Can we just move on from the downward spiral this conversation has taken?
Hear hear! The conversion to F2P could have been much worse (Why hello SW:TOR nice to see you again!) and the game today is much different from what it was a year ago. The Devs are confident, and I think that confidence is justified.
I'll continue playing as long as it's fun, and so far, it has been.
Happy F2P Anniversary, STO! Thank you to all our players for the continuous support. Our 3 year anniversary is coming up in a couple weeks and we have a great event planned in-game for you all to celebrate the amazing milestone
Cheers,
Brandon =/\=
Hey! Some of us have been playing STO for over 3 years already. Must not forget the ones who suffered through closed bet: the BoPs from hell at Lieutenant, the nearly unbeatable slaver ship, "Congratulations Lieutenant"... "Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"...(AAAHHHH!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!), etc.
/ Was in the first group of Close Beta testers
// That all familiar fanfare when I first fired up the game client reignited the flames of my love for Star Trek
/// Slashes!!!!
Hear hear! The conversion to F2P could have been much worse (Why hello SW:TOR nice to see you again!) and the game today is much different from what it was a year ago. The Devs are confident, and I think that confidence is justified.
I'll continue playing as long as it's fun, and so far, it has been.
Yes, that is the truth. Some companies that went F2P....their models aren't as generous as STO's.
And inspite challenging times, the STO Devs are rather still perky. :P
Yes, that is the truth. Some companies that went F2P....their models aren't as generous as STO's.
And inspite challenging times, the STO Devs are rather still perky. :P
<=== Trying to imagine BranFlakes as... ... PERKY... <said in a high, squeeky voice>
<chuckle>
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
Personally I hope the anniversary gift is blowing up about half the accounts on the forum. The way some of you people talk you'd think this was the worst game ever made. It's embarrassing.
"We are smart." - Grebnedlog
Member of Alliance Central Command/boq botlhra'ghom
Personally I hope the anniversary gift is blowing up about half the accounts on the forum. The way some of you people talk you'd think this was the worst game ever made. It's embarrassing.
Now..., Now...
The Disgruntled get their say also...
(just wish they'd do it in their own thread)
...........C'est la vie
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
Actually, the supposed 'promises' can't be classified as 'broken' yet, because the game has not shut down...
If that happens before They manage to do something with any of the things They Have 'Listed' as being on Their TO-DO List, THEN one can say a 'Promise' has been broken.
I've yet to see anything mentioned so far, has having a Definitive Time as for when it would be worked on, let alone added to the game.
Assumptive Promises don't count.
We get that there are disappointments as far a some people are concerned, but why come in here and 'Rain on the Parade'...
It just makes ya look like a disgruntled whiner who can't get their way...
... it's not pretty and takes away from the festiveness of the occasion.
Can we just move on from the downward spiral this conversation has taken?
You know, as I read this I could not help but to hear it being said by Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. It fits his personality brilliantly.
You know, as I read this I could not help but to hear it being said by Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. It fits his personality brilliantly.
He and I are long lost brothers... We're the same height... Same build... Same color hair... Same quirky personalities...
He got the brains and I got... screwed... :eek:
TBBT is like watching reruns of the days of my life..., but in front of my eyes...
I even shared an apt with a guy friend back in the 80's.
The only difference there is..., I got 'Penny' and my room-mate got 'Pauly'.
(which was the way he wanted it)
D&D was a staple in that apartment on Wednesday 'Prevnings'.
We even had a friend who lived with his Jewish Parents.
(his name is Sheldon, believe it or not)
Three other differences between Sheldon and myself:
1) He has a much better paying job.
2) My Mom isn't a religious fanatic.
&
3) I play Star Trek Online.
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
Dang you... I sooo wanted to go there.... But didn't dare. <grumble>
ROTFLMAO
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
I might be new here, but judging from every formerly subscription game to go F2P, this is by far the most aggressively monetized of them all. And I know, because I've played them all.
Perfect World must have been the only game portal to have bid on the STO license after Atari's departure, because I personally don't believe Cryptic has the abject lack of integrity to sign this game over to them that easily. PW is not exactly a lauded game pub.
In fact, I think even gPotato has a better rep and a smoother monetization scheme than PW. And they have an 'F' rating with the Better Business Bureau.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
... you can still get just about everything you want, WITHOUT Having to Spend Any Money, while playing STO.
Funny that...
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
I might be new here, but judging from every formerly subscription game to go F2P, this is by far the most aggressively monetized of them all. And I know, because I've played them all.
Have you really looked at SW:TOR's F2P model? If you think STO's is "aggfressively monetized" then I would hate to see what you think of TOR's. They charge you for some of the most BASIC of "privileges" in that game. You have to pay just to be able to disply any titles you earn.
Have you really looked at SW:TOR's F2P model? If you think STO's is "aggfressively monetized" then I would hate to see what you think of TOR's. They charge you for some of the most BASIC of "privileges" in that game. You have to pay just to be able to disply any titles you earn.
I have. Paying for showing your titles is, as I'm sure you'll understand, a cosmetic feature. Paying for extra XP when leveling is convenience.
Massive lock box lotteries with only the very best items able to make the purchase worth it, and those items being on a collective 0.05% drop rate with keys that each cost a dollar, that's absolute insanity.
That's Korea-style free-to-play.
Totally unscrupulous.
That's IMO worse than if PW were to start selling XII purples right out of the zen store, because selling gear is preying on casuals who want convenience and shortcuts, while the lockboxes are preying on pure, undiluted stupidity and addiction.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
I have. Paying for showing your titles is, as I'm sure you'll understand, a cosmetic feature. Paying for extra XP when leveling is convenience.
Massive lock box lotteries with only the very best items able to make the purchase worth it, and those items being on a collective 0.05% drop rate with keys that each cost a dollar, that's absolute insanity.
That's Korea-style free-to-play.
Totally unscrupulous.
That's IMO worse than if PW were to start selling XII purples right out of the zen store, because selling gear is preying on casuals who want convenience and shortcuts, while the lockboxes are preying on pure, undiluted stupidity and addiction.
Yes displaying a title is purely cosmetic. What about the fact that as a F2P player over there, I can only hold on to a small amount of items in my inventory unless I pay real money? What about the fact that I have absolutely no bank access unless I pay real money? What about the fact I can't mail my friends in game unless I pay real money? What about the fact I can get anything from the C-Store on STO without paying real money if I just put in a little time to convert dilithium into Zen? There is absolutely NO WAY to do that over there. I am not saying that Cryptic/PWE is perfect. I do believe there are some ares that Cryptic is better off with PWE (bigger staff) then with Atari, and I think there are areas that Cryptic is worse off (Handcuffing KDF?) because PWE wants to focus on money grabs. But the fact that I personally can get what I want without spending any of MY money from the C-Store speaks volumes. Again, just my own humble opinion.
SW:TOR is probably a poor comparison just because their model is new.
The oldest trick in the F2P-pub book is to gouge as obnoxiously as you can get away with when the model is new and then dial it back later in one swoop to gain false support. It's still going to be "bad" by any means, and people would be more prepared to realise it if it started out like that. But now they'll be thinking "well at least it's better than it was".
I'm sure this happened in STO as well as soon as PW took over. I wouldn't know, but I just assume it happened.
And yes, while SW:TOR does have the same restrictions on bag/bank/mail as STO, they are heavier restrictions, but cheaper to lift. Any F2P who does not purchase gold member, bank/bag space or the account bank is still punished hard, yes, less than in SW:TOR, but it actually costs more to get rid of said punishment. You are still going to be cut off from crafting and even resource collecting if you wish to not pay, so it's not that different from the SW:TOR restrictions in amount of inventory space taken by the game vs. available space in pure %.
As for my ideal comparison formerly sub now F2P cash shop, go have a look at Age of Conan.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
No, PWE acquired the game when it was a sub model and moved to have it become f2p. STO's f2p is roughly the same as the other PWE titles, however, if you have played them, STO 's prices are cheaper and hasnt reach the grind level as the older titles, yet.
As for TOR, 15 bucks unlocks everything. Here what does your 15 bucks give you (as in subbing for that month)?
As for TOR, 15 bucks unlocks everything. Here what does your 15 bucks give you (as in subbing for that month)?
500 Zen, an extra unassigned character slot, Gold members worth of Account Bank Slots, Ship, BOff, Bank and Inv slots equal to the level of a gold account in at same level for each character you log in with.
All of which stick around after going silver again with the exception of the character slot if you haven't created a character in it yet.
Yeah, small things that add up to not worth the 15 dollars. You gain 600 TOR cartel coins points plus a whole lot more granted being a f2p player on TOR sucks. Plus the cartel market is not as expensive though.
I might be new here, but judging from every formerly subscription game to go F2P, this is by far the most aggressively monetized of them all. And I know, because I've played them all.
Umm - byn the above comment, I see you HAVEN'T played Star Wars The Old Republic (want to really talk about aggressive monetization); DC Universe Online; Age of Conan or even Lord of the Rings Online
^^^
All the above MMOs F2P structures are more monetized then STO's (SWToR's is REALLY monetized as it doesn't even have a way to earn Cartel Coins via game play - and even if you have Cartel Coins on hand (and they cost real cash) - they CAN'T be used to purchase SWToR's upcoming paid content expansion.)
So yeah, it appears your evaluation is in error.
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
All the above MMOs F2P structures are more monetized then STO's
I played LotRO for a while and I thought they did a decent job with the F2P stuff there, but it is way more monetized then CO or STO is. In STO you can do 100% of the content and never pay a dime. This is not true in LotRO...
In that game to effectively make it past the mid 20's with a level cap of 85 I think, you have to pay for the quest areas. You can enter them if you don't pay, but you can't do any quests in them, and it's not realistically possible to level up in that game without doing quests.
So in LotRO you not only pay for everything you would in STO, you also have to pay to level up.
Yeah, small things that add up to not worth the 15 dollars. You gain 600 TOR cartel coins points plus a whole lot more granted being a f2p player on TOR sucks. Plus the cartel market is not as expensive though.
Your complaining that you don't get to spend $15 in this game to feel special, but can spend $0 bucks in this game and do everything.
The $15 a month in Tor does make one feel special to the F2P people I guess:rolleyes:
I played LotRO for a while and I thought they did a decent job with the F2P stuff there, but it is way more monetized then CO or STO is. In STO you can do 100% of the content and never pay a dime. This is not true in LotRO...
In that game to effectively make it past the mid 20's with a level cap of 85 I think, you have to pay for the quest areas. You can enter them if you don't pay, but you can't do any quests in them, and it's not realistically possible to level up in that game without doing quests.
So in LotRO you not only pay for everything you would in STO, you also have to pay to level up.
On the flip side of the coin, TOR, LoTRO et al don't lock you down with a secondary paywall for the majority of their content (dilithium).
Oh and seriously, don't even try to claim that you can't play LoTRO for free. With enough patience and dedication you can unlock every single piece of content and store content simply by deeding (not arguing its not a massive grind, but it can be done). Folks have paid for entire expansions that way.
Umm - byn the above comment, I see you HAVEN'T played Star Wars The Old Republic (want to really talk about aggressive monetization); DC Universe Online; Age of Conan or even Lord of the Rings Online
^^^
All the above MMOs F2P structures are more monetized then STO's (SWToR's is REALLY monetized as it doesn't even have a way to earn Cartel Coins via game play - and even if you have Cartel Coins on hand (and they cost real cash) - they CAN'T be used to purchase SWToR's upcoming paid content expansion.)
So yeah, it appears your evaluation is in error.
I'm sorry, if you think Age of Conan is more heavily monetized than STO then you are nothing short of a liar. Same with LoTRO. I wouldn't know about DCU and like I covered already, while Star Wars is more restricted it is cheaper to get restrictions lifted completely than it is in STO even if STO is slightly less restricted to begin with.
So your only real point may be DCU, but I don't know that game. And SW:TOR is about equal.
Age of Conan is the ideal F2P store, as nothing in it is really an advantage over anyone. While if you buy an Armitage in the STO cash shop for 25 bucks you have a 150% advantage over any F2P "scrub" in a random silver escort. There is plenty of content restriction, but all you have to do is sub to get a fullworthy game. If you sub to STO, you are still far away from a fullworthy game.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
Clearly you've never played the F2P version of LotRO then.
How is LoTRO's deed system any more restrictive than this game's wall-o'-Dilithium? In fact, the latter will take you much longer to get anything meaningful done as per end game gear than the prior will for content!
And LoTRO has actual quality expansions to unlock, ripe with throngs of content. STO still looks like version 1.0.1 as far as content is concerned. There really is very little of it.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
Comments
Hear hear! The conversion to F2P could have been much worse (Why hello SW:TOR nice to see you again!) and the game today is much different from what it was a year ago. The Devs are confident, and I think that confidence is justified.
I'll continue playing as long as it's fun, and so far, it has been.
Hey! Some of us have been playing STO for over 3 years already. Must not forget the ones who suffered through closed bet: the BoPs from hell at Lieutenant, the nearly unbeatable slaver ship, "Congratulations Lieutenant"... "Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"..."Congratulations Lieutenant"...(AAAHHHH!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!), etc.
/ Was in the first group of Close Beta testers
// That all familiar fanfare when I first fired up the game client reignited the flames of my love for Star Trek
/// Slashes!!!!
Yes, that is the truth. Some companies that went F2P....their models aren't as generous as STO's.
And inspite challenging times, the STO Devs are rather still perky. :P
<=== Trying to imagine BranFlakes as... ... PERKY... <said in a high, squeeky voice>
<chuckle>
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
"We are smart." - Grebnedlog
Member of Alliance Central Command/boq botlhra'ghom
Now..., Now...
The Disgruntled get their say also...
(just wish they'd do it in their own thread)
...........C'est la vie
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
If we ask nicely, he might. :P
Thanks Devs!
You know, as I read this I could not help but to hear it being said by Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. It fits his personality brilliantly.
He and I are long lost brothers... We're the same height... Same build... Same color hair... Same quirky personalities...
He got the brains and I got... screwed... :eek:
TBBT is like watching reruns of the days of my life..., but in front of my eyes...
I even shared an apt with a guy friend back in the 80's.
The only difference there is..., I got 'Penny' and my room-mate got 'Pauly'.
(which was the way he wanted it)
D&D was a staple in that apartment on Wednesday 'Prevnings'.
We even had a friend who lived with his Jewish Parents.
(his name is Sheldon, believe it or not)
Three other differences between Sheldon and myself:
1) He has a much better paying job.
2) My Mom isn't a religious fanatic.
&
3) I play Star Trek Online.
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
Dang you... I sooo wanted to go there.... But didn't dare. <grumble>
ROTFLMAO
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
I might be new here, but judging from every formerly subscription game to go F2P, this is by far the most aggressively monetized of them all. And I know, because I've played them all.
Perfect World must have been the only game portal to have bid on the STO license after Atari's departure, because I personally don't believe Cryptic has the abject lack of integrity to sign this game over to them that easily. PW is not exactly a lauded game pub.
In fact, I think even gPotato has a better rep and a smoother monetization scheme than PW. And they have an 'F' rating with the Better Business Bureau.
bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
-Michelangelo
... you can still get just about everything you want, WITHOUT Having to Spend Any Money, while playing STO.
Funny that...
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
Have you really looked at SW:TOR's F2P model? If you think STO's is "aggfressively monetized" then I would hate to see what you think of TOR's. They charge you for some of the most BASIC of "privileges" in that game. You have to pay just to be able to disply any titles you earn.
I have. Paying for showing your titles is, as I'm sure you'll understand, a cosmetic feature. Paying for extra XP when leveling is convenience.
Massive lock box lotteries with only the very best items able to make the purchase worth it, and those items being on a collective 0.05% drop rate with keys that each cost a dollar, that's absolute insanity.
That's Korea-style free-to-play.
Totally unscrupulous.
That's IMO worse than if PW were to start selling XII purples right out of the zen store, because selling gear is preying on casuals who want convenience and shortcuts, while the lockboxes are preying on pure, undiluted stupidity and addiction.
bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
-Michelangelo
Yes displaying a title is purely cosmetic. What about the fact that as a F2P player over there, I can only hold on to a small amount of items in my inventory unless I pay real money? What about the fact that I have absolutely no bank access unless I pay real money? What about the fact I can't mail my friends in game unless I pay real money? What about the fact I can get anything from the C-Store on STO without paying real money if I just put in a little time to convert dilithium into Zen? There is absolutely NO WAY to do that over there. I am not saying that Cryptic/PWE is perfect. I do believe there are some ares that Cryptic is better off with PWE (bigger staff) then with Atari, and I think there are areas that Cryptic is worse off (Handcuffing KDF?) because PWE wants to focus on money grabs. But the fact that I personally can get what I want without spending any of MY money from the C-Store speaks volumes. Again, just my own humble opinion.
The oldest trick in the F2P-pub book is to gouge as obnoxiously as you can get away with when the model is new and then dial it back later in one swoop to gain false support. It's still going to be "bad" by any means, and people would be more prepared to realise it if it started out like that. But now they'll be thinking "well at least it's better than it was".
I'm sure this happened in STO as well as soon as PW took over. I wouldn't know, but I just assume it happened.
And yes, while SW:TOR does have the same restrictions on bag/bank/mail as STO, they are heavier restrictions, but cheaper to lift. Any F2P who does not purchase gold member, bank/bag space or the account bank is still punished hard, yes, less than in SW:TOR, but it actually costs more to get rid of said punishment. You are still going to be cut off from crafting and even resource collecting if you wish to not pay, so it's not that different from the SW:TOR restrictions in amount of inventory space taken by the game vs. available space in pure %.
As for my ideal comparison formerly sub now F2P cash shop, go have a look at Age of Conan.
bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
-Michelangelo
As for TOR, 15 bucks unlocks everything. Here what does your 15 bucks give you (as in subbing for that month)?
500 Zen, an extra unassigned character slot, Gold members worth of Account Bank Slots, Ship, BOff, Bank and Inv slots equal to the level of a gold account in at same level for each character you log in with.
All of which stick around after going silver again with the exception of the character slot if you haven't created a character in it yet.
What do you lose when your sub to TOR runs out?
Umm - byn the above comment, I see you HAVEN'T played Star Wars The Old Republic (want to really talk about aggressive monetization); DC Universe Online; Age of Conan or even Lord of the Rings Online
^^^
All the above MMOs F2P structures are more monetized then STO's (SWToR's is REALLY monetized as it doesn't even have a way to earn Cartel Coins via game play - and even if you have Cartel Coins on hand (and they cost real cash) - they CAN'T be used to purchase SWToR's upcoming paid content expansion.)
So yeah, it appears your evaluation is in error.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
I played LotRO for a while and I thought they did a decent job with the F2P stuff there, but it is way more monetized then CO or STO is. In STO you can do 100% of the content and never pay a dime. This is not true in LotRO...
In that game to effectively make it past the mid 20's with a level cap of 85 I think, you have to pay for the quest areas. You can enter them if you don't pay, but you can't do any quests in them, and it's not realistically possible to level up in that game without doing quests.
So in LotRO you not only pay for everything you would in STO, you also have to pay to level up.
Your complaining that you don't get to spend $15 in this game to feel special, but can spend $0 bucks in this game and do everything.
The $15 a month in Tor does make one feel special to the F2P people I guess:rolleyes:
On the flip side of the coin, TOR, LoTRO et al don't lock you down with a secondary paywall for the majority of their content (dilithium).
Oh and seriously, don't even try to claim that you can't play LoTRO for free. With enough patience and dedication you can unlock every single piece of content and store content simply by deeding (not arguing its not a massive grind, but it can be done). Folks have paid for entire expansions that way.
I'm sorry, if you think Age of Conan is more heavily monetized than STO then you are nothing short of a liar. Same with LoTRO. I wouldn't know about DCU and like I covered already, while Star Wars is more restricted it is cheaper to get restrictions lifted completely than it is in STO even if STO is slightly less restricted to begin with.
So your only real point may be DCU, but I don't know that game. And SW:TOR is about equal.
Age of Conan is the ideal F2P store, as nothing in it is really an advantage over anyone. While if you buy an Armitage in the STO cash shop for 25 bucks you have a 150% advantage over any F2P "scrub" in a random silver escort. There is plenty of content restriction, but all you have to do is sub to get a fullworthy game. If you sub to STO, you are still far away from a fullworthy game.
bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
-Michelangelo
Clearly you've never played the F2P version of LotRO then.
How is LoTRO's deed system any more restrictive than this game's wall-o'-Dilithium? In fact, the latter will take you much longer to get anything meaningful done as per end game gear than the prior will for content!
And LoTRO has actual quality expansions to unlock, ripe with throngs of content. STO still looks like version 1.0.1 as far as content is concerned. There really is very little of it.
bloodpact.net
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."
-Michelangelo