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Is this C-Store scheme legal?
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Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I've been asking around and I have heard complaints of people feeling forced or coerced into purchasing from the C-store. But my original purchase mentions nothing about being forced to pay additional money for content beyond game purchase, subscription, and the expenses required to connect to the internet.
Things like respec tokens should just be part of the game.
New ships that are better then available ships creates attitudeude where in order to upgrade, the player NEEDS to buy from the C-store.
Charecter and bank slots are a bit grey, the sale mentioned nothing about how many of those I would be allocatedcated, but once you have filled up your character slots you MUST buy additional character slots if you wish to start a new one.
Vanity items like costumes and pets are totally fine, these things are optional as they should be.
Purchasing from the C-Store at some points while playing is compulsary not optional, and my original sales agreement mentioned nothing about being forced to spend more money in such a method. I suspect you have violated your sales agreement too me and everyone else who has, in good faith, contributed money to Cryptic that allows Cryptic to stay in buisness.
If Cryptic really is in financial trouble and needs more money JUST ASK, I don't want STO to tank if they are treating me fairly, I'll give what I can which will be more then what your going to get out of me from the C-Store. But if your pulling moves like this C-Store and treating me like a mark I'm not going to have any sentimental feellings about your company while they are trying to rip me off. Would you?
Things like respec tokens should just be part of the game.
New ships that are better then available ships creates attitudeude where in order to upgrade, the player NEEDS to buy from the C-store.
Charecter and bank slots are a bit grey, the sale mentioned nothing about how many of those I would be allocatedcated, but once you have filled up your character slots you MUST buy additional character slots if you wish to start a new one.
Vanity items like costumes and pets are totally fine, these things are optional as they should be.
Purchasing from the C-Store at some points while playing is compulsary not optional, and my original sales agreement mentioned nothing about being forced to spend more money in such a method. I suspect you have violated your sales agreement too me and everyone else who has, in good faith, contributed money to Cryptic that allows Cryptic to stay in buisness.
If Cryptic really is in financial trouble and needs more money JUST ASK, I don't want STO to tank if they are treating me fairly, I'll give what I can which will be more then what your going to get out of me from the C-Store. But if your pulling moves like this C-Store and treating me like a mark I'm not going to have any sentimental feellings about your company while they are trying to rip me off. Would you?
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I am not sure where anyone is getting the idea of being "forced" to get something from the store.
Respecs are part of the game and even if the player is "silver" then he/she can pay Merits for it.
The orginal ships are available in game. You can purchase a better ship IF you want it but it is not needed to get to the end
Every MMO that I have played has given you X slots. When you have all slots filled, then you must purchase new ones. I did this with City of Heroes for years.
Lets face it, the F2P model is a microtransaction based model but instead of GATING content, STO is opening alot of the game. They are hoping that we do spend a few bucks here and there in the C-store but there is nothing in the game that forces you to use the C-store.
Respec are bought with merrits, not with EC.
Still using those is a big disadvantage in a major part of the game called "PVP".
However, I doubt its illegal. I, by the way, doubt that ANYONE here really know the exact terms of the contract with Cryptic/Atari we made, since everyone just scrolls down and clicks "I agree" when it comes to that part. And I'm sure the agreements include the option (or do NOT EXCLUDE) for that C-Store items.
You mean like the Excelsior, which you can buy with Emblems? Plus the game is initiating a whole new Dilithiuim system - a system where people can sell excess Dilithium to CPs to buy things from the C-Store simply by grinding.
But even then new ships are, for the most part, just eye-candy. There are people like myself who have taken a T1 NX all the way to Admiral. Many people play T1 or T2 ships at VA simply because they like those ships. No one is forced to pay $ for anything to simply play the game and go from 1 to 51. If people have vanity preferences then vanity costs you more.
And how is that different then any other MMO? They all limit starting characters in some manner.
This statement smacks of a gaming newb. Read the EULA and Terms of Service. Cryptic reserves the right to change anything at any time without your permission - you agree to this when you make your account. You reserve the right to stop subscribing when they change something in a way you do not agree with. That is basically all there is to it.
Also better ships are needed when your carrying someone through a space portion of an STF
Some people have mentioned things like
"Once you start, you cannot stop. Cryptic forces you to in some way buy C-store points no matter what reason, they will eventually get you over the line. Especially now when stuff becomes free to play."
"I completely agree with this statement; once you start, it is very hard to stop. Before you know it, you've plunked down $50 or more just on ships, and most of them just sit around gathering virtual dust."
Quoting from another thread.
Excuse me? did you just call me a newb in a method that implys I am stupid? Are you familiar with liable slander? GO FIX YOUR POST.
And that EULA would be great IF they made me agree to it durring purchase, But I purchased the product as described adding additional rules after purchase is called false advertising, you can't do that with an automobile, you can't do it with a piece of reallestate, and you can't do it with software. No where in the modern economic world will they allow you to sell a product and then change the rules about the sale, if people do this they end up in court.
If we are goin to be throwing words around, your the kind of person I would like to address. People like you just "go with it" I don't know why, maybe you have been conditioned into thinking being treated poorly and getting ripped off to stuff you didn't agree to is okay, but I am still a free mind over here. You should try it some time, don't accept something even when you know it is wrong just because that is how it is.
As for whether or not the T5 Refit cruiser is "AWFUL," that depends on the player. Some love it. Some hate it. Some love Escorts. Some cannot keep Escorts alive in the game. Personal play-style has much to do with the type of ship you will choose to fly at end-game: whether you buy the ship or pick it from the list.
Thanks. I have corrected my original post.
If it were meant to be a joke how come none of us laughed? I think your being dismissive and defensive about cryptic's bad business policies, I speculate it makes you feel better about doing business with cryptic if you attack any criticisms leveled against the company or it's practices. You've resorted to "Name-Calling" in your very first post just to protect your opinions, I don't think at any point you ever considered both sides of the argument, you just took yours and assumed it was right.
I understand where you are coming from but, to me, using this same logic can be applied to other things which are not illegal.
Is a gambling establishment at fault because you put down $1 and got something back and now you cant stop?
Is the state/multi-state lotto responsible if you are addicted to playing the lotto?
Is an MMO responsible because the player spent more time on it than other things in the players life (family, education, etc)?
The answer is no to none of these. As humans, we can get addicted to something. For me, I have a seperate checking account for the express purpose of entertainment. I have $45 put in every two weeks so I have $90 for STO, movies, Netflix, etc. When I am out of funds, I can choose to Overdraft (and have a $36 overage charge) or not. Personal choices are not the responsibility of the vendor.
If you know so much abou EULAs and ToUs on this forum then why did you break the rules and call me a term that is liable slander?
Your reasoning is erratic, and your ability to remain relevant is questionable, I would refrain from any specific medical diagnosis but I strongly suggest your point of view be considered invalid due to what ever personal issues you may be suffering.
I would also point out if you had any idea what you are talking about you would know that "slander" is saying something whereas libel is actually putting something in writing.
Of course if you think I did 'slander" you then you can sue Cryptic to get my information - as they have a privacy policy and personal information can only be given out via court order. After that you can attempt to sue me - at which point you will have to prove that my calling you a "newb" on a hidden identity forum was damaging to you. Good luck with that.
I initially subscribed to STO almost two years ago. There was a time, shortly before Season 2, I think, when I was considering dumping my subscription. While pondering it, there was a knock on my door. I went to see who it was, and two armed men dressed in rather nice suits barged into my abode. The stockier one identified himself as Guido and his "associate," a taller, more slender individual, referred to himself as Icepick. Both stated they were representatives of "a certain organization providing services of an entertainment nature."
To cut to the chase, four hours and several broken bones later, I had myself a lifetime subscription to STO.
Months later, after I was almost fully recovered, the Excelsior was released on the C-Store. After having been convinced to purchase a lifetime subscription, I was completely outraged at this. Almost as soon as I vowed not to drop another dime, my door was kicked open, and it was my old friends, Guido and Icepick.
After Guido and Icepick introduced me to their new toys, a pair of bolt cutters and an acetylene torch, I was the proud owner of an Excelsior.
Since then, my overall health has generally improved as I have modified my way of thinking to be less detrimental to my physical body. Coincidentally, I also own a Nebula, Garumba Siege Destroyer, several uniform packs, ship costumes, and bridge packs.
At no time during these transactions was I able to exercise my own judgement and free will. Due to physical coercion and periodic reminders sent to me via email and poorly written notes stuck to my car, I have not been able to have a good night's sleep in many, many months. I fear that my ability to lead a normal life has been hamstrung by the constant physical and emotional pressure exerted on me to purchase digital goods from the C-Store.
Thanks to you, I have mustered the courage to tell my story. Hopefully others will, as well. I will cheer you on, however I cannot directly support you because I am unable to overcome the fears that I have about my safety.
Godspeed, OP. May your legal crusade yield the most fruitful of results.
And we ALL know the STO box says nothing about additional restricted pay content, and you know why? It would damage sales as in we customers would have seen this additional fee and been able to make a decision about it, game reviewers would have marked it down if it had been part of launch. This is deceptive marketing. I was deceived into purchasing a product that had hidden costs. This is where my whole issue with the Cryptic Store arises from.
And who the hell keeps thinking Cryptic and myself are going to court or whatever? We are buddies here, I just feel like my buddy made a mistake that they don't realize so I am trying to help them.
some may not like it but yes it is legal.
The reverse your own quote, it must me illegal for ball parks to offer food from vendors because you had to pay to get into the game. No, it would never work that way.
I personally have dumped well over $200 in the C-Store, and I am a monthly subscriber. I have never had a beef with the C-Store, because I am supporting a game that I love and want to see grow. The C-Store is here to stay for good, and there is nothing that any of us can do, say or flame on these forums to change this.
it is common practice in the Gaming industry to make you agree to the EULA in order to install, it also usually says, that if you do not agree with the EULA you should not install and you should return the product to the store.
Unless a Dev is sat pointing the business end of a firearm at your head and telling you to enter your card details and buy from the CStore I fail to see how anyone's being 'forced' to buy anything from the CStore. If you want the Excelsior then you can either get it in game or from the CStore but I don't see how you need the Excelsior, especially for an STF where an Escort is much more useful.
As for those quotes, either they were being facetious or they have no self control but neither amounts to Cryptic or anyone else forcing you or them to buy from the CStore. Now if we get the T5.5 ships (like those which are currently being released at lower levels) then you may have a case that you need the more powerful ships to be competitive in PvP but they haven't arrived yet and if the Dilithium currency that's been mentioned is what it seems to be then you should have little issue getting it in game, so again no forcing you to buy anything.
The store doesn't have the liability to take the game back because one does not agree with the games EULA though.
Also, slander is spoken defamation, libel is written, so I think the term you were looking for isn't "liable slander" but "libelous slander." And truth is always a defense for those. Just saying.
Thanks,
Stormshade