How much are you planning on spending in Ultimate Team (UT) ?

[killakrok]

Quote: Originally Posted by Evil97

Is it just me, or does it seem that getting 3 star fighters filled with 3 star moves won't take much to do even without paying. I also don't see how you would not have a regular supply of perks just from fighting. Am I missing something?

Yes. The game is set up in a way where you will get way more items that you don't plan to use over ones that you do, and the ones that you do use will expire causing you to open/purchase more packs to get back the things you previously enjoyed.

Say there are 30+ perks at various levels and you have a particular playstyle in mind. It will take a while for you to find a set of 5 that fits your playstyle, especially at the level you want, and once you get them they will expire in say 5 matches. In that time you may be opening packs and getting more perks, but not the ones that you just used, so you will always be behind the 8 ball and never actually have what you want, enticing you to just buy more packs to increase the volume of card in hopes of getting the ones you want over the slow drip of the non-paying route.

This is how fitness cards worked in UFC 2 and how contracts work in other Ultimate Team modes. They have absolutely 0 gameplay value and are ONLY there to make sure that you HAVE TO open more packs in order to continue playing the game no matter what items you've already attained. Expiring perks only adds to this churn and ties lootboxes closer to in-game advantages and makes it even more pay to win.

Quote: Originally Posted by Nekrotik

Everyone is up in arms about microtransactions in UFC...however, the advantage you get from spending money in UFC2 was way worse...

The new garbage being less garbage than the old garbage doesn't make the new garbage not garbage.

[Find_the_Door]

That's what they want me to think - nope. He's nearly perfect now. No thanks

[Evil97]

Quote: Originally Posted by killakrok

Yes. The game is set up in a way where you will get way more items that you don't plan to use over ones that you do, and the ones that you do use will expire causing you to open/purchase more packs to get back the things you previously enjoyed. Say there are 30+ perks at various levels and you have a particular playstyle in mind. It will take a while for you to find a set of 5 that fits your playstyle, especially at the level you want, and once you get them they will expire in say 5 matches. In that time you may be opening packs and getting more perks, but not the ones that you just used, so you will always be behind the 8 ball and never actually have what you want, enticing you to just buy more packs to increase the volume of card in hopes of getting the ones you want over the slow drip of the non-paying route. This is how fitness cards worked in UFC 2 and how contracts work in other Ultimate Team modes. They have absolutely 0 gameplay value and are ONLY there to make sure that you HAVE TO open more packs in order to continue playing the game no matter what items you've already attained. Expiring perks only adds to this churn and ties lootboxes closer to in-game advantages and makes it even more pay to win. The new garbage being less garbage than the old garbage doesn't make the new garbage not garbage.

You never needed to buy fitness cards in UFC 2. You would always have a supply from fighting. You never will will have to spend real money on perks to have a steady flow. Also, not having your favorite and best perks isn't going to really cause unfair matches. I'm not saying I'm a fan of the new UT at all. I just don't see how paying money is going to cause an unbalance like it did in UFC 2.

[RetractedMonkey]

Quote: Originally Posted by killakrok

The new garbage being less garbage than the old garbage doesn't make the new garbage not garbage.

Hilarious.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[killakrok]

Quote: Originally Posted by Evil97

You never needed to buy fitness cards in UFC 2. You would always have a supply from fighting. You never will will have to spend real money on perks to have a steady flow.

You only got fitness cards in packs, meaning that you HAVE to open packs to get them. The reason YOU had a supply from fighting was because YOU opened packs after fights and got them, if you didn't open packs you wouldn't have had them.

Fitness served 000000 gameplay use outside of the fact that it FORCED you to open packs in order to obtain them. It is the EXACT same as contracts in other Ultimate Team modes. The SOLE PURPOSE of fitness cards and contracts is to ensure that the players of the mode HAVE TO ALWAYS OPEN PACKS in order to continue playing the mode. There is NO OTHER use for them. If you didn't open packs you would go into fights with 0 stamina and instantly lose. If you don't open packs for contracts in other UT modes you wont be able to use the players you have.

There is no gameplay use for fitness cards, that alone should let you know why they exist. Think, if the mode had no fitness cards, why would they be added if they only penalize the player base for not having them?...because that IS the purpose of their existence. Fitness cards required players to open packs which keeps the pack ecosystem going, which makes it easier to get people to eventually purchase packs with real money.

Quote: Originally Posted by Evil97

Also, not having your favorite and best perks isn't going to really cause unfair matches.

It's not about whether expiring perks will cause unfair matches or not, it's the fact that what was previously a mode about customization and player choice has been turned into pack ripping and luck, because that is what EA sees as more profitable, regardless of it being less fun and enjoyable for the people who have already paid 60+ for the game.

I again ask the question I have yet to get an answer to:

How does the addition of microtransactions improve this game?

[Evil97]

Quote: Originally Posted by killakrok

You only got fitness cards in packs, meaning that you HAVE to open packs to get them. The reason YOU had a supply from fighting was because YOU opened packs after fights and got them, if you didn't open packs you wouldn't have had them. Fitness served 000000 gameplay use outside of the fact that it FORCED you to open packs in order to obtain them. It is the EXACT same as contracts in other Ultimate Team modes. The SOLE PURPOSE of fitness cards and contracts is to ensure that the players of the mode HAVE TO ALWAYS OPEN PACKS in order to continue playing the mode. There is NO OTHER use for them. If you didn't open packs you would go into fights with 0 stamina and instantly lose. If you don't open packs for contracts in other UT modes you wont be able to use the players you have. There is no gameplay use for fitness cards, that alone should let you know why they exist. Think, if the mode had no fitness cards, why would they be added if they only penalize the player base for not having them?...because that IS the purpose of their existence. Fitness cards required players to open packs which keeps the pack ecosystem going, which makes it easier to get people to eventually purchase packs with real money. It's not about whether expiring perks will cause unfair matches or not, it's the fact that what was previously a mode about customization and player choice has been turned into pack ripping and luck, because that is what EA sees as more profitable, regardless of it being less fun and enjoyable for the people who have already paid 60+ for the game. I again ask the question I have yet to get an answer to: How does the addition of microtransactions improve this game?

To your question: It doesn't improve the game. I never said it did. I also pretty much said UT is worse this year. Fitness cards were pointless in UFC 2, but not quite in the same regards as perks are in UFC 3. I get what you are saying, it's pretty much a scam to fill up the packs so there is less room for stuff that really matters. People never payed money for fitness cards though, but the flaw is still there. I was only stating it was a bad comparison from the point I was making, which is that you do not need to spend real money to be successful in UT this year. That was all I was saying from the start. I think we are actually in agreement on UT microtransactions. I was more getting at the whole issue regarding balance for spending vs non spending.

[killakrok]

Quote: Originally Posted by Evil97

I was more getting at the whole issue regarding balance for spending vs non spending.

Once microtransactions are involved with items that effect gameplay effectiveness, balance will always be thrown off to benefit those who are willing to spend money vs those who aren't, that's the whole point of having items that effect gameplay effectiveness available in lootboxes that you can purchase with real money, to entice people to pay for that advantage over those who choose not to pay.

If there were no benefit or competitive advantage no one would ever purchase the packs. The more benefit you get from purchasing packs, the more likely people are to purchase packs, which is why perks now expire. Players will be more likely to purchase packs to replenish perks for increased gameplay effectiveness.

The difference isn't as hard to see right now because the changes will be slow and steady. First fitness cards, then expiring perks, and next year it will be something else like moves expiring as well, moving more and more competitive effectiveness to cards to entice people to buy them more and more. This is how every Ultimate Team mode in every game has gone, especially EA games. It's not new.

If you compare someone who plays UFC 3 Ultimate Team for an hour and spends no money vs someone who plays for an hour and spends $20, the person who spent $20 will have a small competitive advantage but it wont be huge, but compare someone who has played for an hour and spent no money to someone who has played for an hour and spent $200 on packs, the competitive advantage is huge. If the matchmaking is as bad as it was last year, which EA is incentivized to have it be, this competitive advantage will become clear and lead to more and more people who don't spend money on the mode to dislike it more and more.

[UFCBlackbelt]

Quote: Originally Posted by killakrok

Once microtransactions are involved with items that effect gameplay effectiveness, balance will always be thrown off to benefit those who are willing to spend money vs those who aren't, that's the whole point of having items that effect gameplay effectiveness available in lootboxes that you can purchase with real money, to entice people to pay for that advantage over those who choose not to pay. If there were no benefit or competitive advantage no one would ever purchase the packs. The more benefit you get from purchasing packs, the more likely people are to purchase packs, which is why perks now expire. Players will be more likely to purchase packs to replenish perks for increased gameplay effectiveness. The difference isn't as hard to see right now because the changes will be slow and steady. First fitness cards, then expiring perks, and next year it will be something else like moves expiring as well, moving more and more competitive effectiveness to cards to entice people to buy them more and more. This is how every Ultimate Team mode in every game has gone, especially EA games. It's not new. If you compare someone who plays UFC 3 Ultimate Team for an hour and spends no money vs someone who plays for an hour and spends $20, the person who spent $20 will have a small competitive advantage but it wont be huge, but compare someone who has played for an hour and spent no money to someone who has played for an hour and spent $200 on packs, the competitive advantage is huge. If the matchmaking is as bad as it was last year, which EA is incentivized to have it be, this competitive advantage will become clear and lead to more and more people who don't spend money on the mode to dislike it more and more.

It's pretty much this, there's a common theme in Microtransactions and it relates to gambling/addiction psychology. If you notice these signs then it's a good chance it will fall into the same category.

Part 1: Involves flashing you with a lot of good items up front, such as "one free gold pack", or an intro pack for starters. This gives you a taste of what is purchasable. Packs generally are flashy, like gambling machines, will have shiny/gold for rares (like hitting a 7 on slots). This is all intended to release dopamine. Most importantly, they are random, which only serves to encourage you to purchase more, due to the Gambler's fallacy where you feel the need to redraw with the assumption that "it will be better next time" - If the rewards are timed that's even worse.

Part 2: Involves an easy flow into the game, the game should be relatively easy and not-stat dependent at first. In EA UFC 2 this would be like division 1-7, you may get the rare few stacked opponents but nothing severe.This is the part where most people go online and claim "there's no real advantage".

Part 3: Once you're invested in your character and your score, you will start getting paired up with people who have significant stat advantages over you. There's really no purpose to this, they could easily make a restriction to have it balanced statistically. They do this to encourage you to see what a difference your opponents do. They show you the "best move of the fight" cards to demonstrate what beat you, so that you feel incentivized to buy the same.

At this point you can choose to grind a ton or not. I will tell you the case with EA UFC 2, I had never spent a dollar on it. One day, EA made an error and priced certain 25000 coin packs for 2500, so I bought them in stacks and made my character jump levels in stats. This made a significant difference, even though my online record in ranked is very good. Still, against top 10 guys I'd usually lose due to a flying submission or roll, because my sub stats werent upgraded.