[GRiiM]

Something I've never understood about GMod servers, including LimeLight is how they use the term 'donations' when you're essentially buying something to use in-game. Some things you get can only be earned by donating.

LimeLight's CityRPv2 is a free-to-play game, however, by donating you help the community financially, and help to ensure that we do not struggle with server costs. You can choose where your donated money goes by using the sliders on the next page.

To show our gratitude, we will provide donator status or perks as a gift. With each perk, you will receive a few bonus features and advantages that non-donators do not have. However, we are strictly against the pay-to-win formula, and you will not receive any game-changing items such as improved weapons or more health; we want CityRP to be fair for everyone.

It's like if a free-to-play game developer such as Supercell said "Donate to Clash of Clans and you'll receive 500k gold and half training times!" - That would not be allowed.

Someone mind explaining why it's called donating when you're getting a virtual product in return for your money?

[Uzi.]

It's because you ARE donating, the things that staff give you (The money and perks) are really just gifts received because they appreciate your donation it's only a GIFT, so if staff wanted to they could take your money and not give you any benefits and legally that would be 100% okay to do, because it's sent as a paypal DONATION.

[Toxic]

It's like how I get a T-shirt or a license plate frame if I donate blood. I don't give blood in exchange for such small objects. The benefits are a gift for your generous donation.

[GRiiM]

Apply that logic to anywhere else and it sounds stupid.
"Thankyou for donating to Steam, for your kind contribution we're going to gift you this copy of Garry's Mod you wanted"

You can beat around the bush all you want but you're still basically buying the perks.

[Toxic]

You're exchanging money for a game versus donating and supporting this server to keep it running and updated. They technically don't have to offer any sort of gift for your donation since that's what it is, but they do. It's similar to my analogy.

[GRiiM]

You're exchanging money for a game versus donating and supporting this server to keep it running and updated. They technically don't have to offer any sort of gift for your donation since that's what it is, but they do. It's similar to my analogy.

No they don't have to, and that's where the line between donating and purchasing is to me. Since they do give you something in return it seems very much like purchasing in my opinion. There isn't even an option donate without receiving any perks and the donation amounts are set by LL, you can't choose your own amount.

When you purchase almost any product you're technically supporting the company to keep it running too.

[SirWulf]

You can think of this similar to supporting a game/team on Kickstarter. You have perks based on how much you donate to the game. And when it is all said and done, there is no guarantee what updates will happen and when. The perks they offer are just that, something setup as a thank you for supporting our company/game.

Same with Limelight, we are donating to the service and get a few perks as a result. The money is used to update and keep things running, but there is no guarantee as to what it'll look like a year from now.

[Rayts5]

It is basically just a workaround, every single gameserver from Minecraft to Garry's Mod to WoW to Maplestory are using this term.

Why? Because it requires special permissions to sell the things. As in, it is not allowed to sell virtual items in ex. Garry's Mod for cash. Therefore we just 'say' that people are 'donating', and they get a benefit as a so-called "gift". In a dictionary, I think that's called a 'transaction', but they can call it what they want.

I think PayPal had something extra where it wasn't possible to chargeback a donated amount, but I am not sure. To be honest, it's the same reason people can cheat in tax; they are simply workarounding the system.

[George]

It is donating as no-one is forcing you to pay money. You don't need to pay to access the servers and donating doesn't give you any advantage over other players in terms of the scenarios you'll come across.

Many businesses and charities offer items in exchange for donating as a way of saying thank you, an example being the WWF:

Spoiler

Simply put, we don't see it as people buying donator status for the perks but rather to help us pay server and development costs.

[Vauld]

Also no one is taking profit at this point... So it's not like you're paying us a salary either.

[Burnett]

No profit, no salary = donations.

Money is spent on server, development and security costs. Once our public expenditure report is out, everyone will see it.

[Rayts5]

No profit, no salary = donations.

Money is spent on server, development and security costs. Once our public expenditure report is out, everyone will see it.

What security costs? There isn't even SSL on the forums. If it's DDoS, then move to AWS or something. I still know like 3-4 exploits in the gamemode which all works. But to be fair, one of them is so complex that only me would be capable of patching it. The anti-cheat is trash too (oh yeah screengrabbing is a 10/10 detection method, not like that can be bypassed or anything).

They even used SVN on the VPS back on FL. I mean, what is this, 2006? I really hope that it is still not being used.

[George]

No profit, no salary = donations.

Money is spent on server, development and security costs. Once our public expenditure report is out, everyone will see it.

What security costs? There isn't even SSL on the forums. If it's DDoS, then move to AWS or something. I still know like 3-4 exploits in the gamemode which all works. But to be fair, one of them is so complex that only me would be capable of patching it. The anti-cheat is trash too (oh yeah screengrabbing is a 10/10 detection method, not like that can be bypassed or anything).

They even used SVN on the VPS back on FL. I mean, what is this, 2006? I really hope that it is still not being used.

Rayts5, if you actually do know of any exploits, you could always make a private report here.

[Safira]

What security costs? There isn't even SSL on the forums. If it's DDoS, then move to AWS or something. I still know like 3-4 exploits in the gamemode which all works. But to be fair, one of them is so complex that only me would be capable of patching it. The anti-cheat is trash too (oh yeah screengrabbing is a 10/10 detection method, not like that can be bypassed or anything).

Once our public expenditure report is out, everyone will see it.

We're not pocketing money just for lolz. Things have been required and luckily server donations have been incredibly useful for mitigating attacks in the past, upgrading our Dedi to cope with the volume of traffic and content coming from the Devs' and Contributors' fantastic work, etc. No point in bickering over it now; the Business team are getting their hands on the necessary data to compile a report which everybody will understand.

As for these 'exploits', you should be informing us in the Private Bugs section rather than keeping it to yourself and well, exploiting.

[Noble]

But to be fair, one of them is so complex that only me would be capable of patching it.