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Neverwinter: Velasquez on Module 2, Lockboxes & More
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Massively has a great interview with Neverwinter's Andy Velasquez where he takes time for some retrospective evaluation of the game and controversial subjects including lockboxes. In addition, Velasquez speaks about the Foundry and what players might expect in Module 2.
Our discussion turned to the "necessary evil" (as we posited) of lockboxes. Velasquez admitted that lockbox keys are top sellers, although he put a big asterisk by that when he observed that what the players are really buying is the chance for a rare mount or companion. The value of those mounts and companions is backed up by the straight-up sale of such items in the store.
So, are lockboxes necessary in the free-to-play model these days? "Yes and no," Velasquez said. "They're not a universal truth."
Ultimately, the studio wants lockboxes to have appropriate perceived value so that players don't feel bad spending money to open them -- and don't feel bad avoiding them altogether.
Read the full interview at the link above.
Comments
FSF I hate those Astral Diamonds BS.... I want to play a fun game
not a currency exchange game... It just got over my nerves and stopped
playing at a very low level because of it.
I understand it's a FTP game and they need to get some revenew but
all the Neverwinter system felt too intrusive for me.
Would probably be still playing this if it was subscription - but as it is, the game is completely ptw unless you are able to play 16 hours a day
I'm sure their "healer focused" companions are going to be in the lockbox, just like everything else worth using (or some astronomical price in the C-Store). It seems like nothing good is earned anymore.. it's all purchased.
The game is just full of nickle and diming everywhere. It got really, really old.. especially once you hit 60 and it's time to grind grind grind for gear that makes very little difference (except to help you grind for more gear).
The issue with the game is that it goes way beyond nickle and diming. The stuff you want like the good companions and faster mounts you cant buy. You have to gamble with lockboxes. No one wants to pay $20 in lockbox keys and NOT get what they wanted. If they would just let you have the option of buying what you want OR gambling with lockboxes, I would be inclined to spend some money. As it is, I'm not paying a buck fifty to have a minute chance of getting something I want.
I would be overjoyed if lockboxes were phased out of the MMO genre entirely. I cant tell you how greedy a practice I think this is. Its like going to some third world country and charging starving kids a dime for a box that has a 1% chance of having food and a 99% chance of having a paperclip in it.
I agree, I've never bought any lockbox (lootbox, etc. in other games) keys either. I wrote numerous times against that scam.
On the other hand, it seems many players do want to pay for that chance sadly. Your idea (of a purchase option) will never happen because that's exactly what drives the afforementioned players to buy keys in hundreds, chasing the 1 item which is only available through the box gamble... And Massively Justin is wrong with "Cryptic obviously loves its lockboxes", it's PWE. There were no boxes in their games before PWE.
As for the game, I'm just like Torvaldr, playing the Foundry and the festivals only. Not interested in the lame endgame gear grind
and yep, Arc is a shady move, there are threads about it in the STO section of mmorpg as well... so far one can still install the games without Arc luckily, we'll see how hardly will PWE forcing it (if you check the games' own perfectworld forums, most of them have a few threads against Arc, with polls and stuff 
)
Edit: well, with the patch today they introduced a rewritten launcher in both NW and STO, seems a bit chrome-y... I hope it's not a first step toward the hinted lame, Origin-esque "you can launch the game only through Arc, in your browser" thingy.
You can easily play the game without spend cash if you plan things out, paying zen makes it easier but I don't see anything that is pay to win.
I dont see the words "pay to win" in the post you quoted. I simply said paying for a CHANCE at something you want is not my cup of tea. I would rather pay $20 and get the companion that heals the most rather than spend $30 in lockbox keys and NOT get what I want. You are right, the entire game can be played for free but the game can be played easier and faster if you get better heals and have a faster mount, both of which you have to pay for.
Notice I did not say pay to win.
It's hiding things you want behind a gambling mechanic so that on average you'll pay out more to obtain the thing you desire.
I ,like others, find it annoying and would much rather be provided the ability to buy such things directly rather than blow money gambling unpredictably on whether or not I'll get the thing I'm paying to try and get.
Not an issue of pay to win, just an issue of feeling swindled.
"The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners." - Thomas B. Macaulay
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel J. Boorstin
Unfortunately, lock boxes are very good at what they do, so it's highly unlikely that any F2P game will avoid using them. If anything, they're all hard at work on finding creative ways to extend the "lockbox" concept to as many areas of the game as is feasible...
Well yeah. If they can get you to pay them without necessarily having to give you anything of consequence, then it's free game I guess.
Didn't say it wasn't a valid or successful mechanic. It's based on the same principle that playing an MMO in the first place tends to contain (randomized frequency of rewards to incentivize continued play), just that in this case, it's inserting money almost directly to have a gamble on the payout.
"The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners." - Thomas B. Macaulay
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel J. Boorstin