@PascalsWager - I agree with you - the reason is the money. If you understand it so well why do you keep suggesting that Totem spend extra effort where it is least likely to result in any extra profit?

@Nebal

Maybe Santa will make it up to me and I'll get the last... for now... Eva Elfie maid card. Now that would be a very Merry Christmas!

Elfie Baby did a maid card?

@theEmu Huh? Extra effort?

I wasn't there on the set when they shot Jia or any other SEC, but it doesn't look like the Clockwork Orange outfit cost 25x a typical outfit. I can't comment on the lighting or the camerawork on account of not owning the card.

Since I joined a decade ago, they've increased their output of shows. I can only assume that's because the marginal revenue from producing more shows exceeds the marginal cost. If MR>MC, continue to produce. Basic Econ. That was true before the gamification of rewards as well as after.

I wasn't paying perfect attention on release day, but I think it fell under the normal release schedule, which was fine for 25 credits / card in any other month. The director said it's one of the best cards he's ever shot and her personality's amazing, so it seem unlikely that she was a real ***** in the butt or otherwise requires added "effort.

Added effort was definitely spent on making casino games, and they're clearly profitable or it wouldn't be continuing despite widespread discontent.

I'm not arguing they're failing to maximize profit. I'm observing they're making us crazy. And that the only way to get around it is to stop playing crazy games.

What you should wonder is if the casino stuff is so wildly profitable, what's the reductio ad absurdum? Will we have "Special" cards every Friday in two years? I very well hope not. But if we the community keep treating the cards they've made artificially rare as prizes, they will be financially incentivized to do so.

Maybe there are members out there who really love paying more than 25 credits for "rare" cards and prefer this system to a la carte, but I'd actually bet not many. The community as a whole was better off before the "improvements" spins and scratches have brought us.

@PascalsWager - Again I agree with you about much of this. I have many times said that I do not like the SECs or the gambling games and would very much prefer it the cards were just sold at a fixed cost. But if Totem, who unlike either of us have the sales data to guide their judgments, think otherwise then that is the way it is going to be.

When I spoke of extra effort I was not speaking about the effort in making a card but about the extra effort, time and money involved in devising and offering extra rewards to what are often refered to as "loyal customers". I fall into that category but there is essentially nothing that Totem can offer me that would increase the profit that they make from me - except to some extent the very things that you are objecting to.

@Nebal
Maybe Santa will make it up to me and I'll get the last... for now... Eva Elfie maid card. Now that would be a very Merry Christmas!
Elfie Baby did a maid card?

Yes! Eva Elfie card" Anything Else" 0536. Sorry I am so not computer literate but thanks to @lukaszr...he has a preview site... https://Isworkshop.eu/showroom/. Otherwise I would post pics! Check it out!

@TheEmu Exactly!!! And, uh, duh? We've spoken a lot about Totem's motivations. And we agree. Now let's speak about ours. If we don't like the direction of the company, we shouldn't support that direction with or purchases. Unfortunately, it's a collective action problem. My decision not to purchase SEC cards in any way at all isn't enough. And this particular SEC card was nearly tempting enough to cave.

The equation that Totem needs to balance and is balancing is whether reasonable people like ourselves choose to continue to play the game where they pull all the levers, pun intendended. I can't control their decision making, only my own. I do know there's a point out there where if they paywall enough content, I'll defect.

There's a classic economic experiment called the Ultimatum Game, and it's about fairness. Two participants, Spliter and Decider. The Experimenter offers the Splitter a dollar to divide between the two, but only if the Decider agrees to the division. If the Decider says no, they both get nothing. In theory, the Decider should say yes to anything, because, free penny. But in practice, the Decider often says no to <$0.25, because FU.

That's what I'm heading towards. I like being able to buy hot girls for my desktop. I'm starting to ***** the sytem that provides them because I perceive it as unfair. It's easy enough for me to skip the SEC BS now. If it starts to grow, I'm gonna skip it all even though it ***** me personally. Because we're social monkeys who learned how to share before we could talk. And I know fair when I see it.

Hmm, weird, when I click the blank thumbnail for the card, it takes me to a Viola page. Anyway, thanks, looking forward to this one myself. Hopefully, we'll get to see more Skye Blue as well.

If this helps, go to Studio in the website or GUI, backstage Eva Elfie from June 2018. First Pics!! Wowww

@PascalsWager - although we seem to agree over many things I doubt we will ever be in agreement about the overall effect.

Firstly, I see no unfairness in anything that Totem have done. Putting a high price on a non-essential item is for me not an unfair action, though it may be unwise.

Secondly, Totem seem to have a large turnover of customers compared with the number of their long term regular customers. Totem say on their affiliates page that new customers stay active on average for about 5 months. Those new customers include many that buy much more per month than we do and will be far less affected in their buying habits by the conditions under which the SECs are available.

@boan000

If this helps, go to Studio in the website or GUI, backstage Eva Elfie from June 2018. First Pics!! Wowww

@theEmu You're probably right. If so, there's no ***** whatsoever about me ***** about perceived inequities on their public forum because everyone's gone in five months anyway (except us, apparently).

But if you "do not like the SECs or the gambling games and would very much prefer it the cards were just sold at a fixed cost," I'd love to see you saying that in the same forums instead of the two of us going back and forth about why Totem does whatever it does.

Use your bronze frame to highlight your opinion, which is that the SEC cards are an annoyance you'd rather not experience. They don't pay you. There's precisely zero reason for you to devote your day typing out answers as to why Totem is persuing a policy you don't even want unless you're just trying to add to your commenter badge (which is another vapid reward from Totem you'd be just as validated by for agreeing with me instead of rebutting my points). There is reason for me to keep pinging the boards to argue against a policy that precisely none of the people here particularly want, though some seem to tolerate.

@boan000 If this helps, go to Studio in the website or GUI, backstage Eva Elfie from June .First Pics!! Wowww

@boan000 If this helps, go to Studio in the website or GUI, backstage Eva Elfie from June . First Pics!! Wowww

@PascalsWager - I have said it in these forums many many times. I just don't ***** about it.

@boan000 If this helps, go to Studio in the website or GUI, backstage Eva Elfie from June .First Pics!! Wowww

@boan000. Sorry for the multiple posts! June this year! Whew!

Ok, thanks Nebal.

What would be stupid for a company is to turn its back on their best customers by not allowing other alternatives to purchase some of their products, than by gambling.

Ce qui serait stupide pour une compagnie, c'est d'en venir à se mettre à dos leurs meilleurs clients en ne permettant pas d'autres alternatives d'achat de certains de leurs produits, que par les jeux de hasard.

You do understand that 5-9 years ago cards cost you approximately 20 credits for a 720 card that had 3-5 full nude clips and were in general fairly low quality. You now pay <10 credits(if smart) for a 4k card that has between 10-13 full nude/xxx mixed in...with high quality costumes and talent. How is totem supposed to increase the quality of the product without raising the price? Or actually dropping the price for many people? They rely on investors. Some of these investors are gamblers who want to take advantage of the company by stealing credits through a game of chance, a game of chance that was created by the company, or some of these investors are collectors who will pay a steep price to top off their collection. Most of us refuse to try to steal from the company in the off chance that we win the lottery, most people tend to enjoy a standard and fair exchange of goods. One card for $1. Totem still offers a fair exchange of goods while also allowing investors to fill their coffers.

I agree with you @boan000 ,

Totem must allow its best customers to acquire these cards outside games of chance.

This would be true recognition, for their loyalty, and would encourage people to acquire the entire collection, to finally get those cards.

Obviously those who would like to obtain these cards by the "Gambling", could always prevail of this means.

Following games of chance, and after a while, those who do not have the entire collection, could also acquire these cards with a cost of acquisition, which could go down, depending on the number of cards that people have.

Totem gives 45% off, plus 30% off for reload, plus 20% and 4k for premium...so the "best" customers can get a 25 credit card for less than 10 credits if they do the full 1320 reload bonus....you are looking at nearly 60% off compared to a new customer. And it is obvious many people would fill their collections if each card was still 25 credits. Stop acting entitled to something. You paid money for cards. You have access to the cards...totem doesn't owe you anything. You have thousands of cards to enjoy...enjoy them.

@orclover,

I wonder a lot about the motivation of some people on the forum to defend the policy of Totem regarding SEC that can be obtained only by games of chance? Is it because you like to empty your money?

Totem owes us a lot, since we are his source of profit. No customer, no profit. It's a very simple calculation.

The best companies have understood that. It is not for nothing that they seek to know the satisfaction of the customers.

Does Totem really want to know our satisfaction, as for their policy on gambling as the only way to get some special event cards?

I have never had a questionnaire to that effect.

I especially think that they rely on people on the forum, who enjoy trying to deconstruct what is brought as a solution, which could be a good compromise for all, to continue on this path.

For my part I prefer to pass me special event cards, which encourages gambling, to acquire it.

@orclover ,

Je me questionne beaucoup sur la motivation de certaines personnes sur le forum à défendre la politique de Totem concernant les SEC pouvant s'obtenir seulement par les jeux de hasard ? Est-ce parce que vous aimez-vous faire vider de votre argent ?

Totem nous doit beaucoup, puisque nous sommes sa source de profit. Pas de client pas de profit. C'est un calcul très simple.

Les meilleures compagnies ont compris cela. Ce n'est pas pour rien qu'ils cherchent à savoir la satisfaction des clients.

Totem cherche t'il vraiment à connaître notre satisfaction, quant à leur politique sur les jeux de hasard comme seul moyen d'obtenir certaines cartes évènements spéciaux ?

Je n'ai jamais eu de questionnaire en ce sens.

Je pense surtout qu'ils se fient sur des gens sur le forum, qui prennent plaisir à essayer de déconstruire ce qu'on ammène comme solution, solution qui pourrait être un bon compromis pour tous, afin de continuer sur cette voie.

Pour ma part je préfère me passer des cartes évènements spéciaux, qui encourage le gambling pour en faire l'acquisition.

@ComteDracula

Totem owes us a lot,

No they do not! Nor does the shop that I buy my morning cup of coffee from every day. Furthermore, Totem have already rewarded us for our purchases, and continue to do so, by the large discounts they give us. Combining the 45% tripple diamond, the 11% premium, the 10% bonus for buying 1100 credits for 100 euro and the extra 20% added to that for black friday most cards now cost me less than 1 euro (83 cents, but that ignores the cost of premium membership which raises the indivdual card cost to closer to 1 euro) which is rather less than the aforementioned cup of coffee (and I am not talking about overpriced places like Starbucks).

Totem owes me a version of the program that works!