37 replies to this topic

[Pakundo]

No, what I'm trying to say is that MechWarrior: Online simply went to the wrong direction.
That's what I'm trying to say - the game involves paying additional money more than it should have, hence me saying it went to the bad side of F2P.

But what I really think?
I have this undeserved sense of entitlement.
My underserved sense of entitlement says that I'm entitled to have  franchises that I consider "pure", "diamond in the rough" or "better than the rest" that shouldn't have games that say "**** you fan/consumer", and go F2P all the way to borderline Pay2Win.


If this game would've toned down the F2P elements, I would guarantee you it'd actually be just as profitable, and would have more fans, because then it wouldn't harm the fans as they play the game as much as it does now.

My complaints may not resonate with many of you here, which I accept, but I still can't deny just how strong my feelings are about this game, how it disappointed, and most importantly, how it betrayed.
Even if all it did was betray my undeserved sense of entitlement.

Edited by Pakundo, 26 June 2013 - 10:23 AM.

[AdamBaines]

Signal27, on 26 June 2013 - 10:14 AM, said:

You can still earn all the gear you want, albeit at a slower pace, without spending a dime on the game. And what you just told me is that, yes, you feel devastated because you can't have a Hula Girl for free. Come on, man, you're being overly dramatic and thin skinned.

Signal, dont waste your breath my friend. He is a person who says he wants to be convinced that MWO is a great game and to return to it, but in reality he has his opinion and will not change them until he just plays and gets past the fact that not everything is going to be the way he wants it., and does not really want to be convinced. He is entitled to his opinion of the game. Let him go and be free and find his higher MechWarrior-Self :-)

[Pakundo]

I don't always make complaint threads based on my hurt sense of entitlement, but when I do, it's about a game that revived a franchise I hold dear, and then betrayed all my hopes and dreams for it.

[AdamBaines]

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 10:27 AM, said:

I don't always make complaint threads based on my hurt sense of entitlement, but when I do, it's about a game that revived a franchise I hold dear, and then betrayed all my hopes and dreams for it.

I understand. You are like many people here who hold this franchise dearly. There are a lot of things I really dont like about PGIs choices. hell there are alot of things I dont like about some of the choices, FASA and later Catalyst made.

PGI: I dont like the whole Merc and house Structure, and where Loneswolves fall into that. Thats one of many.

FASA: WHY THE CLANS??? I felt when they were first introduced that they ruined the game. (I have now gotten past this one and lived with it)

CATALYST: They Really hate the Waco Rangers.....RIP

In all of the above I disagree with what they did and how they executed it. But i LOVE Battltech so I stay. My "Line in the Sand"? If one day they decide to make this game like Assault Tech III, then I will move on. Until then I know that I wont always agree with the direction PGI goes, but its still Battletech and im in the cockpit of a mech shooting things with my PPCs, LRM, Gauss Riffle, etc having a great time with friends.

If you love Btech as much as you say, I hope that you can find a way to like the game and enjoy playing it. if not, thats ok. Have fun playing something else that satisfies you.

EDIT: General Spelling Edit.

Edited by AdamBaines, 26 June 2013 - 10:53 AM.

[Pakundo]

Well, that's actually a mostly convincing reply.
I may reinstall this game soon.

But Project Phoenix?

Nuh uh, my "in good will" money belongs to Cloud Imperium Games for the foreseeable future.

[Whompity]

Hey, I was "burned" that the game didn't really have an out-of-cockpit RP element, but I'm still finding it to be an entertaining game, warts and all. Yeah, they've taken it in directions I don't like as much, but overall, I'm still having fun.

If it stops being fun, definitely revisit if you want to play or not. It may be the "best" BT/MW game out there right now, but that might not always be the case.

[Kraven Kor]

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 10:09 AM, said:

The feeling of betrayal comes from just how far they went to the bad side of F2P, where you can buy your way to have the gear you want, as opposed to leaving to pure play time.
Also, not even a single option to purchase some of the cosmetic items with in-game money? Not even lots of it?
Come on.

Actually, you can't buy gear with MC.

You can buy a mech with MC, sell it, and convert MC to CBills (at a terrible exchange rate)

Premium time certainly gets you gear faster, but really, premium time gives you "more choices" not "more power" as a general rule. A non-paying player would take significantly longer to build up a stable of mechs and gear, but once they have one mech with their desired upgrades, "more money" is just "more options" and not "more power."

So I'm OK with the overall model of their business plan.

I do not agree with their standard pricing, their sailes are of good value, and this Project Pheonix is an insane value when compared to standard pricing for what you get.

Lots of things to be upset about, that could lead one to not wish to play / pay. Balance issues, lack of progress / content, abandoned features or at the least features massively delayed to the point we believe they have been canned...

But, again, we can't convince you nor should we want to / have to. I have my concerns and issues, still playing for now, and debating on if I want to give them more money for Project Phoenix or not.

[Sen]

I can only offer the following article:

http://www.kotaku.co...s-killing-them/

It has a very good point

Edited by Sen, 26 June 2013 - 02:04 PM.

[Tarl Cabot]

You either enjoy the franchise or you don't

With that said, other than your view of the paywall, what is it about Battletech/Mechwarrior do you like/dislike, in general?

Of MWO itself, what is it that you like about it? OTHER than your view of the paywall, do you dislike about it? And can you live with it by taking in the view that the conversion from one medium to another is never going to be perfect. How will your presence, or the lack of, affect anyone directly?

What is it that YOU want to get out of MWO?

I am not here to convince you to stay or not. I am here for you to take a look at all of your reasons, good and bad, then for you to make the judgement call.

What I can say, at least for myself, if CW becomes vaporware, my time here to drop like a rock. I enjoy the BT universe lots but the one thing that had kept me previously through the MPBT Solaris/3025 is the community and its development AND stomping around in mechs. Currently the lack of some serious game controls, the need to use 3rd party software to stay in contact and the lack of direction does not sit well with lots of people.

We can put lots of thoughts in your head but if they are not your thoughts, it is only a temporary solution.

[Mynder]

You can focus on "the grind", or just play the game, and when C-Bills have stacked up high enough, treat yourself with something nice and shiny, like I do.

Hero mechs don't disturb me. They're no better than most other variants. Unless you're the hardcore "collector" type, you don't lose much by not owning them. A 30% C-Bill boost is nice, but nowhere crucial.

I never bought premium time (might have been smart in connection with the cadet bonus you get for the first 25 or so games).

All that money will buy you is that you can stack up in-game currency faster. Now, it may depend on your goals. My goal is to have fun, and I do that, despite all the shortcomings this game has. If my goal were to earn as many C-Bills as quickly as possible, I might be frustrated without buying premium time and stacking that with a hero mech. It's not, though.

The thing is, when I drop in my mech, especially when I drop with a few guildmates, I'm having a blast. That's what it boils down to for me. I'm having an f'ing fun time that will only get better when (not if) they manage to iron out the worst balancing issues.

I'm still hoping for improved matchmaking (e.g. something like WoW did with the Dungeon Finder, giving bonuses to people who joined with the classes most needed, i.e. if there is a lack of healers at that specific time of day, healers get some extra loot for joining - something like this might encourage people to choose a medium over an assault).

I'd love more varied gameplay, more game modes, more maps (I want my tropical island with rolling seas, beautiful beaches, palm trees, and a central lagoon that gets to be the main "cooling down my mech" kill zone!)...the whole community warfare thing. I'd love to face clan mechs, get taken as Isorla, and prove my worth to the clan.

For now, despite that, I'm somewhat pleased they're spending time on working out the core gameplay mechanics before complicating matters by filling the game with all the additional content.

There are many things that could be better, or are in a broken-like state. Yes, I'd probably have more fun if those were already resolved. But I'm having fun playing, nonetheless, and spending way more time with MWO than with any other game right now.

That's the only measure that counts for me, and is the main deciding factor on whether I open my purse to support the game (which I have done), or not.

If the game stops being fun _for me_, I'll move on (and my purse will move along with me).

If playing the game isn't fun for you, cut your losses and move on. Getting mad over money you spent badly in the past is not going to make your present day better or brighter.

[Dalziel Hasek Davion]

Once you decide on a F2P model - several things follow.

One of the key principles current behind successful F2P (and there are few of those) is a balance between "the grind", paying real money so you don't have to grind so much, and avoiding "pay to win". I don't think that every decision PGI have made has been spot on - but they seem to have established a reasonable blend of these things. You can argue about the balance - but this is hardly betrayal of principles.

The second feature of successful F2P is cosmetic enhancements being paid for - and not at a price proportional to cost to develop - more of a market price set by what people are willing to pay.

The OP says that he (I am using the masculine in ignorance) can live with F2P, but then explains that all of the features of successful F2P are what is grinding his gears. It is quite possible that he was not aware of how much a feature of MWO these (characteristic F2P) things are when he paid for his Founder's package. That he was motivated to help revive the franchise.

These things are no-one's fault in particular. PGI adopted a F2P model and were open in communicating that beforehand. From what I can tell, they have avoided play to win conditions quite well - and have not got in the way of someone wanting to buy at Atlas being allowed to do so without paying real money. The OP is not at fault for misunderstanding his emotional response to the F2P features or the lack of out-of-game depth he experiences. The OP's emotional investment in the franchise is palpable and thus any delivery below his high expectations is going to hurt.

I would urge a sense of proportion about this. This is a simple game, clothed in Battletech finery and filled with people who love the same universe that I love. Perhaps I get my kicks in ways different the the OP, but I'm very happy here. Perhaps it is like your favourite band bringing out an album and straying from the music that I have loved in the past. It honestly will not stop me buying the album, but I may still hold it lower in my estimation than their previous works.

I hope you find something to love and value in this new Battletech paradigm - and continue to share your experiences with others. If not - then I wish you well finding other things to pour your obvious passion into.

[Sadistic Savior]

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

one of the main features of MechWarrior games I played in the past that I loved is the freedom. In Skirmish modes and multiplayer, I was always free to choose between any mech and any piece of equipment, without forced progression.

That will never ever happen. If that is what you are wanting, you should just run. There is no way they are going to change to an arcade model.

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

This is just no MechWarrior for me!

And that is not going to change. This will not be like previous mechwarrior games. It is more RPG than RTS.

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

This is all my fault, ofcourse.
When I purchased the Legendary Founder package, I didn't know how the game was going to end up.

You chose to take the risk. Your risk did not pan out. If you choose to continue playing, you cannot really complain. The game is not going to be what you want it to be.

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

TI asked for a refund long ago, but they denied it

You are not entitled to a refund. They delivered what they promised you. They never promised you the game would necessarily go in a direction you like.

[PanzerMagier]

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 05:05 AM, said:

I need some seriously convincing arguments, because right now this game still makes me as grumpy as it did some 9 months ago.

My best advice is jump into a mech you've never piloted before (or haven't piloted in a long time).
I felt a little burned out ,but this experience rekindled my flame. Even though the quickdraw sucks ^.^ (needs srm buff)

[Madara Uchiha]

Getting pretty tired of all the people bitching about this game, no one should need to convince you of anything if you dont feel like playing it stop, and find something else you enjoy. The freaking game is free, and there is no need to acually buy anything if you dont want to. So could we stop with the pitty party now?

[PanzerMagier]

Madara Uchiha, on 27 June 2013 - 12:18 PM, said:

Getting pretty tired of all the people bitching about this game, no one should need to convince you of anything if you dont feel like playing it stop, and find something else you enjoy. The freaking game is free, and there is no need to acually buy anything if you dont want to. So could we stop with the pitty party now?

Facepalm. OP, came on this forum to ask for advice. Some of us gave it to him. Although others (like you) are just here to be hypocrites and complain about people complaining...

[Rushin Roulette]

Hmm. No Idea what you are wanting. Free players get the same advantages and dissadvantages as paying players.

As for ingane fluff... I have a Coconut bobblehead, Dawn Farie, 3050 Hologram and a hanging bullet thingie, PC Gamer skin (including 3 free unlocked colours for every mech I own for which I gave absolutely no money to PGI to receive.

What is it exactly that you find P2Win? Just about every Hero mech has a free mech counterpart which has some better feature (Take the X5 for example. The 3M which you can buy for CBills can fit ECM. Loads of Centurions are better than the Yen Lo Wang).

Since the 90 days premium have passed from my Founders package, I have been playing without premium time and I must say, the only mechs which I have problems leveling through Basic before I have enough Cbills to buy the next variant are the Assaults... any other mech and I have had no problem with this.

[Mycrus]

Pakundo, on 26 June 2013 - 09:48 AM, said:

But Premium Time, C-Bills bonuses, the TERRIBLE grinding back last summer that made me ragequit the game for over half a year, the money-only items and mechs (The one HUGE offender)...

you got it wrong... you don't grind to get mechs... you learn your skills in real time... getting mechs is just a bonus...

[Alaskan Nobody]

Rushin Roulette, on 28 June 2013 - 12:18 AM, said:

Loads of Centurions are better than the Yen Lo Wang).

Was not aware 3 counted as loads >.>
In general agree with what you are saying though, and bonus to Pakundo (in my eyes at least) for realizing it is at least in part a sense of entitlement, lotta people struggle with that.