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The Reputation System ? Feedback
wackywombat
Member Posts: 1 Arc User
I know there are a few threads criticizing the new reputation system, but considering I tried to give constructive feed back during the beta (even if I was a little grouchy) and having it lost in the noise I don?t feel all that comfortable posting in a hate post. I?m not that great at putting my thoughts down on the forums, so I apologize in advance, things might get a little disjointed.
Issue 1: Incentives
I'll be the first to admit that the old random chance system in the STFs really didn't work. Many people that farmed the STFs never received a full set of MkXII gear, only to watch players other players do them once or twice and get a full set. It needed a system that accounted for the time and effort players put in.
Although the reputation system removed the random chance from the drops, it also removed the most of the incentive for playing the STFs. Without ANY chance of getting exceptional loot, no matter how small, there?s no reason to spend the time and effort to do the STFs (and the Romulan content, to a lesser extent).
The Omega marks are a long term currency, but currently players can do one STF and have enough marks to run projects for 4 days. Dilithium may be a pull for some people, but almost everything rewards it and there are easier events that can be farmed for it. With the addition of adv/elite fleet gear the vast majority of drops aren?t even worth taking to the exchange, they?re only worth recycling? That leaves processors. Processors may be worth the runs later, but when I'm forced to wait until the higher tiers to use them there?s little to no draw short term, so what's the point? The currency was never the draw, and it was almost removed before the backlash, so why should players be interested in playing?
Issue 2: Investing Time
This is closely tied to the incentive issue, for very similar reasons. What reason, if any, is there to invest the same time doing STFs there was pre-season 7? The system is completely time dependant now; if players can't log in when projects expire they miss out.
This may work for most players, but it penalizes casual players and prevents players from working on their own schedule. This goes both ways, if players want to spend the time to do STFs they can?t progress without the projects, no matter how many runs they do. On top of that, the 40 hour time limit and 2 mission limit seems fairly arbitrary. What is this meant to accomplish?
Issue 3: Audience
I honestly don't know who the target audience is here. Anyone that wants to run the STFs daily are harshly limited by the time limit, but it's just as bad for casual players that only play once a week. Although it?s great for players with multiple active characters, it?s restrictive when you only have one.
Issue 4: Requirements
The project requirements are another seemingly random addition. If the point of the reputation system was just to meter content, why carry over the requirements for random commodities and items? The system would actually be BETTER if the xp missions only required marks. I don't enjoy running around picking up what is essentially vendor trash every 4 days, it adds nothing to the system and is exceedingly annoying to run back to Spacedock just to keep stocked.
Issue 5: Systems
Here's my main issue, why use the project system at all? It makes sense in some cases, like the Doff or Starbase system, but it doesn't make sense to control event/mission progress. A straight up XP system would have worked much better and wouldn't have required players to manage the marks. The current reputation system just seems forced, throwing pieces together even though they weren't ready.
This is compounded by the EDC/Mark exchange, which should have been a straight 1 for 1 exchange and not tiered, and forcing everyone to start at level 0 despite the fact many players have been doing the STFs for 2 years? It doesn't feel very well planned or carried out.
Summary:
What I'm really saying is the STFs used to be an interesting challenge with a chance of a reward, however remote. All the reputation system has done is removed the basic incentives and forced everyone onto a time table. I already have a job, I?m not interested in two more when I play STO. I like being rewarded for putting in the time and effort, on my schedule. I really hope the system is reworked.
Addendum:
I, and I assume others, would REALLY appreciate some dev feedback on the system. Although I'd love to hear changes are already underway, it would also be helpful to know the reason the Reputation system was designed like it was. There was really no dev replies after the system was announced, there was more posts about how cute the animals are, and that?s disappointing. A little transparency would go a long way right about now.
Thanks.
Issue 1: Incentives
I'll be the first to admit that the old random chance system in the STFs really didn't work. Many people that farmed the STFs never received a full set of MkXII gear, only to watch players other players do them once or twice and get a full set. It needed a system that accounted for the time and effort players put in.
Although the reputation system removed the random chance from the drops, it also removed the most of the incentive for playing the STFs. Without ANY chance of getting exceptional loot, no matter how small, there?s no reason to spend the time and effort to do the STFs (and the Romulan content, to a lesser extent).
The Omega marks are a long term currency, but currently players can do one STF and have enough marks to run projects for 4 days. Dilithium may be a pull for some people, but almost everything rewards it and there are easier events that can be farmed for it. With the addition of adv/elite fleet gear the vast majority of drops aren?t even worth taking to the exchange, they?re only worth recycling? That leaves processors. Processors may be worth the runs later, but when I'm forced to wait until the higher tiers to use them there?s little to no draw short term, so what's the point? The currency was never the draw, and it was almost removed before the backlash, so why should players be interested in playing?
Issue 2: Investing Time
This is closely tied to the incentive issue, for very similar reasons. What reason, if any, is there to invest the same time doing STFs there was pre-season 7? The system is completely time dependant now; if players can't log in when projects expire they miss out.
This may work for most players, but it penalizes casual players and prevents players from working on their own schedule. This goes both ways, if players want to spend the time to do STFs they can?t progress without the projects, no matter how many runs they do. On top of that, the 40 hour time limit and 2 mission limit seems fairly arbitrary. What is this meant to accomplish?
Issue 3: Audience
I honestly don't know who the target audience is here. Anyone that wants to run the STFs daily are harshly limited by the time limit, but it's just as bad for casual players that only play once a week. Although it?s great for players with multiple active characters, it?s restrictive when you only have one.
Issue 4: Requirements
The project requirements are another seemingly random addition. If the point of the reputation system was just to meter content, why carry over the requirements for random commodities and items? The system would actually be BETTER if the xp missions only required marks. I don't enjoy running around picking up what is essentially vendor trash every 4 days, it adds nothing to the system and is exceedingly annoying to run back to Spacedock just to keep stocked.
Issue 5: Systems
Here's my main issue, why use the project system at all? It makes sense in some cases, like the Doff or Starbase system, but it doesn't make sense to control event/mission progress. A straight up XP system would have worked much better and wouldn't have required players to manage the marks. The current reputation system just seems forced, throwing pieces together even though they weren't ready.
This is compounded by the EDC/Mark exchange, which should have been a straight 1 for 1 exchange and not tiered, and forcing everyone to start at level 0 despite the fact many players have been doing the STFs for 2 years? It doesn't feel very well planned or carried out.
Summary:
What I'm really saying is the STFs used to be an interesting challenge with a chance of a reward, however remote. All the reputation system has done is removed the basic incentives and forced everyone onto a time table. I already have a job, I?m not interested in two more when I play STO. I like being rewarded for putting in the time and effort, on my schedule. I really hope the system is reworked.
Addendum:
I, and I assume others, would REALLY appreciate some dev feedback on the system. Although I'd love to hear changes are already underway, it would also be helpful to know the reason the Reputation system was designed like it was. There was really no dev replies after the system was announced, there was more posts about how cute the animals are, and that?s disappointing. A little transparency would go a long way right about now.
Thanks.
Post edited by wackywombat on
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Comments
Where are those crying babies who complained a few days ago about STFs not being fair...like grinding now makes sense...wonder who is the Einstein behind this epiphany...
STO S7=FARMVILLE
This new system doesn't seem amazing to current lvl 50 players but to new character's it is great as the time it takes to get a full set of high tier gear is greatly reduced.
{UFP}Thomas45 - Thomas Nixon U.S.S. Majesty Unbound
Infected Ground Elite (chance to drop the XII maco, omega or KHG shield)
dont forget geting <way> <more> loot dill you may love the new system but the old was better for ppl who played more then a hour a day a week a month so on
system Lord Baal is dead
I think you are missing the point. Season 6 was farmville too, of course. But once you got a certain drop, you could stop farming. You had that small chance each STF you ran. They even increased the drop rates of the Tech back in February or March, at which point it was really an achievable grind, with a definite end. On my first toon I passed 300 STFs just for the ground set before that update. On my newer toons, I don't even have the 50 STFs accolades.
Now however, you HAVE to spend at least 2 months grinding one toon to even get Mk 12 gear. You do not get an improvement in gear at all until you hit that magical unlock - because who would waste dilithium on Mk 11 stuff with the prices now?
What you will see now more often happening is that new toons will have worse gear in STFs, because they don't get the random salvage, they don't get an improvement on the fly, to actually being able to help out in the task at hand.
Also, existing toons, what if you had 8+ of them? Every single one of them just lost the ability to get top tier gear. You will need to spend time micromanaging each of them for 2 months at least to get back what you lost last week. You will also need an unhealthy amount of dilithium just to be able to refit one ship with different weapons! All of which was free by grind before this. Now, all you get is to pay after the grind, which of course means more grind.
This system is both blindsiding newcomers as well as veterans.
Wasting time out of my life is playing this game it has become.
Used to did it for the fun value, but it doesn't worth the time anymore.
All this rules and regulations.. What would you say if you have to go to the store to buy something and they'll tell you that you have to wait in that line before you go down that aisle and you need to help the clerk, so he can direct you to the person who has the key to the door in the glass case and you can finally get it and take it to the counter so you can pay for it and finally take it home and use it.
This is pretty much Cryptic wants you to do in order to play the game. Wasting time!
..what more and more ppl don't have these days and they quick to run out of patience as well..
To pay for their stuff on the C-store so they can get some sort of advantage in the name of getting some advancement is one thing, but to force ppl to adhere to rules and regulations and waste their time with unnecessary jumping through hoops is quite another.
I do believe that they really shot themselves in the foot this time.
They have to really rethink their strategy or lose their fan base.
I see ppl leaving in droves and if they don't change their policy ,I fear I shall be among them.