Aceroba
What I am going to tell you is not a complaint, even if it sounds like one.
The change that the igp has given in recent months is obvious but it gives me the feeling that it has not just materialized. Let me explain, the store is enhanced with more things to buy, more talented pilots appear, special abilities appear... that is, the use of gold is more evident. However, it has not just had a significant impact. If you really don't want it to have a big impact, why add it?
The devs should understand the user. A good academy pilot costs about 70 tokens if I remember correctly. If you add a special ability it will be 100 more and if you add legendary rarity another 100. A total of 270 gold tokens or what is the same; a gold package of 180 and one of 85. This is €26 a pilot. I repeat ONE.
Don't you think it's unfair to those who have spent it that it doesn't really have a major impact?
And what I have talked about is a solo pilot!!! If we talk about two pilots like this, it would cost €52 plus ALL the rest of the team, which, at the team headquarters (office), can cost about 56 gold for each member.
If there are 3 members, they go to 168 gold tokens.
If you are saying the game has become too much about money grabbing and not enough kick backs for active and passionate supporters of the game. I 100% agree.
You even have to pay to change your team name now! This means the fun we used to have of changing to funny names and announcing it in the league chat is gone. Maybe we were the only league doing that, doubt it. But it seems a lot of the changes are motivated by, “how can we force the managers to purchase more coins”. Even if not the conscious intention that’s the feeling on the manager side when you try to maintain your team, at least compared to the pre NRF era of this game.
But in reality when you improve a game, any games, but especially a game with a long history and passionate user base to make it more enjoyable and satisfying then you STILL get the result of managers paying/buying more with real money because of the increased amount of activity, satisfaction and competitive play.
Don’t just add things managers have not been asking for, modes like engine supply has been cumbersome. Think, how could it even be removed now? Probably impossible. Don’t recreate the game or add too much complexity to it. My main attraction has always been these 3 things:
1) being able to play in real-time with other adults around the world. Races being only at a scheduled time that suits me.
2) not having to live on the game to be successful. Can be a working professional and still be competitive.
3) A low “ cash pressure” - not feeling forced to pay money to be continuously competitive regardless stage of progression.
Every change to the game should fall in line with maximizing these 3 things. IMO.
I enjoyed this game far more in 2020/2021 when I started playing, before to many changes and especially the increased need to use real cash, that pressure is higher in the current game.
I would have continued using real money if the game stayed close to its core and legacy. But this last year of two, I don’t because IGP feels like it has turned into an open palm.
I would have preferred if the studio is strapped for cash, then create a Premium membership that ONLY unlocks cosmetics and non-performance stuff and removes ads. I’m on here more than Netflix, so monthly subscription or yearly subscription to have a Premium/supporter status would be far more palatable and potentially more profitable than asking me to
pay 200 tokens for legendary perk/gimmick for a
single driver that I will at some point dispose of, on a game that, at least originally, I saw myself playing for decades. Pricing/token have become way to high and maybe more attractive to those with disposable income.
But such approach makes less sense now due to the pricing and additions of driver perks or whatever, because the pricing of drivers and staff, new engine mode and chasis mode coming... The game has gone all-in on trying to grab bulk token purchases.
So for now I just play as much as I can avoiding the cash pressure. But I can tell you I will never pay 200 tokens for legendary ability, etc. in this game, ever. Especially for somethings so temporary. No chance. I spent probably around $200+ USD in 2020/2021 before changes. But current direction I don’t feel motivated to support, unfortunately. Hope something happens to revert some of this.