Continuing the discussion from The Dev Talk - Ask everything here, to keep it all together:
Hey guys, I know that this is likely information that isn’t up for disclosure but is there any chance the game will be entering FTP anytime soon? If this is crossing a line, I can understand a simple “We can’t discuss business openly” or something like that.
I just wanted to ask as I know many people who seem to believe this was announced or inevitable and I don’t want to get my hopes up only to find out it’s all garbage.
I’ve got some ideas on how you might satisfy the vets while still keeping a sound business model. Obviously you can’t please everybody but I’d still like your thoughts on the matter:
A) Let players download and play the multiplayer for free. Do what you’ve done with the Ops missions to the story missions, either as a bundle or sold episodically.
People who’ve bought the base game, either on console or PC are obviously entitled to the story missions.
I think the currency system is perfect for this, all the workings are there. The only problem is, free players are reliant on the marketplace for gear and I haven’t checked recently, but I don’t think core packs would suffice.
I like the science behind faction packs, having both would be a good mix. You got to either grind to earn the credits for the type of gear you want or gamble with RNG for less credits.
The amount of gear (plus credits) one may get from the missions is a selling point, it means less grinding. I genuinely think this would work, it has for other FTP models though no game is quite like Battleborn.
B) I know this is an unpopular opinion but make solo duo que the primary source of multiplayer.
This isn’t a 5 man hate speech, I’ve come to terms with why people do it but I still believe to get more players we need to share the love. Believe me, I don’t want to alienate you and your friends. But how about making new friends? I’ve met so many wonderful people playing this game, having experienced people by your side doesn’t just make one more confident but is an opportunity to learn.
Use your experience, I know it isn’t your responsibility to bring in more players but you’d be surprised what they have to bring to the table.
It’s a shame, I know. I’d love to have a competitive mode where we can rock up with the crew and have a truly serious match but the priority should be to help the community grow.
However, with FTP there will be issues. An ELO system must be in place to ensure the teams aren’t stacked or people are just going to quit. On that topic, there must be penalties in place to stop leavers. Both of these systems are likely difficult to implement, I wish I had some advice on how I would go about it but unfortunately I don’t, all I have is my 2 cents.
One day, when the community is booming, people will be ready for a competitive que where we can create teams of 5. But for now, I think it should be resigned to a once a week thing like you’ve done with solo duo.
I met so many people during the time you made solo duo mandatory. Games were fair again, not always but newbies had a chance to stretch out and play with the vets.
It was like the old days where people were comfortable trying new things, they were okay with making a mistake and they had someone to guide them to victory through cooperation, stradegy and skill. If I could have just one match like that a day, I’d be set for multiplayer games for the rest of my life.
C) Have faith. Rome wasn’t built in a day but they will come. All you need is something to get the ball rolling, you may or may not be surprised at the kind of traffic you would recieve if this game was announced as FTP.
People would no longer have no reason not to try it. All you need is to have a single day on the front page of Steam, XBL and PSN. I don’t know how one would go about such a thing but it would do wonders for the playerbase.
I feel this may have carried on too long, I apologise if so. Just know that I genuinely love this game. This is literally the multiplayer game I’ve wanted my whole life. Nothing I’ve ever experienced has ever gotten close to Battleborn. If there is but one point made in this post that I want you to understand it is that I love Battleborn and I want others to love it too. Best of luck with your future endeavors.
