Fleet ships are too much

thxfortakingmyid

I understand you have to make money but charging 20$ for the fleet defiant/MVAM is just too rich for my blood. Its really disappointing what has become of this game. The thing is if you priced this stuff reasonably you would sell so many more and actually make more money and have a happier customer base...I think this is where I hang it up. To quote a old saying, "You can sheer a sheep many times, but only skin it once." Something you guys should really consider.


Enjoy your travels in the galaxy

grouchyotaku

On the other hand, you don't have to have a 'Fleet' ship to play the game. 'Fleet' ships are reserved only for those who want the 'Best of the Best' and are willing to make a commitment for them. They are not intended for the 'average' player...

bumperthumper

I agree that 4 modules may be a bit high. I would say 3 modules would be fair, since it's a character bind. If it was an account bind, then 4 would be perfectly acceptable.

However, you can buy the modules w/EC off the exchange at your leisure. E.G. You don't have to have the full amount for the ship up front like you do for lockbox ships. You can chip away at it, one module at a time, kind of like a layaway. The fact that we can couple the uses of EC and Dil-to-Zen to acquire the modules also helps.

I do think they're a bit over-priced, though.

thecosmic1

$20.00 is about 18 days of Dilithium grinding for me at around 2 hours per day. I can grind 9 days and buy the ship for $10.00, or I can grind around 14 days and get it for $5.00.

Things are priced they way they are because Cryptic understand that the vast majority of players aren't paying full price for any item - everything in the C-Store is discounted due to Dilithium grinding. Anyone can earn $20.00 in a month just grinding Dilithium.

admanf2p

OMG, rIght?

You no wat else eye hayt? hOw expeNsive LuxurY caRs r two. ROFL Tey'd so make so Much mor Moneyz if dey sold dem fo cheapz.

People like you would complain if they gave these ships away. You dont understand business enough to realize that you are not their target market. Cryptic literally gives you the dilithium to buy these ships if you take your time and play the game. Sorry, there isnt a "Eye wantz Itz Nowz" button.

I'm sure Cryptic, as well as the rest of us, will miss you. I'll buy another ship in your honor tonight.

flekh

thecosmic1 wrote: »

$20.00 is about 18 days of Dilithium grinding for me at around 2 hours per day. I can grind 9 days and buy the ship for $10.00, or I can grind around 14 days and get it for $5.00.

Things are priced they way they are because Cryptic understand that the vast majority of players aren't paying full price for any item - everything in the C-Store is discounted due to Dilithium grinding. Anyone can earn $20.00 in a month just grinding Dilithium.

C'mon.
That argument doesn't fly.
There are no free Zen.
All Zen are bought, in some way or another.
And for everyone who buys C-Store items via Dil-Exchange, there's someone buying Zen for real money to exchange for ingame currencies.
Each Fleet Module is 5$, no exception.
(Okay, technically you can argue that the stipends of Lifetime Subscribers with 600+ veteran days are "free". Technically only, a more reasonable view is that they're slightly discounted.)

Just as lockbox ships are 100$ ships, even if you get them from a single key bought with EC, so are Fleet Ships 20$ each (or 25$ + 5$ for people with T5 ship unlocks). Each ship bought represents real money in Cryptic/PWE's bank account.

You (and me, and all the other (actually quite few, compared to the whole playerbase) people with significant daily Dil-income) are basically working as a gold-farmer, supplying Cryptic's customers with less spare time and more spare money. At a wage less than 1.50$ per hour, btw. Money that Cryptic/PWE is harvesting by selling the Zen.

For some individuals, this game might actually be free to play - but only because we're wasting other people's money by wasting our own time. Not that I mind too much, if I didn't have time to waste I wouldn't play MMOs, and this way I'm not feeling like I'm paying to win, it feels like honest grinding - but it's still making Cryptic/PWE money, just as if we'd spent real cash instead.

thecosmic1

flekh wrote: »

C'mon.
That argument doesn't fly.
There are no free Zen.
All Zen are bought, in some way or another.

It's free to me - and anyone else who wants it - and that's all that matters. Neither you, I, or anyone else can't be responsible for what hundreds of thousands of other individuals choose to do with their money. As long as people are willing to sell Zen for Dilithium there's an option for someone else to get whatever they want for zero dollars.

flekh

thecosmic1 wrote: »

It's free to me - and anyone else who wants it - and that's all that matters. Neither you, I, or anyone else can't be responsible for what hundreds of thousands of other individuals choose to do with their money. As long as people are willing to sell Zen for Dilithium there's an option for someone else to get whatever they want for zero dollars.

Put it like that, and i'll agree.
But you originally said that 20$ are not 20$, and that's not true.
That there'll always be people with instant-gratification needs who'll just spent money, giving each individual an opportunity to profit from it ... is also the reason the prices are as high as they are.
And also the reason threads like this pop up every week - people with instant-gratification needs and no cash, a combination that simply doesn't work in a capitalist world.

thecosmic1

flekh wrote: »

But you originally said that 20$ are not 20$, and that's not true.

No, what I said was "$20.00 is about 18 days of Dilithium grinding for me" and that "Anyone can earn $20.00 in a month just grinding Dilithium."

At no point did I say that $20.00 are not $20.00.

flekh

thecosmic1 wrote: »

No, what I said was "$20.00 is about 18 days of Dilithium grinding for me" and that "Anyone can earn $20.00 in a month just grinding Dilithium."

At no point did I say that $20.00 are not $20.00.

thecosmic1 wrote: »

$20.00 is about 18 days of Dilithium grinding for me at around 2 hours per day. I can grind 9 days and buy the ship for $10.00, or I can grind around 14 days and get it for $5.00.

Things are priced they way they are because Cryptic understand that the vast majority of players aren't paying full price for any item - everything in the C-Store is discounted due to Dilithium grinding. Anyone can earn $20.00 in a month just grinding Dilithium.

If there's any other way to read the bolded part, then I really can't see it.
There is no discount. Just your money, or other people's money.
And the majority is actually paying - or the whole system would not work.

lordcorrino

The one change I'd like to see is that if you've bought the ship for one toon, it only take one extra module per each additional toon.

thecosmic1

flekh wrote: »

If there's any other way to read the bolded part, then I really can't see it.
There is no discount. Just your money, or other people's money.
And the majority is actually paying - or the whole system would not work.

And the bolded section is stating that people are using Dilithium grinding to not pay full price for C-Store items. It's very clear from the sentence, paragraph, and post that I'm discussing what an individual is paying in comparison to the whole price of the item - as the OP is complaining about not wanting to pay $20.00 for the modules, and my post is about how he can pay less, or nothing at all.

goldendharmny

They should be account based.

dariusmajere

They should NOT be account based, Because If it is account based, You can easily make a new toon and just yank it out of the shipyard like the other account wide unlocks. The Fleet ships are for the toons solely in a fleet. Not for you to be getting if you create a brand new toon and throw the ubber ship onto it. For the Stats they have Character Bound is fine. Tho I do NOT agree with the pricing on them. Then again, It's 20-25$ for the Cstore version of it with a Shiny Console. So I guess 20$ for it without the console and beefed up stats is good to.

baudl

there is also the other possibility to buy them from the exchange...i know somebody put it there, and he bought it.
But you can practically cut the price in half or even more, if you just play the game from time to time...


the only thing that pissed me off at first, is that people who got the t5 variant as a VA token when reaching max level have to pay the full price too.
But there were some perfectly sound arguments for that.

meimeitoo

dariusmajere wrote: »

They should NOT be account based, Because If it is account based, You can easily make a new toon and just yank it out of the shipyard like the other account wide unlocks. The Fleet ships are for the toons solely in a fleet. Not for you to be getting if you create a brand new toon and throw the ubber ship onto it.

That scenario would be no different than people leaving a fleet after having gotten themselves a shiny fleet ship; something which happens quite often, actually (without people losing their right to fly said fleet ship). Ergo, your reasoning that "Fleet ships are for the toons solely in a fleet" is flawed. And gladly so, or these ships would be 'fleet bound,' which would be even worse.

Also, in general, whatever gameplay rationale you can come up with to justify it, in reality there's really only 1 real reason for ships to be character-bound: so Cryptic can sell you another set of ships, and another set of ship slots. Not saying that's bad per se, but let's call a spade a spade.

mattimeo97

My sole issue is that they're all priced the same. Why would I buy a Tier 3 fleet upgrade, that is still inferior in stats to a Tier 5 fleet upgrade (if not the free Tier 5 ship) for exactly the same price? Aesthetics? Not for $20 or it's in-game-currency equivalent, sorry. Why there's no tiered pricing for less buffed ships is beyond me. Cryptic has basically slapped together a stable of ships with a couple winners, but the majority of which will never be purchased or used.