Monday, 4 May 2015

Laying the keel of my watertight plan.


When it comes to acquiring premium ships, I hope to remember the lessons I have learned from playing WarGaming's previous titles. However, I am prepared for relapses in judgement.


One of the main reasons I got into World of Tanks was for this tank; the Canadian built, but never used in combat, Ram II. Sitting at tier V, it is a very capable vehicle, that still serves my pleasure to this very day. Even back then, I took my time to climb up to the same tier that was on par with the premium vehicle that I wanted, before purchasing it. I ran my American tier V M4 Sherman a lot before making the Ram purchase. I followed that same pattern though all the nations, until a short while ago.

 Then, I pulled a "noob move". I have a SU-122-44, a Soviet tier VII premium tank destroyer, along with a British AT-15a, a premium tank destroyer of the same tier. I haven't reached that high in either tech tree for the same class vehicle. So, why did I change things up? My simple answer, efficiency.

Despite being a statistically below average player, I believed I had acquired enough experience to play both of those higher tiered examples, without being a severe hindrance to the teams I am placed on. While the jury is still out on the wisdom of that decision, the higher potentials for earning increased credits and crew experience are the rewards, bad choice or not.


During the testing phase of World of Warplanes, I repeated the cycle again. Experimenting with the different aircraft, their flight models and learning their strengths and weaknesses. However, unlike Tanks, I was in a very unique position to earn a few extra premium aircraft along the way. While I did collect a few lower tiered premium light tanks for promotional codes and special events, with Planes, I could earn and buy on that would be carried over to when the game launched from the final testing phase.

With the use of earned tokens, I collected a premium tier III American Fighter, the F2A-1 Buffalo. As an Open Beta tester, I completed the required 700 battles to receive a premium tier II Soviet Attack Aircraft Pegasus. I knew then I would pursue the Soviet GA line and purchased the pre-order, premium tier III BSh-1. In the end, it all worked out since the above screenshot was from the opening day of release. Once again, I collected more lower tiered aircraft from event and special occasions.

But, somewhere along the way, I started to buy more premium ingame items that I just don't use much, if ever. In both Tanks and Planes, I ventured away from the stuff I liked and was reasonably good with, into the unknown realms of experimentation and mixed results. I would purchase premium tanks and aircraft to compensate for my poor performance, believing the have better trained crews would be the answer to most of my problems.

In other words, I fell into a very carefully laid trap. Part of me knew, the other part is still giving me facepalms to this day. I don't mind spending a little extra, here and there, to buy what I think I need, just to find out I am not compatible with it, the playstyle or the environment. It's a part of the free-to-play system. My few dollars means that somebody, out there somewhere, doesn't have to pay. I am fine with that.

On the flip side, the facepalms is for the fact I took me so long to see this pattern that developed, right in front of my eyes. With World of Warships, I have decided to take another approach, but nothing too radical from what I have done before.


I will continue to pursue the Destroyer lines of all the nations that have them. I have already crossed over the tier V/VI threshold on the American line and closing in on tier V for the Japanese. I have no doubt I will purchase a few at a later date. The purchased pre-order Gremyashchiy will defiantly help with a future Soviet Destroyer line. But, I am also looking at the possibility that Destroyers will be offered as gifts on special occasions....


....like as seen on Tanks, or Mission rewards....


....in Planes. Perhaps, select Cruisers might make the rotation of gifts/rewards as well. Plus, I will wait to see if I qualify for the Closed Beta tester reward ship, whatever that will finally be....

So, the long and short of it is this, I want to curb my impulse buying when it comes to ingame items and take advantage of the offers for earning them or collecting promotional codes, to save myself from spending my way towards making expensive mistakes.

Does that make cents?

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