7768 replies to this topic

[Wu Jen]

Mystere, on 13 December 2013 - 07:55 PM, said:

This?

I own 2, because redundancy.

Edited by Wu Jen, 13 December 2013 - 07:58 PM.

[Chronojam]

Elder Thorn, on 13 December 2013 - 05:29 PM, said:

holy.... i allmost forgot about the knockdowns. Damn, they allmost succeeded. Thanks man, more to rage about!
BRING KNOCKDOWNS BACK! and while you are at it: Repair and Rearm!

I was talking to a white knight on the SC forums who was convinced that if PGI introduced DirectX 11, we should forgive/forget UI 2.0, removing knockdowns, ghost heat, the lack of CW, broken SRMs, etc.

[Davers]

Almond Brown, on 13 December 2013 - 07:44 PM, said:

So you have less than 50% of current content but demand more. Apparently they need to make 200% more so you can get your 50%. OK

I really don't know what you are defending here. They are adding new mechs and you think that's great. Fine.

I want to know how Clan mechs fit into Community Warfare.
I want to know what balance changes they made to the mechs and Clan equipment BEFORE I buy them.

[Jun Watarase]

I just checked several other sites where MWO is discussed and wow, the amount of players quitting in response to the clan sale is amazing. Dozens and dozens of people quitting. And it's been less than 24h before the sale went live.

This is quite possibly the most stupid business decision ever. How exactly can PGI make a sale, that drives their cusotmers away? Even first stage marketing students know this is a terrible idea. Did any PGI executives graduate with a bachelors in business administration at least? This is LITERALLY a textbook case of "Don't do this if you want to be successful" taught in first year business courses.

[Skwisgaar Skwigelf]

L

O

L

Call me when we get private lobbies that don't require payment for match filters. I've given up on CW, we could at least get some decent tools to make our own tournaments and get SOME kind of in game support for it.

[Valsius]

I haven't said anything in any of the forums until now..

I have been a loyal legendary founder. I bought the complete phoenix package and some MC as well.

Am I entitled to anything? no. I have given freely my money for this game. However, enough is enough!

PGI, you know ALOT of players want Clan Mechs and this is the wrong way to limit the numbers, if this is the approach you are going for. If your marketing/finance department thought these prices were reasonable, or needed to keep the game running, then you should reconsider not continuing to develop this game.

PGI, if you say "Don't buy it if you don't want to" line of reasoning you are turning this into a "have/have not" situation, PGI you are hurting yourselves and more importantly your loyal customers by going down that line.

I can't speak for others, but at these gouging prices, I will not be purchasing this and I am most hesitant to buy anything anymore.

You have committed the final sin, disheartening of a loyal customer that has given you loyal service.

[Aim64C]

Reposted from:

http://mwomercs.com/...eting-strategy/

Perhaps more than any other clan, I find a personal attachment to Clan Sea Wolf/Diamond Shark. They mix ideology and practicality fairly well, and come away with a decent profit in the end.

Now... I check up on things in the MWO-front, today... and see a very well made Timberwolf staring at me, telling me that I need to buy him. I can easily turn a profit with such a well balanced omnimech, but I can't help but reflect on my previous transactions with this particular client - PGI/IGP. Their current track record for product delivery is... distressing.

Upon further reflection, I realize this is due to certain expectations of what a prior purchase entailed. It is not that my Battlemaster was not delivered on time, or that there were any particular defects with the shipped units. I received premium access to their battle simulators, as promised, and all of the various trinkets and novelty items were delivered as stated. The contract is, thus, satisfied.

So, why do I feel as though my investment was not given the proper service and due diligence of PGI/IGP?

Part of the marketing and selling strategy behind the previous contract was a mention and a hinting of various features that were supposed to be implemented into the battle simulator end of the service. Certain 'mechs came with a particular painting pattern that inspired loyalty to a faction that was vying for control of territory amongst the freeborn. Medalions, provided per the contract, were to further increase this effect, or allow mechs without those special schemes to impart some additional effect.

Unfortunately, such a system has yet to be realized. The battle simulator is... currently lacking faction support beyond a mere image tag next to a name. I can understand why the blood-named have been reluctant to get involved in such shallow, quaint Freeborn struggles. The whole senseless, wasteful, and destructive process of these stravags certainly makes them deserving of the epithet.

Further disheartening is a failure of PGI/IGP to meet its own stated goals of production quality. When plans were made to make interfacing across the HPG Network more intuitive for management of personal inventory and coordinating the operations of multiple warriors well over a year ago, PGI/IGP has yet to address their front-end. Numerous changes to the dynamics of the battle simulator have been criticized for their unrealistic and arbitrary effects.

Even worse, warned of the fact that the Stravags would exploit various mechanics with dishonorable behavior, PGI/IGP ignored the warnings.

It has even come to my attention that many of the hapless Freeborn do not have any idea what they are fighting for. It is bad enough that any stravag fool can pilot the legacy of the Star League around with horrible rates of attrition and loss of resources - but to think that they chose allegiances based on the look of a flag chosen by the errant usurping families....

It would seem, to this veteran of many business ventures and investments, that PGI/IGP has spared no expense for their marketing of new products and services while hardly satisfying the expectations induced by their marketing strategies and campaigns.

It is with a heavy heart that I must decline the current offer PGI/IGP has made regarding the sale of very fine Clan mechs. This is not for lack of funding on my part - I could purchase the Masakari package and have each mech delivered plated in gold with plenty to spare.

Nor, is this, a lack of willingness to support further expansion of PGI/IGP. I would love nothing more than to establish a healthy business relationship with a strong and up-coming ally.

The problem is that the integrity of PGI/IGP has been drawn into question. Investments have been made in good faith, and the only expansion put forth seems to be in the way of creating new ways to part me from my capital reserves. I can not help but sense PGI/IGP's intentions are dishonorable and will, unfortunately, stain their blood.

I opted to re-post this response, here, due to the trend in "Upcoming Features" for threads discussing the upcoming Clan packages being closed.

Perhaps this is over-reaction on my part, but I would rather avoid an unnecessary and costly Trial of Annihilation.

[Almond Brown]

DocBach, on 13 December 2013 - 07:46 PM, said:

Yeah 240 bucks now is totally like 15 bucks back in 2002.

Now now Doc. A loaf of bread in 2002 is likely the same percent of increase in cost as a 15 dollar game cost in 2013.

What did a Loaf of bread cost on 2002? Anyone?

Relativity...

[JDH4mm3r]

Madara Uchiha, on 13 December 2013 - 07:25 PM, said:

I was in shock over that 240...then i saw the 500 buck packages at the bottom, WTF thats the price of a brand new console who comes up with this ****??? we have had like zero real substance added to this game besides mechs, and you expect people to drop that kind of money? Thats just crazy.



Edit: So those 500 buck packages are for just 1 mech???? am i seeing this **** right?? i thought it was for everything plus the gold mech this is mental....seriously.

Never mind console, this is the price of a CPU + MOBO + RAM and maybe one or two extras...depending on what you get.

[monk]

Been said a thousand times. Might as well repeat it. Your pricing model is horrible. It's abusive and frankly alienates the majority of people who try the game. Everyone I've tried to bring into the game who has given it a chance tends to enjoy it, but the grind and pricing model are so terrible that they give up. It's simply not worth it. Yes, I realize that the hardcore MW fans will continue to pay these outrages prices, and maybe that's all you care about, but you continue to **** off a significant portion of your potential customer base. This isn't just about the new clan mechs, btw. It starts with the mechs and runs right through your cosmetic modifications. 15-25 dollars to repaint a mech? Are you serious?

I hope you see your player base rising, because I really do like what we have so far, but I hope you also realize that I'm not some minority here. There are a LOT of people who gave up and won't ever spend a penny because of the way you price things. I don't know who you have doing your math, but you really need to rethink it sometime.

I'm disgusted. Seriously. I have to convince myself not to quit playing everytime I see another "sale" or new mech package show up.

OFFENSIVE.

[Almond Brown]

Chronojam, on 13 December 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:

That's in the $312 "Touman Reinforcements" pack coming in Feb 2014 (delivery by Sept 2014). Existing "Clan Invasion" pack required.

That is the Pack I am especially waiting for... LOL

[L Y N X]

Almond Brown, on 13 December 2013 - 07:57 PM, said:

So how about you just don't buy and stop griping about stuff you wont buy? Hell this time of year, I go to shops and look at a lot of stuff and think "to much". Griping at the staff never changed that, other than security usually shows.

Find another shop and save that negative energy for them....

EXCEPT, DEZGRA, you forget that PGI "ASKED" us for our feedback in this thread. No one asked you for your opinion on our feedback. [redacted]

Edited by miSs, 13 December 2013 - 08:02 PM.

[Luminescent]

I've been playing this game since closed beta (over two years now?), bought a $60 founder's pack and have since invested just over $100 in the game in multiple, small installments. I own 32 'mechs, of which I've mastered 18, and consider myself an active and proficient pilot.

I'm going to present a logical argument against the current prices for clan mechs, with the purpose of giving voice to the sentiments I feel and have heard from my friends who play the game.

Assumptions made: Clan mechs are superior in a game-mechanics-based way, free to play versions of clan mechs may not be available (immediately).



Firstly, there's the obvious case that I'm sure PGI employees who were involved in this project considered repeatedly: pay to win. Currently, this game has SOME mechanics that give you power over other players in exchange for $, but nothing that can't be circumvented with sufficient time, skill or teamwork. Those players that have enough money to afford these clan mechs will get a large amount of enjoyment out them, while the rest of us (presumably a large margin, as this IS a free to play game) watch timberwolves walk over our charred robotic corpses.


Secondly, and this one's IN PGI's best financial interest, are you sure your $30 increment price plan is the optimal model for attracting maximum buyers with maximum payout? I haven't heard a lot of hype about the Uller or Blackhawk, though I'm sure some exists; my point is that players with SOME disposable income but not hundreds of flying dollars are looking at a $60 or $90 package as the CHEAPEST option--many are going to, just as a matter of context, feel cheated, disheartened and like they've been classified as second-class pilots (where those of us that are actually free to play may or may not be third-class and below).
I think if you reduced it to $20 increments, you'd still make plenty of bank--the distribution of these packages costs next to nothing once you've got them available, right? They're data?--and you'd sell MANY times as many $140 timberwolf packs (currently priced at $210) as that's probably the most hyped mech in existence. I understand that's worth money--I just think putting it at $210 is more than most free to players are going to even consider, resulting in frustration and bitterness.


Thirdly, those of us that can't afford these packages won't just not afford them--the fact that others can, and that we're going to see Golden-skinned madcats walking around will be a(n extremely blatant) constant reminder that we are poorer than others. This is not something we play games to feel--quite the opposite, in fact, and your player base will suffer. Admittedly, some of the players that leave may have been free-to-play. I'm not, and I can tell you these packages have negatively affected my interest in spending any further money on the game.


As a student (probably not an insignificant part of your audience), I can tell you that I personally have very little disposable income, and that, what little I do have, I earn through hard work and scrupulous saving. When I spend it on a game, it's because I believe I'm going to receive a lot of fun in return, over a long period of time--that is, I'm not just pouring my money down the drain for a momentary giggle. This clan-mech announcement has answered some of the most hopeful dreams my friends and I had for this game with utter disappointment.

[Noth]

7ynx, on 13 December 2013 - 08:01 PM, said:

EXCEPT, DEZGRA, you forget that PGI "ASKED" us for our feedback in this thread. No one asked you for your opinion on our feedback. [redacted]

All the feedback here won't mean anything if the packages still sell well (which all have despite massive negative feedback on forums)

[Airborne Thunder]

So, if these Clan Mechs are "variants" and not Omnimechs does this mean a year from now you will release a Clan Mech package with Omni hardpoints? And will that package be:

[Magitek]

Aegic, on 13 December 2013 - 07:05 PM, said:

I was very excited. However the prices honestly made my jaw hit the floor. I am sure there are many that will purchase different packages however you extremely limit those that have more of a strict budget.

You are forcing people who want a particular mech to also purchase mechs which they might not even want. I am for supporting PGI and this awesome game, however if you want more money out of me you are going to have to work with me on options. For most people I believe 40-80 is manageable although still steep in some cases.

Please redo this sales model. Open it up so that there can be a package for those who want to choose their own mech.

Im not asking for 21 mechs for $10 each. Im asking for ONE mech for 40-80.

I was logging into the game to let my nieces play while I was busy, then I saw it. That's the Timberwolf! I didn't need to see the word Clan to know what I was looking at. I clicked so fast, but when I saw the price point for the Mad Cat Collection sitting at $210, I was just dashed aside myself. I said aloud, "I can't buy that. That's too much." It's a good deal, while not better than the Phoenix deal, it' doesn't matter I can't justify spending that much.

I think there should be a cheaper, but less of a deal, price point for smaller packages, or even a single mech. I want to give money for the Timberwolf, but I can't. The deal is so exclusive, due to it's high price, that I have to wait for the C-Bill version.

[Carrioncrows]

Mixed bag of results here IMHO.

1. Design direction.

The design choice is so unimpressive bland they might as well of just re-skinned MW3's work. There is no sense of badassery involved, it's as if nothing has changed they look the same old as they always have. All of this might have been fine if they made the choice to do the mechs at the very least in a different style.

I love alex's work and maybe i'm putting my expectations on a pedastool but I at the very least expected the clans to be visually different than IS mechs. Hard angles, sleeker designs.

Think this

Spoiler

It's an example of what I mean, i am not advocating Metal Gear Rex for MWO.

You put IS mechs and clan mechs together someone should be able to point out the two divergent themes and say this is clan, this is IS without having to have any foreknowledge because the style is markedly different!.

It just looks like more IS mechs with clan names in the same old geometry.

Now I know that Alex is more than capable of doing this, I just think it's a poor design decision to do them the same old way.

The IS with it's outdated but trustworthy machines forged in centuries of Blood and Iron versus the technologically advanced sleek and elegant hunters from the outer rim.

That gives visual imagery, I just expected the artwork to and style reflect that these two completely different sides.

2. I am not spending a cent until I find out how all of this is going to work. Hard points, engines armors, variants the works. Most likely this will be after the holidays. Glad they got it out for christmas but it's a little like selling a car with out knowing what kind of engine is in it and how much gas mileage it gets. But it looks ok from the outside!

3. I'm happy for those of you that have finally received the clans you have eagerly awaited for so long. Personally I had hopped they would be YEARS (IRL time) away. So the game could built, established and expanded upon. I am a IS guy at heart and some of you guys are Clan peeps. Provided all my mechs haven't just been obsoleted in one feel swoop I should be able to enjoy my side of the game without impacting yours.

But all is well and we shall see.

Edited by Carrioncrows, 14 December 2013 - 12:15 AM.

[tvaughanx]

Wooo some clan mech's with a bunch of useless variants to grind... Im not a bt guy but did the clans have variants? They could get away with this is ui2.0 was out and some of cw but this just becomes another $lap in the face. Sry pgi we tried.

[Almond Brown]

Sturmwind, on 13 December 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:

Start launcher - 100% of all cases read "NEW SALE" - be disappointed.

Only could the new "Generation" find a "Sale" to be the "suck".

[Chronojam]

Stonefalcon, on 13 December 2013 - 05:38 PM, said:

Dear PGI.

I really, really love Mechwarrior Online as a game concept, and I also love the Clans and their code of honor.

BUT!!!

In the game's current state I refuse to spend any more money on the product you have provided, you have promised us so much as a community and you have not provided that, so any money I would spend on the game feels wasted until the promised content is released.

Community Warfare is such a critical component of the game that I consider it a vital aspect needed for me to even consider forking over my payment details on one of these delicious clan packs. And yes I admit they are indeed delicious.

Regards

Well if you and your friends buy a $500 package maybe they will purchase a time machine to go back to the end of last year and finish up community warfare for its scheduled February, 2013 deployment. That's why they're pulling this nonsense, right? They're scraping together to buy a time machine to make things right, surely.