42 replies to this topic

[Daegog]

Hello all,

I'm fairly new to regular play of MWO. My scores show it greatly lol.. I have some vacation time and i wanted to make some headway toward a new mech. I was going to buy premium time at the start of the day, but i wanted to do some math first.

Turns out, after 10 games, i made about 600k. A fairly small amount, but i'm not a good player. Now if i had premium time, i would have made about 900K, a substantial increase, but when i factor in the cost of a new mech, plus upgrades, plus module costs, seems like its just not worth investing in money into the game. My line of thinking is that if your not even going to buy premium time, then why buy anything else?

I have spent, in my life thousands on games and pcs, etc. I do not mind spending cash for entertainment, i just don't want it to be.. ineffective.

I would have to grind out cash in game after game in a mech, that would rapidly bore me (or use whatever trial mechs are available, but it seems like your better off using the mechs you own (i own a dragon and the free tbolt), for xp sake.

So, i mostly play those two mechs, over and over, i swap weapons now and then for a change of pace, but i don't seem to do all that much better no matter what loadout i use (im consistent in my badness).

So, i would like to hear from other new players that did take the premium route that do NOT have a lot of time to play (i normally only get to play maybe 10 games a week). Are you finding the game more enjoyable? What kind of Cbill income are you generating on a average basis?

Edited by Marvyn Dodgers, 04 May 2014 - 04:22 AM.

[Parliment]

probaly better spent on a hero mech then youll get a c-bill and xp bonus for as long as you own the mech

[Kilo 40]

I've never used premium time(mostly because you can't use it just while playing i.e. you can't turn it on and off).

I bought my first mech with cash, then just kept playing until I could afford other mechs, engines, modules, etc...I would just set a goal and play until I could afford the thing I wanted next. then after I got enough money to get it, I would work towards the next thing on my list.

I play a lot more then ten games a week(usually 3-4 games after I get home from work, then 4-5 hours per day on my weekends) like you do, and it isn't worth it to me, and I honestly don't think it would be worth it to you. But in the end it's your money, not mine.

[Flyby215]

If you've spent "thousands" on games and PC's then I suspect a little premium time would be merely a drop in the bucket. I've spent absurd amounts of money in MWO and other games too. Some people buy motorcycles, some people save, some people buy shoes, some people buy coins. I buy digital items in games.

You probably won't notice any difference at all, since there's little baseline given that you haven't played a whole lot of MWO yet. Having more C-Bills available might make you more susceptible to careless mistakes/purchases. As supernachos already pointed out, a Hero mech may be worthwhile but you probably don't know which one would suit your needs.

Going back to my first point, if you've already invested a lot of money into games before then buying the lowest level MC package and a few days worth of premium time would have zero impact on your overall finances. Word of advice though, do not buy any mechs with MC until you are absolutely positive that you enjoy the game enough to want to invest in it.

[Daegog]

supernachos, on 04 May 2014 - 12:16 AM, said:

probaly better spent on a hero mech then youll get a c-bill and xp bonus for as long as you own the mech

I gave this some thought as well, but it still seems like your stuck playing that one hero mech over and over for the bonuses (and you still have to buy other mechs to get the elites/masteries done right?)

[Elkfire]

Daegog, on 04 May 2014 - 12:30 AM, said:

I gave this some thought as well, but it still seems like your stuck playing that one hero mech over and over for the bonuses (and you still have to buy other mechs to get the elites/masteries done right?)

Yes, you would need two other variants of that particular mech to get the Elite/Master skills.

So if you're only going to buy one Hero mech, make it one you think you'll be happy with for a good long while!

[Raggedyman]

Daegog, on 04 May 2014 - 12:13 AM, said:

So, i would like to hear from other new players that did take the premium route that do NOT have a lot of time to play (i normally only get to play maybe 10 games a week). Are you finding the game more enjoyable? What kind of Cbill income are you generating on a average basis?

If you are playing sporadically, and only in PUGs, then Premium Time isn't going to give you as much visible benefit as a Hero or Champion mech, Technically you get a better progression return with Premium Time (boost to everything, no matter what you are playing) but I don't think you are going to notice it as mush as 'Rocking Stuff Up With A Real Cool Mech'.
Try the one day Premium Time and see how you feel, otherwise just go with what gives you the most fun :-)

[TimePeriod]

Stick to the hero 'Mech. The passive extra income will serve you better in the long run then premium time which must constantly be renewed since we don't have a toggle on that bloody button of theirs.

Edit:
I've had a lot of fun with the Victor-DS. It can be outfitted with many different setups and even has jumpjets.

Edited by TimePeriod, 04 May 2014 - 01:04 AM.

[kapusta11]

Just buy Heavy Metal or Dragon Slayer.

[Mycrus]

This economy sucks... it basically is set that you cant advan e quick enough without premium...

Pre 12man economy was okay..

I believe the question should be, is it worth to spend money into this iteration of the game..

[Androas]

I would rather suggest Premium time, Cbill income aside,
it gives you double XP, which is more important while you still master different mechs.

Next thing is, Heroe mechs give you 30% Cbill, Premium time gives you 50%.

So if your income is low allready, those 50% make a larger impact in your total, then those 30%.

Third thing to consider, Prem. time works with EVERY mech, if you pick a heroe, you are stuck to that specific weight class, with 3/3/3/3 beeing re enabled soon, you want to be more flexible then that.

[SnowdogJJJ]

Premium time is great when you can get it on sale and know you have a few days to play a lot. And even better if you have a (big) hero mech to compound the earnings. I used to grab the 1 or 3 and sometimes 7 day premium sales packs when they are available and rack up the c-bills.

I say go for it and enjoy the game while it is still fresh for you and not a grind. I got about a years worth of play time out of MWO and enjoyed my $300+ expenditure on heros and bling. Great game, I am taking a brake now and only play a few games a week but as they add things to the game I am sure I'll come back, if not .. I had a blast. Go enjoy your self just be careful how much you spend

[Training Instructor]

As a person who wasted a lot of money on premium time, I can safely say that you shouldn't waste it unless you're reasonably confident you'll get good results and you're using mechs that will kill a bunch of stuff.

If you like the game, and you're trying to establish a cbill bankroll to purchase normal mechs, maybe I'd go with getting a heavy/assault hero that you like and activating premium time once you've finished basics. I say this because after you've finished basics you'll be much better at killing people and will be used to your fire angles.

[Junkman7mgte]

A lot of good advice here, but I'll throw out an opinion anyway I'd wait until you have played more mechs, trials, and buy a few more with c-bills before buying a Hero. Know what you like before taking that plunge. As for premium time, buy a package that you are positive you will get to use. ie. -- You know you are going to sit and play for the better part of 1 day, buy 1 day ... got 3 days you plan on sitting at the computer, buy 3 days. I used my 90 days from the Phoenix package, over the period of holidays from just before Thanksgiving, to after the New Year. I knew I would get the most play time, during those winter months, and while I had "excess" time off from the daily job.

[Pale Jackal]

Certainly if you're only playing 10 matches a week, premium time seems like a waste.

900K versus 600K per week, means 1.2 million extra C-bills per week. 4.8 million per month. Not enough to even buy an extra fully upgraded medium with endo-steel and DHS.

Conversely, if you buy a hero 'mech like the Ilya or Dragon Slayer on sale, you get approximately $8 million C-bills worth of gear. Ilya comes with an XL280, which is a decent engine.

Then, if you play for the rest of the month, you get approximately 3 million C-bills. Net gain: $6 million C-bills plus whatever you earn for as long as you keep the hero 'mech.

Now, I think that if you played more often, say three or four times as much, or were able to buy a month of premium time for half-off, then the math changes. You have to realistically ask yourself: how much will I really pilot my hero? Or will I feel forced to pilot my hero 'mech?

Say you play 3x as much and buy premium for half-off (not sure if that's happened): then suddenly you're making ~30 million for the same price as the on-sale Ilya. Additionally, you better make sure you like the other variants of the hero 'mech you're buying, since you will have to pilot and master those. Not a problem when I bought my Ilya, as I already had three CTFs already mastered, but when I bought my X-5 and had to master the Cicada-3C... ouch! I should have bought the -2A instead, but I wanted a variant that felt different from the Jenner-F. The 3M was pretty awesome to pilot, though.

Edited by Pale Jackal, 04 May 2014 - 06:22 AM.

[Photec]

supernachos, on 04 May 2014 - 12:16 AM, said:

probaly better spent on a hero mech then youll get a c-bill and xp bonus for as long as you own the mech

Yeah. After some research I decided to buy my first hero, the Ilya Muromets, in addition to the premium time.

Much grinding ensued >_<

But hey, with an Ilya and premium you can get a new mech every few days

[Josef Koba]

As has been stated, hero mechs are a decent investment provided you get one you like in a chassis you have or intend to master. It wouldn't be a lot of fun for me to buy a Huggin or an Oxide since I don't have enough of either of those chassis to get them to master level. I love my BH and Ilya and Firebrand and etc. to give me a nice earnings boost.

But premium time is, I think, worth it too. When my buddy and I are getting on, I'll use a day of premium time just to maximize my time and profits. However, big blocks aren't necessarily worth it unless you know you're going to be able to play during that time. We bought the Overlord and got a bunch of premium time and then life happened and a lot of it went to waste. I normally won't use more than three days at a time just for that reason.

[Barkem Squirrel]

All mechs preform for different people differently.

Choosing a hero mech takes a while or like us with the Phoenix packages with the Saber mechs added we have 6 mechs that also give a 30% bonus. Founders mechs are 25% bonus. The clan package also has 8 mechs with 30% bonuses.


How you play, how you like to play and what play style you are good at may differ.


Until I found a style of play that I was good at, and got better at it. I stayed about at the same level of skill. Later I branched out into other play styles again and found them easier, but it also helped me out in my main play style. The funny part is, not one Hero mech matches the play styles that I am good at, but I still can do good in them now.

Until there is an Archer or another LRM boat hero mech, I will be having fun with the Fire Brand with a 340 standard, 6 SPL and 2 MG's. It's either that or 2 AC 20's boomjager.

[Bront]

When I first started, after I got my bearings, I signed up for a month of premium time. I had a bunch of free time that month, and over the month managed to buy somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-14 mechs. That was premium time well spent.

I then got premium time when I got the Phoenix package. 90 days of PT when you already own the mechs gave me some spare cash to buy modules and engines with, and it was nice to reduce the XP grind to level up the mechs. I didn't grind this time out, but I found it useful.

I haven't purchased any since (Though I've used a few free time bonuses I've gotten), and probably won't for a while, but I don't feel ripped off by premium time. It really does reduce the grind. That said, I'm at a point now where I'm not likely to spend more money any time soon on MWO (the 20% MC Bonus really was tempting though), and that means no PT for me for a while. I now have a hero mech, the 4 Phoenix mechs, and have MC lined up for a second one when it goes on sale, and that will have to suit me for now for MC generation.

That said, I'd advise saving up for your new mech, and then buying the PT, so you get bonus XP to level it up while you work on earning the next one. If you want to get PT. Just make sure it lines up with having some free time. The 1 month time is a pretty good deal if you use more than 2 weeks worth of it heavily.

[Jon Gotham]

Premium time is more effective the better you are. It's common for a decent player to hit 200k cbills a game, provided they are active.
I'd suggest if you main intent is to earn cbills, to start hitting every mech you see at least once (assist 6500 cbills) and try to take arms and legs off if possible, or side torsos on larger mechs-takes torso out AND the arm. Provided you do a few component destructions and get at least 6 assists 100k+ non premium should be readily attainable.