Premium features

[Igor]

Game partners could be angry if I use all credits to prevent timing out for almost a year

I would offer to make 2 types of credits: usual credits and special credits. Usual are which are sent by players to their own credit-accounts on the site, using payment systems, or which are got as transfer from other players. Usual credits can be used to buy premium features, to bet in games on credits, or to convert in cash and take out of the site (less commission of payment system). Each won game on credits brings some comission for site developement. For example, FFA 4 players game with bet 10 credits from each player gives total 40 credits for winner and may be 0.4 to 2.0 credits as a comission. Winner can convert his 38.0 to 39.6 credits into cash using the exchange rate, published on the site, and can take this cash out from site, if he wish, using a payment system.
But special credits, got as a prise, can't be converted into cash, they though can be used to bet in games as well as usual credits, or they can be used to buy premium features.
Seeing of credits ladder would be useful for to understand who bring more money to site development, who can play on credits etc.

What about new premium features, I would offer something about player's image on the site. May be a picture near the name on ladder and on personal page. To show not only country but and city/town/village where player living.
May be also to save history of chat with friends.
As a funny variant is to make auction who will make first move in FFA games, that affect to NAP. This is advantage, of course, but it may be neutralised by other players who don't wish to have NAP.
Analog of this is in poker, where player can make "straddle" (twice big blind) to make his move after all other players.

[Moonknight]

I would suggest being able to trade in credits for things like new item creations and other things that were awarded during the kickstarter campaign.

Something like, trade in 5000 credits for the design and naming of a new item. 1500 credits to put in a new starting name for a hero. etc.

[LPhillips]

I like Moonknight's idea.

I also think the credits system could generate money for the site if used for betting, but you then get into online gambling laws. Especially regarding international transactions. Anyone have an attorney on retainer, or at least someone to consult on the matter?

If it is legal and not too difficult, then you could allow players to buy credits and bet them on games, then withdraw credits for merchandise or even cash. However, the house would keep 10% or somesuch of each pot. I put a high percentage because there will no doubt be costs associated with the transactions which will probably reduce the amount of money actually earned by the site. Anyway, what you have then is a higher amount of credits purchased than redeemed, assuring that the credits-for-money never becomes a drain on resources.

Example
LP buys $10 of credits, KGB buys $10 of credits, both bet on a 1v1. LP loses, KGB gets $18 in credits. KGB cashes out. Overall, site gains $2 (minus any transaction expenses). Obviously you set a minimum amount for withdrawal, and you set the 1-month silver membership for newbies to automatic (no free 400 credits). There will probably be a basic transaction cost for transferring funds back to the player; you can simply pass the transaction cost directly on to the player (KGB would only get $15 if he withdrew it all immediately). This encourages the player not to withdraw frequently, and it means the site's meager profit is not swallowed up in bank fees. Note that if KGB withdraws at $50, he gets $47. Just for those who saw "$15 out of 20" and thought "oh heck no!"

[Igor]

Least comission for transfer is on WebMoney international transfer system, only 0.8% of transferred amount. When money goes from player to site, player pays himself. When money goes from site to player, site takes from the player the size of comission, and site has no costs. When player gets cash, he pays himself comission to exchange office. So, site will no costs for transferring at all.
May be to set a bottom limite for sending back, like 10 euro. All comission (only 0.8%) is from player's sum, to get back 10,00 euro player needs to have 10,08 euro.

[Igor]

One else premium features which I would like to buy is to see stats of all own completed games, from first to last. Map, opponent, winner, number of turns, cities/units occupied/produced/killed etc. Could be interesting to see sometimes.

[piranha]

Ok will add it to my list of possible premium features.

We are going to add WebMoney. Looking at a service that holds several different payment options including WM.
But I checked up on laws regarding gambling with money and even skill based games about money are illegal in some countries, USA being one of them as far as I could tell.
Betting credits that can't be turned back into money might be okay. Will check it up a bit more later because some sort of tournament with a prize or something like that would be fun.

[LPhillips]

I've done a bit of research myself. The legality is questionable. While not strictly illegal, especially for a game of skill, there are persons and courts in the US who have antagonized and even punished large international operations. I can't imagine they would care at all about you (they're busy trying to shut down internet poker, and losing the fight). However, I can certainly understand the desire to steer clear of even the slightest potential trouble.

Again, beware of turning any profit while there is language on your site which can get you into copyright trouble. I think that is your real danger. For example, the forum title "Discuss anything related to warlords and our remake of it."
Obviously, that title is fallacious because you have moved on from that project and Warbarons is not a remake of Warlords. However, it is important to go over your site very carefully and correct anything that can get you into copyright trouble before you start taking in money. You may want to get your moderators in place and get some help doing so.

LP

[Igor]

Nah, USA is very big country but is not all the world, others can play
There are many poker sites which don't let to play for players from USA. Only Europe, Asia, Latin America etc, other than USA. All is possible and all is legitimate if our american friends will play only for fun and for ladder, and others can play any type of games including on credits.

[LPhillips]

There are things we can do. The only possibly questionable action would be to bet on a specific game, sports-style. We can still pool credits for tournaments, etc. and never get into any trouble. There's nothing illegal about that. If we want to have a tournament where everyone puts in $10 and the winner walks away with $100, that is totally legal, and it is also legal for the tournament host to keep a portion. Works for me. This is not a game of chance; tournaments are held involving strategic gameplay all over the world and never prosecuted. From Starcraft to Halo, electronic games can be the subject of prizes as long as there's no "betting" going on.

What do you think?

[Igor]

That's fine to organize tournaments with prizes fund. Both can be in the same time, 1x1 or 2x2 games (or even FFA) and regular tournaments.
Something about 5 to 10 players who plays each other. Or 16 players are divided into 8 pairs, 8 winners are divided into four pairs, then the 2 semi-finals and final. All semifinal players get prize, final players get more, winner get more than others. Looks good, I vote for it.