THE GREAT YCM ECONOMIC REVIVAL PLAN

[Aix]

THE GREAT YCM ECONOMY REVIVAL PLAN TO PULL YCM OUT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION ERA
by Aix
 
Turning the points system into an legitimate reward system/economy would really allow us to promote activity on this site, host events, competitions, etc. Basically make a whole bunch of fun stuffs happen.
 
BACK TO SQUARE ONE
I’m quite not sure if we can do this, but the first step should be to reset all points to zero and to allow everyone to start on level ground. Sure, your points are probably hard-earned and it would make sense to allow you to keep them, but I personally think letting everyone start over would be a better idea, especially as some of you donated away your points when you realized they were worthless. It would also promote the old members to be active if they want points.
 
THINGS ONLY MONEY CAN BUY
So there’s lots of things that we can add to the shop and services moderators and members can offer in exchange for points, including:

• Name Changes: If we do this plan, we're going to stop giving out name changes for free. You'll have to buy your name changes in the shop like you're supposed to. Cost: 3000.
• Profile Music: No more free profile music as well, pay a mod to receive your profile music. Those of you who already have it can keep it. Cost: 3000 (it's annoying to do, okay?)
• Special Member Group: There can be a special member group that has benefits including a gold name as well as a pretty thing on the side - even prettier than what we staff have. This would be a shop item. However, membership has to be renewed. Because it would be too difficult to keep track of how long you've been a part of the group, we'll just reset the group at the end of every month. Cost: 1000.
• Custom Member Group: You can create a customized Member Group, choosing the name colour and font, as well as the aesthetic on the side (Note: You would have to provide the aesthetic yourself, you can hire someone to do it though). This one will reset once every two months (cuz why not? plus it also lets me bring the price up). Cost: 10000-20000 to set it up, but you only have to set it up once and it takes 2500 points to join. You can choose whether anyone can join or only certain members (or just yourself). It's perfect for clubs, or just to make yourself pwetty.
• Member Shops: It would be greatly appreciated if members would open up Shops to help the economy. I could potentially open up an art commission shop. Maybe.
• SWAG: You can't buy swag with money.

 
HOW TO EARN POINTS FOR DUMMIES
There are a whole bunch of fun and/or activity promoting stuff we can do to let you earn points. Each moderator would be able to incorporate a rewards system into their respective sections and breath NEW LIFE into YCM.

• CnC Rewards: We could reward members for a good CC or Showcase review. Probably 300-600 points per review.
• Discussion Generation Prize: Also we can reward members for opening up good discussion. Like, maybe 300-600 points for every page your topic gets in General (or other sections).
• Contests/Tournaments: Winning contests/tournaments is a no-brainer. Tournaments can receive moderator funding as well. We could probably like 300-500 per member in the tournament. As for Card Contest... probably only funding for those who have passed the Judge Exam or whatever. Graphic Contests, idk, Night can do something.

Thoughts? If you have other ideas you'd like to add or discuss, please speak up. There'll also be Achievements implemented eventually, but that's a different topic.

[Goose]

Those rewards are too damn high considering I get a point per post.

[Lunar Origins]

Support.  There is no reason not to, and I find this plan to be rather amazing.  How I would love to have my own member group.  This could lead to some interesting group war stuff - I really think that would be another thing to distribute points with, as well.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Aix you keep doing things that make me want to propose to you again.

 

Anyway, I really like the idea, points never meant anything to me at all so it'll be good to have a reason for them.

The things you've said are a very good base, though the reward points, 300-600 per page seems a bit...a lot too much. Plus remember that a member could easily reply to a lot of people to increase page count.

Resetting points I'm unsure of. I mean I don't even have enough points for a name change I don't think, and it took this long to get that much. Which I just realized makes the reward points make more sense...There's a LOT of math you guys have to work out to get a good number, but if you can do it, great.

Basically, I'd need to see some math behind the reasons things cost the way they do, and why you get certain points for certain things.

Anyway resetting points seems a bit unfair honestly, but I'd need to hear opinions of older members on that.

 

But for now, I support the idea.

[Rodrigo]

So I'm going to have to become active?

 

Why the hell not. Support.

[Aix]

Those rewards are too damn high considering I get a point per post.

The intention is that you participate in site stuff to earn points rather than posting and spamming like you usually do.

[Goose]

Then give points out for something that actually makes the site better like posting suggestions like I usually do.

[Rodrigo]

Also, what about the profile header? Can we be allowed to buy it too? It'll take me a while until I get to 5k posts.

[Aix]

Also, what about the profile header? Can we be allowed to buy it too? It'll take me a while until I get to 5k posts.

The special member group(s) will have it.

[Rodrigo]

The special member group(s) will have it.

 

So for 1000 a month I get to have a header?

 

Sweetness. Seems like this'll be what I'll be investing most of my points on.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Then give points out for something that actually makes the site better like posting suggestions like I usually do.

Your opinion on what makes the site better is, well, an opinion. All the things listed makes the site better.

 

Though, giving points for making suggestions that get enough support to be implemented should get points.

[Maeriberii Haan]

Hey Aix, we should also implement something in RPs too, RP finish reward aside (since it's almost impossible, lol).

 

Like...idk, have no idea atm.

[Goose]

15k points for finishing an RP, 5k if you joined late.  That shit is impossible.

[Makο]

I could see this boosting activity for the sake of having dumb fun things, though I could equally see people asking "what's the point?", in that this won't completely fix the new slowness that is YCM.

 

...Well, everything except powerforce. Can't I play video games without coming back to 30 posts?

 

Anywho, support.

[Blake]

I dislike the idea of stripping everyone of their points.

I already lost a ton to Pika being a bitch, and I only got a small portion back after the hack (leaving me around a 10th of what I had), and it just annoys me that I'd just lose the rest of them over this.

In addition, this plan basically shoos members away if they aren't the most active, making them "second class". I understand wanting to push activity and contributions to the site, but bar the custom group for clubs/whatever (which is a wonderful idea, and would make warring more fun/have more of a goal as well), but that's too high priced.

It basically says you lose freedom in exchange for a perk that requires likely weeks of constant contribution/pooling with other members. Members who aren't overly active are shooed away completely, members who lack the ability to open a shop become dependent on those that open a shop, etc.

The core idea is fine, but the overall idea seems harsh to anyone that isn't capable of making a shop (like, what kind of shop can you make outside of GFX?) or consistently contributing. It's not even a learning curve, you're just thrown into the fire.

Also, new regulations for points and the like should be put in place, because people have been known to scam them... before they were even truly important.

[Kazooie]

Support, there's no reason something like this shouldn't be implemented for the majority of the site members. Just keep in mind what Black said.

[Brinolovania]

I certainly support points actually meaning something.

 

plz no takerino my points, tho. I like being rich :C

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

I dislike the idea of stripping everyone of their points.

I already lost a ton to Pika being a b****, and I only got a small portion back after the hack (leaving me around a 10th of what I had), and it just annoys me that I'd just lose the rest of them over this.

In addition, this plan basically shoos members away if they aren't the most active, making them "second class". I understand wanting to push activity and contributions to the site, but bar the custom group for clubs/whatever (which is a wonderful idea, and would make warring more fun/have more of a goal as well), but that's too high priced.

It basically says you lose freedom in exchange for a perk that requires likely weeks of constant contribution/pooling with other members. Members who aren't overly active are shooed away completely, members who lack the ability to open a shop become dependent on those that open a shop, etc.

The core idea is fine, but the overall idea seems harsh to anyone that isn't capable of making a shop (like, what kind of shop can you make outside of GFX?) or consistently contributing. It's not even a learning curve, you're just thrown into the fire.

Also, new regulations for points and the like should be put in place, because people have been known to scam them... before they were even truly important.

As a person who can't contribute much i don't see the issue.

The thing is, simply having a lot of points as it is already makes people seem to feel superior, so in reality that isn't going to change no matter what you do.

 

Also even if this isn't implemented, mods shouldn't give free name changes anymore.

[Blake]

As a person who can't contribute much i don't see the issue.
The thing is, simply having a lot of points as it is already makes people seem to feel superior, so in reality that isn't going to change no matter what you do.
 
Also even if this isn't implemented, mods shouldn't give free name changes anymore.

I know others who feel it does impede them.

No one values points anymore, except new members. They're just a name change resource, really. I've not seen anyone feel "superior" due to them in ages, yet this MAKES them superior.

[Aix]

I dislike the idea of stripping everyone of their points.

I already lost a ton to Pika being a bitch, and I only got a small portion back after the hack (leaving me around a 10th of what I had), and it just annoys me that I'd just lose the rest of them over this.

In addition, this plan basically shoos members away if they aren't the most active, making them "second class". I understand wanting to push activity and contributions to the site, but bar the custom group for clubs/whatever (which is a wonderful idea, and would make warring more fun/have more of a goal as well), but that's too high priced.

It basically says you lose freedom in exchange for a perk that requires likely weeks of constant contribution/pooling with other members. Members who aren't overly active are shooed away completely, members who lack the ability to open a shop become dependent on those that open a shop, etc.

The core idea is fine, but the overall idea seems harsh to anyone that isn't capable of making a shop (like, what kind of shop can you make outside of GFX?) or consistently contributing. It's not even a learning curve, you're just thrown into the fire.

Also, new regulations for points and the like should be put in place, because people have been known to scam them... before they were even truly important.

My intention is to have enough point-earning activities of various difficulties so that it is easy enough to reach the Special Member Group thing in a month, even if you aren't the most active. Those listed on the OP are just a few examples, and hopefully each mod will do things to allow relatively easy point earning in each section.

 

Hey Aix, we should also implement something in RPs too, RP finish reward aside (since it's almost impossible, lol).

 

Like...idk, have no idea atm.

Yeah, I'll try to think of something.

[Goose]

My other point is that we should balance the points out so every can participate in their own sections and still receive points.  It can be biased towards CC though.

[Catman25]

THE GREAT YCM SHOWCASE REVIVAL 

haha support

 

Also warn us of bankruptcy, might as well sink my points into scratch offs and name changes while I can

[Blake]

As-is, you've made shop owners the ones likely to control everything, as they have something to physically contribute.

Points aren't going to be easy to attain unless the mods are working harder than ever, and I doubt the team would be willing to do that bar you and Night.

You could give point rewards for reviewing in CC, for example, but that can give rise to another Ragnarok due to the fact that that lends itself to quantity over quality.

If you monitor each and every one for quality, that's far too much to asses... and Ragnarok will still happen for sheer chance of hitting lucky.

So then you can't reward something like that without encouraging flooding, which means more rules in order to mitigate the flooding, and that just leaves to getting convoluted and not being worth it, potentially scaring people away from it.

So it's difficult to execute rewarding "constructive" posts,

Which means only large efforts can be rewarded without too much effort. And what is good enough here?

What if you make a large post detailing why X, Y, Z is good, and A, B, C is bad, but no one replies?

What if you post "Burger King selling new purple chicken tenders" and get 5 pages? Is that valued higher than the former?

So either it's constant events (mod team overall makes this feel unlikely) or rewarding posting in certain ways (easily abused/hard to monitor).

It's a really cute idea, but it's really difficult to execute, and removing points currently existing just makes it harder.

[Goose]

My new fear: http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/4/7331359/capitalism-problems-as-explained-by-minecraft-hedge-fund-manager

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

It will take a lot of work, and a lot of tweaking, to get right. But I still think it should be done.

In other words, keep pointing that stuff out Black, it's exactly the kind of thing that needs to be thought of.

That being said...right now I can't think of a good way to fix those issues.