Turn Costs

[Locklyn]

With most players running more than one Empire there is often a time where you have a lot of things to do with one Empire and rather less to do with another of your positions and you find yourself in the position where you either do less than the 40 orders or try and do filler orders to get up to the vaunted 40 orders that you are paying for. What I am wondering and what I think would actually promote people to having more Empires active than dropping them quickly is:

 

Would it be possible for RTG to charge per total orders per PLAYER instead of per Empire? Ie if I have three Empires and do 90 with one, 20 with another and simply ten with the third I have a total of 120 orders and hence get charged for that to the amount of $18.

 

Sure, this could lead to people playing a lot of Empires on 5 or less orders BUT they would still have had to pay the $10 setup cost and let's face it, it is not much you can do with your empire on five orders but it would help you keep active a position that has been boring because you've never met anyone or had anything at all happen and would perhaps ease the feeling of slowness that many are experiencing with the game.

 

A thought? Comments? And preferably input from Pete and Russ on what they think about such an idea.

 

Cheers

 

/Locklyn

[Ur Lord Tedric]

My very simple first thought on this would be that it's not a good idea.

 

The benefits of controlling multple empires near each other far outweigh the paltry cost of the $10 set-up fee. It would almost be worth the $50 to set up 5 empires at the same time and then run 4 of them on a very few orders per turn and just one optimised for space exploration with the express intention of linking them up.

 

The only way this is partially mitigated against is the standard $6 per empire charge. To some with loads of money, however, this does remain sadly viable....

 

Lord High Seneschal to Ur-Lord Tedric

[PhaseDragon]

I had suggested a cost per order basis with a $6 minimum some time ago. At the current rate of 40 orders per $6 that would equate to .15 per order.

[RTGPete]

After increasing order counts by 33% when turn sheets were increased from 30 orders to 40, we're not too keen on dropping turn costs any more right about now - we need to make a living at this

[orin]

DOH! For my first 4 turns I have been using 30 order...WHY DON:T PEOPLE TELL ME THESE THINGS!! (heh)

[WKE235]

I'd like to know how many orders people are putting in on average.

 

Last turn the Concordium had 189 orders (I redid my build queue + some new ship designs). But I have normally been getting in the 120 or 160 range each turn. I try to play it a little slower with the other race .. keeping them to 80 to 120 orders each turn.

[Octus Imperium]

After increasing order counts by 33% when turn sheets were increased from 30 orders to 40, we're not too keen on dropping turn costs any more right about now - we need to make a living at this

At the risk of angering some folks, I think the value provided is very fair. At least, using subjective measures of Value (V) and Quality (Q) and the objective measure of Cost ($).

 

V = Q/$

 

However, for fairness, new players need to be informed that the turn 'sheets' are for 40 actions, not 30.

 

Octus Imperium

 

(And this is not a suggestion that $ be increased! However, raising Q and $ can be done in a way to maintain or even increase V.)

 

(Put that in your spread sheets....... :lol: )

[Clan Elder 'Keen]

With Locklyn's cost scheme I would be tempted to start up a couple new empires and just run them with only a single SRP order per turn to data mine.

[Locklyn]

Ah, yes, I see the weakness inherent in the plan was thinking more of the lines when you have one empire at 200 orders and really need 220 and just 220 and another empire which would do fine at 20 orders...oh well!

 

Cheers

/Locklyn

[Laserwolf]

Then how about partials after the first full turn?

[Locklyn]

Yes! Laserwolf! Thats an excellent idea! I wonder how RTG would feel about it as they could see it as either one of two options a) People who need more orders do the extra 40 anyways or People who today do less order sheets even if they need it might chip in extra for a partial sheet now and then and get more money RTGs way?

 

Cheers

/Lars

[ShadowKitsune]

It depends on their accounting software. Does it track per order or per order sheet?

 

Of course, one could always change the size of the order sheet from $6 (US) per 40 Orders to $3 (US) per 20 Orders. Same cost per order for the players, but in smaller 'chunks'. I would however, put in the caveat that the minimum fee for processing a turn is $6 (US) whether you use all 40 Orders or not.

 

The savings here is for the "Big" Empires who need more than 40 Orders, but don't need another full sheet of orders.

 

FWIW

 

-SK

[Locklyn]

Shadow,

That would also work but as you say depends on their software.

 

Cheers

/Locklyn

[hobknob]

I am for whatever will keep RTG afloat and profitable. I subscribe to the idea that a happy paid GM will be more likely to make the game better.

[4aeog16]

I agree with hobknob. If RTG get enough money, they may be able to afford to employ another person and thereby improve the service, perhaps by rewriting the old rules to match the new software.

 

RTG have already reduced the cost of the orders by increasing the orders per block from 30 to 40 without an increase in price per block. And they have spent much time & effort improving and changing the game to meet customer demands. What more do you want -- blood?

 

Some people are so ungrateful ... Of all the PBM and PBeM companies I have used, RTG is the best I've found -- is there anyone who has found better? I thought not. To run such a professional service, they depend on their revenue stream.

 

We have a saying in Yorkshire: if you buy cheap, you pay twice. Do you want a cheap service? If not, then don't be so penny-pinching.

 

Limey O'Riley is riled.

Grrrr.