I think the problem with the earlier subscription system, was the number of choices you had at your disposal.
Because, let face it, either you bought SS or you got yourself an overpriced subscription.
But, I think Qidian could have avoided all of this by offering multiple choices - all tailored for different preferences.
Here is an 'rough' example...
Subscription 1 - (low price)
- You can unlock all of the chapters in 3 premium novels each month, something you have to redo each month if you want to read the 'latest' chapters. (This would kinda force the translation teams to bring out new chapters, otherwise no one would unlock their 'new' chapters if there are no new chapters too unlock).
- You recieve 100 SS each month.
- You recieve 1 more Power Stone.
- You recieve 1 more Energy Stone.
Subscription 2 - (medium price)
- Same as option 1, but you can now unlock 5.
- You recieve 200 SS each month.
- You recieve 2 more Power Stones.
- You recieve 2 more Energy Stones.
Subscription 3 - (high price)
- You can now unlock an unlimited amount.
- You recieve 300 SS each month.
- You recieve 3 more Power Stones.
- You recieve 3 more Energy Stones.
If Qidian had implemented something like this instead, I am sure more people would buy into the cheaper options (bringing in more revenue), but also giving people a choice to what they would have wanted to read for what they had payed.