42 replies to this topic

[Black Storm]

I have spent more money on this game than any other MMO I have ever played, and it's still in beta. I bought the Legendary Founder's Package for $120 and 75,000 MCs above and beyond that. I have given you guys a total of $420. In addition to that (even though it really has no bearing on your decisions nor any bearing on the costs of MWO,) I spent over $12,000 for a new extreme gamer's paradise machine ( I know, I know! Some of you will think I'm nuts for doing that, but I'm extremely satisfied and pleased with the system and yes, I built it myself with all the best components,) because my old system, while still 'good enough,' was getting dated and I wanted to experience MWO with all settings maximized.

95,000 MCs and I only have 5,500 left. Hero 'mechs, Champion 'mechs, regular 'mechs, 'mech bays, XP exchange, Cockpit Items, CONSUMABLE Modules and now, Camo Spec (AKA: Paint Job!) Atleast with regular 'mechs, you have choice between C-Bills and MCs. With the way you guys are milking us, I'm surprised that you aren't charging MCs for 'mech upgrades.

While there are certain things I fully expect to pay for and fully believe they should be payed for, there are far too many other things that we shouldn't be paying real world money for, have choice between MCs or C-Bills and/or are being charged far too much for the item(s.)

Premium time should be payed for and I think you've gotten the cost of that to be just about right. Most MMOs charge $14.95 / 30 days, a few charge $9.95 and you are charging a fair price of $9.995 (assuming one purchased the 25,000 MC package.) In addition, I think the price scaling for purchased time is good and fair.

Champion 'mechs and Hero 'mechs should also be paid for, as they ARE premium items and having a choice of paying MCs for regular 'mechs is a good idea and can make it a lot easier to get into your dream 'mech. However, $26.9865 ($99.95 ÷ ^_MC25,000 × ^_MC6,750 = $26.9865) for a heavy metal is a bit steep. That's about equal to 3 months of premium time. I think Hero and Champion 'mechs should cost more than regular 'mechs; After all, they do provide premium bonuses. I think a fair price scale would be as follows:

Hero Chassis: ^_MC10 per ton + ^_MC1250 ( the ^_MC1250 is for the 30% C-Bill bonus)
Champion Chassis: ^_MC10 per ton + ^_MC625 ( the ^_MC625 is for the 10% XP bonus)
Regular Chassis: ^_MC10 per ton
ECM mount: + ^_MC62.5 (Do the rounding after all price calculations)
Module slots: 1^st one is free. + ^_MC25 for each additional
AMS mounts: 1^st one is free. + ^_MC62.5 for each additional. - ^_MC62.5 if none
All other mounts: Free

Give the option when paying with MCs, to purchase just the chassis or a fully equipped 'mech. If a fully equipped 'mech is purchased then calculate the total purchase price of the equipment and ammo, then convert the C-Bill cost to MC cost at a rate of ^_MC1 per ^_CB5000. Also, make anything can only be purchased with MCs, unsellable.

I believe this would result in fair pricing for purchasing 'mechs with MCs.

I can understand the pricing for 'mech bays as they take up storage space and CPU cycles to manage and they are an unsellable/irremovable 1 time purchase.

I can accept the XP exchange rate of ^_MC1 per 25 XP, but the option to use ^_CB5000 instead, would be a really nice thing, too. I can, however, understand not wanting to do that, as XP exchange is like buying 'time' towards GXP gains.

Cockpit items have no function and are an unnecessary cosmetic feature only. Hence, they are extremely overpriced. I understand that they are intended as lures to spend money, but until they drop to 20% of their current price ('to' 20% not 'by' 20%) I will not buy any more. If you drop the prices to 20% of their current price, I will probably buy multiple of many of them plus some more Hula girls, so I don't have to keep moving them from 'mech to 'mech. I can't speak for other people, but I'm willing to bet that I'm not alone in this thinking.

The consumable modules that cost MCs are something I will not ever buy. Some may, but to my way of thinking, it is literally consuming MCs with nothing to show for it. I understand that they are meant to be an MC sink that provides a slightly better (compared to C-Bill versions) consumable. Many, if not most, MMOs are doing something like this now, so I'm not griping, just including it in this post to show I didn't miss it or forget about it.

Camo Spec! My real Gripe. Camo Spec / Paint Job, like Cockpit Items, is purely cosmetic. Unlike Cockpit Items, Every 'mech comes with one when purchased. Even though I would like to repaint my 'mechs (all of them,) I will NEVER spend a single MC to do so. I would be more than willing to spend C-bills, but not MCs. Further, the MC cost of the Paint Jobs is completely and totally outrageous. It ridiculous to expect people to spend enough MCs to buy a complete 'mech, on a cosmetic item. Other than appearance, there is no real benefit to a repaint. I am truly baffled as to why anyone would put such a high price tag on it.

The last thing on my list for this post is the ability to directly convert MCs into C-Bills. In line with the rest of this post, I think that along with making C-Bills an option for more things, it would be good to have the ability to convert MCs directly to C-Bills at a 1 to 5,000 ratio. 1 MC becoming 5,000 C-Bills.

AND AGAIN, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GIVE US THE ABILITY TO MOVE 'MECHS FROM BAY TO BAY IN OUR HANGAR. ORGANIZATION IS GETTING TO BE A PROBLEM. THANK YOU.

_{Edited for typos and grammatic errors.}

Edited by Black Storm, 25 May 2013 - 04:09 PM.

[Rabid Dutchman]

There is nothing forcing you to pay money for anything in this game. All of the cash purchases you can make are purely optional. It is not PGI's fault that you feel the need to spend money on MW:O, although I'm sure they appreciate the investment.

[Black Storm]

Rabid Dutchman, on 25 May 2013 - 04:39 PM, said:

There is nothing forcing you to pay money for anything in this game. All of the cash purchases you can make are purely optional. It is not PGI's fault that you feel the need to spend money on MW:O, although I'm sure they appreciate the investment.

Never once did I say I felt forced. Never Said I needed to spend the money. What I'm saying is: The prices of certain Items are way too high. In addition, when you do buy a 'mech (C-Bills or MCs) you are forced to take a chassis crammed with equipment that you will probably not want. I haven't purchased a 'mech yet that was configured the way I like. What I did was spend my money and buy every Hero and Champion 'mech, stripped all of the equipment from all of them. Sold the stuff I would never use. Then bought or used enough equipment to configure 2 'mechs and by my 5th match , had yet another 'mech ready to play. Most games allow you to change your appearance for free or for a reasonable amount of game money. Here you have to pay real life money and you never had a choice for the initial appearance (paint jobs.) paint jobs are my only serious gripe. The MC price of 'mechs and cockpit items are now, more of a 'Seriously guys! You really expect me to buy those at that price?'

Edited by Black Storm, 25 May 2013 - 05:08 PM.

[Captain Katawa]

The only thing that you have to buy are mechbay slots. And only because a f2p game cannot survive without donators.
Wanna look cool? there are basic colors.
Wanna look cooler? there are 500mc colors that look good.
And you really should appreciate that once you unlock the colors you can use them on every mech, so paying 14$ you may paint all of your mechs and even swap colors and so on.

Other f2p hames suck a way more money outta you for cosmetics or even some really necessary stuff.

And yes, you have mentioned consumables.
1. coolshot 18 is inferior to 9 by 9 which can be bought for CB once unlocked
2. MC airstrike/artilery/UAV are quite the same as ulocked with your GXP advanced CB ones.

Even the hero mechs are terrible, so seriously you're free to chose if you want to grind for a while or to pay your $ for stuff you think you need.

[Black Storm]

Captain Katawa, on 26 May 2013 - 02:27 AM, said:

And you really should appreciate that once you unlock the colors you can use them on every mech, so paying 14$ you may paint all of your mechs and even swap colors and so on.

Actually, I wasn't aware that you unlocked it once for all 'mechs. I thought you had to buy the colors separately for each 'mech. That actually mitigates a lot of my "cost frustration."

Still, I would like to see the hero / champion pricing scheme change and to reduce the cost of the cockpit items

Thank you for replying.

[Black Storm]

I went and played with the camo spec some more after the last reply. It seems I owe an apology about "my only serious gripe." Some of the colors ARE paid for with C-Bills. Now I feel like both an *** and a fool.
Step 1: open mouth
Step 2: Insert foot
Step 3: Chomp down hard

[Kdogg788]

Here was my strategy, and I too have had a lot of MC, and still do. I think I have more banked than most anyone I know.

1. Purchase no regular mechs with MC besides the one Catapult K2 on startup to jump start my stable, having started with the C1, which I still play very often.
2. Buy 30 day premium time when it's on sale and not ever play without it. 30 days is the sweet spot in terms of value and flexibility where the MC cost of tiers below wastes MC and tiers above give no further gain.
3. Only buy hero mechs I want and from mech chassis with I use. Therefore I only have the Ilya and X-5, both mechs I love. Preferably buy them when they are on sale. I will not buy Misery at full price, but if there were a sale, I'd think about it. Jäger hero if its got Rifleman hardpoints, I will buy first day.
4. Purchase colors I want when they are on sale. The only exception to this rule was Titanium White which I had to have.
5. Use Camo only on mechs I use most and at that only single use. To make the pattern worth it, you'd have to change Camo patterns ten times and I would never do this. Instead select your pattern and have infinite color changes.

Prices on some things may be high but the tactic is all in how you use your MC.

-k

[slash b slash]

Black Storm, on 26 May 2013 - 05:52 AM, said:

Actually, I wasn't aware that you unlocked it once for all 'mechs. I thought you had to buy the colors separately for each 'mech. That actually mitigates a lot of my "cost frustration."

Still, I would like to see the hero / champion pricing scheme change and to reduce the cost of the cockpit items

Thank you for replying.

[mack sabbath]

Anyone know off the top of their head which colors are purchasable with Cbills?

Thanks!

[Kdogg788]

Basic blue, red, and orange I believe. Basic green is free with every mech.

-k

[slash b slash]

Kdogg788, on 26 May 2013 - 11:52 AM, said:

Basic blue, red, and orange I believe. Basic green is free with every mech.

-k

Also basic purple.

[Chou Senwan]

There's an option to see ALL COLORS, and then there are sub-groups of BASIC, CAMO, etc.

Still, the idea that someone would pay $15 to paint an imaginary robot really bewilders me. I see a lot of fancy-painted mechs, and I'm gobsmacked that so many people are blowing money on this.

I mean, maybe I'd spend a buck or two as an impulse buy to get a new paint pattern. But to have to buy not just the pattern but the individual colors? And apparently you have to buy each pattern once for each type of mech? That's ridiculous. If you wanted to just have free reign to paint whatever you wanted, there are 17 mechs now? Times 4 or 5 different skins, which each cost a few dollars? So a few hundred dollars for just the paint schemes, and then there are like 50 different colors that cost 3 or 4 bucks apiece?

I'm just thinking, if I paid $60 for Soul Calibur 5 I can design tons and tons of characters with whatever add-ons or colors or combinations and designs I want. To get a fraction of the same options in MWO, I'd have to spend something like $500. That's crazy.

And what's crazier is . . . some people apparently are doing that! Can you guys send some of that money to poor people who are struggling to pay their bills instead of painting imaginary robots?

[tuokaerf]

Chou Senwan, on 26 May 2013 - 10:59 PM, said:

Still, the idea that someone would pay $15 to paint an imaginary robot really bewilders me. I see a lot of fancy-painted mechs, and I'm gobsmacked that so many people are blowing money on this.

A few years ago I would have totally agreed. I spend MC on Hero Mechs and Premium Time. If I have some left over, I'll buy some cammo or paints. I'm able to have a nice entertainment budget each month, and I get enjoyment from the game. So my $$$ bought me hours of fun, and a green pickle Stalker.

[Warbend]

I just wish they would be more liberal in terms of applying an actual camo spec across all mechs of that particular weight class.

[Herodes]

I spent the most MC on paints and camo. Why? Immersion. Feels good, is fun and a nice gaming experience.
I can't compete skill-wise, but I sure as hell will go down in style and always look great

[Kissamies]

Chou Senwan, on 26 May 2013 - 10:59 PM, said:

Still, the idea that someone would pay $15 to paint an imaginary robot really bewilders me. I see a lot of fancy-painted mechs, and I'm gobsmacked that so many people are blowing money on this.

Allow me to share my point of view. I think the deals MWO gives for real money are pretty lousy and not worth spending money on, but I still bought $30 worth of MC. Why? Because I've played alot and think they deserve some money for all the fun I had. Also I thought to do my bit keeping them afloat so they can keep developing the game.

The MC was secondary and I didn't have much to spend it on. The hero mechs didn't interest me at the time and other mechs can be grinded. Premium time doesn't feel like a good deal to me. It might if it was 2x like in Tribes: Ascend. Some I spend for converting exp and mech bays, but I think I have put about half on colors (there was a sale) and patterns.

So I didn't specifically have painting my imaginary robots in my mind when I spent the money, but having bought the MC, it was simply the most interesting option.

[Chou Senwan]

I got the $60 Founder package, and I'm rather enjoying this 60-dollar game that I paid for.

I just can't agree to pay much more money for hodgepodge customization option that would be included in the cost of a normal game. If PGI put in a $10 "buy all the paint schemes and colors" option, I'd do that, but the cost to tinker is way too high as is.

I dunno, maybe they should do some sort of promotion like, "Whenever you buy Premium time with MC, you get an equal amount of MC that can only be spent on paint schemes."

[Captain Katawa]

Chou Senwan, on 26 May 2013 - 10:59 PM, said:

Still, the idea that someone would pay $15 to paint an imaginary robot really bewilders me. I see a lot of fancy-painted mechs, and I'm gobsmacked that so many people are blowing money on this.

Think of this as of supporting the game you play and getting something in return.
I spent 20$ just once to get the colors I needed and enough mechslots.
Now I have my own style which looks different from others and I really like this. I even been recognized by some player because of my personal paint.

[Bhael Fire]

Black Storm, on 26 May 2013 - 06:22 AM, said:

I went and played with the camo spec some more after the last reply. It seems I owe an apology about "my only serious gripe." Some of the colors ARE paid for with C-Bills. Now I feel like both an *** and a fool.
Step 1: open mouth
Step 2: Insert foot
Step 3: Chomp down hard

I admire your humility.

FWIW, I think paints are a little over-priced currently. 1000 MC (about $5) for premium colors is a little steep...even if you get to keep it for all your mechs. I can buy real Testors paints for less than that (about $2 a bottle or less).


I think if they lowered the prices to 500,000 C-Bills for Basic colors, 150 MC for Standard colors, and about 300 MC for Premium colors they'd make a LOT more money off of impulse sales. I know I'd buy a lot more, more frequently.

[Pater Mors]

I have no problem with vanity items costing MC. That's the whole point of the free to play model. I do however have an issue with paint jobs and camo specs costing more than some full Mech's. A couple of thousand MC is not a reasonable price to outfit a Mech with a camo spec and three colours. A couple of hundred MC is fair. Even when this stuff goes on sale it's generally still too high for me to justify spending real money on it.