Dwelling Donation Cost

Requirements

• Dwellings module: Core housing system (version 20051118+)
• Donation system: Site donation/points system (core LoGD)
• This module: Bridges dwellings and donation points

Without Dwellings module installed, this module does nothing.

How It Works

Purchasing a Dwelling:

• Browse available dwelling types
• Each type has THREE costs: gold, gems, AND donation points
• Example: Cottage = 5000 gold + 2 gems + 5 donation points (default spcost)
• Pay costs incrementally (like normal Dwellings module)

Paying Donation Points Cost:

• Visit dwelling purchase page
• Input field: "Donation Points: [___]"
• Enter amount of points to spend (from your unspent points pool)
• Submit → Points deducted from pool, added to dwelling progress
• Repeat until full points cost paid

Points Tracking:

• Each dwelling tracks "spspent" pref (site points spent)
• Remaining points cost = dwelling type spcost - spspent
• Dwelling incomplete until ALL costs paid (gold, gems, points)

Donation Points Source

Unspent Donation Points Pool:

• User account tracks two values:
  • donation: Total points ever received
  • donationspent: Total points spent on purchases
• Available points = donation - donationspent
• This module spends from available points pool

Getting Donation Points:

• Donate real money to server (site donation system)
• Admin grants points manually (special events/rewards)
• Typical conversion: $1 USD = 100 points (varies by server)
• Points are permanent (don't expire)

Example Workflow:

• Donate $5 → receive 500 points
• Spend 200 points on lodge items → 300 points available
• Start building dwelling that costs 5 points
• Pay 3 points → spspent = 3, available = 297 points
• Pay 2 points → spspent = 5, available = 295 points
• Points cost complete! (Still need to pay gold/gems)

Validation

Prevents Overspending:

• Can't spend more points than you have available
• Can't spend more points than dwelling requires
• Error messages:
  • "You do not have that many donation points."
  • "You have tried to spend more donation points than you need to."
• Blocks navigation to build page if validation fails

Input Sanitization:

• Points input converted to absolute integer: abs((int)httppost('paidsp'))
• Negative values converted to 0
• Prevents exploits via negative point inputs

Admin Configuration

Per Dwelling Type:

• Setting: spcost (default: 5 donation points per dwelling)
• Configurable per dwelling type (cottage, mansion, castle, etc.)
• Can set different points costs for different dwelling tiers

Example Settings:

• Tent: 2 points (cheap starter dwelling, ~$0.02 USD)
• Cottage: 5 points (moderate dwelling, ~$0.05 USD) - DEFAULT
• Mansion: 20 points (expensive dwelling, ~$0.20 USD)
• Castle: 100 points (elite dwelling, ~$1.00 USD)

Economic Balancing:

• Adjust spcost to control real-money cost of dwellings
• Higher spcost = more revenue for server, but fewer players can afford
• Lower spcost = more accessible, but less server revenue
• Typical strategy: Low cost for basic dwellings, high cost for luxury dwellings

Hooks Used

• dwellings-pay-costs: Display remaining points cost on dwelling page
• dwellings-pay-input: Add donation points input field to payment form
• dwellings-buy-setup: Process points payment, update spspent, deduct from available points
• dwellings-buy-valuecheck: Validate points payment amount before processing

Impact on Gameplay

Before This Module:

• Dwellings cost only gold and gems (in-game currency)
• Donation points used for lodge items, cosmetics, etc.
• Housing accessible to all players (no real-money requirement)

After This Module:

• Dwellings require THREE resources: gold, gems, AND donation points
• Donation points become essential for housing
• Dwellings become partially pay-to-win (real money advantage)
• Server generates revenue from housing purchases
• Free players may be excluded from housing (unless points cost = 0 for some types)

Strategy

For Players:

• Check dwelling points cost before starting purchase
• Ensure you have enough unspent donation points
• Prioritize points spending:
  • Essential: Dwellings (permanent housing)
  • vs Optional: Cosmetics, temporary buffs
• Pay points cost incrementally (don't waste points if you can't afford full dwelling)

For Free Players:

• If all dwellings cost points: Housing may be inaccessible
• Check if server offers free-tier dwellings (spcost = 0)
• Admin grants or special events may provide free points
• Consider donating small amount ($1-5) for basic housing

For Admins:

• Set spcost proportional to dwelling value/prestige
• Consider offering 1-2 dwelling types at spcost = 0 (accessible to free players)
• Balance server revenue vs player accessibility
• Test economy balance before setting high points costs

Comparison to Other Dwelling Cost Modules

Dwelling Donation Cost vs Dwelling Wood Cost:

• Wood Cost: In-game resource (earned via Lumberyard)
• Donation Cost: Real-money resource (purchased via donations)
• Wood = gameplay progression, Donation = pay-to-win
• Can use both simultaneously (dwelling costs gold + gems + wood + points)

Impact on Player Perception:

• Adding donation cost may be seen as:
  • Positive: Supports server, rewards donors
  • Negative: Paywall, excludes free players
• Transparency important: Clearly communicate costs before players invest time

Compatibility

• Requires Dwellings module 20051118 or later
• Compatible with Dwelling Wood Cost module (both can be active)
• Compatible with other dwelling addons (Dwelling Upgrades, etc.)
• Uses standard donation system (no special modifications needed)

Multiple cost modules can be active simultaneously. Dwelling can require gold + gems + wood + donation points all at once.

Ethical Considerations

Pay-to-Win Concerns:

• Dwellings provide coffers (storage), sleeping (HP restore), prestige
• If donation cost is required: Free players excluded from housing benefits
• Creates gameplay inequality based on real-money spending

Mitigation Strategies:

• Offer basic dwelling at spcost = 0 (free tier for everyone)
• Set low points cost (2-5 points = $0.02-0.05, trivial donation)
• Provide alternative housing (inn rooms) for free players
• Make donation cost optional (admin can disable by setting spcost = 0 globally)

Transparency:

• Clearly display points cost on dwelling purchase page
• Show unspent points available before purchase
• Inform players upfront if housing requires donations

Limitations

• Real-Money Requirement: May exclude free players from housing
• No Refunds: Points spent on dwelling are gone (even if dwelling demolished)
• Point Scarcity: Donation points are limited resource (requires real money)
• Economic Pressure: Players may feel forced to donate for essential feature
• Admin Dependency: spcost must be set per dwelling type (admin configuration required)