Massively OP Podcast Episode 31: MMO expansions come roaring back

Zax19taken I know, something was messed up with my mic — I was talking normally but it blasted my levels and I couldn’t fix it in post. Got very frustrated with that, I’m sorry.

I am also in favor of the expansion model, so long as there isn’t a prolonged content drought between them. I think you hit the nail on the head: Expansions generate excitement and buzz. I think games are really missing out when they forgo them.
“Seductive Bree” was hilarious. I wasn’t going to look at Devillion, but now I have to, lol. And yeah, as someone else said, don’t google that phrase with children around. *chuckles*

Ahh, lockboxes. They do not bother me in the least. I don’t personally mess with them and I’ve found it quite easy to tune out the messages that flash on screen. I really think that we have far too much regulation in our lives as it is, and I understand why you don’t like them but (imo) you are both starting to sound a bit sanctimonious on the subject. Even so, i do find your opinions on this interesting. I think it boils down to personal responsibility. I know, I know, it’s not in fashion these days but maybe we should be putting more emphasis on it.
I have no doubt that if the game companies disclosed the odds it would make no difference whatsoever in buying habits. Legal lotteries alone prove that point.
Thanks again for another entertaining and useful podcast.

I have to say, I don’t mind lockboxes when they follow a few rules.

Guarantee value – Tera for example I opened $60 in boxes to get a costume I was after. I was unlucky, but was able to sell the items I did receive for enough gold in order to buy the costume on the AH.

Hidden – They are not drops from monsters. Neverwinter is really bad and I’d be curious what the $ cost per hour is on average with the drops if you opened every one

Controlled rarity – Ideally I hate that it is the exception that drop rates are published. I think Dragons Nest is a rare one that will guarantee a drop after a certain amount of boxes are opened unsuccessfully, which ties into my first point. AT the minimum I expect that the items are not so rare that you never see them. In this respect, and to address cocerns of the game being ‘rigged’ the items presence in an AH keep the devs fair.

I’m sure this is unpopular as far as opinions go on the matter, but it’s hypocritical of me to not accept these items in a free game when I buy Hearthstone Packs on occasion and every month or two spend $100 at the casino playing Blackjack or Roulette.

Never put “seductive bree” in google for a chuckle unless you’ve turned safe search on >< ha

Lockboxes always sadden me in mmo’s as it seems to divorce the “success” of the game from the mechanics of its feature set, moreover you see these become the drive of any live event encouragement … GW2 failed to realise I played very much for the costumes and found their shop poor, and why they don’t see I could have bought out several outfits (hell fill it with 50 outfits to buy) Then to top it off put the one costume for the sylvari I want behind several years of dungeon grind… grrrr!

lots of slow nodding here, great mopod as always! o/ glhf happy gaming like its the 90’s o/ wahoo

Serrenity BalsBigBrother hehe Nectar of the gods or not I am sticking to fruit juice.  I just can’t do hangovers any more even for one day ;-)

I think the big thing missing from the gambling discussion, and the main reason why it won’t fall into regulation is that you don’t own anything you win. You don’t own the game, your character, your items, or anything that comes out of any sort of gambling in a game. So no matter how “big” you win, you have won nothing. Everything remain sole ownership of the developer/publisher and it is not possible to gain ownership of any winnings you might have.

Justin, please move your microphone away a bit when recording. The sound is really clipping, distorted and I can’t fix that on my end even when messing with it in Audacity…
Thanks!

There’s some great discussion in this episode.  Thanks for the enjoyable and thought provoking listen!

Thank you so much for reading my question! I really should have condensed that. It read like the ramblings of a madman U0001f605

Speaking of shady tactics Anet told people they were retiring the finishers and they’d be no longer available in the gem store… 
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/seasonal-transition-in-the-gem-store/

Then they most of them to the black lion chests.  A few, at least one that I know of, were retired like the Llama.  On the plus side they appear to be giving gem refunds to people who were “tricked” into buying the finishers.
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/halloween-items-in-the-gem-store-2/

Note the gold price of all these finishers… a lot cheaper than 800 gems.
https://www.gw2spidy.com/search/finisher?sort_max_offer_unit_price=asc&rarity_filter=-1