This monetization vector is reinforced by the following emotions: anticipation (positive) and impatience (negative).
Time and game progress are strongly intertwined, and Free to Play games often purposely (and gradually) slow down a player's progression rate in hopes of monetizing it. This can be done in two ways:
- Explicitly via timers: A centralized server-based clock can support a range of progress gating mechanics, from timers on crafting, building, training, upgrading, and unlocking your units, skills, and structures, to energy mechanics (which directly limit the playtime), and more subtle daily and weekly objectives that grant players important rewards (without which progress slows down significantly).
- Implicitly via resources ...