[IDEA] Here's Another One

[RachelGreene]

Name: "Shady Architect"
Description: A one-time usage buff, when placed on a building reduces upgrade time by one day.
Building must be Level 4 and in the process of upgrade to Level 5 (or 6).
Cost: 80 Gems
Non-Tradeable
Player must be Level 36 (or above) to purchase

[Perwyn]

Great idea. I know I'd buy some.

Don't think many people are spending 8,235 gems (steel smelter) to 21,834 gems (provision house) for instant upgrades to level 5. (Who comes up with these prices anyway??)

This would actually get used. Especially if you could use multiple buffs.

Edit: Just saw that you specify one time usage. NO!!!!! From level 4 to 5 in one day for 560 gems???? That's a winner.

Edit 2 : Oh... Oh.... keep them non-tradeable; however, they can be used on a friends upgrading building. Yes!!! More gem sales even.

[RachelGreene]

Edit: Just saw that you specify one time usage. NO!!!!! From level 4 to 5 in one day for 560 gems???? That's a winner.

Sorry, my suggestion was not intended as a work-around for the "instant upgrade" cost, just a means to take some of the edge off 7-day upgrades...
If management were to see this as a way to under-mine what they apparently believe are "reasonable" gem costs, then they would never even consider implementing this, or worse, they would but at some much more exorbitant price!

[Perwyn]

OK, understood. Then what about 2 buffs? Your idea for a one day buff and also a buff that cuts the time in half, for maybe 300 gems. Cannot use both on a building. Both buffs one time usage only.

I still have to ask myself tho, does anyone really ever use these instant upgrades at the current prices? The test server, where you're given 100K gems to play with, doesn't count toward the answer. I mean 21,834 gems to upgrade the provision house?? Really?? Taking a cannon forge from level 1 to level 2 costs 20,196 gems!! Really?? Hmmmm... do I wanna buy a gem pit or do I wanna upgrade my cannon forge to level 2.... hmmmm.

Your idea, RachelGreene, would actually generate gem sales, even if it was used as a workaround.

[Moonlime]

No, I don't use it, but at 80 gems to speed it up, I might.

[RachelGreene]

Your idea, RachelGreene, would actually generate gem sales, even if it was used as a workaround.

Well, TBH, I'm not so sure....
I expect there might be considerable demand for such a thing, especially if the gem cost for instant upgrades remains prohibitively as high as you point out.
However, the ways in which players spend their gems is not necessarily equivalent to Gem Sales.