"Cosmetics will not be available in offline mode"

[Caxius]

What....

What the **** do you even mean by this? Are you telling me that players, when given the choice to play offline or online, cannot use cosmetic items they have purchased based on the mode they want to play?

Do you have some *****ing partnership with a server farm somewhere that cuts you in on their profits based on how many "online" players there are? Did you even *****ing think that one through? Please tell me there's a big brain somewhere in your studio that's in the background saying "You know, maybe that's not such a good idea".

I can't even wrap my head around how this even makes a fraction of sense. It's not a coding issue. It's not some performance issue that can be fixed with a later patch. This is some deep-dive worthy s*** right here, because there is absolutely zero logic to why PAID COSMETIC items are only able to be used if a player is online.

How many of these people are you literally duping into buying these versions of the game, knowing they won't see the small disclaimer at the bottom? Does this mean ALL cosmetics purchased through the MTX shop are only for online players as well? What if they purchased them online, and want to play offline because your servers are garbage? This isn't about people having the choice to buy MTX items or not. This is about intentionally hiding information behind a wall of text and flashy pictures, hoping they will buy your MTX items, just for them to later realize that they're forced to play a game mode that they might not even want to play. This is the most fishy ****ing thing I've smelled coming from EHG in a very....very long time.

On top of that, THERE IS NO WARNING ABOUT THIS ON YOUR STORE PAGE. It's literally ONLY on your latest update that most people don't even read fully. If someone is buying this game for the first time because they want to play this offline, but still have cosmetics, YOU ARE LITERALLY SCAMMING THEM.

Someone smarter than me has to make this make sense. This is some next level *****.

[mayrc]

Well its simple... if you cant use them offline cause you dont OWN them, then just dont buy anyhting.

[RhodosGuard]

It's Steam policy when you use virtual currency.
They could have made their Cosmetics direct purchases, and if they did that, you would be able to use them offline, but because they opted for "Epoch Points" Steam literally doesnt let them implement the Cosmetics into Offline.

[Ravenkid9266]

Originally posted by RhodosGuard:

It's Steam policy when you use virtual currency.
They could have made their Cosmetics direct purchases, and if they did that, you would be able to use them offline, but because they opted for "Epoch Points" Steam literally doesnt let them implement the Cosmetics into Offline.

This is correct. It is also worth pointing out that back in the day prior to the store reveal (that got changed) we were told it had more to do with the desire to give community prizes. We were told that was the motivation and not *gestures vaguely at everything*.

[RodHull]

Oh so they finally admitted this then, I knew they would go back on this eventually. They faffed around this issue for so long never really giving an answer it was obvious they were going to shaft the offline players. I still am not convinced there will even be a fully offline mode at all. But regardless if there is, it will now be offline hobo simulator mode were you only ever get to wear the horrible ugly base models (or rather the ones they bothered to finish)

My next prediction packaged DLC bundles for offline mode that contains cosmetics and seasonal content. Cause they still haven't addressed how that will be offered to offline mode either.

[Ayk-]

I still don't think we will get a true offline on 1.0. Hope I will be wrong, and they fulfill at least one more promise for 1.0 launch.

Originally posted by RodHull:

My next prediction packaged DLC bundles for offline mode that contains cosmetics and seasonal content. Cause they still haven't addressed how that will be offered to offline mode either.

That would be some next level Blizzard greed.
I think seasonal content would work similar to PoE. If you are playing standart, you would have all the content minus the content of active season. So each update would be also refreshing for the offline community as well.
I don't know the MTX though, and I don't really care. I am just against greedy/scummy practices and what you predicted is Blizzard levels of greedy.

[grumpymoose]

Originally posted by RhodosGuard:

It's Steam policy when you use virtual currency.
They could have made their Cosmetics direct purchases, and if they did that, you would be able to use them offline, but because they opted for "Epoch Points" Steam literally doesnt let them implement the Cosmetics into Offline.

Quite true, and they do this for a reason. These point based systems are consistently created to mislead players, to obfuscate how much they're spending, and encourage reckless spending. It's a predatory monetization method by most metrics, and, along with other predatory monetization methods, I'd prefer laws be made to ban such practices.

DLC, cosmetics, what have you, should cost actual money, not be bought with points that you have to buy with money. Up front costs. No nonsense.

[RhodosGuard]

Originally posted by grumpymoose:

Originally posted by RhodosGuard:

It's Steam policy when you use virtual currency.
They could have made their Cosmetics direct purchases, and if they did that, you would be able to use them offline, but because they opted for "Epoch Points" Steam literally doesnt let them implement the Cosmetics into Offline.

Quite true, and they do this for a reason. These point based systems are consistently created to mislead players, to obfuscate how much they're spending, and encourage reckless spending. It's a predatory monetization method by most metrics, and, along with other predatory monetization methods, I'd prefer laws be made to ban such practices.

DLC, cosmetics, what have you, should cost actual money, not be bought with points that you have to buy with money. Up front costs. No nonsense.

This is a bit of a pipedream.
Just out of personal experience, take Smite, or imagine any long running Moba.
Imagine having to put each and every skin, each and every cosmetic item on a DLC Roster for Real Currency.
Anecdote:
A few years ago I expressed interest in The Sims 4.
I took one look at the DLC List totalling like thousands in real money, and put it aside.
Now imagine a Moba listing 1000+ Skin Items at like 1.76 or 4.39 or 12.97.

[grumpymoose]

Originally posted by RhodosGuard:

Originally posted by grumpymoose:

Quite true, and they do this for a reason. These point based systems are consistently created to mislead players, to obfuscate how much they're spending, and encourage reckless spending. It's a predatory monetization method by most metrics, and, along with other predatory monetization methods, I'd prefer laws be made to ban such practices.

DLC, cosmetics, what have you, should cost actual money, not be bought with points that you have to buy with money. Up front costs. No nonsense.

This is a bit of a pipedream.

Of course it is, wouldn't suggest otherwise.

On the other hand, if the only way you can express your store, in a way people actually interact with, is through "point" based obfuscation of what the players are spending, then, perhaps the problem is the model of DLC skins itself. If people see a vast list of actual prices, and they say no, there's a reason for that.

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by grumpymoose:

Originally posted by RhodosGuard:

It's Steam policy when you use virtual currency.
They could have made their Cosmetics direct purchases, and if they did that, you would be able to use them offline, but because they opted for "Epoch Points" Steam literally doesnt let them implement the Cosmetics into Offline.

Quite true, and they do this for a reason. These point based systems are consistently created to mislead players, to obfuscate how much they're spending, and encourage reckless spending. It's a predatory monetization method by most metrics, and, along with other predatory monetization methods, I'd prefer laws be made to ban such practices.

DLC, cosmetics, what have you, should cost actual money, not be bought with points that you have to buy with money. Up front costs. No nonsense.

:lunar2019piginablanket:

Don't forget point systems also tend to get you to buy points in bundles that don't line up very well with what you want to spend them on.

Which:
inflates prices a bit since you need to buy more points than you use

also more points is cheaper in a bundle frequently so why not buy more!

And then you end up with points left over and, well, you could use them up if you just bought a few more, right? I mean it's basically wasted money if you don't right? This is probably the most insidious element.

[grumpymoose]

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Don't forget point systems also tend to get you to buy points in bundles that don't line up very well with what you want to spend them on.

Which:
inflates prices a bit since you need to buy more points than you use

also more points is cheaper in a bundle frequently so why not buy more!

And then you end up with points left over and, well, you could use them up if you just bought a few more, right? I mean it's basically wasted money if you don't right? This is probably the most insidious element.

You're absolutely right, I forgot to mention the way points are bundled. That's a key aspect of why such a system can be called manipulative without overstating matters. Thank you for bringing that up.

[PocketYoda]

I dunno what the issue is this literally saves me buying any, as i have no interest in online i have no need to buy anything if they don't work offline..

[Caxius]

Originally posted by PocketYoda:

I dunno what the issue is this literally saves me buying any, as i have no interest in online i have no need to buy anything if they don't work offline..

Then this post had literally nothing to do with you, and didn't need your comment

[Limp Squirrel]

The micro transaction policies are slowly burying this game before it's release.