Opt-In Advertisement

[Tom]

Something very new to the game - another part of hell freezing over:

BattleMaster is a free game. You can play it without paying anything and I am quite proud of it being advertisement-free.

To cover its costs and pay for occasional expenses, BattleMaster is supported by donations. However, over the years many players have suggested that they do not have the money to donate - especially players from foreign countries where a few Euros is a days wage or more. And then there are, of course, many players who are very young and don't have PayPal nor the means for bank transfers.

I have decided to make an experiment. I often do things in unconventional ways, and this is no different. To the best of my knowledge, BattleMaster is the first website with opt-in advertisement. There are some where you can opt out (sometimes for a fee), but with BattleMaster, you don't see any advertisement unless you explicitly say "yes, I want to support the game this way" and enable ads in your user preferences.

And, just to be even more interesting, we give you several choices regarding the space you want to sacrifice for ads and the type of ads you are willing to endure.
A large skyscraper ad down the right-hand side of the screen, if you have a widescreen display. Or a wide banner at the top, or a smaller box in the corner. Your choice.
Less intrusive text-only ads, or multimedia ads as well? Again, your choice.

Let me know what you think, please. This is an experiment, and I really want and need your feedback.

[MaleMaldives]

If you have the opt-in advertisement for a long enough time and/or click on enough advertisements, will you get similar bonuses that other players that donate do?

[m2rt]

I seriously want to see an ad network who would allow this.

Ofcourse if there will be no profit for the user from clicking on the ad, then it might be ok. But if user receives a benefit from clicking on the ad... No good ad network would allow it, maybe only those sites who promise people to get thousands of hits per day.

[Berelain]

I have seen all the options now. Skyscaper and leaderbord and to much "in your face". You cant look behind it. Every page you check you will see them first. It dont work for me.
It's a good thing you let people choose! When I log in and I see that big banner I dont have the spirit after some days to play again.

But the small box/banner works for me. You know it's there. But it's not to big. It's a nice and decent size. I can live with it even if it's permanent.

[Kalte Lanze]

I found the skyscraper ad to be more than tolerable, it was actually considerably smaller than I was expecting.

Even with a 20.1 inch monitor, it sits nicely out of my way and isn't distracting enough to keep me from playing the game, though if something eye catching does pop up, I will notice it with ease.

A very slick setup, I think.  Now, if only I could get another character for opting in :P

[Luegg]

I think that adds (even if opt in) are a step in the wrong direction.

Battlemaster is special and adds will make it less so.

As an example I think the question of MaleMaldives illustrates this. An idea has immediately spawned that clicking on an add that you are not interested in will give you some benefits.

[Tom]

If you have the opt-in advertisement for a long enough time and/or click on enough advertisements, will you get similar bonuses that other players that donate do?

I have absolutely no idea. :-)

[Tom]

A very slick setup, I think.  Now, if only I could get another character for opting in :P

I might think about that, but right now, it really is an experiment. My main question is if people like it. I personally have a dramatic distaste of advertisement in any shape or form, but it's taken me 10 years or so to understand that not all people share that sentiment. Now I wonder if what I've come up with is an option everyone can be happy with.

[Tom]

I think that adds (even if opt in) are a step in the wrong direction.

Battlemaster is special and adds will make it less so.

Thanks. I'm well aware that this is totally un-BattleMaster. I have several reasons for going this route, one being as I mentioned that people have actually asked if there's a non-donation way they can contribute.

I'm interested in knowing why you think it is wrong, even though doing nothing means everything stays the same for you? That's not a trick question, I am seriously interested in the answer.

[Kalte Lanze]

I might think about that, but right now, it really is an experiment. My main question is if people like it. I personally have a dramatic distaste of advertisement in any shape or form, but it's taken me 10 years or so to understand that not all people share that sentiment. Now I wonder if what I've come up with is an option everyone can be happy with.

Pleasing everyone isn't an easy task, by any means, so I admire your ambitions.  I fully understand the nature of this experiment and will continue to opt-in if it helps :)

[Indirik]

I personally have a dramatic distaste of advertisement in any shape or form

I mostly agree, though maybe not quite so strongly. I would continue to donate for the extra goodies, even if they were available via opt-in advertising. It totally ruins the immersion for me. But if other people are willing to accept them as "the price of doing business", then I don't mind them opting to look at them.

As another possibility, have you considered getting an affiliate account with Amazon? I know quite a few web sites that let you buy stuff through their affiliate link. It doesn't cost the the buyer anything, but gets you a percent or two kickback from Amazon. You could just post the affiliate link somewhere, like the Donation page. It doesn't need to be in-your-face, or on every page.

[loren]

I mostly agree, though maybe not quite so strongly. I would continue to donate for the extra goodies, even if they were available via opt-in advertising. It totally ruins the immersion for me.

Personally the ruined immersion is what would kill it for me too.  But that's probably because of the way I've played the game these years.

/Loren

[Triggster]

I find the leaderboard ad a great deal more tolerable than the skyscraper one which seems to distorte my screen somewhat. Personally, I'm willing to keep it on. However I am a fairly new player and can see how, for those who have been playing for a long time, the ads would be more distracting and ruin the immersion. It's opt-in at the end of the day so I feel it already accomodates for everyone.  ;D

[Perth]

Here is the big question, and perhaps this is due to my ignorance of how internet advertising works:

I am fairly positive I will never click an ad, I just don't ever do that. So, if I opt-in, and never click on an ad, am I still helping Battlemaster out? Or do I need to click them in order for it to actually help at all?

[Tom]

Here is the big question, and perhaps this is due to my ignorance of how internet advertising works:

I am fairly positive I will never click an ad, I just don't ever do that. So, if I opt-in, and never click on an ad, am I still helping Battlemaster out? Or do I need to click them in order for it to actually help at all?

It only generates revenue on clicks. Many, many years ago money was paid for views, but I don't think anyone does that anymore.