I bought the LTS for both me and my wife as soon as it was first available for purchase. For us both, we'll be playing for free in August/September going forward. But that doesn't make us loaded; we simply used some of our tax return money to make the investment so we wouldn't have to budget $30/month going forward for the both of us. I'd rather have a higher one-time cost than a smaller recurring bill that constantly eats away at my monthly budget.
Sure, I occasionally buy stuff from the C-store...same thing with my wife. I bought the retrofit Excelsior, the Nebula, and the MVAM Prometheus. With the leftover tokens, I bought a couple of costume packs (like Seven of Nine). She also bought a Nebula and the D'Kyr, and once her Tac officer hits VA she'll also buy the MVAM Prometheus.
Does that make us "loaded?" No. We adhere to a strict monthly budget. We have allotted each of us a $25/month allowance. Sometimes, we choose to spend part of that allowance on the C-store. It's my money, I'll spend it how I please, thank you very much.
A person is totally within their rights to not like the C-store, and also totally within their rights to not spend money there. But by the same token, I'm just as much within my rights to spend my hard-earned money there if I so choose. And I honestly believe that Cryptic wouldn't put things on the C-store if people weren't buying them. Speaking for myself, I would rather have the freedom pick and choose what items on the C-store I want and still get every major update for free, rather than being forced to spend $20+ on each Season/expansion in order to gain access to all new territories and mission content.
For the record: I have not purchased the Galaxy-X (even though I would really like to own it) because, in my opinion, $20 is way too much to spend for one ship. The next time there's a C-store sale, I may reconsider, but even then I highly doubt it.
None of these items are "needed" in game, they are pure fluff. The money generated from the C-Store is used to fund new content. If you can't understand this then don't buy anything from the C-Store, no one is forcing you.
If I buy a car, and they send me a chassis with an engine, steering wheel and a seat, would I be wrong to complain when they try to charge me for doors, speedometer and other "luxuries?"
If they wanted to gouge us on the C-Store, they should have at least finished the game first.
Does that included finishing a game that was half-built when it was released?
I have only ever played one other MMO, and it was Changing and Expanding Constantly through the efforts of individual or groups of players who invested time and effort into that. My understanding is that this type of game should Never Be Complete, nor Finished Growing. I hope it continues to grow and Expand.
Since I have been on since May or very early June, I have seen Volumes of Improvements and changes. If you do not see them, perhaps you just need to step back and look again??
If I buy a car, and they send me a chassis with an engine, steering wheel and a seat, would I be wrong to complain when they try to charge me for doors, speedometer and other "luxuries?"
If they wanted to gouge us on the C-Store, they should have at least finished the game first.
If you ever shopped for a car, you know that if you want a better radio, leather seats and 17" tires, you pay more. The car will run as-is, the rest is fluff.
You can play STO without making any C-Store purchases. The TOS pack is merely leather seats to your cloth seat game experience.
If I buy a car, and they send me a chassis with an engine, steering wheel and a seat, would I be wrong to complain when they try to charge me for doors, speedometer and other "luxuries?"
What you mention aren't even luxuries: none of the c-store items are analogous to that.
Leather interior, cd player, on-star navigation, etc. are analogous to his & her TOS unis and ships.
I'm out of toilet paper, I need to have my butler call the bank for another roll of Benjamins.:rolleyes:
It was a cost analysis thing, I added up what I spent on 10 years of EQ and later on the package deal for sony for SWG EQ2 and all the sony games for 2 accounts and said hey $240 bucks is a great deal.
I feel your pain. All those years that I spent on that game I feel like it was a waste. That game was great but it sucked the life out of you.
Is it me or is complaining about the C-Store fluff items akin to someone starving and and poor complaining that they can't afford the latest Nike sneakers?
Is it me or is complaining about the C-Store fluff items akin to someone starving and and poor complaining that they can't afford the latest Nike sneakers?
In some cases it is like this, but in others i'm sure there is a level of hypocrisy with the amount they probably spend/waste on terrible things like McDonalds and such, then question the finer points of the C-Store which is technically visual splendor in most cases and like much in life, things you don't need to still get by.
This simplest answer to the C-Store is, either use it or don't, and grind away at obtaining ships etc if you don't. Or wait for the next sale to come around if you really don't wish to pay full price for something, but for people to continue to moan about the C-Store, its very sad to see. You don't need anything from this that will affect the way you play this game. Sure some things have new abilities but they are not game changing in any way. I've brought what i have wanted from there, and since have plenty of points ready for future things. Cryptic in no way are forcing me to buy anything, its all whether i wish to spend my money or not. C-Store allows instant access to certain items, and exclusive access to others, but in no way is anything affecting the way we play STO.
not my problem and stop defending them, it might not bother you, and that is fine, but for us that feel spending the full price on a game, $50, and THEN a monthly subscription, ERRRRR WRONG
this is NOT cool, and not our problem, and the other guy is right, you will lose a signiificant amount of players because we'd rather spend that money on a game where we dont have to buy ships with US CURRENCY!
They are luxury cosmetic items. You don't need to buy them.
Much like when someone spends $2 million dollars on a stamp or Picasso, people can determine what (if at all) they'll spend on virtual good.
I'm not saying STO's fluff items are picassos or stamps - just that the value and meaning of an item (whether virtual or real) is determined by the user beholding it.
While I appreciate the artistry of a Picasso painting, I don't spend $2 million dollars on a collection of fading pigments and colors organized in a certain way - just as I don't spend $25 dollars on a virtual ship.
However, there's someone out there that loves their Galaxy-X ship enough to pay that much for it and if the price were unreasonable to a majority then the price would be lowered (assuming digital goods follow the same market trends real goods do).
Much like when someone spends $2 million dollars on a stamp or Picasso, people can determine what (if at all) they'll spend on virtual good.
I'm not saying STO's fluff items are picassos or stamps - just that the value and meaning of an item (whether virtual or real) is determined by the user beholding it.
While I appreciate the artistry of a Picasso painting, I don't spend $2 million dollars on a collection of fading pigments and colors organized in a certain way - just as I don't spend $25 dollars on a virtual ship.
However, there's someone out there that loves their Galaxy-X ship enough to pay that much for it and if the price were unreasonable to a majority then the price would be lowered (assuming digital goods follow the same market trends real goods do).
My gripe isn't about c-store or that I can't afford the items. I could buy every item in the c-store but they are simply not worth their cost. I don't want them enough to grind them because I don't want them at all. I think what they are doing is price gouging.
I think they are way overpriced for whats fair and they are starting to hurt the game. They aren't going to stop selling these outrageously priced ships. People keep claiming that the money goes back in to develop more content but they have no way of knowing how much goes back in the game to Atari, CBS or as profits for the share holders.
My gripe isn't about c-store or that I can't afford the items. I could buy every item in the c-store but they are simply not worth their cost. I don't want them enough to grind them because I don't want them at all. I think what they are doing is price gouging.
I think they are way overpriced for whats fair and they are starting to hurt the game. They aren't going to stop selling these outrageously priced ships. People keep claiming that the money goes back in to develop more content but they have no way of knowing how much goes back in the game to Atari, CBS or as profits for the share holders.
If you don't want them why complain?
If you don't want them then they have no value to you and any price or effort is too much.
There is a simple solution for you; don't get them.
My gripe isn't about c-store or that I can't afford the items. I could buy every item in the c-store but they are simply not worth their cost. I don't want them enough to grind them because I don't want them at all. I think what they are doing is price gouging.
I think they are way overpriced for whats fair and they are starting to hurt the game. They aren't going to stop selling these outrageously priced ships. People keep claiming that the money goes back in to develop more content but they have no way of knowing how much goes back in the game to Atari, CBS or as profits for the share holders.
i'd like to see you justify a lower cost then.
please, break down how many hours work by how many people you think a particular item in the C-Store cost to design, build, test and QA from scratch, and how much per hour each person earns.
then add in costs of owning/renting the building the company and the servers are in (different buildings btw), the costs of running said buildings, insurance, licensing fee's and all other overheads.
please keep in mind that as a company, Cryptic and Atari need to be showing to be making a profit otherwise the company will fold.
because i dont think that the sub fee plus what is made on the C-Store is actually that excessive. We dont see pics of DStahl and co. sipping champange on their private yachts or driving to work in sports cars..
maybe i'm wrong, but while some are a little overpriced (galaxy-x and the nausican ship i'll agree are on the high mark) i'd still say that 95% of the C-Store is reasonable in its prices.. and i'm not someone who can afford to buy everything in there if i chose to either.
people dislike the business model of a cash store, I think that point has been made very apparent, so while i can understand why some feel the need to complain about it every weekend after a C-Store launch (when there's less moderation....) i still fail to see why some have this need to campaign against it like its some kind of sickness that'll kill children or cause the end of the world.
your opinion is noted and understood, please accept that not everyone will share it.
I'm sorry but I have been playing games for years and years, and despite loving STO, i have one problem that seems to be re-occurring in games these days, and BIG TIME in STO.
I PAYED FULL PRICE FOR THIS GAME, AND I PAY MONTHLY!! We should NOT have to spend MORE money on these stupid tokens for content that should be REQUIRED!!
Paying extra money for ships that should be in this game, clothing, items, its all complete and 100% "BullSh*t"
STOP TRIBBLE US OVER STO, ITS NOT OUR FAULT YOU RAN OUT OF MONEY!!! :eek::eek:
I love the C store and want to see even more items added, I have been gaming just as long if not longer than you.
Why should your opinion be more valid than mine?
Don't force your archaic notions of what is right and ethical down my throat TVM
please, break down how many hours work by how many people you think a particular item in the C-Store cost to design, build, test and QA from scratch, and how much per hour each person earns.
then add in costs of owning/renting the building the company and the servers are in (different buildings btw), the costs of running said buildings, insurance, licensing fee's and all other overheads.
please keep in mind that as a company, Cryptic and Atari need to be showing to be making a profit otherwise the company will fold.
because i dont think that the sub fee plus what is made on the C-Store is actually that excessive. We dont see pics of DStahl and co. sipping champange on their private yachts or driving to work in sports cars..
maybe i'm wrong, but while some are a little overpriced (galaxy-x and the nausican ship i'll agree are on the high mark) i'd still say that 95% of the C-Store is reasonable in its prices.. and i'm not someone who can afford to buy everything in there if i chose to either.
people dislike the business model of a cash store, I think that point has been made very apparent, so while i can understand why some feel the need to complain about it every weekend after a C-Store launch (when there's less moderation....) i still fail to see why some have this need to campaign against it like its some kind of sickness that'll kill children or cause the end of the world.
your opinion is noted and understood, please accept that not everyone will share it.
When I can buy a game for the price of one ship with dozens or hundreds of hours of game play I don't find it acceptable.
Do you really believe STO and Atari are in such bad shape if they don't sell c-store items they will collapse?
I don't complain about c-store every week or like it's a sickness.
As for lower prices, there is a startling amount of sales for the c-store.
And if you can plan your spendings around these three or four sales per year,
you can pretty much offset the prices by 20% for yourself.
As for my taste, WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much TOS stuff in the c-store right now!
if there was no store i honestly dont think we would currently have hardly any of these items at all. i dont know how much money they make from the c-store but im confident that the majority, if not all of it goes back into making the game better and giving us new c-store products that we either would not have ever or at least for a long time.
the simple fact is everything in the c-store is just geeky fantasy products. you dont need them to beat the game, or to enjoy it. its all just very low priority gear that people want purely for nostalgia or because its cool. some say these ships and costumes should be in the game by default. no they should not. just because they have been shown in star trek over the last 45 years does not mean they should automatically be placed into the game by some divine right. especially the out of era items.
in my view no store, means fewer funds and these low priority items would fall to the bottom of the production list.
i want stuff as quickly as possible and i will take having the option to buy something over not having it at all.
to me the c-store is very cool because it gives me what i want, although i will always support making every item available in game somehow. i think costumes and things should also be available via emblems.
there is a debate that lower prices would be beneficial to the game as more people might be inclined to buy products if they cost less. i would be in favour of lower prices if more people bought stuff to compensate. thats win/win.
When I can buy a game for the price of one ship with dozens or hundreds of hours of game play I don't find it acceptable.
Do you really believe STO and Atari are in such bad shape if they don't sell c-store items they will collapse?
I don't complain about c-store every week or like it's a sickness.
well that depends on the game doesnt it? there are games out there for free with hundreds of hours of gameplay.. hell, i have friends who've been playing castle age on facebook since before STO came out and they're still loving it.. so i dont see the logic in that statement, if the price of other games is the bar by which you've set "too much" as, then every ship is too much, including the ones you get while leveling, as you're paying a sub for them..
as i said, there are two ships that i think are over-priced, the rest work out reasonable, in game-time-for-grind vs store purchase. (i beleive its about 2 months grind, daily for one of those ships, so $30 in sub or about $15 in the store.. who's getting the better deal there?)
i think STO and Atari would collapse without being able to show at the very least a trend towards profit in the near-term financial future. (most companies or new start-ups generally have a 5 year financial plan, which starts at a loss and shows profit by year 5.. and we're into the halfway point with that for STO now, with its development time included) how they do that is down to them. to me it looks like they've gone for a small development team and an optional cash store for fluff items with a cash alternative to in-game grind as well. that may not be the choice you'd make but it was the one they did, and its a little late to change it now.
also, i didnt say you personally complain every week, if anything it was more a referance to the OP and the thread in itself. there are people who wait for the weekend of a store item launching to stir up trouble and dissent in the boards, purely because it amuses them i think.. those are the kind of people i'm talking about there. please dont misunderstand that as a personal attack on you. as i've said, i respect that your opinion is different to my own, and you've not been insulting or inflammitory either, so i have no reason to be so to you.
I'd certainly buy more stuff if it was reasonable priced. $3 or $4 bucks for one single uniform? Really?
The Open Jacket Pack and the Mercenary Pack seemed okay at that price, considering everything in it.
But, say T'Pols uniform or the TMP Uniforms should be half that.
Take the bundle for instance, at 1000-1200 AT, I'd be down with it
Or if they included the rest of the stuff for 2000 AT, I'd be down with it.
If they aren't going to drop prices, I'm sure an in game way to offset cost would increase people buying it.
Or even making there sales make more sense so I don't end up with 36 points left over
If this game makes it to October, then I'm playing for free. It's called an investment. And no, I'm not loaded. I saved my money knowing the purchase was coming.
This, but also if this game will hopefully go F2P Cryptic will be paying us to play the game.
I do wonder how previous MMOs supported their development and releasing new content (more often than STO) before micro transactions? hmmm, OH YEAH IT'S CALLED A MONTHLY FEE AND EXPANSION PACKS!
The thing about the C-Store that really drives me insane is the cost of the items. I feel most are way too expensive. Most ships on the C-Store are 1,200 AT or $15. The dreadnought is 2,000 AT or $25! So people are essentially buying a single item for the same cost as expansion pack should be that contains much more content.
The people who have the extra money to spend are ones paying the monthly fee + spending in the C-Store. Not the people who saved up for the lifetime.
ya and alll these "Career officers" who spent like 300 bucks *laugh* for full time subscription, are either 1. loaded financially, or 2. defending the fact that they spent 300 bucks on a cryptic game, they obviously haven't played a cryptic game before rofl
Or you are just wrong. See the Blue Text for my avatar. I'm a lifer. Yes, I spent the $300 for it. And guess what?
I'm permanently disabled and living on a fixed income. I had to save up for the lifetime sub.. the same that anyone else can do. Guess what else? I have played Cryptic games before. I am almost a seven year vet on City of Heroes. No longer a Cryptic game, true, but it was their FIRST, and what do you know, I'm still there. How about Champions Online? I have a LTS there too (tho, in all honesty I rarely play it, because, IMO CoH > CO by a long shot.) Want to know one more thing?
I'm a rabid fan of the C-Store. I have literally purchased almost everything they have to offer. Why? Well, because I've been a fan of Star Trek since I was a kid in the early 70s. I've been a supporter of Cryptic Studios since 2004 when I first loaded City of Heroes on my computer. I also realize, as has been stated previously in this thread (not to mention elsewhere) that MMO subscription fees have not seen an increase in a good long while. I know that 7 years ago, I was still paying $15 for CoH, and cheaper if I bought in "bulk." Finally... I also realize that there is nothing, and I do mean nothing in the C-Store is needed. Let that sink in for a second, please... nothing in the C-Store is NEEDED. All of the ships can be earned in game, either by playing the game and earning emblems, by the rank given ship token, or, with the Federation Dreadnought, by referring friends to join the game.
If you don't like the C-Store, don't use it. If you want the item, but don't want to pay for it.. earn it in game with the means the game gives you. If you want it, and you want it now, and you still hate the C-Store.. I'm gonna have to say, tough t*tties for you...
Comments
Sure, I occasionally buy stuff from the C-store...same thing with my wife. I bought the retrofit Excelsior, the Nebula, and the MVAM Prometheus. With the leftover tokens, I bought a couple of costume packs (like Seven of Nine). She also bought a Nebula and the D'Kyr, and once her Tac officer hits VA she'll also buy the MVAM Prometheus.
Does that make us "loaded?" No. We adhere to a strict monthly budget. We have allotted each of us a $25/month allowance. Sometimes, we choose to spend part of that allowance on the C-store. It's my money, I'll spend it how I please, thank you very much.
A person is totally within their rights to not like the C-store, and also totally within their rights to not spend money there. But by the same token, I'm just as much within my rights to spend my hard-earned money there if I so choose. And I honestly believe that Cryptic wouldn't put things on the C-store if people weren't buying them. Speaking for myself, I would rather have the freedom pick and choose what items on the C-store I want and still get every major update for free, rather than being forced to spend $20+ on each Season/expansion in order to gain access to all new territories and mission content.
For the record: I have not purchased the Galaxy-X (even though I would really like to own it) because, in my opinion, $20 is way too much to spend for one ship. The next time there's a C-store sale, I may reconsider, but even then I highly doubt it.
If I buy a car, and they send me a chassis with an engine, steering wheel and a seat, would I be wrong to complain when they try to charge me for doors, speedometer and other "luxuries?"
If they wanted to gouge us on the C-Store, they should have at least finished the game first.
I have only ever played one other MMO, and it was Changing and Expanding Constantly through the efforts of individual or groups of players who invested time and effort into that. My understanding is that this type of game should Never Be Complete, nor Finished Growing. I hope it continues to grow and Expand.
Since I have been on since May or very early June, I have seen Volumes of Improvements and changes. If you do not see them, perhaps you just need to step back and look again??
If you ever shopped for a car, you know that if you want a better radio, leather seats and 17" tires, you pay more. The car will run as-is, the rest is fluff.
You can play STO without making any C-Store purchases. The TOS pack is merely leather seats to your cloth seat game experience.
What you mention aren't even luxuries: none of the c-store items are analogous to that.
Leather interior, cd player, on-star navigation, etc. are analogous to his & her TOS unis and ships.
I feel your pain. All those years that I spent on that game I feel like it was a waste. That game was great but it sucked the life out of you.
In some cases it is like this, but in others i'm sure there is a level of hypocrisy with the amount they probably spend/waste on terrible things like McDonalds and such, then question the finer points of the C-Store which is technically visual splendor in most cases and like much in life, things you don't need to still get by.
This simplest answer to the C-Store is, either use it or don't, and grind away at obtaining ships etc if you don't. Or wait for the next sale to come around if you really don't wish to pay full price for something, but for people to continue to moan about the C-Store, its very sad to see. You don't need anything from this that will affect the way you play this game. Sure some things have new abilities but they are not game changing in any way. I've brought what i have wanted from there, and since have plenty of points ready for future things. Cryptic in no way are forcing me to buy anything, its all whether i wish to spend my money or not. C-Store allows instant access to certain items, and exclusive access to others, but in no way is anything affecting the way we play STO.
It's only 3 or 4 shifts for a waiter. Pricey but doable.
I'm not saying STO's fluff items are picassos or stamps - just that the value and meaning of an item (whether virtual or real) is determined by the user beholding it.
While I appreciate the artistry of a Picasso painting, I don't spend $2 million dollars on a collection of fading pigments and colors organized in a certain way - just as I don't spend $25 dollars on a virtual ship.
However, there's someone out there that loves their Galaxy-X ship enough to pay that much for it and if the price were unreasonable to a majority then the price would be lowered (assuming digital goods follow the same market trends real goods do).
I like this post.
I think they are way overpriced for whats fair and they are starting to hurt the game. They aren't going to stop selling these outrageously priced ships. People keep claiming that the money goes back in to develop more content but they have no way of knowing how much goes back in the game to Atari, CBS or as profits for the share holders.
If you don't want them why complain?
If you don't want them then they have no value to you and any price or effort is too much.
There is a simple solution for you; don't get them.
Like I said in my post I feel they are overpriced and what they are doing is wrong.
Like I said in my post they are not worth the cost of buying or worth grinding to get them.
I said I didn't want them So I clearly didn't buy them or grind for them.
I can state my opinion that the prices they are charging are wrong.
i'd like to see you justify a lower cost then.
please, break down how many hours work by how many people you think a particular item in the C-Store cost to design, build, test and QA from scratch, and how much per hour each person earns.
then add in costs of owning/renting the building the company and the servers are in (different buildings btw), the costs of running said buildings, insurance, licensing fee's and all other overheads.
please keep in mind that as a company, Cryptic and Atari need to be showing to be making a profit otherwise the company will fold.
because i dont think that the sub fee plus what is made on the C-Store is actually that excessive. We dont see pics of DStahl and co. sipping champange on their private yachts or driving to work in sports cars..
maybe i'm wrong, but while some are a little overpriced (galaxy-x and the nausican ship i'll agree are on the high mark) i'd still say that 95% of the C-Store is reasonable in its prices.. and i'm not someone who can afford to buy everything in there if i chose to either.
people dislike the business model of a cash store, I think that point has been made very apparent, so while i can understand why some feel the need to complain about it every weekend after a C-Store launch (when there's less moderation....) i still fail to see why some have this need to campaign against it like its some kind of sickness that'll kill children or cause the end of the world.
your opinion is noted and understood, please accept that not everyone will share it.
But as I noted, and you have agreed these things have no value to you, therefore any price would be too much to you.
Concerning yourself with how much other people are paying for a product that you have no interest in will not be a fruitfull endeavor.
If I didn't want them enough to grind for them or buy them. It means I think the prices are to high.
People paying to much for product will not be a fruitful endeavor for anyone but the provider of the product.
I love the C store and want to see even more items added, I have been gaming just as long if not longer than you.
Why should your opinion be more valid than mine?
Don't force your archaic notions of what is right and ethical down my throat TVM
When I can buy a game for the price of one ship with dozens or hundreds of hours of game play I don't find it acceptable.
Do you really believe STO and Atari are in such bad shape if they don't sell c-store items they will collapse?
I don't complain about c-store every week or like it's a sickness.
History would say, "yes, Atari was in such a bad shape without the c-store."
Atari picked up more than c-store it got Champions and STO. Please show me where c-store saved them all with the financial reports.
Here is the thing though, since the C-Store came with the game, do the financial records distinguish between subscription and C-Store?
If not, its speculation the C-Store is needed.
And further more, lower prices could bump the C-Store.
After all, more people buying at a reasonable price could increase how much they are earning.
And if you can plan your spendings around these three or four sales per year,
you can pretty much offset the prices by 20% for yourself.
As for my taste, WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much TOS stuff in the c-store right now!
the simple fact is everything in the c-store is just geeky fantasy products. you dont need them to beat the game, or to enjoy it. its all just very low priority gear that people want purely for nostalgia or because its cool. some say these ships and costumes should be in the game by default. no they should not. just because they have been shown in star trek over the last 45 years does not mean they should automatically be placed into the game by some divine right. especially the out of era items.
in my view no store, means fewer funds and these low priority items would fall to the bottom of the production list.
i want stuff as quickly as possible and i will take having the option to buy something over not having it at all.
to me the c-store is very cool because it gives me what i want, although i will always support making every item available in game somehow. i think costumes and things should also be available via emblems.
there is a debate that lower prices would be beneficial to the game as more people might be inclined to buy products if they cost less. i would be in favour of lower prices if more people bought stuff to compensate. thats win/win.
well that depends on the game doesnt it? there are games out there for free with hundreds of hours of gameplay.. hell, i have friends who've been playing castle age on facebook since before STO came out and they're still loving it.. so i dont see the logic in that statement, if the price of other games is the bar by which you've set "too much" as, then every ship is too much, including the ones you get while leveling, as you're paying a sub for them..
as i said, there are two ships that i think are over-priced, the rest work out reasonable, in game-time-for-grind vs store purchase. (i beleive its about 2 months grind, daily for one of those ships, so $30 in sub or about $15 in the store.. who's getting the better deal there?)
i think STO and Atari would collapse without being able to show at the very least a trend towards profit in the near-term financial future. (most companies or new start-ups generally have a 5 year financial plan, which starts at a loss and shows profit by year 5.. and we're into the halfway point with that for STO now, with its development time included) how they do that is down to them. to me it looks like they've gone for a small development team and an optional cash store for fluff items with a cash alternative to in-game grind as well. that may not be the choice you'd make but it was the one they did, and its a little late to change it now.
also, i didnt say you personally complain every week, if anything it was more a referance to the OP and the thread in itself. there are people who wait for the weekend of a store item launching to stir up trouble and dissent in the boards, purely because it amuses them i think.. those are the kind of people i'm talking about there. please dont misunderstand that as a personal attack on you. as i've said, i respect that your opinion is different to my own, and you've not been insulting or inflammitory either, so i have no reason to be so to you.
The Open Jacket Pack and the Mercenary Pack seemed okay at that price, considering everything in it.
But, say T'Pols uniform or the TMP Uniforms should be half that.
Take the bundle for instance, at 1000-1200 AT, I'd be down with it
Or if they included the rest of the stuff for 2000 AT, I'd be down with it.
If they aren't going to drop prices, I'm sure an in game way to offset cost would increase people buying it.
Or even making there sales make more sense so I don't end up with 36 points left over
This, but also if this game will hopefully go F2P Cryptic will be paying us to play the game.
I do wonder how previous MMOs supported their development and releasing new content (more often than STO) before micro transactions? hmmm, OH YEAH IT'S CALLED A MONTHLY FEE AND EXPANSION PACKS!
The thing about the C-Store that really drives me insane is the cost of the items. I feel most are way too expensive. Most ships on the C-Store are 1,200 AT or $15. The dreadnought is 2,000 AT or $25! So people are essentially buying a single item for the same cost as expansion pack should be that contains much more content.
The people who have the extra money to spend are ones paying the monthly fee + spending in the C-Store. Not the people who saved up for the lifetime.
Or you are just wrong. See the Blue Text for my avatar. I'm a lifer. Yes, I spent the $300 for it. And guess what?
I'm permanently disabled and living on a fixed income. I had to save up for the lifetime sub.. the same that anyone else can do. Guess what else? I have played Cryptic games before. I am almost a seven year vet on City of Heroes. No longer a Cryptic game, true, but it was their FIRST, and what do you know, I'm still there. How about Champions Online? I have a LTS there too (tho, in all honesty I rarely play it, because, IMO CoH > CO by a long shot.) Want to know one more thing?
I'm a rabid fan of the C-Store. I have literally purchased almost everything they have to offer. Why? Well, because I've been a fan of Star Trek since I was a kid in the early 70s. I've been a supporter of Cryptic Studios since 2004 when I first loaded City of Heroes on my computer. I also realize, as has been stated previously in this thread (not to mention elsewhere) that MMO subscription fees have not seen an increase in a good long while. I know that 7 years ago, I was still paying $15 for CoH, and cheaper if I bought in "bulk." Finally... I also realize that there is nothing, and I do mean nothing in the C-Store is needed. Let that sink in for a second, please... nothing in the C-Store is NEEDED. All of the ships can be earned in game, either by playing the game and earning emblems, by the rank given ship token, or, with the Federation Dreadnought, by referring friends to join the game.
If you don't like the C-Store, don't use it. If you want the item, but don't want to pay for it.. earn it in game with the means the game gives you. If you want it, and you want it now, and you still hate the C-Store.. I'm gonna have to say, tough t*tties for you...
Saith, and Jolan'tru