Fictitious Poster: Virus, how come sometimes you seem to go out of your way to help folks asking questions that might have been asked and answered a hundred times before - doing it in a surprisingly patient and friendly matter; but when you get into discussions with other folks on things you break out in flaming barbed douche nozzle and question their ability to put flipflops on the correct foot? Why have you supported things that you've said aren't your thing out there but you seem to be almost violent in your reaction to other requests? And I mean, you do get downright nasty with some of your comments there. What's up with that?
Hrmm, let me start toward the end of that, yeah? Supporting things that aren't quite my thing? I remember a post where somebody wanted cropped jackets for males. Was it the same one or another where somebody wanted makeup/clothing options to be the same regardless of gender? Anyway, those things aren't my thing, I'll be blunt about that. I'll apologize for chuckling when I say that, cause some might see it as insulting, but it's the simple truth - those just aren't my things and might even be things that I'd rather not see. But I've agreed that things like that should be added for folks that do want it. I don't want it personally, but I can see where adding stuff like that for folks could potentially add to the game...add players...add revenue...be a healthy thing for the game. It's not a selfless support, it's a selfish support. I like the game. I want it to do well so I can enjoy it. So something that would add to the game and potentially draw more players which could potentially draw more revenue...follow? Yeah, so even though that's just one example - there are a bunch of things that I might consider fluff or whatever that could bring in players...revenue...I get to keep playing...yep, pretty straightforward selfish act on my part, lol.
On the other hand though, there are the suggestions from folks that do not want to add to the game - but - rather they want to remove things from the game. There are all sorts of folks that enjoy all sorts of things, and the more Cryptic offers to all those sorts of folks the more all sorts of folks might play the game...yeah, same thing as what I just said. So when somebody comes along and wants to remove stuff, they're limiting what the game can offer. They're limiting the number of folks that might be interested in the game. They're potentially cutting players...potentially cutting revenue...they're potentially making it so I'll be less likely to continue to enjoy the game. I start to get defensive. They're attacking the game. They're trying to do it harm. So those folks are going to draw some aggro. They want the game to cater to them and what they want. That's limiting the game and the number of folks that might play the game. Attack on game. Aggro. Not the nicest comments from yours truly here.
It's like the folks that everything super easy. Not everybody wants super easy. Just because they do and the folks they might associate do does not mean that everybody does, right? Different folks enjoy different things, want different things, and all the rest of that which most of us learned while growing up. So Cryptic puts in this content, they do it with Normal, Advanced, and Elite...well, not always Elite. Cryptic's looking at there being different types of players. Good thing, right? But then we have some players come along complaining that Advanced or Elite are too hard, yeah? Well, maybe, just maybe - that content wasn't made for them. It's the same content, just at a higher difficulty - right? So it's not a case that they're missing out on the content itself.
What about the rewards? Well that's where Cryptic's gone through to make all the rewards one can get from doing those queues available elsewhere, yeah? Heck, that also provides for the folks that might not be interested in the queues at all. Is there 100% coverage? Nah, things like the current Crystalline Catastrophe even are going to require hitting up that event. But the reward for that event is basically a reward for running the event. Should be straightforward, but there will still be complaints and well, have to acknowledge that is a gap in regard to what Cryptic has done elsewhere, right?
So with Cryptic providing different levels and different means, when folks come about wanting to remove that - make everything super easy across the board, they're talking about a game that just won't offer as much to as many potential players while the game for the most part is already offering everything they want...content - rewards. Perhaps they can't pat themselves on the back for an awesome job of running a Super Easy Elite...but yeah, ahem, see - starting to slip into that less than happy place, meh.
And yeah, it can get downright nasty on my part at times...perhaps my mix of idealism and the delusional need to defend what's basically just a game and shouldn't matter, I'm attached to it - I like it; and I'll break out in ******* mode requiring mod intervention.
So yeah, then, getting into the trying to help folks? Selfish. What? Yeah, it's selfish. Trying to help folks so maybe they can better enjoy the game and stick around and maybe...revenue. Supports the game I kind of like playing. Simple, eh? It's not that I'm some saint, think I'm here to save the game, think I know more than anybody else - nah, if I see something that one of the other helpful folks hasn't answered and I think I might be able to help, I'll do it to try to help me out...by helping them out. Or I'll recommend somebody that can help them. Cause there are all sorts of helpful folks out there - answering questions, testing things, providing guides, doing videos...don't know what their reasons might be; but there are a bunch of folks out there that are like that. And I think that's cool, don't you?
But yeah, some folks out there - they just complain about everything, they want everything easy and they want it now...yadda, yadda, yadda. They're not just like that in this game. Go anywhere in this day and age and you can't help but trip over them. I don't like them. Sometimes I forget the TOS and let those folks know I don't like them.
I want all sorts of folks to be able to enjoy the game, and despite issues with bugs, latency, balance, and various oodles of other issues...I think Cryptic's just trying to make a game for as many folks to enjoy as possible. They're a business...having a bunch of happy customers is conducive to the business doing well, right? So when folks start getting into Cryptic's goal is to make everybody suffer...those folks are kind of letting me know just what kind of person they are. And yeah, I don't like them.
Must you browbeat every single post? Let's get real here. The game used to be very charitable with the real world currency. It still is, but it used to be extremely so. That is a change.
The pve queues used to be extremely easy to pug. There were many many queues that would pop the instant you joined. Now some of them are impossible to pug and there are only a handful that go right away. That is a change.
This forum is divided into those who like the change and those who do not. I personally am ambivalent. However I, too, like the game and hope that it is not on its way out. I personally believe that the changes are hurting the game's chances for longterm survival - which is why I speak out in favor of the 'casual player,' regardless of my personal opinions.
1000 words responses or no, the game is vastly changed since mid October of last year. How many people have the changes driven from the game? I have no idea, but it certainly feels like a good chunk.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "We think we've come so far. Torture of heretics, burning of witches, it's all ancient history. Then - before you can blink an eye - suddenly it threatens to start all over again."
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Which provides for how many different kinds of players? Not many, right?
So having different queues with different difficulties while also providing the rewards outside of the queues...
Sounds good, no? Providing for all sorts of players, yeah?
Yet folks are complaining?
Cause...why?
And what queue(s) is(are) impossible to pug?
Sir, the folks are complaining because they used to be able to complete the 'top level' missions and now they can not, sir. Folks like to feel that they are awesome when playing a video game. This feeling is diminished if they can only complete the lowest level. This is human nature, sir, whether we like it or not. However, it may have a deleterious effect on the game, sir. That is my concern. I think the folks would accept being able to complete advanced. And I've argued since October 15th or so that these GD timers need to go. But I have given up hope that they will be removed. The gamers have prevailed here. Will this kill the game? I thought we'd know by now, but Cryptic has dragged it out wisely. We will know before Risa at any rate. If the elite model is still funding the game when Q returns to his wonderland, I'll give it my blessing. If we're closed to new content by then after defeating the Iconians in season 11 I'd love nothing more than to (completely censored).
Sir, I can report that while I still played some of these missions I was 0 for 60 on BDA. Azure Nebula has around a 10 to 15% success rate - close enough to impossible to make it not worth playing. I believe bug hunt elite and Transdimensional Tactics elite now also fit that description. I'm seeing sub 20% success in both of these - perhaps aggravated by the event weekend. Then there are missions like Undine assault that were dead on arrival. Then there are those that were zeroed out even before DR. I will also say that I failed good ole ISA the last 4 times I tried it. I will wait to comment on that until I try it without an event running. But it felt very much like the transformers were buffed. I didn't parse these runs. So the teammates may have all been sub 5000. I also have a strong feeling that the project leader in transdimentional has also been buffed again recently. The last 4 goes at that - he was impossible to kill even though he got down to like 2% health.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "We think we've come so far. Torture of heretics, burning of witches, it's all ancient history. Then - before you can blink an eye - suddenly it threatens to start all over again."
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Sir, the folks are complaining because they used to be able to complete the 'top level' missions and now they can not, sir. Folks like to feel that they are awesome when playing a video game. This feeling is diminished if they can only complete the lowest level. This is human nature, sir, whether we like it or not. However, it may have a deleterious effect on the game, sir. That is my concern. I think the folks would accept being able to complete advanced. And I've argued since October 15th or so that these GD timers need to go. But I have given up hope that they will be removed. The gamers have prevailed here. Will this kill the game? I thought we'd know by now, but Cryptic has dragged it out wisely. We will know before Risa at any rate. If the elite model is still funding the game when Q returns to his wonderland, I'll give it my blessing. If we're closed to new content by then after defeating the Iconians in season 11 I'd love nothing more than to (completely censored).
Human nature is diverse, though. That's what a looks keep appearing to miss. Folks are different. Just because they feel a certain way or think folks are supposed to feel a certain way, doesn't mean everybody feels that way.
For all the folks that want to pat themselves on the back for having beat up the old lady taking her grandchild for a walk in his stroller so they could steal the kid's candy and feel awesome about themselves...there are going to be the folks that know that's just nothing to feel special about.
We watched characters in the series and movies...where they were challenged and accomplished something awesome. We didn't tune in week to week or queue up in lines for tickets so we could watch various captains and crews just bully their way across the galaxy.
Boldly to go...
not
Easily to go...
And with that variety of human nature, yep, some folks are going to feel awesome about themselves doing the simplest of things. Now, say somebody's suffered a disability of some sort and something that folks take for granted has become a challenge for them - that's no longer just a simplest of things, right? So is it a case that you're saying that these various players are all disabled in some manner? Course, I've ran into some folks with various disabilities in the game...and...they've risen to the challenge in front of them. Cause, well, that's kind of human nature too.
There are all sorts of folks out there...
Again, folks aren't blocked from content...they might not be ready for a higher level of that content; but that's not blocked from the content.
I've got a 25 year high school reunion coming up, and it got me thinking back to what it was like in school back then and wondering if it has completely changed in the intervening years.
Anybody could take Physics, but unless they'd applied themselves they weren't doing Honors nor AP Physics.
So perhaps that's why what's going on with Normal, Advanced, Elite to me is so easy to grasp...cause well, it's just so fundamental and obvious based on what I've experienced in life.
When folks talking about "folks could easily pug Elite"...to me states there is an obvious problem with that queue. It completely removes the very definition of the term and diminishes any accomplishment tied to it.
Sir, I can report that while I still played some of these missions I was 0 for 60 on BDA. Azure Nebula has around a 10 to 15% success rate - close enough to impossible to make it not worth playing. I believe bug hunt elite and Transdimensional Tactics elite now also fit that description. I'm seeing sub 20% success in both of these - perhaps aggravated by the event weekend. Then there are missions like Undine assault that were dead on arrival. Then there are those that were zeroed out even before DR. I will also say that I failed good ole ISA the last 4 times I tried it. I will wait to comment on that until I try it without an event running. But it felt very much like the transformers were buffed. I didn't parse these runs. So the teammates may have all been sub 5000. I also have a strong feeling that the project leader in transdimentional has also been buffed again recently. The last 4 goes at that - he was impossible to kill even though he got down to like 2% health.
BDA did not exist before DR.
ANRA did not exist before DR.
BHE did not exist before DR.
TDTE* did not exist before DR. *TDTE->TDTA, etc.
So how could those be examples of what folks ran before but now can't when they didn't exist?
With ISA ~= ISE, folks will have different experiences there. Even back prior to DR, there were folks that pretty much had 5-7 minute runs and those that had 20-30 minute runs. There were folks that would bail on the failed Nanite/Transformer Optional considering that to be a failure. They'd eat a leaver penalty and couldn't do anything. Now the Optional being a Fail condition means they don't have to eat that penalty and can play something else. With the CD down to 30 minutes now as well, it's not that long of a wait before they can run it again.
Why would somebody that easily did ISE have an issue with ISA? Let's see, even if they're just level 50 - they're scaled to 60. If they're anyway along the way to 60 or at 60, they're going to have that going for them as well. If not for bit of health increase, ISA would be even easier than ISE was. Hell, one could say it's just as easy as ISE was...for the person that was actually easily doing ISE before. I'm flying with mostly the same gear level that I was doing ISE...have got a few pieces I've upgraded over the many months since DR released...and my DPS now compared to pre-DR...hasn't gone down, not by a longshot.
Remember some groups needed 10% and Grav Wells to get it done? What's stopping folks from doing that here to get it done? Hell, most groups I'm in we tend to still go that way - cause we're just a bunch of average folks. Get the Gens down low, pop them, tosss the Grav Well, focus the Trans...repeat on the other side...and then take out the Tac Cube 'n Gateway.
The folks TRIBBLE up an ISA are the same folks that would have screwed up an ISE...but like I said a little earlier, folks don't have to eat a leaver penalty - folks don't warp in on failed optionals as much - and the time between runs has been reduced.
I will venture a guess that part of the problems with pugging queues, especially ISA, is a combination of a few things (well, I know it is, I'm just suggesting some ones in particular):
Release ISA was daunting, in terms of raw HP/time, to get the optional. While I think current ISA is a higher possibility of a fail, with the increased transformer HP, the release state of advanced queues scared off some people, especially since that came at a time when top-tier gear was no longer top-tier and it made a difference if you failed or not. This, combined with an overall difficulty increase, has made some people who used to pug religiously just for the fun of it more likely to join fleets, chat channels, or what not, that form premade teams.
The current lag issues, which are believed to be related to spec trees or starship traits, are hitting higher-dps players and especially teams hard, and much harder than lower-dps people in general, who tend to have less spec points and starship traits. This is making higher-dps players less willing to fly queues, and especially reluctant to pug - if they're going to have few runs without lag, why would you waste them in a pug?
Because some things, specifically NPC HP, have been increased, people who's 3k used to cut it are no longer capable of dealing with things, and they're just beating their head against the wall time and time again, because there are enough good people still out there to carry them through a few every now and then.
SCM - Crystal C. (S) - [00:12] DMG(DPS) - @jarvisandalfred: 8.63M(713.16K) - Fed Sci
Heck, I got a BNP yesterday just for collecting Omega marks after a CE run and starting an Omega rep project.
Granted that's not sure-fire, but it sure is easy. No STF required. I've got a few of them that way.
My views may not represent those of Cryptic Studios or Perfect World Entertainment. You can file a "forums and website" support ticket here Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
If the financial situation became so bad that they felt compelled to abandon the current approach, PWE would probably just push them into maintenance mode.
And, despite claims from casuals, skin sales alone can't carry most games, if any, including this one.
A good point of comparison on this would be SWTOR; their initial approach to F2P was to sell skins, not power creep. If they do start selling power creep, to me that would be evidence that the "casual skins" model is unsustainable.
Heck, I got a BNP yesterday just for collecting Omega marks after a CE run and starting an Omega rep project.
I mentioned this earlier in the thread, in regards to completing rep console projects. The elite marks you occasionally get from rep turn-ins should cover any elite marks you need for rep consoles.
So perhaps that's why what's going on with Normal, Advanced, Elite to me is so easy to grasp...cause well, it's just so fundamental and obvious based on what I've experienced in life.
What's going on with advanced and elite is that everyone feels entitled to engage in them, because reasons.
Ironically, critics of the increased difficulty are usually the first to pull the "entitlement" card.
"Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." - Aristotle
My most recently created toon just started the Omega Rep. A BNP popped out of the Omega box.
The 2nd BNP I got was from playing ISA for the 1st time on a different toon; in a PUG no less. The last time I played Infected Space beyond normal was prior to the release of Delta Rising which meant I was playing the "old ISE". I miss getting as many as 11 BNPs from a single Borg STF....
Hehe, I remember back when I played Diablo 2 trying to figure out how to make a sorceress into a melee fighter.... it doesn't work well.
Yeah, D2 wasn't quite as accommodating of sandbox builds, but the classes themselves directly presented a variety of builds the player could choose from.
well worst aside from putting points into everything equally.... THAT is a horrible idea(because, while it gives you a lot of skills, they're all weak).
The Jack of All Trades is Master of Fail.
As a teenager, I used to play Diablo with a group of adult casuals who thrived on developing alternative builds. These were the guys who so thoroughly developed the concept for the Amazon class that Blizzard went ahead and incorporated it into D2. And they had hundreds of additional builds in various stages of development, from mere concept to fully fleshed out.
I'm entirely supportive of taking an alternative approach to playing a character. But, one thing those guys showed me is that you need to apply some level of intelligence to the process, and owe it to the people you're playing with to make such a build perform at something approaching it's maximum potential.
Not because they demanded it, but because it's the decent and courteous thing to do.
I'm also reminded of a thread I found here, but can't find again now to link, outlining several important tips for successful roleplay. They more or less revolved around the same concept, that in a multiplayer game, engaging other players requires you to be considerate of them.
Just because the STF queue system will put together a group for players doesn't absolve them from being team oriented.
"Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." - Aristotle
The ground missions are not any better KGA is horrible...I know don't PUG. However, who is left on the other channels or even on fleets...you have to PUG eventually. Please fix them :P
Quote:
Originally Posted by jellico1 View Post
The Sad thing is its not worth upgrading for its reward verses time - fails
Especially for a newer player with 1 accountTo us Vet players who know all the neet sidesteps its no problem , but to new or casual players its a green headed monster
The only thing wrong that I see is the fail condition which is stupid in the first place it should be a optional
No idea what spoiled or self entitled players your talking about
The mat from a advanced infected is pretty much Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa as far as mats go but so is the rest of the reward as well
personally I go to a pug looking for a nice fight with the NPCs along with whatever starfleet sends me as backup ( pugs ) usually if I go with my fleet its a Farmville match over in a few minutes
The Bad and Sad thing about a lot of pug groups is the fail condidion which takes the hard fought match away from me because we fail for whatever reason
I could change the fail rate to 80% wins or better if I went in a science ship set up for CC but that isn't my favorite set up or ship type for that matter. I prefer Cruisers and escorts
The way it stands right now if your in a private team the reward should be 1/4 of the current reward because that's how difficult the STFs are in a private match , We just foll over the content
Time based rewards in a STF/content should scale the reward for those in the match a longer period of time
time spent in match team 1 100% current reward match time 3:45
time spend in match team 2 400% current reward match time 14:50
apparently team 2 had a harder fight ..most likely had inferior gear less experience and need a bigger reward to ungrade there equipment and they got a lot of experience and maybe fleet invite and advice from someone in the match
Fail condititions stop team 2 matchs in there tracks and team 1 boring matchs are becoming the normal type of match
last word fails should be optionals
Fails don't slow down vet players in as private match
Fails cripple pugs to the point most people don't even play them now
Why wouldn't it be worth their time, to upgrade when all they have is 1 character on 1 account?
IMO, it would be well worth it, considering that is the only character needing any upgrading at best!
^Instead of toning down STFs, they need to lower the price of upgrading to 100 dil, that way players can upgrade their gear. Leave crafting exactly where it is, but don't reduce the rush cost which will give newbie players an ability to upgrade. Then you can implement a truly random system, and add lockbox and Fleet weapon crafting expansion. This new crafting skill would be the REAL experimental, by giving players the ability to put lockbox weapons in as the catalyst and make wide angle and omni directional beams of their choice. This wouldn't hurt lockbox sales, it would actually increase them, but it would give players the options they are looking for without hurting newbie players. Then to correct for the DPS race, make the Elite ques use ALL the skill for each race and increase their tactics.
Giving easier access to high grade gear, won't do them really that much good, because if they have to depend on maxed out gear, just to accomplish an advanced mission, than they really need work on themselves some.
You can give a person the world's most powerful weapon and, tell them to kill something but, without knowing the first thing in using the weapon, they wouldn't be any more effective than their intended target dying of old age.
Those people need get used to it or, simply find another game or, improve!
Because, I don't know of any games really, that doesn't have some failure mechanics involved and, just like life.
It too, is full of failures.
There was one on October 12th 2014.
Also most games don't really have failqueues. They simply let you keep trying until you give up or finish it. Do any games have failqueues? I'm not a gamer so I just know BGO, Lotro, and STO because I'm a fan. None of these have failqueues.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "We think we've come so far. Torture of heretics, burning of witches, it's all ancient history. Then - before you can blink an eye - suddenly it threatens to start all over again."
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Also most games don't really have failqueues. They simply let you keep trying until you give up or finish it. Do any games have failqueues? I'm not a gamer so I just know BGO, Lotro, and STO because I'm a fan. None of these have failqueues.
Failqueues?
Sure!
Racing games have failqueues
FPS have failqueues
Sports games have failqueues
MMORPG's have faiqueues
etc.....
So, yes a lot of games have fail systems, involving some form or another, that may or, may not include a queue system also.
Cause seriously, I mean seriously, the game is what you make of it. And if you're making it into some punishment from the Cryptic Gods
It only became "a punishment from the Cryptic Gods" after Delta Rising and its need to increase things to sell upgrade kits, before it was kill 10 minutes blowing up Borg in Infect Space or some other STF and get a decent amount dilithium.
Just a thought maybe they should add the autofai to Normal aswell, Might actually be more education and helpful on normal than on advanced. Meaning easy NPC's to kill but learning and having to complete the optional would be a better training and stepping stone into advanced, that way all STF'S are the same the only thing that changes is the hitpoints of the NPC's in most cases.
But then i think of 14 years experience of dealing with the public in my old job
It only became "a punishment from the Cryptic Gods" after Delta Rising and its need to increase things to sell upgrade kits, before it was kill 10 minutes blowing up Borg in Infect Space or some other STF and get a decent amount dilithium.
Did you enjoy running something like ISE or was it a somewhat tolerable endeavor for the reward it offered?
Just a thought maybe they should add the autofai to Normal aswell, Might actually be more education and helpful on normal than on advanced. Meaning easy NPC's to kill but learning and having to complete the optional would be a better training and stepping stone into advanced, that way all STF'S are the same the only thing that changes is the hitpoints of the NPC's in most cases.
Hrmm, personally I still lean toward something along the following lines...
...even in wanting Normal to be Advanced and Advanced to be Elite. Cause that's more about the difficulty of the mobs...so to speak.
So folks would be facing the Advanced NPCs in Normal, but that first Optional is still an Optional...as would the others.
Work in something where there is a form of Accolade counter or the like, eh?
Somebody has X number of runs where they've nailed all three Optionals in Normal...they get a little popup sort of thing telling them that they may be ready for Advanced; where that dialogue (something they can return to later as well) will give them some information about what to expect in Advanced.
Same where if somebody has X number of runs where they've nailed both Optionals in Advanced...they get the little popup about Elite.
It's not something that would gate folks, but it's something that might help folks that are interested in self-gating and if they might be ready sort of thing. Maybe even working some sort of single player mission test that can be run given the person an idea of what they might be facing.
Some folks just wander in...and...they have a sour experience. Personally, I don't want folks to have to deal with that - heh, yeah, still selfish of me - wanting folks to have fun so they stick around and potentially help fund the game.
So things that would help ease folks in to higher tiers when they're more likely ready for them...there being a path there.
Dropping in failures to Normal when that might be their first experience at all with queued activity...just kind of see that driving away folks.
Give them some stepping stones, educate them along the way, and wheeeee...we're all having fun now, yeah?
Why do you keep changing your avatar? What happened to epic wolf?
Heh, it was actually a rat. Wererat...Shadowbane from back in the day (hrmm, over a decade ago...meh). My main toon named Willard the Rat, yadda-yadda-yadda.
Heh, it was actually a rat. Wererat...Shadowbane from back in the day (hrmm, over a decade ago...meh). My main toon named Willard the Rat
The greediest, most unscrupulous of souls learn to tap into the beast that lurks in their hearts---the Rat, a grim and greedy survivor. They learn how to unleash the rodent within them, transforming themselves into giant rats or terrifying fusions of Human and rat.
Is that you, then? A grim and greedy survivor?
On first glance I read that as, a dim and greedy survivor.;)
"Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." - Aristotle
Did you enjoy running something like ISE or was it a somewhat tolerable endeavor for the reward it offered?
Lets, see blow up some borg/tholians/voth/undine, get some dilithium, maybe occasionally try some different weapons or a new ship and see how well they work, and most importantly satisfy a star trek craving in a quick and easy manor. Yeah it was a good way to kill 10 minutes.
But in every successful guild or gang, you're bound to find one of us. We're the keenest ears, the sharpest eyes, the best slinkers, trackers, burglars, and spies. We are the Rat Men, and in rat's shape we crawl under doors, up narrow drains, and into the most impregnable houses. None can keep us out, and once we're in, there are few that can keep us from our errand, be it burglary, spying, murder, or mayhem. And when our work is done, we scamper away, one rat among thousands. And not a man the wiser.
Lets, see blow up some borg/tholians/voth/undine, get some dilithium, maybe occasionally try some different weapons or a new ship and see how well they work, and most importantly satisfy a star trek craving in a quick and easy manor. Yeah it was a good way to kill 10 minutes.
So you were playing STO like somebody might play a game on their phone or tablet or a Facebook kind of game?
I'm just asking that based on the "kill 10 minutes" sort of thing. Not sure if you meant that as on the whole, as in that was the STO activity or if that was part of the activity. Waiting for something on TV, waiting for dinner, waiting for somebody to get dressed, basically the kind of thing I might cover that time by going for a smoke or the like...
...or if that was more about how it would just take 10 minutes. The "kill 10 minutes" strikes me more as one than the other, but I figured I'd ask.
Lets, see blow up some borg/tholians/voth/undine, get some dilithium, maybe occasionally try some different weapons or a new ship and see how well they work, and most importantly satisfy a star trek craving in a quick and easy manor. Yeah it was a good way to kill 10 minutes.
Sounds like "Normal" is the difficulty you're looking for.
"There's nothing wrong with normals; its where all ya special snowflakes belong." So is there nothing wrong with Normal, or is it for losers only then and gonna laugh at anyone using it?
I'm willing to deride someone who wants advanced or elite to be as difficult as normal.
Wow... two days and you're still stroking the e-peen... you should seek medical attention for that... it could be a sign of all kinds of nastiness.
Why.... again... why does it matter so much to you that you spill all kinds of vitrole and nastiness on how someone else wants the game to be played for them.... but expect everyone to just simply bow to your infinite wisdom and expect everyone to play the game how you want it to be played.
honestly, have you ever considered that maybe... just maybe... you're the minority here?
As to my personal opinion here... no Advanced and Elite should remain just as difficult... actually I take it back... elite should be harder to shut up all the e-peen strokers who think they're gods because they conquered elite. I mean I honestly think with a proper team and proper gear elite is kind of easy myself.
But... as long as BNPs are gated behind ADvanced... that honestly the majority of players have been struggling to get into and conquere... people who aren't ready for them will queue for them and ruin your e-peen stroking stroke fest.
So honestly you should stop spewing vitrole and hatred and stupidity and actually agree with them... something needs to be done to make BNPs and access to the rep gear easier... if for no other reason then to get them out of Advanced.
Or is it simply YOU want to feel like a special snowflake and be one of the "elite" and have the only access to special gear.
Comments
Hrmm, let me start toward the end of that, yeah? Supporting things that aren't quite my thing? I remember a post where somebody wanted cropped jackets for males. Was it the same one or another where somebody wanted makeup/clothing options to be the same regardless of gender? Anyway, those things aren't my thing, I'll be blunt about that. I'll apologize for chuckling when I say that, cause some might see it as insulting, but it's the simple truth - those just aren't my things and might even be things that I'd rather not see. But I've agreed that things like that should be added for folks that do want it. I don't want it personally, but I can see where adding stuff like that for folks could potentially add to the game...add players...add revenue...be a healthy thing for the game. It's not a selfless support, it's a selfish support. I like the game. I want it to do well so I can enjoy it. So something that would add to the game and potentially draw more players which could potentially draw more revenue...follow? Yeah, so even though that's just one example - there are a bunch of things that I might consider fluff or whatever that could bring in players...revenue...I get to keep playing...yep, pretty straightforward selfish act on my part, lol.
On the other hand though, there are the suggestions from folks that do not want to add to the game - but - rather they want to remove things from the game. There are all sorts of folks that enjoy all sorts of things, and the more Cryptic offers to all those sorts of folks the more all sorts of folks might play the game...yeah, same thing as what I just said. So when somebody comes along and wants to remove stuff, they're limiting what the game can offer. They're limiting the number of folks that might be interested in the game. They're potentially cutting players...potentially cutting revenue...they're potentially making it so I'll be less likely to continue to enjoy the game. I start to get defensive. They're attacking the game. They're trying to do it harm. So those folks are going to draw some aggro. They want the game to cater to them and what they want. That's limiting the game and the number of folks that might play the game. Attack on game. Aggro. Not the nicest comments from yours truly here.
It's like the folks that everything super easy. Not everybody wants super easy. Just because they do and the folks they might associate do does not mean that everybody does, right? Different folks enjoy different things, want different things, and all the rest of that which most of us learned while growing up. So Cryptic puts in this content, they do it with Normal, Advanced, and Elite...well, not always Elite. Cryptic's looking at there being different types of players. Good thing, right? But then we have some players come along complaining that Advanced or Elite are too hard, yeah? Well, maybe, just maybe - that content wasn't made for them. It's the same content, just at a higher difficulty - right? So it's not a case that they're missing out on the content itself.
What about the rewards? Well that's where Cryptic's gone through to make all the rewards one can get from doing those queues available elsewhere, yeah? Heck, that also provides for the folks that might not be interested in the queues at all. Is there 100% coverage? Nah, things like the current Crystalline Catastrophe even are going to require hitting up that event. But the reward for that event is basically a reward for running the event. Should be straightforward, but there will still be complaints and well, have to acknowledge that is a gap in regard to what Cryptic has done elsewhere, right?
So with Cryptic providing different levels and different means, when folks come about wanting to remove that - make everything super easy across the board, they're talking about a game that just won't offer as much to as many potential players while the game for the most part is already offering everything they want...content - rewards. Perhaps they can't pat themselves on the back for an awesome job of running a Super Easy Elite...but yeah, ahem, see - starting to slip into that less than happy place, meh.
And yeah, it can get downright nasty on my part at times...perhaps my mix of idealism and the delusional need to defend what's basically just a game and shouldn't matter, I'm attached to it - I like it; and I'll break out in ******* mode requiring mod intervention.
So yeah, then, getting into the trying to help folks? Selfish. What? Yeah, it's selfish. Trying to help folks so maybe they can better enjoy the game and stick around and maybe...revenue. Supports the game I kind of like playing. Simple, eh? It's not that I'm some saint, think I'm here to save the game, think I know more than anybody else - nah, if I see something that one of the other helpful folks hasn't answered and I think I might be able to help, I'll do it to try to help me out...by helping them out. Or I'll recommend somebody that can help them. Cause there are all sorts of helpful folks out there - answering questions, testing things, providing guides, doing videos...don't know what their reasons might be; but there are a bunch of folks out there that are like that. And I think that's cool, don't you?
But yeah, some folks out there - they just complain about everything, they want everything easy and they want it now...yadda, yadda, yadda. They're not just like that in this game. Go anywhere in this day and age and you can't help but trip over them. I don't like them. Sometimes I forget the TOS and let those folks know I don't like them.
I want all sorts of folks to be able to enjoy the game, and despite issues with bugs, latency, balance, and various oodles of other issues...I think Cryptic's just trying to make a game for as many folks to enjoy as possible. They're a business...having a bunch of happy customers is conducive to the business doing well, right? So when folks start getting into Cryptic's goal is to make everybody suffer...those folks are kind of letting me know just what kind of person they are. And yeah, I don't like them.
The pve queues used to be extremely easy to pug. There were many many queues that would pop the instant you joined. Now some of them are impossible to pug and there are only a handful that go right away. That is a change.
This forum is divided into those who like the change and those who do not. I personally am ambivalent. However I, too, like the game and hope that it is not on its way out. I personally believe that the changes are hurting the game's chances for longterm survival - which is why I speak out in favor of the 'casual player,' regardless of my personal opinions.
1000 words responses or no, the game is vastly changed since mid October of last year. How many people have the changes driven from the game? I have no idea, but it certainly feels like a good chunk.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Which provides for how many different kinds of players? Not many, right?
So having different queues with different difficulties while also providing the rewards outside of the queues...
Sounds good, no? Providing for all sorts of players, yeah?
Yet folks are complaining?
Cause...why?
And what queue(s) is(are) impossible to pug?
Sir, the folks are complaining because they used to be able to complete the 'top level' missions and now they can not, sir. Folks like to feel that they are awesome when playing a video game. This feeling is diminished if they can only complete the lowest level. This is human nature, sir, whether we like it or not. However, it may have a deleterious effect on the game, sir. That is my concern. I think the folks would accept being able to complete advanced. And I've argued since October 15th or so that these GD timers need to go. But I have given up hope that they will be removed. The gamers have prevailed here. Will this kill the game? I thought we'd know by now, but Cryptic has dragged it out wisely. We will know before Risa at any rate. If the elite model is still funding the game when Q returns to his wonderland, I'll give it my blessing. If we're closed to new content by then after defeating the Iconians in season 11 I'd love nothing more than to (completely censored).
Sir, I can report that while I still played some of these missions I was 0 for 60 on BDA. Azure Nebula has around a 10 to 15% success rate - close enough to impossible to make it not worth playing. I believe bug hunt elite and Transdimensional Tactics elite now also fit that description. I'm seeing sub 20% success in both of these - perhaps aggravated by the event weekend. Then there are missions like Undine assault that were dead on arrival. Then there are those that were zeroed out even before DR. I will also say that I failed good ole ISA the last 4 times I tried it. I will wait to comment on that until I try it without an event running. But it felt very much like the transformers were buffed. I didn't parse these runs. So the teammates may have all been sub 5000. I also have a strong feeling that the project leader in transdimentional has also been buffed again recently. The last 4 goes at that - he was impossible to kill even though he got down to like 2% health.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Human nature is diverse, though. That's what a looks keep appearing to miss. Folks are different. Just because they feel a certain way or think folks are supposed to feel a certain way, doesn't mean everybody feels that way.
For all the folks that want to pat themselves on the back for having beat up the old lady taking her grandchild for a walk in his stroller so they could steal the kid's candy and feel awesome about themselves...there are going to be the folks that know that's just nothing to feel special about.
We watched characters in the series and movies...where they were challenged and accomplished something awesome. We didn't tune in week to week or queue up in lines for tickets so we could watch various captains and crews just bully their way across the galaxy.
Boldly to go...
not
Easily to go...
And with that variety of human nature, yep, some folks are going to feel awesome about themselves doing the simplest of things. Now, say somebody's suffered a disability of some sort and something that folks take for granted has become a challenge for them - that's no longer just a simplest of things, right? So is it a case that you're saying that these various players are all disabled in some manner? Course, I've ran into some folks with various disabilities in the game...and...they've risen to the challenge in front of them. Cause, well, that's kind of human nature too.
There are all sorts of folks out there...
Again, folks aren't blocked from content...they might not be ready for a higher level of that content; but that's not blocked from the content.
I've got a 25 year high school reunion coming up, and it got me thinking back to what it was like in school back then and wondering if it has completely changed in the intervening years.
Regular classes, Honors/pre-IB classes, AP/IB classes.
Anybody could take Physics, but unless they'd applied themselves they weren't doing Honors nor AP Physics.
So perhaps that's why what's going on with Normal, Advanced, Elite to me is so easy to grasp...cause well, it's just so fundamental and obvious based on what I've experienced in life.
When folks talking about "folks could easily pug Elite"...to me states there is an obvious problem with that queue. It completely removes the very definition of the term and diminishes any accomplishment tied to it.
BDA did not exist before DR.
ANRA did not exist before DR.
BHE did not exist before DR.
TDTE* did not exist before DR. *TDTE->TDTA, etc.
So how could those be examples of what folks ran before but now can't when they didn't exist?
With ISA ~= ISE, folks will have different experiences there. Even back prior to DR, there were folks that pretty much had 5-7 minute runs and those that had 20-30 minute runs. There were folks that would bail on the failed Nanite/Transformer Optional considering that to be a failure. They'd eat a leaver penalty and couldn't do anything. Now the Optional being a Fail condition means they don't have to eat that penalty and can play something else. With the CD down to 30 minutes now as well, it's not that long of a wait before they can run it again.
Why would somebody that easily did ISE have an issue with ISA? Let's see, even if they're just level 50 - they're scaled to 60. If they're anyway along the way to 60 or at 60, they're going to have that going for them as well. If not for bit of health increase, ISA would be even easier than ISE was. Hell, one could say it's just as easy as ISE was...for the person that was actually easily doing ISE before. I'm flying with mostly the same gear level that I was doing ISE...have got a few pieces I've upgraded over the many months since DR released...and my DPS now compared to pre-DR...hasn't gone down, not by a longshot.
Remember some groups needed 10% and Grav Wells to get it done? What's stopping folks from doing that here to get it done? Hell, most groups I'm in we tend to still go that way - cause we're just a bunch of average folks. Get the Gens down low, pop them, tosss the Grav Well, focus the Trans...repeat on the other side...and then take out the Tac Cube 'n Gateway.
The folks TRIBBLE up an ISA are the same folks that would have screwed up an ISE...but like I said a little earlier, folks don't have to eat a leaver penalty - folks don't warp in on failed optionals as much - and the time between runs has been reduced.
Release ISA was daunting, in terms of raw HP/time, to get the optional. While I think current ISA is a higher possibility of a fail, with the increased transformer HP, the release state of advanced queues scared off some people, especially since that came at a time when top-tier gear was no longer top-tier and it made a difference if you failed or not. This, combined with an overall difficulty increase, has made some people who used to pug religiously just for the fun of it more likely to join fleets, chat channels, or what not, that form premade teams.
The current lag issues, which are believed to be related to spec trees or starship traits, are hitting higher-dps players and especially teams hard, and much harder than lower-dps people in general, who tend to have less spec points and starship traits. This is making higher-dps players less willing to fly queues, and especially reluctant to pug - if they're going to have few runs without lag, why would you waste them in a pug?
Because some things, specifically NPC HP, have been increased, people who's 3k used to cut it are no longer capable of dealing with things, and they're just beating their head against the wall time and time again, because there are enough good people still out there to carry them through a few every now and then.
SCM - Hive (S) - [02:31] DMG(DPS) - @jarvisandalfred: 30.62M(204.66K) - Fed Sci
Tacs are overrated.
Game's best wiki
Build questions? Look here!
Granted that's not sure-fire, but it sure is easy. No STF required. I've got a few of them that way.
Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
Is somewhat irrelevant.
If the financial situation became so bad that they felt compelled to abandon the current approach, PWE would probably just push them into maintenance mode.
And, despite claims from casuals, skin sales alone can't carry most games, if any, including this one.
A good point of comparison on this would be SWTOR; their initial approach to F2P was to sell skins, not power creep. If they do start selling power creep, to me that would be evidence that the "casual skins" model is unsustainable.
I mentioned this earlier in the thread, in regards to completing rep console projects. The elite marks you occasionally get from rep turn-ins should cover any elite marks you need for rep consoles.
What's going on with advanced and elite is that everyone feels entitled to engage in them, because reasons.
Ironically, critics of the increased difficulty are usually the first to pull the "entitlement" card.
My most recently created toon just started the Omega Rep. A BNP popped out of the Omega box.
The 2nd BNP I got was from playing ISA for the 1st time on a different toon; in a PUG no less. The last time I played Infected Space beyond normal was prior to the release of Delta Rising which meant I was playing the "old ISE". I miss getting as many as 11 BNPs from a single Borg STF....
You're lucky. I got a total of two of them on my 40 days to T5. Thank Q T5 gives 10 BNPs.
A whole whopping astronomically astounding 1 APC through that T5.
I'd rate it at heat death of the next universe happening before acquiring a useful number of them through the rep boxes.
I've yet to beat 2 of a currency before hitting T5 on any of the 5ish captains I've T5 reps on.
The Jack of All Trades is Master of Fail.
As a teenager, I used to play Diablo with a group of adult casuals who thrived on developing alternative builds. These were the guys who so thoroughly developed the concept for the Amazon class that Blizzard went ahead and incorporated it into D2. And they had hundreds of additional builds in various stages of development, from mere concept to fully fleshed out.
I'm entirely supportive of taking an alternative approach to playing a character. But, one thing those guys showed me is that you need to apply some level of intelligence to the process, and owe it to the people you're playing with to make such a build perform at something approaching it's maximum potential.
Not because they demanded it, but because it's the decent and courteous thing to do.
I'm also reminded of a thread I found here, but can't find again now to link, outlining several important tips for successful roleplay. They more or less revolved around the same concept, that in a multiplayer game, engaging other players requires you to be considerate of them.
Just because the STF queue system will put together a group for players doesn't absolve them from being team oriented.
Why wouldn't it be worth their time, to upgrade when all they have is 1 character on 1 account?
IMO, it would be well worth it, considering that is the only character needing any upgrading at best!
Those people need get used to it or, simply find another game or, improve!
Because, I don't know of any games really, that doesn't have some failure mechanics involved and, just like life.
It too, is full of failures.
Giving easier access to high grade gear, won't do them really that much good, because if they have to depend on maxed out gear, just to accomplish an advanced mission, than they really need work on themselves some.
You can give a person the world's most powerful weapon and, tell them to kill something but, without knowing the first thing in using the weapon, they wouldn't be any more effective than their intended target dying of old age.
Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!
There was one on October 12th 2014.
Also most games don't really have failqueues. They simply let you keep trying until you give up or finish it. Do any games have failqueues? I'm not a gamer so I just know BGO, Lotro, and STO because I'm a fan. None of these have failqueues.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Failqueues?
Sure!
Racing games have failqueues
FPS have failqueues
Sports games have failqueues
MMORPG's have faiqueues
etc.....
So, yes a lot of games have fail systems, involving some form or another, that may or, may not include a queue system also.
Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!
It only became "a punishment from the Cryptic Gods" after Delta Rising and its need to increase things to sell upgrade kits, before it was kill 10 minutes blowing up Borg in Infect Space or some other STF and get a decent amount dilithium.
This post has been edited to remove content which violates the Perfect World Entertainment Community Rules and Policies . ~Bluegeek
It's the only game I can recall seeing lockout timers on this type of content.
It's impossible to quantify who was responsible for letting the nanite spheres get in range. A scoreboard would be useless.
A flashing UI stating, "You failed because you let [insert failed objective] occur," would be more beneficial.
In other words, its not the players' fault.
Isn't that what normals are for?
But then i think of 14 years experience of dealing with the public in my old job
So that idea just got blown out the water.
Did you enjoy running something like ISE or was it a somewhat tolerable endeavor for the reward it offered?
I'm sure that's what everyone, except Cryptic, expected the Advanced queues to be.
Why do you keep changing your avatar? What happened to epic wolf?
Hrmm, personally I still lean toward something along the following lines...
Normal: Optional, Optional, Optional
Advanced: Mandatory, Optional, Optional
Elite: Mandatory, Mandatory, Optional
...even in wanting Normal to be Advanced and Advanced to be Elite. Cause that's more about the difficulty of the mobs...so to speak.
So folks would be facing the Advanced NPCs in Normal, but that first Optional is still an Optional...as would the others.
Work in something where there is a form of Accolade counter or the like, eh?
Somebody has X number of runs where they've nailed all three Optionals in Normal...they get a little popup sort of thing telling them that they may be ready for Advanced; where that dialogue (something they can return to later as well) will give them some information about what to expect in Advanced.
Same where if somebody has X number of runs where they've nailed both Optionals in Advanced...they get the little popup about Elite.
It's not something that would gate folks, but it's something that might help folks that are interested in self-gating and if they might be ready sort of thing. Maybe even working some sort of single player mission test that can be run given the person an idea of what they might be facing.
Some folks just wander in...and...they have a sour experience. Personally, I don't want folks to have to deal with that - heh, yeah, still selfish of me - wanting folks to have fun so they stick around and potentially help fund the game.
So things that would help ease folks in to higher tiers when they're more likely ready for them...there being a path there.
Dropping in failures to Normal when that might be their first experience at all with queued activity...just kind of see that driving away folks.
Give them some stepping stones, educate them along the way, and wheeeee...we're all having fun now, yeah?
Heh, it was actually a rat. Wererat...Shadowbane from back in the day (hrmm, over a decade ago...meh). My main toon named Willard the Rat, yadda-yadda-yadda.
http://morloch.shadowbaneemulator.com/index.php/Wererat
On first glance I read that as, a dim and greedy survivor.;)
Lets, see blow up some borg/tholians/voth/undine, get some dilithium, maybe occasionally try some different weapons or a new ship and see how well they work, and most importantly satisfy a star trek craving in a quick and easy manor. Yeah it was a good way to kill 10 minutes.
Or one that would totally kill off the ques once and for all. Especially if it screwed them over during big event thing that usually pops up.
Heh, I played a Rogue Assassin...so it was more like this bit:
http://morloch.shadowbaneemulator.com/index.php/Assassin
And a bit of this:
http://morloch.shadowbaneemulator.com/index.php/Wererat_Lore
And so yeah, when I decided to roll the my original STO Willard the Rat back with LoR...tada, Reman Sci flying a Fleet T'varo...wheeeeee.
But my current Willard the Rat's just a poor ol' Fed Klingon Sci flying a Geneva....
So you were playing STO like somebody might play a game on their phone or tablet or a Facebook kind of game?
I'm just asking that based on the "kill 10 minutes" sort of thing. Not sure if you meant that as on the whole, as in that was the STO activity or if that was part of the activity. Waiting for something on TV, waiting for dinner, waiting for somebody to get dressed, basically the kind of thing I might cover that time by going for a smoke or the like...
...or if that was more about how it would just take 10 minutes. The "kill 10 minutes" strikes me more as one than the other, but I figured I'd ask.
Sounds like "Normal" is the difficulty you're looking for.
This post has been edited to remove content which violates the Perfect World Entertainment Community Rules and Policies . ~Bluegeek
Heh love the mixed messaging.
"There's nothing wrong with normals; its where all ya special snowflakes belong." So is there nothing wrong with Normal, or is it for losers only then and gonna laugh at anyone using it?
I'm willing to deride someone who wants advanced or elite to be as difficult as normal.
Wow... two days and you're still stroking the e-peen... you should seek medical attention for that... it could be a sign of all kinds of nastiness.
Why.... again... why does it matter so much to you that you spill all kinds of vitrole and nastiness on how someone else wants the game to be played for them.... but expect everyone to just simply bow to your infinite wisdom and expect everyone to play the game how you want it to be played.
honestly, have you ever considered that maybe... just maybe... you're the minority here?
As to my personal opinion here... no Advanced and Elite should remain just as difficult... actually I take it back... elite should be harder to shut up all the e-peen strokers who think they're gods because they conquered elite. I mean I honestly think with a proper team and proper gear elite is kind of easy myself.
But... as long as BNPs are gated behind ADvanced... that honestly the majority of players have been struggling to get into and conquere... people who aren't ready for them will queue for them and ruin your e-peen stroking stroke fest.
So honestly you should stop spewing vitrole and hatred and stupidity and actually agree with them... something needs to be done to make BNPs and access to the rep gear easier... if for no other reason then to get them out of Advanced.
Or is it simply YOU want to feel like a special snowflake and be one of the "elite" and have the only access to special gear.