Speaking for people how have cleared them the drops suck. They are low for Elite and of low grade and what am I going to do with Common Salvage on a Elite toon? Get real!. Elite run means Elite drops not TRIBBLE. If you are good enough to run it and cleared it people are not going to need anything from the normal run. So why drop stuff from normal runs? The drop rate is insult to every how can claer Elite. By the time a toon is ready to run Elite anything from a normal run will be little more then a Vender item. A green MR XI from a boss?
Loot also means money from selling, either to a vendor or on the exchange. You can't expect everything to be top grade. This isn't supposed to get you fully equiped in a matter of hours.
If I want stuff to Vender I can run normal more then once for the vender and for vendering reason Nomal mode is better then elite. You get more drops aka more money. If you think that stuff will be put on the exchange you may be shocked. XI greens droping off a Elite Boss is a joke. This has aready happened.
I actually had a similar discussion recently in which someone pointed out to me "If they simply give you the sets after a few runs you're not going to want to do the runs again."
My counter point to this, and ultimately in support of the OP, is that if you put in a position where we've got to run something dozens of times for one piece of gear, if we're lucky, we're not going to do the runs again either.
I actually had a similar discussion recently in which someone pointed out to me "If they simply give you the sets after a few runs you're not going to want to do the runs again."
My counter point to this, and ultimately in support of the OP, is that if you put in a position where we've got to run something dozens of times for one piece of gear, if we're lucky, we're not going to do the runs again either.
This -
You know, I know tons of people who did the runs repeatedly on holodeck over and over again, simply to help others get their gear. I know many, who have multiple Borg sets in their inventory.
My point, there really is no need for the grind, people replay them anyway.
But alas, the grind's going to be turned up in the entire game experience. This is by design, FOR PROFIT.
Infact, our stipend, really is kindling to throw on that fire.
Seriously, if you think about it, we get 400 C points every month, they raise C store costs exactly 400 C point for the things people most want on average. To negate any stipend. You have to spend real money now anyway, unless you are very disciplined and chose things very carefully.
Now in the past, most of us would only be interested in ships specific to our class, now watch out, here comes the skill revamp. Everyone celebrates, the cheers abound. But honestly, why now? Because they want you buying more ships, of any class. That's where we are headed. BUY, BUY, BUY....
The grind, is to keep players busy, busy, busy, so they don't notice the lack of new content, and buyin C-points to to trade for dilithium to lessen the grind. Cryptic's profit goes up.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM, with Cryptic making money mind you. They have to, to survive.
My problem is this:
We were told that as gold players we wouldn't notice any change in game play once the F2P goes live.
This couldn't have been more WRONG.
My entire game play is changing in all reality. What irks me the MOST is, THIS IS NOT THE GAME I BOUGHT A LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION TO. I'm feeling a little scammed right now TBH....
This game is in my opinion becoming a COMPLETE money grab experience. Again, I have no problem with Cryptic making a profit, BUT, with dilithium attached to EVERYTHING in the F2P model, you either grind your tush off or spend real MONEY to get ANYTHING.
I'll tell you, this elite gear, will be obtainable by other means eventually, I guarantee it, and it will have a dilithium / C store connection. If not, expect something very similar to be. (this is also why elite gear only offers negligible stats compared to the average rare gear?)
You have to drop a few shinies to keep people motivated. If the grind's too lengthy, the goal too far off, the average player just might walk away, give up, take the easy way out. It seems Cryptic is hoping most players, will do just that.
This game is becoming something not fun to play anymore, it will be no longer be a fun thing to play for a few hours a day during my increasingly rare "me time". Unless I get used to spending money or doing without the fancy stuff. If I do without the fancy stuff, I'm doing without most of the new content now.
I'm sorry for the rant, just had to get this off my chest.
Thanks for reading.
You know, I know tons of people who did the runs repeatedly on holodeck over and over again, simply to help others get their gear. I know many, who have multiple Borg sets in their inventory.
My point, there really is no need for the grind, people replay them anyway.
But alas, the grind's going to be turned up in the entire game experience. This is by design, FOR PROFIT.
Infact, our stipend, really is kindling to throw on that fire.
Seriously, if you think about it, we get 400 C points every month, they raise C store costs exactly 400 C point for the things people most want on average. To negate any stipend. You have to spend real money now anyway, unless you are very disciplined and chose things very carefully.
Now in the past, most of us would only be interested in ships specific to our class, now watch out, here comes the skill revamp. Everyone celebrates, the cheers abound. But honestly, why now? Because they want you buying more ships, of any class. That's where we are headed. BUY, BUY, BUY....
The grind, is to keep players busy, busy, busy, so they don't notice the lack of new content, and buyin C-points to to trade for dilithium to lessen the grind. Cryptic's profit goes up.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM, with Cryptic making money mind you. They have to, to survive.
My problem is this:
1. We were told that as gold players we wouldn't notice any change in game play once the F2P goes live.
This is WRONG.
Our entire game play is changing in all reality. What irks me the MOST is, THIS IS NOT THE GAME I BOUGHT A LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION TO. I'm feeling a little scammed TBH....
2. This game is in my opinion becoming a COMPLETE money grab experience. Again, I have no problem with Cryptic making a profit, BUT, with dilithium attached to EVERYTHING in the F2P model, you either grind your tush off or spend real MONEY to get ANYTHING.
I'll tell you, this elite gear, will be obtainable by other means eventually, I guarantee it, and it will have a dilithium / C store connection. If not, expect something very similar to be.
Problem is this, you have to drop a few shinies to keep people motivated. If the grind too lengthy, the goal too far off, the average player just might walk away. It seems Cryptic is hoping most players, will buy C points and trade for dilithium.
This game is becoming something not fun to play anymore, it will be no longer a fun thing to play for a few hours a day during my increasingly rare me time. Unless I get used to spending money or doing without the fancy stuff. If I do without the fancy stuff, I'm doing without some of the new content.
I'm sorry for the rant, just had to get this off my chest.
Thanks for reading.
QFT
They want to bleed players dry of money regardless if they already pay a subscription or not. Thank our new Asian Overlords for that. Yeah Thanks Perfect World.
The idea is to keep people grinding and/or paying, they want to make the experience just annoying enough people will say TRIBBLE it and pay. Dont be surprised if Elite gear ends up in the C-store in the future.
And doing the normal runs for normal loot as an alternative isn't as good as it was pre-this weeks patch. The normal STFs seem to have gotten much more tight about dropping things.
Gozer said nothing changed but the optional fail, but anecdotal evidence suggests of Cure/Space:
Loot doesn't drop as frequently
Lower tier of probes got buffed
BoPs and Raptors got buffed
Every enemy and their Uncle Bob was given a Shield Neutralizer that apparently has a .005 millisecond cooldown (or is now the Purple Borg Shield Nueralizer Quad Cannon) and honestly - I can hear it laugh at me in a metallic borg voice when I trigger HE, just to be shield nuetralized 5 more times before my HE cooldown clears
and autoteaming is still borked
But, hey...thats just my perception. I was told only the optional fail state was changed.
I don't even want to imagine what these issues on elite must be like. yikes.
I guess you just want everything handed to your for free you gotta WORK FOR IT this game sucks is way too easy to get everythign you should be glad it's not so easy to get the good stuff cause all the noobs will take one look and just gief up and only good players who want to work for it will stick around cause they dedicate.
Heezdedjim you have replied to a few posts related to this topic.
I don't disagree with you, yeah you should work to get the really very rare high stuff. But the STFS on holodeck currently are tough - RA or VA. Maybe not for you but for the rest of is it is. It took me like 2 months, many tries to finally getting my borg set. - This was i think a pretty good balance.
But what you have on triibble is STFS that are tough, just like on holodeck if not more. But once I finish there is no gaurantee that I will have my borg set. However on holodeck I do.
This gives people reason to do the mission, try again and agian and agian to get it. But if there is only a chance to get it, why should I spend two months for a chance? I'll just do the normal get my 60 slavage and get the high end gear that way - it will be faster and no one will play the elite mode.
I guess you just want everything handed to your for free you gotta WORK FOR IT this game sucks is way too easy to get everythign you should be glad it's not so easy to get the good stuff cause all the noobs will take one look and just gief up and only good players who want to work for it will stick around cause they dedicate.
I take issue with your over simplifying of the situation Sir.
I DO NOT want everything handed to me for free. AND I'm NOT opposed to working for the things I want.
I have four toons on Holodeck at end game, and one on tribble. I've ground accolades, crafting and STF's to get the Borg gear. ALL my toons have high end gear. I am accustomed to the grind to get the things that I want.
This current situation we have on Tribble though, IS ALL GRIND, and VERY LITTLE ELSE. What little new content that's there, is a shiny carrot dangled at you to keep you grinding, or SPENDING.
For me, that's sucked the fun right out of everything.
And it wasn't this way when I bought my lifetime subscription.
The whole point of the F2P test server is for me to give my opinion on the changes.
So here it is:
Save the endless grind for the free players, cut the Gold players a break please.
1. Give us back our VA token.
2. Get rid of the dilithium in crafting for Gold players, who've already grinded up to the level to craft anything of value, AND already grind for data samples.
3. Give better rewards for killing Boss's. Right now they are a JOKE.
4. Adjust the STFs so that they challenge, BUT are NOT impossible.
5. I'd go as so far to say add some "common salvage" to the Borg Red alerts. (Especially the hard ones like in Orellius)
But this is only MY feedback. - take it or leave it.
Thats just the way it should be. It would give people a reason to live through all the pain and suffering of Elite mode.
pain and suffering? is it that bad? if so why would you even want to play something like that. It's supposed to be a game, for fun. I love how people talk about how hard they "worked" for their gear. Really you worked for it? no you played a game for it, it is not work. I can only surmise that people who suggest such have never really "worked" hard a day in their life and have no idea what it means to do so.
Heezdedjim you have replied to a few posts related to this topic.
I don't disagree with you, yeah you should work to get the really very rare high stuff. But the STFS on holodeck currently are tough - RA or VA. Maybe not for you but for the rest of is it is. It took me like 2 months, many tries to finally getting my borg set. - This was i think a pretty good balance.
But what you have on triibble is STFS that are tough, just like on holodeck if not more. But once I finish there is no gaurantee that I will have my borg set. However on holodeck I do.
This gives people reason to do the mission, try again and agian and agian to get it. But if there is only a chance to get it, why should I spend two months for a chance? I'll just do the normal get my 60 slavage and get the high end gear that way - it will be faster and no one will play the elite mode.
pain and suffering? is it that bad? if so why would you even want to play something like that. It's supposed to be a game, for fun. I love how people talk about how hard they "worked" for their gear. Really you worked for it? no you played a game for it, it is not work. I can only surmise that people who suggest such have never really "worked" hard a day in their life and have no idea what it means to do so.
It's not fun to get spammed quite literally to death. (ask any PVP player) It's not fun playing a no win scenario and it's not fun doing the same missions over and over and over again..... That's NOT FUN anymore, endless repetition IS WORK. Grinding at this level IS WORK. It's NOT entertaining anymore at this level of grind. Cryptic knows this, that's where the whole trade dilithium for C points thing come in. They know that the grind is NOT FUN and THAT some players will take an easier route to avoid it. In fact, that's what they are betting on. They've lessened the fun factor of this game to make more of a profit. As a lifetimer, I'm NOT happy with that at all.
Our stipend, at the new C store prices, won't cut it. SOME might use it to buy dilithium though and start this whole nightmarish scenario in motion.
I for one busted my duff to make the 300 or so disposable dollars to pay for my lifetime subscription AND provide for my family in THIS ECONOMY. That 300 or so dollars was a selfish little pleasure that only Daddy enjoys. Now I'm not too sure I enjoy where the game is going. Hence the feedback, as requested by Cryptic.
I'd like to come home to a game that I can play for an hour or two and feel I've enjoyed myself and gotten the new content in EVERY NIGHT I log on, otherwise, WHAT'S THE POINT ?
I don't have that much free time, I want to feel as though I've enjoyed myself for the time invested.
It's not fun to get spammed quite literally to death. It's not fun playing a no win scenario and it's not fun doing the same missions over and over and over again..... That's NOT FUN anymore, endless repetition IS WORK. Grinding at this level IS WORK. It's NOT entertaining anymore at this level of grind. Cryptic knows this, that's where the whole trade dilithium for C points thing come in. They know that the grind is NOT FUN and THAT some players will take an easier route to avoid it. In fact, that's what they are betting on. They've lessened the fun factor of this game to make more of a profit. As a lifetimer, I'm NOT happy with that at all.
And for the record, I for one busted my duff to make the 300 or so disposable dollars to pay for my lifetime subscription AND provide for my family in THIS ECONOMY.
I'd like to come home to a game that I can play for an hour or two and feel I've enjoyed myself and gotten the new content in EVERY NIGHT I log on, otherwise, WHAT'S THE POINT ?
Tedious, Boring, repetitive =/= work. You can do physical labor for long hours that can be interesting, exciting and enjoyable and have it be work. Work just means you are pushing yourself hard to do a task, physically or mentally. While games may be challenging I have yet to see one that really pushes you hard. Certainly not STO, one of the easiest games out there, even on elite or VA STFs.
Anyway I am sorry you wasted your hard earned cash on a lifetime sub. I have many friends who have as well. I feel bad for them I really do. Cryptic has taken your money and laughed all the way to the bank, and that is just wrong. But don't play this game just because you have a lifetime sub, if it sucks for you then don't play and count your sub as a loss, you will be better off in the long run. There are better games out there and better companies more deserving of your money. I can only suspect lifers are going to much more cautious of who they give their money to in the future.
Tedious, Boring, repetitive =/= work. You can do physical labor for long hours that can be interesting, exciting and enjoyable and have it be work. Work just means you are pushing yourself hard to do a task, physically or mentally. While games may be challenging I have yet to see one that really pushes you hard. Certainly not STO, one of the easiest games out there, even on elite or VA STFs.
Says you - (everyone has their own definition of fun/work)
To me: Tedious, Boring, repetitive =/= Grind = work
You push yourself to grind, to do something not particularly fun to do the task, to obtain the new content that you have been denied for months.
Especially if the reward system has been deliberately set low to encourage more spending.
Says I -
I've already done more WORK to play this game than the "free players" coming will have.
That I recognize right off.
SOME of the Gold member's grind should be reduced, PARTICULARLY the dilithium cost for crafting comes to mind. Just sayin -
Regardless to each his own, I agree to respectively disagree.
Anyway I am sorry you wasted your hard earned cash on a lifetime sub. I have many friends who have as well. I feel bad for them I really do. Cryptic has taken your money and laughed all the way to the bank, and that is just wrong. But don't play this game just because you have a lifetime sub, if it sucks for you then don't play and count your sub as a loss, you will be better off in the long run. There are better games out there and better companies more deserving of your money. I can only suspect lifers are going to much more cautious of who they give their money to in the future.
I thank you for this.
I'm trying to get my feedback across to try to avoid going elsewhere. I DON'T WANT TO !
The drops suck, i mean, really suck. The amped shield, and health numbers Gozer has given mobs + their insane resistances to things make doing DPS for anything but common drops a virtual pipe dream.
Regular Tac's are spawning 2-3 per group and are capable of one shotting, you, heavy tacs are spawning in near every mob, and Elites take 30 minutes to kill. The new node usage and static grenades are usless because anything with "Tac" in its name is immune and is virtually all that spawns. Workers on the crew have knockback resists that keep point blank fully buffed 1300+ damage pulsewave shots from even eating their shields.
Its utterly stupid that on elite the easiest thing in the mission to kill is the mid-boss Oghen. Elite STFs should be a challenge not a frustrating exercise in patience and futility.
pain and suffering? is it that bad? if so why would you even want to play something like that. It's supposed to be a game, for fun. I love how people talk about how hard they "worked" for their gear. Really you worked for it? no you played a game for it, it is not work. I can only surmise that people who suggest such have never really "worked" hard a day in their life and have no idea what it means to do so.
:mad:
I got a permanent back injury from working too hard at my last job (physical labor) and haven't been able to work since then.
That being said, the Elite mode STF right now is not worth playing because, A) Its not fun, and The rewards suck.
It takes 3-4 times as long to beat the Elite mode as it does the Normal mode and you get the same rewards or less (less actually cause completing the secondary is impossible at this point in Elite mode).
As far as the suffering goes, being spawn camped by an over-powered tactical cube makes me want to throw my computer out the window. I'd rather brake my back again then play the current Elite mode STF.
I personal have run into this problem. Working to get drops was never a issue but when trash mobs in normal drop Blue Mr X weapons and you get the same wepaons stat ways droped from a elite boss a Green XII weapaon. Is this fiar to player willing to work to clear the Elite? I think not.
Its kind of same some the Extremist Masochistic players dont understand this simple premise but if people are working harder, like playing STFs on Elite, they should very well be rewarded for it. Yeah, to 1%ers perhaps even elite is Easy but realize thats not the case for a vast majority of people. For Most people normal is hard enough period, Elite is above and beyond difficult so it IS working for it and people should be rewarded for overcomming the difficulty.
Its hilarious for a game about Star Trek there are such intolerant people here who just cant accept the fact what might be easy for them is not the case for alot of other people.
The problem is, the bulk of people asked for this! People whined, complained, and kept on about the STF's in their current or previous forms being too hard. Now, they've butchered them and made them easier for the whiners and as a result, now force you to grind your way through them. I'm so glad almost all of my toons have the Borg set alread, most of which have multiple. These Elite sets of new ground and space gear are nothing special and nothing I'm going to waste my time on unless Cryptic can give me a reason to. The guy that suggested Elite versions of the STF's should drop Mk XII gear I think has a point. There's already no reason for me to waste my time on this butchered content and crappy drops sure aren't going to change that either!
For those of us who likes the STF's the way they are now on Holodeck or the way they were on Holodeck. I'd like to see them remain in their current form but slightly harder as an Elite version compromise.
I agree, I'm not impressed with these Space and Ground sets. Which is ironic, since they were lauded as being important in lasting longer against the Borg, which they don't do.
The new Space Sets, their abilities are uselss, especially the beams. And Warp 9.99 engines when VAs already go Warp 9.97. The Old Borg Set is far superior to all 3 Sets with the heals and the Warp 14 engine.
The Ground Sets, the only good thing is just the guns.
Thats why after testing, that I'm not going to bother grinding when these go live. Especially when I've grinded with the same missions for the past 2 years, I'm exhausted in playing the same content over and over again.
As for Elite Drop rates, they are terrible. I could do 5 Normal STFs in the time to do 1 Elite STF, and for 2 EDCs? No thank you.
...is ironic, since they were lauded as being important in lasting longer against the Borg, which they don't do...
Maybe if they make a shield-nuetralizer resistant shield they'd be on to something worth having. Or some console that lets me use HE 400 times in 3 minutes.
Seriously, the neutralizer is so bad you might as well go into an STF without a shield equipped.
I'm starting to think they should just remove the STFs.
I don't know... a lot of these changes on Tribble just seem to indicate to me that Cryptic is really out of touch with what the player base actually wants.
I think one possible solution to the drop rate issue is to add missions similiar to the ones klingons get in pi canis sector. like you got to complete one of each of the 6 STF's then get a reward choice of the 6 rare borg salvage drops, rare and/or alot of common salvage, or dilitium if you don't need any of the above. They could also add a mission for completing all the optionals for a very good reward. They can make both a elite and normal version of these missions and make them dailies. So this way players got a more sure fire way to get the good loots sooner instead of going though their horrendous grind.
Like the normal mission will reward you with a choice of any of the mk x rare, or 20 common salvage, or a chunk of dilitium.
The normal optional mission would reward you with mk xi rare, or 4 rare salvage, or a larger chunk of dilitium.
The elite mission will reward a mk xii rare, or mk xii standard requistion, or a ton of dilitium.
The elite optional mission I don't know what they could give you but it should be really good.
I actually had a similar discussion recently in which someone pointed out to me "If they simply give you the sets after a few runs you're not going to want to do the runs again."
My counter point to this, and ultimately in support of the OP, is that if you put in a position where we've got to run something dozens of times for one piece of gear, if we're lucky, we're not going to do the runs again either.
I have to agree here. If I have to run the same STF a dozen times or more to get the gear... well, I wont. I will simply look for a less boring, grindy game, and take my sub money elsewhere.
I dont mind the grind, what I do mind is doing the same EXACT grind ad nauseum.
It's not fun to get spammed quite literally to death. (ask any PVP player) It's not fun playing a no win scenario and it's not fun doing the same missions over and over and over again..... That's NOT FUN anymore, endless repetition IS WORK. Grinding at this level IS WORK. It's NOT entertaining anymore at this level of grind. Cryptic knows this, that's where the whole trade dilithium for C points thing come in. They know that the grind is NOT FUN and THAT some players will take an easier route to avoid it. In fact, that's what they are betting on. They've lessened the fun factor of this game to make more of a profit. As a lifetimer, I'm NOT happy with that at all.
Our stipend, at the new C store prices, won't cut it. SOME might use it to buy dilithium though and start this whole nightmarish scenario in motion.
^^this^^^
My fleet started out with over 30 dedicated players, of which a group of 10 of us were founders (all of the founders came over from a MMO WWII game that we have all played for 7+ YEARS as paying customers). You know how many founders of my fleet are still playing STO...ME. One...Thats it (and thats because I love Star Trek). You know how many active memebers are left in my fleet 3.... THREE.
Funny thing is all those founders (including myself) are still subscribing to that "other" MMO...after 7+ years... maybe that dev is doing something right?
You know the number one reason all of these players left...... GAME IS TO REPETATIVE. And now Cryptic is increasing the grind for both dilithium AND only giving random drops for STFs?
My fleet started out with over 30 dedicated players, of which a group of 10 of us were founders (all of the founders came over from a MMO WWII game that we have all played for 7+ YEARS as paying customers). Funny thing is all those founders (including myself) are still subscribing to that "other" MMO...after 7+ years... maybe that dev is doing something right?
I have to agree here. If I have to run the same STF a dozen times or more to get the gear... well, I wont. I will simply look for a less boring, grindy game, and take my sub money elsewhere.
I dont mind the grind, what I do mind is doing the same EXACT grind ad nauseum.
And this is the point, and something Gozer and Cryptic needs to figure out. We don't mind running something a few times to get gear. We do mind running something a multitude of times to get gear.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to put something out here, since I don't think it's being addressed. This Economy, was designed to limit currencies. Well these gated, Encrypted Data Chips and salvage are another unecessary currency. In fact they're emblems. Quite litterally they are virtually identical to emblems with the gear being for marks of Valor. Essentially we're doing as we always have, we get emblems, exchange them to valor, buy STF gear. Only now it has a new name, and a much higher cost to availability ratio.
So really not only is this not fun, and not what anybody but probably less than 1% of the gaming community is going to enjoy in its current state (which if they're catering that, why can't they cater to the 18% of Klingons) its invalidating the new economy system.
Comments
My counter point to this, and ultimately in support of the OP, is that if you put in a position where we've got to run something dozens of times for one piece of gear, if we're lucky, we're not going to do the runs again either.
This -
You know, I know tons of people who did the runs repeatedly on holodeck over and over again, simply to help others get their gear. I know many, who have multiple Borg sets in their inventory.
My point, there really is no need for the grind, people replay them anyway.
But alas, the grind's going to be turned up in the entire game experience. This is by design, FOR PROFIT.
Infact, our stipend, really is kindling to throw on that fire.
Seriously, if you think about it, we get 400 C points every month, they raise C store costs exactly 400 C point for the things people most want on average. To negate any stipend. You have to spend real money now anyway, unless you are very disciplined and chose things very carefully.
Now in the past, most of us would only be interested in ships specific to our class, now watch out, here comes the skill revamp. Everyone celebrates, the cheers abound. But honestly, why now? Because they want you buying more ships, of any class. That's where we are headed. BUY, BUY, BUY....
The grind, is to keep players busy, busy, busy, so they don't notice the lack of new content, and buyin C-points to to trade for dilithium to lessen the grind. Cryptic's profit goes up.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM, with Cryptic making money mind you. They have to, to survive.
My problem is this:
We were told that as gold players we wouldn't notice any change in game play once the F2P goes live.
This couldn't have been more WRONG.
My entire game play is changing in all reality. What irks me the MOST is, THIS IS NOT THE GAME I BOUGHT A LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION TO. I'm feeling a little scammed right now TBH....
This game is in my opinion becoming a COMPLETE money grab experience. Again, I have no problem with Cryptic making a profit, BUT, with dilithium attached to EVERYTHING in the F2P model, you either grind your tush off or spend real MONEY to get ANYTHING.
I'll tell you, this elite gear, will be obtainable by other means eventually, I guarantee it, and it will have a dilithium / C store connection. If not, expect something very similar to be. (this is also why elite gear only offers negligible stats compared to the average rare gear?)
You have to drop a few shinies to keep people motivated. If the grind's too lengthy, the goal too far off, the average player just might walk away, give up, take the easy way out. It seems Cryptic is hoping most players, will do just that.
This game is becoming something not fun to play anymore, it will be no longer be a fun thing to play for a few hours a day during my increasingly rare "me time". Unless I get used to spending money or doing without the fancy stuff. If I do without the fancy stuff, I'm doing without most of the new content now.
I'm sorry for the rant, just had to get this off my chest.
Thanks for reading.
QFT
They want to bleed players dry of money regardless if they already pay a subscription or not. Thank our new Asian Overlords for that. Yeah Thanks Perfect World.
The idea is to keep people grinding and/or paying, they want to make the experience just annoying enough people will say TRIBBLE it and pay. Dont be surprised if Elite gear ends up in the C-store in the future.
Gozer said nothing changed but the optional fail, but anecdotal evidence suggests of Cure/Space:
Loot doesn't drop as frequently
Lower tier of probes got buffed
BoPs and Raptors got buffed
Every enemy and their Uncle Bob was given a Shield Neutralizer that apparently has a .005 millisecond cooldown (or is now the Purple Borg Shield Nueralizer Quad Cannon) and honestly - I can hear it laugh at me in a metallic borg voice when I trigger HE, just to be shield nuetralized 5 more times before my HE cooldown clears
and autoteaming is still borked
But, hey...thats just my perception. I was told only the optional fail state was changed.
I don't even want to imagine what these issues on elite must be like. yikes.
I don't disagree with you, yeah you should work to get the really very rare high stuff. But the STFS on holodeck currently are tough - RA or VA. Maybe not for you but for the rest of is it is. It took me like 2 months, many tries to finally getting my borg set. - This was i think a pretty good balance.
But what you have on triibble is STFS that are tough, just like on holodeck if not more. But once I finish there is no gaurantee that I will have my borg set. However on holodeck I do.
This gives people reason to do the mission, try again and agian and agian to get it. But if there is only a chance to get it, why should I spend two months for a chance? I'll just do the normal get my 60 slavage and get the high end gear that way - it will be faster and no one will play the elite mode.
Thats just the way it should be. It would give people a reason to live through all the pain and suffering of Elite mode.
I take issue with your over simplifying of the situation Sir.
I DO NOT want everything handed to me for free. AND I'm NOT opposed to working for the things I want.
I have four toons on Holodeck at end game, and one on tribble. I've ground accolades, crafting and STF's to get the Borg gear. ALL my toons have high end gear. I am accustomed to the grind to get the things that I want.
This current situation we have on Tribble though, IS ALL GRIND, and VERY LITTLE ELSE. What little new content that's there, is a shiny carrot dangled at you to keep you grinding, or SPENDING.
For me, that's sucked the fun right out of everything.
And it wasn't this way when I bought my lifetime subscription.
The whole point of the F2P test server is for me to give my opinion on the changes.
So here it is:
Save the endless grind for the free players, cut the Gold players a break please.
1. Give us back our VA token.
2. Get rid of the dilithium in crafting for Gold players, who've already grinded up to the level to craft anything of value, AND already grind for data samples.
3. Give better rewards for killing Boss's. Right now they are a JOKE.
4. Adjust the STFs so that they challenge, BUT are NOT impossible.
5. I'd go as so far to say add some "common salvage" to the Borg Red alerts. (Especially the hard ones like in Orellius)
But this is only MY feedback. - take it or leave it.
pain and suffering? is it that bad? if so why would you even want to play something like that. It's supposed to be a game, for fun. I love how people talk about how hard they "worked" for their gear. Really you worked for it? no you played a game for it, it is not work. I can only surmise that people who suggest such have never really "worked" hard a day in their life and have no idea what it means to do so.
Exactly this !
It's not fun to get spammed quite literally to death. (ask any PVP player) It's not fun playing a no win scenario and it's not fun doing the same missions over and over and over again..... That's NOT FUN anymore, endless repetition IS WORK. Grinding at this level IS WORK. It's NOT entertaining anymore at this level of grind. Cryptic knows this, that's where the whole trade dilithium for C points thing come in. They know that the grind is NOT FUN and THAT some players will take an easier route to avoid it. In fact, that's what they are betting on. They've lessened the fun factor of this game to make more of a profit. As a lifetimer, I'm NOT happy with that at all.
Our stipend, at the new C store prices, won't cut it. SOME might use it to buy dilithium though and start this whole nightmarish scenario in motion.
I for one busted my duff to make the 300 or so disposable dollars to pay for my lifetime subscription AND provide for my family in THIS ECONOMY. That 300 or so dollars was a selfish little pleasure that only Daddy enjoys. Now I'm not too sure I enjoy where the game is going. Hence the feedback, as requested by Cryptic.
I'd like to come home to a game that I can play for an hour or two and feel I've enjoyed myself and gotten the new content in EVERY NIGHT I log on, otherwise, WHAT'S THE POINT ?
I don't have that much free time, I want to feel as though I've enjoyed myself for the time invested.
Tedious, Boring, repetitive =/= work. You can do physical labor for long hours that can be interesting, exciting and enjoyable and have it be work. Work just means you are pushing yourself hard to do a task, physically or mentally. While games may be challenging I have yet to see one that really pushes you hard. Certainly not STO, one of the easiest games out there, even on elite or VA STFs.
Anyway I am sorry you wasted your hard earned cash on a lifetime sub. I have many friends who have as well. I feel bad for them I really do. Cryptic has taken your money and laughed all the way to the bank, and that is just wrong. But don't play this game just because you have a lifetime sub, if it sucks for you then don't play and count your sub as a loss, you will be better off in the long run. There are better games out there and better companies more deserving of your money. I can only suspect lifers are going to much more cautious of who they give their money to in the future.
Says you - (everyone has their own definition of fun/work)
To me: Tedious, Boring, repetitive =/= Grind = work
You push yourself to grind, to do something not particularly fun to do the task, to obtain the new content that you have been denied for months.
Especially if the reward system has been deliberately set low to encourage more spending.
Says I -
I've already done more WORK to play this game than the "free players" coming will have.
That I recognize right off.
SOME of the Gold member's grind should be reduced, PARTICULARLY the dilithium cost for crafting comes to mind. Just sayin -
Regardless to each his own, I agree to respectively disagree.
I thank you for this.
I'm trying to get my feedback across to try to avoid going elsewhere. I DON'T WANT TO !
Regular Tac's are spawning 2-3 per group and are capable of one shotting, you, heavy tacs are spawning in near every mob, and Elites take 30 minutes to kill. The new node usage and static grenades are usless because anything with "Tac" in its name is immune and is virtually all that spawns. Workers on the crew have knockback resists that keep point blank fully buffed 1300+ damage pulsewave shots from even eating their shields.
Its utterly stupid that on elite the easiest thing in the mission to kill is the mid-boss Oghen. Elite STFs should be a challenge not a frustrating exercise in patience and futility.
I got a permanent back injury from working too hard at my last job (physical labor) and haven't been able to work since then.
That being said, the Elite mode STF right now is not worth playing because, A) Its not fun, and
It takes 3-4 times as long to beat the Elite mode as it does the Normal mode and you get the same rewards or less (less actually cause completing the secondary is impossible at this point in Elite mode).
As far as the suffering goes, being spawn camped by an over-powered tactical cube makes me want to throw my computer out the window. I'd rather brake my back again then play the current Elite mode STF.
Its hilarious for a game about Star Trek there are such intolerant people here who just cant accept the fact what might be easy for them is not the case for alot of other people.
For those of us who likes the STF's the way they are now on Holodeck or the way they were on Holodeck. I'd like to see them remain in their current form but slightly harder as an Elite version compromise.
The new Space Sets, their abilities are uselss, especially the beams. And Warp 9.99 engines when VAs already go Warp 9.97. The Old Borg Set is far superior to all 3 Sets with the heals and the Warp 14 engine.
The Ground Sets, the only good thing is just the guns.
Thats why after testing, that I'm not going to bother grinding when these go live. Especially when I've grinded with the same missions for the past 2 years, I'm exhausted in playing the same content over and over again.
As for Elite Drop rates, they are terrible. I could do 5 Normal STFs in the time to do 1 Elite STF, and for 2 EDCs? No thank you.
Maybe if they make a shield-nuetralizer resistant shield they'd be on to something worth having. Or some console that lets me use HE 400 times in 3 minutes.
Seriously, the neutralizer is so bad you might as well go into an STF without a shield equipped.
I don't know... a lot of these changes on Tribble just seem to indicate to me that Cryptic is really out of touch with what the player base actually wants.
Like the normal mission will reward you with a choice of any of the mk x rare, or 20 common salvage, or a chunk of dilitium.
The normal optional mission would reward you with mk xi rare, or 4 rare salvage, or a larger chunk of dilitium.
The elite mission will reward a mk xii rare, or mk xii standard requistion, or a ton of dilitium.
The elite optional mission I don't know what they could give you but it should be really good.
I have to agree here. If I have to run the same STF a dozen times or more to get the gear... well, I wont. I will simply look for a less boring, grindy game, and take my sub money elsewhere.
I dont mind the grind, what I do mind is doing the same EXACT grind ad nauseum.
^^this^^^
My fleet started out with over 30 dedicated players, of which a group of 10 of us were founders (all of the founders came over from a MMO WWII game that we have all played for 7+ YEARS as paying customers). You know how many founders of my fleet are still playing STO...ME. One...Thats it (and thats because I love Star Trek). You know how many active memebers are left in my fleet 3.... THREE.
Funny thing is all those founders (including myself) are still subscribing to that "other" MMO...after 7+ years... maybe that dev is doing something right?
You know the number one reason all of these players left...... GAME IS TO REPETATIVE. And now Cryptic is increasing the grind for both dilithium AND only giving random drops for STFs?
Bad move....very bad move.
And this is the point, and something Gozer and Cryptic needs to figure out. We don't mind running something a few times to get gear. We do mind running something a multitude of times to get gear.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to put something out here, since I don't think it's being addressed. This Economy, was designed to limit currencies. Well these gated, Encrypted Data Chips and salvage are another unecessary currency. In fact they're emblems. Quite litterally they are virtually identical to emblems with the gear being for marks of Valor. Essentially we're doing as we always have, we get emblems, exchange them to valor, buy STF gear. Only now it has a new name, and a much higher cost to availability ratio.
So really not only is this not fun, and not what anybody but probably less than 1% of the gaming community is going to enjoy in its current state (which if they're catering that, why can't they cater to the 18% of Klingons) its invalidating the new economy system.
...and start work at some end game content as was old STF.