I have had an experience similar to corinthalas, only I have gotten two epics instead of one, which is still too low to even think about going for a gold token specifically. While they might get a few suckers now and then, the odds are so abysmal that no one who knows them bothers to get phoenix boxes to try for ships, they are just a nice surprise if it happens when getting the boxes for utilitarian things like upgrades and whatnot, so keeping epic tokens that rare actually hurts their potential as a dil sink.
With lockbox, Lobi and Promo ships being available in Mudd's bundles, I think I'd rather all the old Phoenix epic tier event ships were also moved into Mudd's as account unlocks, as with some of the more recent event ships. The scarcity of acquiring an epic Phoenix token makes me reluctant to spend the couple I have on a single character ship that used to (before I started playing) be free and account-wide. It almost feels like it'd be a waste to use them.
This would offer the opportunity develop a fresh new range of desirable epic tier items that players (whether new or veteran) would want, and help reinvigorate the desire to spend dilithium on Phoenix packs for more than just as many upgrades as they need. I don't know exactly what, but a change from what's been there for so long, and something not available on the Exchange.
For most F2P players moving the phoenix box ships to Mudds would just result in the chances of getting one of those ships going from almost impossible to being completely impossible.
They could put the ships in both of course, but that would probably not spur many sales because the whales generally already have them and few of the other players could afford them, even as an account unlock. And of course, the odds of getting an epic token are still too abysmal to act as a dil sink either.
Frankly, they might get a better return if they simply recycled those old ships as prizes for some of the standalone events since it would keep people in the game everyday so they don't have to pay Mudds prices or wait years to get an epic token for even one of the ships, without the ship designers having to do more than possibly a touchup. It probably would not be popular with the oldtimers and whales that already have those ships though.
I suppose it would depend on the kind of F2P player. For those new to the game, they are not going to have the dilithium to buy oodles of Phoenix packs, let alone enough to convert it to Zen to buy from Mudd's. For more long-standing F2P-ers who have been around for several years with likely more resources as a result, I suspect an account unlocked ship to work towards would be more appealing than the largely futile quest for a single character epic token. I don't think such Zen store purchases would be completely out of reach for the more established F2P player. It'd be a bit like the choice between gambling for a lockbox ship or saving up your EC and buying it via the Exchange instead.
Although they're considered pretty mediocre ships, maybe having them account unlocked in both stores would help generate more interest from those who don't have them. So even just a single epic token would offer an account unlocked ship and hopefully cause more refined dil to be spent, than currently is. As it stands, I'll most likely hold on to my epic tokens for now.
Whether you buy 'oodles of phoenix packs" or not is irrelevant, the odds have no memory and so the odds are the same no matter how many boxes you open so a new player could get an epic token on the first box, the thousandth box, or never just as easily. I do agree however that the odds of getting an epic token are so abysmal that the ships in the Phoenix store would be better off being account unlocks instead of character unlocks, though I am not convinced that even that would encourage phoenix box sales that much because the odds problem is just so egregious.
Even "on sale" prices at Mudd's are more than most F2P players can afford if chat and other threads in this forum are anything to go by, often it would be a choice between paying a utility bill or paying slightly more to get a Mudd's Market ship. The prices are insane and only meant for whales, which is pretty much the case for Legendary ships as well.
The only generally affordable Legendary was the hornytoad Legendary Bug, and it was not worth the $45 for the ship alone (only 'toads could use the rest of the package so the other items did not add any value at all for players not interested in playing Jem'Hadar).
Bottom line is, for F2Ps (and probably most casuals whether they buy anything or not) the biggest chance to get one of those ships (aside from possibly using a campaign premium token if the particular ship is available for those) is an epic token or luck at opening the occasional box. The direct buy options (which I agree are a better deal overall on paper) are simply priced out of practical range for anyone but whales.
Oh, of course we agree that the odds don't change with how many boxes opened. What I meant was the appeal to F2P players of the lottery of Phoenix packs which almost certainly results in instant failure, however many you buy, versus a Mudd's purchase which doesn't. It's a target to aim for.
Take the Risian Corvette in Mudd's at a ridiculous 17,000 Zen or 4,250 Zen in one of the regular 75% off sales. That's 2,125,000 dil at 500 per Zen. Refining the daily maximum on five characters it would take 53 days to earn enough, or fewer with more alts. I don't regard that as out of reach, if you really want the account unlock. While casual F2P players might not have the time or inclination to grind for such things, others do.
Whales and veteran players (not necessarily the same thing) no doubt have the ships already, and new F2P players have very little. That's always going to be the case to some extent. The majority though, would be somewhere in between those extremes, to varying degrees. Perhaps having both options available simultaneously would accommodate different levels of F2P activity, not to mention those more modest spenders disillusioned by the Phoenix odds.
I'd hazard a guess the biggest drawback might be the desirability of the oldest event ships compared to other store purchases, rather than cost.
The only function of the Phoenix packs is to eat away at the huge chunk of player dilithium reserves. Sad that people with 3K Phoenix boxes and not get one ship. Truth be told, the odds of acquiring one or two epic tokens should have been in your favor.
The R n D has been severely rigged - You have a way better chance of winning Promo or T6 ship lock boxes than you do in acquiring an Epic prize token. You weren't unlucky, you were cheated by it being super rigged, and the one who rigged the system probably works for the Ferengi consortium, seriously it is sad.
They are better off placing all those ships in the MUDD store
oh, and making those EPIC prize token an optional prize win. That way it is a win win for both sides. Players who do not wish to spend zen, can use dilithium to continue to obtain those EPIC prize token, at least the option is there.
Comments
This would offer the opportunity develop a fresh new range of desirable epic tier items that players (whether new or veteran) would want, and help reinvigorate the desire to spend dilithium on Phoenix packs for more than just as many upgrades as they need. I don't know exactly what, but a change from what's been there for so long, and something not available on the Exchange.
They could put the ships in both of course, but that would probably not spur many sales because the whales generally already have them and few of the other players could afford them, even as an account unlock. And of course, the odds of getting an epic token are still too abysmal to act as a dil sink either.
Frankly, they might get a better return if they simply recycled those old ships as prizes for some of the standalone events since it would keep people in the game everyday so they don't have to pay Mudds prices or wait years to get an epic token for even one of the ships, without the ship designers having to do more than possibly a touchup. It probably would not be popular with the oldtimers and whales that already have those ships though.
Although they're considered pretty mediocre ships, maybe having them account unlocked in both stores would help generate more interest from those who don't have them. So even just a single epic token would offer an account unlocked ship and hopefully cause more refined dil to be spent, than currently is. As it stands, I'll most likely hold on to my epic tokens for now.
Even "on sale" prices at Mudd's are more than most F2P players can afford if chat and other threads in this forum are anything to go by, often it would be a choice between paying a utility bill or paying slightly more to get a Mudd's Market ship. The prices are insane and only meant for whales, which is pretty much the case for Legendary ships as well.
The only generally affordable Legendary was the hornytoad Legendary Bug, and it was not worth the $45 for the ship alone (only 'toads could use the rest of the package so the other items did not add any value at all for players not interested in playing Jem'Hadar).
Bottom line is, for F2Ps (and probably most casuals whether they buy anything or not) the biggest chance to get one of those ships (aside from possibly using a campaign premium token if the particular ship is available for those) is an epic token or luck at opening the occasional box. The direct buy options (which I agree are a better deal overall on paper) are simply priced out of practical range for anyone but whales.
Take the Risian Corvette in Mudd's at a ridiculous 17,000 Zen or 4,250 Zen in one of the regular 75% off sales. That's 2,125,000 dil at 500 per Zen. Refining the daily maximum on five characters it would take 53 days to earn enough, or fewer with more alts. I don't regard that as out of reach, if you really want the account unlock. While casual F2P players might not have the time or inclination to grind for such things, others do.
Whales and veteran players (not necessarily the same thing) no doubt have the ships already, and new F2P players have very little. That's always going to be the case to some extent. The majority though, would be somewhere in between those extremes, to varying degrees. Perhaps having both options available simultaneously would accommodate different levels of F2P activity, not to mention those more modest spenders disillusioned by the Phoenix odds.
I'd hazard a guess the biggest drawback might be the desirability of the oldest event ships compared to other store purchases, rather than cost.
The R n D has been severely rigged - You have a way better chance of winning Promo or T6 ship lock boxes than you do in acquiring an Epic prize token. You weren't unlucky, you were cheated by it being super rigged, and the one who rigged the system probably works for the Ferengi consortium, seriously it is sad.
They are better off placing all those ships in the MUDD store
Spent 400k Dilithium the other day, and got 16x UR tokens, good for 3x T6-X tokens. I was happy.
Epic, how needs it? Most of those ships in there I either have, or lost their epicness years ago already. Yawn.