46 replies to this topic

[Bishop Steiner]

Overall, the packages like the Urbie and Marauder with it's Bounty Hunter Hero Upgrade seem to be a pretty solid approach, which TBH, I MUCH prefer to see to the Massive Packs.

Personally, I dislike spending to buy the Wolfhound, if I wan't the Crab (because a la carte is kinda ludicrous, IMO)

But one knock on the Urbie and MAD Packs? Not a deal breaker, but some people don't like the repeat Variant, with the Collector versions being a gussied up model of one of the Standard Variants.

What I proposed to Russ is something akin to this (Mind you, the variants listed are purely FOR EXAMPLE, and not the models I expect to be included):

Warhammer Pre-order Package

Standard Package: $20 USD
-WHM-6R
-WHM-6L
-WHM-7S

-3x Mechbay
-30 days banked Premium Time
-1x Warhorn, Standing Cockpit Item, Hanging Cockpit Item
-1x Title, Badge

Collectors Package: $40 USD
-WHM-6R
-WHM-6L
-WHM-7S
-WHM-6RK(S) Premium Model

-4x Mechbay
-60 days banked Premium Time
-3x Warhorn, Standing Cockpit Item, Hanging Cockpit Item
-3x Title, Badge

Hero Mech Upgrade: $15 USD
-WHM-6DL "Dark Lady" Natasha Kerensky Hero
-1 Mechbay

And when the Warhammer gets released for MC, then Cbills, the Collector Variant gets released minus the custom geometry and Cbill bonuses.


Would bring us more variants, free up the duplication issue, and such.

Thoughts?

[FupDup]

I wish that all of the larger preorder packs allowed you to mix-and-match the mechs you got WITHOUT having to sacrifice all of the bonuses like premium time and without having to pay ridiculous prices for a la carte.

For example, let's look at the Origins pack. Each level adds +$20 each time. So, the way it would work is that the player first chooses their package tier, and then selects the number of mechs that this tier allows. If they paid $60, this would be a tier 3 package, allowing any 3 mechs to be chosen. Paying just $20 would allow any one specific mech (including the Highlander IIC if they wanted to). Somebody should be able to pick a tier 2 Origins pack for $40 and get the Orion IIC + Jenner IIC. Etc.

[Gas Guzzler]

Bishop Steiner, on 15 September 2015 - 01:57 PM, said:

Hero Mech Upgrade: $15 USD
-WHM-6DL "Dark Lady" Natasha Kerensky Hero
-1 Mechbay

Sounds really cool but did she use a custom variant? Sarna just says "she piloted a jet black Warhammer", its not listed among the custom variants.

[FupDup]

Gas Guzzler, on 15 September 2015 - 02:03 PM, said:

Sounds really cool but did she use a custom variant? Sarna just says "she piloted a jet black Warhammer", its not listed among the custom variants.

PGI has already fudged this in the past with other heroes like TDK, Misery, Pretty Baby, and Boar's Head.

[SkyHammyr]

[Gas Guzzler]

FupDup, on 15 September 2015 - 02:04 PM, said:

PGI has already fudged this in the past with other heroes like TDK, Misery, Pretty Baby, and Boar's Head.

Very well. Proceed with applying the fudge factor.

[Bishop Steiner]

Gas Guzzler, on 15 September 2015 - 02:03 PM, said:

Sounds really cool but did she use a custom variant? Sarna just says "she piloted a jet black Warhammer", its not listed among the custom variants.

The Pretty Baby, Misery, etc were never listed as custom models either. Wit the Dragoons you certainly won't know because they guarded their stuff so jealously. There is no more famous WHM in the history of the Inner sphere though. Even more famous than mine.......

FupDup, on 15 September 2015 - 02:02 PM, said:

I wish that all of the larger preorder packs allowed you to mix-and-match the mechs you got WITHOUT having to sacrifice all of the bonuses like premium time and without having to pay ridiculous prices for a la carte.

For example, let's look at the Origins pack. Each level adds +$20 each time. So, the way it would work is that the player first chooses their package tier, and then selects the number of mechs that this tier allows. If they paid $60, this would be a tier 3 package, allowing any 3 mechs to be chosen. Paying just $20 would allow any one specific mech (including the Highlander IIC if they wanted to). Somebody should be able to pick a tier 2 Origins pack for $40 and get the Orion IIC + Jenner IIC. Etc.

my hope is the Urbie and MAD will spell the end of the Jumbo Pack.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 15 September 2015 - 02:51 PM.

[Jack Gallows]

Bishop Steiner, on 15 September 2015 - 01:57 PM, said:

custom geometry

This seems to be something that's going away or at least becoming more rare as the Urbanmech and Marauder both don't include custom geometry. Not saying it'll be go for good, but I don't think they'll release it on 'mechs from now on....unless they adapt it for Hero 'Mechs to make them stand out even more.

[1453 R]

Twenty-dollar singleton packs, with optional double-up Collector's packs and the occasional bolt-on Hero, sounds like a much more sustainable model than this constant flood of MegaGigaUltrapacks that just don't get bought as much anymore. I don't know if it's going to work for everything - nobody would have spent twenty bucks on the UrbanMech if it wasn't the UrbanMech - but frankly? If this new set-up for special 'Mechs gets them to start releasing straight-to-Cbills things like the Vindicator again, that's all to the good as well.

Some 'Mechs warrant the special attention of a pack. Some 'Mechs just want to be in the game and will limp in however they have to. But at this point, I don't know how many more MegaGigaUltrapacks I'll be springing for. I didn't buy the Zeus, I didn't buy the Black Knight or Mauler, and I only went up to Jenner on Origins. There's just no give left in my poor abused whale-hide wallet for dumping a hundred bucks every time Piranha asks and getting a pack half-full of stuff I didn't really want anyways.

Tossing off a twenty sometimes for particularly interesting machines, though? That I'll do pretty much any time it's offered.

[SkyHammyr]

Jack Gallows, on 15 September 2015 - 03:05 PM, said:

This seems to be something that's going away or at least becoming more rare as the Urbanmech and Marauder both don't include custom geometry. Not saying it'll be go for good, but I don't think they'll release it on 'mechs from now on....unless they adapt it for Hero 'Mechs to make them stand out even more.

Maybe it could be because they plan on selling Custom Geo as MC add-ons or so something. Like other earlier posts had mentioned about custom heads, ect.

[Bishop Steiner]

Jack Gallows, on 15 September 2015 - 03:05 PM, said:

This seems to be something that's going away or at least becoming more rare as the Urbanmech and Marauder both don't include custom geometry. Not saying it'll be go for good, but I don't think they'll release it on 'mechs from now on....unless they adapt it for Hero 'Mechs to make them stand out even more.

...collectors Urbie very much has custom Geo.

[Roadkill]

FupDup, on 15 September 2015 - 02:02 PM, said:

For example, let's look at the Origins pack. Each level adds +$20 each time. So, the way it would work is that the player first chooses their package tier, and then selects the number of mechs that this tier allows.

They'd never sell another Light Mech.

The top-tier packs are all about forcing you to accept Mechs you don't want (Lights, probably Mediums for some people) in order to get the Mechs you actually want. A la carte prices are set to make it silly to buy a la carte for anything but a single Heavy or Assault. (Even for a Medium you should just fork over the extra $5 to get the Medium pack which comes with the Lights and the extra bonuses.)

What they should really do is change their pricing model. Lights shouldn't cost the same $$$ as Assaults.

[Bishop Steiner]

1453 R, on 15 September 2015 - 03:06 PM, said:

Twenty-dollar singleton packs, with optional double-up Collector's packs and the occasional bolt-on Hero, sounds like a much more sustainable model than this constant flood of MegaGigaUltrapacks that just don't get bought as much anymore. I don't know if it's going to work for everything - nobody would have spent twenty bucks on the UrbanMech if it wasn't the UrbanMech - but frankly? If this new set-up for special 'Mechs gets them to start releasing straight-to-Cbills things like the Vindicator again, that's all to the good as well.

Some 'Mechs warrant the special attention of a pack. Some 'Mechs just want to be in the game and will limp in however they have to. But at this point, I don't know how many more MegaGigaUltrapacks I'll be springing for. I didn't buy the Zeus, I didn't buy the Black Knight or Mauler, and I only went up to Jenner on Origins. There's just no give left in my poor abused whale-hide wallet for dumping a hundred bucks every time Piranha asks and getting a pack half-full of stuff I didn't really want anyways.

Tossing off a twenty sometimes for particularly interesting machines, though? That I'll do pretty much any time it's offered.

Well they went Hero, MC, Cbill release for Mech of the Month starting with the HGN. This is not too dissimilar, and if there are enough things like Premium Time as part, and discounts for early Hero Purchase thru the packs, I could see even run of the mill mechs sell, as long as they aren't obviously DOA.

They may well need to mix stuff up, as not all will really generate presale buzz, etc, and can't give too much Premium Time, so maybe some ad paint of camos to the packs.

But having Cbill boosters of every base chassis would be good, and at the least, can't see where it would hurt sales.

[FupDup]

Roadkill, on 15 September 2015 - 03:36 PM, said:

They'd never sell another Light Mech.

The top-tier packs are all about forcing you to accept Mechs you don't want (Lights, probably Mediums for some people) in order to get the Mechs you actually want. A la carte prices are set to make it silly to buy a la carte for anything but a single Heavy or Assault. (Even for a Medium you should just fork over the extra $5 to get the Medium pack which comes with the Lights and the extra bonuses.)

What they should really do is change their pricing model. Lights shouldn't cost the same $$$ as Assaults.

...So? If they want to sell small robbits, they should make the small robbits more desirable on their own merits instead of trying to force it.

Also, since the higher tiers provide extra benefits like more premium time, they are still required to reach the higher bonuses anyways.

[CtrlAltWheee]

I would like if they let customers choose which variant to upgrade to Hero status.

Like how we choose faction colors and cockpit item. We pick which mech will get the c-bill bonus.

[Bishop Steiner]

Roadkill, on 15 September 2015 - 03:36 PM, said:

They'd never sell another Light Mech.

The top-tier packs are all about forcing you to accept Mechs you don't want (Lights, probably Mediums for some people) in order to get the Mechs you actually want. A la carte prices are set to make it silly to buy a la carte for anything but a single Heavy or Assault. (Even for a Medium you should just fork over the extra $5 to get the Medium pack which comes with the Lights and the extra bonuses.)

What they should really do is change their pricing model. Lights shouldn't cost the same $$$ as Assaults.

sold a fair bit of Lights and Mediums pre Giga Packs. An a lot of people have skipped the gigapacks to wait for Cbills, or bought stuff a la carte.

[Jack Gallows]

Bishop Steiner, on 15 September 2015 - 03:31 PM, said:

...collectors Urbie very much has custom Geo.

My bad, never noticed it since I was generally going off the concept art which doesn't have it (which the other designs showed.)

Bishop Steiner, on 15 September 2015 - 03:41 PM, said:

sold a fair bit of Lights and Mediums pre Giga Packs. An a lot of people have skipped the gigapacks to wait for Cbills, or bought stuff a la carte.

I haven't bought anything in a long time (stopped actively playing,) but a few guys jump for the smaller packs since they're more manageable and since they would normally a la carte stuff (don't want most mechs in a pack,) or wait for C-bill releases.

Edited by Jack Gallows, 15 September 2015 - 03:46 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Jack Gallows, on 15 September 2015 - 03:42 PM, said:

My bad, never noticed it since I was generally going off the concept art which doesn't have it (which the other designs showed.)

Yeah, they previewed it later on twitter or something. Which is why we have no clue if the MAD will have it or not.

Really hope so, as I would LOVE some cosmetic changes from the art.... but really just want a lot more credit symbols on the BH2.

[CtrlAltWheee]

I very much hope they move the cosmetic changes from mech packs to microtransactions.

[Ted Wayz]

I want PGI to do whatever makes fiscal sense for them and therefore the game. If the choice aligns with what we think is right, okay. But in most cases the community is wrong, fiscally speaking.

The single pack for iconic mechs works. Of course burying one of these in a pack with more mechs to get people to buy higher tier packs would also work. And could mean more income for PGI. Raise your hand if you would buy a Charger to get a Marauder.

Looking back how many people would buy the proposed Standard, Collectors and Hero upgrade Ice Ferret? Mist Lynx? Gladiator? Etc. etc. Those mechs sold only because they were bundled. Take that away and there will be a bunch of items in the store until available for c-bills.

The Marauder in the current pack is more a result of PGI needing a quick influx of cash (as predicted previously) than it being the new way to sell mechs. Don't get used to this format, you will only see it again if PGI needs another quick bump to pay for the Steam release development. From my POV another sale like this would be a bad sign, not good.