PlanetSide 2's free-to-play economy explained
Sony Online Entertainment's ambitious massively multiplayer FPS PlanetSide 2 will be free-to-play. However, creative director Matt Higby reassured us that the game won't be "pay-to-win."
Sony Online Entertainment's ambitious massively multiplayer FPS PlanetSide 2 will be free-to-play. But, how will SOE make money?
Microtransactions, of course! However, creative director Matt Higby reassured us that the game won't be "pay-to-win." At Game Developers Conference last week, Higby promised that "anything that affects gameplay, such as grenades or medkits or implants that give you additional power within the game, will be exclusively unlocked via [in-game] resources."
Higby says that while upgrades will be free, PS2 will also offer "sidegrades," a term Higby repeatedly used during his presentation. A "sidegrade" would allow for a different play style, but isn't necessarily more powerful. To illustrate the concept, Higby talked about how one gun could fire less powerful ammo more rapidly, or more powerful ammo less frequently--the net damage would be about the same. "Things like sidegraded weapons that don't give you more power will be a split between Station Cash and in-game resources," Higby noted.
However, one part of the PlanetSide 2 in-game store won't accept in-game currency. "All the cosmetic stuff will be Station Cash-only," Higby added. Such is the price of vanity, no?
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Shacknews
replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, PlanetSide 2's free-to-play economy explained.
Sony Online Entertainment's ambitious massively multiplayer FPS PlanetSide 2 will be free-to-play. However, creative director Matt Higby reassured us that the game won't be "pay-to-win."-
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Assuming they both stood still and opened fire simultaneously, they'd both die at the same time.
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yeah if you've got an aimbot better shell out that $15 quick so you can win at planetside 2
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You don't die instantly when the shot is fired. I'm sure there's still time to first off shots before you're killed.
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Agreed, completely acceptable especially when you factor in that you don't have to pay a monthly fee.
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Yeah, I'm actually completely fine with that.
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A "sidegrade" would allow for a different play style, but isn't necessarily more powerful. To illustrate the concept, Higby talked about how one gun could fire less powerful ammo more rapidly, or more powerful ammo less frequently--the net damage would be about the same.
"but isn't necessarily more powerful"; "the net damage would be about the same"
Either it IS or it ISN'T. Those two sentences contradict what he is so eloquently trying to say.-
There could be more than one pay weapon, one may be weaker and one may be stronger than the default.
"Isn't necessarily more powerful" just sounds like mostly PR spin, either way.
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Even if it works out initially they're bound to run into backlash when things are inevitably rebalanced in later patches. If a for-pay "sidegrade" turns out to be a bit more powerful than originally intended any kind of adjustment (whether through making a defense more powerful or the sidegrade less powerful) is going to be met with anger from the players who purchased it. If you buy something, use it for weeks/months, then all of a sudden it's less powerful or performs differently you're going to be pissed.
With enough playtesting it may not happen very often but it has to happen occasionally. -
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TF2 unlocks (weapons at least) can also be found randomly, crafted from TONS of other weapons(most of which will probably be useless to you though, as the game seems to love dropping dupes) or traded with other players. PS2 is nothing like this.
Not all TF2 unlocks have a legitimate downside from their basic counterpart either. The Equalizer is an example of this: the only downside is blocking medics from healing you when you have it out, and this works out as another plus since it boosts your speed as your health decreases, and putting it away allows medics to heal you again if the situation doesn't favor high speed melee.
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I like it as long as the pay and free weapons are all ways well balanced i have no problem with it soon as they start to make pay weapons stronger i will leave tho.
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