Micro transactions took the life out of gaming for me

[Laggyfingers]

One of the main incentives for me to play games was what I call character appearance progression. I loved collecting powerful items that not only made my charater stronger but made my character look awesome. Now after a long journey of trying most of the popular games I see a major trend. All of the cool appearances have to be purchased with real money or when in game currency can be used its behind a massive timesink. I loved my characters appearance being an indicator of achievement of skilled gameplay or grind. I can afford to buy appearances but thats not the point. I do not want to buy appearances I want to earn them in game through achievement! Now hear oh game is not pay to win its just cosmetics but to me having a cool character appearance is winning and hence buying a cool appearance is PAY TO WIN especially when the game is PVE. Now I do not mind selling a cash shop appearance for charity or the like but man paying to make your character look cool is silly. Now I know developers need to make money and they should but the whole idea of selling appearances in a cash shop through microtransactions has literally took the life out of gaming for me. Does anyone else feel the same
or not. Keep in mind I wont take a difference of opinion as an insult.

[Start_Running]

You speak of massive timesink for in game currency. But tell me, is it any less of a timesink than say, grinding rare random drops? Perspective.

[Laggyfingers]

I do see your point but I miss the idea that appearances had to be earned and where a type of trophy for your character not some representation of a dollar amount. Do you understand what I mean?

[76561198001062896]

Originally posted by Zaz:

I do see your point but I miss the idea that appearances had to be earned and where a type of trophy for your character not some representation of a dollar amount. Do you understand what I mean?

You miss it but its there to stay and i rather have cosmetics than gamechanging elements

[Laggyfingers]

Originally posted by ~Ren~:

Microtransactions, I hate 'em. For me it's simple, add them to your game and I won't play it anymore, simple as that, I could have thousands of hours in a game and I'd drop it in a heartbeat.

I do like one method of DLC though and I bought it on release, optional DLC, it's not forced onto players and the items bought can still be given to other players if they don't own the DLC, think Killing Floor 1 as an example, that I will support because then the dev has left it upto the players if they want to support the dev by buying the DLC.

I am with you compltetely man, I know developers need to make money but its really getting out of hand now so much so the mere fact a game deosnt have full pay to win micro transactions is heralded as a victory even if the cash shop is full of in game appearances, inventory space and the like.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Zaz:

I do see your point but I miss the idea that appearances had to be earned and where a type of trophy for your character not some representation of a dollar amount. Do you understand what I mean?

And MTX is also earning. For people who value their money more than their free time, there's repeatetive grinding of the same fights over and over. For those that value their time more than money there's mtx.

Itr's ironic to think that this actually levcels the playing field and makes all content accessible regardless of which is more valuable.

[tiseno100]

But you still buy their games without arguing

[Laggyfingers]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by Zaz:

I do see your point but I miss the idea that appearances had to be earned and where a type of trophy for your character not some representation of a dollar amount. Do you understand what I mean?

And MTX is also earning. For people who value their money more than their free time, there's repeatetive grinding of the same fights over and over. For those that value their time more than money there's mtx.

Itr's ironic to think that this actually levcels the playing field and makes all content accessible regardless of which is more valuable.

I do see your point as MTX does provide a benefit for some but its too the point where in many games the MTX is far superior appearance wise than anything in game even to the extent no trully unique appearances can be earned in game a example is POE literally all cool appearances and effects are cash shop. Dont get me wrong I know games have to make money and I am in no position to tell developers how to do that.

[Coffinmaw]

Pay-to-win is when a game company sells stuff that gives an in game advantage through micro transactions. Paying for cool appearance stuff? Not pay-to-win - at all. Now i'm not a huge fan of microtransactions, but I treat them the same way I treat rude players. I ignore it and play the game. If you don't want to play a game because it has microtransactions for cosmetic gear, then that's your choice. Doesn't mean the game is completely ruined and unplayable. You know what takes the life out of gaming for me? Games that require to grind and play for thousands of hours just to get the best things in the game.

I don't have the energy or patience for those types of games anymore. But i'm not going to blame the developers of a game for providing a short-cut to get something that has no impact on the gameplay whatsoever.

[Laggyfingers]

Originally posted by Coffinmaw:

Pay-to-win is when a game company sells stuff that gives an in game advantage through micro transactions. Paying for cool appearance stuff? Not pay-to-win - at all. Now i'm not a huge fan of microtransactions, but I treat them the same way I treat rude players. I ignore it and play the game. If you don't to play a game because it has microtransactions for cosmetic gear, then that's your choice. Doesn't mean the game is completely ruined and unplayable. You know what takes the life out of gaming for me? Games that require to grind and play for thousands of hours just to get the best things in the game.

I don't have the energy or patience for those types of games anymore. But i'm not going to blame the developers of a game for providing a short-cut to get something that has no impact on the gameplay whatsoever.

I cant argue with anything you have written and I feel you on the thousands of hours grind statement. But as a whole the micro transaction just really sucked the life out of gaming for me. I do not want to buy power or appearances in a game and I dont want to play games that have them. I do acknowlege it is entirely personal for me and not representitive of everyone.

[Coffinmaw]

Originally posted by Zaz:

Originally posted by Coffinmaw:

Pay-to-win is when a game company sells stuff that gives an in game advantage through micro transactions. Paying for cool appearance stuff? Not pay-to-win - at all. Now i'm not a huge fan of microtransactions, but I treat them the same way I treat rude players. I ignore it and play the game. If you don't to play a game because it has microtransactions for cosmetic gear, then that's your choice. Doesn't mean the game is completely ruined and unplayable. You know what takes the life out of gaming for me? Games that require to grind and play for thousands of hours just to get the best things in the game.

I don't have the energy or patience for those types of games anymore. But i'm not going to blame the developers of a game for providing a short-cut to get something that has no impact on the gameplay whatsoever.

I cant argue with anything you have written and I feel you on the thousands of hours grind statement. But as a whole the micro transaction just really sucked the life out of gaming for me. I do not want to buy power or appearances in a game and I dont want to play games that have them. I do acknowlege it is entirely personal for me and not representitive of everyone.

I would suggest you look for games that don't have microtransactions. They're out there, you just need to do some digging. Shouldn't have to do that to find a fun game these days, but such is the way of things.

[RRW359]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by Zaz:

I do see your point but I miss the idea that appearances had to be earned and where a type of trophy for your character not some representation of a dollar amount. Do you understand what I mean?

And MTX is also earning. For people who value their money more than their free time, there's repeatetive grinding of the same fights over and over. For those that value their time more than money there's mtx.

Itr's ironic to think that this actually levcels the playing field and makes all content accessible regardless of which is more valuable.

Why have them locked behind a difficulty wall at all? Maybe games sould have an everything unlocked mode where you can play with things you haven't unlocked yet, and a progression mode for those who like unlocking stuff. Also, if it is a single-player game (note that I am NOT saying this is acceptable in multiplayer), I have no problems with cheating/modding/hacking games to lower the difficulty or progress without putting time in.

Also, MTX don't level the playing field for everybody. A lot of people have neither money nor time, and if the game was enjoyable to begin with, the latter shouldn't matter as you will just take longer to unlock stuff. A lot of games also make it take longer to unlock items than it was in the days before MTX in order to push people to buy them.

[Coffinmaw]

Originally posted by ~Ren~:

Originally posted by Coffinmaw:

You know what takes the life out of gaming for me? Games that require to grind and play for thousands of hours just to get the best things in the game.

I don't have the energy or patience for those types of games anymore. But i'm not going to blame the developers of a game for providing a short-cut to get something that has no impact on the gameplay whatsoever.

This is where I differ, I like the grind and that's mostly because it feels as though I'm playing for a reason, to achieve a higher rank, better gear or whatever. If the dev offers the player the chance to buy that rank, gear or whatever it loses its appeal, at least for me because why should I even bother playing when I can just buy it? Granted different lifestyles will affect how much time a player can put into a game but surely giving them the option of buying everything at once takes away the learning experience for that game, that's how I see it.

That's the thing I don't understand. Yes, having that option to buy something you would normally have to grind for kills the experience of the game. That part I get. The part that I don't get is why gamers don't just ignore that and just play the game? Yes, it looms over your head all the time, but it doesn't stop you from just grinding for that item instead. If anything, (to me at least), it gives you more incentive to grind because when you do get that item, you can proudly say you earned it rather then having spent money on it.

[Laggyfingers]

Originally posted by RRW359:

Originally posted by Start_Running:

And MTX is also earning. For people who value their money more than their free time, there's repeatetive grinding of the same fights over and over. For those that value their time more than money there's mtx.

Itr's ironic to think that this actually levcels the playing field and makes all content accessible regardless of which is more valuable.

Why have them locked behind a difficulty wall at all? Maybe games sould have an everything unlocked mode where you can play with things you haven't unlocked yet, and a progression mode for those who like unlocking stuff. Also, if it is a single-player game (note that I am NOT saying this is acceptable in multiplayer), I have no problems with cheating/modding/hacking games to lower the difficulty or progress without putting time in.

Also, MTX don't level the playing field for everybody. A lot of people have neither money nor time, and if the game was enjoyable to begin with, the latter shouldn't matter as you will just take longer to unlock stuff. A lot of games also make it take longer to unlock items than it was in the days before MTX in order to push people to buy them.

there is actually a few articles online recently that talk about slow progression to force people to buy to ease the pain and other micro transaction methods

[Laggyfingers]

Originally posted by ~Ren~:

Originally posted by Coffinmaw:

You know what takes the life out of gaming for me? Games that require to grind and play for thousands of hours just to get the best things in the game.

I don't have the energy or patience for those types of games anymore. But i'm not going to blame the developers of a game for providing a short-cut to get something that has no impact on the gameplay whatsoever.

This is where I differ, I like the grind and that's mostly because it feels as though I'm playing for a reason, to achieve a higher rank, better gear or whatever. If the dev offers the player the chance to buy that rank, gear or whatever it loses its appeal, at least for me because why should I even bother playing when I can just buy it? Granted different lifestyles will affect how much time a player can put into a game but surely giving them the option of buying everything at once takes away the learning experience for that game, that's how I see it.

Losing appeal is a very good representation of where these micro transactions have me as well.

[Lusus Symphonia]

Good thing about PC gaming these days is that you have thousands of games from the past before microtransactions to play and complete as microtransactions will sadly become a standard in AAA games in the near future if not this year.

I didn't even trust our godly CD project Red developers to resist that juicy profit that can be made from microtransactions, you should never underestimate greed, the richer you get, the greedier you get.