Blips and the problem.

[Gore]

I understand that /bad shouldn't be available to literally everyone because they would be all over. But really do we think that this is the only solution? To have GPS coords in your vehicle for open businesses to search? This server started out being against play to win, and this is what it is becoming by not addressing this. 

People get mad at getting robbed all the time, but it's not viable to legal roleplay when you can't function as a business if no one knows that you are open. We need to discuss some other alternatives to allowing players to showing up on the map when they open, while still giving donators something extra. I understand having other things, maybe special cars for donators that only they can get from dealerships or something, but then they can be on the street for anyone to buy. I don't fully understand furniture being donator only, but I'll let that one slide. Even radio stations, I somewhat get, but like say someone wants to be a DJ or something, they gotta pay real money to do it? Those aren't what this thread is about though.

Maybe have some kind of IC license with the city or the News station to advertise where you pay a monthly fee or something? Make it viable to have the same features available to everybody at least SOME way. Brushing this under the carpet and archiving it is a bit ridiculous. 

I have no problem donating every now and then, but I don't want to pay 25 bucks a month just for rights to ads. That's almost twice as much as a monthly WoW sub, which is insane. Idk, I just feel something needs to be done about this to make it more viable for people to run legal roleplay effectively and not have to resort to either working for someone or crime.

Maybe add some kind of blip ability on the bronze donator selection even, and make it at least a BIT more affordable. Even if it's some watered down blip at least it would be SOMETHING in the right direction.  There's currently 15 mins between ads for bronze, why not add blip to that and have 15 mins between? even that seems more agreeable.

Edited December 3, 2020 by Gore

[Woona]

It isn't a problem at all if you can hire one person with at least gold donator to put out /bad's for you if you *really* need the blip. /gps exists for a reason, and of course /cad exists.

[Gore]

Like I said, GPS isn't used as much as everyone implies, I had a business and tried to run it without a blip. It was next to impossible to get any RP.
I used /cad, thats not the issue. People are used to just opening their map and seeing a blip and going. If the system from the start was JUST that it wouldn't be a problem, but that's all it has become. 

I feel the hiring donators shit is a bit redic too, i'm hiring someone because they paid irl money? it reminds me of lsrp, and this place should strive to be far away from that.

[Sinatra]

I can get behind this, even something like Bronze can only use the blip for an hour a day. Gold and Platinum have unlimited time. I'm always against the ability to pay IRL money to have a serious advantage in game like that. I do however, understand the merit behind it. 

[Gore]

Just now, Sinatra said:

I can get behind this, even something like Bronze can only use the blip for an hour a day. Gold and Platinum have unlimited time. I'm always against the ability to pay IRL money to have a serious advantage in game like that. I do however, understand the merit behind it. 

For sure. I'm really not against funding the server in ways to keep it going. I love the server. I want to help. But it's not financially viable for many people and it has an impact on people not being able to either continue their rp due to ooc reasons.

[nwah_]

A big aspect of the server is businesses, and it is one of the predominant ways of making money on the server. (Of course making money isn't the purpose of the server, roleplay is) But to take businesses and sort of hide them away behind a paywall to be able to be ran efficiently is definitely a little shady imo. Donations are, well, as the name suggests, donations. It shouldn't be a necessity to open a business.

 

I know saying "hire someone to post ads for you who does have gold/plat" is a common defense of the system, but really the problem is that it shouldn't even have to come to that. Especially if someone's running a small one-man business, i.e. an electronics shop, or small cafe, or food truck or whatever, no one should have to rely on someone who is a donator.

[Gore]

6 minutes ago, nwah_ said:

A big aspect of the server is businesses, and it is one of the predominant ways of making money on the server. (Of course making money isn't the purpose of the server, roleplay is) But to take businesses and sort of hide them away behind a paywall to be able to be ran efficiently is definitely a little shady imo. Donations are, well, as the name suggests, donations. It shouldn't be a necessity to open a business.

 

I know saying "hire someone to post ads for you who does have gold/plat" is a common defense of the system, but really the problem is that it shouldn't even have to come to that. Especially if someone's running a small one-man business, i.e. an electronics shop, or small cafe, or food truck or whatever, no one should have to rely on someone who is a donator.

Pretty much encapsulates everything I meant but in a better way that makes the most sense. Thank you for this input. 

[Sim]

[Vash Baldeus]

1 hour ago, Gore said:

People get mad at getting robbed all the time, but it's not viable to legal roleplay when you can't function as a business if no one knows that you are open. We need to discuss some other alternatives to allowing players to showing up on the map when they open, while still giving donators something extra. I understand having other things, maybe special cars for donators that only they can get from dealerships or something, but then they can be on the street for anyone to buy. I don't fully understand furniture being donator only, but I'll let that one slide. Even radio stations, I somewhat get, but like say someone wants to be a DJ or something, they gotta pay real money to do it? Those aren't what this thread is about though.

Regarding what I marked in red, that is not a good solution, another community did it, was abused quite extensively.

 

Regarding the blip issue, simple, we have the following map:

https://map.gta.world/biz.php

 

Which if you donate 50WP for 30 days will display a marker on that map, why not incorporate that system in-game with blips that go green once an employee does /startshift or owner does /openbusiness. This way people will get the blip and it will resolve the problem in theory. But, it will reduce the monthly donations the server receives to 1/3 of what it is now, moreover I can assure you the upkeep and payments for the servers this community is using are quite high meaning this entire server relies on donations to sustain the hosting. By eliminating the /bad as a donator perk you cut the income of the server to uphold itself. Main issue is, what you will add to donator perks to replace /bad which will still entice people to donate? So far, giving unique cars is not an option. As giving something another player won't be able to achieve due to lack of real life funds is more pay to win if I am honest (giving specific vehicles is an example), while running a business does require a blip, yes, but as people have stated earlier, you can get around it by getting someone who does have a donator already. Moreover, major benefit from running the business is the money you receive.

 

So far, I've seen you complain more than actually suggest a counter offer how to incentivize donations after removing /bad as a perk while balancing the access to /bad to players. It's a slippery slope you are dealing with, some people will not agree with your opinion on placing a specific perk, those perks should not be something that will give significant advantage over another. As things stand /bad does not guarantee people will come to your place of business.

 

I run a business, I've hand multiple instances where my blip's gone, yet I have people coming and coming keeping me busy and not allowing me to post a new one. Perhaps bronze donator should get the /blip access which places a blip with name on the map for you (similar to /bad, but without Business Advert).

 

Moreover, this guy has a good point, we have this sort of discussion almost every month at least once.

10 minutes ago, Sim said:

Spoiler

 

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Vash Baldeus

[Bandolero]

Basically, they ain’t gonna do shit or change shit because Nervous is making a shit load of money just from people donating so that they can put a blip up. In a business sense, they’ll find any excuse to not change it and will have a mob of people say “I love donating 30 euros a month so that my business runs perfectly!” As reasoning to not change it or the common come back is “If it’s not broken, why change it?”