31 replies to this topic

[Kaemon]

No to mechs available only via DLC.

cosmetic items available via DLC - (different skins for mechs/dropships/MRBs/ground forces) yes, that would be cool, maybe for conquest version only.

Home Server mod components (map gen, vehicle mod, scenario testing) via DLC - Hell yes (and that I will pay for)

1st/3rd person view choice as DLC? *runs and hides*

This is a bit why I was concerned with the F2P model, almost anything you put up for payment, someone's going to cry about it being 'unfair' to some extent.

[Requital]

I think everyone is forgetting that skill is a very effective leveler. I have played MW and MMO's for years...and money cannot always substitute for knowledge and skill. Tactics will ALWAYS win.

I played on open NBT servers for years, and disliked how in open matches you would get raped by clan units running ERLL and on coms(ventrillo or teamspeak). Instead of going bigger and with more weaponry, I started running what everyone said was useless...small autocannons, and kept piloting mediums and lights...I changed my tactics and stayed in the top 10 in the opens for kill to death ratio and damage output. Could I take on my own 5 novacats and win? no...but if I played smart I could take out a couple or more and be proud of it.

In a standard MMO, buying your way to victory can have decent results in PVE, but in PVP on a standard button mashing game, it cannot equal skill. In a FPS that will tip the scales further in favor of balance.

With that said, I hope that no chassis are held back, and that if there are chassis for sale, it is "XT" variants, mechs that are already available with slightly different available weapons configurations. I do hope the devs keep the game balanced, but what I am trying to point out is how much skill can be an equalizer. But, this is coming from a pilot that played "puretech", and would often run stock mechs in open servers to stay practiced. I am far from a skilled pilot, but I know that with time and practice comes reward, and as long as the devs do not go overboard with the purchased items, I see no harm with a F2P model. They could still make plenty with custom cockpits, mech skins and camo, weapon and slot variations for the mechs already in the game.

In summary, I will not panic about the sky falling until they release a statement saying standard mechs with be fleas armed with flares and a rape whistle and any additional mechs will be $20.00 each.

[Orcinus]

While I cannot confirm or deny that skill can trump P2W,
I came to this game expecting 'mechs
I don't want to have to jump through loopholes "outside of the game" (I count paying real money in this category) to get those 'mechs
I can accept having variants/customization/etc. for sale, but at least the stock/prime builds should be available

[Agent 0 Fortune]

This thread is why I hate the F2P format.
Everyone wants a great game with all the bells and whistles with everything for free. Face facts, this game will DIE if no one supports it, so yeah, they need to charge for content, and if you want to play MWO then you have to eat that **** sandwich and ask for seconds.

What should you pay for?
Well they have already said the game will not be pay to win, and that everything will be available to everyone over time. Reading between teh lines I think that means repairs. If you break your ride, it has to sit in the shop for a few days/weeks for repairs, if you want it tomorrow, you better pony up for overtime (that is for real $$). No advantage gained, only convenience.
Sucking hiny on the battlefield and not getting any salvage. Maybe you need to buy some better weapons/mechs with real $$ (now some people may argue that this is pay to win, however you are not gaining anything that a skilled player isn't getting for free (by salvaging your mechs I might add), so for a couple bucks you can get back to an even footing).
Mech skins. This probably goes without saying, but the fastest route to your pocketbook is nostalgia. No advantage given, just access to you favorite mech designs. Of course if someone kills and salvages your mech, what happens then? (do you have to buy another, or do you have schematics. Does your opponent get it for free? do they get schemeatics?)

What you should not be able to buy:
intelligence, terrain, air strikes, artillery. You should not be able to gain a tactical advantage for $$
characters skills/levels.

What can you buy?
New tech. I am on the fence here. Since the game takes place just prior to the clan invasion how will new technology be distributed to the players? The obvious solution is to have players buy new tech. This idea reaks of pay to win, however if the technology is distributed slowly, or can be purchased with C-Bills as well then it is still an even playing field.

[Black Sunder]

Agent.0.Fortune, on 28 November 2011 - 02:53 PM, said:

it has to sit in the shop for a few days/weeks for repairs,

And that right there would be the reason people won't play. At all.

[Blackfire1]

I assume we'll have a massive selection of vehicles from the current timeline and back. No clan stuff since it hasn't happened yet. Nor special weapons and items. And this is an online game. Don't think of mech as DLC. Since you buying content thats locked to an account. Not buying software.

If they do sell mechs via micro-transactions (which they should do) It will more likely then not be special variations of mechs. If they follow cannon not all mechs were omnimechs where you could spec them out how ever you wanted. If they don't then the mechs and weapon loadouts will be like MW 3 and 4 with everything swappable.

These will not be play to win. Why? Because for everyone advantage there are two or three disadvantages. You may have your pilot skilled a specific way that helps you out more. You may simply be better at your style of piloting. Mech DLC is a good idea. But only for special variations.

A good example is imagine if each skin in LoL gave a different varation of the same character and wasn't just cosmetic.
I would pay premium for a box set. I'd also pay premium to have personalized voice recording options for my pilot. But thats just me dreaming.

Edited by Blackfire1, 28 November 2011 - 03:54 PM.

[Boneripper]

How can a company stay in business when everything is free. I know I would'nt work for free. I have a family to feed and a morgage etc... I would pay for mechs that you can't get in game but have to upgrade by playing the game whatever. I was taught as a kid Nothing is free. You'll pay for it one way or another.

Edited by Boneripper, 28 November 2011 - 04:08 PM.

[Halfinax]

Look at other successful F2P games like League of Legends, or World of Tanks. You can earn in game currency to buy anything except vanity items. You just earn in game currency at a slow but steady pace, or can boost your assets by using real money to get it faster. They are both fairly successful, but do not require a player to use real money to be successful. With enough time playing most people will spend money, and once they do it once they tend to do it again, however; if players feel the only way to be successful is to spend money then they get turned off, and the player base goes down. Forcing people to pay runs them off. Giving them the option to pay voluntarily keeps them coming back, and the more people that come back the more people it attracts, and the more likely you are to have paying customers. It is in fact so lucarative that previous pay to play games are actually switching to a f2p format. It is offering the proverbial carrot.

[CaveHermit]

After a quick skim thought the topic..DLC or Pay to get.. Star League Era mechs and equipment. That will make the stuff rare without being.. "rare"..

[Riptor]

Quote

I think everyone is forgetting that skill is a very effective leveler. I have played MW and MMO's for years...and money cannot always substitute for knowledge and skill. Tactics will ALWAYS win.

Oh i love this argument... i really do.. especialy since you compare a game that does not have a cash shop to those who have.

Does anyone really believe that everyone that pays for tactical advantages is a noob and that the elite "master race" players only play for free and not spend a single cent on possible tactical advantages?

It doesnt matter if youre a noob or not (noobs will initially spend less to none money on the game till they get more involved with the game)... actually its the hardcore "skilled" players that invest the most into tactical advantages that some of the Pay to win games out there give.

Look at WoT for example, all the clans that engage successfully in Conquest mode use premium "Gold" ammunition. Gold ammunition gives you a damage and armor penetration boost thats far superior to normal standard ammo. Not to mention that you really need a premium account to even successfully compete in conquest mode. What good does tactics do if you get one shotted by the enemy while you need 2 to 3 shots to kill him? (exagerated a bit)

On the other hand almost no one uses gold ammo in PUG games... you know... where all the "unskilled" players hang out?

Are you really going to tell me that all those guilds who hold territorys are noobs? And if tactics can beat P2W mechanics.. how comes that its the people that use gold who hold the most territorys? And how come its called P2W if you can simply beat it with a good tactic?

Anyways.. enough ranting and back to topic:

DLC is such a misleading word when youre talking about a Cash shop game... since its not really DLC in the traditional sense.. or rather everything is DLC if you take it by the letter.

What you are looking for is "premium" mechs.. and there i can see stuff like the Macky for example to be used as Premium mechs... or depending on how deep or shallow the customisation will be you could offer mech desgins that where used by famous pilots throughout the inner sphere.

Like Kais centurion for example.. actually no guts no galaxy talked about it in one of their podcasts and had some good points about it.

So no standard mechs but famous and/or odditys like the Macky that might be outdated but would be funny to pilot.

Edited by Riptor, 28 November 2011 - 06:19 PM.

[Razed In Black]

what if they are achievement prizes?

as for a DLC mech that should be free, I am all about the HCT-3f and AXN-N2.

[Rear Admiral]

Just do it the way League of Legends does it, which is what a couple of you have already stated. Its simple, fair, and allows for people w/ money burnin a hole in their pocket to shell out bucks for a new character/mech or vanity items for your mechs. you earn ingame currency at a slow but steady rate and can use it to also buy any mech released for DLC. Everybody wins: those of you who dont want to pay still can have anything the paying players can (cept vanity items), and those of you who want to buy, can do so without paying to win.

havent played world of tanks.

release the game w/ 20 or so mechs (hopefully more, but lets be realistic here) and then add a mech or 2 bi-weekly or monthly. the key is to always add. ALWAYS.