And how does that help? It is like amputating the arm because the leg is infected. People that want more leveling want their character to be stronger not restarting from the beginning. Unfortunately skill points require levels which is the only progression missing from the Reputation system. If people want to just gain more levels, then they can just start a new alt instead of deleting their main.
Stronger characters = Stronger enemies = Ultimately exactly the same.
+ 10 levels would get us new skills, which ultimately will end up... exactly the same.
We have a limited amount of Skillpoints for balance, so we have to decide which abilities we want to enhance and which ones not. So the Skilltree is working as intended. They wouldn't WANT us to have more skill points.
Fleet equipment already is Mk13 or Mk14. Nothing dramatic will happen if we see Mk14 lockbox drops or reputation stuff. I think lvl.60 will bring some new captain powers.
T6 of starbase (or t4 for mine,spire,embassy) will not happen, while captain level increase is more likely.
I say go for it Cryptic, make level 60 and allow us to upgrade our t5 ships. (Note: in every interview I've heard in reference to a level cap increase the developers have stated no t6 ships would be made. Instead there is a plan to allow players to somehow upgrade t5 ships into t6)
It's a kind of lose/lose situation for this game when it comes to adding new ranks.
If none ever get added, we're all stuck as Vice Admirals (when there are clearly plans to allows us to eventually rank up to full Fleet Admiral). The game would eventually reach a point where nothing else will be added, and it will likely shut down. It would take quite a while, but it would eventually happen. This was the case with Star Wars Galaxies, when no new content could be added, the player base dropped and they were no longer able to keep it going.
If they do add 10 new ranks, presumably Admiral and Fleet Admiral, all of the ships, gear sets, and weapons that people have bought with credits, dilithium, and ZEN will be rendered completely obsolete. This would TRIBBLE off almost every single player who has ever saved up enough currency, in game or otherwise, to buy top of the line equipment. Most will likely stay, reluctantly, and attempt to build up again. However, those who have spent money on most or all of the C-Store ships and bonuses that are exclusive to level 50 players will probably give up completely or play as long as possibly with their current collection until they level up enough to be of little use at higher levels.
The only real solution to this problem would be to compensate everyone who has purchased ships from the C-Store by giving upgraded versions of purchased ships (in the same style as the retrofits of early game ships) for use at the new top level. Even this would create an imbalance of players who have bought ships and would then be instantly ready to fight upon reaching the new cap, and those who haven't, who will be scrounging for new top level ships and gear.
In conclusion, I think they should just go ahead and raise the cap as soon as logically possibly. If they're ready to do it, the sooner the better, before even MORE players spend their hard-earned money or the spoils of time-consuming dilithium grinds on ships and gear that will be useless later. You have to realize that the game is becoming boring for those who have reached level 50, tier 5 in all reputations, and are simply logging on every once in a while waiting for a new season.
If none ever get added, we're all stuck as Vice Admirals (when there are clearly plans to allows us to eventually rank up to full Fleet Admiral). The game would eventually reach a point where nothing else will be added, and it will likely shut down.
Nonsense. They can add more content in other factions, like they did with Romulans, and you could grind a new toon over there, with no changes to existing toons.
You people... Stop thinking you can only have one toon that can only go upwards in level.
I know it's only rumour and speculation at the moment, but it's been rumoured for some time now, and with the latest (being that there are new, higher ranked gear in the game files) it would seem that this level cap raise is upon us, be that as early as Season #9, or Season #10.
Why do we even need a Cap Raise? Everything at end game content has been built around a level #50 character; all the elite missions, all the fleet gear, and the entire reputation system. Now you want to change that? Why? I'm confused what purpose can be served by requiring every character to advance another #10 levels.
In my opinion, we should all be Captains or Commanders (depending on faction).
There are no doubt a lot of players/characters out there who have worked their TRIBBLE off, and put a lot of their cash into the game to maximize their ships with Mk XII Fleet/Reputation Gear. If new gear is to be added for level #60, you're going to have annoyed the hell out of a lot of people.
If the fear is that people are ranking up quicker than you'd like, or that players are acquiring all the goodies too quick, quite simply double the exp needed per rank, double the price of all gear, and reduce the mark reward. I'd much rather this than another #10 levels which wont actually serve a purpose.
What can you do with another ten levels? Add more missions (can do that anyway). Add another Reputation System (can do that anyway). Add more ships (can do that anyway). Can add better equipment (can do that anyway). Add harder missions (can do that anyway).
Nothing that you can/will do requires another ten levels in order to achieve your goals. Thus, I ask the very simple question; what is the overall point of another ten levels? What reason does it serve?
Let's put it like this if they raise it, and I say if. They raise it to lvl 60 you have to buy new gear raise starbase lvl to get the gear.... This would mean a way to make money BIG BUGS !!!
As a company I see their point of view, as a customer well not really happy about it because I have to redo all my ships all my chars and the whole fleet thing again because of it...
But probably it is needed to raise funds for the game
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
"Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised. It's got me through the worst of the last three years. I beat the Borg with it."
Stronger characters = Stronger enemies = Ultimately exactly the same.
+ 10 levels would get us new skills, which ultimately will end up... exactly the same.
We have a limited amount of Skillpoints for balance, so we have to decide which abilities we want to enhance and which ones not. So the Skilltree is working as intended. They wouldn't WANT us to have more skill points.
Level cap increases allow for stealth nerfs or to reassign player power to more challenging mechanics.
So, for example, at level 60, players may scale up to 130% of their present power level. Enemies scale to 150% of present power level. Once a player is geared, maybe they can get another 10% and the remaining power for players could come from managing mechanics that are more difficult.
It's pretty widely socially accepted in MMOs that it's better to introduce new enemies and have players scale less then enemies powerwise than to simply nerf players. Same effect but even people who are aware that it's the same effect generally regard it as more fair because the tradeoff for the power and new grind is new content and new abilities (which may not provide as much raw power but which supply gameplay depth).
IF there are they could have discounts ala Fleet Ship Modules.
My preference would actually be to add new gear slots to the existing T5 ships though and have the gear be the way to advance ships beyond T5. So you have, for example, Computer Cores that enhance a ship by 10% all around but you have to be level 60 to equip them. And maybe some new level 60 C-Store ships come with gimmick Computer Cores right off the bat.
Level cap can go up. Rank cap needs to stay the same or go down.
Yes, it's the "we're not admirals, we're captains" thing again. Admirals don't command single starships and go on away missions. They command fleets from a flagship, giving orders to a flag captain, or manage organizations from an office. They are the military equivalent of a quest giver, as is indeed the role they have in the franchise that STO purports to be based on.
It would perfect sense to have the PC as a flag officer if STO was a strategy game instead of a Jim Kirk simulator. If I'm not going to be commanding a fleet instead of a single starship, I should be ranked no higher than captain.
And face it: If the rank cap goes up any higher, we will now outrank literally every mission giver in the entire game except Quinn, D'Tan, and J'mpok. And where do you go from there? Fleet admiral? Welcome to Starfleet Command, and say goodbye to any more frontline service. Where next, Secretary of Defense? Congrats, you are now a civilian bureaucrat stuck flying a desk in Paris.
And that's not even getting into the fact that nobody in the game treats you like an admiral. If I'm going to have to be called a vice admiral, I want the respect due my office. And that means no more being ordered around by an insubordinate gods-damned O-5 (that means you, Subcommander Kaol).
Hell, even Cryptic in their official broadcasts calls everybody "captain".
TL;DR: Reduce everyone in rank to captain or treat us like actual admirals.
"Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
— Sabaton, "Great War"
It's a kind of lose/lose situation for this game when it comes to adding new ranks.
If none ever get added, we're all stuck as Vice Admirals (when there are clearly plans to allows us to eventually rank up to full Fleet Admiral). The game would eventually reach a point where nothing else will be added, and it will likely shut down. It would take quite a while, but it would eventually happen. This was the case with Star Wars Galaxies, when no new content could be added, the player base dropped and they were no longer able to keep it going.
If they do add 10 new ranks, presumably Admiral and Fleet Admiral, all of the ships, gear sets, and weapons that people have bought with credits, dilithium, and ZEN will be rendered completely obsolete. This would TRIBBLE off almost every single player who has ever saved up enough currency, in game or otherwise, to buy top of the line equipment. Most will likely stay, reluctantly, and attempt to build up again. However, those who have spent money on most or all of the C-Store ships and bonuses that are exclusive to level 50 players will probably give up completely or play as long as possibly with their current collection until they level up enough to be of little use at higher levels.
The only real solution to this problem would be to compensate everyone who has purchased ships from the C-Store by giving upgraded versions of purchased ships (in the same style as the retrofits of early game ships) for use at the new top level. Even this would create an imbalance of players who have bought ships and would then be instantly ready to fight upon reaching the new cap, and those who haven't, who will be scrounging for new top level ships and gear.
In conclusion, I think they should just go ahead and raise the cap as soon as logically possibly. If they're ready to do it, the sooner the better, before even MORE players spend their hard-earned money or the spoils of time-consuming dilithium grinds on ships and gear that will be useless later. You have to realize that the game is becoming boring for those who have reached level 50, tier 5 in all reputations, and are simply logging on every once in a while waiting for a new season.
SWG ended because of Lucas Arts, not because of no more content. There would be 2 profitable Star Wars MMOs right now if the idiots at Lucas Arts wouldn't have killed it.
As a new player I love the idea of another 10 levels to climb, hell if I had my way I would completely redo the ranks from scratch and make it a nice round 100 levels.
Amongst other things I have purchased the Galaxy class bundle from the C-store and it doesn't phase me in the slightest if my Dreadnought is suddenly outclassed by a whole new class of 55 and 60 level starships.
As a new player I love the idea of another 10 levels to climb, hell if I had my way I would completely redo the ranks from scratch and make it a nice round 100 levels.
I tend to hit 50 around the DS9 arc. There's a lot of content left to do as it is. There doesn't need to be 10 more levels to have stuff to do.
This is my Risian Corvette. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Pardon, I skipped about nine pages I think. But I wish to put in a few thoughts.
Current level standard is 0-9, 10-19, etc. So from that if they bump the level cap to 60 and keep format then 50-59 is still all the MkXII gear.
Personally I think that if they do raise the cap but not the gear and ships they run it like that and at level 60 you get full admiral rank and a console. Fleet command console so you can run X number of the ships from your yard as escorts to your flagship.
My personal take on it.
As to the worrying in the thread. They have not announced a level bump yet, nor seem to have it on the horizon.
So many here are crying about the cow you lost, that you were going to buy with the wool you sold, that came from the sheep you bought with the chickens you sold. From the eggs that have not even hatched yet. . . :P
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
Pardon, I skipped about nine pages I think. But I wish to put in a few thoughts.
Current level standard is 0-9, 10-19, etc. So from that if they bump the level cap to 60 and keep format then 50-59 is still all the MkXII gear.
Personally I think that if they do raise the cap but not the gear and ships they run it like that and at level 60 you get full admiral rank and a console. Fleet command console so you can run X number of the ships from your yard as escorts to your flagship.
My personal take on it.
As to the worrying in the thread. They have not announced a level bump yet, nor seem to have it on the horizon.
So many here are crying about the cow you lost, that you were going to buy with the wool you sold, that came from the sheep you bought with the chickens you sold. From the eggs that have not even hatched yet. . . :P
actually, when legacy of Romulus was still in testing the question of a level cap increase was brought up to the developers and the answer was nothing was planned at the time, and if a level cap increase was to happen it would not be till at lest s9 or s10. It was also said that if such an increase happened no new ships would be planned at a t6 but there maybe a mechanic
To upgrade t5 ships. All of this was "don't quote me on this, all plans are subject to change" and do note it has been a good while since said interviews.
I am against a level cap increase as its little more than a blatant scam to make more money. People aren't going to wait to refine 8k a day, they will give in and blow money on Zen for dilithium.
You don't need great gear or equipment to play end game missions. I have a plain jane Ha'apax I fly with the shields, weapon etc it came with, all at Mk VII, all I did was add some consoles, none of which are fleet, and I can get 1st on Crystal Entity Elite with little trouble.
All that top end Fleet gear is good for is PvP, which I avoid like the plague because of the people who lurk there.
Now that isn't to say I am against SOME form of advancement that would help balance the game and add new dimensions to game play.
Say you cap at level 50, but then you have various divergent specialization trees that are dependant on your race and faction.
A Klingon for example being able to choose from several different paths, each of which grants specialized equipment or skills UNIQUE to that specialization.
Like the Attack Patterns unique to Worf, Tuvok and Shone, or ground weapons that ignore shields completely.
THAT is how you add to a games longevity. You make things that aren't open to just anyone and everone, but force a sacrifice to be made that's actually felt when you choose it.
"Why all the sales"?
And a merry freaking Christmas to you too, Ebenezer.
-jonsills, 'Cryptic Why the sales..instead of Fixing XP leveling and this game?'
I am against a level cap increase as its little more than a blatant scam to make more money. People aren't going to wait to refine 8k a day, they will give in and blow money on Zen for dilithium.
You don't need great gear or equipment to play end game missions. I have a plain jane Ha'apax I fly with the shields, weapon etc it came with, all at Mk VII, all I did was add some consoles, none of which are fleet, and I can get 1st on Crystal Entity Elite with little trouble.
All that top end Fleet gear is good for is PvP, which I avoid like the plague because of the people who lurk there.
Now that isn't to say I am against SOME form of advancement that would help balance the game and add new dimensions to game play.
Say you cap at level 50, but then you have various divergent specialization trees that are dependant on your race and faction.
A Klingon for example being able to choose from several different paths, each of which grants specialized equipment or skills UNIQUE to that specialization.
Like the Attack Patterns unique to Worf, Tuvok and Shone, or ground weapons that ignore shields completely.
THAT is how you add to a games longevity. You make things that aren't open to just anyone and everone, but force a sacrifice to be made that's actually felt when you choose it.
and then people figure out the best possible combo, and none of that ends up mattering in the slightest because everyone has mostly the same stuff anyway.
and then people figure out the best possible combo, and none of that ends up mattering in the slightest because everyone has mostly the same stuff anyway.
I beg to differ.
Say they added in for Science Captains an Attack Pattern that granted a huge bonus to Stealth Detection, almost as good as the Nebula's unique console. Or a unique power for Engineers that granted a damage resistance higher than Attack Pattern Alpha grants for damage buffs.
That single addition would make the game balanced.
Tactical would still do the most damage, but Engineers would be able to counter it and Science would have a viable space skill to contribute for PvP.
"Why all the sales"?
And a merry freaking Christmas to you too, Ebenezer.
-jonsills, 'Cryptic Why the sales..instead of Fixing XP leveling and this game?'
Say they added in for Science Captains an Attack Pattern that granted a huge bonus to Stealth Detection, almost as good as the Nebula's unique console. Or a unique power for Engineers that granted a damage resistance higher than Attack Pattern Alpha grants for damage buffs.
That single addition would make the game balanced.
Tactical would still do the most damage, but Engineers would be able to counter it and Science would have a viable space skill to contribute for PvP.
What skill is there for Sci that offers a huge stealth detection bonus? What damage resistance is there for Engineers? You have a HEAL, but that doesn't do much good when TacEscorts and chew through shields and hull in five seconds.
"Why all the sales"?
And a merry freaking Christmas to you too, Ebenezer.
-jonsills, 'Cryptic Why the sales..instead of Fixing XP leveling and this game?'
A Level Cap increase gives us the opportunity to offset some of the power creep by providing more challenging content that also gives unique rewards. New STFs, new FEs, and yes, some new Rep systems - as well as just some new Missions in general.
A Level Cap increase does not mean we need to get T6 ships and MK XIII gear, though. The increase could mean new Captain Talents, new Captain Class Abilities, as well as different types of MK XII gear - for more variety rather then everyone using some semblance of just Omega Rep gear, Rom Rep weapons, etc. It also means the potential for new game systems, such as Fleet Control - where you can command your Boffs in other ships to make an armada.
Why would Cryptic put in any real effort at all when they can just pull the "REBOOT" (or in this case "Re-REBOOT" with ensign becoming cadet "recently") card out of their hat and completely forgo the unpleasantness of having to do any real work in favor of their preferred path of little-to-no-resistance?
They could "merely" toss grade 0, legitimize "cadet" in the 1-50 grade schema as an "acting ensign", re-implement an actual player-character ensign, tack on "Fleet Admiral" (to end up with a clean 5:2:1 ratio of 50 grades, 10 ranks, and 5 tiers), and make it look something like this:
The worst case scenario result being that ESD will have fewer players asking why their promotion from Rear Admiral Lower Half to Upper Half (or Vice Admiral as also happens) did not include a new free ship? Priceless.
For everything else it's P2W. Or was that Mastercard? *shrug*
This thread is hilarious, the people whining about the level cap being raised and threatening to quit. I mean seriously, the level cap goes up all the time in mmos, and usually new content, or new game mechanics are added to lengthen the game's life. I can't imagine an mmo staying at the same cap until it's servers eventually go offline for good. That's stagnation. MMOs have always been a carrot on the stick affair, new and flashier loot being hung in front of us. If they add new and better loot without raising the level cap or adjusting current content, then you get even more power creep that folks complain about daily on these boards. Forcing people to level up and get used to new mechanics and equipment dynamics isn't necessarily a bad thing at this point in the game, where people are busting up stfs solo, you know there's something wrong with that.. Toning down ship power and putting each ship back into it's proper role is not a bad idea. Escorts shouldn't be able to tank damage, cruisers and dreadnaughts shouldn't be able to take damage and vaporize targets like wet tissue etc etc. STO needs to be overhauled but it's unrealistic to expect cryptic to do that, and usually they will opt for the easy road of raising the level cap and making everyone's uber gear and builds useless.
If not a cap increase, then please for the love of God, change the xp rewarded from alll the missions now in game(like half) and drop minimum level of most of them. As it stands right now, you get 50 before even getting close to the last 2-3 FE's. Be honest, how many have played Breen, Undine, or Borg FE's since the big PWE changes to this game, besides to grind specific rewards. Even the Dominion FE is almost untouched when I level a character to 50, and quite honestly, I like playing through those missions, but not as a level 50, and not just feeling like I'm going for 1 specific reward.
Comments
Stronger characters = Stronger enemies = Ultimately exactly the same.
+ 10 levels would get us new skills, which ultimately will end up... exactly the same.
We have a limited amount of Skillpoints for balance, so we have to decide which abilities we want to enhance and which ones not. So the Skilltree is working as intended. They wouldn't WANT us to have more skill points.
T6 of starbase (or t4 for mine,spire,embassy) will not happen, while captain level increase is more likely.
If none ever get added, we're all stuck as Vice Admirals (when there are clearly plans to allows us to eventually rank up to full Fleet Admiral). The game would eventually reach a point where nothing else will be added, and it will likely shut down. It would take quite a while, but it would eventually happen. This was the case with Star Wars Galaxies, when no new content could be added, the player base dropped and they were no longer able to keep it going.
If they do add 10 new ranks, presumably Admiral and Fleet Admiral, all of the ships, gear sets, and weapons that people have bought with credits, dilithium, and ZEN will be rendered completely obsolete. This would TRIBBLE off almost every single player who has ever saved up enough currency, in game or otherwise, to buy top of the line equipment. Most will likely stay, reluctantly, and attempt to build up again. However, those who have spent money on most or all of the C-Store ships and bonuses that are exclusive to level 50 players will probably give up completely or play as long as possibly with their current collection until they level up enough to be of little use at higher levels.
The only real solution to this problem would be to compensate everyone who has purchased ships from the C-Store by giving upgraded versions of purchased ships (in the same style as the retrofits of early game ships) for use at the new top level. Even this would create an imbalance of players who have bought ships and would then be instantly ready to fight upon reaching the new cap, and those who haven't, who will be scrounging for new top level ships and gear.
In conclusion, I think they should just go ahead and raise the cap as soon as logically possibly. If they're ready to do it, the sooner the better, before even MORE players spend their hard-earned money or the spoils of time-consuming dilithium grinds on ships and gear that will be useless later. You have to realize that the game is becoming boring for those who have reached level 50, tier 5 in all reputations, and are simply logging on every once in a while waiting for a new season.
You people... Stop thinking you can only have one toon that can only go upwards in level.
Let's put it like this if they raise it, and I say if. They raise it to lvl 60 you have to buy new gear raise starbase lvl to get the gear.... This would mean a way to make money BIG BUGS !!!
As a company I see their point of view, as a customer well not really happy about it because I have to redo all my ships all my chars and the whole fleet thing again because of it...
But probably it is needed to raise funds for the game
"Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised. It's got me through the worst of the last three years. I beat the Borg with it."
Level cap increases allow for stealth nerfs or to reassign player power to more challenging mechanics.
So, for example, at level 60, players may scale up to 130% of their present power level. Enemies scale to 150% of present power level. Once a player is geared, maybe they can get another 10% and the remaining power for players could come from managing mechanics that are more difficult.
It's pretty widely socially accepted in MMOs that it's better to introduce new enemies and have players scale less then enemies powerwise than to simply nerf players. Same effect but even people who are aware that it's the same effect generally regard it as more fair because the tradeoff for the power and new grind is new content and new abilities (which may not provide as much raw power but which supply gameplay depth).
IF there are they could have discounts ala Fleet Ship Modules.
My preference would actually be to add new gear slots to the existing T5 ships though and have the gear be the way to advance ships beyond T5. So you have, for example, Computer Cores that enhance a ship by 10% all around but you have to be level 60 to equip them. And maybe some new level 60 C-Store ships come with gimmick Computer Cores right off the bat.
Yes, it's the "we're not admirals, we're captains" thing again. Admirals don't command single starships and go on away missions. They command fleets from a flagship, giving orders to a flag captain, or manage organizations from an office. They are the military equivalent of a quest giver, as is indeed the role they have in the franchise that STO purports to be based on.
It would perfect sense to have the PC as a flag officer if STO was a strategy game instead of a Jim Kirk simulator. If I'm not going to be commanding a fleet instead of a single starship, I should be ranked no higher than captain.
And face it: If the rank cap goes up any higher, we will now outrank literally every mission giver in the entire game except Quinn, D'Tan, and J'mpok. And where do you go from there? Fleet admiral? Welcome to Starfleet Command, and say goodbye to any more frontline service. Where next, Secretary of Defense? Congrats, you are now a civilian bureaucrat stuck flying a desk in Paris.
And that's not even getting into the fact that nobody in the game treats you like an admiral. If I'm going to have to be called a vice admiral, I want the respect due my office. And that means no more being ordered around by an insubordinate gods-damned O-5 (that means you, Subcommander Kaol).
Hell, even Cryptic in their official broadcasts calls everybody "captain".
TL;DR: Reduce everyone in rank to captain or treat us like actual admirals.
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
SWG ended because of Lucas Arts, not because of no more content. There would be 2 profitable Star Wars MMOs right now if the idiots at Lucas Arts wouldn't have killed it.
Amongst other things I have purchased the Galaxy class bundle from the C-store and it doesn't phase me in the slightest if my Dreadnought is suddenly outclassed by a whole new class of 55 and 60 level starships.
I tend to hit 50 around the DS9 arc. There's a lot of content left to do as it is. There doesn't need to be 10 more levels to have stuff to do.
But OMGLEVELSEPEEN!!!!11!!1
Im calling it now.
Grand Admiral Rylana, destroyer of worlds.
Fleet Admiral Rylana - Fed Tac - U.S.S Wild Card - Tactical Miracle Worker Cruiser
Lifetime Subscriber since 2012 == 17,200 Accolades = RIP PvP and Vice Squad
Chief of Starfleet Intelligence Service == Praise Cheesus
Current level standard is 0-9, 10-19, etc. So from that if they bump the level cap to 60 and keep format then 50-59 is still all the MkXII gear.
Personally I think that if they do raise the cap but not the gear and ships they run it like that and at level 60 you get full admiral rank and a console. Fleet command console so you can run X number of the ships from your yard as escorts to your flagship.
My personal take on it.
As to the worrying in the thread. They have not announced a level bump yet, nor seem to have it on the horizon.
So many here are crying about the cow you lost, that you were going to buy with the wool you sold, that came from the sheep you bought with the chickens you sold. From the eggs that have not even hatched yet. . . :P
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
You don't need great gear or equipment to play end game missions. I have a plain jane Ha'apax I fly with the shields, weapon etc it came with, all at Mk VII, all I did was add some consoles, none of which are fleet, and I can get 1st on Crystal Entity Elite with little trouble.
All that top end Fleet gear is good for is PvP, which I avoid like the plague because of the people who lurk there.
Now that isn't to say I am against SOME form of advancement that would help balance the game and add new dimensions to game play.
Say you cap at level 50, but then you have various divergent specialization trees that are dependant on your race and faction.
A Klingon for example being able to choose from several different paths, each of which grants specialized equipment or skills UNIQUE to that specialization.
Like the Attack Patterns unique to Worf, Tuvok and Shone, or ground weapons that ignore shields completely.
THAT is how you add to a games longevity. You make things that aren't open to just anyone and everone, but force a sacrifice to be made that's actually felt when you choose it.
And a merry freaking Christmas to you too, Ebenezer.
-jonsills, 'Cryptic Why the sales..instead of Fixing XP leveling and this game?'
and then people figure out the best possible combo, and none of that ends up mattering in the slightest because everyone has mostly the same stuff anyway.
I beg to differ.
Say they added in for Science Captains an Attack Pattern that granted a huge bonus to Stealth Detection, almost as good as the Nebula's unique console. Or a unique power for Engineers that granted a damage resistance higher than Attack Pattern Alpha grants for damage buffs.
That single addition would make the game balanced.
Tactical would still do the most damage, but Engineers would be able to counter it and Science would have a viable space skill to contribute for PvP.
And a merry freaking Christmas to you too, Ebenezer.
-jonsills, 'Cryptic Why the sales..instead of Fixing XP leveling and this game?'
What skill is there for Sci that offers a huge stealth detection bonus? What damage resistance is there for Engineers? You have a HEAL, but that doesn't do much good when TacEscorts and chew through shields and hull in five seconds.
And a merry freaking Christmas to you too, Ebenezer.
-jonsills, 'Cryptic Why the sales..instead of Fixing XP leveling and this game?'
Why would Cryptic put in any real effort at all when they can just pull the "REBOOT" (or in this case "Re-REBOOT" with ensign becoming cadet "recently") card out of their hat and completely forgo the unpleasantness of having to do any real work in favor of their preferred path of little-to-no-resistance?
They could "merely" toss grade 0, legitimize "cadet" in the 1-50 grade schema as an "acting ensign", re-implement an actual player-character ensign, tack on "Fleet Admiral" (to end up with a clean 5:2:1 ratio of 50 grades, 10 ranks, and 5 tiers), and make it look something like this:
Tier 1 (grades 1-10)
1-5, "cadet"->"acting ensign"
6-10, ensign
Tier 2 (grades 11-20, free ship token at 11 instead of 10)
11-15, lieutenant
16-20, lieutenant commander
Tier 3 (grades 21-30, free ship token at 21 instead of 20)
21-25, commander
26-30, captain
Tier 4 (grades 31-40, free ship token at 31 instead of 30)
31-35, rear admiral lower half
36-40, rear admiral upper half
Tier 5 (grades 41-50, free ship token at 41 instead of 40)
41-45, vice admiral
46-50, fleet admiral
Adjust shipyard UI information accordingly.
Maybe adjust where captain's powers are in the grade scale.
Slap the "Away Team In Space" armada jazz in there.
Done.
Cost? Negligible.
The worst case scenario result being that ESD will have fewer players asking why their promotion from Rear Admiral Lower Half to Upper Half (or Vice Admiral as also happens) did not include a new free ship? Priceless.
For everything else it's P2W. Or was that Mastercard? *shrug*
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1-10 LTJG
11-20 LT
21-30 LCDR
31-40 CDR
41-50 Capt
51-60 Commodore
I thought WoW's forums had angry elitist snobs, but I never could have imagined the level STO forums has.
This ^^^^^
I thought WoW's forums had angry elitist snobs, but I never could have imagined the level STO forums has.