On the value of Crom Coins in the Bazaar...

[Prae]

In a twitchcon livestream today, Andy confirmed that the BP will cost 1000 Crom Coins or about 10 Dollars when showing the Bazaar.

In the Bazaar, there is a "Sandstone Set 1" for 700 Crom Coins.

So... Assuming that the prices shown are correct, they wanna sell 1 part of a building set for 7$, where as a current 12$ DLC packs contains at LEAST A building set, 3 armor sets, a set of weapons and more?

There also was an Arcane Weapons set also for 700 Crom Coins. Fair price?

So when they say that people have more choice to buy the things they want, rather than having to pay for a DLC pack which contains items they don't like...
They actually mean: "We're offering you the option to purchase less items at a higher pricepoint."?


Also, Andy said that the majority of the free items aren gonna be consumables.
Lovely that, filling a paid battlepass with junk you can farm ingame.

[kuwas]

It is most likely that players that don't like the new model will just drop the game like a hot potato. Their forums are filled with customers that want to get shafted more and vehemently defend them, so why would they bother making any changes?

These types of monetization schemes are usually used by mobile gacha games that aren't meant to last long and focuses on monetizing the whales when the population in the game starts to drop. I believe this game has reached its death spiral stage and they are content on just milking their shrinking player base, because this type of monetization is specifically to be profitable in that scenario.

[Ellorien]

If you ever played braindead “free” mobil PvP (p2w) MMO, you would know how much money people spend on the stupidest crap. Hundreds and thousands of dollars over time and I am not exaggerating.
One if the online friends of mine would casually spend $500 on a “starting package” and feel like his money was well spent because the stuff was “on sale.” Can’t make this crap up.

So yes, I know exactly the type of people who will “support” Tencent with their money. Funcom’s monetization experts know what they are doing.

[BigBombz]

Ellorien の投稿を引用：

If you ever played braindead “free” mobil PvP (p2w) MMO, you would know how much money people spend on the stupidest crap. Hundreds and thousands of dollars over time and I am not exaggerating.
One if the online friends of mine would casually spend $500 on a “starting package” and feel like his money was well spent because the stuff was “on sale.” Can’t make this crap up.

So yes, I know exactly the type of people who will “support” Tencent with their money. Funcom’s monetization experts know what they are doing.

I once played LO with a guy who had spent 7000 euros on a spacecraft in that nevergonnagetfinished Kickstarter crap Star Citizen. LOL
That's why I'm sure that my free ride on this game is going to be paid by some else.

On another note; people are cursing Tencent as if they are the reason for all evil in Conan Exiles and in other games too. I'm pretty sure Tencents involvement in Funcom is just a low level office worker who's responsible of the investment portfolio that Funcom is one part of, and that worker is only keeping his eye on some financial indicators in that portfolio and does nothing if they stay above certain thresholds.

[BigBombz]

As what comes to the original post, I'm not convinced that prices in that Bazaar page we have seen are what they will be, they might be, but those prices can be just a work in progress placeholders. If you look closely, a banner is priced 700 and a large banner 500, so to me it looks like designer just tossed some random numbers on.

[kuwas]

BigBombz の投稿を引用：

As what comes to the original post, I'm not convinced that prices in that Bazaar page we have seen are what they will be, they might be, but those prices can be just a work in progress placeholders. If you look closely, a banner is priced 700 and a large banner 500, so to me it looks like designer just tossed some random numbers on.

I'd actually beg to differ here, random numbers look more like 999 or everything will say 1000 regardless of the package. It entirely possible these are FPO, but they should've mentioned it on the stream if that were the case.

[Jaq]

kuwas の投稿を引用：

It is most likely that players that don't like the new model will just drop the game like a hot potato.

Why? What's the difference from the player's perspective whether you ignore and simply don't participate in the new business model, or whether it never existed in the first place? Either way it's still the exact same game. It's the trashy sorcery stuff that changes the game, not purchasable cosmetic re-skins. That's what may chase me out of here.

Ellorien の投稿を引用：

Bombz, you can’t tell other players what they need or don’t need in order to enjoy the game.
Also, the main point the staunch defenders of the BP make is “funcom has to make more money to keep the lights on” so if people do as you say, would funcom be able to keep the lights on?

Two possible answers:

1) no, they would not survive financially without the BP income
That means you won’t be able to play the game if other suckers won’t subsidize your enjoyment by buying worthless (in your opinion) cosmetics and paying for the privilege of grinding dailies.
2) yes, they will survive.
Then it is all lies and they are just greedy.

So, which is it?

The issue is that they can't directly monetize content updates like Age of Sorcery, because if they put that behind a paywall then they've created a pay2win situation. So the only way they get a return on investment for that is if they give away that content for free, but create something else to buy when you log in for the sorcery. It's a bar giving you free pretzels in hopes that you'll buy a drink to wash them down.

Now, they could just follow the old model, and time it so that Age of Sorcery releases simultaneously with a new culturally themed DLC pack like the previous ones. Let's say "Snake Lords of Stygia" or some such thing. But you'll notice there are large gaps between releasing those DLC packs, at least 6 months between the last several. So if Stygian/Egyptian architecture just isn't your thing, then they've probably missed their one and only shot at selling you something before you get bored of Age of Sorcery and stop logging in as often.

That's why they're switching to a shop that sells cosmetics in smaller batches that's easier to update more frequently, and instituting a system that encourages regular logins. It gives them far more chances to sell you something that covers the cost of developing the other content, whereas the cultural DLC packs are an all-or-nothing one shot gamble. Also, a steady cash flow makes it easier for the project director to confidently greenlight more content updates, whereas the Cultural DLC packs make the vast majority of their money upfront and then go quiet, making it uncertain whether the next one will be as well-received or if players will even notice a new one is available since they stopped logging in.

Business doesn't like uncertainty. Especially not in the scary global economy we have right now. That's what this is all about. They want a more stable and predictable business model to offset the risks of providing free gameplay updates.

[Blast (AKA LostAmI)]

Defenders of this BattlePass and item shop stuff i swear.
Six paragraphs to essentially say.
"They want more money and it's less risky to just screw the customer for it"
They don't understand that defending this means it spreads and as it spreads it makes games worse and worse across the board.

This is Just lazy monetization tactics for a game with a low player count already. Squeeze those last drops of blood and throw it in the trash, CLASSIC TenCent, buy a dying game, put out a big update to draw in lurking fan base who have been waiting for more content, get them excited, and milk their love of the game till they hate it and the game collapses.

Of course these are just my opinions.

[Scar]

Maybe don't spend your money if you don't want to?, I mean is it really that hard to ignore a price tag and to play the base content of the game, I mean you're literally crying about cosmetics

[Dread Swoop]

Flamekeeper の投稿を引用：

Maybe don't spend your money if you don't want to?, I mean is it really that hard to ignore a price tag and to play the base content of the game, I mean you're literally crying about cosmetics

Or they're advocating why other people shouldn't support it as well.

[Optyk]

BigBombz の投稿を引用：

There is nothing you need to play and enjoy the game in battle pass. No point in whining about it, just don't spend any money on it.
<snip>
Who needs skins for armor and weapons anyway, there are already dozens of armor and weapons in game that nobody ever uses.

Flamekeeper の投稿を引用：

Maybe don't spend your money if you don't want to?, I mean is it really that hard to ignore a price tag and to play the base content of the game, I mean you're literally crying about cosmetics

Laaaaaaaaadies and gentlemennnnnnnnn!

I present to you examples of people who own just the basics of anything in life, because you dont NEED the other stuff!

Tour their closets and dressers of plain white t-♥♥♥♥♥, khaki pants and shorts, basic slip-on shoes (who needs overpriced laces?) and an old flip-phone. Hold open their refrigerator/cooler doors, as you stare in awe at their numerous jugs of water and rows of bread. Just the basics remember, because everything else you dont NEED.

Dont fret, the show is not over! Head over to any Conan community forum website and witness their hive-mind kin, also reminding others, how they dont really NEED the things they want.

Role models no one ever NEEDED -but we received.
#BLESSED

[V.V.]

Flamekeeper の投稿を引用：

Maybe don't spend your money if you don't want to?, I mean is it really that hard to ignore a price tag and to play the base content of the game, I mean you're literally crying about cosmetics

Id LOVE to see you try and tell that to someone with a compulsive buying habit. They can't control their spending and this is what this style of monetization targets. Not you. So you don't have anything to worry about because you're not the target buyer.

[t4chy]

Just enjoy finding parts of a set in the store, and parts within the BP, as already confirmed multiple times by the devs. If you want to have all parts of a set, pay twice, and grind.

[BigBombz]

V.V. の投稿を引用：

Id LOVE to see you try and tell that to someone with a compulsive buying habit. They can't control their spending and this is what this style of monetization targets. Not you. So you don't have anything to worry about because you're not the target buyer.

If you have such difficulties controlling your life, you should get professional help and not whine on Steam forums.

[BigBombz]

Optyk の投稿を引用：

Laaaaaaaaadies and gentlemennnnnnnnn!

I present to you examples of people who own just the basics of anything in life, because you dont NEED the other stuff!

Tour their closets and dressers of plain white t-♥♥♥♥♥, khaki pants and shorts, basic slip-on shoes (who needs overpriced laces?) and an old flip-phone. Hold open their refrigerator/cooler doors, as you stare in awe at their numerous jugs of water and rows of bread. Just the basics remember, because everything else you dont NEED.

Dont fret, the show is not over! Head over to any Conan community forum website and witness their hive-mind kin, also reminding others, how they dont really NEED the things they want.

Role models no one ever NEEDED -but we received.
#BLESSED

If you want to spend your money (or your parents money) on all the shiny trinkets, then please go ahead, fund my free ride.

And FYI, my t-shirts are all plain black same as my jeans. And I kind of like bread.

[V.V.]

BigBombz の投稿を引用：

If you have such difficulties controlling your life, you should get professional help and not whine on Steam forums.

You're the free loader who wants these whales to give you a free ride and your insulting them because they have a problem that they probably aren't even aware of and if they are then its not something that's easily helped when the 'problem' starts invading spaces they go to get away from it.

You sound like people who don't take depression seriously either, like its something that can just be cured with a quick trip to a psychologist and getting put on some meds. Just wow, dude.