I'm just curious as to what the rates are for earning this?

I'm at that point again where I have spent close to $1000 on this game in past few months and gotten an animal up to 6mill points, and it's feeling like I'm pumping money into the game just to see a number change. Like I understand that's largely the point of HP, but... it sure would be nice to have more of a reward system?

I again typed a response to this and HP had logged me out =(.

In essence -

a) I know that HP is not on the same level as multi-million dollar companies like Blizzard and Ubisoft. I'm not that silly =) - I do work in the industry. I have a very realistic idea of the cost for a game like HP, as I'm a consultant that actually delivers software to clients (and we charge a bomb, it's true). I know what rates people have to pay for BAs / developers / testers, the whole she-bang. The point I was trying to make was - I can and will go somewhere else for my gaming kick because HP doesn't seem to value my continued contributions. I am not expecting HP to become a fully interactive billion dollar game franchise overnight with all the fancy gimmicks, I just want rewards for efforts and funding given. If HP wants to be competitive, you have to understand that there are a lot of options out there for people and to retain new players (and gain new paying players) it needs to be more friendly. Like I understand it's a lovely community grown over the years but this is also a space and an industry that's constantly changing..

b) It was a SIM called MafiaMofo which was created by one person (PJ). I expect it's more popular and does have deeper pockets because it appeals to a broader audience, it does micro-transactions differently and it has a friendlier design, despite an unfriendly user base.

c) I did float that if I was smarter I'd pay to upgrade a lot of my accounts and become self-funding, but that if I did so it would take another active upgrader off the market which HP seems to need. A lot of people already self-fund and the prices are going up because there's not as many upgraders. HP is always going to need upgraders. I also was happy to upgrade people because I have the funds and don't have the time to put into HP to grind for HPD, but the point was that lack of rewards in both the work and money I've put into my own animals and the money I have used to upgrade others is a real sticking point. It's like I am essentially paying the exact same to get to the exact same place without it getting even a little easier despite everything I have done before and that's the issue.

d) And before I forget - I am sure HP staff did hear my concerns when I raised the time zones / private issue, but I'm not sure that was communicated or looked at seriously, and I expect that was because trying to work with time zones is an almost impossibility with programming and nobody wanted the private show changes =).

In any case, this is mildly exhausting, ha. I need to get back to work. BUT I hope the rewards do come along and I'm not trying to start anything, I'm just... I do like HP. Obviously there are things I don't like but I can live with a lot. I apologise for being so opinionated and a little grumpy (I have had a trying few weeks, having to put a pony down, medical concerns, stress, yada yada, excuses, I know). I just can't justify an ongoing cost to myself on these terms and it's better to bow out before I get any deeper and any saltier. 

Hey Blitz,

Yeah, I get what you're saying. I can't say I 100% appreciate it though.

I may be a go big player, but this idea that I'm trying to beat everyone into line for changes so I can advance on the basis that I've paid money is...

I literally just asked for better achievements, better rewards, some recognition over my contributions, which is so much money for an individual to put into anything, let alone a click-game. Like the people I know who knew I played this game and understood what I was paying were horrified when I said I'd picked it back up, but I just laughed and said 'my money, my choice'. And it was. And I don't regret anything I have put into HP. It's not a waste and it represents fun times. And I don't want to snap my fingers and turn a pumpkin into a charriot or whatever - have HP magically turn into something else, but I needed something more than 'yes, it's currently not ideal' and 'it can be improved'. That's nothing to me. It doesn't tell me how, it doesn't tell me when. It doesn't tell me if waiting and still spending would eventually lead to some small benefits along the line.

To be honest these ideas that I'm complaining because I'm a 'big franchise video game player' not understanding how little games like HP work is sending my blood pressure sky rocketing. Please don't be condescending in that way. Please don't talk down to me. And please realise it's exactly this aversion to understanding and change and trying to twist what I'm saying and turn it back on me as though I have a leg to stand on that is the reason I have no qualms about the door smacking me on the backside on my way out.

Ultra, by no means were we trying to sound condesending or that you don't understand how the mechanics of funding a game work.  Really... we are just small town girls trying to compete with New York.  We appreciate your efforts and the RLD you have put into the game, but your reaching the end game is much different than ours.

I am a die hard Blizzard fan.  I've been playing World of Warcraft for 5ever, and have also dabbled in diablo, hearthstone, and overwatch.  Also SWTOR, Tera, Wildstar, Black Desert Online, and pretty much every other MMORPG.  The only thing tried and true about those games is you have to put in the time to grind and grind and grind just like a SIM game.  Nothing has been pay to win (to my knowledge on the other games execpt for WoW) at all until recently when they started selling tokens for battle.net RLD. I played until I fell asleep, I raided for hours for the piece of gear that dropped that I didn't win, I hoped I was dealt the right hand that I just didn't get, etc.  True commitment to a game costs a heck of a lot of time.  -Excuses self to count on my fingers all the years I've spent questing and raiding on WoW- (8 years now) just to be a filthy casual at $15 a month $60 an expansion (6 expansions now & the original cost of the game).  By this time Blizzard could have beefed up my 401k that I should be able to retire at 55!  xD I digress...

At this day and age and this gaming market... you pay to win or put in the grunt work/time.  That's just how it is.  I have top rankings because I put a lot of time, effort, & some RLD, etc. to achieve those.  

To kind of leach off of Aza's comment about me having 40 accounts and needing upgraders.... It took me 3 years to get to pay for those 40 accounts in RLD but I finally did it.  It took a long term dedication but I achieved it to be where I am at, and MOSTLY self sufficient.  It makes all your projects so much cheaper by having your own 40 shows and 40 sets of tickets, it also is a good money maker in the off season.  This game isn't designed to be an immediate top ranking winner unless you want to shell out the cash.  It's a time grinding game that you have to allocate the time to. 

Aside from my 40 personal accounts I also help run 150 others that has managed to survive solely on upgraders for the last 4? 5? years?  Ever since I have been a part of the team none of us have had to spend RLD where we didn't get something in return (tix or shows).  The upgrade auctions seem to ebb and flow, but are always consistent enough to keep up my 40, myst's 150, and all the other players who depend on the auctions.  We 110% appreciate all of you that have the money to put into the game, and hope that maybe you might see the end game rewards you want if you put in the time. ☺

I'm not sure where this idea has come from that I'm complaining because I didn't want to pay money. I think I have said countless times that I have no issues paying and it was preferable to me. The issue started because for everything I have done, my achievement pay out is equivalent to ten dollars. That's what I raised. That's what I think is ridiculous. Ten dollars,  after thousands of dollars and my own time. And all I get is unsolicited advice on how to play when I say something? I had no problem with how I played and my goals and what I put into it. Literally not the issue and never was. The only reason I see my play style being brought up at all in a public forum is to invalidate what I'm saying 'because I play too fast and too hard and think too big and that's my problem not the game'. 

Cheers for the gas lighting. I've lost my respect for this place. 

Ultra, I'm sorry you felt I was being condescending to you in my last post. Was not my intent. I was merely trying to explain to you (and anyone else reading this thread) how things work and the type of game this is in the long run.

I understand that you want to see some sort of recognition for your achievements after the money you've put into the game. I get that. You've said it several times. It's also been said more than once in this thread that that was the intent of animal achievements...to give players an extra boost to their animals when said animals hit certain milestones. Sam has even stated that the player achievements do need to change, but that she's not sure how when what she's suggested in the past the majority of players didn't want, so that if you have any suggestions that are possible with the way HP is played/programmed, she's all ears. We'd love for it to change, we just don't have an idea for what the change should be.

Again, if you or anyone else has an suggestions for how to change it, how to give players more (better?) achievements for what they do and accomplish on the game, we are all ears. We (HP staff) are pretty limited when it comes to improving the game based on what our brains come up with, unless players make suggestions. So if anyone every has an "outside our brain-box" idea, we'd love to hear it!

I'm sorry that you feel that way, Ultra. The point of my earlier responses was not to disillusion you, but instead explain how the system currently works and ways I think it would work better and also be more in line with what you're talking about.

There is room for improvement in the rewards system, you are correct. I don't currently have any well-formed ideas on how it could be better, while still fitting in with the "ecosystem" of the game, beyond adding more achievements in, or possibly lowering the cash shop prices for HPP. Both things I am willing to do, and could probably do sometime next week. That's not to say there isn't the perfect overall solution out there, I just don't know what it is yet.

I'm am always open to anyone's suggestions of how they think it can be improved, and I would love to work on making it better.

It's not an immediate fix, though. We have a few other large projects that have been in the works for months which have been slated to come next, and revamping our achievements and rewards system would be a huge undertaking. From the planning stages, to getting input from everyone, to having it programmed, and bug tested it could be the middle of next year before a revamped achievements system would be released. And that's if we came up with a good idea, which right now I don't have.

MOD NOTE: This topic has gone off the rails, so I'm metaphorically closing it to replies about anything except for the HPP system/rewards/game features specifically. Anything else will be removed from this point down.