The PC version would have to be on something like steam to attract PC gamers. Plarium puts the PC versions of their games on their platform specifically to isolate their games from the PC gaming community as it's much harsher against pay for power.

You cannot negate the argument the game is pay to win. Good for you being f2p and all but there isn't an argument against the game being p2w that holds water.

Ah.  Good point.  I don't know if it's true or not about the PC gaming community being harsher against p2w, but it sounds reasonable enough.

I didn't really negate it being p2w: "Sure, you can have a higher win rate if you pay money,..."

But there is an argument for why it is p2w: money for development, and the company's bottom line ($$$).

Yes but moreso the company's bottom line.

And I get a company wanting to make profits, but they gotta give enough reason for f2p and casual spenders to stick around.

If it wasn't the matchmaking system, my biggest complaint would be the economy. If it wasn't the economy, it would be the p2p coercion.

If my only complaint was the matchmaking system or the economy I might be inclined to play. P2P coercion just pisses me off though. But it doesn't work without a p2p favorable matchmaking system and a tight in-game economy. And plarium was using it from the start. They're so dead set on profits they don't intend to change a matchmaking system that divides the player base so much we're all basically always fighting AIs.

And that's another thing, some people stick around simply if the game is fun. Well the game isn't fun even if you pay and win more. AIs dominate the game and determine the outcome of a match. But their levels are capped and they can't be max so whales can get around them. And IDK how many of them even like this. They might still play because they're still winning. But regardless the rest of us are left with a shitty game and really our only choice is to max a build of choice as quickly as possible.

As for devs themselves and not just the company behind it they are not responsible for pay to win and I know that. I am very critical here because I do want to help. I know I've been quite harsh but if plarium only caters to whales the game will never be huge.

Thanks for breaking that down Bbmech.  That deep dive wasn't something I thought of.  :)

Personally, I don't retain much enjoyment when I steamroll over my opponent (well, especially if I had paid to do that; almost feels like cheating).  Where's the challange in that?  I don't know if whales enjoy that.  But humans and personalities vary, so there's that.