I'm actually very curious to see the numbers on what kind of ROI the CO episodes got. Its entirely possible that compared to ships, lockboxes, etc., the ROI simply isn't high enough to justify the development of paid FEs.
Also, everyone plays for different reasons, and wants different things. At least ships can be useful to a broad range of players. If you're not into the story/lore, or will only play through it once (versus multiple times with multiple characters), paid FE might not be interesting/compelling.
I would say this, though: if CBS and other companies ever allowed it (and I've no idea how much booze and drugs it would take), it'd be great to have a charity cross-over events. Sure, lets see how the Federation does against the Empire! Or buy a Firefly ship and Browncoat costumes. Why fly a Peregrine when you can fly a Star Fury? Make them seasonal/limited time offerings, part of the money goes to charity, make them a little more expensive due to additional licensing/production costs, and go from there.
Granted, I can imagine the legal department is already twitching uncontrollably in pain at the thought of this
My blog! Zen|Dilithium tracking on Thursdays http://samonmaui.blogspot.com As a lifetime member of STO, I officially became a financial liability as of April 2012 when compared to a subscriber.
Firstly coming from Playing DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online) I do not understand this fear about paying for Episode content.
With DDO the only thing I paid for was Episode Content, an example would be the Necropolis packs (I, II, III, IV) which together are a ridiculous amount of story and dungeoneering for little more than ?12.00, 1/3rd of the price of the Vesta ship pack.
Honestly I've spent less on DDO in 4 years than I have on this game in 2 months. The other thing is you pay for what you like and ignore the rest. I'm not saying STO should be like this, I like that it's open to all, but that doesn't mean that paying for Story Arc's is a failed MMO concept, far from it. However I don't think Cryptic have the ability to produce the level and quality of story content I see at DDO or TOR (The tutorial of which I found more immersive and enjoyable than most of the missions in this game... good voice acting goes a long way).
I don't know if it's a limitation with the engine or their creativity, but simply put the episodes lack any real depth and are hardly memorable. I can barely remember what the Breen story was about and in general the events of 2409 onwards aren't really fleshed out in my mind like the rest of the Star Trek canon.
For story content to be of the right quality to even consider paying for I would want to see missions with good voice actors for most the NPC's, I'd want to see a compelling story and adventure, where you have to solve complex puzzles, understand the lore and mission and the Star Trek Timeline and where most important of all you and others form groups to do the missions (not take boffs) where you have to use your separate class skills to solve problems and advance. Episodes should be trying to capture the formula of the TV series not mindless pew pew pew in space followed by mindless pew pew pew on the ground.
If STO is going to have a future based around story content, then we need an engine capable of allowing story tellers to create an authentic star trek experience. Failing that I'd like to see all the option open for the Foundry including 3D-view and options to allow the dialogue to actually offer outcomes, that decisions we make in dialogue lead us down different mission paths. If I had those kind of options I could make compelling stories in the Foundry and bypass the need for Cryptic to do anything themselves.
Above all though I wish they would fix the damned bugs that have plagued this game for several seasons.
I have to agree and voice my support for paid content.
Being paid to produce content would allow them to try new things with the game-play.
It'd allow them to produce new art assets which could be fed into the Foundry.
It'd allow then to extend the story properly instead of creating open-ended 'playgrounds' like New Romulus.
It'd allow then to use proper voice actors rather than the Devs themselves (although to be honest I think V/O is a waste of money - I'd rather see that spent on the music).
It would allow them to produce something polished and engaging which is something they're unable to do (and will never be able to do) working under the existing arrangements.
Despite the screwups Cryptic's made with Season 7, I really want to like it - but I can't - because there's no story and little gameplay.
PWE acquired Cryptic in 2011. Earlier this year, we released a 5-arc Feature Episode series, "The 2800". It was completely free to all players.
So... one story arc for an entire year is what you're citing as a good thing for people who want story arc content?
I want more arcs than that. They don't have to be Featured Episode quality, with cutscenes, voice acting, and new game tech. Just use existing assets, get some compelling writing, and make some mission arcs!
I like the New Romulus zone, really I do. But now that I've played the objective in each area, I'm done (until I need more marks for the Romulan reputation system). I'm sure that Kestrel can write stuff way faster than the developers can put it in the game, but that's why the episode content doesn't need to beheld to the Featured Episode standards.
"The perfect is the enemy of the good," as they say - don't get hung up trying to make every set of missions like a Featured Episode arc. Just put them out there! There are hundreds of Foundry missions - why not get a writer / developer duo to use the Foundry to make missions for Cryptic?
I posed this question to the forums well over a year ago and it was pretty much panned at that time so I thought I?d bring it up again and see what the perception is on the idea this time.
Here?s a quick break down:
Let?s say that Cryptic offers a quality series of missions or a block of one off missions that scaled to the level of the player and could be run whenever we chose to run them and were tailored to both factions.
Let?s say that the DLC also included a new Bridge Officer (perhaps someone from the story contained in the missions) and new DLC exclusive equipment and Doffs and perhaps even Ships.
Let?s say that the asking price for these new DLC was setup like this:
$15.00 for F2P
$5.00 for Lifetime and Gold subscription holders
The above is just a very rough outline but I?m sure it presents the general idea that I?m trying to get across.
ATM STO offers very little incentive to hold a membership and the above idea would help out a bit in that area.
I know that most are already saying ?members should not have to pay extra for game content? but come on we all know that that ship has long since sailed.
I don?t think anything else will ever be added to STO unless it can be seen has profitable to PWE and I fear that it also includes regular non foundry created missions and story driven content.
I has a Lifer since open beta really do not mind the idea of paying for content has long has the content is enjoyable and worth the price I?m being asked to pay for it.
Thanks for your time!
NO for paid DLC content. I don't want to be restricted in any way to access all parts of the game. Grind OK, Pay for items OK.. but if you ask me to pay for content, i'm the first one out.
Do you know for sure LOTRO is doing good? I play LOTRO frequently and on most times its like ghost town, even at popular places. Its sad that i couldn't even get a group for instances and my guild is not very active although it has a lot of members.
I regretted buying the recent expansions. Had i known, i'd probably sink those dollars into STO instead.
The thing about LOTRO is that the community defends the game vehemently. Thats why it has a perception of "doing good".
Do you know for sure LOTRO is doing good? I play LOTRO frequently and on most times its like ghost town, even at popular places. Its sad that i couldn't even get a group for instances and my guild is not very active although it has a lot of members.
I regretted buying the recent expansions. Had i known, i'd probably sink those dollars into STO instead.
The thing about LOTRO is that the community defends the game vehemently. Thats why it has a perception of "doing good".
Try it and you'll see what i mean.
funny since free to play for lotro lets see how many Xpacks its had 2? in what 2 years ? add new zones and lots to do unlike sto where we get maybe a few story mission a year and i know lotro i dont need to try it as ive said before i only stick around here for the ST ip for im a biger fan of it then lord of the rings so yes i can say for sure lotro is doin good so what you didnt like the new xpack lots here dont like Season 7 but the CDers
funny since free to play for lotro lets see how many Xpacks its had 2? in what 2 years ? add new zones and lots to do unlike sto where we get maybe a few story mission a year and i know lotro i dont need to try it as ive said before i only stick around here for the ST ip for im a biger fan of it then lord of the rings so yes i can say for sure lotro is doin good so what you didnt like the new xpack lots here dont like Season 7 but the CDers
Lots of xpacks doesn't equal to the game doing well. Go play it and tell me if the game feels empty. Try finding people to do Helegrod, Dol Guldur, Isengard, etc etc and you know what? You can't!! Because many people didn't buy the specific content and suddenly you wonder if you're the only idiot who got cheated to buy the xpack.
The only content you get ppl going frequently is Great Barrow which is a lowbie instance, because the content is free for everyone.
If you dont play LOTRO, don't pretend you know things.
In STO, I could get ppl to play almost any instance easily. Imagine if they start charging for DLC... LF4M "New DLC"... 1 hour later... LF2M "New DLC"... 3 hours later... **** where did everyone go?!
There are no current plans to charge players for missions -- PWE and Cryptic's general F2P gameplay philosophy is that missions are free. This philosophy can be found currently through all Cryptic and PWE games.
Cheers,
Brandon =/\=
Ahhh Brandon , but don't you see ?
Ppl are asking for a DLC in spite of Cryptic/PWE's "philosophy" .
Things are not "so great" in many ppl's eyes .
Some ppl are willing to pay to make it better -- be that DLC's , kickstarter , you name it .
Here's a "news flash" that I KNOW you'll understand :
For two years (admit it or not) , both of us would have payed to get new STF's .
I'm still willing .
Why ?
Because of the crawling speed at which Cryptic develops content that I want to see in the game .
The new STF's came a year too late and a dime too short ... -- not just 4 me but for many others who simply decided to Not wait forever for their preferred content ... -- be that STF-ers , pvp-ers , Kdf-ers .
You can keep on saying that the game is doing great -- I don't expect you to say otherwise , but you know what I say is true .
Lots of xpacks doesn't equal to the game doing well. Go play it and tell me if the game feels empty. Try finding people to do Helegrod, Dol Guldur, Isengard, etc etc and you know what? You can't!! Because many people didn't buy the specific content and suddenly you wonder if you're the only idiot who got cheated to buy the xpack.
The only content you get ppl going frequently is Great Barrow which is a lowbie instance, because the content is free for everyone.
If you dont play LOTRO, don't pretend you know things.
In STO, I could get ppl to play almost any instance easily. Imagine if they start charging for DLC... LF4M "New DLC"... 1 hour later... LF2M "New DLC"... 3 hours later... **** where did everyone go?!
just because you on a low pop server dont mean i am dont think you know what i play just because thing dont go well for you dude
just because you couldnt find ppl with say xpack dont mean i didnt
Building on that, a paid DLC only will create a segregation of the player base.. one side are the players with the DLC and the other side without.
Pardon me for asking but are we not an already segregated playerbase ?
There IS base content for everyone to enjoy already .
You have your basic STF's , pvp maps , generic story progression .
But take a good look at the segregated playerbase :
STF-res got catered to for the first time in 2+ years , with 2 new missions .
KDF-ers got one single mission in the last ... how long exactly ?
PVP-ers got ... (well that's just a sad story that makes baby J. cry)
FE fans ? They gat something one year ago that smacked of story that was built around game play mechanics (instead of the other way around) .
Foundry fans ? Well they sometimes get hand-me-downs , and once in a great while some assets tagged .
Grind Fans ?
They got Both S6. and S.7 .
MMO's are about the grind ? Yes .
Are they only about the Grind ?
Take a look at the segregated player base above and tell me how the Grind benefited them exactly ?
Tell me how the Grind somehow made them NOT WANT the specific content that they like ?
Also , tell me how exactly "everyone" is happy when KDF get's a new mission , or if PVP get's a new map (yea right :rolleyes:) or how everyone jumps for joy if the Foundry gets a few maps .
Why should the "casual" fan rejoice at a new STF ? Most likely he can't play it .
The Grind is the most common denominator .
It's boring as heck , but everyone can do it .
So if you support the fact that Cryptic is not capable to catering to any of the above groups in any timely fashion what so ever , then please , by all means , support the Grind and oppose DLC's .
Pardon me for asking but are we not an already segregated playerbase ?
There IS base content for everyone to enjoy already .
You have your basic STF's , pvp maps , generic story progression .
But take a good look at the segregated playerbase :
STF-res got catered to for the first time in 2+ years , with 2 new missions .
KDF-ers got one single mission in the last ... how long exactly ?
PVP-ers got ... (well that's just a sad story that makes baby J. cry)
FE fans ? They gat something one year ago that smacked of story that was built around game play mechanics (instead of the other way around) .
Foundry fans ? Well they sometimes get hand-me-downs , and once in a great while some assets tagged .
Grind Fans ?
They got Both S6. and S.7 .
MMO's are about the grind ? Yes .
Are they only about the Grind ?
Take a look at the segregated player base above and tell me how the Grind benefited them exactly ?
Tell me how the Grind somehow made them NOT WANT the specific content that they like ?
Also , tell me how exactly "everyone" is happy when KDF get's a new mission , or if PVP get's a new map (yea right :rolleyes:) or how everyone jumps for joy if the Foundry gets a few maps .
Why should the "casual" fan rejoice at a new STF ? Most likely he can't play it .
The Grind is the most common denominator .
It's boring as heck , but everyone can do it .
So if you support the fact that Cryptic is not capable to catering to any of the above groups in any timely fashion what so ever , then please , by all means , support the Grind and oppose DLC's .
Again, the argument somehow goes back to "I'm not satisfied with the Grind". This thread is about DLC, not about the grind in S7.. they're 2 different issues.
Clearly you've not tried playing LOTRO yet to know that not everyone has the newest and latest DLC. When you try looking for people to quest with, you need to find people who has bought the DLC. And that wait can be quite long, if you don't have a group of friends who basically sticks together and buys all the DLCs your little group wants to play.
Really.. don't argue with me, no point. Go try LOTRO as a free player (its Free!), you'll know what i mean.
So - No to DLC.. make content free for everyone, charge us some other way if you insist on making this a F2P.
On one hand I kinda like the idea that content is provided for free and stuff like c-store ships and items and other stuff is how the game is monetised. On the other hand, I don't know how many more ships they could possibly release before you start veering into non-canon stuff (really that threshold was reached awhile ago though...).
I'd like to see more FE, more story content and so on. And hell I'd even pay for it. But then the guys who are saying this segregates the community have a point if you need that DLC to play missions with other people.
Again, the argument somehow goes back to "I'm not satisfied with the Grind". This thread is about DLC, not about the grind in S7.. they're 2 different issues.
Clearly you've not tried playing LOTRO yet to know that not everyone has the newest and latest DLC. When you try looking for people to quest with, you need to find people who has bought the DLC. And that wait can be quite long, if you don't have a group of friends who basically sticks together and buys all the DLCs your little group wants to play.
Really.. don't argue with me, no point. Go try LOTRO as a free player (its Free!), you'll know what i mean.
So - No to DLC.. make content free for everyone, charge us some other way if you insist on making this a F2P.
Though if you look at it glass-half-full style, at least there is content that you aren't finding people to play with, unlike this game where the main reason you can find someone is that there is so little content that everyone is funneled into the same stuff
No matter what, the Developers have said they won't bring out paid for story content and at the moment their own free story content, frankly... honestly... sucks.
There are many creative minds and great story tellers about, if Cryptic unlocked the foundry fully and allowed us to use all it's tools, we the playerbas could drive content, and they the developer could award good storie with Zen for the creators, say 10,000 for monthly first placed story, 5000 for second place and 2500 for third place.
The first place story would perhaps also make it into the actual game at somepoint!?
Also make them pay out with item drops, marks and dilithium.
We the players are perhaps the greatest resource for story content but we're hogtied by the limited foundry we have access to.
I agree with those who say, to avoid "LOTOR syndrome", that "pay-gating" content should be a limited time only deal...
It's worked ok for the movies for so long - theater, then "premium movie channels" then "newtork TV". Heck, the first time I ever saw ST:TMP was when it finally made it to the "ABC Sunday Night Movie" (or something like that)...
If Cryptic advanced the story on a quarterly basis, and only "pay gated" the current quarter's story arc, then both worlds are most likely satisfied - the content is subsidized by the "we'll pay for it crowd" over a quarter's time (and to milk it for all it's worth in that quarter Cryptic needs to ensure it's of high enough quality to convince us to pay for it), then it goes F2P and everyone can play it no problem, if the reviews indicate that it wasn't their cup of tea or the quality was "hey look, it's another pile of clickies with a text blurb at the end..."
Detecting big-time "anti-old-school" bias here. NX? Lobi. TOS/TMP Connie? Super-promotion-box. (aka the two hardest ways to get ships) Excelsior & all 3 TNG "big hero" ships? C-Store. Please Equalize...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
Again, the argument somehow goes back to "I'm not satisfied with the Grind". This thread is about DLC, not about the grind in S7.. they're 2 different issues.
I don't agree , but I can respect that you think so .
From my perspective this request for a DLC did not come out of nowhere .
It is tied to second season of Grind that we've just been handed .
Look at this this way :
Cryptic could have done One Season Grind followed by One Season of Story -- and so on and so forth .
Instead , they did one season of grind (S.6) , and one more season of grind (with extras) -- S.7 .
The result : ppl asking for a DLC because there is little else to do but grind .
You don't see the connection ?
Or you just don't want to see it ?
I mean it's cool if you r happy w/things the way you are , really . I'm glad someone is .
Clearly you've not tried playing LOTRO yet to know that not everyone has the newest and latest DLC. When you try looking for people to quest with, you need to find people who has bought the DLC.
I can imagine that that's harsh .
And you are not wrong when you say that that can cause a divide .
But tell me , is waiting 2+ years for a new STF better solution ?
Or for a new pvp map or A NEW PVP mechanic for over 2.5 years ?
Or for a FE to drop once a year ?
You are saying that all that wait is ok , because you don't want to wait for other players in a queue .
Or maybe you are saying that all that wait is ok because you believe the "PW party line" about providing content the players want for free .
You know what , I wish that was true .
Reality has taught me better .
And that wait can be quite long, if you don't have a group of friends who basically sticks together and buys all the DLCs your little group wants to play.
Heh , longer then hanging out in Gamma Orianis prior to Season 5 , "shouting" in sector space chat to start a KDF only STF (because no queue system existed) ?
There are no current plans to charge players for missions -- PWE and Cryptic's general F2P gameplay philosophy is that missions are free. This philosophy can be found currently through all Cryptic and PWE games.
Cheers,
Brandon =/\=
Access to the missions is free.....playing them on the other hand is very,very expensive.
It's sad that Cryptic and PWE seems to feel the need to treat their paying customers so badly......and more and more players are walking away from STO...job well done Devs,well done.
The PWE/Cryptic sweatshop...not where the game is made,but where the game is played!
Take back your home,end the grind!
Volunteer moderators policing the forums is like a mall cop trying to solve a murder.
How is that any different than any other MMO where there are paid expansions? Not everyone buys them, and yet the players themselves have no problem playing together. So that is a weak argument.
Until they all want to play the expansion..then..OOPS, sorry guys go on ahead..i dont have the expansion...
Its a strong argument.
Try playing WOW without all the expansion packs..see how much fun you'll get playing MC/BWL/ZG over and over and over again..
Comments
with the amount of mission content Cryptic puts out, one could burn through last YEARS content in a weekend, or maybe two if you take your time.
so yepp Cryptic clearly got a ongoing content drought Problem.
and i say that, fully aware of what they have just released in the last 2 Seasons.
Good thing that Story content is only a small part of the end-game content.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
make that the past 3 years i know
system Lord Baal is dead
Also, everyone plays for different reasons, and wants different things. At least ships can be useful to a broad range of players. If you're not into the story/lore, or will only play through it once (versus multiple times with multiple characters), paid FE might not be interesting/compelling.
I would say this, though: if CBS and other companies ever allowed it (and I've no idea how much booze and drugs it would take), it'd be great to have a charity cross-over events. Sure, lets see how the Federation does against the Empire! Or buy a Firefly ship and Browncoat costumes. Why fly a Peregrine when you can fly a Star Fury? Make them seasonal/limited time offerings, part of the money goes to charity, make them a little more expensive due to additional licensing/production costs, and go from there.
Granted, I can imagine the legal department is already twitching uncontrollably in pain at the thought of this
My blog! Zen|Dilithium tracking on Thursdays
http://samonmaui.blogspot.com
As a lifetime member of STO, I officially became a financial liability as of April 2012 when compared to a subscriber.
Pretty much sums up my thought on pay to play story content.
This character is why I don't play my Romulan any more. Tovan Khev is NOT my BFF! Get him off my bridge!
Firstly coming from Playing DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online) I do not understand this fear about paying for Episode content.
With DDO the only thing I paid for was Episode Content, an example would be the Necropolis packs (I, II, III, IV) which together are a ridiculous amount of story and dungeoneering for little more than ?12.00, 1/3rd of the price of the Vesta ship pack.
Honestly I've spent less on DDO in 4 years than I have on this game in 2 months. The other thing is you pay for what you like and ignore the rest. I'm not saying STO should be like this, I like that it's open to all, but that doesn't mean that paying for Story Arc's is a failed MMO concept, far from it. However I don't think Cryptic have the ability to produce the level and quality of story content I see at DDO or TOR (The tutorial of which I found more immersive and enjoyable than most of the missions in this game... good voice acting goes a long way).
I don't know if it's a limitation with the engine or their creativity, but simply put the episodes lack any real depth and are hardly memorable. I can barely remember what the Breen story was about and in general the events of 2409 onwards aren't really fleshed out in my mind like the rest of the Star Trek canon.
For story content to be of the right quality to even consider paying for I would want to see missions with good voice actors for most the NPC's, I'd want to see a compelling story and adventure, where you have to solve complex puzzles, understand the lore and mission and the Star Trek Timeline and where most important of all you and others form groups to do the missions (not take boffs) where you have to use your separate class skills to solve problems and advance. Episodes should be trying to capture the formula of the TV series not mindless pew pew pew in space followed by mindless pew pew pew on the ground.
If STO is going to have a future based around story content, then we need an engine capable of allowing story tellers to create an authentic star trek experience. Failing that I'd like to see all the option open for the Foundry including 3D-view and options to allow the dialogue to actually offer outcomes, that decisions we make in dialogue lead us down different mission paths. If I had those kind of options I could make compelling stories in the Foundry and bypass the need for Cryptic to do anything themselves.
Above all though I wish they would fix the damned bugs that have plagued this game for several seasons.
#2311#2700#2316#2500
Being paid to produce content would allow them to try new things with the game-play.
It'd allow them to produce new art assets which could be fed into the Foundry.
It'd allow then to extend the story properly instead of creating open-ended 'playgrounds' like New Romulus.
It'd allow then to use proper voice actors rather than the Devs themselves (although to be honest I think V/O is a waste of money - I'd rather see that spent on the music).
It would allow them to produce something polished and engaging which is something they're unable to do (and will never be able to do) working under the existing arrangements.
Despite the screwups Cryptic's made with Season 7, I really want to like it - but I can't - because there's no story and little gameplay.
So... one story arc for an entire year is what you're citing as a good thing for people who want story arc content?
I want more arcs than that. They don't have to be Featured Episode quality, with cutscenes, voice acting, and new game tech. Just use existing assets, get some compelling writing, and make some mission arcs!
I like the New Romulus zone, really I do. But now that I've played the objective in each area, I'm done (until I need more marks for the Romulan reputation system). I'm sure that Kestrel can write stuff way faster than the developers can put it in the game, but that's why the episode content doesn't need to beheld to the Featured Episode standards.
"The perfect is the enemy of the good," as they say - don't get hung up trying to make every set of missions like a Featured Episode arc. Just put them out there! There are hundreds of Foundry missions - why not get a writer / developer duo to use the Foundry to make missions for Cryptic?
NO for paid DLC content. I don't want to be restricted in any way to access all parts of the game. Grind OK, Pay for items OK.. but if you ask me to pay for content, i'm the first one out.
I hated LOTRO because of this.
system Lord Baal is dead
Do you know for sure LOTRO is doing good? I play LOTRO frequently and on most times its like ghost town, even at popular places. Its sad that i couldn't even get a group for instances and my guild is not very active although it has a lot of members.
I regretted buying the recent expansions. Had i known, i'd probably sink those dollars into STO instead.
The thing about LOTRO is that the community defends the game vehemently. Thats why it has a perception of "doing good".
Try it and you'll see what i mean.
funny since free to play for lotro lets see how many Xpacks its had 2? in what 2 years ? add new zones and lots to do unlike sto where we get maybe a few story mission a year and i know lotro i dont need to try it as ive said before i only stick around here for the ST ip for im a biger fan of it then lord of the rings so yes i can say for sure lotro is doin good so what you didnt like the new xpack lots here dont like Season 7 but the CDers
system Lord Baal is dead
Lots of xpacks doesn't equal to the game doing well. Go play it and tell me if the game feels empty. Try finding people to do Helegrod, Dol Guldur, Isengard, etc etc and you know what? You can't!! Because many people didn't buy the specific content and suddenly you wonder if you're the only idiot who got cheated to buy the xpack.
The only content you get ppl going frequently is Great Barrow which is a lowbie instance, because the content is free for everyone.
If you dont play LOTRO, don't pretend you know things.
In STO, I could get ppl to play almost any instance easily. Imagine if they start charging for DLC... LF4M "New DLC"... 1 hour later... LF2M "New DLC"... 3 hours later... **** where did everyone go?!
Soon, the game becomes split into a few pockets of communities and believe me.. by then its not fun anymore.
Playing an MMO = to play with friends. Without the social aspect, you lose interest fast.
I guess the OP liked my thread about the same subject and decided to post his own
To bad the OP has stopped playing( see attached thread). 6 months ago as this doesn't help the cause.
Ahhh Brandon , but don't you see ?
Ppl are asking for a DLC in spite of Cryptic/PWE's "philosophy" .
Things are not "so great" in many ppl's eyes .
Some ppl are willing to pay to make it better -- be that DLC's , kickstarter , you name it .
Here's a "news flash" that I KNOW you'll understand :
For two years (admit it or not) , both of us would have payed to get new STF's .
I'm still willing .
Why ?
Because of the crawling speed at which Cryptic develops content that I want to see in the game .
The new STF's came a year too late and a dime too short ... -- not just 4 me but for many others who simply decided to Not wait forever for their preferred content ... -- be that STF-ers , pvp-ers , Kdf-ers .
You can keep on saying that the game is doing great -- I don't expect you to say otherwise , but you know what I say is true .
what game you been playing we are already there
system Lord Baal is dead
just because you on a low pop server dont mean i am dont think you know what i play just because thing dont go well for you dude
just because you couldnt find ppl with say xpack dont mean i didnt
system Lord Baal is dead
Pardon me for asking but are we not an already segregated playerbase ?
There IS base content for everyone to enjoy already .
You have your basic STF's , pvp maps , generic story progression .
But take a good look at the segregated playerbase :
STF-res got catered to for the first time in 2+ years , with 2 new missions .
KDF-ers got one single mission in the last ... how long exactly ?
PVP-ers got ... (well that's just a sad story that makes baby J. cry)
FE fans ? They gat something one year ago that smacked of story that was built around game play mechanics (instead of the other way around) .
Foundry fans ? Well they sometimes get hand-me-downs , and once in a great while some assets tagged .
Grind Fans ?
They got Both S6. and S.7 .
MMO's are about the grind ? Yes .
Are they only about the Grind ?
Take a look at the segregated player base above and tell me how the Grind benefited them exactly ?
Tell me how the Grind somehow made them NOT WANT the specific content that they like ?
Also , tell me how exactly "everyone" is happy when KDF get's a new mission , or if PVP get's a new map (yea right :rolleyes:) or how everyone jumps for joy if the Foundry gets a few maps .
Why should the "casual" fan rejoice at a new STF ? Most likely he can't play it .
The Grind is the most common denominator .
It's boring as heck , but everyone can do it .
So if you support the fact that Cryptic is not capable to catering to any of the above groups in any timely fashion what so ever , then please , by all means , support the Grind and oppose DLC's .
Again, the argument somehow goes back to "I'm not satisfied with the Grind". This thread is about DLC, not about the grind in S7.. they're 2 different issues.
Clearly you've not tried playing LOTRO yet to know that not everyone has the newest and latest DLC. When you try looking for people to quest with, you need to find people who has bought the DLC. And that wait can be quite long, if you don't have a group of friends who basically sticks together and buys all the DLCs your little group wants to play.
Really.. don't argue with me, no point. Go try LOTRO as a free player (its Free!), you'll know what i mean.
So - No to DLC.. make content free for everyone, charge us some other way if you insist on making this a F2P.
I'd like to see more FE, more story content and so on. And hell I'd even pay for it. But then the guys who are saying this segregates the community have a point if you need that DLC to play missions with other people.
Though if you look at it glass-half-full style, at least there is content that you aren't finding people to play with, unlike this game where the main reason you can find someone is that there is so little content that everyone is funneled into the same stuff
There are many creative minds and great story tellers about, if Cryptic unlocked the foundry fully and allowed us to use all it's tools, we the playerbas could drive content, and they the developer could award good storie with Zen for the creators, say 10,000 for monthly first placed story, 5000 for second place and 2500 for third place.
The first place story would perhaps also make it into the actual game at somepoint!?
Also make them pay out with item drops, marks and dilithium.
We the players are perhaps the greatest resource for story content but we're hogtied by the limited foundry we have access to.
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Those people saying that it would hurt the player base, are you really playing all the normal Missions in a team?
It's worked ok for the movies for so long - theater, then "premium movie channels" then "newtork TV". Heck, the first time I ever saw ST:TMP was when it finally made it to the "ABC Sunday Night Movie" (or something like that)...
If Cryptic advanced the story on a quarterly basis, and only "pay gated" the current quarter's story arc, then both worlds are most likely satisfied - the content is subsidized by the "we'll pay for it crowd" over a quarter's time (and to milk it for all it's worth in that quarter Cryptic needs to ensure it's of high enough quality to convince us to pay for it), then it goes F2P and everyone can play it no problem, if the reviews indicate that it wasn't their cup of tea or the quality was "hey look, it's another pile of clickies with a text blurb at the end..."
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
I don't agree , but I can respect that you think so .
From my perspective this request for a DLC did not come out of nowhere .
It is tied to second season of Grind that we've just been handed .
Look at this this way :
Cryptic could have done One Season Grind followed by One Season of Story -- and so on and so forth .
Instead , they did one season of grind (S.6) , and one more season of grind (with extras) -- S.7 .
The result : ppl asking for a DLC because there is little else to do but grind .
You don't see the connection ?
Or you just don't want to see it ?
I mean it's cool if you r happy w/things the way you are , really . I'm glad someone is .
I can imagine that that's harsh .
And you are not wrong when you say that that can cause a divide .
But tell me , is waiting 2+ years for a new STF better solution ?
Or for a new pvp map or A NEW PVP mechanic for over 2.5 years ?
Or for a FE to drop once a year ?
You are saying that all that wait is ok , because you don't want to wait for other players in a queue .
Or maybe you are saying that all that wait is ok because you believe the "PW party line" about providing content the players want for free .
You know what , I wish that was true .
Reality has taught me better .
Heh , longer then hanging out in Gamma Orianis prior to Season 5 , "shouting" in sector space chat to start a KDF only STF (because no queue system existed) ?
No kidding .
Access to the missions is free.....playing them on the other hand is very,very expensive.
It's sad that Cryptic and PWE seems to feel the need to treat their paying customers so badly......and more and more players are walking away from STO...job well done Devs,well done.
Take back your home,end the grind!
Volunteer moderators policing the forums is like a mall cop trying to solve a murder.
Until they all want to play the expansion..then..OOPS, sorry guys go on ahead..i dont have the expansion...
Its a strong argument.
Try playing WOW without all the expansion packs..see how much fun you'll get playing MC/BWL/ZG over and over and over again..
A lot more fun than playing these boring TRIBBLE bugged half finished unimaginative episodes we have here.
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