[Donation System] WooMinecraft - A WooCommerce Minecraft Bridge (Open Source)

[trajing]

It's been a while since I read it, okay then.

 

[1SDAN]

The only items one can sell via donations are items that have no impact on gameplay. This means cosmetic items are okay.

 

[Phyrax]

@midi_sec
Ok, let me break this down for you:
Question: Can I charge Access to my server?
Answer: YES
Solution: set the command to /whitelist add <username> after purchase

Question: How Often am I allowed to charge players to access my server?
Answer: "...regularly as you like..."
Solution: Install a subscription plugin to regularly charge users for said server in Wordpress. Just an Idea

Question: Can I offer a limited trial...
Answer: "Yes so long as paying users have access to the same gameplay"
Solution: A timed-white-list of sorts? Then re-directing to store-front.

Question: Can I sell 'kits'...
Answer: "If the 'kits' contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. ..."
Solution: Sell individual items instead, no 'kits'. Once more, you're not allowed to restrict items to donors only, everyone should have access to the same item. I like calling these shortcuts. (This'll stop those pay-to-win servers)
( On a side note, this is how I feel, and should not be taken into consideration, if I'm wrong I'll deal with Mojang, or I'm sure they'll correct me. I already provide shortcut donations on my server, but the items can be acquired by anyone, hence why they're called shortcuts. I'm sure someone will banter about me doing this, but please note, you will be wasting your breath. )

Question: "How do I make money from cosmetic items?" (May fall under the ranks category as well)
Answer: "You can sell cosmetic items for hard currency..."
Solution: Allow users the 'nick' command? Or if you can't restrict that 'command' then setup the plugin to run the command for you, just add an item per color or whatever. Another suggestion, mob disguise... omg it's a cancer.

Question: Can I reward all players with a feature if I reach a donation goal?
Answer: "Yes, so long as all players receive the benefit regardless of who donated..."
Solution: Expand existing functionality to check for monthly totals, if the total is met, then run a command/cronjob on all player names in the database.

Question: Can I charge for access to server commands?
Answer: Yes, cosmetic only
Solution: Add the command to allow the user to use the nick and nick.color commands

You can keep going and it depends on the mods you have installed. The possibilities are there, you just have to read into the EULA, and not read what you want to read, but read it as a whole.

From what I gather from the EULA is it's trying to balance the gameplay and get rid of these servers who are in it just for the money. Of course this is just my opinion and should not be taken to heart.

 

[portablejim]

@midi_secQuestion: Can I sell 'kits'...
Answer: "If the 'kits' contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. ..."
Solution: Sell individual items instead, no 'kits'. Once more, you're not allowed to restrict items to donors only, everyone should have access to the same item. I like calling these shortcuts. (This'll stop those pay-to-win servers)
( On a side note, this is how I feel, and should not be taken into consideration, if I'm wrong I'll deal with Mojang, or I'm sure they'll correct me. I already provide shortcut donations on my server, but the items can be acquired by anyone, hence why they're called shortcuts. I'm sure someone will banter about me doing this, but please note, you will be wasting your breath. )

Yes, having everyone able access the whole game, just with a bit more effort/time is totally not pay-to-win.

(yes that was an attempt at sarcasm)

If you disagree, aren't you just arguing about how much tedium/effort/timesaving is acceptable?

 

[Phyrax]

@portablejim
I see your point in that aspect. I never really thought of it like that since my server is a close community of just a few people. Now that you mention it, I'm sure there are servers out there who sell Quantum armor for a ridiculous price. I know an old co-owner did just that, which is why I stopped helping that server.

I don't disagree, in fact, I understand your point, but I suppose that's a grey area in the EULA.

P.S. Can we please stop talking about the EULA lol. There are plenty of threads around about that, not to mention the millions of users who feel it's their place to make a statement. I'm not trying to 'make a statement' I was merely trying to provide a donation system that people can use, and yes you can use it within the EULA regulations.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Question: Can I sell 'kits'...
Answer: "If the 'kits' contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. ..."
Solution: Sell individual items instead, no 'kits'. Once more, you're not allowed to restrict items to donors only, everyone should have access to the same item. I like calling these shortcuts. (This'll stop those pay-to-win servers)
( On a side note, this is how I feel, and should not be taken into consideration, if I'm wrong I'll deal with Mojang, or I'm sure they'll correct me. I already provide shortcut donations on my server, but the items can be acquired by anyone, hence why they're called shortcuts. I'm sure someone will banter about me doing this, but please note, you will be wasting your breath. )

Ummmmm no, if you sell someone ANY item that affects gameplay with real money then it's against the EULA. There is no way around this, saying but ANYONE can buy it is ridiculous...

It's not a grey area, you're choosing to make it a grey area and you will be called up on it.

Agreed that your mod can be used within the EULA but it's just made it a lot less useful I'm afraid.

 

[midi_sec]

@midi_sec
Ok, let me break this down for you:
Question: Can I charge Access to my server?
Answer: YES
Solution: set the command to /whitelist add <username> after purchase

Question: How Often am I allowed to charge players to access my server?
Answer: "...regularly as you like..."
Solution: Install a subscription plugin to regularly charge users for said server in Wordpress. Just an Idea

Question: Can I offer a limited trial...
Answer: "Yes so long as paying users have access to the same gameplay"
Solution: A timed-white-list of sorts? Then re-directing to store-front.

Question: Can I sell 'kits'...
Answer: "If the 'kits' contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. ..."
Solution: Sell individual items instead, no 'kits'. Once more, you're not allowed to restrict items to donors only, everyone should have access to the same item. I like calling these shortcuts. (This'll stop those pay-to-win servers)
( On a side note, this is how I feel, and should not be taken into consideration, if I'm wrong I'll deal with Mojang, or I'm sure they'll correct me. I already provide shortcut donations on my server, but the items can be acquired by anyone, hence why they're called shortcuts. I'm sure someone will banter about me doing this, but please note, you will be wasting your breath. )

Question: "How do I make money from cosmetic items?" (May fall under the ranks category as well)
Answer: "You can sell cosmetic items for hard currency..."
Solution: Allow users the 'nick' command? Or if you can't restrict that 'command' then setup the plugin to run the command for you, just add an item per color or whatever. Another suggestion, mob disguise... omg it's a cancer.

Question: Can I reward all players with a feature if I reach a donation goal?
Answer: "Yes, so long as all players receive the benefit regardless of who donated..."
Solution: Expand existing functionality to check for monthly totals, if the total is met, then run a command/cronjob on all player names in the database.

Question: Can I charge for access to server commands?
Answer: Yes, cosmetic only
Solution: Add the command to allow the user to use the nick and nick.color commands

You can keep going and it depends on the mods you have installed. The possibilities are there, you just have to read into the EULA, and not read what you want to read, but read it as a whole.

From what I gather from the EULA is it's trying to balance the gameplay and get rid of these servers who are in it just for the money. Of course this is just my opinion and should not be taken to heart.

I'm confused. What exactly are you breaking down for me? Every single question that you've highlighted, except one, says "Yes! you can" right after it. What are we doing here again? Oh right, Grey areas.

The one point you highlighted that says "No" is the same one I pointed out earlier, and your solution still doesn't work per the EULA.

Question: Can I sell 'kits'...
Answer: "If the 'kits' contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. ..."
Solution: Sell individual items instead, no 'kits'. Once more, you're not allowed to restrict items to donors only, everyone should have access to the same item. I like calling these shortcuts. (This'll stop those pay-to-win servers)

It says specifically, in your quotation no less, that you cannot sell gameplay features. gameplay features include items, since it's such a broad term. You can sell kits of cosmetic items, and you can sell cosmetic items outright, but If you sell a quarry, a sword, or even a splash potion, and you're in violation.

This is the second part of the above quote, you forgot this part.

If the items included in the kit are purely cosmetic, you can charge real money/hard currency.

Cosmetic. Cosmetic. Cosmetic. They keep repeating that word all over. To break it down for you, you can only sell cosmetic items and cosmetic items alone for RL cash (examples: hydra trophy, grave stone, lamps, etc.). this includes mod items.

As for the EULA trying to balance gameplay... another omission from your quotation above;

Gameplay balance is not relevant to the EULA.

and not read what you want to read, but read it as a whole.

thanks, but take your own advice.

I understand that you've spent a lot of time on this mod, and I'm not bashing it. I'm just pointing out the big elephant in the room. You can get all rules lawyer if you want and try to slice the EULA however you think you can, but what you can get away with is pretty much in black and white, not grey.

 

[Azzanine]

Wait, you're making people pay for items? Is that even legal?

No, you can't make people "pay" for items but you can make "donation perks", so long as you don't lock people out of it.

Edit: Frankly the only thing I think server owners are justified in "selling" is protected server space, that and their own time admining is actually work if you do it right. Selling protected areas in my books is perfectly reasonable.

Selling access is a mehh for me, I guess it's legal and all but you'd be a dick to do it and an unpopular one at that.

Servers cost money, sometimes in some places it costs a LOTTA money. Try renting a VPN in Australia, you yanks will have a heart attack when you look at the monthly price for a piddley 4gig server, un-dedicated too...

 

[YX33A]

@midi_sec is right, though. Any "hard currency" can not be converted to "soft currency", nor the other way, but one, as far as I can tell, sell items in game and out of game, but one has to use soft in game and hard out of game, and must be obtainable in game yourself anyway if one can purchase it with hard currency. The flipside is that one can't restrict items to anyone particularly if anyone can't get it anyway, but one can use soft currency to buy things that one can only get with soft currency. So... MystCraft ages, if non-OPs can make them, for example. Or, basic access to, say... RotaryCraft if one cared enough, could be sold only via in game currency, assuming that currency can only be gotten in game and anyone can get it.

Just my take on it. Can't buy things outside of the game unless one can get it in game normally or it just looks nice. Or capes, oddly enough. Why they still aren't cool with capes being sold is beyond me.[DOUBLEPOST=1404205594][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh, and most of all, Midi_sec is right on this: Call it rules lawyering if you want, but Mojang has very well paid Lawyers so play by their rules or expect to get rekt.

 

[midi_sec]

Can't buy things outside of the game unless one can get it in game normally or it just looks nice.

I don't think they're being this lenient. The way this reads, from this posting, it sounds like you can't sell gameplay effecting items for hard currency regardless if you can get it in the game normally.

You are allowed to sell in-game items so long as they don’t affect gameplay
We don’t mind you selling items in game, but they must be purely cosmetic. Pets, hats, and particle effects are OK, but swords, invincibility potions, and man-eating pigs are not. We want all players to be presented with the same gameplay features, whether they decide to pay or not.

There is one exception to this rule – capes! We have a lot of fun making cool capes for extra-special members of our community and Minecon attendees. We’d like to keep them as exclusive as possible. So, yeah, no capes please, even if you’re giving them away for free.

 

[Phyrax]

@midi_sec

Thanks for that link, it is definitely a more clarified version. Plus it's still directly from Mojang. I'm definitely going to link that in the repo.

Still though, this donation system is still viable. There are plenty of cosmetic options that are available. Also, it mentions in-game adverts, that gives me an idea

 

[portablejim]

Not sure how open Ichun will be to the idea, but having hats (which are purely cosmetic) available for purchase may be inside what the EULA allows.

 

[Phyrax]

I'm sure someone is already doing that. I know when I played vanilla Minecraft, Mob Disguise was a huge thing.

 

[trajing]

I'm sure someone is already doing that. I know when I played vanilla Minecraft, Mob Disguise was a huge thing.

That's a bukkit plugin. Save for most server owners, Modded MC is not as money-minded.