Happy New Year, Aura Kingdom!
And happy birthday too! Aura Kingdom is now officially 2 years old! (DE server is 6 months younger than his big brothers.) Two years of adventuring throughout Azuria with loyal Eidolons at your side, climbing the steps of the Sky Tower and fighting your way through the Sky Realms.
These two years weren't without rough moments, either: Eidolons being removed from dungeons and then added back, hacker attacks, merge issues... But we're still moving forward, and working hard to make sure you have an excellent time in Aura Kingdom.
Prices are dropping!
If you read my previous Producer Letter, you probably remember the part where I talked about the monetization being less friendly toward smaller spenders. I explained that we mostly focus on big spenders to keep the game running, which lets us avoid pushing incrimental purchases by removing features from the game.
I've hinted a few times in the past that we're about to change our plans quite significantly. Overall, this initiative was mostly driven by the fact that we hated seeing players who bought anything other than Ruby Coins feeling ripped off (because they would have gotten a better deal simply getting Ruby Coins, trading them for gold, and then using the gold to buy what they originally wanted).
Therefore, we are dropping the prices of nearly everything that isn't Ruby Coins, Eidolons, or brand-new items. Under this plan, some prices have been reduced by over 70% - older costumes, some consumables, and most fortification items are just a few examples.
So, you probably have a few questions. Let me answer some pre-preemptively:
Why didn't you do this sooner?
If there is one thing that's scary for everyone, it's change - especially when that change might significantly affect our revenue. You know how the saying goes: "Don't fix what isn't broken".
While I hate the fact that Aura Kingdom boasts prices significantly higher than other MMORPGs, there is nothing that I fear more than making a huge mistake and having the game suffer as a consequence. Less money means less support, a smaller team, and slower updates. Was I ready to take the risk? Not really... until now.
Why now?
While we could just keep on going with the current pricing, we also wanted to move forward instead of just resting comfortably on past practices. One of the main reasons that pushed me to act was the very notable gold price of Ruby Coins: their price just kept increasing, while all other commodities remained at the same level. This meant the original Buy Ruby Coins => Sell at Auction House => Buy Item with Gold process was becoming more and more efficient – and at the same time, our own offers in the Cash Shop were becoming less and less attractive. After all, why would anyone buy an item – even at 50% off - if buying Ruby Coins at full price could get you the same item for 80% less AP?
We don't want the game to live and die through the Paragon system. People willing to spend money should be able to buy what they want without going through the Paragon or Auction House, unless the item itself is extremely rare or new. Hopefully, this will encourage everyone to spend on something other than Ruby Coins, and lower the gold price in the long run! (not a guarantee, though…)
What about Eidolons & new items? Why aren't they dropping in price?
While we are taking a risk with dropping prices, we do not want to gamble with Aura Kingdom's existence. Newer items and Eidolons are, for the moment, keeping their prices, a decision that will be reviewed in the future based on how well this change in strategy goes.
Unfortunately, people tend to overestimate the numbers of actual spenders – the vast majority of players are free2play users, and do not spend a dime. Therefore, making all items – including new ones – easily affordable is far too great a risk to take.
Vote for your Eidolon!
That being said, we are looking to experiment! This month, January 2016, we're asking everyone to “Vote for your Eidolon!” Every player can vote for one Eidolon from a pool of 22 (the newest ones aren't on the list) over a two-week period, and the winning Eidolon's price will drop permanently.
In addition, it will be available at all times via direct sale in the Cash Shop. Oh, and when we say price drop, we do mean it – not something like a mere 50% off. If you haven't already, vote here!
Game Improvement? Hell yes.
First of all, we are looking to re-implement the other two quest Eidolons. You heard that right – as long as it's possible, we will be undoing the change and re-introducing the second Eidolon choice for level 25 and level 40 quests! This is not guaranteed to be in time for February's patch, but we have already submitted this project to X-Legend.
Second, Guild Eidolons! We are looking to implement a few new Eidolons into the list (although don't expect to see Alucard or Amaterasu there quite yet), as well as increase their appearance rates. More information in the coming month!
So… Where's the PvP Channel?
Dear players looking to murder bots by the dozen: I am sad to announce that the PvP Channel is not yet ready. In its current existing state players on it are by default in “Peace” Mode, which means that they can't be attacked. We have asked X-Legend to remove that mode so that the PvP Channel makes for wild and exciting PK, but it's taking quite some time.
And now, for your monthly update on bots and lags
On the topic of bots, we are implementing new anti-bot software on Dragomon Hunter this month! If the effect is positive, we will push X-Legend to help Aura Kingdom benefit from the same change as well. Hype!
As for lags, we are still working on it! Unfortunately, on this side, there's no definitive answer, and we're still unsure of whether or not we'll be able to fix the issue.
I think that's enough for now! Please feel free to discuss, ask and debate! I might remember a few other topics later down the line and add them.
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Previous discussions can be found here:
- December Discussion
- November Discussion
- October Discussion
- September Discussion
- August Discussion
- July Discussion
- June Discussion
- May Discussion
- April Discussion
- March Discussion