Bringing together the topics of design slippery slopes (particularly with cash shops) and Game of Thrones Ascent, we have this frightening picture. It may be a little hard to see (it is grayed out because nothing in-game calls for it), so let me explain what you’re seeing there. This is the sort of game where you send a knight on a mission and wait for him/her to finish. A Roast Pheasant is an item that will speed that by 28 hours. They do not have anything in-game yet that takes 28 hours to finish, but they have already built the infrastructure for it. And you can auto-complete a 28:05 mission for just $9.50 (or a 56-hour mission for just $19). And hopefully you succeed, because you can fail those things, and I have failed three 80+% chances in a row.
: Zubon
I think this development isn’t alarming, but practical! It’s like a huge billboard that says: “This game really isn’t worth it!” to me. In these days with so many potentially interesting games to investigate, MMO or otherwise, I appreciate games that tell me right up front that I don’t want to spend another thought on them.
It’s an IQ test. If you pay to not play a game, you have failed the test. Humanity being what it is, the market for such failures is very strong.