I spent roughly $35 in Steem right off the bat, but now I don't think I'll have to spend anymore. I've been making massive upgrades to my production with only my resources. My army is huge, and at some point, I figure the in-game resources will be tradable/sellable. That will take it to another level.
Just this morning, spending only resources, I made a Pharm Lab upgrade that would've cost 30 Steem.
I'm excited about the game. I think it offers plenty of incentive for new players to spend a little bit, but only at the beginning. I'm excited to see what the future holds!
RE: DrugWars Game - can you play without spending steem?