Fixing the MyVMK Economy

HOST_Nala

Forums Administrator
Staff member
Forums Administrator
Game Administrator
MyVMK Staff
#81
Being a friendly player, I wouldn't expect any less of a response. I understand where you're coming from and I know it's difficult to reconcile having to actually earn the credits and keys amassed, when the option of not needing to do so is present. Is friendly a bad thing?? In a game that cannot absorb the number of credits currently in it, yes, resoundingly yes. The rate at which friendly pumps credits into the game only compounds the existing state of things further.

If the practice of friendly is acceptable, and we just need to make things easier and more convenient for players, then there's really no reason to limit it to only pirates. Maybe we should have jungle cruise where snapping photos of the animals is optional. Need to explode fireworks to gain points, only if we feel like it. Catch ghosts, I guess if we don't need to move to get any. We can just sit back and watch our credits and keys pile up at the end of each game, and remain completely oblivious to the ripple effect of doing so.
Hi hello, neighborhood lioness again. I'd like to weigh in on the friendlies topic. I, myself, have grinded friendly pirates on the rare times I'm on my player account and I can see why people do it. It's fast and easy credits. What more could you want? But I also know thats not how the game is meant to be played. God forbid you need to earn something, lol. I was a trader before I was ever a friendly pirates player so I care more about the economy and I feel for the real pirates players. I've seen that scarce lobby of legit games. It would be hard to ban friendlies all together unless we had someone constantly watching the lobbies. However, something we can do to help combat friendlies is adding the kraken back. So if you're caught just sitting in the game, not moving, whilst someone is consecutively running the flag, you'll be taken down by the kraken and get nothing.
 
#82
I stated on the first page of this post that I'm against banning friendlies. However, I'm often extremely annoyed by the lack of participation in friendlies, whether that be the people who refuse to capture the flag or people who are AFK except when joining in the lobby. If you're going to join a game, be present. Don't say you can't run because you're too busy or you're on mobile. I understand that people have things going on IRL, but it's not okay to sit and sit and let two people do the work for you for hours on end. It's especially unfair to the other players who actively earn their own credits NOT through friendlies.

However, something we can do to help combat friendlies is adding the kraken back. So if you're caught just sitting in the game, not moving, whilst someone is consecutively running the flag, you'll be taken down by the kraken and get nothing.
I'm a fan of this idea. I didn't even know this was something that had been implemented in the game before. This would eliminate the most frustrating part of friendlies for me! I find myself running over 50% of the time, and sometimes when I ask for someone else to run, I get silence in return. :thumbsdown: I also understand that it's too demanding to ask staff to monitor the lobby 24/7, so this would be a good replacement.

Also, after reading input given by other players over the past few days, I understand why people are so against friendlies, and I'm trying to play more battles as a result. While it's a lot harder to earn credits when I'm playing against really good players, it's actually much more fulfilling for me. I understand that some players have mentioned that they are "bad" at POTC and don't enjoy other methods of getting credits, but things take time and practice to get better. So I'm not sure if adding the kraken would solve the VMK economy issue entirely, but it could definitely decrease the number of credits in circulation. I've often seen absent people I've played friendlies with in auctions later that night spending thousands of credits that I've helped accumulate for them. It just doesn't feel right.

Anyways, still have a lot of mixed feelings but I thought I'd pop back into the discussion. :D
 

PlayerOne

I shoot when you're stuck.
#83
Hi hello, neighborhood lioness again. I'd like to weigh in on the friendlies topic. I, myself, have grinded friendly pirates on the rare times I'm on my player account and I can see why people do it. It's fast and easy credits. What more could you want? But I also know thats not how the game is meant to be played. God forbid you need to earn something, lol. I was a trader before I was ever a friendly pirates player so I care more about the economy and I feel for the real pirates players. I've seen that scarce lobby of legit games. It would be hard to ban friendlies all together unless we had someone constantly watching the lobbies. However, something we can do to help combat friendlies is adding the kraken back. So if you're caught just sitting in the game, not moving, whilst someone is consecutively running the flag, you'll be taken down by the kraken and get nothing.
What bugs me most about friendlies (and confirmed by several people in this thread) is that due to friendlies, it's generally considered a bad idea to give prizes (such as crate keys) out by playing minigames. Friendly players are already getting more credits and keys than legit players with 0 effort involved, why must they ruin the potential for future rewards through pirates? But I do like the idea of the kraken making a return. Punish the people who just sit there and let other people do the running.

Here's another idea regarding keys/crates:

Selling these 'Lottery Crates' in the Emporium for a month at different prices.
  • (1) Bronze Crate - 5,000 credits (.25% chance of rare/ultra)
  • (1) Silver Crate - 25,000 credits (2% chance of rare/ultra)
  • (1) Gold Crate - 50,000 credits (5% chance of rare/ultra)
  • (1) Platinum Crate - 100,000 credits (15% chance of rare/ultra)
Items in the Lottery Crates that players may have the chance to win could include:
  • Stitch Hat
  • Princess Minnie
  • Sparrow Outfit/Pieces
  • Inferno
  • Green Baggy Pants
  • Black Traditional Mickey Ears
  • Firewalls
  • Pirate Quest Furniture
  • Bird Hat
Lottery Keys could be 'dropped' throughout the kingdom(much like crates). However, drops would be scarce. Lets say..... 4 keys dropped in a public room with players once every hour? Creating the opportunity to trade for keys and making them worth something instead of just handing them out like candy through mini-games.

Please critique this however you want... I would love input.

NOTE: Percentages/Prices are just placeholders and can obviously be changed.
Honestly, I think this is a terrible idea. It simply makes the rich richer, as those are the people who would be able to afford these expensive crates. I'm not opposed to putting rare items in crates, but not like this.
 

Fotogirl

Well-Known Member
#85
One thing I have been wondering about ... it seems to be the general consensus that if ultra rare items that are locked up on inactive/banned accounts are to be infused in a limited number back into the game that they first have to be removed from the inventory of the inactive/banned accounts. Why would any item have to be removed from any inventory? Just for the sake of argument lets say there are 20 stitch hats sitting on inactive accounts and another 10 on banned accounts for a total of 30 stitch hats that have effectively been removed from the game. What would it hurt to put another 15 (half the amount of the total "lost" hats) back into the game over a period of time without removing them from the inactive/banned accounts. Its not like all those accounts are going to return to the game the next day and make it a common item. Maybe 3 or 4 of those inactive accounts do eventually return to play again it wouldn't erode the value of the stitch hat having those 3 or 4 back and those returning would still have all their inventory intact.
 

INFL8

Well-Known Member
#86
I mean i do not think the system is broken. I feel you get what you put into the game, just like in life. The economy is not broken. I just started (Saturday night) first time discovering myvmk, although i was an avid og vmk player, and i have accumulated since then, about 600k net worth. All through trading, auctions etc, which anyone can vouch as im in every auction lobby lol. People want stuff handed to them. I feel with the little time ive been here but with my past experience of the success of og vmk there should
- Be more involvement with the entire community.
- Send a vast email notifying accounts that their accounts will be deleted if they do not sign in within the next "x" days,
-What seems to be the issue is the rich keep getting richer because there are simply not enough items to go around.
- increase the rare rate of delivery by a few percent on treasure detector to make up for the lost rare by inactive users.
 
#87
One thing I have been wondering about ... it seems to be the general consensus that if ultra rare items that are locked up on inactive/banned accounts are to be infused in a limited number back into the game that they first have to be removed from the inventory of the inactive/banned accounts. Why would any item have to be removed from any inventory? Just for the sake of argument lets say there are 20 stitch hats sitting on inactive accounts and another 10 on banned accounts for a total of 30 stitch hats that have effectively been removed from the game. What would it hurt to put another 15 (half the amount of the total "lost" hats) back into the game over a period of time without removing them from the inactive/banned accounts. Its not like all those accounts are going to return to the game the next day and make it a common item. Maybe 3 or 4 of those inactive accounts do eventually return to play again it wouldn't erode the value of the stitch hat having those 3 or 4 back and those returning would still have all their inventory intact.
YES I messaged one of the staff this the other day pretty much!
 

HOST_Nala

Forums Administrator
Staff member
Forums Administrator
Game Administrator
MyVMK Staff
#88
I mean i do not think the system is broken. I feel you get what you put into the game, just like in life. The economy is not broken. I just started (Saturday night) first time discovering myvmk, although i was an avid og vmk player, and i have accumulated since then, about 600k net worth. All through trading, auctions etc, which anyone can vouch as im in every auction lobby lol. People want stuff handed to them. I feel with the little time ive been here but with my past experience of the success of og vmk there should
- Be more involvement with the entire community.
- Send a vast email notifying accounts that their accounts will be deleted if they do not sign in within the next "x" days,
-What seems to be the issue is the rich keep getting richer because there are simply not enough items to go around.
- increase the rare rate of delivery by a few percent on treasure detector to make up for the lost rare by inactive users.
We will never delete an account. Everyone should have the chance to come back. ♥
 

INFL8

Well-Known Member
#89
Yea that is actually completely understandable now that I think of it. But there has to be a way, and it is tricky, to disperse some rare maybe through treasure finders.
 

riddleguy

Well-Known Member
#90
Releasing a fake stitch hat? That's like if I sold fake Rolexes, that's just wrong. And it would take a trained eyed trader/player to spot the difference. Unless of course the name of the items is literally "FAKE Stitch hat" but still like.... why? I guess if people just want the item itself and don't care if it's an original or a knockoff?

.
The name of the item would have fake before it and would look slightly diffferent so its not quite the same item. Im one of those people that just want the item and i dont care if its the original more valuable item or a cheaper alternative.
 
#91
One way to help out the new players, maybe give new players a dozen or so special non-tradable crates with desired retired items in them. Obviously the chance of them winning like black flip or stitch is dang near impossible, but also the chances of them winning say pink princess is hard, but doable. It'd give them a chance at some good items or at least items they could trade to get items they actually want.

The only way to fix the credit problem on here, is to have a credit sink. A raffle or something to draw the credits off the accounts of the players that have millions to make them worth something again. Also, decreasing the credits won from pirates.
 

riddleguy

Well-Known Member
#92
One way to help out the new players, maybe give new players a dozen or so special non-tradable crates with desired retired items in them. Obviously the chance of them winning like black flip or stitch is dang near impossible, but also the chances of them winning say pink princess is hard, but doable. It'd give them a chance at some good items or at least items they could trade to get items they actually want.

The only way to fix the credit problem on here, is to have a credit sink. A raffle or something to draw the credits off the accounts of the players that have millions to make them worth something again. Also, decreasing the credits won from pirates.
The vmk musuem would be a great spot to hold raffles. The raffle prize could be displayed in center and maybe the staff could make some sort of item for us to deposit entries?
 

Matty

knows a thing or two
#93
One way to help out the new players, maybe give new players a dozen or so special non-tradable crates with desired retired items in them. Obviously the chance of them winning like black flip or stitch is dang near impossible, but also the chances of them winning say pink princess is hard, but doable. It'd give them a chance at some good items or at least items they could trade to get items they actually want.

The only way to fix the credit problem on here, is to have a credit sink. A raffle or something to draw the credits off the accounts of the players that have millions to make them worth something again. Also, decreasing the credits won from pirates.
I like the idea of new player crates, in theory. Unfortunately, I think it's safe to say that such a feature would be cloned and abused to hell.
 

thisischris

Well-Known Member
#95
I haven't read through all of this, and I am a day 1 player with a lot of items, but I do agree that there can be an option that I have that may help.

You need more people on the game to help get more items as well. How do you intrigue players to want to get on? Rare items and crates. Crates seem to by far cause the most foot traffic in the game on a all round day basis. I noticed in Star Wars month that there were so many people even at 11pm PST still grinding out crates. But at the end of the month, people died out again and kind of forgot about the items. As we filter in new items while wanting to being in new items heres my suggestion: bring back some items per month (ex: august: bird hat, a magic pin, and a room. Sep: og minnie, another magic, and a room) and so forth. Obviously make the odds slimmer than the odds the Ultra Sits pins for some items, that way each month we get about 10-15 items maybe of each item. I still think that some items should remain retired as they were contest prizes, or items such as black flip. And having this crate option gives EVERYONE an equal chance. And if someone already has that item, thats where an auction house is useful. If a Host would like to PM me and either ask for further advice and/or has a way the odds work, i would love to help.

As for the credits, friendly does have its perks and drawbacks for everyone. I think the Kraken coming back has made it a decent slow down on the unlimited money generator we call pirates. I think another way to filter out credits in some peoples banks is selling high priced items in the shop, even old items. If old items were released it would need to be a significant amount on certain ones, or even going off the "values" page a tad (ex: stitch hat goes for 2 mil, make it two mil in the shop) but only have it in the shop for a day or a weekend. That way it gives some people a chance to sell stuff to get credits. (This would circulate peoples clothes and not just have them stashed)

FLASH SALES: Now I've heard this talked about in game, and was thinking about a way how this could work. It would be really tough to have it only once per day, due to people being busy and different time zones. I was thinking maybe do it once every couple hours (based off the theme, or maybe og to spice it up). but it can be once every 3-4 hours have it where the shop only has a certain quantity of an item or two per flash sale. New items in the shop for "flash sales" would benefit a lot of people. Old and new players can spend credits on items that can make a good return on investment. But new players get that feeling of getting involved in the game where they felt they had no chance.

Please like this if you feel that these would be good ideas to implement into the game, that way it'll get recognized. And hosts, if you feel this may be a possibility, feel free to message me, I'd love to help this game get an extra boost into it.
 
#99
You are misunderstanding @riddleguy 's suggestion, he means like players can post their own events on the calendar for x amount of credits. Like lets say you have a friend who's birthday is coming up and you want to be a good friend and host them a party (Despite them saying "no pls") so you pay like example 50k credits to specially have a slot on the calender for your own event to celebrate said birthday but you're also announcing it to the world (of vmk).

I think this will work better then some other methods of self promotion I see sometimes like people trying to be like "Lol cute or boot in my room" in the chaos of an auction/trade room and if they really want to promote something with a big turnout in mind then that could be one way to sink credits. Of course I don't really see people paying 50k to post "cute or boot" on the calendar, but maybe a birthday or like graduation maybe. Then again it'll be the player paying the fee to decide what exactly they want to post on the calendar. In no way did he mean players having to pay credits to join a host event.
 
So I wanted to share a good food for thought and get the opinion of others to see whether or not it's a good idea.

So as far as the retired/rerelease items I think there is a way to obtain them without it being too easy. I think it would be cool if we could utilize Haunted Mansion to solve this problem. I personally don't play POTC because playing with others stresses me out and causes me to do more poorly because of the pressure I feel in multiplayer games. I always play HM because it has the option of playing by yourself if noone else is there to join. You also win every game you play yourself by default because there is no other opposing teams so receiving crate keys and bonus creds for winning is a lot more plausible. Plus you get bonus credits 500 credits for winning 5 games, 1000 credits for winning 10 games, and 5000 credits for every 50 games won. I think that instead of the bonus credits we can win uncommon, rares, and ultra rare items depending on how many games you have won. It would make it a lot more fair to new players and to regular players who happened to miss flash sales or host events. Not to mention it would motivate more people to actually put effort into playing the game rather than just constant farming of items.
 
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