Curse

EternalTempest · Dec 29, 2009, 07:24 PM // 19:24

If "plain" is easy to get, and it's really skill > grind, they can charge for all the "shiny" stuff.

If they don't and cross the line, I will be re-considering GW2 in it's current form (when it comes out) and see if it's something I want to invest a lot of time in to.

Daesu · Dec 29, 2009, 08:04 PM // 20:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaleban

Not to nitpick a dead horse, but ANet already offers gameplay altering MACRO transactions.

Storage pane

Pet unlocks

BMP

Extra Character Slot

GOTY Upgrade

Skill Upgrade Packs

PvP Item Pack

All of these change how someone plays a game. All the unlocks act as a "speed boost" allowing players to bypass a lot of gameplay that would unlock in a certain timeframe the items or pets. BMP is extra gameplay content, the storage pane allows for not having to mule as much and such, and more character slots expand your gameplay options.

I will GUARANTEE right now that between now and GW2's release, we'll see more MACROtransactions, both cosmetic and gameplay centric, but my hope in the end is that ANet does not wholly give over to this business model for content in GW2, because that would absolutely mean I would not buy.

All of these things are merely convenience.

The PvP unlocks have been requested many times long ago because hardcore PvPers dont want to have to play PvE to unlock their stuff. Without it, they can still unlock them as they PvP with Balthazar's Factions, just more grind.

Pet unlocks are pretty much cosmetic, one dire pet is pretty much the same as another dire pet.

BMP is the LEAST worth it. You take all the trouble to go through the quests, which should at least grant you an elite PvE skill like Ursan, but instead, you got a untradable maxed weapon without mods.

How easy is it to get a maxed weapon without mods when you are level 20 without the BMP?

GOTY? You got to be kidding me. See BMP section above. Does anyone want to claim that GOTY weapon gives you such an unfair advantage in the game at level 20? The only thing they give is to reduce the grind for you to get to level 20 faster and at level 20, I have much better weapons than GOTY. Same with the fire imp, they are all grind reducers and at level 20, they dont offer an advantage anymore and that is what is important.

Storage panes? Why dont you say that by buying an extra GW box, I get a whole new account! That is even MORE SPACE than just a storage pane. Does this mean ANet should stop selling new GW boxes? It is not like we can throw the storage pane at a boss monster and kill it with 1 blow. Sure extra storage costs server space and therefore cost money in terms of real world resources that you consume. The one who consumes more than 1 account worth of resources, ought to pay for them and that is fair. Similarly for character slots.

mrvrod · Dec 30, 2009, 01:05 AM // 01:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaleban

What I WILL do is say that my gf was curious about what I was typing, when I told her and explained what the price was for various things through the NCSoft store, her mouth dropped, and her incredulous response was "and people actually pay THAT much?" at which point she laughed rather uproariously. I could go into the unflattering things she said about people's intelligence, but that would be belaboring the obvious.

Congratulations, you and your wife are insufferable snobs. Enjoy that.

Benderama · Dec 31, 2009, 02:27 PM // 14:27

IMO nothing wrong with micro-transactions at the moment
why does teh OP think xunlai chest upgrade gives you an in game advantage? you could buy another account and get more storage so there aren't many ways of stopping it anyway
(i didn't read much of the thread

)

bhavv · Dec 31, 2009, 02:47 PM // 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by english storm

Micro transaction business models usually sell items that give the user an advantage other other players, ie more weapon damage or higher armour. Guild Wars will never do that imo and as you get no in game play advantage from buying what they sell, plus the fact you are not forced to buy, Guild Wars is still a free to play business model.

No they dont. How about all the people who complain about micro transactions actually try playing some of these games to see? The advantageous items that other games sell are things such as double EXP and Drop scrolls. This would be comparable to GW selling its increased drop weekend things for money, which fortunately it is not doing.

So long as the things sold are cosmetic or convenience things only, there is no harm in them. Buying extra storage is no more advantageous than buying an extra character slot and making a mule.

Quaker · Dec 31, 2009, 04:45 PM // 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Test Me

EDIT: I'm just expressing my wish that they would go back to real content updates even if I had pay for them instead of ... armor skins. I have nothing against them trying to implement skins and charge for them, or against people that buy them and enjoy them. I just wish that wasn't all the updates they do. Is this what we should expect from now on? No new content at all but some new skins for $6 each? Things seem to point that way. And it makes me sad.

It's been pretty well established - like it or not - that any "content" effort is going into GW2. I don't think you can expect any real content additions to GW1.
Many people in the GW community whine about anything they have to pay for. But in the real world, internet connections and server farms cost real money, and employees usually want to be paid (so they can eat, etc.), so ANet needs to generate revenue somehow.

Quaker · Dec 31, 2009, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhavv

How about all the people who complain about micro transactions actually try playing some of these games to see? The advantageous items that other games sell are things such as double EXP and Drop scrolls.

I recently spent some time playing D&D Online, which has gone to a micro-tran model. The items available in the "store" are all things that are also available in game, or extra content (quest packs). Pretty much the same as buying an "unlock pack" or the BMP in GW. I didn't see anything that would give a player an "advantage" over another.
Some games may try to micro-tran items that give an advantage, but I can't see that as being a good business model, overall.

Quote:

Buying extra storage is no more advantageous than buying an extra character slot and making a mule.

Actually, you can get more slots out of a mule when you add all the various bags.

Kaleban · Dec 31, 2009, 09:09 PM // 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrvrod

Congratulations, you and your wife are insufferable snobs. Enjoy that.

I believe you meant to say intelligent realists, but I'll let it go. At least we're not chumps and suckers like the rest of the lot that gets taken in by this chicanery.

If you like ANet's business model, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you, only a cool $2G and its yours...

the great jess · Jan 01, 2010, 09:46 AM // 09:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaleban
So, what have we learned? ANet has changed their business model for one. No harm there, many companies do it when their original fails to meet revenue stream expectations. However, the events above show that both ANet AND NCSoft are capable and fully willing to expand the new model into more areas of games and multiple games themselves.

Now, are you going to sit back and HONESTLY claim that you believe ANet has no ideas or designs to expand the offerings in the future, not just GW1, but also Aion and GW2? Given that they've already done so of course?

Kaleban, you have an urge to predict that ANet will make micro transactions effect the game play of Guild Wars 2. Why would ANet change the entire business model of Guild Wars. Yes, we do have these micro transactions of $9.99, but the game is FREE, and I believe it still will be. If they make micro transactions have a major effect in Guild Wars 2, it would lose many customers. The reason why half of the people who play Guild Wars is because its free. They have Aion/Lineage II to make big bucks off. Guild Wars/2 is a smaller side project, and losing customers by inducting micro transactions into a major part of Guild Wars 2 would lose customers, therefore losing money to the company which could go to further Guild Wars game development, or as you state in many of your previous, go to future development of entire new games.

Quote:

I mean, you must have SOME logic to defend such a strange position, or is it just religious fervor and faith in ANet's beneficence? LOLFAIL

Is it just me or do you like insulting other people's intelligence. You seem to think you are higher than everyone else and worst of all, your ego is so big.

upier · Jan 01, 2010, 01:01 PM // 13:01

My absolutely favourite part about the costumes:

They make 2 costumes, charge 10 bucks for it and they can't sort out the clipping?!
Love you guys! Don't ever stop being greedy lazy RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOers!

bhavv · Jan 01, 2010, 03:03 PM // 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaleban

I believe you meant to say intelligent realists

I would think that Intelligent is far from the actual word to use, when you take a video game and its business model as laughably serious as you are doing.

No one cares if you dont like microtransactions. It is a far better model to fees and preferable to every person who doesnt want to be ripped off by paying $15 per month.

I am pretty sure that you and your wife pay for worthless things in other peoples opinions that we would enjoy laughing at you about too.

Oh wait, people actaually pay subscription fees for games? Wow, how stupid they must be. (Sarcasm).

P.S. What would you and your wife think of the people who bought my Age of Conan pre order bonus keys some time ago for an ingame mammoth and bow for £50 and £40 each? Oh wait, please dont tell your wife about that, she might have a heart attack.

Wait, what about all the people who paid £10 extra to buy a GW CE just to get in game auras and disco balls? They must be far less intelligent than you and your wife yes?

Wait a minute ... I just checked the costumes and they are permanent? The date it said they are on sale untill, I thought they expired on. Oh whoopee, I'm buying them too, that must make me stupid like durrrrrrr I am!

Oh look at me, I must be stupid for buying this yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by upier

They make 2 costumes, charge 10 bucks for it and they can't sort out the clipping?!

Mine dont clip on my female mesmer

bigtime102 · Jan 01, 2010, 05:09 PM // 17:09

Nice to see all the gold buyers come out of the wood work. Buying in game items with money is just as lame as buying gold, no ones impressed, and those things you buy arent even rare or valuable so you just look dumb like everyone else. GW doesnt deserve this kind of kiddy F2P lameness.

Pirates Arrrg Matey · Jan 01, 2010, 05:30 PM // 17:30

I don't really care about micro-transactions as long as it doesn't cross into buying better stats items and the such from the store.

No, gold Buying inflates the economy while buying from the store is up to your wallet. It doesn't really matter if you think its lame, or if it isn't "rare".. some people like it and think its a good addition. I won't be buying the costumes for example, because there is no Balthazar one, rightly so because its wintersday stuff, but I am getting offtrack.

Buying stuff isn't really to impress, some like the looks of the content. I would rather look dumb than be ignorant.

Deratrius · Jan 01, 2010, 05:52 PM // 17:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaleban

I believe you meant to say intelligent realists, but I'll let it go. At least we're not chumps and suckers like the rest of the lot that gets taken in by this chicanery.

If you like ANet's business model, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you, only a cool $2G and its yours...

What does spending money for something you like/want have to do with intelligence or realism?

If you work $10 is nothing, you spend like ten times that going out with friends.

With such arguments buying anything other than food & paying rent/utilities is retarded. Can you tell me you or your wife NEVER bought something brand just because you like it?

Didn't think so.

As for micro transactions, I don't see whats the problem. You paid for a game, you can play the game. You don't have to buy extra storage pane or bonus mission pack to be better at it. As other have said, maintenance of the servers and development of future games takes money, since you seem to know a bit about economy you should know that. I would rather they make that money from such a model than from monthly fees.

Gun Pierson · Jan 01, 2010, 06:06 PM // 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhavv

Mine dont clip on my female mesmer

Prooves nothing, yours is a side angle shot. If you look at Upier's pic you see the clipping issue can be seen from the back.

It may also be possible that you find spots not showing the issues even if it's a pic taken from the back.

Even if yours is perfect in every way, that doesn't solve Upier's clippling issues and he paid 10 bucks aswell.

bhavv · Jan 01, 2010, 08:57 PM // 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigtime102

Nice to see all the gold buyers come out of the wood work. Buying in game items with money is just as lame as buying gold, no ones impressed, and those things you buy arent even rare or valuable so you just look dumb like everyone else. GW doesnt deserve this kind of kiddy F2P lameness.

Still not as lame as paying fees every month for absolutely nothing.

I have never bought gold and never will. Costumes are hardly the same thing as they do not affect the in game economy in anyway, and provide no advantage as opposed to buying gold.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

Prooves nothing, yours is a side angle shot. If you look at Upier's pic you see the clipping issue can be seen from the back.

It may also be possible that you find spots not showing the issues even if it's a pic taken from the back.

Even if yours is perfect in every way, that doesn't solve Upier's clippling issues and he paid 10 bucks aswell.

Actually, I found that if you wear the costume, run around and do any movement on your character, you cannot see any clipping at all. I then found that I rapidly pressed print screen during the motion of the wings, particularly when pressing the right and left buttons rapidly, you can easilly spam the print screen key and take lots of screenshots, and one or two will show a little clipping like in Upiers pictures.

Im not saying that Upier doesnt have a problem with clipping, but it is possible to create those screenshots while not actually being able to see any clipping ingame due to to how small an amout of time the wings clip for while they are moving.

Also, the angled side shot would show the inside wing going through the outside one if they were clipping. But it could just be that the issue is only present on female rangers as I have not seen this issue on my mesmer nor on female elementalists that I saw wearing it.

upier · Jan 01, 2010, 10:04 PM // 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

Prooves nothing, yours is a side angle shot. If you look at Upier's pic you see the clipping issue can be seen from the back.

It may also be possible that you find spots not showing the issues even if it's a pic taken from the back.

Even if yours is perfect in every way, that doesn't solve Upier's clippling issues and he paid 10 bucks aswell.

Oh, I didn't buy it.
I was just laughing at the sucker that did.

Gun Pierson · Jan 01, 2010, 10:13 PM // 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by upier

Oh, I didn't buy it.
I was just laughing at the sucker that did.

lol!

12 chars

Cacheelma · Jan 02, 2010, 12:22 AM // 00:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhavv

Oh look at me, I must be stupid for buying this yes.

Are you man enough to hear the answer?

Think before asking next time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhavv

Mine dont clip on my female mesmer

Because the world revolves around you. If a problem doesn't exist for you, it's just doesn't exist. amiright?

MeH_iS_BeAsT · Jan 02, 2010, 12:43 AM // 00:43

omfg.. srsly, this thread need to close, it's going nowhere..

Other than that..
/laugh @ poor people who can't afford $10..xD!

And no, I did not buy the costume =P