I'm afraid I agree. Though after this, Cryptic will be very lucky to see another penny of my money.
+1 To this ...
I've spent some $$$ on STO already (the Oddy pack and Romulan Legacy pack) and most likely will be spending more ... but this?
I couldn't afford the time away from R/L to grind for the ships in the Winter Event, and I really can't see that changing with this event, I may be able to get 1 but all my toons? No way ... Perhaps if it was an Account Unlock, that gave a Faction Specific Ship, like some of the Lock Box drops, it would be worth grinding, but I seriously doubt whether I'll have the time (or inclination really) TBH ...
As others have said, it's doesn't really feel like a "Thank You", more like a pat down to see if you are carrying a wallet full of cash before you can log in ...
Plus the other 3 packs have been, to some at least, good value, and well worth the $50. But having to do a grind AND pay $50? If they want my money that set bonus would have to be something totally, gobsmackingly amazing ...
But of course if they do that, those without that don't have huge wads of cash to spend will be screaming on the forums about the unfairness of it, and I'd have to agree with them, and I think that group is larger than those with cash to burn, so Cryptic might just alienate both groups with this little, ill considered, deal.
Currently, Romulans can only obtain a Singularity Core. But we're discussing options.
UPDATE:
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
Jeremy Randall
Cryptic - Lead Systems Designer
"Play smart!"
Scenario 4
Cryptic: "Okay this year the anniversary ship has a grind attached, and we're releasing a 3-pack in the near future, and you have to do both if you want the truly-complete set."
Me: "Well, I hate grind, and I also don't want to spend money, so I guess I won't do either. After all, I don't really need this ship. It's a game. There are far better uses of my time and money."
True, but if too many customers take that approach, it gets harder for Cryptic to keep the lights on. Personally, I'd be perfectly happy with simply paying $50, getting the whole thing in one go, and calling it good. Just do the 9 console for free with nothing special for the mission, and the full version later, like with the Odyssey/Bortasqu two years ago. Cryptic gets money and a happy customer, I get a science ship on my Klingon, everyone wins. And its a lot simpler than trying to play these stupid user-metric psychology games, like we wouldn't notice.
We're supposed to be grinding for 15 days to get not even fleet level ships. Basically we're just grinding for the secondary deflector that won't be available in the C-Store.
I see only one way of making this work:
1)- The Anniversary ships will already be the 'upgraded' vessels later found in the C-Store.
2)- The C-Store versions will also come with the secondary deflector.
Then people can choose whether to play (as in grind) or to pay. It's outrageous to ask for both when there was supposed to be no grind in the first place!!!
EDIT: Or just reward players with the Anniversary 9 console base ships without the crazy grind, like with the Odyssey, Bortas, Ambassador or Kamarag. Then you can keep the shinies on the C-Store pack (again, like with the Odyssey and BortasQu').
TOIVA, Toi Vaxx, Toia Vix, Toveg, T'vritha, To Vrax: Bring in the Allegiance class. Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider. Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
Nifty. When I saw the Apex in the Hirogen box, I started thinking about rolling another Rom for it...this helps with that decision. Thanks, Bort!
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
will you guys ever go back and introduce a Obelisk Singularity core?
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
See, thats how you do feedback.
Pick something off the forum that makes sense and announce a change.
Any chance of some sort of response to the whole grindaversary issue?
Appreciate it may not be your department, but can whoever it is drop in and let us know what progress is being made?
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
Much appreciated, thank you.
Since you're in tomorrow's patch, can you up the number of Qmendations from the FE to 1000 while you're at it?
You're just a machine. And machines can be broken.
I don't oppose the idea of this, just having to get a 3-pack on each faction.
With that said, I am pretty sure I will just go KDF on this one. That Romulan ship looks nice, may be tempted on getting the 9 console version. I would love a Romulan destroyer.
Thanks for the Advanced Light Cruiser, Allied Escort Bundles, Jem-Hadar Light Battlecruiser, and Mek'leth
New Content Wishlist
T6 updates for the Kamarag & Vor'Cha
Heavy Cruiser & a Movie Era Style AoY Utility Cruiser
*To receive the remainder of this message, please purchase fifteen thousand Zen in ships, in addition to 50 lobi. Happy 4th Anniversary!;)
Classy, Cryptic. REAL classy.:rolleyes: I don't care about the grind- heck, they even took out ten days of it for us. It's the monetary component that really gets under my skin. You don't make someone pay for a thank you note. Luckily, though, you seem to be intent on having as few of these anniversaries in the future as possible.
Make sure to complete the Dyson Science Destroyer event reputation project on all of your characters to ensure you?ll be able to take advantage of the upcoming 4-piece set bonus that will be available when the c-store bundles release next month,.......
Does this mean that after the event is over we will not be able to ever complete the set?
The free ship from the event reputation comes with the warp/singularity core and that's the only way to get it. I assume after the anniversary event is over we won't be able to get the free ships anymore through the event reputation.
Doesn't seem right that we can buy a 3 pack of ships in the c-store but be permanently short 1 set item. I hope you plan on making the warp/singularity core available later.
These upgrades each cost 50 Lobi Crystals, in addition to turning in a full set of Solanae Environmental Suits. Replay the episode to pick up another set and trade it in for the other the variant to obtain the complete ?upgraded? set.
I have 11 characters. I'm not paying over 200 lobi to get a special suit, or more than 400 if I want both of them. And what does that even mean to "obtain the complete upgraded set"? You can only equip 1 EV suit. Is there some sort of bonus for getting both versions of the suit from the lobi store?
Sorry but I was done opening lockboxes months ago. I have 2 lobi crystals and it's gonna stay that way for a long time. Sick and tired of getting nothing but duty officer packs. The last 30+ boxes I opened were Tal'shiar and I was trying to get a plasmonic leech console for a fed character. Didn't get it and gave up. No more lockboxes!
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
While you're at it: Could you please also add the secondary deflector from the anniversary-edition to the cstore ships, so that the whole 'pay and grind?!' discussion can come to an end?
All you need to do to decipher what the motive was behind this boneheaded decision is to see how many people in this thread admit that they will now skip the grind and simply purchase the store version.
Be ashamed of yourselves, Cryptic. You're playing at EA level now.
All you need to do to decipher what the motive was behind this boneheaded decision is to see how many people in this thread admit that they will now skip the grind and simply purchase the store version.
Be ashamed of yourselves, Cryptic. You're playing at EA level now.
Oooh, burn.
I don't know though. This could be lower than EA.
You're just a machine. And machines can be broken.
Ok I understand what is happening here. These ships cost more then normal to make so. So you make a c-store 3-pack better version, to make up a lot of the lost revenue. But the main problem we have here isn't the c-store version. But the lack of consistency of the event. Every grind event ship has had fleet stats, this one won't, while I appreciate the lessening of this grind.
It should not have grind period, for both consistency sake and player appreciation.
Instead I think you should offer some event goodies for the grind, like maybe make it grinding for reward boxs a choose of festival rewards and uncommon chance free dilithium ship tokens, unrefined dilithium, choose your marks boxs, with a very small chance of getting; lobi, some previous old event ships, old lock box ships, random mirror ships and consoles, refined dilithium. I'm sure you can think of other things.
Make it 400 or so. So on the first play through you have single chance, but you have to grind for more chances. I appreciate alot of the work the team has been doing. I hope its not just corporate pressuring you into doing these things.
I know how that feels as both a customer and a associate(worker). You want to serve your customers well but you are pushed and pushed for more monetization, or do more with less.
Having spoken to many player online and offline we are really worried, and this news doesn't ease that. You are really on steep slope of how to improve profits, but in doing that you will push away customers. Less people will play becuase they feel there going to be more more nickel and dimed, and pushed to a boring grind for everything just so they can compete or just to get everything they want.
Less people equals less money, many businesses are beginning to stradal the ledge between customer care, and lets care about money. Some are worse then others. Lets just hope you acknowledge the ledge before you fall.
I enjoy this game I wouldn't want to see it slip to obscurity and oblivion.
Sorry for my long rant, that has probably alot of grammar and other mistakes. But I had to give some feedback.
Because of course no other MMO on the planet, especially a F2P MMO, has ever made you grind for a reward... :rolleyes:
STO's anniversary events have "never" been about grinding.
Plus throwing in another event grind less than a month over the last one is pretty overkill.
But the real problem people have here is that Cryptic wants use to grind AND pay to get a fully complete set.
oh gooooood so much grind i am going to die, i am seeing a steady increase in things you buy wil real money like lobi and zen things which means more money for you, how about you put some of that money into giving us some content and i am not talking about queues or the season 8 but missions stories.
■ There will be a Featured Episode starring Admiral Tuvok, "A Step Between Stars". It will reward you with:
- 400 "Qmendations" (1st playthrough only)
- One piece (of 3 available) of the 4-piece Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set (i.e. 1 piece per playthrough for the Shield, Impulse Engine and Deflector)
■ There will be three variants of the Solanae Environmental Suit attainable in the Featured Episode. Collecting all 3 (since you'll need to play it 3x anyways to get the 3 pieces of the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set), will allow you to trade them into the Lobi Store (at a cost of 50 Lobi) for one of two Upgraded versions (black and white).
■ There will be an event reputation project that will reward you with a 9-console Dyson Science Destroyer (Costing 1000 "Qmendations").
■ The Dyson Science Destroyer will be pre-equipped with the 4th piece of the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set (Warp/Singularity Core) as well as a Secondary Deflector. Romulan Captains will also receive a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core with their ship in addition to the pre-equipped Singularity Core.
■ There will be a Q-themed daily mission wherein you can earn 40 Qmendations per day. You can also get a Festive Party Horn, Party Box, or Mystery Item. If you don't want to grind the daily mission for these ships, you can spend 5 Lobi for an Anniversary Qmendation Package containing between 10 and 20 Qmendations each, roughly a max of 300 Lobi for 0 grind.
■ Even low-level captains can get the full set-bonuses of the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set regardless of what Mark their items are.
■ In late February, Cryptic will be releasing a Dyson Science Destroyer 3-pack for each faction (i.e. 9 variants total) on the C/Z-Store. These will have a 10th console slot, a special console to put in it, and upgraded stats.
■ Equipping the special consoles from the C/Z-store versions plus the Secondary Deflector from the Anniversary ships onto the C/Z-Store versions will provide another 4-piece set-bonus completely separate from the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set.. Cost of these packs is currently unknown.
Long story short, Grind for Low Quality Event Ship and Gear + Pay Cash AND Lobi (more cash for keys and Lockboxes) to get an, as yet unknown, set bonus = FAIL
Though a few will still do both ... I think Cryptic have crossed the line and broken that last straw for many, many players wit this, including me ...
Comments
I've spent some $$$ on STO already (the Oddy pack and Romulan Legacy pack) and most likely will be spending more ... but this?
I couldn't afford the time away from R/L to grind for the ships in the Winter Event, and I really can't see that changing with this event, I may be able to get 1 but all my toons? No way ... Perhaps if it was an Account Unlock, that gave a Faction Specific Ship, like some of the Lock Box drops, it would be worth grinding, but I seriously doubt whether I'll have the time (or inclination really) TBH ...
As others have said, it's doesn't really feel like a "Thank You", more like a pat down to see if you are carrying a wallet full of cash before you can log in ...
Plus the other 3 packs have been, to some at least, good value, and well worth the $50. But having to do a grind AND pay $50? If they want my money that set bonus would have to be something totally, gobsmackingly amazing ...
But of course if they do that, those without that don't have huge wads of cash to spend will be screaming on the forums about the unfairness of it, and I'd have to agree with them, and I think that group is larger than those with cash to burn, so Cryptic might just alienate both groups with this little, ill considered, deal.
UPDATE:
For Romulans, we're adding a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core to the rewardpack that contains your Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer. This is in addition to the Singularity version that will be pre-equipped on the ship.
Cryptic - Lead Systems Designer
"Play smart!"
True, but if too many customers take that approach, it gets harder for Cryptic to keep the lights on. Personally, I'd be perfectly happy with simply paying $50, getting the whole thing in one go, and calling it good. Just do the 9 console for free with nothing special for the mission, and the full version later, like with the Odyssey/Bortasqu two years ago. Cryptic gets money and a happy customer, I get a science ship on my Klingon, everyone wins. And its a lot simpler than trying to play these stupid user-metric psychology games, like we wouldn't notice.
We're supposed to be grinding for 15 days to get not even fleet level ships. Basically we're just grinding for the secondary deflector that won't be available in the C-Store.
I see only one way of making this work:
1)- The Anniversary ships will already be the 'upgraded' vessels later found in the C-Store.
2)- The C-Store versions will also come with the secondary deflector.
Then people can choose whether to play (as in grind) or to pay. It's outrageous to ask for both when there was supposed to be no grind in the first place!!!
EDIT: Or just reward players with the Anniversary 9 console base ships without the crazy grind, like with the Odyssey, Bortas, Ambassador or Kamarag. Then you can keep the shinies on the C-Store pack (again, like with the Odyssey and BortasQu').
Toi'Va, Ti'vath, Toivia, Ty'Vris, Tia Vex, Toi'Virth: Add Tier 6 KDF Carrier and Raider.
Tae'Va, T'Vaya, To'Var, Tevra, T'Vira, To'Vrak: Give us Asylums for Romulans.
Don't make ARC mandatory! Keep it optional only!
sweet
I could see the grind needed on Cryptic's part but I can't justify a daily grind for this its just horrible.
Well that's certainly nice, flexibility is good.
What else?
Nifty. When I saw the Apex in the Hirogen box, I started thinking about rolling another Rom for it...this helps with that decision. Thanks, Bort!
will you guys ever go back and introduce a Obelisk Singularity core?
the only person not slightly upset are the same 3 apologists who spam this and every thread when Cryptic/PWE tries to pull some nonsense.
See, thats how you do feedback.
Pick something off the forum that makes sense and announce a change.
Any chance of some sort of response to the whole grindaversary issue?
Appreciate it may not be your department, but can whoever it is drop in and let us know what progress is being made?
Much appreciated, thank you.
Since you're in tomorrow's patch, can you up the number of Qmendations from the FE to 1000 while you're at it?
as mentioned you are correct. 5k per faction for grand total of 15k zen or 150 dollars for some ships.
on its own not a big deal to me, i have lots of disposable money. but to require a grind PLUS an expensive c-store purchase is just ridiculous.
Nah... Up it to... 960. Or 920, for all I care. Heck, round it off at 900 and make the daily 50 per. But not this 400 BS.
Because of course no other MMO on the planet, especially a F2P MMO, has ever made you grind for a reward... :rolleyes:
With that said, I am pretty sure I will just go KDF on this one. That Romulan ship looks nice, may be tempted on getting the 9 console version. I would love a Romulan destroyer.
Dear playerbase,
We would like to thank y-....*
*To receive the remainder of this message, please purchase fifteen thousand Zen in ships, in addition to 50 lobi. Happy 4th Anniversary!;)
Classy, Cryptic. REAL classy.:rolleyes: I don't care about the grind- heck, they even took out ten days of it for us. It's the monetary component that really gets under my skin. You don't make someone pay for a thank you note. Luckily, though, you seem to be intent on having as few of these anniversaries in the future as possible.
Does this mean that after the event is over we will not be able to ever complete the set?
The free ship from the event reputation comes with the warp/singularity core and that's the only way to get it. I assume after the anniversary event is over we won't be able to get the free ships anymore through the event reputation.
Doesn't seem right that we can buy a 3 pack of ships in the c-store but be permanently short 1 set item. I hope you plan on making the warp/singularity core available later.
I have 11 characters. I'm not paying over 200 lobi to get a special suit, or more than 400 if I want both of them. And what does that even mean to "obtain the complete upgraded set"? You can only equip 1 EV suit. Is there some sort of bonus for getting both versions of the suit from the lobi store?
Sorry but I was done opening lockboxes months ago. I have 2 lobi crystals and it's gonna stay that way for a long time. Sick and tired of getting nothing but duty officer packs. The last 30+ boxes I opened were Tal'shiar and I was trying to get a plasmonic leech console for a fed character. Didn't get it and gave up. No more lockboxes!
Be ashamed of yourselves, Cryptic. You're playing at EA level now.
Oooh, burn.
I don't know though. This could be lower than EA.
It should not have grind period, for both consistency sake and player appreciation.
Instead I think you should offer some event goodies for the grind, like maybe make it grinding for reward boxs a choose of festival rewards and uncommon chance free dilithium ship tokens, unrefined dilithium, choose your marks boxs, with a very small chance of getting; lobi, some previous old event ships, old lock box ships, random mirror ships and consoles, refined dilithium. I'm sure you can think of other things.
Make it 400 or so. So on the first play through you have single chance, but you have to grind for more chances. I appreciate alot of the work the team has been doing. I hope its not just corporate pressuring you into doing these things.
I know how that feels as both a customer and a associate(worker). You want to serve your customers well but you are pushed and pushed for more monetization, or do more with less.
Having spoken to many player online and offline we are really worried, and this news doesn't ease that. You are really on steep slope of how to improve profits, but in doing that you will push away customers. Less people will play becuase they feel there going to be more more nickel and dimed, and pushed to a boring grind for everything just so they can compete or just to get everything they want.
Less people equals less money, many businesses are beginning to stradal the ledge between customer care, and lets care about money. Some are worse then others. Lets just hope you acknowledge the ledge before you fall.
I enjoy this game I wouldn't want to see it slip to obscurity and oblivion.
Sorry for my long rant, that has probably alot of grammar and other mistakes. But I had to give some feedback.
STO's anniversary events have "never" been about grinding.
Plus throwing in another event grind less than a month over the last one is pretty overkill.
But the real problem people have here is that Cryptic wants use to grind AND pay to get a fully complete set.
■ There will be a Featured Episode starring Admiral Tuvok, "A Step Between Stars". It will reward you with:
- 400 "Qmendations" (1st playthrough only)
- One piece (of 3 available) of the 4-piece Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set (i.e. 1 piece per playthrough for the Shield, Impulse Engine and Deflector)
■ There will be three variants of the Solanae Environmental Suit attainable in the Featured Episode. Collecting all 3 (since you'll need to play it 3x anyways to get the 3 pieces of the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set), will allow you to trade them into the Lobi Store (at a cost of 50 Lobi) for one of two Upgraded versions (black and white).
■ There will be an event reputation project that will reward you with a 9-console Dyson Science Destroyer (Costing 1000 "Qmendations").
■ The Dyson Science Destroyer will be pre-equipped with the 4th piece of the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set (Warp/Singularity Core) as well as a Secondary Deflector. Romulan Captains will also receive a Matter/Anti-Matter Warp Core with their ship in addition to the pre-equipped Singularity Core.
■ There will be a Q-themed daily mission wherein you can earn 40 Qmendations per day. You can also get a Festive Party Horn, Party Box, or Mystery Item. If you don't want to grind the daily mission for these ships, you can spend 5 Lobi for an Anniversary Qmendation Package containing between 10 and 20 Qmendations each, roughly a max of 300 Lobi for 0 grind.
■ Even low-level captains can get the full set-bonuses of the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set regardless of what Mark their items are.
■ In late February, Cryptic will be releasing a Dyson Science Destroyer 3-pack for each faction (i.e. 9 variants total) on the C/Z-Store. These will have a 10th console slot, a special console to put in it, and upgraded stats.
■ Equipping the special consoles from the C/Z-store versions plus the Secondary Deflector from the Anniversary ships onto the C/Z-Store versions will provide another 4-piece set-bonus completely separate from the Solanae Hybrid Technologies Space Set.. Cost of these packs is currently unknown.
Judging by this thread I seem to be in the minority.
But most of us are upset by the inclusion of grind and Zen purchase versions. There is clear lack of consistency here, and consumer goodwill.
Long story short, Grind for Low Quality Event Ship and Gear + Pay Cash AND Lobi (more cash for keys and Lockboxes) to get an, as yet unknown, set bonus = FAIL
Though a few will still do both ... I think Cryptic have crossed the line and broken that last straw for many, many players wit this, including me ...