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Palia's attempts to take the cozy game genre and turn it into an MMO have potential but also some very noticeable missteps. It's still in beta, so there's plenty of time and room for growth.
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It amazes me what people will complain about. I would rather pay a sub than listen to the freeloader gaming community whine about how much cosmetics are in a cash shop. I bought 3000 coins, not because I even gave a shit about the outfits because I don't really like any of them, it was a donation for giving me an awesome game free that I have already gotten my money's worth out of.
You are 100% right, side note from that. I cant think of a online game now that does not have a cash shop of some type.
None you can earn, having them all available at character creation with none earnable makes the game hollow.
Saying anyone calling them out on their bad practices is a troll is just horrible behavior.
Be better.
14 Has literally hundreds of outfits you can earn in game.
This has 0
You're comparing apples to oranges in the worst way, it's disingenuous at best.
Honestly, I see no complaints about the graphics, the gameplay, the sound, the community, or really anything that relates to content here. For me, if you have to dig so deep all you have to complain about is the cosmetics in a cash shop, it tells me you have a nearly perfect game. Way to go Devs, you managed a game that someone cannot find a flaw in, so they complained about outfits? Thats a huge glaring positive review if I have ever heard one.
Why are you strawmaning so hard?
The problem is having 0 things in game earnable for outfits.
What do you have to say about that?
Let's see...... nothing. You don't address that huge issue at all.
It amazes me the lengths people go through to try to get outraged about people being upset about actual real problems.
Exactly. And it isn't even the only MMO you have to pay to buy or pay to play with a sub that does it. It's the freeloader gaming community who flocks to games like Palia then whines about any option that involves cash, pay to win or not.
Look, I found a freeloader!
1. The game is still in beta, how much you want to bet that there WILL be in game options eventually? And the game starts you off with a wardrobe full of free options.
2. They have to make money somehow, Lord knows you freeloaders aren't going to help.
3. Actual real problems? ROFL. No sir, this is a GAME. Actual real problems happen outside of your mom's basement. Go touch Earth, get a job...maybe then you can afford to buy some cosmetics.
4. You're welcome, yes people like me funding the game allow freeloaders like you to play it.
The article was about the Palia's written promise to not use predatory pmonetization but then walked back on it in practice.
It isn't about the author not wanting to pay anything for the game. It isn't about whether or not Palia had any other faults, it isn't about whether this is better or worse than any other game which has employed this practice, it was about broken promises.
I'll recap for the sake of those who apparently didn't read the article or understand it's points so keep responding to phantom strawmen that were not mentioned.
Instead of selling outfits for cash, they employ the obnoxious practice of offering bundles of fake currency that are often just a little bit less than the price of a popular item someone might wish to buy.
Yes, POE, ESO, FO76, LA and many others all did this, some on top of other obnoxious monetization practices such as loot boxes or "subs" which are designed to make annoying designs like limited loot storage go away.
Does not make any of them right, but one big difference....none of those games ever promised fair monetization practices, the Palia dev team did and are still saying it.
I am not a freeloader, I burn money in ash trays sometimes and I have unspent cash shop currency in every game I listed above, in some cases hundreds of dollars worth, because I can never resist a "buy $150 of tokens, get 50K free" deal.
I have been paying an annual sub for FO76 for the past 2 years, $99 is a great deal and I'm showing my "support" for a game I love.
I haven't played more than one month in all that time, and not at all since last summer...I probably will cancel the sub before renewal in January....maybe...but then I won't accumulate those monthly "free" Atoms....what to do, what to do.
Despite easily falling "victim" to many predatory monetization practices, at least I am able to identify what they are and what character flaws are being exploited.
I'm guessing some of you don't believe drug pushers are at fault, it's all the addicts who are to blame. Go Big Pharma, go!
What is wrong with the rest of you that aren't willing or able to see or admit the devs in Palia promised one thing, yet delivered another.
Oh, time for my own handwaving..."it's in beta" is a bullsh!t excuse. Games that sell things for money and are no longer planning to wipe are "released", full stop.
Arguments against that point will be dismissed as the noise of fools.
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Did they hide the fact that they would use a fake currency passthrough? Or was that pretty much always the plan.
Because in the latter, while I agree it's a ridiculous process designed to obscure the true cost of items, it would be what they said they would do. So no surprise.
But if it's the former, and they sprung this at that last minute, then that's a whole higher level of shitty.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
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Wait.....do they have housing items/recipes in the cash shop or no?.........
Now I know, it is a F2P where you pay a minimum of $35 for one outfit and a minimum of $20 for cosmetics...real cosy.
I would not play this sort of MMO, not due to the cash shop, just no interest. But for those that do unless you want a free ride and can keep to that, then ouch!
You often wonder how any game succeeds with the way modern gamers are.....It is definitely one crowd that is impossible to please no matter what you do.
I object to this "Buy 1100 coins, then we will sell you this thing for 1150... oh want the extra 50? yeah you are gonna have to buy 500.. want something to do with the left over 450... buy another 1100 and we will sell you something else for 1150".
JUST SELL THEM FOR A CASH PRICE
Otherwise its scummy obfuscation, its not about supporting the game, like some pretentious folks scream out, its about calling out scummy practices.
Games shouldn't give customers false idea about their monetization, but it's so common that I can't find any energy to be angry or surprised when yet another F2P game does it.
EDIT: Also, isn't that monetization dev journal with lies in it already 1,5 years old? That's enough time that Palia could have honestly changed their monetization plans since then.
Add to that the obscure 'cash shop credits', obscuring the real costs and you have what is basically a predatory cash shop indicative of the strategy the devs have in mind. This does not bode well for what is essentially a non-competitive game.
I'm so grateful for Baldur's Gate 3 and the breath of fresh air it brings. No cash shop, co-op, full gameplay experience, no paywalls, ... and gameplay perfected in almost each and every way.
Every inch of the way is a choice. You make the choice to buy. So deal and stop complaining about these tactics. Use your brain. No one is dumb enough to think when you see every item in the shop having .99 at the end isn't rounded up to the next dollar.
Everywhere you turn this is happening so why should this game be any different. While calling it out is fine but please save your disgust it is totally too late. Deal , decide if you want to support the game even with these tactics. I decide on a game by game basis. If the game is entertaining enough and F2P I overlook a lot of stuff as long as I am having enough fun.
So if it is too much for a F2P game then look elsewhere. I doubt you'll find no offenders and I applaud Larian and think they are not at all representative of the other developers and deserve every support we can give them for showing up every other scummy developer however there are less scummy and scummier so for me it is all a question of degree.