317 replies to this topic

[zverofaust]

Quote

Q: Will you have (bad wot example) premium mech’s
A: I think there are some really neat ideas like notable named hero mechs (Russ)

Woah woah woah. Premium Mechs, in my Mechwarrior Online?

I'd just like to take a minute to gently prod into the soft jelly-belly of Piranha Games' developers, because I, as a person who has not paid a single dime towards this endeavour, feel overwhelmingly entitled to voice my opinion as if I were a majority shareholder (is Piranha even public?) I've also included a poll, to give readers the notion that their voice also matters (it doesn't).

Since it was already brought up, yeah, let's look at the WoT example. In this game of tanks and artillery that are mostly unlocked via grinding experience and money, there exist a plethora of unique, real-money-only tanks of various sizes and uses. They are generally /okay/ with a few minor exceptions; they aren't particularly overpowered (IMHO), offer me as a non-premium tank user juicy shiny kills, and in my opinion are a net positive addition to World of Tanks. Let me stress though that I ******* hate WoT and hope it gets cancer, but for many reasons that don't really have anything to do with gold tanks.

I think MWO could stand to use this popular gimmick, if appropriately implemented. It makes more sense -- WoT was always confusing for anyone with even a basic level of understanding of WW2 (Soviets & Germans fighting Americans & Chinese what???), however in the world of mighty space robot knights (Battletech) having forces composed of a myriad of different personalized roboticons was the norm. Throughout most of the game's history, most of these Mechs were pretty ****, built and maintained with ****** technology of a stagnant galactic civilization going through the space middle ages. However occasionally some people -- whether an individual or a military unit or a mercenary unit -- would get lucky and find an awesome Star League-era Mech, or piece of technology or equipment. Sometimes these people would actually be advanced bushido warriors from beyond the Outer Rim come to ravage the simpleton peasants of the IS with their superior tech. Whatever the case, nothing is really out of the ordinary.

Neither would a "Premium Mech". These would fit right in, in fact, so long as they are appropriately balanced. Sell 'em for $15-$30 a pop, make them only slightly better than their conventional counterparts, give them really niche roles and base them on some obscure cult favorites from the days of yore and presto, you've got a money-maker. People will by them to get that little bit of edge, or to stomp around in their favorite nerdsuit, or for no other reason than to flex their financial superiority and look pimp.

Just whatever you do -- and I really don't think you would, but it needs to be repeated -- don't make them overpowered as ****. Premium content is a very thin fence you'll have to balance on and can ruin games if not handled correctly. But assuming it is done right, there's absolutely no reason it shouldn't be a part of MWO.

TL;DR I want space robot Type 59 GOGO

[Cruiser]

If PG start making premium mechs they will burn in hell. Just saying.

[Kristina Sarah McEvedy]

I'm fine with paying for so-called "Premium" Mechs so long as the Mech changes are just cosmetic and won't affect the game. If we're talking about excluding certain Mech designs to real money transactions or making better versions of a Mech design that require you to pay real money than no, I don't support that, as it is dangerous close to being or rather is a Pay 2 Win design.

For example, If they release a "Widowmaker" Daishi that is, for all intents and purposes, exactly like a Daishi but is different cosmetically, I'd be okay with that so long as it functions identically to the Daishi in terms of gameplay and features.

If we're talking special configurations or outputs you can only get by paying and that could have an in-game advantage over the standard design than no, that idea needs to burn in the fires of many, many pulse lasers until it is dead.

In short, pay (as in real money) features should be kept cosmetic or to things that aren't exactly going to affect gameplay (such as XP boosts).

[armitage]

We don't even know what a "premium mech" consists of so I wouldn't jump to conclusions. For instance it could be as minor as a Custom skin like the Bounty Hunters Green $ signs or it might have a customer skin plus minor tweaks to the variant that "might" make it better than the other variants available. I'd be fine with it.

[Arikiel]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they weren't planning on having any premium Mechs. Personally if I were them I'd make all base Mechs (TR:3025) available to everyone. Then gradually introduce the Star League Mechs (TR:2750) as premium content. As we'd all be using Tech Level 2 it's not like they're really any "better". This would allow players to have specific rare Mechs if they insist while limiting their numbers on the battlefield.

[Skylarr]

If you mean Premium Mechs like a 2750 variant I would say yes. How about adding a second question about adding in Premium weapons. Not Ammo, just hard to get weapons.

Edited by Skylarr, 17 May 2012 - 03:27 PM.

[Garth Erlam]

Note the example used - named hero 'Mechs.

[Carl Wrede]

I would pay for original looking classic "unseen" mechs!

[Victor Morson]

Garth Erlam, on 17 May 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

Note the example used - named hero 'Mechs.

I think that's a fine idea, to offer unique variants of chassis like this. Yen-Lo-Wang for example would be a good entry and one I suspect you've already implemented.

I'd be tempted to buy a Puffing Dragon because of how hilariously awful it is and it's terrible sounding name, too.

[TheMadTypist]

I'm really hoping that by premium 'mechs they're talking about what amounts to iconic skins or visual changes for 'mechs, rather than content that is even slightly better than stock, simply because of one thing- Reputation. A free to play game can live or die on reputation, get a bad one (aka a pay2win reputation) and you can scare off a lot of new players, who perhaps aren't as invested in or familiar with the universe of Mechwarrior.

Don't get me wrong, I fully intend to drop 30-40 bucks on MW:O pretty soon after release, even if only to support the concept of a Mechwarrior title, but if this game is going to do as well as I hope it does, and have the longevity I hope it will, it will need to have those free players, filling out the ranks and keeping servers alight with traffic. World of Tanks has a very successful business model, but not a great reputation, which is a gateway that I believe keeps them from bringing in as many new players as they could otherwise- but they have the advantage of being based in WW2, which has just as many and indeed possibly more gaming enthusiasts invested into the concept compared to the battletech universe, on account of all the exposure it gets from popular shooters and other action titles.

So I don't mind them selling, say, a premium Butterbee catapult variant that comes with the standard slots that a C1 does but has a unique appearance and is preloaded with the SRM's instead of the LRM's. I can make that variant for 'free', as in with the in-game currency, with a C1 but the existence of a premium version that comes with the SRM's standard, and has a unique appearance that cannot be replicated for free is entirely unoffensive and avoids giving the impression of Pay2Win.

[Lizardman from Hollywood]

Hey they need to make money to keep the game going so I say go ahead. I've bought a few premiums in WoT and also pay the monthly because I like the game and am fine with supporting it. I don't whine about non payers and most ppl have learned that its the ppl with the cash to buy premiums that keep it going so they keep their mouths shut(most of the time). I forsee them selling skins for mechs for real money, selling premuim service(bonus c-bills and xp buff) for real money and selling premium mechs for money. They would be crazy not to. The premiums in WoT are certainly not OP and are there mostly for the bonus credits they earn. So go right on ahead with the money services Piranha I'll pay and be happy to support a game ive loved for 20+ years.

[ChalybsUmbra]

Perhaps "premium" is a tainted word that we should all agree on never using again if this is going to cause a riot every time. It carries a connotation of being better than "standard". The devs have had a firm stance on not giving those who buy stuff a technical advantage over those don't. I'm sure those "premium" mechs aren't going to have magically weightless heatsinks or jump jets and whatnot.

Edited by ChalybsUmbra, 17 May 2012 - 03:36 PM.

[Samuel Maxwell]

I won't mind having premium 'Mechs that have different stats as long as their stats are not overwhelmingly superior to nonpaid 'Mechs. We want PGI to continue making MWO. I'll be the first to say that I probably would stick because of the free aspect, but if someone paid for a 'Mech that's a little bit better than mine, then they sure as hell deserved it. Now if they can't pilot it and lose, they deserve that too.

[Gun Bear]

Why $30 a pop? That is a bit much

[Tremor]

Custom Variants

• COM-7S2 Commando Freyr - The personal 'Mech of ex-Arcturan Guards member turned treacherous Hunter's Paradise guide Zvi Freyr, his Commando has been extensively modified with both Clan and experimental technologies. Retaining only the Endo Steel chassis and CASE of his formerly stock COM-5S model, Freyr has replaced the standard weapons with lighter Clan-tech systems - two Streak SRM-4 launchers in its right arm with a single ton of reloads for the Streak Missile Launchers in the CASE protected right torso, and a pair of ER Medium Lasers mounted in the left arm. The use of a Small Cockpit and a salvaged Clan extra-light engine save enough weight to switch to double strength heat sinks, as well as carry six jump jets and seven tons of Hardened Armor. BV (2.0) = 1,155 ^[15]

^THISSSSSS

[Caballo]

I don't mind about seeing the "Bounty Hunter" Marauder on the shelves... As long as i can get the regular Marauder without paying (Just an example, don't grab the pitchforks with the unseen and all that... )

[Zack Delphirian]

It's a very interesting point.

I'm not sure I'd like to see actual "premium-Mechs" as in the premium tanks in WoT...I think it writes a little too much "I paid to have this" on a player fore-head and most of the time, especially in MMO-genre games, when it's time to balance the teams, usually with some sort of algorythm I know nothing about, you get the ultimate-n00b with a great 'mech but that has no idea how to use it.

'Cause let's face it, the cancer of WoT is all those 12 year-old n00bs with heavy tanks, they're ALWAYS on my team, get killed after 3 minutes and I get trampled 3 against 1...

In WoT, it's VERY frustating, because suddenly your biggest assets in the team dies and you get steam-rolled by ennemies you can't do nothing against. And those are the games that are absolutely not fun at all for me. And I really like WoT, just not these types of games. Plus in a game like MW, not being able to possess a 'mech is OK if you have like 50 to choose from ; but if you have 15 'mechs and 10 are premiums, very frustating...And frustration is a gamer poison I believe

To make money, I'd actually prefer stuff like these :

- Premium Membership : Classic multiplier xx % of XP and Gold. In WoT, Premium is super expensive so I never got it and it unlocks some of the great features in-games (platoons and such)...So it's frustating not to have it but $100 for a year if my memorie is correct, that's just fraud I think. Maybe, like in Tribes-Ascend, different degrees of multipliers (+50% all the time if you buy anything in the cash-shop, +100% premium membership), I thought it was a really good idea.

- Premium Gear : better versions, but maybe a limitation number on a given 'mech, not to overthrow the balance. This could include premium ammo 'cause that has to bring a lot of cash, but I don't like it AT ALL in WoT (negates the skill of the player).

- Different versions of the 'Mech : With new colors, or maybe paying would enable an option for customizing the mech ourselves. Or putting a guild-patch or something. Or, as someone said (sorry, don't remember who), "named-versions" of the mechs with specific and unchangeable weapons, engines, colors and all (like Jamie Wolf's Archer, or the "Katana Kat" of Minobu Tetsuhara). Not sure about this though, 'cause it places a label on the player that says "premium", and a lot of the time "noob"...

Like someone said, cosmetic changes, I'd pay for. Advantages on the game...Well they'd have to be VERY minimal, if it's a "pay2Win", I wouldn't even play it at all, cause no Fun .

- The little things : Garage space, transfer-xp, Gold, Pilots-training, creating a Regiment, and 2-3 more we can see in WoT...


Ok, I wanted to say more, but it's late in my country and my 9 hours of Diablo 3 didn't help (plus english is not my native langage ), i'll just leave this here. To summerize :

They're some really great ideas in World of Tanks, but also a lot of bad ones. Try looking on the side of Tribes : Ascend, there's a game that makes money without compromising balance, skill-level requirements, and it's in no-way frustrating !

[Monky]

I'm going to put this in large capital letters, and state that I have played 5000 rounds of WoT, own 2 purchased premium vehicles (Lowe and type 59), and have a 55% win rate (ie; I know a little about how to play the game.) and plan to spend a similar amount on MWO (around 150 bucks including all the premium account status etc i've payed for in the year it's been out)

DO NOT PUT PREMIUM ANYTHING COMBAT RELATED INTO THE GAME. PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS.

Now, if it is simply a graphical rehaul like a slightly customized model, that is fine. The lesson from WoT must be learned if the F2P industry wants to move forward - do not eff with the combat. I'm sure people are thinking 'oh, it couldn't be THAT big a deal' and I'm sure the devs of WOT thought the same thing too. Then they realized people would easily be coerced into paying for any advantage in combat, however slight or marginal.

The typical line of thought is - Oh, I was just waxed by 3 dudes playing type 59's, I better get one!

What it will be in MWO - Oh, I was just owned by a guy in a Yen Lo Wang! I better get one!

Then you have half the match sporting Yen Lo Wang. People stop playing because the game goes downhill for being a samey borefest where all you do is kill and get killed by Yen Lo Wang chassis. (disclaimer - YLW is a placeholder for insert hero mech here)

Please. If you want to put them in, don't make them premium. Make them hard to earn so they stay rare like they should be in the first place. If you want to allow cheaper rates on certain chassis (or higher rates as the case may be) for cash shops, that's fine, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE EARNABLE WITH C-BILLS. In that way, you get rid of the exclusive nature that makes people feel they've 'just got to have one'. The fanboys can buy theirs with cash, the people who feel the mech gives their playstyle an edge can buy it with cash, but please don't let it turn into a flood of Yen Lo wangs like WoT did with Type 59's and Lowes (and now T34). As an example, the Type 59 had to be removed from their shop to restore game balance, and when it eventually went back on sale EVERYONE was playing type 59's. 10 out of 30 tanks in a game would be one chassis! It was ridiculous!

Edited by monky, 17 May 2012 - 04:06 PM.

[Outlaw2]

If it turns out too be too much like WoT's premium tanks, (and everything that comes with) I probably won't be playing for long.
I better not be forced to spend most of my time in pubs grinding with mechs I'll never use in competitive matches, just so I can save up to afford playing in 'top tier' mechs in the competitive matches (T10 tanks anyone). A diabolic torture method to get me to fork over the money in order spare myself from the horror. I hope there is nothing even remotely resembling this scenario in the game...

Edited by =Outlaw=, 17 May 2012 - 04:08 PM.

[Felicitatem Parco]

I'm not really going to vote in a poll while it's worded like that...

The "premium" Mechs are just hardpoint variants with certain equipment and weapons pre-installed. If you think this makes them overpowered, cheating, unfair, unbalanced, pay-to-win, easy-button, no-talant-hack, money-grubbing premium content... then I'd hate to see hear what you think of MechLab and all the Cheater things you can do there.