So, I Just Spent $20 on Dirty Bomb

(ShotgunRagtime) #1

Well, almost $20. It was $19.48, to be exact :expressionless:

This was the first time I’ve ever spent money on a F2P game. I’ve simply never played another F2P game that I’ve actually enjoyed enough to spend money on, despite the fact that I’ve played many. So, right off the bat this should be a good indicator of how I feel towards DB.

My primary motivation for spending some cash was not for what I knew I would get, but rather to support development and because I believe in paying people for a job-well-done.

I bought 11 Expert Cases (Type B). With the combined number of cases I bought, I had a 77% chance of pulling a gold and a 33% chance of pulling a cobalt. In a perfect world, I had a 100% chance of pulling either/or.

Furthermore, Type B cases contain loadouts almost exclusively for mercs I play. Sounds good to me!

I enjoyed opening the cases. Recently I’ve been spending creds on cases rather than saving up for mercs, because I enjoy hunting the rare cards and I’m happy with my current merc set.

This is the part where I get long winded:

I pulled 2 silvers and 9 bronzes from my cases. Fortunately, my two silvers are gorgeous carbon fibers for Arty, my main, and they’re some of the best cards for him too.

But, on the whole, I feel hella jipped. Did I know what I was getting into? Yes. Did I do so anyway out of desire to support the game? Yes. But then why do I feel like I just got robbed?

I’ve always felt like the RNG cases for cash purchases are a terrible monetization model. But it’s the only one currently in-game, unless I want to pay an exorbitant amount for a merc or a single bronze loadout. But there are no purchasable cosmetics, just cards.

I don’t feel like anyone should walk away from a F2P purchase feeling like they gained nothing for it. If I wanted to feel unfulfilled, I could just burn the money or, hell, I could just mail it to the devs as charity.

I don’t come here to piss and moan, or to ask for a refund, or to call the publishers money-grubbing bastards. As I said, I knew what I was getting into, and it’s my own fault for going through with it. I simply say – perhaps offering purchasable cosmetics where I KNOW what I’m buying, 100% guaranteed, would prevent such ill feelings and potentially bring in more money. Because as much as I’d love to give DB another $20, I don’t feel that I can allow myself to when I may end up with a handful of silvers and some bronzes to show for my $40.

Thanks for reading.

(Cooks2826) #2

Yeah, but if people could buy cards like cobalts or golds, it would feel less rare, and thus the RNG is there to create the sense of “Oh jeez this guy has a cobalt, he must play this character a lot”

(Litego) #3

I’m sorry, but that’s just not how math works.

(Amerika) #4

That’s exactly why I don’t by cases. I’d like to support the devs more but I 100% refuse to gamble and especially gamble with such terrible odds. You not only have to hope that you get something like a Gold or Cobalt but then you have to hope it’s for the merc you actually want and then hope it’s a card you actually want and a skin variation you want. All for a rather outrageous price.

Big nope there from me…not at those prices and odds.

(Yes) #5

You’re still lucky in my eyes.

(SereneFlight) #6

[quote=“ShotgunRagtime;18281”]This is the part where I get long winded:

I pulled 2 silvers and 9 bronzes from my cases. Fortunately, my two silvers are gorgeous carbon fibers for Arty, my main, and they’re some of the best cards for him too.
[/quote]
I feel like I have to do this… http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=520118788
(plis don’t kill me)

(ShotgunRagtime) #7

@Litego

Yes, it is. It’s pretty basic probability. For example, 7% chance of opening a gold x 11 cases = 77% total chance of a gold.

@Cooks2826

True, but it would be nice to have silly stuff like hats, shoes, whatnot to buy in addition to cards.

@Amerika

This is simply the truth. Although I personally find gambling creds (and money) immensely entertaining, and satisfying too when it pays off, the letdown can be massive and that drives people away.

@Clown

You’re right, I am fortunate indeed to be able to blow $20 and not feel any major financial falloff.

@SereneFlight

ROFL, lucky bastard! Ah well, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

Anyway, thank you all for the constructive responses so far!

(MarsRover) #8

Expert cases are worst choice than Elite if you exclusively want bling. They have a slightly higher chance for a Cobalt, but at the same time 70% for no bling at all.

I also won’t buy any cases for real money with the current model. Well, maybe as a present for myself when I’m drunk on my birthday.

(ShotgunRagtime) #9

[quote=“MarsRover;87967”]Expert cases are worst choice than Elite if you exclusively want bling. They have a slightly higher chance for a Cobalt, but at the same time 70% for no bling at all.

I also won’t buy any cases for real money with the current model. Well, maybe as a present for myself when I’m drunk on my birthday. [/quote]

I needed the extra Bronze cases bc I only have 100 hours logged. Also, I wanted more shit to open haha

(Halosheep) #10

[quote=“SereneFlight;87958”]
I feel like I have to do this… http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=520118788
(plis don’t kill me)[/quote]

Psh, I think my friend wins here…

(SereneFlight) #11

[quote=“Halosheep;87975”][quote=“SereneFlight;87958”]
I feel like I have to do this… http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=520118788
(plis don’t kill me)[/quote]

Psh, I think my friend wins here…


So that’s what he got from Expert Cases? :stuck_out_tongue:

(Amerika) #12

[quote=“Halosheep;87975”][quote=“SereneFlight;87958”]
I feel like I have to do this… http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=520118788
(plis don’t kill me)[/quote]

Psh, I think my friend wins here…

See, that’s what sucks. I would use none of those cards over the bronze cards I have. And they can’t be traded up (yet) or broken down.

(Litego) #13

[quote=“ShotgunRagtime;87964”]@Litego

Yes, it is. It’s pretty basic probability. For example, 7% chance of opening a gold x 11 cases = 77% total chance of a gold.[/quote]
Nope. According to your calculations you should have a 100% chance to get a cobalt or gold, did not happen. Conclusion, your math is wrong. Percentages aren’t additive.

(xAvenger) #14

[quote=“ShotgunRagtime;87964”]@Litego

Yes, it is. It’s pretty basic probability. For example, 7% chance of opening a gold x 11 cases = 77% total chance of a gold.[/quote]

I think Litego is correct. If each case yields a seven percent chance of a gold, then if you buy 15 cases you’d be guaranteed a gold. The chance is per case, not cumulative.

(ShotgunRagtime) #15

[quote=“Litego;87985”][quote=“ShotgunRagtime;87964”]@Litego

Yes, it is. It’s pretty basic probability. For example, 7% chance of opening a gold x 11 cases = 77% total chance of a gold.[/quote]
Nope. According to your calculations you should have a 100% chance to get a cobalt or gold, did not happen. Conclusion, your math is wrong. Percentages aren’t additive.[/quote]

[quote=“xAvenger;87987”][quote=“ShotgunRagtime;87964”]@Litego

Yes, it is. It’s pretty basic probability. For example, 7% chance of opening a gold x 11 cases = 77% total chance of a gold.[/quote]

I think Litego is correct. If each case yields a seven percent chance of a gold, then if you buy 15 cases you’d be guaranteed a gold. The chance is per case, not cumulative.

[/quote]

You guys do not understand probability math. An ASSUMED 100% chance does not mean that it will actually happen. I could get all bronze or all cobalt, hypothetically.

If I opened 1,000 regular cases, I would have a 100% chance of getting a cobalt. There’s a 1/1,000 chance at a cobalt in any case. Multiplied by 1,000, you get 1, or 100% in this context.

That means that I SHOULD open a cobalt. Is it guaranteed? No, because every case is random.

(Dawnlazy) #16

They really need to bring down the prices on those cases. Asking for too much money for too little in return. Mercs have OK prices, kinda meh except for the 30k ones which are all great. Bundles are good.

(chicHouse) #17

I spent too and I’m not regreting a single cent.

(SereneFlight) #18

[quote=“ShotgunRagtime;87964”]@Litego

Yes, it is. It’s pretty basic probability. For example, 7% chance of opening a gold x 11 cases = 77% total chance of a gold.[/quote]
If we had to go with that logic, you would have 8,000% chance of getting a Lead card out of 100 Normal cases and… yeah, that’s just silly…

(Halosheep) #19

[quote=“Amerika;87978”]
See, that’s what sucks. I would use none of those cards over the bronze cards I have. And they can’t be traded up (yet) or broken down.[/quote]

I really hope we can get a trade-across or something along those lines so you can reroll the cards themselves.
I’m sitting pretty snug with my golds on my favorite loadouts for most of them, I’m afraid of going for another cobalt because I’m afraid I won’t get the loadout I want.

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/683776078280990898/8F8A162177FDAF08E09546E1339F469DF4239D59/
I’ve got another page of silvers too, not sure what to go for next… maybe a gold vasaline?

More on topic though, I really hope they modify the skins system at some point. RNG and gambling are definitely not the way to reach an American market, it works in Korean games quite well but you often see them modify or completely remove those parts of their games when they release in the US. Best example would be the upcoming MMO “Black Desert Online”, which they’ve said is going to be heavily modified before their NA release, and from my experience in the game, and what others have talked about, this means they’re going to likely alter a lot of the RNG parts of the game.

(Litego) #20

[quote=“ShotgunRagtime;87991”]You guys do not understand probability math. An ASSUMED 100% chance does not mean that it will actually happen. I could get all bronze or all cobalt, hypothetically.

If I opened 1,000 regular cases, I would have a 100% chance of getting a cobalt. There’s a 1/1,000 chance at a cobalt in any case. Multiplied by 1,000, you get 1, or 100% in this context.

That means that I SHOULD open a cobalt. Is it guaranteed? No, because every case is random.

[/quote]
I understand it perfectly fine.

If it’s not guaranteed, then it’s not a 100% chance. If it’s 10% chance to get gold when you open a case, you could still open a 100 cases without getting a gold card. At that point by your math it should be 1000% chance to hit gold which doesn’t make any sense considering you can’t have more than a 100% chance. No, you have a 10% chance on a case by case basis. I’d agree that your probability increases by consecutive fails, but definitely not doubling your chances as you are suggesting.

Now over a large sample size you’d see that on average you get gold every 10 cases. A 1000 cases for a 0.1% drop rate is not a large sample size, you could open several thousands of cases without getting a cobalt, while at the same time you could get 3 in a row (even how extremely unlikely that is). RNG is RNG, nothing is certain.

As for the cases, I’m not a big fan, never going to buy them and definitely not at that price.