My problem with war spoils is that you have no way to positively influence the drops and what you get. In addition, we were promised changes to improve it - instead they have added a million more things, which never drop because we constantly get duplicates.
Nobody likes grinding - everybody likes a target. The old system provided that - the new system doesn't. It's a proper carrot on stick solution, and when your USF and one of the most playable late game commanders is paid for/unlockable... it kills enjoyment.
And then you have duplicates - they are completely useless. You can't use them to "reroll" or have a second shot at the RNG or a trade for another war spoils drop, or exchange them into ingame currency...
Which brings me to my next point - does anybody remember or play Advance wars? Commanders were earned in their challenge or pre-requsite mission, then bought with currency you had to earn through multiple matches. The basic commanders were very good (unlike say, the US forces, some of the Soviet ones). COH2 could of done so, so much better with a system like this. Cheap little intel bulletins, more expensive ones, skins, topped off with Commanders requiring lots of currency. Command and Conquer Generals, a game centered around unique styling of an existing faction, gave you all of them from the start.
The current system is microtransaction/partly pay to win based, which puts a bad taste in players mouths, and it isn't fun to use or exciting to see the (duplicate) rewards.
British forces highlights the problem further - three of the commanders, one of which contains three wholy unique units (air landing officer, medics, crocodile churchill) and a fourth soft unit (PIAT commandos who swap guns) with another having unique infantry section with AT rifles, are locked behind a paywall. That's a lot of content to lock up, especially after just springing for the game. Getting three basic ones buying the game sucks compared to the number OKW and Soviets had on release. Why not just include them in the price of it?
More than fixing war spoils, we need new commanders and an overhaul for the existing ones. The content system is starved (which is why it gives you nothing) and desperately needs new commanders in it. Some of the existing ones need reworking to be... useful. Or even fun. Then people will be excited for the drops.
The last nail in the coffin is Relic's recent description of the system - "progression" - there is nothing "progressive" about war spoils. It's a slot machine. Playing the lottery is more fun. I don't understand the insistence of making us all chronic gamblers.
I respect and like Duffy a lot - I was completely sold when he originally described bulletins to me. But the design of war spoils is one of the most awful, addictive, terrible mechanics I've seen in an RTS or almost any game to date. I didn't sign up to play Diablo. I signed up to blow my opponent up, and recently Relic are stopping me from using a churchill crocodile to do that.
People say "just pay for them omg!" - Yeah, I thought I did, ONCE, when I preordered the British forces. I wasn't anticipating having to pay again to get some of the iconic units I used in COH1 again in COH2.
If Relic are going to keep war spoils I wish they would hurry up and make COH2 free to play. That's clearly what it's geared towards.
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Relic Entertainment
cblanco ★ 
보드카 중대 
VonManteuffel 
