I have not been keeping up with the game for years, but I'd like to get back into it. Is there an ETA for the next launch? I'd also really like it to not be truebox or have Chronos. Just a legit, original reset. I know it'll never be completely original..and don't mind QOL additions that have been added through the decades, but at least remove the exploitation of the economy. Chronos for loot/looting rights is BS.
History says sometime between March and May. Rizlona is the non truebox server (or Ragefire if you want later expansions) and I doubt get another one of those for at least a few years. Also the chance of a server without Krono is about 0%.
That kind of defeats the purpose. DBG made them to cut out the the plat farmers/get a cut, love em or hate em, they aren't going away and aren't changing.
Krono was created for one purpose: get their hand in the RMT cookie jar. Making it no trade would remove the point of ever creating it. If only the purchaser could use it, they would be better off getting a monthly subscription. Krono exists because in online games there is a massive market for powerlevling, money, and item services. People like Yantis made millions of dollars off of this market. Despite multiple attempts to curb and control RMT, EQ could never keep it in check. To combat this, they created the Krono, which is a brilliant concept. 1) They charge more for a single krono than they do for a single month of subscription. So even if someone buys it to use for a subscription, they make more money per month. 2) It creates an item people can buy and then trade off for items or platinum. Instead of $$$ being spent outside of game for those services, it is instead being spent in the game. 3) More krono get purchased than used. Not only are they more expensive, but Krono will never be fully used. At heart it's simple. One krono = 1 month subscription. However, thousands of krono go off to die and never be used when someone gets banned or quits while having krono still in their inventory. Sure, some sell it on the black market, but thousands of krono rot anyways. Some people have hundreds of krono that they will never use for their subscription. One sold krono never used = $18 worth of sales for essentially nothing. No service at all. That is huge. 4) Things like krono and the DBG market are huge money makers for the game. They are a big reason why EQ is so profitable despite being over 20 years old. They aren't going away or being changed to no drop. To do so would be a massive financial hit.
I 100% agree with your other 3 points. This point is totally incorrect. They have stated a couple of times, because of regulations on online purchases... They can't claim that sale on their taxes until the 'virtual' item sold is 'used'. They can't cash in on it until it's consumed. Wasted krono don't benefit them.
While this is probably true in an accounting sense, money from "lost" krono can eventually be recovered and counted as revenue, same as gift cards. And meanwhile, that $18 is still in their bank account. Even if they can't yet count it as revenue, it's still part of their cash flow and can be used to pay the bills.
Yes, I'm sure you're right. Which does make it one more supporting point to what Lejuan was saying. I only represent that is what they've said. And yes I should have pointed out, that money is safe in their bank regardless until they can capitalize, profit or whatever is most accurate.
Good news. Aradune and Rizlona both launched on May 27th, 2020. They are only in Velious right now. So you are in a perfect time to get back into it now.
Most of this is incorrect. There is no tax "regulation" that says Daybreak can only profit from a Krono when it's used for account time. The IRS would categorize Kronos as a non-convertible virtual currency, which means: 1. The currency is treated as property rather than a "real" currency. 2. The creator (DBG) is taxed when the sale occurs. Unless they try to argue a good reason for deferment (e.g., impending bankruptcy, net loss). Regardless, nothing limits them from realizing the revenue on a balance sheet. 3. Players aren't required to claim in-game transactions in their taxes (e.g., when they trade Krono for an item). Whoever started that rumor, whether it was a DBG employee or someone on the forums, was incorrect.
I defer to you and Machen on this. I don't have any knowledge of corporate finance or taxes (even my own). It has been stated by employees a number of times. The first time it was stated, to my knowledge, was by Dave Georgeson. This was before the sale of SOE to ColumbusNova Mr.Epstein (whoever they claim). Dave was a scammer extraordinaire and I know for a fact he said things publicly on YouTube, "we're gonna do this, we're gonna do that", he had never even checked first with legal, and then had to retract. I don't put it past him to make things up on the fly or outright lie. I've always had my conspiracy theories about their hinky accounting practices. But that's another issue. If I had to guess on a place that might still have a statement searchable, on these forums there was a thread when they wanted to change the $5/mo claim to $20/mo 'use it or lose it'. Smed and Dave posted in that thread at the time (Dave's forum name was Smokejumper I believe). There was a thread, (I think) within the last 2 years where an employee said that, but I can't for the life of me recall what it was about. It's entirely possible it was never true, Dave made it up, and everyone including some employees started repeating it from there.
What they might have meant is that the only time DBG is guaranteed a return on a Krono is when it's consumed. If someone buys a Krono then does a charge-back, DBG will lose the $17 plus a fee from the bank. OTOH, if the Krono is consumed then the charge-back can be contested. But unless DBG is unreasonably bearish on anticipating loads of charge-backs, there's no reason they shouldn't count Krono purchases as revenue as soon as they're purchased.
I think you're right. Point being, I guess, Lejuan was entirely correct. Krono are a big boon to them one way or another, and aren't going anywhere.
"It benefits us in many ways to have the krono consumed, rather than banked, since we can't realize the revenue until they have been used for time. That being said we always knew that some people would play the market and buy and resell krono for excess plat. That's allowable, and so are the market shenanigans that result. As long as everyone is adhering to the Terms of Service. Piestro Senior Community Relations Manager" Source: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...ut-krono-resellers.206514/page-5#post-3033048 It is worth noting this post is from 2014 and tax codes and financial regulations have changed since then regarding both gift cards and virtual currency. It seems Krono would still fall under gift card. DBG can track every Krono back to day one, so they can recognize breakage revenue (Krono likely never to be redeemed) based on historical trend using the proportionate method. https://www.firmofthefuture.com/content/gift-card-accounting-part-1-the-gaap-standards/
Not gonna happen, play on FV if you want Free Trade Rules. Okay if you want the expansion lockouts to be level-locked or on a 3 week lockout I guess. Not gonna happen. The TLP server would need to start with everything up to Gates of Discord unlocked for this, the devlopers appear to want to keep those classes completely locked-in to the expansions they were introduced in & reinforced that by removing the PoFear itemisation for them until those expansions open on TLP. Spells are pretty much the "weapons" of casters and part of the early development philosophy was the expectation for casters to have to quest for some, travel for others & get some rare ones only from hard to kill boss mobs or raids rather than having them all cheaply & quickly available from an npc in an easy to reach spot like your home city. Now I am personally in favour of "backfilling" abilities, disciplines & spells for classes to flesh-out their toolsets but these have to also account for the power curve so that they do not exacerbate the power creep that necessitated MoTM being introduced so that may require some down-tuning of available spells alongside that to balance things out.
Regarding Krono...they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. DBG likes them too much, as do the players. The vast majority of people love them. It provides a way for DBG to get in on the RMT market. For players, it provides a inflation proof way of converting plat/items into "something of value". Furthermore, players can move the krono from server to server, as its locked to the account, not that character. All in all, its pretty ingenious. Also, as far what DBG can and cannot do regarding the Krono sales and their books. Things are pretty flexible. Speaking as a CPA well versed in Generally Accepted Accounting Practices, I highly suspect they're able to record sales of krono as revenue at the time of the sale. At a minimum, they can record the "revenue" when the krono is redeemed for a monthly sub, or when an account is banned with krono on it (cause those Krono are then gone forever). Furthermore...they can most certainly use the cash they collect at the time of the Krono sale to fund operations.
