79 replies to this topic

[gregsolidus]

While I wholly understand the rationale behind the Pilot Tree and the use of multiple variants to that effect, I must ask that if I am willing to accumulate three variants worth of experience or more on a single variant of my choice and am willing to pay real currency to have this experience converted, should I really need to waste C Bills and hanger space on two or more other variants that if given the choice I would not pilot nor even own? I have been unable to see the harm in given players this option should they find one variant far more palatable than its brethren and, as such, putting it forth for consideration.

[Ockow]

Buy it, put the xp in it then sell yet if you don't want it, but yes you should have to spend the cb for it

[Vermaxx]

If you are grinding out the time in one mech or three, what does it matter? You still earned two extra mechs worth of CB in the time it took to get that much XP.

Yes, you should have to buy the mechs, because it is an economy speedbump to keep people from sitting on 40million currency and nothing forcing them to spend it.

[gregsolidus]

Why does it matter if they have more C Bills? You're going to reach a point where you have no reason to buy things when you find a build(s) that works anyhow.

Edited by gregsolidus, 08 November 2012 - 10:56 AM.

[gregsolidus]

Vermaxx, on 08 November 2012 - 10:45 AM, said:

If you are grinding out the time in one mech or three, what does it matter? You still earned two extra mechs worth of CB in the time it took to get that much XP.

Not entirely true, I have nearly enough experience for two variants of the Centurion yet only have 4 million C Bills.

[gregsolidus]

No one else has any other thoughts?

[Mister Haha]

it's annoying. but i figure i can afford it.

i doubt they're going to change it due to publisher strongarming. so cough up the 5-10 bucks or spend days grinding.

[Vermaxx]

gregsolidus, on 08 November 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Not entirely true, I have nearly enough experience for two variants of the Centurion yet only have 4 million C Bills.

How did you only make 4 million CB in the time it took you to make 28 thousand XP? Even without founder or premium you're making far more CB than XP.

[gregsolidus]

Repairs and refits, not everyone becomes a bazillonaire with grinding.

[Vermaxx]

gregsolidus, on 08 November 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

Repairs and refits, not everyone becomes a bazillonaire with grinding.

Stop doing those things. Repair internals, take free armor and ammo, play defensively. If you already lose a lot, you aren't going to magically do much worse. If you already win a lot...you aren't going to magically do much worse.

I've been cored out and died while fully repaired and playing with my friends, and I've been part of a winning game with busted internals and freebie armor. Teamwork with the people you are stuck with is more important than 25% armor.

[DrBlue62]

If you don't want to pilot the others then why should you get the proficiency bonus? Aside from the case where well off people will just use their money to buy their way through It keeps people from getting a bonus they didn't earn.

[MrLee]

gregsolidus, on 08 November 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Not entirely true, I have nearly enough experience for two variants of the Centurion yet only have 4 million C Bills.

Are you saying yYou have enough mech XP to convert to GXP and unlock all the stuff for 2 other variants and still only have 4M C-Bills? Did you perchance find some hidden ingame gambling option or do you have tons and tons of weapon modules in the mech bay? Cause with the founder bonus and that amount of XP, it should be next to impossible to have that little C-bills?



Paying to convert the XP from the variant you really really like because the others are not as fun is a convenience. One of the ways a F2P game makes money. "You don't want to spend the time doing that? Fine, we'll let you skip it, but it's going to cost you some $." Same with mech bays, Sure you can play with only 4 mech slots, but it is much, much more convenient to have more...

"Grinding" up the cbills or other mech XP should be quick and easy. Even easier when you realize that you aren't "grinding", Rather you are playing the game for fun. You know fun? The reason most of us actually play video games? Well I would hope it was fun, because if it's not fun to play, why play at all?

[Grayzzur]

My tip is this: Don't grind the "unwanted" variants. Pilot them. Play them. Check out the different fits for them. You'll gain a better understanding of your chassis and it's different variants. You may find something you like better than your "one true variant." You'll be better able to deal with enemies in different variants of your chassis.

[buckX]

Another annoying side effect is that you can't really sell a variant until you unlock elite. If I buy a mech, grind out 90k xp on it, then sell it, I can't spend that accumulated XP. If I end up buying 2 other variants, I can't go back and do the elite advances to unlock master on the two I currently own. This seems unnecessarily punishing. Given the pittance mechs sell for now, I guess I don't care that much, but it's certainly a PITA if people don't feel like buying a mess of mechbays.

MrLee, on 08 November 2012 - 12:20 PM, said:

Are you saying yYou have enough mech XP to convert to GXP and unlock all the stuff for 2 other variants and still only have 4M C-Bills? Did you perchance find some hidden ingame gambling option or do you have tons and tons of weapon modules in the mech bay? Cause with the founder bonus and that amount of XP, it should be next to impossible to have that little C-bills?

He has 4 million after upgrading his centurion. I don't imagine he's piloting it stock. If he threw in Endosteel, DHS, and a big fat XL, he might have slapped down an additional 7 million C-Bills for that. Before anybody says "Lol, unlock elite before buying expensive upgrades!" or "But that's his own fault!", is there really anything wrong with wanting to prioritize upgrading your favored mech? Furthermore, is there really a reason he should have to grind out variants he's not interested in? There are plenty of mechs I want to own, and I won't run out of things to spend C-Bills on for a while, but I don't tend to want 3 of a single chassis. I'd like to own 2 Jenners, a Hunchback, 2 Catapults, an Awesome, and 2 Atlai to really cover my interests. Getting 3 of each is just...unappealing.

Edited by buckX, 08 November 2012 - 12:36 PM.

[gregsolidus]

DrBlue62, on 08 November 2012 - 12:11 PM, said:

If you don't want to pilot the others then why should you get the proficiency bonus? Aside from the case where well off people will just use their money to buy their way through It keeps people from getting a bonus they didn't earn.

I don't quite follow, If I spend the time necessary to earn the experience necessary to fill a variant's tree have I not earned it?

MrLee, on 08 November 2012 - 12:20 PM, said:

Paying to convert the XP from the variant you really really like because the others are not as fun is a convenience.

Exactly, I'm willing to pay actual currency and it isn't and advantage so it seems like a fair change to me.

Grayzzur, on 08 November 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

My tip is this: Don't grind the "unwanted" variants. Pilot them. Play them. Check out the different fits for them. You'll gain a better understanding of your chassis and it's different variants. You may find something you like better than your "one true variant." You'll be better able to deal with enemies in different variants of your chassis.

I know you mean well with this statement but it's a weak argument for an inconvenient system. I know how I want to play and every time I use a different chassis I build it to that play style regardless, combine this with the fact that the three mech system is designed to be a part of the intentional grind anyway and you see it doesn't really benefit anyone in any meaningful way. No one is taking away the ability or incentive to experiment with different play styles or variants but for those who are comfortable with what they have, like myself, it seems like an unnecessary hassle to go around buying variants they have no interest in when they are willing to give PGI money in exchange for the convenience of building mech trees with variants of their choice.

[Fencer]

Its a missed oppritunity on PGIs part. WoT makes alot of cash on exp conversion from tanks you like running to free experence by gold (MC) to allow players to skip tanks they do not like. The player still has to play games to get the exp, just in units they like more. Great way to make money and does not make anyone OP. In MWO there is very little incentive to use the Exp conversion feature.

[gregsolidus]

Exactly.

[RAM]

Agreed – the inability to access the XP tree for variants not in your hanger is inconvenient & frustrating. Allowing that option would definitely be worthwhile to promote XP conversion.


RAM
ELH

[Sandpit]

I think it's a double-edged sword. PGI just needs to make a decision as to which way to go with it. Using the current method promotes buying more mech and thus more mech bays.
The other way is that they spend MC to exchange the exp type.

Currently you almost have to spend it now though to purchase some of the upgrades to piloting

[gregsolidus]

I'm willing to convert my experience, I'm not willing to be bullied into buying extra space for my useless variants. It better to offer actual convenience when you design a game in this particular manner or people won't buy things simply out of spite.