News: SOE announces Alpha Squad

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by SaeS

As long as you can get the same weapons by just playing the game (grinding), it's not P2W, just paying for time and I'm totally fine with that.

If you ignore what Higby said over and over again about the 5 minute player and the 5 year player, sure. But by all means folks, morph the context of that sentiment to whatever fits your ideals; "justify it in the end"... It's not like I was the one who made this statement dozens of times in public. Nope, that was the game's Creative Director, Matt Higby. Ah well, things change, but it's pretty sad if you can't simply admit that it's pay2win in this context...

[Setari]

Well, I just bought it. For all this debating, I'm perfectly happy throwing money at SOE if it means more support for PS2.

[Crator]

Originally Posted by CrankyTRex

Either that or you'd have to restrict people from unlocking more things than they could by playing for the same amount of time, and I seriously doubt that anyone wants that.

I thought that was actually going to happen via the Battle Ranks. So you'd have to get a certain battle rank until specific side-grades become unlocked. Then once unlocked you would then have to purchase the side-grade via the shop using Auraxium or Station Cash.

[Galron]

Originally Posted by Setari

Well, I just bought it. For all this debating, I'm perfectly happy throwing money at SOE if it means more support for PS2.

Same here, the link works now.

http://www.planetside2.com/alpha-squad

[VelRa]

I just bought it, but alas no receipt or charge on my credit card. Must still be working out the kinks!

[Rat]

I think thats pretty good value...I will be buying

[Hamma]

Officially announced and news posted.

[EVILoHOMER]

"all items will be cosmetic"

Already putting weapons up for sale.

Fail.

[ISVRaDa]

Q. What if I am European player? Does the Station Cash convert to ProSiebenSat.1.Games Seven Cash?
A. Yes! ProSiebenSat.1.Games is our partner in Europe and responsible for publishing the game in these countries. Just like in the US, European purchasers of this package will receive immediate Beta access and 4000 Station Cash. Upon the launch of PlanetSide 2 (also the expected migration date to the ProSiebenSat.1.Games service) the wallet balance of this Station Cash along with the virtual items in this package will transfer when the player establishes a ProSiebenSat.1.Games account. At that time, the Station Cash balance will be converted into Seven Cash currency.

Good news for europeans players.

[Goku]

Originally Posted by EVILoHOMER

"all items will be cosmetic"

Already putting weapons up for sale.

Fail.

Its been known for awhile you can purchase weapons with station cash.

[Frotang]

I believe when they said all items will be cosmetic they were referring to cash only items that cannot be unlocked by other means.

[Higby]

Originally Posted by Tatwi

If you ignore what Higby said over and over again about the 5 minute player and the 5 year player, sure. But by all means folks, morph the context of that sentiment to whatever fits your ideals; "justify it in the end"... It's not like I was the one who made this statement dozens of times in public. Nope, that was the game's Creative Director, Matt Higby. Ah well, things change, but it's pretty sad if you can't simply admit that it's pay2win in this context...

Your fundamental flawed assumption here is that new weapons are "better". They're not. They're just different.

You're not buying any intrinsic advantage at all. You're just getting access to other playstyles (which you could also get through gameplay!). If we do our balancing correct (and we're not anywhere close to having it balanced yet i'll be the first to admit that) you'll be getting weapons that are "better" only due to situational and personal preference, not due to intrinsic power. Hence, you're not buying power or paying to win.

[ThGlump]

I want to buy it i really want. But i cant till EU is properly sorted out. I dont want to buy it to account that could be already flagged as EU one, and unable to play with it after transfer (no pro7 account for me).
So i just sit quietly and envy you all that can buy it.

[ISVRaDa]

Originally Posted by ThGlump

I want to buy it i really want. But i cant till EU is properly sorted out. I dont want to buy it to account that could be already flagged as EU one, and unable to play with it after transfer (no pro7 account for me).
So i just sit quietly and envy you all that can buy it.

Why you think that? :s

[Tatwi]

Originally Posted by Higby

Your fundamental flawed assumption here is that new weapons are "better". They're not. They're just different.

You're not buying any intrinsic advantage at all. You're just getting access to other playstyles (which you could also get through gameplay!). If we do our balancing correct (and we're not anywhere close to having it balanced yet i'll be the first to admit that) you'll be getting weapons that are "better" only due to situational and personal preference, not due to intrinsic power. Hence, you're not buying power or paying to win.

Riiiiight, because a lock on rocket launcher that actually hits the target isn't more powerful than a dumb-fire one that is supremely easy for a tank to dodge. Or how about an aircraft that doesn't have rocket pods or a better cannon compared to one that does?

Even the 100 cert points for the flares on a fighter mean the difference between being able to fly for more than 10 seconds or being summarily blow out of the sky by everyone with A2A rockets. No way a 5 minute player can compete in the air in this regard. None. It's just a quick lesson in futility.

In the cases to which I am referring, it's a matter of the "haves" and the "have nots", rather than just being different. You can't call these balance issues, because unless you give the 5 minute player these things too, it's just not balanced.