With the recent Jimquisition video adding fuel to the microtransaction fire, I wanted to make a point. In my opinion people are focusing so hard on the whole "MT's existing in a full price game" and missing the important point. Removing the microtransactions in the game right now, does absolutely nothing besides remove an option for those willing to pay to get loot boxes quicker. That's it.
The progression, the grind if you will, is this: Play the game. Earn experience. Level up. Earn Lootbox. Open for random reward.
Microtransactions in the game skip these parts, nothing more: Play the game. Earn experience. Level up. Earn Lootbox. Open for random reward.
Before anything else, I suggest watching TotalBiscuit's opinions on this, they mirror my own and are well laid out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-drM9TA63I
For those of you who don't have 40 minutes to spare I wanted to make a breakdown of his points as well as my general thoughts by countering some common arguments I've seen:
cont.
>>340364402
1. Microtransactions in full-priced games are a bad thing and shouldn't happen when I've put money down.
This is a principal a lot of people seem to have. Regardless of the benefits, the fact devs are asking for more money is simply unnaceptable for some. First, lets not forget that these MT's are getting us free DLC. Before anyone says "Yeah but blizzard don't need the money". The alternative wouldn't be free DLC. No, it'd be season passes. They're a business at the end of the day. But the microtransactions have no impact on someone who chooses to ignore them. Players aren't locked out of playing Bastion, they aren't blocked from playing on Hanamura. Buying a loot box is optional and people spending money get no gameplay advantage over those who don't.
Some people are more than happy to buy microtransactions. If they don't have the time to grind the same way others do, it's a way to catch up if they wish to spend their own cash.
2. Cosmetics are a core part of the experience, they affect the experience
I enjoy skins and sprays and everything else, but it isn't a huge deal to me. I do however appreciate that it is to some people, and makes up a large portion of their reason for playing. Microtransactions don't change this! The fact that you haven't picked up that legendary skin you wanted won't suddenly be fixed tomorrow if Blizzard pull the plug on the MT's. The progression system still works the same, there's just no longer an optional bypass.
>>340364484
3. All of these cosmetics should be unlocked from the get go.
This would be the first go to, logical fix for this whole thing right? And yet it's not. In this day and age, carrots on a stick are the norm, especially in multiplayer titles to retain players. I've seen people outright say the carrot in OW and isn't big enough for them to play the game. It's crazy to me that some people can't like a game simply for being fun, and has to have a reason to play is quite odd but each to their own. The fact is, a large portion of the player base WANT things to grind for, and get bored when there isn't. People actively asked for it during the closed beta.
4. Slow levelling + RNG is there to entice people to buy the microtransactions.
It's possible that this is the case, but there's nothing to back this up besides hypotheticals. The progression system hasn't really changed since the closed beta (which had no microtransactions) and players were happy unlocking as they went, with nothing but loot boxes. So the addition of money hasn't suddenly made things get super sleezy. It's just as possible that the system has been carefully finetuned to retain players and not be too quick.
And to go back to the point of carrot on stick, if you unlocked everything super quick you'd run out of things to care about and the problem would arise. There is room for improvement however.
>>340364575
5. Paid DLC would be better than microtransactions.
This one I've seen crop up a few times and it baffles me. Dafter still, some people feel entitled to free DLC even without MT's being in the game. The average person who decides to pay nothing on loot boxes will still get all future DLC content for free. Maps, modes, characters. If all of that suddenly goes into a season pass, that same person no longer has access to those maps, and can't play those heroes who might be slightly OP. Above all, it fractures the player base and hurts population.
6. Random drops suck because they give skins for characters you don't want.
TB made a good point in his video that making the drops random could be seen in a positive light. Lots of players admittedly play the characters they like or the ones that they've unlocked cool skins. If you no longer get a legendary drop for that character you've not really tried, you're less likely to give them a go. The game is all about utilizing the entire roster, and the randomness of who you get rewards might help encourage experimenting.
But still, having loot boxes for sale doesn't change how this RNG works.
POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO PROGRESSION SYSTEM:
1. Pick what you want, buy what you want.
This is a possible step Blizz could take. Instead of microtransactions buying lootboxes, allow people to buy what they want. Like that shark skin for Roadhog? Give Blizz $X and you can have it. Done. That would allow players to pay a little more, but guarantee they were getting their wanted item. I suppose this could even be added on top of loot boxes.
2. Provide more tangible, guaranteed ways of acquiring loot.
As it stands, the only tangible factor in progression is XP. I know that I'll need to play roughly 8 games to get the next loot box, at 22,000 XP a pop. What will be in the box is totally unknown. Some suggestions:
- Add a coin drop for every game completed, giving players a baseline method of accruing currency.
- Add a guaranteed coin drop (maybe even random amounts with potentially huge jackpots) in loot boxes, but don't take up one of the 4 slots to do it.
- Add fair quests to the game that reward coin jackpots/loot boxes
- Perhaps bonus coins (as well as XP) for consecutive games.
3. "But I already got that!" - Stop with the dupes, or make them more rewarding.
When you get a duplicate, it sucks. There's no two ways about it, with such a large pool of drops still to acquire. Either take them out, or make the coin return much more rewarding. I'd say at least half the value of the skin if bought.
>>340364779
4. Let people choose their preferred drop
One of the things that people dislike is getting a drop type they don't care about. Some people don't care about sprays, most really aren't bothered by profile icons. One possibility is to give people the option to pick their preference? Then in a loot box, maybe 3/4 of the drops are guaranteed to be your preference. Duplicates would probably be needed if that were the case.
I'm sure there are plenty of other things Blizzard could do to improve the progression system, because it certainly could do with some work. So lets focus on thinking of ways that we could make it more fun and more rewarding to play this game and level up.
5. Get rewarded for winning the end screen vote.
As it stands, the voting cards at the end of a match are cool but ultimately pointless. They don't do much besides give you bragging rights. Why not give people a reward if they are voted epic? Either a loot box or again, coins.
6. Sell back your cosmetics.
This is something people liked from Halo 5, being able to sell stuff you don't want for a bit of currency towards the loot you do. Why not allow players to do this? Some people won't like every skin they pick up. Allow the optional to turn it in for a partial refund of sorts to go towards a new loot box. Maybe a legendary gives you 500 coins back, or 250.
tl;dr:
The main issue I think we all have is with the progression system itself. Progress feels a bit slow and a bit unfair and I want to try and get away from people tunnel-visioning microtransactions so much. If the progression felt fairer and less random, people would be much more satisfied, and MT's wouldn't be an issue at all.
Wow OP, you actually make some good points. Really makes you think...
Where did you copypaste this from? Neogaf?
>>340364402
>>340364484
>>340364575
>>340364671
>>340364779
>>340364869
>>340364970
Agree 100% OP. One of the best written thought out threads here in a while. If only more of /v/ was as intellectual and put in effort instead of just shitposting.
TL;DR: OP is still a faggot
>>340365423
Found OP jerking off to his own post.
You're a shit eater OP. TL;DR PEOPLE MAKE GAMES THE WAY I DON'T WANT THEM MADE.
Go home.
The flaw in your post is you're treating Overwatch as if it is some leveling game. It's a FPS. The loot crate crap adds life for people with no attention spans, but the core game is the same as any other FPS.
>>340365401
>it is actually on gaf
Let's just have a Tracer thread instead
>>340364970
The problem with microtransactions in a full price game is that the way you get the items for free is designed in a way to make you want to but the packs. If the packs were not purchasable the regular unlocking system would probably be not as slow to compensate, because what logical reason would there be for it to be slow?
>>340366090
>memewatch
>jim cuckling
>neogaf
die in a fire
>>340366262
Autism - The Post
>>340366120
The problems with faggots on the internet is that they'll get emotionally involved in anything. YOU CAN IGNORE THE MICRO TRANSACTIONS, THEY ADD NOTHING TO THE GAME. LITERALLY ZERO.
Who cares how slow it is, it doesn't matter.
>>340364402
>I will now talk about Overwatch microtransactions and progression systems for about 40 min.
Oh
Jim Sterling
The hypocritical SJW cuck who literally can't stop stroking his own dick and throwing fits.
Fuck that guy
Did everyone forget that TF2 used to cost money......and you had crates you randomly found....which you had to pay to unlock.......
Did everyone just forget that this "paid shortcut" microtransaction thing has been a thing since the online gaming era started?
>>340364402
>Microtransactions aren't the problem in Overwatch
>Microtransactions aren't the problem
>Microtransactions
Reminder that overwatch is a $60 game with little content
>>340369906
40*
>>340370458
60 on consoles
But 40 is still too much
>>340369906
It has more content than TF2 on launch. Which was a 20 $ game.
>>340364484
>Cosmetics are a core part of the experience, they affect the experience
what kind of retards actually argue this
>All of these cosmetics should be unlocked from the get go
or this
>>340364484
>these MT's are getting us free DLC
if you pay for something it isn't free though
>>340364402
>>340364779
>>340364869
dude i can't even be fucked to quote all of your posts, that's how fucking long you drolled on for. How the fuck did you write all this inane garbage? holy fuck NOBODY CARES!!!!!!!!
>>340364402
I like microtransaction desu, they give me more incentive to keep playing the game. Then I can just drop the rest of my money that I get mowing lawns on getting skins.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1229807
first result on google
>>340371195
You dont have to pay for the dlc thus it is free dlc
>>340370695
>Consoles
There's your problem
The problem with making serious Overwatch discussion threads on /v/ is that a vocal, sizable group of people already decided they don't like the game. You can't just make some long-winded post about one of its controversial points hoping to change anyone's opinion. At the end of the day, the game either appeals to you, or it doesn't, as much as people hate on the game for having microtransactions. It probably doesn't change whether or not someone would want to play it, it just gives those who dislike the game a reason to call a game they don't like shit.
>>340370845
TOP KEK
>>340364402
>>340364484
>>340364575
>>340364671
>>340364779
>>340364869
>>340365423
I think YOU'RE missing the main issue here. The main issue is that Overwatch is a shit game. The paid microjewery is just stanard Blizzard practice. The only winning move is not to play.
>>340365664
underage detected
Let me guess, you are the 20 year old know it all crowd from /v/. Every once in a while I come back to this board and always see this pile of shit. /v/ is truly cancerous.
>be reaper
>kings row
>clear first point single-handedly in overtime
>team wrecks shit from then on
>having trouble getting the cart the final 10 meters
>teleport behind the enemy team and ult
>quadruple kill
>4m from victory
>"Helden sterben nicht"
>everyone revived
>lose eventually
>potg is mercy hiding in spawn until her team dies to my ult, then flying out and pressing q
i am so fucking angry right now
>>340366769
>>340366238
>>340366090
Serious Quiestion.
How do you not find her annoying?
On top of her horrendous voice, the fast hit and run style character has always pissed me off. They always come off as a cunt.(excuding Quicksilver from XMEN)
Even sonic for example in smash, He hits you, gets away from you, repeat. Same play style its not fun or amusing in games AND shows/movies.
>>340364402
>>340364484
>>340364575
>>340364671
>>340364779
>>340364869
>>340364970
>and MT's wouldn't be an issue at all.
Stopped reading right there. Fuck off.
