Let's talk finances.
Heroes of Camelot is a F2P (Free to Play) game, but obviously there is cash component that can be used to your benefit... or detriment. This entry is more of an opinion piece since I'm frequently asked if a player should invest money in the game or not. In the end, as long as you can afford it, there is no right or wrong answer. HOWEVER there are a few things I would look out for before buying OR spending any gems.
Ask yourself these questions:
WANTS VS NEEDS
I feel in this game there are very few "needs" but many, many wants. We'd all love to buy infinite summon stones and T4 our Vambraels. We'd all like to have thousands of potions available for both questing and raiding. We'd all love the quick and powerful boost that spending real money would give us... but do we NEED it? The only thing I feel is a must in this game is the 240 gems required to unlock the 2x additional party slots so that you can save different configurations. Anything else is just a matter of luck and time...
KNOW WHEN TO HOLD 'EM... KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM
I personally only BUY when there is a promo and SPEND when there is another promo. I feel that doing this you not only maximize your dollar value on the front end, but also on the back end.
IS THERE A BUYING PROMO?
Let's look at the promo they have going right now, which is not too bad at least:
"One day only! Purchase a 2,100 Gem package or higher now to receive 4 extra summon stones!"
The 2100 gem package is enough to do a Champion Summon which costs you $30 and nets you the equivalent of 11 summon stones. This breaks down to 30/11 = $2.73 per stone. With the promo you will get 4 additional stones which reduces the stone prices to 30/15 = $2 per stone! Not terrible when you look at it that way, but not the best promo I've ever seen. The fact that you also get a free Guenevere along with that package also needs to be taken into consideration, so let's at least call her worth a stone and that makes the PPS (price per stone) 30/16 = $1.88. We're getting there!
A quick calculation like this one will help you determine if it's worth it to you to buy in. Again, I would (personally) NEVER buy without some kind of promo. This also helps to LIMIT the amount that YOU spend on the game as it is very possible to overspend without even realizing it.
Now that you HAVE some gems... when should you spend them?
IS THERE A SPENDING PROMO?
In the past week there have been 2x good SPENDING promos. One of them involved double drop rates for all 5* cards, and the other had double drop rates for Galahad and Gazlra. Waiting for a good promo is not only something you should do before you spend your gems, but it is also beneficial to just save your found / earned summon stones for them as well!
Why spend your money and stones when drop rates are regular when you KNOW there are always promos happening at random times? Unless you're super ADD and can't handle the suspense, I advocate hoarding gems and stones until there is a good promo for you to use them on. Especially the gems as sometimes there will be promos when if you buy a package you get additional cards like Paladins or even MORE stones to further reduce your PPS!
Basically: Always double down on promos if you can!
SPEND MORE TO GET MORE?
Now comes the point where I always run into problems, and I feel this is all about how much you have to spend and what your goals are in the game. When I made my last purchase, I ended up going for the $100 package, even though I could have gone with a lesser gem pack like the $30 and still received the same amount of "promos" or MORE had I purchased multiple $30 packs instead of the 1x $100 pack. I bought the $100 package just for Caraad of the Gale who you can ONLY get through buying that package. A "free" Guenevere is nice, but Caraad outclasses her and is unique to the $100 package and that's why I spent more.
If you ever wanted to run the Elemental Combo that gives +100% to attack you really dont have any choice but to go with the Caraad "deal" so I went with it. If you don't want the combo and are just happy with a few extra stones, then go cheaper. If you intend to get the combo, then just do it. In my old realm I had a few regrets because I bought 2x of the $30 package and kicked myself later because in the end I would have rather paid the extra $40 and gotten the Caraad right off the hop (<- an Easter bunny pun for you! I slay me!). So balance if you're going to play long term or short term and spend accordingly if you can afford it.
KNOW YOUR LIMIT, SPEND WITHIN IT!
If you feel you've gotten that $30 worth of enjoyment and can afford a gem package (while a promo is on, obv), do it if the winds persuade you. If you don't have the funds, or would prefer to take your wife out for a romantic night of dinner and dancing instead, no one is going to hunt you down and condemn you for NOT spending.
If you ARE going to spend: Please please please watch your wallet. It's not worth buying under ANY circumstances if it would cause you hardships in real life. Guys, it's a game. A simply yet potentially expensive one, but it's still just a game.
I hope this has answered some questions and given you some things to think about before you spend and use gems. As always, feel free to post comments or ask me questions in game if you'd like.
Have a great Easter to all those who celebrate it and RIDE HARD!
Carl Szalich
Psilence6K on Bors-46
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