H1Z1, launched in Early Access yesterday, has PR problems. Many veterans and newcomers are now complaining about a supposed Pay2Win element, the Air Drops. At SOE, they feel unjustly criticized, but promise some changes.
With the release of a game like H1Z1, things can be tricky. “Zombie shooter” or “Survival” games are a big deal. These are words that catch many people’s attention. The genre is hot and attracts a lot of interest.
The MMO “H1Z1” has flown under the radar until now. That changed with Early Access. Many genre fans saw it for the first time in a stream yesterday or heard about it. “A game like DayZ, but finally from a big studio like Sony, who can actually finish it!” that’s more or less how it’s described in one sentence.
After a rough start, difficulties are now becoming apparent. Players feel betrayed by Sony Online Entertainment. The bone of contention is the Air Drops, orderable airdrops.
Aside from the fact that many genre fans consider such things a sin against genre conventions: “How can the world be in ruins if there are still airplanes flying?”, there are also reservations in game design against this element.
Players say: Airdrops provide advantages!
A player can request a plane for $5, which drops a crate in an area. This crate may contain ammunition and weapons. Such a transaction “money for items that benefit players directly” falls for many gamers under the frowned-upon “Pay2Win” principle, through which players with looser wallets can buy advantages. Especially in a survival game, this does not sit well with many.
These “fears” were already raised in advance. SOE has repeatedly vehemently denied them. Did H1Z1 then transgress its own principles?
SOE says: Airdrops create chaos!
At SOE, they see things a bit differently. They repeatedly emphasize, even beforehand, that players can request this airdrop and that there will be gear in it. However, it is by no means guaranteed that the player requesting it will actually receive it.
John Smedley, the president of SOE (a team that has more to do with Everquest than with the Playstation), sees the airdrops much more as an “element of chaos.” One pays $5 to create excitement and action on the server.
Furthermore, they never concealed the airdrop feature. Five months ago, they introduced the feature at SOE Live and showcased it in streams afterward. The criticism that is now arising is something Smedley visibly considers unjust.
Airdrops are not Pay2Win because …
He points out that airdrops are not Pay2Win for him because
- they can only be called in when the server is at least a quarter full (so no: I order it at night when I am alone).
- the contents of the airdrop are unpredictable.
- an airdrop guarantees a lot of attention from the zombies.
- other players will also notice it since the plane flies extra slow and loud.
- it is not guaranteed that the player who orders the airdrop will even receive an item.
However, Smedley admits that the term Pay2Win is extremely difficult to define. For him and the team at SOE, the mechanics do not constitute Pay2Win. He has found it tedious to argue about the term Pay2Win. Anyone who sees it as Pay2Win must simply stay away from the Early Access of H1Z1.
But we are still working on fine-tuning
However, Smedley also acknowledges weaknesses in the current system. Therefore, they will:
- further increase the radius of airdrops, which is currently too narrow.
- significantly reduce the likelihood of weapons being dropped.
- set the minimum of players on the server to at least 100 instead of 50 before airdrops are possible. (which would likely confirm a server size of 200).
- and they want to make the plane fly even slower.
The atmosphere between the gaming industry and players is tense
Mein MMO says: The problem is, in our view, that the overall mood between players and developers is currently at a low point, especially regarding monetization. Players have zero trust in developers at the moment and smell fraud, usury, and exploitation at every corner. This is not groundless paranoia that has formed, but more of a “burned child fears the fire” story.
SOE and H1Z1 are partly suffering the consequences of what other games and companies with dubious monetization schemes have messed up.
However, to scream after 12 hours that this system is the worst, without having really seen it in action or looked at what it actually does, is exaggerated.
It is clear: This “chaos element” has always been emphasized by SOE. Four and a half months ago, it was already a topic and discussed. To say that they have concealed anything isn’t entirely correct.
Apparently, the airdrops in Early Access are not yet “100%” as they should be. However, that’s probably not another part of the game.
Smedley’s statements are clear: If a server needs to be half full for an airdrop, that the drop location is truly random and spreads over a large area, then it sounds like an interesting element of chaos and not necessarily Pay2Win.
Of course: H1Z1 has some difficulties. Many of these difficulties stem from the fact that genre fans have very specific ideas about how the perfect apocalypse should look. And airdrops simply do not fit into that.
