It is definitely a pay to win website. i mainly play catan. i have been observing the in-game rolls for a little more than a 100 games. now whenever i play, i could almost always guess the next dice roll (1 or 2 numbers). it so happened that in a few games, i was predicting the rolls to the shock of other non-premium players who have hysterically laughed and joined me in the guessing game. the premium member got annoyed, of course.
i have devised a personal strategy to beat this. but i am unable to make use of it all the time cos getting the correct first settlement numbers is very crucial "w.r.t." the settlement numbers of the premium member. it means, even when the game begins i know that i have definitely lost the game or i have a chance to win.
also, the way the roll machine helps the premium member is unbelievable. its deeply programmed within. when a roll churning hex is blocked by robber, bga immediately churns out a 7 to release it. block it again, another crucial premium number starts rolling.
yet, i have figured out a few ways to confuse the system and fool it to roll my hex numbers. those ways depend on the board and placements.
i am not going to list those ways here. if you look carefully at each game you play, you will devise those methods yourself.
to other premium players who are constantly wondering why their win rate is bad despite the pay-to-win system...
its not about winning. its about getting insanely ridiculous rolls on your hex numbers. its up to you to use it properly or waste it. also, if you have made bad first settlements and got your roads cut off, nothing can save you. yet, you will see the rolling system sadly churning out your numbers and giving you 7s and so on to help you. its quite dramatic to watch it. like a broken vending machine. if you are genuinely a good player, you will be formidable being premium. if there are multiple premium players, the system helps all of them and by the end of the game, chooses one favourite among them who generally strategises better.
to my fellow gamers.... i value your opinions as long as they are devoid of sarcasm. i have a major in mathematics and have been a senior AAA game programmer. that doesn't mean anything big about me. its just that i know probability theory and game programming well enough to give lectures on them. also, i am playing catan for the last 20 years. i also have played in unofficial online catan sea3d community long ago which had 80000 members at its peak in mid 2000s. so i know the game well enough to know whats random and whats in-built.
there is nothing wrong to be a pay to win website. how else would companies make money? having worked in the game industry, i know that. but the situation is sad. to be publicly honest is bad for businesses of this kind. still, i commend the programmers in bga who have made such a seemingly random system which changes the rolls based on the premium members' situation. its both annoying and also quite impressive.
you may ask.
why dont i leave the website?
i like the graphics and interface here. its the closest to the old sea3d client and also the real board. other websites dont have such good graphics and simple interface.
why dont i pay?
i play only catan. not interested in other board games. i have no direct benefits from a premium membership. i can wait for a game. also, if i pay and see a very good non-premium player struggle against my rolls, i would feel utterly guilty. not victorious. that's seal clubbing.
start with these questions if you wish to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
how many at the top 100 arena winners are non-premium players?
how many of your last 100 games were won by non-premium players?
then dive in.
thanks for reading.