Separating gold users from non-gold users?

[Qwerty]

I don't think it is particularly fair that people who are willing to spend actual money and people who aren't play in same worlds.
In 1.5 speed world, I will usually have around 3.000pts when beginners protection runs out. This is with farming and careful
city development...

At the same time, top guys will often already be on 5-7.000 points. This is a big difference right at the start, not to mention
that they have ability to use instant spies on you. I also had one guy that had big city but low amount of defense in it so I decided
to take that city. When he was almost conquered, sitting at 12 loyalty, he used truce and messed up my plan.
After that I got some angry emails from his guild mates, and my opportunity to conquer him passed,
but wouldn't it be fair that it was game over for that guy since he was obviously not experienced enough to play like some other guys in the region, myself included.

I think we should have worlds where using gold is disabled, but I will probably never see it happen..

[LordFirefall]

So, the gold using worlds should subsidize the non-gold worlds?

[bellz17]

You both have good points...

I mostly agree with the early game advantage point qwerty made, but also don't like the idea of gold worlds subsidizing non-gold worlds.

So my post revolves around ways to fix the early game advantage only:

Perhaps unlocking the store when:

A) You reach X amt of points as reward .

B) The world complete's it's first competition.

C) Beginners Protection is disabled.

...the store create's a more imbalance earlier in a world than it does later on.

[LordFirefall]

Considering we haven't had competitions for months, I'd be against B. As a gold user, I'm not real thrilled with either of the other two options . Realistically, you have to spend a LOT of gold, even to get 1 day ahead of serious users. I actually get more resources on the various quests than I ever do in gold. I mostly use it for speed ups. The real advantage is having a strong guild to trade with.

As far as instant spy goes, IMHO, it's a waste on small cities that you find in the first week.

[bananabandana]

I agree with LordFirefall.

I believe what you want, Qwerty, is a "pure" form of Valor that separates monetization from standard play skill. I can tell you now that both PwnLaw and I personally love having pure forms of play to determine skill in a game. That is why we try to balance any feature that we present so that it will not give monetizing players an absolute advantage over non-monetizers. As LordFirefall hints at, one of the key balances to a monetizer is guild play. Nowmatter how much you spend, you alone cannot stand up against a well-coordinated guild for long.

It's actually a pretty common occurrence that someone who spends tons of money to ramp up their cities in the first couple weeks will reach the top spot. But because they are often a solo player or part of a guild that is completely crutched upon that player who has now painted a huge target on him/herself, they do not last much longer once the rest of the world gets their scholars and armies built up.

[donut]

Yes gold-spenders do have an advantage at the beginning of the game but after that the playing field evens out. It doesn't really matter if you lose out in the beginning because you didn't invest a lot of time and effort into that world. If you don't make it in that world, just go to another world.

[MechaStorm]

and being a huge player just makes you a bigger target to hit. as has been said already.

[Steward]

There's also something important to realize. Why do you use gold? To gain an advantage that not everyone else has. If there is no advantage gained why use gold. And where then does play mesh get the revenue from?

[Imya]

Why not say you cannot be scholar attacked until you have an academy. Once you build and academy you have opted into PvP on the world. I'm sure there are downsides to it but it would let players fully establish a city and open themselves up to being conquered when they feel they are ready.

[TheHeartlessKiller]

Ya know, I don't use gold either, but still. If they want to (no offense PlayMesh) watse their money on building their cities faster, let them. It's just all the more fun when you take them out to get the p'ed off emails and empty threats saying, "My friends will take you out!" Even though they know that they have no chance.