After all, it can only improve the site.  And at least in my case, I may well become a paying member in the future, and this could hook me in sooner.

El Conquistador wrote:

After all, it can only improve the site. 

I would question that at times.

This has been discussed a couple times, but I still think Board Designer should stay a Premium option, as it's an extra perk to players and not necessarily to the site IMO.  There is already the free 30 days to help players get hooked on Premium, and it's not necessarily guaranteed that allowing board design for Standard accounts would lead to more Premium accounts (I, again, would say that it's reverse, Board Design leads some to Premium accounts).

I didn't know about the free 30 days. I'll look into that. I was just looking to add a map or two to the site. Unfortunately, I just renewed my subscription to the other site so I wasn't prepared to double up right now.

I didn't know about the free 30 days. I'll look into that. I was just looking to add a map or two to the site. Unfortunately, I just renewed my subscription to the other site so I wasn't prepared to double up right now.

Whoops! I guess my free premium membership here expired a while ago. I didn't even know I had it. I just kind of signed up and maybe played a game or two in my first 30 days.

I'm not sure how it can be reasoned that it's not necessarily a benefit to the site, though. After all, doesn't the board that reviews/accepts new maps only allow maps that improve the site? If not, what are they doing?

My bad, I just read your rationale more carefully. Well, in my case anyway, I'm not willing to pay solely for the purpose of making maps. The other features are much more compelling.

El Conquistador wrote: After all, doesn't the board that reviews/accepts new maps only allow maps that improve the site? If not, what are they doing?

Yes, but it's nice to filter out some maps before they even get to the Board Review, which is one thing that I think only allowing Premium accounts the ability to make maps does (similar to Circle Mode not being available for Submit IMO).

I also imagine it's still on tom's ToDo list to allow the Sale of Maps, in which case it is potentially beneficial to the Board Designer as well.

On WF, map designing was a big reason why I bought a Plus account there, I imagine it would be the same here for some players.  I think Board Designer is an incentive to buy a Premium Membership, which puts $$$ in tom's pocket. 

This is all just my opinion though, would be tom's choice and I'm not too sure what his thoughts on it are.

Agree with Yertle. Map design was the main reason I ever bought Primo at the other site (even though I never really released 'em, it was just fun). Also agree that filtering board submissions down to authors that are already invested in the site is a good idea.

On Warfish I always paid for memberships out of game earnings. I hope the game sales feature eventually comes to WarGear so that map designers have a chance to do the same here.

How about letting non-premium members into the board designer, but they are limited to just 1 board? That way they get to check it out, and can even release a map, but if they want more, they have to pay up.

you get access to that ability in your first month (free premium).

Yeah but most people are not going to be designing a board in the 1st month on the site.

there is that. not sayin i wouldn't be in favor of Ozy's suggestion, in fact i kinda like it. but thought i'd throw out the obvious just cus.

Sure, good idea Ozyman. Fits in with the try before you buy concept that the free month's Premium offers.

I'm not telling most of you anything new here, but I'm an elitist. That being said clearly, I think that opening up the design tool to non-premium members is a poor idea. Map making does take an amount of skill and knowledge not just of design software & the tool itself but also of the general concepts of play, strategies used and mechanics of features. If someone doesn't want to pay for the site but still play here I say join a game, roll the dice and I hope you eliminate yellow because he's a loud mouth jerk, but if you do get involved in the site enough where you want to contribute to the site, I don't think that $10 is that much to ask. That's the only way that tom gets paid for doing everything he does here and while money is probably not main reason he created the site, it is a little perk.
My good friend Dr Horrible created a map with his free 30 days, decided not to renew his membership but got to release a map (I did most of the work the lazy truck nut sucker). So, in conclusion, I think things are good the way they are.

I think I probably agree with Risky, although perhaps something could be implemented for Standard members.

You could open up the Design Tool to allow for 1 board to be designed, but not allow that board to be set to Public Beta or Public Beta games and it couldn't be submitted for Review as a Standard Member.

So a Standard member would be able to play with the tool, design a board, play Private games on it, but have to have something invested in the site before it attempts to reach the Public. Probably could even allow a couple board designs if this type of restriction was placed.

IMO, this isn't a restriction due to Premium vs Standard, but it's a way to cut back on the number of JPegs with Fill Mode boards being seen by the public and review.

I like Yertle's idea for compromise. Let them try it but don't give them the ability to unleash it on the rest of us until they've shown they're committed to the site.

The flip side of that is that delicate noobs won't be exposed to the harsh realities of the Board Review Board until after it's already too late for them to be turned off completely.

I could go with the Turtle's compromise...

Yertle wrote:

I think I probably agree with Risky, although perhaps something could be implemented for Standard members.

You could open up the Design Tool to allow for 1 board to be designed, but not allow that board to be set to Public Beta or Public Beta games and it couldn't be submitted for Review as a Standard Member.

So a Standard member would be able to play with the tool, design a board, play Private games on it, but have to have something invested in the site before it attempts to reach the Public. Probably could even allow a couple board designs if this type of restriction was placed.

IMO, this isn't a restriction due to Premium vs Standard, but it's a way to cut back on the number of JPegs with Fill Mode boards being seen by the public and review.

The 1 board idea wasn't restrictive enough?!  I think allowing standard members the ability to create a single board over an unlimited number of boards is a compromise in itself.  I really dislike this elitist vibe of being a premium member.  It is inhibiting creation, creativity, and variety.  How are we correlating financial status to one's ability to create a board!!!