No offense, but so far the drop box rate seems about 0.1 percent.
I do not mind buying packs, even though I am a life time member. I would not even mind just paying the 5000 zen to outrighty buy the ship, but what gets me is this.
"From now until server maintenance during the morning (PDT) of September 4, 2014, when you purchase a Romulan Survivor Duty Officer Pack from the C-Store, a container will be put into your inventory. Upon opening it, it will contain either 10 Lobi Crystals or a Jem'Hadar Attack Ship*"
Those are cryptics own words. Every time you open a box you either receive lobi or a ship. That places it at 50/50 odds, fair odds.
So what are the chances of opening 10 boxes and getting just lobi, well
(1/2)^10 = 1/1024
What about 20 boxes of just lobi (1/2)^20 = 1/1048576
So given those odds, you start to think either STO is falsely advertising their product, or I should go out and play the lotto.
Even the most mindless of Ttglas are dangerous in large numbers
No offense, but so far the drop box rate seems about 0.1 percent.
That is what the odds have *always* been. Working as intended. Yes, it is a lot like playing lotto, except that you always get something, even if it is only 4 lobi and a dilithium claim.
"You Iconians just hung a vacancy sign on your asses and my foot's looking for a room!"
--Red Annorax
No offense, but so far the drop box rate seems about 0.1 percent.
I do not mind buying packs, even though I am a life time member. I would not even mind just paying the 5000 zen to outrighty buy the ship, but what gets me is this.
"From now until server maintenance during the morning (PDT) of September 4, 2014, when you purchase a Romulan Survivor Duty Officer Pack from the C-Store, a container will be put into your inventory. Upon opening it, it will contain either 10 Lobi Crystals or a Jem'Hadar Attack Ship*"
Those are cryptics own words. Every time you open a box you either receive lobi or a ship. That places it at 50/50 odds, fair odds.
So what are the chances of opening 10 boxes and getting just lobi, well
(1/2)^10 = 1/1024
What about 20 boxes of just lobi (1/2)^20 = 1/1048576
So given those odds, you start to think either STO is falsely advertising their product, or I should go out and play the lotto.
If I get on a plane that can either make it to its destination or crash, are the odds of both 50/50? Obviously not. There are such things as weighted odds in a binary outcome scenario is what I'm trying to get at here, and that's what the doff packs and lock boxes have.
It would be nice if these things had their odds of each outcome posted officially by Cryptic/PWE, much like you get on lottery tickets, or even packs of collectible cards, which these things most resemble to me.
This is an MMO, not a Star Trek episode simulator. That would make for a terrible game.
If I get on a plane that can either make it to its destination or crash, are the odds of both 50/50? Obviously not. There are such things as weighted odds in a binary outcome scenario is what I'm trying to get at here, and that's what the doff packs and lock boxes have.
It would be nice if these things had their odds of each outcome posted officially by Cryptic/PWE, much like you get on lottery tickets, or even packs of collectible cards, which these things most resemble to me.
What you're failing to realize is that is exactly what Cryptic can't and won't do! If the only items these packs dropped was the Bug Ship, then it would be gambling, and Cryptic would then have to abide by different countries rules regarding gambling, which in some cases would include having to provide official numbers ...
But they aren't! These packs are DoFF packs, and that's what Cryptic sells them as, and "officially' that's why you buy them, so it's a sale not a gamble ... They have a "bonus" of possibly giving you some Lobi, or a Bug ship, or a Cell ship, but it is a "bonus" only ...
It's the same for all "Packs" or 'Boxes" that Cryptic sells/gives away. All of them have at least one guaranteed item, and that is always what they sell them as, and what you are buying, So it can never be called a pure gamble.
What you're failing to realize is that is exactly what Cryptic can't and won't do! If the only items these packs dropped was the Bug Ship, then it would be gambling, and Cryptic would then have to abide by different countries rules regarding gambling, which in some cases would include having to provide official numbers ...
But they aren't! These packs are DoFF packs, and that's what Cryptic sells them as, and "officially' that's why you buy them, so it's a sale not a gamble ... They have a "bonus" of possibly giving you some Lobi, or a Bug ship, or a Cell ship, but it is a "bonus" only ...
It's the same for all "Packs" or 'Boxes" that Cryptic sells/gives away. All of them have at least one guaranteed item, and that is always what they sell them as, and what you are buying, So it can never be called a pure gamble.
No, I'm not failing to realize anything. They work just like collectible card packs, and should be subject to the same rules, which includes posted odds of each rarity of prize, even during these special promotions, where they essentially become a Lock Box by another name.
This is an MMO, not a Star Trek episode simulator. That would make for a terrible game.
No, I'm not failing to realize anything. They work just like collectible card packs, and should be subject to the same rules, which includes posted odds of each rarity of prize, even during these special promotions, where they essentially become a Lock Box by another name.
But they don't post the odds for lock boxes either.
It's not myfault ifyoufeel trolledbymyDisco ball...Sorry'boutit.
No, I'm not failing to realize anything. They work just like collectible card packs, and should be subject to the same rules, which includes posted odds of each rarity of prize, even during these special promotions, where they essentially become a Lock Box by another name.
Difference is, there is a guaranteed item - the DOff set or Lobi for the lockboxes - which exists regardless of any special promotion. By the letter of the law that's the "service" you're buying - since no physical goods are involved - hence this is not a gamble.
You might disagree, but good luck convincing a small claims court about the value of your imaginary spaceship...
What you're failing to realize is that is exactly what Cryptic can't and won't do! If the only items these packs dropped was the Bug Ship, then it would be gambling
As has been stated many, many, MANY times before: it already IS gambling. It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with what you are winning. It has everything to do with the fact that there is an element or random chance involved, or rather as random as a computer generated random number can be
Cryptic would then have to abide by different countries rules regarding gambling
They already have to wherever the game operates. Otherwise they would get shut down in that particular country. They already got looked at pretty hard by japan and a couple other countries.
which in some cases would include having to provide official numbers
Technically they do have to provide official numbers. Its just that nobody has cared enough to bother to make an issue out of it at this point
It's the same for all "Packs" or 'Boxes" that Cryptic sells/gives away. All of them have at least one guaranteed item, and that is always what they sell them as, and what you are buying, So it can never be called a pure gamble.
Again, you don't have to win anything at all for there to be gambling involved, its about the element of chance in the outcome
Difference is, there is a guaranteed item - the DOff set or Lobi for the lockboxes - which exists regardless of any special promotion. By the letter of the law that's the "service" you're buying -
For a third time, see above. It IS gambling by the legal definition
since no physical goods are involved - hence this is not a gamble.
No physical goods are required for something to be gambling. By that logic you could open an online casino right now and not be subjected to stated and federal gambling laws. Good luck trying to do that
You might disagree, but good luck convincing a small claims court about the value of your imaginary spaceship...
There is nothing to agree or disagere with. It is gambling. and they do actually have a value. Not that a value is required in order for something to be considered gambling. You've apparently never heard of the concept or real or perceived value. and that aside, several courts HAVE sided with players in such things. Several companies learned the hard way about that. Linden labs being one example
I'm afraid you're incorrect, and I'm saddened you cannot see this.
What you are doing is making a "purchase", that purchase being 4 x Lobi Crystals. This is the guaranteed minimum item you will receive when opening a Lockbox, and that is the only guaranteed item Cryptic has ever promised.
All other items are "bonuses" only, they are essentially "free gifts".
If you are buying Lockboxes or DoFF Packs for anything more that the Lobi Crystals, then "technically" that is a gamble, but it is not legally interpreted as "gambling".
The same would be true if you were buying a box of Breakfast Cereal, just for the toy inside, and then asked what the odds of getting a Little Car was vs a Little Horse.
Comments
50/50...you'll learn one day...
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
That is what the odds have *always* been. Working as intended. Yes, it is a lot like playing lotto, except that you always get something, even if it is only 4 lobi and a dilithium claim.
--Red Annorax
If I get on a plane that can either make it to its destination or crash, are the odds of both 50/50? Obviously not. There are such things as weighted odds in a binary outcome scenario is what I'm trying to get at here, and that's what the doff packs and lock boxes have.
It would be nice if these things had their odds of each outcome posted officially by Cryptic/PWE, much like you get on lottery tickets, or even packs of collectible cards, which these things most resemble to me.
What you're failing to realize is that is exactly what Cryptic can't and won't do! If the only items these packs dropped was the Bug Ship, then it would be gambling, and Cryptic would then have to abide by different countries rules regarding gambling, which in some cases would include having to provide official numbers ...
But they aren't! These packs are DoFF packs, and that's what Cryptic sells them as, and "officially' that's why you buy them, so it's a sale not a gamble ... They have a "bonus" of possibly giving you some Lobi, or a Bug ship, or a Cell ship, but it is a "bonus" only ...
It's the same for all "Packs" or 'Boxes" that Cryptic sells/gives away. All of them have at least one guaranteed item, and that is always what they sell them as, and what you are buying, So it can never be called a pure gamble.
Box drop rate: .5%
Box price (master key): 125 zen
Doff pack price: 275 zen
.5/125 = x/275
137.5 = 125x
1.1 = x
Yep, 1.1% chance of getting a JHAS. That's about 1 in every 90 packs.
/math
No, I'm not failing to realize anything. They work just like collectible card packs, and should be subject to the same rules, which includes posted odds of each rarity of prize, even during these special promotions, where they essentially become a Lock Box by another name.
But they don't post the odds for lock boxes either.
R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy
Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!
Yes they don't, but we can do Tribble Box/Doff Pack opening until we have an accurate estimate.
Lockbox ships are roughly 0.4 to 0.5%, JHAS is closer to 1 to 1.1%.
For anyone who wants to look up lockbox odds: http://sto.gamepedia.com/Category:Lock_Boxes and then navigate to your choice of box.
When you open a Lockbox, the minimum amount of 4 Lobi is what you buy - anything and everything else is a bonus, that is how they work.
Difference is, there is a guaranteed item - the DOff set or Lobi for the lockboxes - which exists regardless of any special promotion. By the letter of the law that's the "service" you're buying - since no physical goods are involved - hence this is not a gamble.
You might disagree, but good luck convincing a small claims court about the value of your imaginary spaceship...
As has been stated many, many, MANY times before: it already IS gambling. It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with what you are winning. It has everything to do with the fact that there is an element or random chance involved, or rather as random as a computer generated random number can be
They already have to wherever the game operates. Otherwise they would get shut down in that particular country. They already got looked at pretty hard by japan and a couple other countries.
I'm afraid you're incorrect, and I'm saddened you cannot see this.
What you are doing is making a "purchase", that purchase being 4 x Lobi Crystals. This is the guaranteed minimum item you will receive when opening a Lockbox, and that is the only guaranteed item Cryptic has ever promised.
All other items are "bonuses" only, they are essentially "free gifts".
If you are buying Lockboxes or DoFF Packs for anything more that the Lobi Crystals, then "technically" that is a gamble, but it is not legally interpreted as "gambling".
The same would be true if you were buying a box of Breakfast Cereal, just for the toy inside, and then asked what the odds of getting a Little Car was vs a Little Horse.