My guess is "hope" keeps people not playing but posting on the forums. For others, its a path of sad realization and closure. Grieving takes time. The worst "haters" here love the game, or did at some point.
We don't need anybody fired. The current management did good and bad things.
All they need to do is start to interact with their playerbase, preferably ingame.
Lets face it.
1. Podcasts are too long for most people to watch, and is not interacting.
2. The forums would be a very bad idea, due to the rather negative atmosphere down here.
3. Getting ingame (incognito) lets them experience the issues of the playerbase first-hand.
Especially a little (anything) more from EP D'Angelo would be very welcome. Say about DStahl all you want, at least he kept us informed of all his plans, of which he ultimately did about 5%, but we knew what he wanted to do wtih the game. I honestly have no clue what D'Angelo wants to do with it, all I remember seeing from him is the DR announcement and the "Exploit" announcement.
Why is the game as it is and what is going to happen moving forward?
Simple, whales.
Whales ran the truck off the road and whales will keep it there, whales rule the developers, the game and everything in and around it.
SO, if there is to be change - which granted I consider very unlikely, you call me a cynic, I type this all with a steady hand smile on my face and half drunk, no hate at all, I am a happy drunk, THEN, you HAVE to come to terms with the addicts, the whales tossing money around like it's candy no matter what is going on with the game.
It's essentially pointless to voice that you are displeased with developer 1, 2 or 3 all the while whales are injecting more dil into the game than ever before.
In fact you just going to lower your creditability even though your psycho-analysis of his personal problems might easily be true.
And even more ironic for all intents and purposes you probably was close to having the developers' ear back when you were brainwashed - whereas the more you start asking questions the more likely the will ignore you.
All they need to do is start to interact with their playerbase, preferably ingame.
Actually I think right there is correct. The management needs to stop relying on metrics. I've seen devs admit that they spend so much time working on the game, that they don't actually play it. I've seen PR people admit they didn't know how to properly set up a ship in game, and welcome advice on how to do it properly.
This translate to a group of people that are looking at pie charts and numbers but with no real world experience making decisions on how to make and guide the game, based on criteria from other games that they're trying to translate into this game.
Champions Online has the exact same issue.
Here's the question that really the devs need to do. They need to create a character starting today, level them up from level 1 to 60, fully outfit them with reputation gear and high level R&D gear, and pay for ships out of their own pocket, and stop using dev cheats and being given free ships to show off. Then they need to do an alt character on the Klingon side, and one on the Romulan side and do the exact same thing. They need to become experts on their game, and figure out how much money they needed to do it, and how much time, then sit down in their board room and answer the question "Was this actually fun, and do you think people actually want to play this game in this condition?"
This isn't an unusual or wierd development. A lot of developers lose touch with their game and what's fun and not fun, concentrating more on accounting and metrics and pie charts, then begin to wonder why people are complaining about the game.
Devs need to not just develop the game, but play the game as players. They need to be the people answering questions on "how to set up a science ship" in the academy because they're the experts, and when they're the ones saying "don't pick this power because this power is worthless in game" they can go back ot the board room and fix it... right there.
But that's not the case with Cryptic. They make their games, but they don't KNOW their games.
Devs need to not just develop the game, but play the game as players. They need to be the people answering questions on "how to set up a science ship" in the academy because they're the experts, and when they're the ones saying "don't pick this power because this power is worthless in game" they can go back ot the board room and fix it... right there.
But that's not the case with Cryptic. They make their games, but they don't KNOW their games.
A good chef tastes his own food. When someone complains about the food he doesn't call his customers ungrateful whiners, he doesn't accuse them of stealing his food and he doesn't go into a bizarre state of denial.
A good chef tastes his own food. When someone complains about the food he doesn't call his customers ungrateful whiners, he doesn't accuse them of stealing his food and he doesn't go into a bizarre state of denial.
i actually watched those, looks about right, some have other issues with the state of the game then i so.
Mine, primarily it's not fun in the "rounded things to do" sense, they don't try to find the best out of the concerns and make it better for all players no matter what their play styles are.
Don't want to farm one piece of bug for XP, simply boring.
Right now it's draconian in nature to how they run these "changes" to what was once an icon play style.
they got all Winter Wonderland to run the numbers, but when that's gone, the differant problems everyopne has with the game will still be there.
Well...yes, but you're evil and want to see everything end in tears....
LOL... Every now and then the evil people show up... It's always good to hear from them... Great for ratings and LOL's.
The dress is gold and white. Over 70% people says so. When viewed from a certain screen angle it appears blue and black. The dress displayed on amazon is a blue and black dress, but it's not the same dress in the picture. If you're seeing blue & black you're slightly colored blind. A normal upright screen = white and gold.
I don't think either of these two devs are replaceable. Nobody knows the systems the way they do.
To replace them is to start over completely, they are the game.
All story content and fluff overlays what they've done. Those folks can be replaced, and have been on occasion. D'Angelo and Rivera are the bedrock. To remove them is to put the game
on life-support or shut it down.
It makes perfect sense to have them in charge because no changes will happen without their approval anyhow. Stahl's ideas all had to go through these fellows, he couldn't make them happen himself.
We are all at their mercy and it would not surprise me if they were seeing some serious profit-sharing that would enhance their desire to squeeze funds out of players. These guys will have a reputation after this game kinda like Bill Roper had. They will need a big payday to insure their futures.
One has said there is too much story in the game, the other says he's not a fan of Ray Bradbury. These are flags to me that we're lucky to have any FE's at all. Their focus is cold efficiency and not the human experience.
Come to the popular crowds of private channels and discover just how many players are unhappy while ques are left dead in the water.
i argree and i see how they are trying to make it like their other games. i stoped playing the other games beacuse they are only grinders or money sink and not worth the trouble. i don't this game has much left to it at the rate and direction it is going.
Nope.
Listening to Geko in the podcasts has proven to me that he has no freaking clue about what's going on in game.
Exactly, though D'Angelo seems to be even further removed from logic than Geko. Both decried the exploiters after they left in a bug that allowed people to level a little bit faster than reasonable. In response the nerf's to levelling have made it close to 20x slower. Yes that's more than 17x
Maths to support 20x claim:
Time to level 50-60 pre-nerf:
180 mins avg for Tau Dewa
Time to level 50-60 current:
3600 mins with avg playtime of 2hrs per day = 30 days.
Time for 1 spec point pre-nerf:
25 mins avg for Tau Dewa
Time for 1 spec point current:
160K XP needed
Argala = ~7K XP per run on Normal (most efficient for time)
Argala = 3-5 mins with good build 10-15 with bad.
1 spec point per 68-114mins for a good build to 228-342 mins for a bad build.
Not quite 20x but until last patch it was far worse as Argala only gave out ~4000 XP which was still more efficient than Advanced.
Chris Robert's on SC:
"You don't have to do something again and again and again repetitive that doesn't have much challange, that's just a general good gameplay thing."
I would like to know what magical human beings will fade into existance with the technical skill and personal, first-hand experience with the Cryptic game engine who can also simultaneously make everything sunshine and rainbows for all.
I have to take Devs side. They are worker bees. They might even be soldier bees but certainly they don't have much of decision power in their hands. They do what they are asked to do by decision makers.
Grinding for MkIV epic gear?
Ain't Nobody Got Time for That
Correction: The vast majority of the whiny minority on the forums likes to make stupid signatures to show their distaste for a game, while the ones who are really displeased with the game just leave without any indication that they've done so.
You know, I hate the way that some people believe that anybody who honestly has issues with this game would just up and leave without a word. That's not how most people are. If you're unhappy in your job, in your relationship, in your friendship, you don't just ditch.
You try to make amends, you bring forward your concerns, and issues, you argue, you fight, you try to find a way to change things, or compromise, you make an effort, and if it's worthwhile, you make a large effort.
For lots of people, STO is just another pew-pew MMO, and they couldn't give a rats patootie whether it succeeds or fails because if it gets too grindy, too difficult, too boring, they'll just move onto the next one. Those are your silent departures.
But for some people, especially the passionate Star Trek fans who make up the bulk of STOs customer base, that's not really an option because there isn't another Star Trek MMO out there to move on to.
So when there's an issue, when the game is moving in the wrong direction, they fight, they P*ss & B*tch and moan, they recommend changes and make appeals to the Devs, they outline the problems and recommend fixes, because they give a sh*t.
EDIT: And furthermore, when those players leave, when the passionate arguers and fanatics leave, that's the death knell, that's when the game is in the long, slow spiral until the ROI isn't high enough to justify the Server costs, and they shut down the game.
We see threads every single day where Whales swear off spending money, where the passionate fans give their goodbyes.
I left for more than two years, and the changes in the game in that period were drastic, and while I'm still discovering the new content, I can tell you once it's run out I'll be hard pressed to stay. Repetitive grind for Marks or Dilithium to buy gear for nonexistent PvP that is now unjustified because the Devs decided to make peace between the Factions isn't going to hold me.
I was (and am) a big Klingon Fan and before I left had pretty much bought everything the Klingons had gotten, and I'd hoped they'd have gotten their own unique storytelling and PvE, but alas, no. I'd heard of LoR while I was away, and was excited for the potential for Romulan content, and what was there was decent (not great, but decent) and then I got to the point where, again, rehashed Fed content <facepalm>.
Essentially, as a Trek Fan, I'm here for the PvE I missed out on for Two Years, and the way they're trying to persuade me to stay is more grind and Cash Shop Items. It's like they have no idea what it's like to be player, rather than a statistical model of spending liklihood.
Which is why when I say "they" I'm not referring to the Devs at Cryptic. They're gamers, maybe too busy to play their game, so they're woefully out of touch with how we as players actually play the game, but they at least get the concept. I blame the folks at PWE holding the purse strings and demanding that cash only flow one way. They're the ones who see content as the enemy, and grind and cash shop items as the product.
It's F2P, the way they make their money is by making the game as unplayable as possible unless you spend money on it. So that's all they do. If you're willing to dump $50 a week on the game for the latest cash shop items and/or Dilithium, I imagine the game doesn't get boring at all, but for those who don't, the LTS crowd and the F2P crowd who don't pump money in, the grind for the Dilithium you need for nearly every little thing is a huge pain in the *ss.
Original Join Date: January 2010. Ragequit Date: January 7th 2012. Return Date: October 23rd 2014.
You know, I hate the way that some people believe that anybody who honestly has issues with this game would just up and leave without a word. That's not how most people are. If you're unhappy in your job, in your relationship, in your friendship, you don't just ditch.
You try to make amends, you bring forward your concerns, and issues, you argue, you fight, you try to find a way to change things, or compromise, you make an effort, and if it's worthwhile, you make a large effort.
For lots of people, STO is just another pew-pew MMO, and they couldn't give a rats patootie whether it succeeds or fails because if it gets too grindy, too difficult, too boring, they'll just move onto the next one. Those are your silent departures.
But for some people, especially the passionate Star Trek fans who make up the bulk of STOs customer base, that's not really an option because there isn't another Star Trek MMO out there to move on to.
So when there's an issue, when the game is moving in the wrong direction, they fight, they P*ss & B*tch and moan, they recommend changes and make appeals to the Devs, they outline the problems and recommend fixes, because they give a sh*t.
Thanks for this post. Its the best I have read past week.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
Simply put. The Devs who are making decisions for the game aren't doing their job right.
I suggest whoever's up top (PWE? Cryptic?) to apply pressure to the Devs to repair the damage caused by DR, or to change the command structure.
Because let's face it PWE, this strategy isn't working. If you want us to stay, give us motivation to stay, and in addition, hold your workers accountable for their actions.
EDIT: More specifically, CaptainGeko (Al Rivera), but certainly not limited to him.
as much as i hate to state it, but i already mentioned this... a few years ago. i told you all that i figure these people out in one forum post back in 2011, that hasnt changed. and after 2013 and brandon leaving the game, and the arrival of trendy and smirk as community liaisons i already figured these 2 in about 10 seconds.
it takes a bad apple to know another from on the tree. personally i dont know them i go no opinion there, but professionally and the past year now, i have come to expect a lot of this TRIBBLE in regards as to how to deal with the community.
as for the devs, from what im told geko has free reign on his sto projects and all it needs is the nod from d'angelo on some of it as soon as its cleared by cbs and whatever else so there are no issues to deal with. anyways, geko has really put alot into the game content wise and not forgetting the contributions of his team either in their own areas. however at some point its gotta stop being a variation on a theme and a new approach to the content could be needed.
T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW. Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
These threads never start well; then endings simply echo the inanity in which they begin. Can I have proof that people are leaving the game in "droves," and I mean real proof, not references to "I quit" threads or comments like "look at the queues."
There is a whiny minority on the forums. There always has been, and now they are more fired up than ever. I do not like all the changes that have come with DR. I probably won't be upgrading my best anytime soon, and I do not have the urge or desire to spend hundreds of thousands of dil on new shinies. That said, I still enjoy the game.
Not possible to standards you'd accept. And that's the quandary which is both ripe for abuse on either side of the argument.
I have a simpler test.
Have people I know well - not just channel buds - but fleet mates and regulars whom I have played with almost daily with for three years left the game?
Yes. 16 and counting.
How do I know this? We've talked about it. I can view their last login in the fleet.
Where did they go? Various to other games. Fleet mates have moved to RIFT. Some have spent money there.
How do I know this? We've talked about it. In RIFT.
And of course theres' an even simpler test. Join a queue other than CCA and BHE.
Take a statistics course and come back to me when you figure out what's wrong with what you said just now.
While he's off finding a textbook, I'll tell the rest of you: Polls and surveys, no matter what kind, never talk to 100% of those affected. That's basically impossible to do. The trick is to get enough data points that you have a statistically significant cross-sectional view of the demographic.
I don't need a text book to know that. You don't either, you just need to follow the thread more closely and read in context. I was not claiming that Steam's numbers are unrepresenative (though i am not sure that they are, I am more inclined to think they are). But since we don't have actual player numbers for any point during the Steam timeline, giving an absolulte number of lost players cannot be justified. It is possible however to use a relative, e.g. describe percentages.
The poster I quoted picked a number that was based on a Massively Report, as I later found out - that was nt referring to Star Trek Online at all, since it was talking about players in China and Neverwinter. So it had nothing to do with Steam numbers. And nothing to do with STO.
But if you'd use Steam as basis, STO has more average active players at the end of November than they did at the end of September. It looks like the Q4 numbers are actually up. They are also up compared to last year's October and November. And the year before that. The Winter Event has been going on for 2 years already, so it can't be the reason for the player count change relative to the previous years. The only other changes that come to mind would be Delta Rising and perhaps the previous season updates (since STO saw an up tick in population starting in August).
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
And of course theres' an even simpler test. Join a queue other than CCA and BHE.
How long do you wait?
I feel you and did an even simpler test yesterday.
I queued for KAGA & IGA simultaneously and had to wait countless minutes for KAGA to pop.
Why is this simpler test? I queued a team of 4 meaning for about multiple minutes no other player in all of STO felt up to pug these missions during European primetime. So much for reporting bugs.
I cant blame anybody but Cryptic because under current reward/risk conditions I wouldnt have queued up my favourite maps by myself either.
Mission accomplished Geko?
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
I feel you and did an even simpler test yesterday.
I queued for KAGA & IGA simultaneously and had to wait countless minutes for KAGA to pop.
Why is this simpler test? I queued a team of 4 meaning for about multiple minutes no other player in all of STO felt up to pug these missions during European primetime. So much for reporting bugs.
For a test, you sure did skimp on relevant data.
I cant blame anybody but Cryptic because under current reward/risk conditions I wouldnt have queued up my favourite maps by myself either.
Mission accomplished Geko?
It's also just as probable there were separate teams consisting for 2 or 3 players simultaneously queued, but since the queue does not pop unless the exact amount of individuals joins, it will stagnate. I have had the issue before with 6-7 people queued but the mission refusing to launch.
I am not saying that is definitively the truth, mind you. Just that you are forgetting other variables for your anecdotal evidence.
Simply put. The Devs who are making decisions for the game aren't doing their job right.
I suggest whoever's up top (PWE? Cryptic?) to apply pressure to the Devs to repair the damage caused by DR, or to change the command structure.
Because let's face it PWE, this strategy isn't working. If you want us to stay, give us motivation to stay, and in addition, hold your workers accountable for their actions.
EDIT: More specifically, CaptainGeko (Al Rivera), but certainly not limited to him.
I doubt it's that simple, I don't think the Devs are really making the decisions, but have to answer to others, having no choice but to put a positive spin on changes they've been directed to employ.
Short of becoming a billionaire and buying out PW in a hostile takeover, then directing changes from on high, I don't think just sacking a couple of Cryptic employees is going to make much of a difference. Even if Cryptic's management is replaced they still have to answer to the same chain of command.
If something is not broken, don't fix it, if it is broken, don't leave it broken.
I don't think Cryptic needs a change of management.
Bet that surprised you, didn't it folks....
It just needs a change of approach. At the moment it seems like they are chasing short term cash instead of working to keep the cash coming in over the long term.
It takes a bit of growing up to stop chasing the quick buck and wait for the long term cash to come rolling in. Not all companies are capable of it, the companies that are will be around long after them.
Even if Cryptic's management is replaced they still have to answer to the same chain of command.
Which makes me reiterate a previous point. There is nobody out there familiar enough with Cryptic's game engine, technical capabilities and limitations, and first-hand experience (by a factor of at least 4 years), than the previous Chief Tech Officer and EP (D'Angelo), or Al Rivera.
People say they want the higher-ups at Cryptic sacked or to resign, but it's the equivelant of replacing the most qualified personnel there currently is for a magical elf who controls computer systems with fairy dust to fix things.
When you remove people like Al Rivera and Stephen D'Angelo entirely from the development of STO, you remove two human beings who know more about game than any of us, even if they may not necessarily make the most awesome decisions regarding it.
It's counter-productive at best, and petty at worst. Anyone who replaces them simply will not have the technical expertise they do, and that will show in whatever development comes next.
It's like executing a bunch of bankers because you think they've been ruining the economy, only to find out you don't have any qualified bankers to run your banks, resulting in the economy turning out even worse. You need qualified personnel to run the things they create, even if you may not like their decisions they make 100% of the time.
For a better comparison, how about looking at Cryptic's game City of Heroes. Jack Emmert leaves, then gets replaced by Matt Miller, who leaves, then gets replaced by War Witch.
If you keep changing the boss, it just results in slower changes as whatever boss there is struggles with the task at hand because someone more qualified than them stepped down or was fired.
For meaningful changes to quickly hit STO, asking for new management is an exercise in trying to get the exact opposite of what you want.
Comments
Well, you are just one big bag of happy, constructive, and helpful things there, aren't you?
Listen, humans only every react en masse during a crisis.
STO reached a crisis point for many with DR.
So yes, now we are actually getting off our hinds and at least pretending to do something.
Why not actually contribute to the conversation in some way, rather than just randomly bash one of the few people treating this constructively.
- Geko, Podcast ep 200.
:rolleyes:
All they need to do is start to interact with their playerbase, preferably ingame.
Lets face it.
1. Podcasts are too long for most people to watch, and is not interacting.
2. The forums would be a very bad idea, due to the rather negative atmosphere down here.
3. Getting ingame (incognito) lets them experience the issues of the playerbase first-hand.
Especially a little (anything) more from EP D'Angelo would be very welcome. Say about DStahl all you want, at least he kept us informed of all his plans, of which he ultimately did about 5%, but we knew what he wanted to do wtih the game. I honestly have no clue what D'Angelo wants to do with it, all I remember seeing from him is the DR announcement and the "Exploit" announcement.
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Why is the game as it is and what is going to happen moving forward?
Simple, whales.
Whales ran the truck off the road and whales will keep it there, whales rule the developers, the game and everything in and around it.
SO, if there is to be change - which granted I consider very unlikely, you call me a cynic, I type this all with a steady hand smile on my face and half drunk, no hate at all, I am a happy drunk, THEN, you HAVE to come to terms with the addicts, the whales tossing money around like it's candy no matter what is going on with the game.
It's essentially pointless to voice that you are displeased with developer 1, 2 or 3 all the while whales are injecting more dil into the game than ever before.
In fact you just going to lower your creditability even though your psycho-analysis of his personal problems might easily be true.
And even more ironic for all intents and purposes you probably was close to having the developers' ear back when you were brainwashed - whereas the more you start asking questions the more likely the will ignore you.
Actually I think right there is correct. The management needs to stop relying on metrics. I've seen devs admit that they spend so much time working on the game, that they don't actually play it. I've seen PR people admit they didn't know how to properly set up a ship in game, and welcome advice on how to do it properly.
This translate to a group of people that are looking at pie charts and numbers but with no real world experience making decisions on how to make and guide the game, based on criteria from other games that they're trying to translate into this game.
Champions Online has the exact same issue.
Here's the question that really the devs need to do. They need to create a character starting today, level them up from level 1 to 60, fully outfit them with reputation gear and high level R&D gear, and pay for ships out of their own pocket, and stop using dev cheats and being given free ships to show off. Then they need to do an alt character on the Klingon side, and one on the Romulan side and do the exact same thing. They need to become experts on their game, and figure out how much money they needed to do it, and how much time, then sit down in their board room and answer the question "Was this actually fun, and do you think people actually want to play this game in this condition?"
This isn't an unusual or wierd development. A lot of developers lose touch with their game and what's fun and not fun, concentrating more on accounting and metrics and pie charts, then begin to wonder why people are complaining about the game.
Devs need to not just develop the game, but play the game as players. They need to be the people answering questions on "how to set up a science ship" in the academy because they're the experts, and when they're the ones saying "don't pick this power because this power is worthless in game" they can go back ot the board room and fix it... right there.
But that's not the case with Cryptic. They make their games, but they don't KNOW their games.
A good chef tastes his own food. When someone complains about the food he doesn't call his customers ungrateful whiners, he doesn't accuse them of stealing his food and he doesn't go into a bizarre state of denial.
Free Tibet!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy%27s_Baking_Company
Yes they do.
I said a good chef, not some nutjob!
Free Tibet!
i actually watched those, looks about right, some have other issues with the state of the game then i so.
Mine, primarily it's not fun in the "rounded things to do" sense, they don't try to find the best out of the concerns and make it better for all players no matter what their play styles are.
Don't want to farm one piece of bug for XP, simply boring.
Right now it's draconian in nature to how they run these "changes" to what was once an icon play style.
they got all Winter Wonderland to run the numbers, but when that's gone, the differant problems everyopne has with the game will still be there.
LOL... Every now and then the evil people show up... It's always good to hear from them... Great for ratings and LOL's.
To replace them is to start over completely, they are the game.
All story content and fluff overlays what they've done. Those folks can be replaced, and have been on occasion. D'Angelo and Rivera are the bedrock. To remove them is to put the game
on life-support or shut it down.
It makes perfect sense to have them in charge because no changes will happen without their approval anyhow. Stahl's ideas all had to go through these fellows, he couldn't make them happen himself.
We are all at their mercy and it would not surprise me if they were seeing some serious profit-sharing that would enhance their desire to squeeze funds out of players. These guys will have a reputation after this game kinda like Bill Roper had. They will need a big payday to insure their futures.
One has said there is too much story in the game, the other says he's not a fan of Ray Bradbury. These are flags to me that we're lucky to have any FE's at all. Their focus is cold efficiency and not the human experience.
i argree and i see how they are trying to make it like their other games. i stoped playing the other games beacuse they are only grinders or money sink and not worth the trouble. i don't this game has much left to it at the rate and direction it is going.
Nope.
Listening to Geko in the podcasts has proven to me that he has no freaking clue about what's going on in game.
Exactly, though D'Angelo seems to be even further removed from logic than Geko. Both decried the exploiters after they left in a bug that allowed people to level a little bit faster than reasonable. In response the nerf's to levelling have made it close to 20x slower. Yes that's more than 17x
Maths to support 20x claim:
Time to level 50-60 pre-nerf:
180 mins avg for Tau Dewa
Time to level 50-60 current:
3600 mins with avg playtime of 2hrs per day = 30 days.
Time for 1 spec point pre-nerf:
25 mins avg for Tau Dewa
Time for 1 spec point current:
160K XP needed
Argala = ~7K XP per run on Normal (most efficient for time)
Argala = 3-5 mins with good build 10-15 with bad.
1 spec point per 68-114mins for a good build to 228-342 mins for a bad build.
Not quite 20x but until last patch it was far worse as Argala only gave out ~4000 XP which was still more efficient than Advanced.
"You don't have to do something again and again and again repetitive that doesn't have much challange, that's just a general good gameplay thing."
Ain't Nobody Got Time for That
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
You know, I hate the way that some people believe that anybody who honestly has issues with this game would just up and leave without a word. That's not how most people are. If you're unhappy in your job, in your relationship, in your friendship, you don't just ditch.
You try to make amends, you bring forward your concerns, and issues, you argue, you fight, you try to find a way to change things, or compromise, you make an effort, and if it's worthwhile, you make a large effort.
For lots of people, STO is just another pew-pew MMO, and they couldn't give a rats patootie whether it succeeds or fails because if it gets too grindy, too difficult, too boring, they'll just move onto the next one. Those are your silent departures.
But for some people, especially the passionate Star Trek fans who make up the bulk of STOs customer base, that's not really an option because there isn't another Star Trek MMO out there to move on to.
So when there's an issue, when the game is moving in the wrong direction, they fight, they P*ss & B*tch and moan, they recommend changes and make appeals to the Devs, they outline the problems and recommend fixes, because they give a sh*t.
EDIT: And furthermore, when those players leave, when the passionate arguers and fanatics leave, that's the death knell, that's when the game is in the long, slow spiral until the ROI isn't high enough to justify the Server costs, and they shut down the game.
We see threads every single day where Whales swear off spending money, where the passionate fans give their goodbyes.
I left for more than two years, and the changes in the game in that period were drastic, and while I'm still discovering the new content, I can tell you once it's run out I'll be hard pressed to stay. Repetitive grind for Marks or Dilithium to buy gear for nonexistent PvP that is now unjustified because the Devs decided to make peace between the Factions isn't going to hold me.
I was (and am) a big Klingon Fan and before I left had pretty much bought everything the Klingons had gotten, and I'd hoped they'd have gotten their own unique storytelling and PvE, but alas, no. I'd heard of LoR while I was away, and was excited for the potential for Romulan content, and what was there was decent (not great, but decent) and then I got to the point where, again, rehashed Fed content <facepalm>.
Essentially, as a Trek Fan, I'm here for the PvE I missed out on for Two Years, and the way they're trying to persuade me to stay is more grind and Cash Shop Items. It's like they have no idea what it's like to be player, rather than a statistical model of spending liklihood.
Which is why when I say "they" I'm not referring to the Devs at Cryptic. They're gamers, maybe too busy to play their game, so they're woefully out of touch with how we as players actually play the game, but they at least get the concept. I blame the folks at PWE holding the purse strings and demanding that cash only flow one way. They're the ones who see content as the enemy, and grind and cash shop items as the product.
It's F2P, the way they make their money is by making the game as unplayable as possible unless you spend money on it. So that's all they do. If you're willing to dump $50 a week on the game for the latest cash shop items and/or Dilithium, I imagine the game doesn't get boring at all, but for those who don't, the LTS crowd and the F2P crowd who don't pump money in, the grind for the Dilithium you need for nearly every little thing is a huge pain in the *ss.
Almost called it.
Agreed as well, so am I.
Thanks for this post. Its the best I have read past week.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
as much as i hate to state it, but i already mentioned this... a few years ago. i told you all that i figure these people out in one forum post back in 2011, that hasnt changed. and after 2013 and brandon leaving the game, and the arrival of trendy and smirk as community liaisons i already figured these 2 in about 10 seconds.
it takes a bad apple to know another from on the tree. personally i dont know them i go no opinion there, but professionally and the past year now, i have come to expect a lot of this TRIBBLE in regards as to how to deal with the community.
as for the devs, from what im told geko has free reign on his sto projects and all it needs is the nod from d'angelo on some of it as soon as its cleared by cbs and whatever else so there are no issues to deal with. anyways, geko has really put alot into the game content wise and not forgetting the contributions of his team either in their own areas. however at some point its gotta stop being a variation on a theme and a new approach to the content could be needed.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Not possible to standards you'd accept. And that's the quandary which is both ripe for abuse on either side of the argument.
I have a simpler test.
Have people I know well - not just channel buds - but fleet mates and regulars whom I have played with almost daily with for three years left the game?
Yes. 16 and counting.
How do I know this? We've talked about it. I can view their last login in the fleet.
Where did they go? Various to other games. Fleet mates have moved to RIFT. Some have spent money there.
How do I know this? We've talked about it. In RIFT.
And of course theres' an even simpler test. Join a queue other than CCA and BHE.
How long do you wait?
The poster I quoted picked a number that was based on a Massively Report, as I later found out - that was nt referring to Star Trek Online at all, since it was talking about players in China and Neverwinter. So it had nothing to do with Steam numbers. And nothing to do with STO.
But if you'd use Steam as basis, STO has more average active players at the end of November than they did at the end of September. It looks like the Q4 numbers are actually up. They are also up compared to last year's October and November. And the year before that. The Winter Event has been going on for 2 years already, so it can't be the reason for the player count change relative to the previous years. The only other changes that come to mind would be Delta Rising and perhaps the previous season updates (since STO saw an up tick in population starting in August).
I feel you and did an even simpler test yesterday.
I queued for KAGA & IGA simultaneously and had to wait countless minutes for KAGA to pop.
Why is this simpler test? I queued a team of 4 meaning for about multiple minutes no other player in all of STO felt up to pug these missions during European primetime. So much for reporting bugs.
I cant blame anybody but Cryptic because under current reward/risk conditions I wouldnt have queued up my favourite maps by myself either.
Mission accomplished Geko?
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
For a test, you sure did skimp on relevant data.
It's also just as probable there were separate teams consisting for 2 or 3 players simultaneously queued, but since the queue does not pop unless the exact amount of individuals joins, it will stagnate. I have had the issue before with 6-7 people queued but the mission refusing to launch.
I am not saying that is definitively the truth, mind you. Just that you are forgetting other variables for your anecdotal evidence.
Short of becoming a billionaire and buying out PW in a hostile takeover, then directing changes from on high, I don't think just sacking a couple of Cryptic employees is going to make much of a difference. Even if Cryptic's management is replaced they still have to answer to the same chain of command.
Bet that surprised you, didn't it folks....
It just needs a change of approach. At the moment it seems like they are chasing short term cash instead of working to keep the cash coming in over the long term.
I'm reminded of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment
It takes a bit of growing up to stop chasing the quick buck and wait for the long term cash to come rolling in. Not all companies are capable of it, the companies that are will be around long after them.
Free Tibet!
Which makes me reiterate a previous point. There is nobody out there familiar enough with Cryptic's game engine, technical capabilities and limitations, and first-hand experience (by a factor of at least 4 years), than the previous Chief Tech Officer and EP (D'Angelo), or Al Rivera.
People say they want the higher-ups at Cryptic sacked or to resign, but it's the equivelant of replacing the most qualified personnel there currently is for a magical elf who controls computer systems with fairy dust to fix things.
When you remove people like Al Rivera and Stephen D'Angelo entirely from the development of STO, you remove two human beings who know more about game than any of us, even if they may not necessarily make the most awesome decisions regarding it.
It's counter-productive at best, and petty at worst. Anyone who replaces them simply will not have the technical expertise they do, and that will show in whatever development comes next.
It's like executing a bunch of bankers because you think they've been ruining the economy, only to find out you don't have any qualified bankers to run your banks, resulting in the economy turning out even worse. You need qualified personnel to run the things they create, even if you may not like their decisions they make 100% of the time.
For a better comparison, how about looking at Cryptic's game City of Heroes. Jack Emmert leaves, then gets replaced by Matt Miller, who leaves, then gets replaced by War Witch.
If you keep changing the boss, it just results in slower changes as whatever boss there is struggles with the task at hand because someone more qualified than them stepped down or was fired.
For meaningful changes to quickly hit STO, asking for new management is an exercise in trying to get the exact opposite of what you want.