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Crazy Pricing Variations


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#1 Phelim

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Posted 22 June 2017 - 19:10

How on earth do some of the $99 packs offer 320,000 shards, plus stuff, yet other $99 packs offer only a fraction that amount of shards, and even less stuff?

 

This cash shop of yours has all the hallmarks of a user-driven pricing system, under the guise of "random, per user sales".

 

Can you guys be frank with us, and say unconditionally that everyone is getting the same exact "sales", both in terms of (assuming pricing in base U.S. dollars, as you have said you base the price your offerings):

(1) shards and extras for the dollar; and

(2) per package dollar amounts?

 

I feel as though since I initially paid for a larger package ($49.99-99.99) that I will never see the same lower-price and at the same time great value sales packages.

 

I do not think that removing the uncertainty about this will reveal anything too crucial to your competitiveness of the game. However, I will say that refusing to answer frankly and directly will convince me that based on previous purchases, each of us gets put in certain categories. E.g.,

 

(a) those in, say, a "whale" category would have his/her chances of getting reasonable, manageable and well-priced packages reduced so low as to be statistically irrelevant; and/or

(B) Those "impulsive/fear of missing out" types will always get a lower-value-per-dollar package before a higher one since they will usually buy quickly fearing that only crappier value packages will be shown for a while.

 

While I understand you are in the business of making money, I hate this feeling I'm starting to get, like I am getting fleeced by an algorithm.



#2 INDeeDO

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Posted 22 June 2017 - 20:38

https://forums.hunte...showtopic=75337



#3 Zue

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Posted 23 June 2017 - 11:17

Hey Phelim,
 
Thanks for getting in touch about the sales and packs.  
 
While we do rotate the various type of packs that are available as part of the sales, rest assured that the same deals and offers are available to everyone.  ^_^


#4 INDeeDO

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Posted 23 June 2017 - 13:33

 

While we do rotate the various type of packs that are available as part of the sales, rest assured that the same deals and offers are available to everyone.  ^_^

 

are you sure? i have never seen the best/highest pack for special troops,always the low ones,i also never see the 320,000 shards offer any more


Edited by INDeeDO, 23 June 2017 - 13:59.


#5 LeighBibbings

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Posted 23 June 2017 - 14:54

Being an established player I never get the cheap troop offers only the £99.99, shards on the rare occasions I get the low 9.99 but never the troops one.

#6 INDeeDO

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Posted 23 June 2017 - 14:57

Being an established player I never get the cheap troop offers only the £99.99, shards on the rare occasions I get the low 9.99 but never the troops one.

troops only happen on certain weekends,but yea,

if you're a high buyer,you only get shown the big ones,

if you're a low byer/never bought,you get shown the low ones

 

there is a way to get the low offers,you just have to buy the lowest standard pack,but this means you wont see high ones again


Edited by INDeeDO, 23 June 2017 - 15:00.


#7 Mojawk

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Posted 23 June 2017 - 16:02

Zue is quite correct in that the same deals are available to everyone, however, the system does look at spending habits and tries to offer you packs we believe you need. We are always monitoring and improving the sale system and any feedback you have we're happy to review internally :)


John Stewart
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#8 Phelim

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Posted 25 June 2017 - 09:46

Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to further clarify some points.

 

If player A is offered a sale for $19.99 that is of "1,800%" value, and player B is offered a $19.99 sale, but it's only in the 400% range, do you not see the advantage player A has?

 

SImilarly, if player C gets a $99.99 package with a great "1,800%+" value, but cannot shell out $100, he is at a great disadvantage to player D, who was offered a $9.99 package of "1,400%" value, as he can make the purchase easily.

 

This "fear of missing out" model of F2P business models is, in itself, one of the least consumer-friendly models there is to begin with. But to implement it on a highly competitive MMORTS game is just wrong. If I can buy troops just before a war, and you cannot, simply because software semi-randomly deems it so, that is truly anti-competitive.

 

You should look to other MMORTS games and see how they do it. I'll give you a hint: give the store away. You incur no real costs when you give away these virtual goods, and increased flow of them increases activity, combat, etc., which drives demand for more cheap, high value packages. You want people to stick around for a while and keep buying and re-buying. You should not just try to condition them into making one low-value purchase of a price of your choosing when you want it to be purchased.

 

You guys are doing this all wrong, and every day you make it impossible for little guys to stick it out by offering them little $3-5 options regularly. You should also give whales the choice between multiple high-value packages vs. trying to browbeat them into thinking that what you are offering has value, only because you have all these dummy sales previous meant to increase our fear of missing out.

 

FOMO may work in some scenarios, but here it hurts the game and pisses off players. We can all see the empty, abandoned bases littering the map. And we know why.

 

You need to be consistent between every player, and encourage folks to make lots of purchases at their preferred price point. Some days we can afford a $99.99 package, but most days most of us cannot. We can however, be convinced to purchase $5, 10 and $20 packages at a steady pace, and sometimes even spend MORE than that $99.99.




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