This was sent to contact support before it was posted here:

I think that you should get rid of the weapons sold for crowns in pirate101. This adds two important problems that impact the game as a whole. The first can be summed up in three words. Pay to win. Or in other words, a poor monetization scheme. What's gratifying about good free to play is when you defeat someone that could have very well defeated you. You know what's not good free to play? Bad free to play systems involve when you lose a battle because Little Johnny blew all of his allowance on an extra assassin's strike. When stuff like that happens, it's not actually free. It also adds another issue common among other M.M.O. games. Power Creep. "Power Creep" a once valuable weapon is considered worthless when a weapon of the same level is introduced. Do you not know how it feels to farm Leonis' Breath for hours only to realize that Little Johnny gets to have you on a platter because he bought a swivel gun. This ties into poor monetization again where, to put it simply, feels taken advantage of and quits the game upon being hit with paywalls or money only weapons. Ways to fix this are to have them dropped by specific bosses, and/or get rid of them entirely. I would complain about pay to win companions like Goronado and/or Nausica, but by having them be slightly better than everyone else, you manage to create "Perfect Imbalance." this may sound bad but it's actually kind of good since, by finding counters to it (ex: High Level Ratbeard) creates a strong metagame. Pirate101 has potential, it just needs to get rid of Pay-To-Win. Then it can be much more respectable.

People who buy all crowns gear, weapons, pets, and other goodies are considered Crown Noobs by my little brother. He hates ANYONE who does that. However, I don't see it the same way. Anyways though, Crowns weapons aren't any better than their non-crown counterparts. I have the Dragoon Autocannon, and it can be a big help with Megablast.

Some dropped weapons are MUCH better then crown weapons. Like the axe of the minotaur lords, it gives an actual epic that gives an extra attack unlike the weapons in the crown shop (and it has good power as well)

Crowns items make it so if you where farming for something with a power card and there is nothing you can find that would work for example jimmy has been farming for something with sneak attack to defend him self when he's doing something and just be cause you lack in making plans doesn't mean they should remove crowns from the game

Why should this be an issue at all?

You think crown shop items make the game too easy? What about being able to hire henchmen?

You don't like the fact that you can make the game easier for you if you spend your allowance buying stuff to make it easier? Then don't buy crown items! Easy!

You don't think little Johnny should be spending his allowance on crown items? Then don't let him buy crowns!

Now, I can imagine someone saying, "Oh, but I DON'T buy crown items, and I DON'T let my kids buy crown items with their own money. I'm talking about other kids." Guess what? That's not your business! If they want to ruin the game for themselves by buying stuff that makes it too easy for them, that's their business, not yours!

Or are you worried about someone facing you with crown items in PvP? Frankly, since I get no experience or rewards for PvP, I simply don't play PvP.

Now, I can understand if you feel that items bought with crowns should be disallowed in PvP, because that DOES affect you. Whether they make it too easy on themselves is their own business.

Max DeGroot on Jul 30, 2014 wrote:

Why should this be an issue at all?

You think crown shop items make the game too easy? What about being able to hire henchmen?

You don't like the fact that you can make the game easier for you if you spend your allowance buying stuff to make it easier? Then don't buy crown items! Easy!

You don't think little Johnny should be spending his allowance on crown items? Then don't let him buy crowns!

Now, I can imagine someone saying, "Oh, but I DON'T buy crown items, and I DON'T let my kids buy crown items with their own money. I'm talking about other kids." Guess what? That's not your business! If they want to ruin the game for themselves by buying stuff that makes it too easy for them, that's their business, not yours!

Or are you worried about someone facing you with crown items in PvP? Frankly, since I get no experience or rewards for PvP, I simply don't play PvP.

Now, I can understand if you feel that items bought with crowns should be disallowed in PvP, because that DOES affect you. Whether they make it too easy on themselves is their own business.

THANK YOU!!! This is always how I feel when someone whines about the crown shop at all. It's optional, and if you don't do it, then don't rag on others for doing it. I actually have all but about 10 crown shop companions, (including goronado and nausica) and all of the Melee weapons from the crown shop. Did having the companions while playing through the story make it any easier? NO WAY! No matter what, you're always going to get 3 companions, and if you train them correctly, the ones you get without crowns are on par with the crowns ones. To be honest, I didn't get them because they were powerful, I got them because I liked the animations, designs and feel of them. And on the topic of crowns gear and weapons, KI does a good job of balancing them. Almost always, the crowns gear is great, but the farmable gear is better. For example, in wiz101, you can buy crowns gear that will have great stats, or you can take the time to farm waterworks for gear that will be the best you can get for the next 25 levels. I actually got the crowns weapons because of their great designs. In fact, when I got them I had just about every farmable weapon from Aquila, all of which outshine the crowns gear. But guess what? None of that matters. Why? because I had fun!! Call it pay to win if you want, but I had fun on the way there, and somebody complaining because I did really has their priorities out of wack. And last, but not least, on the topic of p101's "metagame", I hate to say it, but there really isn't one. Heck, we don't even have ranked PvP!! I play Wizard101, Pokemon, and yugioh competitively, and this game's PvP is FAR from having something that can be considered a metagame. I don't see any tier lists, tournament winning companion builds, etc. This game doesn't have a metagame. It has a practice with your friends game. And honestly, I'm not mad about that. The game is still young, and has room for development. I'm sure the things I mentioned will come eventually, but until then, I still roll my eyes ant those who believe that our PvP is an evolution to multiplayer competitive gaming. (Not saying the game is bad, just that it hasn't matured to a true multiplayer metagame)
F.R. Holystone
Lv 65

Elemutation on Jul 31, 2014 wrote:

THANK YOU!!! This is always how I feel when someone whines about the crown shop at all. It's optional, and if you don't do it, then don't rag on others for doing it. I actually have all but about 10 crown shop companions, (including goronado and nausica) and all of the Melee weapons from the crown shop. Did having the companions while playing through the story make it any easier? NO WAY! No matter what, you're always going to get 3 companions, and if you train them correctly, the ones you get without crowns are on par with the crowns ones. To be honest, I didn't get them because they were powerful, I got them because I liked the animations, designs and feel of them. And on the topic of crowns gear and weapons, KI does a good job of balancing them. Almost always, the crowns gear is great, but the farmable gear is better. For example, in wiz101, you can buy crowns gear that will have great stats, or you can take the time to farm waterworks for gear that will be the best you can get for the next 25 levels. I actually got the crowns weapons because of their great designs. In fact, when I got them I had just about every farmable weapon from Aquila, all of which outshine the crowns gear. But guess what? None of that matters. Why? because I had fun!! Call it pay to win if you want, but I had fun on the way there, and somebody complaining because I did really has their priorities out of wack. And last, but not least, on the topic of p101's "metagame", I hate to say it, but there really isn't one. Heck, we don't even have ranked PvP!! I play Wizard101, Pokemon, and yugioh competitively, and this game's PvP is FAR from having something that can be considered a metagame. I don't see any tier lists, tournament winning companion builds, etc. This game doesn't have a metagame. It has a practice with your friends game. And honestly, I'm not mad about that. The game is still young, and has room for development. I'm sure the things I mentioned will come eventually, but until then, I still roll my eyes ant those who believe that our PvP is an evolution to multiplayer competitive gaming. (Not saying the game is bad, just that it hasn't matured to a true multiplayer metagame)
F.R. Holystone
Lv 65

I'll be perfectly honest.

I've often kidded my playing partner that he is being allowed to cheat legally by buying henchmen.

I personally don't buy crown items simply because I seriously doubt they would design the game so they would be needed.

Now, I admit to going gold farming in order to get gold to buy the best ship with the best equipment and buy training tomes, but since gold farming is apparently part of normal game play (otherwise, why be allowed to go back and redo dungeons?) I don't consider it cheating.

Now that we are allowed to send out companions on orders, it has become even easier, I think. I don't have to spend hours in game time getting gold. I simply send my companions out on orders and log out.

I used to have most of my companions three for four levels behind me (as well as my nautical level) simply because of the time necessary to get them any higher. Now...I can keep them at the same level as my pirate in a week or less of sending them out on orders.

Aquila is going to be in for a shock once the experience cap is lifted and I take two of my pirates out of temporary retirement. All companions at level 65, ship at level 65, pet at level 65 with full power, gold at 200,000, and a full backpack of scavenged items I can sell to meet whatever the new gold cap is.

Maybe KI went too far this time?