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key prices just keep climbing

miirikmiirik Member Posts: 483 Arc User
There is no stop to this spike in price! And for your info, no, I haven't bought keys in a few months. I save up what I can then buy some because I want lobi ship items like the elachi console or the hirogen tractor mines, not even for the ship cause i don't expect to get it (and I have yet to, after 200+ boxes).

Comments

  • jocelynbruneljocelynbrunel Member Posts: 19
    edited June 2015
    The price for keys has never risen. It always stays at 125 Zen. There are discounts from time to time where the price drops to 106 Zen.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_0OCZC8TVY
  • miirikmiirik Member Posts: 483 Arc User
    The price for keys has never risen. It always stays at 125 Zen. There are discounts from time to time where the price drops to 106 Zen.

    i'm talking about exchange prices in the exchange
  • jocelynbruneljocelynbrunel Member Posts: 19
    miirik wrote: »
    The price for keys has never risen. It always stays at 125 Zen. There are discounts from time to time where the price drops to 106 Zen.

    i'm talking about exchange prices in the exchange

    I don't understand what you're talking about. Do you actually mean that you can buy keys without paying real money?
  • miirikmiirik Member Posts: 483 Arc User
    miirik wrote: »
    The price for keys has never risen. It always stays at 125 Zen. There are discounts from time to time where the price drops to 106 Zen.

    i'm talking about exchange prices in the exchange

    I don't understand what you're talking about. Do you actually mean that you can buy keys without paying real money?

    have you not seen the "Lockbox key" section in the exchange? you been able to buy them for at least as long I been playing this game, which is just over 2 years. Though they have more than doubled in price in the last 6-8 months.
  • jocelynbruneljocelynbrunel Member Posts: 19
    miirik wrote: »
    miirik wrote: »
    The price for keys has never risen. It always stays at 125 Zen. There are discounts from time to time where the price drops to 106 Zen.

    i'm talking about exchange prices in the exchange

    I don't understand what you're talking about. Do you actually mean that you can buy keys without paying real money?

    have you not seen the "Lockbox key" section in the exchange? you been able to buy them for at least as long I been playing this game, which is just over 2 years. Though they have more than doubled in price in the last 6-8 months.

    Well, if the price in energy credits is too much, you could buy Master Keys on the C-Store and sell them on the exchange to earn millions of energy credits really fast.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,983 Arc User
    edited June 2015
    Simple answer: fewer people selling relative to buying. Supply down, prices up. Why that? Well its been a while since the last box. Key buyers are still looking for lobi, ships, and [let's be honest] plasmonic leech as part of the normal background noise of STO character development. But what's to prod you into selling lock box keys now? You might as well wait for the next lock box (and the sale that inevitably comes with it) and take "advantage" of the apparent spike in demand, not realizing that because this is how EVERYONE thinks you'll just be joining in on a flood of the market.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
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  • miirikmiirik Member Posts: 483 Arc User
    Simple answer: fewer people selling relative to buying. Supply down, prices up. Why that? Well its been a while since the last box. Key buyers are still looking for lobi, ships, and [let's be honest] plasmonic leech as part of the normal background noise of STO character development. But what's to prod you into selling lock box keys now? You might as well wait for the next lock box (and the sale that inevitably comes with it) and take "advantage" of the apparent spike in demand, not realizing that because this is how EVERYONE thinks you'll just be joining in on a flood of the market.
    I don't quite understand how plasmonic leech can still be expensive as it is after SO LONG (mine are free technically, as I am kdf and bought the ship with the console itself). You only need ONE console and with how loadouts work you can have it on every ship. I would have expected by now that everyone who wants the leech has it. It's an old console.



    Also, my theory is this: Cryptic has actually been pumping out a lot of new ships lately, not counting the lockbox ships. This year we got the command ships, then the pilot ships, we had the iconic ships, now we are getting T6 versions of some more ships, there is defiant/b'rel/t'varo T6 ships incoming at some point as well. There used to be actual pauses for decent lengths of time when nothing would be released, so there would be a decreased willingness to buy thus prices would drop or stay steady.
    With all these new ships, dil to zen prices have skyrocketed with every new ship bundle and such, this not only increases the price of keys because of the dil to zen exchange rate, but also because there is actually less keys because more people are spending their dil to zen or just bought zen on ships rather than keys. The price in keys have gone up 300k in a week, and for a while just today shot up an extra 200k before coming back down.

    There is also another player in this, and these are the exchange players. I actually know one such man, though I won't say his name, but basically he got lucky with some boxes and started a small fortune with some ships he's sold, which is fine for the most part. However, he didn't stop there, now everyday he buys up tons and I mean TONS of keys and promo boxes. I see his name announced on the server getting a new ship at least twice a day, EVERY day, and that is just when I am on, he opens several hundred boxes and who knows how many R&D promo boxes every day, but I have seen him multiple Elachi Sheshar in a single day, and more than once. I know there is others like him. He has easily a billion or more ec, and he uses it to buy up every key, every box he can and just open them. I actually asked him about his fortune and he told me he goes broke at least once a day, however then I remember of the THOUSANDS of lobi he has on him from opening so many boxes, use it to get the most expensive lobi ship, sell it, and you're back in the black. And it baffles me because he has the EC at times to have literally everything he could want in the game, instead he just plays this lottery game but he's buying up all the tickets which makes them more expensive for us as well.

  • edited June 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • sheldonlcoopersheldonlcooper Member Posts: 4,042 Arc User
    hmm, I was thinking of getting my last character the leech but at 50 million plus that was 2500 zen. But you have given me hope.
    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."

  • a3001a3001 Member Posts: 1,132 Arc User
    edited June 2015

    I don't understand what you're talking about. Do you actually mean that you can buy keys without paying real money?

    This has got me very worried... (emphasis my own)
    Rejoice JJ Trek people....

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  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,983 Arc User
    miirik wrote: »
    I don't quite understand how plasmonic leech can still be expensive as it is after SO LONG (mine are free technically, as I am kdf and bought the ship with the console itself). You only need ONE console and with how loadouts work you can have it on every ship. I would have expected by now that everyone who wants the leech has it. It's an old console.

    That parts actually quote simple: new FED characters. If it was account bound the prices would probably be much lower.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    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!
  • nikephorusnikephorus Member Posts: 2,744 Arc User
    Key prices are tied to dilithium to Zen conversion rate so I'm not really surprised at the cost increase.
    Tza0PEl.png
  • lianthelialianthelia Member Posts: 7,921 Arc User
    hmm, I was thinking of getting my last character the leech but at 50 million plus that was 2500 zen. But you have given me hope.

    Try over 70 million now...I checked earlier this evening because I was thinking I could use one or two for some delta recruits...every time I make EC the price goes up >.<
  • shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
    One word pretty much summarizes the issue.

    Inflation!!!
    tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


    Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

  • cidjackcidjack Member Posts: 2,017 Arc User
    I will agree with the theory about the current dil to zen rate affecting key prices.

    I stopped opening lockboxes and purchasing keys, in my view, each new box is providing diminishing returns. Not to mention the simple fact that the dil claims that come out of it, (When you have hundreds if not thousands of them) a huge waste of a key.

    I am on my 3rd month of not opening boxes, I am hoping my gambling addiction support group gives me a token for my sobriety!!
    Armada: Multiplying fleet projects in need of dilithium by 13."
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  • rattler2rattler2 Member, Star Trek Online Moderator Posts: 59,174 Community Moderator
    We need a counterbalance to bring the DL Exchange down again. All these new ships keep driving the prices up. Us F2P players who can't afford to pay real money for ships really only have the DL Exchange as an option... and we're getting left in the dust by the constant increase in demand for Zen. We work pretty hard to trade our DL for Zen. Now... its almost getting to the point of "Is it even worth the grind" as we might just burn out before we get close to 3k Zen worth.

    Where's our next fleet holding?
    db80k0m-89201ed8-eadb-45d3-830f-bb2f0d4c0fe7.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2ExOGQ4ZWM2LTUyZjQtNDdiMS05YTI1LTVlYmZkYmJkOGM3N1wvZGI4MGswbS04OTIwMWVkOC1lYWRiLTQ1ZDMtODMwZi1iYjJmMGQ0YzBmZTcucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.8G-Pg35Qi8qxiKLjAofaKRH6fmNH3qAAEI628gW0eXc
    I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something CRAZY happens again?!
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  • miirikmiirik Member Posts: 483 Arc User
    worst part about key prices being so high is when you don't even want a ship (again, because I don't expect them cause after 2 years I have yet to get one after 200+ boxes) but I want a lobi console, which is 200 lobi, and thus my ONLY choice is to go through R&D promo boxes or lock boxes
  • hyperionx09hyperionx09 Member Posts: 1,709 Arc User
    I personally enjoy the higher Dil/Zen ratio; it's more or less hovering around half the maximum (since the minimum is around 25 Dil:1 Zen and max is what, 500:1?), and has netted me the Dil to upgrade some of the costlier Rep gear (as I've mostly upgraded all my main's non-Rep gear to XIV VR or UR; Epic if I got lucky), and help fund my Fleet's Projects.

    As well, with the announcement of the new "Battlecruiser Bundle", the market shot up a bit. And will shoot up again once a new Lockbox comes out, followed by the inevitable T6 "Escort Bundle" that will likely feature the rumored T6 Defiant/T'Varo/B'Rel.

    Not to mention, there's other rumors of a T6 Excelsior, T6 Prometheus, and T6 Flight-Deck Escorts, assuming that the rumors aren't just deliberate fake leaks by Cryptic to throw off discovering the next series of new ships. If those are true, then expect the market to anxiously hover around the 240:1 mark for the next two-four months (a month per starship release).

    Personally, I wouldn't be surprised either if Cryptic did want the market to hold at a steady 240:1 or so; just enough players to spend to buy Dil, without completely rendering Dil farming futile for dedicated free players (unlike some other Cryptic games). They'd just have to spend more time (a key metric) grinding/refining/converting Dil. But it's at least more stable than trying to grind Offer Walls.
  • swamarianswamarian Member Posts: 1,506 Arc User
    miirik wrote: »
    I don't quite understand how plasmonic leech can still be expensive as it is after SO LONG (mine are free technically, as I am kdf and bought the ship with the console itself). You only need ONE console and with how loadouts work you can have it on every ship. I would have expected by now that everyone who wants the leech has it. It's an old console.

    I have 4 leeches with 5 characters. Hardly any Fed aligned Delta Recruits or other new characters could get them while they were cheap, unless the player hoarded them way back when.
  • sheldonlcoopersheldonlcooper Member Posts: 4,042 Arc User
    lianthelia wrote: »
    hmm, I was thinking of getting my last character the leech but at 50 million plus that was 2500 zen. But you have given me hope.

    Try over 70 million now...I checked earlier this evening because I was thinking I could use one or two for some delta recruits...every time I make EC the price goes up >.<

    d'oh! It's gone up 20 million in 2 weeks lol. Honestly I didn't want to buy it at 50 and am sure as heck not going to buy it at 70. I guess poor old Deltie doesn't get to play on easy mode :(
    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."

  • hyperionx09hyperionx09 Member Posts: 1,709 Arc User
    You could use the MACO shield or its KDF equivalent and just increase your aggro generation. Since they both grant extra power with damage taken. Not as great an alternative, but if you need free power from somewhere, that's one.

    Or work up the cash for a Vaadwaur Astika and Master it for its FAW/CSV granting energy boost Mastery Trait.
  • jaguarskxjaguarskx Member Posts: 5,945 Arc User
    LOL....

    It seems buying a Plasmonic Leech for my Fed aligned Rom sci captain is slipping from my grasp. On the plus side I have around 14 master keys spread across my toons which I have not sold off yet. I got them a while ago before taking a 6 week break and returning in time for the Summer Event.

    I am trying to milk the Summer Event for some additional EC, but who knows... maybe by the time the event is over the Plasmonic Leech will break 100 million EC.
  • alex284alex284 Member Posts: 366 Arc User
    In the last couple months, they've gone from something like 2.4 to 3.3 now, which ties the all time record high from before the vendor trash ec fix.

    It's probably something to do with a few factors

    1) higher dilex means its harder to get zen for dil
    2) lack of dil sinks means people are less likely to trade the zen they buy for dil
    3) could be people are buying less zen. If people buy less zen, c-store stuff all starts to cost more in-game money.
    4) higher demand for c-store ships, people spend their zen on that instead of keys
    5) people want lobi to get their risa ships
    6) could be some change has resulted in more ec being generated in-game, which causes inflation

    All I know for sure is that I wish i'd have stocked up on keys in a big way a few months ago.

    Indeed. I'd add

    7) the latest lockbox has some popular stuff in it - not just the ship, but Kemocite Laced Weaponry, kits and modules that people want to use, crafting materials packs that are only in this one and the delta lockbox, etc.
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