Its to late to lament the complete p2w scenario Cryptic has created in this game.
It reminds me of the poem by Martin Niemoller. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox weapons. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox ships. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox doffs. No one said no more when they started selling better lockbox bats. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox consoles.
So its really really late to be upset that they now sell lockbox bridge officer skills.
Cryptic has been paving the road to P2W for 4 years or so now. Its to late now to complain about it.
We have all kept playing right along while they turned more and more of the games systems into Best of = $. At this point if you want to be on par with the best players in the game PvE or PvP as a new player it involves opening your wallet. If your an old player it involves either Grinding like a job or opening your wallet. Its not going to change anytime soon... just when you think there isn't anything else Cryptic could power creep behind a paywall they will surprise you with something.
Its to late to lament the complete p2w scenario Cryptic has created in this game.
It reminds me of the poem by Martin Niemoller. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox weapons. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox ships. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox doffs. No one said no more when they started selling better lockbox bats. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox consoles.
So its really really late to be upset that they now sell lockbox bridge officer skills.
Cryptic has been paving the road to P2W for 4 years or so now. Its to late now to complain about it.
We have all kept playing right along while they turned more and more of the games systems into Best of = $. At this point if you want to be on par with the best players in the game PvE or PvP as a new player it involves opening your wallet. If your an old player it involves either Grinding like a job or opening your wallet. Its not going to change anytime soon... just when you think there isn't anything else Cryptic could power creep behind a paywall they will surprise you with something.
That is just not true. How is there a P2W scenario? You can access everything without paying and get with the best players in the game without opening your wallet. The power creep balance is better now then it used to be. Grinding is no worse that most MMO's.
Buy one for whatever price you can get it for. Get your cheesy 39K neutronic and 47K Kemo DPS buffs today!
There is another way to look at that video. Kemo did half the damage of FaW and around the same damage as torp spread 3. Its not that bad compared to the other bridge officer powers. FaW is doing over double the damage.
With the price of these so high, and the amount of damage considered by some as over powered, would it not be prudent for people to sit back and wait for the "nerf" dev correction on these? At that point that should bring the demand down and the price as well.
With the price of these so high, and the amount of damage considered by some as over powered, would it not be prudent for people to sit back and wait for the "nerf" dev correction on these? At that point that should bring the demand down and the price as well.
Why should they be nerfed when they do no more damage then other bridge officer powers?
Its to late to lament the complete p2w scenario Cryptic has created in this game.
It reminds me of the poem by Martin Niemoller. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox weapons. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox ships. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox doffs. No one said no more when they started selling better lockbox bats. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox consoles.
So its really really late to be upset that they now sell lockbox bridge officer skills.
Cryptic has been paving the road to P2W for 4 years or so now. Its to late now to complain about it.
We have all kept playing right along while they turned more and more of the games systems into Best of = $. At this point if you want to be on par with the best players in the game PvE or PvP as a new player it involves opening your wallet. If your an old player it involves either Grinding like a job or opening your wallet. Its not going to change anytime soon... just when you think there isn't anything else Cryptic could power creep behind a paywall they will surprise you with something.
That is just not true. How is there a P2W scenario? You can access everything without paying and get with the best players in the game without opening your wallet. The power creep balance is better now then it used to be. Grinding is no worse that most MMO's.
Oh come now. I don't spend any money myself and have billions and every bit and piece I could possibly want.
However I'm not stupid. I know all the grinding I do makes Cryptic plenty of Cash. The Keys I buy with EC come from people that paid for them... the Dilithium I sell for Zen is Paid for Zen. All the stuff I move buy or use comes from someones $. (the odd silly person will say to me ya ya but I mined the purple rock to get my zen so Cryptic didn't make money... forgetting that the only way zen enters the game is with $)
Saying the game isn't pay to win because Cryptic has given you a grind for it option doesn't mean its not P2W. Of course it is Kemo is P2W... it just is. I can accept that, why can't you ?
Go start a new account... don't send yourself anything, don't spend a dime. See how long you keep playing for. Cryptic has all but destroyed this game for completely new players... which isn't a great long term model imo. Do I like Cryptics F2P model in general... yes. As F2P games go Crytpic/PWE have not a bad model, its far from the best, its also far from the worst. Of course I would rather they P2W the systems instead of Locking content or item bars behind paywalls. That doesn't mean I'm not going to call a spade a spade. Every single system in this game has an element of P2W. That they have allowed you to grind it out and trade your grinded EC or Purple Rock to a player willing to Drop $ is fine... they have just been a lot more duplicitous about it then some other Developers. Where as most other developers just let you do the plain "gems"->"Gold" type transactions... Cryptic sort of obscures what is happening in their system a little more by allowing people to earn the traded "gem" (purple rocks here) in game clouding what is $ and what is grind for some people. Also by reselling Zen store items in game. (where as most other developers either bind store items or time gate them in a way to discourage in game purchasing of currency or at least slowing it a bit)
With the price of these so high, and the amount of damage considered by some as over powered, would it not be prudent for people to sit back and wait for the "nerf" dev correction on these? At that point that should bring the demand down and the price as well.
I wouldn't count on that... as some people have pointed out... it still provides less dmg then standard weapon skills like spread it self or faw... and eats up the same boff slots. (so as a bridge officer skill it is sort of what one would expect). I think if you where to compare the dmg to the overall boost of Attack Pattern Beta to a TEAMs dmg Beta would also be considered better most of the time. So from that perspective Kemo is fine. (also the double procing people are going on about is pretty much BS... Kemo has a 1k AOE on it that is what they are seeing when you start calculating spreads with multiple hits creating AOE bubbles)
Also Cryptic has a long history of not really touching things out of lockboxs all that often. It takes something extremely broken for that to happen. In the case of Kemo I don't think it is really broken. Its just a bit BS that it can be used so easily as it shares no global cool downs with anything else... so you can use it with standard weapon buffs/attack patterns teams ect.
Perhaps the better thing to ask for is a new class of Tac Skill (which kemo would be included in) and then for Cryptic to add 1-2 more Kemo like skills to the game for free (through a mission unlock or something even) Something like
Weapon Enhancement Class tac Skills; then they could add a new skill that adds say Electrical DMG to hits with a chance to chain 1-2 times (instead of the AOE on kemo).. or perhaps one that adds a 1k aoe shockwave effect, or a CPB effect that adds a shield drain like Destabalized Tetryon.
Anyway point is they could easily add a few free skills that worked in the same way with weapons; putting them on a global with Kemo. Giving people an almost as good free option... and creating another class of weapon enhancments.
All the stuff I move buy or use comes from someones $. (the odd silly person will say to me ya ya but I mined the purple rock to get my zen so Cryptic didn't make money... forgetting that the only way zen enters the game is with $) "
That’s not 100% accurate as a large amount of zen enters the game without $ being paid. Most of my Zen doesn't come from cash, my cash or others peoples cash.
Saying the game isn't pay to win because Cryptic has given you a grind for it option doesn't mean its not P2W. Of course it is Kemo is P2W... it just is. I can accept that, why can't you ?
I don't count it as a grind. I spent 15mins crafting on Friday, put the stuff on market then wake up on Saturday with enough EC to buy kemo. Anyway pay to win to me is when you have to pay cash to gain access to an advantage. If you can gain that advantage without paying cash then its not pay to win in my mind.
"Go start a new account... don't send yourself anything, don't spend a dime. See how long you keep playing for."
Once you level up crafting which doesn't cost anything you can make enough EC to buy anything you want which is just one method. The content is not locked behind a pay walls as you can access the content without money.
That’s not 100% accurate as a large amount of zen enters the game without $ being paid. Most of my Zen doesn't come from cash, my cash or others peoples cash.
Really ? Where exactly do you think it comes from. If you are talking about sub or lifetime stipend... umm that is money. If you are talking about free zen someone earned doing a survey for PWE... that is also money.
I don't count it as a grind. I spent 15mins crafting on Friday, put the stuff on market then wake up on Saturday with enough EC to buy kemo. Anyway pay to win to me is when you have to pay cash to gain access to an advantage. If you can gain that advantage without paying cash then its not pay to win in my mind.
See you have proven my point... Cryptic does a good job of obscuring how they ARE making money. Yes you craft like mad burning a bunch of purple rock and make your ec that way. Fair enough. The Kemo you are buying is coming from a lockbox... which means someone used a key which means some one gave them zen... which only comes from one play. Cash purchases, or stipend rewards which are also cash purchases, or they did something that is making PWE money like filling out a survey for a little bit of zen. Cryptic does a really good job of hiding that 90% of the stuff everyone uses isn't Free it is bought from them. The fact that you don't see it that way is Exactly what they are going for.
Don't get me wrong I'm not judging here. I have tons of P2W... I am simply under no illusions. I may not have paid for my 10 or 12 copies of kemo on a bunch of my toons... or the 50+ lockbox ships I have at this point spread accross my toons... or all the doffs and consoles ect. They exist in game cause someone spent $ I know that... Because I have played for a long time and have been good at making fake currency people are willing to sell me the stuff they buy from Cryptic. Works for me... and it is why I like Cryptics F2P model. Those of us willing to play or find a niche to work the system with like farming a ton of Purple rock to craft like mad once a week are rewarded. Of course if the new people that are willing to buy 20 keys to sell on the market... or the people willing to let me buy their zen from them for some purple rocks, keep everything going. Its people like you and me that keep the market turning that make those things attractive to them. (they wouldn't need our extra D... or 1000s of our Tech upgrades if it was cheap or easy to just do it themselves)
Once you level up crafting which doesn't cost anything you can make enough EC to buy anything you want which is just one method. The content is not locked behind a pay walls as you can access the content without money.
I never disagreed that it wasn't easy to make EC in this game. I tell people how to go about it any time someone asks. Yes if you have an army of alts to farm D for you can craft 100 million worth of tech with 90,000 Dilithium granted buying components that is likely more around 60-70 million profit. Still your point is valid. As long as you have the army of alts... and even if you don't its a good income stream. Still everything you are buying that came out of a lockbox at some point had to have a key used on it... which only comes into existence when someone hands Zen to Cryptic.
Its a P2W system... with a grind option... that is still true even if you have found a away to reduce your grind to 20 min a week.
Buy one for whatever price you can get it for. Get your cheesy 39K neutronic and 47K Kemo DPS buffs today!
There is another way to look at that video. Kemo did half the damage of FaW and around the same damage as torp spread 3. Its not that bad compared to the other bridge officer powers. FaW is doing over double the damage.
The key difference is that in this case Kemo + TS3 is causing a single weapon (one torpedo) to outperform everything else on a ship. An apples to apples comparison would be Kemo + TS3 + Neutronic dmg VS FAW + Kemo + dmg on one beam. On that basis other bridge officer abilities simply suck and cannot compete.
You whack a single neutronic torp on a beam build with Kemo (the newest generation of high DPS builds) and your DPS skyrockets.
Kemocite needs to be nerfed. Even if it were readily available to everyone, something like that is just plain bad for the game.
Oh, forgot to mention, in PVP neutronic torp + TS3 + Kemo is a death trap on high flow cap builds. The AOE drain from neutronic will shut down even the tankiest builds in PVP (especially if the target has pets to increase the amount of torps that are fired from the neutkemospread combo). Kemo and neutronic AOE radiation will then strip all the shield away on the unpowered and defenseless victim, allowing the full brunt of neutronic's kinetic dmg to dealt.
Do this thing to the "invincible/can't kill me" tanks out there and watch them cry.
We all know how much PVPers are willing to dish out for their cheese. They probably form a significant proportion of the demand for Kemo on the exchange and the other half of the reason why it now costs so much. Just be glad that PVP is almost dead in this game, otherwise we would probably be seeing lots of "WTT Annorax for Kemocite 1" call outs on trade channel and zone chat.
So basically the truth is, whether you're a PVPer or a PVEer, everyone needs kemocite + neutronic cheese to compete in this game today.
You whack a single neutronic torp on a beam build with Kemo (the newest generation of high DPS builds) and your DPS skyrockets.
Well people have been asking for mixed beam + torp builds to be better for ages now. Seems Cryptic has succeeded somewhat in making that real.
TBH I think Cryptic should add more skills similar to kemo that is more accessible. That'll balance it out IMO.
I dont think availability equals balance. Any player if really want to is capable of acquiring Kemo, either thru grinding/time or purchase zen.
It is just like the prices of other cookie cutter build traits or weapons. Its expensive but affordable to anyone willing to make an effort.
Otherwise, this would be just a commie/socialist wet dream with no point of having an in-game economy. Might as well let them close the exchange/trade mechanics and send all power creep thru our mails.
I dont think availability equals balance. Any player if really want to is capable of acquiring Kemo, either thru grinding/time or purchase zen.
It is just like the prices of other cookie cutter build traits or weapons. Its expensive but affordable to anyone willing to make an effort.
Otherwise, this would be just a commie/socialist wet dream with no point of having an in-game economy. Might as well let them close the exchange/trade mechanics and send all power creep thru our mails.
The issue with Kemo is its limited supply (lockbox only and an old lockbox to boot). IMO there shouldn't have been such a powerful ability locked out in such a way in any game. I think it is only fair that a similar skill should be more available to players to open up more options.
Don't get me wrong, I have Kemo too (bought them when they were still relatively cheap). I'm just thinking about other players here and how the gap between new players and old vets is continuing to widen because certain items are getting harder and harder to acquire.
I dont think availability equals balance. Any player if really want to is capable of acquiring Kemo, either thru grinding/time or purchase zen.
It is just like the prices of other cookie cutter build traits or weapons. Its expensive but affordable to anyone willing to make an effort.
Otherwise, this would be just a commie/socialist wet dream with no point of having an in-game economy. Might as well let them close the exchange/trade mechanics and send all power creep thru our mails.
The issue with Kemo is its limited supply (lockbox only and an old lockbox to boot). IMO there shouldn't have been such a powerful ability locked out in such a way in any game. I think it is only fair that a similar skill should be more available to players to open up more options.
Don't get me wrong, I have Kemo too (bought them when they were still relatively cheap). I'm just thinking about other players here and how the gap between new players and old vets is continuing to widen because certain items are getting harder and harder to acquire.
Harder is relative. New and old players have the same access in getting EC for f2p or buying Zen. Therefore same access in getting the Kemo. I see no issue here.
I believe the issue is player disparity of effort. Players who makes less effort/time/money wanting the same power creep of the one who makes more effort, willing to spend more time/money.
Don't worry, guys : the price is going to drop when Kemocite will be fixed lol
Yeah, might happen in season 13 by current estimates, will probably reduce the market price from 500M to 450M at that time.
I hear the devs have already been told about how great Kemo is with Torp Spread - like 4 months ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWh1FouHLv8&feature=youtu.be) [even cheesier with Neutronic, but not shown in this one] - and still not a word about it apparently.
So if you could put a monetary value on Kemo (in Dollars, Zen, ect) how much would you spend on it?
I personally would like to drop $10 and outright buy the thing. At this rate it will cost almost $100 in straight Zen soon enough.
This is what I hate about Lockboxes. Just let me outright buy things and make them affordable. PWE marketing at its finest here folks. While you're at it remove The Dil Exchange and Lockboxes too
Harder is relative. New and old players have the same access in getting EC for f2p or buying Zen. Therefore same access in getting the Kemo. I see no issue here.
I believe the issue is player disparity of effort. Players who makes less effort/time/money wanting the same power creep of the one who makes more effort, willing to spend more time/money.
You're assuming a fixed price. When I'm talking about accessibility, I'm also talking about the supply. It's a rare drop from an old lockbox. Prices are only going up so no, it will never be equal for the amount of money spent. I bought mine at 5M and 15M. How much are they now?
I don't think the issue is that Kemocite is powerful, the issue is that there aren't many options comparable to it atm. Make Kemocite and any lockbox manual available via Lobi or make new skills close (but weaker) than Kemocite so that there will be more options for the community at large.
Harder is relative. New and old players have the same access in getting EC for f2p or buying Zen. Therefore same access in getting the Kemo. I see no issue here.
I believe the issue is player disparity of effort. Players who makes less effort/time/money wanting the same power creep of the one who makes more effort, willing to spend more time/money.
You're assuming a fixed price. When I'm talking about accessibility, I'm also talking about the supply. It's a rare drop from an old lockbox. Prices are only going up so no, it will never be equal for the amount of money spent. I bought mine at 5M and 15M. How much are they now?
I don't think the issue is that Kemocite is powerful, the issue is that there aren't many options comparable to it atm. Make Kemocite and any lockbox manual available via Lobi or make new skills close (but weaker) than Kemocite so that there will be more options for the community at large.
The best stuff costing the most gives people something to work toward and earn.
It's a vital part of progression based games.
I didn't say free. Lobi still takes quite a bit to accumulate so they will have to work for Lobi.
Lol...competing in PVE...dps is serious business
You would be surprised....
"Cryptic Studio’s Jack Emmert (2010): Microtransactions are the biggest bunch of nonsense. I like paying one fee and not worrying about it – like my cellphone. The world’s biggest MMO isn’t item based, even though the black market item GDP is bigger than Russia … microtransactions make me want to die.”
So if you could put a monetary value on Kemo (in Dollars, Zen, ect) how much would you spend on it?
I personally would like to drop $10 and outright buy the thing. At this rate it will cost almost $100 in straight Zen soon enough.
This is what I hate about Lockboxes. Just let me outright buy things and make them affordable. PWE marketing at its finest here folks. While you're at it remove The Dil Exchange and Lockboxes too
then they wouldnt be rare, and everyone would have the same thing
Then Cryptic might start making a game and not a skinner box simulator.
I'm going to say it one last time, KLW is not that powerful except in VERY specific situations. Those situations involve using torpedoes which is a good thing. It's popular because it fixes the useless tactical ensign syndrome so many ships have had for years. So it's simply a matter of not having anything better to use. Things like FAW and APB are OP no matter how you use them so if you wanna whine about something whine about that.
I'm going to say it one last time, KLW is not that powerful except in VERY specific situations. Those situations involve using torpedoes which is a good thing. It's popular because it fixes the useless tactical ensign syndrome so many ships have had for years. So it's simply a matter of not having anything better to use. Things like FAW and APB are OP no matter how you use them so if you wanna whine about something whine about that.
Damn and here I am trying to build a Torp Boat wanting 1x KLW3 for "VERY specific situations" seeing as it's the best damage my pitiful little ship can output.
*shrug*
P.S. A good Torp build is significantly cheaper than one of those AP Beam Array or DBB builds, and is 10 times as fun as crappy FAW spam.
Well, I know my put my Fleet Tier5U Defiant back out of mothballs in anticipatins of a Tier 6 ship ,and decided it had way too many tactical slots for a character with Reprocity- so I bought Kemocite III and equipped it with 3 DHCs and a Neutronic Torpedo. Seems pretty nasty. And colorful. And expensive.
I guess my Science Vessel pilots could really use Kemocite, too, but the lower tier versions are even more costly.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
So if you could put a monetary value on Kemo (in Dollars, Zen, ect) how much would you spend on it?
I personally would like to drop $10 and outright buy the thing. At this rate it will cost almost $100 in straight Zen soon enough.
This is what I hate about Lockboxes. Just let me outright buy things and make them affordable. PWE marketing at its finest here folks. While you're at it remove The Dil Exchange and Lockboxes too
I would pay $10 for Kemo if I could craft manuals after getting it and maybe if it came with a costume unlock for BOffs.
This is actually more how I think costume unlocks should work: like mini-ship purchases. You get a cosmetic and a functional item (3 manuals).
Torpedo Specialist Odyssey Variant, for example. Comes with a Kemocite-variant that works on Photons. You could sell a variant weapon type Kemo for each weapon type. AP comes with a specialty Voth costume, Polaron comes with a specialty Jem'Hadar costume. Might have the energy type specific Kemo be slightly better than the current model (post-fix) as a nod to the energy limitation.
Bridge Officer Space Ability packs. Includes a ground costume (which, obviously, should be usable by BOffs although it might be a variant of existing costumes). Includes 3 training manuals and a crafting unlock to make more. And like I say, you could make these energy type specific.
Along with this to market harder, I'd look at allowing one BOff in all social zones. Because if you want to sell more costumes, people need to display more costumes.
You're assuming a fixed price. When I'm talking about accessibility, I'm also talking about the supply. It's a rare drop from an old lockbox. Prices are only going up so no, it will never be equal for the amount of money spent. I bought mine at 5M and 15M. How much are they now?
I don't think the issue is that Kemocite is powerful, the issue is that there aren't many options comparable to it atm. Make Kemocite and any lockbox manual available via Lobi or make new skills close (but weaker) than Kemocite so that there will be more options for the community at large.
Which is the same as all other items lockbox item cookie cutter top end builds from inspirational leader, plasmonic leech(fed), fluidic coccoon, or lobi consoles like BIC, etc. Those are all available to new or old players except players must pay a certain price which can be calculated in EC which then can be calculated in effort/zen.
If you are going to reason price it goes back to the reason of player effort disparity. Assuming new players buy now, The difference would be if players are willing to make an effort/exchange/use in game economy or grind or buy zen. Those who make effort thru grind or selling to players or buy zen are the ones who are going to acquire the KLW. While those choosing not to make increase effort or buy zen ends up not buying or end up making threads like these.
The KLW situation is no different from the freebies like the Kobali or the Sol sets. Except you must make more effort than just do a couple of episodes.
I'm going to say it one last time, KLW is not that powerful except in VERY specific situations. Those situations involve using torpedoes which is a good thing. It's popular because it fixes the useless tactical ensign syndrome so many ships have had for years. So it's simply a matter of not having anything better to use. Things like FAW and APB are OP no matter how you use them so if you wanna whine about something whine about that.
Where is your proof of this? Check out the SCM ISA parse both Eternal and Sobs 194k Parse. Per weapon Neutronic TS3 trumps AP DBB BFAW3. You need to combine all the DBB FAW3 just to equalize with 1 Neutronic TS3.
Actually what would be really cool would be to get special bridges / uniforms from Ship purchases. I would love to use a Xindi, Tholian, Kobali, ect bridge for example of my Fed Ships.
You already get things like the Kobali Outfit from playing seasonal limited time events to match the Kobali Ship.
Comments
It reminds me of the poem by Martin Niemoller. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox weapons. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox ships. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox doffs. No one said no more when they started selling better lockbox bats. No one said no more when they started selling lockbox consoles.
So its really really late to be upset that they now sell lockbox bridge officer skills.
Cryptic has been paving the road to P2W for 4 years or so now. Its to late now to complain about it.
We have all kept playing right along while they turned more and more of the games systems into Best of = $. At this point if you want to be on par with the best players in the game PvE or PvP as a new player it involves opening your wallet. If your an old player it involves either Grinding like a job or opening your wallet. Its not going to change anytime soon... just when you think there isn't anything else Cryptic could power creep behind a paywall they will surprise you with something.
Oh come now. I don't spend any money myself and have billions and every bit and piece I could possibly want.
However I'm not stupid. I know all the grinding I do makes Cryptic plenty of Cash. The Keys I buy with EC come from people that paid for them... the Dilithium I sell for Zen is Paid for Zen. All the stuff I move buy or use comes from someones $. (the odd silly person will say to me ya ya but I mined the purple rock to get my zen so Cryptic didn't make money... forgetting that the only way zen enters the game is with $)
Saying the game isn't pay to win because Cryptic has given you a grind for it option doesn't mean its not P2W. Of course it is Kemo is P2W... it just is. I can accept that, why can't you ?
Go start a new account... don't send yourself anything, don't spend a dime. See how long you keep playing for. Cryptic has all but destroyed this game for completely new players... which isn't a great long term model imo. Do I like Cryptics F2P model in general... yes. As F2P games go Crytpic/PWE have not a bad model, its far from the best, its also far from the worst. Of course I would rather they P2W the systems instead of Locking content or item bars behind paywalls. That doesn't mean I'm not going to call a spade a spade. Every single system in this game has an element of P2W. That they have allowed you to grind it out and trade your grinded EC or Purple Rock to a player willing to Drop $ is fine... they have just been a lot more duplicitous about it then some other Developers. Where as most other developers just let you do the plain "gems"->"Gold" type transactions... Cryptic sort of obscures what is happening in their system a little more by allowing people to earn the traded "gem" (purple rocks here) in game clouding what is $ and what is grind for some people. Also by reselling Zen store items in game. (where as most other developers either bind store items or time gate them in a way to discourage in game purchasing of currency or at least slowing it a bit)
I wouldn't count on that... as some people have pointed out... it still provides less dmg then standard weapon skills like spread it self or faw... and eats up the same boff slots. (so as a bridge officer skill it is sort of what one would expect). I think if you where to compare the dmg to the overall boost of Attack Pattern Beta to a TEAMs dmg Beta would also be considered better most of the time. So from that perspective Kemo is fine. (also the double procing people are going on about is pretty much BS... Kemo has a 1k AOE on it that is what they are seeing when you start calculating spreads with multiple hits creating AOE bubbles)
Also Cryptic has a long history of not really touching things out of lockboxs all that often. It takes something extremely broken for that to happen. In the case of Kemo I don't think it is really broken. Its just a bit BS that it can be used so easily as it shares no global cool downs with anything else... so you can use it with standard weapon buffs/attack patterns teams ect.
Perhaps the better thing to ask for is a new class of Tac Skill (which kemo would be included in) and then for Cryptic to add 1-2 more Kemo like skills to the game for free (through a mission unlock or something even) Something like
Weapon Enhancement Class tac Skills; then they could add a new skill that adds say Electrical DMG to hits with a chance to chain 1-2 times (instead of the AOE on kemo).. or perhaps one that adds a 1k aoe shockwave effect, or a CPB effect that adds a shield drain like Destabalized Tetryon.
Anyway point is they could easily add a few free skills that worked in the same way with weapons; putting them on a global with Kemo. Giving people an almost as good free option... and creating another class of weapon enhancments.
I don't count it as a grind. I spent 15mins crafting on Friday, put the stuff on market then wake up on Saturday with enough EC to buy kemo. Anyway pay to win to me is when you have to pay cash to gain access to an advantage. If you can gain that advantage without paying cash then its not pay to win in my mind.
Once you level up crafting which doesn't cost anything you can make enough EC to buy anything you want which is just one method. The content is not locked behind a pay walls as you can access the content without money.
Really ? Where exactly do you think it comes from. If you are talking about sub or lifetime stipend... umm that is money. If you are talking about free zen someone earned doing a survey for PWE... that is also money.
See you have proven my point... Cryptic does a good job of obscuring how they ARE making money. Yes you craft like mad burning a bunch of purple rock and make your ec that way. Fair enough. The Kemo you are buying is coming from a lockbox... which means someone used a key which means some one gave them zen... which only comes from one play. Cash purchases, or stipend rewards which are also cash purchases, or they did something that is making PWE money like filling out a survey for a little bit of zen. Cryptic does a really good job of hiding that 90% of the stuff everyone uses isn't Free it is bought from them. The fact that you don't see it that way is Exactly what they are going for.
Don't get me wrong I'm not judging here. I have tons of P2W... I am simply under no illusions. I may not have paid for my 10 or 12 copies of kemo on a bunch of my toons... or the 50+ lockbox ships I have at this point spread accross my toons... or all the doffs and consoles ect. They exist in game cause someone spent $ I know that... Because I have played for a long time and have been good at making fake currency people are willing to sell me the stuff they buy from Cryptic. Works for me... and it is why I like Cryptics F2P model. Those of us willing to play or find a niche to work the system with like farming a ton of Purple rock to craft like mad once a week are rewarded. Of course if the new people that are willing to buy 20 keys to sell on the market... or the people willing to let me buy their zen from them for some purple rocks, keep everything going. Its people like you and me that keep the market turning that make those things attractive to them. (they wouldn't need our extra D... or 1000s of our Tech upgrades if it was cheap or easy to just do it themselves)
I never disagreed that it wasn't easy to make EC in this game. I tell people how to go about it any time someone asks. Yes if you have an army of alts to farm D for you can craft 100 million worth of tech with 90,000 Dilithium granted buying components that is likely more around 60-70 million profit. Still your point is valid. As long as you have the army of alts... and even if you don't its a good income stream. Still everything you are buying that came out of a lockbox at some point had to have a key used on it... which only comes into existence when someone hands Zen to Cryptic.
Its a P2W system... with a grind option... that is still true even if you have found a away to reduce your grind to 20 min a week.
The key difference is that in this case Kemo + TS3 is causing a single weapon (one torpedo) to outperform everything else on a ship. An apples to apples comparison would be Kemo + TS3 + Neutronic dmg VS FAW + Kemo + dmg on one beam. On that basis other bridge officer abilities simply suck and cannot compete.
You whack a single neutronic torp on a beam build with Kemo (the newest generation of high DPS builds) and your DPS skyrockets.
Oh, forgot to mention, in PVP neutronic torp + TS3 + Kemo is a death trap on high flow cap builds. The AOE drain from neutronic will shut down even the tankiest builds in PVP (especially if the target has pets to increase the amount of torps that are fired from the neutkemospread combo). Kemo and neutronic AOE radiation will then strip all the shield away on the unpowered and defenseless victim, allowing the full brunt of neutronic's kinetic dmg to dealt.
Do this thing to the "invincible/can't kill me" tanks out there and watch them cry.
We all know how much PVPers are willing to dish out for their cheese. They probably form a significant proportion of the demand for Kemo on the exchange and the other half of the reason why it now costs so much. Just be glad that PVP is almost dead in this game, otherwise we would probably be seeing lots of "WTT Annorax for Kemocite 1" call outs on trade channel and zone chat.
So basically the truth is, whether you're a PVPer or a PVEer, everyone needs kemocite + neutronic cheese to compete in this game today.
Well people have been asking for mixed beam + torp builds to be better for ages now. Seems Cryptic has succeeded somewhat in making that real.
TBH I think Cryptic should add more skills similar to kemo that is more accessible. That'll balance it out IMO.
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I dont think availability equals balance. Any player if really want to is capable of acquiring Kemo, either thru grinding/time or purchase zen.
It is just like the prices of other cookie cutter build traits or weapons. Its expensive but affordable to anyone willing to make an effort.
Otherwise, this would be just a commie/socialist wet dream with no point of having an in-game economy. Might as well let them close the exchange/trade mechanics and send all power creep thru our mails.
The issue with Kemo is its limited supply (lockbox only and an old lockbox to boot). IMO there shouldn't have been such a powerful ability locked out in such a way in any game. I think it is only fair that a similar skill should be more available to players to open up more options.
Don't get me wrong, I have Kemo too (bought them when they were still relatively cheap). I'm just thinking about other players here and how the gap between new players and old vets is continuing to widen because certain items are getting harder and harder to acquire.
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Harder is relative. New and old players have the same access in getting EC for f2p or buying Zen. Therefore same access in getting the Kemo. I see no issue here.
I believe the issue is player disparity of effort. Players who makes less effort/time/money wanting the same power creep of the one who makes more effort, willing to spend more time/money.
Yeah, might happen in season 13 by current estimates, will probably reduce the market price from 500M to 450M at that time.
I hear the devs have already been told about how great Kemo is with Torp Spread - like 4 months ago (
I personally would like to drop $10 and outright buy the thing. At this rate it will cost almost $100 in straight Zen soon enough.
This is what I hate about Lockboxes. Just let me outright buy things and make them affordable. PWE marketing at its finest here folks. While you're at it remove The Dil Exchange and Lockboxes too
You're assuming a fixed price. When I'm talking about accessibility, I'm also talking about the supply. It's a rare drop from an old lockbox. Prices are only going up so no, it will never be equal for the amount of money spent. I bought mine at 5M and 15M. How much are they now?
I don't think the issue is that Kemocite is powerful, the issue is that there aren't many options comparable to it atm. Make Kemocite and any lockbox manual available via Lobi or make new skills close (but weaker) than Kemocite so that there will be more options for the community at large.
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I didn't say free. Lobi still takes quite a bit to accumulate so they will have to work for Lobi.
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Lol...competing in PVE...dps is serious business
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Then Cryptic might start making a game and not a skinner box simulator.
Damn and here I am trying to build a Torp Boat wanting 1x KLW3 for "VERY specific situations" seeing as it's the best damage my pitiful little ship can output.
*shrug*
P.S. A good Torp build is significantly cheaper than one of those AP Beam Array or DBB builds, and is 10 times as fun as crappy FAW spam.
I guess my Science Vessel pilots could really use Kemocite, too, but the lower tier versions are even more costly.
I would pay $10 for Kemo if I could craft manuals after getting it and maybe if it came with a costume unlock for BOffs.
This is actually more how I think costume unlocks should work: like mini-ship purchases. You get a cosmetic and a functional item (3 manuals).
Torpedo Specialist Odyssey Variant, for example. Comes with a Kemocite-variant that works on Photons. You could sell a variant weapon type Kemo for each weapon type. AP comes with a specialty Voth costume, Polaron comes with a specialty Jem'Hadar costume. Might have the energy type specific Kemo be slightly better than the current model (post-fix) as a nod to the energy limitation.
Bridge Officer Space Ability packs. Includes a ground costume (which, obviously, should be usable by BOffs although it might be a variant of existing costumes). Includes 3 training manuals and a crafting unlock to make more. And like I say, you could make these energy type specific.
Along with this to market harder, I'd look at allowing one BOff in all social zones. Because if you want to sell more costumes, people need to display more costumes.
Which is the same as all other items lockbox item cookie cutter top end builds from inspirational leader, plasmonic leech(fed), fluidic coccoon, or lobi consoles like BIC, etc. Those are all available to new or old players except players must pay a certain price which can be calculated in EC which then can be calculated in effort/zen.
If you are going to reason price it goes back to the reason of player effort disparity. Assuming new players buy now, The difference would be if players are willing to make an effort/exchange/use in game economy or grind or buy zen. Those who make effort thru grind or selling to players or buy zen are the ones who are going to acquire the KLW. While those choosing not to make increase effort or buy zen ends up not buying or end up making threads like these.
The KLW situation is no different from the freebies like the Kobali or the Sol sets. Except you must make more effort than just do a couple of episodes.
Where is your proof of this? Check out the SCM ISA parse both Eternal and Sobs 194k Parse. Per weapon Neutronic TS3 trumps AP DBB BFAW3. You need to combine all the DBB FAW3 just to equalize with 1 Neutronic TS3.
You already get things like the Kobali Outfit from playing seasonal limited time events to match the Kobali Ship.