Easy Tweak to Balance the Crown Experience Boost

Kowalzky · June 2015

I understand that the experience boost potion and crown experience boost scroll are supposed to help new players "catch up" to veteran players who have already earned lots of champion points. However, I think that many players, myself included, feel that this is only going to widen the current gap and make the issue even worse.

Instead of just disabling exp boosts after hitting VR14 as has been suggested in another thread, the experience boost should become less effective after certain champion point milestones are reached. Now I don't have specific numbers - ZoS could do a much better job of nailing down the specifics with access to their data - but for instance ZoS could set the limit based on the current champion point distribution and update it as needed.

What this solution does is prevent any players from gaining a significant advantage over others through the crown store items. Instead, players that are new, or have fallen behind, could use the potions to catch up to current average champion point level.

So this would settle the current "pay2win" complaints and help new players become competitive, while also allowing ZoS to offer meaningful items in the crown store to generate revenue. Everyone wins.

CaptainObvious · June 2015

I believe the pay2win argument response is you can make 'em through crafting.

SIN-X · June 2015

I say leave it alone...I have nothing to do all day but grind my champ points and spend tax dollars buying pots to do it with

stojekarcub18_ESO · June 2015

As long as players can't pay to achieve things entirely impossible without paying, then it is not p2w. Plus, if there weren't cashers, the game would make no profit, and the free players wouldn't have a game to play, and wouldn't have the cashers to kill in pvp and mock their compensation for skill.

Kowalzky · June 2015

stojekarcub18_ESO wrote: »

As long as players can't pay to achieve things entirely impossible without paying, then it is not p2w. Plus, if there weren't cashers, the game would make no profit, and the free players wouldn't have a game to play, and wouldn't have the cashers to kill in pvp and mock their compensation for skill.

The "pay2win" argument is based on the ability to pay to receive an advantage over other players, not the ability to purchase something that can only be bought with cash. In this case leveling 50% quicker will let heavy spenders pay to quickly out-level others in champion points. I think it would be hard to argue that someone who has several hundred more champion points is not at an advantage. They have made the recipe and ingredients for the non-crown version difficult to get, so it's not something I would normal players to be able to maintain.

Regardless of if you want to call this pay2win (or pay for an advantage, or pay to level faster, or whatever), this proposal would achieve ZoS's goal while also prohibiting players from gaining a large advantage over others.

Area51Visitor · June 2015

It does cheapin the efforts of some who managed to get V14 completely legitimately...but be honest, how many people didn't grind areas that were hellafull of XP when they were available (bugged bosses, huge mobs, etc)? Fact is people are going to catch up... and it's not the amount of time someone plays that should be rewarded, but their skill. I've been destroyed by lower levels who knew what they were doing just as I've destroyed multiple people at once who didn't.

Begging to stay on top of the level's chart is like saying we don't want any real competition. It's sort of lame.

Kowalzky · June 2015

Area51Visitor wrote: »

It does cheapin the efforts of some who managed to get V14 completely legitimately...but be honest, how many people didn't grind areas that were hellafull of XP when they were available (bugged bosses, huge mobs, etc)? Fact is people are going to catch up... and it's not the amount of time someone plays that should be rewarded, but their skill. I've been destroyed by lower levels who knew what they were doing just as I've destroyed multiple people at once who didn't.

Begging to stay on top of the level's chart is like saying we don't want any real competition. It's sort of lame.

And that's part of the reason for my suggestions - it allows players a chance to catch up and be competitive, gives them a reason to fund ZoS's bankroll, but prevents players from using the buff to gain an competitive edge over the masses.

olemanwinter · June 2015

CaptainObvious wrote: »

I believe the pay2win argument response is you can make 'em through crafting.

Considering what's involved in that, I'm very curious about what they are going to cost in the crown store.

IMHO most of the crown prices are REALLY HIGH compared to the in-game gold and time cost of obtaining the item (Rare motif for example)

This is as it should be, because it at least encourages playing.

However, the gold mat for 4 of these potions is sitting at 25k per last I saw in chat. The other items are writ and hireling only.

And all that only after you buy or acquire 7 recipes (parts of..whatever).

So, either the potions are going to cost some obscene amount like $17.50 per or Zos is going to break with the current trend and make them quite cheap compared to the in-game cost/time.

olemanwinter · June 2015

stojekarcub18_ESO wrote: »

As long as players can't pay to achieve things entirely impossible without paying, then it is not p2w.

Really?

So, if you can get 3600 CP for $9.99 or take 3 years to get them in-game....that's still not P2W?

How about if you can buy a Master's Weapon (a drop you CAN but MIGHT NEVER get in-game).......is that P2W?

I think that's absurd.

Area51Visitor · June 2015

olemanwinter wrote: »

stojekarcub18_ESO wrote: »

As long as players can't pay to achieve things entirely impossible without paying, then it is not p2w.

Really?

So, if you can get 3600 CP for $9.99 or take 3 years to get them in-game....that's still not P2W?

How about if you can buy a Master's Weapon (a drop you CAN but MIGHT NEVER get in-game).......is that P2W?

I think that's absurd.

Valid points...how would you suggest supporting the game should be rewarded?

jamesharv2005ub17_ESO · June 2015

olemanwinter wrote: »

stojekarcub18_ESO wrote: »

As long as players can't pay to achieve things entirely impossible without paying, then it is not p2w.

Really?

So, if you can get 3600 CP for $9.99 or take 3 years to get them in-game....that's still not P2W?

How about if you can buy a Master's Weapon (a drop you CAN but MIGHT NEVER get in-game).......is that P2W?

I think that's absurd.

There is a big difference between something that lets you earn 50% more xp and selling weapons on the store. Its not like they sell you the levels. You have to go out and earn the XP. Those types of arguments are invalid. What they might do is let you pay to bypass cool down timers or something. They wont be selling end game weapons. Even games likte LOTRO who have been f2p for years dont sell end game gear like weapons.