Current EX Difficulty is a Correct Business Decision by SE

[Auteur]

Playing the long view and looking at what's best for the health of the game, I contend SE is making correct business decisions by having Susano and Lakshimi EX at their current difficulty. The significant amount of damage caused to the player base, server populations, and financials caused by pre-A9S is going to take time, maybe a full year at least, to mitigate. Consequently, SE has to keep content pared down to encourage new/rusty returning players to come back and rebuild the sub base.

The self-proclaimed "top 10%" or hardcores need to understand the basic economics of sub-based vs F2p: Sub is all about quantity because an "expert's" $15 is worth the same as the sub of a noob, also $15. This is in contrast to F2P MMOs where the devs can effectively monetize and milk individual hardcore players; that hardcore will spend $10k to stay on top and subsidize many other F2P players. I encourage folks to read this article by Richard Garfield, creator of MTG, on "skinnerware" and the exploitative logic of F2P mmos: https://m.facebook.com/notes/richard...49168888532667.

Consequently, SE has to engage in mass appeal; it's the correct business decision. The thing about WoW, and how Blizzard can tinker with PvE, is because Blizzard has captured a unique PvP niche in the market: PvP players who realize how exploitative F2P MMOs are, so they will instead pay a sub to PvP. This should be not be underestimated, since Blizzard can rely on these PvP folks to effectively mitigate/subsidize any losses caused by PvE experimentation. SE doesn't have that benefit (SE has never prioritized PvP), so they have to play it safe with PvE for some time.

Another economic example: SE could focus on making hardcore content to retain lets say, 200k subs at an average of 5 months each. Or SE could focus on mass appeal and get lets say, 800k subs for 1 month each. One might thing, "oh wow appealing to hardcores gets the equivalent of 1 million subs x $15, so $15 mil, that's greater than 800k x $15 (12 mil), so SE should appeal to hardcore players." WRONG! You would be forgetting one crucial detail: You must factor in sales of the expansion pack too! That's where it becomes clear that it makes more business sense to appeal to a wide audience rather than "hardcores." When you factor in X-pac purchases at, lets say, $40 each, the math becomes as follows:

Hardcores: $15 mil in sub revenue + (200k * 40 ) = $23 mil

Mass Appeal: $12 mil in sub revenue + (800k * 40) = $12 mil + $32 mil (!) in X-Pac revenue = $44 mil.

Crushed by nearly 2:1. SE stands much more to gain by getting as many people as possible to try the game - and buy all the X-pacs - even if they ultimately only sub for one month. The marginal benefit from trying to appeal to a select minority of players to get to "keep their sub" is just not there.

[Driavna]

Uh? Both extreme primals are more "simple" than others because this is the beginning of the expansion, the difficulty will ramp up and more "you fail you wipe" mechanics will be introduced.

[AxlStream]

I mean.... Remember how we could all destroy Ravana EX and Bismark EX before Thordan EX showed up? Guess which EX is gonna mop the floor with us for a while as soon as it's patched in. Consider these 2 easy EXs as a gift to the masses, the next ones won't be so kind as I don't think we'll get another Sophia EX level of difficulty.

[Lunafreya]

Uh? Both extreme primals are more "simple" than others because this is the beginning of the expansion, the difficulty will ramp up and more "you fail you wipe" mechanics will be introduced.

Let's hope that happens because Ravana and even Bismarck are more challenging than Lakshmi and Susano. I'm super disappointed in Lakshmi being a repetitive fight. Without the vril mechanic it would have been super more interesting, perhaps or make vril last 10 seconds... not almost a minute.

[Greedalox]

I mean.... Remember how we could all destroy Ravana EX and Bismark EX before Thordan EX showed up? Guess which EX is gonna mop the floor with us for a while as soon as it's patched in. Consider these 2 easy EXs as a gift to the masses, the next ones won't be so kind as I don't think we'll get another Sophia EX level of difficulty.

I recall there being a claim from Yoshi P that they'd never make a primal fight as hard as Thordan EX.

[FateAudax]

Here's to hoping for a Royal Menagerie EX.

Susan gives weapon.
Lakshmi gives right side.
We still lack left side.

[Masekase_Hurricane]

Here's to hoping for a Royal Menagerie EX.

Susan gives weapon.
Lakshmi gives right side.
We still lack left side.

I thought it was confirmed that royal managerie was going to be the next EX?

[FateAudax]

I thought it was confirmed that royal managerie was going to be the next EX

Sorry, returning player here. I'm not quite up-to-date with the news. If it is, then it'll be something I'll look forward to

The NM version was fun but didn't have any incentive of redoing it after completion.

[Ragnhar]

I personally believe that this two EX primal where easy to let people get used to the class changes.

[Baci]

Here's to hoping for a Royal Menagerie EX.

Susan gives weapon.
Lakshmi gives right side.
We still lack left side.

Primals dont drop left side gear