DCUO in the Post RB Era

Considering Progression and Monetization: DCUO in the Post Replay Badge Era

Warning: Very long post

The current DCUO model is a subscription hybrid that offers both a premium and free to play (F2P) option. I believe that this model can be more profitable and offer a better player experience with some alterations to player limitations, monetization and progression.

Problems with the current business model
- - Players are spending money as a negative response to pay walls
- - Players are spending money as a negative response to player restrictions
- - Players are abusing replay badges as a negative response to progression limitations
- - Replay badges are influencing content design

Problems with the current progression system
- - One dimensional gear grind
- - An optimal set of gear requires replay badges
- - Content cycles are leading to player burn out
- - Progression is limited by pay walls

Goals
- - Create a healthier end game with better progression
- - Improve content quality
- - Reduce burnout
- - Improve population
- - Eliminate sub-optimal business practices
- - Create positive reasons to spend money on the game
- - Improve the player experience

Keys to Success
Don’t Sell Power – Currently it is impossible to obtain a complete set of the best gear without using replay badges.
Don’t Divide the Player Base – F2P players only have access to lower tiers of content which separates them from the profitable portion of the community.
Leagues – It has been proven through metrics in other MMOs that player retention skyrockets when they form in game relationships with other players.

My vision for improving the current business model and end game experience revolves around these key changes.
- - Free content for all players
- - Changes to subscription benefits
- - Changes to F2P and premium restrictions
- - Removal of replay badges
- - Marketplace improvements
- - League improvements
- - Changes to the progression system

Alternative Progression System
**Very much open to suggestions**

Gear
- - The best gear should be bought from a vendor with marks earned in elite content
- - Hard loot locks should be removed from end game content
- - Diminishing returns should be applied to marks earned for repeating content
- - Soft resets will allow content to reward full marks
- - Soft reset frequency: solo/duo/alerts are daily. All raids are weekly
- “Gear to raid” should be the main philosophy vs “raid to gear” – Inspiration should be taken from DLC 7 progression with the addition of normal and elite versions that appeal to the entire community.
- - Previous tier < drop Gear < normal vendor < elite vendor

The purpose of diminishing returns is that it slows progression, but doesn’t put a hard cap on it. It allows hardcore players to grind hard to stay ahead of the curve. But it also allows more casual players to keep up and use their time in ways that are most valuable to them.

Without replay badges influencing content design this allows for more content variety. Easy/difficult, big group/small group, instance/open world. Making content more engaging will keep players in game. This also encourages more inclusion of support roles.

XP Based progression (WIP)
We already have a passive system for statistical increases through skill points, so I feel an item based leveling system would serve to provide an alternate progression. This would involve adding an additional gear, weapon or jewelry slot. The goal here is to get players out of the latest raid and back into older content or open world areas.

Example: Wayne Tech Weapons or Luthorcorp Artillery
- - Item stats gradually become more powerful by earning XP
- - Separate items for all roles: pure defense, pure health, health/def, pure restoration, pure vitalization, pure might, pure precision, prec/might, resto/might, resto/prec, etc.
- - XP can be earned through all content
- - Lower XP from old content
- - Diminishing returns on XP to slow progress
- - Daily soft reset on DR
- - Hard cap at a certain stat %
- - New editions of these items would be available with each new tier

Items should be earned with a new currency by doing specific alternative content
-
Mentor bounties: Kill X amount of this enemy, complete X amount of mist/lightning strikes/classic bounties, complete specific mission in Gotham Wasteland, etc. Similar to the mission system added in hand of fate.
- Queue Roulette: Requires the addition of a roulette system that adds the player to the group that has been waiting the longest. Mark received upon completion of the instance.
- Daily/weekly checklist: Complete X solo, duo, alert and raid.
- Heroic Content Rotation: Old content should be brought back at a challenging difficulty through either proper tuning or level syncing. This should offer the most marks.

League Improvements
Metrics in other games have proven that being involved in a league/guild/clan dramatically improves player retention. People are more likely to play if they have friends who are playing. There is a proven correlation between social interaction and money spent while in game. This all helps to improve the player experience.
-
League finder - In game way of advertising that your league is looking for new members. Should include what kind of content the league is focused on, type of players they are looking for, league size and a short description written by the league.
-
League Feats – Exactly like regular feats, except they are completed either as a league or by contributions from individual league members. Complete X raid with a full league run. Kill X boss X amount of times. Complete X amount of duos, alerts, raids, bounties, etc. Giving league members a common goal helps to build comradery, and make individual members feel valuable.
-
League Achievement Score – League feats should contribute to a public overall score and private individual scores based on individual contribution. This would be advertised in the league finder.
-
League Hall Amenities – Every amenity should be made available. I understand the restrictions were put in place to maintain active hub populations, but this only serves to artificially inflate the perception of game population. Creating an actual population increase coupled with alternative reasons to leave the hall are much better for the game.
- Leaderboards – There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. Leagues could compete on prestige gained. These would reset weekly/monthly.

Monetization

Revised Subscription Model
The main focus of revising the payment model is to consolidate the player base. The dedicated veterans of DCUO spend very little time interacting with F2P and premium players because they spend the vast majority of their time in content that isn’t available to them.

By opening up access to content to all players you increase the amount of time free players invest in the game. By allowing them to progress farther you increase the chances of them forming an attachment to their character, forming relationships with other players, and enjoying the game. It has been proven by metrics in other MMOs that increasing the time and enjoyment free players spend in game will exponentially increases the likelihood of them spending money on the game.
Bottom line: You have to be okay with people playing a F2P game for free.

Advantages
- - Larger player base
- - Shorter queue times
- - Will result in more premium players and full subscribers
- - Free players will interact with more paying players and adopt their habits
- - New players won’t become frustrated by a hard progression cap
- - New players won’t become frustrated by pay walls on available content
- - New players will have much greater value to leagues

Free to play
- - Limited bag and bank space
- - Cash cap limiting access to in game economy but not repairs or crafting
- - Much quicker diminishing returns on end game currency
- - Limited access to League hall amenities and benefits
- - Limited access to Base amenities and higher rents
- - Access to all end game currency
- - End game progression should feel slow but not impossible

Premium
- - Small improvement on diminishing returns
- - Small cash cap increase
- - Full access to league hall benefits
- - Access to all end game currency
- - Progression should feel much better than F2P but far inferior to a subscription

Full Subscriber
- Removal of the additional diminishing returns
- Removal of cash cap
- Removal of all league hall and base restrictions
- Loyalty points
- (New) Login rewards: small daily gifts for logging in that consist of cosmetics, consumables, etc.


Marketplace Overhaul
The removal of replay badges will leave a revue gap that needs to be addressed in order for any of these changes to be viable. The goal is to offer items that players actually want to buy. They should feel happy about supporting the game. “Fun Pain” is a tactic that puts players in an uncomfortable or undesirable situation that can be remedied by making a purchase. This needs to be avoided at all costs. Players should spend money to pursue something positive instead of avoiding something negative.

Without RB’s to detract from the communities’ expendable income, they will have more to spend on cosmetics, bundles and consumables.

Styles
Customization is something that every player wants whether they have been playing for an hour or five years. Cosmetics are items that new players are more likely to feel comfortable spending money on. It has been mentioned that creating new styles takes a fair amount of resources but it’s a good thing they have been working on it since the games inception.

**I propose that all existing styles should be added to the MP**
- - This gives new players access to a ton of customization
- - These items would not contribute to feats
- - These styles would still be obtainable in game through playing
- - This would exclude booster bundle items, limited time exclusives and SM rewards
- - This should include weapon styles, iconics and regular lockbox styles
- - MP styles would be account bound and not tradeable

I also think that all new styles should only be available through the MP. This is a necessary evil in order to help monetize the game and allow for free content.

Booster Bundles
Lotto boxes have quickly become commonplace in MMOs. If they come with a currency that allows the player to eventually purchase their desired item then it reduces manipulation through RNG. To remain profitable they must be fair or players will avoid them. These should be added much more frequently.

Items to include
- - Auras
- - Iconics
- - Legends skins
- - Consumables
- - Exclusive styles
- - Trinkets
- - Toys
- - Base Items
- - Holiday exclusives
- - Pretty much anything you can sell on the MP

Consumables (WIP)
- - XP boost for accelerating legendary item leveling: Great for altaholics.
- - Mark yield boost for old content: Good for helping new players catch up. Would not apply to the most recent tier. Could offset diminishing returns for F2P and premiums who don’t want to subscribe.

Conclusion
Yes I understand these changes would be completely game changing. I also understand that it’s risky from a business perspective and that it would require a significant time investment from the dev team. I absolutely believe that these changes would benefit the entire community and become much more profitable for DBG long term. Most of these ideas are borrowed from other successful games and I think that’s a good thing. Innovation can be risky (WM/AM) but these ideas have been proven to work by other companies and they can work in DCUO.

Admittedly I have been away from the game for a while, but I clearly care and want to see the game succeed. My pulse on the community and current in game situations may be a little out of date, so please help me improve this model in hopes of significant change. Everything is open to change.

TLDR
- Current business model can be improved
- Current progression system can be improved
- Monetization can be improved
- Improve leagues
- Remove Replay Badges
- All content should be free
- Revamp subscription options
- Overhaul the Marketplace
- Add all existing styles to the MP
- More booster bundles

Roflmao.

Community Suggestions

Marketplace
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/in-game-items-u-want-in-the-marketplace.269767/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/crazy-idea-time-improving-the-marketplace-some-suggestions.269256/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/the-marketplace-whats-overpriced-whats-missing.264158/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/would-marketplace-emotes-work-for-you.263022/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/marketplace-ideas.259606/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/devs-any-plans-to-add-cosmetics-to-the-marketplace.259526/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/more-dc-collaboration-but-for-marketplace-styles.259036/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/the-marketplace.256891/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/marketplace-vanity-item-suggestion-iconic-gear-displays.256538/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/why-are-marketplace-prices-never-revisted.254277/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/marketplace-what-opens-your-wallet.253363/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/biggest-issue-with-the-marketplace-it-doesnt-capitalize-on-the-dc-ip.253224/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/i-think-the-marketplace-could-be-better.251082/#post-3233755
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/any-future-plans-for-the-marketplace-lockboxes.249902/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/marketplace.248279/

Booster bundle
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/which-new-aura-you-want-to-see-for-the-next-booster-bundle.272031/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/take-my-money-please-want-a-new-booster-bundle.271282/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/booster-bundle.271064/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/sooo-about-the-booster-bundle.270548/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/new-booster-bundle-pack-when.270412/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/can-we-have-a-quicker-booster-bundle-cycle.264594/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/still-no-bat-aura-out-of-booster-bundle-crying-shame.258472/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/devs-new-booster-bundle-tip.238367/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/booster-bundles-what-if-they-gave-iconic-styles.265713/
Misc
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/what-would-get-you-to-spend-more-money-on-this-game.259626/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/iconic-emblems-take-my-money.263841/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/make-them-some-money.253255/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/nerd-theory-shut-up-and-take-our-money.234513/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/take-my-money-im-throwing-it-at-the-screen.226354/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/power-skins.265336/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/should-excisting-legends-skins-be-sold.234211/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/sidekicks-with-alts-skins.226223/
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/can-we-get-new-iconic-drops.268692/

I kinda skimmed but this is pretty well thought- out.

I think they should limit gear earned from the newest instance to weekly. This way in a month, you would have gained all four of the pieces offered in that episode. This is of course only if RB were removed.(except for style and feat unlocks which they could then be re-named appropriately.)

Replay badges are the only thing keeping this game alive. Removing replays will be pulling the plug on the life of the game.

Interesting... I'm not sold yet but I'm going to keep an eye on this.

TLDR

If only, I don't personally support anything that say elite, I feel it's only a tool to segregate the playerbase and makes good players feel as if they aren't good enough, but the way you put it just means you have to put in the time to do the content. However if I still need drop gear then RNG will take over and make replay badges needed since we know how bad RNG is on the game, in fact if RNG wasn't so bad we wouldn't need replay badges, but until that's fixed I don't see how we can get rid of them. I rather have an upgrade system instead, you buy the gear in basic mode, and by doing content you get upgrade components, which combined with R&D vendor items you upgrade that gear to the highest level. The amount it takes to upgrade depends on what you do, with solos being the lowest to raids the highest, in the end it can take you a month to upgrade 1 piece of gear, or a month to upgrade 3, depends on what you do.

This is what I thought they were gonna do with the crafting system.

I don't even think we should call it crafting system, it's just a delayed loot drop, if you told me I could make something better than what drops then ok, but being the same gear for more work it's not really a crafting system. In other MMos you have drops, vendor and crafting, each with it's own level and use, but here it's pretty much the same (to the point that you can do PVP with PVE) so why even call it crafting if it's the same gear anyway.

Your post has a lot of statements like "Change this" or "Improve this" that don't actually provide any ways to actually accomplish it. We are all aware of the issues, but if you want to include it in your revolution-post I would also elaborate on your point. Otherwise it's just an empty argument.

Enough already. Replay badges are here to stay. Its a business. Its hard to believe that a company backed by an investment company hasn't already runs tons of models to maximize profit. Nothing posted on an internet forum is going to be adopted as a business model for the company. The people associated with the company that would even need to see the idea, never will, because they don't come to the game forums for financial advice. Get on board or swim back to shore. this ship has sailed.

I agree with you and well made thread.
The progression, rewards, the contents, some things should change.

Like the annoying fotm disrespecting the hard players who worked hard to get there and to be beaten so easy. Such a shame the devs did this.

Why the game have to be only rewarding at the end? Why they don,t make the WHOLE game matter. Slow down the progression. Make the players feel they are getting stronger over time. It takes time, don't give them everything in a golden plate. They will just get bored, come here, whine and ask for more when they could have a lot to do in game. Seriously, I hope the game designers and everyone at daybreak realize that this is a MMO. Players must level up, get rewards, skill points, gear up and feel the progression as they get stronger and go to bigger contents. But not in a week!!!! Why you don't all do what you do for end game throughout the whole game!

Agreed. It was an attempt at offering a summary of intent at the top as well as in the tldr. I feel I explored most of those points in the meat of the post though. Nobody wants to read a novel on a forum lol. Especially one that seems this outlandish.

I really hate the primium cash cap i have spent sooo much money on this game and i should have full access to my cash

Agreed. I'm legendary but premium should get more.