126 replies to this topic

[van Uber]

This is an interesting question. Most reasonable beings understand that, while MWO is free to play, they do need money to sustain their business. Developers need to eat too and then there is the question of infrastructure (that tends to end up on the impressive side in these cases) that needs to be maintained.

So where will the money come from? Some of us has pitched in more money already than a standard AAA-title usually costs. That is all well and good for a start, but I think most of us are interested in a very long existence for MWO. So the money needs to keep coming in, enter micro transactions.

Now there are some MT-models out there, good and bad like Team Fortress 2 and EVE-Online (they did a catastrophic attempt to include vanity MT on top of their subscription model), but perhaps most notably World of Tanks. I know some people cringe when they hear that, but they really shouldn't. WoT has some similarities with MWO and is a good example of a successful MT-model (they do expand like crazy). Thus it is interesting to point out what you like and dislike with the micro transactions in WoT.

So where does the cash flow come from in WoT? Some of it is already confirmed in MWO, albeit with perhaps a different take or price.

In WoT you can spend money on:

- Premium account (XP and ingame currency boost). Confirmed for MWO
- Premium Tanks (with built in bonus to ingame currency). Founder Mechs are similar, but cost less than premium tanks in WoT.
- Consumables (large repairboxes, auto fire extinguishers etc).
- Removing permanent equipment
- Camouflage (strictly vanity item)
- Gold ammo

That last one is probably a hot item in any non-WoT community. Nobody wants it because it is very close to "Pay to Win", but you hear very little about it in WoT (so I guess that's one thing the devs there have manage do do right). Also it's almost exclusively used in specific type of game modes (clan warfare), so the common player will not encounter it very often. I don't have any numbers at all, but I can imagine that gold ammo is a nice and steady income for Wargaming.

So the question is, what are you ready to pay for? What would you like to see or not see?

[Manthony Higgs]

I want every flat surface in my cockpit covered in hula girls.

[l33tworks]

Manthony Higgs, on 08 July 2012 - 03:16 PM, said:

I want every flat surface in my cockpit covered in hula girls.

don't forget velcro for the sides

[light487]

I'll pay for Mechs.. whether they are "premium" or not. I don't think there is any plans to have Premium Mechs (as that would imply that those mechs would not be available to Free players).. but I'd definitely pay money to get access to my favourite mech(s) if give the choice.

I'll pay for Paintjobs.. maybe not the insignias as I would rather have to earn "battle scars" and "rank insignias" etc. I might, though probably not, pay for internal and mechbay decoration because these kind of things are for "show" and who is going to see it other than me.. so I probably wouldn't bother with that. One thing I'd like to see in this space is stuff you can get that freebies can't. These kind of "vanity" items and costumes don't affect the gameplay at all, so it's not giving you any advantage.. you just look cool. So definitely need premium paintjobs.

I selected other because while I don't think there should be, or will be, any premium consumables or premium weapons/ammo, I think you will be able to restock or buy these things with either C-Bills or MW-Cash.

[Bucannen85]

Manthony Higgs, on 08 July 2012 - 03:16 PM, said:

I want every flat surface in my cockpit covered in hula girls.

Lol I would pay for the hula girl

[Adm Awesome]

I need my damn party balls inside the cockpit...

[Elendil]

I only ever pay real money for things that don't get used up or expire, and which (usually) will be useful on more than one mech/tank/character.

Like, shared bank space, and new outfits, and account-bound items. Mostly convenience and customization stuff.

[Bucannen85]

I've never liked the F2P games before. Some of them it fells like you can't get any where unless you buy some thing. I rather pay for a subscription. Like van Uber I love mechwarrior and would like to see MWO stand the test of time.

[Adm Awesome]

I know the first thing my money will go to is mechs and mech bays (you can buy those right?)

[latdheretic]

I'll drop money on premium versions of my favorite mechs (which I consider the founders mechs to be an example thereof.) Extra mech bay slots, cosmetics if I like the look and the price is reasonable. XP boosters I will consider if the price is good as well.

I'll also probably get premium account time while I am playing seriously. However I will only pay for permanent bonuses. Though I consider things that boost XP and cbill payouts to be permanent bonuses even if the boost itself is temporary, because you will carry the XP/Cbills earned permanently.

I do NOT want to see "golden" ammo, premium modules or anything of those likes. As far as I'm concerned a person playing completely for free should be able to do just as well a paying player assuming that they are willing to play twice as many matches to get there. I feel that paying should be for cosmetics and convenience not for actual top end in game power.

[Sidra]

I will pay for painjobs, decals, things that go inside the cockpit, or a varianet of a weapon (same damage and stats jsut a different look, same with mechs) But I REFUSE to put money into anything that will make this game pay to win like WoT

[Keizer]

i would pay for Fuzzy Dice .....and hula girls with different color skirts

[Lord Cochrane]

I would pay for fluffy dice.

[FatherTiny]

I always plan on spending $15-$20 a month for any online game I play, be it free to play or not. However, like many of you, I dislike pay to win items or premium vehicles that are overpowered or put into easier tiers of combat. Everyone should be on a level playing field. I'm hoping Mechwarrior isn't like WOT in those regards. I'm more than happy to pay each month if that is the case.

[Broceratops]

urbanmech. thats the only thing i'd spend money on. i already have $80 of money from legendary, i'd spend it all on a urbanmech.

[Keizer]

i wouldnt mind a camera vid screen so you can see a snap shot of the pilot when his mech get destroyed or even live video so i can laugh at him before i blow his arse up

Edited by Keizer, 08 July 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[Beep Pop]

there is no premium mech or weapon in the game

[River McCain]

I am willing to pay for whatever I see value in.

If this becomes a pay to win game though I will not support it.

Paint Jobs would be cool.
Cockpit Items.
Special chassis, not better mechs just limited edition, like you can only pilot an Urbie if you buy one with cash.

[Todd Lee]

I personally don't spend money on in-game digital content, and probably never will (though I am down to my last 2-3 years of gaming since school is starting to ramp up).

[Adm Awesome]

holy crap it's ben said time and time again, these guys will never do pay to win ever. They are strongly against it and will never put anything like that on the games market

with that aside. I think dumb gimicky stuff like Team Fortress 2 stuff would be funny, like when you die, your mech explodes into fireworks or something.

Then again if you put too much stuff it really will take away from the realism, all a true pilot would have would be custom tags and paintjobs on his mech and some cool stuff in the cockpit, that's about it.