How to store/restore virtual currency purchases

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

It seems like a really dumb question, but I can’t seem to find good online information on this. 

Basically, we have an app where we want to start using virtual currency. It’s the typical, you buy so many coins, then you trade it for some items within the app. 

The question we are trying to figure out is, how do we make sure the users can restore the virtual goods and the currencies that they have purchased (but unspent) - when they reinstall the app or switch device. We understand we may have to roll our own server, or look for an existing server to store the content, but even then, how do I ID the same user? I know we can do it if we have our own user account registration process, but we really would like to avoid that.

Any thoughts & suggestions are highly appreciated.

Thanks!

Andrew

#2

I think you would need to have an account user registration process.  Or possibly tie it to a Facebook account?

I don’t know if users understand this, but things like that are not tracked by the stores, so they cannot be restored.  The only way would be if the developer does the work.

#3

Yeah, that’s what I am trying to avoid, is a user registration process… Since I think that will greatly reduce conversion rate for us, given that we really don’t care about their identity otherwise.

I agree that users don’t understand this, that’s what’s making in tricky…

If there are other ideas out there, I would really appreciate it.

#4

One other thing to note. We have been playing around with Clash of Clans to see how they do it, and it appears that as soon as you log into Game Center, then they are able to restore all of your virtual currencies to the way it was. 

Looking at Corona’s Game Center API, we noticed that in .loadLocalPlayer(), we can get back a playerID. Perhaps we can use this as a way of identifying the same user across devices. Then roll our own server that stores the purchase history using that playerID as the unique key? 

Is this how other people are doing it? Appreciate any feedbacks.

#5

I think this would be similar to using the Facebook association.  Someone needs to maintain an identity somewhere.

This, of course, would rely on the user actually being signed in and using the game networks (or forcing them to in order to play the game).  And would limit you to iTunes and Google Play purchases only, since those are the only game networks supported.  Though a plugin for the Amazon one has been mentioned for a long time.  Just no idea when the developers that Corona hired to do it will ever finish.  :slight_smile:

#6

I think you would need to have an account user registration process.  Or possibly tie it to a Facebook account?

I don’t know if users understand this, but things like that are not tracked by the stores, so they cannot be restored.  The only way would be if the developer does the work.

#7

Yeah, that’s what I am trying to avoid, is a user registration process… Since I think that will greatly reduce conversion rate for us, given that we really don’t care about their identity otherwise.

I agree that users don’t understand this, that’s what’s making in tricky…

If there are other ideas out there, I would really appreciate it.

#8

One other thing to note. We have been playing around with Clash of Clans to see how they do it, and it appears that as soon as you log into Game Center, then they are able to restore all of your virtual currencies to the way it was. 

Looking at Corona’s Game Center API, we noticed that in .loadLocalPlayer(), we can get back a playerID. Perhaps we can use this as a way of identifying the same user across devices. Then roll our own server that stores the purchase history using that playerID as the unique key? 

Is this how other people are doing it? Appreciate any feedbacks.

#9

I think this would be similar to using the Facebook association.  Someone needs to maintain an identity somewhere.

This, of course, would rely on the user actually being signed in and using the game networks (or forcing them to in order to play the game).  And would limit you to iTunes and Google Play purchases only, since those are the only game networks supported.  Though a plugin for the Amazon one has been mentioned for a long time.  Just no idea when the developers that Corona hired to do it will ever finish.  :slight_smile: