CoH2 Available for Pre-Order on Steam -- dubious bonuses?

[Copernicus]

It just popped up in Steam that CoH2 is now available for pre-order on Steam. I just checked and _can't_ confirm that right now, but there is an interesting system in place:
Just as with various of the indie bundles available, there will be special bonuses unlocked if enough people pre-order. So far, so good.

Edit: The Steam page has been updated!

Reward 3

Everything Above, Plus:

Company of Heroes 2 Commissar Chest*
In-Game Currency Gift to be Used Towards Purchasing Future Content
XP Boost
Unit Boost
Commander Archetype

Still unexpected.

old steam page

What is especially irritating is this:

Reward 3

Everything Above, Plus:

Company of Heroes 2 Commissar Chest*
$5.00 Premium Currency
XP Boost
Unit Boost
Commander Archetype

WHAT THE HELL, RELIC!? Premium Currency? Did I miss something here?

-cope.

[Celution]

Oh god.. XP boost? Unit Boost?!

Seriously, please don't start with this kind of crap Relic ..

[CommissarRezail]

Well, I like to say i saw this coming when they took coh o down and said they will use it's elements in later games most likely in coh 2 and dow 3. When they did this in coh o they actually did it pretty decent. So i'm going to play wait and see oliver and well see how it works out.

in the mean time PRE ORDER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW NOW WHERE MY WALLET I NEEDS IT NOW!!!.

I wonder what is the commander archetype

[mandead]

Oh Christ, it'll be Origin-exclusive next.

Please lord no.

[CommissarRezail]

Oh Christ, it'll be Origin-exclusive next.

Huh? but its on steam? Also look like relic is doing a mini kick starter program here, more people who pre-purchase the more rewards we get.

Free copy of dow 2 ... hats and badges...O_o dow 2 and hats and badges really?

[Copernicus]

@CommissarRezail:
Go to mandead's post again. Activate humor unit. Read it again. Deactivate humor unit (if you don't need it).

More to the point: Can anyone actually pre-oder it already?

[CommissarRezail]

Ahh now i get it

I can i think, i added it to my cart, still looking for my wallet

Collector edition is like 99 dollar fck, and it has mystery items. As in items i don't know what exactly they do or belong to. Well i guess the veteran badge is for bragging purposes. What is the theater of war collection set. Then there the command pass?

[Imperial Dane]

Hmm.. Seems a bit curious with the premium currency bit. Oh well. Hopefully an explanation will be up.

[TheVole]

I am probably gonna purchase the collectors edition, but not before I know what the contents in it are exactly and what they do.

[Copernicus]

According to Impulse, this is what you get in the CE (the digital one):

Command Pass
- Access to New Multiplayer Maps
- Access to Member Only Events and Content
Theater of War Collection Set
- Access to Three Theater of War Content Packs
Veteran Badge
- Exclusive Name Plate Medal
Company of Heroes Collection Pack
- Company of Heroes
- Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
- Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

Reading this I get a bad feeling: Access to new multiplayer maps!?

[eliw00d]

It sounds to me like COH:Online has had an impact on the design of COH2. I am okay with this, as adding persistence to the base game will definitely make things interesting. However, it could have a negative impact on modding since a lot of it would be server-based. Time will tell.

[Imperial Dane]

FAQ is up. As for multiplayer maps.. Yeah. That one is definately iffy.

http://community.companyofheroes.com...2-PreOrder-FAQ

[CommissarRezail]

Command Pass
- Access to New Multiplayer Maps
- Access to Member Only Events and Content
Theater of War Collection Set
- Access to Three Theater of War Content Packs

So is it ok to rage now?

Q: What is the Command Pass?
A: Company of Heroes 2 will be supported post launch with a number of free and premium content add-ons. The Command Pass entitles players to additional ongoing premium maps as well as allowing them to take part in member’s only events.

I really want to rage

[Ruined]

Command Pass = free 'premium multiplayer maps'.
The same as the DoW series we will have both free and premium multiplayer maps and content. Command Pass lets you buy all the premium ones early at a discounted rate. We will also have some members only events tied into Command Pass (think double XP weekend type thing)

Theatre of War = Just our name for singleplayer DLC
So the CE gets the first three pieces for free.

There is a thread on the official forum with a Q&A on it.

http://community.companyofheroes.com...2-PreOrder-FAQ

[Monkfish]

I don't think anyone would care if it was JUST skins they were selling like DoW2. But restricting maps behind a paywall/season pass? How fucking stupid are you THQ? I know your company is trying not to close but for fuck sake. COH:O was a joke and so will CoH2 at this rate. Premium maps in an RTS is just about the worst thing to happen to this game.

[CommissarRezail]

Yeah, I'm even worried about these pay walls everywhere. Specifically maps..

[eliw00d]

I don't think players should ever have to pay for multiplayer maps. They did that with Men of War and I don't think I've ever seen someone host a game for them. If premium currency is used for things like skins or other purely stylistic choices, I am okay with that.

[saalkin]

Looks like I'm no longer buying this.

[CommissarRezail]

I mean if they make a sub command past that went with the standard pre purchase it be great, where you get access to all maps. I guess my wallet stays where it is until i can determine what are the prices to buy the command pass later on. Can't dump 99.99 on 1 game like that.

[Imperial Dane]

It's probably not going to be huge. I'd guess somewhere around 20-30 dollars. Plus it's not just DLC, but some other stuff as well that pass gets you access to.

[THQLynx]

Hey dudes,

Though we can't reveal details on it yet, I want to assure everyone that there's no need to panic. CoH2 will not be 'pay 2 win'. The kind of items for sale will not break the game. Tank skins. SKINS are being offered with the preorder.

Just calm down, it'll be fine

[Dr_Zoidberg]

This got me very worried , I absolutely hated that microtransaction crap in and splicing in RPG elements in CoH:O , In game currency ? I't s not Diablo 3 or shall i say Auction House 3
I realize they want to make more money on CoH and i don't ming paying for additional skins , i actually think it would be very cool thing to have as long as it doesn't affect the balance but this is going way too far , at least it looks like it , first the news about removing pre designated strategic points now this ???
I am a die hard CoH fan , It's my favorite game of al time played it from day 1 and still play it almost every day , bought like 12 copies of it in total (i have 2 full accounts on CoH and sent gifts to my friends) but this is a deal breaker for me , when i saw it on Steam today i instantly went to pre-order but when i saw this i changed my mind and I'm going to wait on clarification from Relic , this is how they screwed up DoW and if CoH is going this way I'm out.
Why they don't understand is that CoH fans want a new CoH and by that i mean same game but with new graphics , engine , new armies maps and so on , no changes to the core game mechanics whatsoever !!!
I never thought I'm going to say that but they should take example of Blizzard , at least Bizz gave SC fans what they wanted same good ol SC but in new audio visual form and extras but the game stayed the same , this is what CoH 2 should be not some quasi RPG/RTS abomination with microtransactions and in game currency ???? if this is the future of CoH Relic can shove it.


P.S I may be overreacting (i sure as hell hope I am) but like i said CoH is my favorite game and i care a lot about it , I'd hate to see it ruined like that.

[Ruined]

THQ Lynx is our community guru by the way so he is an official source

[burtondrummerNY]

I sure hope I'm overreacting, but as it stands, I'm out relic, gg

[Imperial Dane]

Yeah, i'd say you're ovvereacting. Also :
http://webassets.thq.com/THQ.com%20C...rder_Chart.jpg

And :
http://webassets.thq.com/THQ.com%20C...rder_Chart.jpg

So if you want the command pass but don't want to fork out for a CE, get it from the THQ shop.

[burtondrummerNY]

I'm fine with skins and such, but I'm very skeptical of the ingame currency system and having content blocked out by money.

[Imperial Dane]

Ingame currency is not what you think it means. It's basically you getting some cash towards DLC. It's just the way they have to do it.

[burtondrummerNY]

Ok, so if I buy CoH2 once, will I ever have to pay money again to enjoy the game? If the answer is yes, I am not a happy person, since 60 dollars is already a lot for a game. Asking players to pay 60 dollars for the base game, and then another 30 or more dollars just to be able to play with friends or online is ridiculous. If you want players to pay for content, make the game free. Works great for Team Fortress 2 and World of Tanks.

[Imperial Dane]

And exagerration is not your friend. Yes some DLC will be payed for, some will be free. All DLC will be optional. And if you're suddenly paying 30 dollars you've just bought yourself an expansion :P Which is not a new concept.

And if you're really worried, get it from the THQ shop that will give you a pass that gives you free Multiplayer DLC.

[burtondrummerNY]

Still not pleased with this. We'll see what my wallet decides.

[Imperial Dane]

Fair enough. Not complaining myself though. In the end, all DLC is optional.

[CommissarRezail]

Yeah thq offer looking more pleasing with the command pass, steam however not as much. Considering i got dow 2, and what am i'm going to do with badges and hats.

[FooF]

I'd defend Relic to the death but this is going a little too far, even for me. I guess I'm too old-fashioned to think that a $60 title should include all the stuff they're trying to sell as DLC. Having content completed but shelved for the sole purpose of selling it later just doesn't sit well. Include it in the retail price and word-of-mouth will be "Wow, they packed a lot of stuff in here!" rather than the recent (and true) criticism of many Relic titles as of late: feature-starved on release (yet at a $60 price point!). I'll be waiting for more information before contemplating a pre-order.

[Dr_Zoidberg]

So in game XP and commander BS means thy threw out the ranking system out of the window.
CoH ranking system was one of the best things about this game , it actually reflects the skill of the player , you can read from the stats how good the player is with certain army, you can earn/lose ranks depending on your skill.
If they drop it in favor of CoH:O like commanders and ranks every noob and retard is going to get max rank provided he plays long enough , sorta like CoD no need to be good to rank up just play a lot , and ranks do not mean squat anymore.
Why would they need XP ??
I could understand XP if it was like a service award but they kept the old ranking system and you could still drop after few lost games but if it's like CoH:o that's another BIG minus.
I was soooo excited about this game and now CoH 2 gets less appealing with every bit of news i hear and it's very very sad for me.

[CommissarRezail]

COH O rank did not work like that, you had to play well to get top 3 percent not simply get general rank. The general rank and the pvp rank was two different things. I my self was the top 3 percent of American tank commander for 2 weeks, then i took a break and drop down to 9 percent then the game shut down. Not to mention you can still look at people stats to see how good they was, even better than coh with its smurfness .

[saalkin]

In the end, all DLC is optional.

This isn't true when it splits the player base.

[Copernicus]

@THQLynx/Ruined:
Thanks for shedding some light on this issue. I'm still not a fan of multiplayer-maps DLC (though I'd buy it; it's just that splitting the user base in MP probably isn't a good idea) but I'm okay with skins and such (I'd even appreciate that!).
Could you comment on the Unit Boost bonus? The XP Boost seems quite obvious (I guess there's some progression system of any kind), but what would a Unit boost be? Unit boost sounds like buffing units or unlocking units which per se isn't pay-to-win but definitely isn't what I'd expect of CoH2 -- that rather sounds like some free to play game.

Regards,
-cope.

[Imperial Dane]

The unit boost has been confirmed as not being something in Multiplayer. Not got any more details on that.

@Saalkin: It doesn't. There will be free maps besides the Paid ones. Do i like having to pay for maps.. Not really, and if no one buys them or few do. They'll probably move away from that. But it could also be seen as a way to get more maps more often. Remember, all money for development of these things have to come from THQ. And they might want some incentive to pay that money down.

[burtondrummerNY]

Ok, I'd like to apologize for my close-minded rant before...as long as Relic keeps money out of the balancing and multiplayer matches, I am more than willing to fork over 60 dollars.

[saalkin]

They can get that through the skins and stuff. There is never a reason in a RTS to make people pay for maps. I'm also not expecting much in the way of free stuff.

[Logic_Bomb]

Re: maps for sale splitting the MP community
If this is anything like with Dow2, bonus sellable maps were just used in custom games or skirmishes. They weren't part of the general MP automatch pool. I don't think THQ/Relic would be foolish enough to split the automatch pool based on who has what map installed/paid for. With Dow2, these purchaseable maps (I think there was only 1 or 2 total) were later made free in a patch and 1 of them (a 1v1) map was included in the automatch pool. They should probably clarify some of this "in game currency" and "unit boost" "XP boost" stuff quickly as it's rapidly scaring the competitive MP community across multiple boards. Bit of a gaffe to release those phrases without a clear context imo.

[Caeltos]

CoH ranking system was one of the best things about this game , it actually reflects the skill of the player , you can read from the stats how good the player is with certain army

Best joke I've heard in a long time. Thanks !

[[]inveigle[]]

I would love to support relic. If I purchase the collectors edition through Steam and already have copies of CoH and DoW2, can I give the extras away as gifts through Steam? What would be the steps required to make this happen?

[eliw00d]

@[]inveigle[]
It's usually automatic, just check under Manage Gifts and Guest Passes whenever you are awarded the extra copies.

[Shaitan]

I prepurchased the collector's edition and I don't seem to have any extra copies of CoH1, so I'm not sure what to make of that.

[lordkosc]

I pre-ordered over at GreenManGaming, can't beat 20% off retail price.

I'll mostly be playing the campaign and 2 player skirmish vs 2 AI anyway.

I haven't posted here in awhile, glad to be back.

[Wargrim]

You know what i bought COH for? Multiplayer. You know what will 100% guarantee that i wont buy COH2? Multiplayer being split into those who pay for extra maps, and those who dont.

[gorays]

This doesn't bother me, but COH 2's generic outdated 2006 graphics certainly does. Sorry, COH 2 screens so far look mighty unimpressive. Which is why I think relic needs to release DX 11 screens of COH 2.

[burtondrummerNY]

So I preordered the digital collector's version of CoH2 from the THQ store today, hoping that any fears I have of pay2win elements will be gone before it's released. Also hoping some of that DLC they promise has a campaign for my beloved Germans.

[[]inveigle[]]

As far as out dated graphics go, IMHO, that is what mods are for. As long as CoH 2 is modifiable I will be pleased. What has brought me back time and again to CoH are Mods, the Physics rather than scripted animations (Truly, what other RTS has this feature?), and skirmishes. This being said, since Steam is mandatory, and I have the lions share of my games through them; I will wait to see whom offers the best pre-order swag to place my order for the Collectors Edition, since I can just add the game to Steam if purchased elsewhere.