I missed this response when it first came out. I appreciate the response, and you are right, there are some opportunities out there, but not in the way that you can get much for spending $0. I am a free to play player.
taking part in the Events - The playoff event is a joke for Free to play players, I haven't even been able to sniff the leader board and I'm playing 20 - 30 matches a day. Additionally, the specialization sprees used to give ACoins, but now they are only giving crates, 0-10 ACoins, if you are lucky.
completing Objectives and Achievements - There are only three ACoins related achievement milestones for each mech and they can only be complete once. It takes a lot of time and effort to gain these (especially when you have achievements that are nearly impossible to do - Arachnos "Once Bitten" anyone?)
joining Tournaments - I do them all. As a Free to play player, I have to be VERY strategic about how I play these. On my best weeks, I can pull in 300 ACoins for the entire tournament. However the AVERAGE is more like 150.
moving through Progress Path - Ah yes, great thing. I have a 19% chance at 100-200 ACoins every 6,400 XP. I never see the roll, there is no animation for it, I don't even know when I get one of the other prizes either.
there are always affordable Offers - Free to play player here.
Mech Arena Store - Free to play player here.
I really do appreciate the response, but for my question, it doesn't answer the point of it. Plarium is taking away a number of easy to get sources for ACoins and replacing them with highly competitive sources that so strongly encourage pay to play its laughable.
I'll put it another way. I've been playing for 9 months. If I was to start a brand new account and play for another 9 months with the way the game is now, there is no way on earth I'd be in the same position I am now. If I made all the same decisions and everything, I'd be ACoin locked on tier 3 right now.
Anyway, thanks for your time.