test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
The game is great, but I am skeptical
carpathian2011
Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 9 Arc User
Hello all,
So far I've played the game, at it looks amazing. I simply love the combat system! It's fluent, responsive, and very engaging. The graphics are good as well, the art style fits exactly how I think a game of this kind should look like. The UI is intuitive and the chat functions are user friendly. Overall, the best game I've played in a long time (and I've played a lot of them)
However, there is something that prevents me from investing into playing this game full time, and that is the so called "Free to play" system. True, you don't have to pay to play the game, but then again, you only get the bare minimum that way. My problem with this system is, that in order to be on par with those that do take out their check books, I would have to invest a silly amount of RL currency. I mean, with the monthly fee system, you know exactly how much you need to pay in order to have access to the whole game, all the features and pretty much everything you want. But with Neverwinter, there's little that doesn't cost you RL money. Even resetting your feats costs money! My doubts get even bigger when I saw the exorbitant prices of the Founders Packs. 200$ for a game that is still in beta? Even 60$ is a lot. This already hints to me that this company is out to make big bucks off it's player base by making everything cost a lot.
I must say, I am by no means a master at this game. I do not know it fully, partially because I have my doubts about this very issue I'm bringing up here. In a monthly fee MMO, I pay let's say 12-15 Euros a month, but I know exactly what I'm getting. In Neverwinter, I just get the feeling that at end game I would have to spent 3 times this amount just to get access to all the features.
So basically, I'm asking the more experienced players, is it really like this? How much would I have to pay for this game (on average) to get the to be on par with everyone else out there at end game PVP? How much for end game PVE? I really feel the urge to start playing this game full time, but this is a major deal breaker for me. Anything more than 20 euros a month would be just absurd in my eyes.
Thanks for reading, thanks for answering.
Carpathian.
So far I've played the game, at it looks amazing. I simply love the combat system! It's fluent, responsive, and very engaging. The graphics are good as well, the art style fits exactly how I think a game of this kind should look like. The UI is intuitive and the chat functions are user friendly. Overall, the best game I've played in a long time (and I've played a lot of them)
However, there is something that prevents me from investing into playing this game full time, and that is the so called "Free to play" system. True, you don't have to pay to play the game, but then again, you only get the bare minimum that way. My problem with this system is, that in order to be on par with those that do take out their check books, I would have to invest a silly amount of RL currency. I mean, with the monthly fee system, you know exactly how much you need to pay in order to have access to the whole game, all the features and pretty much everything you want. But with Neverwinter, there's little that doesn't cost you RL money. Even resetting your feats costs money! My doubts get even bigger when I saw the exorbitant prices of the Founders Packs. 200$ for a game that is still in beta? Even 60$ is a lot. This already hints to me that this company is out to make big bucks off it's player base by making everything cost a lot.
I must say, I am by no means a master at this game. I do not know it fully, partially because I have my doubts about this very issue I'm bringing up here. In a monthly fee MMO, I pay let's say 12-15 Euros a month, but I know exactly what I'm getting. In Neverwinter, I just get the feeling that at end game I would have to spent 3 times this amount just to get access to all the features.
So basically, I'm asking the more experienced players, is it really like this? How much would I have to pay for this game (on average) to get the to be on par with everyone else out there at end game PVP? How much for end game PVE? I really feel the urge to start playing this game full time, but this is a major deal breaker for me. Anything more than 20 euros a month would be just absurd in my eyes.
Thanks for reading, thanks for answering.
Carpathian.
Post edited by carpathian2011 on
0
Comments
There's nothing in the cash shop like that. The only things there that you cant' get through regular game play are merely cosmetic or time savers.
On a side note, does anyone know when I'll be able to start my own threads?
First of all, for leveling you can build a pretty solid party of adventurers through minions and active minion slots. Also, you can buy in game currency through the cash shop. Pretty much all the best equipment is BoE so it will be in the AH.
So you can very easily buy your way to a more powerful character... especially after the hard-mode dungeons are on farm status.
Your argument here doesn't make sense. If you want everything the cash shop has for free then how would a company make money off the model. The big benefit of not using the cash shop is not spending money on a game however you will have to wait longer to be the top.
You can still get your big powerful character in this game free but it will take you much longer to get there.
How much longer? At present it's looking like it would take months or even years of ingame time. The OP's point is that there is to much of a distance in time sink (he calls it RL currency) between people willing to dish out serious cash and those that don't -I am inclined to agree.
Yes, it will be a grind so that you want to pay for it however you can make AD off the AH and then trade it for zen. I highly doubt it will take years to do anything in game....might feel like it tho
And how does that affect you? Can you not have fun playing the game because someone else spent RL money on getting things faster than you? Sounds like a personal problem to me…
Also, those who spend RL money to get the shiny faster miss out on any sense of accomplishment. So in the end, you even win!
I've heard of the game, and a month or two ago recall looking at the game and seeing the founders prices and saying to myself "****! I'd found but the prices are just too **** high!" I'm old enough to remember when the OG NW came out, but I never played it and this weekend looked at NW again. I'm really happy I did. Like you I was pleasantly surprised at how well this game ran. Sure I had the odd graphical glitch here and there, but as a whole, things worked very well. It was after a couple hours of playing I decided to get the HoTN pack, then yesterday decided to get the Guardian pack.
However, you have to understand OP that games like this that do not involve any real financial commitment on the part of the player need to account for some things, like no one buying anything. Prices are what they are, and the grind is what it is in all games like this, to get a player to put at least some money into the title. If you like a game enough, you shouldn't have much of a problem doing that. Budget asside, you aren't forced to spend the money I did. If you don't put anything into the game, that's fine, but expect to have to actually work for that piece of gear you want. Most games (Star Conflict does this) that are free offer the cash shop for mostly cosmetic things, or for the player who wants to buy an item right away, as opposed to grinding for it.
You mention a paid per month sub fee, like wow. Even though you're paying a monthly fee, you aren't guaranteed to get that piece of gear you want.
Also, I am worried that because this game is Free to play, you'll be forced into spending money. That the actual grind for the best in slot items would take so long to grind without investing cash, that you'll be forced to invest silly amounts just to get your character to an optimal level. Yes, it is an option, but who wants to spend 6 months grinding for 1 item? This could mean that you would have to pay up to 3 games worth just to get your character in gear. Making this game not only expensive, but also extremely boring.
Of course this is all in theory. I do not know the actual time it takes a person that doesn't pay to get their best in slot items. 6 months was just an exaggeration to make a point.
Thanks for your post, quite informative. I realize you aren't guaranteed to get loot, but then again, neither is anyone else that plays. My point is, since you can actually invest the amounts of cash you yourself put in this game, to buy gear, it creates an imbalance. Those that choose to buy simply exotic stuff, and support the game that way, while they grind their way to a great character, are forced to suck it up and suffer at the hands of 1 week old characters with owners that invested 300$ into their gear. When I play a game seriously, I expect to have an even plane field with everyone else. Or at least have a chance at that.
Well... I'm a casual player. How does it affect me? I'll probably hit level 60 in a few weeks.... work towards filling my slots with gear that would let me break the threshold for the lvl 60 dungeons, then I'll try to join a dungeon raid, but will be immediately rejected because my gear isn't good enough for easy mode.
I'll spend some time trying to farm enough currency to buy some items. I may even theorycraft and learn my mechanics to a degree of significant proficience, but even after a few weeks of pvp grinding and zone grinding, I'll still not be welcome into any epic dungeon groups that can actually complete the content.
And at that point, I'll either pay, or quit.
The cash player is committing a significant amount of time to a job. Then they're using what they earned there to a) support the game and b) get what they could have earned had they not been working.
The free player is supporting the game by contributing to the community. But if any F2P game has only free players, it's going to sink. Servers, bandwidth, maintenance, all cost money.
GW2 did the cash shop pretty well. Nothing that was OP or gave the money spenders anything over those that didn't was put in. Putting weapons or armor in there is a mistake in my opinion. Mounts, bags, weapon and armor skins are all OK. Companions are iffy as they could give a significant advantage leveling up.
Time will tell but I don't think the cash spenders will have a big or any advantage endgame.
The OP even says without paying you get the bare minimum, what a completely false statement. Less ignorant complaining please.
My goodness are you clueless. Have you even looked at the shop? Have you even bothered to understand how to get geared? Or did you just assume a bunch of nonsense so you can complain on a forum. We all know it's the last one.
No ****? And that's a bad thing? Do you think developing, maintaining and deploying a game doesn't cost money?
And F2P is not a double-edged sword. It is F2P if you want it to be F2P. Fact.
They say ignorance is bliss, but if I were you I'd feel pretty embarrassed now.
[citation needed]
Sounds like a load of BS.
Sounds like you've given up before even trying, or knowing what you're talking about.
Sounds like you don't want to succeed.
Sounds like a horrible attitude.
Sounds like you should just go play Hello Kitty Online.
PVP gear has its own currency from the pvp shop.
In Alpha I leveled every class and while having extra bags were nice they weren't a must have, if your character specs are reset by Cryptic you don't have to pay and that is really the only time I respec, so non cosmetic items I pay a big fat goose egg each year for. I choose to purchase lock-box keys occasionally but have found a decent market in trading NM boxes for them, I have bought a coupel companions I thought were cool and that's it. So grand total for my purchases (aside from my founders pack wich was optional as well) for the year is fifty bucks.....fifty bucks for hours of entertainment....yes Cryptic is bleeding me dry make it stop. :rolleyes:
I understand that not everyone plays the way I do, some feel that if they don't have every cash store item or can respec at will for free they are being ripped off. Honestly if that is the case make an informed decision and vote with your wallet. PWE never has and never will adjust their cash shop prices, they do have specials frequently though. The game isn't going to fail because some people think it's a ripoff, some people will think that no matter what.
Continually complaining about it serves no perpose, I was talking to a guy last night who was bragging that he has made ten accounts just to complain about the cash shop on the forums, and honestly if something has that much power over you that you have to go to that extreme you need to step back and get some perspective.
Yeah, but think about wow. people all pay the same prices, but invest different amounts of time. So, that person who spends hours upon hours just dungeon grinding will get that gear before someone who plays casually (a couple of hours or so a week). It's the same here. Someone who pays 0 can still get the same gear that someone who paid $300, it will just take you longer, that's it.
Let's use the grind for mounts. I have 2 mounts I can use since I founded. Now, you probably can't buy the exact same mounts (the spider & armored horse), as these are really just cosmetic, both mounts increase speed by 110%, I'm now just saved the time of having to buy a mount when I get to level 20, however I'm sure mounts that are purchased provide the same speed buff. So, you do have that same chance to get the things paid players have, it will just take you much longer.
As long as you plan on playing F2P games, you need to accept the fact that if you plan on investing 0, it will take you a longer time to get something than someone who has paid. You will eventually have the same / similar things, but you just have to be prepared to work for it like I said.
Yeah like,,, RESPECS and BAGS
AD -> Zen.
But you're a known troll anyway, judging from your post history, so troll on I guess
For the consumer, there are two levels of thought:
1) A cash shop/F2P or B2P game requires no financial commitment in the form of subscription fee, or (in F2P games) a box fee. This allows you to try multiple games or casually play one without having to worry about "getting your money's worth." This is great if you are someone who likes to try a bunch of different games -- or who wants to try the new game without worrying about not being able to log in to the old game to hang out with the guild since you didn't pay the sub fee. I know that the sub fee is one huge factor in many people's minds who play sub fee -- "why play this new game since all my guildies are still in wow and i'm already paying the sub fee for that"...
2) However, with the cash shop, people are generally divided into two groups based on how much money they choose to invest in the game. Your concern is over freebies who get the barest min of services and few to no convenience perks. You need to understand that economically these players -cost- money to the game company since they are using a service without investing any cash. There is NO incentive to a company to offer expanded services to players who aren't investing cash in their game and very high incentive to push these people to purchase even the smallest cash perk (respec, etc). Once this freebie player invests even the minimal amount of money in the game, they no longer become a "drag" on the game financially. So while it is possible to access a certain number of services in a cash shop game (with high barriers such as time or game coin investment) while investing no cash money, it is not the expected avenue for most gamers and not the one the company intends to support.
My suggestion is to do what I do with cash shop games -- purchase a minimal amount of currency or services based on what you would expect to pay with sub games (10-15 bucks a month) and use that to buy your way up to conveniences. You need to understand that the cash shop game is basically a way of disguising a sub fee in microtransactions (that also doesn't limit game income to whatever the sub fee is...you can purchase way more than 10 dollars a month).
Basically, cash shop games convert time investment into RL money investment and thus appeal to a large demographic of gamers who have minimal RL time to devote to a game but have financial resources to spend money in a cash shop. In sub games, the player base is usually divided into those who devote alot of time (hardcore) and those who don't (casual). Just replace time with money in F2P cash shop games.
Yes, you can easily buy your way there. We saw Level 60 characters on day one of early access on the 25th Hotn opening day that had got there by spending huge amounts of AD on crafting.
Yes, you *could* spend a thousand dollars or more, trade for bazillions of astral diamonds, buy a slew of high end gear, a bazillion lockboxes and keys, trade in the tarmulune bars, get a hundred coalescent wards, fuse all those purple enchantments and so on. And you would still be behind the folks that actually know how to play.
You could spend ten grand and level up multiple characters, then swap gear around too. You would still be behind the folks that know how to build a character and play it.
Me, I've spent probably $600. Started play on the 25th. My main character is only level 41. Never done a dungeon or skirmish. Don't have 'elite' gear (some blues), never done ANY PvP (it doesn't interest me much). For enchantments, I usually participate in the hourly contests. There are plenty of folks out there that haven't spent a dime that are way ahead of me in terms of levels and gear etc.
The panther companion? A nice to have but not spectacular. Same for the mount (I ride the horse, the spider mount doesn't match my character).
It really comes down to what you (not you in particular, but 'you' in general) think the 'game' is about. If end game content (epic pvp and epic dungeons) is your goal then that's fine. I'm already seeing folks complaining that they've reached that and want more content (the 'Monty Haul' syndrome). If that's your thing then getting there in a few days is only going to leave you disappointed in the longer term. Devs will *never* be able to add enough end game content to satisfy that tiny percentage of folks that maxed out in couple of days (or less). No matter how fast they add content like that, a tiny percentage will burn through it in hours and be back on the forums asking for more.
Even if you don't spend ANY cash, there will almost certainly be someone else 'ahead' of you who not only didn't' spend any cash, but spent more time in-game min-maxing (or just got luckier on an epic drop).
That's the entire problem that I see, the idea that you can 'win' in an MMO like this. If you come in with that mentality, then in my opinion, you will get frustrated.
No one is complaining... You need to turn it down a notch. Take anger management courses.
There has not been a successful subscription based MMO since WoW, most have gone F2P. Seems people have finally come to their senses regarding subscription games.
Brilliantly said!
So many people miss that simple truth, I have friends who haven't spent a dime and are having a blast, I have others who have everything and hate the game and are miserable that they spent so much. People make such a huge deal out of personal choices. If you think the game is bad or the cash shop is a rip off don't play and don't spend, nothing could be more simple.
But that isn't the reasons for all the hate.(not that I'm saying the OP is hating) The reason is forum drama and trolling developers is the new e-sport.