Doubloons are a secondary form of currency in the YPP world. The primary currency is PoE - Pieces of Eight. Doubloons are not used on Subscription Oceans, but ye may purchase a subscription for 42 doubloons per month, a practice called coinscribing.
Doubloon Oceans distinguish themselves in that one can play without paying a subscription fee, thus there is no concept of a "limited free trial." By purchasing doubloons, a player ensures that their pirates will never be deleted, should they not login to the game for a while.
Once a doubloon has been used, it is sunk, meaning removed from the game economy. Shoppe owners never receive any part of the delivery cost. Doubloons are only inserted into the game by player purchases using real money and through small prizes in Ocean Master sponsored tournaments. Doubloons can be traded between players by using the doubloon exchange, where players buy or sell their doubloons for PoE. The price of a doubloon on the exchange is set by the players who choose how much they wish to pay in order to buy or sell a doubloon.
Doubloons are held by a player's account itself, rather than by any particular pirate in the account (as is the case for pieces of eight). This means any pirate from the account that received the doubloons (whether by purchase or in-game exchange) can use them, regardless of the ocean. The received doubloons will appear on all doubloon oceans, and for all alternate pirates. Once a doubloon has been spent, it will be also be gone from any other pirates on that account and from all other oceans. Note that the doubloons will not appear on subscriber oceans in that account, as they cannot be used there.
Purchasing doubloons[]
Doubloons can be bought with US Dollars (Or by text with any other currency). The cost of a doubloon varies between about $0.25 to $0.20 per doubloon, depending on the volume of doubloons purchased and may be bought using a credit card, PayPal, or through a money order or check sent directly to Three Rings. In addition, a text message can be sent to purchase doubloons. After the payment is received, the doubloons will automatically be credited to the appropriate account, although this process may take a few minutes.
Money order and check payments[]
Money order and check payments for doubloons or subscriptions have to be manually added to accounts and are done as soon as possible after the payment is received.
In the case of ordering doubloons through this method, the account name should be given rather than pirate name as there can be different accounts with the same pirate name on different oceans but account names are unique across all oceans. If the doubloons are being purchased as a gift and the account name is unknown, the pirate name and ocean should be given and that this is the pirate name should be explicitly noted.
Other rewards[]
The screen you will see upon closing the game client if you have not purchased doubloons
Doubloons (or subscriptions) are not the only reward you get for supporting Three Rings. First time purchase will ensure that your pirates will never be deleted for inactivity, as opposed to your pirates being purged approximately 6 weeks after you've last logged on. In addition to this, you will no longer see the 'Thanks for playing!' screen when you exit the client. Depending on the amount of doubloons purchased, you will also receive Rogue Marks and a reward.
Delivery[]
Doubloons are used in "delivery costs", a set fee of doubloons required to pick up items once they are ready in a shoppe. These doubloons are sunk, they do not go to the shoppe or stall. Doubloons are also required to purchase items in the palace shoppe, including badges, which enable users to do tasks required by the rank that they have in their crew. Other doubloon costs include a fee to set up a crew or shoppe.
The delivery cost article is an index of those purchasable items and services which require a doubloon fee to be paid.
Trading doubloons[]
Anyone on a Doubloon Ocean can trade Pieces of Eight for doubloons (or vice versa) by
- using any bank or
- going to their info page and clicking Doubloon exchange or
- using a cashbox furniture item
The doubloon market can react to events in game. For example, when ships were sold for discounted doubloon prices Sage Ocean saw a rise from 1600 PoE per Doubloon to over 2100 within a few hours.
Doubloon prices can also change by the time of year (e.g., more young players can play more hours and thus consume more doubloons during school vacations). the time of week and even by the time of day (players can only buy/sell doubloons when they are awake!)
Players are also able to trade doubloons via the standard trading window or give doubloons to another pirate via the /tip command. There is a 2% fee when selling doubloons. (requires confirmation)
Real-life counterpart[]
From Wikipedia:
- The doubloon (from Spanish doblón, meaning "double"), was a two-escudo or 32-reales gold coin, weighing 6.77 grams (0.218 troy ounces).
External/other links[]
- Doubloon Profit Calculator Helps calculate the profit you will make from a doubloon trade (online tool).
- Commonly discussed ideas from Game Design
- Official FAQ for obtaining and spending Doubloons - You must be logged into your account to buy Doubloons through the billing system via your credit card or follow these guidelines for how to pay with PayPal or a check/money order.
- The list of current doubloon fees on Emerald, Jade, Meridian, and Opal. WARNING: Palace shoppe items are missing and some prices are for items that have yet to be introduced to the game.
- View your Doubloon History (requires you to be logged into your account).
- Trade doubloons for a subscription