Is the Cash Shop required to progress in this game?

saebin
saebin Posts: 1 Arc User
edited July 2010 in Cash Shop Huddle
So right now I'm kind of in between games when I stumbled upon this game. I've read up on everything and so far have been impressed up until this point. However, I'm a big P2P player. I prefer to have a flat monthly fee that I can rely on. I'm not so keen on the cash shop idea. I have played several games in the past that use it. I just hate the idea though that the more money you have to feed your addiction, the bigger advantage you have in game. Often many games require spending loads of cash or else you face major consequences from ungodly slow leveling to just being fairly undergeared.

My question is are all items in the cash shop obtainable in game without having to pay rl money? It's not that I'm too cheap to buy anything, but at the same rate I don't want to put a huge strain on my bank account.
Post edited by saebin on

Comments

  • Haiz - Lost City
    Haiz - Lost City Posts: 646 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Classes that don't need to use the cash shop:

    Venomancer.

    That's pretty much it. I would say wizard doesn't need it but thats really based on how the person plays it.

    Also buying exp scrolls to grind with are very affordable and not expensive. Can easily make more money than what they cost.
  • gattsuru
    gattsuru Posts: 3,184 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Most items in the Cash Shop can only be purchased from players, the Cash Shop, or quests with a very limited number of uses. However, the currency of the Cash Shop, Gold, can be purchased from other players in exchange for the in-game Coin currency. While it's a bit harder to get the more expensive items this way, it can be done completely without paying a real-life cent.

    Most cash shop items are entirely aesthetic, or provide only out-of-combat benefits. There is, for example, no Cash Shop weapons or armor; the closest being an item that improves your chances at refining weapons and armor with mirage stones. It's certainly not necessary to keep up with other players in PvE.

    Some players have gotten addicted to Guardian and Spirit charms, but the content is intended to work fine for players without them.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Eliatron - Lost City
    Eliatron - Lost City Posts: 107 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Its just real life. Money makes life easier, but not neccesary. You can buy easily cash shop items buying gold from players that paid actual USD as gattsuru said.
    So from what Ive seen its not necessary to have cash shoped
  • Jeiiy - Heavens Tear
    Jeiiy - Heavens Tear Posts: 92 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Yep, not needed.
  • Nevermore - Heavens Tear
    Nevermore - Heavens Tear Posts: 438 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    gattsuru wrote: »

    Some players have gotten addicted to Guardian and Spirit charms, but the content is intended to work fine for players without them.

    Please tell me, how can I grind efficently when I have 2,400 hp and a mob hits me for over 500 hp? Without a HP charm I would waste so much time waiting for the pots to cool down, not to mention I would plain out DIE if a mob spawns right next to me while I'm killing another.

    Same pretty much goes for the wizard too, who seem to be even more fragile than archers, not to mention both archers and wizards constantly need MP.

    I waste more MP and HP charms with normal grinding than I do when I'm in a Zhen party. Isn't the latter supposed to be expensive and grinding being bearable?

    I think something is very very wrong here. It might have been INTENDED to be playable without charms, but as an archer and wizard you're pretty much screwed without charms...I'd plain out call it unplayable in higher lvls without charms.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Listicka - Sanctuary
    Listicka - Sanctuary Posts: 11 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    first character i chose was a wizard, but after 20 levels i realized it is either unsoloable (that means you have to have a party to kill mobs) or there is major problem with my playstyle, or i am missing some crucial equipmet/consumable.
    after some reading about PW i chose another character - a veno, just to learn it is perfect for soloing, and i dont need anything to gring and do quests just my pet and water, ocasionaly a random party to kill a boss.

    so i would say - if you play another char than veno, you either have to use expensive consumables, or have a party, or do it differently considering playstyl. otherwise you will die a lot and it will cost fortune.
    if i am right, this game has a balancing problem imo.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Daoshi - Heavens Tear
    Daoshi - Heavens Tear Posts: 61 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Kiting helps a lot as a wizard or attack cleric, unless you meant that you were running out of MP a lot. It's just a little slow.
  • Celestyna - Heavens Tear
    Celestyna - Heavens Tear Posts: 629 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    first character i chose was a wizard, but after 20 levels i realized it is either unsoloable (that means you have to have a party to kill mobs) or there is major problem with my playstyle, or i am missing some crucial equipmet/consumable.
    after some reading about PW i chose another character - a veno, just to learn it is perfect for soloing, and i dont need anything to gring and do quests just my pet and water, ocasionaly a random party to kill a boss.

    so i would say - if you play another char than veno, you either have to use expensive consumables, or have a party, or do it differently considering playstyl. otherwise you will die a lot and it will cost fortune.
    if i am right, this game has a balancing problem imo.

    I have had no problems solo'ing my cleric even having focused most my spirit on heals and buffs. I went through a phase i think level 30-40 where i felt I needed parties to do my quests, however I outgrew that as i started focusing on only building this charater. It was a matter of learning how to play it, knowing what mobs for my class were easiest to grind on, knowing when to heal and when to use pots and what spells to combo.
    and apothocary is your friend. focus powder ftw

    b:victory
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Maxgod - Heavens Tear
    Maxgod - Heavens Tear Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Begining of the game (meaning less than lvl 50), you can do okay without cash shop. When you are much higher, especially at lvl 70+, I find it extremely hard to do without cash shop items. Especially if you are an archer.

    Example: 1 mob kill takes 50 - 75% of your MP bar so you need lots of pots or MP charm. Which is cheaper? Of course the MP charm. At lvl 60, you need about 416 lvl 60 pot to equal 1 MP charm. Lvl 60 pots equals 1200 coins each so you will be spending about 500K coins for 416 pots. Getting 500K is a bit hard. Especially when you need the coins for upgrading your skills. Cost of upgrading skills gets more and more expensive as you get higher. At lvl 70+, you will be going through 3 to 4 silver MP charms a week and upgrading a skill will cost more than 200K. If you zhen, you go though 5 MP charms a day or 35 charms a week. You can continue playing without cash shop but it will be very hard to level up without cash shop. It wont be fun having to grind for MP pots and cash all the time. I guess it depends on how fast you want to level and how much cash grinding you are willing to do. Even with grinding and selling items through your stall, you will still find yourself very short of coins. Even if you are in a rich guild that gives you weekly salary.

    There are so much need for cash shop when you are 70+. Your quest is scattered all over map, you really need a petride mount to get your quest done quickly. When you go to TW, you should buy HP charms. Your inventory gets full so you need inventory extensions, weapons need upgrades, the list goes on and on. If you are just starting and want to know if you should quit or not. I say if you can not afford $50 to 100 per month --> do not play. Or better yet, watch me play sad songs on my skin flute.
  • Drtmaverick - Sanctuary
    Drtmaverick - Sanctuary Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    gattsuru wrote: »
    Most items in the Cash Shop can only be purchased from players, the Cash Shop, or quests with a very limited number of uses. However, the currency of the Cash Shop, Gold, can be purchased from other players in exchange for the in-game Coin currency. While it's a bit harder to get the more expensive items this way, it can be done completely without paying a real-life cent.

    Most cash shop items are entirely aesthetic, or provide only out-of-combat benefits. There is, for example, no Cash Shop weapons or armor; the closest being an item that improves your chances at refining weapons and armor with mirage stones. It's certainly not necessary to keep up with other players in PvE.

    Some players have gotten addicted to Guardian and Spirit charms, but the content is intended to work fine for players without them.


    Except for those quests that require you to have things like Guardian Angels to pass (though those are few and inbetween), you don't need the cash shop, but there are one or two quests I've run into that do require things purchased from the cash shop unless there's another way to get guardian angels. Still I believe either we should get double the zen or the items should all see an immediate cut in half. I'd be more apt to spending 50 dollars right off the bat if that happened.
  • creeperella
    creeperella Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Begining of the game (meaning less than lvl 50), you can do okay without cash shop. When you are much higher, especially at lvl 70+, I find it extremely hard to do without cash shop items. Especially if you are an archer.

    Example: 1 mob kill takes 50 - 75% of your MP bar so you need lots of pots or MP charm. Which is cheaper? Of course the MP charm. At lvl 60, you need about 416 lvl 60 pot to equal 1 MP charm. Lvl 60 pots equals 1200 coins each so you will be spending about 500K coins for 416 pots. Getting 500K is a bit hard. Especially when you need the coins for upgrading your skills. Cost of upgrading skills gets more and more expensive as you get higher. At lvl 70+, you will be going through 3 to 4 silver MP charms a week and upgrading a skill will cost more than 200K. If you zhen, you go though 5 MP charms a day or 35 charms a week. You can continue playing without cash shop but it will be very hard to level up without cash shop. It wont be fun having to grind for MP pots and cash all the time. I guess it depends on how fast you want to level and how much cash grinding you are willing to do. Even with grinding and selling items through your stall, you will still find yourself very short of coins. Even if you are in a rich guild that gives you weekly salary.

    There are so much need for cash shop when you are 70+. Your quest is scattered all over map, you really need a petride mount to get your quest done quickly. When you go to TW, you should buy HP charms. Your inventory gets full so you need inventory extensions, weapons need upgrades, the list goes on and on. If you are just starting and want to know if you should quit or not. I say if you can not afford $50 to 100 per month --> do not play. Or better yet, watch me play sad songs on my skin flute.



    wait...wait... to veer off-topic... you...can play your OWN skin flute (I seem to remember flutes requiring one's mouth to work properly)? wow *blinks*... your friends would be so jealous if they knew. Like that episode of Metalocolypse. Frightening and funny, all at once.
  • Darkraven - Heavens Tear
    Darkraven - Heavens Tear Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Herbs are free, and all thats needed to craft the pots you want without spending a dime. There are tons of resources that can help you find what herbs are where on the map, just costing you tad bit of time harvesting them. Between my apothecary items and the pots I loot from mobs as well as lucky items {Lucky packs etc} I dont spend much of my in game coin for pots. {Level 62 Cleric} The MP Charms are a helpful tool, and I do use them, but I buy them from players in the game or buy gold from Auction House then buy the charm from CS. I STILL use my apothecary items to make my MP charm last longer, not relying solely on the charm for my MP.

    I completely LOVE the fact CS items AND Gold can be purchased with game money, meaning you don't ever have to spend any Real Life cash unless you want to.

    You can buy pet rides with in game gold, there are quests you can do to extend your bank, inventory and your pet bag. Cash Shop IS optional.
  • Ren - Lost City
    Ren - Lost City Posts: 355 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Werebeasts can't play without using at least one hp charm a day (60+), unless they want to wipe their parties or waste party slots on multitudes of priests.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    Zoe is so full of it, that he must be Karmelia.
  • turtlewax
    turtlewax Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    ... I say if you can not afford $50 to 100 per month --> do not play. ...

    I highly doubt that, even PWE would realize that this game can not compete with such fees. I suppose they appreciate your spendings but you must be doing something they didn't intend for the majority of players to be doing.
  • Nevermore - Heavens Tear
    Nevermore - Heavens Tear Posts: 438 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    turtlewax wrote: »
    I highly doubt that, even PWE would realize that this game can not compete with such fees. I suppose they appreciate your spendings but you must be doing something they didn't intend for the majority of players to be doing.

    Get to lvl 70 with an archer or wiz. Then come here and say that again. You won't.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Jebbediah - Lost City
    Jebbediah - Lost City Posts: 126 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    If you dont care how fast you beat the game.then the cash shop is completly unnessisarry at any level.

    Dont listen to these hi level ppl that are so used to using charms they forgot they have meditation features.
  • Feraldreamzz - Sanctuary
    Feraldreamzz - Sanctuary Posts: 374 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    I'm not at a high level yet, nor have I played Barb, Cleric, Wizard, Archer, etc to any level over 25. My question is, are the apothecary powders and potions not adequate once you hit the higher levels, therefore the need for charms?
  • turtlewax
    turtlewax Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Get to lvl 70 with an archer or wiz. Then come here and say that again. You won't.

    No, I won't spend $50-$100 per month on a game and this one is certainly not worth such a fee. You are doing something wrong if it costs you that much.
  • Ren - Lost City
    Ren - Lost City Posts: 355 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Get to lvl 70 with an archer or wiz. Then come here and say that again. You won't.

    You mean Werebeast, the most expensive class. Then EP, then MG.
    I highly doubt that, even PWE would realize that this game can not compete with such fees. I suppose they appreciate your spendings but you must be doing something they didn't intend for the majority of players to be doing.

    Their wallet will be feeling it once gold inflates, and it will. Give it a month or two. You can't play without cash shopping when gold is 300k. at least on PW MY you got your money's worth, here you pay 3x more for the same.

    All characters 60+ need a heirogram, and WB/EP are completely reliant on them, mages too. Doing bosses, especially HH, WBs and EPs go broke insanely fast (unless all the junkdrops go to them to fund them - which is lame cause hh takes forever and gives no exp).
    turtlewax wrote: »
    No, I won't spend $50-$100 per month on a game and this one is certainly not worth such a fee. You are doing something wrong if it costs you that much.

    You won't get past level 70 unless you're a werefox, then. WBs have to spend that much a month on heiros, if they don't, your parties will wipe, your guild will be nonfactor.

    Whoever asked about apothecary pots... of course they're insufficient for bosses. They help, but they're best reserved for PVP.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    Zoe is so full of it, that he must be Karmelia.
  • Hong - Heavens Tear
    Hong - Heavens Tear Posts: 332 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Their wallet will be feeling it once gold inflates, and it will. Give it a month or two. You can't play without cash shopping when gold is 300k. at least on PW MY you got your money's worth, here you pay 3x more for the same.

    Agree, most likely will happen.
    All characters 60+ need a heirogram, and WB/EP are completely reliant on them, mages too. Doing bosses, especially HH, WBs and EPs go broke insanely fast (unless all the junkdrops go to them to fund them - which is lame cause hh takes forever and gives no exp).

    Our tank's HP charm probably ticks twice per run. Our Cleric doesn't even use charm for HH. And I completely agree on how HH70 takes ages to run. 80 is far worse and that's when the charm ticks hard.
    You won't get past level 70 unless you're a werefox, then. WBs have to spend that much a month on heiros, if they don't, your parties will wipe, your guild will be nonfactor.

    Agree, for the PvP server.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    www . rochq .net
  • turtlewax
    turtlewax Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    Their wallet will be feeling it once gold inflates, and it will. Give it a month or two. You can't play without cash shopping when gold is 300k.

    Who's wallet will feel it? The average gamer - the large numbers - isn't going to spend $50 p/month on one game, certainly not if there's so much cheaper (and better looking) competition.
  • Pinyin - Lost City
    Pinyin - Lost City Posts: 22 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    i use Charms occasionally atm. i don't feel the need to buy them when i'm grinding. I do have a HP charm equipped most of the time. But it lasts for a week or more if u can kite :)

    I buy Spirit charms only when i use XP scrolls because i dont want to waste XP time just to meditate :)
    For normal questing i use pots, which do fine. Without MP charm i have to meditate about every 20-30th mob when i grind on my lvl or sightly above.
  • Nevermore - Heavens Tear
    Nevermore - Heavens Tear Posts: 438 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    turtlewax wrote: »
    No, I won't spend $50-$100 per month on a game and this one is certainly not worth such a fee. You are doing something wrong if it costs you that much.

    Who the hell said I spend that much on PW per month? Seriously, where did I say that? Quote me, I want to see it.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • turtlewax
    turtlewax Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    There you go, perhaps you missed a part somewhere but from the way the posts fell you certainly seemed to agree with Maxgod that it would cost something like that, at least for a lvl 70 archer or wiz:
    turtlewax wrote: »
    ... I say if you can not afford $50 to 100 per month --> do not play. ...

    I highly doubt that, even PWE would realize that this game can not compete with such fees. I suppose they appreciate your spendings but you must be doing something they didn't intend for the majority of players to be doing.

    Get to lvl 70 with an archer or wiz. Then come here and say that again. You won't.
  • Nevermore - Heavens Tear
    Nevermore - Heavens Tear Posts: 438 Arc User
    edited October 2008
    I was talking generally, meaning you HAVE to pay real cash or spend hours farming mats to be able to purchase Charms to have a chance at efficent lvling in higher lvls..

    Do I honestly need to spell out every little thing here as if you're all a bunch of toddlers? Use your head -.-
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • aionxm
    aionxm Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Someone finally tells it like it is , all free games of any quality are not FREE !! Yes you can play free,meaning you can download the game and run around lol. All free games = you have to buy bag slots , potions, things to upgrade gear. one last point most free games with a cash shop are aslo based on chance=you bought in game currency you buy a upgrade stone and it fails. Nothing is guaranteed to work. You will spend more money on FREE games than P2P thats just a fact. So my answer to you is no you cant play this game wihtout cash shop in some form.
    My second answer would be yes you can lol You can buy from in game players from lots of money but good luck playing for a month or 2 for 1 bag slot b:surrender