99 replies to this topic

[Black Fish]

When I started playing I remember I thought the grind was pretty intense...
But after an approximate comparison with the only other game I play, League of Legends, I found MWO to be not as terrible as I thought:
MWO

• Currency earning per match: ~100,000 C-Bills
  
• Average match duration: ~10 minutes
  
• Average 'Mech costs: 10,000,000 C-Bills (this is a really rough estimation, upgrades included)
  
• Hours needed to unlock a 'Mech: 'Mech cost \ currency earning * match duration: 16:40 hours

LoL

• Currency earning per match: ~84 Influence Points
  
• avarage match duration: ~37 minutes
  
• Champion Unlock costs: 6300 IP (I took the most common Champ prices)
  
• Hours needed to unlock a 'Mech: Champ cost \ currency earning * match duration: 46:15 hours

Important things to consider:

• LoL has a +250 IP (currency) per 22 hours bonus system, per account, MWO has double XP per day bonus system per 'Mech.
  
• LoL also have unlockable Rune Pages and Runes, MWO has unlockable and purchasable Modules
  
• Investing money into LoL can be used cosmetically and to unlock Champions and rune pages. Investing money into MWO can be used cosmetically, to unlock 'Mechs and to temporarily and permanently increase currency gains, by up to 80%
  
• LoL does not offer sales with in game Currency, MWO offer, though rarely, sales with in game currency on 'Mechs and Modules.
  
• MWO host events that can net C-Bills and other perks, LoL offer weekly sales for real money currency and occasionally other sales an challenges.
  
• Important to not MWO has a limited 'Mech Labs that can only be unlocked with money, but can be earned, to some degree. LoL has no restriction to number of champions owned.

With these in mind, what are your thoughts on the grind in MWO and if you can add some other games to compare to it would help to shed some light on how grindy this game really is.
Any thoughts on this?

[C E Dwyer]

No it's not, people just like to complain that they don't level fast enough on a freemium account

[VirtualRiot]

Now multiply 16:40 by 3 because if your mech isint mastered then what are you even playing for. Lol champs aren't handicapped right out of the gate.

[C E Dwyer]

As an example, i've mastered every mech in the game but the crabs and the wolf hounds, which are elited and half way to mastering.

Also maxed out all the weapon modules to level 5

No, this game isn't the grind people claim it is

[TyphonCh]

VirtualRiot, on 29 November 2015 - 01:44 PM, said:

Now multiply 16:40 by 3 because if your mech isint mastered then what are you even playing for. Lol champs aren't handicapped right out of the gate.

With the skill tree nerfs, the power gap is substantially smaller between mastered and basic. This won't be near as much as an issue anymore.
What really is the big hitter though, is the GXP grindwall and pricey modules.

[Pjwned]

OP, your figures don't include modules or the fact that you need to level up 3 variants to get any decent benefits from the skill tree, so I think you need to try again.

Team Chevy86, on 29 November 2015 - 01:57 PM, said:

With the skill tree nerfs, the power gap is substantially smaller between mastered and basic. This won't be near as much as an issue anymore.
What really is the big hitter though, is the GXP grindwall and pricey modules.

Power gap still exists though and it is significant, if only because of speed tweak but also because doubled basics still matter quite a bit even after being nerfed.

[Foxwalker]

Start an alt account and see how tuff the grind is. It is insane. Yes, the goal for PGI is to get new players to spend money on mech packs and such, but the problem as I see it, is new players will quickly tire of the grind, and more likely quit before the game becomes fun enough to make the decision to buy anything.

Just my take. Try an alt first and let me know if you have a similar experience.

[Dirkdaring]

I don't think so at all. With premium time gaining cbills is very quick.

And yes, if you can't spend $7 supporting the developers don't complain about the grind.

[Mothykins]

We just doubled rewards, like, a month ago.

It's good now.

[Herr Vorragend]

I personally don't find the grind too hard. In general I'm looking forward to grind out a new chassis although there aren't many left to do. You need to see this as a challenge that might take a very long time. And I like games that keep me coming back again and again.
If you want to have it quicker, invest money, exchange xp to gxp and buy the packs you like.

If you're playing for at least a year you will already have unused engines and weapons lying around in your hangar.
Also the formula of needing to master three mechs per chassis is okay.

New players got the cadetbonus. And the gap between basics and elite will be modified. The new players should been told, that they should think carefully about their first choice and/or get a hero mech for that chassis

[Coolant]

Foxwalker, on 29 November 2015 - 02:13 PM, said:

Start an alt account and see how tuff the grind is. It is insane. Yes, the goal for PGI is to get new players to spend money on mech packs and such, but the problem as I see it, is new players will quickly tire of the grind, and more likely quit before the game becomes fun enough to make the decision to buy anything.

Just my take. Try an alt first and let me know if you have a similar experience.

I tried that recently. By doing only the Academy and 2 matches I had 6.3 million. With the cadet bonuses and other Achievements unlocking it is not that bad. People are saying you have to get 3 chassis of a mech, but really it's about getting that first mech or a couple of mechs you like. Those that keep pointing out about 3 chassis to Master forget what it is like for a brand new player. Getting your first mech is a big deal when you can build it the way you like in the Mechlab and likely will seal the deal in being a regular player.

Edited by Coolant, 29 November 2015 - 02:33 PM.

[TheCharlatan]

It's not bad at all.
I still hate the "3 mechs to elite" rule, though.

[MechaBattler]

They did recently buff rewards a bit. The feedback seemed positive.

I think if we didn't have the 3 mech skill system it would be less oppressive. It would be like playing League and being forced to unlock 3 versions of Singed with small tweaks for each. And all just so you can unlock the full mastery trees.

But it was probably really necessary early on because of a lack of mechs. Now we have many more and more to come.

[Champion of Khorne Lord of Blood]

It used to be quite a grind, but then we got:

• Optomized Trial mechs
  
• Cadet bonuses
  
• Tutorial bonus
  
• Events much more often
  
• Daily double XP
  
• Large Cbill buff

I could say it was pretty brutal back when I started where you got stock trial mechs to use, no bonuses at all, rarely ever got an event, and the average cbill gain per match was below 100k. Now its not really bad at all compared to any other game I've seen out there that is F2P.

[Spheroid]

The grind is not bad at all. All 159 of my mechs are mastered. A vast majority of those purchased with c-bills post earnings nerf. Also currently maxed out on Kurita loyalty in CW.

I forget what if anything Veteran founders got for premium but my career premium from packages is 90 days (Talon, Urbanmech, Wolfhound).

It is absolutely possible to consume content faster than it is created.

[LordNothing]

im kind of an opinion that a game should have an end point, to give the player closure and allow them to move on. maybe come back to it in a fit of nostalgia some years later. however a lot of games now the end is when you get sick of playing it. i dont expect to be feeling nostalgic about those games.

i call the game way to grindy. especially when you buy down the grind and it still feels that way.

[LORD ORION]

The real problem is that there are so many terrible mechs for new people...

If you want to get out of lower T3 or play CW and have fun, you need to bring performance mechs and builds, or you are going to have a real bad time.

After you've mastered your first craptacular chasis, it stings a little when you realize you should have put that time into something else that is a solid c-bill earner. Once you have the c-bill problem solved and understand the game, you can play craptacular mechs at your leisure.

Edited by LORD ORION, 29 November 2015 - 03:48 PM.

[Burktross]

Homicide to MWO's Manslaughter, I say!

[Tordin]

The grind is good and well balanced if you can say so. The grind for exp is sometimes sirup but managable..

[mekabuser]

its not.
plus there is much to be learned mastering, for real, your mechs.


I have empty mech bays and north of 100 mil cb bec I just like playing what i have at this point.

It is a pretty decent product at this point and mech combat is unlike anything else.