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Have been trying to figure out a way to convert people who have pirated the game to buyers and this looks like an option. Sorry for the long text and the image of offensive quality, did my best to keep it short. So… how about a selection screen (accessible via the main menu) with some pretty art and in-game avatars where you show off your relationship with the game (well, the way you got the key)? It would be a point of pride for anyone who has purchased a key, and an easy way for people who do not own a key to buy one. What is the point of such a screen if we are not concerned about piracy? To see some nice art and feel good about yourself. Something along those lines (please pay no attention to my awesomazing graphics skills): It can have a few categories such as Digital KS backer, Physical KS backer, GOG or Steam (probably different labels), with different characters (or classes, or differently equipped versions of the same character). For each category there should be a male and a female to click on. Once you click, the avatar appears in slightly bigger version, in the middle of the screen, together with some descriptive text that goes with the selection* (read below). Also, there should be an easy way to purchase a game key from there ** (another note below). Such a screen would fit in with the rest of the game and could help with piracy. * The idea of the text (as well as the avatar) is to show the personality of the backer / purchaser through the game world lore. For example, the text that goes with the GoG avatar selection would be something about “You are a character that does not agree to be ordered around by merchants how to use their wares. The adventuring gear you buy is of the finest quality – without protective charms that make it duller, just so other people would not try to steal it.” Ok, that was quite a bad example but you get the idea. The kickstarter backers can get text about how they plan and prepare well for adventures and that they support merchants and other adventurers. No matter which way you got your game key you should be equally proud to have it (be it as a backer, DRM-free at GoG or Steam, assuming these are all the distribution channels), so each text description and avatar representing these should be equally great, too. ** The more important point – there should be an easy non-intrusive way to buy a key should you want to. Clicking on an avatar that minimises the game and opens a browser is not non-intrusive. I guess the developers can figure out the technology of how to offer that. Maybe there could be additional text or small image next to the GoG and Steam sections. If you press it, it could open a window inside the game asking if you want to minimise the game and open the browser to get a game key “to gift” (just a bit less intrusive). Then either GoG or steam website could open, or even some Obsidian web platform – after all it’s selling just keys, the player already has the game running. The majority of players would already have a key and just pick one of those (the last avatar you click on should stay selected even when you restart the game) and feel good about it. If you pirated the game, it is just a quick 30 sec to buy a key for that game you really, really like (provided the devs find a way to implement a process that quick and painless – paypal, google checkout, amazon payments, whatever) and then feel good about it! Some assumptions I have made: The game will be pirated. – I don’t think there is any doubt about it. Many of the people who pirated it will like it so much that they would feel really good about buying it. – Possible, even probable, I think. DRM is bad / does not work – Not worth talking about. A couple of other things: There could be other stuff like equipping the avatar with different gear, etc. – something like a minigame. However, this would be counterproductive as it would shift the focus. The one and only purpose of this screen should be to make you feel good about how you purchased the game. And about *how*, not *if*. (Plus the unofficial purpose of selling game keys).The image I put started with the idea that these would be in a cave, smaller avatars would be on something like ledges, the big one on the cave floor (bet you couldn’t have guessed that ). This is just one idea, they might as well be in a city, in a forest, anything. This could even change as the game progresses and new areas are accessed (backgrounds could be selectable once they have been unlocked – could help with people coming back to this screen, especially after the game is completed and people are pumped up and ready to buy it if they have not already, and more so after they see an amazing new selection screen). Please refrain of making this a discussion about piracy in general – the goods, the bads and so on. Lets try to find a way to make P:E earn the money it should so it can fund the expansion we’ll be looking forward, P:E 2 and all other Obsidian projects. What do you think about the upsides / downsides of this idea? Could it make enough returns for the invested time / energy? What are some ways to improve it? Any good alternatives instead?