that is of course, if we don't spend another 3 years at this current level.mk/ whatevs lol... but alas, we probably will.. I mean, we cant all be president of the federation now can we... lol..
So what should I be asking as you seem to be agreeing with what I said was the issue?
Your litany was not a list of reasoned objections but instead said opposition was due to "fear" and "disgruntled" players who are basically scared of change and mad at being pushed into it.
Rebuilding a large number of ships and gear is a lot of time and effort. I did it through 18 months of regular gameplay and contributions of $15-20 every month. If that is the cost required to rebuild a majority of the ships, then its worth considering if the same amount of time and money needed to redo all that work could bring more satisfaction from some other or activity, especially when its a result of arbitrary change that could be imposed on me all over again at any time of Cryptic's choosing. Got nothing to do with emotion, I just dont want to do it all over again.
ps--This is especially true when reviewing the current state of end-game activity. Is it worth grinding all that over again in order to get back to the same end-game state, where there's nothing to do except grind the same few maps for Dilithium, or hit the same few PVP queues? There is no end-game here, no immersive Trek universe of exploration and diplomacy, only treadmill and repetition of a few assets. It is very unlikely that I would do it all over again.
The point seems fairly clear. You need to accept that money spent on entertainment is almost always entirely for the emotional enjoyment of the act.
If I spend $100.00 on a round of golf I do not get to bring the course back with me. If I spend $40.00 taking my family bowling we are doing so for the enjoyment of the activity, not because we expect to own something at the end of it. It is the same with gaming. You are spending money for the temporary enjoyment of the activity not for a tangible item.
Far too many people view gaming as owning something when in fact you own nothing. You do it for the enjoyment of the entertainment. When it stops being entertaining you simply move on to something else.
Let me clarify my point, because obviously it did not make sense to you.
When you play Star Trek Online, (if you do not please let us know) I would assume that you spend time levelling, getting new gear, reputation etc. What if after every session your progress was deleted and you had to start from the beginning again. Furthermore, what if that reset was random? Would you be fine with that?
Perhaps you would, since you seem to have no problem getting nothing out of your time other than the entertainment you received for a few brief moments.
This concept is not much different than the upcoming expansion (given the poor information that we have so far DEVS HINT HINT PLEASE GIVE US MORE SO THIS STOPS!!!). It is still a pretty much random reset button, and while it may be more justifiable if one happens all the time since you come to expect it, I don't like surprises.
With regards to your golf comparison, as an avid golfer I never get a reset button handed to me. Even though the round is over, I have gained something from the round more than just "entertainment". Generally, I learn new techniques when I golf that help improve my game, so yes, I do take away something from that experience more than just a few hours of entertainment.
I have only started playing STO at the end of January this year and I have not really bothered reading anything about the new level cap and Tier 6 ships... I'll do some research over the weekend when I have time
I welcome the change because I feel that it progresses the game further. Progress involves change. Some people like change others do not. Yes, it changes things up for people who took the time and made the effort to get the best gear possible and it can be an annoyance especially for those who recently maxed out their gear. But no evolution means eventual stagnation and that can make the game boring for some people to the point that they simply move on to the next game that captures their interest.
I suppose I should sell my Mk XII weapons on the Exchange ASAP.
I think most players want more high-end/endgame story material, and many want the associated gear and ships to add to the assets in game. The angst comes from a lack of communication on how the "paid for" endgame item currently at tier 5 will be treated. It is fair to be concerns, not paranoid, but concerned about marginalizing items with real value (i.e., $$$). Any official statement would be better than wild conjecture... and the still most current post about STO coming to Las Vegas.
I have only started playing STO at the end of January this year and I have not really bothered reading anything about the new level cap and Tier 6 ships... I'll do some research over the weekend when I have time
I welcome the change because I feel that it progresses the game further. Progress involves change. Some people like change others do not. Yes, it changes things up for people who took the time and made the effort to get the best gear possible and it can be an annoyance especially for those who recently maxed out their gear. But no evolution means eventual stagnation and that can make the game boring for some people to the point that they simply move on to the next game that captures their interest.
I suppose I should sell my Mk XII weapons on the Exchange ASAP.
Firstly, I think you are getting change and progress mixed up. They have two different meanings.
More importantly, progress does not involve starting from the beginning according to the very definition of the word. Progress involves continuing from the point we are today.
I think the problem here, is that most players. (myself included) see this new expansion as a step backwards and not a step forwards.
The skilled people will still be skilled, and the struggling people will still struggle, when this is all over. The only difference will be lighter wallets. Stuff could still be released at 50 with plenty of new story and missions, without changing anything (worked for LoR). If a whole new class of ships came out at T5, they'd sell reasonably well for people who wanted to try something different. Its an obvious cash grab and little else.
As far as stuff being 'needed,' unfortunately this game has gotten way too competitive beyond Official PVP stuff. More and more I've seen people in even the public channels ******** people out if they find out they're using non-optimized builds or sub-10k dps, to say nothing of the snobs in the assorted invite-only channels. Try organizing a run for non-FAW ships or T4 ships or something, see how many /ignore lists you end up on. When the T6 stuff drops, you'll have to either keep up or have that much harder a time finding a group.
Back to golf, golf has basically been the same game (albeit the changes in equipment) for its entire existence. Try changing golf to something that is not golf, lets see how many people want this "chance" to master this new sport.
I know that myself and many others would want to stick to the sport we know as "golf" and be very reluctant to start from scratch with something entirely unknown.
People seem to miss the whole point as to why they are raising the level cap.The Mk increase of gear is just the side effect of raising the level cap,the real reason are the tier 6 ships.
So why make this new class of ships tier 6 instead of making them tier 5?It would save them a lot of headache to make them tier 5,right?
The answer is: money!
Simply put: there are too many players at level 50,too few new players reaching level 50,and not enough tier 5 ships are sold...the current level 50/tier 5 market is exhausted,adding more ships at tier 5 doesn't mean more money for PWE.
When people say: "a level cap raise with new gear to grind for is common for MMO's and people should accept it/live with it" ,they seem to forget that the one thing that sets STO apart from all the other MMO's...are the ships.Star Trek for a large part is about the starships,and Cryptic made good money with selling us these starships.Insuring players that tier 5 would remain the end game tier made certain that people would keep spending money on these ships.The sheer number of tier 5 ships,c-store,lock box and fleet versions,is evidence of that.
Now tier 5 will no longer be end game,despite earlier insurances of Cryptic....and with the prospect of having to pay even more to get their 'end game' ships up to the new end game standards,people feel betrayed and lied to....and even worse,they feel gouged.
The PWE/Cryptic sweatshop...not where the game is made,but where the game is played!
Take back your home,end the grind!
Volunteer moderators policing the forums is like a mall cop trying to solve a murder.
We have refits, retrofits, and fleet ships there was no massive gnashing of teeth when the latter ones came into the game. So now the idea of retrofitted fleet ships is making us lose our minds? This is the nature of MMO's, it is nonnegotiable, at least at this time. There will always be more to get/do/build/learn, if the devs do their jobs correctly. I personally hope they put the new upgrade mechanic into the doff system or just sell it through a dil vendor. I personally can not wait to upgrade my jem'hadar ship to new tier(?). Someone else already said it the current elite stf's can be done with tier 4 ships, if the captain is good. Chances are if you need a tier 6 ship to do the new endgame stuff from DR, you should have gotten build/equip/tactics advice from others. There are plenty of people willing to help in this game, its the main reason i love it so much, even pugging sometimes i find people willing and able to help.
New home of the Romulan Republic.
I have an idea for what Season 11 should be; Season 11: The Big Bug Fix.
I have not been able to read my bug tickets in over a year, not even the tickets about not being able to see my tickets.
I find the drama of your signature proof of your immaturity, this means you, DR whiners.
The skilled people will still be skilled, and the struggling people will still struggle, when this is all over. The only difference will be lighter wallets. Stuff could still be released at 50 with plenty of new story and missions, without changing anything (worked for LoR). If a whole new class of ships came out at T5, they'd sell reasonably well for people who wanted to try something different. Its an obvious cash grab and little else.
As far as stuff being 'needed,' unfortunately this game has gotten way too competitive beyond Official PVP stuff. More and more I've seen people in even the public channels ******** people out if they find out they're using non-optimized builds or sub-10k dps, to say nothing of the snobs in the assorted invite-only channels. Try organizing a run for non-FAW ships or T4 ships or something, see how many /ignore lists you end up on. When the T6 stuff drops, you'll have to either keep up or have that much harder a time finding a group.
And this is one of the reasons I love the primary channel I am in. Star Trek Battles (topic is in Federation Gameplay Sub-Forum) is for those who want to run Canon loadouts and don't care about High DPS. We actually lower our DPS to give us a challenge and bring back the Team Work aspect the STF's originally had. And we operate through all 3 Factions.
For those who might be interested, check it out.
Star Trek Battles: For those who want to Play Star Trek Online as it WAS MEANT TO BE!!!
Firstly, I think you are getting change and progress mixed up. They have two different meanings.
More importantly, progress does not involve starting from the beginning according to the very definition of the word. Progress involves continuing from the point we are today.
I think the problem here, is that most players. (myself included) see this new expansion as a step backwards and not a step forwards.
No I don't think I am mixing change and progress. Technology advances in real life. When Intel released the Core 2 Duo back in 2006 it was considered an extreme good CPU because Intel took back the performance crown from AMD in term of gaming performance. People who wanted the Core 2 Duo / Quad spent the money and built / bought an new computer. Then in 2009 Intel released the 1st generation Core i3/i5/i7 CPU which represented a further performance improvement and was considered to be the best back then. Since 2009 3 more generations of Core i3/i5/7 CPUs have been released, each one offering a little more performance than the previous generation. The biggest performance boost was with the 2nd generation Sandy Bridge CPUs which offered a 12% performance gain over the 1st generation.
If you bought a system back in 2006 with a Core 2 Quad, then in 2009 when Intel released the 1st generation Core i7 CPU, did that make your Core 2 Quad system worthless overnight? Did you have to all of the sudden go out and have to immediately buy a Core i7 CPU because nothing will ever run with a Core 2 Quad ever again?
Your current rep / fleet gear would be like the Core 2 Quad CPU. The new mark level gear will be like the 1st gen Core i7 CPU. Sure, your rep / fleet gear may no longer be the best of the best, but it is still very good just like the Core 2 Quad was in 2009. If you wanted the best CPU in 2009, then yes, you would have to start all over again and pay money for a new computer. You start all over again because you need to save money (or take it from your savings account) to buy the new computer. That is progress.
Your current gear should work the same way now as it should when the new mark level gear system goes live. If Cryptic decides to nerf your current gear by changing their stats, then that is a different story. So... new gear... new grind... progress....
You see it as as step backwards, because the new mark level means that your current gear will no longer be the best of the best, but merely very good. Would you like Intel (and AMD) to have never developed the Core i3/i5/i7 generation CPU (FX series for AMD)? If Intel stopped advancing CPU development, then my 8 year old Core 2 Quad Q8450 system that I built back in 2006 (in a closet now) would still be among the best performing CPU today.
No I don't think I am mixing change and progress. Technology advances in real life. When Intel released the Core 2 Duo back in 2006 it was considered an extreme good CPU because Intel took back the performance crown from AMD in term of gaming performance. People who wanted the Core 2 Duo / Quad spent the money and built / bought an new computer. Then in 2009 Intel released the 1st generation Core i3/i5/i7 CPU which represented a further performance improvement and was considered to be the best back then. Since 2009 3 more generations of Core i3/i5/7 CPUs have been released, each one offering a little more performance than the previous generation. The biggest performance boost was with the 2nd generation Sandy Bridge CPUs which offered a 12% performance gain over the 1st generation.
If you bought a system back in 2006 with a Core 2 Quad, then in 2009 when Intel released the 1st generation Core i7 CPU, did that make your Core 2 Quad system worthless overnight? Did you have to all of the sudden go out and have to immediately buy a Core i7 CPU because nothing will ever run with a Core 2 Quad ever again?
Your current rep / fleet gear would be like the Core 2 Quad CPU. The new mark level gear will be like the 1st gen Core i7 CPU. Sure, your rep / fleet gear may no longer be the best of the best, but it is still very good just like the Core 2 Quad was in 2009. If you wanted the best CPU in 2009, then yes, you would have to start all over again and pay money for a new computer. You start all over again because you need to save money (or take it from your savings account) to buy the new computer. That is progress.
Your current gear should work the same way now as it should when the new mark level gear system goes live. If Cryptic decides to nerf your current gear by changing their stats, then that is a different story. So... new gear... new grind... progress....
You see it as as step backwards, because the new mark level means that your current gear will no longer be the best of the best, but merely very good. Would you like Intel (and AMD) to have never developed the Core i3/i5/i7 generation CPU (FX series for AMD)? If Intel stopped advancing CPU development, then my 8 year old Core 2 Quad Q8450 system that I built back in 2006 (in a closet now) would still be among the best performing CPU today.
First off great post! I thought that it was well thought out and provided a great example.
To answer your question, no I am all for new CPU developments.
However, this is still much different from STO.
With technology in general, advancements are always being made and everyone is aware that the equipment they buy will be obsolete soon.
With STO, even in comparison to other MMOs, this is not the case.
We have been led on by the devs for what I believe is roughly 4 years that the game would progress outwards not upwards, which would mean more reputation, story, features, etc and no level cap increase.
As a result, people took the effort to develop the best possible ship builds and spent a lot of time and resources doing so believing that their builds would always be the best.
If CPU manufacturers decided for 4 years that no developments would be made in terms of processing power I bet a similar situation to this would be happening.
As it stands now, suddenly deciding to make these changes is a slap in the face to everyone that believed the developers and believed their outline of future game progression.
If they wanted to increase the level cap and progress the game upwards, they should have done so a couple years ago, or at least led us to believe that the game would progress this way. Making the first expansion have a level increase to 60 and T6 ships then would have been a good idea...
If they did this, myself and many others would have no problems with this new progression.
We have been led on by the devs for what I believe is roughly 4 years that the game would progress outwards not upwards, which would mean more reputation, story, features, etc and no level cap increase.
As a result, people took the effort to develop the best possible ship builds and spent a lot of time and resources doing so believing that their builds would always be the best.
Since I don't pay much attention to what the devs say I never had this impression, but I swear at some point there was a lot of forum chatter about a level cap increase as an answer to the need for new/more endgame content.
Second I think we need to get beyond the point of panic and screaming doom and start being constructive. At the very least we know nothing about what distinguishes T6 from T5 ships. How > MK XII gear is obtained, and how the upgrade process goes. As a group I think it is important to offer our own thoughts as to how we'd like this to work.
Since I don't pay much attention to what the devs say I never had this impression, but I swear at some point there was a lot of forum chatter about a level cap increase as an answer to the need for new/more endgame content.
Second I think we need to get beyond the point of panic and screaming doom and start being constructive. At the very least we know nothing about what distinguishes T6 from T5 ships. How > MK XII gear is obtained, and how the upgrade process goes. As a group I think it is important to offer our own thoughts as to how we'd like this to work.
Well since we shouldn't be getting > MK XII or T6 at this point in the game, it should all be automatically upgraded.
We have been led on by the devs for what I believe is roughly 4 years that the game would progress outwards not upwards, which would mean more reputation, story, features, etc and no level cap increase.
As this will be the second Level Cap increase the game has had since Launch I am uncertain as to where you got that idea.
Heck, we can even go back to an Ask Cryptic where the following was stated:
Q: (cbp4964) Will we ever be able to send out bridge officers off on separate missions, or have them accompany us to battle in ships we assign them from our own selection?
Dstahl: We have some pretty awesome plans for when we increase ranks to Admiral level 60 which make good use of your bridge officers, ships, and crew. We ultimately want full Admirals to command their fleets. You'll have to wait until at least Season 9 to get more details though.
So any notion you have had that this game would never have another Level Cap increase was just you fooling yourself.
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.
Or people seem to hear things differently then what the Devs have stated.
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.
Or people seem to hear things differently then what the Devs have stated.
I am with cosmic on this one...
They've never said they would'n increase the level cap, and as he provided evidence, let us know that they would eventually.
Now obviously that didn turn out as they originally wanted it to, but we need to remember... This is Stahl we are talking about: LOTS of GRAND ideas. (One galaxy to rule them all... Toss the KDF out the airlock?)
I still maintain that T6 ships are a idiotic idea, but I can simply not understand that people did not expect a level increase eventually.
Don't look silly... Don't call it the "Z-Store/Zen Store"...
I think all the panic and doom is hilarious. Any and all existing ships/gear WILL NOT be obsoleted overnight. It will all still be very useful, well into the new expansion. To do otherwise, would be Cryptic/PWE or who the hell ever, placing a shotgun to their temple and pulling the trigger.
This predominate notion that somehow all existing T5 ships and gear will be as worthless as a T1 ship with Mk I gear, is ludicrous. T5/Rep stuff will NOT become T1 level overnight. Ever. Not going to happen.
The only ones panicking over this, are the ones who have some pathological need to have the biggest/best toys and be the big/popular kids on the block.
"Go play with your DPS in the corner, I don't care how big it is." ~ Me "There... are... four... lights!" ~Jean Luc Picard
Serious power creep adjustments have been needed for along time for NPCs, for sure now that player characters and ships going to the next level.
Star Trek Battles Channel - Play Star Trek like they did in the series!Avatar: pinterest-com/pin/14003448816884219Are you sure it isn't time for a "colorful metaphor"? --Spock in 'The Voyage Home' SCE ADVISORY NOTICE: Improper Impulse Engine maintenance can result in REAR THRUSTER LEAKAGE. ALWAYS have your work inspected by another qualified officer.
The issue is that people in this game are so afraid to advance.
It is not, necessarily, fear. It is annoyance. People invested heavily into lockbox ships and gear. And, yes, there were never any guarantees; and, yes, Cryptic can legally change whatever they want. I get all that. Still, as a paying customer, I -- and with me many others, I'm sure -- need to be able to rely on at least *some* things to keep their value.
That's the whole reason we tell newbies not to buy expensive gear leveling up, but to wait until lv. 50 has been reached: because endgame has been an established point of fixation, if you will, for many years, that you could safely trust to invest in.
Obsoleting all current endgame ships/gear overnight will be a huge mistake, mark my words.
The issue is that people in this game are so afraid to advance. Games constantly raise the gear tiers to come with the new content. Every single one of those games I see has people thrilled because they get to pursue new items to complete the new content with.
We got to keep our end-game gear without expansion for years. Some only get months.
If one cannot realize that MMOs are all about expanding, they don't need to play them as such a thought will only set themselves up for disappointment.
No ones afraid to advance. Theyre afraid theyve spent a great deal of money only to have it become meaningless in a game world where the real world rules of change dont apply.
This isnt like a Sub MMO where you pay for access and then simply deal with the inevitable increase in levels and gear requirements.
This MMO has you purchase with real money new skins of your ship (which is a version of your character) and at times powerful consoles that come with them. Some of these purchases arent a drop in the bucket. Theyre 25-50 dollars a pop. And if you bought the LoR set it was much more. People are simply disturbed their monetary investments have become outdated for no other reason then because Cryptic felt it easier to introduce a new Tier of Ship rather than deal with the power creep. Leveling up to 60 isnt the problem at all. People have become invested in their T5 and T5.5 ships. Theyve spent countless hours working on them and making them their own. People have a right to be upset about this change. Regardless of how you or Cryptic rationalizes it.
No. You play a game for fun and entertainment. If you lose sight of this simple fact and delude yourself into believing imaginary gear, and ships, and levels have some sort of value other than a transitory entertainment you are a fool.
1.) Who are you to determine WHY someone plays a video game? Who declared you rule setter for why people do things and dont do things?
2.) You declare others fools because you cant relate to their points of view. Pretty narrow minded. Ill have to remember that from here on out when your posts show up in threads.
No one forced anyone into paying for those ships. Those ships came with a stipulation once "purchased" (I prefer the termonology of leasing instead - because you truly don't *own* said virtual merchandise, merely paying for the *privelage* of using said virtual merchandise) that Cryptic (PW) can alter, make corrections to said material in one fell swoop if they so desired. It was never, is never and never will be your "property" to demand that things stay the same.
To think otherwise is simply absurd. I *choose* to lease several lower tier ships once I hit the current level cap of 50 -- fully knowing that I would *never* pilot said ship - ever. I did it merely to obtain a console that I thought was neat or to improve my existing ship. Shouldn't I be now demanding that my purchases of those lower tiered ships be made upgradable? For free?
Some of those lower tier ships have upgradable versions (retrofits and fleet versions) to make them *upgraded* to T5 (current) end-game content. I am fine with that. That model works for me. I know it takes a *lot* of time to refit an older tiered ship into an upgraded upper end tier ship. (Fleet Gurumba is case in point)... I am willing to pay yet again an upgrade fee to get the fleet version. I would even be glad to pay an upgrade fee for a "Tier 6 equivalent" version of the Gurumba. Why? I like that ship and *choose* to give my disposable income to that eventuality where I can keep piloting my ship that I love.
Every purchase made in this game was your choice. Cryptic gave you that choice, for a price with their work on said ship. Every company is in for profit, no one works for free. Are you asking that Cryptic stop paying their developers to develop new content simply because you made a choice to buy your way to the top tiered gear? Why should I feel sympathy for someone that purchases their way through the crafting system that was just introduced? I can guarantee that if the gear raises to MKXIV level, that crafting will then be reworked to accommodate said increases as an eventuality. Why would someone that paid to get the new MKXII very rares and ultra rares be upset? Once the new system is in place, they are *still* ahead of everyone else in the race to obtain the new gear.
So get your heads out of this entitlement mentality and stop your moaning. *YOU* made the decisions to purchase what you did - same as I ... the difference? I'm not complaining about it.
Comments
True.
/10char
Rebuilding a large number of ships and gear is a lot of time and effort. I did it through 18 months of regular gameplay and contributions of $15-20 every month. If that is the cost required to rebuild a majority of the ships, then its worth considering if the same amount of time and money needed to redo all that work could bring more satisfaction from some other or activity, especially when its a result of arbitrary change that could be imposed on me all over again at any time of Cryptic's choosing. Got nothing to do with emotion, I just dont want to do it all over again.
ps--This is especially true when reviewing the current state of end-game activity. Is it worth grinding all that over again in order to get back to the same end-game state, where there's nothing to do except grind the same few maps for Dilithium, or hit the same few PVP queues? There is no end-game here, no immersive Trek universe of exploration and diplomacy, only treadmill and repetition of a few assets. It is very unlikely that I would do it all over again.
When you play Star Trek Online, (if you do not please let us know) I would assume that you spend time levelling, getting new gear, reputation etc. What if after every session your progress was deleted and you had to start from the beginning again. Furthermore, what if that reset was random? Would you be fine with that?
Perhaps you would, since you seem to have no problem getting nothing out of your time other than the entertainment you received for a few brief moments.
This concept is not much different than the upcoming expansion (given the poor information that we have so far DEVS HINT HINT PLEASE GIVE US MORE SO THIS STOPS!!!). It is still a pretty much random reset button, and while it may be more justifiable if one happens all the time since you come to expect it, I don't like surprises.
With regards to your golf comparison, as an avid golfer I never get a reset button handed to me. Even though the round is over, I have gained something from the round more than just "entertainment". Generally, I learn new techniques when I golf that help improve my game, so yes, I do take away something from that experience more than just a few hours of entertainment.
I welcome the change because I feel that it progresses the game further. Progress involves change. Some people like change others do not. Yes, it changes things up for people who took the time and made the effort to get the best gear possible and it can be an annoyance especially for those who recently maxed out their gear. But no evolution means eventual stagnation and that can make the game boring for some people to the point that they simply move on to the next game that captures their interest.
I suppose I should sell my Mk XII weapons on the Exchange ASAP.
More importantly, progress does not involve starting from the beginning according to the very definition of the word. Progress involves continuing from the point we are today.
I think the problem here, is that most players. (myself included) see this new expansion as a step backwards and not a step forwards.
As far as stuff being 'needed,' unfortunately this game has gotten way too competitive beyond Official PVP stuff. More and more I've seen people in even the public channels ******** people out if they find out they're using non-optimized builds or sub-10k dps, to say nothing of the snobs in the assorted invite-only channels. Try organizing a run for non-FAW ships or T4 ships or something, see how many /ignore lists you end up on. When the T6 stuff drops, you'll have to either keep up or have that much harder a time finding a group.
I know that myself and many others would want to stick to the sport we know as "golf" and be very reluctant to start from scratch with something entirely unknown.
So why make this new class of ships tier 6 instead of making them tier 5?It would save them a lot of headache to make them tier 5,right?
The answer is: money!
Simply put: there are too many players at level 50,too few new players reaching level 50,and not enough tier 5 ships are sold...the current level 50/tier 5 market is exhausted,adding more ships at tier 5 doesn't mean more money for PWE.
When people say: "a level cap raise with new gear to grind for is common for MMO's and people should accept it/live with it" ,they seem to forget that the one thing that sets STO apart from all the other MMO's...are the ships.Star Trek for a large part is about the starships,and Cryptic made good money with selling us these starships.Insuring players that tier 5 would remain the end game tier made certain that people would keep spending money on these ships.The sheer number of tier 5 ships,c-store,lock box and fleet versions,is evidence of that.
Now tier 5 will no longer be end game,despite earlier insurances of Cryptic....and with the prospect of having to pay even more to get their 'end game' ships up to the new end game standards,people feel betrayed and lied to....and even worse,they feel gouged.
Take back your home,end the grind!
Volunteer moderators policing the forums is like a mall cop trying to solve a murder.
I have an idea for what Season 11 should be; Season 11: The Big Bug Fix.
I have not been able to read my bug tickets in over a year, not even the tickets about not being able to see my tickets.
I find the drama of your signature proof of your immaturity, this means you, DR whiners.
And this is one of the reasons I love the primary channel I am in. Star Trek Battles (topic is in Federation Gameplay Sub-Forum) is for those who want to run Canon loadouts and don't care about High DPS. We actually lower our DPS to give us a challenge and bring back the Team Work aspect the STF's originally had. And we operate through all 3 Factions.
For those who might be interested, check it out.
Our Battles
Baseball is a game, that has a little bit of sprinting
Mess with something that is well established, and people will get angry.
No I don't think I am mixing change and progress. Technology advances in real life. When Intel released the Core 2 Duo back in 2006 it was considered an extreme good CPU because Intel took back the performance crown from AMD in term of gaming performance. People who wanted the Core 2 Duo / Quad spent the money and built / bought an new computer. Then in 2009 Intel released the 1st generation Core i3/i5/i7 CPU which represented a further performance improvement and was considered to be the best back then. Since 2009 3 more generations of Core i3/i5/7 CPUs have been released, each one offering a little more performance than the previous generation. The biggest performance boost was with the 2nd generation Sandy Bridge CPUs which offered a 12% performance gain over the 1st generation.
If you bought a system back in 2006 with a Core 2 Quad, then in 2009 when Intel released the 1st generation Core i7 CPU, did that make your Core 2 Quad system worthless overnight? Did you have to all of the sudden go out and have to immediately buy a Core i7 CPU because nothing will ever run with a Core 2 Quad ever again?
Your current rep / fleet gear would be like the Core 2 Quad CPU. The new mark level gear will be like the 1st gen Core i7 CPU. Sure, your rep / fleet gear may no longer be the best of the best, but it is still very good just like the Core 2 Quad was in 2009. If you wanted the best CPU in 2009, then yes, you would have to start all over again and pay money for a new computer. You start all over again because you need to save money (or take it from your savings account) to buy the new computer. That is progress.
Your current gear should work the same way now as it should when the new mark level gear system goes live. If Cryptic decides to nerf your current gear by changing their stats, then that is a different story. So... new gear... new grind... progress....
You see it as as step backwards, because the new mark level means that your current gear will no longer be the best of the best, but merely very good. Would you like Intel (and AMD) to have never developed the Core i3/i5/i7 generation CPU (FX series for AMD)? If Intel stopped advancing CPU development, then my 8 year old Core 2 Quad Q8450 system that I built back in 2006 (in a closet now) would still be among the best performing CPU today.
To answer your question, no I am all for new CPU developments.
However, this is still much different from STO.
With technology in general, advancements are always being made and everyone is aware that the equipment they buy will be obsolete soon.
With STO, even in comparison to other MMOs, this is not the case.
We have been led on by the devs for what I believe is roughly 4 years that the game would progress outwards not upwards, which would mean more reputation, story, features, etc and no level cap increase.
As a result, people took the effort to develop the best possible ship builds and spent a lot of time and resources doing so believing that their builds would always be the best.
If CPU manufacturers decided for 4 years that no developments would be made in terms of processing power I bet a similar situation to this would be happening.
As it stands now, suddenly deciding to make these changes is a slap in the face to everyone that believed the developers and believed their outline of future game progression.
If they wanted to increase the level cap and progress the game upwards, they should have done so a couple years ago, or at least led us to believe that the game would progress this way. Making the first expansion have a level increase to 60 and T6 ships then would have been a good idea...
If they did this, myself and many others would have no problems with this new progression.
Since I don't pay much attention to what the devs say I never had this impression, but I swear at some point there was a lot of forum chatter about a level cap increase as an answer to the need for new/more endgame content.
Second I think we need to get beyond the point of panic and screaming doom and start being constructive. At the very least we know nothing about what distinguishes T6 from T5 ships. How > MK XII gear is obtained, and how the upgrade process goes. As a group I think it is important to offer our own thoughts as to how we'd like this to work.
Don't kill me guys!
Heck, we can even go back to an Ask Cryptic where the following was stated:
So any notion you have had that this game would never have another Level Cap increase was just you fooling yourself.
I am with cosmic on this one...
They've never said they would'n increase the level cap, and as he provided evidence, let us know that they would eventually.
Now obviously that didn turn out as they originally wanted it to, but we need to remember... This is Stahl we are talking about: LOTS of GRAND ideas. (One galaxy to rule them all... Toss the KDF out the airlock?)
I still maintain that T6 ships are a idiotic idea, but I can simply not understand that people did not expect a level increase eventually.
This predominate notion that somehow all existing T5 ships and gear will be as worthless as a T1 ship with Mk I gear, is ludicrous. T5/Rep stuff will NOT become T1 level overnight. Ever. Not going to happen.
The only ones panicking over this, are the ones who have some pathological need to have the biggest/best toys and be the big/popular kids on the block.
"There... are... four... lights!" ~Jean Luc Picard
Serious power creep adjustments have been needed for along time for NPCs, for sure now that player characters and ships going to the next level.
SCE ADVISORY NOTICE: Improper Impulse Engine maintenance can result in REAR THRUSTER LEAKAGE. ALWAYS have your work inspected by another qualified officer.
It is not, necessarily, fear. It is annoyance. People invested heavily into lockbox ships and gear. And, yes, there were never any guarantees; and, yes, Cryptic can legally change whatever they want. I get all that. Still, as a paying customer, I -- and with me many others, I'm sure -- need to be able to rely on at least *some* things to keep their value.
That's the whole reason we tell newbies not to buy expensive gear leveling up, but to wait until lv. 50 has been reached: because endgame has been an established point of fixation, if you will, for many years, that you could safely trust to invest in.
Obsoleting all current endgame ships/gear overnight will be a huge mistake, mark my words.
No ones afraid to advance. Theyre afraid theyve spent a great deal of money only to have it become meaningless in a game world where the real world rules of change dont apply.
This isnt like a Sub MMO where you pay for access and then simply deal with the inevitable increase in levels and gear requirements.
This MMO has you purchase with real money new skins of your ship (which is a version of your character) and at times powerful consoles that come with them. Some of these purchases arent a drop in the bucket. Theyre 25-50 dollars a pop. And if you bought the LoR set it was much more. People are simply disturbed their monetary investments have become outdated for no other reason then because Cryptic felt it easier to introduce a new Tier of Ship rather than deal with the power creep. Leveling up to 60 isnt the problem at all. People have become invested in their T5 and T5.5 ships. Theyve spent countless hours working on them and making them their own. People have a right to be upset about this change. Regardless of how you or Cryptic rationalizes it.
1.) Who are you to determine WHY someone plays a video game? Who declared you rule setter for why people do things and dont do things?
2.) You declare others fools because you cant relate to their points of view. Pretty narrow minded. Ill have to remember that from here on out when your posts show up in threads.
No one forced anyone into paying for those ships. Those ships came with a stipulation once "purchased" (I prefer the termonology of leasing instead - because you truly don't *own* said virtual merchandise, merely paying for the *privelage* of using said virtual merchandise) that Cryptic (PW) can alter, make corrections to said material in one fell swoop if they so desired. It was never, is never and never will be your "property" to demand that things stay the same.
To think otherwise is simply absurd. I *choose* to lease several lower tier ships once I hit the current level cap of 50 -- fully knowing that I would *never* pilot said ship - ever. I did it merely to obtain a console that I thought was neat or to improve my existing ship. Shouldn't I be now demanding that my purchases of those lower tiered ships be made upgradable? For free?
Some of those lower tier ships have upgradable versions (retrofits and fleet versions) to make them *upgraded* to T5 (current) end-game content. I am fine with that. That model works for me. I know it takes a *lot* of time to refit an older tiered ship into an upgraded upper end tier ship. (Fleet Gurumba is case in point)... I am willing to pay yet again an upgrade fee to get the fleet version. I would even be glad to pay an upgrade fee for a "Tier 6 equivalent" version of the Gurumba. Why? I like that ship and *choose* to give my disposable income to that eventuality where I can keep piloting my ship that I love.
Every purchase made in this game was your choice. Cryptic gave you that choice, for a price with their work on said ship. Every company is in for profit, no one works for free. Are you asking that Cryptic stop paying their developers to develop new content simply because you made a choice to buy your way to the top tiered gear? Why should I feel sympathy for someone that purchases their way through the crafting system that was just introduced? I can guarantee that if the gear raises to MKXIV level, that crafting will then be reworked to accommodate said increases as an eventuality. Why would someone that paid to get the new MKXII very rares and ultra rares be upset? Once the new system is in place, they are *still* ahead of everyone else in the race to obtain the new gear.
So get your heads out of this entitlement mentality and stop your moaning. *YOU* made the decisions to purchase what you did - same as I ... the difference? I'm not complaining about it.