Donation Systems And How To Maximize Your Profits

[d1shes]

Hey there, I have started working on a private server system recently and have noticed that donation systems are very much like basic economics. In this guide I'll give a couple of examples of donation systems, explain how to maximize your profits and reccomended prizes to use.

Requirements for a good running Donation System
I will start out with the very basic, the requirements for a good running cash flow:
- A good running server (preferably 60 people over more online avarage)
- A good looking website, which can be easily navigated through
- Some basic skill of php/html

Donation Systems

Option 1.

we'll be using basic economics, make a donation set/item/weapon etc. Make it slightly better than any other item of the sort in game, but not overpowered. Let's say we'll make it exactly like t7 but all stats +15. These values are examples, we can always alter them. We sell these sets for a certain amount of money for a full set. We will also make a set, let's say t7 +35 stats, this set we'll make a little more expensive than the first one but not too much. By making this set more than 2x better than the first set set, but only slightly more expensive people will be more tempted to buy this set than the other for a couple of reasons.

- The set is significantly better than the first set.
- The set gives more stats per dollar than the other set.

This is called psychological economics. The buyer will be more tempted to buy the surperior set rather than the cheap one.

Option 2.

This is the token system. You will be selling donation tokens, which can then be spent in game for donation items. The good thing about this system is it has no limits. You can sell the tokens for any price and can edit the amount of tokens an item costs to match the token price. This system is also better for the players. They're not stuck to one set. For example hybrid specs, they'll be able to buy pieces of different sets to fit their spec. You get the basic idea.

How to maximize your profits

For option one the best way to max out your profits is outfit a player in the normal donation set. He will play the game normally and people will start to wonder where the gear came from. The player will tell them he donated for him and tells them to go to the site to check it out. They will see that the player that kills them a few minutes ago is wearing a normal donation set and that if they buy the superior set they can retalliate (or buy the normal set too, depends on players, economics can't predit everything). They buy the set, profit.

For option two we have a very different approach. The best way to do this give a free token to every player. I don't care how you do this, that's not my job, lol. They'll be able to spend it on something at the donation vendor and see that if they buy more tokens they'll be able to buy more and better stuff.

Reccomended Prizes

For option one I suggest charging 10$ for the basic set and 15$ for the superior set. This way the relation between stats and $$ is big and people will be more tempted to buy the superior set than if the set would cost more.

For option two I suggest charging a basic 1$ a token, 4.75$ for 5 tokens, 9$ for 10 tokens and 15$ for 20 tokens. This way people will be very tempted to buy the tokens 20 at a time instead of only a few because it saves them 25%.
The reccomended token cost for a set item is 2 tokens. Weapons 4 tokens and jewelry 1 token. This way people will be able to buy parts of the set instead of a whole set. Which is good for people who don't have 10$ to spend at a time, which is very unlikely.
Also scaling is better here. Not all player who donate will have instant OP sets, as they will be able to buy parts of the sets.




Please note:
This donation system is just a guide on how to maximize your profits. I do not agree with private server owner making personal profits and I think that all server profits should be spent on improving the server.

[Froogle]

Very nice guide

+rep'd

[omfgwtflolmfao]

Very nice I would say,this will help me maximize my profits from donations
Have a +rape cookie

[Azshaz]

Warning: If you use donations for personal profit, not only is that cheap, but you are breaking the law. If you are caught by Blizzard, you WILL be sued for A LOT of money.

Sorry for such a negative opening for a post, but that had to be said. Otherwise, nice guide.

I, too, agree with d1shes not supporting personal profit.

[Hellgawd]

Donations are a great way to support server hosting costs. Great guide

[[Shon3m]]

wow this is such a great guide!!! 2x+REP

[mako1]

this should come in handy

[d1shes]

Originally Posted by mako1

this should come in handy

I know right :] Glad to have helped out some people!

[Mancer]

This is a very nice guide Shame I'll never have to use it though D:

[Zooms]

Great guild +rep

[d1shes]

Originally Posted by Zooms

Great guild +rep

lolno .

[ViV09]

Great guide

[d1shes]

I will be posting pre-made webpages, which are easy to edit to your own website soon. Might help some people out.

[stoneharry]

Great guide, it was quite interesting to read. The only thing I disagree with is that you need a server with 60+

[d1shes]

Well ofcourse if you have 10 players who all donate you wont need a server with 60+ people, but the avarage emulator player wont donate for gear, so it is reccomended to have an avarage player rate of 60 before making donations possible. Also scaling. If you have 3 players of which one is a donator who owns the other 2, the other 2 will stop playing. If you have 60 players and 10 of them donated, the other 50 players can still have fun killing eachother etc. T

That was my point of view, but I can be wrong ofcourse