Spiral Knights - I feel punished for playing too casually.

I feel punished for playing too casually.

17 replies [Last post]

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 07:06

Fluffyfoxxie

So, a little backstory. I used to play a whole lot. Enough to get to a full 5* set without investing any cash for CE (I felt like it would spoil the game experience to rush myself to 5*, and I'm probably still right about that.) I then proceeded to play for a long while after reaching full 5* to tackle all of the shadow lairs, obtain the cosmetic stuff I wanted, and get CTR med on my bomb collection. Somewhere while I was doing all that junk I dropped some cash into the game because I respected OOO as a developer and I wanted to see them do good, and hopefully have them make us awesome new content (which is a different complaint for a different day!)

Now, I've run into a different problem. I work too much. I can hardly play, and when I do manage to get the time to, I can only stomach playing a little bit at a time (gets old pretty quickly, this game hasn't seen a major update in ages, slowest updating MMO I've ever played).

Now, for the crux of the problem: It's really demotivating to play without trinks/weapon expansions. I play maybe a couple days out of the month. In no way is that worth 400 CE per month of my dwindling supply of CE. I feel really gimped without those expansions, though. I feel weaker, and I feel less "pro" without them (because I am a big fan of rapidly swapping between weapons depending on the situation, so having only two makes the gameplay feel a lot more shallow than it actually is.)

So, I'm wondering, would it be possible to get permanent versions of the trinket/weapon expansions? I'd gladly pay a lot more for them, as they would be a permanent upgrade to my character. (It would be cool if there were permanent versions of ele passes as well, but I'm fine with those not existing, I don't mind running off of mist, I just hate the monthly tax of 400 ce just to play properly, when I only really get to utilize them for a few days out of the month.)

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 07:32

Lanieu

I've played for 1.5 years and

I've played for 1.5 years and never used a Weapon Slot Upgrade. I do just fine. CTR Max (total) on Combuster makes it hard to lose vs the AI.

EDIT: But I probably would get them if permanent :)

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 11:07

Doctorofdark

I fully agree on the fact of

I fully agree on the fact of a permanent weapon slot. It seems kinda redundant to pay once a month to carry extra weapons. It causes most players to see it as a waste and not buy CE to buy it.

Honestly if OOO made it permanent, then people would buy it with energy. Just a thought.

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 11:49

Bopp

several variations

It seems to me that Three Rings has a strong interest in keeping us playing every day, because that keeps us hooked on the game, involved in our in-game relationships, active in the marketplace, etc. This is the rationale behind our getting free ME every day? So I'm not sure that Three Rings will want to lessen this effect for casual players. Anyway, here are several variations on the idea, to show that there are compromises between what we currently have and the permanent option:

A. Current: The upgrade lasts for 30 calendar days, no matter how many of those days you play or how much time you play.

B. More generous: The upgrade lasts for 30 days, but days when you don't log in at all are not counted against you. In other words, when you log in, the system checks whether you have logged in yet on that day. If you have, then nothing happens. If you haven't, then one day's credit is removed from your upgrade. When the upgrade runs out of credit, it goes away.

C. Even more generous: The upgrade lasts for 30 days (720 hours) of actual playing time. The price might have to be adjusted based on how much the typical player plays per day.

D. Permanent: The upgrade is permanent.

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 16:20

Doctorofdark

If OOOs went with option C,

If OOOs went with option C, they could sell off tons of the weapons slots. As people will still have to buy them again, and people will still get to have them for much longer instead of being punished for playing to casually.

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 18:55

Klipik

C sounds fine. Would also maybe work for things like Disguises and elevator passes.

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 19:41

Hexzyle

What about...

7 day trinket slots, 115 energy, and 7 day weapon slots, 135 energy?

I just hate the monthly tax of 400 ce just to play properly,

BTW, it's only 200CE. I don't know anyone who buys them purely with CE, it's cheaper to get them off the auction house.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 01:58

Raptorsevens

I would honestly love option

I would honestly love option D.
A permanent weapon slot is one of the things I might buy for real money.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 02:05

Thunder-The-Bright

hex, there are 2 weapon slot

hex, there are 2 weapon slot locked and 2 trinket slots.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 02:30

Hexzyle

@Thunder-The-Bright

So? I agree that 2 weapon slots is very limiting, but even in my semi-serious gamer days I didn't use the second trinket slot and fourth weapon slot. You just don't need to lug that much stuff around. 3 weapons already drastically improves your versatility in a level. Four weapons actually becomes clumsy for all but the serious gamer.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 07:16

#10

Fluffyfoxxie

@Hexzyle

I prefer to go in with a full loadout.

I use mad bomber armor, x helmet (varies depending on stage), ironmight/almarian shield depending on stage, 2x elite boom trinkets, asi med warmaster rocket hammer for melee, asi med argent peacemaker for ranged, ctr med damage bomb of some sort (i have tons) and a ctr med status bomb (I have all of them.)

I like to be able to support with status bombs, kill large groups with a damage bomb, protect myself depending on my situation with a ranged or melee weapon. I don't see how a full loadout is clumsy, unless you're fool enough to use weapon cycle instead of binding each individual weapon to a key. (In my case, spacebar, MWup, MWdown, M3)

Additionally anyone who is not going into lockdown with a full loadout is instantly gimped, and I happen to enjoy LD. it's impossible to be competitive in LD without having a full loadout. (It's also impossible to be competitive without playing striker, but that's a different gripe for a different day.)

All that being said, thanks for the feedback everyone :) I really hope that I can actually play this game sometime in the future. I haven't bought a weap/trink expansion in forever, so every time I try to play, I get depressed and just go back to guild wars 2, ha.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 09:25

#11

Hexzyle

@Fluffyfoxxie

A bomber, I see. Yes bombers do have a harder time with less slots. Well, you've spent money on the game, I hear. Make an alt and craft stuff on it on your days on.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 14:20

#12

Klipik-Forum

"anyone who is not going into lockdown with a full loadout is instantly gimped"
"it's impossible to be competitive in LD without having a full loadout"

I beg to differ. I play LD just fine with two weapon slots. I will admit, sadly, that trinkets slots are almsot a necessity because of heart trinkets, but those are the only ones you really ever need.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 14:56

#13

Zeddy

I do just fine in Lockdown with only Nitro and Callahan as a recon.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 16:52

#14

Autofire

@Anesidora

...mostly because each player can only buy six weapon slots and six trinket slots before they are completely done.

Actually, no. It's like this:

2 Perma Weapon slots
2 Unlockable Weapon slots
2 Unlockable Trinket Slots

With D, you only would need 4 upgrades and then you'd be done. I personally would think B would be the best. 720 hours of play time is ridiculous. Actually, if this was implemented, I would like a 7 day upgrade working like this. In other words, for players who don't get much play time, this will help them a lot. For players who play a TON and grind a TON would prefer the 30 day one which has the constant count down.

Oh, and remove the f word from your post, or at least censor it. That word is censored in the game and you can get a temporary forum ban for it.

@LD argument

In all honesty, I can do T2 LD just fine with a mere 2 weapon slots and nothing else. I need to try T3, though. Upgrades aren't vital.

@Zeddy

Are you recon? :D

Oh, wait... (See the bottom of the post)

I'm actually a hybrid recon, too.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 19:46

#15

Fluffyfoxxie

Thanks for all the feedback,

Thanks for all the feedback, guys! :)

I just want to touch up on one thing:
For those arguing that they do fine in LD with only 2 weapons, to this I ask you: Are you not at a disadvantage for having only two weapons? It doesn't really matter how good you do with only two, you can't tell me that a player of equal skill isn't going to do marginally better with 3 or 4 weapon slots compared to the one with only two. It simply expands your potential and it allows you to equip more specific weapons instead of more general ones. Like, for example, Zeddy's loadout is a callahan and a nitro. Those are both excellent weapons. If he had a 3rd weapon slot, though, he could swat away pesky strikers with a sword. Or he could take a polaris and assist in blocking paths like the rest of the swordies do. This is only one example, I'm sure there are dozens more reasons why you're gimped in LD by having only two weapons.

I think it's universally agreed you need two trinket slots to stay competitive in LD, though.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 21:55

#16

Doctorspacebar

B or C should do it. Even B would be a great boon to those of us that have work or school preventing us from getting time to play some days.

Thu, 02/14/2013 - 06:50

#17

Fluffyfoxxie

All of B, C , or D would work

All of B, C , or D would work perfectly fine for me. They could adjust the length of time for B and C, and definitely adjust the price for all all three options, if they decided to go with any one of them. That would make me quite happy. :)

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I feel punished for playing too casually.