Suggestion: Different Slant on Purchasing BA (in General)

I have no idea if this has been explored so I will ask now.

I think it would be cool to be able to buy BA for USD. The catch here is that everyone on the game gets the BA purchased except for a small bonus given to the purchaser. That way, if someone starts the game and wants to catch up to the higher PR's they could pay Jonathan for BA and gain more exp and PR in a shorter amount of time. It would also allow players that untrained all their exp to try out a new strat the option of getting back to their original PR quickly. Thoughts?

I have played games on other sites that do this and it works out nice for everyone.

Flame away! :P

so not only can USD spenders buy high NW (as if thats not enough) they will be able to purchase PR?

*cough* no thanks *cough*

You missed the part about everyone gets the purchased BA, so everyone benefits from the program.

you missed the part where if the bonus still results in more PR, then they are buying PR

so you want to speed up the game even more by letting everyone 'benefit' from usd?

And what if the higher PR characters will buy it too, then no one can catch them up.....I don't think it's a good idea.
Just my opinion ;)

Yes to both questions. Once all BA is used (which can be used in 5 mins or so at full BA) there is nothing to do but sit around and wait for BA to regen or go do something else. If this were an option, it would create more staying power on the game and yes, it would move the game along faster, but why is that a bad thing for anyone?

Odds are Skunk that you won't catch the high PR chars anyway, so that isn't really an argument.

so what happens to all those noobs who start a few months down the line of an extremely accelerated game....they are left miles behind without a chance

Steve G, that argument doesn't hold up because the same argument is valid now. There is no way that a person who starts now could catch up to the top PR's in the game. My suggestion would be to reset everyones PR each month so that your strat and items stay but you have to rebuild your character each month or maybe reset every quarter...

if thats the case i know i personally wouldnt play a game like that

Are you saying that you feel confident that you could start a brand new character with how the game is setup now and be able to catch the high PR characters in the game?

Just another note, this would and could be extremely useful for forgers and campers, it also would help clan members and just the normal fighter/player in increasing score/pr. I don't really see a downside to this suggestion, at least not from my point of view.

if i had about 20m NW into bow/melee weapon a CBF and a tattoo of my choice its definitely possible to get within a reasonable distance from them, with your only real chance being them to slow down or stop playing so much

anyone recall forg killa? lots of NW, started a month late and was a top10 char beating me till he sold to someone without the NW

Glory, it is entirely possible to start a new character and catch up to the high PR players.

IMHO, there is an overlooked point here, what if a slew (read: 5) characters ALL buy BA simultaneously? Every user in the game gets a sudden influx of several hundred BA and those users who happen to be online at the time can spend them first, and essentially get free regenerated BA that players who are offline and waiting for regeneration miss out on.
The 160 BA limit is there for a reason, and allowing this type of purchase could result in an unwanted excess of system-wide BA. Restricting the system-wide distribution of BA to the 160 cap just means that users who haven't played in 3 hours get stiffed on the freebie, and not restricting the distribution results in old players having possibly thousands of accumulated "free" BA.
Either way, the "communal" BA idea sounds good on the outside but rots the game from the inside.

-- Disclaimer: this post is the opinion of an opinionated player. I might not know what I'm talking about =)

Glory typed: this would and could be extremely useful for forgers and campers
For campers it will, but for forgers??? Forgers are forging for cash. Why should someone use USD to get $CB2?
And if someone is forging there own items. They could better buy CB2 with USD and do it in the BS then ;)
But for campers it is really great

CB2's newbie bonus is designed precisely to allow new players to catch up. Old-timers who start new characters don't get the same bonus, of course.

What's the point if everyone in the entire game gets the bonus, that's like saying "I've got an idea, how about I donate $1000 to Jon and we all get a ToE" or something.

If everyone in the entire game gets it, there's only a percieved bonus, but the bonus is poiontless because it's not giving you an edge over other players in any way.

you're right, that would be pointless, but that's not what she proposed

The whole point in my suggestion was to make it so there is more BA (turns) to spend throughout the day. I always log in, burn through BA (5 mins or so), check forums, close browser, come back in 3 hours and do it again. It would be nice to log in, buy some BA which benefits everyone, because if they already were at max BA they would not be getting BA additions automatically anyway. Play for a while longer than 5 to 10 mins. Anyway, I would think it would benefit Jonathan money wise, and ALL players with more turns, new players with their bonus would be able to gain exp even faster, making the pressure on high PR characters a little more than at the moment. Please remember people my suggestion is just that a suggestion, don't jump all over me because I have an idea. I truly think it would benefit the majority of players. I really did think through the idea before posting it. :P

I think it would be great to be able to buy BA whenever you want instead of just a limit of 480(for me) I know its different for higher PRs

Lets play a game. Whoever sends the most cash to me wins.

You claim that everybody benefits, but how are we supposed to log in every time the big USD spender comes along? What if Todd is in a different timezone from me? I'm automatically at a huge disadvantage.

This suggestion would destroy the last hint of fairness in the game. In CB1, even if you blew a load of USD in the game, if you had a serious lack of exp, you still couldn't be number one. This suggestion would change that.



By the ways, in CB1, Cheeze went through a ballistic pr growth and made it to top 10, even though he made a dozen or so characters before sticking with the single archer tank. And that was even without 'newbie bonus.'

Keep in mind the top few players have nobody bigger than them to attack.

Anyways.. why shouldn't the people who have been here the longest be number one? They're the ones who have put the most time into this game.

I don't really see a downside to this suggestion

you must be blind.

the game is pretty much about "who has the most USD$"

What if you put a cap on the amount of USD purchased BA? IMHO, the idea deserves a good look and has potential. It also could be a good revenue for Jonathan which he totally deserves. =)

Although the point of buying BA then everyone is also going to get it does suck. Why would I buy BA that is supposed to give me an edge, when everyone is going to get it too? =P

Hi,

Why don't you just use the cb2$ to buy ba? You can easily buy cb2$ with USD and then use it to get the ba, though there is a limit.

Ok, maybe I need to actually spell out a scenario to make some people understand this suggestion more clearly.

I use up all my BA and have a BA of 0. I then log out.

In the meantime, 2 or 3 people buy BA with usd.

I log in roughly 3 1/2 hours later (roughly the time to get to full BA).
I now have about 500 or so BA (depends on the BA to USD cost).

How does anyone not benefit from this scenario? Rather than having 160 BA, I have 500+/- BA to use. Offline players will also receive the purchased BA, they will just be over the 160 limit so, they will not get the regeneration BA given every 10 mins, which they wouldn't be receiving anyway because they are offline and have full BA.

If I am blind then please explain to me how I am and not just make a statement that I must be blind. If you are going to disagree with my idea, please look at it first of all from more than just your personal point of view. This idea was proposed to help the majority, not just people with USD to spend.

Anyway, maybe it is just me, but I think the idea would add a new dimension to the game, while benefiting almost everyone.

*Stops beating his dead horse*

;)

What happens to me when I'm spending my last 10 BA, and someone buys 500? I've just lost 150 BA compared to everyone else.

Or would this go into a seperate stash if you like of BA?

It would add to your total, so, if you had 10 and they bought 250, then you would have 260. It would not hurt anyone. I would be the same as if you bought 250 BA with cb2, but they benefit would go to everyone.

I like the idea but having it go into a different stash of ba even better. Most of the top players log in every 3 1/2 hours to burn there 160 BA and the problem with your idea is what if i just burned all 160 and then log out, but then 2min later someone buys 200 BA for all, now i don't get anymore BA because im over the 160 but players that were online at the time can burn the new 200 and still get more. Now what do you price it at 20 bucks for 200 BA for all and will that extra BA put a strain on the system.

I'd say that the extra use of BA would definitely put a much larger load on the system, but the extra cash that Jon receives should enable him to upgrade his system. That's assuming he would want to spend his cash on the system :p

"If I am blind then please explain to me how I am and not just make a statement that I must be blind."

I called you blind because you said you're plan was flawless, and it obviously isn't. I find it ironic that you're the one calling everybody else one-sided.

Here are just some of the flaws I could throw together in 4 min. I'm sure there are many more.
1. Demeans the game buy giving people with more USD not only a Networth advantage, but also a Power Rating advantage. If there is no 'advantage,' than why would people use this feature?
2. The reason why Jon isn't making CB2 money with a poof, and selling it straight to players should be obvious.
Buying BA with USD will pump so much CB2 money into the game that item prices will become so inflated, no newbie who doesn't spend USD has zero chance of getting an uber item. This would also cause a near official CB2:USD conversion rate, since buying BA with USD and fighting would always yield at least a certain amount of CB2.
3. Kinda goes with number 1, but.. Loss of Players, Jon can no longer claim 'Its possible to not spend USD and be number 1.' Or something along those lines.
4. Unfair to those on the other side of the planet from most of us and dont play CB2 at the same time as the big USD spenders.

Now before you continue calling me a narrow-minded freak who can't see anything from anybody else's perspective. I want you to give a viable counter to each of these arguments.

it didn't seem like glory was looking to start a fight
relax man

oh and also
1) people buy characters for USD already
2) i agree CB2$ shouldn't be made with a poof but USD$ can be turned into CB2$ even so.. buying BA with USD could follow a similar scale as buying BA already does.. making it cost prohibitive to buy BA at high PR
3) it's always possible even if it's not probable
4) you're always going to miss something by living somewhere.. it's probably a valid issue for lots of things, but i dont think it would a huge disadvantage in this case.. don't know since it doesn't exist.

maybe a limit on BA received from other people buying would correct some of the problems (per day per account)
and make the limit grow smaller as you grow
not sure i agree with adding something like this
but i think it could be interesting
and possibly generate deserved revenue

i dunno, just my 4 min of thoughts.

Ugh. spending way to much time on this post, but anyways.. just to argue with what you just said.

She was soo trying to pick a fight with me ;) you know its true!

1. People buy characters with higher pr, but they can't force you to sell yours. Meaning if some non-USD spender somehow makes it to the top, he can choose not to sell his character and retain the status.
2. USD can buy CB2 from other players, but can't pump outside CB2 into the game. No matter what the curve is, there you will still be able to gain a certain amount of CB2 no matter what PR you are.
3. No, its impossible. This example is an extreme exaggeration, but so your claim that this is impossible. Imagine an opposing character with 2x you're PR. For every str or dex point you add on, he adds on 2 EC points. For every point you pump into a defensive enchantment, he adds 2 points into dispell. Likewise for AMF/HP. This game is built around spells and counter spells, and so no matter what the opposing minion's networth is, if the PR gap is too large, you can still cause stalemate/victory.
4. Limiting the game to a certain time-zone of players would cut down the number of players. And more players ~ more supporters ~ more cash.

Jon, you said my example wasn't comparable to the proposal, this statement is what made me think that.

"You missed the part about everyone gets the purchased BA, so everyone benefits from the program."

Am I seeing something wrong here, or doesn't that fit my example exactly?

**I called you blind because you said you're plan was flawless, and it obviously isn't. I find it ironic that you're the one calling everybody else one-sided. **

I NEVER called this idea flawless. And I never personally insulted you or your post, I asked for you to point out the flaws you perceived in the idea itself.

**Here are just some of the flaws I could throw together in 4 min. I'm sure there are many more.
1. Demeans the game buy giving people with more USD not only a Networth advantage, but also a Power Rating advantage. If there is no 'advantage,' than why would people use this feature?
2. The reason why Jon isn't making CB2 money with a poof, and selling it straight to players should be obvious.
Buying BA with USD will pump so much CB2 money into the game that item prices will become so inflated, no newbie who doesn't spend USD has zero chance of getting an uber item. This would also cause a near official CB2:USD conversion rate, since buying BA with USD and fighting would always yield at least a certain amount of CB2.
3. Kinda goes with number 1, but.. Loss of Players, Jon can no longer claim 'Its possible to not spend USD and be number 1.' Or something along those lines.
4. Unfair to those on the other side of the planet from most of us and dont play CB2 at the same time as the big USD spenders.
**

1. The advantage that people with USD have is already in place, people already use USD for purchasing cb2, rares, characters, and forging. The benefit of buying BA with USD would be limited per user so as to not create too much advantage.
2. There would be an overall increase in cb2, so newbies would be able to get even more cb2 because they get a bonus and couple that with large amounts of BA and they have more cash to purchase items. It all evens out, economic principles will stay the same, the only thing increasing here is the amount of cb2 that players have access to, and that amount is a general increase across the board.
3. Jon can still make that claim, because all players will receive the purchased BA, I am only talking about 1% or so bonus to the purchaser.
4. That is a horrible argument, I could make the same argument now with no changes whatsoever. There is USD being spent by people all over the world already on the game.

Well, there are my refutes to your arguments. Don't make things so personal, I encourage those that challenge my ideas to do so.

I've played games where you can buy turns with USD. It ruins the game, plain and simple. If you had read the faq you might know that Jon doesn't want a USD run game. Those who would buy turns with USD would leave people in the dust who simply can't afford to but them. It could help people catch up to the high pr characters, but it also can make the high pr characters uncatchable (the more likely scenario). I've also played games that reset every month... that sucks too. I just don't think you realize how discouraging it is for players like me, in a town with a 10% unemployment rate, me being part of it, very little income, and unable to afford to buy things for the game, so you're stuck at the bottom in a video game, just like in real life, just because your town has no jobs. One HUGE reason I've stuck with cb for over a year like I have, is because I can be rich, and be one top, simply by being a bit crafty and smart. Chew on that a sec glory.

(sorry if somebody has said this crap, I got tired of reading it after about halfway through.)

Tequito, I too am feeling the unemployment woes. I think our town is right around 10% too.

**It all evens out, economic principles will stay the same, the only thing increasing here is the amount of cb2 that players have access to, and that amount is a general increase across the board. **

communism collapsed ;)

I don't really see a downside to this suggestion, at least not from my point of view.

Something without a downside is pretty much the same as flawless. Scroll up, I had posted 2 or 3 things of the 4 I pointed out in the posts above.

I felt annoyed by you're determined I'm right, you're wrong attitude.

As for the points, I could easily refute what you just said, but it would lead to a never ending conversation in which neither of us understands the other.

1. *The advantage that people with USD have is already in place, people already use USD for purchasing cb2, rares, characters, and forging. *
- But do we need to give THEM an even greater advantage to the point that anyone who does not have USD will NEVER want to play the game again? Besides, this reduction in the number of players would seriously devalue the CB2$ to the point that what you put in would never be recovered in any way shape or form.
2. *There would be an overall increase in cb2, so newbies would be able to get even more cb2 because they get a bonus and couple that with large amounts of BA and they have more cash to purchase items.*
- Less players
- More cash means even higher inflation
- Cash sinks are what is used to maintain balance in CB. If buying BA is so good, then everyone would buy BA everyday. This is used to help keep the economy in check
3. *Jon can still make that claim, because all players will receive the purchased BA, I am only talking about 1% or so bonus to the purchaser.*
- Unless you are an exceptional camper, or an exceptional strategist, you need USD to be the top player. On the other hand, being the best strategist (Myth) has its advantages and makes the game more interesting
4. *That is a horrible argument, I could make the same argument now with no changes whatsoever. There is USD being spent by people all over the world already on the game.*
- I live in New Zealand. If I woke up to 8000 BA, I'd be happy, I'd report it to Jon as a fault. But seriously, If i log on when I do, the amount of BA that had been bought (if any) would accumulate in such amounts that it would just be insane.