Financial status

[Wiz]

Apparently the server population seems to think that we can now fund the server with imaginary money, considering the amount of subscription cancellations we've had lately. We're down at something akin to 75% of the monetary funding we need to keep running.

I JUST made a $1500 payment on the server, and it's my rent on the line next month if this keeps up. Please, please, if you are able, donate. As it stands right now, we're not just in danger of dropping down to one box, we're in danger of the server going down altogether.

 

[Tresnore]

How can I make a donation and how much would you need? I will try to help as much possible.

 

[Nuncio]

How can I make a donation and how much would you need? I will try to help as much possible.

http://shardsofdalaya.com/?page=donations

Anyway, even though I no longer have time to play, I'll be a plat donor until donations pick up for you again. Would hate to see this community go under after all the hard work put into it.

/edit : I should add: If you play more than 10 hours a week, you should feel obligated to help the server in it's time of need. If you can't afford it for long, just donate as long as you can until theya re back on their feet.
10 bucks a month shouldn't kill ya.

 

[JayelleNephilim]

Just to comment, and I hope it's Ok for me to suggest this ...

I've found that if the guild leaders took a step up and started donating (if they don't already) and then promoted as much to their guilds it's a nice way to get the donations going. My husband and I donate and really try to set an example, so when we suggest as much to guild it's taken more seriously. Because of this, we have about a 30% donation rate (even higher if you don't count boxed toons whose mains donate). I realize that no matter what some just will not be able to help out - that's fine too.

Just my 2cp.

 

[Nuncio]

Just to comment, and I hope it's Ok for me to suggest this ...

I've found that if the guild leaders took a step up and started donating (if they don't already) and then promoted as much to their guilds it's a nice way to get the donations going. My husband and I donate and really try to set an example, so when we suggest as much to guild it's taken more seriously. Because of this, we have about a 30% donation rate (even higher if you don't count boxed toons whose mains donate). I realize that no matter what some just will not be able to help out - that's fine too.

Just my 2cp.

You know, as guild leaders you could go even further. For instance, no officer status unless at least a silver donater. This may sound harsh, but really, if someone is on enough, and takes their position seriously enough in the guild, they should have at least a LITTLE commitment in making sure their playground stays around.
One could get even more militant, by making drops weighted towards donators. If two people need the same thing, and one donates and one does not, it goes to the one who donates. A cool dropped item on a server that doesn't exist doesn't do anyone any good.

 

[JayelleNephilim]

I dont know if I'd go as far as not allowing people to loot stuff unless they donated. There are some that are truly just making ends meet. I've been there!

As for all officers donating ... they do already.

 

[Nuncio]

I dont know if I'd go as far as not allowing people to loot stuff unless they donated. There are some that are truly just making ends meet. I've been there!

As for all officers donating ... they do already.

Im not saying just your guild. I'm speaking in general terms. And if no donator needed the item, then sure, goes to the other person.

 

[Allielyn]

How about "rot" items from tmaps or raid mobs will be awarded only to interested donators (on their donator account only)? This of course, speaking just as something that individual people can do to help encourage others do donate.

 

[rab]

I think the best thing to do is to wise up and realize this server cannot survive without donations. Skip your beer for a week and donate 5 euro a month. Eat a package of ramen instead of McDonalds one day and donate that. I know I really shouldn't be preaching because I do loose donations -- and it takes a notice like this to get me involved -- but I am.

 

[Allielyn]

And if you literally have nothing. . . skip one evening a month of playing SoD to work, and donate that.

 

[Nuncio]

And if you literally have nothing. . . skip one evening a month of playing SoD to work, and donate that.

I know there are some kids that don't have funds of their own to donate. I live not much (45% ish) above povertly level here in the states. 25 bucks a month isn't going to kill me. I think most people can afford 5 euros a month for hours of game time.

 

[Yami]

I have to wonder though, it seems alot of the subscription cancellations came after a couple major changes to SoD.

Selling Merchant revamp
Travel system revamp - know quite a few cancelled because of this.
Mana regen rate revamp

Don't think these went well overall with the community as one would have hoped. But this is just my outside opinion. Take it for what its worth.

 

[Raherin]

Using your (not you, someone in general) donations to make a point instead of making a suggestions thread is pretty low.

We do listen and take note, and reply to suggestions, however we do have a certain idea of what we want.

 

[Nuncio]

Using your (not you, someone in general) donations to make a point instead of making a suggestions thread is pretty low.

We do listen and take note, and reply to suggestions, however we do have a certain idea of what we want.

Do you mean when people say "Im a plat donor, you should give monks deathtouch cause im a monk and i give you money"? Or what?

Or do you mean "I don't like these changes, so instead of making suggestions, I'll just pull my support"?

 

[Allielyn]

Using your (not you, someone in general) donations to make a point instead of making a suggestions thread is pretty low.

In addition; I haven't seen a real drop in server population. This means that even IF people are upset about the changes, they're still willing to play, and often (at the expense of other people who are supporting the server)! So, whatever; it appears they're lamers.

 

[Raherin]

Or do you mean "I don't like these changes, so instead of making suggestions, I'll just pull my support"?

That's what I was talking about. And I've known a few people who actually did that, and if some of the people that canceled donations recently did so because of recent changes, I think it's low of them. Sorry if I made it sound more confusing than it was. :/

 

[Haphesto]

If donators post their gripes about changes and mention their donator status, they get scolded for trying to use their status as leverage. If they quietly pull their support in large numbers, they get called lamers. Oh My. :10bux:

If you make changes to the game that result in less donations, add something that will increase donations. Free translocation was one of the appeals of Pocket Plane? Add something to replace that. All the portal runes on one convenient vendor, or 1-way portals to places the normal portals dont go. Jazz it up.

 

[reliquum2]

Using your (not you, someone in general) donations to make a point instead of making a suggestions thread is pretty low.

In addition; I haven't seen a real drop in server population. This means that even IF people are upset about the changes, they're still willing to play, and often (at the expense of other people who are supporting the server)! So, whatever; it appears they're lamers.

I for one have met many new (never played SoD) before people. So if people pulled their support and left the game, they could very well be replaced by these people. Especially given the time when the GMs were pushin hard for people to advertise the game via the game ranking site, etc.



And as for people pulling their donations when something was changed that dissatisfied them. I don't really think you can say it's "low" of them. If they don't like the change after giving it a fair shot, and there is no indication of it being changed back then Im not really seeing a reason for them to be looked down upon. They supported the game when they enjoyed the game, game took a different direction and it doesn't track with their mentality of "fun" so they move on.

I can say I haven't been playing nearly as much as I did prior to the med revamp, even went so far as to make a warrior. Then I got tired of hearing the people keep telling me to "stop pulling so they could med" every other round because the 30 second timer from last cast was making it so they couldn't med at all between pulls. Just not feeling it, but it's Wiz's and the gangs sandbox. So I guess everyone has to agree to disagree, and some went so far as to vote with their dollar.

Honestly I saw two threads on the med change, I posted in the first thread. It got moved/removed/deleted/hidden/whatever to control it's size, and I didn't feel it needed to be reposted in the new thread....but that also means many people may have not seen any of the first thread posts. Since they didn't see a thread with 50 pages on it, everyone just assumed people were ambiguous of the change and said to themself "Self, I think this change is gonna be around awhile...I don't really like it, so it's time to move on." It's just a little difficult to get a feel for the acceptance of it, people argue over certain spells/etc losing effectiveness while I think most people would rather it be closer to the "original" system...maybe even make you med faster the longer you med.

Anyway, pretty off-topic but I think the recent changes seem to match up with the donator decline awful conveniently.

 

[Puella]

Skip your beer for a week and donate 5 euro a month.

I think the decline in donations is due to the end of school and people are buying exhobitant amounts of alcohol as finals are ending.

And for the record, no, I won't skip my beer for a week, :finger:

 

[Raherin]

If donators post their gripes about changes and mention their donator status, they get scolded for trying to use their status as leverage. If they quietly pull their support in large numbers, they get called lamers. Oh My. :10bux:

We don't scold people for making well thought out and constructive suggestions (even with the dev's ideas, goals, and visions in mind). Rather than canceling your donations, or threatening with it, doing the above would be a more satisfactory solution (For Wiz and the player). :]