The cost for five slot is too high. I would pay almost 15 bucks for ten slot but paying that much for only five thats kinda of a rip off. Thats 3 and some change per slot, I would be more willing to pay 1 and some change per slot. I think I am not alone in this thought. Just something to think about.
I'm sorry you feel that the character slots are too expensive. However, do keep in mind that RPR is a very complex website to maintain. All the income from purchases, like these character slots, is used to pay for the server that hosts the site.
As RPR has grown, so too has its server requirements. These things are not cheap and it would be extremely unfair to expect Kim to be able to pay for it all. So by buying things like this, not only do you get five character slots but you are also helping to make sure the site continues to exist.
As RPR has grown, so too has its server requirements. These things are not cheap and it would be extremely unfair to expect Kim to be able to pay for it all. So by buying things like this, not only do you get five character slots but you are also helping to make sure the site continues to exist.
Many people think of data as free. If data is free, $15 is outrageous. Only it isn't even close to free (for us), even though we generously offer free accounts!
In actuality, all the data and images that are involved in storing each character take up space on our server. Plus, every time someone accesses one of your character pages, it ties up the server's brain for a fraction of a second as it thinks about all the data it needs to retrieve and display to represent that character to your visitor -- and with all of you together, that time and space can add up to real server costs. We keep having to upgrade to keep the server working with the demand the RPR exerts on it.
Every character that you create continues to use those server resources forever, until you delete it.
The RPR is primarily dependent on epic users to keep its doors open. Epic users pay $5/month and one of the main perks they get is 10 extra temporary slots to put characters in, so long as they remain Epic. And they are an angel for the site, because they continue to pay for the resources that they use, plus the resources the oodles of free users use. They're the reason the site can exist.
People who buy slots à la carte pay a cost equivalent to 3 months of Epicness, but continue to use the space for their characters forever (which we pay for forever). If you want to get really picky, because character slots are sold in packs of five rather than the ten that epic users get, the cost is equivalent to six months of Epicness to get the slot benefit and use the resources forever.
Of course, if you plan to use the RPR for less than seven months, that might not be an interesting deal for you. If you use it for more than seven months, you've not only broken even, you've come out way ahead. Frankly that's a great deal.
Did you know that although I built everything you use here from scratch and frequently put in 20+ hours a week on the RPR in addition to my day job, I have never been paid for my work here? Not once in three years. All of the money from purchases has to go directly back into supporting and improving the site. That's how cheap those things are being offered to you guys -- we really have yet to make an appreciable profit.
In actuality, all the data and images that are involved in storing each character take up space on our server. Plus, every time someone accesses one of your character pages, it ties up the server's brain for a fraction of a second as it thinks about all the data it needs to retrieve and display to represent that character to your visitor -- and with all of you together, that time and space can add up to real server costs. We keep having to upgrade to keep the server working with the demand the RPR exerts on it.
Every character that you create continues to use those server resources forever, until you delete it.
The RPR is primarily dependent on epic users to keep its doors open. Epic users pay $5/month and one of the main perks they get is 10 extra temporary slots to put characters in, so long as they remain Epic. And they are an angel for the site, because they continue to pay for the resources that they use, plus the resources the oodles of free users use. They're the reason the site can exist.
People who buy slots à la carte pay a cost equivalent to 3 months of Epicness, but continue to use the space for their characters forever (which we pay for forever). If you want to get really picky, because character slots are sold in packs of five rather than the ten that epic users get, the cost is equivalent to six months of Epicness to get the slot benefit and use the resources forever.
Of course, if you plan to use the RPR for less than seven months, that might not be an interesting deal for you. If you use it for more than seven months, you've not only broken even, you've come out way ahead. Frankly that's a great deal.
Did you know that although I built everything you use here from scratch and frequently put in 20+ hours a week on the RPR in addition to my day job, I have never been paid for my work here? Not once in three years. All of the money from purchases has to go directly back into supporting and improving the site. That's how cheap those things are being offered to you guys -- we really have yet to make an appreciable profit.
Ok but even with that said you would widen your market if you add more options Say a 3 slots for $5 or $6 10 slots for $20 or even $25. Ofcourse you can play with the prices vs slots, but the point is widen your options and you'll widen your market.
Anyone under the age of 18 has to get a parent to buy their slots or pages, giving more options make a parent more willing to spend their cash. If they see they are getting a deal they will be more responsive to purchase virtual goods. Trust me when I say a parent doesn't care about server time/storage, if they find the price unreasonable.
Anyone under the age of 18 has to get a parent to buy their slots or pages, giving more options make a parent more willing to spend their cash. If they see they are getting a deal they will be more responsive to purchase virtual goods. Trust me when I say a parent doesn't care about server time/storage, if they find the price unreasonable.
Our userbase is so satiated with account upgrades, adding more variations to currently existing upgrades won't help us out much. The number of people who find the upgrades too expensive are very few, partially because we have contests that everyone can enter and win epic prizes in, partially because most users understand why the items cost what they cost and it's not an issue for them. I also know of several kids (14y/o) who will be spending money on upgrades when they have money to spend, even when their parents have to make the transaction for them. I don't believe the issue is quite as dramatic as you describe.
The grab bags we had a while ago sounded like the most popular sale ever, and you didn't even know what you were getting at all! It was a random surprise what upgrades you got, but by looking at how many people participated in the grab bag sale, they seemed to have really loved it.
I know I did!
Right now we would widen our market the most by selling merchandise. We're looking into the possibility of selling t-shirts with logo or genre jumble prints (which I'm super excited for personally!) and I can imagine Kim will want to branch out in that area if it's successful. After three years, I think a lot of people are just mainly interested in entirely new things to buy.
The grab bags we had a while ago sounded like the most popular sale ever, and you didn't even know what you were getting at all! It was a random surprise what upgrades you got, but by looking at how many people participated in the grab bag sale, they seemed to have really loved it.
I know I did!Right now we would widen our market the most by selling merchandise. We're looking into the possibility of selling t-shirts with logo or genre jumble prints (which I'm super excited for personally!) and I can imagine Kim will want to branch out in that area if it's successful. After three years, I think a lot of people are just mainly interested in entirely new things to buy.
Just because you, personally, think that it's a ripoff, doesn't mean that it's a rip off. Kim has put her time and I'm sure even more money than she's ever going to get back into this site to keep it running and to allow it to be free.
Without rpr, you'd be stuck with direct limitations of something like Wix or Freewebs, which I don't even think exists, but the premium accounts for those, for the perks it has is infinitely more cost-worthy than the money for 5 more character slots on a site that is based around being entirely free, with the perks of a small premium membership, known as Epic.
If it bothers you that bad, perhaps you should delete and move characters around. It's what the rest of us does when we're strapped for cash and want to make a new character. We delete one we haven't used in a while, save the info somewhere and replace it with another character until we can buy more slots.
No matter how you look at it, it's not a ripoff. You get to use those slots forever, as long as your account is on this site and you remain on this site, those slots are yours. They take up server space and they pull on resources when you use them. You're paying to have then forever and they give them to you forever. If it were only you get to use those five slots for a month then I could see it being an issue, but that's never been an option and I don't reckon it ever will be.
This site works with visa gift cards, so your argument about them having to use their parents to buy these slots really doesn't fit so well. If the under 18 year old has money, and it's theirs to spend, they can buy a visa gift card and make their purchase. If the parent finds the price unreasonable, that's a little too bad, but don't take it to Kim as if it's her fault. She doesn't make anything from this site, other than the enjoyment of rp, if she ever has the time.
Without rpr, you'd be stuck with direct limitations of something like Wix or Freewebs, which I don't even think exists, but the premium accounts for those, for the perks it has is infinitely more cost-worthy than the money for 5 more character slots on a site that is based around being entirely free, with the perks of a small premium membership, known as Epic.
If it bothers you that bad, perhaps you should delete and move characters around. It's what the rest of us does when we're strapped for cash and want to make a new character. We delete one we haven't used in a while, save the info somewhere and replace it with another character until we can buy more slots.
No matter how you look at it, it's not a ripoff. You get to use those slots forever, as long as your account is on this site and you remain on this site, those slots are yours. They take up server space and they pull on resources when you use them. You're paying to have then forever and they give them to you forever. If it were only you get to use those five slots for a month then I could see it being an issue, but that's never been an option and I don't reckon it ever will be.
This site works with visa gift cards, so your argument about them having to use their parents to buy these slots really doesn't fit so well. If the under 18 year old has money, and it's theirs to spend, they can buy a visa gift card and make their purchase. If the parent finds the price unreasonable, that's a little too bad, but don't take it to Kim as if it's her fault. She doesn't make anything from this site, other than the enjoyment of rp, if she ever has the time.
Thank you for the words of support, everyone. I'm glad many of you feel it's reasonable.
Re: Expanding the market: Yes, we will be trying out a little bit of merch this summer. I think our biggest new money maker will be completing groups and offering extra perks for them by the end of the year. I'M STILL COMIN FOR YOU, GROUPS!
Re: Expanding the market: Yes, we will be trying out a little bit of merch this summer. I think our biggest new money maker will be completing groups and offering extra perks for them by the end of the year. I'M STILL COMIN FOR YOU, GROUPS!
Kim wrote:
Thank you for the words of support, everyone. I'm glad many of you feel it's reasonable.
Re: Expanding the market: Yes, we will be trying out a little bit of merch this summer. I think our biggest new money maker will be completing groups and offering extra perks for them by the end of the year. I'M STILL COMIN FOR YOU, GROUPS!
Re: Expanding the market: Yes, we will be trying out a little bit of merch this summer. I think our biggest new money maker will be completing groups and offering extra perks for them by the end of the year. I'M STILL COMIN FOR YOU, GROUPS!
There are a lot of sites out there that offer way less for much more. A lifetime license on 5 character slots for $15 is pretty cheap, when many roleplaying games charge you $25 a month just to login and look at your character.
Also, I totally forgot about epic features for groups!
Now I'm all excited again!
I look at it this way. I just went out and spent $30 at the bar. Food, a couple drinks, and some good times with friends.
When I go to the movies I usually end up paying anywhere between $15 and $20 dollars. Around ten for the movie and depending on my mood between 5 and 10 for snacks.
Considering these prices are all for a single night's entertainment, I don't think permanent character slots are all that pricey.
When I go to the movies I usually end up paying anywhere between $15 and $20 dollars. Around ten for the movie and depending on my mood between 5 and 10 for snacks.
Considering these prices are all for a single night's entertainment, I don't think permanent character slots are all that pricey.
Slightly off-topic, but oh well. I have relatively few characters and I don't really need extra slots, but I would appreciate the option of getting just one, maybe even for $4 instead of the $3 it would cost to get it in the bulk of 5. I sometimes like to give little things to people here because I enjoy supporting the site, but at this point, I don't really need any more paid features for myself and $15 is too much for me when it comes to giving small gifts.
Also, many people prefer spending small amounts of money multiple times to spending a larger amount of money at once, so I think it might boost sales. Maybe.
Also, many people prefer spending small amounts of money multiple times to spending a larger amount of money at once, so I think it might boost sales. Maybe.
That's a good point, Alecia.
Alecia wrote:
Slightly off-topic, but oh well. I have relatively few characters and I don't really need extra slots, but I would appreciate the option of getting just one, maybe even for $4 instead of the $3 it would cost to get it in the bulk of 5. I sometimes like to give little things to people here because I enjoy supporting the site, but at this point, I don't really need any more paid features for myself and $15 is too much for me when it comes to giving small gifts.
Also, many people prefer spending small amounts of money multiple times to spending a larger amount of money at once, so I think it might boost sales. Maybe.
Also, many people prefer spending small amounts of money multiple times to spending a larger amount of money at once, so I think it might boost sales. Maybe.
I love this idea, Kim as you know I'm an avid buyer of slots for myself and as gifts to other people who necessarily may not be able to do it themselves. I think this would be a great "small" ticket item that would likely get more hits overall. And, if they end up buying more of the "singles" than buying the bulk they're still contributing to the site, probably more so than the are now. It might not be a feature you leave on all the time (though I think it would be a benefit if you did) but it would be a great promotion during special times of year (i.e. - Christmas, Valentine's etc.) where people are already in the spirit of giving.
I'm glad someone else feels the same way, Rubix
*starts overanalyzing the whole idea*
For one, offering a single slot for a higher price than $3 would make the five slots at $15 seem like a good bargain.
I suppose the main concern a possible drop in income in case people decide to buy just a couple of slots instead of 5. But then, maybe people prefer to delete a character or two if they feel they need only a couple of slots, instead of buying anything at all.
One thing that would happen for certain would be that the average income the site is getting from a single extra slot would increase. On the other hand, not all the extra slots that are being bought right now are used, because some people buy more than they need, so there isn't any extra cost tied to them for RP Repository, since the slots are left empty.
So there is no telling if it would be beneficial for the site or not. *shrug* Test run?
Also, more about the small gift idea - while a month-long epic membership is quite accessible, it just doesn't feel like a proper gift because it disappears after a month, so having something permanent for under $5 would be cool. I like extra pages, but most people aren't using more than 3 or 4 of them, so giving them extra ones doesn't make much sense to me.
*starts overanalyzing the whole idea*
For one, offering a single slot for a higher price than $3 would make the five slots at $15 seem like a good bargain.
I suppose the main concern a possible drop in income in case people decide to buy just a couple of slots instead of 5. But then, maybe people prefer to delete a character or two if they feel they need only a couple of slots, instead of buying anything at all.
One thing that would happen for certain would be that the average income the site is getting from a single extra slot would increase. On the other hand, not all the extra slots that are being bought right now are used, because some people buy more than they need, so there isn't any extra cost tied to them for RP Repository, since the slots are left empty.
So there is no telling if it would be beneficial for the site or not. *shrug* Test run?
Also, more about the small gift idea - while a month-long epic membership is quite accessible, it just doesn't feel like a proper gift because it disappears after a month, so having something permanent for under $5 would be cool. I like extra pages, but most people aren't using more than 3 or 4 of them, so giving them extra ones doesn't make much sense to me.
Alecia wrote:
Slightly off-topic, but oh well. I have relatively few characters and I don't really need extra slots, but I would appreciate the option of getting just one, maybe even for $4 instead of the $3 it would cost to get it in the bulk of 5. I sometimes like to give little things to people here because I enjoy supporting the site, but at this point, I don't really need any more paid features for myself and $15 is too much for me when it comes to giving small gifts.
Also, many people prefer spending small amounts of money multiple times to spending a larger amount of money at once, so I think it might boost sales. Maybe.
Also, many people prefer spending small amounts of money multiple times to spending a larger amount of money at once, so I think it might boost sales. Maybe.
I really support this idea. As already pointed out, people like to buy gifts for other users. I know myself and many others like buying for some of our younger members when we are able. A single, lesser priced slot would be perfect for that purpose, and possibly even as a trade for services like character art or what have you.
I'm trying to find the link, but there was a great article a few months back done by researchers for companies that create apps with 'purchasable chapters'. They found that consumers were more likely to pay a few cents extra for smaller single purchases than the more expensive bundle.
Highjinx wrote:
A single, lesser priced slot would be perfect for that purpose, and possibly even as a trade for services like character art or what have you.
This is a great idea. I'm always wanting more character slots, and find smaller amounts of cash, much easier to justify spending online.
Because of this thread, I'm going to buy a bunch more slots.
I am actually up to my elbows in the guts of the store code lately. The buying experience is slated to change, I hope sooner rather than later, so maybe I can slip in a test run of the single slot purchase after or with that update. I'm all for testing things!
Yay, great!
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