The Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Club aka Battle Pass

[ilRae]

9 minutes ago, ghostsoap01 said:

So what exactly is a battle pass? Are we just paying to be able to unlock extra items as we level up? I don't really get the concept of it.

It's what made Epic billions on Fortnite. Buy in, play to level and unlock items.  Repeat every 'season'.

[Jason]

A battle pass is basically an independent reward track. It's got it's own level system.

 

There's two tracks, a free track and a premium.

 

The free track will give rewards sparingly where as the premium track will give rewards for every level you progress in the battle pass. If it works like other passes, you should be able to buy the premium pass say a few weeks after it launches and get all the premium rewards retroactively for every level you've progressed.

 

It costs 35 gold bars to unlock the premium track but there are 35 gold bars spread over the 70 levels meaning that it pays for it's self, essentially meaning that you only ever have to buy a battle pass once if you unlock all the rewards every season.

 

One thing some passes also do is have daily and weekly challenges to increase the rate you rank through the pass, not sure if they're doing that here though as we've already got a daily challenge system.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Jason

[The Dedito Gae]

30 minutes ago, RyuNova said:

Am I blind? Where is this?

 

[Tasty_Pasta]

I've never played a game with a battle pass system.  But to me this seems like a nice middle ground between a large content update and the drip-feed (although this one is landing right when we're getting a large content update).  If we get more "outlaw passes" between content updates so we don't have to endure the summer update drought again, then I'm happy.  RDO is also the only console game I've been playing for the last year, so I'm already dedicating most of my gaming time to it and I'm still enjoying it a ton.

[ALifeOfMisery]

Ok...meh.

 

I mean, I get it, @Jasonhas summed it up well, I'm sure many players will get enough milage and enjoyment out of this to make it worthwhile for them, but it's not for me.

 

Paying 35gb to then grind out 70 levels in order to receive a bunch of cosmetics I won't use because everyone and their grandmother will be wearing them come late November and recoup the 35gb isn't my bag.

 

Each to their own and all that, but that f*cking rams skull, really R*? Ugh.

Edited September 5, 2019 by ALifeOfMisery

[The Shakermaker]

Do you get something each time you level up? So seventy things you get if you manage to level up to the end in the time limit?

[Jason]

Just now, ALifeOfMisery said:

Paying 35gb to then grind out 70 levels in order to receive a bunch of cosmetics I won't use because everyone and their grandmother will be wearing them come late November and recoup my 35gb isn't my bag.

Mhm.

 

I rarely use cosmetics in passes I've leveled up through in games I play for this reason - everyone is wearing the same stuff.

 

Just now, The Shakermaker said:

Do you get something each time you level up? So seventy things you get if you manage to level up to the end in the time limit?

If it works like other passes which sounds like it does then yes, as long as you have the premium pass.

[Commander S]

Thing is, both Fortnite and Apex Legends are free-to-play games, and the battle pass system is a way to make money instead of an up-front fee.

 

Meanwhile, RDO is effectively a full-priced game already - and while that does also cover RDR2 single-player, the counterargument there is that many people (as was the case with GTAO before it) are going to buy the whole package just for Online. I.e., unless R* decides to sell a standalone version of RDO, "you're only paying for RDR2 - RDO is technically free-to-play" is a non-argument.

 

I'm ...not super hyped about this, TBH - even if most of the cosmetic stuff so far looks like stuff I'd pass up anyway. Battle passes are manipulative by design, and end up requiring a heck of a commitment in order to grind out the stuff you want, or earn enough in-game money in order to pay for the pass without using real money. If RDO winds up having to feel like a second job in order to get the odd neat limited-time item, then ...f*** it, I'm either going to become the most casual dabbler in the entire game at best, or I'm out completely to focus on stuff that respects me and my time better.

 

For anyone who wants a great dive into some of the psychological manipulation trickery in things like Fortnite, check out this video - there's a bit about the battle pass approach at the 12:43 mark:

 

 

[joshua969]

Is there a version of the coat this girl is wearing for the bros...that thing is awesome

[Tasty_Pasta]

7 minutes ago, joshua969 said:

Is there a version of the coat this girl is wearing for the bros...that thing is awesome

I love the ivory on the repeater as well.  I'm not sure if it's a wrap or a new stock type, but I need it!

Edited September 5, 2019 by Tasty_Pasta

[RyuNova]

26 minutes ago, ALifeOfMisery said:

Paying 35gb to then grind out 70 levels in order to receive a bunch of cosmetics I won't use because everyone and their grandmother will be wearing them come late November and recoup the 35gb isn't my bag.

 

This guy/girl gets it.

[The Dedito Gae]

27 minutes ago, ALifeOfMisery said:

Each to their own and all that, but that f*cking rams skull, really R*? Ugh.

Nice to see that someone else hates this. It just looks so try-hardy lol, griefers are gonna be all over that mask lol

 

You think based on my username i would be all over that... but no thanks, ill pass.

[Jason]

Yea it's always been my worry with RDO especially as they monetise cosmetics.

 

I can't think of a single game that monetises cosmetics that hasn't ended up going wacky with them after a year or two.

 

Horse accessories are a great idea but... a skull on the horses head? ehhh. Why not stuff like bags on the side, bottles, equipment like shovels or w/e.

[Tez2]

I like the idea, even though I hate Fortnite and games like it, but this idea of unlocking content through leveling up is better than the drip-feed.

Paying 35 gold bars to unlock more rewards which would give me back the amount I paid is kinda great, the problem that I have with it is personal because it depends on how many days I can play this which may not be an issue for many.

Surprisingly enough, I don't have complaints about this Battle Pass.

[Jason]

Battle passes are at their best when it compliments what you're doing anyway, you'll level it up relatively easily and get rewards pretty often all while going about your normal business.

 

Battle passes are at their worst when they are the grind, when you have to go out of your way constantly to level them up because it's too slow otherwise.

 

We'll see which direction Rockstar goes with in a few days I guess.

[w9u2jd]

x

Edited May 30, 2020 by w9u2jd

[ALifeOfMisery]

14 minutes ago, The Deadite said:

Nice to see that someone else hates this. It just looks so try-hardy lol, griefers are gonna be all over that mask lol

It's almost as though someone had the bright idea that the players who put chrome, pink neons and dollar rims on every car they bought in GTAO had to be catered for in RDO.

 

I'm all for choice and what looks good is down to personal opinion, my opinion happens to be that it looks sh*t.

[Potter145]

59 minutes ago, Jason said:

One thing some passes also do is have daily and weekly challenges to increase the rate you rank through the pass, not sure if they're doing that here though as we've already got a daily challenge system.

Lol, now this comes to my mind:

 

7 Normal Daily Challenges

7 Role Daily Challenges for each Role

7 Outlaw Pass Daily Challenges

 

35 Daily Challenges per Day now in Red Dead Online! xD

Rockstar finally heard the community and brought them things to do lol

[Commander S]

17 minutes ago, Jason said:

Battle passes are at their best when it compliments what you're doing anyway, you'll level it up relatively easily and get rewards pretty often all while going about your normal business.

 

Battle passes are at their worst when they are the grind, when you have to go out of your way constantly to level them up because it's too slow otherwise.

 

We'll see which direction Rockstar goes with in a few days I guess.

 

 

It's a pacing thing, definitely - if it's possible to earn enough through normal amounts of play (like seasonal content in Forza Horizon 4 - you can unlock everything in a weekly season in the first couple of hours, or stretch that over the entire week, and that's perfectly doable even for folks with busy schedules), then fine, but if you have to devote all your game time every day to one game in order to grind out levels, then that's too far, IMO.

 

That sort of thing actually puts me off buying certain games in the first place, these days - if it's a choice between 'play this game several hours a day, to the point where nothing else gets a look in, and woe betide anyone who has to skip a day...', 'pay real money* to make up for not being able to play', or 'miss out on stuff - possibly forever, if it's never made available again', I'll just ...play something else that doesn't feel like an obligation.

 

 

*and yeah, premium currency that doesn't have to be bought with real money (but is still hard enough to come by that you'll struggle to earn any without grinding) might as well be real money. If I can technically pay for the Outlaw Pass without spending any actual €€€ on it, but in order to do so, I'll need to put in a sh*t-load of grind in order to make that gold, then that's not really a great trade-off, is it?

 

 

...also, I wonder how this is going to affect base-level cosmetics and the like - will the regular drip-feed stuff become even more 'meh' (existing only as 'you don't have to pay for this' content), so that people have more reason to get the fancier premium stuff from the Outlaw Pass?

[Leftover Pizza]

Maybe, maybe if the animal on the camp flag was a wolf or a bison, I'd consider it. You get the gold back anyway. 

[Wickahoney]

Gotta say, nothing here really interests me aside from that scarf from the Cordell outfit, and I'm not gonna make the mistake (again) of buying a pre-made outfit just for one item that'll end up in the dripfeed anyway.

 

That ram skull looks like it'd be more at home in Skyrim than RDO. Next thing you know they'll be giving us bone armor for our horses.

[Potter145]

I believe Rockstar will start lightly with this. I think you rank up almost for every activity you do. So for example a Showdown Mode gives you enough XP to rank up one rank. A Free Roam Mission gives you enough XP to rank up, a trader sell mission, a story mission, a free roam event... and so on. So basically you need to do 70 activities in 9 weeks, roughly 63 days.

 

It's just speculation though, maybe you need to do more, I don't know.

Edited September 5, 2019 by executor404

[Waldbear]

Very quiet: (i like it, incl. ram mask) What? I sayd something?

[gtmike]

Even the artwork for the pass seems sh*tty and cobbled together, much like the rewards 

 

I'll still buy it though, I mean why not? Might as well spend this gold on something...

 

[imburgundy]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

The free track will give rewards sparingly where as the premium track will give rewards for every level you progress in the battle pass. If it works like other passes, you should be able to buy the premium pass say a few weeks after it launches and get all the premium rewards retroactively for every level you've progressed.

 

So can I just wait until the end of the season to see where I am through casual play and decide then if I want all the premium rewards available and if I would make all my gold back? Would this be possible? This way I can just play casually and if I end up playing enough to max rank that season, I'll get the pass, if not I'll just choose if it's worth it to me to get whatever rewards are available

[Leftover Pizza]

3 hours ago, TheLordMarvel said:

I need the long hair now. And the Charles Smith style top!!

 

And hope it's not a plastic wig like the current ones are. 

[GTAFanClub]

I think the Outlaw Pass is actually pretty cool. Especially since we will get our 35 gold bars back if we rank up all the way, basically free.

The rewards could be a little better but maybe they're saving better stuff for future Outlaw Passes.

[Pocket Fox]

I'm curious of R* is about to start charging their employees to come into work and grind on making games.

 

Surely when you play a game you get rewarded?

Surely when you spend money in a game you get rewarded?

 

This expects both.

 

This looks to want you to pay... for the privilege of getting rewards as you play.

[wehweh01]

24 minutes ago, GTAFanClub said:

I think the Outlaw Pass is actually pretty cool. Especially since we will get our 35 gold bars back if we rank up all the way, basically free.

The rewards could be a little better but maybe they're saving better stuff for future Outlaw Passes.

I literally play everyday anyway. Now I get rewarded for doing so? Gg Rockstar. Gg

[CaliMeatWagon]

4 hours ago, AndyGanteks said:

So you pay 35 gold bars and then you work hours to level up to 70 levels to get those 35 gold bars back.

 

Lmao.

And that is all you get, nothing else, just your gold back... oh wait...

2 hours ago, executor404 said:

Lol, now this comes to my mind:

 

7 Normal Daily Challenges

7 Role Daily Challenges for each Role

7 Outlaw Pass Daily Challenges

 

35 Daily Challenges per Day now in Red Dead Online! xD

Rockstar finally heard the community and brought them things to do lol

7+7+7=35...