Slots And The Arguments - Feedback

[matrixEXO]

Here's a feedback you don't see often... depending on your view. We all know that slots are the limiting factor of this game. We all know that the argument that comes up defending the slots. This is my argument to those. To be clear, my stand is for the removal of or change in the acquisition of slots since there are enough ways to attract people to throw in some dough.

 

1) Slots are where DE makes most of their money. (Source: Many)

 

This is true and false. This is true because of the way slots works that makes expanding anything in the arsenal either an impossibility or being forced to spend their money. And if a customer is being forced to spend their money, it doesn't make them one bit happier.

 

Additionally, there are other substantially major revenues out there right now. One-time limited purchase from Prime Access, customisation options, quick speed-up and even BP trading all use plat. And there are a lot of people who are willing to throw down the plat for that.

 

 

2) Foreword: Below is part of the whole message posted in a thread regarding slots.

Warframe is Free2play so take away slot purchasing with plat and revenue for DE dries up.

 

DE just landed a massive partnership contract. This on top of many other sources of revenue currently in-game actually wouldn't deter people from paying a small chump change on a game that they like to play. If the player is bunny hopping between games to try and test them all out, of course they won't spend any money. Additionally, Warframe has established enough fanbase and loyal consumers for the product (Warframe) that they would be willing to spend money on the cosmetics and other stuffs that can be bought with plat, Prime Access being one of the better example. That and trading essentially is now a plat-only market scene making it almost a necessity to purchase plat to trade for an easier time getting that one piece of Prime part and stuff.

 

 

3) Foreword: Below is a copy of part of a message posted in a thread regarding slots.

You can get them (<= plat) without paying... just sayin'.

That is true but think about the number of people who have plat and would be willing to pay plat for a newbie's... Rhino Systems. People are trading for the rare and inexplicably hard to get parts and mods that are either a dime in a dozen or locked by massive RNG. That means that the person who wants to trade would also need to get that dime in a dozen (super lucky guy) then be forced to ponder if he should keep it (since it is hard to get) or trade it off for plat... just to buy himself some slots. I believe that apart from making money, you must ensure that customers get the most satisfaction in your game without being weighed down by the major bottlenecks that can deter people from your own game. My two cents.

 

 

4)  

Pretty much every F2P game has this limitation.

Easiest way to make money and completely reasonable: You want more so you pay or sacrifice something.

Wha... I believe that it's not reasonable to limit the very aspect of 'slots' in game when the slots themselves don't come in a reasonable number that allows one to enjoy the game without paying much. I agree on the 'want more so you pay or sacrifice something' part because what's being sacrificed is a person's enjoyment... or money being paid so you can enjoy yourself... Either way, it isn't a good start to begin with.

 

 

5)

That is the main reason why most players bought their first platinum. As warframe is a F2P game the developers need money form these micro transactions

To be clear, this is not called micro transactions anymore. Not in my book, that is. If something is necessary to play the game, it becomes more than micro transactions. Simply put: Slots aren't optional. This means that, as a major part of the game, it's forcibly making people spend money in an unhealthy way. Say no to bad practices please.

 

 

6) Foreword: Below is a copy of part of a message posted in a thread regarding slots.

Seriously, it's 5 dollars. 

To be clear, not everyone is American. USD$ 5 is equivalent to RM15++ on my side. That means 3 meals. For those who understands that not everyone lives in America, that also means that each side has their own average and minimum earnings and to classify under one roof makes it very... bad. Unless we all earn the same money. Still bad.

 

 

 

To conclude, I support the abolishment of slots or the option to get slots in a better way than through plat purchases. As an old-time customer, I must say that slots are something that I force myself to buy only to keep every weapon that I own because I am the kind of person who likes keeping everything he has put in effort to level 30 those items.

Edited October 20, 2014 by matrixEXO

[(PSN)IIIDevoidIII]

I feel your quotes are taken a bit out of context, but I agree with your main point. Slots are a hinderance to new users, and though they are possibly a large revenue pool, with how many new weapons and warframes are being added, I feel it would be appropriate to add a method to gain more slots through use, such as Mastery rank.

[Feallike]

I feel your quotes are taken a bit out of context, but I agree with your main point. Slots are a hinderance to new users, and though they are possibly a large revenue pool, with how many new weapons and warframes are being added, I feel it would be appropriate to add a method to gain more slots through use, such as Mastery rank.

 

My guess is the Focus system will bring more to the table then slots will. I look forward to that system due to it allowing us to build more on a weapon we have fully ranked rather then just formaing it.

[matrixEXO]

My guess is the Focus system will bring more to the table then slots will. I look forward to that system due to it allowing us to build more on a weapon we have fully ranked rather then just formaing it.

I doubt it would really be that way. Slots will always take a front seat because the more OP weapon and Warframe one has, the better... right? I mean, that is the reason why people get slots in the first place; because not all weapons are made equal or viable at all times. Oh, and don't get me on the weapon balance thing since DE clearly isn't going to balance weapons to have them all viable. Plus, Focus isn't gonna be out until they decide it would be out. They said it themselves that they didn't like how the 'current' Focus system works in which it was similar to the mod system.

Edited October 20, 2014 by matrixEXO

[Rekkou]

Arguments about slot are always like this.

 

Using "drive new player away" / "pay2win" / "remove fun" as passive threat.

 

And the end is always "you're big company, you should sacrifice your income for little people" / "get your money from elsewhere so we can get this one for free" as solution.

 

I personally hate "poor people" card the most. People only use it too make proper legitimate company looks bad if they didn't follow the demands.

[Frostmire]

I think new players can use an extra weapon slot or two , maybe another warframe slot , but that's it

[matrixEXO]

Arguments about slot are always like this.

 

Using "drive new player away" / "pay2win" / "remove fun" as passive threat.

 

And the end is always "you're big company, you should sacrifice your income for little people" / "get your money from elsewhere so we can get this one for free" as solution.

 

I personally hate "poor people" card the most. People only use it too make proper legitimate company looks bad if they didn't follow the demands.

Then what about the established dedicated player base who are willing to put in money? Are you sneezing at them?

 

I never said this game was pay 2 win but the slots system definitely doesn't give you fun. As far as the way things goes with 'poor people', I don't think it's right to hate that since I am from a country that, like I said in the opening post, have to spend 3 meals worth for 5 USD. And I actually do because I love Warframe and am a loyal player. Doesn't make me happy about it though since 3 meals means a bit to me (I eat about 2 meals for lunch and dinner each because hungry T.T).

 

Regarding driving new players away, it's a solid proof in and of itself that there are definitely players that are put off with it and those that are given the impression of being forced to pay just to have fun actually left the game, no matter how small these numbers are. People's minds work that way when they get 'restricted' while enjoying the game and not be allowed to freely play the game without being held down. Not only that, one of the major part that drives this case right now is the rarity of tradeable mods but most importantly is the lack of a dedicated trade hub/page apart from a char tab. Still doesn't make my argument about how hard it is to get plat for newbies any easier.

 

BTW, 'you're a big company, you should sacrifice your income for little people' is definitely a very bad case here. It should be read as 'you're a company that forces people to pay for slots so you have steady revenue'. Now, how do you feel about that? It's very different when you have a company that makes people 'give' them a steady revenue through slots versus people actually giving them revenue because they like the game and wants to purchase more Prime Access or plat for in-game stuffs. I personally would prefer to support DE in a way that would make me feel like I'm doing it to actually give them the money to make great games rather than giving them the money so I can continue to have fun in their game. I do agree with that first statement but it only applies if that statement is true without resorting to 'extortion' via inhibition of fun and/or having badly priced cash items.

 

Finally, the 'get your money from elsewhere so we can get this one for free'. While I do agree it means a lost steady revenue sales from DE (if we assume plat spent = money spent), this does not really entail the end of financial income as compared to Warframe's start of development. DE already have this cash-only item sales via Prime Access as well as plat-only customisation options that are being banked on by loyal players. If DE didn't have any major success with Prime Access, why are they still going on with it? The answer is that it did have a major success and does generate a good amount of revenue to continue doing so.

 

Back then, DE's only revenue stream was either slots, potatoes, equipment purchases, rushing of foundry items and (very limited) customisation options. I would agree that it was a source of needed revenue for DE back then. Potatoes changed (back then was strictly plat only before livestream), equipment purchases were always optional and so too does rushing of foundry items. Now, we have slots still there and a massive pile of weapons to actually have to deal with. That and the expansion of Warframe's possible revenue through customisation options as well as Prime Access negates the reason to keep slots in the first place. But the only thing standing is that you still need to pay plat to purchase a slot and no other way around.

 

 

I think new players can use an extra weapon slot or two , maybe another warframe slot , but that's it

I would agree to disagree. I think that what Devoid said about gaining more slots through Mastery Rank be a better mix as well with yours. There isn't enough slots to really go around with the number of weapons being released monthly and the starting amount isn't enough to help perpetuate slot earning through Mastery Rank at a decent amount.

Edited October 21, 2014 by matrixEXO

[dashashou]

the new player experience is atm horrible ,and with the grind wall up high and the  air survival in drought ....

 

                        Avg. Players        Gain                % Gain

Last 30 Days 14,527.0               -1,276.1             -8.08%

 

slots and the current lay out of the market , plays just talking to vet players about arcane helms really make it unlikely that new player are want to invest in this game 

 

everything to fresh eyes is confusing as heck  ; heck alot of us have had  the experience of our returning friends coming back and are completely lost .   what is needed most of all is a clear path like we had back in up -7

 

back in update 7 people bought founders packs as investments towards the bright future  of this game . Now with the current  idiosyncratic direction , and the lacy of a solid  new player  tutorials , the big picture is beyond the horizon and a founders pack would just be another prime access bundle .  

Edited October 21, 2014 by Ravel7

[matrixEXO]

the new player experience is atm horrible ,and with the grind wall up high and the  air survival in drought ....

 

                        Avg. Players        Gain                % Gain

Last 30 Days 14,527.0               -1,276.1             -8.08%

 

slots and the current lay out of the market , plays just talking to vet players about arcane helms really make it unlikely that new player are want to invest in this game 

 

everything to fresh eyes is confusing as heck  ; heck alot of us have had  the experience of our returning friends coming back and are completely lost .   what is needed most of all is a clear path like we had back in up -7

 

back in update 7 people bought founders packs as investments towards the bright future  of this game . Now with the current  idiosyncratic direction , and the lacy of a solid  new player  tutorials , the big picture is beyond the horizon and a founders pack would just be another prime access bundle .  

Personally, this assessment is a mixed assessment that encompasses a lot of things wrong about new player experience and cannot be fully used. Mainly through, like you said, lack of in-game, in-depth tutorial, slots and the current layout of the market.

Edited October 21, 2014 by matrixEXO