This suggestion comes with numerous implications; to which I'm aware of and suggesting a moderate approach to this.

There's a few reasons I'll list with some reasonings thought out.

- Given it's been well forever since a change has been made, the wealth spread across the economy has since long grown. From a time where there very very few Million FG members, to now several, along with a plethora of several hundred thousand users, the value proposition to buy directly is not attractive at all.

- While the supply and demand of a service or item dictates the value to the purchaser even through the various subforums, the ratio of dollar spent to forum gold received in other areas make those options far more lucrative and valuable than donating directly to the site.

I understand the scale slides based on perceived value, and a FT in some forums needs to incentivize a purchase by means of a profit; the current means of converting money to FG means that there's a economical impact applied to other games/sub forums that also put those buyers at risk when bad apples show up.
There's been half a dozen games that have heavily restricted currency movement or item trading specifically because of the behavior of a persistent group of persons that seek the quickest way to "cash in" for FG.

Yes the spirit of this forum is to play the game of your choice, come here then trade to accumulate currency for wealth transfer between ladders/seasons etc; but the direction both the money and fg flows is in the buying/reselling markets.

Some self regulated prices in for example star donation have been consistent and constant well over a decade and is many fold the value of USD to FG directly purchased through the site, which is also not nearly the best ratio to "buy in".
I'd rather support the site, the group directly rather than sideways through the subforums chasing ratio's and headaches where certain members cause entire economies headaches simply because the barrier to purchase forum gold through the link is simply not attractive.

My proposal isn't to match the best ratio 1:1 to as example "Donor Star", as naturally the flood of forum gold will cause a complete market shift in value - but the "gold standard" in most economies should be that the Forum Gold and USD should in some way converge to an equilibrium that makes sense, whereas right now as an experienced user; I'm not incentivized to purchase directly.

Counter arguments to probable retorts to my suggestion;
"Use the forums to sell and build equity"
I buy in, to buy gear - that will devalue and I won't be bothered to sell it back so instead I donate it in games to users. While avoiding supporting item selling stores (debatable but not the point here), I pay my convenience fee because I'm able to afford to do so, and I value my time outside of a game more than in the game.

"What's wrong with the ratio now?"
Well take your $100.00 right now. 3,250 FG from the site purchase option. OR, as many others are doing buy gold for an ancient game, and trade that for roughly 13,000 FG. Suddenly $100.00 isn't $100.00, and the site is missing out on additional earning potential.


Sincerely, someone who's happy to spend money for convenience; but hates the hoolahoop runaround of sorting out the best methods. And is well aware of the whales behaviors to support a darker side to this place at a profitable position

This post was edited by Moink on Sep 8 2025 01:01pm

Fg amount definitely needs to be increased but human greed is far too big for that to happen, only dumb users buy fg directly from the site anyways. There are plenty of legitimate ways that don’t break site rules to acquire better fg ratios for your $$$.

$10 is about equal to 1k fg and yet the website will only give you 290 fg LOL

This post was edited by crosspawz on Sep 8 2025 02:18pm

I mean, I've clearly listed and acknowledge that there are far more lucrative (ratio per dollar) ways to obtain FG legally per the site. The idea of soft locking the cost to value in the purchase forum gold function holds a delicate balance between "printing money" to the economy and devaluating everything is a very sound choice. If you print FG indefinitely, the FG itself becomes worthless. The entire (or the vast majority) sum of FG that exists currently, was purchased and recirculated around. You buy from site - it injects that FG back to economy at an economy of scale.

What I'm trying to get at, is that there was a point where the "wealth distribution" was quite healthy and predictably spread. That is both neither the case anymore, nor is it worth my cash to buy forum gold or donate for stars when I'm leaving several thousand fg on the table by going through other means.

It's a hassle; and truthfully there is absolutely nothing anybody can do to prevent prices of items or services being whatever the market can bare; but what I'm saying is that if you snoop just a little bit around you'll see the effect that the current system is doing to the economies of other games along with the damage to users, mediator time resources and general skullduggery going on.

Make the ratio more appealing; and I and presumably many others would be more apt to put money in Njag and teams pockets

This post was edited by Moink on Sep 8 2025 02:26pm