31 replies to this topic

[NocturnalBeast]

A Cbill to MC conversion system would be a welcome addition to the game and would help with new / free to play player retention. This system is very successful in other free to play games.

[Roadbeer]

I wouldn't be opposed to a slider that went either way. MC-Cbill, Cbill-MC.

[NocturnalBeast]

Roadbeer, on 10 January 2014 - 09:47 AM, said:

I wouldn't be opposed to a slider that went either way. MC-Cbill, Cbill-MC.

Well, I would not expect it to be a 1 for 1 exchange, but even 1000 Cbills for one MC would be fair.

[Demos]

Soooo, the offical ratio is 1 MC = 2500 CB, but you want pay 1000 CB to get 1 MC?
Yeah, right.

The idea is good, but it would be something like
Pay 1 MC to get 2500 CB or
Pay 5000 CB to get 1 MC.
Otherwise every MechSale would be useless.

And as PGI fear to lose money, their ratio would be
Pay 1 MC to get 1250 CB or
Pay 10000 CB to get 1 MC.

[Roadbeer]

Demos, on 10 January 2014 - 10:04 AM, said:

Pay 1 MC to get 1250 CB or
Pay 10000 CB to get 1 MC.

I would actually be OK with this ratio

[NocturnalBeast]

Demos, on 10 January 2014 - 10:04 AM, said:

Soooo, the offical ratio is 1 MC = 2500 CB, but you want pay 1000 CB to get 1 MC?
Yeah, right.

The idea is good, but it would be something like
Pay 1 MC to get 2500 CB or
Pay 5000 CB to get 1 MC.
Otherwise every MechSale would be useless.

And as PGI fear to lose money, their ratio would be
Pay 1 MC to get 1250 CB or
Pay 10000 CB to get 1 MC.

My conversion rate was just an arbitrary number I used for an example, of course PGI would have to come up with a number that works for them.

[HugoStiglitz]

You could also limit it to so much MC per month through this system.

[Modo44]

Not gonna happen. MC is how PGI makes money. Any ability for users to get that without paying actual cash would hit their bottom line. There have been so many variations on it, all equally not realistic, it should really be a locked topic here.

[Rhaythe]

What game are you referring to that allows in-game money to real-world money? I've played Hawken, Blacklight: Retribution, and Warframe and I've never seen that. Not even in mobile games like Shadow Era.

[LordSkippy]

Ed Steele, on 10 January 2014 - 09:38 AM, said:

A Cbill to MC conversion system would be a welcome addition to the game and would help with new / free to play player retention. This system is very successful in other free to play games.

I'd prefer an MC exchange system like Star Trek Online's Dilithium exchange. Where players with MC can sale them for C-bills, and players with C-bills can sale them for MC. All MC that enters the system still needs to be purchased with real money, but cash poor players still have a means of getting MC.

[focuspark]

anything close to the current mc => c-bill transition = money lost for PGI

the ration would have to be massively lossy. Something like 25,000 C-bills :: 1 MC for PGI to keep making money (we do have a c-bill billionaire now). So it'll likely not happen.

LordSkippy, on 13 January 2014 - 01:16 PM, said:

I'd prefer an MC exchange system like Star Trek Online's Dilithium exchange. Where players with MC can sale them for C-bills, and players with C-bills can sale them for MC. All MC that enters the system still needs to be purchased with real money, but cash poor players still have a means of getting MC.

This is how it should be done.

[NocturnalBeast]

Yeah, like the system in Neverwinter and the proposed system for Wildstar Online. Neverwinter is a FTP game that still makes money even with their currency exchange system.

[Prezimonto]

Demos, on 10 January 2014 - 10:04 AM, said:

Soooo, the offical ratio is 1 MC = 2500 CB, but you want pay 1000 CB to get 1 MC?
Yeah, right.

The idea is good, but it would be something like
Pay 1 MC to get 2500 CB or
Pay 5000 CB to get 1 MC.
Otherwise every MechSale would be useless.

And as PGI fear to lose money, their ratio would be
Pay 1 MC to get 1250 CB or
Pay 10000 CB to get 1 MC.

I'd still convert CB to MC at those rates, just for the double GXP conversion weekends. As it stands I won't be spending more money on the game... so anything to earn MC for the MC only purchases would be welcomed... even if it came with a stiff grind.

Without cbill boosted mechs or premium time that ~8 to 10 mc per match. It'd take forever and a day to earn enough for a Boar's Head(at least 750), but it could be done...

Conversely that's 400 to 500 GXP (if you stick to double GXP weekends) per match... so 60 to 75 good games.. round up to 100 for added poor games to unlock another 30k module.. .I'm fine with that.

Remember you still have pay for that unlocked module (another 60+ games at 100k a game).

Edited by Prezimonto, 13 January 2014 - 06:54 PM.

[Canadian Attack Beaver]

Ed Steele, on 10 January 2014 - 09:38 AM, said:

A Cbill to MC conversion system would be a welcome addition to the game and would help with new / free to play player retention. This system is very successful in other free to play games.

This is actually a good idea.

[Apnu]

Ed Steele, on 10 January 2014 - 09:38 AM, said:

A Cbill to MC conversion system would be a welcome addition to the game and would help with new / free to play player retention. This system is very successful in other free to play games.

Do you have examples where this system is successful in other F2P games?

[Zerberus]

Ed Steele, on 10 January 2014 - 09:38 AM, said:

A Cbill to MC conversion system would be a welcome addition to the game and would help with new / free to play player retention.

Not necessarily a bad idea, but...

Quote

This system is very successful in other free to play games.

Name ONE.

[NocturnalBeast]

Apnu, on 14 January 2014 - 09:05 AM, said:

Do you have examples where this system is successful in other F2P games?

Zerberus, on 14 January 2014 - 09:33 AM, said:

Not necessarily a bad idea, but...

Name ONE.

This is the proposed system from Wildstar Online, which is still in closed beta and is not fully a FTP game: http://www.wildstar-...business-model/.

Also, I currently play Neverwinter Online which has a currency conversion system, that I believe is similar to STO: http://nw.perfectwor.../news/?p=974931

Prezimonto, on 13 January 2014 - 06:47 PM, said:

I'd still convert CB to MC at those rates, just for the double GXP conversion weekends. As it stands I won't be spending more money on the game... so anything to earn MC for the MC only purchases would be welcomed... even if it came with a stiff grind.

Without cbill boosted mechs or premium time that ~8 to 10 mc per match. It'd take forever and a day to earn enough for a Boar's Head(at least 750), but it could be done...

Conversely that's 400 to 500 GXP (if you stick to double GXP weekends) per match... so 60 to 75 good games.. round up to 100 for added poor games to unlock another 30k module.. .I'm fine with that.

Remember you still have pay for that unlocked module (another 60+ games at 100k a game).

I am sure that the conversion, if implemented would be heavily in PGIs favor (since they do need to earn an income), but at least it would give FTP players a chance to purchase Hero Mechs and to unlock modules.

Edited by Ed Steele, 14 January 2014 - 10:34 AM.

[Xoxim SC]

Ed Steele, on 14 January 2014 - 10:36 AM, said:

This is the proposed system from Wildstar Online, which is still in closed beta and is not fully a FTP game: http://www.wildstar-...business-model/.

Also, I currently play Neverwinter Online which has a currency conversion system, that I believe is similar to STO: http://nw.perfectwor.../news/?p=974931




I am sure that the conversion, if implemented would be heavily in PGIs favor (since they do need to earn an income), but at least it would give FTP players a chance to purchase Hero Mechs and to unlock modules.

This has already been proven to work in Guild Wars 2, which is an ArenaNet game, produced by NCSoft (same publishers of WildStar)

They also have something similar to Warframe, Blacklight Retribution, and if I remember correctly Planetside 2.

Edited by Todd Lightbringer, 14 January 2014 - 10:43 AM.

[focuspark]

Ed Steele, on 13 January 2014 - 05:08 PM, said:

Yeah, like the system in Neverwinter and the proposed system for Wildstar Online. Neverwinter is a FTP game that still makes money even with their currency exchange system.

Neverwinter is designed by the same good people (and my friends) down at Cryptic Studios who brought you StarTrek Online (which uses a similar - and successful - system).

[Apnu]

I don't pretend to understand the gaming industry or the F2P model, I have no experience in it beyond playing a couple of games. I did play Dungeons and Dragons Online and they had a interesting system. They had a currency like MC, called Turbine Points (TP) that are used to unlock things in the game. You could earn TP by gaining "favor points" with factions in the game. It was possible, with a significant time investment, to unlock everything in the game for free. I never made it that far in the game, MWO came along and has consumed my attention, but I liked the notion. I could buy TP when finances allowed, or I could grind for TP when times are tight. It really felt like DDO was looking out for me.

I wish PGI would consider that, maybe its in the pipe when CW comes online. I would like it.