pers3phoneBanned Users, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited August 2013
One can argue that Molten Front/Firelands was not free only because Cataclysm costs money. Other than that, you did the dailies, and in 30-40 days, you finished the zone, simple, and got your nice fiery hippogryph and vendor access.
150K AD/day, dunno what to say. This game has all kinds of hidden <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> that allow players to make lots of money or run very short dungeons then put expensive gear on the AH and so on.
From my perspective, as a newish player, I can make approximately 25-30K/day with some exceptions (like when I sold a master platesmith I was lucky to have), and I need to save them for T2 gear, for a stone, and for serious mount. I also have to work at least 3 hours for that, doing boring foundry stuff, waiting in queue for DV dungeon to pop up for maybe more than an hour etc. Considering how much I need these hard worked for AD for my gear setup, paying 50K to open a dungeon is a huge ripoff to me.
I solo so where to make AD. I envoke..sell on the AH for alittle. Do leadership..its still not much. I saved and got some good gear on the AH. Thats not possible now. The companions die so fast anyway. I'd like real ones like EQ2 has. Like a player that follows you.
150K AD/day, dunno what to say. This game has all kinds of hidden <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> that allow players to make lots of money or run very short dungeons then put expensive gear on the AH and so on.
That was without using the AH. For the time being I have all day to play. When that changes I will obviously make less.
On a regular day I run foundry quests dailies and PvP dailies with my level 60s. Sometimes I run the blacklake skirmish on a low level character during skirmish hour. If I get bored I do a dungeon. I have about a dozen characters that have Leadership 18-20 and another dozen that have Leadership at 15 or so.
Most of those characters I don't really play. I just check them twice a day to invoke and restart their missions. I've got about 6 characters I care about. Those are the ones I'd want an upgraded companion or mount on. The companion upgrade cost isn't the most outrageous thing ever. But if it seems a bit high to me... I wonder what it seems like to those without all day to play.
If there is a Free MMO out there, without a cash shop. The it run by someone spending all their money to run the game.
To Quote Flying Finn(repeatedly , on the Champions forums) It's free to play NOT everything is free.
IF they get no money the game doesn't run.
To those who have said their purchase of the Feywild pack sponsered the Expansion. NO, the packs were sold after it was created, to cover costs. Otherwise they would been selling them from before the Feywild update was first mentioned.
Thats like saying the Hero of the North packs funded the game. NO, they have been making the game for over a year. The packs have been available for , what 5 months. The packs are to recoup costs of making the game, from people thinking.. OOH I have to have that.
Sunscription games proved to be less profitable then F2P games. This is why most new games are F2P.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium - the cash shop items.
For those that complain about short term gain vs long term gain. Most games last less than 5 years, they need to grab as fast as possible becasue players very rarely stay in any game long.
Game x is out, lets play that, game y is now out lets play that etc.
The cost to improve the companions are insane. I have an L60 Cleric with a L15 tank companion. The companion has become useless. I can't do any solo content in the L57-60 range. I have just over 70000 AD and that's with my leveling leadership for my craft. I really was looking forward to upgrading my companion so I would have a chance if seeing the new content. Since I can't solo this toon the game just died for me. I am currently leveling another toon, but if I hit the same bottleneck, then I will have no choice but to quit the game. Whats the point in playing if I can't see any of the end content of this game. Very poor design it would seem.
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jediknight16Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild UsersPosts: 25Arc User
edited August 2013
I was looking forward to this feature, thinking "this way all players will be able to get useful companions without being obliged to spend money for it". But not at all, it's just like high level enchants and epic mounts, only hardcore gamers who farm all day and play 8hours a day will be able to buy and use the upgrade system. For common players, no worry, you'll be able to buy them in six months or more !
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axer128Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
The cost to improve the companions are insane. I have an L60 Cleric with a L15 tank companion. The companion has become useless. I can't do any solo content in the L57-60 range. I have just over 70000 AD and that's with my leveling leadership for my craft. I really was looking forward to upgrading my companion so I would have a chance if seeing the new content. Since I can't solo this toon the game just died for me. I am currently leveling another toon, but if I hit the same bottleneck, then I will have no choice but to quit the game. Whats the point in playing if I can't see any of the end content of this game. Very poor design it would seem.
All of the new regular non-5man content - new and old content all the way to level 60 in soloable by a cleric (or any class) in all greens, without any companion.
It's not poor design i'm afraid, it's the player in this case. Research a better build and try harder.
Upgrading that companion will hardly have any impact anyways. They are particular poor, even at green or blue rank. Even at purple with top gear they will still die without some extreme care.
The solo content in feywild is especially easy. I mean - 1 shot everything - easy for the first couple areas. Don't think i ever even dropped below 90% health.
It is 100% designed for low geared, low skilled players in mind.
Certainly not designed for me, it's mind numbingly trivial for me. Even the 5man skirmish is a joke, I can complete it even if all the other 4 members have 5k gearscores and barely do anything. Hope the dungeon offers some challenge.
adinosiiMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 4,294Arc User
edited August 2013
Quite frankly, I don't understand the whining. You don't have to be a "hardcore" gamer to make a decent amount of AD in this game - even a casual player like myself can easily make 100K per day....and much more when you have some special events running.
I can understand whinining about the 24K daily limit - it is annoying - I have 380.000 rough AD myself and that pile decreases very slowly, if at all.
Now, whether raising the level of the companions is really worth it is a different issue - for the augment companions, it is only worthwhile if you have BiS gear and maxed-out enchants and enhancements - in that case, raising your stone/cat from 25 to 30 is just about the only thing you can do to get a few extra points.
For healing/striking/tanking companions - well, why bother raising them? You are probably only going to use them while leveling anyhow. Also, if your companion kept dying before it is still going to do so - it is much better to increase its survivability with some cheap purples adding Life Steal and Regeneration.
my god its hard enough to get AD, they lied how the expansion is free
It is free. Everything you need to do the content, you can get in-game.
A non-free content expansion would be like the quest packs in DDO or LotRO, where you have to go to the cash shop and buy it, in order to get any of the content.
It is free. Everything you need to do the content, you can get in-game.
A non-free content expansion would be like the quest packs in DDO or LotRO, where you have to go to the cash shop and buy it, in order to get any of the content.
However, in LotRO, you can earn Turbine Points by doing quests and grinding deeds. Just like you can earn AD in NWO.
The first 2 areas are free, and come with about 8 new daily quests that award several thousand diamonds. You have to earn so much faction by repeating these quests. You'll probably earn about 20-30k diamonds before you have enough faction to progress to the next area, which requires the purchase of a key for 10k diamonds.
The fee is nominal, a very low cost AD sink. However, there will be whiners. There always are.
Or people are calling Cryptic how one the time and time again promise that content will be 100% free.
However, there will be the blind fanboism. There always is.
I love NW's f2p _model_. I'm just not thrilled with how they've chosen to implement it.
Take Star Trek: Online. Same basic model, but the zen store and options translate to sweet-talking people by making them HAPPY to spend money. Nothing feels required, just... fun and neat to have.
NW should be more like that.
Campaign: The Fenwick Cycle NWS-DKR9GB7KH
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
So, I haven’t looked at this yet. But are you guys telling me that they added the books, and the books are very expensive? You got to be kidding right? Has Cryptic lost their minds about this or what? Because I’m not spending one single penny on this game. I’ve already spent enough on the founder’s pack, that’s as far as I’m going with it.
You know, I wouldn't have as much problem with the companion upgrade books if they were tied to Zen and so immune from changes in the zen/AD exchange rate.
That is, 'hey, you can spend $30 on a purple companion OOOR $30 on upgrading your starter companion to purple.'
At least it would be relatively... 'fair' that way. This way? Meh.
Campaign: The Fenwick Cycle NWS-DKR9GB7KH
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
So, I haven’t looked at this yet. But are you guys telling me that they added the books, and the books are very expensive? You got to be kidding right? Has Cryptic lost their minds about this or what? Because I’m not spending one single penny on this game. I’ve already spent enough on the founder’s pack, that’s as far as I’m going with it.
To answer the basic question here - they didn't add the books in, so much as made it a base function of the system itself. At max rank, the 'Begin Training' button is replaced with 'Upgrade Companion' and charges you the appropriate amount of Astral Diamonds after a confirmation dialogue.
The problem is the pricetag of 300k, 500k, and 750k for each upgrade tier (White -> Green, Green -> Blue, Blue -> Purple).
I mentioned when it was first previewed that the price is far too high for what little benefit it really offers, and think that a 25% decrease is the least reduction it would take to make this even remotely acceptable. I still think that. I'll probably continue to think that until there is a reduction of some sort or a change somewhere. Categorically not worth the effort as it stands.
There's my problem. Let's see... I can spend $40 on a purple dog/cleric/man-at-arms, OR spend $30 for a galeb duhr, $35 on a honey badger, or pittance for a phoera.
All of which are generally considered worse than getting an ioun stone or cat ANYway.
Just... dumb.
Campaign: The Fenwick Cycle NWS-DKR9GB7KH
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
So as usual Cryptic didn’t listen to us, and pretty much winged in by slapping on high dollar price tags on this. More reasons why I have not been playing this game anymore. It’s like standing on a cliff side and waiting to take that next step off the edge. Which to me this game has already done in so many ways. Ill continue to wait on Oblivion Online.
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valindriusMember, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild UsersPosts: 8Arc User
Honestly it is just best to forget that companion upgrades exist (just like we all ignore mount cost upgrades because almost no one would ever do it). It is a shame they decided to disappoint us like this because many of us were waiting for this to be added. I knew it would not be cheap but I did not expect it to cost 50% more than it cost to buy an epic pet from the Zen store.
Upgrading any companion is a waste of AD because there is no value in it. The non-augment pets still die almost as fast and the healing companions WILL NOT heal any better than they do now. The augment pets are also not worth upgrading because they give you almost no stat increase at epic (less than a rank 5 enchant). The stone of might MAY be the ONLY companion in the game that is worth upgrading from green to blue. I would not upgrade it to epic either.
It is a shame because this inadvertently lowers the value of any non-epic companion in the Zen store. If you buy a green pet at 2000 zen you do so knowing it will cost you another 3500 zen (1.25 million AD/350 AD exchange rate) to make it epic. If you really want an epic companion make sure it is epic when you buy it and forget that upgrading companions even exists.
Brick and mortar stores fail in foreign markets because they don't offer consumers the goods they want. For example, opening up a McDonalds in India and serving them beef is a good way to bankrupt yourself. Business practices have nothing to do with it.
This is what I actually said:
It's like the many instances of Western businesses placing their brick-n-mortar stores in foreign countries without changing how they do business. They often fail because of the lack of ability (or even attempt) to understand the demographic...and there is an assumption that is made that "Well if it works here, it will work there."
The reason for not changing in how one does business (a business practice influenced by the values of the culture) is because the business did not take the time to understand the cultural differences and values.
Providing beef to a culture where beef is not as popular (not all Indians refuse to eat beef btw, that's a myth and IMO, just more exposure of ignorance - nothing more than a lack of knowledge...something we all have - on this issue) and expecting it to be as successful in a culture where beef is very popular, is simple "ignorance." It is an ignorance of cultural diversity, values, philosophy, tradition, etc...
By not catering to the demographic of the primary consumer, the business (and consumer) lose out. While there may be some success, it will be nowhere near what it could be. That is the crux of my post you read.
Chinese business practices are the same as american business practices.
No. They aren't. This is wreaking of ignorance of international markets, culture, and values. Huge consulting companies exist for this very reason.
And as I said in my post, this isn't merely a Chinese issue, but rather an Asian issue.
There will always be exceptions. I'm speaking as a general rule.
Also, there is no doubt that Asia as a whole (particularly China), is becoming more westernized. More of its younger generation interested in business are being trained in Western universities with Western business philosophies and strategies.
But there is a distinction to be made in how the East and West do business (in practice and the values that shape their theories and strategies).
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brendan03usMember, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild UsersPosts: 0Arc User
And as I said in my post, this isn't merely a Chinese issue, but rather an Asian issue.
There will always be exceptions. I'm speaking as a general rule.
Also, there is no doubt that Asia as a whole (particularly China), is becoming more westernized. More of its younger generation interested in business are being trained in Western universities with Western business philosophies and strategies.
But there is a distinction to be made in how the East and West do business (in practice and the values that shape their theories and strategies).
The thing is, though, that STO was also more or less designed similarly by Cryptic long before they were owned by PWE. They started with a sub model, but like everyone else, quickly moved to a F2P model with a cash shop that had much more than cosmetic stuff in it. When PWE came along they introduced dilithium crystals, which could be purchased for Zen (the equivalent of our ADs), which matches PW's model for its other games, but the underlying "quick to level, cash shop with ship upgrades" and so on model predates PWE's involvement with Cryptic.
It will be interesting to see how long TESO can manage to keep a sub going. No Western MMO in the last few years has managed to keep a sub going for more than a few months, which also makes that seem like a cash grab as well (if they know that they have a good chance of converting to f2p like everyone else that launched with a sub has done after a few months).
If TESO, Wildstar, and FFXIV are smart, they already have design done for conversion to F2P and are just starting with subs to capture the high demand initial surge.
Campaign: The Fenwick Cycle NWS-DKR9GB7KH
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
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brendan03usMember, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild UsersPosts: 0Arc User
If TESO, Wildstar, and FFXIV are smart, they already have design done for conversion to F2P and are just starting with subs to capture the high demand initial surge.
Of course that's what they're doing. Obviously TOR and TSW did the same. Why not grab the cash from the subs at the beginning? It's a cash grab opportunity, really.
The thing is, though, that STO was also more or less designed similarly by Cryptic long before they were owned by PWE.
For clarity (and accuracy), here is the timeline:
2004 - Perpetual Entertainment begins to develop STO
Jan 2008 - Cryptic picked up licensing to continue developing STO from Perpetual Entertainment (who went bankrupt).
Dec 2008 - Cryptic bought by Atari.
Feb 2010 - STO released (cost of game + cost of subscription charged to players)
May 2011 - Perfect World purchases Cryptic from Atari
Jan 2012 - STO goes F2P Hybrid
With that out of the way...
While it may be the case that STO had in-game, real world currency (starting with Atari points, then Cryptic points, then Zen), I don't believe it was the case that it was as "nickel-and-dimey" as NW.
Remember, the issue is not the use of in-game, real world currency (igrwc for convenience), it's the level in which it is used in the design. STO's igrwc use doesn't compare to that of NW, which to my knowledge, is the first mmorpg in history (in the West anyway) to rely (or use) such a high degree of igrwc.
As a result, it's created quite a bit of backlash among western gamers who have played it for any measurable period of time. If you note, 100% of all reviews for the game from game review companies or publications (most of which are favorable), consist of only introductory levels of the game. This is expected of course because a reviewer cannot be expected to spend hours and hours leveling a character in a single game. They have other games to review.
The issue is not the "beginning part" of the game, but the end game. By the time one has reached end game, especially with multiple characters, just how much of a nickel-dime business model NW is, is easily seen. As a result, many western gamers have criticized the game as such. Most of the defenses of the game seem to be coming from newer players who haven't yet played enough to see how badly the game nickels and dimes the player.
The point being, is that there seems to be quite a high turn over in the game. People don't "last." It's not about retention with NW, it's about getting as much out of the customer as possible as quickly as possible.
No Western MMO in the last few years has managed to keep a sub going for more than a few months
This doesn't sound accurate. While I haven't found any 2013 data, stats from 2008-2011 give games such as Eve, WoW, GW, Champions Online and other big titles 12-17 months. Where are you getting this "no more than 90 months" idea from?
Comments
150K AD/day, dunno what to say. This game has all kinds of hidden <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> that allow players to make lots of money or run very short dungeons then put expensive gear on the AH and so on.
From my perspective, as a newish player, I can make approximately 25-30K/day with some exceptions (like when I sold a master platesmith I was lucky to have), and I need to save them for T2 gear, for a stone, and for serious mount. I also have to work at least 3 hours for that, doing boring foundry stuff, waiting in queue for DV dungeon to pop up for maybe more than an hour etc. Considering how much I need these hard worked for AD for my gear setup, paying 50K to open a dungeon is a huge ripoff to me.
That was without using the AH. For the time being I have all day to play. When that changes I will obviously make less.
On a regular day I run foundry quests dailies and PvP dailies with my level 60s. Sometimes I run the blacklake skirmish on a low level character during skirmish hour. If I get bored I do a dungeon. I have about a dozen characters that have Leadership 18-20 and another dozen that have Leadership at 15 or so.
Most of those characters I don't really play. I just check them twice a day to invoke and restart their missions. I've got about 6 characters I care about. Those are the ones I'd want an upgraded companion or mount on. The companion upgrade cost isn't the most outrageous thing ever. But if it seems a bit high to me... I wonder what it seems like to those without all day to play.
To Quote Flying Finn(repeatedly , on the Champions forums) It's free to play NOT everything is free.
IF they get no money the game doesn't run.
To those who have said their purchase of the Feywild pack sponsered the Expansion. NO, the packs were sold after it was created, to cover costs. Otherwise they would been selling them from before the Feywild update was first mentioned.
Thats like saying the Hero of the North packs funded the game. NO, they have been making the game for over a year. The packs have been available for , what 5 months. The packs are to recoup costs of making the game, from people thinking.. OOH I have to have that.
Sunscription games proved to be less profitable then F2P games. This is why most new games are F2P.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium - the cash shop items.
For those that complain about short term gain vs long term gain. Most games last less than 5 years, they need to grab as fast as possible becasue players very rarely stay in any game long.
Game x is out, lets play that, game y is now out lets play that etc.
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
All of the new regular non-5man content - new and old content all the way to level 60 in soloable by a cleric (or any class) in all greens, without any companion.
It's not poor design i'm afraid, it's the player in this case. Research a better build and try harder.
Upgrading that companion will hardly have any impact anyways. They are particular poor, even at green or blue rank. Even at purple with top gear they will still die without some extreme care.
The solo content in feywild is especially easy. I mean - 1 shot everything - easy for the first couple areas. Don't think i ever even dropped below 90% health.
It is 100% designed for low geared, low skilled players in mind.
Certainly not designed for me, it's mind numbingly trivial for me. Even the 5man skirmish is a joke, I can complete it even if all the other 4 members have 5k gearscores and barely do anything. Hope the dungeon offers some challenge.
-Epic Dread Vault Crushed.
Characters (Dragon): Axer (60 Guardian, Leader of Crush It!), Controller (60 Wizard), Warlocker (60 Warlock)
I can understand whinining about the 24K daily limit - it is annoying - I have 380.000 rough AD myself and that pile decreases very slowly, if at all.
Now, whether raising the level of the companions is really worth it is a different issue - for the augment companions, it is only worthwhile if you have BiS gear and maxed-out enchants and enhancements - in that case, raising your stone/cat from 25 to 30 is just about the only thing you can do to get a few extra points.
For healing/striking/tanking companions - well, why bother raising them? You are probably only going to use them while leveling anyhow. Also, if your companion kept dying before it is still going to do so - it is much better to increase its survivability with some cheap purples adding Life Steal and Regeneration.
It is free. Everything you need to do the content, you can get in-game.
A non-free content expansion would be like the quest packs in DDO or LotRO, where you have to go to the cash shop and buy it, in order to get any of the content.
I agree. Take my money, and give me the entire freaking game. I hate this f2p model.
Alas, it appears to be the wave of the future. (especially since it's saved a number of sub MMOs from disappearing)
There's still a couple that are coming out as sub, though. ESO and Wildstar are apparently going that way.
However, in LotRO, you can earn Turbine Points by doing quests and grinding deeds. Just like you can earn AD in NWO.
Or people are calling Cryptic how one the time and time again promise that content will be 100% free.
However, there will be the blind fanboism. There always is.
Take Star Trek: Online. Same basic model, but the zen store and options translate to sweet-talking people by making them HAPPY to spend money. Nothing feels required, just... fun and neat to have.
NW should be more like that.
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
Again, the use of in-game currencies to gain things in a new content patch, does not make those things "not free".
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
That is, 'hey, you can spend $30 on a purple companion OOOR $30 on upgrading your starter companion to purple.'
At least it would be relatively... 'fair' that way. This way? Meh.
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
To answer the basic question here - they didn't add the books in, so much as made it a base function of the system itself. At max rank, the 'Begin Training' button is replaced with 'Upgrade Companion' and charges you the appropriate amount of Astral Diamonds after a confirmation dialogue.
The problem is the pricetag of 300k, 500k, and 750k for each upgrade tier (White -> Green, Green -> Blue, Blue -> Purple).
I mentioned when it was first previewed that the price is far too high for what little benefit it really offers, and think that a 25% decrease is the least reduction it would take to make this even remotely acceptable. I still think that. I'll probably continue to think that until there is a reduction of some sort or a change somewhere. Categorically not worth the effort as it stands.
[SIGPIC]Also, this poster rambles.[/SIGPIC]
+12.5 days (300k)
+25 days (600k)
Granted, you can earn more than 24k in diamonds per day, you'll just be limited to how many you can refine.
All of which are generally considered worse than getting an ioun stone or cat ANYway.
Just... dumb.
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
Upgrading any companion is a waste of AD because there is no value in it. The non-augment pets still die almost as fast and the healing companions WILL NOT heal any better than they do now. The augment pets are also not worth upgrading because they give you almost no stat increase at epic (less than a rank 5 enchant). The stone of might MAY be the ONLY companion in the game that is worth upgrading from green to blue. I would not upgrade it to epic either.
It is a shame because this inadvertently lowers the value of any non-epic companion in the Zen store. If you buy a green pet at 2000 zen you do so knowing it will cost you another 3500 zen (1.25 million AD/350 AD exchange rate) to make it epic. If you really want an epic companion make sure it is epic when you buy it and forget that upgrading companions even exists.
The reason for not changing in how one does business (a business practice influenced by the values of the culture) is because the business did not take the time to understand the cultural differences and values.
Providing beef to a culture where beef is not as popular (not all Indians refuse to eat beef btw, that's a myth and IMO, just more exposure of ignorance - nothing more than a lack of knowledge...something we all have - on this issue) and expecting it to be as successful in a culture where beef is very popular, is simple "ignorance." It is an ignorance of cultural diversity, values, philosophy, tradition, etc...
By not catering to the demographic of the primary consumer, the business (and consumer) lose out. While there may be some success, it will be nowhere near what it could be. That is the crux of my post you read.
No. They aren't. This is wreaking of ignorance of international markets, culture, and values. Huge consulting companies exist for this very reason.
http://globalbrief.ca/blog/2012/10/04/what-are-the-main-differences-today-between-asian-and-western-business/
http://www.qualityinspection.org/the-short-term-view-of-chinese-suppliers/
And as I said in my post, this isn't merely a Chinese issue, but rather an Asian issue.
There will always be exceptions. I'm speaking as a general rule.
Also, there is no doubt that Asia as a whole (particularly China), is becoming more westernized. More of its younger generation interested in business are being trained in Western universities with Western business philosophies and strategies.
But there is a distinction to be made in how the East and West do business (in practice and the values that shape their theories and strategies).
The thing is, though, that STO was also more or less designed similarly by Cryptic long before they were owned by PWE. They started with a sub model, but like everyone else, quickly moved to a F2P model with a cash shop that had much more than cosmetic stuff in it. When PWE came along they introduced dilithium crystals, which could be purchased for Zen (the equivalent of our ADs), which matches PW's model for its other games, but the underlying "quick to level, cash shop with ship upgrades" and so on model predates PWE's involvement with Cryptic.
It will be interesting to see how long TESO can manage to keep a sub going. No Western MMO in the last few years has managed to keep a sub going for more than a few months, which also makes that seem like a cash grab as well (if they know that they have a good chance of converting to f2p like everyone else that launched with a sub has done after a few months).
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?
Of course that's what they're doing. Obviously TOR and TSW did the same. Why not grab the cash from the subs at the beginning? It's a cash grab opportunity, really.
With that out of the way...
While it may be the case that STO had in-game, real world currency (starting with Atari points, then Cryptic points, then Zen), I don't believe it was the case that it was as "nickel-and-dimey" as NW.
Remember, the issue is not the use of in-game, real world currency (igrwc for convenience), it's the level in which it is used in the design. STO's igrwc use doesn't compare to that of NW, which to my knowledge, is the first mmorpg in history (in the West anyway) to rely (or use) such a high degree of igrwc.
As a result, it's created quite a bit of backlash among western gamers who have played it for any measurable period of time. If you note, 100% of all reviews for the game from game review companies or publications (most of which are favorable), consist of only introductory levels of the game. This is expected of course because a reviewer cannot be expected to spend hours and hours leveling a character in a single game. They have other games to review.
The issue is not the "beginning part" of the game, but the end game. By the time one has reached end game, especially with multiple characters, just how much of a nickel-dime business model NW is, is easily seen. As a result, many western gamers have criticized the game as such. Most of the defenses of the game seem to be coming from newer players who haven't yet played enough to see how badly the game nickels and dimes the player.
The point being, is that there seems to be quite a high turn over in the game. People don't "last." It's not about retention with NW, it's about getting as much out of the customer as possible as quickly as possible.
This doesn't sound accurate. While I haven't found any 2013 data, stats from 2008-2011 give games such as Eve, WoW, GW, Champions Online and other big titles 12-17 months. Where are you getting this "no more than 90 months" idea from?
Wicks and Things: NW-DI4FMZRR4 : The Fenwick merchant family has lost a caravan! Can you help?
Beggar's Hollow: NW-DR6YG4J2L : Someone, or something, has stolen away many of the Fenwicks' children! Can you find out what happened to them?
Into the Fen Wood: NW-DL89DRG7B : Enter the heart of the forest. Can you discover the secret of the Fen Wood?