Welcome to Gaia :: Decided Issues/Where to Suggest (Up: 8/10) READ HERE FIRST!!

Impracticalities....
Although many users frequently bring up the features and items listed below, these things will never be implemented on this site. The reasons why usually fall into one of the following categories:

• Programming Issue: It's not doable from a programming standpoint.
  
• Traffic Issue: It would cause the site to crash because of Gaia's enormous userbase (some things aren't doable with high volumes of simultaneous users), and/or be too easily abused.
  
• Community Issue: It's something that doesn't mesh well with the majority of Gaia's community.

For more details, see the individual posts on these subjects:

Economy Issues:

• Mass limited edition item re-releases (Community Issue)
  
• Controlling prices of limited edition items (Community Issue)
  
• Lowering Prices of Commons (Items sold in NPC Stores) (Community Issue)
  
• Gold Gain is too hard! (Community Issue)
  
• Interest Earning Bank Accounts (Community Issue)
  Allowability Issues:
  
• 18+/R-rated/Adult section (Community Issue)
  
• Allow Naked Avatars! (Community Issue)
  
• Remove the time limits on posting! (Flood Control Issues) (Traffic Issue)
  
• Unlimited Free Gender Changing (Traffic Issue)
  Other Issues:
  
• Deletion of old/unused/neverlogged/etc.. accounts (Programming Issue)
  
• Fix all the bugs before you add new features!! (Programming Issue)
  
• Shut down the site for a week to fix everything! (Programming Issue)

Some notes about the topics listed in this thread...

The overdone topics listed here were originally termed "FMI's" or "Frequently Mentioned Issues" when this thread was created. When the thread was updated in the Summer of 2006, we threw out that particular name for them since too many users were confused by the implications and thought that any topic which came up frequently would be added as an overdone topic and not allowed.

The list of topics was compiled and created as a compromise. The purpose is to allow discussion of valid suggestions of features and items for the site which have a possibility of coming into being (regardless of how often those discussions come up), while curtailing needless discussions about features and items which will either never come to be or are already on the 'to do' list to be added.

No matter how often a particular subject comes up, it won't be added to this list of restricted and overdone topics unless a decision has been made on that issue by the Gaia administration one way or the other.

However, with all of that said, we'd like you to keep in mind that once in a great while, a way of implementing something that was before considered not possible is thought of that makes it possible. (Such as the admins saying that there would not be a word filter... with the thought in mind that there was no way they'd ever have a mandatory filter over the entire site... and then someone coming up with the idea of an optional filter, which we now have.)

Here's hoping you find this thread a source of information and not just a rule-book of what not to post about in Site Feedback. ^^

Weapons/Battlesystem Update:6-18-06
Even more than wings, people want weapons. The lust for battle is overpowering, and more than anything else, folks want some way to bash each other senseless.

Are they coming? Yes, eventually. There will be a whole combat system brought in around the time Gaia moves from alpha to beta, but nobody knows when that's going to happen, just yet. Or if they do know they aren't telling. They did announce recently that the battle system is actually being worked on currently, and gave a small preview of it at FanimeCon 2006.

You can go here: Battle Suggestion Thread to discuss with other users ideas for how the battle system should work.

On the subject of weapons, there are several weapons that have been made available as donation items (demonbow, angelbow, fire and ice whips, sword of Aegis, G-Blade, etc.), but a real weapon store isn't likely to be seen until closer to the Battle System's launch.

Any and all threads that say, "I think we should have weapons/battlesystem" will be recycled. Other discussion about the battle system and ideas on how it should work should, for the most part, be posted in the Battle Suggestion Thread.

However, we won't entirely rule out the possibility of someone making a thread to discuss something about the battle system that is already planned... given that there are not too many already existing topics about the battle system feature.

For weapon suggestions, since innumerable suggestions on weapon types have already been made, it's likely that most threads asking for specific weapon types will also be recycled.

On mass limited edition item re-releases:

Brief Summary: (For those who don't want to read all the text below.)

• Limited edition items are limited for a reason and serve a purpose within Gaia's economy and community. Re-releasing them on a mass basis is not an option.

We know, we know, you've gone over to GAC or seen some truly spectacular item. With a shock you realize that it is the one thing that you truly need to complete your avatar. Then you realize that it is a donation item and that it is next to if not impossible for you to get.

However, you still want it. The logical solution seems to be that re-releasing the items would get you your dream item. This has been suggested multiple ways, via new stores, releasing the same item in a different donation letter, and a dozen other ways.

In the matter of donation items though, the admins have vowed that they will never have a mass re-release donation items. Not because it wouldn't be 'fair', not because they're interested in spiting your dreams. Because donation items, as they are, are an integral part of the site.

Event and donation items are a gift from the admins of the site to the users, something special and unique and something which is wholly and utterly a part of the Gaia Community. You all know that.

What you may not be so familiar with is that donation items especially, as limited edition items, play a very important role in Gaia's economy and community. The existence of limited edition items within Gaia gives users a challenge and also shapes many aspects of the community.

Limited edition items give users a reason to make a career out of playing the Exchange to increase their gold earnings. They give users a reason to quest, to draw fabulous art in exchange for high sums of gold, cute and neat art for lesser sums of gold. Limited edition items are also rather like Gaia's version of a stock exchange and are often used as investments.

Before those reading this scream, "HYPORCRITES! You re-released the G-pin and its price fell drastically!!" Just remember to take note of the following: #1 It was an event item, not a donation item. #2 This is a roleplaying site and the item happened to have plot significance. It was part of an NPC event/plot where the item was handed out both times.

Any/All threads asking for mass re-releases of limited edition items will be recycled. And yes, releasing it again as a donation item is considered a mass re-release.

Prices of Commons (Items sold in NPC stores):

Brief Summary: (For those who don't want to read all the text below.)

• C) Gaia's economy and community is based on earning by putting effort into the site and community. Effort -is- required, and the more effort you put in, the more you earn.

Well what about the common items? Why are some of those so expensive? Obviously Gaia staff does control the prices of the items sold in the NPC stores. However, if you consider it objectively, there are a lot of common items available for 500-700 gold or less. Most users are able to get themselves a basic outfit within less than a week of joining the site. As you're on the site longer, you work your way up to the more pricey items and the more complex outfits. It is, as will be discussed in more detail in the following section on gold gain, part of the challenge of the Gaia experience. Want the cool outfits rather than the more basic clothing? You need to hang around for a while and build up your assets to get them.

Any/All threads complaining about prices of items (limited or common, uncommon, etc..) will be recycled.

Crossdressing Update:6-18-06
Some girls just want to wear the boxer shorts or the trenchcoats. Some guys want to wear the Nightmare Bustier.

Well, how about it? The admins have said that at some point more items will be made unisex. In recent updates, they have made strides towards making both some hairstyles and some previously male-only or female-only items unisex as well.

The problem is, the basic male body and the basic female body have somewhat different shapes and postures. The graphics that make up male clothing will not fit well on the female avatar, and vice-versa. In order for both sexes to wear a given item, it must fit in such a way that there is virtually no difference between how it works for male and female avatars (like hats, for instance), or two sets of graphics must be made for the item(s) - The Nightmare Boots, for instance, fit both male and female characters, though they look significantly different on each gender.

That's a lot of work, and there's constantly more and more demand for new items in general, let alone unisex items. Any item might go unisex in the future - please understand, however, that the development team already has a massive amount of work on their schedules, so nothing will happen overnight.

At the recent Fanime 2006 convention, this subject came up as well, and VO asked for patience... as he's currently re-doing many of the already existing items already in order fix many of the existing layering issues we currently have. More male and female only items will be made available to the other sex as time goes on, and most of the new ones that come out are already unisex. It'll just take some time.

All topics asking for crossdressing will be recycled. You are, however, free to make suggestions in the Item Suggestion Thread as to which items/types of items you'd like to see made available to both sexes.

Pets Update: 5-12-05
Pets pets pets!! This is a hot debate that's been going on for a long time. You think pets would be a cool addition to Gaia's avatar system? Good news... pets are planned to eventually be an additional feature. You hate that news because you don't want to see Gaia turn into another Neopets site? No details have been released on this planned feature, but this might help soothe your fears:



All topics asking for pets to be on the site, or asking for pets to NOT be on the site, will be recycled. Topics discussing possible ways of implementing this feature are still allowed, provided (as always), that there are not too many already existing threads on that topic.