I am currently leveling up my KDF Alien character. That will make the fourth fully-leveled character that I have and should be just fine for the road ahead. After this character is done being leveled, I can guarantee that I will stop my subscription. If I don't stop the subscription, all I would get from there on out is a stipend that is worth a third of what I am paying for the sub and additional game time that contributes to various veteran awards. It should be clear that there is no value to speak of here that should encourage me to subscribe further.
Subscriptions, by the way, probably shouldn't be just tossed aside. A constant subscriber is a constant customer. A good customer is a good advocate for your game. A good advocate for your game is marketing that you can't put a price tag on. A subscriber is also a more constant money flow. While the lock boxes, c-store ships, and various other methods by which Cryptic/PW makes money are sound ways to bring in cash, I'm certain that they vary a lot.
Here is what I propose going forward. One additional feature to our subscription that gives all the reason in the world to continue subscribing and to fully appreciate Cryptic/PW as a company that while enjoys the art of making money also remains loyal their customers. This additional feature is that a subscription changes the dilithium shops to normal shops. Thus as a subscriber, you have better access to a larger array of weapons and armor for a better price for your continued support of the game. That is all.
Maybe somebody will respond to this and defend the current model, but to that I would say that just giving money to a company and not asking for more is a terrible strategy on the part of the consumer, and to boot, I am not asking for much more than an incentive to really invest in this game further.
Despite its flaws, STO has become a very fun game content wise. However, in my time playing other MMOs when I stopped playing this one (lack of content, lock boxes), people that did talk about STO were not very kind towards Cryptic/PW's business practices. So I'm pushing this not just as a way to incentivise me to give a TRIBBLE about putting money into this game, but also as a way for Cryptic/PW to start really repairing their reputation. And this is needed, because the current system of looking at those stores or looking at crafting for that matter just makes me sick to my stomach and feel like my wallet is being abused.
Maybe they could provide players with a way to earn FREE ZEN by doing an in-game activity or by taking surveys. Then players wouldn't feel like their wallets were being abused.
Actually, you're getting to the heart of the problem. The grind is more worth it to me then paying a sub or feeling invested in this game, and Cryptic's cash grabs act as a deterrent rather than an incentive to give my money to them.
As for the surveys, those look like scams.
Honestly, I don't understand why you are defending a bad grind, when all I'm advocating is a subscription that lives up to the value of 15 a month and a way for Cryptic to seem more honorable and upfront in their need for income. It may seem alright to you in some way, but consider that to most people: Cryptic's system of procuring income comes across as blatant greed and cash grab attempts.
A more up front approach would do much to heal their reputation, which sucks on the financial end of things, and offer value to those returning or starting the game. Otherwise, it makes the entire game post story missions seem like grind, grind, grind, because not only must you grind for reputation points, but for dilithium as well, sucking the joy out of playing to get your equip right to play the group content right to better enjoy the Foundry content right.
I'm sure every subber would love this idea. I almost equally sure that it would never be implemented as you suggest. It's simply not efficient or effective in revenue generation. I'm betting that they think people will want to buy more than 500 Zen worth of stuff every month, if they're already paying 15$. So they get your 15$ plus whatever else you want to buy because you already have some zen, just not enough for what you need. If they adopted your approach, they would only ever get the 15$.
But, on balance, I do agree that some additional subber benefits need to be offered. My only fear is that they will realize the relative lack of value for a subber, given that a lapsed subber keeps all the benefits of a sub, and therefore prevent the lapsed subber from keeping many of those benefits (extra boff slots, bank slots, etc)
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::WARNING:: This game is not intended for use as a source of self-esteem.
I'm sure every subber would love this idea. I almost equally sure that it would never be implemented as you suggest. It's simply not efficient or effective in revenue generation. I'm betting that they think people will want to buy more than 500 Zen worth of stuff every month, if they're already paying 15$. So they get your 15$ plus whatever else you want to buy because you already have some zen, just not enough for what you need. If they adopted your approach, they would only ever get the 15$.
But, on balance, I do agree that some additional subber benefits need to be offered. My only fear is that they will realize the relative lack of value for a subber, given that a lapsed subber keeps all the benefits of a sub, and therefore prevent the lapsed subber from keeping many of those benefits (extra boff slots, bank slots, etc)
yeah, but that would only destroy their precious f2p approach of the carrot and stick method of getting you in and then pushing you to open up your wallet to avoid needless grinds.
And it's kind of a choice between just 15 a month or.... I bought a few things and hey there's a new game coming out that doesn't want to suck the entire life out of my wallet... Let me play that because STO is a grind.
I know my sub won't be renewed next quarter. One reason is your observation that once a character is leveled it's a very poor value. The other reason is not only are they not giving me my zen for subscribing, they have no transparent way to look at the history of zen/sub cash transactions. The latter issue is serious enough to me personally that even a better valued subscription wouldn't bring me back.
How about 2000 dilith per character per day for subs
and 2500 for lifers
free and clear
INSTEAD of the stipend
That's not a bad idea. I don't think it would happen, but I don't think it's a bad idea.
Honestly, I think just changing the shops would be an awesome idea. You'd still have a use for Dilithium anyways with fleet projects and the like, but having a sub would really make it a lot easier to make your character feel more "whole".
I know my sub won't be renewed next quarter. One reason is your observation that once a character is leveled it's a very poor value. The other reason is not only are they not giving me my zen for subscribing, they have no transparent way to look at the history of zen/sub cash transactions. The latter issue is serious enough to me personally that even a better valued subscription wouldn't bring me back.
Yeah, I understand how that's a problem. I don't know or think that this solution will be implemented, but Cryptic should. It would go a good ways towards addressing some of the larger problems with Cryptic's thinking like the reason all of those players only came back for Legacy of Romulus. I'd be surprised if everyone sticks around unless Cryptic starts thinking about long term enjoyment of the game vs short term profits.
How about 2000 dilith per character per day for subs
and 2500 for lifers
free and clear
INSTEAD of the stipend
As a Lifer aren't you getting 400Zen per mo? So that means you should be getting around 40K DIL anyway if you use the DIL exchange (assuming 100DIL=1Zen)....so what's the use when you already have that.
If you are asking to increase to 2.5k/day that would mean an increase from 40K to 75K (rough est). To make it simpler why don't you ask for 750 Zen instead of 400 Zen...:D
TBH if I didn't already have a LTS I'd subscribe for 1 month to get the EC uplift etc and then just cancel and buy $5 worth of zen every month.
Exactly. And exactly why they need to make the subscription package more attractive to keep - but as I said I'm worried they'll nerf the unlocks you get if your subscription lapses, ie giving F2P less, rather than rather than giving subscribers more.
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::WARNING:: This game is not intended for use as a source of self-esteem.
They could make gold/LTS more attractive by doubling the amount of reputation gained per project. It'll also serve a purpose to make rep less grindy. Doing only the 2k rep projects alone would max out the repuation in 25 days... on par with a month's subscription.
Some might think "having people finish sooner means they'll have nothing to do and possibly quit the game!"
But that won't matter because they will have already paid Cryptic.
The OP's idea will NEVER happen. the dilithium exchange is a big money maker for Cryptic and having fleet shops require dilithium means zen is being sold for dilithium and zen is being bought for the sole purpose of buying dilithium. Not just for fleet projects but also to buy the gear. all the best gear costs dilithium and the reason is dilithium sells zen!
Want something for the subscription to make it worth it? A unique costume for ground and ship that can only be used when subscribed. The ability to use a different ship of the same class BOFF and console layout as long as you own both example, owning the fleet galaxy and regent class, using the regents BOFF and console layout on the galaxy. Drop subscription and lose the layout.
Neither of those is pay to win, 2 costumes 1 ground and 1 ship is aesthetic only and the layout swap ability is more than worth the subscription without making any 1 ship overpowered.
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The OP's idea will NEVER happen. the dilithium exchange is a big money maker for Cryptic and having fleet shops require dilithium means zen is being sold for dilithium and zen is being bought for the sole purpose of buying dilithium. Not just for fleet projects but also to buy the gear. all the best gear costs dilithium and the reason is dilithium sells zen!
Want something for the subscription to make it worth it? A unique costume for ground and ship that can only be used when subscribed. The ability to use a different ship of the same class BOFF and console layout as long as you own both example, owning the fleet galaxy and regent class, using the regents BOFF and console layout on the galaxy. Drop subscription and lose the layout.
Neither of those is pay to win, 2 costumes 1 ground and 1 ship is aesthetic only and the layout swap ability is more than worth the subscription without making any 1 ship overpowered.
Nah, but that's just my point. It's a crappy grind or a bad buy in. I know it may seem like Cryptic would lose money by getting rid of dil shops for subscribers, but I think they would actually gain more money in terms of the consistency of players coming in.
Cryptic has lured people back in with the content, but that wasn't what people complained about the last time I played a different MMO. They were complaining about Cryptic's greed. That's a poor long term strategy to realizing profits.
BUt this company is greedy, that is what comes down to. They care only how to make the quickest buck and that's it. They don't care about us, their fans, their customers. Without the lockboxes and the DIL exchange (which are the main money makers for them), they would lose their servers. The scimitar is coming out soon, I wonder how much ZEN that will cost.
Comments
Actually, you're getting to the heart of the problem. The grind is more worth it to me then paying a sub or feeling invested in this game, and Cryptic's cash grabs act as a deterrent rather than an incentive to give my money to them.
As for the surveys, those look like scams.
Honestly, I don't understand why you are defending a bad grind, when all I'm advocating is a subscription that lives up to the value of 15 a month and a way for Cryptic to seem more honorable and upfront in their need for income. It may seem alright to you in some way, but consider that to most people: Cryptic's system of procuring income comes across as blatant greed and cash grab attempts.
A more up front approach would do much to heal their reputation, which sucks on the financial end of things, and offer value to those returning or starting the game. Otherwise, it makes the entire game post story missions seem like grind, grind, grind, because not only must you grind for reputation points, but for dilithium as well, sucking the joy out of playing to get your equip right to play the group content right to better enjoy the Foundry content right.
But, on balance, I do agree that some additional subber benefits need to be offered. My only fear is that they will realize the relative lack of value for a subber, given that a lapsed subber keeps all the benefits of a sub, and therefore prevent the lapsed subber from keeping many of those benefits (extra boff slots, bank slots, etc)
::WARNING:: This game is not intended for use as a source of self-esteem.
yeah, but that would only destroy their precious f2p approach of the carrot and stick method of getting you in and then pushing you to open up your wallet to avoid needless grinds.
And it's kind of a choice between just 15 a month or.... I bought a few things and hey there's a new game coming out that doesn't want to suck the entire life out of my wallet... Let me play that because STO is a grind.
and 2500 for lifers
free and clear
INSTEAD of the stipend
That's not a bad idea. I don't think it would happen, but I don't think it's a bad idea.
Honestly, I think just changing the shops would be an awesome idea. You'd still have a use for Dilithium anyways with fleet projects and the like, but having a sub would really make it a lot easier to make your character feel more "whole".
Yeah, I understand how that's a problem. I don't know or think that this solution will be implemented, but Cryptic should. It would go a good ways towards addressing some of the larger problems with Cryptic's thinking like the reason all of those players only came back for Legacy of Romulus. I'd be surprised if everyone sticks around unless Cryptic starts thinking about long term enjoyment of the game vs short term profits.
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I'm jealous of your signature.
As a Lifer aren't you getting 400Zen per mo? So that means you should be getting around 40K DIL anyway if you use the DIL exchange (assuming 100DIL=1Zen)....so what's the use when you already have that.
If you are asking to increase to 2.5k/day that would mean an increase from 40K to 75K (rough est). To make it simpler why don't you ask for 750 Zen instead of 400 Zen...:D
this is an incentive to buy character slots AND play alts
plus it will reduce speculation dramatically
Exactly. And exactly why they need to make the subscription package more attractive to keep - but as I said I'm worried they'll nerf the unlocks you get if your subscription lapses, ie giving F2P less, rather than rather than giving subscribers more.
::WARNING:: This game is not intended for use as a source of self-esteem.
Some might think "having people finish sooner means they'll have nothing to do and possibly quit the game!"
But that won't matter because they will have already paid Cryptic.
Want something for the subscription to make it worth it? A unique costume for ground and ship that can only be used when subscribed. The ability to use a different ship of the same class BOFF and console layout as long as you own both example, owning the fleet galaxy and regent class, using the regents BOFF and console layout on the galaxy. Drop subscription and lose the layout.
Neither of those is pay to win, 2 costumes 1 ground and 1 ship is aesthetic only and the layout swap ability is more than worth the subscription without making any 1 ship overpowered.
"I'm drunk, whats your excuse for being an idiot?" - Unknown drunk man. :eek:
Nah, but that's just my point. It's a crappy grind or a bad buy in. I know it may seem like Cryptic would lose money by getting rid of dil shops for subscribers, but I think they would actually gain more money in terms of the consistency of players coming in.
Cryptic has lured people back in with the content, but that wasn't what people complained about the last time I played a different MMO. They were complaining about Cryptic's greed. That's a poor long term strategy to realizing profits.
BUt this company is greedy, that is what comes down to. They care only how to make the quickest buck and that's it. They don't care about us, their fans, their customers. Without the lockboxes and the DIL exchange (which are the main money makers for them), they would lose their servers. The scimitar is coming out soon, I wonder how much ZEN that will cost.
But don't worry Karma is a bad itch.