21 replies to this topic

[Gozer]

So of course when paid "hero mechs" were mentioned as a possibility the pitchforks and torches were pulled out. The instant comparison to World of Tanks premium tank model comes out and everyone starts picking sides. The thing of it is WoT isn't the only F2P model to look at.

I've never played League of Lengends (LoL) or any of the DoTA spin-offs as they're not my genre of choice. (I.e. I SUCK at them. ) Though I have read a bit on their pay model and I've heard a few others mention it's "Pay for early access" basically model might be easily modified to accomidate MWO.

Instead of the "hero rotation" in LoL it'd be more of a "when we release new mechs you can only get them with real cash for a number of weeks before you can buy them with in game money like normal."

So as an example:

New Mech comes out October 1st. Say the Stalker. The Stalker is available to everyone on October 1st IF they pay $5 to "unlock" it early. You'd still have to pay for it with in game funds you just paid for the right to buy it "early." Then say, November 1st they release the Urbanmech and once again for $5 you can unlock the Urbanmech right away and now everyone can purchase the Stalker with only in game funds.

This allows them to moneytize new mechs WITHOUT them being money only forever. It's a time lock preventing everyone from getting them right away unless they pay some real world money but eventually every mech would be purchasable with in game funds. OH, and with this compromise even with your $5 you still need your in game funds to buy the mech. (I.e. EXP/cash requirments the mech would have for everyone.) Hence the "lower" price of $5 versus the normal "premium" price of $10-50 bandied about.

[Geist Null]

timelocking mech chassis wont earn money nearly as well as just locking certain skins imo. ppl will just wait it out or use a different mech in that tonnage

[Kaemon]

Geist Null, on 20 May 2012 - 10:21 AM, said:

timelocking mech chassis wont earn money nearly as well as just locking certain skins imo. ppl will just wait it out or use a different mech in that tonnage

That's fine, some people will pay though, and that's the whole point, isn't it? To generate revenue without negatively impacting other players?

This, along with paying for mech lab customization (one time fee micro-transaction fee, so like $5 instead of $50), and then time boost/cosmetics/specific DLC/real life swag I am 100% down with.

Also, just a damn donate button...or a 'buy the devs a beer' button....seriously.

[Aelos03]

Yes its fine just when they pay let people get mech not just right to buy it.

[Aedensin]

Super Monday Night Combat (I mention this because its the only DoTA style I play) has a similar model, certain hero's are free each week and it rotates giving a new batch of random hero's the next week. It is both painful and annoying.

I'd accept an early access model if they had to, but if they went with a DoTA hero rotation.. it would be very ill advised.

Edited by Aedensin, 20 May 2012 - 10:33 AM.

[Gozer]

Aedensin, on 20 May 2012 - 10:31 AM, said:

Super Monday Night Combat (I mention this because its the only DoTA style I play) has a similar model, certain hero's are free each week and it rotates giving a new batch of random hero's the next week. It is both painful and annoying.

I'd accept an early access model if they had to, but if they went with a DoTA hero rotation.. it would be very ill advised.

Agreed I don't want the rotation, but a way to get "early access" or what have you instead.

[Attalward]

The early access model somtimes suffers a bit of pay to win. In Dota models, those heroes often get banned form the pool (becuase you can ban some heroes in certain game modes) becuase they are early OP untill nerfhammer gets to them after made public. So a bit of danger there.

MWO will be more protected from this, since mechs are already made and blanaced and they dont have "unique skills" they use all the same weapons. But they could fall into stupid mistakes like too much toros turning speed or uber arm weapon aiming. Som of those hidden atributes thaat havent been set before.

On the other side i vote yes becuase it is very unlikely that the mechs coudl overpowered during its early acces period.

[Tyzh]

I dunno about "a few weeks" two weeks wouldn't be horrible. And if I'm paying, even for early access, I don't intend to then have to pay with earned in-game currency. If I drop 5 or 10 dollars on a mech, I expect it will be in my hangar after exiting the shop.

[Aelos03]

Attalward, on 20 May 2012 - 10:40 AM, said:

The early access model somtimes suffers a bit of pay to win. In Dota models, those heroes often get banned form the pool (becuase you can ban some heroes in certain game modes) becuase they are early OP untill nerfhammer gets to them after made public. So a bit of danger there.

MWO will be more protected from this, since mechs are already made and blanaced and they dont have "unique skills" they use all the same weapons. But they could fall into stupid mistakes like too much toros turning speed or uber arm weapon aiming. Som of those hidden atributes thaat havent been set before.

On the other side i vote yes becuase it is very unlikely that the mechs coudl overpowered during its early acces period.

well i play dota for years and in dota heroes are generally balanced(of course in that many years it had to get balanced ) and every time hero is introduced there is big chance heroes are overpowered or underpowered and devs cant know everything they need to put in game and balance it accordingly , and trust me mwo is not protected from this.

[goon]

No, that's a terrible idea.

Aelos03, on 20 May 2012 - 10:59 AM, said:

well i play dota for years and in dota heroes are generally balanced(of course in that many years it had to get balanced ) and every time hero is introduced there is big chance heroes are overpowered or underpowered and devs cant know everything they need to put in game and balance it accordingly , and trust me mwo is not protected from this.

Actually considering everyone is using the same weapons, on everything, it's mostly covered, the only thing they need to manage closely is Hardpoint slots on the various chassis, but all of those are controled by lore anyway.

[Aelos03]

goon, on 20 May 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

No, that's a terrible idea.




Actually considering everyone is using the same weapons, on everything, it's mostly covered, the only thing they need to manage closely is Hardpoint slots on the various chassis, but all of those are controled by lore anyway.

Yes but there is still possibility to see only few mechs played.

[UncleKulikov]

I don't see why anything should be locked from either paying customers or customers with enough C bills to afford it. Simply make new mechs cost a LOT of C Bills and the encouragement to pay will be built in, without the sourness of restricted, pay-only content.

[Kanatta Jing]

I think the rotation is actually wrong.

If you wanted people to spend more, wouldn't you put the Mechs that can be purchased with cash on a rotation?

[Barantor]

I would rather have it like League of Legends where you can buy them with in game money or the real cash equivalent as soon as they are released with the c-bill cost going down over time to represent the dispersion (of some mechs) over time.

If a new mech comes on the market it will be rarer so more expensive to buy, but over time the factory pumps out enough of that model that there are enough throughout the inner sphere.

[Gozer]

Barantor, on 20 May 2012 - 01:59 PM, said:

I would rather have it like League of Legends where you can buy them with in game money or the real cash equivalent as soon as they are released with the c-bill cost going down over time to represent the dispersion (of some mechs) over time.

If a new mech comes on the market it will be rarer so more expensive to buy, but over time the factory pumps out enough of that model that there are enough throughout the inner sphere.

Thanks for that added info. I didn't know there was depreciation built in to the League of Legends model. That's a very good point.

[FrostPaw]

To be honest, if I paid real cash for something, I wouldn't want it available any other way. Otherwise I wouldn't pay real cash for it, I'd just wait and get it for free by enjoying the game.

I'm not a have it now person, I don't mind waiting. Part of the value of a cash only mech would be it's inherent rarity to players who were not willing to buy it.

[eZZip]

DotA isn't a genre; it's a game. Your thread's title is misleading: while LoL has heroes that need to be bought, DotA allows anybody to use any hero, and the only money in DotA is in-game gold used to buy items for your hero, all of which is reset at the end of the match. DotA's model is not what you mean.

[Tyzh]

eZZip, on 20 May 2012 - 03:48 PM, said:

DotA isn't a genre; it's a game. Your thread's title is misleading: while LoL has heroes that need to be bought, DotA allows anybody to use any hero, and the only money in DotA is in-game gold used to buy items for your hero, all of which is reset at the end of the match. DotA's model is not what you mean.

DotA style, MOBA, and "action real-time strategy" are all names used to refer to the genre.

[Asmudius Heng]

This sounds like a good idea to me actually. The super keen can spend soem cash and feel a bit special for a while. It will also let people get used to the mech and decide if they want to buy it cash or in game cash.

Thank you cashed up guinea pigs!

[Juiced]

I think that basically there shouldnt be anything mechanic wise that you cant get in game with c-bills the moment its availible. Also it shouldnt be priced in c-bills in such a manner that the only reasonable way to buy it is with cash.

Let people pay with c-bills from the start, let those who dont want to wait until they have enough c-bills pay cash.

The only things i think that should be restricted to real money are non-mechanical "extras' like decals/paint schemes, maybe some various mech customization (for example its still an atlas but it looks cooler, mechanically its the same). Some decals should also be bought with c-bills.

on that note I also do not mind certian things like being able to buy ammo/repairs with cash money or xp boosts (for example next 10 matches earn 2x XP or some such).

I also wouldnt mind a permium service (like a traditional mmo style subscription) that would give things like extra mech bays, subscriber only decals/paint jobs, 2 2x xp/10 matchs a month...etc)

If done right a F2P should not limit MOST items (and nothing mechanical) from being able to be bought with c-bills. If someone wants to grind it out they should be able to. The goal is to bring people in and let them play. Put them in a position where they enjoy the game and they dont mind spending a couple bucks for something. Man in only two weeks ill have enough c-bills for that new variant...some people will do that...others will just drop the $5 (made up number) to get it now.

Even folks who grind might drop a couple of bucks for that nifty paintjob.