Does anyone else feel that the cost of Roster Slots is

Selvokaz

Out of Balance? 20 Dollars on a free mobile game feels like it should take me further than it does in this game. 20 bucks is like 1/3 the cost of a full price console game, yet with 52 slots buying 20 dollars worth of hp is only 2900.. according to the wikia that would only net me 4 more slots before the cost goes up again... at some point it reaches 1000 per slot, that's a good chunk of the 20 dollars spent right there.

Right now i have 600 hp tokens saved up from getting lucky a placing well in pvp and maybe once in a blue moon being high enough in pve, after buying 20 dollars in hp and spending it on roster slots that's only 4 slots for the time being, with 700 hp left over. How do they price and determine the net worth of our money vs their product?

Also just to be clear, dropping 20 dollars right now wouldn't hurt me, ... probably spend more than that on take-out just for myself, but unlike food this isn't something that's physically tangible, I've spent less on DLC for actual video games I own and got a hell of a lot out of it.

If anyone in D3go can see this, all I asking is maybe consider at least making our money valuable, 20 dollars for 2900 hp seems low, especially in the later portion of the roster building process, especially since you know the roster of heroes and villains is going to keep going up.

Same goes for Iso at it's current exchange rate.20 dollars only nets you 13,700 iso, that's not even a drop in the bucket for a top tier 3 character near max lv. My Ragnarok is 158 and its going to cost a little over 20k to max him out, my first tier 3 to be maxed out, but 20 bucks wont even cover that, and Ragnarok actually sucks! lol.

Phillipes

Man, we are all used to that price, infact we are quite happy that devs cap it on that 1000 HP...

Selvokaz

Well Phillpes I'm not trying to compete with your rich man money, but if you are willing to donate to my roster building, I will happily take your money, also who is this "we" you speak of, where are they, are you saying only rich people play this game, people who don't mind dropping 20 for 2 roster slots? same for the iso? are they also happy to drop 20 for 13.7k iso? im not, and from the last thread I just read neither are others.

DrStrange-616

I don't think anyone is thrilled with the price, but we know it used to be/could have been worse. I doubt many who reach the 1k per slot area are buying HP for slots. They win enough in game. At least, that's the theory. It is a lot of HP, but if you have a solid roster and play well, you should be able to earn it. The speed at which they release characters does mean you're on the hamster wheel and can't get off, although some brave souls skip a few and live to tell the tale.

Buying ISO is for whales and crazy people.

Phillipes

Yeah... Im at day 613... and spent around 40,-€ in first month of play... I have 22.000 HP now... I have won them by playing... You just need to be top 50 in PVE every sub, which is no big deal...

ProfessorGumby

Selvokaz wrote:

Well Phillpes I'm not trying to compete with your rich man money, but if you are willing to donate to my roster building, I will happily take your money, also who is this "we" you speak of, where are they, are you saying only rich people play this game, people who don't mind dropping 20 for 2 roster slots? same for the iso? are they also happy to drop 20 for 13.7k iso? im not, and from the last thread I just read neither are others.

I guess I am one of "we". I'm glad roster spots got capped at 1000HP.

Do I wish they were cheaper? Sure.

However, I have managed to roster every character (except Phoenix... RNGesus is angry with me), and also have a "stash" of five extra slots I'm holding for team up purposes. And I also have enough HP banked for another slot for either Phoenix or the next release, whichever I happen to hit first.

I have made two $5 purchases only (one was very early on when I did need a roster spot, and then I recently took advantage of the year end sale to get the alliance CP bonus), so I wouldn't exactly say I'm playing with "rich man money".

All of my ISO, and all the HP (sans those 3500-ish purchased) were earned by "playing the game".

Pace yourself... as others on the forum have said... "This is a marathon, not a sprint".

Cheers!
- PG

Natsufan01

I don't believe the roster slots are the problem, I believe what you get for real money is the problem. My wife and I both play. She for about 550 days, and I'm at about 300. Together we have spent $150, mostly for roster slots, and mostly because we were casual players in **** alliances. That is not rich man money, but is definitely more than some can afford on a mobile game. Now that I am in a better alliance, hp comes in much more easily, and I spend less. That being the case, 2900 hp for $20 is ridiculously low, and ISO is worse. To me, $100 should get you at least 500k iso, not 80k. Or, change that and throw a VIP system in the mix. Spend $5 one time, get VIP status and get an extra 100 iso a day. Spend a total of $20, get 500 extra iso a day and 10 hp, etc...
Many games have a VIP system, and the purchases feel like you get more for your money because it's not just a one time purchase anymore.

wirius

Phillipes wrote:

Yeah... Im at day 613... and spent around 40,-€ in first month of play... I have 22.000 HP now... I have won them by playing... You just need to be top 50 in PVE every sub, which is no big deal...

*Sigh* If everyone tried as hard as you, still only 50 people would be able to get what you get in that slice. Yes, that IS a big deal. People don't understand that the top 10% never expands, never gets bigger, and for you to get in, 9 out of 10 people need to get out.

arctivlargl

I also am one of the 'we' that feel the prices are fine. Especially now that you don't need secondary versions of characters once you get them Championed.

People are still buying from the store and so clearly it is worth it to some people. If you don't want to spend the money... don't. Either spend the money or spend the time.

Honestly if you choose your PvE events well after you get to the 1 year mark you can net some amazing HP. For instance, I took a week break and came back for my favorite event, the Iso-8 event... Why do I love an 7 day event you ask? The nodes are simple and top 10 get 100hp PER SUB and there are 7 subs and the event. So if you pull top 10 (which is easy if you get stuck in the newbie bracket) you get a free 800hp for basically just doing 4 clears a day.

Putting that into perspective though - I get 800hp from ~2hrs a day for a week straight. That is a TERRIBLE rate of return if you just convert hours to dollars. However, it isn't that bad when you realize I am also enjoying the game while I do it.

djdv81

Out of Balance? 20 Dollars on a free mobile game feels like it should take me further than it does in this game. 20 bucks is like 1/3 the cost of a full price console game, yet with 52 slots buying 20 dollars worth of hp is only 2900.. according to the wikia that would only net me 4 more slots before the cost goes up again... at some point it reaches 1000 per slot, that's a good chunk of the 20 dollars spent right there.

This game is really not free. It takes up a lot of TIME to build up characters and that in itself, brings up a negative number if your time = $. I accepted this fact and feel like I am demoting myself each time I grind a PVE event. You have a few choices my friend; waste your time, waste your money, or attempt to have fun. Either way at least you know you will be responsible for your decision; not D3.

emaker27

This thread needed a meme.

lukewin

They capped the limit at 1k a few months back. I had hoarded my HP with plans of using it solely for roster slots and shielding. Once they capped it, I bought a bunch, because they don't go bad. I'm up to 129 and I dont mind paying 1k for each new one. The reason you wont see much reaction to this issue is because it's not new and it's been brought up a bunch and nothing has come of it, so people dont bother. It's also been stated that roster slots are a good chunk of the revenue, so the incentive to change them isn't that great.

GurlBYE

Everything in this game costs more then it should but alot of the player base has been stockholmed.

It's almost too late to significantly lower any costs immediately because the playerbase has been buying it.

Like apparently cover packages are purchased? And those have an unusually horrible level of value.

squirrel1120

I see nothing but gripes and complaints in most lune chats between my alliance rooms, truce/bc rooms, and on the forums. Yet tons of people continue to support the game, even at what many consider very high pricing... and most of those gripes and complaints come from the ones buying.

The comment about Stockholm syndrome is spot on. When it comes right down to it, pricing is set by what the market will pay, and there are plenty out there paying.

I couldn't ever imagine spending $100 on a mobile game (or any game period), and thought most were like me. That lasted until dimurge gave us an in game chat notification when someone did. Not only do people buy $100 at a time in this game just to be competitive, but I constantly see temporary alliances formed so everyone in it can buy that amount together as a group.

lukewin

GurlBYE wrote:

Everything in this game costs more then it should but alot of the player base has been stockholmed.

It's almost too late to significantly lower any costs immediately because the playerbase has been buying it.

Like apparently cover packages are purchased? And those have an unusually horrible level of value.

Your first statement isn't universally true. What things should cost is relative. If things cost more than they should, then no one would buy those things, forcing a change. People speak with their wallets. If they're buying things, then obviously, they are accepting the costs of those things. They may not like it, but they don't object to it so much that they're not buying it. I don't think they're being stockholmed either. You have the choice to buy or not. If you didn't have that choice, then your purchases were made because you were stockholmed. People's personal valuations of the costs of items, have led them to make the choices to buy or not. And enough people have made the choice to buy at the listed cost, to deter Demiurge to change.

Your 2nd statement is valid. It's too late to change the cost, because people are buying, and there is no incentive for Demiurge to lower the cost.

Cover packages are purchased. The 2nd part of your statement is relative. They have a horrible level of value to you, but the people that are buying them, feel that is it valuable enough to hand over the resources for it. Demiurge doesn't conceal what you're paying for, they list the odds. If you choose not to look at the tables, then the fault lies on the person buying it, for not looking.

Selvokaz

Natsufan01 wrote:

I don't believe the roster slots are the problem, I believe what you get for real money is the problem. My wife and I both play. She for about 550 days, and I'm at about 300. Together we have spent $150, mostly for roster slots, and mostly because we were casual players in **** alliances. That is not rich man money, but is definitely more than some can afford on a mobile game. Now that I am in a better alliance, hp comes in much more easily, and I spend less. That being the case, 2900 hp for $20 is ridiculously low, and ISO is worse. To me, $100 should get you at least 500k iso, not 80k. Or, change that and throw a VIP system in the mix. Spend $5 one time, get VIP status and get an extra 100 iso a day. Spend a total of $20, get 500 extra iso a day and 10 hp, etc...
Many games have a VIP system, and the purchases feel like you get more for your money because it's not just a one time purchase anymore.

This is what I was saying... I don't know why all these people keep saying "They are happy with the slots being capped at 1000HP per slot" I don't care about what the cap is, that's not even the point of my post, it's how much hp and iso we get for our REAL MONEY. If you can place top 50 or whatever it is to get HP everyday, in every event then obviously you aren't amongst the majority of people who can't, (remember by definition there can only be a 100 people in the top 100, or 50 in the top 50 if you have 100,000 players guess how many aren't in the top 100 or 50? Anyway some more math, in a 5 day event if you place top 50 everyday and at least top 100 in the overall event that's like 675 hp for you, and that's great that's more than half a roster slot but guess what only 49 other people per bracket get to do the same, but the problem is those who already have larger rosters are the ones taking those top 50 slots, so there is no real way for a smaller roster player to ever really crack that top 50, let alone everyday for the entire event.

Again has nothing to do with what the cap cost is, but everything to do with the cost of hp per REAL MONEY, because that's pretty much the only way for a person to really catch up, and hope to build a roster equal to the top competitors.

Someone brought up a good point though, the value of hp is based on what each person is willing to spend, I wont spend 20 dollars on a mobile game, especially if it's a one time purchase as oppose to something long lasting (you might say buying a roster slot is long last but you're not buying slots directly, you're buying hp to which you then exchange for slots.) if they added a purchase slots only system for real money say and it was reasonable I might consider it, something like 2 dollars would be fine by me, as it stands the difference is that hp can be used for other things as well as buying slots, so its value is higher than just the slots themselves so i wouldn't put the same price on just buying slots.... but alas as was mentioned people have been spending real money for far less for to long for them to change so im not going to beat a dead horse on the subject anymore.

Bulls

Again has nothing to do with what the cap cost is, but everything to do with the cost of hp per REAL MONEY, because that's pretty much the only way for a person to really catch up, and hope to build a roster equal to the top competitors.

As funny as it might sound to some ppl the reason why prices are that high for hp and especially ISO is because to not make MPQ considered as p2w game.
Imagine that for same amount of money that you're paying now you can get 10x more iso and hp, or even 100x more. In that case it would be so cheap that basicly every player should feel obliged to buy it because everyone else and their grandmother's doing so. That would put everyone in a mindset that EVERYONE is paying so I have to as well to be competitive and lead to ppl leaving it. While keeping prices as high as they're now it's clearly give you a picture that it's option only for ppl either desperate or those that sleeps on money. You can progress far with just time investments if you're willing to - it's all up to you. And with that prices game is way more healthy than it would be otherwise.

TLCstormz

Phillipes wrote:

Man, we are all used to that price, infact we are quite happy that devs cap it on that 1000 HP...

Please speak for yourself. I mean....lmmfao.

jigawatt

Well this ain't console land and these devs will never be interested in comparing their rates to console rates. They probably laugh at the low prices console dlc charge for giving away so much content for so little. Actually, if you're not dropping $20 a week you're not even the core revenue audience they care about. The prices are high and the people are buying in bc of the gambling feel. It's standard asian wallet fleecing, and it works, this type of revenue model has been working for a decade or so

Daiches

Selvokaz wrote:

Well Phillpes I'm not trying to compete with your rich man money, but if you are willing to donate to my roster building, I will happily take your money, also who is this "we" you speak of, where are they, are you saying only rich people play this game, people who don't mind dropping 20 for 2 roster slots? same for the iso? are they also happy to drop 20 for 13.7k iso? im not, and from the last thread I just read neither are others.

Play more PVE. You get can get up to 100HP per day JUST from sub rewards. You can earn a roster spot or more a week depending on your level.

Also keep your level in mind. Don't try to get ahead of yourself. This game is a grind. Yoi have to be in it for the long haul. The very long haul.

GurlBYE

lukewin wrote:

GurlBYE wrote:

Everything in this game costs more then it should but alot of the player base has been stockholmed.

It's almost too late to significantly lower any costs immediately because the playerbase has been buying it.

Like apparently cover packages are purchased? And those have an unusually horrible level of value.

Your first statement isn't universally true. What things should cost is relative. If things cost more than they should, then no one would buy those things, forcing a change. People speak with their wallets. If they're buying things, then obviously, they are accepting the costs of those things. They may not like it, but they don't object to it so much that they're not buying it. I don't think they're being stockholmed either. You have the choice to buy or not. If you didn't have that choice, then your purchases were made because you were stockholmed. People's personal valuations of the costs of items, have led them to make the choices to buy or not. And enough people have made the choice to buy at the listed cost, to deter Demiurge to change.

Your 2nd statement is valid. It's too late to change the cost, because people are buying, and there is no incentive for Demiurge to lower the cost.

Cover packages are purchased. The 2nd part of your statement is relative. They have a horrible level of value to you, but the people that are buying them, feel that is it valuable enough to hand over the resources for it. Demiurge doesn't conceal what you're paying for, they list the odds. If you choose not to look at the tables, then the fault lies on the person buying it, for not looking.

Statements are rarely universally true, and I wasn't attempting to spread gospel.

It's a popular sentiment, but I never claimed it to be an unarguable fact.

I don't buy anything. Players have been purchasing things since the game started, what once held a high value now holds a low value. At one point a 2 star cover won you pvp. Just like at a point a 3 star covered guaranteed high rankings.

The price of none of these things has changed.
There really isn't much more space for discourse. it's factual.

We can wax poetic, but in bare bones thats all that's going on here, things are still priced as if the game is the same as it was 1 year ago.