I have been thinking about how to make dilithium work in crafting somewhat easier and less unattractive as it now is in the F2P testing. Since dilithium is character bound, fleet crafting will become a thing of the past, unless there is some way around it. Here's one possible solution to that concern.
My thought is to make a second type of schematics for those items that now require dilithium to make. These "premier schematics" would cost the same base crafting mats plus an amount of dilithium to make and would not be character bound just like current schematics. This would replace the current "+dilithium" costs in the recipes we are currently seeing on Tribble.
This way the "premier schematics" could be traded or mailed to other fleet members to use for fleet crafting. Also, as crafting schematics takes zero R&D skill, there is not a lot of R&D level grinding needed to be able to create the "premier schematics". I am still of the opinion that the dilithium cost of crafting is way too high currently and would suggest that the additional cost of the "premier schematics" be limited to say 100 to 1000 dilithium and nothing that is too prohibitive to crafting. I would also suggest only one tier of "premier schematics" and not multiples as that would also start to become very clunky and unwieldy.
There is also the option of whether or not these would be able to placed on the Exchange. I can see reasons for both actually, but since I am not privy to how the devs are valuing EC against dilithium, it's difficult for me to make a good analysis.
I am sure there are some drawbacks to this idea as well, but it does feel a bit more workable than the current system and less of a penalty which the current 60% dilithium cost currently is. It's just a thought that I'm throwing out for consideration. Comment away and do with it what you will. It's just one more harebrained idea to play with.
Comments
Actually, purchasable and craftable like current schematics would be right in line with the way things work now. Throw in a small dilithium discount for making them yourself and it still works nicely.
Well, this of course would be my FIRST choice.
btw, I'm fine with making craftables more difficult to get. Up the number of anomalies or rare traces required if it's needed. But we shouldn't mix crafting grind with Di grind. Not to mention the whole 'cant craft for others' issue.
I agree on both accounts actually. I would rather not see the dilithium grind tied into the crafting grind. It makes for a nasty synergy. As to crafting for others, it's something I've done in other MMOs and always enjoyed. I would hate to see that taken away in STO, which the addition of adding dilithium to crafting does.
Simplest solution by far. There wasn't much wrong with crafting before (until they dropped all the even-numbered items, anyway), so why did they change it?
The cynic in me says it was to motivate us all to run to the C-Store and dilithium exchange, just to complete tasks that were already in-game, thereby charging players $$s instead of ECs. Which is sad, and I'd like to think that Cryptic is a little less devious than that...
I'm trying to avoid that cynicism if possible and realize that the change to F2P will obviously make Cryptic look for ways to drive people to spend money. However, I think they offer a lot already and shouldn't have to go for the "devious" ways to do it. They're target audience is smart enough to realize when they are being bamboozled.