39 replies to this topic

[Volume]

I would much rather this than have the MC version of coolant flush be better than the c-bill version.

The equivalent would be some "gold PPCs" that do more damage but you can't mount more than one of them.

This is just paying to save time. Which is the main reason most of my friends won't play this game, because even if they bought a 'mech, it'd still be ~20 matches to get the upgrades it needs.Endo, DHS, XL engines especially, weapons, etc.

[Gandalfrockman]

This, or just let me buy cbills.
I have never understood why they dont have this already.

[Michael Costanza]

I agree with paying MC for parts, especially XL engines. I'm the type who buys a mech for MC just for the engine but I'm not the type to grind 2 million in CBills for an engine when I could get the mech for 4 million CBills.

I'm also fine with selling parts for CBills but not for MC.

PGI should really consider this and create some weapon/equipment and engine MC bundles.

Volume, on 06 March 2013 - 10:48 AM, said:

I would much rather this than have the MC version of coolant flush be better than the c-bill version.

The equivalent would be some "gold PPCs" that do more damage but you can't mount more than one of them.

This is just paying to save time. Which is the main reason most of my friends won't play this game, because even if they bought a 'mech, it'd still be ~20 matches to get the upgrades it needs.Endo, DHS, XL engines especially, weapons, etc.

20 matches is, at worst, 5 hours of game play which isn't much. Seems like your friends aren't playing for other reasons.

[Ph30nix]

i think the majority of people dont CARE if someone uses real world cash or C-bills to buy anything, The problem only comes when the Cash spender gets ANY advantage that cannot be achieved by the non cash spenders even if it takes them ALOT longer...

anyone know how long it takes to save up enough EXP to unlock a module without using cash?

[Eddrick]

I would like to buy Engines with MC. They cost as much as many of the BattleMechs do.

[Ph30nix]

Michael Costanza, on 06 March 2013 - 10:51 AM, said:

PGI should really consider this and create some weapon/equipment and engine MC bundles.

PGI should do ALOT of differnt bundle types,

[Apnu]

Yes, pay for convenience. That's exactly what the F2P model is. All the successful F2P MMO's have a path to unlock the whole game for "free" Where "free" means not spending any RL cash, but you do spend a lot of time playing the game (AKA "grinding"). Offering any item that can only be had for RL money isn't F2P.

[Terror Teddy]

Ok, on another issue then:

IF one could buy anything with MC then how would one effectively create a C-Bill money sink if you can just buy stuff and sell for 1/2 price AND then gain money from matches?

How would one create a money sink for C-Bills? After all, there is only a finite time before you simply have essentially EVERYTHING.

This would become an issue especially since some players HAVE 50+ million C-Bills already.

Buy premium time for an EXCESSIVE amount of C-Bills?
LoL type game events with bases and NPC assets that can be bought ONLY for C-Bills?

After all, if everything CAN be bought with MC then we REALLY need a C-Bill sink even MORE.

[Michael Costanza]

Terror Teddy, on 06 March 2013 - 12:21 PM, said:

Ok, on another issue then:

IF one could buy anything with MC then how would one effectively create a C-Bill money sink if you can just buy stuff and sell for 1/2 price AND then gain money from matches?

How would one create a money sink for C-Bills? After all, there is only a finite time before you simply have essentially EVERYTHING.

This would become an issue especially since some players HAVE 50+ million C-Bills already.

Buy premium time for an EXCESSIVE amount of C-Bills?
LoL type game events with bases and NPC assets that can be bought ONLY for C-Bills?

After all, if everything CAN be bought with MC then we REALLY need a C-Bill sink even MORE.

Isn't that what the cockpit items and color schemes are for? Also, isn't that what the consumable modules are for?

Also, it costs money to add/remove double heat sinks, endo steel, artemis and ferro fibrous which someone may want to do if they decide to redesign future builds.

[Yokaiko]

Eddrick, on 06 March 2013 - 10:54 AM, said:

I would like to buy Engines with MC. They cost as much as many of the BattleMechs do.

God yes.

[Rakashan]

You realize this is already possible, right?

There are a number of micro-transaction systems which have been evaluated by their user community resulting in a stickied post which lists the most efficient micro to buy and then resell for in-game credits. I don't have the data for MWO and it is not readily available at Smurfy but all it takes is a knowledge of the chassis cost in c-bills for the hero mechs. We can already calculate the price of the components and that gives us the sale-value. Then you add in the value of the chassis itself and divide by the MC cost.

Presto, C-bills for cash at a well-established exchange rate. Of course, every time a sale comes up you have to look to see whether or not any of the mechs on sale are now a better value (which is often the case).

Often what you find is that you are better off using the MC to buy the items from the MC market if they are there or in the MWO market where you can move components buying a mech with components that you actually want and then selling off the unused stuff.

[Yokaiko]

Ph30nix, on 06 March 2013 - 10:54 AM, said:

PGI should do ALOT of differnt bundle types,

...and this.

[Edustaja]

I would have no problem having a reasonable conversion rate between for buying CB with MC.
There are so many established players that you should give the new players or time restrained players a way to level the playing field quickly if they wish. I can see no harm in allowing the purchase of equipment, engines and modules with MC.

[EmeraldSongbird]

MC to C-Bill conversion. Done.

[Terror Teddy]

Michael Costanza, on 06 March 2013 - 12:26 PM, said:

Isn't that what the cockpit items and color schemes are for? Also, isn't that what the consumable modules are for?

Well, they are not a C-Bill sink but only an MC sink.

Michael Costanza, on 06 March 2013 - 12:26 PM, said:

Also, it costs money to add/remove double heat sinks, endo steel, artemis and ferro fibrous which someone may want to do if they decide to redesign future builds.

True - but once you HAVE that build, and IF you perhaps got it with MC AND you receive your regular grind reward you will eventually just sit on a large amount of C-Bills.

Doobles, on 06 March 2013 - 12:32 PM, said:

MC to C-Bill conversion. Done.

Yea - but once we have that how do we get a functioning C-BILL sink nbecause when we have that conversion rate people will be having piles of C-Bills and not enought to spend on.

[sycocys]

It's pretty amazing that this didn't end up in the game from the start of the cash shop, much less end up on their table before p2w options started circulating.

[MustrumRidcully]

Terror Teddy, on 06 March 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

If PGI made it so EVERYTHING in the way of equipment can be bought with MC who would be for it?

With an average MC to Cbill exchange rate of 2500 CB to 1MC then for example an ER-PPC would be: 240 MC's.

Since it would be PAY for convenience then we can up the price to a clear 250MC's.

ERPPC: 250 MC's
MG : 4 MC's
ML: 32 MC's
COM-1B: 680 MC's
DHS Upgrade: 200 MC's

For me with a full-time job I find it hard to find the grind time to get enought C-bills most of the time, especially for more expensive mechs.

They could even have package prices for equipment and reflect that with similar package deals in C-bills.

For those that say it's pay to win I say NAY.
I get there a little faster, my gear will be no different from yours.

Let's keep the discussion level headed and present the pros and cons.

I think that would be okay, and the grind for these items is not too ridicilous. If it would take 100 Matches to afford a PPC, MC for them wouldn't be "decent", but at the current prices (and monetary gains per match), it would be just fine.

---

But I think what PGI is really looking for is stuff that people can buy again and again, not one-time purchases. AFter you bought 20 PPCs, you probably don'T really need any more.

A paint scheme you might want to change more than once, that'S why paints probably started the way they did.
Consumables you have to rebuy per definition. THat's probably why they are planning the consumable modules.

Basically, they want a "MC Sink" and so far have had a lot of problems finding one that players accept. I doubt the GXP/MC conversion is working well either.

Edited by MustrumRidcully, 06 March 2013 - 12:40 PM.

[Terror Teddy]

sycocys, on 06 March 2013 - 12:35 PM, said:

It's pretty amazing that this didn't end up in the game from the start of the cash shop, much less end up on their table before p2w options started circulating.

Well, it CAN break the future game economy as we don't really know what they WANT in their game at the end.

If we can get in-game gear by cash in an easy manner then we need an equivalent money sink for the in-game cash.

[EmeraldSongbird]

Terror Teddy, on 06 March 2013 - 12:34 PM, said:

Yea - but once we have that how do we get a functioning C-BILL sink nbecause when we have that conversion rate people will be having piles of C-Bills and not enought to spend on.

That is up to how much the person is planning on spending. However the conversion rate would need to make sense so that in the end, you are still paying the same(roughly) amount of MC worth of C-Bills for a mech, rather than direct MC. It would only be worth buying parts with it in that case.

[Yokaiko]

Gandalfrockman, on 06 March 2013 - 10:48 AM, said:

This, or just let me buy cbills.
I have never understood why they dont have this already.

That would be MC to C-bill conversion, same thing one more step.