Before we start on this week's topic, I wanted to clarify some thoughts on last week's topic, specifically Mod perms. There are certainly some very good exceptions, usually involving scripting that could very easily get broken unintentionally if the item is modded. I still think that allowing someone who is good at modding to receive a moddable version is a good thing, but then I've only made one vehicle in all my time in SL [that being where I heard the most exceptions to the modding bit], so its quite likely it just leads to too many headaches. So, consider this an addendum to last week. Some things need to remain no mod for sanity reasons.
Onward to this week's topic. I originally had this absolutely brilliant idea, but I forgot it, perhaps do to a kerfluffle on an a third party SL [and other things] forum about Gacha machines. So, since I'm thinking about them anyway, I figured I'd talk about how I feel about them as a creator and as a consumer.
First of all, the whole discussion that brought about this topic for this week is; Are Gacha machines gambling. Apparently, at least some people think it is, but... its not, unless buying a pack of CCG cards is gambling, or baseball cards, or using a gumball machine is gambling. Since, the last time I looked those were legal in states with gambling laws [outside of lotteries, gambling was illegal], I don't see how a similar mechanic that deals in pennies of Real World money would become gambling.
Now, you can have buying addictions; I've known people who had to buy just one more pack of Magic the Gathering cards, because the rare they wanted was in that next one. And there are folks who will put in thousands of lindens trying to get that rare from the gacha machines in world, too. But it doesn't make it gambling. Not gambling in the legal sense. You always get a prize unless something has gone wrong. Just like you make a 'gamble' that when you put your quarter into the machine to get a red gumball, you will get a gumball, it just might not be the colour you want.
So, random chance doesn't mean gambling, it means you have a chance of getting the specific thing you want, but you will always get a thing. Besides, as someone who's favorite colour is blue, I rarely want the rares anyway. I want a common, and I'm fine not getting the rare. Of course, you know, then we come to -set- gachas.
Set Gachas are probably a very profitable way to go. You put money in trying to get the whole set and of course, because of how the RNG works, you end up with 20 or so of one thing, because you don't just get what you haven't gotten before. I'd never do these myself, because I like to keep things as simple as possible, and this isn't my personal cup of tea. Still, if each item will work on its own? Its still ethical, and if there were some pieces I'd be happy with, I'd consider playing them, I just wouldn't be inclined to set up my own machines like this.
Now, my biggest problems with gachas personally is rezzables. I've gotten some freaking adorable items from gachas, early on; piggies in tea cups, lamps. But I won't rez them because SL eats things. So they sit in my inventory. I myself have always offered to trade out trans items for copy ones, once trading was done. I -know- that other creators do this too, which is a great thing to offer. After all, who wants to saddle someone with 20 black and white top hats that they could copy. Not good business practice, in my opinion anyway. But you know, they could trade those, then whoever ended up with them would have that option; trade it in for a copy version.
Something folks need to understand though. Some people might sell their gacha items individually [or in a collector's box], or give you one if they see you've spent a good $10 in real money on the machine and are inclined, HOWEVER, some gacha events have rules/agreements in place where you as a creator can't do that. And that's fine, there is a culture around those events to allow for a healthy resale market of these things. Its sort of like breedables, without the constant expense of food.
As a creator, the reason I do not mess with gachas much any more, its a rampaging pain in the arse. It really is. I'd say there is about twice as much work into setting up for a gacha, and that's with a supplied machine from the event. That's not including if you need to make some for yourself.
I won't go much beyond this, this week, since it starts going into a different topic.
And now, as I finish this, I remember my topic idea from the beginning of the week, and it will be something we do next week. But just a reminder to those who think spending 2k lindens on a gacha machine as being a scam? That is a whopping $8USD.
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