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Please explain the concept of "crafting" to me

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I support a fleet of crafters. the grind is tedious work, thankless at times, and it takes over my entire afternoon hunting down anomalies and building schematics. I don't mind it, because my fleet appreciates it. But this recent change, dilithium AND anomalies, will make it impossible for me to keep meeting the demands of my fleet. I simply do not have enough time or energy to support both their anomaly AND dilithium needs.

I don't want to jump to conclusions here, but please tell me what was wrong with the way things were? Was I/others taking advantage of the system so it needed to be changed? Is this change going to help bring in new revenue for Cryptic? Will it help stabilize the game’s economy? Am I not using the crafting engine the way it was intended?

Please help me understand, because right now I am clueless as to how this makes any sense at all and it is very worrying to me.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited October 2011
    To drive people away from crafting and to the c-store is my guess.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited October 2011
    I'm starting to feel like this whole F2P conversion is just a test of my resolve in the face of a no-win situation.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited October 2011
    artic1337 wrote:
    I'm starting to feel like this whole F2P conversion is just a test of my resolve in the face of a no-win situation.

    STO's new F2P name...Star Trek Online: Kobayashi Maru Edition :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited October 2011
    STO's new F2P name...Star Trek Online: Kobayashi Maru Edition :D

    Looks like I'm first in line.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited October 2011
    tsabonayev wrote:
    To drive people away from crafting and to the c-store is my guess.

    To drive people away from their game and to SWTOR and the new Guild Wars is mine.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited October 2011
    I support a fleet of crafters. the grind is tedious work, thankless at times, and it takes over my entire afternoon hunting down anomalies and building schematics. I don't mind it, because my fleet appreciates it. But this recent change, dilithium AND anomalies, will make it impossible for me to keep meeting the demands of my fleet. I simply do not have enough time or energy to support both their anomaly AND dilithium needs.

    I don't want to jump to conclusions here, but please tell me what was wrong with the way things were? Was I/others taking advantage of the system so it needed to be changed? Is this change going to help bring in new revenue for Cryptic? Will it help stabilize the game’s economy? Am I not using the crafting engine the way it was intended?

    Please help me understand, because right now I am clueless as to how this makes any sense at all and it is very worrying to me.

    My impression has always been that Cryptic does not intend for one character to craft items for another - that Cryptic intends any individual character to use the crafting system specifically to build gear for that character. They don't want your high-level characters crafting items and mailing them to your alts. They don't want high-level characters or dedicated crafters creating gear to give to their fleet members. That more crafted items aren't Bind on Pickup seems like the only concession they've made, and that to the idea of the Exchange - it seems their intent is not for you to give the crafted items your character doesn't need to your alts or your fleet, but to sell them on the open market for EC.

    I think Cryptic also sees crafting as an alternative system to PvP & STFs. i.e.: For players who want high-end gear but don't want to do PvP or STFs, they can do crafting instead. I don't think they thought people would craft items to use in STFs or PvP, since those parts of the game have their own ways of giving players high-end gear. It is my impression that Cryptic doesn't want players to have to play the parts of the game they don't enjoy, and builds alternatives for different player-tastes, so that, really, no one need ever actually "grind" - only play the parts of the game they consider fun.

    If, to you, exploring and crafting is fun, keep doing it. It may go a little slower now, but if the intrinsic fun is there, I don't see the problem. You'll earn Dilithium, a little every day, from just playing the parts of the game you want to play. Cryptic is rewarding people who enjoy the game intrinsically and who come back to play regularly.

    If instead you get your enjoyment from something extrinsic to the game (say, the satisfaction of supporting your fleet), I can see how the F2P changes to the game could be frustrating. Really, any change Cryptic made to require more gameplay would be frustrating to someone who was not playing the game because they like playing the game. Interestingly, the thing about most F2P games is that, if you don't actually enjoy the gameplay and just want to get the end results, you can usually pay for the privilege. i.e.: Buy CP and exchange for Dilithium and then just buy the high-end gear. Don't explore. Don't participate in events. Don't do STFs or PvP or use the DOff system. I don't know why you'd want to do that, but a lot of people seem to. They want to skip over the gameplay to get the virtual items.

    I've been playing since Open Beta, and I've never used Marks/Badges/Emblems to buy a piece of high-end gear, and I've never had much of a problem playing the game. The same seems true of the current build on Tribble; I can easily play the entire game without really spending any Dilithium or getting my hands on any purple gear. I expect that most players have this experience. Personally, I enjoy playing Star Trek Online. Having the economy adjusted to reward me for doing something I enjoy seems like a good thing. Maybe I'll get my hands on some of that purple gear everyone's always talking about, now that the economy for getting them makes sense to me.
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