You don't want to reinstall this game, solace. Not unless you are okay with disappointment and uninstalling it a few hours later.
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Looking for a new fleet? Drop by the in-game chat channel, "tenforwardforum", and say hi to the members of A Fleet Called Ten Forward (Fed) and The Orion Pirates (KDF). If you already have a fleet you are happy with, please feel free to drop by our chat channel if you are looking for a friendly bunch of helpful people to socialize with.
Casual play is pretty much dead. Go hard core or go home.
This is how the thing goes.
Do an new episode mission - grind grind
Have enough xp to get the next episode mission in - grind grind grind
Have enough xp to get the next new episode - grind grind grind grind
have enough xp for the next new episode - grind grind grind grind grind
Notice a pattern yet?
This has not been my experience so far. Starting with a L50 Tac in a Tac Odyssey, all Mk 11/12 purples...
First and second mission got me to 51. First patrol set got me to 52. Third mission (ground) and second patrol set got me to nearly 53. Went and did one single patrol, 4th ship kill in got 53. Only SP buff is the 300 day vet buff. Some moderate DOFFing in between times. Right now, I'm about 1/4 of a bar from 54, and am up to the mission "The Son" on Kobali Prime.
Not with all the necrobugs, no. Made it worth unsubbing, for me. I won't bother even logging back in for a look for several months, at least. LoR outfit stuff remains bugged (mismatched color palettes) since LoR launch, and the loadout system has been a broken piece of garbage since it was implemented, before LoR. And that's just my very, very short "most aggravating" list.
You and I left for basically the same reasons, CS, so I'll share my thoughts with you.
A few weeks back I reinstalled the game to start the Vanilla PvP channel for fun, and it went kinda well from there. I never really got back to the level of play I had been at before, though. VPvP was/is really the only thing, very tenuously, holding me to the game. Of course, thanks to Delta Rising I can barely log in between crash to desktops, so... I haven't moved from Ker'rat in sector space since before the patch hit, essentially.
It's really depressing to see the things that drove me off before pushing me away now, especially these Captain sepcialization BS things threatening to collapse VPvP, and some behind the scenes stuff. Geko's generated more facepalms from me, the expansion brought no excitement for me since it was just a cash grab grinder laced in voiceovers, and I'm just watching the game careen down a horrible path profitable enough to keep it going, while most of the playerbase feeds it, wearing the rose-tinted glasses.
Of course, that's all just in my opinion. I hope it enlightens you a bit.
I have a different outlook on things, I like a game that gives me plenty to do and if there wasn't enough before there sure is now.
apart from levelling your characters up to lv60 you also have the specializations tree to work on then you have starship mastery for each of your T5U and T6 ships then delta alliance reputation and on top of that you have the new storyline, mk13 & mk14 gear, crafting & weapons upgrading.
sure if you want to throw cash at it for instant gratification you will get through a lot of this quite quickly, but if you are like me I prefer to take my time and earn all I need by playing the parts of the game I enjoy the most like the aiding the deferi missions, the big dig & dyson content to name a few.
there should be enough stuff here to keep me busy for a long time to come and that's just the way I like it.
When I think about everything we've been through together,
maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,
and if that journey takes a little longer,
so we can do something we all believe in,
I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.
I have a different outlook on things, I like a game that gives me plenty to do and if there wasn't enough before there sure is now.
apart from levelling your characters up to lv60 you also have the specializations tree to work on then you have starship mastery for each of your T5U and T6 ships then delta alliance reputation and on top of that you have the new storyline, mk13 & mk14 gear, crafting & weapons upgrading.
sure if you want to throw cash at it for instant gratification you will get through a lot of this quite quickly, but if you are like me I prefer to take my time and earn all I need by playing the parts of the game I enjoy the most like the aiding the deferi missions, the big dig & dyson content to name a few.
there should be enough stuff here to keep me busy for a long time to come and that's just the way I like it.
If that's what entertains you, more power to you.
For CS and myself it is different though. I can't speak for him but I do suspect he has very similar grievances with the game that I do, namely that the "content" given consists of a few one-time missions and a slew of queues that amount to "pick which enemy you want to shoot, how many you want to shoot, and how long you want it to take." I mean, for some people watching the yellow numbers go up might be exciting, but as for me, it lost excitement long ago.
You're right, so there's a choice, and it isn't Pay-to-Win.
My work here is done.
Not much of a choice when you compare the amount of time it would take to actually get to the point needed that paying gets you upfront.
Its built to irritate you. If you feel enough pressure. Youll open your wallet. Too much pressure and youll walk away. Its not the same for everyone. Some have a higher tolerance for what Cryptic is doing. But they certainly dont want you playing the game for free. Sure youre able to log in and fly about in your ship..blow some stuff up. But its completely against their game model for you to never pay a cent. Even if you have the ability to do so, with the Dil Exchange. Youre still paying. Someone put that Zen on the Market. And you simply traded someone for it. But everything that is on the normal Exchange that once came from a lockbox, or the Cstore. Had to have been paid for. So its not free.
Even if the money didnt come from your wallet. Someone else has paid your way. Cryptic still made money off of someone. People like to convince themselves that because they havent opened their wallets. That they are playing for free. But every time you use a Master Key off the Exchange, or an item only found in a lockbox. Everytime you exchange your dilithium for Zen. Someone has paid your way. So it is by no means F2P.
Ginding can only be found within one's personal mindset.
I feel like just reading this should send me to the next level of enlightenment
Your pain runs deep.
Let us explore it... together. Each man hides a secret pain. It must be exposed and reckoned with. It must be dragged from the darkness and forced into the light. Share your pain. Share your pain with me... and gain strength from the sharing.
Did you ever think "free to play" actually literally meant free to play?
The term is just a marketing tool.
MMOs aren't free to make, people have to be paid to make them, and investors have to make a return on their investment; so they can't possibly be free to play.
So what the term really means is (for various developers and publishers) various levels of trade-off between grind and paying. Some MMOs are strict about it and have everything that you can pay for available via substantial grind, and at the other extreme, some MMOs have anything worthwhile available only if you pay.
STO is kind of in the middle, as are most f2p games.
The whole situation is ****ed, but if you really want to find someone to blame for the situation, blame those morons who have paid gold sellers for gold down the years, thereby driving developers to develop alternative monetization models which totally kill the concept of a virtual world in which you achieve satisfaction and recognition via virtual achievements.
I'd try it if I were you. They Borticus and Smirk finally chimed in, they will reduce the HP in Normal and Advanced. No more pillow fights in the Delta Quadrant.
Since you removed the game to start with. I would say its not worth it. Since you have to go through and level and start from scratch. Unless somehow the servers saved your characters. To me if you went that far, you won't be back to play. Been better was to leave and not log on for a while during your break. Removing the game cause you got upset, no expansion will cure that. However times do change, and perhaps you are willing to return.
DR is good so far to me, other than a few bugs. But in time those will be fixed. So far I'm having a lot of fun with it.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
Well that's disappointing. See you all again in six months! Tah-tah!
So you aren't even going to give it a try and quit on the basis of three posters with their own opinions, one even complains about his laptop crashing all the time. Truth is, PC gaming is "NOT" optimal on a Laptop, never has and never will be.
Regarding nerfs, isn't that the norm for when an expansion first comes out. However; in this case, it isn't a nerf but a mega NPC buff, which Cryptic is probably allowing it to get their numbers in and start adjusting accordingly, which they will be.
I'm no defender of Cryptic's nonsense, but all MMO's have a grind system in place, more so F2P types.
So now I will lead you to the following comment that was made from a poster earlier on this thread:
Why not try yourself, getting advice from the forums is never a good idea
You could always uninstall it again, the magic of computers
Granted neoakirai has been a pro cryptic supporter since day one, alongside comic1, probably in their eyes Cryptic can do no wrong. However; His recent statement makes a whole lot of sense, try it out yourself and not rely on one or two misguided and totally bias postings.
Since you removed the game to start with. I would say its not worth it. Since you have to go through and level and start from scratch. Unless somehow the servers saved your characters. To me if you went that far, you won't be back to play. Been better was to leave and not log on for a while during your break. Removing the game cause you got upset, no expansion will cure that. However times do change, and perhaps you are willing to return.
DR is good so far to me, other than a few bugs. But in time those will be fixed. So far I'm having a lot of fun with it.
The servers do save your characters. Nothing is on your hard drive but the graphics files and tools to connect. Technically, missions and powers are on your hard drive too but the server verifies these before letting you connect.
I'd say... Play the story missions. You'll have things you like and things you don't. Then you can always quit again and always come back again.
When Cryptic does player data analysis, they will see that you came back, what you came back for, and when you left and what you left without doing. They will then assimilate this information and adapt if enough people do the same. ;-)
The servers do save your characters. Nothing is on your hard drive but the graphics files and tools to connect. Technically, missions and powers are on your hard drive too but the server verifies these before letting you connect.
I'd say... Play the story missions. You'll have things you like and things you don't. Then you can always quit again and always come back again.
When Cryptic does player data analysis, they will see that you came back, what you came back for, and when you left and what you left without doing. They will then assimilate this information and adapt if enough people do the same. ;-)
Ok thanks, I wouldn't go the route of uninstalling the game. I just won't log on for a while. Then come back and start where I left off. I left WoW a good 2-3 years ago, and I still have the game installed. Incase I decided to go back. However I don't see that happening since I no longer have that kind of time for it.
Its really up to the person if they want to come back. They added all new stories and stuff to do. I play mostly for the story and RP view of it. So even if I do finish all the episodes there is still plenty for me to do. Plus I go at a very slow rate. It took me 2 playing times just to do the 1st DR episode. So it will take me a while to get all the new stuff done, by then they will have more released.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
Has Delta Rising made this game worth reinstalling? Well has it?
In my opinion, all new content is worth trying out, just for the storyline alone is worth trying it out. I am not happy with some of the changes made to the game, I've been playing STO since BETA, and I would know of these changes. That being said, as a Star Trek fan I enjoy new story content, and DR delivers at least to some degree in that department.
Like with everything, there are Pro's and Cons, and DR is definitely not without its share of controversy. I need not get into details since there are tons of threads on the different issues regarding the latest changes, mainly for the bad.
I say take a chance and play the new story content, if you are not happy with the rest of the stuff, you can always uninstall.
Alright, I originally wasn't going to respond to this thread again, but man, it must be said, when aelfwin, voporak, leviathan99, cookiecrook, sonnikku, AND spacebaronline all chime in to say things haven't improved, things haven't improved.
For CS and myself it is different though. I can't speak for him but I do suspect he has very similar grievances with the game that I do, namely that the "content" given consists of a few one-time missions and a slew of queues that amount to "pick which enemy you want to shoot, how many you want to shoot, and how long you want it to take." I mean, for some people watching the yellow numbers go up might be exciting, but as for me, it lost excitement long ago.
Voporak is very astute, and you should listen to him.
So you aren't even going to give it a try and quit on the basis of three posters with their own opinions, one even complains about his laptop crashing all the time. Truth is, PC gaming is "NOT" optimal on a Laptop, never has and never will be.
Regarding nerfs, isn't that the norm for when an expansion first comes out. However; in this case, it isn't a nerf but a mega NPC buff, which Cryptic is probably allowing it to get their numbers in and start adjusting accordingly, which they will be.
I'm no defender of Cryptic's nonsense, but all MMO's have a grind system in place, more so F2P types.
So now I will lead you to the following comment that was made from a poster earlier on this thread:
Granted neoakirai has been a pro cryptic supporter since day one, alongside comic1, probably in their eyes Cryptic can do no wrong. However; His recent statement makes a whole lot of sense, try it out yourself and not rely on one or two misguided and totally bias postings.
They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but to that I must point out that's why the cover is there. So far most of the opinions have been overwhelmingly negative. I have no reason to distrust these people, and I have better things to do.
Like play Aliens: Isolation for instance.
I'll check back in a few months but until then, farwell...........
I think this is, far and away, the best content they have done and the best delivery system aside from an annoyingly slow skillpoint curve.
The patrols are like upgraded exploration system. Missions that follow a rough script but with changing details between playthroughs.
The story missions are fairly good.
The economy... Eh. Annoying.
I like THAT they have a gear upgrade system. The numbers are annoying unless you have also done the new crafting.
I like Starship Mastery. I dislike that it favors T6 ships so heavily. I'd rather pay to improve my T5U ship and just fly my tier 5U ship.
In general...
Numbers and tuning and systems: annoying and while systems design has improved, the business strategy and play consequences are worse, discouraging casual play and free play.
Art and writing and content design/placement and immersion: best they've been.
It's NOT that things haven't changed. It's that they have simultaneously gotten much better and much worse. I'm not even sure it averages out to the same. If your focus is on one set of things as a player, the game will look better. If your focus is on another set of things, it's worse. I think DR could simultaneously make some groups of people the happiest they've ever been while simultaneously driving other groups to uninstall.
People quit for the dumbest reasons we are on day 5 and all I hear is I quit. Funny but I remember LOR got the same thing. DR is amazing ground combat is the same as always my 4 science boffs built to medics never die and chew thru enemies with plasma piercing beam rifles. In space my R'Mor temporal vessel with part gen build is stronger than ever. DR has made me very happy granted the first few elites made me *facedesk* but I will adapt.
Alright, I originally wasn't going to respond to this thread again, but man, it must be said, when aelfwin, voporak, leviathan99, cookiecrook, sonnikku, AND spacebaronline all chime in to say things haven't improved, things haven't improved.
Then why bother to request an opinion on whether or not you should re-install the game? The postings should have been enough to convince you already. If I wasn't mistaken this thread is borderline troll-ville, and I say that with all respect to you as a gamer, but it is a thread of discontentment.
Voporak is very astute, and you should listen to him.
Basically, like yourself, Voporak is discontent with the game itself. I cannot blame him or her myself as the identity of the game has drastically changed. That being said, I wonder why even post at all? Since you are no longer playing the game and already knew the direction it would take. We all know that every single change Cryptic makes to the game, however good it may look; Will always follow with some type of gimmick that favors making money. That's a given and their track record.
They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but to that I must point out that's why the cover is there. So far most of the opinions have been overwhelmingly negative. I have no reason to distrust these people, and I have better things to do.
Like play Aliens: Isolation for instance.
I'll check back in a few months but until then, farwell...........
Then you have made your decision even before you even made this thread, you just needed some encouragement to continue to do so, and you got it. I respect that decision, but remember it is your decision. The forum members you mentioned may or may not still be playing STO, and they all have their opinions on the different aspects of this game. Enjoy Alien; Isolation, it is a great game.
I think this is, far and away, the best content they have done and the best delivery system aside from an annoyingly slow skillpoint curve.
The patrols are like upgraded exploration system. Missions that follow a rough script but with changing details between playthroughs.
The story missions are fairly good.
The economy... Eh. Annoying.
I like THAT they have a gear upgrade system. The numbers are annoying unless you have also done the new crafting.
I like Starship Mastery. I dislike that it favors T6 ships so heavily. I'd rather pay to improve my T5U ship and just fly my tier 5U ship.
In general...
Numbers and tuning and systems: annoying and while systems design has improved, the business strategy and play consequences are worse, discouraging casual play and free play.
Art and writing and content design/placement and immersion: best they've been.
It's NOT that things haven't changed. It's that they have simultaneously gotten much better and much worse. I'm not even sure it averages out to the same. If your focus is on one set of things as a player, the game will look better. If your focus is on another set of things, it's worse. I think DR could simultaneously make some groups of people the happiest they've ever been while simultaneously driving other groups to uninstall.
Change is always something that's hard to get use to, especially when the entire population have not yet achieve rank 60, Fleet Admiral. I am not a fan of Cryptic and their business dealings, and I agree that things have gotten both better and worse under the guidance of the Chinese business called PWE. I need not to mention what those are as your post beautifully clarifies it.
That being said, I will truly reserve my final judgment on this game until I have achieve set goals in this game, that is mainly getting to rank 60 and properly setting up my equipment. It seems that three main aspect as to why DR and the changes that followed are getting negativity are as follows:
A) Difficulty levels are insane, killing STF farming, Killing Fleet mark farming in regards to Fleet defense queues.
Zen cost of 700Z to upgrade an already purchased ship from Tier 5 to Tier 5-U, which is double dipping on former CStore ship purchases, resulting on very little benefit to the ships other than a slight increase in HP & one extra ship console. This is also complicated with the fact that not all CStore ship purchases qualify for an upgrade.
C) Insanely expensive upgrade system that requires an insane amount of dilithium, accompanied by time gates.
These are but a few reasons why the player base are not happy, crucial ones for many. Aside from the T5-U SNAFU & the Dilithium upgrade cost, I will wait to reserve final judgment until I have reached rank 60 for a better view of the situation.
If you're the kind of player who enjoys new story content, you'll love DR as its actually of a pretty high standard (barring one too many tedious patrol missions). However, the expansion is riddled with overly aggressive monetisation now to do everything it can to lessen rewards and force you into spending real money.
Comments
My work here is done.
The slash to dil rewards is blatant exemplification of that fact.
You don't want to reinstall this game, solace. Not unless you are okay with disappointment and uninstalling it a few hours later.
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This has not been my experience so far. Starting with a L50 Tac in a Tac Odyssey, all Mk 11/12 purples...
First and second mission got me to 51. First patrol set got me to 52. Third mission (ground) and second patrol set got me to nearly 53. Went and did one single patrol, 4th ship kill in got 53. Only SP buff is the 300 day vet buff. Some moderate DOFFing in between times. Right now, I'm about 1/4 of a bar from 54, and am up to the mission "The Son" on Kobali Prime.
Not with all the necrobugs, no. Made it worth unsubbing, for me. I won't bother even logging back in for a look for several months, at least. LoR outfit stuff remains bugged (mismatched color palettes) since LoR launch, and the loadout system has been a broken piece of garbage since it was implemented, before LoR. And that's just my very, very short "most aggravating" list.
I have a different outlook on things, I like a game that gives me plenty to do and if there wasn't enough before there sure is now.
apart from levelling your characters up to lv60 you also have the specializations tree to work on then you have starship mastery for each of your T5U and T6 ships then delta alliance reputation and on top of that you have the new storyline, mk13 & mk14 gear, crafting & weapons upgrading.
sure if you want to throw cash at it for instant gratification you will get through a lot of this quite quickly, but if you are like me I prefer to take my time and earn all I need by playing the parts of the game I enjoy the most like the aiding the deferi missions, the big dig & dyson content to name a few.
there should be enough stuff here to keep me busy for a long time to come and that's just the way I like it.
When I think about everything we've been through together,
maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,
and if that journey takes a little longer,
so we can do something we all believe in,
I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.
If that's what entertains you, more power to you.
For CS and myself it is different though. I can't speak for him but I do suspect he has very similar grievances with the game that I do, namely that the "content" given consists of a few one-time missions and a slew of queues that amount to "pick which enemy you want to shoot, how many you want to shoot, and how long you want it to take." I mean, for some people watching the yellow numbers go up might be exciting, but as for me, it lost excitement long ago.
Not much of a choice when you compare the amount of time it would take to actually get to the point needed that paying gets you upfront.
Its built to irritate you. If you feel enough pressure. Youll open your wallet. Too much pressure and youll walk away. Its not the same for everyone. Some have a higher tolerance for what Cryptic is doing. But they certainly dont want you playing the game for free. Sure youre able to log in and fly about in your ship..blow some stuff up. But its completely against their game model for you to never pay a cent. Even if you have the ability to do so, with the Dil Exchange. Youre still paying. Someone put that Zen on the Market. And you simply traded someone for it. But everything that is on the normal Exchange that once came from a lockbox, or the Cstore. Had to have been paid for. So its not free.
Even if the money didnt come from your wallet. Someone else has paid your way. Cryptic still made money off of someone. People like to convince themselves that because they havent opened their wallets. That they are playing for free. But every time you use a Master Key off the Exchange, or an item only found in a lockbox. Everytime you exchange your dilithium for Zen. Someone has paid your way. So it is by no means F2P.
I feel like just reading this should send me to the next level of enlightenment
Let us explore it... together. Each man hides a secret pain. It must be exposed and reckoned with. It must be dragged from the darkness and forced into the light. Share your pain. Share your pain with me... and gain strength from the sharing.
You must not have played many games then. I've seen games that were true P2W, no chance otherwise.
Did you ever think "free to play" actually literally meant free to play?
The term is just a marketing tool.
MMOs aren't free to make, people have to be paid to make them, and investors have to make a return on their investment; so they can't possibly be free to play.
So what the term really means is (for various developers and publishers) various levels of trade-off between grind and paying. Some MMOs are strict about it and have everything that you can pay for available via substantial grind, and at the other extreme, some MMOs have anything worthwhile available only if you pay.
STO is kind of in the middle, as are most f2p games.
The whole situation is ****ed, but if you really want to find someone to blame for the situation, blame those morons who have paid gold sellers for gold down the years, thereby driving developers to develop alternative monetization models which totally kill the concept of a virtual world in which you achieve satisfaction and recognition via virtual achievements.
DR is good so far to me, other than a few bugs. But in time those will be fixed. So far I'm having a lot of fun with it.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
So you aren't even going to give it a try and quit on the basis of three posters with their own opinions, one even complains about his laptop crashing all the time. Truth is, PC gaming is "NOT" optimal on a Laptop, never has and never will be.
Regarding nerfs, isn't that the norm for when an expansion first comes out. However; in this case, it isn't a nerf but a mega NPC buff, which Cryptic is probably allowing it to get their numbers in and start adjusting accordingly, which they will be.
I'm no defender of Cryptic's nonsense, but all MMO's have a grind system in place, more so F2P types.
So now I will lead you to the following comment that was made from a poster earlier on this thread:
Granted neoakirai has been a pro cryptic supporter since day one, alongside comic1, probably in their eyes Cryptic can do no wrong. However; His recent statement makes a whole lot of sense, try it out yourself and not rely on one or two misguided and totally bias postings.
The servers do save your characters. Nothing is on your hard drive but the graphics files and tools to connect. Technically, missions and powers are on your hard drive too but the server verifies these before letting you connect.
I'd say... Play the story missions. You'll have things you like and things you don't. Then you can always quit again and always come back again.
When Cryptic does player data analysis, they will see that you came back, what you came back for, and when you left and what you left without doing. They will then assimilate this information and adapt if enough people do the same. ;-)
Ok thanks, I wouldn't go the route of uninstalling the game. I just won't log on for a while. Then come back and start where I left off. I left WoW a good 2-3 years ago, and I still have the game installed. Incase I decided to go back. However I don't see that happening since I no longer have that kind of time for it.
Its really up to the person if they want to come back. They added all new stories and stuff to do. I play mostly for the story and RP view of it. So even if I do finish all the episodes there is still plenty for me to do. Plus I go at a very slow rate. It took me 2 playing times just to do the 1st DR episode. So it will take me a while to get all the new stuff done, by then they will have more released.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
In my opinion, all new content is worth trying out, just for the storyline alone is worth trying it out. I am not happy with some of the changes made to the game, I've been playing STO since BETA, and I would know of these changes. That being said, as a Star Trek fan I enjoy new story content, and DR delivers at least to some degree in that department.
Like with everything, there are Pro's and Cons, and DR is definitely not without its share of controversy. I need not get into details since there are tons of threads on the different issues regarding the latest changes, mainly for the bad.
I say take a chance and play the new story content, if you are not happy with the rest of the stuff, you can always uninstall.
STO Screenshot Archive
Voporak is very astute, and you should listen to him.
They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but to that I must point out that's why the cover is there. So far most of the opinions have been overwhelmingly negative. I have no reason to distrust these people, and I have better things to do.
Like play Aliens: Isolation for instance.
I'll check back in a few months but until then, farwell...........
The patrols are like upgraded exploration system. Missions that follow a rough script but with changing details between playthroughs.
The story missions are fairly good.
The economy... Eh. Annoying.
I like THAT they have a gear upgrade system. The numbers are annoying unless you have also done the new crafting.
I like Starship Mastery. I dislike that it favors T6 ships so heavily. I'd rather pay to improve my T5U ship and just fly my tier 5U ship.
In general...
Numbers and tuning and systems: annoying and while systems design has improved, the business strategy and play consequences are worse, discouraging casual play and free play.
Art and writing and content design/placement and immersion: best they've been.
It's NOT that things haven't changed. It's that they have simultaneously gotten much better and much worse. I'm not even sure it averages out to the same. If your focus is on one set of things as a player, the game will look better. If your focus is on another set of things, it's worse. I think DR could simultaneously make some groups of people the happiest they've ever been while simultaneously driving other groups to uninstall.
Then why bother to request an opinion on whether or not you should re-install the game? The postings should have been enough to convince you already. If I wasn't mistaken this thread is borderline troll-ville, and I say that with all respect to you as a gamer, but it is a thread of discontentment.
Basically, like yourself, Voporak is discontent with the game itself. I cannot blame him or her myself as the identity of the game has drastically changed. That being said, I wonder why even post at all? Since you are no longer playing the game and already knew the direction it would take. We all know that every single change Cryptic makes to the game, however good it may look; Will always follow with some type of gimmick that favors making money. That's a given and their track record.
Then you have made your decision even before you even made this thread, you just needed some encouragement to continue to do so, and you got it. I respect that decision, but remember it is your decision. The forum members you mentioned may or may not still be playing STO, and they all have their opinions on the different aspects of this game. Enjoy Alien; Isolation, it is a great game.
Change is always something that's hard to get use to, especially when the entire population have not yet achieve rank 60, Fleet Admiral. I am not a fan of Cryptic and their business dealings, and I agree that things have gotten both better and worse under the guidance of the Chinese business called PWE. I need not to mention what those are as your post beautifully clarifies it.
That being said, I will truly reserve my final judgment on this game until I have achieve set goals in this game, that is mainly getting to rank 60 and properly setting up my equipment. It seems that three main aspect as to why DR and the changes that followed are getting negativity are as follows:
A) Difficulty levels are insane, killing STF farming, Killing Fleet mark farming in regards to Fleet defense queues.
C) Insanely expensive upgrade system that requires an insane amount of dilithium, accompanied by time gates.
These are but a few reasons why the player base are not happy, crucial ones for many. Aside from the T5-U SNAFU & the Dilithium upgrade cost, I will wait to reserve final judgment until I have reached rank 60 for a better view of the situation.
Good luck everyone.
By the sounds of it, you'll hate it.