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Why free to play is very good!

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  • daan2006daan2006 Member Posts: 5,346 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    i always see thread like this like you trying to convince me or you :D
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    swimwear off risa not fixed
    system Lord Baal is dead
    macronius wrote: »
    This! Their ability to outdo their own failures is quite impressive. If only this power could be harnessed for good.
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I never thought I would actually be one to say this, but those people are looking at the pre-f2p era of STO through rose-tented glasses. And they point out that Atari cutting back their staff was the problem, as if it excuses everything. Yes, it was the reason for the content drought. However, Atari was still raking in our monthly subscription fees and made no effort to see to it that the devs were in a position to reciprocate. They lost key team members in those cutbacks. They were in a position where they simply could not turn out solid content.

    Free to Play should have happened when those layoffs occurred. Of course, Atari would not permit that. Perfect World took over and the game went F2P almost immediately, resulting in a massive surge in players and payers. And PWE allowed them to hire more team members to fill key areas that were voided by Atari.

    PWE isn't a saint, but they've done more for this game than any other publisher ever has. I'm fairly certain that PWE is mostly hands off letting Cryptic do mostly what they want, only stepping in when marketing happens. Atari on the other hand was all up in Cryptics business, dictating every part of the game, and then squirreling away all the money. There are a lot of issues with PWE it's not a perfect company, but they know F2P and they know how to do it well. That's all we really need to ask for right now.
  • groomofweirdgroomofweird Member Posts: 1,045 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I represent the players who do not have a solid income (0 hour contract job and a family in my case).
    I saw this game, oddly enough as a banner advertisement on a file sharing site,and upon reading its contents and comparing the ftp features with other games I signed up immediately. It was a toss up between this and SWTOR, but this was all the trek I had been looking for in a game and just won hands down.
    I have since given up every other game (aside from the odd console run during maintenance or with the mrs), and my xbox sub, I now spend all available "gaming money" on sto. Aside from real life cataclysm of some sort I will be playing this game for a very long time.
    I imagine I am far from in the minority in my reasons for playing and continuing to spend on this game.
    I also believe from what I've read about this games past that as many have said FTP really did breath new life into the game, however I do recognise that as a result there would be a shift in the demographic of the the game, there are soso many people that play the game, never even level to say 20 and never play again.
    On the flipside I've seen people dump a ton of money (ftp), into the game and never play again after a week or two.
    Its really finding a balance between the pew pew satisfaction for short term players and the deep indepth endgame content long term players desire.
    Ultimately devs can't keep both parties in a perpetual state of nirvana but they can do their best as only good devs can.
    Nimoysig1_zpsr79joxz3.jpg
    "If this will be our end, then I will have them make SUCH an end as to be worthy of rememberance! Out of torpedos you say?! Find me the ferengi!".
  • edgecrysgeredgecrysger Member Posts: 2,740 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    PWE isn't a saint, but they've done more for this game than any other publisher ever has. I'm fairly certain that PWE is mostly hands off letting Cryptic do mostly what they want, only stepping in when marketing happens. Atari on the other hand was all up in Cryptics business, dictating every part of the game, and then squirreling away all the money. There are a lot of issues with PWE it's not a perfect company, but they know F2P and they know how to do it well. That's all we really need to ask for right now.

    Well, the game was FAR BETTER with Atari dictating the rules lol. Thats for sure. Now that cryptic has free will, the game is a thousand times worst. Its stupid, but it is a fact. LOL. Thanks to F2P for saving the game, but it was a better game before. By far.
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,236 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    How is a dying game "better"? Simply because you have less reasons to spend money?
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
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  • christianmacchristianmac Member Posts: 359 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I was free to play till last year and that was only because it was gifted to me. I play this game cause im a Trekkie and enjoy the game for what it is.
    77TH FIGHTER SQUADRON
  • darthstormstrikedarthstormstrike Member Posts: 771 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I went to SWTOR for the first time in a long time. And thought I had everything I needed unlocked to still enjoy the game. Until I went to the guild bank. Now to get access to the stuff I deposited, I have to play for 1050 cartel coins. LMAO
    ___________________

    "There is no problem in the universe that can't be solved with a bribe, a paid assassin, or an overpowered fighter." - Chubain from Jumpgate Evolution
  • edgecrysgeredgecrysger Member Posts: 2,740 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    How is a dying game "better"? Simply because you have less reasons to spend money?

    Who cares about the money?? serioulsy?? the problems are all the fails everywhere. Not the game being f2p or the money. If cryptic would focus in make the game BETTER, not the opposite, i can asure you they will be gaining far lot more money than now. Because people WILL BE HAPPIER and that translates in more people buying zen and buying stuff. Its common sense. Oh wait, you are an alien, i forgot lol.
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I went to SWTOR for the first time in a long time. And thought I had everything I needed unlocked to still enjoy the game. Until I went to the guild bank. Now to get access to the stuff I deposited, I have to play for 1050 cartel coins. LMAO

    Reason why i went back on for all of 20 minutes turned around and haven't logged back in since. And that was about 6 months ago.
    afMSv4g.jpg
    Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!

    http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
  • gofasternowgofasternow Member Posts: 1,390 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Who cares about the money?? serioulsy?? the problems are all the fails everywhere. Not the game being f2p or the money. If cryptic would focus in make the game BETTER, not the opposite, i can asure you they will be gaining far lot more money than now. Because people WILL BE HAPPIER and that translates in more people buying zen and buying stuff. Its common sense. Oh wait, you are an alien, i forgot lol.

    Happiness is in the eye of the beholder, as is what makes the game "better". Obviously, STO is not making you happy, thus you sit here and complain and attack people who are happy with how the game is. However, I'm quite fine with it, as are, apparently, the people who race around the ESD you so hate
  • edgecrysgeredgecrysger Member Posts: 2,740 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Happiness is in the eye of the beholder, as is what makes the game "better". Obviously, STO is not making you happy, thus you sit here and complain and attack people who are happy with how the game is. However, I'm quite fine with it, as are, apparently, the people who race around the ESD you so hate

    STO is making me happy, because if not, i will not playing it, obviously. :confused:

    What im saying, if people says STO is "better" now, they dont have a clue, and they are contributing to keep drawning the game slowly. If you think that too, obviously you didnt play 2 years ago, or you dont have any idea what "better" means. Somoeone who cant see all the fails of the game, and keep saying all the time STO is great, awesome blah bla bla, sorry, but or he is a kid, or he is more naive than 100 ferengis together. And this applies to you, apparentely, as well.
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Happiness is in the eye of the beholder, as is what makes the game "better". Obviously, STO is not making you happy, thus you sit here and complain and attack people who are happy with how the game is. However, I'm quite fine with it, as are, apparently, the people who race around the ESD you so hate

    Basically he's having lag and bug issues. Many of them he's whining about have been part of the game since it began and many of us want fixed but it's not life and death.

    Some other issues, I simply think it's his PC, not the game itself but he refuses to tell me what kind of PC he's running so I can't tell him if he has an issue on his end. He just sits there ranting and raving.
    afMSv4g.jpg
    Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!

    http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    STO is making me happy, because if not, i will not playing it, obviously. :confused:

    What im saying, if people says STO is "better" now, they dont have a clue, and they are contributing to keep drawning the game slowly. If you think that too, obviously you didnt play 2 years ago, or you dont have any idea what "better" means. Somoeone who cant see all the fails of the game, and keep saying all the time STO is great, awesome blah bla bla, sorry, but or he is a kid, or he is more naive than 100 ferengis together. And this applies to you, apparentely, as well.

    man you look through some rose colored lenses. Stop with the nostaliga and just deal with it like it is.
    afMSv4g.jpg
    Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!

    http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
  • edgecrysgeredgecrysger Member Posts: 2,740 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    talonxv wrote: »
    Basically he's having lag and bug issues. Many of them he's whining about have been part of the game since it began and many of us want fixed but it's not life and death.

    Some other issues, I simply think it's his PC, not the game itself but he refuses to tell me what kind of PC he's running so I can't tell him if he has an issue on his end. He just sits there ranting and raving.

    No im not. I have a really smooth play, since i started playing. I never had lag or crash issues, i dunno why you need to invent words out of my mouth. There are 4 or 5 guys in the forums (you are one of em) that always keep trying to put words in mouth of everybody. Why you do that??

    Are you really so stupid?? because if you cant see that STO is really BUGGED and really GLITCHED, you are stupid, sorry but i need to say this way. Because apparently you must be a 8 years old kid. Oh, dont tell my , the other option is that you are a cryptic employer trying to smooth every negative commentarie about the game. STO is star trek, but if it werent, it will be one of the worst games ive ever played. Sorry it is a fact like a temple. And i dont have more issues that 90% of the people. But the difference is, i am a honest person, not like you and many others, and i see the things like they are, not like a fantasy in your head, like in your case and the case of the others. But with a signature like that, i am not surprised.
  • baudlbaudl Member Posts: 4,060 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    STO is making me happy, because if not, i will not playing it, obviously. :confused:

    What im saying, if people says STO is "better" now, they dont have a clue, and they are contributing to keep drawning the game slowly. If you think that too, obviously you didnt play 2 years ago, or you dont have any idea what "better" means. Somoeone who cant see all the fails of the game, and keep saying all the time STO is great, awesome blah bla bla, sorry, but or he is a kid, or he is more naive than 100 ferengis together. And this applies to you, apparentely, as well.

    srsly? you thought the game was better 2 years ago? KDF, half a faction...groundcombat, probably the worst thing since cancer...no voiceover work, STF's that took 2-3 hours if you were even lucky to get a grp together that was able to do it...90% of the missions were generic kill 5 waves and that was about all the content you could do at lvl 50. This list goes on and on and on

    what a great game that was! And it basically had all the bugs and glitches that are still here anyway.

    f2p not only saved the game financialy, it also drew in more players to actually play the game...


    i'd wish i could setup a "retro server" and let you play "oldschool STO" after about 5 minutes you'd be screaming and closing the game, that's how bad gameplay and content was compared to now.
    thing is though...PVP was probably better back then, simply because less toys to play with means that is was more balanced. But no aspect of the game, other than PVP was "better" objectively.
    Go pro or go home
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    No im not. I have a really smooth play, since i started playing. I never had lag or crash issues, i dunno why you need to invent words out of my mouth. There are 4 or 5 guys in the forums (you are one of em) that always keep trying to put words in mouth of everybody. Why you do that??

    Are you really so stupid?? because if you cant see that STO is really BUGGED and really GLITCHED, you are stupid, sorry but i need to say this way. Because apparently you must be a 8 years old kid. Oh, dont tell my , the other option is that you are a cryptic employer trying to smooth every negative commentarie about the game. STO is star trek, but if it werent, it will be one of the worst games ive ever played. Sorry it is a fact like a temple. And i dont have more issues that 90% of the people. But the difference is, i am a honest person, not like you and many others, and i see the things like they are, not like a fantasy in your head, like in your case and the case of the others. But with a signature like that, i am not surprised.

    I already told you once, I spent 7 years as an active duty US marine, I don't get why you resort to the child angle.

    ANY ONLINE GAME HAS BUGS AND GLTICHES. Throw a rock and one of the biggest complaint is X gltich. They are known it happens. You add in one thing these days in a game with gaming code as coimplex as it is, it creates an issue elsewhere.

    Bugs in an Online game that is a constantly changing and evolving thing is just a fact of life. Sorry isn't like console gaming where you get the newest HALO and it comes out bug free.

    So honestly you keep harping on all of these bugs. WHAT bugs? Same ones that have been there like the uniform glitch? I mean seriously what. Cause I apparently am playing a different STO. Because the only glitch I can remember was on a revamped borg Mission I spawned ahead of whereI should of been and could not complete the mission because of it. But these things happen.

    I don't sit here like an 8 year old you accuse me of being and have a temper tantrum like you're having in this last post. Look in the mirror before you start pointing the finger.
    afMSv4g.jpg
    Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!

    http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,236 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    STO is making me happy, because if not, i will not playing it, obviously. :confused:

    What im saying, if people says STO is "better" now, they dont have a clue, and they are contributing to keep drawning the game slowly. If you think that too, obviously you didnt play 2 years ago, or you dont have any idea what "better" means. Somoeone who cant see all the fails of the game, and keep saying all the time STO is great, awesome blah bla bla, sorry, but or he is a kid, or he is more naive than 100 ferengis together. And this applies to you, apparentely, as well.
    I've been playing (and writing Foundry missions) since season 3. So yeah... I've been here a LOT more than 2 years.

    You certainly don't act happy... what with all the ranting and raving....
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
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  • edited April 2014
    This content has been removed.
  • ghyudtghyudt Member Posts: 1,112 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I don't think this one is right. There is technically nothing in STO that is not free to get.

    Stuff in the Cstore can all be gotten by grinding D... and trading it to people that are spending some $ to get it for free.

    Cryptic makes money on everything ever sold on the Cstore... and on every lockbox item purchased with in game EC.

    Some people spend real $ to pick up Zen to sell for in game D... which they spend directly on fleet projects or items. Or they spend the Zen and items to sell on the exchange for EC to pick up other things they want.

    This way there is NOTHING you can't get for free to you... that isn't to say Cryptic isn't still making money. Cryptic pays Free players in dilithium and ec, we then get what we want with that and sell the access. We sell it to players looking to skip the grind, they do that buying the grind rewards we have.... with the other fake currency Cryptic sells them for actual $. lol Its a big wheel and it only turns if free players keep grinding more then they need to sell to people who would rather drop 50 bucks a month then play 10+ hours a week.

    Actually, I'm pretty sure you still need a gold or lifetime account to get the chimera destroyer. And fireworks.
  • chuckwolfchuckwolf Member Posts: 206 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    ghyudt wrote: »
    Actually, I'm pretty sure you still need a gold or lifetime account to get the chimera destroyer. And fireworks.

    Chimera is lifetime only. I happen to own one. (actually 5) And it's far from being the "ultimate" p2w ship. in fact I much prefer my free Recluse carrier to the Chimera, it's more durable, has better healing capacity etc. than the Chimera, since my firepower comes from the fleet weavers the lower turn rate is a non-factor.


    I'm a lifer but I play as if I was f2p, I don't spend a single cent all zen I spend is either earned through dil conversion, or my monthly stipend. In fact I didn't even spend anything to get my LTS, my better half bought it for me as a birthday gift during the last LTS sale for $200 when he bought his. (tax refund time is fun)
    @Powerblast in game
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    STO is making me happy, because if not, i will not playing it, obviously. :confused:

    What im saying, if people says STO is "better" now, they dont have a clue, and they are contributing to keep drawning the game slowly. If you think that too, obviously you didnt play 2 years ago, or you dont have any idea what "better" means. Somoeone who cant see all the fails of the game, and keep saying all the time STO is great, awesome blah bla bla, sorry, but or he is a kid, or he is more naive than 100 ferengis together. And this applies to you, apparentely, as well.

    It seems your nostalgia goggles are glued to your face. I've played this game for three years. It's much better than it once was.
  • darthstormstrikedarthstormstrike Member Posts: 771 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    talonxv wrote: »
    Reason why i went back on for all of 20 minutes turned around and haven't logged back in since. And that was about 6 months ago.

    I have a second account when they went F2P. Throw my security key on it since that one can be tied to up 5 accounts. That account had enough to buy the account wide guild bank unlock since it gets 100 coins for having the security key on it. I now have to wait 2 days before I can send it to the account I actually use. But instead of logging in there while waiting, I just have to remember next time which will probably be months again. lol
    ___________________

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  • jockey1979jockey1979 Member Posts: 1,005 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    With all due respect, you do not represent me, nor have I ever given you permission to speak on my behalf.

    You only speak for yourself.

    +1

    Glad it is not just me who gets annoyed at those who claim to speak for others - without permission to do so.
  • baudlbaudl Member Posts: 4,060 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    jockey1979 wrote: »
    +1

    Glad it is not just me who gets annoyed at those who claim to speak for others - without permission to do so.

    the guy that made the statement, is still representing a grp of the playerbase, regardless if you agree or disagree.

    how large and significant this grp is, remains an uncertainty...but it is save to say that he actually was representing more than just himself.


    last but not least, he doesn't need a permission to speak on whoever behalfs...he was representing the people in his situation that agree with him...if you don't agree, he wasn't speaking for you anyway.
    Go pro or go home
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    baudl wrote: »
    the guy that made the statement, is still representing a grp of the playerbase, regardless if you agree or disagree.

    how large and significant this grp is, remains an uncertainty...but it is save to say that he actually was representing more than just himself.


    last but not least, he doesn't need a permission to speak on whoever behalfs...he was representing the people in his situation that agree with him...if you don't agree, he wasn't speaking for you anyway.

    How bout a better idea, never persume to speak for anybody but yourself. Saves you a lot of time and effort.

    When I want to talk about a group of people I merely state "From what I have seen from a large group of people, this is what they have been stating, which I agree with."

    At no point do I claim to speak for said group, I merely point out people are stating it, and I agree with it.

    Saves a lot of time, trouble and heartache.
    afMSv4g.jpg
    Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!

    http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
  • jellico1jellico1 Member Posts: 2,719
    edited April 2014
    baudl wrote: »

    Most certainly, those are the people that pump the largest amount of money into the game and are also those that get most frustrated about it at the end of the month...
    also notorious for searching the fault for their mistakes somewhere else, but themselves.

    snip

    I think the FTP model is a good one s well

    But i think cryptic is going the wrong way with it now and will suffer for it

    The is no end game content yet

    Rep systems are... .grind content...what do you do at the end of the grind what has it prepared you for.......you are level 50 best gear.....fleet holdings done

    Now you look around and there isnt anything to do other than the grind content

    Foundry ?...dont make me laff...story missions ..you have already done them...the cheesy events ?...more laffing...crafting roflol

    End game content would follow these paths

    Sim city...building your own colonys
    player based ecomony
    player base crafting that created end game gear
    player based resource gathering
    Exploreing star clusters new planets resources...you know like star trek
    Territory control PvE
    Social hubs for R&R and medical....................
    Expand the use of DOFFS for use in ground combat/Colonys/ship crew/away teams for exploration /minning ect

    Things of this nature i consider end game content............Grind reps systems i consider...grind

    FTP gets the players here but real end gme content will keep them here
    Jellico....Engineer ground.....Da'val Romulan space Sci
    Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
    Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng

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  • sunfranckssunfrancks Member Posts: 3,925 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    STO is miles better with PWE than it ever was under Atari.

    All I want is Cryptic to put more time into making cool stuff for the cstore at reasonable prices, it can even be char bound!

    I have plenty of money/zen to spend, but it will never be on chance gambling..
    Fed: Eng Lib Borg (Five) Tac Andorian (Shen) Sci Alien/Klingon (Maelrock) KDF:Tac Romulan KDF (Sasha) Tac Klingon (K'dopis)
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  • baudlbaudl Member Posts: 4,060 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Translation: His imaginary friends.

    they are not so imaginary as you would think...they surely make up a fair amount of the playerbase. Do they comment on forums? probably not as much as people that invest actual money into a game...the amount of dedication is simply much lower, so we won't see them around here, or their opinion. That is allways something that needs to be considered: the people this game is made for, are not the kind of people that regularely browse the forums.

    but it is certain that they make up a considerable amount of the playerbase, just not a very well represented group here on the forum.
    Save to say that less than half the people actually playing the game never posted anything on the forum, but they still exist and they spend money on the game...probably...from time to time...or not. Honestly the grp must be cosniderably big, otherwise the f2p model wouldn't work as well as it does.

    so if you think he was speaking for his "imaginary friends" only, you're fooling yourself, just for the kicks of a false comfort of selfassurance and ignorance, beacuse those people actually exist and they play f2p MMOs, including STO.
    Go pro or go home
  • baudlbaudl Member Posts: 4,060 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    talonxv wrote: »
    How bout a better idea, never persume to speak for anybody but yourself. Saves you a lot of time and effort.

    When I want to talk about a group of people I merely state "From what I have seen from a large group of people, this is what they have been stating, which I agree with."

    At no point do I claim to speak for said group, I merely point out people are stating it, and I agree with it.

    Saves a lot of time, trouble and heartache.

    yes, true, but consider this...nobody is special, everybody can be categorised in a grp. and if that person is honest about his opinion, he is perfectly legit to represent "his" grp.
    It is just not simply black or white...but it is certainly legit to list the determening factors about ones self, and then make a statement.
    categorisation exists and it is widely used in each and every statistic you see.
    If you can see parralels to yourself but you disagree with the statement, that is perfectly right...still doesn't mean that the other person is not part of his an opinion grp, you are part of a different, even though your bacjkground seems to be similar.

    which gro is larger remains a mistery, i'd say. only PWE has data to determine which one is the greater, more profitable grp...and lets be honest, judging from the game model and judging by the numbers of games that went f2p and increased profit by doing so is incredibly high...sooooo the conclusion is obvious, that those people make up a very very large part of the playerbase.
    Go pro or go home
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    sunfrancks wrote: »
    STO is miles better with PWE than it ever was under Atari.

    All I want is Cryptic to put more time into making cool stuff for the cstore at reasonable prices, it can even be char bound!

    I have plenty of money/zen to spend, but it will never be on chance gambling..

    I would spend more money if I had more things to buy. :(
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