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Path to F2P Dev Blog #16

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited November 2011 in Galactic News Network [PC]
The Dilithium Exchange is now available for testing on Tribble! Stephen walks us through the ins and outs of this important piece of the new Economy on the Path to F2P.

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  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    So nothing about the discussion on Dilithium in crafting and the like that the community's been asking about? Interesting choice.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    tobar26th wrote:
    So nothing about the discussion on Dilithium in crafting and the like that the community's been asking about? Interesting choice.

    this change is now live on tribble, the crafting one is not ready so this is kind of more important at this stage that he talks about this one.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    tobar26th wrote:
    So nothing about the discussion on Dilithium in crafting and the like that the community's been asking about? Interesting choice.

    The Path blogs arent responses to feedback, they are information about upcoming features. But they are working on some crafting changes:
    BTW, since it was asked, yes we are still working on crafting. The current implementation is not final and we hope to improve it to your likely. I don’t want to get into details because this is not the right place, and frankly we are not done. We will try to get you the information as soon as we have more detials.

    http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=3841116#post3841116
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I think the exchange itself is fine, barring perhaps tweaking of the min/max values for fairness.

    The problem is that the jacked C-Store prices, too-low stipend, and stifling Dilithium refinement cap (when compared to pricing on items and the likely exchange values) make the system as a whole rather messed up.

    These issues need to be addressed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I think the exchange itself is fine, barring perhaps tweaking of the min/max values for fairness.

    The problem is that the jacked C-Store prices, too-low stipend, and stifling Dilithium refinement cap (when compared to pricing on items and the likely exchange values) make the system as a whole rather messed up.

    These issues need to be addressed.

    I still think that paying subs/lifers shouldn't have a refining cap at all. It isn't like gold farmers pay subs and if they do, they will be easily spotted and banned when they attempt to spam zone chat.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    So basically this is just another way to try and get people to buy Cryptic Points? What happened to Dilithium amounts being based on time spent earning them? Not that I actually like the whole dilithium idea anyway...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    torterra wrote: »
    So basically this is just another way to try and get people to buy Cryptic Points? What happened to Dilithium amounts being based on time spent earning them? Not that I actually like the whole dilithium idea anyway...

    Cheer up. Now you can name your own price for not liking the whole dilithium idea. :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    torterra wrote: »
    So basically this is just another way to try and get people to buy Cryptic Points? What happened to Dilithium amounts being based on time spent earning them? Not that I actually like the whole dilithium idea anyway...

    No, this is a way for people who don't want to spend real world currency on Cryptic points to buy things in the C-Store. Instead of having to come up with $15-25 to buy that ship you want, you can grind Dilithium and sell it for C-Store points. Meanwhile the people who don't have a problem parting with cash, but who don't have time to, or hate grinding can effectively buy Dilithium to use it to get the things they want in game that require it.

    Other than, again, fine tuning exchange rate caps, etc. I don't see a problem with it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    boglejam wrote: »
    I still think that paying subs/lifers shouldn't have a refining cap at all. It isn't like gold farmers pay subs and if they do, they will be easily spotted and banned when they attempt to spam zone chat.

    The reason Cryptic can't and won't do that is that it would affect the Dilithium to C-Point exchange in unpredictable ways. :rolleyes:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Are we getting another stiped or am I expected to shell out money to test this new "feature"? If it is the later, count me out of testing it and it is back to the doff system for me.
    torterra wrote: »
    So basically this is just another way to try and get people to buy Cryptic Points? What happened to Dilithium amounts being based on time spent earning them? Not that I actually like the whole dilithium idea anyway...

    Time spent...deepest pockets....tuh-mey-toh....toe-mah-toh....(doesn't come off as well here :)).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    i used some spare points and some spare dilithium and i like the set up.

    remains to be seen if it will work long term but im quite pleased with it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Now that we can have STO only points and CO only points we need a way of determining how many actual cryptic points we have in game and how many are specific to one game. I would also like to know if the 1st points put on the auction and used in the C store are the game specific points.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Will there be any way to access DilEx data from outside the game? Either by a fully fledged API or a daily export of high-low data in a slurpable format?

    Failing that, can we receive in-game mail whenever an order is fulfilled?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    No, this is a way for people who don't want to spend real world currency on Cryptic points to buy things in the C-Store. Instead of having to come up with $15-25 to buy that ship you want, you can grind Dilithium and sell it for C-Store points. Meanwhile the people who don't have a problem parting with cash, but who don't have time to, or hate grinding can effectively buy Dilithium to use it to get the things they want in game that require it.

    Other than, again, fine tuning exchange rate caps, etc. I don't see a problem with it.

    I was pretty skeptical about the dilithium exchange concept at first, but I'm warming up to it. I'm glad they've set a cap to prevent costs from rising into infinity. :)

    The rates may need some additional fine tuning (and I'm sure they will again once it hits Holodeck), but this doesn't look too bad. I've been pretty anti-Cryptic lately, but if this is handled appropriately I could swing a bit back the other direction. Thus far, I don't see anything here that jumps out at me screaming HAHA YOU'RE BEING SCREWED in this blog post. ;)

    I would even be willing to forego the VA token if this works well, the stipend is increased to 500 or 600 CP,and the refinement cap is significantly increased or removed for Golds.

    Cryptic, I'm willing to meet you halfway! Are you willing to do the same?? :cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Are we getting another stiped or am I expected to shell out money to test this new "feature"? If it is the later, count me out of testing it and it is back to the doff system for me.



    Time spent...deepest pockets....tuh-mey-toh....toe-mah-toh....(doesn't come off as well here :)).

    Get yer fingers out of my wallet!

    Anyway, it might be worth asking for more test points to test this system out. I've already decided that I'll never use this feature so I won't be providing any useful testing info.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    i think a third lot of test points might be a good idea, just to get as many people to try it out as possible.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    i think a third lot of test points might be a good idea, just to get as many people to try it out as possible.

    Agreed. I haven't logged in to STO since the "not enough dilithium at rank to buy your next ship" fiasco, but if I can get some test points, I seriously might be tempted to log in again and give this a shot.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    With each passing day it seems that instead of spending $15 a month on a sub, I might as well spend $15 a month on crpytic points, to which I can seemingly get between 60,000 to 600,000 dilithium a month from the exchange.

    Fine with me, I can then play this game without noticing any change at all... but what ramifications will this have on the economy...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    tsabonayev wrote:
    With each passing day it seems that instead of spending $15 a month on a sub, I might as well spend $15 a month on crpytic points, to which I can seemingly get between 60,000 to 600,000 dilithium a month from the exchange.

    Fine with me, I can then play this game without noticing any change at all... but what ramifications will this have on the economy...

    He who has the deepest pockets wins!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Are we getting another stiped or am I expected to shell out money to test this new "feature"? If it is the later, count me out of testing it and it is back to the doff system for me.

    This +1.
    New ships introduced to be tested, with a Stipend.
    Stipend spent on testing new ships.
    Need another Stipend in order to test Dilithium Exchange.
    ...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Slightly related question: Does this UI change spell a History tab in the works for the general player exchange?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Cool! Looking forward to trying this out. If the Dilithium Exchange works out well then it solves the whole "But there's no way to get C-store items through in-game means!" argument that has floated around since game launch last year.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    The initial limits are between 50 and 500 Dilithium per Cryptic Point when posting a sell or buy offer. These limits are in place to avoid unexpected swings in the economy.

    Yeah right :rolleyes:

    This is to maximise C point spend of course.

    Cryptic wants to avoid players sell 10,000 Dilithium for x1 C point allowing easy transfer from character to character. Pffff :rolleyes:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Will be be able to do these transactions as private exchanges as well? Say I want to give a friend a few Cryptic Points that he/she is short for something in the C-Store. Can I just open up the trade window and give it to them for 1 Dilithium or something?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Should have kept most of my tribble stipend for this. Just wondering if there are plans for a third tribble stipend?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    JCSWW wrote: »
    Will be be able to do these transactions as private exchanges as well? Say I want to give a friend a few Cryptic Points that he/she is short for something in the C-Store. Can I just open up the trade window and give it to them for 1 Dilithium or something?

    Fantastic question. This is something I would like to do as well. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Speaking only for myself, I am absolutely disgusted by the way this entire economy has been handled of late.

    Honestly, if we are capped only at 500 dilithium as an asking price for c-points with a limit of how many transactions you can make at a time, what is the purpose of the refinement limit cap, the gating of where and how you can get dilithium, and making everything in the game for dilithium at an outrageous price?!

    And you wonder why I'm so sick about these changes. Does anyone have any common sense anymore?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    /emote $TO for the money bags. This reminds me of the hamburgler. PW is going full out for maxium isk per hour err should i say dilithium? This is one of the funnies things I have ever been part of. This is one huge slap across the face for all $TO players free or silver when it comes out as well as all Star Trek people. Cryptic and/or PW is driving this game into brick wall as fast as they can. If they keep this up there will never be another MMO for Star Trek. I kinda wished EA would of bought out Cryptic. Atleast when they take you for your monie they say thank you.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I really tried to support STO because i saw that it kept getting better. I was really really enjoying it after s4. I bought my friend a lifetime sub earlier this year.

    Honestly now I'm kind of regretting that. As a LTS, I am being told that i will have to spend real money to play. Why did I waste my money on the LTS then? I know that I can grind dilithium for months to buy a single piece of equipment but that really doesn't seem like an entertaining game to me...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Zanshi wrote: »
    Speaking only for myself, I am absolutely disgusted by the way this entire economy has been handled of late.

    Honestly, if we are capped only at 500 dilithium as an asking price for c-points with a limit of how many transactions you can make at a time, what is the purpose of the refinement limit cap, the gating of where and how you can get dilithium, and making everything in the game for dilithium at an outrageous price?!

    And you wonder why I'm so sick about these changes. Does anyone have any common sense anymore?

    Without time-gating Dilithium it would be too easy to get and very few people would pay C-Points for them. The way Cryptic has it now is: rD is needed for just about everything + players can only get it at a fixed rate = incentive to trade C-Points for it. The less Dilithium C-Points trade for the better it is for Cryptic.

    The new C-$tore, I'm sorry, the new economy is set up entirely to give players a reason to buy C-Points, not for gameplay reasons. Don't think Cryptic will do something to make STO less grindy if it means steering people away from the cash shop. That's F2P's bread and butter. Profit is STO's Prime Directive now.




    Z
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