Well, I decided to .throw in my two cents. about this donating/boons issue and
yes this is not really a flame, more like a few comments.
I have played this game for 8 years, and the first 5 of them completely
without boons, after that I donated and got 3.5 full boons and a couple years
ago I decided to give myself a Christmas present and donated some more .
I completely agree with the fact that player can.t .really. expect nothing in
return for contribution, however, I like many (all?) others players who have
donated significant amounts of money to our beloved game/society, think of
boons like of something sacred, something that you can.t lose, something
that.s always there whether there.s a crash or desting monster or wand or
whatever.
The one VERY important reason why I dared to donate the last time (700euros,
the total donates made by me easily exceeding 1k euros), was Amarth.s post
about .how boons are here to stay, don.t argue about it..
Allthough .nothing. can be expected in return for contributing real life money
to bat, I really, REALLY think it would be very very VERY bad idea to continue
tuning boons to crap. I really laughed when I read the line .people would
easily continue donating, even if the boons would give only half of what they
give now..
That is quite true, I would have donated too, if there were no real bonuses
for donating, or if the boons were under threat of being tuned to shit . hell
yeah actually, I would easily donated like 30 euros or so
And if them boons will be tuned, I certainly will feel betrayed, no question
about it.
TO THINK, that people will continue donating as they are now, if boons are
under forever ongoing threat of being tuned, if utterly stupid and delirious.
Humans, as we are, don.t give up real life money for nothing. That is a fact,
that WILL be the fact, forever, whether we like it or not.
The boons do not give too good advantages at the moment, not at all, they do
give people nice and most of all .good looking. bonuses and a lot more
choices.
Eq AND exp (oh dear, somebody thinks having exp matters) does it all, it
really does, NO reinc really _needs_ boons. I am not getting in to details, I
am sure the wizards and the players who have a clue do know this.
Boons should give bonuses and they should, they really should give them
equally well in the future. Tuning should be directed to something else, (if
it.s needed, I certainly think it.s not) good examples are the new guilds
(reavers / sabres) that don.t need skillmax for .those essential. parry/dodge
skills.. (if they would .need., well, oh my, one would actually have to have a
skillmax boon/take it from society or even worse, oh dear, spend a few slots
for dodge/parry eq )
Of course, without boons, you pretty much have to choose certain races for
certain combos to rock properly. I (who have them boons) tend to make
interesting racial chooses when reincing and tend to end up functioning as
well as maybe a 0-2 full boons having player would, when choosing .the
obviously best race.. (it is much more fun really )
Continues ..

are delirious.

I\'d like to comment on that.... people don\'t need to donate as they
are doing now... do you know why bat donates are closed? Because bat
doesn\'t really need money and thus only accept large sums to pay for
the trouble of accepting money which isn\'t needed. If boons were
\'open\' and you could donate sums from 20 to 100 euros and get
smaller bonuses - I bet the money influx would be easily high enough.

I personally think (like has been suggested numerous times) that boons
should add more flavor and less power. Exp should give the bonuses, boons
should give the flavor. Now it\'s the other way around (boons vs
abilities).