41 replies to this topic

[JzT Dolomite]

I understand what you are talking about, BUT I don't think its gonna happen.

Why you may ask...cause to be blunt this isnt a game being made by people who's viewpoint is different than ours. I have played in several F2P games and every one of them that catered to asian audiences allow and pretty much expect to pay for power. I dont have a beef either way, cause its our money and we should spend it.

Now I play in STO and you can pay for a difference in what you are using, but unless you can use it to the full advantage, it really barely matters. Cause that guy that bought his BRAND NEW!!! Atlas, if he really cant use it to its full potential, then all he bought is a big fat target to get shot.

[Inappropriate849]

It's a simple equation: if the sum of [positive monetary value from selling a tactical advantage] and [negative monetary value from the backlash to it] is positive, there will absolutely, positively be selling of tactical advantage in the not-too-distant future.

As OP said, bottom line (and in some cases top line, especially for listed companies) rules all. So, our only hope is that majority of players agree with most of the people on forums that selling a tactical advantage is not advisable.

Edited by CaptainSodom, 07 November 2011 - 08:38 AM.

[empath]

Sholto...are you married?

Excellent point put forth in an excellent manner and I agree wholeheartedly.




...oh, and for what it's worth; I once took down a Zeus, a Mauler and an Atlas with just my Flea after they'd lost their scouter to my lancemates, yet wiped them out. None of their 'Mechs had any red on their display when I started.

[Ladydeath]

Excellent post, sir.

[Corvus Antaka]

Great post.

TF2 - buying **** that looks cool, has cool features, and is also available for free if you play enough. Also, every item has a benefit AND a drawback - so you blew 5 bucks to get a rifle that does twice the damage, but takes 4 times as long to reload. sucker.

Ive never spent a dime on TF2, and have never had a problem competing with anyone who did spend money on the game.

also i say, look to TF2 for how to create inticing team play - forcing people to teamplay in a way that makes them want to and is fun. TeamPlay will make mechwarrior a success. and just like TF2 being the solo guy is still fun and viable if you want. Im not saying to make mechwarrior like TF2, but the devs need to look at successful F2P game models and translate those ideas to mechwarrior to increase the fanbase, keep the ancient veterans happy, and avoid the pitfalls of buying power in a game.

[Alistair Steiner]

In response to OP, you should get a big knife for your Atlas, along with the tophat and monocle, just from how amusing that story was. Granted, the knife should be cosmetic too. Getting stabbed by a gentleman Atlas would haunt my dreams for years.

In any case, good points, and I hope that the devs find a viable (and financially sound) solution to this quandary. As the poster above me said, TF2 is mostly cosmetic (and pointless) items just because, and all weapons have benefits and drawbacks, and can be found in-game, if you have the patience. Even the hats (yes, I said hats) can be crafted... eventually. Even with all that (and my only payment on TF2 was when I bought the game, back when games cost money), Valve reports that TF2 is still making them a lot of money, since it's opened up the game to legions of players who (like me, initially) had doubts about whether they were up to the task for a team- and class-oriented game. Getting to play it for free is like having the best demo ever, and deciding to pay for stuff later, if you so choose. Even then, a number of people pay just to say "thank you" to the developers. As I've said in many of my posts, if this game turns out to be what it needs to be, the devs can count on my monetary support.

[Stunner]

I'm currently playing Heroes of Newerth (HoN) which is F2P and you can dump money into it to purchase reskins or alternate versions of your heroes. You can also purchase your favorite hero to use on weeks that he's not free to play. You can purchase account icons, different sound effects and other things that don't really give you a real tatical advantage since most of the items can be purchased with in game currency that you earn from playing games. Obviously using cash gives you the ability to have it now instead of grinding up all the time of multiple games. Those that grind up all the games can purchase the same thing.

If MWO sticks to a simliar model then if you have a big wallet you can buy the same stuff that the kid that plays for many hours is able to purchase with in game currency. I agree that we shouldn't have an advantage of purchasing something with real world currency only as it will discourage those without the big wallets. Many from other gaming communities feel that time spent should be the reward over money spent but as long as it's balanced it should work out.

[Odin]

Hats up MacLeod!
_____________________

To make a long story short:

• Monocles and funny hats for Atlases (at least) are confirmed!!!
  
• Premium account users are sporting self cooling beer bottle holders and cigar lighters (some sort of LL).
  
• Matt Rommel (sounds cool) is duking it out against a bloke named "Obama" -
  
• Which mechs are they taking to field?, and who the Heck is that guy Obama anyway?

Its been considered to be a bad move, to sell power to the wallet.

I honor this, humor over, grieving!

Cheers!
Odin

[Sholto MacLeod]

CaptainSodom, on 07 November 2011 - 08:37 AM, said:

It's a simple equation: if the sum of [positive monetary value from selling a tactical advantage] and [negative monetary value from the backlash to it] is positive, there will absolutely, positively be selling of tactical advantage in the not-too-distant future.

As OP said, bottom line (and in some cases top line, especially for listed companies) rules all. So, our only hope is that majority of players agree with most of the people on forums that selling a tactical advantage is not advisable.

You just need to make sure that equation is calculated correctly. Also, reward people for bringing in new players. The more players you bring in, the larger the community, the more likely that purchases will be made.

You don't want to **** of non payers, because they'll do things like bringing in other players, some of whom will themselves become payers.

A short term benefit in exchange for a long term loss is why the world economy is collapsing. Everyone is in it for the NOW.

Patience and customer service have generally been forgotten. If you provide a great product at a great price without ******* off your customer base, you win.

That's why bank of America is losing billions. People with huge accounts who were exempt from a 5$ fee for the privilege of banking with BoA withdrew their accounts in droves recently, going to other banks.

The people who left took other customers with them and will give bank of america bad press for a long time coming.

I don't see Bank of America surviving in the long term. Too big to fail? More like too fat to survive.

The same model can be applied here: you want customers. Yes, some customers won't make you money. Their friends and family will. And yes, I know that's some fuzzy math, but the bottom line is that this model has worked for centuries, and will continue to work.

Because Bank of America and the other big banks have been really awful to their customers, credit unions registered over 650,000 new members last MONTH. That's more than they registered all of last YEAR.

Apply that model here: games that treat people right and don't ***** them will work out better in the long term.

When you're running a game like this that's about a long term goal where you don't have a $60 fee up front, and your model RELIES on getting small bits of money over time, you MUST THINK in the long term. If you don't, you're not going to be in business very long.

[EdoftheFist]

This post is fantastic and speaks for many i'm sure. I really feel F2P is a fantastic idea that will in fact HELP keep the game fun AND draw a good amount of support. Look at League of Legends, those guys are rolling in cash and they have kept the balance of the game quite well. I totally realize they are 2 different game types, but the example is there. Its 10x easier for me to convince my buddies to try a game when they don't have to pay anything for it off the bat.

This could be Amazing

[Wraith 1]

I am a teenager, and therefore I must use my limited income very carefully, but I also want to be able to blow the drunk guy out of his fancy atlas with actual tactics and a Timber Wolf that I actually had to earn in game, I certainly don't want to be the guy that keeps getting cored by someone with actual money, or some 10 year old with rich parents that managed to buy all the clan tech right at the beginning of the game.

[Sleipnir]

This post should be on the front page of every game forum, ever. I agree 100% with what the OP said. I'm not worried though, the guys making the game seem to be legit in developing a game they care about. Unless, as the OP said, they're lying through their teeth.

Time will tell I guess

[Amarus Cameron]

Wraith-1, on 07 November 2011 - 10:35 AM, said:

I am a teenager, and therefore I must use my limited income very carefully, but I also want to be able to blow the drunk guy out of his fancy atlas with actual tactics and a Timber Wolf that I actually had to earn in game, I certainly don't want to be the guy that keeps getting cored by someone with actual money, or some 10 year old with rich parents that managed to buy all the clan tech right at the beginning of the game.

I want this kid to seriously start r-aping face. Just do not call me 'dude' in game...I would have to stop is face r-aping spree

[Amarus Cameron]

sleipnir, on 07 November 2011 - 11:23 AM, said:

This post should be on the front page of every game forum, ever. I agree 100% with what the OP said. I'm not worried though, the guys making the game seem to be legit in developing a game they care about. Unless, as the OP said, they're lying through their teeth.

Time will tell I guess

So Sleipnr, you a buddy of Odin's? *laughs to himself*

[CeeKay Boques]

Amarus Cameron, on 07 November 2011 - 11:31 AM, said:

I want this kid to seriously start r-aping face. Just do not call me 'dude' in game...I would have to stop is face r-aping spree

Just want to make sure you dont' want him to say "dude", but you'll make extra effort to get around the swear filter to say unwelcome ***. Lookin good!

[Brakkyn]

Sholto, I want you to write my biography.

I agree with what you said AND will defend to the death your right to say it.

I'd also like an Atlas with a monacle, mustache, and top hat...I'd call him "Jeeves".

[Qman]

Well said OP. oh and to the devs i have to say. Take my money, take it now!

[Catamount]

Like several others here, I'm a WoT player (more former than present), and saw all the wonders of the pay-2-win model that I ever care to.


I came in here to play a game, not buy stuff to circumvent playing the game. At that point, why play at all? If anyone here really doesn't want to earn their way on their own in-game merits, there's a nice tank game you can go and play called World of Tanks, where you can buy all the cheese tanks you want to stomp all over people with your wallet. Keep it out of MWO.


And if you don't have 26 hours a day to dedicate to playing, fine. Just progress at your own pace. A lot of us here have lives outside of gaming, which means working at a job and science degree for me.



Hopefully, outside of game-winning items they do have nice stuff though, as I, for one, look forward to being able to support these guys. I feared there was never going to be another Mechwarrior game again.

Edited by Catamount, 07 November 2011 - 12:13 PM.

[Amarus Cameron]

technoviking, on 07 November 2011 - 11:36 AM, said:

Just want to make sure you dont' want him to say "dude", but you'll make extra effort to get around the swear filter to say unwelcome ***. Lookin good!

*raises eyebrow* seriously, I was joking with him. I sense a Merf...although merf would not say snide comments afterwards. Neg I do not see a Merf, *yells out* sorry Merf!

[terminator]

**** 1% ers... nah seriously that was a good post. I remember when i had disposable income you bet I had no problem spending it on in-game items in other games.. My time is more important to me than money especially if I have the money.