im playing sto since open beta, I bought the lifetime sub and belifed in cryptic and sto, the game came a long way and for the most part its turned out to be a great game, but....
since pw took over im sure we all experienced the money creed of this corperation, im tired pw tries to make us pay for everything and gives so little back
Atari wasn't the best and some of there decisions where doubtful at best, but they never showed this degree of money greed or careless for paying customers
im seriously consider to delete my account and to turn my back on everything with a pw logo, I know for a fact im not standing alone with this, im not asking to break any contracts with pw, but at least to start reconsidering company policies and start listing again to the community like it was so long ago
I hope this finds some attention and hopefully can make a little change
It's a theory of mine that if the adjective is in the name, it's not in the service. Like you should avoid hiring Quality Plumbing, cause the only quality you'll get is on the header of the invoice.
If you're a lts member it doesn't really matter if you delete the game and take a break because you can come back any time you want simply by redownloading. Plus when you come back you'll have all that accumulated stippend from when you were gone.
I'm a free player. I own the vesta pack, odyssey pack, and kumari pack. I bought all 3 from simply playing and earning dilithium. I also have a timeship and a dkora, from keys i bought with dilithium and ec. The only zen I've ever bought was $5 so that I could post on the forum.
If you're spending tons of money it seems like you're doing something I'm not.
Give So little back? So this thing coming in May that's so Big Cryptic isn't calling it a season any more, and is free, isn't getting anything back? Getting Fleet Advancement, the Reputation system, the Doff System, New Romulus, new Fleet Actions, an awesome give away ship for the last 2 anniversaries, etc, etc, etc isn't getting your money's worth?
Not having to pay a single penny and getting stuff is enough to delete your LTS account which you paid $200-$300 for (which is really stupid; Its an account for LIFE)?
Atari wasn't the best and some of there decisions where doubtful at best, but they never showed this degree of money greed or careless for paying customers
Oh, I don't know, but cutting the STO Dev team to less then 20; and not letting them fill any Dev positions while finalizing the deal to sell them to PWE pretty much showed an amount of 'carelessness' for customers still paying STO subs to Atari during the transistion - and all but brought STO development to a halt.
PWE ain't perfect by any means, but, since they took over the purse sttrings, theyn do seem to be putting money towards STO development as now:
- The STO Dev team is at 50+ people and still expanding.
- The Season 6 and Season 7 expansions added more systems to the game and more content overall (per Season) then Seasons 1 - 4 under Atari.
- We have an upcoming Expansion (going on what's being said by the STO Dev team) that's bigger then any presious Season update (again going by what's said so far, if it in reality turns out not to be the case, then you may have a valid argument here.)
So, yeah, while I don't care for everything PWE has done for the F2P version of STO (and to be fair, I didn't care for a lot of the decisions made by Atari); at least we're seeing more new game content and getting a bigger Dev team then during the Atari days; and (unlikje Atari) PWE at least seems to understand you need to keep investing in an MMO (as opposed to the Atari model of launch ASAP - put it in maintenance mode - and coast as far as you can before re-investing in some fashion.)
And as grindy as STO is now, under Atari we had the "Grind for Emblems to get ships" system; and under that you were grinding Emblems for about two months to get enough for one of the few ships available for Emblems (you also used Emblems to buy ship Borg fighting gear in those days too) - but my point is, it's not like their was never a 'Grind system' during the Atari days; but I guess some folks have short memories.
Bottom line for m is: I still find things I enjoy doing in game; and as long as that's the case, I'll continue playing. If it gets to a point where I'm no longer enjoying STO, I'll quit.
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
F2P models have always irritated me to some extent. I really do miss the days of all inclusive monthly subscription packages, but the fact is that F2P is the future, like it or not.
In PW's defense, I have seen STO production ramped up significantly since the take over, and I still see STO's F2P model as one of, if not THE fairest out there. I am reminded of this every time I decide to try out another F2P game.
Either way, deleting your lifetime account, which gets you Zen every month as well as endless access to subscription perks as long as the game exists, is just a dumb idea... :P
oh and BTW, if a company looks like it isn't interested in making money, only a moron will invest in it.
So if you say Atari didn't look like it was in it to make money, that may be the problem right there.
PWE makes repeatable content with flare over substance. No interest in making any story driven mission.
PWE would sell you the battlestar galactica with x wing hanger pets if it would make them money and they could get away with it. They don't care.
So the trick is to vote with your wallets. Don't buy their junk. Buy substance.
PWE makes repeatable content with flare over substance. No interest in making any story driven mission.
Well, even on that front, to be fair, they DID okay getting Denise Crosby for VO; and also okayed the 3rd Anniversary "Temporal Ambassador" mission that did have story, and gave out a free Tier 5 version of the Ambassador Class during the two week anniversary period.
So, even after they've taken full control (the last FE series "The 2800" was approved, worked up, and started on before PWE too ownership), we've had some non-grind content (and we may be getting even more story content with the LoR Expansion/Update. Time will tell.
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
I think I been misunderstood, im not against cryptic, im against pw policies, we are getting great content soon, and some of the new content in season 7 is great, and im with sto since the start, I do greatful spend money on the c-store, I realize the importance of extra ressources, maybe im just completely wrong about everything,- if so I apologize, im just been tired of certain aspects of pw
I think I been misunderstood, im not against cryptic, im against pw policies, we are getting great content soon, and some of the new content in season 7 is great, and im with sto since the start, I do greatful spend money on the c-store, I realize the importance of extra ressources, maybe im just completely wrong about everything,- if so I apologize, im just been tired of certain aspects of pw
I think I been misunderstood, im not against cryptic, im against pw policies, we are getting great content soon, and some of the new content in season 7 is great, and im with sto since the start, I do greatful spend money on the c-store, I realize the importance of extra ressources, maybe im just completely wrong about everything,- if so I apologize, im just been tired of certain aspects of pw
What PW policies are you referring to? That you need to pay for bonus items like fancy ships? That is not a PW policy. That is a FTP policy. It is the same in every FTP game in the world.
As it stands now you can play every single mission, every bit of content, every zone, every encounter, every daily, every end-game STF for free. You do not need to pay a penny. But if you want a shiny new ship you need to pay for it - or play long enough to earn the dilithium to use to get the ship for free. Cryptic give you a very liberal in-game method of playing to earn the items. As someone above said, they have purchased several ship packs without spending any of their own money. That is not common in a FTP game. That's a good deal, whether you realize it or not.
STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
What PW policies are you referring to? That you need to pay for bonus items like fancy ships? That is not a PW policy. That is a FTP policy. It is the same in every FTP game in the world.
As it stands now you can play every single mission, every bit of content, every zone, every encounter, every daily, every end-game STF for free. You do not need to pay a penny. But if you want a shiny new ship you need to pay for it - or play long enough to earn the dilithium to use to get the ship for free. Cryptic give you a very liberal in-game method of playing to earn the items. As someone above said, they have purchased several ship packs without spending any of their own money. That is not common in a FTP game. That's a good deal, whether you realize it or not.
i second to this.
if you aren't happy with STO, just install SWTOR and you'll know the true deeps of the F2P system.
although, in the last weeks, i've tried more games out, searching for the ultimate PVP game i would enjoy till the Romulans are out.
i've tried
- SWTOR - never again, just grinding, pay for everything.
- Global Agenda - i am STUNNED about this high quality and fun game. too bad there are not many peeps around to play with, so ill wait for GA2 which is already in works. Content is for free and you only buy fancy items.
- C9 - hack'n'slash, fun for a hour or two, that's it. Here i would like to point out the HUGE amount of costumes which are being delivered to you FOR FREE! I don't know what engine the game uses..
- Bloodline Champions - a VERY GOOD pvp game i've been enjoying since it came out.
i also invested quite a bit cash in the costumes and so on, the only thing that drove me away was to wait 15 minutes for a 3 minutes match.
- TSW - i am a lifer there, it's just - i've been expecting the game to be more like AO - open huge zones, good PVP like in BC. Huge disappointment, as i do not enjoy grinding dungeons all the time. The PVP is just a zerg with cookie - cutter builds.
- AO - in fact, the best game there is. Looking forward to the new engine, ill surely resub at that point and finish my 3 toons there. Huge PVE, good PVP, very good story. Funny monsters, nice open-group dungeons some of which are NEVER the same, daily missions with a random creation system, huge world to explore. Stunning music.
The in-game shop it VERY EXPENSIVE. The ingame currency is at it's low, so you'll need MILLIARDS of credits to lvl a toon and equip it properly. Still, it's fun.
I really hope they'll do something reagarding balance and ingame cash flow, albeit it will not be welcomed by the community as there are people with TONS of ingame money now.
This game has it's history.
You can play as a froob (f2p), to lvl 200, in fact there is a huge froob community now, but your toon is so gimped that it's fun only as long you are not going for competitive gameplay.
- TF and Gotham City Impostors - nice first person shooters. Do play them every now and then with my son. You don't really need to buy anything.
WOW - let's not go there
so what is STO?
for me, it is the way how to live my Trek fandom. It is also a nice game to come back to.
You can play all the content there is for free. (although there is not much content when looking at AO).
Nice, adult userbase.
The PVP is fun, just we need more maps and objectives. Also, cross faction teaming and cross faction end game PVE would help a lot.
Better UI system for accolades and foundry missions would not hurt.
Grind? What grind? You can grind, but you don't have to.
Is STO living from Star Trek? YES.
Would STO be still around without the ST license? I don't think so.
Has STO potential to be a good game? Sure!
Is Cryptic adding system which stabilize the game and does STO has potential for longevity? imho the after F2P changes, cryptic did good. Very good in fact.
I will be buying the LFT on the next opportunity and ill certainly cash in once more in May.
Now after the announcement i've lost the appetite for my current toons, as i was waiting for Romulans from the day1. So i'll just troll around in forums and finish the remaining accolades with my KDF main.
Looking forward to play this awesome game for years to come!
Perfect World may not be perfect, but they are better then all the alternatives I've tried.
I tried logging in to my old account when EverQuest went F2P... Oh my what a nightmare! I couldn't even wear my gear. Gear that was years old, no where near end game. Gear that I had earned from the game. Gear that still dropped off of mobs... yeah... that was fun...
Most of the others are some sort of pay for content system, where sure I can log in for free, but if you want do to anything past the tutorial you had to essentially pay per level. That doesn't work because while I don't mind investing money in games, I cannot bring my friends along with me if they do. In STO I have some casual friends that play once in a while. If every time they wanted to hop on and join me they needed to buy whatever content I was running that week, they just wouldn't log.
SWTOR was a nightmare. No raiding, and pay to run a limited number of events? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA no.
In STO I don't need to spend a dime. Not one red cent. I can have damn near everything if I am willing to grind for it. If I'm willing to donate to keep the game running I can get it quicker, and help fund development at the same time. Payment is truly optional. Sure, I get more out of the experience quicker if I pay, but isn't that a good thing? Like it or not, money makes the world go 'round, even the virtual one. at least here I'm in control of how much I dish out.
I once again match my character. Behold the power of PINK!
Oh, I don't know, but cutting the STO Dev team to less then 20; and not letting them fill any Dev positions while finalizing the deal to sell them to PWE pretty much showed an amount of 'carelessness' for customers still paying STO subs to Atari during the transistion - and all but brought STO development to a halt.
I'm just glad that some of us can look back on those 10 months without any major updates, content additions, or improvements and say, "It wasn't so bad under Atari, atleast we didn't have to ignore lockboxes!"
It is very sad to see that much primitivism and ignorance.
Man is right lot ppl. spent large sum of money through subscriptions and what they get.
Amorphous buggy creation that now we play which are asking for more give more more.
Even stranger are the comments of those who are in F2P who are able to spend a lifetime on the STO, as if nothing else exists.We have good example called EvE Online CCP was having lot of problems and they fix all of it (have account from 2006) now they are all most perfect with lot of thing support is now no1.
So it can be better if their is will in PW and Cryptic to be better and ti involve players in it.
In the beginning there was all and then become nothing
I AM PISSED OFF AFTER 3 YRS. I STILL CAN'T USE OR CHANGE OR DELETE OUTFIT IN 3 OF 5 OUTFIT SLOTS ON MY KLINGON TOON !
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
It is very sad to see that much primitivism and ignorance.
Man is right lot ppl. spent large sum of money through subscriptions and what they get.
Amorphous buggy creation that now we play which are asking for more give more more.
Even stranger are the comments of those who are in F2P who are able to spend a lifetime on the STO, as if nothing else exists.We have good example called EvE Online CCP was having lot of problems and they fix all of it (have account from 2006) now they are all most perfect with lot of thing support is now no1.
So it can be better if their is will in PW and Cryptic to be better and ti involve players in it.
I will tell you a secret: most players came to STO precisely because they hated EVE Online. Not everyone playing STO likes to PvP. In fact, I would confidently state that only a minority of STO players prefer PvP over PvE. So holding up a banner telling us how great Eve is really has no meaning to us. But hey, if Eve is your thing, great! Everyone should enjoy the games they play. Luckily for you you can pay to play Eve and still play STO for free.
STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
This revisionist history the F2P/Cryptic supporters like to perpetuate needs to be addressed.
Cryptic were underfunded by Atari, there's no doubt about that - but any suggestions that the PWE acquisition has been any better for the game (asides from slowing its demise) are (at this point) completely false.
Under Atari, we got everything that's in-game except:
Season 6
No Win Scenario
Colony Invasion
Starbase Blockade
Starbase Incursion
Starbase Fleet Defense
Fleet Alert
Tholian Incursion on Nukara Prime
Fleet Starbases
The 2800
and
Season 7
Reputation System
Fleet Embassies
Tau Dewa/Nomulus
Temporal Ambassador
Hive STFs and Tholian Red Alert
There's probably some crossover in Season 5 since that was the F2P conversion - bear in mind though that a lot of the content (Doff System for example) began development under Atari.
For comparison, here's Seasons 1234 and 5 (F2P) - note that these Seasons don't include the Featured Episode content - all of which apart from The 2800 were delivered under Atari.
*Edit* Note that there's a bunch of stuff missing from those Seasons because it wasn't 'content' as such - significant examples being Lockboxes, Lockbox Ships, Fleet Ships and Weapons etc.
And whilst I like my Fleet Excelsior, I'd gladly hand it back for more of the thinking that went into Seasons 1-4 since at end-game, the only things I enjoy doing are STFs, PvP and Doffing - all of which I can thank Atari for - not PWE. About the only thing I can thank PWE for is STO still being here - but that's a kind of mixed blessing...
This revisionist history the F2P/Cryptic supporters like to perpetuate needs to be addressed.
Cryptic were underfunded by Atari, there's no doubt about that - but any suggestions that the PWE acquisition has been any better for the game (asides from slowing its demise) are (at this point) completely false.
Under Atari, we got everything that's in-game except:
Season 6
No Win Scenario
Colony Invasion
Starbase Blockade
Starbase Incursion
Starbase Fleet Defense
Fleet Alert
Tholian Incursion on Nukara Prime
Fleet Starbases
The 2800
and
Season 7
Reputation System
Fleet Embassies
Tau Dewa/Nomulus
Temporal Ambassador
Hive STFs and Tholian Red Alert
There's probably some crossover in Season 5 since that was the F2P conversion - bear in mind though that a lot of the content (Doff System for example) began development under Atari.
For comparison, here's Seasons 1234 and 5 (F2P) - note that these Seasons don't include the Featured Episode content - all of which apart from The 2800 were delivered under Atari.
*Edit* Note that there's a bunch of stuff missing from those Seasons because it wasn't 'content' as such - significant examples being Lockboxes, Lockbox Ships, Fleet Ships and Weapons etc.
And whilst I like my Fleet Excelsior, I'd gladly hand it back for more of the thinking that went into Seasons 1-4 since at end-game, the only things I enjoy doing are STFs, PvP and Doffing - all of which I can thank Atari for - not PWE. About the only thing I can thank PWE for is STO still being here - but that's a kind of mixed blessing...
So We didn't get the Doff System or the rest of season 5 under PWE, even though STO was owned by PWE by May 2011 (That even means we technically got Season 4 under PWE)?
So We didn't get the Doff System or the rest of season 5 under PWE, even though STO was owned by PWE by May 2011 (That even means we technically got Season 4 under PWE)?
The Doff System began development under Atari and was in development for a long time - Season 4 was already 'in the pipe' before the PWE acquisition.
I can't fault PWE for picking up Cryptic and investing in this game but, to me at least, everything that I like about STO was developed under Atari's ownership whereas the many things I now dislike about STO were developed under PWE.
Are they focused on improving the game? Or merely postponing its demise until they've milked every last cent out of it? Either can make them lots of money, but only one will ensure this game continues to grow and have a future in the long-term.
The Doff System began development under Atari and was in development for a long time - Season 4 was already 'in the pipe' before the PWE acquisition.
I can't fault PWE for picking up Cryptic and investing in this game but, to me at least, everything that I like about STO was developed under Atari's ownership whereas the many things I now dislike about STO were developed under PWE.
Are they focused on improving the game? Or merely postponing its demise until they've milked every last cent out of it? Either can make them lots of money, but only one will ensure this game continues to grow and have a future in the long-term.
Of course you understand that Atari was the one who decided to switch the game to FTP, right? So most of the FTP choices you are now dealing with were implemented by Atari, just as most of the Season 4 material was.
STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
Sorry but however greedy and Ferengi like PWE are, they are still better than Atari who's business practices were appalling and they have now filed for bankruptcy.
In retrospect perhaps they shouldn't have taken the name and logo of a company famous for appalling business practices who went bankrupt. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place..
The Doff System began development under Atari and was in development for a long time - Season 4 was already 'in the pipe' before the PWE acquisition.
I can't fault PWE for picking up Cryptic and investing in this game but, to me at least, everything that I like about STO was developed under Atari's ownership whereas the many things I now dislike about STO were developed under PWE.
Are they focused on improving the game? Or merely postponing its demise until they've milked every last cent out of it? Either can make them lots of money, but only one will ensure this game continues to grow and have a future in the long-term.
tell me 1 reason why this game should not have a long-term future
Of course you understand that Atari was the one who decided to switch the game to FTP, right? So most of the FTP choices you are now dealing with were implemented by Atari, just as most of the Season 4 material was.
Season 5 was the F2P transition and F2P was announced in November 2011 after the earlier PWE acquisition in May 2011.
tell me 1 reason why this game should not have a long-term future
only a fool would throw a Trek license
Escalating costs (3 x ship packs becoming 'the norm'), increased currency sinks - not just my opinion - threads about this pop up every other day.
Lack of new, well-designed, repeatable content.
Lack of fixing bugs has now spillied into areas where significant grinds/currency is involved (Reputation Gear being broken/costume unlocks/Marauder Boffs broken for over a year now).
Continuing neglect of PvP (which has no Dev assigned full-time to it).
There's 4 for you. Continuing down this route will drive players away - like it has me and many others. Of course, things like Legacy of Romulus will bring new players in but a constant player churn isn't indicative of a healthy game.
Comments
I'm a free player. I own the vesta pack, odyssey pack, and kumari pack. I bought all 3 from simply playing and earning dilithium. I also have a timeship and a dkora, from keys i bought with dilithium and ec. The only zen I've ever bought was $5 so that I could post on the forum.
If you're spending tons of money it seems like you're doing something I'm not.
It is sadly still better than nailing insects to the wall. Well. For most of us...
---
Not having to pay a single penny and getting stuff is enough to delete your LTS account which you paid $200-$300 for (which is really stupid; Its an account for LIFE)?
Oh, I don't know, but cutting the STO Dev team to less then 20; and not letting them fill any Dev positions while finalizing the deal to sell them to PWE pretty much showed an amount of 'carelessness' for customers still paying STO subs to Atari during the transistion - and all but brought STO development to a halt.
PWE ain't perfect by any means, but, since they took over the purse sttrings, theyn do seem to be putting money towards STO development as now:
- The STO Dev team is at 50+ people and still expanding.
- The Season 6 and Season 7 expansions added more systems to the game and more content overall (per Season) then Seasons 1 - 4 under Atari.
- We have an upcoming Expansion (going on what's being said by the STO Dev team) that's bigger then any presious Season update (again going by what's said so far, if it in reality turns out not to be the case, then you may have a valid argument here.)
So, yeah, while I don't care for everything PWE has done for the F2P version of STO (and to be fair, I didn't care for a lot of the decisions made by Atari); at least we're seeing more new game content and getting a bigger Dev team then during the Atari days; and (unlikje Atari) PWE at least seems to understand you need to keep investing in an MMO (as opposed to the Atari model of launch ASAP - put it in maintenance mode - and coast as far as you can before re-investing in some fashion.)
And as grindy as STO is now, under Atari we had the "Grind for Emblems to get ships" system; and under that you were grinding Emblems for about two months to get enough for one of the few ships available for Emblems (you also used Emblems to buy ship Borg fighting gear in those days too) - but my point is, it's not like their was never a 'Grind system' during the Atari days; but I guess some folks have short memories.
Bottom line for m is: I still find things I enjoy doing in game; and as long as that's the case, I'll continue playing. If it gets to a point where I'm no longer enjoying STO, I'll quit.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Can I have your your stuff?
In PW's defense, I have seen STO production ramped up significantly since the take over, and I still see STO's F2P model as one of, if not THE fairest out there. I am reminded of this every time I decide to try out another F2P game.
Either way, deleting your lifetime account, which gets you Zen every month as well as endless access to subscription perks as long as the game exists, is just a dumb idea... :P
So if you say Atari didn't look like it was in it to make money, that may be the problem right there.
PWE makes repeatable content with flare over substance. No interest in making any story driven mission.
PWE would sell you the battlestar galactica with x wing hanger pets if it would make them money and they could get away with it. They don't care.
So the trick is to vote with your wallets. Don't buy their junk. Buy substance.
Well, even on that front, to be fair, they DID okay getting Denise Crosby for VO; and also okayed the 3rd Anniversary "Temporal Ambassador" mission that did have story, and gave out a free Tier 5 version of the Ambassador Class during the two week anniversary period.
So, even after they've taken full control (the last FE series "The 2800" was approved, worked up, and started on before PWE too ownership), we've had some non-grind content (and we may be getting even more story content with the LoR Expansion/Update. Time will tell.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Which PW policies are you refering to?
Why don't you have a look at the SWTOR F2P model?
As it stands now you can play every single mission, every bit of content, every zone, every encounter, every daily, every end-game STF for free. You do not need to pay a penny. But if you want a shiny new ship you need to pay for it - or play long enough to earn the dilithium to use to get the ship for free. Cryptic give you a very liberal in-game method of playing to earn the items. As someone above said, they have purchased several ship packs without spending any of their own money. That is not common in a FTP game. That's a good deal, whether you realize it or not.
i second to this.
if you aren't happy with STO, just install SWTOR and you'll know the true deeps of the F2P system.
although, in the last weeks, i've tried more games out, searching for the ultimate PVP game i would enjoy till the Romulans are out.
i've tried
- SWTOR - never again, just grinding, pay for everything.
- Global Agenda - i am STUNNED about this high quality and fun game. too bad there are not many peeps around to play with, so ill wait for GA2 which is already in works. Content is for free and you only buy fancy items.
- C9 - hack'n'slash, fun for a hour or two, that's it. Here i would like to point out the HUGE amount of costumes which are being delivered to you FOR FREE! I don't know what engine the game uses..
- Bloodline Champions - a VERY GOOD pvp game i've been enjoying since it came out.
i also invested quite a bit cash in the costumes and so on, the only thing that drove me away was to wait 15 minutes for a 3 minutes match.
- TSW - i am a lifer there, it's just - i've been expecting the game to be more like AO - open huge zones, good PVP like in BC. Huge disappointment, as i do not enjoy grinding dungeons all the time. The PVP is just a zerg with cookie - cutter builds.
- AO - in fact, the best game there is. Looking forward to the new engine, ill surely resub at that point and finish my 3 toons there. Huge PVE, good PVP, very good story. Funny monsters, nice open-group dungeons some of which are NEVER the same, daily missions with a random creation system, huge world to explore. Stunning music.
The in-game shop it VERY EXPENSIVE. The ingame currency is at it's low, so you'll need MILLIARDS of credits to lvl a toon and equip it properly. Still, it's fun.
I really hope they'll do something reagarding balance and ingame cash flow, albeit it will not be welcomed by the community as there are people with TONS of ingame money now.
This game has it's history.
You can play as a froob (f2p), to lvl 200, in fact there is a huge froob community now, but your toon is so gimped that it's fun only as long you are not going for competitive gameplay.
- TF and Gotham City Impostors - nice first person shooters. Do play them every now and then with my son. You don't really need to buy anything.
WOW - let's not go there
so what is STO?
for me, it is the way how to live my Trek fandom. It is also a nice game to come back to.
You can play all the content there is for free. (although there is not much content when looking at AO).
Nice, adult userbase.
The PVP is fun, just we need more maps and objectives. Also, cross faction teaming and cross faction end game PVE would help a lot.
Better UI system for accolades and foundry missions would not hurt.
Grind? What grind? You can grind, but you don't have to.
Is STO living from Star Trek? YES.
Would STO be still around without the ST license? I don't think so.
Has STO potential to be a good game? Sure!
Is Cryptic adding system which stabilize the game and does STO has potential for longevity? imho the after F2P changes, cryptic did good. Very good in fact.
I will be buying the LFT on the next opportunity and ill certainly cash in once more in May.
Now after the announcement i've lost the appetite for my current toons, as i was waiting for Romulans from the day1. So i'll just troll around in forums and finish the remaining accolades with my KDF main.
Looking forward to play this awesome game for years to come!
I tried logging in to my old account when EverQuest went F2P... Oh my what a nightmare! I couldn't even wear my gear. Gear that was years old, no where near end game. Gear that I had earned from the game. Gear that still dropped off of mobs... yeah... that was fun...
Most of the others are some sort of pay for content system, where sure I can log in for free, but if you want do to anything past the tutorial you had to essentially pay per level. That doesn't work because while I don't mind investing money in games, I cannot bring my friends along with me if they do. In STO I have some casual friends that play once in a while. If every time they wanted to hop on and join me they needed to buy whatever content I was running that week, they just wouldn't log.
SWTOR was a nightmare. No raiding, and pay to run a limited number of events? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA no.
In STO I don't need to spend a dime. Not one red cent. I can have damn near everything if I am willing to grind for it. If I'm willing to donate to keep the game running I can get it quicker, and help fund development at the same time. Payment is truly optional. Sure, I get more out of the experience quicker if I pay, but isn't that a good thing? Like it or not, money makes the world go 'round, even the virtual one. at least here I'm in control of how much I dish out.
Fleet Admiral Space Orphidian Possiblities Wizard
I'm just glad that some of us can look back on those 10 months without any major updates, content additions, or improvements and say, "It wasn't so bad under Atari, atleast we didn't have to ignore lockboxes!"
Man is right lot ppl. spent large sum of money through subscriptions and what they get.
Amorphous buggy creation that now we play which are asking for more give more more.
Even stranger are the comments of those who are in F2P who are able to spend a lifetime on the STO, as if nothing else exists.We have good example called EvE Online CCP was having lot of problems and they fix all of it (have account from 2006) now they are all most perfect with lot of thing support is now no1.
So it can be better if their is will in PW and Cryptic to be better and ti involve players in it.
I AM PISSED OFF AFTER 3 YRS. I STILL CAN'T USE OR CHANGE OR DELETE OUTFIT IN 3 OF 5 OUTFIT SLOTS ON MY KLINGON TOON !
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Cryptic were underfunded by Atari, there's no doubt about that - but any suggestions that the PWE acquisition has been any better for the game (asides from slowing its demise) are (at this point) completely false.
Under Atari, we got everything that's in-game except:
Season 6
No Win Scenario
Colony Invasion
Starbase Blockade
Starbase Incursion
Starbase Fleet Defense
Fleet Alert
Tholian Incursion on Nukara Prime
Fleet Starbases
The 2800
and
Season 7
Reputation System
Fleet Embassies
Tau Dewa/Nomulus
Temporal Ambassador
Hive STFs and Tholian Red Alert
There's probably some crossover in Season 5 since that was the F2P conversion - bear in mind though that a lot of the content (Doff System for example) began development under Atari.
For comparison, here's Seasons 1 2 3 4 and 5 (F2P) - note that these Seasons don't include the Featured Episode content - all of which apart from The 2800 were delivered under Atari.
*Edit* Note that there's a bunch of stuff missing from those Seasons because it wasn't 'content' as such - significant examples being Lockboxes, Lockbox Ships, Fleet Ships and Weapons etc.
And whilst I like my Fleet Excelsior, I'd gladly hand it back for more of the thinking that went into Seasons 1-4 since at end-game, the only things I enjoy doing are STFs, PvP and Doffing - all of which I can thank Atari for - not PWE. About the only thing I can thank PWE for is STO still being here - but that's a kind of mixed blessing...
The Doff System began development under Atari and was in development for a long time - Season 4 was already 'in the pipe' before the PWE acquisition.
I can't fault PWE for picking up Cryptic and investing in this game but, to me at least, everything that I like about STO was developed under Atari's ownership whereas the many things I now dislike about STO were developed under PWE.
Are they focused on improving the game? Or merely postponing its demise until they've milked every last cent out of it? Either can make them lots of money, but only one will ensure this game continues to grow and have a future in the long-term.
In retrospect perhaps they shouldn't have taken the name and logo of a company famous for appalling business practices who went bankrupt. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place..
tell me 1 reason why this game should not have a long-term future
only a fool would throw a Trek license
Season 5 was the F2P transition and F2P was announced in November 2011 after the earlier PWE acquisition in May 2011.
Infinite Space anyone?
Well okay IS had two things against it, namely having to compete against the already established STO and being TRIBBLE. But still.
Escalating costs (3 x ship packs becoming 'the norm'), increased currency sinks - not just my opinion - threads about this pop up every other day.
Lack of new, well-designed, repeatable content.
Lack of fixing bugs has now spillied into areas where significant grinds/currency is involved (Reputation Gear being broken/costume unlocks/Marauder Boffs broken for over a year now).
Continuing neglect of PvP (which has no Dev assigned full-time to it).
There's 4 for you. Continuing down this route will drive players away - like it has me and many others. Of course, things like Legacy of Romulus will bring new players in but a constant player churn isn't indicative of a healthy game.