Seriha wrote:
Hyrist wrote:
Sorry, but yes, the idea that $13 a month is a heavy cost that must be gleaned for whatever enjoyment possible is just bullpucky. Every single individual posting here has thrown away more for much less.
It's swell you can take your lady friend out for a date or splurge on restaurant food, fast or otherwise, but try not to presume everyone is sitting on cushy jobs with their finances in general order where the choice to give up a meal or two, or even some entertainment variety, isn't a thing. Want to try two sub games? Suddenly that's over $26 a month, disregarding box fees. Generally I wouldn't recommend this to someone because MMOs tend to want to sucker people in with time sinks that lead to making hard choices on time spent, but there are still people out there who do it or even those who fork out multiple subs for the same game. And, well, we both played XI enough to know the pros and cons of that.
Either way, just because these games can be cost efficient doesn't mean the cost is negligible. And personally, I encourage people to play more than just MMOs if only to show them how things can be improved by discovering more avenues of what's fun and isn't, which unfortunately carries further expense in rentals or buys, used or new. Getting locked in MMO-logic, or worse, one game loyalty, isn't a good thing, which is partly why I believe you feel it a trivial expense. If someone wants to take the ******** approach and imply someone who has a rough time shelling out $13-15 a month to play a game shouldn't be playing at all, well, my thought is such an individual isn't welcome in the community if they want to be so insipidly exclusionary. And the fact there are other games out there not only surviving, but still creating new content, suggests that maybe playing fiscal gatekeeper isn't a requirement. Or shall we just banish the plebes to those shores, too?
But again, P2P vs. F2P goin' on here.
Excuse me, but I'm having difficulty seeing your points through your veiled insults. I'm not sitting on money grubs. I save, I prioritize my income so that when the time comes around to do something, I have the money.
First off, let's talk savings comparisons. I pay one lump for 6 months subscription at a Legacy rate. I do not pay for extra retainers. That puts me pretty on $7.50 a month, approxmately.
Even so, my costs for the game are figured into my expense budget, and I don't pick up many Pay to Play MMOs (or MMOs in general) because of this. I do, however, pick up an additional game once per three month rotation (Or keep track of the number of games I don't pick up and pull them around.) This is excluding gifts or bonus money from overtime which isn't figured into budget - though that usually gets spent on things like movies out.
It's not that I make a lot of money, it's that I run a tight ship, so I can.
That said. I play Diablo III often. I tend to rotate a browsers game or two (Flight Rising currently has me tied there.) I'm catching up on old games I haven't played via emulation (And some I have for nostalgia's sake.) And I'm not afraid at looking for a new Free to Play title to play in the meanwhile. (Landmark Beta) So please. Don't make presumptions on my behalf when it comes to gaming diversity. I may have a specific taste for certain kinds of games, but I do try to broaden that taste when something catches my eye.
But it's not a ***** approach to tell someone who doesn't have money to shell out $13 to stop playing MMOs (That's an old argumetn anyways consitering the free to play alternatives out there.) But I would highly recommend to someone who can't to perhaps focus on better employment or managing their money better. Times are hard, but when the line at McDonalds wraps around the building every day for lunch, you have to wonder just how much of that difficulty is self-inflicted.
There are people out there who genuinely have no money to spend for frivialities such as gaming. They're not a part of this conversation. Those who complain about purchasing gaming cards for time, or not having a credit/debit card to pay for a subscription fee though they've been paying through other means before? In this day an age such claims are suspect. There's more going on in that situation than simply faulting SE.
So yeah, there are ways of playing casually and playing on a budget. Everyone has different playstyle. The trick is to be sure you enjoy what you're doing, and play to your own fiddle, not someone elses. For instance, someone who has an automotive hobbies may opt out on 'gaming diversity' to simply play a game they enjoy, with people they enjoy, at a low monthly expense, while doing other things outside the game. It's not bad to have a 'one-game' habit if it satisfies the player's desires. The point is being satisfied with what you are doing. If not, move on, if so it doesn't hurt to keep an eye around anyways. There's nothing wrong with any of these approaches.
The money factor will shift from player to player, but again, I stand by that if $13 is a significant hit to your budget, you may want to look at money leaks in your lifestyle, cause it's not likely that the MMO is one of them.
Edited, Jun 8th 2014 11:02am by Hyrist