Paralives Monetization Strategy (Post for and by Mew @ Discord)

[cakeefeatured]

This is not my idea nor do I take any credit for this post, I’m posting for another user. All credit and ideas belongs to Mew at Discord.

If: Paralives has DLC on Steam
Then: Players can make a one-time purchase to support the game

If: Players purchase a “Game Character Creation” DLC
Then: Players can create an NPC in PAM that is added into the NPC database of Paralives

Implications: NPC created by Steam users who have purchased the DLC may appear in the other players games.
Assumptions: Paralives has an NPC database and randomly picks NPCs to fill households upon generating a new world.

Pros: provides another way to monetize the game, allows non-patrons a way to support the game via one-time purchase; provides players with a sense of visible support.
Cons: other players can use NPC characters as they wish, perhaps against creator wishes; relies on assumptions heavily.

Con circumvention: Player -made NPCs could have a: no mod flag to prevent spawning in modded games.

[bailey]

I’m a bit confused. Would these player created NPCs automatically appear in everyone’s game? Because I’d rather that be something optional.

[cakeefeatured]

Mew Replied back to Bailey: I imagine that’d be up to the devs
It probably wouldn’t be too difficult to separate “dev created npcs” from “player made npcs” via a flag or tagging system.
The game I based my suggestion off of doesn’t differentiate but there is less customization character wise (basic clothing, basic appearance) so it’s difficult to tell as a player, what characters were made by fans and which ones weren’t. I initially imagined this system working in a similar way but I can see the flaws in that, if people intentionally create very strange looking or oddly skilled parafolk.
I don’t think it’d be difficult to separate player made from dev made though. If they go this route, a toggle for this option would likely be possible, I imagine since this is a DLC that you’d pay for, to get the privilege of having your parafolk show up in someone’s game randomly.
That financial transaction would hopefully incentivize people to not create “troll” type of character, if you get what I mean
The fact that you’re paying to have this product would incentivize people to create a more realistic parafolk that has their own unique features but still fits into what society accepts as “this person is human shaped”. Not sure how extensive the character creation is, but for example ideally people wouldn’t create parafolk with arms that are super duper long, haha