Subscription model

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Game time is currently purchasable in Pre-order packs.[1]

This allows us to avoid the pay to win mentality many free-to-play games employ, as well as maintain a steady flow of new content for all our players.[2]

Ashes of Creation (the MMORPG) is a subscription based game.[2]

Certain regions will have "harmonized" subscription prices that better reflect their local economies. Harmonized regions will be segregated from other regions.[5] – Ry Schueller
  • Subscriptions will begin at launch or, subject to change, a user may be able to choose to activate their subscription to start at a particular point in time.[11]
I think a sub cost provides both the barrier of entry to prevent, some not all, but mitigate some gold selling bots and whatnot because there's a cost associated with playing the game, but it's also not too high that it gets on the greedy side or prevents a lot of players from participating and trying the game; and then if the game is good then people will continue to subscribe and that subscription provides funding and revenue for the developers to continue a significant content creation and expansion rollout for the game.[13] – Steven Sharif
There is no P2W in Apocalypse or the MMORPG![15]

Subscription payment

Intrepid Bucks earned through the Referral program can be used to reduce subscription costs (to zero).[16]

We want to make sure that there's no "interactability" between any type of pay-to-win scenario where our players can exchange those in-game types of currencies to pay for subscriptions.[17] – Steven Sharif

Referral program

Players who refer and invite new players can receive 15% of their account purchases back as Intrepid Bucks.[16]

  • This only applies to purchases made with an applicable payment method. Purchases redeemed using Intrepid Bucks are not eligible.[16]
  • Personal information, including usernames, are not used for referrals due to privacy constraints.[18]

Referrals require the registration of a new account, either with a personal referral code or via a referral link.[16]

  • Referrals cannot be retroactively attached to an existing account.[19]

Intrepid Bucks

Intrepid Bucks are earned through the Referral program. These can be used to:[16]

Expansions

DLC expansions (post-launch releases) are planned on a monthly, quarterly, or six-monthly basis.[21][22]

  • The frequency and size of expansions will be based on the popularity and subscription base of the game.[21]
  • New content will primarily be introduced through the node system. The goal is for existing content to remain relevant alongside the new content.[26]
  • Expansions provide an opportunity for the developers to evaluate ways to unlock content that was not readily experienced by players in the previous release.[27]
Each inflection point, which is those updates as expansions... you get to go back reevaluate. Hey, it seems like 89% of the servers out there never opened this door. Well, maybe the predicates were too granular. Maybe they were too focused. Maybe there's a reason why that didn't happen? Let's expand on that for the next expansion so that this content has an opportunity to come out and see the light of day.[27] – Steven Sharif

Box cost

There is no upfront box cost associated with Ashes of Creation.[28]

Nobody should feel that they have to back the project to see it come to life. It's coming to life regardless of that. You do it because you want to support us and that's fine; and if you don't want to, that's also fine as well. We want to hear your voice and we want you to be part of the community, so that's a very important aspect. Nothing we offer in the pre-order packages are power driven. They don't give any competitive advantage to an individual who backs the game.[29] – Steven Sharif

Pay to win

Ashes of Creation will not be pay to win.[30][13][31]

Ashes of Creation will not be pay to win, that is our pledge to the community. One of the core principles we set forth with Ashes of Creation is a very strong desire to maintain the game's even playing field.[31]

A lot of developers and companies have come along in the past- and I've been hit by this too- and they've said we're not going to have pay-to-win and then boom they roll out some pay-to-win. We have consistently said we won't be pay-to-win and in the pre-orders that we provide and even in the Kickstarter there were absolutely zero pay-to-win components whatsoever. So not only will we talk the talk but we will walk the walk as well.[13] – Steven Sharif

Because we are a non-box purchase game, meaning there is no box price to play Ashes of Creation, it is only a subscription; and that's beneficial because it reduces the barrier of entry and we want a high population obviously; but at the same time one of the ways we augment the revenue flows to sustain constant updates and new chapter releases and additional content within the game is through a cosmetic-only marketplace; and that means absolutely no pay-to-win whatsoever; and that will be adhered to forever.[30] – Steven Sharif

Inventory slots, RNG loot boxes and XP potions are considered pay-to-win.[32][33][34][35]

We will not use a loot box system for cosmetics either. We currently have a cosmetic store that offers limited time, limited quantity items to help sustain game development. These items are purely decorative and do not offer any in-game benefits.[32]

My definition of pay-to-win is really anything that affects the in-game economy, the in-game action pool, your abilities and/or skills... In my opinion the inventory slots and the XP potions would be considered pay-to-win.[34] – Steven Sharif

Q: Will there be RNG boxes?
A: I dislike RNG. Archeage made me loath rng monetization gimmicks.[35] – Steven Sharif

Player housing grace period

If a player's subscription runs out, there will be a grace period before player housing is lost.[39]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pre-order packs
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 kickstarter subscription.png
  3. ↑ toast-subscription.png
  4. ↑ Livestream, May 4, 2018 (53:34).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 roshen-harmonized.png
  6. ↑ Livestream, July 25, 2020 (1:21:03).
  7. ↑ margaret-region-locking.png
  8. ↑ braver of worlds.png
  9. ↑ Summer Braver of Worlds.png
  10. ↑ steven-lifetime.png
  11. ↑ Livestream, February 26, 2021 (1:08:47).
  12. ↑ alpha-1-and-game-time.png
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Livestream, July 25, 2020 (1:53:46).
  14. ↑ Livestream, October 31, 2018 (38:47).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Blog: Steam Announce And Play Test FAQ For Ashes of Creation Apocalypse
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 Ashes of Creation referral program.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Livestream, June 1, 2017 (20:47).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 steven-referral-info.png
  19. ↑ I created an account before I knew about the referral link. Can I add someone’s referral to my account?
  20. ↑ intrepid-bucks.png
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 Interview, February 7, 2021 (21:57).
  22. ↑ Livestream, May 8, 2017 (11:14).
  23. ↑ screenshot 328.png
  24. ↑ Livestream, August 17, 2018 (1:02:38).
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:26:54).
  26. ↑ Interview, June 13, 2021 (42:22).
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:02:27).
  28. ↑ kickstarter box cost.png
  29. ↑ Livestream, December 23, 2021 (1:23:41).
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Livestream, November 30, 2020 (56:02).
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 kickstarter p2w.png
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 loot-boxes.png
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Livestream, July 25, 2020 (48:28).
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Podcast, August 4, 2018 (1:57:56).
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 RNG boxes.png
  36. ↑ Interview, June 13, 2021 (48:27).
  37. ↑ steven-multi-boxing-3.png
  38. ↑ steven-multiple-accounts.png
  39. ↑ Livestream, May 24, 2017 (42:22).
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