Please don't chase the quick buck. No progression/powerpoints/skillpoints/levels/similar in lockboxes. Best even no lockboxes at all. Make money by delivering quality, not by playing Captain Ahab.

Currently best example I can thing of would be Star Trek Online. While they do have lockboxes and usually high end stuff in it its never really required and even less goes into the leveling process (a few very optional traits aside).

Currently worst monetization I could think of is DCUO; its so blatant its sickening.

I got a bit worried by following the community developer thread but since that would be too far off topic it did not felt right to post it in there.

While I'm a player who would normally sub anyway for the full experience, I think I'd better comment on that becuase Star Trek Online's lockbox shinies are a bit too much on the "too good" side. The only good aspect is that you can normally buy most of these off the player market for not too much.

Not only that but a subbed player has the same access level to lockboxes in STO as a free player, which makes the game feel cheap and money sucking. Compare to games with no lockboxes.

If I was in charge of STO's lockboxes I would stop putting the best player ships in them.

ZeeHero wrote:
They are desired because often they are exotic, sometimes long asked for, designs. They are not better but on equal footing to flag-, fleet-, and easily grinded event ships.

As said initially; like you overall I'd prefer no LB system at all. But most do it, thats why I pointed to the one F2P model I know that have this and sucks the least with it.

People like to gamble. I think a few of the newer games obtain a lot of their cash flow through them. I would ask for it to be limited cosmetics and to allow them to be traded or sold for end game currency. You can participate if you want but are not missing anything if you opt not to. Maybe add a random boost for xp or currency as well, 45 minute timer.

Most XP boost items I'm aware of last at least an hour.

Sorry to resurrect an old-ish thread, just want to throw my lot into the "please no lockboxes" hat. If the game is good I will pay subscription indefinitely so you can stop worrying about money and just give me more game. Lockboxes are too P2W for me. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I much prefer RNG drops plus quest rewards.

Also, I don't want to pay to gamble for skins. If that's one idea, I'd like it to be paired with a store where I can straight pay for the cosmetics I want. I guess the point is, I would personally prefer that *if* lockboxes are implemented they don't provide a reward that can't be obtained through some other means.

(Realize I'm asking you to basically leave money on the table, but, man. Fight the decline of game studio integrity! )

I think F2P generally is a bad idea, but that's what will happen so i will see how that works out. In a F2P model the incentive for the developers is just wrong. In order to make money, they have to put valuable items in the store. Things that people will pay for. And if they won't earn enough with cosmetics, guess what happens.

I like the plans VO's sister game recently released: www.cityoftitans.com/content/whats-plan-finance

Ironically I stumbled over it on the DCUO forums before the DCUO devs deleted the heretical thread discussing it

Anothername wrote:
Sadly I get the feeling City of Titans isn't ever going to happen. so much money in kickstarter funds and they still haven't produced a game we can play yet, even an open alpha.

And have you seen their website? its an embarrassment.

VO on the other hand is looking professional, their relative lack of funds is unfortunate, but they're making visible progress regardless.

ZeeHero wrote:
Both are fancy accumulations of showcases of nothing worthy called a good game in its current state; they are ideas to be shaped. Both will be either done or not. I try not to bother speculating how and why any of them might not be done; I just accept that both might never be.

Regardless of progress; I think their F2P monetization ideas for a none existing game fit this (actually any, existing or not) none existing F2P game quite well

FYI, this topic (among other things) is addressed in this news post.