EA has released an official statement related to the loot crates implementation in Star Wars: Battlefront II.
The random loot drop based microtransaction heavy progression system showcased during the game’s open beta had received considerable flak from critics as well as the player base.
The announcement details the changes have that been made to the system thanks to the feedback. One of the avowed goals of these changes is to ensure a level playing field.
- Epic Star Cards, the highest tier of Star Cards available at launch, have been removed from Crates. To help keep everyone on a level playing field, these Star Cards will primarily be available through crafting, with the exception of special Epic Star Cards available through pre-order, deluxe, and starter packs.
- You’ll need to reach a certain rank to craft upgraded Star Cards. You won’t be able to buy a bunch of Crates, grind everything up into crafting materials, and immediately use them to get super powerful Star Cards. You can only upgrade the ability to craft higher tier Star Cards by ranking up through playing the game.
- Weapons are locked behind specific milestones. While a select few will be found in Crates, the rest can only be attained by play. Want to unlock a new weapon for your Heavy? Play as a Heavy and you’ll gain access to the class’s new weapons.
- Class-specific gear and items can be unlocked by playing as them. As you progress through your favourite class, you’ll hit milestones granting you class-specific Crates. These will include a mix of Star Cards and Crafting Parts to benefit your class’s development.
Although the changes allay fears of early players exploiting the microtransaction system, it still has not locked out the option to gain Epic Star Cards by pre-ordering the title or picking up the deluxe edition or purchases through yet undetailed ‘starter packs’.
The tweaks also address the fact that class progression is no longer tied to having unlocked Star Cards for the class and will instead function how progression works in other multiplayer shooters, by playing the class. Player will get class-specific loot crates when they hit certain progression ‘milestones’ while playing the class of their choice.
It is also to be noted that all three methods of accessing Epic Star Cards still involve paying extra above the $60 (or regional equivalent) price-tag of the base game to access them thus still, in essence, rewarding players who spend more.
Star Wars Battlefront II will release for Sony’s PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and Windows PC platform on the 17 of November. Origin Access / EA Access members can experience the game from the 9 of November while Deluxe Edition pre-orders will unlock on the 14 of November. You can pre-order the game from Amazon.in or from EA Origin if you are on PC.
