C Lochiel, on 20 November 2013 - 04:14 PM, said:
This is not a complaint thread. I am fully aware MWO is here to pay someone's bills and all that. In fact, I went to buy some MC because I wanted to support MWO and keep the bills paid. I figured that because I was enjoying the game it deserved my financial support. And I figured I'd spend $15 or so, get a Hero mech I can't get any other way, spend the remainder on paint or something.
So I was fairly surprised when I saw that a Hero Assault mech cost $40. For reference, I rarely spend $30 on a full game. I say this without vitriol, that price tag dissuaded me from buying a mech with real money. I cannot comprehend people who own multiple hero mechs.
So, I ask this out of curiosity; why is any single mech worth spending $40 for? Am I missing another, less expensive, way of acquiring MC? Help me understand this. I'm perfectly willing to only spend MC on paint, mech bays, and premium time; but before I do I'd like to understand why Hero Mechs are priced so high.
It's a balance.
A champion mech gives you a 10% XP bonus. This applies at any time, not matter how long you keep the mech.. You play that mech, you get the XP bonus, forever.
A hero Mech gives you a 30% cBill boost bonus. This applies at any time, not matter how long you keep the mech.. You play that mech, you get the cBill bonus, forever.
Premium time gives you a +50% cBill bonus and +50% XP bonus for the period of time you purchased. This applies to all match earnings and applies to any mech you drive whether it be standard, Hero or Champion. The tradeoff is that the bonus is limited to the duration of the premium time rather than a one-off purchase.
Now, these bonuses stack. So, if you are playing a Hero Mech AND have premium time, you will get a +80% (50% + 30%) cBill bonus.
Now. Do you absolutely love Jagermechs and will be playing them forever? Well, the Firebrand starts looking really good. You don't have to pay for premium time to get a cBill boost to buy other mechs and equipment faster as, in the long run, you'll get your money's worth
over time. It's an expensive one-off purchase that seems kind of steep but the ongoing nature of the bonus can become well worth it eventually.
If you want to play a variety of mechs? Then Premium time is quite possibly the way to go because it's larger than either the hero or champion bonus (faster to train mechs and buy upgrades) and is universal to any mech or variant you might want to play.
If you have bucks burning a hole in your wallet? Go ahead and get both! The bonuses stack so you can buy a day of premium time when necessary, play your Hero/Champion mech at the same time, get huge bonuses and it's no skin off your nose how expensive it is.
Myself? I wouldn't buy a hero or champion mech. I'm with you, they are too expensive for my tastes as I want to play a variety of mechs, not a select few. This means I can pay for premium time piecemeal instead fo laying out big bucks up front to buy a range of hero mechs. My friend? He loves his jagers so he bought a firebrand. He doesn't have to worry about ongoing costs, it's there, it's done. He just fires up the game, drops in with the firebrand, and there's his extra money when he thinks he needs it. Another friend? Well, he's got a cushy job. When he started the game he bought the Phoenix pack, most of the Hero mechs and premium time all in one go. Every time he sneezes money flies out of his nose so he doesn't care.
It's about a structure where people on very different budgets have options that suit them from the free player right through to the guy who thinks a wallet fulll of $50 notes is "loose change".
Edited by Greyboots, 20 November 2013 - 07:07 PM.