As Herby mentioned above regarding comparisions to other games - I have played Wartune which is pretty much similar to this and there are features over there where only the so called VIP players can access. Every gear upgrade and also access to stronger gear needs you to spend money on ( wow it just hit me the amount of money I spend on that game ) So you guys should be thankful that in this game you can go a long way without spending a single dime and even challenge players to some extent who have invested money . Also in this game you can actually get gems as you progress which can be very helpful ( very few games give you such benefits).