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"Silver Lifetime" Sub = $62.50
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Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
As a new player, with nothing invested in this game, assuming I want to play it, this is basically how I see it. I'm not going to play the daily grind game like a rat on your wheel chasing a little cheese. I realize the game isn't "free," because nothing is. The best value "subscription" I see at this point is actually the "Silver Lifetime" that you have created.
Since the big roadblock is ships, and since the only way to get ships without grinding is C-Store, I realize I'm going to buy all my ships no matter what. So at current prices, a ship at each tier is:
Connie 240 CP (gets me leveling phasers as well)
Rhode Island 400 CP (assuming the Venture will be similar in price)
Excelsior T3 800
Unnamed T4 1,200
Excelsior T5 1,600
TOTAL 4,240
So lets say in round numbers, assuming I also blow some points here or there on DOFFs or a playabe race or something, basically one 5,000 CP pack will get me ship unlocks from LT to VA. AND once I buy these ships, I can use them for every character on my account, so I never have to buy them again.
So I spend the $62.50 and get my points, and I get my ships as I go, and now I can play happily, however I like, forever. I can also spend all my rank up DL on consoles or other stuff for the ship, and probably never have to grind anything to get as much as I need. I can also get by just fine with white common odd Mk stuff that is cheap enough in EC prices all the way to the level cap. And once I'm at VA, then I can just run STFs to get all my endgame shinies for free.
If I go "Gold" though, what do I get? Basically nothing except annoyed. I'm STILL going to wind up spending $62.50 for all the C-Store ships in order to avoid the grind anyway. And then I'm also paying a monthly sub basically for nothing, because, to be honest, it offers nothing. Extra bank and inventory slots are nothing. The ability to create a fleet is; meh, whatever. Guild leaders obviously need a couple Gold people in their fleet, but that's it.
Other than that, "Gold" just feels like a ripoff and an insult. Whereas the "Silver Lifetime" is not a bad deal actually, especially compared with the original lifetime that you actually sold as a "Lifetime" sub.
Bottom line is, the only way I would subscribe is if it gives me an ongoing benefit GREATER than the Silver Lifetime. And to be honest, since I'm the type of person that probably winds up wanting to buy stuff like ships ANYWAY, even if I don't need them, I know that Silver Lifetime is the best value for me no matter how I want to play.
Since the big roadblock is ships, and since the only way to get ships without grinding is C-Store, I realize I'm going to buy all my ships no matter what. So at current prices, a ship at each tier is:
Connie 240 CP (gets me leveling phasers as well)
Rhode Island 400 CP (assuming the Venture will be similar in price)
Excelsior T3 800
Unnamed T4 1,200
Excelsior T5 1,600
TOTAL 4,240
So lets say in round numbers, assuming I also blow some points here or there on DOFFs or a playabe race or something, basically one 5,000 CP pack will get me ship unlocks from LT to VA. AND once I buy these ships, I can use them for every character on my account, so I never have to buy them again.
So I spend the $62.50 and get my points, and I get my ships as I go, and now I can play happily, however I like, forever. I can also spend all my rank up DL on consoles or other stuff for the ship, and probably never have to grind anything to get as much as I need. I can also get by just fine with white common odd Mk stuff that is cheap enough in EC prices all the way to the level cap. And once I'm at VA, then I can just run STFs to get all my endgame shinies for free.
If I go "Gold" though, what do I get? Basically nothing except annoyed. I'm STILL going to wind up spending $62.50 for all the C-Store ships in order to avoid the grind anyway. And then I'm also paying a monthly sub basically for nothing, because, to be honest, it offers nothing. Extra bank and inventory slots are nothing. The ability to create a fleet is; meh, whatever. Guild leaders obviously need a couple Gold people in their fleet, but that's it.
Other than that, "Gold" just feels like a ripoff and an insult. Whereas the "Silver Lifetime" is not a bad deal actually, especially compared with the original lifetime that you actually sold as a "Lifetime" sub.
Bottom line is, the only way I would subscribe is if it gives me an ongoing benefit GREATER than the Silver Lifetime. And to be honest, since I'm the type of person that probably winds up wanting to buy stuff like ships ANYWAY, even if I don't need them, I know that Silver Lifetime is the best value for me no matter how I want to play.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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But you never know they may well be thinking what to do to make subs(a third account type that isn't gold) worthwhile for people to pay a monthly sub.....we shall see. I'm just going to wait and see at this point.
Yes they want people to buy ships, micro transactions are how they will be making the money from here on out.......once they go f2p that is.
Here's all i have to buy if i want to keep what i have as a Silver:
5 BO slots
That's it!
I'm patient though so i'm taking the "Wait and see approach" as well.
Edit: If anything this experience has taught me that my feeling is right: NEVER buy an LTS for a game.
Oh really?:rolleyes:
Business gotta rake in the dough. If I can sell some sucker 2 ships a month vs. a monthly subscription.... well. It's not that PW is evil, or even Cryptic- consumers are stupid.
What the OP is missing is that subscribers will be getting a stipend of points to spend in the C-Store. While not a huge amount (currently planned at 400/month), it will still allow for a much easier purchase of things we want. And for those of us already on a LTS, it does help ease the frustration of the game being F2P when we paid $300 to have it.
This is just the way things are going with MMOs. How many have gone F2P or announced F2P in the last year? How long before SWTOR does it too? This is the future of MMO financing. The best thing to do is to keep pointing out the things that seem unfair and try to get those changed. But paying micro-transactions instead of monthly subscriptions is just how it's going to be from now on.
As for never buying a LTS on a game... in the future that might be true. But for this one in particular, the LTS was basically about 20 months of subscription, which those buying at the beginning have gotten. Even without it going F2P, anyone with an LTS that would have otherwise subscribed for 20 months got a fair deal. And they're essentially getting a continuous $5/month credit for Cryptic Points every single month after F2P for as long as they own the game. So it's not really a bad deal when you break down the costs.
It is a nominal benefit that allows them to say they didn't give absolutely nothing to those who did buy a Lifetime back in the day. But for current monthlies, or new players, a subscription is worthless for anyone other than guild leaders, who are forced to buy one only because it's required to make a fleet.
HA! F2P is a misnomer then. Hardly "free". Like "Buy one get one free". If i have to do something for something then it can't really be free can it? Either way i'm either paying cash, or time.
"Get the game for free. We'll make you pay later somehow!" would be better IMHO. Personally i like honesty in advertising.:)
Agreed? You just proved my point. Instead of defending the value of your investment, you're helping this company to justify its de-value. Read that last part again.