Operation Vanguard - Analysis On Whats Been Done

[AnnaLerahk]

Ok so aside from the questionable qualiy of some of the maps and varing opinions on the new skins(because both of those are really down to opinion). I'd like to focus more on the new 'Campaign' system. I'm not defending valve to the end, nor am I out for their blood. I'm trying to see both sides of it. This is going to be a long read so if your really not that interested about all this just skip to the end, you wont get the full picture but you'll get the jist of it.

From what i can gather if you dont buy any extra campaigns you can complete 2 missions a week. Buying an extra campaign will increase the amount of missions you can complete per week by 1. Essentially you can complete one mission from each campaign you own per week.

Now before everyone starts slating off this system let me explain where I think valve might be coming from with this, and no it's not for the money. This observation is somewhat based off of something they did recently with dota 2 so I'm going to explain that before going into CSGO. Recently a new dota chest was added, but the ability to market that item was restricted to until the 1st of january. Again despite first impressions I dont think it was so they could make more money, yes that would be appealing to them and may be part of it I dont think it was the main reason. I think inflation is the main reason. If you look at the CSGO or Dota 2 market the vast majority of items are worthless, hardly getting above the £0.20 mark. I think this restriction was a short term solution for the issue. This is reflected in the way they annouced the new drop system for dota aswell, this is what they said:

Originally posted by Valve:

"The current item drop system doesn't function well as a reward mechanism. It drops many items on players who aren't interested in them (the items are extremely common, or they're for a hero the player doesn't play), and in the process dilutes the value of the items. We'd like to get to a place where dramatically fewer uninteresting items enter the economy. We don't have a complete solution yet, so we're going to move forward step by step, taking feedback from you as we go."

I think the same is true of CS:GO, the time limitation isn't to cash in or be a spiteful, or atleast not primarily, but to try and prevent inflation. For those of you who dont know what inflation is, the best example I can think of is Germany in 1923. To sum it up roughly Germany owed massive amounts of money in war repirations to the Allies after WW1. To solve this problem the country tried just printing enough money to pay for it, good in theory right? Well theory is a trecherous thing and money's value is an interesting thing, there are plenty of places to research it but i think this post is not the place to do so. Basically as you can see with the steammarket, the more of something there is the less it becomes worth. Eventually the money the government was printing wasnt even worth the paper it was printed on (yes I know money isnt printed on paper but thats besides the point) and the country went into massive depression. I think valve is trying to prevent this sort of thing happening in their virtual markets.

You are limited to 2 missions per week, essentially limiting the amount of extra skins you can get to that.
Reasons why what they've done is good

• it puts a cap on the influx of skins to the market, essentially slowing down the rate of inflation
  
• the rate of skins being sold and bought doesnt fluxuate as much as it would otherwise so prices dont fluxuate from week to week as much either
  
• the increased drop amount per week means that if you buy an extra campaign from the start there wont be missions left unfinished when the operation ends

Reasons why what they've done is bad

• They have not confirmed nor denyed any of what I think their intentions are with CS:GO thereby leaving people to assume the worst (unlike what they said along with the changes to dota)
  
• The ability to buy extra drops (essentially what the operations are anyway) ontop of the operation as an additional fee comes off as money grabbing and uneeded
  
• Some people might not be able to play during a week and then might have extra time to play the missions they missed out on the next, but the drop limitations disallow that possibility

So what should be done about this?
Well first remove the ability to buy extra drop rates. I see what they were trying to do, along with making extra profit, but this system isnt going to be well recieved. Instead of something being added it feels like stuffs being locked away, only being opened after paying the toll. Even if you dont unlock the extra campaigns for free (which is fair game if they dont) just increase the base drop limit instead of charging extra for the ability to play more missions per week. The extra missions should be incentive enough without it.
Second make the amount of missions allowed to be done per week cumulative, so if i dont complete my weekly mission limit add what ever i didn't do to my next week, allowing me to catch up. I dont think that they should remove the drop limit completely, because then we run into the inflation problem again.
Lastly, as I mentioned before they should confirm what intentions they have with these changes as they did with dota, really it should have come with the update but valve time eh?.

I think that about wraps it up, this is the longest post I've ever written wow, if I haven't been entirely clear or have missed something let me know in the comments. I hope this clears things up abit.

Remember Valve, your better then this.

[Profile]

Interesting read, might even be worth it if only you'd mailed it to someone at Valve.

There's not much the community consumerbase can do aside from nod in agreement or state their disagreement.

At the end of the day, those who choose to partake in the operation may enjoy it, and those who participate in the whole virtual goods trading and enjoy the variety of textures obtained may also be pleased - Or, they may not.

[KillahInstinct]

Interesting read on their thought process but, and this is a big BUT, and I have posted it numerous times.

Nothing has changed from previous operations
The drop limit has always been 2 per week. The only thing that has changed that it tells you this in your face now.

If anything, they added the option for the diehards to get even more out of it. The only reasonable counter-arguments I have seen are:
1) They didn't specify there was more DLC within the DLC
- I personally I think that's marketing for you, and if you know how to read it - you could have understood it worked like that.
2) The missions are silly/stupid/easy
- I think they tried to add a bit of variation in the game, but let's be honest - winning a match on <map> and sometimes getting that 5 times in a row in Breakout wasn't the most fun either. Harder, yes.
3) The drops of cases are too common
I think this supports your theory how they tried to disabled inflation.


PS Thanks for a nicely worden and constructive post.

[Testbrah - other acc is a scam]

I paid for FOUR (4) campaigns, got to participate in FIVE (5) missions and I was notified that I will have more missions in TWO (2) days. Same as some people on reddit has been mentioning.

I wish they were clear on the missions we will unlock in the following days and how long we have to wait each time. We are not bloody mind-readers. I guess we just have to wait and see.

[AnnaLerahk]

@KillahInstinct

Thanks for the feedback.
Your main point, while valid. Is a significant as to why people have received this operation in not as favourable light as the previous ones. I'm going to save myself another long post by directing you to this video, This is the J.C. Penney's Effect. While I dont want to be condecending by assuming your not aware of it, I thought I'd point it out none the less.

I'm also not saying that this limit is a bad thing by itself, I think its a good one. But with the ability to buy an increase for your limit it tarnishes the systems seemingly honest intent. And, for me atleast, thats the main problem with it. The one thing they did change. I think it might be slightly due to that, in previous operations, everyone who owned the operation coin had the same drop limit. But now if you pay a little extra you can get stuff quicker. Which when worded like that sounds like a good idea for valve. Equally though I think it's worth considering the other option. By increasing the max mission count to 5 by default (currently only the max if you buy both extra campaigns) people would complete missions quicker and there wouldn't be resentment about being able to pay for more missions per week. Additionally by allowing players who haven't purchased the extra campaigns to finish the campaigns they own sooner, they may be more inclined to buy the extra campaigns so they have more missions to do for the rest of the operation. Thereby allowing valve to make more profit.

[Testbrah - other acc is a scam]

Originally posted by {TFC} darkraptor777:

@KillahInstinct

Thanks for the feedback.
Your main point, while valid. Is a significant as to why people have received this operation in not as favourable light as the previous ones. I'm going to save myself another long post by directing you to this video, This is the J.C. Penney's Effect. While I dont want to be condecending by assuming your not aware of it, I thought I'd point it out none the less.

I'm also not saying that this limit is a bad thing by itself, I think its a good one. But with the ability to buy an increase for your limit it tarnishes the systems seemingly honest intent. And, for me atleast, thats the main problem with it. The one thing they did change. I think it might be slightly due to that, in previous operations, everyone who owned the operation coin had the same drop limit. But now if you pay a little extra you can get stuff quicker. Which when worded like that sounds like a good idea for valve. Equally though I think it's worth considering the other option. By increasing the max mission count to 4 by default (currently only the max if you buy both extra campaigns) people would complete missions quicker and there wouldn't be resentment about being able to pay for more missions per week. Additionally by allowing players who haven't purchased the extra campaigns to finish the campaigns they own sooner, they may be more inclined to buy the extra campaigns so they have more missions to do for the rest of the operation. Thereby allowing valve to make more profit.

MAX IS FIVE!

[AnnaLerahk]

@Testbrah

oops was writing that when you replied. I'll ammend that. I was not aware that 5 was the limit because as you said Valve have not been entirely clear and theres probably been some miscommunication. Hopefully, like I said, they'll promptly make a announcement putting all this to rest.

[KillahInstinct]

Originally posted by {TFC} darkraptor777:

@KillahInstinct

Thanks for the feedback.
Your main point, while valid. Is a significant as to why people have received this operation in not as favourable light as the previous ones. I'm going to save myself another long post by directing you to this video, This is the J.C. Penney's Effect. While I dont want to be condecending by assuming your not aware of it, I thought I'd point it out none the less.

I'm also not saying that this limit is a bad thing by itself, I think its a good one. But with the ability to buy an increase for your limit it tarnishes the systems seemingly honest intent. And, for me atleast, thats the main problem with it. The one thing they did change. I think it might be slightly due to that, in previous operations, everyone who owned the operation coin had the same drop limit. But now if you pay a little extra you can get stuff quicker. Which when worded like that sounds like a good idea for valve. Equally though I think it's worth considering the other option. By increasing the max mission count to 5 by default (currently only the max if you buy both extra campaigns) people would complete missions quicker and there wouldn't be resentment about being able to pay for more missions per week. Additionally by allowing players who haven't purchased the extra campaigns to finish the campaigns they own sooner, they may be more inclined to buy the extra campaigns so they have more missions to do for the rest of the operation. Thereby allowing valve to make more profit.

I haven't been able to watch the entire video but I've heard of similar expirements so I think I get the jist of it (and I'm very aware of the human psyche). One thing that struck me is that how customers want to be communicated (around 2:40) with. People have been asking for Valve to communicatie more publicly* and IMHO effectively this is Valve communicating (ie: making it more clear when your next drop is) and there is still(/again?) outrage.

* Valve has always been quite reachable and doesn't mind commenting on stuff. They have also learned that sometimes it's just better to say nothing, as people will always read things that weren't said - and that's how myth and more disappointment is born.

Don't get me wrong, I do think some stuff can (and should!) be improved, but have you seen these forums? There are very little legit threads and finding useful bug reports is a mission impossible. Me as a forum moderator, and avid player, naturally spend more time here and might spend more time reading (entire) threads than Valve (they do read the forums) and try to counter that by moderating the forums heavily and apply a filter for good idea's - see the suggsetion list in sticky. But all the 'spam' is making that hard enough for me, let stand other people and/or the dev's.

You say "stuff quicker", that's incorrect - you can get more stuff. I believe the drop rate is equal (and more than previous operations).

[Onefatcow]

Honestly I'm fine with the way they've set up the missions so far, but the idea of buying extra drops per week kinda pisses me off. Look at it this way, we bought a full game, and then bought an expansion for that game, and then had to buy expansions for the expansion. I'm pretty sure most people don't support pay to play sections of DLC, and this is exactly that.

[GooDyy___]

i think you do bad system for passage operation, cuz we are needs 5 mouth for finish this operation, but u give 3 mouth, and do only 2 days for do one mission, why u do this system? but u give in 1 day do 5 mission, return again 1 day system, its was very good, or do another system, please think about gamers, not only money, we are all buy all your operations and compain for nothing cuz we are cant finish this operation!!!!!!! and sorry for my english

[PrOxAnto]

"the increased drop amount per week means that if you buy an extra campaign from the start there wont be missions left unfinished when the operation ends"

This is wrong, since the operation runs for 3 months if I'm correct.
Meaning you can only do half of the missions, not all of them.

[GooDyy___]

Originally posted by ◉ PrOxAnto:

"the increased drop amount per week means that if you buy an extra campaign from the start there wont be missions left unfinished when the operation ends"

This is wrong, since the operation runs for 3 months if I'm correct.
Meaning you can only do half of the missions, not all of them.

yeah, you understand me

[Snoopy]

Great read. I think you're on to something.

[Nuclear Donut]

The idea of the extra-campaigns MAGHREB and EURASIA is stupid because in 90 days (the time the Vanguard Operation will be alive) it's impossible to accomplish the 90 missions, including the extra-campaigns. Now I see I can play only 1 mission in 2 days, so in 90 days we can play a maximum of 45 missions. In this case, the cost of the extra-campaigns (4.78 euro) represents only wasted money spent for nothing.

[PrOxAnto]

Originally posted by diabolica0220 * SKED:

The idea of the extra-campaigns MAGHREB and EURASIA is stupid because in 90 days (the time the Vanguard Operation will be alive) it's impossible to accomplish the 90 missions, including the extra-campaigns. Now I see I can play only 1 mission in 2 days, so in 90 days we can play a maximum of 45 missions. In this case, the cost of the extra-campaigns (4.78 euro) represents only wasted money spent for nothing.

Well technically you have more options now, and can finish more missions still.

[Nuclear Donut]

Originally posted by ◉ PrOxAnto:

Well technically you have more options now, and can finish more missions still.

This is just an illusion, I can complete only 1 mission on any of the 4 campaigns and after, there is a cooldown of 2 days for all campaigns.

They (VALVE) are definitely wrong, with this trend in 90 days I can complete only 2 campaigns and I paid for 4 campaigns. If I paid for 90 missions, I want to have the possibility to complete 90 missions in 90 days. There is an universal rule in bussiness, if you pay money for nothing it's a deception set up by seller.

"In justitiis universalis res succedit loco pretii et pretium succedit loco rei".