Who Put The CCG In Mass Effect 3?

[TheCaptain]

To be honest, I don't see it. Don't know if that goes for the majority of other players, but if I got the classes I wanted to try immediately after they came out - and if there was no need to buy randomized packs at all, I'd be swimming in credits right now - I would play those for a while and never try out anthing else. If I got my Phoenix Vanguard directly after Rebellion's release, I would've never given my Vorcha soldier a spin.

Might be that I'm just weird like that, but the reinforcement pack system is exactly what keeps me playing. Because it makes me try out stuff that I hadn't set my mind on from day one.

Also, whoever blows real-life money on in-game reinforcement packs doesn't deserve any better. And I can't for the life of me imagine there's a whole lot of people who would do that.

Actually, let's find out:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.377248-Poll-Mass-Effect-3-Multiplayer-Real-money-for-reinforcement-packs

 

[Alexnader]

I imagine you know the exploit wherein running Gold matches against Geth on Firebase White is easy as pie?

You cannot imagine...well, *you* probably can...how I've farmed the hell out of that setup. Earning credits has not been an issue for me since I learned the exploit....

So is this a prime example of a player who cheats cheating only themselves? All games are just illusions. Just a bunch of numbers and statistics covered with a veneer of something else. So now you've cheated and found a shortcut to discovering this universal truth, and you want to whine about it? You want to claim that they're actually cheating you?

That's rich! You are a funny guy--you should do stand-up.

If I read Dennis correctly it's not the cheating that's taken the fun out of the game, the "cheating" merely highlighted how horrible the CCG system was for getting what you wanted. I'm not sure why you're suggesting that all games are like this, mere pokie machines where we stick in time and occasionally get a pretty new digital item. You sound like someone who's played way too many bad MMORPGs.

----
Anyway, for me ME3 multiplayer was all about the CCG item system. My friends and I would never have played it past getting 100% galactic readiness without that pain in the arse of a system whereby we got shit all and only wanted more. I still stopped playing it fairly quickly and this was because the actual combat wasn't anywhere near as engaging as other games I had available.

I agree that the CCG system sans trading is obvious nickel and diming, however I don't think anyone can say it doesn't work. (In the same horrible way a gambling addiction "works").


Incidentally I just want to say I love how Dennis actually makes numerous responses on his articles. He might even be better than Gavin Dunne.

 

[w00tage]

How gambling got into this business model, you ask?

Simple. Way back when in the early 80s, a company called Wizards of the Coast decreed that when you bought miniatures or anything else for their games, you got whatever was in the box. You could not buy a box of human archers, you could just buy a box of miniatures and hope you got some human archers.

What's that? Why would such an inane, insane policy be enforced, you ask?

Also simple. That policy guaranteed that they would not be wasting money making items that did not sell. That's it, no big master plan. Whatever they made went into an opaque container to be sold as-is. They just didn't want to deal with the ordinary risks of business, so they threw it all on their customers.

However, as a side consequence, people who did not get what they wanted in the box had to buy another box to try again. This led to the surprising effect of selling craptons of stuff because people wanted to justify the money they'd already spent on failure.

Just like in gambling.

Here's a comic that perfectly illustrates the model in action (no pun intended). The relevant stuff starts at panel 4. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0413.html

 

[Megacherv]

EA do the same with Fifa 12, one of my friends was just opening pack after pack of 'cards' to get more players. Makes glad me I don't play either, I already play Magic and that's expensive enough...

 

[GloatingSwine]

anc[is]

The DLC is free and you buy the packs in with-game credits. Money grubbing what now?

The entire thing is designed to push you towards buying booster packs with real money. If they weren't there, the randomized nature of the unlocks would simply be annoying and pointlessly frustrating. But they are there, and every time a 'free' DLC comes out it gives people more things to want and lowers the chances of getting the old things, and therefore more reason to skip the grind and gamble with real money. Just because you can grind like a mofo and cross your fingers doesn't make the setup any less obnoxious.

See, I really don't think that having real money prices for the magic cards is a bad thing. Of course it tempts people into buying them for the sake of convenience, that's what microtransaction models are supposed to be.

Anyone who actually pays money for them is clearly a moron of the highest order, not least because due to the small amount of variation on offer in the ME3 multiplayer the metagame of buying magic cards to increase your numbers on your guns is all that's left to hold interest, so buying them with real money is essentially paying to run out of game faster, but that's their own problem not EA's.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

True, the unlock system is a load of bull. I want my Javelin for deity's sake!

Though I was lucky enough to get all the default characters and all that the Resurgence pack had to offer (Took you long enough, geth Infiltrator). How many times I've gotten a Turian soldier, while I never use the Soldier class. Frustrating. Really, really frustrating.

And after finally thinking I'd get some rest, they come with MORE DLC that I have to roll my dices at. Got the weapons and the Ex-Cerberus Adept. This is going to take awhile >.>

In any case, they could have randomized the gun unlocks, and maybe even the characters too, but they should have allowed you to pay the credits you earn to upgrade your weapons seperately. I get a Claymore from a Spectre pack, now let me decide whether I want to pump my hard earned money into upgrading the damn thing or not.

 

[Falkenherz]

Nice to read executive articles where the author actually knows what he is talking about. Made me subscribe immediately

Nevertheless, I disagree with the author. I play regularily on gold, mostly with random groups, I play Snipers, Sentinels, and I do even play the dreaded human vanguard. What are my weapons:

Human vanguard: Scimitar X, a common weapon you can get to a reasonable level without major timesinks. I started gold with a common Katana VIII because that damn (common!) Scimatar did not drop earlier (needed at least VII for as fast skill recharge rate).

Human Sentinel: Shuriken X, again, a common weapon. Also, I started gold much earlier before I got to level X.

Salarian Infiltrator: Ok, you got me here, this is the most weapon reliant class of the three mentioned here, I wield the fantastic ultra-rare Valiant II. But, I tried the common Viper IX, and it is almost the same. I still do see many Inflistrators with a common Mantis X, and they are doing great. Infiltrators are by their skillset already so powerful that you can really go at it with common weapons.

As to the most weapon reliant class, the soldier, it is probably indeed the weakest class in the game, but again, not due to the loot system, but due to the limited skill set supplied with it.

Concerning the infamous FBW/G/G farming, well, you do inflict this on yourself, you know. While we all like to succumb to magic:the gathering collecting adiction, playing the maps and the teamwork is an entirely separated game experience. While it is nice to show off your ultra rare, or (ab)use the newest Kishok X, the tactical challenge resides still in teamplay. If your team is crap, and your Kishok X won' t save the day through all 11 Waves.

Having said that, I believe the collector-card-system is a refreshing change from the normal forms of grinding you find in other games. And I commend Bioware that they keep a nice balance so far, all the while being able to siphon money from people who want to give it (no, you don't have to).

If you argue about the 60 dollars spent, well, ok. I think this is already spent by having a wonderful single player campaign with a not so wonderful ending. Multiplayer is an online-addon with a voluntary-incentivized monthly subscription. Nothing wrong with that. I played WoW, SWTOR, EVE, Diablo... but as a casual addict, as I like to describe myself, I am mostly drawn to ME3-multiplayer. It seems to provide for the right mix of incentives, at least for me.

Regards
Falkenherz

 

[Emiscary]

Here's a better question: who put the *multiplayer* in ME3?

Say it with me: SINGLE. PLAYER. FRANCHISE.

 

[Aggieknight]

Thank you for your article.

You summed up my complaints perfectly.

The multiplayer is far better in ME3 than I had anticipated, but the baseball cards aspect is frustrating. It sucks the fun right out of the game for me.

 

[Skratt]

I am so glad I didn't buy this game at release day. Not that the game isn't awesome, I'm sure it is, but things like this would frustrate me to no end. I suspect this is one of those "Fools and their money" scenarios. Can't really blame them for making money - if they are actually making money - but it really is a dick move to grab some extra cash. I guess fans of the game don't mean anything anymore if they aren't constantly shelling out cash?

Are we ever going to stand up as a community and boycott gimmicks like this or are we really made up of so many people that are happy to spend money in this way?

 

[Lever]

I've not played ME3, as the franchise didn't really grab me, but... Does anyone else find it rather weird that EA/Bioware put a free-to-play multiplayer game in their $60 rpg?

This business model looks to be the same as many F2P games, particularly F2P rpg's. The only real difference that I can see from here is that the pricing here is somewhat less than actual F2p games, whether in-game credits or cash...

I'm not entirely comfortable with where this could be headed, especially if EA/Bioware find this "pay for random stuff" model profitable.

Also, the inability to trade / sell the excess or unwanted gear to other players is what differentiates this from traditional CCG/CCM games. If I got something I didn't need from a Magic booster, I could always trade those un-needed cards to someone who does need them.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

This business model looks to be the same as many F2P games, particularly F2P rpg's. The only real difference that I can see from here is that the pricing here is somewhat less than actual F2p games, whether in-game credits or cash...

The pricing difference would most likely be because ME3's multiplayer doesn't have a larger in-game, player-driven economy to balance against - make 'store' purchased goods better than loot trade in a MMORPG and the player driven economy goes tits up, much to the ire of your crafting and trading players.

I'm not entirely comfortable with where this could be headed, especially if EA/Bioware find this "pay for random stuff" model profitable.

It depends on how obsessive the core playing group of ME3's MP is... and EA wins if a sustainable percentage are obsessive enough to grind out the game credits or pony up real money. They'll either be making coin hand over fist or they're getting major server use which is like thousands of hours of free advertising for them... as well as some other stuff I can't be arsed writing an entire paper on to explain fully.

Interesting experiment in introducing Skinner Box mechanics outside of MMOs, though. Of course when real world currency is involved they may find themselves up against the online gambling laws of certain countries.

Also, the inability to trade / sell the excess or unwanted gear to other players is what differentiates this from traditional CCG/CCM games.

The only real difference there is that EA/Bioware can stop people from trading/selling.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Here's a better question: who put the *multiplayer* in ME3?

Say it with me: SINGLE. PLAYER. FRANCHISE.

Whoever did clearly had a better idea of what they were doing than the people who wrote the ending, that's for damn sure.

I think I played the ME3 multi about twice as much as the single player, and this coming from someone who played the first game six times in a row when it first came out.

 

[alceste007]

Thank you for your article.

You summed up my complaints perfectly.

The multiplayer is far better in ME3 than I had anticipated, but the baseball cards aspect is frustrating. It sucks the fun right out of the game for me.

I have also really been surprised at how much I have been enjoying playing ME3 multiplayer as well. I am pretty happy with my human infiltrator atm, but there some additional classes that I would like. I would like an option (even if much more expensive in credits) to select the ability to buy a specific class.

 

[Ticonderoga117]

Couldn't have said it better. This is why I haven't touched ME3's MP since day 5 and I don't plan on ever touching it again. Sure there's free shiny new content, but good luck getting it, and there's no way I'm spending money for the chance of getting something. Pass.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

Quite so.

I wish they'd done it like Black Ops where you earn credits then chose which upgrade you wish to purchase with them.

Agreed.

Sadly, though, EA's model is fucking brilliant. People are going to pay for this stuff, so I don't think anyone's gonna stop buying it since the Multiplayer's so addicting.

 

[pearcinator]

You may not like the system but you cannot deny that it works!

If it means free MP DLC then I don't care if you hate the system...just spend MS points so that the next one will also be free

I sometimes get bogus packs but it never frustrates me much because I know I have just as much chance at getting something I want. The gambling aspect is fine to me as long as it means I don't have to spend real money.

 

[Darkmantle]

I actually really like the multiplayer :/.

and honestly, I'd put money on people getting bored with the game faster if you could pick which things to buy, the randomization thing keeps people playing, and grinding, longer, which I can't say is a totally bad thing.

EDIT: also, I may have never tried out a bunch of the classes that are now my favorites if I didn't randomly roll them. Like Drell vanguard, I would have never bought that guy, but now I have a blast playing him.

EDIT2: although my only pet peeve is the armor customization. That should not be locked behind a reinforcement pack, and it should ESPECIALLY not be given out ONE extra customization at a time. That's about the only thing that irritates me though.

 

[Aggieknight]

Thank you for your article.

You summed up my complaints perfectly.

The multiplayer is far better in ME3 than I had anticipated, but the baseball cards aspect is frustrating. It sucks the fun right out of the game for me.

I have also really been surprised at how much I have been enjoying playing ME3 multiplayer as well. I am pretty happy with my human infiltrator atm, but there some additional classes that I would like. I would like an option (even if much more expensive in credits) to select the ability to buy a specific class.

I'm right there with you. I would pay cash/money for upgrades to specific weapons because I like the weapon, but a lvl 1 of any weapon is not comparable to a X of even the basics.

 

[RatRace123]

Big reason I stopped playing the multiplayer mode, I had shit luck when it came to getting the good stuff. I got no alien classes, I didn't even get many great weapons.

And there is no way in hell that I would've paid real money just so that I can squeeze a little bit more enjoyment out of a multiplayer mode that I only think is "kinda good" but gets repetitive very quickly.