test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Dilithium costs - no hyperbole, folks!
razeth4
Member Posts: 13
So, there's a huge dilithium cost to endgame since the Delta Rising expansion. Unless you have 15 levels in all R&D skills, it costs about 14,000 dilithium just to go from rank 12 to rank 13. On top of that, it costs dilithium for the new Rep gear, the new Boff system costs dilithium via R&D projects, and then there's fleet projects, and finally conversion of dilithium to Zen for real world purchases.
While earning 8,000 ore every day to refine isn't all that difficult, 8000 refined dilithium doesn't go very far at all. (+500 for an upgraded fleet mine, plus more for lifetime subs, not sure how much that is.)
I propose a method of refining additional ore. Add a time sink to refine more.
Maybe a STF mission that has a refinery at the end?
Maybe a mission that allows conversion of ore over time?
Perhaps a purple dragon that eats dilithium ore and leaves behind... well, you get the idea.
Let players who invest more time in the game earn more dilithium!
Please, no hyperbole here, folks. I know many of you think the dilithium balance since the expansion is a subversive (if not transparent) plot to take your precious dollars, but its more likely that this all was overlooked during planning and testing.
While earning 8,000 ore every day to refine isn't all that difficult, 8000 refined dilithium doesn't go very far at all. (+500 for an upgraded fleet mine, plus more for lifetime subs, not sure how much that is.)
I propose a method of refining additional ore. Add a time sink to refine more.
Maybe a STF mission that has a refinery at the end?
Maybe a mission that allows conversion of ore over time?
Perhaps a purple dragon that eats dilithium ore and leaves behind... well, you get the idea.
Let players who invest more time in the game earn more dilithium!
Please, no hyperbole here, folks. I know many of you think the dilithium balance since the expansion is a subversive (if not transparent) plot to take your precious dollars, but its more likely that this all was overlooked during planning and testing.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
And LTS can refine 1k extra every 2 days - so 9k max - i never do that - no time to run here and there for 1k refine
Of the two, which seems more likely, since more dilithium sinks are being added, and no more refining abilities are being added?
Common sense would dictate that it is working as they intended it to work. Time gates, dilithium sinks, cooldowns- all these are things that take the place of content.
that's assuming a lot too that a new player could find a way to get a new toon to end game with delta rising in a month
Or zero if you have just an iota of self-restraint.
There's a lot of things you could spend your dilithium on in STO but almost all of it falls under the category of "**** you only have to buy if you want to." Your old fleet weapons will get you by just fine in all Advanced PVE's (so long as you built your ship properly in the first place.) Hell those old ships are still perfectly viable as well. Cryptic has just added more stuff that you could spend your money/dil on which falls under some very customary business practices of "SUPPORTING THEIR DAMN GAME." The alternative would be far worse, the same dil sinks as we had years ago would very poigniantly represent stagnation in the design of the game (after all that time it would just be more of the damn same.)
Though it would be nice if the refining cap was increased (without having to spread oneself between too numerous alts) this problem does fall to the consumer to rectify (since anything cryptic could do would only mitigate the core issue). Watch the impulse buys and plan you expenses.
Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
Not seeing a killer argument here, TBH.
There are already 2 ways of boosting refining in game - the DOff missions for Veterans and those with access to Fleet Mines.
Players can already break the 8K limit if they run alts - which is probably the best argument that even the 8K limit is illogical; I can routinely pull 24-30K per day using my 4 alts for 1 hour of gameplay. At least until they nerf DOffing
However, this all appears to be part of STO's new paradigm; either accept limited progression or pay/grind like a madman.
point 1) don't do that. Use purple upgrades -- if you can't make them, get a fleet buddy to make them for you, and if you can't do that, buy off exchange for EC. Blue upgrades are not useful after about mark VII or so, and the greens are woefully inadequate. You are shooting yourself in the foot to use inferior upgrade tokens to spend more dil per item.
2) learn 2 alt. Make a character for every slot on your roster. Level it for 30 min (if that) so it can do DO assignments. Go get contraband and turn it in (obviously, or maybe it wasnt, you want romulan kdf alts for this task). A few extra min / day and you have thousands more dil per day; I average about 20k/day for about 30 min of "farming" total.
*** rom kdf: kdf aligned can get more contraband, tons of it. Rom, so you can also farm bridge officers which sell for a few million if they get SRO. The market crashed on those, so its "only" 3 mil each, but thats still a pretty penny over time. You also get a few more SRO rom offerings for leveling the chars up (slowly, ... consider hitting them a bit during the upcoming xp weekend event...). Also, if you get it to 50, you can run the reps for another 150 or 200k or whatever dil *that* ends up being...!
Finally, your idea just causes inflation. It helps some things (upgrade costs, for example) but cryptic would have to raise prices on all zen items if you can refine more, which hurts everyone in the long run, the exchange rates would also inflate, and generally it would be a bad move.
your wrong the exchange needs 0s moderation controle for things not as usefull and sold at vender items to not be allowed at exchange
a new player would take a year to have 12 toon ready with delta rising to get the new reasonable dilithium consumption needs and thare is the issue 100k aday is nothing as well for refined dilithium is needed to mean something you can realy waist a million dilithium in a day and not get lucky and have got nothing out of it
Levelling crafting just takes time, you don't need to spend any effort - if you play regularly, you can always start the next project and move on. You need only one character that can craft them, and you can split the skills across two characters to advance them all in parallel.
Though if you don't want to wait for that, upgrade kits can be obtained on the exchange, too.
It would of course be nice if it was a bit cheaper to upgrade stuff for alts or when you upgrade an item type you already upgraded before (say, when you improve your second shield array so you can also use the other set.).
But remember - ultimately, Cryptic knows exactly what the dilithium refinement limit is. If somethnig costs Dilithium worth 5 days of refining, they want acquiring somethnig to take about 5 days of play. Raising the Cap means asking them to change this expectation, too. And it might be simpler, more direct, and with less negative repercussions and side effects if you just ask for shorter acquisition times / lower dilithium prices.
This is incorrect. With the purple upgrades it costs a maximum of 15 kits to go from mk12 to mk14. Less if you get lucky with crits or use a booster. each kit is 1,000 dil.
If you spent 14k dil and only got one mark increased you were using blue and white kits. Don't do that. Those are vendor trash.
I only have one character (the one you see in my portrait) and I've invested my entire 4 years of this game into that character. I worked for every set item in the game and tweak stats to fill multiple roles. I have 14 ships and (I think) 22 boffs.
I'm the kind of player who invents a back story for a character and invests a lot of themself into that one character. Maybe that isn't ideal for this game, but its the way I play.
There is not a thing wrong with what you have done.
But you would have more wealth on your one character if you just had a few low level alts as mules to help refine dil and earn a few extra coin daily. You don't have to "play" them much, just a little to reach a point where you can do duty officer assignments, at a minimum and that alone would net you 8k each / day or even 1/2 that is still more than you have now.
That's reasonably close to where my playstyle was but I moved on by creating a "DS9" to my "TNG." There's only so much you can do creatively with one character (and it does help with the dilithium problem, but for people in your situation who only have that one character a boost to your dil refining limit would be supportable. Say +2,000 for having one, and that's removed when you start the second.)
Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
This is basically my issue. I haven't put quite as much time and effort into my character, but I really only focus on him and don't bother with alts aside from trying out the different captain classes and factions. To me, needing alts to get around the refining cap is stupid and arbitrary. But I guess that's only because I'm a heavy Star Trek fan, not a heavy MMO player. And Cryptic has been increasingly catering to heavy MMO players.
This should be shut down and made into a F.C.T (frequently created threads), all of which have the same answer, stated over and over again: inflation.
If you dont have the dilithium or Zen, All of the stuff that can be crafted is available at the Exchange.
All these leveling R&D can be summed up in one word if you dont got the zen, dili or EC - Patience, which is a quality the STO Forum complainers regards on DR severely lack.
It would also be nice if Cryptic provided a "Confirm" button for R&D projects when players click the "Complete Now" button. One time after I slotted in all the 20 hours projects I got up to get something to drink and when putting my cup down on the table I got distracted when my cellphone rang. The cup brushed against the mouse and basically clicked on the "Complete Now" button and... !! POOF !!, 18k refined dilithium gone.
"it'll mess up the economy"
"do more work if you want more"
"quit being so cheap and buy some"
And we all saw what happened to that game.
Rep gear has always cost dil.
The R&D dil sink is a conversion from the old sink that was in the crafting system, though they messed up by not taking the chance to remove this sink as we have more than existed back then.
The upgrade dil sink replaced the dil store equiptment dil sink. Giving us an even wider choice.
The dil exchange has always been there.
Here's the thing, and it isn't a popular one with the "must have it now" attitude that is prevelant in society today. Choices have consequences. If you choose to spend dil on "x "then it is not there for you to spend on "y" and you have to save up more for it.
I have upgraded gear only aiming at increasing mark. If it goes up in quality then goody and if it doesn't by MK IV then that is the end of it. Unless you are a min-maxer have all your gear at epic is not needed, it is a want and so we are back to choices and consequences.
Odan Brota (Science Officer): Captain of a 28k DPS Scryer Intel Science Vessel, U.S.S. Kepler
Patiently waiting for a Romulan Science Vessel
E'Mc2 : Science Reman torp T'Varo, deadly annoyance :P
Kunmal: Tactical fed Klingon, ground specialist, USS Kanewaga
Ka -tet Tier 5 fleet fully completed Starbase and fleet property
Want=/=need. You may want an epic what-not but you do not need it. There is lies the difference.