236 replies to this topic

[Gut]

I wonder how many dollars PGI has lost by making and selling mechs instead of making a better game from the coding side. And how much money they will lose when people have and will try the game for the first time and have quit because they'd have to either spend hundreds of dollars or hundreds of hours to catch up.

I believe this problem has been compounded by the issue discussed here as well:

http://www.reddit.co...e_and_mccbills/

and mentioned more vehemently here:

http://www.reddit.co...their_own_code/


Please do read these threads before responding.

[FupDup]

The constant mechpacks are for mo' money, because it's harder to monetize stuff like basic fixes than it is to monetize shiney new gundam sets.

Some people (including myself) are starting to wonder/fear if they're literally living from paycheck to paycheck with all of the new ways they keep trying to incentivize new packs.

[Gut]

My whole point here is would more people be buying more mechs if the game was better in general, making more money because it is incredibly fun (and had more actual content rather than just more mechs) instead of just pandering to mostly the already over-taxed Battletech/Mechwarrior crowd and their "lust" for more machines to play.

Edited by Gut, 21 April 2015 - 11:57 AM.

[Cion]

Gut, on 21 April 2015 - 11:49 AM, said:

I wonder how many dollars PGI has lost by making and selling mechs instead of making a better game from the coding side. And how much money they will lose when people have and will try the game for the first time and have quit because they'd have to either spend hundreds of dollars or hundreds of hours to catch up.

No one will ever know the "what ifs" cause we cant "save" and try again.

That said, there are hundreds thousands of players that actuallye enjoy this imperfect game, me included

[Gut]

I've been playing it without taking an actual break from it for 3 years.

I know for at least 1.5 years they say they were "restrained" by IGP for coding new things, but they've also had a year and a half to get something besides stationary A.I. and respawn modes in the game. I'm oversimplifying of course, but c'mon, this game should be a TON better than it is to draw more players in, and it should be easier to get to the "endgame" of fully moduled full decks or competitive viable, or whatever they actually consider the endgame.

Edited by Gut, 21 April 2015 - 12:05 PM.

[Raso]

Gut, on 21 April 2015 - 11:56 AM, said:

My whole point here is would more people be buying more mechs if the game was better in general, making more money because it is incredibly fun (and had more actual content rather than just more mechs) instead of just pandering to mostly the already over-taxed Battletech/Mechwarrior crowd and their "lust" for more machines to play.

My guess is enough people are dumb enough to fork over mountains of cash where there is no real reason to improve game play.

You stop buying mechs and they won't focus on game fixes they'll just stop developing the game. You keep buying mechs they'll just keep making them and ignore major balance passes. Because that's how capitalism works in the video game industry. Not a penny is wasted on something that isn't selling.

[Gut]

Raso, on 21 April 2015 - 12:05 PM, said:

My guess is enough people are dumb enough to fork over mountains of cash where there is no real reason to improve game play.

You stop buying mechs and they won't focus on game fixes they'll just stop developing the game. You keep buying mechs they'll just keep making them and ignore major balance passes. Because that's how capitalism works in the video game industry. Not a penny is wasted on something that isn't selling.

Did you read the threads I posted from reddit?

[Chemie]

I see no reason to buy a 4th or 5th variant of a clan mech, especially for their price. Just wait and buy the needed omnipods. I think clan mech design really pushes people AWAY from spending money (over priced and no benefit to owning vs swapping pods)

[Raso]

Gut, on 21 April 2015 - 12:05 PM, said:

Did you read the threads I posted from reddit?

I skimmed. Nothing I haven't really heard before and nothing I have't half jokingly/three-quarters seriously assumed due to my natural tenancy towards pessimism and cynicism.

You stop buying the packs and the game will die. You keep buying the packs and you reinforce the profit model and you're looking at very minor updates. Nursing a slowly shrinking player base with a dedicated core isn't a unique situation that PGI is facing. It happened to Star Wars Galaxy back in the day as well. It was barely hanging on and then they brought in more developers to bring in raids, large scale battles and other cool stuff like that and then (just as the game was at it's peak in content) it abruptly died (well "abruptly" after shutting down over half of it's servers several months prior).

Granted, MWO isn't as bonkers out of whack as SWG. It just needs some really good balance passes (still) so that over 90% of all available mechs aren't useless. I'll spare my usual musings about how do do that, because it's nothing that hasn't already been said a thousand times already. It's also not the point of this thread.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this. PGI isn't clever like you or I. They can't take risks like hiring a few extra guys to come in and balance things. There's no concrete financial incentive for them to balance the game that isn't weighted against the risk of lost profits from hiring on extra help or shifting gears. I'm sure their shareholders would also have the team's jhorbloks (google it, or better yet don't) should they "waste" money on meaningless investments rather than milking every last cent from the player base. It's just how the game industry is these days. It's beyond lame but there it is.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

I agree that the time between release for the various methods of acquisition are ridiculous atm, but I'm still on the side that the price of items in general outside of mechbays and maybe oneshot camo patterns are a little on the ridiculous side. A good example of the ridiculous price is the new Mist Lynx that is $9 in the gift store. The Locust even though it is still too high is at least more reasonable to attain at $2.

Honestly mechs like the poor Commando should be able to be bought at around $.50 even if this method of pay causes that mech to not have resale value (as in when you sell it, you get no cbills for selling it) to a better cash->c-bill transaction. Currently the Commando is around $3.85 which very few people would be willing to invest in such a mech.

[Raggedyman]

Gut, on 21 April 2015 - 11:49 AM, said:

I wonder how many dollars PGI has lost by making and selling mechs instead of making a better game from the coding side.

Can't remember the last time I saw anyone get excited or emotional about stuff available for CBills (other than to moan that they can't have it quicker for less) so most likely not that much, as the main thing people get exited and "TAKE MY MONEY NOW!!" about is the mechs.

[Johnny Z]

Gut, on 21 April 2015 - 11:56 AM, said:

My whole point here is would more people be buying more mechs if the game was better in general, making more money because it is incredibly fun (and had more actual content rather than just more mechs) instead of just pandering to mostly the already over-taxed Battletech/Mechwarrior crowd and their "lust" for more machines to play.

Would they make more with a better game? Yes of course. They know that. Their working on tons of other stuff than mech packs.

The last mech pack was added because Clans need more mechs to choose from especially vrs the variety IS has. I would have bet anything and still will they were going to have a clan pack out and I'm 100% sure more are on the way.

They have a mech building system up and running like a factory pumping out mechs. Make sense? Again variety esecially for the clan side is still limited and for a good game all around that needs to be improved even now but not so bad now.

Im the first guy to say this game needs more content and the addition of the star map was HUGE step in that direction. Lets hope they got more on the way some time. But like i said before i dont expect to much until the game is closer to being launched on steam and after that.

+1 for putting the warrior in Mechwarrior

Edited by Johnny Z, 21 April 2015 - 01:48 PM.

[SkyHammyr]

Look at the bright side.
At least PGI hasn't introduced RNG Lockboxes like every other Effin MMO that I play. :-/

[Raso]

SkyHammr, on 21 April 2015 - 02:00 PM, said:

Look at the bright side.
At least PGI hasn't introduced RNG Lockboxes like every other Effin MMO that I play. :-/

I second this. I loved the hey out of Star Trek Online when it first rolled out. But the shift from content to this pseudo-lottery lock box nonsense was just too much. I mean they actually have subscribers to support them too. You'd think with a steady stream of $14.99 a month from various players it wouldn't cost $40 for a flippin Bird of Prey. Nope. The price of a virtual apple is what ever a fool is willing to pay for it.

[Mechwarrior Buddah]

Gut, on 21 April 2015 - 12:03 PM, said:

I know for at least 1.5 years they say they were "restrained" by IGP for coding new things

I know theyve also said the guy that understood the code left and coding things like alternate ammo is now impossible. So thats now the reason theyre being restrained

SkyHammr, on 21 April 2015 - 02:00 PM, said:

Look at the bright side.
At least PGI hasn't introduced RNG Lockboxes like every other Effin MMO that I play. :-/

Star Trek, Neverwinter -.-

Raso, on 21 April 2015 - 02:13 PM, said:

I second this. I loved the hey out of Star Trek Online when it first rolled out.

Rose colored glasses. They didnt even have a penalty for DYING (and ppl actually argued against one) when that game came out (I got suckered for a LTS tho)

[Raso]

Mechwarrior Buddah, on 21 April 2015 - 02:19 PM, said:

Rose colored glasses. They didnt even have a penalty for DYING (and ppl actually argued against one) when that game came out (I got suckered for a LTS tho)

Yeah I never got death penalties in an MMO so that's not really anything I have objection with. Science skills were also less of a joke back then and, for a while, we were getting regular episodic updates. So comparativly speaking based on my values yes. It was better.

[bad arcade kitty]

they definitely lost a lot of money due to their engine/game being very cp demanding while not even being especially pretty visually

[FindersWeepers]

They need a catastrophe to wake them up and show them the need for true balance and content.



Also, can we fix the UI? it's seriously just a fps sink

[Xetelian]

Mech packs
Colors
Mounted
Standing
Hanging
Camos
Heros
Mechbays


These are the things that cost money. Good god I wish they'd lower the prices, 15$ for a 3 mechpack sounds much more reasonable than 30$, at least to me.

30$ for a Boar's Head and other hero's prices are fairly outrageous for 1 mech.

Mechbays are the only thing that comes at a reasonable price and I've spent hundreds of dollars on this game.

If they lowered their prices I'd be inclined to spend even more.

[Deathlike]

Gut, you are asking for logic.

Imagine the people like myself that has argued for this much much earlier than you.

People reap what they sow.