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Battlefront II's new progression system (linear system, cosmetic only loot crates)

Patitoloco

Patitoloco

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,614
https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/battlefront/battlefront-2/news/progression-update

Since release, we've been hard at work making changes based on your feedback to create a better game for all our players. Today, we're happy to announce that the Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II Progression update, which includes a complete re-design of the in-game progression system, will begin rolling out on March 21st. There are also some additional changes coming to the cosmetics in the game, but we'll get to that in a bit...
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With this update, progression is now linear. Star Cards, or any other item impacting gameplay, will only be earned through gameplay and will not be available for purchase. Instead, you'll earn experience points for the classes, hero characters, and ships that you choose to play in multiplayer. If you earn enough experience points to gain a level for that unit, you'll receive one Skill Point that can be used to unlock or upgrade the eligible Star Card you'd like to equip.

You'll keep everything you've already earned and unlocked. You will keep all of the Star Cards, heroes, weapons, or anything else you have already earned. What you have earned will still be available to use with this update regardless of how much or little progress you have already made.

Crates no longer include Star Cards and cannot be purchased. Crates are earned by logging in daily, completing Milestones, and through timed challenges. Inside of these crates, you'll find Credits or cosmetic items, such as emotes or victory poses, but nothing that impacts gameplay.

Starting in April, you'll be able to get appearances directly through in-game Credits or Crystals. The first new appearances are coming soon, meaning you'll be able to grab new looks for your heroes and troopers directly by using either Credits (earned in-game) or Crystals (available to purchase in-game and through first-party stores). If you've ever dreamed of being a part of the Resistance as a Rodian, your chance is right around the corner.
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SG-17 said:
Also an FAQ.
https://battlefront-forums.ea.com/d...-battlefront-ii-progression-update-faq#latest
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I think these are good changes (it's basically the recent COD style).
 
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Plumpbiscuit

Plumpbiscuit

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,927
It's almost as if playing the game rewards you with rewards through skill and effort and not how much your salary is.

Amazing, 2018.
 
Oozer

Oozer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,823
This is exactly what I was hoping the progression overhaul would be. Now the game just needs a Starfighter mode in Arcade and it'll be perfect (for me).
 
SnakeyHips

SnakeyHips

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,700
Wales
Oh wow this is a great change. Might actually think about picking up the game now if the rubberband issues are fixed.
 
SCB360

SCB360

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Oct 30, 2017
1,639
Ok, I'll go back to it next week, I got fed up quick of playing for almost no progression, it's a fun game and that is all that counts at the end of the day but if there is progression, it can't be as slow as it was
 
--R

--R

Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer
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Sounds good to me.
 
The Omega Man

The Omega Man

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Oct 25, 2017
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I bet they always had this as plan B, but they went with the greedy plan A first to see if people would put up with it.
 
Alienous

Alienous

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,598
As I understand it.

> No gameplay related items in crates (lootboxes) - only credits and cosmetics.
> Can't use paid currency (crystals) to buy crates.
> Can only use crystals to directly buy cosmetics.

Seems great. I do wonder how the free DLC plans will change - they must, right?
 

Deleted member 135

User requested account closure
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Also an FAQ.
https://battlefront-forums.ea.com/d...-battlefront-ii-progression-update-faq#latest

Q.) What kind of items can I buy when microtransactions/monetization return?
A.) Players will only be able to purchase Crystals as microtransactions, which can only be used to unlock available Appearances that a player can select. Players cannot purchase Star Cards or items that would impact gameplay or progression.

Q.) Can I buy Star Cards with money?
A.) No. We are removing all Star Cards from Crates and introducing a system where you level up your units exclusively by playing as them and earning experience.

Q.) What happens with my existing Star Cards in the transition?
A.) You get to keep any and all Star Cards that you currently own at their current rarity level. As you level up, you will start earning Skill Points that can be used to unlock and upgrade Star Cards.

Q.) I have played the game extensively before the Progression Update. How will this be reflected after the transition to the new system?
A.) You will get to keep any and all Star Cards that you already have in your Collection at their current rarity level, and you will get a Unit Level per unit that is based on your current inventory. Moving forward, as you progress, your Unit Level will determine which additional Star Cards you can unlock and whether or not you're advanced enough to use Skill Points to upgrade Star Cards to Rare or Epic.

Q.) How should I prepare for the Spring Progression Update?
A.) It depends on what you'd rather do: speed up progression or save up for cosmetics. If you want to maximize your Unit Levels at the outset of the new system, you should primarily focus on earning more Star Cards and Parts right now by using your Credits to purchase Crates. If you want to unlock new Appearances, you should save your Credits for the update in April.

Q.) What happens with Parts?
A.) As of the Progression Update, Parts will no longer be awarded. You will keep your current balance, and in April you will be able to convert parts into Skill Points (at 40 Parts per Skill Point). Player's Parts totals will be rounded up so that players will not be left with unusable Parts.

Q.) Can I still craft Star Cards using Parts?
A.) No. While Parts have been used as a Star Card crafting resource, the new resource for Star Card unlocking and upgrading is Skill Points, gained by leveling up your respective Unit.

Q.) How do I progress with a hero or class?
A.) You level up a hero or class by playing them. The same goes for all other units (units being Any playable unit in the game, whether it's a ship, special unit, hero, trooper, hero ship, vehicle, mount etc;, the more you play, the more Skill Points you gain to upgrade them.

Q.) How do I earn new Star Cards?
A.) When you level up a unit in the Progression Update, you earn a Skill Point. Skill Points are unit-specific and can be used to unlock a Star Card at Common level, or to upgrade an existing Star Card to the next Card Level.

Q.) What are Skill Points?
A.) When you level up a unit, you earn a Skill Point. Skill Points are unit-specific and can be used to unlock a Star Card at Common level, or to upgrade an existing Star Card to the next Level.

Q.) Can I use Skill Points that I earned from one unit to upgrade another unit?
A.) No. Skill Points are unit-specific. Skill Points earned when leveling up your Heavy cannot be used to unlock or upgrade Star Cards for Yoda. The more you play as your favorite unit the more Skill Points you earn for them.

Q.) What can Skill Points be used for?
A.) Skill Points allow you to unlock and upgrade Star Cards for the unit you've earned them for.

Q.) What happens with my Star Card Level number?
A.) Instead of a Star Card Level, we have a Unit Level which will more clearly and accurately represent a player's overall progress and power level as it counts the value of all Skill Points applied across that Unit's collection.

Q.) How is my starting Unit Level calculated?
A.) For new players, every Unit will start at Level 1, however if you are an existing player, your starting Unit Levels will factor in your previously collected Star Cards.

Q.) Can you give a specific example of Unit Level calculation for an existing player?
A.) Let's say your Assault is Card Level 24 when the update goes live. Your inventory is as follows: 13 Commons (+13 Card Level), 2 Uncommons (+4 Card Level), 1 Rare (+3 Card Level), 1 Epic (+4 Card Level). In the transition, that Assault character would keep all of those Star Cards and gain a Class Level of 24 (old Card Level) + 1. For a new player starting as Assault Class Level 1 in the new system, she would have to level up to Class Level 25 to gain an Assault Star Card collection of the equivalent value.

Q.) Can I upgrade Rare and Epic Star Cards using my Skill Points?
A.) Yes, as long as you meet the Level requirement for upgrading them in the new system. As a Trooper, for example, you will need to be Unit Level 22 to upgrade a Star Card to Rare, and Unit Level 35 to upgrade a Star Card to Epic. Each unit has their own level requirements for upgrading to Rare or Epic respectively based on what we think will provide the best experience for gameplay.

Q.) What happens to my existing Epic Star Cards in the transition if I do not reach the required Unit Level to upgrade Star Cards to Epic with one or more characters?
A.) You get to keep any and all Star Cards, Epic or not, regardless of where we put the upgrade gate for Epic Star Cards. However, any Star Cards that you wish to upgrade to Epic after the transition need to follow the new rules for Unit Level requirements.

Q.) What type of progression will each unit have in the new system?
A.) For each unit, the Star Cards are tiered to require a specific Unit Level to be available to unlock. Unlocked in this case means that you can choose to spend a Skill Point to unlock that Star Card at the Common level (and subsequently upgrade it to Epic, if you meet the Class Level requirement for upgrading Epic Star Cards).

Q.) How do I unlock Star Card slots in the new system?
A.) All Star Card slots for all units will be unlocked by default in the new system.

Q.) What will my initial journey with a character be like in the new system?
A.) We intend to make your first time with any class a rewarding one. Specifically, the time needed to level up any Unit in the beginning will be quick, meaning that you will earn Skill Points and unlock Star Cards at a quick rate early on.

Q.) How will I know when I level up with each class?
A.) There will be prominent messaging in game every time you level up a unit. That information will also be displayed at the end of each round if you gain a level for that unit.

Q.) How do you decide which Star Cards are unlocked early and which are unlocked late in a Unit's journey?
A.) Star Cards unlocked early are hand-picked to be focused on improving existing things, like the Improved Shock Grenade for the Specialist Trooper. Later choices offer side-grades and more niche abilities that require you to switch up your play style, like the Repulsor Cannon for Specialist.

Q.) What unlock gates will there be for any given unit in the new system?
A.) Each Star Card will be unlocked at a specific Unit Level. Additionally, to upgrade a Star Card to Rare or Epic, you need to meet the required Level for that unit. Depending on your Levels, you might be able to upgrade Star Cards to Epic for your Assault Trooper but not your Heavy until you level up the Heavy Trooper further.

Q.) Will you have level caps in the new system?
A.) Yes. Initially, trooper Classes will be capped at 70, while heroes, starfighters, and hero starfighters will be capped at 40. The Armor, Speeder, Enforcer, and Aerial classes will be capped at 30. But even if you cap out your unit, you can still earn credits when you increase your Player Rank.

Q.) Why are there different level caps for different groups of characters in the new system?
A.) The caps are set to guarantee that you will be able to earn the amount of Skill Points needed to take every Star Card in that class to Epic. Since each unit differ in the amount of Star Cards they have in their collection, that leads to different level caps as well.

Q.) How many Skill Points can I earn with any given Unit?
A.) Exactly the amount needed to take every Star Card available to that Unit to Epic.

Q.) Why is the level cap for Trooper set to 70?
A.) A Trooper starts the game at Unit Level 1, and has 17 Star Cards. To take one Star Card to Epic requires four Skill Points, so you would need 68 Skill Points in total to take your entire collection to Epic as Assault. 68 + the 1 as your starting level = Unit Level 69. We then add 1 "padding level" from 69 to 70 to even out the numbers.

Q.) What happens when I go from Assault level 69 to 70, since I don't need that level to earn more Skill Points?
A.) While going from Unit Level 1 to 69 will gain you 1 Skill Point each, going from 69 to 70 will net you 1000 Credits instead.

Q.) What should I do if I get excess Skill Points?
A.) You will not be able to get any excess Skill Points in the new system. You will only be able to gain the amount needed to take all Star Cards within that Unit's progression to Epic.

Q.) What will happen with the Milestones that currently reward Star Cards?
A.) The rewards for these Milestones will change from Star Cards to Credits and Cosmetics, such as Emotes and Victory poses.

Q.) What will happen with the cosmetic rewards that are currently handed out for reaching a certain Card Level?
A.) The old concept of Star Card Level will no longer be used, any such rewards (e.g. emotes and victory poses) will be earned in other ways.

Q.) What can Credits be used for?
A.) In April, the next part of our progression update will allow you to use your Credits to unlock Appearances for your heroes and troopers. With this specific update, you will not be unlocking anything with your Credits, so we encourage players earning Credits to continue to do so and save them for all the customizations coming out in April.

Q.) Will I still use Credits to unlock Heroes and Hero Starfighters?
A.) With our Progression Update, we will be unlocking all currently available heroes and Hero ships for all Players. When new heroes and Hero ships are introduced to the game they will be unlocked with Credits.

Q.) What happened to the daily login Crates?
A.) Since Star Cards are now available through progression, we have set the Daily Login reward to 500 Credits.

Q.) How will I unlock Emotes and Victory Poses?
A.) As of this update, Emotes and Victory Poses will be unlocked through Timed Challenges and Milestones.

Q.) What is the difference between Credits, Crystals, and Parts?
A.) With our Progression Update, we are temporarily turning off the economies related to these three currencies. With an update in April, Credits (which are earned through gameplay) will unlock Appearances for your heroes and troopers. That update will also allow you to purchase Crystals, which can also be used to unlock Appearances through direct monetary purchase. Parts are going to be taken out of the game entirely, and a future update will allow you to convert these into Skill Points.

Q.) Are Crystals returning? What will they be used for?
A.) Crystals will return in April, and will be used to unlock Appearances that players can select. They will not be able to be spent on anything that impacts gameplay, like Star Cards or weapons.

Q.) How will I get Crystals?
A.) In April, we will re-enable the ability to purchase Crystals via an updated monetization system. You will also continue to receive some Crystals through in-game Milestones.

Q.) Are Crates still in the game?
A.) Yes, however, with the Progression Update, Crates can no longer be purchased. They are earned by logging in daily, completing Milestones, and through Timed Challenges. Inside crates, you'll find Credits or cosmetic items, but nothing that impacts gameplay.

Q.) What Appearances will be available in April?
A.) We will announce which appearances will be available in the coming weeks.

Q.) Will I earn Credits or Skill Points in Arcade?
A.) With the Progression Update, you will continue to be able to earn Credits, up to 1,500 per day, by playing Arcade. Skill Points can only be earned in multiplayer, linked to the Unit you play as.

Q.) Do you have any plans to change rewards from Arcade?
A.) All Star Cards and Weapons are going to be unlocked, at the Epic level, in Arcade mode so you can try out the best combinations and help you identify how you want to spend your Skill Points. You'll still be able to progress across Challenges, Milestones, and difficulty tiers in Arcade, and you'll also be able to earn 1500 credits per day.

Q.) When will microtransactions/monetization come back?
A.) We are currently targeting April to turn on a revamped microtransactions system. More details to come.
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It will be interesting to see if they can make a Rainbow 6 Siege level of a turnaround, but I doubt it.
 
Hamster Plugin

Hamster Plugin

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Oct 25, 2017
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You'll keep everything you've already earned and unlocked. You will keep all of the Star Cards, heroes, weapons, or anything else you have already earned. What you have earned will still be available to use with this update regardless of how much or little progress you have already made.
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Not sure if this is a good thing. It still gives an advantage to those who got lucky in the RNG system that was previously in place. It would be nice if they could somehow take your stats and retroactively apply them into XP and challenge progression.
 
Decarb

Decarb

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The Omega Man said:
I bet they always had this as plan B, but they went with the greedy plan A first to see if people would put up with it.
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If they did that's one hell of an execution time delay of plan B since the game launch.

Alienous said:
As I understand it.

> No gameplay related items in crates (lootboxes) - only credits and cosmetics.
> Can't use paid currency (crystals) to buy crates.
> Can only use crystals to directly buy cosmetics.

Seems great. I do wonder how the free DLC plans will change - they must, right?
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Paid currency crystals coming next month but looks like it'll only include cosmetics.
 

Deleted member 6263

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Good to hear, I've been meaning to buy Battlefront II because it's always seems to be on sale. This gives me good reason to check it out now.
 
Gxgear

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Get ready for pink Vader, the EA execs' worst nightmare. Maybe a Black Friday/Christmas game for me now, up from never ever.
 
GarthLordOfTheSith

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Great change, but it should've launched this way. It's amazing that they found a way to fuck up Battlefront twice in a row. (EA Battlefront and EA Battlefront 2)
 
Dorfdad

Dorfdad

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Not sure it will matter honestly the games been tarnished and the player count has suffered.
 

Deleted member 8593

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Probably too late to turn the game around but this system should be their model going forward.

If they get to keep the license, that is.
 
Alienous

Alienous

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9,598
Patitoloco said:
I think these are good changes (it's basically the recent COD style).
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It's actually a lot better than recent Call of Duty's, based on their description of the system.

In Call of Duty lootboxes contain gameplay altering items (such as DLC weapons). And you can use a paid premium currency to buy those lootboxes.

In Battlefront 2's new progression system lootboxes no longer contain gameplay altering items (just credits and cosmetics). And you can't use a paid premium currency to buy those lootboxes (so you can't gamble) - it seems you can either earn lootboxes, or directly buy the cosmetics you want with real money.

It could be the least scummy implementation of microtransactions in a AAA shooter, even considering Overwatch.
 
Novel Mike

Novel Mike

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Oct 25, 2017
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This is clearly what the fucking progression system should have been from the start, its good that they changed it but far to late for me or likely many people to really care. We'll see if EA backs the fuck off with the next few games before I ever think about giving them my money again.
 
ArmsofSleep

ArmsofSleep

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This is the only method that makes sense. Overwatch has proved that as long as money can only buy cosmetics, you can do all sorts of crazy stuff and people won't care.
 
Zoid

Zoid

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Oct 27, 2017
2,335
Sounds fantastic.

Q.) What happens with Parts?
A.) As of the Progression Update, Parts will no longer be awarded. You will keep your current balance, and in April you will be able to convert parts into Skill Points (at 40 Parts per Skill Point). Player's Parts totals will be rounded up so that players will not be left with unusable Parts.
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I'm glad after getting all the cards I wanted I've been saving up my parts and credits for the last few months. I'm pretty much set from here on out.
 
Vinc

Vinc

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Oct 25, 2017
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That sounds good. Might jump back in. I hope this makes progression less confusing and laborious. Honestly, I kinda wish there was no progression at all. 1's simplicity was what drew me to it initially.
 
Gestault

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I hope this all comes together with these changes. This sounds like the kind of 180 you always hope for when a game has this degree of problems, but it also puts them on perilous grounds if they test people's trust. Fingers crossed.

Alienous said:
It could be the least scummy implementation of microtransactions in a AAA shooter, even above Overwatch.
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Let's not put the cart before the horse.
 

Deleted member 135

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Gestault said:
I hope this all comes together with these changes. This sounds like the kind of 180 you always hope for when a game has this degree of problems, but it also puts them on perilous grounds if they test people's trust. Fingers crossed.



Let's not put the cart before the horse.
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I mean by definition it is. Unless I've missed something you can only get cosmetics in crates in Overwatch and crates can be purchased with real money.

In the new system in SWBFII you can unlock cosmetics with in game credits, real money crystals, or by getting a crate as a reward for a challenge. The big difference being that you can't buy crates in any way whatsoever.

That's actually not scummy at all, compared to any game that lets you buy lootboxes with real money, which is always fucking scummy .
 
Sloppyjoe_Gamer

Sloppyjoe_Gamer

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Russell said:
Its already dead
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Actually it isn't at all. Despite the initial bullshit and how it's still pretty whacked, the game is quite fun....not to mention there is still quite the number of people that play multiplayer daily (on PS4 at least...cant comment on the other platforms as i don't play those). Far from dead.

This new progression system sounds great, can't wait to try it out next week!
 
Gestault

Gestault

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SG-17 said:
I mean by definition it is. Unless I've missed something you can only get cosmetics in crates in Overwatch and crates can be purchased with real money.

In the new system in SWBFII you can unlock cosmetics with in game credits, real money crystals, or by getting a crate as a reward for a challenge. The big difference being that you can't buy crates in any way whatsoever.

That's actually not scummy at all, compared to any game that lets you buy lootboxes with real money, which is always fucking scummy .
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I'll be convinced when I see the balance. Wasting time can end up being worse than wasting money. Anyone declaring "this is the best implementation!" before seeing it in the wild is assuming a lot. I'm as worried about fun as I am how scummy it is. It's the same way a loot-box setup even for games with zero links to real-world money can be fun/engaging or boring/laborious.
 
Demacabre

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Legit impressed. This is actually the way to do it and monetize your game. Real money only goes to direct sales of cosmetic items and not the mechanic tied to a game of chance. Never thought I would say that about BF2.
 
goldenageoftelevision

goldenageoftelevision

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pretty smart of EA to post this on a friday afternoon, when most journalists etc are getting ready to go home for the weekend
 
Ap3x

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This is awesome, never thought the changed would be that good.
I have to admit, I bought the game 2 - 3 weeks after launch, and had my fair share of fun with it.
But after around 25-30 hours, I had enoughe of it, but now, it seems like I have to go back again.
 

Cap G

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Oct 27, 2017
2,488
Goodbye pay to win

Hello grinding

SG-17 said:
I mean by definition it is. Unless I've missed something you can only get cosmetics in crates in Overwatch and crates can be purchased with real money.

In the new system in SWBFII you can unlock cosmetics with in game credits, real money crystals, or by getting a crate as a reward for a challenge. The big difference being that you can't buy crates in any way whatsoever.

That's actually not scummy at all, compared to any game that lets you buy lootboxes with real money, which is always fucking scummy .
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How isnt it scummy? Progression, as in whether or not my character can do more damage, have more health, have shorter cooldowns, is still determined entirely randomly.

You got unlucky with your crates? Sorry, you are useless, I have all purples and I am an untouchable golden god. The upgrade system itself is just fucked at its core. It still wont remove the built in asshurt you feel when you get blown the fuck out by someone who is using all purps.
 
Lord Brady

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I might give Anthem a shot now, but I'll never give EA with a single penny for BF2. Not going to reward them for being forced to do the right thing.
 

Deleted member 5764

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Really glad that they took the effort to make this change! I was really bummed by the confusing system at launch, and stopped playing as a result. Now I'll definitely go back in as I own the game anyway.
 
Hentailover

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Cap G said:
Goodbye pay to win

Hello grinding
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I mean, grind is always a part of progression based multiplayer games. Cuz when you stop earning stuff, there's a huge chance you stop playing. It's not an old school PC multiplayer shooter focused on pure competitive aspect with no global progression system.


Now, in regards to the issue, this is nice. The system is actually really nice all around, but it still makes me wonder. Is supporting them now going to show we approve of this and will be willing to reward more fair and consumer friendly practices? or will it just show that you can try anything you want and then just backpedal if it didn't work?
Plus, it's not like the game sold poorly anyway...
 
sleepInsom

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Does this mean all hero characters are now unlocked? I've been focusing my credits unlocking them, but I don't have them all since I stopped playing.
 
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