The developers of Tarisland have provided a new insight into the monetization model and economy of the MMORPG.
What kind of game is this? Tarisland is an upcoming F2P MMORPG created by the Chinese developer studio and publisher Tencent and is regarded as their response to WoW. WoW and other Blizzard games are no longer playable in China since Blizzard and their Chinese partner NetEase ended their cooperation.
Tarisland features a Western fantasy setting with colorful graphics reminiscent of the style of WoW – which is rather unusual for MMORPGs from China. The classes also resemble the original selection from WoW. There is a Warrior, Paladin, Mage, Hunter, Priest, Bard, and a kind of Demon Hunter with two glaives.
The back and forth with pay-to-win: The topic of pay-to-win is widely discussed in Tarisland and is frequently reignited.
- Tarisland early on promised that there would be no pay-to-win in the MMORPG – this promise was already broken in the initial tests.
- Players were able to exchange a real money currency for silver (an in-game currency) and buy equipment with stats in a marketplace using silver. Players then criticized that the game encouraged indirect purchases of better equipment with real money.
- Furthermore, there were items in the in-game shop that allowed players to pay reduced taxes at the trading post or have reduced elank costs.
After the criticism, Tencent promised changes, but some players felt they were not enough. Now the developers want to pacify the critical voices with the new details.
No subscription, no pay-to-win, but still many different currencies
In the new video, Tencent addresses the economic system of Tarisland. The developers explain roughly what you can buy with which currency and how pay-to-win plays a role.
What does Tarisland say about monetization now? According to Tencent, everything that affects the appearance of your character – including outfits and mounts – will have no function and will only change the style of your character. These items are not supposed to provide competitive advantages in the end-game. Pets and social items are also not expected to affect your combat abilities.
The developers also say: “The benefits have nothing to do with attributes and do not affect the actual gameplay experience, like a larger backpack and a warehouse that improves farming efficiency.”
Nevertheless, there will also be battle passes that provide one-time access to a certain amount of resources. These resources, however, are not exclusive and can be acquired daily.
Unlike WoW, Tarisland also wants to completely avoid subscriptions. The studio wants all players to experience the MMORPG without restrictions. Therefore, they do not sell hours and offer the game for free.
You can see the complete video with the developers’ explanations here:
What do the developers say about the economy? In Tarisland, there is supposed to be a trade center. Additionally, every character can learn a profession. If a character needs something that is produced by another profession, they can exchange it at the trade center.
In the trade center, all resources can be traded that are produced by the various professions or dropped in PvE. This is possible in exchange for all common in-game currencies.
On the other hand, every player can also obtain all materials in different modes without a profession and exchange them for currency or supplies in the trade center.
Currencies that must be purchased with money and that you obtained in the trade center can only be used for buying cosmetic items and monthly passes, according to Tencent.
What do the developers say about the currencies? Tencent has addressed the three different currencies: gold coins, crystals, and silver.
- Gold coins: Gold coins support the flow of goods and can be obtained through playing or selling items.
- Crystals: This is a currency that you must pay money for. However, crystals can also be purchased with gold coins. Crystals are mainly used to buy cosmetic items, monthly passes, and other items.
- Silver coins: This is the most common currency and can be acquired in various game modes. Silver coins can be used for skill enhancements, repairing equipment, purchasing materials, diagrams, and supplies, as well as for buying functional items.
It remains interesting where the monetization journey of Tarisland will lead and whether pay-to-win could actually be a problem at the full release of the MMORPG or not.
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