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Problem: Players want lots more roles.
Problem: It doesn't really help fund the game as much as all the skins and such.
Solution: Monetize new roles.
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Note: Roles promised in Kickstarter Campaigns are still free. Other roles can still be free.
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Brief Opening:
Let's say you have this role idea...
Sniper
Neutral Killing
- Select a target every night.
- Lie in wait on your target's roof and shoot anyone who visits.
- Ignores night immunity.
- You don't kill your target, just their visitors.
- You are night immune.
Regardless of whether you LIKE this role or not, let's move on with the overall plan I'm proposing...
Now, it's going to be very hard to add a lot of roles to the game. It takes time and effort, etc. and not everyone wants to play in a round with a Sniper. (For example.)
So what if Blank Media did this...
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The Monetization:
Pay 99 cents for the Sniper role.
Now, you can add a Sniper to custom lobbies YOU are hosting.
Also, you have a chance of BEING the Sniper if you get the Random Neutral Killing or "Any" role result.
No one can add a Sniper to their round, or BE the Sniper as Random Neutral Killing or "Any" unless they bought the Sniper role for 99 cents.
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So here's how it works, in clear language.
You are the host of a lobby:
Step 1: You buy or have bought the Sniper role in the "Role Shop".
Step 2: You can now add "Sniper" to your lobby's possible roles like you'd normally add roles.
Step 3: Anyone in that round can be chosen as the "Sniper" like they would be given the "Doctor" or "Godfather" roles.
You NOT the host, but the Host added Sniper:
You now have the chance to be chosen as the "Sniper" like you would be given the "Doctor" or "Godfather" roles.
(You do not need to own the Sniper role, because the host does and he added it!)
You are NOT the host, but you own Sniper and there is a Random Neutral Killing and/or "ANY" role in the list:
"Sniper" is now added to the list of possible roles YOU can get if you're chosen as the Neutral Killing or Any.
(You could also be any other role, it's just that Sniper is now added to your pool of possibilities.)
So you see, you do not need to buy the Sniper role to play it. You just need to be in a lobby where the Host owns and adds it. This way it's not "Unfair" that only buyers ever get to have the role.
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What is the benefit of this Monetized Role System?
1: Blank Media Games staff have that much more incentive to add more roles, which is something everyone wants.
2: It spices up the game to have a bunch of new roles.
3: The game does not become cluttered with a ton of roles available if they're only shown/available to buyers.
4: If you don't like a new role, don't purchase it. That way you'll NEVER get it unless the Host added it.
5: Because of all of the above, we can open the floodgates JUST A LITTLE BIT and maybe let in a bunch more roles that would've otherwise never have seen the light of day. I'm not talking about adding BAD roles, I'm talking about the ability to add things and let the economy decide if they're used. This way you can put in various experimental role concepts and let players themselves decide if they do or do not want them.
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All in all, this is an undeniable solution to two problems. Slow role addition because of monetized updates taking precedence, and fear of cluttering the role lists with too many off-the-wall things that are hard to dig through.
Roles that you've purchased could go at the top of each role section when you're hosting a custom round. That way they're all easy-access and in one place on your list.
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PAQ
(Possibly Asked Questions)
"Why 99 cents?" - You can get 5,000 people to pay $1 much easier than 1,000 people will pay $5.
"Can Roles be in Packs?" - Why not? Imagine it. Sniper role, skin, and scrolls. XD
"Does it have to be Sniper?" - No, I used that to make the post a lot simpler to read.
"If only the Host has to buy it for anyone in the round to get it, doesn't that discourage purchase?" - No. Every time they get the role, it's a sample of what they could play with much more often if they purchased it. Also, when there are enough paid roles, you're not likely to get the same paid roles available in every round you don't host.
"What about Random Neutral?" - Well, yeah. Random Neutral would also be a possible Sniper if you bought it.
