Profile of Fantomasas

I think you take it too literally.

The people rating it negatively just don't think too much. They load the game, with high expectations - something ain't right, and instead of breaking it down with the essay they just lob a sentence or two.

Relic needs to learn communication managing expectations, responding to feedback/rants, and setting roadmaps. Come Relic, explain the content release plans for the next year, the monetization, and what is the path to updating the icons.

You have a much cooler head and lower expectations. The game would have its anus opened wide if it launched with just two factions. It is already barebones with two 4vs4 maps and poor balance/variety.

Paradox releases broken, unfinished games and you need to wait for multiple paid DLCs for the game to end up in state it should start with.

I don't have a strong opinion, some games definitely had bad releases.

But... I am not the expert 500h player. Each offers enough mechanics/content/missions to be entertained for a while. Even without any DLC. Put a new players on even the base HOI4 (which is already a streamlined HOI3), and see him drown in complexity and possibilities.

And this is their business model. Don't try to build the SP/Coop/Casual Multiplayer/Esport-level MP all in one. It would fail, instead: build these for-the-fans games, and then expand the popular ones with 5 years of monetized DLC. If you don't like the medieval 4X, go with WW2, Space or discovery age.

If the launch content is limited, if the technical quality is mixed: It is part of their business decision. They used to price games like €40, helps a lot with the value perception.

In conclusion: Paradox games (regardless of quality) launch with the audience and the business plan in mind. Limited features, limited scope, limited audience, limited expectations - it is a functional business model.

Which is unlike CoH3: launching to appeal to everybody, and the chaotic monetization plan.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1317230/Hearts_of_Iron_IV_Allied_Armor_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1579991/Hearts_of_Iron_IV_Eastern_Front_Planes_Pack/

Monetizes. And it also does it worse than modders who make models of better quality. The Paradox as a whole is very bad. Their DLC is constantly underdeveloped, poorly developed. But since this is a niche product and there are few or no similar games, Paradox can simply exploit the fans of their games.

Well, I guess there are some vanity items for sale. Some throwaway historical model expansion. And I suppose TW games have the "Blood" cosmetics.

Regardless, you can see the amount of reviews - game racks up 50k players on Steam at the peak time, yet the DLC has 205 reviews. It is junk, you cannot build the business model on selling skins/vanity packs in that game. It is all about selling copies/gameplay DLC/Expansion-sub.

It is rather obvious new battlegroups and skins will be monetized, at least on PC.

Like it or not, these are the times we live in, developers and publishers do it for a simple reason - regardless of backlash or angy forum posts, it works.

Not exactly.

It works if the game is popular, or at least average population. You can have unpopular monetization, but make up for it with the quality and content support. I am 100% fine with fancy expensive cosmetics if it means support.

Game gets deprioritized/abandoned if the post-launch monetization doesn't live up to the expectations. It can become a feedback loop where inconvenient monetization drives people away, which makes publishers cut the post-launch budget, which drives even more people away leading to the maintenance (abandonment).

I don't see how CoH3 can monetize cosmetics successfully. Sure they had some throwaway camos and cross-over skins in CoH2, but even with 10k concurrent players on the regular basis, they stopped making simple textures (where other games have remodels, voice-overs, vfx for skins). It was unprofitable, and same will be for CoH3 - tank skins aren't sexy catgirls or black knights - they barely matter.

The smoke-recon in OKW is just nonsense to play against. There is no counter against it, it is cheap, and works in FOW. If you have AA, the plane crashes on the other side of the map in your territory.

Increasing the cost, or making it available for in-vision only territories.

Tip: don't use Tulips for the extra damage. Tulips are only good as a stun or a last-ditch finisher.

If you miss one rocket, you are not doing any extra damage because of the extra reload time. If you miss both rockets - you have just lost munitions and added 5 seconds to the reload timer. If you just spam rockets, you will lose the opportunity to stun or finish the enemy tank which is waaaaaaaaaaay more valuable than extra 40 damage.