lol well if people are complaining about grind in this game they aint seen nothin till they have played EvE. Also the ultimate scam in gaming is the way they train their skills to keep you paying for months/years without playing.
They can have it though. Happy ship building, insuring and grinding till your eyes fall off for money
I don't mind Eve grinding.
I can play whatever way I want. (Cryptic want to force people to play DR content)
If I want to mine I can. (Cryptic made two areas to mine dilithium how about other types of resources.)
If I want to build up skill I can but it takes a while. (Cryptic is nerfing left and right but learned skilled is nulled because of the cool lockbox gimmick traits and consoles)
If I want to fly to different areas and just explore, I can.
(Cryptic took Genesis away and half .... maps).
The PUG queues are dead (and maybe buried), the forum seems sluggish...have people thrown in the towel because of Delta Rising, but just not told anyone?
well, that is the rule. I quit topics are against the rules.
No-one who is used to STO, and getting to KEEP the ship(s) they paid for after being killed, is going to stay with EvE for very long!
STO players are use to - spend what you got to get the new shinny, and deck it out with top end stuff = win.... you do that in eve you're going to blow all your money on one ship and be the biggest shinniest target for 12 jumps out. it does take a lot of restraint to learn to fly what you can afford to lose.
I have been playing in random que events with my characters since DR launched to help level them up and although the ques are no exactly heaving with players I have had no problems getting into teams.
I have been mostly playing space based for the ship mastery though I have done a few ground also.
including stf`s, CC, nebula, SBD, no win ect. all in advanced.
I just look down the ques for one that has 2 or more qued and join then wait a minute or to and we are away.
done quite well in most of them too, the only one I find really bad is azure nebula rescue its rediculasly to easy to fail on the timer every time.
When I think about everything we've been through together,
maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,
and if that journey takes a little longer,
so we can do something we all believe in,
I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.
CCP just released a new trailer for Eve online, and it has shot up their player base by about 500 new trial characters per hour... many of those could be frustrated STO players looking for a change, i suspect if that's the case then you can expect too see many returning after their two weeks are up as they flee in terror with sweet sweet tears all over their face.
From the look of it ill be resubbing to Eve Online at the start of December, I've been playing STO for years now but recently I just cant be bothered, maybe an hour or so per day as its becoming less and less fun to play due to the devs attitude to heavy levelling and grinding.
Less and less fleeties and friends have been logging on for months now, very sad indeed
Whether players 'shout' about leaving or not, the lack of queuing players sort of speaks for itself.
True enough! Especially on a holiday like today.
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Looking for a new fleet? Drop by the in-game chat channel, "tenforwardforum", and say hi to the members of A Fleet Called Ten Forward (Fed) and The Orion Pirates (KDF). If you already have a fleet you are happy with, please feel free to drop by our chat channel if you are looking for a friendly bunch of helpful people to socialize with.
Yeah - but I, personally, don't see the point. I mean, EvE has some great ships including rare and one-off ships. But those who own them tend to be unable to do much beyond admire them in drydock, because all too often using them = losing them. Forever.
I mean, look at the Gold Magnate. Only one of this ship was ever produced, as a tournament prize, therefore only ever one in the game - given as a tournament prize and then purchased, for a billion ISK, by another player. And subsequently destroyed when said player was ambushed by pirates. Therefore, this unique ship - a complete one-off - no longer exists in the game. Not as anything other than a memory anyway.
Yeah, but you have to realize - that's the charm of that game. The possibility of great losses, the feeling of slight anxiety when you do missions, the challenge of being drawn into an unexpected situation, the sense of accomplishment when you or your corporation builds something very rare and very expensive..... That's what makes EVE appealing for the people playing it. Frankly, that's appealing to me as well - my largest issues with EVE are the wretched UI and not being able to control the ships manually, and suposedly they've resolved both of those for the next expansion.
Just to point out the potentially obvious as well guys:
It's a mistake to take play attendance over the week of US thanksgiving and December, in general, as typical in _either_ direction of measurement, a sign of popularity or a sign of decline.
For instance, I know a number of people I play with are travelling, at family residences without a capable computer, working through the holiday for extra cash, etc.
I'm not saying that populations are not altering or changing, I have no way to know that.
I am saying that using this coming period as a strong indicator coming out of thanks giving and into Christmas (not to mention after a few other major game titles like Dragon Age Inquisition have released) is perhaps not the best measuring stick to show either way.
We see this same phenomena at the end of the summer every year in online games where students are in transition and returning to school where they may have better/worse connectivity options.
CCP just released a new trailer for Eve online, and it has shot up their player base by about 500 new trial characters per hour... many of those could be frustrated STO players looking for a change, i suspect if that's the case then you can expect too see many returning after their two weeks are up as they flee in terror with sweet sweet tears all over their face.
Cryptic says a week after the release of Delta RIsing where they probably sold ton of operation packages: "Best expansion ever for us" "Record Sales" and that's questionable and doubtful.
But Eve can release a trailer and gain instantly 500 new trial characters per hour, and that is not questionable or doubtful.
I think Eve's claim isn't doubtful, because I also don't think that "record sales" for Delta Rising are doubtful.
But I also suspect that if among those trial characters ther are disgruntled STO players, many will not find a game they like.
I suggest as an alternative to try out Mechwarrior Online... That should cure anyone of the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
I think most are missing the obvious or just not mentioning it, the ques do not provide a good source of exp/skill points/spec points.
The devs need to jump start the ques with direct action and that action needs to make them good places to level your character and ships.
I want to upgrade my gear but to do that i need the vr materials from the elite ques, so how exactly do i get those materials if the ques are empty, sure i could buy from exchange, but i would rather earn them that is how i play, i like to earn my way.
Playing the ques with others are a main reason many people play every day, a main reason to spend dill to upgrade equipment, without being able to start a match without a 15-20 minute wait, this is going to ruin the game for many.
We will never see a 20 player pug like Starbase Fleet Defense start again ever... does this even bother some of you, because it should it really should.:rolleyes:
I suggest as an alternative to try out Mechwarrior Online... That should cure anyone of the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company.
Yes, because instead of looking up to becomming something more advanced and better, we should look down and compare with the worst of the worst (note that I don't know anything about MWO, just going by your representation of it), so we can feel happy that our TRIBBLE at least isn't as stinky TRIBBLE as compared to that. :rolleyes:
Your logic is like me throwing my PC out of the window because STO is currently keeps crashing on launch, regardless that I can run new games such as SC for ex. on max settings without any issues.
Yes, because instead of looking up to becomming something more advanced and better, we should look down and compare with the worst of the worst (note that I don't know anything about MWO, just going by your representation of it), so we can feel happy that our TRIBBLE at least isn't as stinky TRIBBLE as compared to that. :rolleyes:
Your logic is like me throwing my PC out of the window because STO is currently keeps crashing on launch, regardless that I can run new games such as SC for ex. on max settings without any issues.
Nope, that's not my logic. Read what I write, not what you want to read into it. Or not. Who would really care?
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
Yeah - but I, personally, don't see the point. I mean, EvE has some great ships including rare and one-off ships. But those who own them tend to be unable to do much beyond admire them in drydock, because all too often using them = losing them. Forever.
I mean, look at the Gold Magnate. Only one of this ship was ever produced, as a tournament prize, therefore only ever one in the game - given as a tournament prize and then purchased, for a billion ISK, by another player. And subsequently destroyed when said player was ambushed by pirates. Therefore, this unique ship - a complete one-off - no longer exists in the game. Not as anything other than a memory anyway.
to me that is a draw, the point of sandbox games is that it plays different for everybody..... 1 guy got to experience winning this ship and selling it for 1B, another got to experience spending 1B on a ship and losing it, and a small group of pirates got to experience taking out the most unique ship in the game - while the rest of us just got to hear about it.
an experience I had myself about 7-8 weeks ago, I was hauling, among other things, booster gas that I stole out of hero controlled catch during the height of our war with them. I docked up at our main trade hub and unloaded everything but the gas, when I undocked however I got jumped by three brave noobies that were camping on the station undock.. I was so focused on keeping my repairs up, and trying to use webs to slow them down and break free that I didn't get out a call for help on intel... and yet, a friendly patrol fleet had seen the attack on the local combat log, scanned us down and came in to save me with 12% structure left.... all of us have a unique story to tell from that experience.
most MMO's have no way to deliver this kind of feature. take STO for example, you start out as a new captain and go rescue the azura from pirates... fun experience no doubt, But everyone in the game will do the exact same thing, so there is no experience unique to you.
a few month's back there was a challenge that paid out special gecko drones to everyone depending on how many accomplishments their faction earned. I received 4, and looted 2 off some dude who tried to kill me with them....... and I have been sand bagging on them while watching everyone else get theirs blown up... last time i checked i think the stack was worth about 100 mil, another 2-3 months could see double that at this rate. - rarity creates value, hence why money is worth nothing now a days.
Nope, that's not my logic. Read what I write, not what you want to read into it. Or not. Who would really care?
Oh, I read what you wrote loud and clear. Trying MWO will "cure" everyone from the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company (all of which is currently true btw), didn't you say that?
So you found, or you think you found, something worse and we're suposed to be relieved that Cryptic's incompetence, lazyness and greed is not quite as bad as whoever develops MWO, right? Yeah, my assertion on the logic you displayed is spot on. Not that anyone cares, anyway.
Regular forum posters know the reasons no need to rehash them.
The Suits at cryptic need to hire some star trek Fan gamemasters...and then listen to them and do what the hell they say
As anyone can see they have no such guidance in how to make a player Fun game or they arnt listening to them...Its also plain they don't take advice from the forums unless it suits there already established goals
Very much like SOE and john smedleys management of SWG was in year 3......It failed for SOE and the best mmo of the time crashed and burned horribly
The path cryptic is on is the wrong path...its not star trek and Trekkies wont buy this garbage as they are showing
A few like myself and maybe you will hold on to the end...Only the suits can change this ....they have a good thing but not a clue as to how to make this mmo Fun and make money
Give us Star Trek and Not Star jack in the box and you will make money cryptic
Say what you will but DR is the most negative thing to ever happen to this game because of how badley it has been mismanaged and implmented
Jellico....Engineer ground.....Da'val Romulan space Sci
Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng
JJ-Verse will never be Canon or considered Lore...It will always be JJ-Verse
The PUG queues are dead (and maybe buried), the forum seems sluggish...have people thrown in the towel because of Delta Rising, but just not told anyone?
Does it surprise that people leave without sharing a self-gratifying message on the official forums?
The forums give a distorted view of the playerbase. People are more likely to go on the forums and complain about something the devs do wrong than thank them for something they do right.
I didn't say there were not issues with queues being played, I said there are outside variables affecting who is playing at all at moment.
I believe the queues are quiet, I was challenging the assertion that somehow this moment right now was in any way indicative of the total player population as a stable point of reference.
Queues being played is a separate issue altogether in my opinion but your perspective may vary.
Actually I believe that queues being empy are far from a separate issue. Once you reach level 60 there is not much else left to do other than queues. When they are empty it means that the high level players are not around...
People can still be posting on the forums even if they are not currently playing. I stay here to see if things are improving and to get the heads up on the next incoming grind which is the winter wonderland.
Of course after the event I will probably go back to working through the 300+ games in my steam library which have been neglected up till a few weeks ago. Cryptic does have the power to change that though
Oh, I read what you wrote loud and clear. Trying MWO will "cure" everyone from the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company didn't you say that?
So you found, or you think you found, something worse and we're suposed to be relieved that Cryptic's incompetence, lazyness and greed is not quite as bad as whoever develops MWO, right? Yeah, my assertion on the logic you displayed is spot on. Not that anyone cares, anyway.
See, now you understand why I did not get why you think I was implying throwing out your PC instead of the game.
Though my sentence may be more important than I thought - there was someone somewhere else on the forums that said he found MW:O better. Despite that game's utter lack of basic features like a decent chat system, failed to deliver essential promises, and when it sells you a big package, that all that is added to the game - not like STO ,where you can choose to buy something like the Delta Ops package, but they add also a lot of mission content (with voice overs from stars of the franchise) and new systems.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
Usually during a launch, the player base gets a significant bump as casual players return. This impacts other areas of the game, the queues being the hardest hit. However even during a major launch - LoR for example - the queues would have hundreds of players still active.
DR has had seen a declining player base each week since launch.
There was no 'one' change that caused this, but rather a series of changes to the game compounded by bugs and poor communication, creating problematic perceptions about the game.
The major issues:
1.) Reduce dilithium while increasing dilithium costs.
2.) HP & shield increases for NPC's that draw out the event
3.) Astronomical costs for R&D
4.) High fail rates in STF's - the only place to get VR R&D
In Cryptics defense the have partially restored dil. lowered difficulty and have cuts R&D costs for some development by 15-30%.
The big perception issues:
1.) Your formerly elite gear is now second rate.
2.) You must rebuy your ships.
3.) Quality control is something other people do.
4.) Everything has become a cash grab.
I have no issues with giving Cryptic my money. I do expect them to give me what I've paid for. 5 weeks into the launch and I still don't have some of the elements of the Operations Pack. Yes, I filed a ticket(s). No, they have not resolved it.
Summary:
I'm of the impression that all of the efforts made Cryptic in the past 5 weeks were to:
1.) Cull the player base of free players. (success)
2.) Increase revenue. (success)
3.) Reign in all in-game achievement in terms of advancement and rewards (success)
At the end of the day I need F2P for totally selfish reasons. Who will I sell my overpriced R&D gear to? Play with in pugs at any point in the day? Sell my lockbox cast-offs? Build fleets with?
7 friends invited 4 months ago. All 7 dont play as of yesterday . I'm the only one left now. And my login time to sto gone down to about 20 minutes per day.
It's a combination of the two. Disenfranchised casual players (and players with better taste in games) have left, and many of the players who remain have access to channels for private matches.
It is pretty obvious the numbers are crashing hard. It is not just the # of players queued. Zones are emptying out too including the main ones like ESD. Reaction on forum has been almost unanimously negative. Steam charts shows numbers are down significantly and still dropping. Statistically the samples are more than valid.
Not saying the game is dying. But it is facing a huge downturn. Devs are running scared trying to do PR on forums and putting out fire. Good try there Taco ...
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Trendy's Grumpy Cat comment, followed within a few hours by Captain Smirk's Grumpy Cat image on twitter give me the impression they're at least coordinating their social media efforts.
The reference is odd - likely a quip made in a meeting that got carried too far.
In any case, the 'unintended consequences' of all the changes may have been exactly what they wanted to minimize the number of F2P players, while increasing base revenue from the paying player. At least I hope that's what they intended. Creating and managing all those bugs must have been a logistics nightmare.
In any case, I want to give Cryptic my money for quality STO. 'Cause they produce quality when you pay for it, right?
Why anyone would think that every single player feels obligated to 'report their departure' to the rest of the world is beyond me.
TONS of people come - and go - without coming to a forum to announce it. Sure, there are plenty of people that DO feel the swell of self-importance so much that they have to come and post a tirade about their departure - like anyone really cares. But most people just move on.
Just like when someone new comes to the game, they don't always come here to announce that, either.
My family has played a few dozen MMOs, and we've never felt the need to post our departure when we've moved on. We've just.... moved on. Nobody cares, really. All that these companies care about is your money - and when you take -that- with you, they definitely notice.
Cryptic says a week after the release of Delta RIsing where they probably sold ton of operation packages: "Best expansion ever for us" "Record Sales" and that's questionable and doubtful.
But Eve can release a trailer and gain instantly 500 new trial characters per hour, and that is not questionable or doubtful.
I think Eve's claim isn't doubtful, because I also don't think that "record sales" for Delta Rising are doubtful.
But I also suspect that if among those trial characters ther are disgruntled STO players, many will not find a game they like.
I suggest as an alternative to try out Mechwarrior Online... That should cure anyone of the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company.
Here is the different. Eve gives you a concrete number indicating before and after rates of new members, to them, that metric is a success. It isn't the only measure, if retention rate is poor it doesn't matter, but if its the same as before, then it is a win.
PWE tells you its the most successful ever.. thats not good statement, its a cover up. The statement is open to interpretation and judgement, never trust the judgement of a PR person (aka salesperson.)
A company that doesn't need to hide the truth, won't, its that simple.
Well yea at the moment elite ground contend plays a bit better than space.
- You do not need much of a build understanding unlike space
- You only have a handful of items to get and to upgrade
If you have that you are good to go. If not it gets a bit harder for you and your team. Since Borg STF are sadly not featured as elite yet (except hive) my fleet mates and myself often go on elite ground tours.
Since I also encounter a lack of players interest in running PvE queued contend (or lack of players at all) we often have to take a pug or two but those 4 missions reward adequate atm for a team which knows what its doing and with minimized risks of failure then.
Never looked at it that way that you can get to the end of upgrading and ground specializations faster doing ground. Stll not my cup of tea really but maybe opens the idea of a ground only alt?
Comments
I don't mind Eve grinding.
I can play whatever way I want. (Cryptic want to force people to play DR content)
If I want to mine I can. (Cryptic made two areas to mine dilithium how about other types of resources.)
If I want to build up skill I can but it takes a while. (Cryptic is nerfing left and right but learned skilled is nulled because of the cool lockbox gimmick traits and consoles)
If I want to fly to different areas and just explore, I can.
(Cryptic took Genesis away and half .... maps).
well, that is the rule. I quit topics are against the rules.
STO players are use to - spend what you got to get the new shinny, and deck it out with top end stuff = win.... you do that in eve you're going to blow all your money on one ship and be the biggest shinniest target for 12 jumps out. it does take a lot of restraint to learn to fly what you can afford to lose.
Me playing UT2k4 (red guy) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz0DnP7wXnU
I have been mostly playing space based for the ship mastery though I have done a few ground also.
including stf`s, CC, nebula, SBD, no win ect. all in advanced.
I just look down the ques for one that has 2 or more qued and join then wait a minute or to and we are away.
done quite well in most of them too, the only one I find really bad is azure nebula rescue its rediculasly to easy to fail on the timer every time.
When I think about everything we've been through together,
maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,
and if that journey takes a little longer,
so we can do something we all believe in,
I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.
From the look of it ill be resubbing to Eve Online at the start of December, I've been playing STO for years now but recently I just cant be bothered, maybe an hour or so per day as its becoming less and less fun to play due to the devs attitude to heavy levelling and grinding.
Less and less fleeties and friends have been logging on for months now, very sad indeed
True enough! Especially on a holiday like today.
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Yeah, but you have to realize - that's the charm of that game. The possibility of great losses, the feeling of slight anxiety when you do missions, the challenge of being drawn into an unexpected situation, the sense of accomplishment when you or your corporation builds something very rare and very expensive..... That's what makes EVE appealing for the people playing it. Frankly, that's appealing to me as well - my largest issues with EVE are the wretched UI and not being able to control the ships manually, and suposedly they've resolved both of those for the next expansion.
On that note, it will make it much harder on gaining materials to help advance your stuff. Besides spending on the Exchange.
Cryptic says a week after the release of Delta RIsing where they probably sold ton of operation packages: "Best expansion ever for us" "Record Sales" and that's questionable and doubtful.
But Eve can release a trailer and gain instantly 500 new trial characters per hour, and that is not questionable or doubtful.
I think Eve's claim isn't doubtful, because I also don't think that "record sales" for Delta Rising are doubtful.
But I also suspect that if among those trial characters ther are disgruntled STO players, many will not find a game they like.
I suggest as an alternative to try out Mechwarrior Online... That should cure anyone of the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company.
The devs need to jump start the ques with direct action and that action needs to make them good places to level your character and ships.
I want to upgrade my gear but to do that i need the vr materials from the elite ques, so how exactly do i get those materials if the ques are empty, sure i could buy from exchange, but i would rather earn them that is how i play, i like to earn my way.
Playing the ques with others are a main reason many people play every day, a main reason to spend dill to upgrade equipment, without being able to start a match without a 15-20 minute wait, this is going to ruin the game for many.
We will never see a 20 player pug like Starbase Fleet Defense start again ever... does this even bother some of you, because it should it really should.:rolleyes:
Yes, because instead of looking up to becomming something more advanced and better, we should look down and compare with the worst of the worst (note that I don't know anything about MWO, just going by your representation of it), so we can feel happy that our TRIBBLE at least isn't as stinky TRIBBLE as compared to that. :rolleyes:
Your logic is like me throwing my PC out of the window because STO is currently keeps crashing on launch, regardless that I can run new games such as SC for ex. on max settings without any issues.
Nope, that's not my logic. Read what I write, not what you want to read into it. Or not. Who would really care?
to me that is a draw, the point of sandbox games is that it plays different for everybody..... 1 guy got to experience winning this ship and selling it for 1B, another got to experience spending 1B on a ship and losing it, and a small group of pirates got to experience taking out the most unique ship in the game - while the rest of us just got to hear about it.
an experience I had myself about 7-8 weeks ago, I was hauling, among other things, booster gas that I stole out of hero controlled catch during the height of our war with them. I docked up at our main trade hub and unloaded everything but the gas, when I undocked however I got jumped by three brave noobies that were camping on the station undock.. I was so focused on keeping my repairs up, and trying to use webs to slow them down and break free that I didn't get out a call for help on intel... and yet, a friendly patrol fleet had seen the attack on the local combat log, scanned us down and came in to save me with 12% structure left.... all of us have a unique story to tell from that experience.
most MMO's have no way to deliver this kind of feature. take STO for example, you start out as a new captain and go rescue the azura from pirates... fun experience no doubt, But everyone in the game will do the exact same thing, so there is no experience unique to you.
a few month's back there was a challenge that paid out special gecko drones to everyone depending on how many accomplishments their faction earned. I received 4, and looted 2 off some dude who tried to kill me with them....... and I have been sand bagging on them while watching everyone else get theirs blown up... last time i checked i think the stack was worth about 100 mil, another 2-3 months could see double that at this rate. - rarity creates value, hence why money is worth nothing now a days.
Me playing UT2k4 (red guy) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz0DnP7wXnU
Oh, I read what you wrote loud and clear. Trying MWO will "cure" everyone from the notion that Cryptic is the worst kind of incompetent, lazy and a money-grubbing company (all of which is currently true btw), didn't you say that?
So you found, or you think you found, something worse and we're suposed to be relieved that Cryptic's incompetence, lazyness and greed is not quite as bad as whoever develops MWO, right? Yeah, my assertion on the logic you displayed is spot on. Not that anyone cares, anyway.
Few have come to replace them
Regular forum posters know the reasons no need to rehash them.
The Suits at cryptic need to hire some star trek Fan gamemasters...and then listen to them and do what the hell they say
As anyone can see they have no such guidance in how to make a player Fun game or they arnt listening to them...Its also plain they don't take advice from the forums unless it suits there already established goals
Very much like SOE and john smedleys management of SWG was in year 3......It failed for SOE and the best mmo of the time crashed and burned horribly
The path cryptic is on is the wrong path...its not star trek and Trekkies wont buy this garbage as they are showing
A few like myself and maybe you will hold on to the end...Only the suits can change this ....they have a good thing but not a clue as to how to make this mmo Fun and make money
Give us Star Trek and Not Star jack in the box and you will make money cryptic
Say what you will but DR is the most negative thing to ever happen to this game because of how badley it has been mismanaged and implmented
Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng
JJ-Verse will never be Canon or considered Lore...It will always be JJ-Verse
Does it surprise that people leave without sharing a self-gratifying message on the official forums?
Really?
Actually I believe that queues being empy are far from a separate issue. Once you reach level 60 there is not much else left to do other than queues. When they are empty it means that the high level players are not around...
Of course after the event I will probably go back to working through the 300+ games in my steam library which have been neglected up till a few weeks ago. Cryptic does have the power to change that though
Still waiting to be able to use forum titles
See, now you understand why I did not get why you think I was implying throwing out your PC instead of the game.
Though my sentence may be more important than I thought - there was someone somewhere else on the forums that said he found MW:O better. Despite that game's utter lack of basic features like a decent chat system, failed to deliver essential promises, and when it sells you a big package, that all that is added to the game - not like STO ,where you can choose to buy something like the Delta Ops package, but they add also a lot of mission content (with voice overs from stars of the franchise) and new systems.
And no, you can't "haz my stuffs"...
CM
Usually during a launch, the player base gets a significant bump as casual players return. This impacts other areas of the game, the queues being the hardest hit. However even during a major launch - LoR for example - the queues would have hundreds of players still active.
DR has had seen a declining player base each week since launch.
There was no 'one' change that caused this, but rather a series of changes to the game compounded by bugs and poor communication, creating problematic perceptions about the game.
The major issues:
1.) Reduce dilithium while increasing dilithium costs.
2.) HP & shield increases for NPC's that draw out the event
3.) Astronomical costs for R&D
4.) High fail rates in STF's - the only place to get VR R&D
In Cryptics defense the have partially restored dil. lowered difficulty and have cuts R&D costs for some development by 15-30%.
The big perception issues:
1.) Your formerly elite gear is now second rate.
2.) You must rebuy your ships.
3.) Quality control is something other people do.
4.) Everything has become a cash grab.
I have no issues with giving Cryptic my money. I do expect them to give me what I've paid for. 5 weeks into the launch and I still don't have some of the elements of the Operations Pack. Yes, I filed a ticket(s). No, they have not resolved it.
Summary:
I'm of the impression that all of the efforts made Cryptic in the past 5 weeks were to:
1.) Cull the player base of free players. (success)
2.) Increase revenue. (success)
3.) Reign in all in-game achievement in terms of advancement and rewards (success)
At the end of the day I need F2P for totally selfish reasons. Who will I sell my overpriced R&D gear to? Play with in pugs at any point in the day? Sell my lockbox cast-offs? Build fleets with?
My Two Bits
Admiral Thrax
What if I try to use correct grammar and spelling?
Not saying the game is dying. But it is facing a huge downturn. Devs are running scared trying to do PR on forums and putting out fire. Good try there Taco ...
- Judge Aaron Satie
The reference is odd - likely a quip made in a meeting that got carried too far.
In any case, the 'unintended consequences' of all the changes may have been exactly what they wanted to minimize the number of F2P players, while increasing base revenue from the paying player. At least I hope that's what they intended. Creating and managing all those bugs must have been a logistics nightmare.
In any case, I want to give Cryptic my money for quality STO. 'Cause they produce quality when you pay for it, right?
Why anyone would think that every single player feels obligated to 'report their departure' to the rest of the world is beyond me.
TONS of people come - and go - without coming to a forum to announce it. Sure, there are plenty of people that DO feel the swell of self-importance so much that they have to come and post a tirade about their departure - like anyone really cares. But most people just move on.
Just like when someone new comes to the game, they don't always come here to announce that, either.
My family has played a few dozen MMOs, and we've never felt the need to post our departure when we've moved on. We've just.... moved on. Nobody cares, really. All that these companies care about is your money - and when you take -that- with you, they definitely notice.
Here is the different. Eve gives you a concrete number indicating before and after rates of new members, to them, that metric is a success. It isn't the only measure, if retention rate is poor it doesn't matter, but if its the same as before, then it is a win.
PWE tells you its the most successful ever.. thats not good statement, its a cover up. The statement is open to interpretation and judgement, never trust the judgement of a PR person (aka salesperson.)
A company that doesn't need to hide the truth, won't, its that simple.
Completed Starbase, Embassy, Mine, Spire and No Win Scenario
Nothing to do anymore.
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Never looked at it that way that you can get to the end of upgrading and ground specializations faster doing ground. Stll not my cup of tea really but maybe opens the idea of a ground only alt?
Good stuff as usual Connor