Over all i like the changes they are making to the game, but they like to spring stuff on the player base at random.
1st this is and can be one of the best f2p models in the game. I like the fact i can grind out some dil and trade it with another player via the exchange to get zen. There for everything in the game for the most part is available for free if you want to spend an exorbant amount of time
to get the zen. Or like a lot of people earn some zen and buy some also.
2nd of the game would notify people of these changes before they take effect people might not ***** and whine. I do my fair share. If they would have told us a month ago they were going to make the changes to the dil event nobody would be having this uproar. I spent several weeks doing the make epoh's thing during winter and new romulas and through pve so i could make 3 weeks of dil instead of 2 during the event.
3rd the dil requirement for the game can be so damn high also. Me and 4 people for the most part made a teir 4 sb finished the embassy and mine before we picked up some more people and got some help to finish off the sb and spire but still how much dil did we have to put into the damn sb 10,15,20 million dil something like that.
A genuine hybrid approach would be a fresh change. However, I can't think of a single real example of such a creature. Can you?
DCUO is the closest.
They remove most of the F2P gating with a sub and even have lockbox key buffet access to subscribers. So if you're going to open lockboxes, you want to sub.
As part of this, they stopped selling new lifetime accounts and made lockboxes autodestruct in 30 days if unopened.
I did some math on it and it might actually be a smarter model and more profitable than lockboxes.
Cryptic releases 4-5 lockboxes a year with an average acquisition cost per grand prize of around $200.
Whereas buffet access to lockboxes for $15 each month wouldn't actually need to sway that many people on a 12 month basis to generate comparable revenue. If you can get an average of 5 players to sub for 12 months for every lockbox grand prize issued under the current system, the lockbox buffet as a sub option actually generates more money than the keys... and is even better when you risk adjust because it's more reliant on a lot of people spending a little than a few people spending a lot. The loss of a spender is less damaging to the game's finances if you concentrate on more medium spenders over few big spenders.
No actually Cryptic did a lot right, so much so I've been playing on and off since beta! But since season 8, I can't think of a single thing I really liked, so should I continue to praise them for doing stuff I dislike? That would be like saying thank you to the thief who just took my television.
They do good stuff, they do bad, when they start doing stuff that is more popular, then the current theme on the forums will change.
They can do right. They choose not to.
They could choose to not ambush players with changes out of the blue. They chose to do so.
They could choose to honour their agreements. They choose not to.
They could properly address issues. They ram fluffy bull**** down our throats instead.
They can do right. They choose not to.
Don't try to make it sound like Craptic is the victim. We are not wrecking their experiences of anything. They are doing it all.
They remove most of the F2P gating with a sub and even have lockbox key buffet access to subscribers. So if you're going to open lockboxes, you want to sub.
As part of this, they stopped selling new lifetime accounts and made lockboxes autodestruct in 30 days if unopened.
I did some math on it and it might actually be a smarter model and more profitable than lockboxes.
Cryptic releases 4-5 lockboxes a year with an average acquisition cost per grand prize of around $200.
Whereas buffet access to lockboxes for $15 each month wouldn't actually need to sway that many people on a 12 month basis to generate comparable revenue. If you can get an average of 5 players to sub for 12 months for every lockbox grand prize issued under the current system, the lockbox buffet as a sub option actually generates more money than the keys... and is even better when you risk adjust because it's more reliant on a lot of people spending a little than a few people spending a lot. The loss of a spender is less damaging to the game's finances if you concentrate on more medium spenders over few big spenders.
I like this model.... quite a bit, actually. I wonder if we can get Perfect World to consider something similar...
can't help but notice that among all the rage about the "dil nerf" there's not one thread pointing out the ESD and Bajor bug fixes (umless my daily completion earlier today was a fluke) I know its a small thing by comparison but I would have thought SOMEONE would have said something
That's... debatable. But it is debatable enough that I won't wholesale dispute it, which is why I said (not sarcastically, by the way) that I saw OP's logic - I saw where one might draw the conclusion that the OP did, but to believe that specific conclusion would require at least some lack of information IMHO.
I've been here since Open Beta, and haven't found much reason to complain or see their actions as ultimate wrong, even recently. So I guess YMMV, but just don't count it as a fact. I's simply an opinion, as is mine, and everyone elses'
And anyway, the forum hasn't done 'all right' since then either, so neither side is purely right or wrong; it's more complicated than that imo. And this thread is an example of what I mean, cause it's not helping anyone's case, even if you think it's true
Was named Trek17.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
Is there anything Cryptic can do, aside from giving everything away for free, they can do that will finally place the naysayers in a corner with nothing to complain about?
1. Fix existing bugs.
2. Stop releasing new systems with so many bugs.
3. Stop releasing systems with missing features.
4. Stop rushing things out the door before they are ready.
OP does have a point. They try something, or fix something. And you get people who will fuss caused it ruined their idea of a quick way of doing something. Either you can call it an exploit or not. As some things are fixed to even out the playing field. At times they did wrong and at times they didn't.
However regardless how they try to "fix" it, or get the dust to settle. You will have some that will keep the rage going. Times like this is when I avoid the forums for a while until more worthy topics start showing up again. Until then their rage will just drown out any worthy topics. Cause they are stuck on their roll of raging. And wanting to keep it going.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
How about doing what craptic promised to do years ago and stop nerfing the **** out of this game instead???
Noone would ever complain if they did the following:
- bug fixes
- balance fixes
- pvp updates (leaderboard, matchmaking)
Now I am fairly new to the forums, but it's my belief that Cryptic's spent SO much time balancing, that the seesaws barely a millimeter off and - like WOW - people will always complain and ruin the game.
Now I would agree about the bug fixes - in my opinion they need to pay attention to optimizing what they do have, and I would bet in doing so, they'd make this game something pretty amazing. The 'bugs' would fall out.
But I think they've banked so heavily on an outdated engine they are flat out afraid to make those changes, so they just focus on content changes.
AS for PVP updates. Let's be honest. The vast majority of players who actually do play this game stay for the PVP. But let's be clear: PVP sucks in contrast to most other games, and as a license holder - they have a magnificient opportunity to magnifiy their player base by IGNORING PVP and working on simple gameplay mechanics.
I think they're realizing this: and as a result they are paying attention to skill chains, to gameplay mechanics, to creating seamless space - and more.
My bet is - if they continue this strategy, but take your advice and address the bugs - but take my advice and optimize the engine - they will have a contender to beat the TRIBBLE out of even WOW because of the countless possibilities of exploring planets and galaxies rather than just one planet that's at war.
I figure if you open up the possibilities to a bit more user created content, you might not need to micromanage PVP at all. Sure, this might lead to imbalance, but let's be real: look at the real world - are real life games and sports always fair?
In my opinion. It's magnificent sports stars like Michael Jordan and company owners like Bill Gates who 'rise above' the rest and make us all dream a little more and believe that much more is possible.
So why not 'wire this' into this game?
I suspect they're headin in that direction already.
Now I am fairly new to the forums, but it's my belief that Cryptic's spent SO much time balancing, that the seesaws barely a millimeter off and - like WOW - people will always complain and ruin the game.
Now I would agree about the bug fixes - in my opinion they need to pay attention to optimizing what they do have, and I would bet in doing so, they'd make this game something pretty amazing. The 'bugs' would fall out.
But I think they've banked so heavily on an outdated engine they are flat out afraid to make those changes, so they just focus on content changes.
AS for PVP updates. Let's be honest. The vast majority of players who actually do play this game stay for the PVP. But let's be clear: PVP sucks in contrast to most other games, and as a license holder - they have a magnificient opportunity to magnifiy their player base by IGNORING PVP and working on simple gameplay mechanics.
I think they're realizing this: and as a result they are paying attention to skill chains, to gameplay mechanics, to creating seamless space - and more.
My bet is - if they continue this strategy, but take your advice and address the bugs - but take my advice and optimize the engine - they will have a contender to beat the TRIBBLE out of even WOW because of the countless possibilities of exploring planets and galaxies rather than just one planet that's at war.
I figure if you open up the possibilities to a bit more user created content, you might not need to micromanage PVP at all. Sure, this might lead to imbalance, but let's be real: look at the real world - are real life games and sports always fair?
In my opinion. It's magnificent sports stars like Michael Jordan and company owners like Bill Gates who 'rise above' the rest and make us all dream a little more and believe that much more is possible.
So why not 'wire this' into this game?
I suspect they're headin in that direction already.
The fact that you're new to the forums means you should be aware that... well, PvP hasn't had a major update since launch, and the percentage that plays it has stayed around 3% more-or-less. Even before that though, it wasn't a PvP major game, but a single-player and team experience
Was named Trek17.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
I think it's more about poor timing and poor communication.
If they had waited to the change to the dilithium event after the current one was over, then you may not have seen as much angst over it. Also they dropped it in with all the other problems that are occurring, such as connection issues, server loads, bridge officer slots resetting, etc.
Had they waited until the anniversary had completed, and the dilithium event expired to announce the change and queue it up for the next dilithium weekend, it would have been better since players could have gotten used to the idea. Instead, it was kind of dropped on us.
One of the things I have learned by spending (far too many) hours on these forums is that it doesnt matter what Cryptic Devs say or do. Unless they give EVERYTHING away for free or wave the white flag and allow any and all exploits as functional game content, they can never win with some people. Keep in mind, I am not 100% on Cryptics side. There are plenty of genuine issues that need to be addressed and I am, as always, hopeful that the new change in leadership will see that some of these are, in fact, finally addressed.
I know it may be difficult for you to accept this, but different people complain about different issues.
Who are these "naysayers," and do you have any proof that you're accurate in your assertion that it's the same people complaining?
"Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." - Aristotle
The fact that you're new to the forums means you should be aware that... well, PvP hasn't had a major update since launch, and the percentage that plays it has stayed around 3% more-or-less. Even before that though, it wasn't a PvP major game, but a single-player and team experience
That's not entirely true. PvP has dwindled from I would say 18% (remember that magic number?) to what it is now. There was a time when the only thing available to KDF players WAS PvP. While there are some rather unpleasant individuals on the PvP side of things, the fault lies mostly with Cryptic for sweeping it under the rug.
That's not entirely true. PvP has dwindled from I would say 18% (remember that magic number?) to what it is now. There was a time when the only thing available to KDF players WAS PvP. While there are some rather unpleasant individuals on the PvP side of things, the fault lies mostly with Cryptic for sweeping it under the rug.
I'm aware, but I wouldn't say mostly
As a whole, the forum isn't completely clean either, for the amount of hatred and virtrol if nothing else from some characters. Speaking with disapproval and dislike, sure, but aside from the more extreme examples, there's no justification for raw hatred or wording like 'you suck!'.
So I think it's a little more even, at least somewhat
Was named Trek17.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
They remove most of the F2P gating with a sub and even have lockbox key buffet access to subscribers. So if you're going to open lockboxes, you want to sub.
As part of this, they stopped selling new lifetime accounts and made lockboxes autodestruct in 30 days if unopened.
I did some math on it and it might actually be a smarter model and more profitable than lockboxes.
Cryptic releases 4-5 lockboxes a year with an average acquisition cost per grand prize of around $200.
Whereas buffet access to lockboxes for $15 each month wouldn't actually need to sway that many people on a 12 month basis to generate comparable revenue. If you can get an average of 5 players to sub for 12 months for every lockbox grand prize issued under the current system, the lockbox buffet as a sub option actually generates more money than the keys... and is even better when you risk adjust because it's more reliant on a lot of people spending a little than a few people spending a lot. The loss of a spender is less damaging to the game's finances if you concentrate on more medium spenders over few big spenders.
can't help but notice that among all the rage about the "dil nerf" there's not one thread pointing out the ESD and Bajor bug fixes (umless my daily completion earlier today was a fluke) I know its a small thing by comparison but I would have thought SOMEONE would have said something
That is a tiny thing in comparison. Fixing something they didn't do right to begin with is not equal to taking things away from players. Not even in the same category. It's why one is called a "bug fix" and the other is called a nerf.
And there was a lot to overlook pre-DR but the game was lively and fun for myself and a lot of others. Post DR, it's one take-away after another. I'm actually shocked they're throwing something our way with dil, supposedly. I would hope it was reasonable based on *player expereince* and not metrics but I'm banking on the dil gain being miniscule, nearly a joke.
I'll be happy to be proven wrong and go back to playing STO more often and maybe buying some ships or something.
Most aren't hating the game. they're hating what's its becoming all about and it's not fun for a whole lot of people as-is at the moment.
I have been looking in on most of the threads about this (before posts, threads, and people get removed/banned) and there are some themes that are interesting. One is the white knights claiming that the loss for the players who stockpiled their marks ad rep items is next to nothing. This is obviously not the case since Craptic enacted this slimy and draconian ambush nerf against people who had already padded Craptic's metrics by playing and grinding for marks and rep items. Good and loyal players being victimized by having something they were promised ripped away from them in the most underhanded way. Imagine if you showed up at work for your paycheck and your employer told you that they just changed their policy after opening time on payday and they're not going to pay you after all - thanks for all the free work.
A few extra days of play does not even begin to touch the time investment of people who spent *months* of time working for a reward they were promised. The extension of the dil week is yet another attempt to pit the players against each other in order to silence legitimate anger - and people fall for it. No wonder they continue to use this tactic, and that obviously hasn't changed with whateverhisnameis. The dil weekend extension is nothing less than an insult to our intelligence. Some cheer and grin like idiots in the face of that, their **** covered noses shining in the glare of their glistening subservience.
Some have even attacked saving up your marks and rep items for the dil weekend, in yet another vain and absurd attempt to convince players that they have no right to work/play in their own self-interest.
These games are all about making decisions to benefit your characters. Take that away and you end up with ProgressQuest. We might as well not be playing at all. Cryptic and their fanboys are displaying a profound misunderstanding of what games are about when they try to vilify players for actually playing the game.
And yet that is what STO is becoming. progressQuest with servile non-decision-makers futiley enacting pointless mouse clicks accomplishing nothing, not even entertainment.
Now still others will say, "Well, why don't you quit then?" There are a few reasons. Some of us actually love Star Trek and want to see it well represented (something Cryptic is clearly NOT doing). Another is the power of addiction. Games like this are intermittent reinforcement machines, the same basis upon which gambling addiction works. Well, Surprise surprise, the players get angry when the reinforcements get cut down to nothing and they are turned into effectless automatons.
There is no way to justify this grotesque move by Craptic by appealing to challenge unless one is challenging the players determination to keep playing, which is absurd. This is a move designed specifically to victimize players who were making decisions to benefit their players based on promises made to them and well-established rules of conduct.
Cryptic can do right if they choose to. They (and their new mouthpiece) are choosing not to - at your expense. The issue is larger than one reward for one thing. Do you want to be able to make meaningful decisions in-game ever again?
I like the game and after having spent some time away, I must say Cryptic is doing a great job managing this game. It's regularly updated, has compelling content, and a variety of ways to level up.
That's HIGHLY unusual for an mmo. Don't believe me, then maybe go play another game for a bit and come back.
As far as business decision. The reality is Cryptic is a for profit business. They have to make money. As players we don't really think about that.
But fixing bugs, creating content, and all the other stuff we love - costs cryptic money and they have to make it back somehow.
Developers, customer service people, engineers, technicians, accountants, lawyers, and all the other office staff don't come cheap. Those are real people, with real salaries to pay and families to support.
When you think about it, it's kind of amazing that we get so many perks for free. Heck it's even possible to play from 1 to 60 without paying a single dime. You can even get a good tier ship from the exchange if your savvy enough.
Why people believe that gaming companies aren't in it to make profits - is beyond me. Yes we can have fun, but at the end of the day ST0 isn't a charity.
And yes I re-upped my sub - because I enjoy the game enough to kick a little cash Cryptic's way. it's cheaper than a nigh out every month!
Had they said, we're removing the dilithium bonus on marks but here's a mass mark turn in project, I'd be happy.
Had they said, we're nerfing mark and dilithium rewards but here's more xp in queues and other content, I'd be happy.
If they balanced every nerf with a quality of life improvement then I think there would be less rage. Instead they send out Grover, Trendy or Smirk to deliver the bad news with a "we promise with a cherry on top that we'll balace this at a later time".
It never happens, thus the rage.
I'm not unreasonable, just tell me what you're going to do and why. There are those who will cheerlead and those who will complain about any decision. But a total deception, like what we saw in regards to the bonus weekend dev blog or anything Grover puts out, really unites the players for rage mode.
and is even better when you risk adjust because it's more reliant on a lot of people spending a little than a few people spending a lot. The loss of a spender is less damaging to the game's finances if you concentrate on more medium spenders over few big spenders.
Pft, don't come here and try to make sense.
Besides Cryptic is in the whaling business, you all thought it was long over but they are bringing it back right after disco.
I have been looking in on most of the threads about this (before posts, threads, and people get removed/banned) and there are some themes that are interesting. One is the white knights claiming that the loss for the players who stockpiled their marks ad rep items is next to nothing. This is obviously not the case since Craptic enacted this slimy and draconian ambush nerf against people who had already padded Craptic's metrics by playing and grinding for marks and rep items. Good and loyal players being victimized by having something they were promised ripped away from them in the most underhanded way. Imagine if you showed up at work for your paycheck and your employer told you that they just changed their policy after opening time on payday and they're not going to pay you after all - thanks for all the free work.
A few extra days of play does not even begin to touch the time investment of people who spent *months* of time working for a reward they were promised. The extension of the dil week is yet another attempt to pit the players against each other in order to silence legitimate anger - and people fall for it. No wonder they continue to use this tactic, and that obviously hasn't changed with whateverhisnameis. The dil weekend extension is nothing less than an insult to our intelligence. Some cheer and grin like idiots in the face of that, their **** covered noses shining in the glare of their glistening subservience.
Some have even attacked saving up your marks and rep items for the dil weekend, in yet another vain and absurd attempt to convince players that they have no right to work/play in their own self-interest.
These games are all about making decisions to benefit your characters. Take that away and you end up with ProgressQuest. We might as well not be playing at all. Cryptic and their fanboys are displaying a profound misunderstanding of what games are about when they try to vilify players for actually playing the game.
And yet that is what STO is becoming. progressQuest with servile non-decision-makers futiley enacting pointless mouse clicks accomplishing nothing, not even entertainment.
Now still others will say, "Well, why don't you quit then?" There are a few reasons. Some of us actually love Star Trek and want to see it well represented (something Cryptic is clearly NOT doing). Another is the power of addiction. Games like this are intermittent reinforcement machines, the same basis upon which gambling addiction works. Well, Surprise surprise, the players get angry when the reinforcements get cut down to nothing and they are turned into effectless automatons.
There is no way to justify this grotesque move by Craptic by appealing to challenge unless one is challenging the players determination to keep playing, which is absurd. This is a move designed specifically to victimize players who were making decisions to benefit their players based on promises made to them and well-established rules of conduct.
Cryptic can do right if they choose to. They (and their new mouthpiece) are choosing not to - at your expense. The issue is larger than one reward for one thing. Do you want to be able to make meaningful decisions in-game ever again?
Actually, in regards to the mark business, it IS next to nothing. Why? Because it's not the only source of Dil in the game. You can get just as much Dil from the mark item turn-ins as from Contraband and the Dil mine and other sources, if not more.
Becoming this angry over one source not being included (a very small matter, period) is not warranted. Disapproval/dislike, yes, but not to the level of furthering the conspiracy theory that they're only trying to drive us out of the game. That latter part is unacceptable imo
Plus, all that subversive and insult bits would have to be intentional for it to be true. Everything that the devs have said AND done does not point to such a conclusion, but the majority of the playerbase is too blinded or cynical to see that. Are Cryptic perfect, or are they particularly good at some things? No, of course not, but it's not as simple as either being 'we worship them', or 'we hate them'. I for example, am completely ambivalent to most things they've done - but rather than do nothing, I choose to be more positively-minded than negative; it works out much better.
^And all of the above is not me defending Cryptic; it's stating what I believe to be facts, as well as observations.
Was named Trek17.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
I like the game and after having spent some time away, I must say Cryptic is doing a great job managing this game. It's regularly updated, has compelling content, and a variety of ways to level up.
From your post metrics this is number 20 for you...Welcome to STO!!! We need fresh blood...just hope you will feel the same 6 months from now and hope you wont change your mind about how wonderful...ohh how such a Nirvana THIS is
I've gone from having maybe 5000 spare unrefined dil combined amongst all 5 of my characters at the end of a normal day, to having 213,500 unrefined dil today - And that's just in what? A day and a quarter? Call it a day and a half. And that's without touching any mark trade ins, and only having gone mining on two characters.
I got all that lovely, lovely dil by playing the game, and more importantly... Having fun (Except for 20 minutes at the end of a trip to Nukara that I forced myself through for a fifth free Environment suit for one of my BOff's, as I was too lazy to borrow one off of one of my other characters.
213,500 dil. Once that's refined, assuming the exchange rate stays where it is now, that'll be nearly 1300 Zen. For playing the game and having fun.
I've gone from having maybe 5000 spare unrefined dil combined amongst all 5 of my characters at the end of a normal day, to having 213,500 unrefined dil today - And that's just in what? A day and a quarter? Call it a day and a half. And that's without touching any mark trade ins, and only having gone mining on two characters.
I got all that lovely, lovely dil by playing the game, and more importantly... Having fun (Except for 20 minutes at the end of a trip to Nukara that I forced myself through for a fifth free Environment suit for one of my BOff's, as I was too lazy to borrow one off of one of my other characters.
213,500 dil. Once that's refined, assuming the exchange rate stays where it is now, that'll be nearly 1300 Zen. For playing the game and having fun.
You made that much playing the game, having fun and NOT grinding!?! LIES!
Comments
Oh, you mean they are making it so you have to play a free game longer to get something for free.
It's sounds like they are just giving the rich man a one up, same as real life.
Ok still is fun to play and I don't care if it takes longer to get a shiny.
I hate fast food also..
1st this is and can be one of the best f2p models in the game. I like the fact i can grind out some dil and trade it with another player via the exchange to get zen. There for everything in the game for the most part is available for free if you want to spend an exorbant amount of time
to get the zen. Or like a lot of people earn some zen and buy some also.
2nd of the game would notify people of these changes before they take effect people might not ***** and whine. I do my fair share. If they would have told us a month ago they were going to make the changes to the dil event nobody would be having this uproar. I spent several weeks doing the make epoh's thing during winter and new romulas and through pve so i could make 3 weeks of dil instead of 2 during the event.
3rd the dil requirement for the game can be so damn high also. Me and 4 people for the most part made a teir 4 sb finished the embassy and mine before we picked up some more people and got some help to finish off the sb and spire but still how much dil did we have to put into the damn sb 10,15,20 million dil something like that.
DCUO is the closest.
They remove most of the F2P gating with a sub and even have lockbox key buffet access to subscribers. So if you're going to open lockboxes, you want to sub.
As part of this, they stopped selling new lifetime accounts and made lockboxes autodestruct in 30 days if unopened.
I did some math on it and it might actually be a smarter model and more profitable than lockboxes.
Cryptic releases 4-5 lockboxes a year with an average acquisition cost per grand prize of around $200.
Whereas buffet access to lockboxes for $15 each month wouldn't actually need to sway that many people on a 12 month basis to generate comparable revenue. If you can get an average of 5 players to sub for 12 months for every lockbox grand prize issued under the current system, the lockbox buffet as a sub option actually generates more money than the keys... and is even better when you risk adjust because it's more reliant on a lot of people spending a little than a few people spending a lot. The loss of a spender is less damaging to the game's finances if you concentrate on more medium spenders over few big spenders.
They do good stuff, they do bad, when they start doing stuff that is more popular, then the current theme on the forums will change.
They could choose to not ambush players with changes out of the blue. They chose to do so.
They could choose to honour their agreements. They choose not to.
They could properly address issues. They ram fluffy bull**** down our throats instead.
They can do right. They choose not to.
Don't try to make it sound like Craptic is the victim. We are not wrecking their experiences of anything. They are doing it all.
I like this model.... quite a bit, actually. I wonder if we can get Perfect World to consider something similar...
That's... debatable. But it is debatable enough that I won't wholesale dispute it, which is why I said (not sarcastically, by the way) that I saw OP's logic - I saw where one might draw the conclusion that the OP did, but to believe that specific conclusion would require at least some lack of information IMHO.
And anyway, the forum hasn't done 'all right' since then either, so neither side is purely right or wrong; it's more complicated than that imo. And this thread is an example of what I mean, cause it's not helping anyone's case, even if you think it's true
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
1. Fix existing bugs.
2. Stop releasing new systems with so many bugs.
3. Stop releasing systems with missing features.
4. Stop rushing things out the door before they are ready.
However regardless how they try to "fix" it, or get the dust to settle. You will have some that will keep the rage going. Times like this is when I avoid the forums for a while until more worthy topics start showing up again. Until then their rage will just drown out any worthy topics. Cause they are stuck on their roll of raging. And wanting to keep it going.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
Now I am fairly new to the forums, but it's my belief that Cryptic's spent SO much time balancing, that the seesaws barely a millimeter off and - like WOW - people will always complain and ruin the game.
Now I would agree about the bug fixes - in my opinion they need to pay attention to optimizing what they do have, and I would bet in doing so, they'd make this game something pretty amazing. The 'bugs' would fall out.
But I think they've banked so heavily on an outdated engine they are flat out afraid to make those changes, so they just focus on content changes.
AS for PVP updates. Let's be honest. The vast majority of players who actually do play this game stay for the PVP. But let's be clear: PVP sucks in contrast to most other games, and as a license holder - they have a magnificient opportunity to magnifiy their player base by IGNORING PVP and working on simple gameplay mechanics.
I think they're realizing this: and as a result they are paying attention to skill chains, to gameplay mechanics, to creating seamless space - and more.
My bet is - if they continue this strategy, but take your advice and address the bugs - but take my advice and optimize the engine - they will have a contender to beat the TRIBBLE out of even WOW because of the countless possibilities of exploring planets and galaxies rather than just one planet that's at war.
I figure if you open up the possibilities to a bit more user created content, you might not need to micromanage PVP at all. Sure, this might lead to imbalance, but let's be real: look at the real world - are real life games and sports always fair?
In my opinion. It's magnificent sports stars like Michael Jordan and company owners like Bill Gates who 'rise above' the rest and make us all dream a little more and believe that much more is possible.
So why not 'wire this' into this game?
I suspect they're headin in that direction already.
..... And check out my Open Source Work, here: https://sourceforge.net/u/universalbri/profile/
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
If they had waited to the change to the dilithium event after the current one was over, then you may not have seen as much angst over it. Also they dropped it in with all the other problems that are occurring, such as connection issues, server loads, bridge officer slots resetting, etc.
Had they waited until the anniversary had completed, and the dilithium event expired to announce the change and queue it up for the next dilithium weekend, it would have been better since players could have gotten used to the idea. Instead, it was kind of dropped on us.
Who are these "naysayers," and do you have any proof that you're accurate in your assertion that it's the same people complaining?
That's not entirely true. PvP has dwindled from I would say 18% (remember that magic number?) to what it is now. There was a time when the only thing available to KDF players WAS PvP. While there are some rather unpleasant individuals on the PvP side of things, the fault lies mostly with Cryptic for sweeping it under the rug.
As a whole, the forum isn't completely clean either, for the amount of hatred and virtrol if nothing else from some characters. Speaking with disapproval and dislike, sure, but aside from the more extreme examples, there's no justification for raw hatred or wording like 'you suck!'.
So I think it's a little more even, at least somewhat
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
Now that sounds pretty interesting.
That is a tiny thing in comparison. Fixing something they didn't do right to begin with is not equal to taking things away from players. Not even in the same category. It's why one is called a "bug fix" and the other is called a nerf.
And there was a lot to overlook pre-DR but the game was lively and fun for myself and a lot of others. Post DR, it's one take-away after another. I'm actually shocked they're throwing something our way with dil, supposedly. I would hope it was reasonable based on *player expereince* and not metrics but I'm banking on the dil gain being miniscule, nearly a joke.
I'll be happy to be proven wrong and go back to playing STO more often and maybe buying some ships or something.
Most aren't hating the game. they're hating what's its becoming all about and it's not fun for a whole lot of people as-is at the moment.
Help us, Lobi wan Salami. You're our only hope.
A few extra days of play does not even begin to touch the time investment of people who spent *months* of time working for a reward they were promised. The extension of the dil week is yet another attempt to pit the players against each other in order to silence legitimate anger - and people fall for it. No wonder they continue to use this tactic, and that obviously hasn't changed with whateverhisnameis. The dil weekend extension is nothing less than an insult to our intelligence. Some cheer and grin like idiots in the face of that, their **** covered noses shining in the glare of their glistening subservience.
Some have even attacked saving up your marks and rep items for the dil weekend, in yet another vain and absurd attempt to convince players that they have no right to work/play in their own self-interest.
These games are all about making decisions to benefit your characters. Take that away and you end up with ProgressQuest. We might as well not be playing at all. Cryptic and their fanboys are displaying a profound misunderstanding of what games are about when they try to vilify players for actually playing the game.
And yet that is what STO is becoming. progressQuest with servile non-decision-makers futiley enacting pointless mouse clicks accomplishing nothing, not even entertainment.
Now still others will say, "Well, why don't you quit then?" There are a few reasons. Some of us actually love Star Trek and want to see it well represented (something Cryptic is clearly NOT doing). Another is the power of addiction. Games like this are intermittent reinforcement machines, the same basis upon which gambling addiction works. Well, Surprise surprise, the players get angry when the reinforcements get cut down to nothing and they are turned into effectless automatons.
There is no way to justify this grotesque move by Craptic by appealing to challenge unless one is challenging the players determination to keep playing, which is absurd. This is a move designed specifically to victimize players who were making decisions to benefit their players based on promises made to them and well-established rules of conduct.
Cryptic can do right if they choose to. They (and their new mouthpiece) are choosing not to - at your expense. The issue is larger than one reward for one thing. Do you want to be able to make meaningful decisions in-game ever again?
That's HIGHLY unusual for an mmo. Don't believe me, then maybe go play another game for a bit and come back.
As far as business decision. The reality is Cryptic is a for profit business. They have to make money. As players we don't really think about that.
But fixing bugs, creating content, and all the other stuff we love - costs cryptic money and they have to make it back somehow.
Developers, customer service people, engineers, technicians, accountants, lawyers, and all the other office staff don't come cheap. Those are real people, with real salaries to pay and families to support.
When you think about it, it's kind of amazing that we get so many perks for free. Heck it's even possible to play from 1 to 60 without paying a single dime. You can even get a good tier ship from the exchange if your savvy enough.
Why people believe that gaming companies aren't in it to make profits - is beyond me. Yes we can have fun, but at the end of the day ST0 isn't a charity.
And yes I re-upped my sub - because I enjoy the game enough to kick a little cash Cryptic's way. it's cheaper than a nigh out every month!
Had they said, we're nerfing mark and dilithium rewards but here's more xp in queues and other content, I'd be happy.
If they balanced every nerf with a quality of life improvement then I think there would be less rage. Instead they send out Grover, Trendy or Smirk to deliver the bad news with a "we promise with a cherry on top that we'll balace this at a later time".
It never happens, thus the rage.
I'm not unreasonable, just tell me what you're going to do and why. There are those who will cheerlead and those who will complain about any decision. But a total deception, like what we saw in regards to the bonus weekend dev blog or anything Grover puts out, really unites the players for rage mode.
Pft, don't come here and try to make sense.
Besides Cryptic is in the whaling business, you all thought it was long over but they are bringing it back right after disco.
Completed Starbase, Embassy, Mine, Spire and No Win Scenario
Nothing to do anymore.
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Becoming this angry over one source not being included (a very small matter, period) is not warranted. Disapproval/dislike, yes, but not to the level of furthering the conspiracy theory that they're only trying to drive us out of the game. That latter part is unacceptable imo
Plus, all that subversive and insult bits would have to be intentional for it to be true. Everything that the devs have said AND done does not point to such a conclusion, but the majority of the playerbase is too blinded or cynical to see that. Are Cryptic perfect, or are they particularly good at some things? No, of course not, but it's not as simple as either being 'we worship them', or 'we hate them'. I for example, am completely ambivalent to most things they've done - but rather than do nothing, I choose to be more positively-minded than negative; it works out much better.
^And all of the above is not me defending Cryptic; it's stating what I believe to be facts, as well as observations.
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
From your post metrics this is number 20 for you...Welcome to STO!!! We need fresh blood...just hope you will feel the same 6 months from now and hope you wont change your mind about how wonderful...ohh how such a Nirvana THIS is
I got all that lovely, lovely dil by playing the game, and more importantly... Having fun (Except for 20 minutes at the end of a trip to Nukara that I forced myself through for a fifth free Environment suit for one of my BOff's, as I was too lazy to borrow one off of one of my other characters.
213,500 dil. Once that's refined, assuming the exchange rate stays where it is now, that'll be nearly 1300 Zen. For playing the game and having fun.
You made that much playing the game, having fun and NOT grinding!?! LIES!
You must be a troll! Away with you!
Free Tibet!