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Serious change needs to happen, What is with the piecemeal content?, Why is 90% Lock Boxes now.
kerberos
Member Posts: 13 Arc User
To start off, I am not a Forums guy, I am a gamer guy, I play the game, not talk about it, so this is really my first big post on this site in the almost a decade since I have been playing it. (Not the same account because I lost access to my old email).
As many of you all know, the Kelvin Timeline Admiral Uniform was added to the game as part of a promotion for the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, but this also applies to the other promotions that are done in conjunction with new Story Arcs and themes.
Obviously this is a nice little thing to do, but it was a thing to get players on as well.
Unfortunately this has also lead to many seeing many of the most of flippant responses of, "If you was not there, that meant you could not be bothered to get on, so tough".
Come on now, everyone here is guilty at some point of taking to the forums of expressing something they wanted or missed out on.
The same goes for us OG's who were here during paid subscriptions, to not only be able to actually play the game with all it's bits and bobs, but to actually support the game, and in return, we got new content, not content that is designed to nickel and dime us, easily not when even have paid for Lifetime Subscriptions.
Now I am not saying this is the majority of people, because there has been plenty of people also expressing support and optimism for change.
I am one of them, considering I was out of the country at the time for content that I missed, and I started to see the actual point of the anger and backlash.
So this is my explanation, and how I see the current state of affairs for Star Trek Online.
At current, this has happened before where we have had promotion stuff turn up in Lock Boxes, the Lobi Store, and sometimes just on on the C-Store.
As for any Star Trek Online player, OG ones especially, who have played the game when it was still in the Subscription phase, (as said myself, almost a decade now), our roleplay and desire for content for paying and supporting such a game over the years, we have always been given stuff of worth to keep us actually logged in, playing and spending, and we have seen what happened during the now dark days of when STO looked like it was going to die, any OG player will tell you this, so this is mainly for the OG's out there.
Safe to say, new content started to get added to breathe new life into the game, and to some degrees it worked, bringing us major stuff from new Story Arcs, to stuff up from over the JJ Abrams films, The Original Series, and now Discovery.
But the thing that I don't understand is, why is it when things now start to get added, such as the Kelvin TImeline ships, Uniforms, Weapons etc, the same for the The Original Series and Discovery content, why is the content piecemealed?
This is what the OG's hated back then, and I don't think for one moment, that New players, or Players that have played STO for the last 4 or 5 years, are happy with this either.
The content is now always split into multiple parts, i.e, Kelvin Timeline Ships are now in the Lock Boxes, with none of them on the C-Store, The Admiral Uniform is a 5 day event (Disgraceful), and the Normal uniforms are in the Lobi Consortium.
And this is repeated for every single Arc, or new Content that gets added.
Yes you want to make money, but this is a joke, I remember reading about 3 or 4 years ago of a post by the STO development staff that they had read and would deal with these kinds of concerns, it has been the opposite, it has just gotten worse.
It's not really added content as you say, as in, log in, and get this when it's locked behind online gambling, which it is at the end of the day, it's is, you pay and you get a chance to win something, something EA is going through the courts about, and they say it's "Surprise Mechanics", the only thing I am surprised about it that this is still going on.
The same for the new TOS stuff for the new faction, it's on the C-store, Lock Boxes, Lobi Store, and the same for the Discovery content.
The uniforms were on a promotion, the ships are in lock boxes. Are we not past the point in time of seriously not having this stuff sorted out at this point?
What is going to happen to STO when Loot Boxes are targeted by the Law?
I think what needs to be done is certain things need to be made available permanently on the C-store and not every single thing be in a Gambling Box, so that people can actually access them as they are advertised, otherwise, you can not say in your advertisements "Get yourself this new ship" without putting "You have a 1/1000 chance of getting this ship when you open a Lock Box." "You can purchase 10 Lock Box keys to improve your chances of getting that ship that you want for only £7.95".
As I have said, many times at this point I have been here since the early days, and I did not mind it, I put it down to a fledgling T.V show game title, but after awhile it started to get old, and things that could be forgiven, couldn't be, I genuinely thought things would change, but, things are now starting to get real old now, and the way in which people are now starting to view Loot Crates, Boxes, Gambling Creates whatever you want to call them.
It won't last anymore, and I can say this wholeheartedly that none of us, know what is going to happen down the line with this kind of stuff, and quite rightly so, especially after the money that have been invested in this game.
Especially not all the money we spent on here with getting up to our Lifetime Subscriptions, Keys and god knows what else just to be nickel and dimed out of a game we were promised would change.
The new stuff is excellent that the developers have worked so hard on, there is no question about that, they are the dream makers of STO, so they are not the ones being bashed here, it's what Corporate is doing that is being bashed.
Here is a list of things that should be done and changed.
1). When new content is added, whether it is part of a new Story Arc, Episode, or Movie release, don't split it up into peace meal parts or sections, put it into the C-store, so people can actually get what they are paying for, if you have Lifetime Subscribers, make 80% of the content free for them when it releases, this includes Weapons, Uniforms, and maybe a single ship, they are the ones who have spent the big bucks, so treat it like a season pass, have the rest of the ships be on the C-store, you don't have to give them all of the content, just give them the majority, it is also an incentive for other people to go out and buy a Lifetime Subscription, just don't put it all into the gambling boxes, because that is what they are, and it is what you are doing.
2). Promotional events are good, but don't take a key part of a theme and put in as a timed promotion, what is the point of getting a whole set of something, that you freeley put in the Loot Crates, Lobi Store, then put another part in the C-store under events, what's the point in that, all you are going to have is people constantly ask you about how they are missing a part of a collection, and when you do not bring it back, they do leave after a while, because if you are not going to listen to them, why, are they going to spend money on something, because with Star Trek, you can not nickel and dime people, the Uniforms, Ships, Weapons, they are iconic for Star Trek, can you imagine, if you went onto a Star Wars game, and they sold a Darth Vader Outfit, but the Helmet was a timed promotion, the outrage would be immense, and the people will leave, which is why I am making this post.
3). It used to be back in the day, any new ship as part of stuff that was added would end up on the C-store, with only a few, and I mean a few, 2 or 3 ships being in a Lock Box, these usually where the rarest and most powerful of ships, but now, no ship is added to the C-store, they are now all in Lock Boxes, Uniforms now, which used to be in the C-Store, are now all in the Lobi Consortium, which, the way I might add, that you get Lobi Crystals, is by opening Lock Boxes, so why, on god's green earth, did anyone think this was a smart decision, or good idea, save for it, milking people dry. Because money talks, and that's the end point of it.
4). Lock Boxes, if it was my way, they would be out, (That might now happen because of EA), but I would say keep them in if you want to have rare items in them, as to keep them from becoming common, and to keep them as a somewhat balance mechanic, but don't put not common stuff in them, stuff like a Kelvin Timeline Phaser Rifle, or a Discovery Era Phaser Pistol, actually change that please, because you are just scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point.
5). Actually put timed "exclusives" that are an integral part of a theme back on the C-Store, (Kelvin Timeline Admiral Uniforms, Kelvin Timeline Starfleet Uniforms, Discovery Uniforms, and anything else that is now in crate or box).
6). If you actually want to do a timed "Promotion" or event, make it it's own thing, don't tact it off of a main theme, or cut content from something that has been added.
There is a ton of things that should be added to the list, but I encourage others to add what they would like changed about this in the comments section, because I am just one man, an angry man, and I am sure there are people that would like to add their own views on this matter, so now I defer to them, so that they can express their views on this matter.
I wish you all a good day, take care, stay safe.
-I'll see you out there amongst the stars.
As many of you all know, the Kelvin Timeline Admiral Uniform was added to the game as part of a promotion for the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, but this also applies to the other promotions that are done in conjunction with new Story Arcs and themes.
Obviously this is a nice little thing to do, but it was a thing to get players on as well.
Unfortunately this has also lead to many seeing many of the most of flippant responses of, "If you was not there, that meant you could not be bothered to get on, so tough".
Come on now, everyone here is guilty at some point of taking to the forums of expressing something they wanted or missed out on.
The same goes for us OG's who were here during paid subscriptions, to not only be able to actually play the game with all it's bits and bobs, but to actually support the game, and in return, we got new content, not content that is designed to nickel and dime us, easily not when even have paid for Lifetime Subscriptions.
Now I am not saying this is the majority of people, because there has been plenty of people also expressing support and optimism for change.
I am one of them, considering I was out of the country at the time for content that I missed, and I started to see the actual point of the anger and backlash.
So this is my explanation, and how I see the current state of affairs for Star Trek Online.
At current, this has happened before where we have had promotion stuff turn up in Lock Boxes, the Lobi Store, and sometimes just on on the C-Store.
As for any Star Trek Online player, OG ones especially, who have played the game when it was still in the Subscription phase, (as said myself, almost a decade now), our roleplay and desire for content for paying and supporting such a game over the years, we have always been given stuff of worth to keep us actually logged in, playing and spending, and we have seen what happened during the now dark days of when STO looked like it was going to die, any OG player will tell you this, so this is mainly for the OG's out there.
Safe to say, new content started to get added to breathe new life into the game, and to some degrees it worked, bringing us major stuff from new Story Arcs, to stuff up from over the JJ Abrams films, The Original Series, and now Discovery.
But the thing that I don't understand is, why is it when things now start to get added, such as the Kelvin TImeline ships, Uniforms, Weapons etc, the same for the The Original Series and Discovery content, why is the content piecemealed?
This is what the OG's hated back then, and I don't think for one moment, that New players, or Players that have played STO for the last 4 or 5 years, are happy with this either.
The content is now always split into multiple parts, i.e, Kelvin Timeline Ships are now in the Lock Boxes, with none of them on the C-Store, The Admiral Uniform is a 5 day event (Disgraceful), and the Normal uniforms are in the Lobi Consortium.
And this is repeated for every single Arc, or new Content that gets added.
Yes you want to make money, but this is a joke, I remember reading about 3 or 4 years ago of a post by the STO development staff that they had read and would deal with these kinds of concerns, it has been the opposite, it has just gotten worse.
It's not really added content as you say, as in, log in, and get this when it's locked behind online gambling, which it is at the end of the day, it's is, you pay and you get a chance to win something, something EA is going through the courts about, and they say it's "Surprise Mechanics", the only thing I am surprised about it that this is still going on.
The same for the new TOS stuff for the new faction, it's on the C-store, Lock Boxes, Lobi Store, and the same for the Discovery content.
The uniforms were on a promotion, the ships are in lock boxes. Are we not past the point in time of seriously not having this stuff sorted out at this point?
What is going to happen to STO when Loot Boxes are targeted by the Law?
I think what needs to be done is certain things need to be made available permanently on the C-store and not every single thing be in a Gambling Box, so that people can actually access them as they are advertised, otherwise, you can not say in your advertisements "Get yourself this new ship" without putting "You have a 1/1000 chance of getting this ship when you open a Lock Box." "You can purchase 10 Lock Box keys to improve your chances of getting that ship that you want for only £7.95".
As I have said, many times at this point I have been here since the early days, and I did not mind it, I put it down to a fledgling T.V show game title, but after awhile it started to get old, and things that could be forgiven, couldn't be, I genuinely thought things would change, but, things are now starting to get real old now, and the way in which people are now starting to view Loot Crates, Boxes, Gambling Creates whatever you want to call them.
It won't last anymore, and I can say this wholeheartedly that none of us, know what is going to happen down the line with this kind of stuff, and quite rightly so, especially after the money that have been invested in this game.
Especially not all the money we spent on here with getting up to our Lifetime Subscriptions, Keys and god knows what else just to be nickel and dimed out of a game we were promised would change.
The new stuff is excellent that the developers have worked so hard on, there is no question about that, they are the dream makers of STO, so they are not the ones being bashed here, it's what Corporate is doing that is being bashed.
Here is a list of things that should be done and changed.
1). When new content is added, whether it is part of a new Story Arc, Episode, or Movie release, don't split it up into peace meal parts or sections, put it into the C-store, so people can actually get what they are paying for, if you have Lifetime Subscribers, make 80% of the content free for them when it releases, this includes Weapons, Uniforms, and maybe a single ship, they are the ones who have spent the big bucks, so treat it like a season pass, have the rest of the ships be on the C-store, you don't have to give them all of the content, just give them the majority, it is also an incentive for other people to go out and buy a Lifetime Subscription, just don't put it all into the gambling boxes, because that is what they are, and it is what you are doing.
2). Promotional events are good, but don't take a key part of a theme and put in as a timed promotion, what is the point of getting a whole set of something, that you freeley put in the Loot Crates, Lobi Store, then put another part in the C-store under events, what's the point in that, all you are going to have is people constantly ask you about how they are missing a part of a collection, and when you do not bring it back, they do leave after a while, because if you are not going to listen to them, why, are they going to spend money on something, because with Star Trek, you can not nickel and dime people, the Uniforms, Ships, Weapons, they are iconic for Star Trek, can you imagine, if you went onto a Star Wars game, and they sold a Darth Vader Outfit, but the Helmet was a timed promotion, the outrage would be immense, and the people will leave, which is why I am making this post.
3). It used to be back in the day, any new ship as part of stuff that was added would end up on the C-store, with only a few, and I mean a few, 2 or 3 ships being in a Lock Box, these usually where the rarest and most powerful of ships, but now, no ship is added to the C-store, they are now all in Lock Boxes, Uniforms now, which used to be in the C-Store, are now all in the Lobi Consortium, which, the way I might add, that you get Lobi Crystals, is by opening Lock Boxes, so why, on god's green earth, did anyone think this was a smart decision, or good idea, save for it, milking people dry. Because money talks, and that's the end point of it.
4). Lock Boxes, if it was my way, they would be out, (That might now happen because of EA), but I would say keep them in if you want to have rare items in them, as to keep them from becoming common, and to keep them as a somewhat balance mechanic, but don't put not common stuff in them, stuff like a Kelvin Timeline Phaser Rifle, or a Discovery Era Phaser Pistol, actually change that please, because you are just scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point.
5). Actually put timed "exclusives" that are an integral part of a theme back on the C-Store, (Kelvin Timeline Admiral Uniforms, Kelvin Timeline Starfleet Uniforms, Discovery Uniforms, and anything else that is now in crate or box).
6). If you actually want to do a timed "Promotion" or event, make it it's own thing, don't tact it off of a main theme, or cut content from something that has been added.
There is a ton of things that should be added to the list, but I encourage others to add what they would like changed about this in the comments section, because I am just one man, an angry man, and I am sure there are people that would like to add their own views on this matter, so now I defer to them, so that they can express their views on this matter.
I wish you all a good day, take care, stay safe.
-I'll see you out there amongst the stars.
Post edited by kerberos#9304 on
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..but yeah, promo stuff should be added to LCC
Tal'Shiar/Reman Resistance/Romulan Nemesis uniform, pls.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7403/13262502435_5604548f2c_o.png
Kelvin Timeline is a different universe, and will likely never be a playable faction, much like Terran Empire. That stuff is fluff for RP purposes that aren't supported as player factions by the narrative of the game. You then call the one outfit from that that was made available to everyone as a nice treat disgraceful, simply because it's something that you want but didn't get? Should it be made available to people who missed the giveaway? Sure, it should, but calling it disgraceful that they initially did it that way, and that you can't get it right now is just about the epitome of entitlement.
I'm also not aware of any set that's split up the way that you mention. Some sets are from a series of event ships from multiple years, and a few have most pieces available in the C-Store, with one piece only available from an event ship, mostly the Anniversary ships from some years, but nothing that's partially C-Store, partially Lock Box and partially from events. Despite this exaggeration of how bad the situation is, I actually agree with you on this, that at least the pieces of those sets that aren't available from the C-Store should be made available fairly easily, perhaps through the Phoenix Prize Pack, or from smaller Event projects in later years, just so that people don't have to be permanently locked out of a portion of a set where the rest is still available at all times.
Ships are still 'primarily' delivered via the C-Store and always have been. Over the last several expansions, we have received several ship packs for the Jem'Hadar as well as Discovery era Federation and Klingon ships. The Romulan faction has been quiet until the most recent 4 pack ship release which was also.. C-Store.
Yes, there have been lobi and lockbox ships also, but to say they are all lockbox is highly inaccurate. As for power of the ship, of the current 'most powerful' ships in the game.. 2 of them are C-Store ships (Gagarin/Qugh and the Jem'Hadar Vangaurd Warship.) They're only very barely edged out by the Vaadwaur Juggernaut and the Tzenkethi Tzen Tar which are lockbox. Some of the best starship traits in the game (Emergency Weapon Cycle, Cold Hearted, Withering Barrage, Re-Directing Arrays, Strike From Shadows, Promise of Ferocity, Heart of Sol.. etc) are all from event or C-Store ships.
Are Lockbox ships part of the landscape? Absolutely.. yes. Are they required? Or are they the predominant method of releasing content? Absolutely not. Lets also not forget that the rest of the game is free, all content.. all missions.. all of it. And they still give away a bare minimum of 3 free T6 ships every year between Summer, Winter and the Anniversary Event.
The assertion that they're doing nothing but trying to bleed people with lockbox ships is highly inaccurate at best. They have also provided methods to get even the lockbox stuff for free. I got the Discovery Enterprise and didn't pay anything for it. You really only need cash if you have to have it right this second.
"only need cash"
"ONLY NEED CASH"
Yeah, just take a look at the reactions to this then, because you're assertion of what you just said, is realling coming off like you are talking out your TRIBBLE my friend
The comments only prove one thing..
That the people commenting on twitter know as little about this game as you do.
My 'assertion' comes from the fact that I got this ship.. and got it for free. There were guides up on this forum telling people how it's done.. it takes time, but it's easy (I had started saving up before the promo.) I spent about 6-7 months worth of saved resources to get the ship, but I got it.
The only one talking out their TRIBBLE here is you. Don't take your cluelessness out one me.. you're the one choosing to be ignorant instead of just asking for help. That's on you.
I disagree with you not about the ships, they should stay in boxes, but all the little pieces of equipment could be in the cstore ( lobi stuff: uniforms, weapons etc) and bind to character on equip (not account ) at a fair price, not 500 zen for a weapon!!. Personally, I would spend cash to buy all these objects (kelvin uniform, section 31 pistol etc)
I have never understood why there are no microtransactions in this game, like in almost the modern games.
But the state of the community in general at least to me is to dismiss any reason to have the special x item so others can get it. So given the state of the game and the choices that have been less than great for the players and loss of content, ability to create aka foundry and general locking of what is for lack of a better term content. this extra content that is locked by limited time exclusivity and a pay wall can put players in general off.
But the items are not going to find there way to reasonable price in the z store. And you have as even up in the reply so far of you don't half to have it. It's not that bad. and i am sure the my exclusivity will pop up if this thread has more posts.
In general if you buy keys at 1$ or there about each and get the base amount of lobi. It's about 25 cents each so simple math a weapon at 50 is 13$, outfit/armor 200 is 50$, that ship you see in space from the lobi store 225$.
And that is per item not account wide so players that have payed for these items at current cost i think if all of a sudden that same ship would be in the store direct buy at 50 100 or even 150 would consider the notion of being taken for granted or over charged.
The company is not about to place the items for less when they can keep getting more for it. No company would that i can think of. This could be do to a lack of me knowing any that have lowered prices to make more money so i could be wrong but i don't think so.
This is just my take and 2 ec on this game and its costs. But the day i see all the lock box/promotional/lobi items in the zen shop is the day i say to my self the end has come.
And for the lockbox; for me the system is not a problem, you have the choice: open or not open these boxes. personally i don't need all the stuff, i'm not a collector, nor a dps guy.
I have some "exclusive stuff", and if 1 day, these items would be available for the majority of the players, I just would be happy for them. For me, all this "exclusivity system" is a nonsense.
the problem is mankind mentality: jealousy, envy, childish desires, and it is not pwe/cryptic fault.
Each player can make his own choices, when you decide that you do not need anything (I mean from the lockboxes or lobi store), the game becomes much more interesting; after all it is just a GAME.
You are so right, not like I played during Beta or anything.
You right man