I am curious to know if we can expect this same income method in cryptics upcoming title or if this form of gating content behind gambling is a targeted predatory tactic due to the star traek fans predisposition to collecting.
It does have lockboxes... Just not droppable ones.
It's weird how CO and STO differ in such regards. For example, "Pay-2-Win" items like heals and energy restores don't work in CO's PvP. P2W consoles work just fine in STO.
It is no surprise that people looked optimistic to the F2P launch for STO after having seen LOTR (generic example) and CO (Cryptic example) go F2P. If only we had known...
It's weird how CO and STO differ in such regards. For example, "Pay-2-Win" items like heals and energy restores don't work in CO's PvP. P2W consoles work just fine in STO.
It is no surprise that people looked optimistic to the F2P launch for STO after having seen LOTR (generic example) and CO (Cryptic example) go F2P. If only we had known...
And today CO is getting their version of the dilithium store.
Yeah. There is such a huge difference between eastern and western F2P philosophies.
So I guess any "thief" class is going to be utterly useless since he won't be able to pick a lock on a chest. Being a high strength warrior type would be a joke too, since you could cause a critical crushing blow on a dragon skull, yet still not be able to smash open a wooden box.
So I guess any "thief" class is going to be utterly useless since he won't be able to pick a lock on a chest. Being a high strength warrior type would be a joke too, since you could cause a critical crushing blow on a dragon skull, yet still not be able to smash open a wooden box.
Yup.
But the most powerful class of all will be the Paladin.
Since Neverwinter is F2P, I suppose it will have lock boxes of some form. It's a very successful method. I heard that DCUO also lock boxes as drops with purchasable keys. I'd guess most F2P MMOs will go this route eventually. Mathematically speaking, it is the best way to ensure that ultra-rare items remain ultra-rare, while enticing the player base to spend a bit of money for it. I think it's ingenious, and with a feature like the dilithium conversion (which is currently pretty balanced) it's not too much of a problem to get a 10 pack a month with a single toon (much easier with a few toons).
Another side-benefit of it is that if one needs to make some quick EC, one can just by a master key and sell it on the exchange for 1-1.3 mil EC. On the other hand, the traders who have hundreds of millions of EC can just buy keys from the exchange without even using their dilithium. I see a lot of potential in this system.
Since Neverwinter is F2P, I suppose it will have lock boxes of some form. It's a very successful method. I heard that DCUO also lock boxes as drops with purchasable keys. I'd guess most F2P MMOs will go this route eventually. Mathematically speaking, it is the best way to ensure that ultra-rare items remain ultra-rare, while enticing the player base to spend a bit of money for it. I think it's ingenious, and with a feature like the dilithium conversion (which is currently pretty balanced) it's not too much of a problem to get a 10 pack a month with a single toon (much easier with a few toons).
Another side-benefit of it is that if one needs to make some quick EC, one can just by a master key and sell it on the exchange for 1-1.3 mil EC. On the other hand, the traders who have hundreds of millions of EC can just buy keys from the exchange without even using their dilithium. I see a lot of potential in this system.
until the courts have had enough of this cowboy tactic and shut it down, potential to exploit customers is one thing but abusing that for specific gain and they get no real reward from it is another, like making lockboxes drop ulra rares at 00.0001% and they say there is a "good" chance of getting a hard to get reward when really its a lie with the drop ratio so poor...
i just think lock boxes should be more varied on the items that come out instead of churning out rubbish at 99.999% of the time and the keys should come at random in random amounts no higher then 3 from drops and make them hard to get from loot drops with the addition of it being store purchasable and market buyable, but no where near expensive as a 10 pack of keys for 9 pounds... not all of us can spend such money on absurd priced stuff with a stacked ratio on items.
until the courts have had enough of this cowboy tactic and shut it down, potential to exploit customers is one thing but abusing that for specific gain and they get no real reward from it is another, like making lockboxes drop ulra rares at 00.0001% and they say there is a "good" chance of getting a hard to get reward when really its a lie with the drop ratio so poor...
i just think lock boxes should be more varied on the items that come out instead of churning out rubbish at 99.999% of the time and the keys should come at random in random amounts no higher then 3 from drops and make them hard to get from loot drops with the addition of it being store purchasable and market buyable, but no where near expensive as a 10 pack of keys for 9 pounds... not all of us can spend such money on absurd priced stuff with a stacked ratio on items.
Lock boxes are somewhat problematic, but it would be quite hard to present them as illegal in courts. Think of the claw crane machines in malls - you pay real money for a slim chance to grab something. From a legal point of view, you're always loosing money, and never win any profits. In the case of lock boxes, you're always getting something, even if it's not something you want (it is clearly stated in the dev blogs).
I do agree that there are some problems with the lock boxes. They could, for instance, let gold members replace regular ones with gold ones via a DOff contact, or maybe even let them run a DOff mission that opens the box on critical success. But all in all I don't see the problem with its contents. The last few batches of Cardie lock boxes I opened were for Gamma supplies. I have no use for a ship, a console or a weapon set. What you see as valuable might be rubbish for me and vice versa.
The best way to stop the lock-boxes is not to buy the keys and really really hope most players feel as badly as you do about them. I will continue to open them, and hopefully over time I'll get enough crystals or whatever to get new costume parts and pets. Judging by the financial success of these lock boxes in this game and in other games, I guess many players don't object to them and probably feel like me about it.
Indeed. The NWN Mimic was quite irritating. Though the Mimic is rather fitting for the lockbox comparison. It masquerades as actual content while devouring your income. Should you manage to defeat this demon, it generally yields nothing useful in return. Cryptic is already quite adept in their deployment of Mimics.
Comments
we'd have to wait and see really.
Kill a dragon, get a chest.
Then pay their store for the key. Varying tiers of keys at varying levels of price depending on the type of "boss" your group just killed.
It is no surprise that people looked optimistic to the F2P launch for STO after having seen LOTR (generic example) and CO (Cryptic example) go F2P. If only we had known...
Yeah. There is such a huge difference between eastern and western F2P philosophies.
What exactly is wrong with that? Is earning C-Store points by playing the game a bad thing?
Yup.
But the most powerful class of all will be the Paladin.
Oh wait ...
CO was a good game even with the bugs, now its been reduced to nothing more then a money sinkhole. im gutted about that.
Another side-benefit of it is that if one needs to make some quick EC, one can just by a master key and sell it on the exchange for 1-1.3 mil EC. On the other hand, the traders who have hundreds of millions of EC can just buy keys from the exchange without even using their dilithium. I see a lot of potential in this system.
until the courts have had enough of this cowboy tactic and shut it down, potential to exploit customers is one thing but abusing that for specific gain and they get no real reward from it is another, like making lockboxes drop ulra rares at 00.0001% and they say there is a "good" chance of getting a hard to get reward when really its a lie with the drop ratio so poor...
i just think lock boxes should be more varied on the items that come out instead of churning out rubbish at 99.999% of the time and the keys should come at random in random amounts no higher then 3 from drops and make them hard to get from loot drops with the addition of it being store purchasable and market buyable, but no where near expensive as a 10 pack of keys for 9 pounds... not all of us can spend such money on absurd priced stuff with a stacked ratio on items.
I had thought it implied a negative viewpoint
Sorry if I was mistaken.
I was just stating something obvious. Good or bad... Eh... It's playable either way to me.
Lock boxes are somewhat problematic, but it would be quite hard to present them as illegal in courts. Think of the claw crane machines in malls - you pay real money for a slim chance to grab something. From a legal point of view, you're always loosing money, and never win any profits. In the case of lock boxes, you're always getting something, even if it's not something you want (it is clearly stated in the dev blogs).
I do agree that there are some problems with the lock boxes. They could, for instance, let gold members replace regular ones with gold ones via a DOff contact, or maybe even let them run a DOff mission that opens the box on critical success. But all in all I don't see the problem with its contents. The last few batches of Cardie lock boxes I opened were for Gamma supplies. I have no use for a ship, a console or a weapon set. What you see as valuable might be rubbish for me and vice versa.
The best way to stop the lock-boxes is not to buy the keys and really really hope most players feel as badly as you do about them. I will continue to open them, and hopefully over time I'll get enough crystals or whatever to get new costume parts and pets. Judging by the financial success of these lock boxes in this game and in other games, I guess many players don't object to them and probably feel like me about it.
You have to unlock the Lockbox species though. :rolleyes:
Indeed. The NWN Mimic was quite irritating. Though the Mimic is rather fitting for the lockbox comparison. It masquerades as actual content while devouring your income. Should you manage to defeat this demon, it generally yields nothing useful in return. Cryptic is already quite adept in their deployment of Mimics.