Robocraft [Steam], the surprisingly good robot building and battling game is planning to completely remove loot boxes in favour of a tech tree system.
Their current plan (which has already changed once recently) is to go back to a tiered system. They're currently going for a 5 tier system, these tiers will be based on rarity like Epic Tier, Legendary Tier and so on. In addition, they're going to bring back the Robot Ranking system and your robot's rank will depend on the tier it's in. They're basically going back to the system people liked, but updating it to work with their rarity system for objects.
They're also going to be adjusting the basic building blocks to be spread across Heavy, Medium and Light versions, with Heavy being common and Light being rare.
This will likely push me to play more of it, as the battles are incredibly fun. The most common complaint about the game has been loot boxes, so it's fantastic to see them fully address this. Considering it's a free game, they still need to earn some money, so it seems they will going with some form of cosmetic currency, which players can buy with real money along with their premium account system to speed up progression. They actually offer a lifetime premium account too, that's the kind of system I'm okay with, since nothing enabling players to actually win is locked behind anything.
Loot boxes have been a hot topic for a while and for good reason, especially when they're not for cosmetics (like the current Robocraft) it invites nonsense gambling and you could end up spending vast amounts of money and end up with junk.
This pleases me. Read more here. No idea on when this will all land, sounds like it might take a while.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Motionshot May 3, 2018
We have decided to remove Loot Crates/Boxes from ALL forms of Robocraft in response to persistent feedback from the community disliking their RNG nature of progression and P2W feeling."
Or because of the Dutch authorities pressuring other publishers to do away with loot boxes and the EU working on enforcement for other EU countries well, thus wanting to prevent getting into trouble before it's enforced EU-wide?
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-04-19-loot-boxes-in-leading-games-violate-dutch-gambling-legislation
Last edited by Motionshot on 3 May 2018 at 10:56 am UTC
Quoting: Motionshot"Dear Robocraft Community,There's possibly an element of that, although there's nothing being done about it at all in the UK, which is where the developer is from. I would say more likely, is their declining playerbase with the biggest complaint always being the loot box system.
We have decided to remove Loot Crates/Boxes from ALL forms of Robocraft in response to persistent feedback from the community disliking their RNG nature of progression and P2W feeling."
Or because of the Dutch authorities pressuring other publishers to do away with loot boxes and the EU working on enforcement for other EU countries well, thus wanting to prevent getting into trouble before it's enforced EU-wide?
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-04-19-loot-boxes-in-leading-games-violate-dutch-gambling-legislation
Either way, it's still good news because it is a fun game.
Edit: spelling
Last edited by Liam Dawe on 3 May 2018 at 10:59 am UTC
inlinuxdude May 3, 2018
Quoting: liamdaweThere's possibly an element of that, although there's nothing being done about it at all in the UK, which is where the developer is from. I would say more likely, is their declining playerbase with the biggest complaint always being the loot box system.
Either way, it's still good news because it is a fun game.
Edit: spelling
It does not matter where they are based. If they intend to sell in Europe, they will have to comply anyway.
Legislation if finally catching up to loot boxes :)
Quoting: dubigrasuBelieve me or not...I have no idea what those loot boxes (that everybody hates) are.
In short ... randomized DLC you buy with real money.
Sometimes it is just cosmetic (like skins) , sometimes what you get can give you an edge in combat (new weapon etc)
So you can see why someone who plays a game for 10+ hours only to be pulverized by someone who threw money at the game might be pissed.
Also the odds to get what you want in these crates are ASTRONOMICALLY against you.
Quoting: MaxPowerMmm yeah true, didn't really think it through properly.Quoting: liamdaweThere's possibly an element of that, although there's nothing being done about it at all in the UK, which is where the developer is from. I would say more likely, is their declining playerbase with the biggest complaint always being the loot box system.
Either way, it's still good news because it is a fun game.
Edit: spelling
It does not matter where they are based. If they intend to sell in Europe, they will have to comply anyway.
Quoting: dubigrasuBelieve me or not...I have no idea what those loot boxes (that everybody hates) are.
Lucky you...!
Now they will put back the good old robocraft, well still I will not play it again, because 1. I don't want to redo 100 hours of this game with a battleship I dislike just to finally buy one I quite like and 2. It will not revert all the cosmetics, my ranks and all I "fought" for.
Yeah "early-alpha" I know things can change... but this was just a stab on the back.
These options of premium, people paid for them before the loot crates, they lost all the things they won with them.
Now same things may happen for people who bought loot crates ?
Honestly, even if you want to play this game, don't give it any money unless you're ready to loose all you have.
Eradicate loot boxes!
Quoting: MotionshotOr because of the Dutch authorities pressuring other publishers to do away with loot boxes and the EU working on enforcement for other EU countries well, thus wanting to prevent getting into trouble before it's enforced EU-wide?
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-04-19-loot-boxes-in-leading-games-violate-dutch-gambling-legislation
This.
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