Website

[uncledarkside2]

I Just read the home page for costs to play because i am being over charged again. 
The best way to deter new player growth is to advertise with a big fancy word like “imperator” that the game will cost $43./month to play once you play alot.  Thats a car insurance payment. 
No one here plays that much or even close. 
The popluar games are free, with added costs to buy stuff.  I would hate to see that format, but free will bring in people, not $43/Month. You are just scaring people away.  

Heck $1.99/ month with 40 people will generate more income than you probably currently have.  

And why a setup fee for normal games? If i create the game, we all sign up for it, and it is entirely automated, why charge extra?  

Anyway, if you notice i only pay my bill every other month, it is because of your failure to adjust the invoices you send me.

[Ry Vor]

For the record, everyone is currently charged the same amount.  We haven't used the Service Level options on the website for a year or so now.  No one has gotten an invoice for Imperator service.

Everyone is charged $17.95 a month for which you can play up to four games simultaneously.

There is a $5 setup charge per game which helps keep the subscription low and also has a player at least nominally invested in a game so players do not just drop if everything does not go perfectly.

This pricing might change, as it has several times for Alamaze over the past few years.

Realize PBEM as this genre is called is a niche hobby.  We offer a game experience you cannot find in the mass market games.  How does our pricing stand up to the competition in PBEM?  Well, the game Hyborian War is one usually mentioned as a close competitor.  Here is their pricing from their website:

"For each HYBORIAN WAR game set-up that you request after your first, you will be charged a standard US$8.00 processing fee.

Turn fees for playing HYBORlAN WAR TM are US$5.00 per turn for a small Kingdom, US$7.00 per turn for a medium Kingdom, and US$9.00 per turn for a large Kingdom. Turn fees are payable in advance of each turn."

How does that compare?  Well, in Alamaze with 48 hour turn around, if you are in two games, you will pay $18 / (15 turns x2 games) = 53 cents a turn.  

So, Hyborian War charges about 17 times as much as we do presently.

OK, maybe they are just high.  How about MEPBM, probably the other main competitor.  Here is their pricing which I will summarize below (https://www.middleearthgames.com/join-game/)  

First two turns $12.90 if your account is prefunded.
Turns thereafter if submitted by email and your account is prefunded:  $8.50 per turn.
Additional Admin charges if you you do not have sufficient advance balance in your account ($2), you ask for a refund ($8 charge), various other admin charges.

It might also be worth noting that in either of those two competitors, if your account was behind, you would be dropped from the game.

[uncledarkside2]

You are again missing the point. It doesn’t matter what game you compare anything too if only eight people in the world are playing your game, Something is wrong. I’m just trying to help.

[uncledarkside2]

For the record, everyone is currently charged the same amount.  We haven't used the Service Level options on the website for a year or so now.  No one has gotten an invoice for Imperator service.

Everyone is charged $17.95 a month for which you can play up to four games simultaneously.

There is a $5 setup charge per game which helps keep the subscription low and also has a player at least nominally invested in a game so players do not just drop if everything does not go perfectly.

This pricing might change, as it has several times for Alamaze over the past few years.

Realize PBEM as this genre is called is a niche hobby.  We offer a game experience you cannot find in the mass market games.  How does our pricing stand up to the competition in PBEM?  Well, the game Hyborian War is one usually mentioned as a close competitor.  Here is their pricing from their website:

"For each HYBORIAN WAR game set-up that you request after your first, you will be charged a standard US$8.00 processing fee.

Turn fees for playing HYBORlAN WAR TM are US$5.00 per turn for a small Kingdom, US$7.00 per turn for a medium Kingdom, and US$9.00 per turn for a large Kingdom. Turn fees are payable in advance of each turn."

How does that compare?  Well, in Alamaze with 48 hour turn around, if you are in two games, you will pay $18 / (15 turns x2 games) = 53 cents a turn.  

So, Hyborian War charges about 17 times as much as we do presently.

OK, maybe they are just high.  How about MEPBM, probably the other main competitor.  Here is their pricing which I will summarize below (https://www.middleearthgames.com/join-game/)  

First two turns $12.90 if your account is prefunded.
Turns thereafter if submitted by email and your account is prefunded:  $8.50 per turn.
Additional Admin charges if you you do not have sufficient advance balance in your account ($2), you ask for a refund ($8 charge), various other admin charges.

It might also be worth noting that in either of those two competitors, if your account was behind, you would be dropped from the game.

For the record you should charge people the correct amount of what you say you will.