We've seen EA talk out if its ass, saying how much it needs microtransactions, but also telling investors that removing them from Battlefront 2 won't affect the bottom line.
I agree with most of what you said....however, I can't with the above. I'd argue that the above line is the lie, not the truth. They were trying to calm shareholders.
But that's the point, they are actively lying to somebody there; so why am I supposed to trust anything they say when it comes to their financials?
EDIT: In my head that was supposed to be "Talk out of both sides of their mouth" but I guess my fingers didn't get the memo. Fixed it now.
Comparing every game publisher to EA and Activision is bad logic, and doesn't extend to this game. Freak out about those guys all you want, but for MK11 the model is hardly evil. Hell it's a lot less bad compared to old WB Games, like Mordor or IJ2. They're actually getting better at micro trans, not worse
0
No-QuarterNothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered Userregular
Instead of getting mad at video game companies monetizing their games, maybe get mad at the people who keep buying micro trans and driving profit in that area. Because if it wasn't profitable to do so, they wouldn't offer it. The old saying goes "a fool and his money are soon parted."
I'm in no rush to unlock everything, so whining about the grind feels weird to me. The game literally just dropped and everyone is freaking out they can't immediately get everything. I bought the game to enjoy it, not sprint to the end.
I do feel like they are willing to tweak it, too. Unless it's just PR babble, it sounds as though they want this MK to have a longer lifecycle than the last two games. With that change up in mind, they just need to find the sweet spot where die-hards will have fun things to chase for a few years while also appeasing the casuals with neat stuff they can get during their shorter play sessions.
They'll probably have to go through a few iterations, but they'll get there.
On phone, but Boon himself said yesterday that they were aware of it and working on it, and I think they're even going to have a short kombat kast today addressing it.
WB may or may not be "evil empire" but I hold NRS themselves in pretty good faith.
Comparing every game publisher to EA and Activision is bad logic, and doesn't extend to this game. Freak out about those guys all you want, but for MK11 the model is hardly evil. Hell it's a lot less bad compared to old WB Games, like Mordor or IJ2. They're actually getting better at micro trans, not worse
They still have randomized boxes of item drops (despite saying there'd be no loot boxes). That is not even remotely improvement enough.
I was almost willing to give them a pass based on previous Krypts being limited, but nope, you can pay money to relock the loot boxes and open them again. :razz:
EDIT: And nothing WB has done has given me any reason to not think they're as slimy as any other big publisher. They have a pretty sizable list of garbage practices and actions all on thier lonesome.
l
Like, even using the phrase "a fool and their money" has some problematic implications to me. It feels like your saying because someone has difficulty controlling thier spending, they deserve to be taken advantage of? At least so much that when they are taken advantage of, you're suggesting I get mad at them rather than the people who took advantage of them?
Nobody is forcing anyone to buy anything. The content is all there to be unlocked. They offer an alternative method to unlock them, since some people have more money than free time. Not once do they stop the game or cap your resources. This is not the boogey man. There's literally no reason to buy them aside from laziness.
Nobody is being taken advantage of, and if they are, it isn't up to corporate entities to regulate. It's on our governments and education systems to show people how to spend money smartly.
It's like offering two versions of a puzzle; one you have to assemble yourself, and another that's already assembled. I for one, want the experience of making it. Others, just want a cool picture to hang up. Both are fine, and while the assembled one is 10x the price, I'm not being punished for not buying it.
Apparently, not all of the chests are randomized. The ones with the Shao Kahn's head you can break and take hearts (I think?) have set rewards. They are being compiled on the Reddit, apparently. Each contains set items for one character. Shao Kahn's and Liu Kang's have not been found last time I checked.
Bizazedo on
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Comparing every game publisher to EA and Activision is bad logic, and doesn't extend to this game. Freak out about those guys all you want, but for MK11 the model is hardly evil. Hell it's a lot less bad compared to old WB Games, like Mordor or IJ2. They're actually getting better at micro trans, not worse
MK11's microtransaction model is absolutely predatory. Any system which is set up so that you could possibly spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars is going to wind up targeting impulsive or addictive whales.
Frost being purchaseable DLC, as well, doesn't seem to have any good justification when she's so easily unlockable in-game.
Comparing every game publisher to EA and Activision is bad logic, and doesn't extend to this game. Freak out about those guys all you want, but for MK11 the model is hardly evil. Hell it's a lot less bad compared to old WB Games, like Mordor or IJ2. They're actually getting better at micro trans, not worse
MK11's microtransaction model is absolutely predatory. Any system which is set up so that you could possibly spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars is going wind up targeting impulsive or addictive whales.
Frost being purchaseable DLC, as well, doesn't seem to have any good justification when she's so easily unlockable in-game.
Not really. I'd argue it's actually smarter to just do Character Towers until you get what you want, it's quicker and *key part here* free. It's only predatory to people who can't be bothered to look at the game, learn the mechanics, and play it as intended. I spent 3 hour with the game and know Frost unlocks at story mode stage 4 (the game explicitly told me this when I click her). At a certain point I have to blame the person willing to drop money on the game, when it's plain as day it's better to just play it.
l
Like, even using the phrase "a fool and their money" has some problematic implications to me. It feels like your saying because someone has difficulty controlling thier spending, they deserve to be taken advantage of? At least so much that when they are taken advantage of, you're suggesting I get mad at them rather than the people who took advantage of them?
Nobody is forcing anyone to buy anything. The content is all there to be unlocked. They offer an alternative method to unlock them, since some people have more money than free time. Not once do they stop the game or cap your resources. This is not the boogey man. There's literally no reason to buy them aside from laziness.
Nobody is being taken advantage of, and if they are, it isn't up to corporate entities to regulate. It's on our governments and education systems to show people how to spend money smartly.
It's like offering two versions of a puzzle; one you have to assemble yourself, and another that's already assembled. I for one, want the experience of making it. Others, just want a cool picture to hang up. Both are fine, and while the assembled one is 10x the price, I'm not being punished for not buying it.
Yeah, that part sounds weird when you quote it out of context. Here's the part you skipped
Given loot boxes have been linked to gambling tendancies (and have outright been banned in places because of it.) I'm 100% not comfortable with putting the blame primarily on consumers. Especially since they wouldn't be able to feed this machine if the games didn't have loot boxes to begin with.
That is where the advantage is being taken. Otherwise we have a situation where a person, regardless of any mental or emotional compulsions, has the complete onus of those issues on themselves, and anyone who benefits from those compulsions (which I would call taking advantage of) is totally in the clear. That does not sit right with me in the slightest.
That sounds like the kind of person who probably has bigger problems than video games and needs professional help. If you are so helplessly addicted to buying loot boxes blindly, you are not a stable adult and need someone else to control your funds. Idk it feels like placing the blame at the feet of companies who just offer micro trans, when individual responsibility plays a big part here. I'm extremely bad with money and have been in debt for years before, and even I can see how bad a deal these boxes are. It's just the latest bout of internet outrage for the week.
If you feel so strongly about loot boxes, you should vote for people who can enact change. You should skip buying MK11 and tweet at them why. Vote with your wallet, and vote with your vote.
I'm against people getting taken advantage of, but if you have a problem it's on you to solve it. When I quit drinking, I wanted to drink every fucking day. I wanted a drink so bad, I hated anything that wasn't booze. But did I demand all bars around me shut down? Do I demand the government reenact prohibition because I want to be blacked out for the rest of my life?
No. Because I'm handling my addiction. Everyday, it's a fucking battle. And I'm right there with gambling addicts, it's hard as shit to avoid. But you're the only one who can make you stop. You have to want to stop, otherwise, yknow, there's always something there to sabotage you. If they regulate lootboxes, it doesn't change the fact that actual, real gambling is still out there. Idk it all rings pretty hollow to me
At the end of the day, what is NRS supposed to do anyway with regards to lootboxes? If Warner Bros wants that microtransaction money, it's going to be put into the game, regardless of how much clout and creative direction Boon has over the development.
While the cosmetic "unlocking" of things in the game is still very random, at least there's a ceiling to when it stops because you eventually unlock everything you can. If someone wants to spend the real world equivalency of a new car to do it, kudos to them. It's entirely possible to acquire all of the modifications and unlockables without paying a dime either, which plenty of people seem capable of doing. Sure it sucks you're not able to get your main fighter's gear options all at once, but then, that was never anything that was promised from the start, either.
That sounds like the kind of person who probably has bigger problems than video games and needs professional help. If you are so helplessly addicted to buying loot boxes blindly, you are not a stable adult and need someone else to control your funds. Idk it feels like placing the blame at the feet of companies who just offer micro trans, when individual responsibility plays a big part here. I'm extremely bad with money and have been in debt for years before, and even I can see how bad a deal these boxes are. It's just the latest bout of internet outrage for the week.
If you feel so strongly about loot boxes, you should vote for people who can enact change. You should skip buying MK11 and tweet at them why. Vote with your wallet, and vote with your vote.
I'm against people getting taken advantage of, but if you have a problem it's on you to solve it. When I quit drinking, I wanted to drink every fucking day. I wanted a drink so bad, I hated anything that wasn't booze. But did I demand all bars around me shut down? Do I demand the government reenact prohibition because I want to be blacked out for the rest of my life?
No. Because I'm handling my addiction. Everyday, it's a fucking battle. And I'm right there with gambling addicts, it's hard as shit to avoid. But you're the only one who can make you stop. You have to want to stop, otherwise, yknow, there's always something there to sabotage you. If they regulate lootboxes, it doesn't change the fact that actual, real gambling is still out there. Idk it all rings pretty hollow to me
Alchoholism isn't a great one to one, so using it for analogy is going to be a bit tortured, but how would you feel if you had to walk into a bar to play Mortal Kombat, or whatever other recent big game release? You don't have to buy any booze, obviously, but there's nothing stopping you from doing so but yourself.
It sounds like you got a pretty good lock on things, which is genuinely great. But think about any other alchoholics you know and put them into the same situation. Do you think they all would all have the same willpower as you? All they want to do is play a game, but they're thrust into an enviroment that plays upon their addiction to do so.
Now, on top of all this, consider that many people play games to help deal with their addictions.
But, as you've said, should games be catered to those people? IMO, it all funnels back to the same question: What do lootboxes achieve, and is it worth either taking advantage of / alienating these people to accomplish? This goes back to my point about how large corporations handle money and lie to peoples faces about it. Maybe they do need the revenue from microtransactions to produce these games. You'll never get an answer you can trust out of them, though, and there's a lot of evidence pointing towards that money simply going to line the pockets of executives and investors.
Per some of your other statements,
-"You should skip buying MK11 and tweet at them why. Vote with your wallet, and vote with your vote." I was going to do just that, but then the devs came out and went "NO LOOTBOXES" so one would have assumed it was safe. Then the game came out and basically had lootboxes disguised as the Krypt from the older Mortal Kombats, so that whole trust thing worked out really well.
-"If they regulate lootboxes, it doesn't change the fact that actual, real gambling is still out there.": Has "this other terrible thing exists so dealing with something else terrible is pointless" ever been a good idea in the history of anything?
"It's just the latest bout of internet outrage for the week." People have been complaining about lootboxes for years now. Remember Shadow of War and Battlefront II? Remember Belgium outright banning lootboxes?
I liked MKX enough to play around 40 hours of it across multiple platforms, but I don't take fighting games very seriously. I was pretty hyped by what I saw of this before release and thought about giving another fighter a shot.
When I saw that this game had a $40 season pass I wasn't particularly moved either way about it. Reading that it carries a microtransaction model for in-game grind stuff, though, turned me right off. Regardless of how much individual people think it affects things or if it's cosmetics only or whatever, it's a huge turnoff for me because it raises the perceived barrier to entry for the "whole" product. MK11 has a $60 cost, a preorder exclusive character, a $40 season pass, and RMT/loot boxes in it. There's probably a very good game to go along with all of that but holy shit, settle down.
Accessibility isn't just an in-game feature, and I really wish these games felt more accessible to me as a consumer.
+1
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
Comparing every game publisher to EA and Activision is bad logic, and doesn't extend to this game. Freak out about those guys all you want, but for MK11 the model is hardly evil. Hell it's a lot less bad compared to old WB Games, like Mordor or IJ2. They're actually getting better at micro trans, not worse
MK11's microtransaction model is absolutely predatory. Any system which is set up so that you could possibly spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars is going to wind up targeting impulsive or addictive whales.
Frost being purchaseable DLC, as well, doesn't seem to have any good justification when she's so easily unlockable in-game.
At the end of the day, what is NRS supposed to do anyway with regards to lootboxes? If Warner Bros wants that microtransaction money, it's going to be put into the game, regardless of how much clout and creative direction Boon has over the development.
Outside of them saying no lootboxes and then, whoops, lootboxes! I don't bear any negative will towards to the developers. My ire is aimed squared at the people running the company.
While the cosmetic "unlocking" of things in the game is still very random, at least there's a ceiling to when it stops because you eventually unlock everything you can. If someone wants to spend the real world equivalency of a new car to do it, kudos to them. It's entirely possible to acquire all of the modifications and unlockables without paying a dime either, which plenty of people seem capable of doing. Sure it sucks you're not able to get your main fighter's gear options all at once, but then, that was never anything that was promised from the start, either.
True, but it's how the Krypt worked in previous Mortal Kombats. So at the very least we have an example of something that has been made more obtuse/harder to faciliate a microtransaction system. Which, ignoring my moral complaints for a second, is something that flat out annoys me as a player.
+3
No-QuarterNothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered Userregular
So turns out you can't spend loads of money on the lootboxes, because you can't purchase any of the currencies used to open them directly (Koins, Soul Points, Hearts). All you can buy is Time Krystals, which are only used for a rotating list of cosmetics and gear and easy fatality tokens. So I guess the main issue is them selling a lot of bad deals and having a poorly designed unrewarding economy.
Can't blame anyone for assuming otherwise, this is what you get for obfuscating your systems with multiple layers of currencies and meters and game modes, it's basically indistinguishable from a predatory garbage mobile game.
l
Like, even using the phrase "a fool and their money" has some problematic implications to me. It feels like your saying because someone has difficulty controlling thier spending, they deserve to be taken advantage of? At least so much that when they are taken advantage of, you're suggesting I get mad at them rather than the people who took advantage of them?
Nobody is forcing anyone to buy anything. The content is all there to be unlocked. They offer an alternative method to unlock them, since some people have more money than free time. Not once do they stop the game or cap your resources. This is not the boogey man. There's literally no reason to buy them aside from laziness.
Nobody is being taken advantage of, and if they are, it isn't up to corporate entities to regulate. It's on our governments and education systems to show people how to spend money smartly.
It's like offering two versions of a puzzle; one you have to assemble yourself, and another that's already assembled. I for one, want the experience of making it. Others, just want a cool picture to hang up. Both are fine, and while the assembled one is 10x the price, I'm not being punished for not buying it.
Lets hypothetically say I'm the organizer of a decent sized tournament series and I have a fleet of 8 ps4s that need to have a complete roster for events.
I really don't feel like I'm being lazy if I don't want to play an hour of story mode on each to make sure Frost is unlocked. So there literally is a reason to buy.
(I also don't feel like I should have to pay a premium in order to run multiple event stations, but that's a different conversation)
You can spend time crystals to reset chests, IIRC (Essentially buying more lootboxes) unless I'm seriously misinformed. Nope, just coins.
While that's much less predatory, it does beg the (admittedly less worrisome) question of why was this hamstrung system implemented in the first place if it isn't even to faciliate microtransactions?
EDIT: My guess is either they're going to pull an Activision and put in the ability to outright buy chests in at a later date, once the reviews are done; or Netherrealm managed to convince WB to not do paid boxes at some point later in developement. Given Netherrealms seemingly earnest desire to make the numbers less shitty, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Have those tweaks come out yet, by the by? I recall them saying "hours, not days" but that was yesterday.
You can spend time crystals to reset chests, IIRC (Essentially buying more lootboxes) unless I'm seriously misinformed.
While that's much less predatory, it does beg the (admittedly less worrisome) question of why was this hamstrung system implemented in the first place if it isn't even to faciliate microtransactions?
I thought the resetting the chests was done with Koins?
Either way, the answer to your question is either....
A) People are bad at Math.
or Developer resistance and shitty compromise solutions.
XBL: Bizazedo
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CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
You can spend time crystals to reset chests, IIRC (Essentially buying more lootboxes) unless I'm seriously misinformed.
While that's much less predatory, it does beg the (admittedly less worrisome) question of why was this hamstrung system implemented in the first place if it isn't even to faciliate microtransactions?
EDIT: My guess is either they're going to pull an Activision and put in the ability to outright buy chests in at a later date, once the reviews are done; or Netherrealm managed to convince WB to not do paid boxes at some point later in developement. Given Netherrealms seemingly earnest desire to make the numbers less shitty, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Have those tweaks come out yet, by the by? I recall them saying "hours, not days" but that was yesterday.
It seems like it may have been designed with loot boxes in mind and then part way through development they made the decision to remove/change the system due to the burgeoning outcry over the mechanic.
Seems you are indeed correct. It takes the system from "problematic" to "bizarre implementation" but that is a much better situation than had been previously described.
Glad to hear things aren't as bad as I thought they were.
Undead Scottsman on
+2
No-QuarterNothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered Userregular
You can spend time crystals to reset chests, IIRC (Essentially buying more lootboxes) unless I'm seriously misinformed. Nope, just coins.
While that's much less predatory, it does beg the (admittedly less worrisome) question of why was this hamstrung system implemented in the first place if it isn't even to faciliate microtransactions?
EDIT: My guess is either they're going to pull an Activision and put in the ability to outright buy chests in at a later date, once the reviews are done; or Netherrealm managed to convince WB to not do paid boxes at some point later in developement. Given Netherrealms seemingly earnest desire to make the numbers less shitty, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Have those tweaks come out yet, by the by? I recall them saying "hours, not days" but that was yesterday.
being addressed literally as I type this kast is on
info trickling out. apparently the krypt chest locations are random PER PLAYER, but the chests themselves have set contents.
also apparently there will be a patch this week or start or next week to address things, dunno what the fix is yet at work on phone
Allegedly, the Shao Kahn helmed chests that require hearts are not random, btw. They have 6 items for specific characters.
XBL: Bizazedo
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+1
No-QuarterNothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered Userregular
dont have all the info but they are upping the rewards received, AND they're going to gift everyone a crap ton of currency (all types, koins, hearts, etc) as well.
additionally I'm a dumb dumb and had no idea you could have the AI grind towers (in both Injustice 2 and this!), so tomorrow when I'm working from home, I'm definitely having that going in the background
0
VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
Gone are the days when you can get in-game currency and go directly to some kind of in-game shop and straight buy the cosmetic you want. At best now, games that have something like that will have the shop's wares randomize from day to day, or each time the game boots up, or changes up every mission.
But you want a full list of everything you can buy and cherry pick what you want? Never going to happen.
yeah I very rarely buy games at this point so I'm not fully used to it. I was aware this was an element of the system but I didn't realize it was universal. path of exile is the only game I have played that leans on small purchases really at all. character focused is enough for me. finally gonna actually play as soon as it's ready so I'll have more to think about
whatcha doing this week? Because I heard that there's this tournament involving some Asian dudes, a washed up action hero, and a cybernetic Australian.
The most frustrating thing for me is having to "build" loadout slots if you want to practice the ranked variants. It's a minor inconvenience, but I kinda feel like they should be the default.
Maybe that's just me, though.
Allegedly you don't need to. I can't find the clip but I was watching a stream yesterday that indicated they were all built somewhere
The most frustrating thing for me is having to "build" loadout slots if you want to practice the ranked variants. It's a minor inconvenience, but I kinda feel like they should be the default.
Maybe that's just me, though.
Allegedly you don't need to.
You have to. The variations that are used in tournaments and ranked aren't included in any other mode, including practice. They are included as a preset selection of abilities, but you still need to create a new custom and go through a few menus to assign the preset.
+1
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
The most frustrating thing for me is having to "build" loadout slots if you want to practice the ranked variants. It's a minor inconvenience, but I kinda feel like they should be the default.
Maybe that's just me, though.
Allegedly you don't need to.
You have to. The variations that are used in tournaments and ranked aren't included in any other mode, including practice. They are included as a preset selection of abilities, but you still need to create a new custom and go through a few menus to assign the preset.
Seems like a wierd oversight. I hope they patch that.
The most frustrating thing for me is having to "build" loadout slots if you want to practice the ranked variants. It's a minor inconvenience, but I kinda feel like they should be the default.
Maybe that's just me, though.
Allegedly you don't need to.
You can select the designated ranked loadout when building a "slot" for that loadout, but you have to create the slot, name it, and apply the loadout before you can access that slot in training. 2 loadouts per character (the two that are ranked legal) so that is 2 you have to build if you want to practice them both.
Otherwise, the 2 you have access to by default in training aren't either of the ones that are allowed in ranked. Again, it's a minor annoyance, but if you want to do this for each character so you can practice, it adds up pretty quickly.
EDIT: I posted this before seeing Knob had come through before me.
Well, it looks like I (and any other PAers this bugs) aren't alone:
I assume most tournaments are going to allow the ranked loadouts, and since these aren't the default ones, every TO on every box is going to have to go through and get these setup prior to the tournament starting (only once if, and hopefully, they keep using the same boxes at recurring events; more than once if not).
If you select Tournament Mode, you go into an offline versus mode with only the ranked loadouts selectable. The only extra work is if you want training mode.
Also: only the ranked variations are allowed in offline tournaments, currently. The community might decide that sucks and change it, but that is how the NRS Protour events are gonna work, and the rest of the community will likely follow suit for consistency.
Posts
But that's the point, they are actively lying to somebody there; so why am I supposed to trust anything they say when it comes to their financials?
EDIT: In my head that was supposed to be "Talk out of both sides of their mouth" but I guess my fingers didn't get the memo. Fixed it now.
On phone, but Boon himself said yesterday that they were aware of it and working on it, and I think they're even going to have a short kombat kast today addressing it.
WB may or may not be "evil empire" but I hold NRS themselves in pretty good faith.
They still have randomized boxes of item drops (despite saying there'd be no loot boxes). That is not even remotely improvement enough.
I was almost willing to give them a pass based on previous Krypts being limited, but nope, you can pay money to relock the loot boxes and open them again. :razz:
EDIT: And nothing WB has done has given me any reason to not think they're as slimy as any other big publisher. They have a pretty sizable list of garbage practices and actions all on thier lonesome.
Nobody is being taken advantage of, and if they are, it isn't up to corporate entities to regulate. It's on our governments and education systems to show people how to spend money smartly.
It's like offering two versions of a puzzle; one you have to assemble yourself, and another that's already assembled. I for one, want the experience of making it. Others, just want a cool picture to hang up. Both are fine, and while the assembled one is 10x the price, I'm not being punished for not buying it.
Apparently, not all of the chests are randomized. The ones with the Shao Kahn's head you can break and take hearts (I think?) have set rewards. They are being compiled on the Reddit, apparently. Each contains set items for one character. Shao Kahn's and Liu Kang's have not been found last time I checked.
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
MK11's microtransaction model is absolutely predatory. Any system which is set up so that you could possibly spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars is going to wind up targeting impulsive or addictive whales.
Frost being purchaseable DLC, as well, doesn't seem to have any good justification when she's so easily unlockable in-game.
Not really. I'd argue it's actually smarter to just do Character Towers until you get what you want, it's quicker and *key part here* free. It's only predatory to people who can't be bothered to look at the game, learn the mechanics, and play it as intended. I spent 3 hour with the game and know Frost unlocks at story mode stage 4 (the game explicitly told me this when I click her). At a certain point I have to blame the person willing to drop money on the game, when it's plain as day it's better to just play it.
Yeah, that part sounds weird when you quote it out of context. Here's the part you skipped
That is where the advantage is being taken. Otherwise we have a situation where a person, regardless of any mental or emotional compulsions, has the complete onus of those issues on themselves, and anyone who benefits from those compulsions (which I would call taking advantage of) is totally in the clear. That does not sit right with me in the slightest.
If you feel so strongly about loot boxes, you should vote for people who can enact change. You should skip buying MK11 and tweet at them why. Vote with your wallet, and vote with your vote.
I'm against people getting taken advantage of, but if you have a problem it's on you to solve it. When I quit drinking, I wanted to drink every fucking day. I wanted a drink so bad, I hated anything that wasn't booze. But did I demand all bars around me shut down? Do I demand the government reenact prohibition because I want to be blacked out for the rest of my life?
No. Because I'm handling my addiction. Everyday, it's a fucking battle. And I'm right there with gambling addicts, it's hard as shit to avoid. But you're the only one who can make you stop. You have to want to stop, otherwise, yknow, there's always something there to sabotage you. If they regulate lootboxes, it doesn't change the fact that actual, real gambling is still out there. Idk it all rings pretty hollow to me
While the cosmetic "unlocking" of things in the game is still very random, at least there's a ceiling to when it stops because you eventually unlock everything you can. If someone wants to spend the real world equivalency of a new car to do it, kudos to them. It's entirely possible to acquire all of the modifications and unlockables without paying a dime either, which plenty of people seem capable of doing. Sure it sucks you're not able to get your main fighter's gear options all at once, but then, that was never anything that was promised from the start, either.
Steam: TheArcadeBear
Alchoholism isn't a great one to one, so using it for analogy is going to be a bit tortured, but how would you feel if you had to walk into a bar to play Mortal Kombat, or whatever other recent big game release? You don't have to buy any booze, obviously, but there's nothing stopping you from doing so but yourself.
It sounds like you got a pretty good lock on things, which is genuinely great. But think about any other alchoholics you know and put them into the same situation. Do you think they all would all have the same willpower as you? All they want to do is play a game, but they're thrust into an enviroment that plays upon their addiction to do so.
Now, on top of all this, consider that many people play games to help deal with their addictions.
But, as you've said, should games be catered to those people? IMO, it all funnels back to the same question: What do lootboxes achieve, and is it worth either taking advantage of / alienating these people to accomplish? This goes back to my point about how large corporations handle money and lie to peoples faces about it. Maybe they do need the revenue from microtransactions to produce these games. You'll never get an answer you can trust out of them, though, and there's a lot of evidence pointing towards that money simply going to line the pockets of executives and investors.
Per some of your other statements,
-"You should skip buying MK11 and tweet at them why. Vote with your wallet, and vote with your vote." I was going to do just that, but then the devs came out and went "NO LOOTBOXES" so one would have assumed it was safe. Then the game came out and basically had lootboxes disguised as the Krypt from the older Mortal Kombats, so that whole trust thing worked out really well.
-"If they regulate lootboxes, it doesn't change the fact that actual, real gambling is still out there.": Has "this other terrible thing exists so dealing with something else terrible is pointless" ever been a good idea in the history of anything?
"It's just the latest bout of internet outrage for the week." People have been complaining about lootboxes for years now. Remember Shadow of War and Battlefront II? Remember Belgium outright banning lootboxes?
When I saw that this game had a $40 season pass I wasn't particularly moved either way about it. Reading that it carries a microtransaction model for in-game grind stuff, though, turned me right off. Regardless of how much individual people think it affects things or if it's cosmetics only or whatever, it's a huge turnoff for me because it raises the perceived barrier to entry for the "whole" product. MK11 has a $60 cost, a preorder exclusive character, a $40 season pass, and RMT/loot boxes in it. There's probably a very good game to go along with all of that but holy shit, settle down.
Accessibility isn't just an in-game feature, and I really wish these games felt more accessible to me as a consumer.
Doesn't that describe literally every store ever?
Outside of them saying no lootboxes and then, whoops, lootboxes! I don't bear any negative will towards to the developers. My ire is aimed squared at the people running the company.
True, but it's how the Krypt worked in previous Mortal Kombats. So at the very least we have an example of something that has been made more obtuse/harder to faciliate a microtransaction system. Which, ignoring my moral complaints for a second, is something that flat out annoys me as a player.
Can't blame anyone for assuming otherwise, this is what you get for obfuscating your systems with multiple layers of currencies and meters and game modes, it's basically indistinguishable from a predatory garbage mobile game.
Lets hypothetically say I'm the organizer of a decent sized tournament series and I have a fleet of 8 ps4s that need to have a complete roster for events.
I really don't feel like I'm being lazy if I don't want to play an hour of story mode on each to make sure Frost is unlocked. So there literally is a reason to buy.
(I also don't feel like I should have to pay a premium in order to run multiple event stations, but that's a different conversation)
While that's much less predatory, it does beg the (admittedly less worrisome) question of why was this hamstrung system implemented in the first place if it isn't even to faciliate microtransactions?
EDIT: My guess is either they're going to pull an Activision and put in the ability to outright buy chests in at a later date, once the reviews are done; or Netherrealm managed to convince WB to not do paid boxes at some point later in developement. Given Netherrealms seemingly earnest desire to make the numbers less shitty, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Have those tweaks come out yet, by the by? I recall them saying "hours, not days" but that was yesterday.
Either way, the answer to your question is either....
A) People are bad at Math.
or
Developer resistance and shitty compromise solutions.
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
The system's so bad it's almost like NRS wanted to trick WB into thinking they had gambling.
It seems like it may have been designed with loot boxes in mind and then part way through development they made the decision to remove/change the system due to the burgeoning outcry over the mechanic.
Steam: Feriluce
Battle.net: Feriluce#1995
Glad to hear things aren't as bad as I thought they were.
being addressed literally as I type this kast is on
https://mobile.twitter.com/noobde/status/1121133107804033034
also apparently there will be a patch this week or start or next week to address things, dunno what the fix is yet at work on phone
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
yay netherrealm
Netherrealm Plz.
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
a patch will roll out either late this week or early next week to address reward payout and further balances
everyone is getting 500,000 koins, 1000 souls, 1000 time crystals, and (I think) 100 hearts
the krypt is intended to be a long-term goal over the life of the product
the shao kahn chests that require hearts are not randomized and have specific character rewards in them
And managed to fool a considerable portion (or just a vocal one) of their player base instead.
Gamers on the internet making a stink about something before all the facts were out?
Never!
yeah I very rarely buy games at this point so I'm not fully used to it. I was aware this was an element of the system but I didn't realize it was universal. path of exile is the only game I have played that leans on small purchases really at all. character focused is enough for me. finally gonna actually play as soon as it's ready so I'll have more to think about
whatcha doing this week? Because I heard that there's this tournament involving some Asian dudes, a washed up action hero, and a cybernetic Australian.
Allegedly you don't need to. I can't find the clip but I was watching a stream yesterday that indicated they were all built somewhere
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You have to. The variations that are used in tournaments and ranked aren't included in any other mode, including practice. They are included as a preset selection of abilities, but you still need to create a new custom and go through a few menus to assign the preset.
Seems like a wierd oversight. I hope they patch that.
You can select the designated ranked loadout when building a "slot" for that loadout, but you have to create the slot, name it, and apply the loadout before you can access that slot in training. 2 loadouts per character (the two that are ranked legal) so that is 2 you have to build if you want to practice them both.
Otherwise, the 2 you have access to by default in training aren't either of the ones that are allowed in ranked. Again, it's a minor annoyance, but if you want to do this for each character so you can practice, it adds up pretty quickly.
EDIT: I posted this before seeing Knob had come through before me.
Well, it looks like I (and any other PAers this bugs) aren't alone:
https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2019/apr/23/here-are-mortal-kombat-11-kompetitive-variations-every-character-and-which-moves-are-enabled-them/
XBL: InvaderJims
Bnet: Pudgestomp#11153
XBL: InvaderJims
Bnet: Pudgestomp#11153
Also: only the ranked variations are allowed in offline tournaments, currently. The community might decide that sucks and change it, but that is how the NRS Protour events are gonna work, and the rest of the community will likely follow suit for consistency.