Mentioned this in a thread awhile back, but thinking on it some more and thought I’d throw it out there in a thread of it’s own with some more elaboration.
A lot of people seem ask for Oort shard donations… but was thinking it would be a lot simpler, and people more likely to donate I think if they can do it directly into the portals, rather than into request baskets. It would not just help the most useful networks by giving us a way to directly support what we use most, but also people who might go away on break where we want to help them out - with no need to give greater permissions than that. Basically give us an easy way to be nice and support each other… although Oort is something I always need, I’d certainly throw some into the portals I use a lot to say thanks, and to those with beautiful creations to show my support, if I had that option.
The way I was thinking of it would be an option you could toggle on that would allow anybody to both donate shards, and if the portal is closed, reopen it (with the appropriate skill of course). But what might be a really interesting way to do it is, the donated shards go into a separate reservoir. Separate storage for them of another 900. They can not be removed, and will be drawn upon after the owner’s own shards are exhausted - held in reserve, have to use up your own in there first. That would address the time limit as well which some have concerns with, doubling the time you could keep one running. So say I’m going away for ten days. My big 4x2 portal is filled, which keeps it around a week, someone else stops by and throws in a few hundred, it eats mine up, then uses those, so I don’t close.
Would be a nice way to “gift” other players too. Could consider it a like for a build. Would be helpful if we had some type of tracking system also to see who donated. I think people would be more likely to donate if their name is attached to the gift instead of dropping it into the request basket abyss.
Yep, if it were doable, for sure would love to see the donors on it - anybody who donated to mine, I’d want to thank. And I like getting thanked too… not necessary but always a boost…
In PS we wouldn’t use it for our networks…but I would love to fuel other peoples portals for them as a surprise! Like that portal that I sneakly use because their base is next to a tree area I like to farm or the like
I am not sure if I like this idea as this sounds like a cheesy way to bypass the current shard cap, by using ones own alt to „Donate“ shards into ones own portal to get more out of it.
If there is going to be a way to expand the current shard cap, then it should just be there by default for people to use with out having to trick the system, which they will.
I could see myself closing a portal, someone on other side opening it, and i close it again because i don’t want it open and again they open it! Endless loop of ahhhhh!!!
Yeah, I was thinking of that too - very easy to donate to yourself even if you don’t allow an account to donate to it’s own portals. But, would sort of be assumed that people would do this if it went this way. But yep, other option would be, expand the current cap, and then, if you have Donate toggled on, maybe not allow removal of shards until they are burned up (so you know your donated shards go to that portal - that would really be the main reason for separate storage there, keep people from removing donated shards to use on another portal or sell).
Haha, yeah… That though would be why we’d want to have a toggle option for this, not just blanket allow it. Some people may not want to keep a portal running long, or such.
What if you got free bonus shards for highly active portals. Instead of relying on donations the game could reward you for having a portal that’s frequently used. Rough numbers but it could be something like 100 people use your portal in a week you get 50 free shards! Would take the stress off of very large very active portals while still needing to be maintained. Also a good bonus for creating a popular location.
If this would be the case, then the Donate function cant be a toggle, it would have to be a one way switch that can not be turned off with out destroying the portal to prevent abuse.
I’m thinking that the cap would still be expanded regardless of the toggle in this case, allow that for everybody. Or keep as-is for everybody, not needed with the basic idea though I think it would be a huge help. The Donate toggle then would only effect the ability to donate (and maybe open), and if you can remove the shards (or close/destroy the portal while donated shards are in there).
Of course, much simpler way would be not have that protection on donated shards, just assume if you donate they might use it for something else.
Gotcha - yeah, in that case, you wouldn’t be able to toggle it back off while donated shards are burning.
But thinking on it more, that really is making it too complex - probably best to keep it simple. Donate at your own risk. The expansion of capacity would make this work better and help everybody I think, but not needed for the implementation of course.
But still keep it on a toggle so that you don’t have people donating to something you plan to close or if you truly don’t need their donations.
Sidenote edit: Just an argument for increasing the capacity whether or not donations are ever allowed, I don’t think that the time that the portals can run without refueling is the limiting agent in most cases - it is the cost/availability of the shards themselves. I could be wrong here - it really does seem to me though that the large networks will keep going regardless, and for those of us just running a few, we base it more on if we can get or afford the Oort? So doubling the capacity, I don’t think that would result in many new portals - it would just cut down on the runaround? Also doesn’t seem that players going inactive and having portals running longer afterwards from this would be a huge thing, at least not now, and a doubling or maybe 50% increase wouldn’t be a big time difference except on the 2x1s really.
Based on how the new fuel was put in that came from T7 worlds having a cost that seems like very few people would use it,
I think this is what the devs want, they want large portals to be a little bit of a chore to run. Rather or not I agree with them, I am not sure at this time.
Yeah, could see where they may be coming from on that… I think what I would say to try to persuade to the other side would be, those running the large portals are providing an essential community service, not just helping themselves. I know without them, it would severely limit my play, I’m sure that must go for the majority of players. From what I’m reading doesn’t sound like the footfall is really a compensation here. Since we probably wouldn’t have many more popping up if the time were increased (which in the case of the huge ones is just a couple days anyways) as the Oort costs would remain the same, it might be a nice gesture to the groups running them to give them a bit of a QOL improvement there.
That would be a great way to help each other out. I even remove the donation baskets for that. Also that way you know it goes in the portal and isn’t used for something else.
due to the amount of troll, which is in the game, I would not advise it, since instead of filling, what you would do, it would be to empty it and thus annoy others again
That though would be why we’d want to have a toggle option for this, not just blanket allow it. Some people may not want to keep a portal running long, or such.