I don't understand why upgrades are totally random. Do other games not let you control you character's development? Is this standard? What is the point? It can't be to make you want to play more. What does EA get of people playing more? Nothing as far as I can tell. Or maybe they want people to drop out so they don't have to spend as much on servers and upkeep. I really just don't get it.
What is the point of random weapon/mod/character drops?
Débuté par
cap and gown
, nov. 13 2013 01:23
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#2
Posté 13 novembre 2013 - 09:17
Bryan Johnson
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Alright, I am coming in to this one as more of a generalized person and not directly explaining decisions made. I was not the one making the decisions, but can understand them.
A lot of points were already made in this thread, and others so wont go into great detail.
There is also a social aspect of it, that is a strong with randomization. Even though this is a co-op game there is a gentle competitive nature to it. I know during development I was the first in my group of friends to get a Revenant and was able to play it in such a way those around me wanted to get one and try it out. During that process another got a widow, and even though at the time all they wanted was the Revenant that I was using they fell for the Widow. So in their quest to get the gun they thought they wanted, they found something randomly that they ended up liking more. Whereas a straight progression system (buy what you want), would have lead to people using the same as me, but without the same joy that they found with their own thing.
We are by no means unique in the approach we took, as many have said we are the same as collector cards. With trading cards though, I know that you can trade those, whereas you cant trade stuff in our game, But these an explanation of this in that the majority of value that collector cards come are in the ability to sell them in the future. They also have the advantage of being at a controlled rate of rarity whereas our game rarity approachs 1 over long period of time. Anyways back to my point of trading, in our game a weapons value is that what you get at that time, and is repeatable thus why trading is not the same in that analogy.
Anyways ill stop here, for now.
A lot of points were already made in this thread, and others so wont go into great detail.
There is also a social aspect of it, that is a strong with randomization. Even though this is a co-op game there is a gentle competitive nature to it. I know during development I was the first in my group of friends to get a Revenant and was able to play it in such a way those around me wanted to get one and try it out. During that process another got a widow, and even though at the time all they wanted was the Revenant that I was using they fell for the Widow. So in their quest to get the gun they thought they wanted, they found something randomly that they ended up liking more. Whereas a straight progression system (buy what you want), would have lead to people using the same as me, but without the same joy that they found with their own thing.
We are by no means unique in the approach we took, as many have said we are the same as collector cards. With trading cards though, I know that you can trade those, whereas you cant trade stuff in our game, But these an explanation of this in that the majority of value that collector cards come are in the ability to sell them in the future. They also have the advantage of being at a controlled rate of rarity whereas our game rarity approachs 1 over long period of time. Anyways back to my point of trading, in our game a weapons value is that what you get at that time, and is repeatable thus why trading is not the same in that analogy.
Anyways ill stop here, for now.
#3
Posté 13 novembre 2013 - 09:56
Bryan Johnson
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MofuggerX wrote...
BJ I have to ask, are you very busy these days? You're sure being active here again.
I have time between builds, before I would spend them doing other things, now I am spending them here. Although I got a second computer, so my downtime should be reduced again.
#4
Posté 13 novembre 2013 - 11:12
Bryan Johnson
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What InstaShark was referencing was the post 2 above his, My comment was directed more at player trading instead of into a system.
Even if it was a trade system into a system it could be easily gamed. Lets take your example of 2 blues for a silver, and then lets say it was 2 silver for a gold. Currently lets say the value of a blue is 5k (recruit pack) whereas the value of a gold is 60k (spectre pack). We have now established 4 blues = gold, which allows us to cause the value of our gold to decline to be worth only 20k which renders all other packs moot.
Now if we said alright lets do it at a 10:1 blue:Gold to somewhat maintain value. Well when a player goes to make the jump from bronze to gold, the can have a level 6 gold weapon instantly by trading in all their blues. They now have a weapon that is significantly more powerful than the effort they have put in to date, and as a result they have also choked their entire variety. Which means that they have established a crutch situation for themselves and made it so that their team has to adapt to their play because they have no other options.
Even if it was a trade system into a system it could be easily gamed. Lets take your example of 2 blues for a silver, and then lets say it was 2 silver for a gold. Currently lets say the value of a blue is 5k (recruit pack) whereas the value of a gold is 60k (spectre pack). We have now established 4 blues = gold, which allows us to cause the value of our gold to decline to be worth only 20k which renders all other packs moot.
Now if we said alright lets do it at a 10:1 blue:Gold to somewhat maintain value. Well when a player goes to make the jump from bronze to gold, the can have a level 6 gold weapon instantly by trading in all their blues. They now have a weapon that is significantly more powerful than the effort they have put in to date, and as a result they have also choked their entire variety. Which means that they have established a crutch situation for themselves and made it so that their team has to adapt to their play because they have no other options.
#5
Posté 13 novembre 2013 - 11:39
Bryan Johnson
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megabeast37215 wrote...
How about just letting others freely give and trade as they wish? I would love to give a new play a bunch of my level 1-3 amps, piercing mods, etc... Things that can really help them along while they build their manifest. I can see what you're saying about creating a crutch... That makes sense. If I were to give someone my level X Collector SMG, it would be all they'd use for a very, very long time.
Honestly, it takes a TON of fun out of it
#6
Posté 13 novembre 2013 - 11:50
Bryan Johnson
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@Evil Mastered no idea what is going on with next mass effect, I am on Dragon Age
#7
Posté 13 novembre 2013 - 11:57
Bryan Johnson
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MofuggerX wrote...
Bryan Johnson wrote...
I have time between builds, before I would spend them doing other things, now I am spending them here. Although I got a second computer, so my downtime should be reduced again.
See I get curious and ask people dumb questions like that all the time.
Anyways, in my opinion it's pretty sweet that you're posting again. I'm just waiting for another jest that you can take away someone's Harrier again.
I think the next step is to perma lock someones GI
#8
Posté 14 novembre 2013 - 03:29
Bryan Johnson
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cap and gown wrote...
121andrew wrote...
In the next game there should be a more specific RNG, like with the Reserves/Arsenal pack, as in you know you'll be getting a character for good, instead of it being totally random.
They should also do away with repeat character cards.
Nothing worse than spending 99k to get Asari Adept and Krogan Soldier cards.
The system would work 100% better just with these two suggestions implemented.
The current system doesnt give you repeat character cards, if you have fully unlocked a character
#9
Posté 14 novembre 2013 - 04:06
Bryan Johnson
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DisturbedPsic0 wrote...
Bryan Johnson wrote...
cap and gown wrote...
121andrew wrote...
In the next game there should be a more specific RNG, like with the Reserves/Arsenal pack, as in you know you'll be getting a character for good, instead of it being totally random.
They should also do away with repeat character cards.
Nothing worse than spending 99k to get Asari Adept and Krogan Soldier cards.
The system would work 100% better just with these two suggestions implemented.
The current system doesnt give you repeat character cards, if you have fully unlocked a character
Except for base humans. Gotta love getting that 250k experience in my PSP's when everyone is at 20. Be nice if there was a way to only give you those cards for the classes that aren't at 20. No idea how feasible that is though.
The 250k human was the compromise to those who wanted character cards to not be limited, for those that wanted to promote. The only thing you are "losing" in that slot is 1 time consumables. XP is also technically finished at level 20, it goes up to 10.5 million iirc when you are at level 20, mind you that doesnt make much difference in this case.
