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Old 02-14-2006, 05:49 PM   #15
Jazuela
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New England
Posts: 849
Jazuela will become famous soon enoughJazuela will become famous soon enough
I think the different boxes to determine "which kind" of pay-to-play game it is can be summed up in just two, and four isn't needed:

1) Payment optional for some or all game benefits.
2) Payment required for some or all game benefits.

A game like Gemstone would click both 1 and 2, because payment is required to play, and optional benefits, such as weddings and quests are available for an extra fee.

The IRE games would fall under 1, but not 2, because any of their things can be acquired for free, but the option exists to pay for them to get them quicker or without winning a contest or submitting whatever it is those folks let you submit to get a free perk.

Games that accept donations to cover server costs, but don't provide any benefits beyond the existence of the game on the server, would continue to be categorized as "free to play" along with those games that don't take donations to cover server costs. Also included in free to play are games whose admins offer non-game benefits for money, such as mouse-pads and t-shirts.

The option boxes for the "pay to play" shouldn't be a "pick one" but instead should be a "pick all that apply." Allowing for "optional" vs. "required" covers everything, and lets those that do both (such as Gemstone) continue to maintain its commercial integrity by allowing it to pick both.
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