I've completely missed all of the game up until this point due to my machine being broken, so I didn't really bother looking into new projects or news. It's all fixed now and I've seen, by accident, an article on mmo-play that the official release has been confirmed for MechWarrior. Being a huge Mech lover I instantly decided to try out MWO, but I did some snooping around and people keep whining how the "pay-to-win" element is really heavy and annoying in the game. So I guess I'm just curious to hear from the horses mouth whether this is really a lot in your face or not.
I've been at this for... 9 months now, and only recently dropped some coin on it, and not for any of the mechs, consumables or colors (with the exception of a small xp conversion when I got impatient, and one accidental mech purchase. shouldn't be pulling so many all-nighters as my age...). For the most part, it seems to me that there isn't anything you can get only by MC that would give you an advantage over what you can earn in-game; it just takes longer to grind it out.
A small minority believe it's P2W but they are all morons. I've played this game every day since closed beta and I can tell you it is definitely not P2W right now.
Heh, that sounds cool! But yeah, I saw a ton of like blog posts and articles about MWO being pay to win, so I really raised an eyebrow haha. Good to hear otherwise!
I've completely missed all of the game up until this point due to my machine being broken, so I didn't really bother looking into new projects or news. It's all fixed now and I've seen, by accident, an article on mmo-play that the official release has been confirmed for MechWarrior. Being a huge Mech lover I instantly decided to try out MWO, but I did some snooping around and people keep whining how the "pay-to-win" element is really heavy and annoying in the game. So I guess I'm just curious to hear from the horses mouth whether this is really a lot in your face or not.
What are your experiences like so far?
Oh mah gawd.
I spent the last 3 minutes laughing my rear end off at "pay to win." Premium gives you the in-game cbills bonus and an XP bonus, nothing more. Hero mechs? Just a different variant with some of them being inferior to the regular mechs, and some being on par. Their main difference is how they play. I've got them all and honestly a few of them are actually pay to lose!
They are crying about the prices, sure, but these hero mechs are "permanent" premium time, too.
For buying any other mechs with MC, you're paying for the convenience of getting that mech without the grind.
But oh man. The "win" aspect is the imbalance caused by multiple players on a team boating high-precision, high-speed, high-damage alpha builds utilizing PPCs and Gauss Rifles. That aspect is totally free.
On the issue to quote the president of PGI, Russ Bullock: "We're taking the patient approach to balancing, trying to find underlying problems first." (NGNG #79)
He states "When people complained about ECM being so overpowered, they cried out for nerfs. Nerf this, nerf that. But we looked at the data and it wasn't the Atlas DD-C, the Cicada 3M, or the Commando 2-D (all are ECM-equipped mechs) everyone was using. It was the Raven 3-L, so we took a look at it and we discovered the hit boxes barely registered damage, especially on high ping computers. So we redid its hitboxes, and began introducing HSR which is a lag compensation system. Now no one complains about ECM though we haven't changed anything about it."
Months later PGI removed enemy ECM's ability to hide your teammates. No one complained and the experience simply became richer because of it.
Other changes to our weapon systems are coming after UI 2.0, which include weapon variants, less concentrated PPC damage (dispersed over nearby body parts), and other fun stuff that will hopefully lessen the pinpoint precision we have.
In the meantime, enjoy this.
For the image source, check out the second link in my signature where it's quoted and a link is provided there to where I got it from.
A past comment on someone claiming the Heavy Metal was pay to win because it could boat more PPCs and jump higher than other mechs... Also has a breakdown link for the pros and cons of Highlanders.
Spoiler
Koniving, on 16 April 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:
Best poptart mech is the 732 (it holds gauss + 3 ER PPCs instead of Heavy Metal's 2, due to hand actuator on left arm) or the 733P with its 4 ER PPCs.
Someone needs to try using a mech before complaining about pay to win.
For information, maximum possible pop-tart worthy weapons on Heavy Metal are 1x Gauss Rifle, 2x ER PPC.
732 has 1x Gauss + 3x ER PPC.
733P has 4x ER PPC.
The only thing the HM has in advantage over the others is the two ER PPCs are mounted on the left arm. Oh, and one additional jumpjet which means you'll stay in the air longer, and thus be shot at more.
Should note I own all of the hero mechs. So far the best two I've ever used (and again, used them all) are the Pretty Baby (not as a brawler mind you, that's a bad choice) and the Muromets. I've found that the cbill variants tend to be superior with the exception of the X-5, where the cbill variants blow.
I personally don't see how MWO has any pay2win element.
Sure you could buy a Misery Stalker, a Champion Atlas. Dollars (MC) won't buy you piloting skills, Mech efficiencies, or the ability to go from stock loadout to what works for you. As you will see when starting out. It takes time, even after hundreds of matches. Still learning here.
As a suggestion get your 25 matches under your belt in the trial mechs - a trial mech is really just like a loaner from an auto dealership. No power windows, locks, Bluetooth audio. Pretty basic load out.
However, the first 25 gives you extra C-bills and you should have somewhere around 8-9 million at the end.
I've completely missed all of the game up until this point due to my machine being broken, so I didn't really bother looking into new projects or news. It's all fixed now and I've seen, by accident, an article on mmo-play that the official release has been confirmed for MechWarrior. Being a huge Mech lover I instantly decided to try out MWO, but I did some snooping around and people keep whining how the "pay-to-win" element is really heavy and annoying in the game. So I guess I'm just curious to hear from the horses mouth whether this is really a lot in your face or not.
What are your experiences like so far?
OK I want you to pay very special attention to this advice. OK? Ready?
Take note of who told you that MWO is P2W. Right got them all listed? Written down on paper?
Good... now...
Never listen to any advice coming from those people ever again. Seriously! They are the worlds biggest crybaby foolish whiney little vapid twits!
It's not P2W. There is some content that you can only get with real-world money, but it's not better-than, just different. THey just dropped the only thing I've kinda been interested in paying money for, and that's because of some personal {Noble MechWarrior} reasons of my own. (It's a locust! ). While this game may have some sore spots it's working through, being P2W isn't one of em.
Edit, regarding censor filter: No, I don't mean "Noble Mechwarrior" I mean F A N B O Y. It's alright when I'm calling myself one, stop censoring my print!
I think some Hero 'Mechs have more convenient hardpoints (i.e the Muromets) but it doesn't really matter since it's just a slight difference in weapon configuration compared to the other Cataphracts. And as many mentioned, piloting skills. Put a clown in any 'Mech and he will die horribly if he does something dumb.
So just jump right in and have fun. Sure, the first 25 games are probably going to suck a bit but once you learn and get your 'Mech, you're gonna have loads of fun.
MWO is not pay2win. mech bays are the only thing that, imho, you MUST pay for. drop $15 on the game and get 10 mech bays. working as intended™. everything else is pay for convenience (XP->GXP conversion, buy mechs with instead of ).
I've completely missed all of the game up until this point due to my machine being broken, so I didn't really bother looking into new projects or news. It's all fixed now and I've seen, by accident, an article on mmo-play that the official release has been confirmed for MechWarrior. Being a huge Mech lover I instantly decided to try out MWO, but I did some snooping around and people keep whining how the "pay-to-win" element is really heavy and annoying in the game. So I guess I'm just curious to hear from the horses mouth whether this is really a lot in your face or not.
What are your experiences like so far?
It is not pay to win. it is pay to avoid grinding.
Unlike other MMOs, there is no real hierarchy in this game. There is no "levelling". It is not a given that a heavier mech will beat a light mech...they all have strengths and weaknesses. You also cannot buy gear that gives you an advantage. You can buy gear that lets you make money faster or gives you hardpoint options that standard gear does not, but thats it. It will not do more damage or have better range or whatever.
You are paying for the convenience of not having to grind to get the same options. or you are paying for vanity items. But you are not paying to win...free players can get everything pay players can get, it just takes them longer to get it.
LocationColumbus, Ohio. However, I hate the Suckeyes!
Posted 06 July 2013 - 01:51 AM
I played TF2 from pre-live till this game a year ago, since I have played 3 hrs top on TF2. That said, nothing in this game has been pay to win. Yes, some Hero mechs have different hardpoint layouts, but none have been better than the counterparts in a way to call pay to win. In fact many of the "hero" mechs are inferior to the free counterparts. However, if you want more than just 4 mechs in your garage you must pay! Not pay to win more like pay to own.
When you start it can seem like the odds are stacked against you. You will frequently have matches where you lose 8-0 and every enemy 'Mech seems to have bigger, better and more weapons than you and can hit you from nowhere with impunity.
It is a mistake to think that this is a factor of the people on the other team paying to win.
Most of them will have bought their 'Mechs and equipment with C-Bills, which you earn by playing. Customising and upgrading 'Mechs does give them a significant advantage over Trial 'Mechs, which tend to have less armour than they need, insufficient cooling and (mostly) sub-optimal weapon load out. However, even this advantage can be ironed out with good communication and teamwork.
The one purchase which may be considered pay-to-win is a head-set. Teamspeak 3 is free - as is an account on the public TS3 server, or one of the house TS3 servers. Get those and your odds of joining the winning side will increase markedly.
Been that way at least a full month if not longer. Remember, Enemy ECM's ability to hide Your teammates. Not Your ECM's ability to hide your teammates.
2
Rofl.
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