Can someone explain "seasons" to me?

[mb23100]

The only game I've ever played with them before is BF2042. I never paid for any of them (to my knowledge) but I see games with "season 1 pass" as pre-order bonuses. So they cost more money than the base game? What happens if I don't buy it? Can I still play with people who did? Does It vary by game?

Edit: I get that they're additional content I'm more asking about how the pay works.

 

[mixmastermo]

The only game I've ever played with them before is BF2042. I never paid for any of them (to my knowledge) but I see games with "season 1 pass" as pre-order bonuses. So they cost more money than the base game? What happens if I don't buy it? Can I still play with people who did? Does It vary by game?

Edit: I get that they're additional content I'm more asking about how the pay works.

Depends on the game I think

Only games I play that have seasons are COD and Diablo 4. In both of those you can play the seasonal content but you won't unlock any of the gear or cosmetics you can earn with the passes. You'll also have to live with the shame that everyone else will think you are a lesser human being.

 

[WhiteMousse]

Well in the spring everything blooms. It's nice and pretty. In the summer you turn on your AC really high. In the fall all the leaves turn orange and red, and then after all that Santa comes and gives you presents.

Rinse and repeat, about 75 times, then you DIE

 

[mb23100]

Well in the spring everything blooms. It's nice and pretty. In the summer you turn on your AC really high. In the fall all the leaves turn orange and red, and then after all that Santa comes and gives you presents.

Rinse and repeat, about 75 times, then you DIE

I live in Vegas. The only one of those that happens is the AC

 

[WhiteMousse]

I live in Vegas. The only one of those that happens is the AC

You guys don't die over there? Well FUCK

 

[Valhoven]

Differs by title but in oversight, every player by virtue of playing plays the current season.

Seasons can often be looked at as development cycles in a game. While always having a distinct theme, season n introduces this (permanent) mechanic going forward, that patch, all new faction, [enter weapon here]...whatever. Seasons oftentimes build on one another to this end but can also undo a change if something from a previous cycle proves unpopular or devs want to shake meta up and keep play fresh.

Only players who own the BP will earn that season's (exclusive) premium rewards; if it's a two-tier pass, all players unlock any freemium rewards for that season without having to own the BP.

Once a BP is over, so are the chances of obtaining that season's drip (items on offer).

If you are all in on a game, BPs are (usually) cool. For longer-running games, it's also a passive flex to show you've been a part of the journey since back when by having this patch or vanity item, that one Y1 event skin et cetera.

 

[KaNesDeath]

The only game I've ever played with them before is BF2042.

In ranked based PvP games, seasons are used to soft reset ranks to combat rank inflation. PvE game seasons are used to monetize newly developed content. Both are used as a tactic to entice former and retain current players.

BF2042 while a PvP game uses the PvE model.

 

[mixmastermo]

Well in the spring everything blooms. It's nice and pretty. In the summer you turn on your AC really high. In the fall all the leaves turn orange and red, and then after all that Santa comes and gives you presents.

Rinse and repeat, about 75 times, then you DIE

Over here in NY the cycle is as follows

Life's a bitch and then you die...

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I don't like having to start a new character.

 

[Pliny Pete]

Seasons no reason to change

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

The only game I've ever played with them before is BF2042. I never paid for any of them (to my knowledge) but I see games with "season 1 pass" as pre-order bonuses. So they cost more money than the base game? What happens if I don't buy it? Can I still play with people who did? Does It vary by game?

Edit: I get that they're additional content I'm more asking about how the pay works.

I too feel like “old man yells at cloud” when it comes to “seasons” and “battle passes” in modern games. I just don’t get it.

 

[bng]

I probably didn't understand the question but
seasons in games mostly made for:
1) rewarding active players
2) money grabbing from players via season bonuses/content

 

[HereticBD]

It was good idea to extend the life of games, that quickly got taken over by greed and nickle and diming the player.

All roads to Hell are paved with good intentions.

 

[Natural Order]

It's a marketing term for "power creep" to extend the life of game, create new lootbox ideas and hopefully extract more cash from the userbase.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

 

[Jack Reacheround]

This is really all you need to know.

 

[etali]

I don't like having to start a new character.

Agreed. I suspect that in games like Diablo the idea of seasons is to keep people interested longer-term, but it backfired with me. Same with server wipes on survival games. I don't want a time crunch to achieve things and I don't want to lose my progress because of some deadline.

 

[ferrisjso]

Usually signifies a game mode that is not available year round and is only available periodaclly.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

Agreed. I suspect that in games like Diablo the idea of seasons is to keep people interested longer-term, but it backfired with me. Same with server wipes on survival games. I don't want a time crunch to achieve things and I don't want to lose my progress because of some deadline.

Yeah, in Diablo IV, I ran through the main story with my Druid, have completed all strongholds, most waypoints and a lot of side quests.

I've had to start a new character to access the seasonal content, so I have to do all of that again (minus the main story), instead of keeping with my main.

It's a good game, but the idea is baffling

 

[HereticBD]

Yeah, in Diablo IV, I ran through the main story with my Druid, have completed all strongholds, most waypoints and a lot of side quests.

I've had to start a new character to access the seasonal content

Not if you just recently beat it during the current season. You can carry the character over that beat the campaign. The seasonal content unlocks when you beat it, but you can still continue with the same character.

When the new season starts in May, that's when you'll have to start anew.