New ideas for support & badges

[CWO Marc]

The proposed uniform-cost system would certainly be less of an accounting nightmare from djensen’s point of view (and I can see the point of that), but I’m wondering if the trade-off would be less money being contributed.  The uniform-cost system would limit downward the potential contributions of people who are willing and able to pay more (thus resulting in an income loss), and it would put people who are currently at the lower end of the contribution spectrum into the position of choosing to either raise their contributions or discontinue them (with the latter choice also resulting in an income loss).

[Gargantua]

I’ll be dreadfully honest. If dreadfully unpopular.

I’m not looking forward to any changes.

Whilst I’ll manage myself, many of our best users (more than 50% I would say) are not tech savvy individuals.  They will struggle with any changes, and any new systems or presentation of information and I suspect we will lose some whilst gaining little with a different forum system.  There is a ridiculously high percentage of users here for example who still don’t even own smart phones.  They will suffer.  Why are we doing this exactly?

I also think the $27 will reduce revenue… but I don’t know what’s preventing the current system from being maintained; or why 3 types of patrons can’t be established? Why are we as a community being upgraded to have less features? That doesn’t make sense.  Guys have worked for YEARS here to build up thier badges and now they can only display one :(

As for accounting - I don’t think it’s a big accounting issue because it’s just cash flow into a PayPal account.

[Private-Panic]

As a techno-dinosaur I am unable to judge the need to change, and am among the group that will struggle with any challenges that change might throw up for me, as Garg highlights. Nevertheless, I must rely on the judgement of the techies as to whether the benefits of a change are sufficient.

As a gold patron the proposed system will save me money and I am always in favour of that! But it seems daft to deny those that have been prepared to contribute more in the past the opportunity to continue to do so. Especially if that is merely to simplify the admin. Instead - improve the admin!

I am not at all concerned about losing the ability to strut my stuff with multiple badges (well only 2 but it is a start!) and sparkly gold ones at that.

It is the bronze patrons you really need to hear from as their willingness to increase their contribution is key.

[General 6 Stars]

I got nothing against anybody and this aint to start any wars but if the people that come here all the time that don’t ever donate donated 10 dollars your 27 dollar proposal would drop. IMO

I have donated for years now to give back the thanks for all the info and answers that I’ve gotten over the years.

I’m having a problem donating after this year do to a few members that have never donated to site tell me as long as I and other people keep donating to site they will keep coming here for there free answers and info.   :?

[djensen]

@Gargantua:

I also think the $27 will reduce revenue… but I don’t know what’s preventing the current system from being maintained; or why 3 types of patrons can’t be established? Why are we as a community being upgraded to have less features? That doesn’t make sense.  Guys have worked for YEARS here to build up thier badges and now they can only display one :(

As for accounting - I don’t think it’s a big accounting issue because it’s just cash flow into a PayPal account.

The cash accounting isn’t the issue, it’s the manual work that has to be done on the forums to assign badges to people. It’s not terrible yet but if we get many more contributors it could be an issue.

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I’ll be dreadfully honest. If dreadfully unpopular.

I’m not looking forward to any changes.

Whilst I’ll manage myself, many of our best users (more than 50% I would say) are not tech savvy individuals.  They will struggle with any changes, and any new systems or presentation of information and I suspect we will lose some whilst gaining little with a different forum system.  There is a ridiculously high percentage of users here for example who still don’t even own smart phones.  They will suffer.  Why are we doing this exactlyl?

I’ll create a new thread for this. There’s a myriad of reasons.

[wheatbeer]

Let me preface this by noting that I only just sent in support for the first time today (didn’t earn a living wage until recently  :lol:) and this thread reminded me to donate.

That being said, I would suggest that those substantial past contributions get some kind of special recognition if at all possible.

Perhaps the Patron titles you referred to could be more like the post-count ranks, for example:

Over $500 in past support = Supreme Allied Commander
Over $300 in past support = Field Marshall
Over $250 in past support = General
etc.
etc.

I don’t know what the tiers or cutoffs would be make sense, or if that’s even a feasible idea.

[variance]

I would just like to see a BIG thing to click on the home page that says

PLAY GAMES HERE

and then new people click it, read the triplea how to guide, and start playing online

[Gargantua]

@wheatbeer:

Let me preface this by noting that I only just sent in support for the first time today (didn’t earn a living wage until recently  :lol:) and this thread reminded me to donate.

That being said, but I would suggest that those substantial past contributions get some kind of special recognition if at all possible.

Perhaps the Patron titles you referred to could be more like the post-count ranks, for example:

Over $500 in past support = Supreme Allied Commander
Over $300 in past support = Field Marshall
Over $250 in past support = General
etc.
etc.

I don’t know what the tiers or cutoffs would be make sense, or if that’s even a feasible idea.

This will draw significant revenue

[Midnight_Reaper]

I would like to throw in my vote for maintaining the different levels of badges. I think that having lower and high tiers of support is a good thing. If the prices of the tiers need to rise due to increasing costs, to me that’s a separate issue from removing the badges in the first place.

When I get a bonus due to me I am going to put my money where my mouth is and put down for a gold level sponsor badge for the site. I’d like to be able to do that next year as well.

-Midnight_Reaper

[djensen]

I think I can figure out a way to keep the existing levels.

Thanks for all of the feedback everybody!