How about an option where you can buy rubies for resources. Now, I understand that the purchase in real terms of rubies is Zorgs bread and butter, for real currency. But not everyone has the option or facilities to be able to do so, or even the money to do so. There could be an option whereby you could trade resources for rubies, a bit like a reversal of the Empire Support option under my plus. It could be stacked in Zorgs favour, perhaps twice the amount of resources for rubies, as there are rubies for empire support. At least this way, in these times of austerity, and for folk who haven't got the option to "buy" rubies for real currency, they would be able to speed up build times of long term projects etc.

Any thoughts?

Used to be in expeditions like other games to get DM or ruby. ZE took that out from the get go, then destroyed expeditions to be truly worthless, no thoughts, they already thought about it and removed it

If this is was to get my vote the value of getting 15 rubies would need to be 3x imperial support and limited to once a week or so.

Yes, it would obviously need to be sorted before being implemented. But it would give players unable to buy rubies the chance to be able to save rubies up, then perhaps buy ruby moons, rather than do multiple moonshots for no reward. 19% chance my a**se! Haha! BUt joking aside, it could also be a way of protecting resources, to make resources safe, get the rubies, then later on perhaps change them through imperial support back to resources when needed. They would lose effectively some resources, but they would be safe in the knowledge that their resources would be as safe as they could be until needed.

interesting concept, but if i drop all of my mines, buy rubies with my stockpile, build my mines back up again, and get imperial support, i will profit a LOT. (i think, although wouldn't work if there was a limit on this per day)

I would suggest player to player ruby for resource trading, that way rubies still have to be purchased, but people with less cash can get rubies for resources if there are players willing to sell.
(also small players could sell their starting rubies for a quick boost)

I like Athight's suggestion.. A barter system should be implemented between the players voiding the merchant fee.. I think this will also promote a more interactive community as well..

as long as the maximum, minimum trade allowances were abolished (are they ever enforced?) Also it would create more interaction between players and help create allies to

Rubies are Game Currency,
the sale of such is how Zorg supports the game,
we all should support him in ways we can,
So, a #1 from me

Player A buys Rubies from Zorg === $$$$ for Zorg

Player A Buys with Rubies;
Resources / Defenses / Ships from Player B
that is primarily a Miner / Turtle / Merchant and trader
( see Merchant Thread )

Player B spends these Rubies, now he needs / wants more Rubies

--------- so ---------

he sells again to player A
and for Player A to continue to buy the arms from Player B,
he needs to buy more Rubies from Zorg
more $$$$$$ for Zorg

Its not perfect, but it will help to level the playing field between the Players that buy Rubies and those that don't ---
or because of limited finances,
cannot do so,
this will help create a more "Gaming Community" amongst us all

either way, both players;
Those that buy Rubies from Zorg
or those that trade for Rubies from those that do buy from Zorg,
are helping to support the Game


#2:
I am not sure how much it will increase the
"Player - vs - Player
Fleeter - vs - Fleeter / Miner / turtle part of the game

I do think it should have limitations

there should be a 24 hour hold on ships / defenses purchased ,
that way a Player cannot just "Instant Buy" a large defense / fleet while he is being attacked

Need to add this:

as we all know, A Rubie Moon is almost un-Pop-able
and everyone wants one
( the bigger the better )

if Zorg implements this
then he needs to seriously consider revising the Moon Destruction,


other wise all players, even miners and turtles will sell enough too other players to purchase "Rubie Moons"

me; even tho I have all Rubie moons
I, in all fairness to other players,
am in favor of, and it is in bad need of reprogramming

------------------ or ---------------------

the Lanax needs to be programed differently

Just my "Not so Popular" Opinions

just concerning moons, a simple idea:
moon sizes can be lowered in some manner.
- missiles (1 km per missile ?)
- failed moon destroy (perhaps some damage was caused but not enough to actually destroy the moon)
- moon decay over time (slow, 1 per day)

thus a large moon is only a thousand missiles or so away from being a destroyable moon.


ruby moons are valuable in that it will cost in either resources or risk to destroy, but in theory, to maintain all ruby moons, a new moon may have to be purchased every few months if some pesky player is missilling your moons from time to time. (even small players would be able to seriously annoy large players with that method)




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There are options to make ruby moons valuable but not invincible if zorg will rethink the moon destruction methods.
This would possibly void imperial support as a practical ruby option... except when a fleeter isn't willing to wait the 20-30 mins for an ec to get jumpgate materials to a new moon.
Potentially makes the phrase 'Pay to Win' applicable, but then again, a new player could sell a lot of rubies, build fast, and is likely to be crashed and raided along the way, so its risky enough to be OK in my opinion.