Townhall Notes

I already spent a lot of cash in this game, more than I should, capping the 500$ even w/o buying any gold mechs or heroes. I'm not interested in having to purchase modules for MC's that are better than the already existing, nor interesteed in having to pay MC's for them at all.

The option to get the same result with MCs instead of C-Bills sounds good though.

 

no... No... NO - I would NEVER propose something like that. Holy fuck that would be fucking suicide.

But yeah I did a fuck ton of math and the line cross where mechs would be more then the old model - btw to have 4 mechs with full modules is about 60M - if the pilot would be more expensive c-bill wise after you tech out fully 20ish mechs - or bought ~100 modules.

In it I wrote that the idea of modules being end game is silly - the end game should be a combination of mech collecting AND having those mechs with full modules.

Again - the idea is that premium modules are 100% the same as the c-bill ones - the only difference is that they don't break when you remove them from the mech. Pay 2 not grind.

 

That one makes me happy. Would be nice to get some pods that make SMN and IFR suck a bit less

 

Have to admit I ended up being a bit affectionate to Ice Ferrets and got some nice results.

 

I might be tempted....

That said - atm all I have to spend c-bills on is equipping newly introduced mechs and buying modules so not sure I'd need it long term.

Well I hope so but I have the self control of......

Ok I struggle to find an example.

 

You brought up an interesting point and one I am going to have to discuss with my co-worker (Captain Business Economics degree). I am thinking on the "Saturation point of Joe Everyone-Gamer".

Would I have spent money for modules that I could move around? Absolutely, as long as I didn't have to keep rebuying them. Would I spend 5$ on a module? No. $2.50? Probably yeah.

 

Thats what I was looking at now - currently a module is roughly worth 4000MC (based on the 6.5M c-bills for 4000MC bundle you can buy)

Thats why I priced modules around $3 - to buy a full set of modules - I.E 4 mechs with filled modules - I priced it out to be about just under $40 - meaning that you would never have to technically buy modules again since you can just rotate them. Side note - the idea of 4 mechs comes from community warfare drops for those that didn't know.

 

Well its not like anyone should hopefully ever buy that package courtesy of the Cicada Champion if they go down that route.

 

Sweet. As a brief aside from this discussion, which gold mech did you get?

On topic, I'd be open to either modules being an "upgrade" like FF and Endo, or to stick with the current model. I'd prefer the current model as with drop ships we'd need a maximum of, what, 4 of each module to fully outfit our drop? I'm much more okay with that than with upsetting our whales.

 

Feel free to laugh at me..... someone had to buy the first one... this is the closest it gets to looking dangerous currently.



Second is more traditional....

 

Looks good, now i need to see them deliver on these things and that they actually work. If they do i might return to my cockpit on 2015.

 

That Rem bought two is how you know he's crazy...that Nova is just icing on the cake.

That mine is the Summoner is how you know I'M crazy.



More seriously, getting said Summoner required a lot of things to come together despite being willing. I'd say I'm not a whale, because for most games I play spending even $100 is something I balk at and put a hard limit on, returning to free player behavior after nearing that cutoff. But for BattleTech...well, I guess even I have exceptions. I'd have spent on Founders if I'd known the game existed before the sale cutoff, and have gotten the highest level of the packages since (and plan on doing so again for Resistance, despite things coming close and only working out because of the holidays). The reason I mention cost reductions, though, is exactly what you guys are talking about, saturation and getting freebies to give up a day's soda or similar expenditure for an in-game purchase. As a moderate whale for this game who really does have the money to spend, I'm starting to hit that saturation limit in part because I look at it and say "you know, I could be spending this on board games, or eating out, or upgrading my internet speed, or go have fun with friends in a different MMO" etc...and that's BAD. I obviously can't speak for larger or more dedicated whales, but PGI needs to be attracting more people of moderate means to spend their recreational dough on their product, not less. That's the sort of thing that kills a market. I can't speak for other players, but the price points are just awfully high all told.

For perspective, even Mechbays are something I consider 'too expensive' to really support MWO as a model although I would say they are proportionally priced well compared to other content. For 50-75% of their current price, I think so many more players would buy them carte blanche to be making more money for PGI in the end. By the same token, for the list price of a single Hero Mech most players will look at it and say "I could go buy a console game for that"...and then do so. Or get multiple games on Steam, or for their mobile device, etc. If they were even 75% percent of their base price as the new standard, PGI wouldn't need massive 50% sales to get (more) money from players like me, or any money at all from a significant chunk of otherwise free players. Sure, they could still offer sales, but they'd only need 25%-33% to entice the more reluctant and would probably have a larger steady stream as more people go for multiple heroes, or even new subscribers to the catch-em-all mentality where suddenly someone spending zero to few is spending more than they ever thought they would. Hell, they chould even leave packages at the same price, and folks would still get them for the bonus content as worthwhile.

I don't have the economics degree, or the sales figures and population statistics for MWO, so I can't speak definitively. But I do want the game to grow, improve, and succeed, and I can't help but think that selling a lot more for a bit less is very real possibility if PGI would embrace it. I'd be fine with evidence to the contrary (current prices are the optimal price point), but I've yet to see it.

 

Rem, personally, provides support for all of the starving children in Africa, runs the MechSpecs server on 3 different redundant - ghosted servers and hires a private Network Operations Centre just for us.

He also bought 2 gold mechs.

 

...and don't even ask him about Star Citizen funding...

 

He also makes Julienne Fries!

 

Rem divorced his wife keeping the house and cat. Has since paid off his mortgage and his children are older than many MWO players. Has an ok but not great job. Strangely still get on with his ex and children.

Doesn't drink much, doesn't do drugs, doesn't drive... his vice is computing (*cough* 5-6 hrs approx playing MWO last night alone *cough*).

PS: The 12 person appartment in Iceland for the Eve Online Fanfest (8 nights) I paid for dwarfs my Star Citizen and MWO spending in fairness and that did make me wince (last part paid off end of this month!).

PPS: Fairly sure Bolththrower spends more on Star Citizen than me.

PPPS: Talking in third person is odd.......

 

Is Iceland expensive? I almost went to Fan Fest one year cause I heard the girls love foreign guys... and something about a game I used to play... but at the last minute the wife said no.

 

So, what you're saying, is that you are an awesome person to try to be friends with? Unless, of course, you just REALLY like your space.

 

Well depends on what you're used to. Accommodation is expensive and rest is London prices. Restaurants are actually a decent price. Its a good place to visit once and do all the tours like Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon etc.More than once I'd say you need a reason like Fanfest.

Bear in mind London is expensive for visiting anyway its just what I'm used to.

 

Well I do like my own space but sadly not in this case.