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Who is the guy in charge of the decision making with this game?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I really am starting to lose all faith in this game now. These stunts Cryptic keep pulling, and then the Cryptic staff responses on them are just depressing, it is plainly obvious that they simply do not get it.

Who is the man in charge of this stuff? Who thought it was a good idea to make something so cool as alternative ship models something you have to pay extra for? It seems blatantly obvious to me that if these things were obtainable via in-game means, for example, complete Infected STF, boss drops a Schematic, take Schematic to Memory Alpha, construct Imperial-Class Assault Cruiser, that you would actually have a reason, and incentive to keep playing at max level, right now there is still nothing but junk duplicate items with a weak [Borg] prefix. The items don't even look any different or special!
WooShoo wrote: »
It's utterly amazing how much money people seem willing to throw at this game rather than take a little time to earn it in-game. For all of you who complained about raids and who made all of those cute little quips about what they can do with raids, that's how a lot of other people feel about all of the items going into the C-store or being tacked on to things like the RAF promotion. Do I need or want every little item in the game? No, not even close, but I am willing to spend time in-game to earn what I want since I don't think it's fair to pay a subscription and something extra for items that a lot of P2P MMOs include in their games as part of the monthly fee.

Seriously Cryptic, add all of this C-store garbage as STF rewards or other mission/FA rewards and watch your retention double instantly. While there will always be the people who don't mind being taken advantage of to buy from the C-store, there are also a lot of people paying $15/month who will stay in just to earn that one item they really want but don't want to pay extra for and then they will repeat that again for the next item.

Kinda makes you wonder which Cryptic is more interested in: $2.00 now or $15.00 month-to-month.

There's really no better way to say it. I am just baffled at how poor the management is with this game, they are clearly not thinking about the long term and are more interested in making a quick buck now than seeing the game flourish and expand.
How is it possible that players with no experience in marketing or game design can come up with ideas that are far better than what a games studio like Cryptic can do?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Its me my name is Bob!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Popkornn wrote:
    Its me my name is Bob!

    Oh dear. no wonder the game is flailing around like a rotten trout =(
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    .... and the Accolade System comes out with unlockables later this month!

    :rolleyes:

    It's been on the calendar for ages - the unlockables range from costumes to BOFFs and more.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Intrepidox wrote: »
    Oh dear. no wonder the game is flailing around like a rotten trout =(

    Here is my answer to everyone's problems:

    http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7221/cancelled.jpg
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Can't you already get a special BO from the Cure STF?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    AtomicFB wrote:
    Can't you already get a special BO from the Cure STF?

    it's not really special at all, it doesn't even come with the coveted Efficient trait that everyone was expecting. it's junk, really.

    it is a step in the right direction though. although with the C-store we are already about 50 steps backwards. just 49 left to go!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Just admit it Mr. Cryptic, you're a Ferengi sent back in time to end Star Trek Online while earning as much profit as possible. I bet Gene Roddenberry was from that same era, and he came back to our time to help save our future from the massive capitalist Ferengi Empire by creating Star Trek. Now Mr. Cryptic is trying end it once and for all, so that the Ferengi Empire will be free to scam and loot our descendants for all they are worth! :eek:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Rick Berman is in charge.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Kirkfat wrote: »
    Rick Berman is in charge.

    It can't be, none of the music has cheesy vocals!

    ...wait...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Arzak13 wrote: »
    Just admit it Mr. Cryptic, you're a Ferengi sent back in time to end Star Trek Online while earning as much profit as possible. I bet Gene Roddenberry was from that same era, and he came back to our time to help save our future from the massive capitalist Ferengi Empire by creating Star Trek. Now Mr. Cryptic is trying end it once and for all, so that the Ferengi Empire will be free to scam and loot our descendants for all they are worth! :eek:
    At some point people are going to start thinking before they start posting; or at the very least they're going to start getting some facts before they post. Atari borrowed $40 million dollars to buy Cryptic and get CO and STO launched. At this point in time CO and STO have paid back around $10 million of that loan. There's no "fast cash" being made when you still owe around $30 million. It's going to take a few more years for that debt to be paid off. Then there will be real profits.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    hell yeah.. make the mirror uniforms :P and a varitey of other stuff from the c-store,pre orders rewards from fleet actions... peoples will feel he urge to go.. owww im having some of that.. pew pew pew pew.. set the reward for the player who does the highest damage :D and walaa we have competition etc :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    It can't be, none of the music has cheesy vocals!

    ...wait...

    STO asks for faith in the heart
    not knowin where your sub will take you
    You'll need faith to believe
    that Cryptic can do anything

    You got fai.. you got fai... you got faaaa aaa aa aiii....

    You got scrrreewwwweddddddd dude do do dude.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Cosmic_One wrote: »
    At some point people are going to start thinking before they start posting; or at the very least they're going to start getting some facts before they post. Atari borrowed $40 million dollars to buy Cryptic and get CO and STO launched. At this point in time CO and STO have paid back around $10 million of that loan. There's no "fast cash" being made when you still owe around $30 million. It's going to take a few more years for that debt to be paid off. Then there will be real profits.

    Geeze, people ain't got a sense of humor anymore. Sure sign of bad times.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    .... and the Accolade System comes out with unlockables later this month!

    :rolleyes:

    It's been on the calendar for ages - the unlockables range from costumes to BOFFs and more.

    Just in case someone missed my post on page one.

    We don't have all the details on the Accolade System - other than it includes a bunch of unlockable content.

    That said, save your spear sharpening until we know more.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Just in case someone missed my post on page one.

    We don't have all the details on the Accolade System - other than it includes a bunch of unlockable content.

    That said, save your spear sharpening until we know more.

    If it was going to have real value, don't you think they'd be trumpeting it by now instead of stupid gimmicks?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    wrote:
    If it was going to have real value, don't you think they'd be trumpeting it by now instead of stupid gimmicks?
    No. If Cryptic's learned nothing else they've learned that you don't "trumpet" anything before it's set in stone. Every time Cryptic's mentioned something people run with it in 50 different directions and extrapolate it to such a point that anything we get can never live up to what people imagined it to be. Mum is the best policy until all decisions are made and they know it can work.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I know how to appease everyone. CHANGE THE FREAKIN MUSIC! You can fool everyone into thinking that there was a major change in the game by trying some new Vibe in the music. The music drones on, I would turn it off but it sometimes gives cues as to when an enemy will appear. Even this is predictable---ASTEROID BASE=enemy Planet surface=ground battle or search for probe parts Any nebulae =grinding for exploration merits.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I will disagree with you on every point. If I had to go through the horribly designed stfs to get my ship or the TRIBBLE in the C-Store. Then I wouldnt play. A lot of people wouldnt. Hardly anyone can say a good word about the STFs anyways. They arent designed well. They are not true raids. They are only difficult because they throw tons of borg at you and surround nodes with tons of borg. Etc. Btw. Infected is the same star base model as Sierra.

    People dont come back for the "end game" content. They hardly play it. That is why they put stuff in the C-Store. That is why a lot of games (you will be surprised as to what up coming major MMOs will be doing the same thing cryptic is doing with Micro Transactions) are adopting this. Blizzard is moving to have all their new games use a micro transaction store and link all their games chat.

    I cant say what else I know, just say that you will see about every new MMO out in the next 2 years using Micro Transactions for fluff.

    All I have to say is live with it. People use it. People like it. Dont assume you speak for the majority out there.

    I try the STFs (would rather have 50 root canals performed at the same time by a drunk Sarlac than do them) I level I do things Im not proud of like get 10 levels in a day just doing cluster missions. C-Store transactions are for goofing around. Customizing things the way you want it. Giving people choices.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I know how to appease everyone. CHANGE THE FREAKIN MUSIC! You can fool everyone into thinking that there was a major change in the game by trying some new Vibe in the music. The music drones on, I would turn it off but it sometimes gives cues as to when an enemy will appear. Even this is predictable---ASTEROID BASE=enemy Planet surface=ground battle or search for probe parts Any nebulae =grinding for exploration merits.

    I vote the music in the queen room on infected be changed to something resembling Barnum and Bailey Circus. Lots of fun circusy sounds. And then when you hit the plasma you can hear a rim shot.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    If it was going to have real value, don't you think they'd be trumpeting it by now instead of stupid gimmicks?
    Announcing all the rewards for hidden unlockables?

    Who does this before the Accolades themselves are released?

    Wouldn't it ruin your sense of discovery?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Announcing all the rewards for hidden unlockables?

    Who does this before the Accolades themselves are released?

    Wouldn't it ruin your sense of discovery?

    All of them? No. Providing some indication it's actually going to add anything to the game, especially anything as 'new' and unique as the marketing gimmicks? The worst that could happen is people write off the Accolade system as a chintzy gimmick. Which, unless they've gone light-years past CO's model, is exactly my level of expectation.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    .... and the Accolade System comes out with unlockables later this month!

    :rolleyes:

    It's been on the calendar for ages - the unlockables range from costumes to BOFFs and more.

    im hoping the uniforms are cool...JJ uniforms/kelvin perhaps? I really want those....
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Desdecardo wrote: »
    I vote the music in the queen room on infected be changed to something resembling Barnum and Bailey Circus. Lots of fun circusy sounds. And then when you hit the plasma you can hear a rim shot.

    I like this idea. Instead of the rim shot, though, could we have the Price is Right 'wah wah waaaaah'?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Intrepidox wrote: »
    I really am starting to lose all faith in this game now. These stunts Cryptic keep pulling, and then the Cryptic staff responses on them are just depressing, it is plainly obvious that they simply do not get it.

    Who is the man in charge of this stuff? Who thought it was a good idea to make something so cool as alternative ship models something you have to pay extra for? It seems blatantly obvious to me that if these things were obtainable via in-game means, for example, complete Infected STF, boss drops a Schematic, take Schematic to Memory Alpha, construct Imperial-Class Assault Cruiser, that you would actually have a reason, and incentive to keep playing at max level, right now there is still nothing but junk duplicate items with a weak [Borg] prefix. The items don't even look any different or special!



    There's really no better way to say it. I am just baffled at how poor the management is with this game, they are clearly not thinking about the long term and are more interested in making a quick buck now than seeing the game flourish and expand.
    How is it possible that players with no experience in marketing or game design can come up with ideas that are far better than what a games studio like Cryptic can do?

    Took you this long?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I really like the idea of the OP, it would give me something to do at max level. And if somebody doesn't want work at trying to get the stuff in game, the C-store is still there.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    One of the head honchos at Cryptic is a former SOE executive who was second fiddle to John Smedley for years.

    http://mmofringe.com/index.php?option=com_joobb&view=topic&topic=1712&Itemid=55#p5673

    I blame myself for not doing research on that before buying my LTS. It also explains an awful lot about what is wrong here. Hiring former SOE management is a REALLY bad idea for any company. The only thing SOE managers know how to do is fail, how to make horrible decisions, and how to continually make their customers angry. Hmm, sound familiar?

    SOE hasn't had a success since EQ1. Crypic's only real success was COH/COV. Hmm...

    The relevant part of the post at the Fringe:
    (Thanks to daffid001 for this informative find.)

    You make the call. Some of us have seen strange parallels between Crytpic and $OE. Some have often wondered why Cryptic would want to emulate any of the past failed actions of $OE. Could this be a clue?

    "John Needham brings years of business development and financial experience in the entertainment and gaming industries to Cryptic Studios. A graduate of San Diego State University, John began his career at Arthur Anderson and Co. John later held several positions in the television division at Sony Pictures Entertainment, including director of corporate development and vice president of finance for Telemundo Networks. Moving to Sony Online Entertainment in 2001, John served as senior vice president of business development, focusing on international expansion and the formation of a cross-platform publishing, distribution and marketing label. He later managed business development, strategic initiatives, international operations, customer service and quality assurance for SOE as senior vice president of business development and operations. At Cryptic, John provides executive leadership to all departments and will guide the company as it expands from a development house to an international publisher of MMOGs." http://crypticstudios.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=35

    He's worked for two highly unethical companies... Arthur Anderson, the unethical accounting firm that hid Enron's fraud, and SOE, the most unethical company in the history of the MMO industry.

    Clearly, Cryptic is hiring the wrong management.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    wildcat84 wrote: »
    One of the head honchos at Cryptic is a former SOE executive who was second fiddle to John Smedley for years.

    <snip>

    He's worked for two highly unethical companies... Arthur Anderson, the unethical accounting firm that hid Enron's fraud, and SOE, the most unethical company in the history of the MMO industry.

    Clearly, Cryptic is hiring the wrong management.

    ...while I was reading the quote, I was wondering why Arthur Anderson set off warning bells in my head.

    Well ****.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    ...while I was reading the quote, I was wondering why Arthur Anderson set off warning bells in my head.

    Well ****.

    Yeah. I am most reminded of the infamous PT Barnum quote:

    "There's a sucker born every minute". I was one of them, apparently.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    wildcat84 wrote: »
    I blame myself for not doing research on that before buying my LTS. It also explains an awful lot about what is wrong here. Hiring former SOE management is a REALLY bad idea for any company. The only thing SOE managers know how to do is fail, how to make horrible decisions, and how to continually make their customers angry. Hmm, sound familiar?

    If it's any comfort, I didn't do my research either. Suckers one and all. :(
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    If it's any comfort, I didn't do my research either. Suckers one and all. :(

    The only person who ever worked for SOE in a senior position that I'd even consider buying a MMO from would be Raph Koster.

    And he quit over the NGE.
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