Does it cost too much? The are going from a currency that requires someone to actually pay money for to a currency that requires someone to an ingame currency that doesn't require money. Never saw the point on wasting Lobi for the consumables, but requiring dilithium makes them slightly more attractive.
This actually addresses one of my issues with the Lobi Consortium: that many of their offerings have no business being such. Leaving aside for the moment the question of the actual dilithium costs, I would refine this change by actually moving some of these items into the relevant reputations' stores, building on what is now seen with Task Force Omega. For example, since the Romulan Republic has been on point in dealing with the Elachi, it makes sense that one would be able to requisition the crescent blast turrets, et cetera from them. Rad crystals and web grenades? Nukara Strikeforce. And so on.
Those prices do seem rather steep for a consumable... I think I'll stick with my crafted ones, for now...
Yeah this isnt gonna make me use those consumables at those insane prices. I never used them before and will continue to not use them.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
Forgetting the Lobi ships, but the Lobi costumes and accessories should have been Dil, Zen, or Latinum store items from the start.
C-Store should have been for factional uniforms (including Wells, Korath, Terren, and KT)
Dil Store for alien uniforms (Dominion, Vaadwaur, Hirogen etc. Mercenary costumes)
Latinum Store for accessories (earrings, glasses, emotes, formal costumes, out of season winter and summer costumes maybe)
That way people are spending real money on main faction stuff, real time to grind for RP purposes, and then a silly currency for silly accessories.
Norway and Yeager dammit... I still want my Typhoon and Jupiter though. JJ Trek The Kelvin Timeline is just Trek and it's fully canon... get over it. But I still prefer TAR.
#TASforSTO
'...I can tell you that we're not in the military and that we intend no harm to the whales.' Kirk: The Voyage Home
'Starfleet is not a military organisation. Its purpose is exploration.' Picard: Peak Performance
'This is clearly a military operation. Is that what we are now? Because I thought we were explorers!' Scotty: Into Darkness
'...The Federation. Starfleet. We're not a military agency.' Scotty: Beyond
'I'm not a soldier anymore. I'm an engineer.' Miles O'Brien: Empok Nor
'...Starfleet could use you... It's a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada...' Admiral Pike: Star Trek
Yeah, those prices on consumables are very steep.
I won't be interested that's for sure.
In regards to cutting the contraband assignments; I'm surprised it took them this long.
This should help put a damper on Dil Farmer accounts. Which in many cases are probably linked to the black market/Gold Seller sites.
It's a win for the majority of the player base, in that they will no longer have to compete against these accounts on the Dil/Zen exchange.
I'm actually very happy for this. Those Dil farmer accounts have had a negative impact on the exchange for years.
They flood the market with dil, and poach much of the Zen that is on sale.
Meh.. I didn't care about any of those consumables when they were in the lobi store and I don't care about them now either. They are of minimal use. Most of this game's content has become so easy, using any of these items would be an unnecessary overkill anyways.
Two stupids don't make a right: 2k Dil for 1 consumable (regular) battery is insane.
No, it isn't. It's just unnecessary. I doubt anyone ever bought them for lobi, and I doubt anyone will buy them for dilithium. The game is simply too easy.
Personally, I never even use the free batteries that drop from enemies. Loading them into the device slot is more work than it's worth.
It's unnecessary and insane. But yeah, as long as I can still craft my batteries, I don't really care what they cost elsewhere.
So now these consumables are now in the Dil Store on Holodeck, and the prices are the same as they were on Tribble.
The same prices that players said was too expensive for consumables.
Hmm...
Well, I'm quite certain that I won't be purchasing batteries at 2k dil each.
If Cryptic decides to make them a better value I might reconsider. They'd have to drop a digit off the price (at least), however, for me to even consider it...
So now these consumables are now in the Dil Store on Holodeck, and the prices are the same as they were on Tribble.
The same prices that players said was too expensive for consumables.
Hmm...
Well, I'm quite certain that I won't be purchasing batteries at 2k dil each.
If Cryptic decides to make them a better value I might reconsider. They'd have to drop a digit off the price (at least), however, for me to even consider it...
*sigh* I haven't logged in yet, but thanks for confirming they didn't bother to read feedback, as usual.
I'm also not wasting my dilithium on consumable items. I'd spend it on permanent stuff, like an outfit or something.
I'm glad they did this. However at those prices, I won't spend much on it, if any. Since my Dil is already mostly used for upgrades. Unless the Zen market comes down.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
The Lobi consumables used to cost about 2 to 5 Lobi per item or 20 Lobi for the bundle. The average Lobi in each lockbox seems to be 5 Lobi per lockbox. So every Lobi costs 22.5 Zen which equates to 9,000 dilithium at the current exchange rate of 400 dilithium per zen. This is based on purchasing 10 Master Keys at a time instead of one at a time. However, the cost of Lobi in the Dilithium store is 2,000 Dilithium based on items that cost 2 Lobi is 4,000 Dilithium, the items that cost 5 Lobi is 10,000 Dilithium, and the items that cost 20 Lobi is 40,000 Dilithium. Therefore, the exchange rate has to be at 89 dilithium per zen for its old Lobi cost to equal its new dilithium cost.
So it is actually cheaper now to purchase these items in the Dilithium Store than it was in the Lobi Store. The 2 Lobi items now cost 10 Zen or $0.10, the 5 Lobi items now cost 25 Zen or $0.25, and the bundles now cost 100 Zen or $1.00 based on the current exchange rate. With it being in the Lobi Store it would cost 45 Zen or $0.45 for the 2 Lobi items, 112.5 Zen or $1.125 for the 5 Lobi items, and 450 Zen or $4.50 for the bundles.
So they moved these items from the lobi store because hardly anyone uses them to the dilithium store at prices that no one will use them. That makes perfect Cryptic sense.
The Lobi consumables used to cost about 2 to 5 Lobi per item or 20 Lobi for the bundle. The average Lobi in each lockbox seems to be 5 Lobi per lockbox. So every Lobi costs 22.5 Zen which equates to 9,000 dilithium at the current exchange rate of 400 dilithium per zen. This is based on purchasing 10 Master Keys at a time instead of one at a time. However, the cost of Lobi in the Dilithium store is 2,000 Dilithium based on items that cost 2 Lobi is 4,000 Dilithium, the items that cost 5 Lobi is 10,000 Dilithium, and the items that cost 20 Lobi is 40,000 Dilithium. Therefore, the exchange rate has to be at 89 dilithium per zen for its old Lobi cost to equal its new dilithium cost.
So it is actually cheaper now to purchase these items in the Dilithium Store than it was in the Lobi Store. The 2 Lobi items now cost 10 Zen or $0.10, the 5 Lobi items now cost 25 Zen or $0.25, and the bundles now cost 100 Zen or $1.00 based on the current exchange rate. With it being in the Lobi Store it would cost 45 Zen or $0.45 for the 2 Lobi items, 112.5 Zen or $1.125 for the 5 Lobi items, and 450 Zen or $4.50 for the bundles.
Your calculation doesn't take into account the value of the lockbox item.
But yeah, it isn't any more expensive now that it was at lobi store.
The refinement cap bottlenecks most players with the ease of getting it in regular Gameplay. This doesn't change that it just makes grinding for C-Store items that much harder to do. It works great for hard core F2P so this isn't so much an economic fix as making it that much harder to get nice things without real money. Doesn't surprise me but it does irritate me.
Few people have the stomache for the constant contraband grind but if you want a ship or something every once in a while it works great. Well it did...
It takes like what 4-5 months to grind a ship with one character now? Who has time for that? Everyone is well aware that F2P games are built on the tradeoff between time and money. Now the value ratio is unique for each individual but the more you increase the time requirements to do something the more people will buy it instead. It's simple business and there's nothing wrong with it neccesarily but moving the goalposts all the time is getting tiresome. I understand the game will evolve over time and changes must be made for balance but it gets frustrating when they give us nice things and immediately hammer them to pieces which has happened a lot lately. In this case their changing something that's been here for over four years which is even more frustrating and puzzling.
It takes like what 4-5 months to grind a ship with one character now? Who has time for that? Everyone is well aware that F2P games are built on the tradeoff between time and money. Now the value ratio is unique for each individual....
The nerf to contraband has decreased the Dil to Zen exchange rate. It was formerly 490:1, then dipped down to 383:1 (might have been lower, but that was what I personally saw) after the panic that ensured when the Tribble notes were released and finally settled to 400:1 last night when I checked the Dil Exchange.
A T6 ship costs 3,000 Zen when there is no sale. At the current exchange rate a T6 ship is worth 1.2 million Dil. Assuming you max out refining Dil at the current cap of 8k per day, it takes 150 days to get the ship.
If the refinement cap was increased to 10k per day, I am almost positive the exchange rate will quickly shift to 500:1 which is that cap. However, I believe that the actual intrinsic exchange rate would be greater than that if the cap did not exist. However, more on that later. Anywaste... at a 500:1 exchange rate, a T6 ship worth 1.5 million Dil and assuming a 10k refinement cap it takes 150 days to get the ship.
Back to the intrinsic exchange rate... Players who sell Zen on the Dil Exchange for Dil may view a 500:1 exchange rate to be undervalued if the refinement cap was raised to 10k per day. That's because there is an oversupply of refined Dil and raw Dil in the economy. The greater the difference between the capped exchange rate and the intrinsic exchange is the more likely they will stop selling Zen because they will feel that their hard earned money is worth more than the virtual currency in the game. Personally, I believe that if there was no exchange rate cap, then exchange rate would probably be around 600:1 to 650:1. But that is just my opinion.
Apparently, this is what happened in Neverwinter based on what I have read in the past... That game uses Astral Diamonds instead of Dil. The abundance of Astral Diamonds caused it's value to drop to the point where even if players were willing to offer 500 AD per Zen, there were no Zen sellers willing to accept that trade. That basically caused the F2P economy to grind to a halt because there was no way for F2P gamers to get Zen using AD. I read in passing that eventually after several months Neverwinter's economy has started to improve, but since I don't play that game, I have no idea how "healthy" it's economy currently is.
As for my personal stance on regarding the increase to the cooldown time on the contraband Doff mission... I don't really care. Sure, I grind Dil for Zen but I also spend money on the game as well. Exchanging Dil for Zen allows me to "stretch" my dollar. If grinding Dil becomes too much of a chore, then I offset that by spending more real money to get what I want from the C-Store. But I am only willing to spend so much money on a game per year.
Doesn't it strike anyone else as INSANE that they want $50 worth of dilithium for a VEST or JACKET? Those should have been added into the damn TWOK uniform set to begin with!
Craptic has finally lost all touch with reality.
Nothing breaks the tension better than a tankard of warnog - except maybe a good brawl...
Comments
Yeah this isnt gonna make me use those consumables at those insane prices. I never used them before and will continue to not use them.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
C-Store should have been for factional uniforms (including Wells, Korath, Terren, and KT)
Dil Store for alien uniforms (Dominion, Vaadwaur, Hirogen etc. Mercenary costumes)
Latinum Store for accessories (earrings, glasses, emotes, formal costumes, out of season winter and summer costumes maybe)
That way people are spending real money on main faction stuff, real time to grind for RP purposes, and then a silly currency for silly accessories.
Norway and Yeager dammit... I still want my Typhoon and Jupiter though.
JJ Trek The Kelvin Timeline is just Trek and it's fully canon... get over it. But I still prefer TAR.
#TASforSTO
'...I can tell you that we're not in the military and that we intend no harm to the whales.' Kirk: The Voyage Home
'Starfleet is not a military organisation. Its purpose is exploration.' Picard: Peak Performance
'This is clearly a military operation. Is that what we are now? Because I thought we were explorers!' Scotty: Into Darkness
'...The Federation. Starfleet. We're not a military agency.' Scotty: Beyond
'I'm not a soldier anymore. I'm an engineer.' Miles O'Brien: Empok Nor
'...Starfleet could use you... It's a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada...' Admiral Pike: Star Trek
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I won't be interested that's for sure.
In regards to cutting the contraband assignments; I'm surprised it took them this long.
This should help put a damper on Dil Farmer accounts. Which in many cases are probably linked to the black market/Gold Seller sites.
It's a win for the majority of the player base, in that they will no longer have to compete against these accounts on the Dil/Zen exchange.
I'm actually very happy for this. Those Dil farmer accounts have had a negative impact on the exchange for years.
They flood the market with dil, and poach much of the Zen that is on sale.
Bout' time Cryptic, Bravo !
It's unnecessary and insane.
The same prices that players said was too expensive for consumables.
Hmm...
Well, I'm quite certain that I won't be purchasing batteries at 2k dil each.
If Cryptic decides to make them a better value I might reconsider. They'd have to drop a digit off the price (at least), however, for me to even consider it...
*sigh* I haven't logged in yet, but thanks for confirming they didn't bother to read feedback, as usual.
I'm also not wasting my dilithium on consumable items. I'd spend it on permanent stuff, like an outfit or something.
And, I wouldn't mind dropping *some* dilithium on consumables, assuming I felt that they were worth the expense. This is not the case here. lol.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
So it is actually cheaper now to purchase these items in the Dilithium Store than it was in the Lobi Store. The 2 Lobi items now cost 10 Zen or $0.10, the 5 Lobi items now cost 25 Zen or $0.25, and the bundles now cost 100 Zen or $1.00 based on the current exchange rate. With it being in the Lobi Store it would cost 45 Zen or $0.45 for the 2 Lobi items, 112.5 Zen or $1.125 for the 5 Lobi items, and 450 Zen or $4.50 for the bundles.
But yeah, it isn't any more expensive now that it was at lobi store.
Few people have the stomache for the constant contraband grind but if you want a ship or something every once in a while it works great. Well it did...
It takes like what 4-5 months to grind a ship with one character now? Who has time for that? Everyone is well aware that F2P games are built on the tradeoff between time and money. Now the value ratio is unique for each individual but the more you increase the time requirements to do something the more people will buy it instead. It's simple business and there's nothing wrong with it neccesarily but moving the goalposts all the time is getting tiresome. I understand the game will evolve over time and changes must be made for balance but it gets frustrating when they give us nice things and immediately hammer them to pieces which has happened a lot lately. In this case their changing something that's been here for over four years which is even more frustrating and puzzling.
The nerf to contraband has decreased the Dil to Zen exchange rate. It was formerly 490:1, then dipped down to 383:1 (might have been lower, but that was what I personally saw) after the panic that ensured when the Tribble notes were released and finally settled to 400:1 last night when I checked the Dil Exchange.
A T6 ship costs 3,000 Zen when there is no sale. At the current exchange rate a T6 ship is worth 1.2 million Dil. Assuming you max out refining Dil at the current cap of 8k per day, it takes 150 days to get the ship.
If the refinement cap was increased to 10k per day, I am almost positive the exchange rate will quickly shift to 500:1 which is that cap. However, I believe that the actual intrinsic exchange rate would be greater than that if the cap did not exist. However, more on that later. Anywaste... at a 500:1 exchange rate, a T6 ship worth 1.5 million Dil and assuming a 10k refinement cap it takes 150 days to get the ship.
Back to the intrinsic exchange rate... Players who sell Zen on the Dil Exchange for Dil may view a 500:1 exchange rate to be undervalued if the refinement cap was raised to 10k per day. That's because there is an oversupply of refined Dil and raw Dil in the economy. The greater the difference between the capped exchange rate and the intrinsic exchange is the more likely they will stop selling Zen because they will feel that their hard earned money is worth more than the virtual currency in the game. Personally, I believe that if there was no exchange rate cap, then exchange rate would probably be around 600:1 to 650:1. But that is just my opinion.
Apparently, this is what happened in Neverwinter based on what I have read in the past... That game uses Astral Diamonds instead of Dil. The abundance of Astral Diamonds caused it's value to drop to the point where even if players were willing to offer 500 AD per Zen, there were no Zen sellers willing to accept that trade. That basically caused the F2P economy to grind to a halt because there was no way for F2P gamers to get Zen using AD. I read in passing that eventually after several months Neverwinter's economy has started to improve, but since I don't play that game, I have no idea how "healthy" it's economy currently is.
As for my personal stance on regarding the increase to the cooldown time on the contraband Doff mission... I don't really care. Sure, I grind Dil for Zen but I also spend money on the game as well. Exchanging Dil for Zen allows me to "stretch" my dollar. If grinding Dil becomes too much of a chore, then I offset that by spending more real money to get what I want from the C-Store. But I am only willing to spend so much money on a game per year.
Craptic has finally lost all touch with reality.