Dude... Just play the game without using MT if it bothers u so much

Just dont buy them. Simple.

Stupidest article I've seen . Picked this game up last night and have no complaints about it . Just sounds like a lot of complaining to me .

*the rate of unlockables

Annoying autocorrect.

"Just because you can earn coins by other means, easily doesn't mean it's not geared towards microtransactions. Despite being easy to make a lot of coins, it also costs a lot of coins to get any substancial body of unlocks in the game."

Actually, it does. Nothing about the game is "geared towards micro transactions," as there is no necessity to do so. You can earn 5,000 ~ 9,000+ coins a game in Garden & Graveyards and around 3,000+ in other modes a game, which is ample coins to get a steady stream of packs.

"It's going to take me far beyond 5 days actual play time to unlock everything (assuming the last few unlocks become even more tedious). So it's easy to understand why for most consumers that is almost in achievable. The rate of uncrackable is admittedly better than many free to play games, but its slowed immensely relative to pay-to-play games."

This says more about the amount of content than anything else. After approximately the 44 hour point (it would actually be much sooner than this and if you can maintain a 760 CPM average) you should unlock every character in the game besides the one for levels, though you should have ample skip stars to buy off at least a few of them. This is also the end of the REAL content and all that will be left are costume items and a few stray upgrades. Furthermore, go play other shooters and you'll actually find a LOT of online games do this...

Call of Duty has camo skins, perks for leveling and such. Uncharted 3 had perks and even an unlockable character if you prestiged enough times. Battlefield 4 and Hardline have battle packs.

"I don't dislike the game, in fact I gave it a very favorable review"

You keep saying this, but it's starting to feel like you're using it as a get out of free card, similar to how I could say "no offense" and then follow it up by "you're a ****ing idiot." Is there any way to not be offended by the statement and just because I prefaced it by saying no offense, does that instantly mean I can say whatever I want without recourse?

"Yes as you and the other comment says you can ignore the microtransactions, but I still don't believe a game should force you to grind in order to access the conent you already paid for... so I don't think it represents very good value for money."

So let me get this straight, you think having various unlockables so you don't just hit a wall after a couple of hours is not only a bad thing, but somehow offers you less value? I'm sorry, but thats just terrible logic. Not only do you show no understanding of the system, which is designed so you can almost always be working towards something, but there are a lot of games that force you to "grind to access content you already paid for." Yes, even games without microtransactions. Borderlands has countless extremely rare guns that most people would never see without duplication (this ultimately devalues the game, but I digress) and several bosses are near impossible to beat without extremely high level gear, Disgaea has post game weapons, story and unlockable characters that take approximately 100+ hours to unlock. most online shooters now a days hide weapons / gear as level rewards. Even games like Rayman Legends characters that takes countless hours of grinding lums to unlock.

Ultimately you're just pissing on accessibility (the option to use microtransactions) and unlockable content (you want it all upfront), which is sort of silly when you think about it.

1. Your differentiation between 'real' content and presumably some sort of intangible, unreal content doesn't make any sense. Content is content and everyone wants different things for different reasons, someone want might an aesthetic customisation as much as I want a damage upgrade unlock, to discredit that is your own bias.

2. The comparisons you use aren't particularly apt, for instance it takes about 20 hours to unlock everything in Call of Duty (aside the superflous prestige-linked unlocks), which is vastly less than Garden Warfare, these examples provide testament to the statement that the game was 'built for microtransactions'. That aside, the notion that 'other games are doing it too', thereby makes it an acceptable practice is faulty logic, and the product of an availability heuristic.

3. The notion that having to progressively unlock everything makes the game in some way more enjoyable is entirely a personal preference. A subjective quality that's an interaction between individual differences and the games presentation. Whilst you are satiated by increasing the numbers on arbitrary experience bars in order to be spoonfed content, it does not represent any aspect of the gameplay. If we disregard these subjective preferences in favour of a more objective view, then having more content at any one time presents the player with more choice, and in turn a better game for the consumer.

The notion of 'hitting a wall' after a few hours is a testament to your own attention span. If you believe you would find the game unenjoyable if you weren't being strung along by unlockables, then why play at all? You don't appreciate a game for it's gameplay, you appreciate the dopamine release that's provided courtesy of the overt reward system.

Those aspects of your argument aside I can agree with you to some extent, that the present microtransactions do lend themselves to accessibility within these online competative environments. Allowing people that don't have the time, or ability to catch up to others with either more time or skill is a good option. I think a happy medium would be to include an entirely set of options for split/screen and LAN play, where these unlockables are all available. That way everyone could enjoy all of the games content and far longer than EA continue support for the title, but the progression system that you and others enjoy within online multiplayer would still be retained.

Now, if only we could make our brothers and sisters understand this. Soon their "collection" will consist of nothing. Just an empty wallet.
Then you'll gets lots of "how did this happen?" "When did this happen?" "I never asked for this!" and all kinds of interesting anecdotes and rants to supplant the ever popular - "if you didn't want it, you never should have bought it" argument.

Yet, they would have been the main culprits of this sitcom.

There are others that have raised their voice against this type of thing. The Final Bossman also mentioned this and pre-ordering follies.

Our numbers a re few and my HOPE is that in the future we will be heard. To much immaturity in this hobby of ours to be taken seriously by the masses.

Tell this story to anyone else and they'd laugh in our faces. Even a leased car get you another better one when you and IF you want it. Not just simply a cancellation of contract and sent home packing.