OK so that's the question for this thread.
Define Free to Play: OK well generally speaking a game is given the F2P label when it is free to play in the sense that 'playing for free' allows you to compete with the paying player base without disadvantage.
A good example of this would be League of Legends
Now Paul tells us he expects it to take roughly 20 hours to grind for a top tier avatar (I dont know what game he is playing with that terminology but I think he means a mech)
But you then have to factor in the grind time to turn that top tier avatar (stock mech, trial mech for intents and purposes) into something game worthy sooo that'll be:
Double heatsinks (note to new players they dont actually work as double just 1.4) - kerching!
Bigger or better engine... XL engine can cost more than the mech itself - kerching!
Endosteel - kerching!
Weapons (including a little trial and error time as the majority of players we are told dont come to the forums to look up optimum builds etc) - kerching!
Associated stuff - Artemis, AMS, etc - kerching!
So... how are we doing with that grind for your mech? Yes that's right it's about 40 hours total now.
so lets work on unlocking some efficiencies and mastering that sucker...
oh what's that you say? I need 3 of these to unlock masteries? wha? But what if I don't like the others so much? oic
80 hours later...
ok so let's unlock those masteries now!
so here we are 120 hours in and we are now ready to compete without disadvantage.
(and then theres modules of course...)
(Note: This applies to only 1 mech chassis type, other mech chassis types must be purchased and unlocked and if you are F2P then hello you now MUST purchase mechbays as well as you are only allowed 4 as a 'free' user)
To summarize: That's roughly 120 hours to baseline for 1 mech chassis (depending on ability, the current rate of Cbill awards, changes to weapons forcing you to rebuy, not including buying a mech to find out its not for you etc)
What was the question? Oh yes,
'Is Mechwarrior Online really deserving of the label free to play?'
Is this really in the spirit of free to play?
edited to add XL engine
Edited by jozkhan, 25 August 2013 - 10:52 AM.