24 replies to this topic

[Kaeb Odellas]

Setting aside the rather high price of mechs in this game, the Phoenix Hawk hero addons are kind of a bad value for $15 compared to their MC cost. A 45 ton hero costs 3375 MC under the 75 MC per ton price formula for heroes. Here is the dollar cost for an 45 ton hero for each MC package.

$99.95 package: $13.50
$49.95 package: $14.05
$29.95 package: $15.55
$14.95 package: $16.82
$6.95 package: $18.77

The Phoenix Hawk heroes would be cheaper to buy with MC if you buy the $100 or $50 MC packages. In contrast, the Legend Killer, a 60 tonner, would most likely cost 4500 MC. With the hundred dollar package, that comes down to $18 in MC, meaning the $15 hero addon is still a better value.

About the only reason to get the Hero upgrades is if you want to play with the heroes early.

This isn't even touching on the Reinforcement pack, which is a far worse deal than the Kodiak's reinforcement packages. One of the Reinforcement mechs doesn't even have ES or DHS, and is packing a 270 standard to boot. The other has DHS, but has FF instead of Endo. At least the Kodiak reinforcements look pretty decent out of the box.

[MeiSooHaityu]

The more I look at it, this might be a $20 basic pack for me (even if I get it at all). I'm still on the fence even about that. PGI did a better job in the past. Other package I bought without thinking, but this one I am heavily scrutinizing and if I buy it I will pay less ($20). Had they been a little bit more reasonable about pricing, I probably would have paid for the ultimate pack (and paid more than where I currently stand at possibly spending $20).

Although this is the case for me, I wonder if asking a bit more for such a fan favorite will work out for them? Just because I'm not sold doesn't mean that most people who buy packs aren't just dishing out the $85 for an Ultimate pack and allowing PGI to make more money with this new price point than they would otherwise.

[0bsidion]

Keep in mind, the MC bought hero mechs don't come with a mechbay, but the ones in the pack do. Which, if I remember correctly, are 350 MC each.

[Ronan]

Mechbays as mentioned, and the cockpit items you get for preordering cost MC after general release. And the CBills and Modules are a CBill bonus. The camo probably also costs MC (I don't know camo's much).

If you're going to do comparisons, compare the whole package.

[CDLord HHGD]

I bought everything Phoenix Hawk.

#NOREGRETS

[Mechteric]

At this point its more about getting them a few to several months early than getting a good bargain, so your money is really only going for that. I'll pass on this one, even though I think I'll like the mech.


If they announce Bushwhacker next month, I can't guarantee I'll be as vigilant

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 03 March 2016 - 08:40 AM.

[Metus regem]

Ronan, on 03 March 2016 - 08:28 AM, said:

Mechbays as mentioned, and the cockpit items you get for preordering cost MC after general release. And the CBills and Modules are a CBill bonus. The camo probably also costs MC (I don't know camo's much).

If you're going to do comparisons, compare the whole package.

750mc for the chassis unlock on the skins, 1500mc for faction skins.

[Kaeb Odellas]

0bsidion, on 03 March 2016 - 08:09 AM, said:

Keep in mind, the MC bought hero mechs don't come with a mechbay, but the ones in the pack do. Which, if I remember correctly, are 350 MC each.

I completely overlooked this, but even then, a 45 ton hero and a mech bay cost 3725 MC, which still costs $14.90 with the $100 MC package. Plus, I've got 12 empty mech bays sitting around from event rewards and selling superfluous mechs from Collector's packages. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Ronan, on 03 March 2016 - 08:28 AM, said:

Mechbays as mentioned, and the cockpit items you get for preordering cost MC after general release. And the CBills and Modules are a CBill bonus. The camo probably also costs MC (I don't know camo's much).

If you're going to do comparisons, compare the whole package.

Ronan, on 03 March 2016 - 08:28 AM, said:

Mechbays as mentioned, and the cockpit items you get for preordering cost MC after general release. And the CBills and Modules are a CBill bonus. The camo probably also costs MC (I don't know camo's much).

If you're going to do comparisons, compare the whole package.

Nope. You get all of that for pre-ordering one of the base packages (Standard or Collectors). The $15 Hero addons only get you the Hero a mechbay for it.

[0bsidion]

Kaeb Odellas, on 03 March 2016 - 08:46 AM, said:

I completely overlooked this, but even then, a 45 ton hero and a mech bay cost 3725 MC, which still costs $14.90 with the $100 MC package. Plus, I've got 12 empty mech bays sitting around from event rewards and selling superfluous mechs from Collector's packages. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

So a difference of $.10. Anyway, I'm not here to sell packs for PGI. Ultimately valuation for these things is personally subjective. If you feel it's worth it to get the full pack for $85, you will. If not, you won't.

Though I do admit it's odd they didn't up the ante for the $85 as they did with the previous step up from basic to collectors. But I don't plan on buying the ultimate pack anyway so I doubt it would have made a difference to me one way or the other.

[Amsro]

People have also bought the Pretty Baby.

So why wouldn't anyone buy this pack.

[cazidin]

Is anybody surprised about the pricing?

[Malleus011]

Pricing, no, but when you look at the hero's hard points and stats and conclude that it is pretty much the same as the rest only with a pretty paint job and C-Bill bonus, you start to wonder if you should bother.

[sycocys]

Amsro, on 03 March 2016 - 10:24 AM, said:

People have also bought the Pretty Baby.

So why wouldn't anyone buy this pack.

He's got a point there. Also I think he bought the Pretty Baby... when it wasn't on sale.

[Maccabi]

Is it possible to get both hero mechs without getting the ultimate pack? I already have the standard pack and I want to confirm that I can buy them both individually or if i have to choose one of the two. If I have to choose I think I already know which one Ill go for but I really want both.

[Narcissistic Martyr]

The bigger issue IMO is that since only one of them actually adds anything new to the lineup (2 missile hard points) the other is gonna end up like the fang. Anyone remember the last time they saw a fang? I do. It was during the we need a hero event.

[Tristan Winter]

PGI has figured out that they can charge higher prices for the Unseen mechs, especially in the format of these single mech packs with pre-order bonuses. And on top of that, they can sell hero mechs for a high price when there's no information about when they will be available for MC.

I think they realized this after selling the Urbanmech. Which was sold at a high price, because they were "taking a chance", or something. And then the Unseen mechs, sold at a high price, because "Harmony Gold lawsuit". At any rate, after the Urbanmech, I think they realized that it can be useful to avoid saying anything about future sales for MC and C-bills, because it means fewer people will hold out for those. More people will pre-order if there's no clear alternative in the horizon.

I can't really get worked up about this anymore. The game is so old, there are hundreds of different mechs in MWO already. In 2013 and 2014, it was an issue of P2W, but today that is pretty much a non-issue. The only question right now is the decency of exploiting the whales. And they're mostly adults, so if they can afford $80 for a mech pack, who am I to interfere?

[Tristan Winter]

Narcissistic Martyr, on 28 March 2016 - 06:06 PM, said:

The bigger issue IMO is that since only one of them actually adds anything new to the lineup (2 missile hard points) the other is gonna end up like the fang. Anyone remember the last time they saw a fang? I do. It was during the we need a hero event.

In my opinion, the big issue is the lack of special geometry for the Special variant and the Hero variants. I'm personally disappointed that PGI has completely stopped with special geometry for special mechs.

As for what the Kuroi Kiri adds to the game, who knows? It all depends on its quirks. And the quirks are only revealed days before the PHX is added to the game, and on top of that, they can be changed at any moment. If they give the PHX-1B some generic laser sniping quirks, the Kuroi Kiri could very well end up being the only good PPC sniper for this chassis, for example. They could give it +50% projectile speed quirks, Indeed, this does seem likely given that the only other variant with a stock [ER] PPC is the PHX-1B, and it has ECM, so it's unlikely to get crazy good quirks.

I'm gonna go and predict the Kuroi Kiri will be an amazing PPC poptart. It's what I would do, if I was Paul.

[Maccabi]

Well i have learned a lot about potential build ideas and combat strategy for the hero mechs and peoples opinion of pgi's marketing and creativity(or lack thereof) but still don't have a clear answer to my question. can i preorder both hero mechs without getting the ultimate pack or do I have to choose one?

[Malleus011]

Once you purchase the base 20$ pack, you can pick and choose the 20$ collectors, the 15$ reinforcement, or either or both 15$ heroes.

[Jet Warrior]

I didnt read the entire op post nor the answers, that said:

not everyone here (players) buy this things just because they think they are worth or not, many players love Battletech and will buy anything (ie U$500 pack Gold Mechs) just to support the game (me included), i love this game since the first AC20 shooted, i bought the resistance 1 and 2 not knowing is the mech included will be good or not. I would buy all the classic mechs packs if the local currency to dollar convertionnn rate wasnt at almost 4/1 atm.

And i must add that the bonuses (premium time, mech bays, c-bills pack, modules, cockpit itens, etc) usualy are worth more than the pack price, if purchased separately.

Edited by Jet Warrior, 31 March 2016 - 05:21 AM.