How is it "pay to win"?

[CrimsonGear]

I just can't wrap my head around people calling a PvE co-op game "pay to win". Pay to win refers to making it diffcult/impossible for non-paying players to compete with paying players. Since the game is co-op It's 100% impossible for a paying player to beat a non-paying player. You can't "win" against another player in this game.

Unless the game get's so difficult that non-paying players can't beat certain missions, I just can't see how this game could possible be pay to win. Maybe somebody can clarify this for me..

[Bang_Doll]

Pay to win is a neologism and slang phrase. You wouldn't find it in a dictionary. You may interpret it as referring to explicitly a PvP setting, but people who complain about "pay to win" in Warframe take issue with exclusive gameplay advantages bought with money that are disallowed to non-paying players, advantages that a free player can not achieve or compensate for without making a purchase.

That's it.

If the word "win" is the part that is boggling your mind, because you don't see a PvE game as having a "win" scenario when it just grinds on and on and on, think of it as "pay to win more" or "pay to do better", or some such. In this case being "pay to win more than free players" etc.

[NeverDT]

In general, in F2P games, the only items that require you to use "real money" currency are cosmetic or otherwise serve purposes related to gameplay - skins, hats, etc.

Warframe is in a gray area in that Platinum will be obtainable by ingame means, not just through paying (I've yet to get PT through any of these means so I'm not exactly sure what they are yet). However, Warframe also has items and upgrades which are only available through PT - a few weapons and the Pro system for example.

And yeah, as Bang_Doll said, it's more of a "pay to do better" situation. I personally have no trouble beating up enemies with no Pro stuff at all, although the situation would get a bit more iffy if there were areas that basically required you to be kitted out with Pro gear. Then again, skill, tactics, and teamwork are large factors in your success as well, so such a situation is pretty unlikely.

[Keiyum]

I've only been playing a couple of days so if I have misinformation feel free to correct me.

I understand the terminology and I can see how people would call it P2W, but well it's been said already. It's just pay for more. The biggest deal being that you can't access your 4th skill without going pro on your frame, but given that you have starter platinum that's not too big a cause for concern. Maybe this changes past the level 30 or so missions but I'm having no trouble cutting through enemies, alone or in a group. Just takes some mod management and good ol' knowhow.