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How to make the Command Ship a Better Buy -> Command Boffs

sentinel64sentinel64 Member Posts: 901 Arc User
I am one of those holding out on the Command Ship because it seems like too little for too much (I did the same with the Dyson Ship until it went on sale).

One big difference btw the Intel Ship rollout and the Command Ship is the amount of "swag" that was included with the former. My estimate is that the $150 price tag for the DR Ops Pak included about $50-$60 of swag that made the ships seem much more enticing. Though I would not expect that kind of extras for this set of ships, it still needs something to justify the $120 price tag.

An obvious missing component is the Specialized Boff package. Some could say that you don't need that since the new Boff system allows us to make our own Intel and Command Boffs, but the fact is that it is not easy since you have to grind out 10 points of spec points. This action could be done via the post 50 progression, but many of us have already spent those points in the Intel spec. So, the easy way is not so easy.

The justifiable reason for adding Spec Boffs is that these are needed for full functionality of the ships which means they should be a part of the ship purchase. The easy way to do this is as follows.

-- Single purchase ships (30k Z) each includes the career specific Spec Boff for the ship career type (i.e., tac Cmd Boff for Tac version, sci Cmd for Sci ver, eng Cmd for Ops)

-- Single Faction Pak (60k Z) will have all three Cmd Boff types), simple as that

-- Mega Pak (120k) will have the three Cmd Boff types and an extra eng Cmd Boff since all ship versions have a dedicated eng Commander seat in the Boff layout.

All the Boffs are VR and are per character awarded so all the toons on an account will get these Boffs (just like the Intel Boff pack in DR Ops).

I think this addition would remove a lot of doubt in whether the purchase is worthwhile, especially if the player is a casual that has no expectation of repeatedly grinding out spec points.

Now if they added more... I would not complain, but give me Command Boffs then I would give you the Zen for the Mega Pak... think about STO/Cryptic and PWE.... ;)
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • antoniosalieriantoniosalieri Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    You do realize everyone that bought intel boffs got ripped off right.

    Now they are pointless and just plain bad.

    We are back to everyone wanting romulan boffs again, trained with the new spec... or intel now that it can be done.

    They have never included anything in the ship packs as goodies that have been worth anything a few months down the road. In fact really they have never sold anything that has been worth much down the road. This is a MMO after all.

    The only things worth spending zen on are things like bank space ect.

    The command spec has been done properly. Its not over powered, its interesting but not required. They haven't tried to force you into buying the ships by making the packs the only way to get something else that you might just miss out on if you don't

    Don't worry Cryptics track record is solid... they always release a good fleecing pack followed by something that seems reasonable (the command stuff)... that means the next release will be an uber pack that will include a whole bunch of must haves, which of course will be wortless 3 months later. Still don't worry you will get that "value" feeling in the next bundle. lol
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  • khan5000khan5000 Member Posts: 3,008 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    you do get a free Command Boff in the new featured mission
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  • rodentmasterrodentmaster Member Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    Boffs are not incentive.

    If they want to sell more ships:

    Fix the hitsponge damage levels that killed off elite/advanced in this game
    Fix the server lag since anniversary event started
    LOWER THE FREAKING PRICE OF THE SHIPS. STOP FORCING PEOPLE TO BUY PACKS! Make it $20.00 and give them all 3 ships for one purchase.


    #1 is the best all-round solution but #3 would probably yield more immediate short-term $$$.

    #2, well... people have stopped paying money into a visibly broken and shattered game. At least get it freaking RUNNING and they might open wallets up again. As it stands I know many have taken a "no money to cryptic" policy until this BS is fixed. So.... fix it! Then folks will be more inclined to buy the new shiny.
  • jst455jst455 Member Posts: 193 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    sell more ships? make universal BO slots include Intel/Command functions as wells as regular functions.

    re-allocate more BO slots to universal
    Actual Join Date: Feb 2009
  • darkbladejkdarkbladejk Member Posts: 3,883 Community Moderator
    edited February 2015
    sentinel64 wrote: »
    I am one of those holding out on the Command Ship because it seems like too little for too much (I did the same with the Dyson Ship until it went on sale).

    One big difference btw the Intel Ship rollout and the Command Ship is the amount of "swag" that was included with the former. My estimate is that the $150 price tag for the DR Ops Pak included about $50-$60 of swag that made the ships seem much more enticing. Though I would not expect that kind of extras for this set of ships, it still needs something to justify the $120 price tag.

    An obvious missing component is the Specialized Boff package. Some could say that you don't need that since the new Boff system allows us to make our own Intel and Command Boffs, but the fact is that it is not easy since you have to grind out 10 points of spec points. This action could be done via the post 50 progression, but many of us have already spent those points in the Intel spec. So, the easy way is not so easy.

    The justifiable reason for adding Spec Boffs is that these are needed for full functionality of the ships which means they should be a part of the ship purchase. The easy way to do this is as follows.

    -- Single purchase ships (30k Z) each includes the career specific Spec Boff for the ship career type (i.e., tac Cmd Boff for Tac version, sci Cmd for Sci ver, eng Cmd for Ops)

    -- Single Faction Pak (60k Z) will have all three Cmd Boff types), simple as that

    -- Mega Pak (120k) will have the three Cmd Boff types and an extra eng Cmd Boff since all ship versions have a dedicated eng Commander seat in the Boff layout.

    All the Boffs are VR and are per character awarded so all the toons on an account will get these Boffs (just like the Intel Boff pack in DR Ops).

    I think this addition would remove a lot of doubt in whether the purchase is worthwhile, especially if the player is a casual that has no expectation of repeatedly grinding out spec points.

    Now if they added more... I would not complain, but give me Command Boffs then I would give you the Zen for the Mega Pak... think about STO/Cryptic and PWE.... ;)

    Firstly the company has to make money for this game to keep on functioning and stay active. Also, are you really complaining because you actually have to spend a whole 200 dilithium if that to get a bridge officer. Honestly if you can't afford that then you seriously need to reconsider your priorities in game and how you're spending your resources. The solution to what you're after is already in game. Go to the bridge officer recruiter at your faction's capital and just buy a basic quality officer. You don't need to start out with purple quality boffs straight out of the gate. just buy a basic boff, get a feel for that type of career and what not. Cryptic isn't the one's being cheap here, you are. spend the chump change it takes to get the officers, it won't kill you. You already can get a free command officer from the Dust to Dust mission, plus others from the boff recruiter, what more do you want.
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  • warmaker001bwarmaker001b Member Posts: 9,205 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    We are able to make any BOFF to be Command, Intel specialists. Not only that, you can make any BOFF learn *both* specializations, albeit 1 of these specs can be active at a time for the BOFF. You do not need to have high spec point progress in any of the specs to somehow acquire a Specialization PADD and use it on one of your existing BOFFs. On one of my Pre-DR BOFFs that I considered valuable, I acquired Intel and Command Specialization PADDs for him. I had mastered Intel Spec but had zero points in Command. Yet I still was able to train him to learn both Intel & Command Spec.

    More specialist BOFFs aren't even a priority anymore.

    As far as the DR Pack Intel BOFFs, the KDF & Fed ones were actually very mediocre. The Rom ones though were actually quite good. Roms with Superior Subterfuge AND Superior Romulan Operative. Reman with Superior Infiltrator and Superior Romulan Operative. Those were quite good compared to the Fed & KDF, but that would not offset the cost of the Pack.
    XzRTofz.gif
  • bluegeekbluegeek Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    STOP FORCING PEOPLE TO BUY PACKS!

    I'm not in favor of the three-variant packs. $60 is a lot of money. But I have to admit Cryptic's getting smarter about it.

    Looking at the Intel and Command ships, they're allowing you to mix and match those parts just about any way you want and each variant is visually distinctive. They're more than just recolored textures. It didn't occur to me until later that all three (Fed) Intel ships had that same flattened profile exactly because it made the mix and match possible.

    The Intel ships were even different ship classes, so getting all three of those is a lot more bang for the buck than, say, the Dyson Sci Destroyer was.

    If they had offered a Command pack with three different ship classes, I would have felt more desire to buy it. I've got alts in each class, so it would have been useful for more of my characters and thus given me, personally, more value. I'm not big on cruisers, so this was kind of a bust for me. I can wait and see what they come up with next.
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  • shevetshevet Member Posts: 1,667 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    Yes, rather than include a bunch of command Boffs, Cryptic could simply include a set of Command Specialization training PADDs with the ship... though, frankly, I don't see why they would even bother with that. The PADDs are cheap enough to produce, once you've got a toon with 10 levels of Command specialization that can do it (current EC prices on the Exchange seem to be inflated by novelty value, and will likely drop soon). Half an hour, 200 dilithium and incidentals for the blank PADD, and a bit over 32k EC for the specialization training manuals - it's not a lot, really. A pack of Command boffs will just take up boff slots, and probably won't suit everyone's taste anyway.
    8b6YIel.png?1
  • antoniosalieriantoniosalieri Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    bluegeek wrote: »
    I'm not in favor of the three-variant packs. $60 is a lot of money. But I have to admit Cryptic's getting smarter about it.

    Well they have made it easier to abandon almost all of my alts now.

    With all 3 factions having carbon copied traits... I was able to decide that only my romulans need to ever be worried about again. My feds and klinks are all slaves to my Romulans as it should be. They have been found guilty of being useless to me and have been remanded, and deported to the Dilthium mines of Vlugta, there they shall give the remainder of there lives in service to the Empire.
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  • lieutenantusherlieutenantusher Member Posts: 56 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    The command ships are actually a decent buy already but I wouldn't complain with added boffs. The problem with that though is it creates the feeling of either needing the ships for the boffs or the boffs feel worthless anyways so in a sense giving extras are more likely to devalue the perception of the command ships.

    Although they cost a lot as a 3 or 9 pack per-ship (or per-trait rather assuming you'll only use one variant per faction) drops drastically in price and you get more visual/console options. For once though Cryptic put the best trait, console, and layout on the same ship which across the board is the best looking of each of it's variants (except the Fed that goes to the eng variant) so just buying the tac version is totally viable but there's nothing about the ships, or command spec that says "you must buy me because gimmicks and such" and that's kind of why I bought one: I liked it, it's not OP but still is a nice ship, and I didn't feel like I had to compromise - I even use the console that came with the ship it's pretty good.
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