55 replies to this topic

[Mchawkeye]

Now I might be the only one...there might even be other threads along these lines...But is it me or do we just not get enough CB? last game i played, 1 kill, 4 assists, so not terrible I would say average. 100,000 cb -ish- increase in my savings. which means to buy a mech you have to 50 or even a hundred decent matches. This seems like a huge amount to me.

I don't mind the grind, as such, but there is a point where to advance any further I have to pony up the cash, which I don't have, or play a huge amount with time I don't have either.

And yes, I know that's how these games tend to work; if the grind wasn't the grind then no one would pay them money, they wouldn't make any profit and the spiral heads down from there...but surely there is a way to make the grind less grindy without compromising other aspects of the game/business model?



I have issues with GXP too, but that's for another time.

[Redshift2k5]

100k is a fine payout. You shouldn't expect to get a new mech every few days, a mech is a huge investment and buying a mech is only the first step in a long process of perfecting it.

If you would like to proceed faster, there are cash-supported avenues of accessing content at an accelerated rate.

[Mchawkeye]

I am aware of the cash supported options, as I hinted at in my post.

And whilst I agree that a mech represents a huge investment, I think to get out as much as you can from the game, it needs to be easier to achieve.

I mean, to unlock various pilot trees (3 basic onto 3 elite) that's three mechs. on the grind, just to be able to explore this level of content you have to play literally 30 hours (guesstimate) plus just to earn the cash, never mind the XP on the basic levels. which means you are essentially locked into playing with one chassis of mech for something approaching twice the length of a standard/average single player game, where you could expect vast amounts of content to open out to you.

Aside from anything else, surely a bitter grind would put people off? you have to feel rightly rewarded for your skills, And I don't feel that right now the payout is high enough. You get hardly anything for capping which seems shortsighted for a game that claimed all along it wasn't just about kills, it was about strategy.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not asking to be swimming in cash riches, just a little more to make things feel more attainable, feel like every time I make a kill, It's actually going to contribute to my funds in some noticeable way...

[Lucky Noob]

i am now above 1000 Matches and have overall made 115 Million C Bills.

I think its fine. As you play you collect C Bills and after a while youre able to buy all what you like.

[WolvesX]

I have earned 463329750 C-Bills to far...

C-Bills are not the problem in this game.

I got over 2m EXP, so GXP is no problem too.

Just play.

[Sug]

Farming nodes to level a profession is grindy. Killing mobs for cloth is grindy. Running asinine quests over and over is grindy.

Playing MWO matches is not grindy. You're playing the game and honing your skills. Skills which are worth more than Endosteel and XL engines. Give a new player 100million cbills and Master in every mech and he'll still end the match with 10 damage done.

Mechs are a huge investment though. I recommend using one of the fan made Mech Labs that let you build mechs and actually get information on parts before you spend cbills in game.

Edited by Sug, 09 February 2013 - 07:28 AM.

[Mchawkeye]

Fair enough. I am obviously wrong.

I just feel sorry for the peeps with not much time and no money that it's going to take a month to afford another freaking mech.

[AlexEss]

Are you a Premium user or a regular user, because if you are a regular use i'd say things are working as intended.

MC is the shortcut designed to solve problems like that. Rough to say but that is the way it is.

[Ghogiel]

I have 40mil sitting my account and no other mechs of the current crop interest me. I've got more cbills than there are things that I want to spend it on.

[Chrithu]

Simple solution: Play the game.

I had a 8 hour marathon last night. Who needs sleep? Anyways sorry to anyone I might have insulted or DC'ed on before he got the kill, I eventually reached a point of: If you **** up my match I'll pay back any dirty way I can.

Anyhow. Along the way I've spent enough CBills on modifying my Ctaphracts to buy a new Atlas. So I'm fine on the income side of things.

And NO, I do not pay on the overpriced premium time.

[jakucha]

We get plenty, especially compared to the past with repair and rearm costs.

[Mchawkeye]

I would like to thank everyone for stating how much they have earned. That contributes constructively. But well done never the less.

Also those saying "play the game" which doesn't help as I don't have a great deal of time. Something I have stated several times in this thread.

As for those telling me that that's what premium is for, you also didn't clearly understand the question nor the context I set it into.


I foolishly expected an actual discussion about the pros and cons of higher money acquisition for the player vs practical business orientated issues Vs player retention.

Like everything else I have apparently said in this thread; wrong again.

[PoLaR]

Since I have 27 'mechs, I find that I never have enough cbills. Although the 100k+ payouts are nice, even with all the hero mechs, I'm always striving for more and more cbills. I find It easier to focus on EXP for a particular 'mech and the cbills seem to come at a nice pace.

Maybe we will get a cbill x2 weekend sometime or something like the bonus experience points weekend we had last month.

Here Is to hoping !

[Mchawkeye]

PoLaR, on 09 February 2013 - 07:57 AM, said:

Since I have 27 'mechs, I find that I never have enough cbills. Although the 100k+ payouts are nice, even with all the hero mechs, I'm always striving for more and more cbills. I find It easier to focus on EXP for a particular 'mech and the cbills seem to come at a nice pace.

Maybe we will get a cbill x2 weekend sometime or something like the bonus experience points weekend we had last month.

Here Is to hoping !

Now a double cash weekend has a certain degree of promise....

[AlexEss]

Mchawkeye, on 09 February 2013 - 07:57 AM, said:

As for those telling me that that's what premium is for, you also didn't clearly understand the question nor the context I set it into.

Actually i understand perfectly, and seeing as you are playing and making CBills at a rate that have not made you feel abused i'd say the devs have hit a sweet spot. You see the idea is that you should be tempted to buy MC to spend on mechs or Premium, if you got enough CBills from being a non-premium user then the largest part of their income would be cut in to and that would be bad.

So if that was not the part i did not understand i think you need to elaborate on your point and explain what it is i do not understand.

[Kylere]

Grinding out cash for my first mech with R&R and no cadet bonus was hard, 100k a match consistently? Easy Button Activated!

[Mchawkeye]

you seem to misunderstand the idea that I am not a premium user. as evidenced by your question;

AlexEss, on 09 February 2013 - 07:46 AM, said:

Are you a Premium user or a regular user, because if you are a regular use i'd say things are working as intended.

I understand the concept of premium time. and the need for them to earn money. I have stated as much.

However, I feel there must be a sweet-spot between the two, and I feel that so far they have missed the mark just slightly. Abused is a strong word. I do think that we do not get enough money for kills. If i want to by a a heavy mech it's going to be 59 matches. that's ten hours or so play (as much as you can average such a thing out). That's an awful lot of time to spend to get a new chassis when, largely the only thing you can do in the game is buy mechs and fanny with their loadouts. there are no other maps. Currently no other metagame. Just mechs.

Whilst I admit this comparison is unfair to some degree, but can you imagine what MW 3 or 4 would have been like if it took 10 hours to upgrade?

Not everyone can play without sleep. not everyone can buy premium. these people should be respected too.

People need to feel they are achieving at a rate that keeps them interested. The stick and the carrot and what not. I feel the stick needs recalibrating.

Edited by Mchawkeye, 09 February 2013 - 08:23 AM.

[RiceyFighter]

I only play few days per week ever since founders. I have only 4 battlemechs, 1 founders catapult, 1 spider, 1 hunchback, 1 commando and 50 million C-Bills. I have not activated my founder premium either.

So lets say average 75k C-Bills earned per match without premium and an Atlas cost about 10 million C- Bills.

10 Mill/75k = 134 games.

134 games * 10 minutes = 1340 Minutes

1340 minutes / 60 minutes = 22 hours.

If you played 2 hours a day it takes about a week and a half for the biggest battlemech in game.

Cataphract olnly cost 75% of a Atlas so it cost about a week or so.

Edited by RiceyFighter, 09 February 2013 - 08:28 AM.

[Vassago Rain]

I make anywhere from 90k to 170k. No premtime or hero bonuses.
In my founder fatlas, the minimum is usually around 120k, but the maximum is much lower (less firepower on the thing).

[Sug]

Mchawkeye, on 09 February 2013 - 07:57 AM, said:

I foolishly expected an actual discussion about the pros and cons of higher money acquisition for the player vs practical business orientated issues Vs player retention.

Pros: Everyone gets what they want faster.

Cons: Everyone gets what they want faster. People get sick of the game faster. PGI makes less money. PGI has less incentive to maintain game. PGI adds less content. Game probably fails.


Happy?