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Sneaky, NC... very sneaky..
So, when NCSoft kept insisting there would be nothing but fluff items in the shop, and things to help people level such as xp enhancements, etc... I was extremely skeptical.
Looking at the preview of the cash shop "specials" they have up on the new site, it seems my skepticism was warranted.
Within 1 minute, these two items were displayed:
Zaken's Spirit Swords - +40% to HP and MP, +20% Attk Spd and P Attk, for 30 minutes... with a 2 hour delay between use and 7 days of use.
If you buy their most expensive "exploration pack" now, before the official release of GoD, you get a bonus S-Grade weapon...
Vesper Dual Sword of Destiny (Earth) S-grade: P. Atk: 482, M. Atk: 176, Atk. Spd: Normal, Crit. Rate: 8.00, Soulshot Used: x1, Spiritshot Used: x1, Weight: 152. Can be enchanted with Destiny Scroll: Enchant Weapon (S-grade). If enchanted to level 4 or higher, increases Crit. Atk. by 109 and Max HP by 10%. Increases the damage inflicted during PvP. Earth Lv 4 (Earth P. Atk. 150).
I do recall them insisting there would be nothing in the cash shop but fluff.... Weapons are certainly not fluff. +40% to HP and MP, +20% Attk Spd and P Attk for 30 minutes is not fluff. They further insisted there would be nothing in the cash shop that could affect PvP, yet look at the line I bolded and italicized in the description above... so you can't even say "Oh, well that weapon would only improve people's PvE".
So... with all their insistance that there would be nothing but fluff and items to help people with getting xp, and leveling (pets, etc)... Right from minute 1, they're offering or promoting non-fluff items.
Not that I'm surprised. They've gone Cash Shop, so they're going to have to put items in there that go beyond mere "fluff" and "optional leveling aids" if they want to guarantee sales.
I just would rather they didn't lie about it beforehand.
Spin it, dismiss it or twist it around any way that sounds good to you ("you" in general), it is what it is. They guaranteed they wouldn't sell anything that would give an advantage to players on the cash shop.... and they already are. From day 1. I can just about imagine what will be sold or "promoted" on there down the road.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Comments
At least you could have done it with more subtlety, NCsoft!
yeah, I was expecting them to go down this route sooner or later, but this IS a pretty sooner then I thought.
oh well, at least people know before getting invested in their characters... better to see this stuff now then 6 months down the line. It allows a clearer consumer choice.
I will still play it at server launch though, but if it becomes clear that cash shop enhanced PKs are dominating the game right from the start I will make a swift exit.
Well I definitely won't be trying this game now. Screw NC.
Their main advertising was that there would be no limited content and just buffs/exp boosts/consumables etc.
You're spinning.
The Vesper weapon gives an advantage in PvP, right in its description. You can't dismiss that. It's "limited" only to help them sell more packages. Regardless.. it's not a "fluff" item.
A weapon is not a "fluff item" that "only enhances xp'ing". You can't dismiss that.
A 40% boost to your HP and MP alone is significant - especially in PvP, even when you're up against similarly geared players. You can't dismiss that.
They promised nothing but fluff and xp-enhancements on the cash shop.
They lied.
As to why they added them, I stated in my OP that I realize they wouldn't stick to merely fluff and non-influential items.. I just stated I would have preferred they didn't lie about it beforehand, by telling people they wouldn't sell anything beyond that.
If they're alread selling this kind of stuff... whatever the context of it (limited offer, etc)... do you really think they're not going to expand on it down the road?
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
which ever way you look at it, this game getting the rep of being pay to win will kill it in the West.
Did they actually say they won't sell any advantage? I think not, they just said it's truly f2p which is true compared to the other games that turn freemium. They meant you experience all the content without paying anything.
Yes, they did.
There's an interview they conducted not long ago where they were specifically asked that question... And their response was an emphatic "No". To paraphrase, they said that Lineage 2 being a PvP-centric MMO, they would not sell items that could give advantage to combatants who bought them over those who didn't.
I'll try and find the interview link and then update this post. Unless someone remembers where it was and could do it before me.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
All weapons A grade and above increase damage done during PvP, not just this one.
@WSIMike
The PvP advantage is a thing that every dual sword has IF you enchant it to +4. And since its untradeable people will not care for that.Im not sure if you played the game a lot. Its not a thing exclusive to that weapon, every weapon will have it if you put a SA on it . Its just the complete item description. That weapon is just a normal vesper dual sword that no one except for new players will use. Its not an expensive item in any way and people will still want the real thing
did you see the :P at the end of the sentence? It was a joke. Obviously.
I was playing.
I only said it because I had come from another negative pot of yours in the AA forum that was in exactly the same tone.
I apologise if it offended you. I assumed you would understand.
How beneficial it is or isn't to one person or another isn't the point.
The point is:
It's still a weapon.
It still gives stat and PvP advantages to those who wouldn't have it otherwise.
It's still not a fluff item.
NCSoft has stated they would sell only fluff items and things to help with leveling/xp'ing. They've said this repeatedly - right on their website, if I'm not mistaken.
They lied.
Also, going the "it's not that expensive an item" route is really diving into the deep end of apologetics.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
I was looking at the lineage 2 boards and they don't seem to think the weapon is all that good and they see this as pretty fluffy.
I haven't played L2 yet so most of it's Greek to me.
The only part of the description that bothered me at all is "increased damage in PvP". How much, who knows.
C'mon people, the game has to make a dollar, espectially if they won't be restricting free players. I'm glad to see L2 get this attention, and I still argue this isn't as Pay to Win as the whole guaranteed enchantment thing Aion pulled.
I think yoi overreacted with the simple vesper weapon, the buff however is a valid concern.
Again... That's not the point.
The point is, NC said they would not sell anything but fluff or xp enhancements on the cash shop.
A weapon is not fluff, regardless of who has it or who doesn't.
Also, the Zaken Spirit Sword (which I notice several people already quite conspicuously not even acknowledging) is a pure example of advantage and power being sold... something they also said they wouldn't do.
Folks, you can try to spin, dismiss or explain it away all you like... It is what it is.
They said they would only sell fluff or purely xp enhancing items. They're selling non-fluff items that go well beyond being only "xp enhancing".
Again, I'm not surprised they are. I would have been more surprised if they actually didn't, given my experience with Cash Shop MMOs in the past. Again, I would prefer they didn't lie about it.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Like ppl have said it doesnt actually give any advantage whatsoever and it is indeed a leveling tool, if you go with that weapon to PVP good luck to you. It is not pay 2 win cause you cant win by buying that, only someone that doesnt know anything about the game would say that. If a whole clan buys that package and goes to pvp with ppl that have awaken.
There wont be ANYONE pvping with vesper weapons as soon a GoD releases cause only a fail clan would only have ppl of that level to compete and if you were relying on ppl with vesper to pvp you are not getting anywhere.
Lineage 2 has always been pay 2 win. People just don't like others having something they can't have. goldselling in this game destroyed the economy and you nearly had to buy gold just to stay in touch. The people complaining about this probably have never played lineage 2 and probably never would but they just want to rag on it now because it's free 2 play.
I'm new to L2, please explain.
On a side not yes the pots are pay 2 win, not 2 win but it certainly helps there are other advantages that can counter that in game very easily tho, and things that actually add up to a lot better stats, like rare armour and boss jewels, and that will only matter in this situation if your a random person pvping there are tons of other things like the above that you can aim for before buying the pots.
Goldselling was rife in lineage 2 for years and it inflated the market to such a point that the average gamer needed to buy gold just to stay in touch with others. Lineage 2 is a great game and i highly recommend it but it's a very competitive and strange environment, it's like no other mmo.
Okay... one more time and then I'm not going to say it again because it's getting ridiculous repeating the same thing to people who clearly choose to ignore it:
1. NCSoft said they would only sell fluff or xp-enhancing items on their cash shop.
2. A weapon is not a fluff item, nor is it "merely xp enhancing".
3. Zaken's Spirit Swords are pure advantage on sale. Not surprisingly, the apologists on this thread are quite conspicuously ignoring that item and sticking instead to the one item they think they can defend.
Further, arguing on the basis of "clans with members who should already have those weapons" is disingenuous, as it ignores an entire portion of the player base who wouldn't have an S-grade weapon yet. They're every bit as much Lineage 2 players as people in high end clans who already own them.
If there are two people who've both reached S-grade and are working on getting their weapons, one person buys it via the cash shop offer, another person gets it in-game instead... those two people happen to meet in a PvP situation.. The one who purchased the weapon will have an advantage that was bought via the cash shop.
Again, no matter how much people try to spin, twist, dismiss or distort it... It is what it is.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
He's talking about RMT, this game was always dominated by the RMT market. So yea, for old players it really is not a problem.. and for new players... now its f2p it will be more accessible for them.
Seriously the game is free 2 play, it's a great mmo and they are making it free and yet you still complain. you are getting something for nothing. If you have ever played lineage 2 this wouldn't be a problem because goldselling has been going on for years and it inflated the economy hugely...so maybe you are just having a go at the game because its free 2 play.
You overreacted.
Oh no.