The projects are being chanced to no longer have a commodity input and now have an EC input. Because of that, progress in the commodity input no longer exists because the input no longer exists, which prevents us from converting it over. Anything that was contributed and not a commodity, such as dilithium or duty officers contributed, will be completely unaffected by the change. If you have a project active with fleet marks filled and 9k dilithium contributed, it will still have fleet marks filled and 9k dilithium contributed after the patch with this change.
Just to be crystal clear -- if I have a project that has had all the commodities paid, will it be at 100% EC paid with this update or will that progress be set to zero?
The projects are being chanced to no longer have a commodity input and now have an EC input. Because of that, progress in the commodity input no longer exists because the input no longer exists, which prevents us from converting it over. Anything that was contributed and not a commodity, such as dilithium or duty officers contributed, will be completely unaffected by the change. If you have a project active with fleet marks filled and 9k dilithium contributed, it will still have fleet marks filled and 9k dilithium contributed after the patch with this change.
Can you explain why you couldn't programmatically convert the progress during maintenance, because Cryptic has done similar conversions in the past? I guess I'm not seeing what's so different in this case that you couldn't compute the EC progress from the commodities and items already contributed. I was well aware of this change in advance, so I was able to plan accordingly, but fleets that weren't paying so close attention to Tribble probably got bitten.
Now that this change is on Holodeck, I suppose I'll repost the suggestion I made in the Tribble forums three weeks ago.
More importantly, why are you using replicator prices for commodities? Most people buy commodities at vendors that give a 25% discount. Ferengis get an additional 20% discount on top of that (except at the embassy vendor). Replicator prices are 1.5 times the base price. By using replicator prices, you're doubling the cost for most people -- more for Ferengis. Additionally, some people get their commodities primarily through doffing. Since they can only sell commodities for half the base price, you're tripling the cost for them.
If you're really going to convert all commodity and item requirements to a generic EC cost, then you should make the following changes:
1. Commodities should be valued at the base price, not replicator prices.
2. If a fleet has completed tier 2 of the embassy, they should get a 25% discount on the EC cost of projects. The trade track of the dilithium mine should grant an additional discount on top of this: 4% at tier 1; 9% at tier 2; and 15% at tier 3.
3. Add a new vendor that pays fleet-only EC to Tuffli freighters, Suliban cell ships, and one of the fleet holdings. This vendor should buy commodities for 75% of the base price. This preserves the value of commodities for people who get them from doffing. Yes, it will allow Ferengis to sell certain commodities for more than they bought them. But since the EC can only be spent on fleet projects, it does not create feedback loop. Essentially, this change will give Ferengis the same discount they currently have on Holodeck.
EDIT: I forgot to mention one subtlety. You can choose a different value for the embassy discount, but the prices of the fleet-only-EC vendor and the embassy discount must match.
If tier 2 of the embassy gives a 25% discount on the EC cost of projects, then the fleet-only-EC vendor should buy commodities for 75% of the base price.
If tier 2 of the embassy gives a 20% discount on the EC cost of projects, then the fleet-only-EC vendor should buy commodities for 80% of the base price.
If tier 2 of the embassy gives no discount on the EC cost of projects, then the fleet-only-EC vendor should buy commodities for 100% of the base price.
I would suggest they go to selling "500k Fleet EC" packages that can be bought at 80%, so that the ordinary player can dodge the replicator price, and which can be discounted furtherso that Tuffli/Cell and Ferengi are not so badly nerfed.
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Just to be crystal clear -- if I have a project that has had all the commodities paid, will it be at 100% EC paid with this update or will that progress be set to zero?
My STOwiki page | Reachable in-game @PhyrexianHero
Fed Armada: Section 31 (level 730, 2700+ members)
KDF Armada: Klingon Intelligence (level 699, 2100+ members)
Hurry up and complete it so you don't lose out on the commodities I had to do that all this week.
I bet you do. Thank goodness you can buy them with the same Fleet credits you get for donating them.
I am taking a break from STO I think ... or if not a break from STO, then a break from caring about what happens.
Maybe go fly a floater, or zoom on a board at Risa, and do nothing much ...
I may be one of a very few, but I will miss commodities.
Live Long ... you know the drill.
Can you explain why you couldn't programmatically convert the progress during maintenance, because Cryptic has done similar conversions in the past? I guess I'm not seeing what's so different in this case that you couldn't compute the EC progress from the commodities and items already contributed. I was well aware of this change in advance, so I was able to plan accordingly, but fleets that weren't paying so close attention to Tribble probably got bitten.
Now that this change is on Holodeck, I suppose I'll repost the suggestion I made in the Tribble forums three weeks ago.
http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/comment/13075675/#Comment_13075675
Qapla!