4th of July is great but…

Asmondena

I whaled a bit this 4th of July and it was great.
That said I’m in an alliance with non spenders that I value as mate and they need the ability to close the gap.
And close the gap fairly fast.
I have often said MCOC is a social media games pretending to be a mobile fight game.
I need my free to play mates to have fun and continue playing and of course spending 🙂

DNA3000

Asmondena said:

I whaled a bit this 4th of July and it was great.
That said I’m in an alliance with non spenders that I value as mate and they need the ability to close the gap.
And close the gap fairly fast.
I have often said MCOC is a social media games pretending to be a mobile fight game.
I need my free to play mates to have fun and continue playing and of course spending 🙂

In other words, when someone spends they have to get no value for their spending that everyone else won't just get for free.

Why would anyone spend under those conditions?

Asmondena

Spenders should get there first but not walled off for years to come.
I got 9 rank 5s and/or rank 2s in a day.
100% act 8.2 will get you one rank 5. That is a large gap.
IMHO, god skilled and very active free to play should be able to achieve what the spenders do in 6 months to a year.

Asmondena

This is just a sample.
This is kinda nuts.
And I might spend a little more 🤣

Asmondena

I have just 5 more paths to 100% act 8.2 and I will this week but part of me says why? 🤣
I like playing that’s why but free to play need a way to stay reasonably close 🙂

DNA3000

Asmondena said:

Spenders should get there first but not walled off for years to come.
I got 9 rank 5s and/or rank 2s in a day.
100% act 8.2 will get you one rank 5. That is a large gap.
IMHO, god skilled and very active free to play should be able to achieve what the spenders do in 6 months to a year.

For how much spending? Should F2P be able to erase the advantage of a hundred dollars of spending in six months? How about a thousand dollars of spending?

And how much activity should be required? If an F2P that is moderately active can erase all that spending in six months, what about a very active grinder? Three months? One month?

What if the spenders also, say, play the game? If they do the same things as the F2P players on top of spending, should the F2P players still be able to catch up? How?

Asmondena

Honestly and I will state upfront, I don’t know the perfect conversion.
$ money = f(skill + activity) not a clue
But I will say if $ money >>> (insurmountable superior) to any amount of skill and activity forever. It is likely not good for the game.
We all want the game to continue for many years to come 🙂

Asmondena

Here’s the problem and/or danger, I can shut off the game now and ignore everything for months.
But returning cyber weekend and spending maybe a $700, instantaneously become an elite again.
That’s called a dull game.
Again cash should get some there first but never be a impenetrable wall.
And skill should always mean something 🙂

Asmondena

Thanks I was really getting worried.

DNA3000

Asmondena said:

Here’s the problem and/or danger, I can shut off the game now and ignore everything for months.
But returning cyber weekend and spending maybe a $700, instantaneously become an elite again.
That’s called a dull game.
Again cash should get some there first but never be a impenetrable wall.
And skill should always mean something 🙂

Almost no one can do that. Most players of the game are free to play, and most of those that spend do not or cannot spend at those levels. More players have probably traversed the Abyss than have consistently dropped $700 during the big sale days. In terms of comparing skill verses spending, spending $700 is harder.

Also, the player who just drops $700 on the game is in effect subsidizing the gameplay of three or four free to play players for an entire year. Hundreds of thousands of players play the game completely for free. Someone has to pay for them. What is paying for four players to play this game for free for a year worth?

Spending can make the game boring, but that's entirely voluntary on the part of the spenders. If it helps their enjoyment to spend and they want to spend, they should spend. But if it hurts their enjoyment of the game to spend, they have the option to not spend and not incur that penalty. It is not the fault of the game if the game allows players to spend, and players choose to spend unwisely.

Also, I wouldn't say spending is an impenetrable wall. COWhale spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars that we know of just from his videos. But he hasn't been around for a few years. How much advantage do you think his account currently has, with the hundreds of thousands of dollars of spend in it (and yes, I'm aware of some of the hinkyness surrounding that account after he left the game). Imagine spending a hundred thousand dollars on this game in 2023 and then stopping. How much of that advantage do you think will still exist *at all* in 2026? Or even 2025? My guess is by the end of 2024 I will start overtaking that account.

The things we earn in-game, they don't last. The next thing comes around to replace it, and spending quickly blows past it. But the things we buy with cash also don't last long. Eventually they show up in side quests and the login calendar. Eventually they show up in monthly content and Story Arc content that most players of the appropriate progression tier can do without spending.