Well, Crystals are gone for now
An Update on Star Wars Battlefront II. I read somewhere the recent AMA didn't go so well. Haven't read through it yet. Crystal purchases seem to be gone, for now: Wonder where we go from her...
Forum Discussion
[Do not attempt to bypass the swear filter - CM]
Word is that the head of Disney called EA to sort it all out and a few hours after that EA removed microtransactions. Oh to be a fly on the wall when Disney told EA they are blackening the Disney name with their shify business practices.
" Earlier today, Electronic Arts chief executive officer Andrew Wilson had a phone call with The Walt Disney Company chief executive Bob Iger about Star Wars: Battlefront II, according to sources familiar with the situation. A few hours after that call, players are finding out that they can no longer make in-game purchases with real money. " - https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/16/star-wars-battlefront-ii-microtransactions-go-offline-until-ea-can-make-changes/
The foolowing link proves the point of how loot crates are an attempt to give the player less than they would get if they just had normal 'get what you ask and pay for' purchaaes and try to rip them off instead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NqjplfSiLo
I would be comfortable with normal non gambling micro transactions if they are balanced properly and do not skew progression (best being cosmetic purchases only). We must ensure EA no longer use gambling with loot grates in the game when they bring back micro transactions.
Would folks be OK if one could buy crafting parts directly?
Perhaps with a ceiling based on actual player level?
Or should it be purely cosmetic? In the first BF you could spend credits for emotes, looks, heads, outfits and so on. I'm guessing there wasn't a lot of uptake there, otherwise they would have used that system instead?
Good, for now. But I believe they will put them back as soon as they find out how many copies they sold.
Also, I wish they unlock oryg audio for polish players, we are still paying full price for incomplete game.
IMO, the damage is done. All turning off crystal purchases does now is keep people from being able to pay to catch up.
The time of this is horrible tbh. You've got everyone who didn't buy deluxe starting today and they were already behind. Now they can't catch up...
This solution is facepalm worthy.
- I still think its best suspended until its fixed otherwise it bad from now onwards and potentially even more of an upset when changes are made in the future
@ObiWanBonomi wrote:Would folks be OK if one could buy crafting parts directly?
Perhaps with a ceiling based on actual player level?
There's multiple layers to this problem. Paying real money for any in game currency that can go towards progression would still have the problem of the Pay to Win mechanic. It would get rid of the gambling controversy though. But they will also have to get rid of loot boxes.
This is just so messy honestly lol but imo I would take loot boxes out of progression completely and add those back in with a lot of cosmetic content that can be purchased with crystals Content needs to be something players can show off ingame I would either make weapons and star cards unlock-able through either ranking up and/or buying them with in game credits. They can also do something like the Hutt contracts in BF 2015. Crafting parts could be bought with credits or earned through challenges or winning a match. Crafting parts would be the only way to get weapon parts and upgrade star cards.
It seems Disney are the real key to change regarding loot crates. With children also being players, involving them in gambling with real money does not fit the family friendly face of Disney and they didnt like the PR EA was giving them and Star Wars regarding this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mus7u9K0PjY
If we want predatory loot box type transactions not to come back to this game, we should really complain to Disney if/when EA bring them back. E.g. tweet complaint to @DisneyStudios and @starwars
