Real money is the only sink they're actively interesting in tapping.
Well if you like to work for free.. thats great for you, but profit is what keeps a company working... i do not agree with some of their choices... but i'm ok with them getting money, when what they offer have perceived value..
This is fair, we need to separate the idea of a business making money from outright greed. Everyone has their own opinion, and the line is different for everyone, but I am 100% on board with the idea that game studios are not charities. They have costs, they have employees that need to make a living and somewhere in all that, they have a right to make a profit. No argument at all on that one.
Where I start to shift my opinion to 'greed' is when I see things that are egregious. A good example is having highly desirable ships that are locked behind random chance to the point of costing hundreds of dollars or more.. for a single character. I have always hated that practice, but then along came Legendary Bundles which at first I was all for. You get what you what, no random chance and account wide. Yes, they're expensive, but they are a great alternative to the games gamble centric monetization system. However, introducing the legendary bundles.. and then keeping the gamble mechanics.. yeah, now you lost me. Now you have gone beyond trying to make a profit by releasing a quality product and right into 'just give us money.'
Sadly, the current situation with the Dilithium economy is a fallout of this overzealous and over aggressive monetization that the game has taken on over the last few years. It's a constant barrage of sales and promos driving that demand for Zen to new levels. Any real fix for the economy has to start with a far less aggressive sales plan and that's simply not going to happen. It's push push push.. buy buy buy.. there is always something you need to buy now before you miss out.. it's ridiculous.
The game still has a generous free to play model, but lets be honest.. most of it's most generous traits are left over from a previous regime. The current state of Star Trek Online is a badly and overly aggressively monetized game with features that are not consumer friendly. I support Cryptic Studios right to make a profit, but I will not partake in predatory monetization practices and that's what STO has become.
This is fair, we need to separate the idea of a business making money from outright greed. Everyone has their own opinion, and the line is different for everyone, but I am 100% on board with the idea that game studios are not charities. They have costs, they have employees that need to make a living and somewhere in all that, they have a right to make a profit. No argument at all on that one.
Where I start to shift my opinion to 'greed' is when I see things that are egregious. A good example is having highly desirable ships that are locked behind random chance to the point of costing hundreds of dollars or more.. for a single character. I have always hated that practice, but then along came Legendary Bundles which at first I was all for. You get what you what, no random chance and account wide. Yes, they're expensive, but they are a great alternative to the games gamble centric monetization system. However, introducing the legendary bundles.. and then keeping the gamble mechanics.. yeah, now you lost me. Now you have gone beyond trying to make a profit by releasing a quality product and right into 'just give us money.'
Sadly, the current situation with the Dilithium economy is a fallout of this overzealous and over aggressive monetization that the game has taken on over the last few years. It's a constant barrage of sales and promos driving that demand for Zen to new levels. Any real fix for the economy has to start with a far less aggressive sales plan and that's simply not going to happen. It's push push push.. buy buy buy.. there is always something you need to buy now before you miss out.. it's ridiculous.
The game still has a generous free to play model, but lets be honest.. most of it's most generous traits are left over from a previous regime. The current state of Star Trek Online is a badly and overly aggressively monetized game with features that are not consumer friendly. I support Cryptic Studios right to make a profit, but I will not partake in predatory monetization practices and that's what STO has become.
I'm in complete agreement with you.
Hell this week I spent over $300 and got 3 ships and some useless garbage. I dont mind supporting the company and have done so to the toon of upwards of 20k of dollars since launch.
Speaking of support, worst of all my toons have the Rich dilith bug stopping them from using the hundreds of claims I have from spending so much money. You would thing they would priorities supporting accounts that spend large amounts of money given the greed factor but nope. Go figure... I guess I'll close my wallet.
Post edited by aspartan1 on
If you are looking for an excellent PvE fleet consider: Omega Combat Division today.
Former member of the Cryptic Family & FriendsTesting Team. Sadly, one day, it simply vanished - without a word or trace...
Real money is the only sink they're actively interesting in tapping.
Well if you like to work for free.. thats great for you, but profit is what keeps a company working... i do not agree with some of their choices... but i'm ok with them getting money, when what they offer have perceived value..
This is fair, we need to separate the idea of a business making money from outright greed. Everyone has their own opinion, and the line is different for everyone, but I am 100% on board with the idea that game studios are not charities. They have costs, they have employees that need to make a living and somewhere in all that, they have a right to make a profit. No argument at all on that one.
Where I start to shift my opinion to 'greed' is when I see things that are egregious. A good example is having highly desirable ships that are locked behind random chance to the point of costing hundreds of dollars or more.. for a single character. I have always hated that practice, but then along came Legendary Bundles which at first I was all for. You get what you what, no random chance and account wide. Yes, they're expensive, but they are a great alternative to the games gamble centric monetization system. However, introducing the legendary bundles.. and then keeping the gamble mechanics.. yeah, now you lost me. Now you have gone beyond trying to make a profit by releasing a quality product and right into 'just give us money.'
Sadly, the current situation with the Dilithium economy is a fallout of this overzealous and over aggressive monetization that the game has taken on over the last few years. It's a constant barrage of sales and promos driving that demand for Zen to new levels. Any real fix for the economy has to start with a far less aggressive sales plan and that's simply not going to happen. It's push push push.. buy buy buy.. there is always something you need to buy now before you miss out.. it's ridiculous.
The game still has a generous free to play model, but lets be honest.. most of it's most generous traits are left over from a previous regime. The current state of Star Trek Online is a badly and overly aggressively monetized game with features that are not consumer friendly. I support Cryptic Studios right to make a profit, but I will not partake in predatory monetization practices and that's what STO has become.
The sad thing is, nothing is going to change. We keep being told (by corporate mouthpieces) how successful the game has been in recent years.
To be honest, I find the emphasis, and their over-reliance, on FOMO and how many players react to the FOMO pretty disturbing - I've seen posts on Reddit/Discord from players expressing concern that they might not be able to complete the current event or bemoaning the "grind". To be honest, I've only played the current (Halloween) event TFO three times and have taken the opportunity to have a break from the relentless FOMO nonsense. I don't feel any need to play it daily - I don't enjoy it that much. And whilst this opinion is entirely subjective - the reward for this event is rubbish. Its a pointless novelty item that wastes a kit module slot and I have no doubt that the majority of players who claim it will dump it in their banks within a week or less. And yet... they have players worrying about completing the event and/or bemoaning "having" to grind it!
But THAT is is level of toxic psychological manipulation we're facing now. Grind the event or miss the reward - but never mind - if you DO miss it it'll appear in the Mudd store, with a £80 price tag, in due course.
I haven't played the Halloween event, and I don't plan to. I am done with the FOMO garbage.. I am only going to do events going forward that are for something I actually want. I skipped this event, which is pretty much the first one I have skipped since about 2014 because I am dedicating my time to another game. Not only have I not felt an ounce of regret for 'missing out,' but it's made me realize just how much I play this game out of obligation and not actual fun.
And you're right, this event reward is awful, skipping it was an easy call.
Comments
This is fair, we need to separate the idea of a business making money from outright greed. Everyone has their own opinion, and the line is different for everyone, but I am 100% on board with the idea that game studios are not charities. They have costs, they have employees that need to make a living and somewhere in all that, they have a right to make a profit. No argument at all on that one.
Where I start to shift my opinion to 'greed' is when I see things that are egregious. A good example is having highly desirable ships that are locked behind random chance to the point of costing hundreds of dollars or more.. for a single character. I have always hated that practice, but then along came Legendary Bundles which at first I was all for. You get what you what, no random chance and account wide. Yes, they're expensive, but they are a great alternative to the games gamble centric monetization system. However, introducing the legendary bundles.. and then keeping the gamble mechanics.. yeah, now you lost me. Now you have gone beyond trying to make a profit by releasing a quality product and right into 'just give us money.'
Sadly, the current situation with the Dilithium economy is a fallout of this overzealous and over aggressive monetization that the game has taken on over the last few years. It's a constant barrage of sales and promos driving that demand for Zen to new levels. Any real fix for the economy has to start with a far less aggressive sales plan and that's simply not going to happen. It's push push push.. buy buy buy.. there is always something you need to buy now before you miss out.. it's ridiculous.
The game still has a generous free to play model, but lets be honest.. most of it's most generous traits are left over from a previous regime. The current state of Star Trek Online is a badly and overly aggressively monetized game with features that are not consumer friendly. I support Cryptic Studios right to make a profit, but I will not partake in predatory monetization practices and that's what STO has become.
I'm in complete agreement with you.
Hell this week I spent over $300 and got 3 ships and some useless garbage. I dont mind supporting the company and have done so to the toon of upwards of 20k of dollars since launch.
Speaking of support, worst of all my toons have the Rich dilith bug stopping them from using the hundreds of claims I have from spending so much money. You would thing they would priorities supporting accounts that spend large amounts of money given the greed factor but nope. Go figure... I guess I'll close my wallet.
ingame: @.Spartan
Original Cryptic Forum Name: Spartan (member #124)
The Glorious, Kirk’s Protegè
ingame: @.Spartan
Original Cryptic Forum Name: Spartan (member #124)
The Glorious, Kirk’s Protegè
I haven't played the Halloween event, and I don't plan to. I am done with the FOMO garbage.. I am only going to do events going forward that are for something I actually want. I skipped this event, which is pretty much the first one I have skipped since about 2014 because I am dedicating my time to another game. Not only have I not felt an ounce of regret for 'missing out,' but it's made me realize just how much I play this game out of obligation and not actual fun.
And you're right, this event reward is awful, skipping it was an easy call.