BUYER BEWARE: Not only is game grindy as heck, it's also first game that can become "Pay to Lose".
Check Reddit and forums; nobody will denyBUYER BEWARE: Not only is game grindy as heck, it's also first game that can become "Pay to Lose".
Check Reddit and forums; nobody will deny there's experience PENALTIES in this game, which occur when using too good/strong of gear against a fish, which snowballs when buying premium gear. Anytime game perceives gear to be "overkill", player receives less experience per catch, already meaning you can only use specific gear, in specific places, at specific times. (Also *having* to only fish in specific places, at specific times, in a specific order, in order to grow -- doesn't matter if you like fishing in St. Croix, once level 40 or w/e, there's hardly any experience gained there, time to move on. Which becomes more infuriating when even in-game shop gear is level-locked. Want that better line that would make life so much easier?? It requires level 50, you're only 38, back to the grind.)
Even worse; since premium gear packs aren't going to sell "scrub" gear, you're essentially buying "overkill" gear, with higher durability, strength, drag, etc (without ANY warnings on the store of penalties).
Thus, with having bought lots of premium gear myself, for what I thought would be an enjoyable fishing immersion; I instead find my experience bar barely budges when catching fish... even when keeping the max weight/drag of gear relatively close to the fish I'm catching.
Ultimately, premium players/payers get *punished* to the point where FREE players using gear bought with in-game currency, can grow and level faster than premium gear users, due to free players gaining MORE experience points per catch. (So caution in shelling out RL money... in certain situations, you're paying more to LOSE experience gain.) And not suggesting premium gear users should gain more, just the same... which is even more clustered, since below this I point out how premium sub could be equally viewed as Pay to Win.
So, I really feel it's part of a bait and switch (pun intended) setup by devs. Once buying premium gear, to find there's a penalty, they also have "premium access/sub", trying to pressure those with their wallets out already to actually compete on gains with free players. The game even POINTS IT OUT when turning in fish, it shows largely and clearly, "this is the experience and money you would have received with premium".
Their constant nerfs throughout the years making this game more frustrating than fun, have been bad enough. But proven unspoken penalties for daring to want to give them money for a more immersive experience is BS.
Even more mind-numbingly dumb is level-locked fishing areas. I grew up fishing, and have fished some of the locale in the game, in real-life. It's not like I had to check my RL fishing license to make sure it was "level 36" before fishing at X-location... when that's *exactly* what happens in this game.
Game is also set up to burn out your in-game/premium currency between travel-costs, license prices, and amount to upgrade gear, lures, bait, attachments, etc.
Best advice: Cheaper and much less stressful to fish in real-life ***or*** finding a really good fishing game that's anything besides Fishing Planet.… Expand
