<<<<

Little pay, free accounts, and in-game perks such as alterations, experience bonuses, unlimited type aheads, padding, weighting, etc etc. Depending on how much work they do and how many prize points they get to cash in for those bonuses, that's how much/little they get. Each bonus being different in requirements. A simple RPA or alteration would be more numerous and easier to get than padding.. which is somewhat restricted on the amount of padding vs armor enchant and such.

- N

[AnticorRifling]

I have two basic accounts. That's still less than buying a new video game a month. I play because I like alot of the people, the interaction, and the fact that there are many ways for it to keep being new. New critters, new areas, new weapons, etc. I mean new to me, not new releases to the public daily. When it stops having that I'll stop.

There's a reason you make fun of me for making a new character every couple weeks X, because I like making new characters heh. Only Anticor and maybe the rogue will get old. The other dozen or so I've had make it to 15 then get rerolled into some new crazy combination.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Bestatte
Maybe if all the other games stopped sucking..

You must have an aweful lot of time on your hands, Bobmuthol, to have gone through all the trouble of researching "all the other games" on the internet. (I'm assuming you -do- mean just "all" those games on the internet, and not outside the net as well.)

I'll grant you, based on the dozens of games I've actually gone through the trouble of checking out, there were maybe a handful I'd consider worth playing.

Out of that handful, I've managed to find two games that exceeded my enjoyment of Gemstone. Out of those two, I've found the one I play now vastly outscores the other in almost all aspects, with very few exceptions.

So my own research is extremely limited, yet I was successful in finding two games that I would rate far superior to GemStoneIII. One of them is cheaper, and the other one is free. Imagine that.

We know already Bestatte... no need to drum it into our heads any longer.

We know how much you despise Gemstone III and how much better Armageddon is. We know that Armageddon is the perfect game.

How is it that you continue to post on a Gemstone III message board simply to tell us that each week? Is the 12 people playing Armageddon getting bored with you and you need more recruits? Or are you simply working on commission to get Gemstone III people there?

While I've never had an issue with you in game or on the boards (I actually agree with most of that which you post), I generally dislike people that promote their own agendas on other game boards.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Xcalibur

we aren't in 1992 anymore, 2003... MMORPG are really neat now, and can have all that gemstone has but WITH graphics, and damn less expensive...

gemstone, too expensive?

I've yet to see a graphical game come close to Gemstone. When that game does come around someday for me.. perhaps you will have a point. Currently, Gemstone III is a game that I enjoy and have no problem paying my $35 a month for.

[Soulpieced]

How is it that you continue to post on a Gemstone III message board simply to tell us that each week?

Very interesting point. Sometimes I wonder why all these people who claim to have "Quit" Gemstone continue to post on a Gemstone III message board...

[CrystalTears]

I don't mind people promoting other games, as long as its in moderation... and in the other games folder. I don't play anymore simply because I play something else, however, I keep moderating/reading these boards because I still like Gemstone and want to stay updated on it in case I do want to come back, seeing as how it's still played by my fiance and some of my other friends.

Several people who read/post on these boards have quit and moved on, but there is still something that intrigues them to stay interested. I may try to encourage people to play my game too, but I wouldn't bash Gemstone to get it. If I wanted that, I wouldn't do it on these boards. I'd do it either privately, or again, on the other games folder.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by ElanthianSiren
I think people who have quit continue to post because they still see POTENTIAL in Gemstone. Even if you hate GS, you still have to admit, the game has a lot of potential. Actually, any game which has such a player base has potential just from the melting pot factor. The trick would be to figure out exactly how many accounts are duplicates, but we can't do that, so we live with that outlier.

I would imagine, since Bestatte's former player doesn't have an account anymore (I'm assuming here), the Unofficial Boards (which I know for a fact, are read by at least one staff member) are a good way to tell staff and players "what went wrong" with regard to her stay in GS and remind people that it still isn't fixed. Posting here (free) sure as hell beats posting your concerns on the official boards (12.95/month).


-Melissa

If in fact it was a "What went wrong" type post.. then fine. But it's not.

I grow irritated by all the "Gemstone sucks and this other game is way better" type posts. If it sucks so bad.. please do me a personal favor.. and post how great the other game is on their message board.

[Bestatte]

Strange how I haven't once posted that I despise GemstoneIII. And odd how I've continued to post some positive words about things I LIKE about Gemstone on a fairly regular basis. And isn't it interesting that the Gemstone Gems folder, which requires people to say only GOOD things about the game, was created by - who? Me? No kiddin!

What's even more ponderous is that YOU are the one who mentioned the game I play, and I was VERY careful not to. So who's doing the advertising for other games in the wrong thread, eh?

As for why I post when I don't play anymore, read ElanthianSiren's post. She sums it up nicely.

As for what my current hobby has or doesn't have, feel free to research it yourself. There are plenty of opportunities for you to do that, and discussion of the specifics of other games doesn't belong here in this folder. As you should know, since you're accusing me of violating that lovely little rule.


Originally posted by Parkbandit

We know already Bestatte... no need to drum it into our heads any longer.

We know how much you despise Gemstone III and how much better Armageddon is. We know that Armageddon is the perfect game.

How is it that you continue to post on a Gemstone III message board simply to tell us that each week? Is the 12 people playing Armageddon getting bored with you and you need more recruits? Or are you simply working on commission to get Gemstone III people there?

While I've never had an issue with you in game or on the boards (I actually agree with most of that which you post), I generally dislike people that promote their own agendas on other game boards.

[Parkbandit]

Don't confuse me with caring one bit about a rule you did or did not 'violate'. I'm just tired of people belittling a game I still enjoy while promoting their own self interests.

[CrystalTears]

You don't have to say you despise something to come across that way. But hey, you say you don't, then you probably don't. Maybe some people only remember the bad, but when you usually discuss how Gemstone isn't for you and other games are and no longer discuss what could bring you back to it, it comes off as though you're not for it at all.

[Gokkem]

Gemstone is too expensive. I play another mmorpg that's a flat $14.95/month and that gives you up to 9 characters per server. I'm guessing at least 10 different servers; 9 characters each .... do the math. Everyone gets the same amount of locker space and there is no premium/platinum. Everyone gets treated the same and gets the same customer service. I can have 2 accounts for less than the 1 premie account I had on GS. The price was one of my biggest complaints about GS. Even 2 standard accounts at $12.95 only gives you 2 characters for $26/month. That's ridiculous.

[Edited on 06-30-03 by Gokkem]

[Bestatte]

Anyway...

When I played GS, I never gave the cost all that much thought. Well except at the very beginning when it wasn't an "internet" game, and I was playing free through Prodigy til they changed the pricing structure. And then again when they left Prodigy and I had to pay for Prodigy AND for Gemstone.

But as far as pay-to-play games go, there's only one other that I enjoyed (I tried a few trial accounts in other pay-to-play games). Up until I discovered other games, I was a staunch supporter of GS, and in some ways I still am. I defend Simutronics vehemently on the Topmudsites forum and on the Mudconnector because as a business, they're pretty damned good at what they produce and it irks me no end to hear some of those "free is good, pay is evil" types trash what I consider to be a competent product.

Some of the upcoming changes sound very exciting, and I look forward to hear how they look when they're introduced live. I think, that given the genre (medieval text-based), the population size (massive), the demographics (mostly 18-30 with the minority on either side of the extremes), and the atmosphere (roleplay encouraged but not required, PK restricted but allowed), Gemstone -can- be well worth the cost. But only for those who prefer the criteria I set above.

My reason is that Gemstone is far more stable than a lot of these other games I've tried, with very few crashes (comparatively speaking). In addition, the layering of objects in the rooms is excellent and allows people to immerse themselves in the discovery of new (and ancient) things. The training system is unique (though I still think it's nutso to have to check into a hotel room to train), and the sheer variety of creatures with such different attack and defensive skills can give a hobbyist hours and hours of enjoyment every week.

All that for 20 bucks a month - as hobbies go, that's damned cheap. As muds go, it's outrageous. In summary, you have to balance what you want from a game, with what you're willing to offer in exchange for playing it. For many, GS is a virtual community of real people. In that sense, GS is priceless. I mean - look at the whole thing with 9/11 and how EVERYONE in the game banded together to make sure everyone was alright..and the emotions of those who gathered around people whose lives had been permanently changed for the worse as a result of that.

No other game has that kind of community, that I've seen. And again, it's that aspect of GS that makes it MORE than worth the monthly fee.

[Neildo]

>>>> I defend Simutronics vehemently on the Topmudsites forum and on the Mudconnector because as a business, they're pretty damned good at what they produce and it irks me no end to hear some of those "free is good, pay is evil" types trash what I consider to be a competent product.<<<<

Hehe, yeah, I still read those boards too, Jaz/Desh, and see ya support em. And yep, all the free vs pay posts are annoying as hell. :P

- N

[Xcalibur]

Originally posted by Neildo
>>>>
>>>>But damn, you want a text house with text stuff, you gotta pay 20 bucks more (yeah you can have 10 more characters, aka mules)..<<<<

Being a premium member isn't required. A text house isn't required either. Hell, do me a favor and give me a list of people who actually USE their houses. Anything you get as a premium member, it's not required and is a very small bonus. Bigger lockers? It's not as if they get lockers period and basics don't. The extra character slots is nice and is one of the major reasons to go premium if you have multiple characters on an account. The one freebie alteration a year isn't imbalancing as people can get way more alters per year than that if they choose so. A free type-ahead? It's nice but not needed.

- N

you said it...
being premium isn't required, but it's an option, you pay almost 3 times the amount of normal subscription to get a few useless options and the right to have an useless house...


Am i wrong to say that in the mmorpg game, gs is the most expensive? text-graphical-whatever?

[Edited on 7-1-2003 by Xcalibur]

[Bestatte]

I'm not positive on this, but I *think* Achaea is more expensive if you compare benefits to benefits.

In ordered to get certain skills and equipment, you have to buy them with real money. You could compare this with pay-per merchant events in Gemstone, sorta, even though it isn't really the same.

There's one game (might also be Achaea but I'm not sure) that you have to pay $50 after the trial period, and others that you have to buy software for AND pay a monthly fee, AND pay for software upgrades.

So is GS -the- most expensive? I don't think it is. I might be mistaken, you'd have to check the topmudsites listings on the top half dozen or so games to double check if you're interested. Threshold I think is one of them..Inferno is less expensive I know for sure so you can rule that one out. Materia Magica I think is a pay to play, and there are some that accept "donations" in exchange for in-game benefits that players don't normally get otherwise.

[Kurili]

Threshold you have to pay 50.00 after a trial, and for about anything extra you might want, including 'trains'

[Parkbandit]

The thing is... it's all based upon each individual user. It may be too expensive for me, but Billy down the street making a million a year thinks it's dirt cheap.

I still see 600-800 people a night on Gemstone.. so they've choosen a price point that they believe will make them a profit.

It's still alot cheaper than when I first started playing... so from where I look.. it's priced right.

[Warriorbird]

Worth it for the stability. I've played a ton of great free games. They all either A. vanish....or B. get stupid.