Forums » General Pantheon Discussion

Pair of Sprinter's Boots

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    • 999 posts
    January 25, 2015 5:15 PM PST

    All the discussion lately on subscription models, cash shops, premium content, etc. has got me thinking about the elephant in the room that is already being offered, but has not been addressed in any of the threads that I've seen.  I wanted to title it Pantheon's already existing cash shop, but I didn't want to invite vitriol or trolling - so I titled the thread on what I feel is the most Game Breaking within the already existing shop.

     

    In the pledge subscriptions, there are the following "Cash Shop" type items:

     

    1.   Illusion Clicky at $45 - Explorer Pledge

     

    2.  Explorer's Backpack at $75 - Founder Pledge

     

    3.  Tunic of the Planes at $85 - Warder Pledge

     

    4.  Astral Guide Pet at $100 - Knight Pledge

     

    5.  Ring of the Fallen at $120 - Cartographer Pledge

     

    And then, in the Shop itself, we have the following:

     

    1.  Pair of Sprinter's Boots - $30

     

    2.  Wand of Random Illusions - $35

     

    3.  Extra Bank Vault - $30

     

    4.  Backpack Expander - $30

     

    Now, Pantheon has claimed to not be Pay to Win, and arguably, most of these items could be said they they won't give a significant advantage and are comestic (Tunic/Ring may or may not be depending on stats); however, I think having the Pair of Sprinter's Boots being available at launch is majorly gamebreaking and it can't be argued otherwise.

     

    Could you imagine a significant portion of EQ starting with journeyman boots from day 1?  You would have signicant less deaths , less meaningful travel, and it would make tactics such as kiting, etc. much more effective.  Plus, obtaining an item such as Jboots is one of the game/class defining moments. 

     

    I understand that the Pantheon development team needs to make money and many most likely have already bought these boots, but I would highly advise to change any non-cosmetic item prior to launch and replace/refund the bought boots accordingly.

     

    If a pair of Sprinter Boots were being kept as a reward, I only see three ways that the boots can remain and not be deal breaking:

     

    1.  They should be a reward at the $10,000 Ascendant Category because they are "that" gamebreaking and there would only be a few, if any, that would have them at launch and arguably, they most definitely earned them at that point.

     

    2.  Make the boots a limited number of charges - such as 10.

     

    3.  Make the boots required level 50 (or whatever max level is) or there is a quest available at 50 that can remove the required level so after experiencing the world once, alts at level 1 could use. 

     

    Curious to hear everyone's thoughts


    This post was edited by Raidan at January 30, 2015 10:06 PM PST
    • 208 posts
    January 25, 2015 6:34 PM PST

    I am of the opinion that these items would be quest rewards in game. Maybe allow the items to be given in addition to a level appropriate quest item for those that have them as a gift from pledge levels.  I am picturing that the head racial banker would give the quest to increase the bank slots/inventory of the player in the game at a pre-determined level.  I would rather that instead of the actual items being given/bought in the shop that you are buying the right/ability of a quest to get that specific reward.  If you do not ever do the quest you do not get the reward.  That may not work but that is what I was picturing in my head as an outsider looking in.  Each item would have a specific quest giver for each race and give the player a certain amount of time to start the quest at the appropriate level.

    • 9115 posts
    January 25, 2015 6:41 PM PST

    I tend to agree with you here in that they were introduced to help fund the game but were probably not thought out very well since the type of game we are making goes against things like speed boots etc.

    I personally would like to see them removed. Since the description is "Put a pep in your step as you travel the dangerous lands of Pantheon" they have not - to my knowledge - been given stats or a bonus yet so we could release them with only a minor impact and restrict them to limit abuse, again that is something we will need to work out going forward but thanks for bringing this up Raidan, I will put it to the team and see what we can come up with.


    This post was edited by VR-Mod1 at January 29, 2015 7:55 AM PST
    • 311 posts
    January 25, 2015 6:52 PM PST

    I agree they should not be game changers. Otherwise we are to a little extend p2w. I am purple to see this game to fruition and have a chance at alpha and beta which could be considered game change too. But we do need testers and a good game so maybe the boots and ring and cape be aesthetic or what a mob or named mob might drop that others can get too with same stats not name. 

    • VR Staff
    • 176 posts
    January 25, 2015 7:26 PM PST
    Raidan said:

    All the discussion lately on subscription models, cash shops, premium content, etc. has got me thinking about the elephant in the room that is already being offered, but has not been addressed in any of the threads that I've seen.  I wanted to title it Pantheon's already existing cash shop, but I didn't want to invite vitriol or trolling - so I titled the thread on what I feel is the most Game Breaking within the already existing shop.

     

    In the pledge subscriptions, there are the following "Cash Shop" type items:

     

    1.   Illusion Clicky at $45 - Explorer Pledge

     

    2.  Explorer's Backpack at $75 - Founder Pledge

     

    3.  Tunic of the Planes at $85 - Warder Pledge

     

    4.  Astral Guide Pet at $100 - Knight Pledge

     

    5.  Ring of the Fallen at $120 - Cartographer Pledge

     

    And then, in the Shop itself, we have the following:

     

    1.  Pair of Sprinter's Boots - $30

     

    2.  Wand of Random Illusions - $35

     

    3.  Extra Bank Vault - $30

     

    4.  Backpack Expander - $30

     

    Now, Pantheon has claimed to not be Pay to Win, and arguably, most of these items could be said they they won't give a significant advantage and are comestic (Tunic/Ring may or may not be depending on stats); however, I think having the Pair of Sprinter's Boots being available at launch is majorly gamebreaking and it can't be argued otherwise.

     

    Could you imagine a significant portion of EQ starting with journeyman boots from day 1?  You would have signicant less deaths , less meaningful travel, and it would make tactics such as kiting, etc. much more effective.  Plus, obtaining an item such as Jboots is one of the game/class defining moments. 

     

    I understand that the Pantheon development team needs to make money and many most likely have already bought these boots, but I would highly advise to change any non-cosmetic item prior to launch and replace/refund the bought boots accordingly.

     

    If a pair of Sprinter Boots were being kept as a reward, I only see three ways that the boots can remain and not be deal breaking:

     

    1.  They should be a reward at the $10,000 Ascendant Category because they are "that" gamebreaking and there would only be a few, if any, that would have them at launch and arguably, they most definitely earned them at that point.

     

    2.  Make the boots a limited number of charges - such as 10.

     

    3.  Make the boots required level 50 (or whatever max level is) or there is a quest available at 50 that can remove the required level so after experiencing the world once, alts at level 1 could use. 

     

    Curious to hear everyone's thoughts


    I'm not sure who populated the store/pledges with these items as it was before my time here, and honestly I've not perused it very thoroughly until now. But rest assured, anything offered there that even hints at trivializing any aspect of the game we are laboring to create will be removed or heavily diminished in effect.

     

    I agree that Sprinting Boots have no place as a reward without extreme boundaries in potency/effect, and in my opinion should not be available at all. I would rather irk a few people by removing them from this "shop" than risk trivializing Pantheon's gameplay in any way.

     

    We will be working through this internally, thanks for the heads up Raidan.


    This post was edited by Joppa at January 29, 2015 7:56 AM PST
    • 999 posts
    January 25, 2015 7:39 PM PST
    Yeah - I figured there would already be a lot purchased Kilsin. Appreciate you guys looking into it.

    I know a lot of people purchased thinking they would be jboots-like, but I thought of another idea in addition to those previously mentioned that might be a middle-ground.

    A mechanic could be implemented that removes the speed buff in combat or if damage is taken etc. That way, they could still assist with fast travel out of combat, but couldn't be abused within it. Maybe have a timer set as well that you have to be out of combat for x minutes so they can't be abused for pulls either.

    I like Sogotp's idea of it unlocking a potential questline too - though I would hope it would be at least level 25+ for the boots.
    • 999 posts
    January 25, 2015 7:48 PM PST


    Appreciate the reply Joppa - definitely puts some fears to rest that I've had since the Kickstarter.


    This post was edited by Raidan at January 26, 2015 2:08 PM PST
    • 9115 posts
    January 25, 2015 7:48 PM PST

    I personally like the idea of removing them and putting a J-Boots style quest line in game around mid to end game for some fun and for old times sake but not making the boots too fast, just a very minor boost to be convenient but not game breaking, using combat/damage to restrict them would be a good idea too.

     

    I don't like the idea of selling anything with stats or boosts on it whether it's in game or externally. We want Pantheon to be challenging so I assure you we will not let it become pay to win under any circumstances.

    • 208 posts
    January 25, 2015 7:54 PM PST

    I like of the idea of giving them limited uses.. Give them a max usage of 3 times per day...  If any kind of damage is done to the wearer then the effect is lost.  Make it so they are strictly useable outside. I am thinking of the run the druid port in Kunark to Old Seb.. these boots would have been very nice to have for that run and I do not think it would hurt the game at all if you limit the useage and the benefits of the items that have been bought/sold..  I still like the idea of selling the right to quest for the items int eh shop rather than getting the item out right..

    • 724 posts
    January 26, 2015 12:06 AM PST

    Maybe give the people who bought them a quest item instead which they can use in the quest (if it is one). So instead of step a, step b, step c, turn in they would only have to do the last step or only the final turn in. And of course take the boots out of the shop now. Yeah, still a "kind of" cheat but maybe the fairest solution.

     


    This post was edited by Sarim at January 26, 2015 2:08 PM PST
    • 453 posts
    January 26, 2015 2:30 AM PST

    Perhaps the sprinters boots could be like a few items that existed in VG where the speed buff does not stack with any other speed buffs. This means that when it is on by itself it would do the bit of extra speed, but if someone cast SoW on you or other speed buffs, it would become useless. Also, having the buff itself be only a small amount like 5-7% maybe would be a good idea . 

     

    Others have mentioned good ideas too, like take them out of the shop all together, or offer a Jboots type quest to those who buy them, etc. 

    • 610 posts
    January 26, 2015 2:35 AM PST
    Joppa said:
    Raidan said:

    All the discussion lately on subscription models, cash shops, premium content, etc. has got me thinking about the elephant in the room that is already being offered, but has not been addressed in any of the threads that I've seen.  I wanted to title it Pantheon's already existing cash shop, but I didn't want to invite vitriol or trolling - so I titled the thread on what I feel is the most Game Breaking within the already existing shop.

     

    In the pledge subscriptions, there are the following "Cash Shop" type items:

     

    1.   Illusion Clicky at $45 - Explorer Pledge

     

    2.  Explorer's Backpack at $75 - Founder Pledge

     

    3.  Tunic of the Planes at $85 - Warder Pledge

     

    4.  Astral Guide Pet at $100 - Knight Pledge

     

    5.  Ring of the Fallen at $120 - Cartographer Pledge

     

    And then, in the Shop itself, we have the following:

     

    1.  Pair of Sprinter's Boots - $30

     

    2.  Wand of Random Illusions - $35

     

    3.  Extra Bank Vault - $30

     

    4.  Backpack Expander - $30

     

    Now, Pantheon has claimed to not be Pay to Win, and arguably, most of these items could be said they they won't give a significant advantage and are comestic (Tunic/Ring may or may not be depending on stats); however, I think having the Pair of Sprinter's Boots being available at launch is majorly gamebreaking and it can't be argued otherwise.

     

    Could you imagine a significant portion of EQ starting with journeyman boots from day 1?  You would have signicant less deaths , less meaningful travel, and it would make tactics such as kiting, etc. much more effective.  Plus, obtaining an item such as Jboots is one of the game/class defining moments. 

     

    I understand that the Pantheon development team needs to make money and many most likely have already bought these boots, but I would highly advise to change any non-cosmetic item prior to launch and replace/refund the bought boots accordingly.

     

    If a pair of Sprinter Boots were being kept as a reward, I only see three ways that the boots can remain and not be deal breaking:

     

    1.  They should be a reward at the $10,000 Ascendant Category because they are "that" gamebreaking and there would only be a few, if any, that would have them at launch and arguably, they most definitely earned them at that point.

     

    2.  Make the boots a limited number of charges - such as 10.

     

    3.  Make the boots required level 50 (or whatever max level is) or there is a quest available at 50 that can remove the required level so after experiencing the world once, alts at level 1 could use. 

     

    Curious to hear everyone's thoughts


    I'm not sure who populated the store/pledges with these items as it was before my time here, and honestly I've not perused it very thoroughly until now. But rest assured, anything offered there that even hints at trivializing any aspect of the game we are laboring to create will be removed or heavily diminished in effect. I agree that Sprinting Boots have no place as a reward without extreme boundaries in potency/effect, and in my opinion should not be available at all. I would rather irk a few people by removing them from this "shop" than risk trivializing Pantheon's gameplay in any way. We will be working through this internally, thanks for the heads up Raidan.

     

     

    Joppa just wanted to say a thank you for having the "cajones" to make the statement that you would rather remove them and irk a few people instead of leaving a game breaking item in game just so some dont get upset. Get rid of any and all in game for sale item...offer out of game items instead

    • 999 posts
    January 26, 2015 3:05 AM PST
    Sevens said:

    Joppa just wanted to say a thank you for having the "cajones" to make the statement that you would rather remove them and irk a few people instead of leaving a game breaking item in game just so some dont get upset. Get rid of any and all in game for sale item...offer out of game items instead

    I also want to say thanks for having the "Cajones" Joppa as Sevens appropriately stated.  It just reinforces that the right development team is in place to make Pantheon's Vision a reality and to make the difficult choices where necessary. 

    • 366 posts
    January 26, 2015 4:37 AM PST

    I agree with Raidan(OP) post about his concerns over the ala carte items.  I never liked the fact that they were introduced.  I did not buy any of the a la cart items for the record.  But.....what is done is done.

     

    My knee-jerk reaction was that I did not feel that they should be removed because a promise is a promise  and you do not want to set a precedent of breaking promises. Now that I though about it,  refunds could be given out, it is still early enough and I would be okay with that, because the game is still so far away. If it is explained that no - in game items purchased with real money are ever going to be in Pantheon - I think people would respect that. 

     

    If the boots remain on the shop. please make them accessible to everyone in game.  There should not be a reason why someone paid x-amount of money and now they have an in-game advantage. But make the way to get it challenging (worth the 30$)

     

    There was never an in-depth description of what those boots actually were. So the dev team has plenty of control over them. Put limits on them.  Not usable in combat, like Raidan mentioned.  I suggest a cooldown and timer on use. 

     

    I feel that this should be the last time in-game items of any nature are sold.  This is not the type of game for it. This game is better than that :)


    This post was edited by Zarriya at January 30, 2015 10:10 PM PST
    • 308 posts
    January 26, 2015 4:57 AM PST

    Personally, i think it should be removed from the shop from this point on, but i think it's setting a bad precedent and quite frankly unfair to folks whose money has helped get Pantheon this far.  Before anyone chimes in that my post is self-serving, it's not; i have neither purchased these nor do i have any intention of purchasing them.  So, unless you plan on returning the money for these items, which were purchased in good faith, honor their purchase.  Give them their boots and then build a quest for the rest of us who didn't specifically contribute for these items at a higher level later on.  Yeah these items will be helpful to players, just like the money they brought in for development was to the team, but none of these items, or all of them combined unless the tunic and ring scale all the way to higher/max level, are particularly game breaking.  Most of  us liken these boots to EQ's Jboots,  don't make them like Jboots but rather like Tboots and then make a Jboot quest for higher level players to work for.  Yes, they items will offer some ease of play at lower levels and the boots will probably have the longest lifespan.  But saying these items remotely resemble pay to win is silly, it's not like Neverwinter where you can buy astral diamonds and then use those to buy rare weapons, armor, jewelry, etc. which are the best gear for their level in the game from a vendor in game. 

    • 9115 posts
    January 26, 2015 5:48 AM PST
    Reht said:

    Personally, i think it should be removed from the shop from this point on, but i think it's setting a bad precedent and quite frankly unfair to folks whose money has helped get Pantheon this far.  Before anyone chimes in that my post is self-serving, it's not; i have neither purchased these nor do i have any intention of purchasing them.  So, unless you plan on returning the money for these items, which were purchased in good faith, honor their purchase.  Give them their boots and then build a quest for the rest of us who didn't specifically contribute for these items at a higher level later on.  Yeah these items will be helpful to players, just like the money they brought in for development was to the team, but none of these items, or all of them combined unless the tunic and ring scale all the way to higher/max level, are particularly game breaking.  Most of  us liken these boots to EQ's Jboots,  don't make them like Jboots but rather like Tboots and then make a Jboot quest for higher level players to work for.  Yes, they items will offer some ease of play at lower levels and the boots will probably have the longest lifespan.  But saying these items remotely resemble pay to win is silly, it's not like Neverwinter where you can buy astral diamonds and then use those to buy rare weapons, armor, jewelry, etc. which are the best gear for their level in the game from a vendor in game. 

    Reht,

    We would never go ahead and remove something that people have paid for without first working out a way to either refund them or transfer that payment to another product, whether it be towards a pledge, a subscription or something entirely different but that would be between VRI and the customer. We have not sold many at all so now is a great time to fix this issue.

     

    The "Pay to Win" argument is being brought up because Pantheon is being designed to have immersive travel and journeys with no easy road to travel, being able to run faster than others even in PvE can have negative results, for example, kiting or beating someone to a mob/boss/spawn etc and especially when there is talk of PvP servers being implemented which could have big "Pay to Win" issues with a direct advantage over other players and it would divide the community. We do not want anything sold from the store to give any player an advantage over others in game, period.

    I appreciate your concern though and rest assured we are currently discussing this internally and we will let you all know when we have decided on a solution for this problem.


    This post was edited by VR-Mod1 at January 29, 2015 7:59 AM PST
    • 308 posts
    January 26, 2015 7:23 AM PST

    i have an idea as to how the boots could stay in game and not be P2W

    give the clicky buff on the boots limits. here are the proposed limits

    1. the buff is the same as the highest low tier run buff, in eq i think its 35% speed

    2. the buff goes away with any offensive action

    3. the buff goes away if you take any damage

    4. the buff lasts 3 mins and the Cooldown is 5 mins

     

    then a jboot type quest can still be put in and useful, the boots do not help with combat, and the help with travel is limited as i doubt anyone will be doin the Leeroy Jenkins run across any decent sized zone in 3 mins.

    • 9115 posts
    January 26, 2015 7:28 AM PST
    Gawd said:

    i have an idea as to how the boots could stay in game and not be P2W

    give the clicky buff on the boots limits. here are the proposed limits

    1. the buff is the same as the highest low tier run buff, in eq i think its 35% speed

    2. the buff goes away with any offensive action

    3. the buff goes away if you take any damage

    4. the buff lasts 3 mins and the Cooldown is 5 mins

     

    then a jboot type quest can still be put in and useful, the boots do not help with combat, and the help with travel is limited as i doubt anyone will be doin the Leeroy Jenkins run across any decent sized zone in 3 mins.

    This is still allowing someone to buy an advantage, no matter how small, and bypass an in game mechanic or quest to get the same result, which equals "Pay to Win".

    I appreciate the idea's and suggestions though and as I posted above, we are discussing this with the team and will make a decision shortly, when we do we will let you all know.

    • 999 posts
    January 26, 2015 7:45 AM PST
    Reht said:

    Personally, i think it should be removed from the shop from this point on, but i think it's setting a bad precedent and quite frankly unfair to folks whose money has helped get Pantheon this far.  Before anyone chimes in that my post is self-serving, it's not; i have neither purchased these nor do i have any intention of purchasing them.  So, unless you plan on returning the money for these items, which were purchased in good faith, honor their purchase.  Give them their boots and then build a quest for the rest of us who didn't specifically contribute for these items at a higher level later on.  Yeah these items will be helpful to players, just like the money they brought in for development was to the team, but none of these items, or all of them combined unless the tunic and ring scale all the way to higher/max level, are particularly game breaking.  Most of  us liken these boots to EQ's Jboots,  don't make them like Jboots but rather like Tboots and then make a Jboot quest for higher level players to work for.  Yes, they items will offer some ease of play at lower levels and the boots will probably have the longest lifespan.  But saying these items remotely resemble pay to win is silly, it's not like Neverwinter where you can buy astral diamonds and then use those to buy rare weapons, armor, jewelry, etc. which are the best gear for their level in the game from a vendor in game. 


    I don't think it's unfair to remove the purchased boots if the game is still at least 2 years from release as any number of options originally promised in development could change (and have changed) since all of us have originally pledged our money.  What would be unfair and unethical would be to not refund, apply the money to an existing pledge, award a couple months of game time, or another option that would be equal to the $30.  It is known that Pantheon wants to go back to the "Old School" challenging gaming with no cash shop etc.; however, it's hypocritical to say that, then have people who have purchased speed (and possibly stat) enhancing gear from a cash shop prior to the launch of the game for crowdfunding efforts.

     

    Jboots or Tboots are absolutely pay to win - they would be arguably more beneficial than any item at launch, especially if you are a soloer.  An item that could directly result in less deaths and a lesser challenge is pay to win (Kilsin clarifies nicely).   In early EQ, jboots were one of the most important twink items outside of a Planar/Dragon weapon or a HP regen item like a Rubicite tunic (or Fungi tunic after Kunark). 

     

    I see what you mean about setting the bad precedent; however, if someone has bought the boots already and has listened to the developer podcasts, etc., they should understand that the boots don't fall in line with the vision from the development team.  And a personal message/e-mail stating, "We appreciate your contribution in support of Pantheon's development, but the Sprinter's Boots do not fall in line with Pantheon's vision of creating a challenging, immersive environment.  Instead, we are offering the following options, A, B, C, D and again thanks for your support."  Further, if the person can't be reached, the message could say something like, "If we do not hear a response within 90 days, your payment for the Sprinter's Boots will be automatically applied to a pledge and should you return and wish to change this option, you can choose X, Y or Z."

     

    It's definitely not a best case scenario, but I feel that if all are truly trying to support this "niche" game, which has been presented as old school and challenging since the Kickstarter, would understand and appreciate an unfair advantage bought through a cash shop not being available at launch.

    • 409 posts
    January 26, 2015 7:50 AM PST

     

    Talk of PVP itself is frightening enough, but at least folks with green screen names are being serious about the pay to win potential of speed boots.

    Kudos on that.

    Ideas for getting rid of them and making any existing owners feeling whole:

    1) when actual boots like that are introduced into the game via quest, either let the existing owners skip the quest, or give their boots some really cool graphic that only they can get.

    2) When/if mounts are added, owners of the store boots get a mount graphic only they can get, like a flaming pegasus or something.

    3) Give the owners one or two crazy huge bags right out of the gate.

    4) 3 months free subscription to offset cost.

    etc.

    Something not P2W, but still cool enough that the folks who get the reward ostensibly taken away get made whole and can feel like the devs didn't just pimp slap them with a "whoops, that was not working as intended" nerf.

    But in a Brad-immersive-Vision(tm) game, microtrans speed boots = bad, bad, and more bad.

    • 999 posts
    January 26, 2015 7:50 AM PST

    Another middle-ground option considering they are called "Sprinter's Boots" is to have the boots create a Sprint Type effect similar to WoW and restrict it to out of combat.

     

    1.  25 second sprint / 5 minute cooldown (25% Runspeed Increase)

    2.  Have to be used out of combat

    3.  Buff becomes removed if damage is taken

     

    Still would obviously provide some unintended advantages - especially in PvP, but it would mitigate most of the possible PvE advantages that Jboots give.

     


    This post was edited by Raidan at January 26, 2015 2:09 PM PST
    • VR Staff
    • 176 posts
    January 26, 2015 8:09 AM PST
    Reht said:

    Personally, i think it should be removed from the shop from this point on, but i think it's setting a bad precedent and quite frankly unfair to folks whose money has helped get Pantheon this far.  Before anyone chimes in that my post is self-serving, it's not; i have neither purchased these nor do i have any intention of purchasing them.  So, unless you plan on returning the money for these items, which were purchased in good faith, honor their purchase.  Give them their boots and then build a quest for the rest of us who didn't specifically contribute for these items at a higher level later on.  Yeah these items will be helpful to players, just like the money they brought in for development was to the team, but none of these items, or all of them combined unless the tunic and ring scale all the way to higher/max level, are particularly game breaking.  Most of  us liken these boots to EQ's Jboots,  don't make them like Jboots but rather like Tboots and then make a Jboot quest for higher level players to work for.  Yes, they items will offer some ease of play at lower levels and the boots will probably have the longest lifespan.  But saying these items remotely resemble pay to win is silly, it's not like Neverwinter where you can buy astral diamonds and then use those to buy rare weapons, armor, jewelry, etc. which are the best gear for their level in the game from a vendor in game. 

     

    Thanks Reht, and I hear you. There is always a message, intended or not, attached to decisions in game development, and I think that's what you're challenging us to be sensitive to and I appreciate that.

     

    I certainly think there is a way to leave the boots in-game, and allow the people who purchased them in good faith to ultimately receive their item, but tweak the boots (and the backpack expander, and the bank vault, etc.) heavily enough to apply adequately minimal or controlled gains as to not be an issue. This will also promote the continued good faith that we want our community to have in us as a team. 

     

    My ultimate point in my initial response was to put emphasis on how seriously we are taking the development of this game, down to every last system. We want movement speed to really matter. We want illusions to really matter, etc. So we will be making sure to tweak any of these novelty items to an extent where they don't affect these meaningful systems in any way.

     

    I also think taking a hard look at the shop/pledge rewards is very important right now. I want to honor the good faith of those who have previously purchased these pledges/items, but I foresee those items being removed in the imminent future to deter future purchasing.

     

    I don't like thinking of myself as a volunteer and I don't let my teams think that way either. We're here to make a magnificent game, not a novelty one. I want people to invest in us on the merit of our vision, our passion and our discernible progress. I don't want to compromise that by giving out in-game items 2+ years out from launch just to bring in a bit more money.

     

    Back to your point Reht, I'm not meaning to go overboard on these items because I agree they are ultimately not that big of a deal, and they can be iterated in a very manageable way. I'm simply taking this opportunity to make some of our paradigms clear. Thanks again for the feedback. 

    • VR Staff
    • 176 posts
    January 26, 2015 8:18 AM PST

    Btw, I also appreciate the think-tanking in this thread when it comes to the design of this item and how to mitigate its potency. Great work!

    • 409 posts
    January 26, 2015 10:58 AM PST

    @Joppa - kudos. It's commentary like yours that gives me the faith in P:RotF.

     

    Like you said, if even the small community here including the devs are discussing the "seriousness" of microtrans speed increasing boots, then at least everyone seems on the same page with the McQuaid Vision (tm). That alone is inspiring.

    • 432 posts
    January 26, 2015 11:02 AM PST
    Kilsin said:


    We would never go ahead and remove something that people have paid for without first working out a way to either refund them or transfer that payment to another product ... We have not sold many at all so now is a great time to fix this issue.

     

    This.

    My first question I asked myself when I found this thread was "Is that a problem at all ? How many actually bought it ?"

    10 ? 30 ?

    It takes 10 minutes to send a mail to all these people asking them what they would like knowing that these boots will have nothing to do with j boots.

    Then remove the thing from the shop to avoid misunderstandings.