This communities thoughts on gifting.

[Calavash]

I say give it to them most gear is pretty well balanced. And if its better then more power to them. Besides if they can equip it the could have found it them selves. Also scrip is meaningless. Last thing use the ark salvage to buy keys and open lock boxes get the most out of it

[Dodece]

While I was able to gift a good bit of scrip away today to clan mates, and whatever random strangers I found in area voice chat. Trading away my gear proved especially problematic. Obviously the developers have anticipated this all in advance, and contrived a means to maintain much of their monopoly on the trade. You cannot trade a higher ego rated item to a lower ego rated player. Players can only trade up, or in parallel with one another. That means higher level players are effectively blocked from supporting lower level players.

I think this is the underlying reason for the ego ratings on weapons in the first place. I also think that it is pretty onerous on the part of the developers to force players to buy lock boxes. I thoroughly understand if they were unable to use or equip a item until they reached the proper level, but to preclude the transaction outright. That is all about the developer running rough shot over the community.

At one point I had a opportunity to trade some of that gear to a higher level clan mate who might be able to hold onto the gear until the lower level clan mate could accept it through trade, but I got the impression while we were talking online today. That he was as almost as burned out, and bored as I was with the game. So if I traded it to him chances are it still wouldn't have gotten to the clan mate that actually needed it, and I didn't want to put him in a position where he felt he had to continue playing the game so that he could pass along that charity.

In the end it was the story of this game I suppose. I was really happy being a random benefactor to some, but the game was engineered to stop me from doing some serious good, because the developers want to keep a monopoly on orange gear. So I went from really happy to really disappointed in the space of just a few hours. I really wanted to end the game on a supremely high note. Well anyway as I ran from arkfall to arkfall today looking for anybody on area voice chat who would like some free scrip.

It only made me feel more secure about my decision. About the only argument that was made in favor of this game was that expansions were coming, but you know what it strikes me as kind of silly that you need to wait for expansions to find joy in a game. Look I know people get excited about the prospect of expansions, but it should be about a enjoyable experience getting even better. It shouldn't be about breathing a little more life into what is a dull experience.

I don't get that, or more likely I probably don't want to get that. It just sounds profoundly sad to me. Well it was mostly fun while it lasted. I just wished the developer had treated this game more like something that they were genuinely proud or, and made a game they would love to play. Rather then a game that was just plain monetized to ridiculous lengths. I certainly don't agree with the whole micro transaction philosophy. That always seems to compromise the quality.

I am leaving this game with a profoundly mixed view on the developer. The game is built to about the lowest common denominator, and their practices seem rather shiftless. That however doesn't necessarily translate to their staff who have been courteous, helpful, efficient, and informative. The game itself however was obviously a half baked initiative, or the worst kind of money grab possible. I really don't know what they were thinking when they came up with the design for the game.

A player that is vested for two or three months. Is likely to stay around much longer, and actually be far more apt to continue spending money. As is the core game experience isn't justifying buying their services, or even buying the expansions. So where exactly do they expect to make their money, and if their plan is to make the players miserable enough that they need to buy expansions. Then I think they are in for a world of hurt.

Anyway these forums were a hoot, and in game some of you were a hoot too. It was a pleasure and a honor to play with some of you. Maybe we will see each other in some future game.

[Angry Old Feral]

Since none of the weapons really have any clear advantages outside of good Synergy bonuses depending on their rarity tier, I don't think you're going to "break the game" for anyone. Essentially you're just giving your crew your slightly-better-than-normal and a bunch of money that they'll probably end up amassing doing sidequests and Arkfalls anyway.

And like other posters have said: It's your gear. Do whatever the hell you want with it.

[mikepaul]

I'd sure like to equip orange in all slots to get that out of the way. If you could stop me somewhere and trade with me for a moment, I'll give them right back. That'd be gift enough...

[Dodece]

@mikepaul

Read my previous post. I have already left the game, and now I am just loitering on the forums for a bit before I hit the sack, and jump into a new game tomorrow. Kind of sorry I didn't run into you online today. I would have been more then happy to oblige you in your wish.

[Grit]

glad ya had fun with the game and gifted your stuff away. nothing wrong with giving gifts. hell, a guy wanted an orange bullrush 45 i was just gonna give it to him.. why?? i didn't want it, he seemed like a cool dude, he hung around and did some co-op with us. i was just glad someone got what they wanted and i was able to help. He ended up giving me an orange detonator in return because he said..man, i can't leave you empty handed....last night i gave that detonator to a guy in my clan because he loves those things.

Have fun with Dead Island, I'll be playing some Dark Arisen myself tomorrow!!

[Dodece]

@Grit

You just reminded me of one of my favorite online memories. In a previous game I made a high class master crafting character that was also a high master class modifier. It was a really complex game, and it took me over six months to get all the right materials to create just ungodly weapons to begin with, and if the random generator gave me the best possible result on the modifications. The weapons would literally become worth a in game fortune. Talking about the kind of money it would take most players weeks if not many months to make.

I would then take a few of those insanely powerful weapons to new player zones just off the beaten track, and sell them to obviously new players for a pittance. With the caveat that they not trade them, sell them, or give them to any other players. Then I would sit back, and wait for the messages to start rolling in. As their clan mates would find out the stats on the weapon and realize that they were worth upwards of ten thousand or a hundred thousand times what I charged the new player for them. It was all kinds of funny, because I don't know what they thought about that truly, but the messages were pretty clear that they wanted in on some of that action.

What I was basically playing at was being a virtual Leprechaun. If you stumbled upon me in game you would get yourself a big pot of gold. I only transacted in person, and I always kept my character on the move. I was having a real blast of it. Not just the fact that I was doing incredibly good things for other players, but the whole mischief of vanishing before my pursuers would find me. That is until one day I slipped up, and went away from keyboard. I wasn't in a busy place mind you, but one player must have stumbled upon my avatar in that dark little corner. When I came back almost a hour later. Almost fifty players had formed up a queue in front of my character, and I proceeded to spend the next six hours filling orders.

I couldn't really tell them no at that point given that they had been sitting there patiently waiting for me to get back on, and the chat window was full of non stop praise about my character, and as I stood there filling those first orders other people started to pile up at the back of the line. It was insane on the map. You just saw this line of players going off into the distance. I didn't even tell them to form up into a line. They just did that all on their own.

I mean it was like the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. I must have serviced an entire starter zone that day. Anyway after that I had to put that character on lock down for a long time. Too many other players new the characters name, and been part of that whole insane display.

[Morolanth]

I can't imagine anyone outside of the usual crazies every message board attracts at one point or another to find fault here. It's your gear to do with however you damn well please.

Agreed. If they want to give it away then do it. It really does not have any true impact on anyone elses game play really.

[rralpheboy]

Nope it's your gear to give away as you see fit

[Buruko]

I am leaving this game with a profoundly mixed view on the developer. The game is built to about the lowest common denominator, and their practices seem rather shiftless. That however doesn't necessarily translate to their staff who have been courteous, helpful, efficient, and informative. The game itself however was obviously a half baked initiative, or the worst kind of money grab possible. I really don't know what they were thinking when they came up with the design for the game.

I believe they were aiming at making a TPS MMO, which they have done. As for 'shiftless' practice I believe they have been more reactionary to player pressure than they should be which has caused stumbling when in a hurry, but I would not call this practice 'shiftless' however.

I would also call this far from 'half baked'.

A player that is vested for two or three months. Is likely to stay around much longer, and actually be far more apt to continue spending money. As is the core game experience isn't justifying buying their services, or even buying the expansions. So where exactly do they expect to make their money, and if their plan is to make the players miserable enough that they need to buy expansions. Then I think they are in for a world of hurt.

They have sponsors, game copy sales, DLC sales. There are other revenue streams beyond just the in-game cosmetic features. Speculation that a longer player will be more apt to spend however, as I've already seen several individuals with the cosmetic outfits on already. I believe those that want the items will buy no matter how long they've played. Those that don't want to buy don't.