So, okay, Pixonic has released details for the new version of the Workshop and without going into the numbers and nitty-gritty of it all, I think that it is just slightly positive and in a game where quite a number of negative things are happening at the moment, I think it is time for something positive to finally come out for once.
For those who haven’t read the Pixonic article, here’s a bulletpoint summary of the things that are about to happen:
- Nearly everything will be available for Components
- Some gold-priced stuff are now finally turned into silver-currency bots
- People can get components of a particular robot that they want
To give an idea of how it changes the landscape, here is a sample sheet from the Pixonic article itself:
So, okay, here’s the thing – Pixonic has finally made good on their word that everything will be easy to get, except for one hitch – it takes ages for these weapons and robots to upgrade and in addition to that, one needs huge amounts of resources in order to bring them towards a level that is actually playable.
Still, this changes the name of the game as players who don’t have much to spend. Even though this is not as good as the rewards systems that are found in other games (Star Conflict Heroes and the Horus Heresy: Legions card game comes to mind), at least that’s something of a breather for many who have been complaining about the recent economy, which to be honest, is quite a mess (to put it nicely).
Now, while you are at it, please also do the following fixes and improvements – these are more of “semi-rants” than an actual rant, though I’m rather disappointed that Pixonic hasn’t done any of these yet despite the numerous opinions from the player base as well as their previous promises to do so:
Make Influence Points available for Gold
Yes, Pixonic said that they will look up on this, but it has taken already a couple of updates and we have yet to see this finally transpire into action.
If the 1 IP = 1 AU rate holds up, then it would be one of the most amazing things ever.
Fix Tanking
While tanking has lessened, there are still people who dare to tank and apparently even the company itself has gotten tired of the endless complaints.
Here’s a good solution that can be done without overhauling the current league system:
- Those who have earned Legend points and current Champions should never go under Masters League.
- Those who are Expert league people should never go down below Diamond.
- Restrict MK2 hangars to Masters (or Champions League) and above, or do something similar to this.
- Warn people who rise up to Masters (or Champions League) that they will face MK2 hangars. At this point, it’s the player’s choice whether he or she is willing to take the risk or not.
- Diamond no lower than Gold, Gold no lower than Silver, Silver no lower than Bronze, and so on.
Yes, people will tank and quit games regardless of whatever measures that will be put in place (people keep on quitting King of the Hill, Skirmish and Team Deathmatch, among other things), but this will severely limit the ability of these players to go down and farm gold and silver at the lower levels.
Want to tank? Play someone that has your own size!
Want to be truly competitive? Fight people at your own skill level and/or gear level!
Increase Silver in Proportion to League
I really wonder why Pixonic has reduced the silver payout.
That was one big mistake and this shows in the number of people complaining about the
Basic currency should be always freely available.
So? You want more people to do it in the competitive and/or honorable way? Give more silver to those who fight up there at the higher echelons of War Robots!
Give Official Support to 6-Pack League, MK1 (no boosters) and MK2 (open house) Leagues
This is one thing that I would consider to be something that I want to lobby for – yes, it is a vested interest, but I think it is time for the company to reach out to the organizers of these leagues and help them in getting good prizes – apart from the usual AU and/or bots/weapons, why not give out merchandise like shirts, jackets, caps, pens, cups, etc? I understand that many people who don’t come from an esports background and who come from a hobbyist background would groan at the prospect of handing out prize money to those who win these tournaments.
Maybe introduce 6PL, MK1 bots and MK2 bots in Skirmish from time to time, so that the general population is aware that these leagues exist and that they can actually visualize becoming competitive and fair and just all at the same time.
Promote these leagues in the official channels. More people should know that there is more than one way to approach the game!
Support Non-Video Creators
There are people out there who produce content regarding War Robots outside of YouTube and if I may add, these people add a different perspective to the game, including reviews on the latest patches, gameplay experiences and fanfiction, among other stuff.
Can’t we have some love outside of the semi-official Discord servers even for once?
Maybe writing competitions would help, like once a month do a writing competition for fanfiction and the other month for analytical articles (read: opinions, non-fiction, etc.)
With Pixonic earning in the tune of 30,000-ish US dollars a day, I think that 500 or even 1000 USD for writing good content (monthly or every two months) is a good investment to engage the community, advance the storyline of the Iron War and help budding writers out there create content and use more time to make people become engaged with the universe of the game, if not the game itself.
This is why I commended Pixonic’s comic book competition. It finally showed some support for an audience (comic/graphic makers) who are not members of the YouTube community.
If Pixonic can spend money for advertising as well as helping YouTubers, then why not help the rest of the creative community out there? Other companies make it a point of social responsibility to do so.
That’s all. Thanks for spending your time reading!!!
