Upon completion of a successful kickstarter, the trend is to continue fundraising via a game store selling off pieces of the packages that were offered during the kickstarter. Crowfall is no different and the store continues to get new things added to entice new players to invest. Although I did invest in the kickstarter, I was interested in the value, the sweet spot to pledge for a someone who couldn’t or didn’t buy in now that the pledge packages have been trimmed down. Is it better to buy the game ($38.00 Pledge Package) and then the extras I like or jump to a higher packages and get all the extra goodies that are currently offered in the store?
As I browsed the various categories of the the Crowfall store, I quickly got lost in the variety of choices for individual items as compared to the available pledge packages as none of the items actually tell you they are available in a package. Starting out by just purchasing the game at $38.00 (will be $50.00 at launch) and then selecting individual items of interest, it because obvious very quickly that some of the higher pledge packages could be a much better deal deal, but which ones? The first question you need to ask yourself is if you plan to invest in a Fort or Keep from the Kingdoms and Stronghold Panel. If the answer is no, then stick with the Backer (1 Mount - 1 Month), Bronze (Two Mounts - Three Months) or Silver (Three Mounts - 6 Months) Tier. Silver being the best deal for giving you $213.00 worth of individually purchased items at the pack price of $130.00.
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Now if you are going to invest into a Fort or Keep, then there is a bit more variability in the choice. I have included an image you show you the various Fort styles currently offered for ease of reference. The packages Gold (Small Fort) and Amber (Medium Fort) come with the 2105 Fort style while the Sapphire (Small Keep), Ruby (Medium Keep) and Emerald (Large Keep) contain the 2015 Keep style.If you're interested in a different style, then you will have to play with the numbers on the packages to find your own personal value. However if you like the 2015 style and are not looking to get any of the extras that come with the higher packages, then Gold is your best value at $175.00 purchase price with a value of $288.00. Since the store does not currently allow you to purchase parcels, cottages, Cathedral, Villas or Manors, that value can’t be computed at this time. I have a chart below that shows you all you get with each higher tier package. Keep in mind this review only covers in game items and does not put any value to those items outside the game.
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Besides the packages, Keeps and Mounts, there was another section of the store that I found interesting and also raises a number of questions. But I want to stay on track of the packages, so for now lets just look at the basics of the Guild (or Sub-Guild) bundles. The Ambor and above Packages also includes access to an expanded selection of colors in the Guild Heraldry system and the Sapphire and above, includes access to the expanded selection of symbols. These are subsets of a larger package and can’t be purchased individually at this time, but wanted you to have the full list of what you do receive in a package purchase. I do find it interesting how much the Guild bundles are, especially the Premium Guild Bundle. Essentially $600.00 more to allow you to have a custom, unique guild heraldry incorporated into the game, subject to approval. I a dedicated Guild to step up and represent their uniqueness.
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As you can see, while there is a lot of options, it is quickly clear that a package is always a better way to start IF you plan to purchase anything from the store. With VIP status at $15.00 a month or sadly only reduced to $12.00 a month if purchased for a year, the packages that include VIP time just make sense. If you are Buy to Play player that doesn’t desire VIP and is the type that wants to earn it all in game, then pick up the Contributor package and sit back and be happy at your $12.00 savings. Artcraft has been very flexible in the past and we expect a lot more to become available in the store, not to mention the new layaway system that lets you upgrade over time, there is no better time to get your foot in the door and support Crowfall’s development.
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