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Dear Cryptic
elvnswords
Member Posts: 184 Arc User
Dear Cryptic Entertainment,
I am writing this in the hopes that it will somehow be seen in the glut that is your forums. Some part of me holds out vain hope that there is some person or persons in your company still gives a enough of a damn about the customer to know that we are in fact the lifes blood of the game.
This game is bleeding Cryptic, cause you wounded it. You wounded it with time gates, barriers to content and most of this new cash grab you call the revamped R&D system.
You took a much beloved part of the game, and twisted it hard. Took functionality from it, broke it entirely, and created something on top of it that was never meant to exist there. You deleted entirely all the progess people had made in the old Crafting System(minus the Aegis Systems that were already crafted), and just went full on axe murderer on the game with the way you attacked the populas's morale.
Whats more, when not enough people were falling for your "bypass the time gate with dilithium" path to success, you took the only viable way to achieve progress in a school before xmas, completely out of the game, and called it a bug. Well let me tell you I played Neverwinter, it wasn't a bug, it was how they're crafting system was set up too, and it worked out fine. For whatever reason you just weren't satisfied with numbers or what, but the change is made, and now those things will be out of reach of all but those willing to spend upwards of 300-400 dollars in dilithium, on research alone, till Christmastime.
This is a wound sirs and madames. And it is bleeding gamers. My fleet was once a paragon within this game, with upwards of 300 members we never wanted for a team, and usaully had between 2-4 teams running at a time. Now we are lucky to get one full team online at a time, and they likely won't all be on Vent.
You are bleeding....
You have created time gates. Gates that mean a barrier to entry for new players that even the veteran players help cannot mitigate. A new level 50 player cannot keep up with a kitted and reputationed player in a PVE enviroment. They are being out performed in every concievable way to the point of ridiculousness. I am among the elite, having played the game since the beginning, I have a ship running Fleet Elite Antiproton weapons, and I am built for critical attacks, I routinely as such deal attacks dealing 20000 pts of damage and higher. A new player, even at level 50, will have no way of doing that without those same items, and the traits and reputation abilities I have unlocked over the YEARS of playing I have done. This is a bar to entry for a new player. It makes the task seem daunting, unwinnable, and unworthy of the investment of time it would take to catch up, becuase, as they catch up to where I was, I am at some new plateau.
This is a common problem in MMOs, especially slow burn dying MMOs. Speaking from a design viewpoint, it can be a nightmare to avoid this kind of problem and keep the carrot, the deisre to come back and play prevalent in the player's mind. Especially in a for profit, F2P model like Star Trek Online. I believe however, that you had the right track in mind with the new R&D system you just flubbed the delivery and then for inexplicable reasons known only to your legal department, decided to further flub it with your "fix" this morning.
Here is how to patch SOME of the wounds.
1: Restore the "bug" allowing us to use our research slots to research in multiple or the same shcools multiple time should we wish. It's suppose to be OUR research labs.
2: Reduce cooldown times, as an event perhaps, but make it semi-regular, something people can plan on, so we who don't plan on spending 300-400 dollars can manage to get real results before Santa comes. I would love to see it become a bi montly
3: Extend that cooldown reduction accross the board to reputations too. Give the new player a chance to catch up. This lets veteran players get an alt to the level of they're main it is good for the game as it ENCOURAGES play, rather then encouraging a slog, or what feels like a grab for our wallets.
4: Star Trek Online is your game, but first and foremost it's life's blood is the players. Without us, you won't have the funding neccasary to tell your stories, make more ships, show more of this wonderufl universe. And since this is the only place out there advancing the story of the TNG/DS9/Voyager Star Trek we know and love, that makes it important and special. However, keep in mind that glutting for our wallets, is the fastest way to drive Star Trek fans away. We will give you our money, gobs and gobs of it. Heaven knows that is true, just look at a Trek Convention! BUT, if for one minute we thing we are being ripped of, we are canny consumers, we will walk away, we will start to spread the word, and trekkies will steer clear, that is the bleed I speak of. I fear Star Trek Online is bleeding and we need to staunch that belleding, before it becomes something that costs me this wonderful game world I enjoy so very much.
I heartilly suggest you start listening to alumni from certain other games with successful communities that are amongst your ranks. Such people already were wildly successful in redoing the tutorials for example.
so TL:DR
Change the "bug" in the R&D back to the way it was so we can have our stuff before xmas.
Stop trying to bleed us dry.
and start trying to have fun with us in this game world.
Thank you for all the hard work you do, and for the things you are doing right. Costumes are looking amazing, the storyline, when we get it, is AWESOME. I do sincerely thank you for all you do right in the game, but please heed my advice and staunch this bleeding wound. Thank you for your time,
Respectfully,
~Reveris
Fleet Admiral:
Starfleet Strategic Command
"Lvl 50 Tac starting team, pst for invite!"
I am writing this in the hopes that it will somehow be seen in the glut that is your forums. Some part of me holds out vain hope that there is some person or persons in your company still gives a enough of a damn about the customer to know that we are in fact the lifes blood of the game.
This game is bleeding Cryptic, cause you wounded it. You wounded it with time gates, barriers to content and most of this new cash grab you call the revamped R&D system.
You took a much beloved part of the game, and twisted it hard. Took functionality from it, broke it entirely, and created something on top of it that was never meant to exist there. You deleted entirely all the progess people had made in the old Crafting System(minus the Aegis Systems that were already crafted), and just went full on axe murderer on the game with the way you attacked the populas's morale.
Whats more, when not enough people were falling for your "bypass the time gate with dilithium" path to success, you took the only viable way to achieve progress in a school before xmas, completely out of the game, and called it a bug. Well let me tell you I played Neverwinter, it wasn't a bug, it was how they're crafting system was set up too, and it worked out fine. For whatever reason you just weren't satisfied with numbers or what, but the change is made, and now those things will be out of reach of all but those willing to spend upwards of 300-400 dollars in dilithium, on research alone, till Christmastime.
This is a wound sirs and madames. And it is bleeding gamers. My fleet was once a paragon within this game, with upwards of 300 members we never wanted for a team, and usaully had between 2-4 teams running at a time. Now we are lucky to get one full team online at a time, and they likely won't all be on Vent.
You are bleeding....
You have created time gates. Gates that mean a barrier to entry for new players that even the veteran players help cannot mitigate. A new level 50 player cannot keep up with a kitted and reputationed player in a PVE enviroment. They are being out performed in every concievable way to the point of ridiculousness. I am among the elite, having played the game since the beginning, I have a ship running Fleet Elite Antiproton weapons, and I am built for critical attacks, I routinely as such deal attacks dealing 20000 pts of damage and higher. A new player, even at level 50, will have no way of doing that without those same items, and the traits and reputation abilities I have unlocked over the YEARS of playing I have done. This is a bar to entry for a new player. It makes the task seem daunting, unwinnable, and unworthy of the investment of time it would take to catch up, becuase, as they catch up to where I was, I am at some new plateau.
This is a common problem in MMOs, especially slow burn dying MMOs. Speaking from a design viewpoint, it can be a nightmare to avoid this kind of problem and keep the carrot, the deisre to come back and play prevalent in the player's mind. Especially in a for profit, F2P model like Star Trek Online. I believe however, that you had the right track in mind with the new R&D system you just flubbed the delivery and then for inexplicable reasons known only to your legal department, decided to further flub it with your "fix" this morning.
Here is how to patch SOME of the wounds.
1: Restore the "bug" allowing us to use our research slots to research in multiple or the same shcools multiple time should we wish. It's suppose to be OUR research labs.
2: Reduce cooldown times, as an event perhaps, but make it semi-regular, something people can plan on, so we who don't plan on spending 300-400 dollars can manage to get real results before Santa comes. I would love to see it become a bi montly
3: Extend that cooldown reduction accross the board to reputations too. Give the new player a chance to catch up. This lets veteran players get an alt to the level of they're main it is good for the game as it ENCOURAGES play, rather then encouraging a slog, or what feels like a grab for our wallets.
4: Star Trek Online is your game, but first and foremost it's life's blood is the players. Without us, you won't have the funding neccasary to tell your stories, make more ships, show more of this wonderufl universe. And since this is the only place out there advancing the story of the TNG/DS9/Voyager Star Trek we know and love, that makes it important and special. However, keep in mind that glutting for our wallets, is the fastest way to drive Star Trek fans away. We will give you our money, gobs and gobs of it. Heaven knows that is true, just look at a Trek Convention! BUT, if for one minute we thing we are being ripped of, we are canny consumers, we will walk away, we will start to spread the word, and trekkies will steer clear, that is the bleed I speak of. I fear Star Trek Online is bleeding and we need to staunch that belleding, before it becomes something that costs me this wonderful game world I enjoy so very much.
I heartilly suggest you start listening to alumni from certain other games with successful communities that are amongst your ranks. Such people already were wildly successful in redoing the tutorials for example.
so TL:DR
Change the "bug" in the R&D back to the way it was so we can have our stuff before xmas.
Stop trying to bleed us dry.
and start trying to have fun with us in this game world.
Thank you for all the hard work you do, and for the things you are doing right. Costumes are looking amazing, the storyline, when we get it, is AWESOME. I do sincerely thank you for all you do right in the game, but please heed my advice and staunch this bleeding wound. Thank you for your time,
Respectfully,
~Reveris
Fleet Admiral:
Starfleet Strategic Command
"Lvl 50 Tac starting team, pst for invite!"
Post edited by elvnswords on
0
Comments
Regarding feedback, I really don't know how much outrage over a system is needed to stop it.
I actually agree with a fair amount of your points, but this one is just silly - crafting was not in any way "much beloved" - it was the most poorly designed, underused, highly maligned, and least challenging crafting system I have ever used. Pen and paper D&D 2E had a better crafting system.
It needed a change, and a significant portion of the player base has been asking for change for years.
I acknowledge that some of the very first users of the system may have been shafted on having spent a large amount of time maxing it, but in return I would ask, did you get any useful items from the old system? Did you make any profit from crafting? If you are angry at losing the time it took, I can guess that yes, you did. In the case that you spent a huge time leveling it, you have been making a return on that investment for years. There is your reward. Years of useful items and profit - more than you get from most preorder items. If you leveled it post-f2p, then you spent a truly trifling amount of time on it, and rare Doff is more than really even makes sense.
The old crafting system was junk, pure and simple. The only remotely profitable item since f2p was shield capacity consoles, and the useful items were limited to Aegis sets for new alts, and maaaaaaaybe some consoles and weapons (although the delirium venders were typically cheaper).
Did they do a great job on the new system? No. Did they do a competent job, based on a balance of business needs, player desires, in game economy, and item availability? Yeah, they actually did. For what it is, the system is nearly perfect.
As a player, I'm not really happy with it, unless only in comparison to the old system, where it is infinitely superior. One can see that it is exactly what is to be expected based on current trends in STO, and in the type of MMO grinder that it is meant to be.
We can wish all we want, but as my uncle used to say, "Wish in one hand, TRIBBLE in the other, and see which one gets full first.". STO is an endgame grindefest - these are very, very profitable forms on games, and they are PWEs specialty. Without a completely new game being built, that's all it can ever be. Get used to it, or don't.
Cheers.
The poor management has already diverted people from the game. Ignoring RPers' requests for customizeable interiors (may be just Foundry-like, to save developers a few months, doesn't matter really) made people leaving, and with Season 9.5 it turned out in the long run that I command a fleet of 2.
when i read that i interpreted it as breaking doffing as a result of trying to tie crafting into it:
'You took a much beloved part of the game, and twisted it hard. Took functionality from it, broke it entirely, and created something on top of it that was never meant to exist there."
free jkname
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You are quite correct I meant the DOff system.
As above, I was reffering in my much beloved reference there to the DOff system, not the crafting system. However I do point out that they had an entire in game zone they could have created a UI specifically suited to that area, MODELLED off the DOff interface without defacing the DOff interface in the process. Instead, we have a more or less empty social zone now going completely unused, becuase it's primary function was moved to a DOff window.
I only wish I'd gotten a TES reference in there somehow. Elven swords, indeed.
The game shouldn't be a cake walk but I don't think thats really the point. I think the problem is with the monotizing of the Rep system and now the R&D system. Normal ppl don't spend hundreds of dollors on a game to level their character. I think cryptics gonna scare off alot of people with this new system in play. If I knew what was in store for me before I ever played STO. I honestly would have never started. In the beginning it was all about flying a cannon Star Trek ship and haveing Fun. Now your worried about updating your ship because your wondering how much money its gonna take. Cryptic needs to ease up on the monotizing and star focusing on pure gameplay and expanding the story of STO. Thats what the game needs. More about Star Trek and less about money. Spreed their monoizing thin over more STO content and people may just be a little bit less overwhelmed.
To you cryptic, I wish you good luck.
Ah. I rescind my commentary on that point.
Thanks for the correction.
I also used to review games myself and eventually I gave up on it. I interviewed Daniel Stahl once and he pretty much ahead of time approved my questions. It was the only way he would agree to the interview. I never found him anything but pleasant and sincere during the whole interview but given the answers it wasn't news of substance and I recommended that we discontinue ever doing it again. Most developers have the power over podcasts and small gaming outlets that let them cherry pick what they will answer.
I had no issues with remaining critical but fair in my reviews, and I used to be very pleasant about my suggestions and criticisms. STO just hasn't been that exciting since LOR before that I tried to be generous and supportive because I wanted the game to succeed. These days I am on the fence.
How about the devs trying something as refreshing as communicating on the forum? Try answering some of the very considerate and well thought out critiques. I am perfectly content if they ignore the rest of us and just answer those people. The silence (lack of official response) in the Tribble Doff GUI was deafening. And the community reps ... at least Branflakes tried to keep the lines of communication open.
Fail fail fail!
- Judge Aaron Satie
My point exactly. Free time wasting breath == not worth it.
when I read that you pretty much have to buy the mats for the really good gear I decided that I would not craft.
I won't get the cool stuff. and until they change it, PWE won't get another dime from me.
Sadly, though, I think PWE is just pulling a Brannon/Braga, and milking the cow till it's dead
You could also try connecting with their employees via facebook or twitter. That might work better than the forums. Less of a glut.
Since nobody else has apparently caught this, how in the hell do you have those?
another satisfied customer. thats the second entitlement thread in 2 days and as usual the devs will never pay any attention to them. a waste of 10 minute typing.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Although not a new player (I purchased at pre-order), I only played for a month after release then stopped playing until just after 9 hit (with the odd log on to check it out in between), I never previously got a character above level 4 because I didn't like the game back then.
I recently came back after 9 was released (or maybe just before I'm not sure) and have since then levelled 3 characters to 50, and another 3 to the early 30's. I also came back with about half a dozen or so of my friends form other games, all of which have multiple level 50's already in the short time we've been playing. So far nobody has given up and we are all having awesome fun having just discovered the reputation zones and starbase building.
so I would completely disagree that a new player would quit before or right after hitting 50. It's entirely down to the individual. Myself and my friends don't see things like reputation and starbases as a grind, we see them as an opportunity to plan to the future and a long term goal that will keep us occupied for the long term, but then again we cut our teeth in the early years of mmo's back when levelling consisted of finding the highest concentration of fast spawning mobs your level and standing there chaining them so we're probably bias.
Grinding = doing the same small subset of missions or tasks repetitively, inciting boredom and lack of enthusiasm.
Leveling up involves story, learning new skills, and seeing things you haven't seen before.
Grinding involves sleepwalking through the same small set of missions or tasks the same way you did yesterday, and the day before, and the week before, and the month before.
A game's root purpose is to entertain, not create make-work that inspires debates about the "most efficient way" to play the game.
I go to work to perform repetitive tasks for meager recompense; I play games to be entertained, inspired, amused, and to accomplish things I never will in real life.
very few people would go to a e,g modal shop and buy a kit without knowing what it was they were paying for.
as for Doffing it should not of gone live in the state its in i really did enjoy doffing when i was in between missions but the new system has pissed me off, more times in 5 mins then the old one ever did.
because it always picks my very rarest doff that i know i need for the better missions. e,g my very rare tac doff i save some for say strike against fugitive network but if im not careful it will send them on a mission that can take a hell of alot of others with the same end result of crit chance. it was a lot simpler to replace doff the old way then the new.
i dont like how big the doff missions are now in the doff mission selection window i play on a 40 inch widescreen LCD and it looks so big and daft now.
i do get that most people play on pc monitors it probs easier for them now. but it would of been better, if it has its own way to scale it.
things i liked with 9.5 my 3 kdf outfits, been piped when queue pops, more space in bank
all i can say is show craptic how much u dont like the new system buy not buying any zen for the next few months play less then normal PWE wont like it if metrics are down. :mad::mad::mad:
Couldn't agree more, Bran put a lot of consideration into his dealing with the community, he took flack and brought reasonable arguments and answers. He couldn't please everyone on every issue, but at least he was there.
Lets be honest, you people haven't given them a reason to care about you, why do you think I keep linking the "Herod, this is my town" speech? Despite the warnings me and others have given you, you accepted ARC and have a mob of people ready to mock players who are waking up to whats going on....they know they can get away with anything now....and have minions like gofasternow ready to downplay anything negative you may say no matter how legitimate their position is! Your one and only chance to have the company listen to you is gone, if you had refused ARC and they didnt get their numbers, they would have been forced to listen to you, that YOU as the customer had a voice and could help shape the product to suit your needs for entertainment....but you thought it was funny, you thought it wouldnt be as bad, and now you are paying for it and not just in cash!
The people who play at and think the trolling doooom joke is funny, arent even worth your time, they have already turned the same blind eye as the company! They just help to setback the customers/players so the company itself doesnt have to mess with em! Next time you read someone say doom, think of another brick placed in the wall!
The game im playing now, and even the forum community they have are helpful and refreshingly pleasant. No ones trolling other players, no spiteful elitists trying to get things nerfed, and the game itself is stable and fun. People actually post things that HELP others get powerful enough to make a run or leveling easier so no one is left behind!! Also there only 3 things to buy in the company store...that inclludes the sub. Just as many giveaways and specials...3x the content! So i dont feel bad about not playing here anymore, i am just in disbelief and saddened at how things turned out here for your game.
:P:P:P, of course this is a strictly personal opinion. But "fun" and "stable" are not words belonging to STO vocabulary anymore, since long time ago.. xD. Usually new people will think this way, but it is far from the truth out there... honestly, the devs will never visit the forums to inform the players, but that has nothing to do with the community behaviour. You should know that by now.