Really. Since packs went up for sale, every top tier match has been chock full with 11.7 pack premiums. I get it, you need money, and I guess sales are nice. But the flip side of that particular coin is that you now end up in top tier matches where in all honesty, there is zero fun to be had.
A decent majority of people with their new shiny pack premium have nothing else in their lineup, so what do we get? 4 minute steamrolls where uncountable Centauro RGO’s yolo head first into battle (because thermals! and darts! and 120mm! and it’s fast!), die without doing much for the team, and they leave. There’s also a fairly large contingent of new Type 90 Fuji drivers who seem to think it can go toe to toe with 12.0 tanks (okay, granted, it’s just as armored as the Italians and the French so I guess it can…) and … oh, wait, they die. Uselessly. And then go back to the garage.
Same story at 10.3 and 10.7 - matches are now decided in the first minute; whoever brought more non-premiums wins. Let’s also not forget the newly minted CAS players taking out their new pride and joy and having absolutely zero idea on how to CAS to begin with in a jet. Or that manage to somehow hit friendlies. Or that manage to sideclimb to low earth orbit only to come screaming down at the solid earth below, rocketing the whole way down, maybe damaging 1 tank and then attempting to do a lawn dart impression.
It’s been said many times before, by a fair number of people: having high tier premiums available for anyone to buy is fracking up whatever little bit of enjoyment could be had at top tier for those of us who have a full lineup and have hopes of maybe having a half decent match. It is time to rank lock these things.
Maybe something like, you get to buy a 10.3 premium if you’ve unlocked rank VII. You get to buy a 10.7 in rank VII if you’ve got at least 2 vehicles researched and purchased in said rank. You get to buy your 11.3 once you’ve opened up rank VIII. Because at least at that point you could argue that at the very least people have most of a lineup to take, and most of a clue of what to do with it once they’re in a game.
Because right now? Unplayable might be a bit too much to call it, but frustrating, annoying, and generally not conducive to a nice gaming session fits the bill. I’m fairly sure when initial plans were revealed to start selling high tier premiums this whole issue was brought up with the prediction that "This Won’t End Well"™ - and I’m fairly sure that statement aged pretty well, like a fine wine, almost.
Yeah, I know, I’m probably just screaming into the void because the snail will never do this because it’s all about squeezing while the squeezing is good, and forget about the health of the game because well, a sucker is born every minute, or so they saying goes.
And yes, I’m just a tiny little bit bitter about all of this because really, an average 10% win rate this evening while still being top 3/top 5 in every match really just grinds my gears so hard I’ve got nothing left to grind, only dust.