why should I? The banter from people like you crack me up everytime for laughter.
I can't even tell lmao.
The OP "if PvPers complain so be it" is too epic, he's overrating himself while he's the absolute opposite.
Well, people like you fall under the same catergory as the op, if you guys would just stop posting, the average quality of posts in the forum would skyrock
Well, people like you fall under the same catergory as the op, if you guys would just stop posting, the average quality of posts in the forum would skyrock
I play DHCs on my Phantom. I dont fly strafing runs (=loss of dps), and 28k are garantued in pug with it
That being said, SS3 will still be powerful afterwards.
P.S.: I mean seriously: Max. One-Hit: 126.970 (Antiproton Dual Heavy Cannons - Surgical Strikes III)
That was an APA+APB II+SS3+IF (And my APB was the only one). Now think if I had TF and GDF running. What would that if meant for the tactical cube? Death in 2 cycles?
I guess everyone wants to conveniently ignore this.
We have two major problems in the game: Absurdly high damage scaling and impossibly high NPC HP. They're direct causes of each other and continue to go on and on and on forever.
That's why we have so much power creep. You can't address one without addressing the other.
Except, Cryptic seems to have found a way, since everyone will (according to their logic) keep doling out money for more damage, in order to both combat high NPC HP out of frustration/necessity as well as for the satisfaction of seeing huge damage numbers.
I guess everyone wants to conveniently ignore this.
We have two major problems in the game: Absurdly high damage scaling and impossibly high NPC HP. They're direct causes of each other and continue to go on and on and on forever.
That's why we have so much power creep. You can't address one without addressing the other.
Except, Cryptic seems to have found a way, since everyone will (according to their logic) keep doling out money for more damage, in order to both combat high NPC HP out of frustration/necessity as well as for the satisfaction of seeing huge damage numbers.
Thing is...folks doing that...are basically just doing the equivalent of Finish Now.
They don't want a 10-15 minute run where even without any of that stuff they're overkill for the requirements...they want some 4-7 minute run.
If the content required folks to do it, that would be one thing. But the content doesn't.
It's just Finish Now all over the place with a bunch of impatient folks. And yep, Cryptic is going to take advantage of those folks...and...I'm happy that they do. It lets me play the way I like to play.
It's one thing for the folks that actually want to see how fast they can run that treadmill, it's another for all the folks that don't find that fun but keep on trying to do it...it's a massive lolwut moment.
We have so much power creep because it can be easily packaged and sold to players, and its sale can be easily projected in future revenue estimates. It also translates well across the language/cultural barrier that exists between Cryptic and its Chinese overlords.
"Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." - Aristotle
We have so much power creep because it can be easily packaged and sold to players, and its sale can be easily projected in future revenue estimates. It also translates well across the language/cultural barrier that exists between Cryptic and its Chinese overlords.
That's what I said.
We started off with a teensy bit, but then as soon as it became monetized, bam. Explosive power creep with no end in sight.
And now we're in the never ending cycle of power creep vs difficulty (Though, despite what Cryptic may think, HP sponges are not difficulty - just horribly tedious).
Well, people like you fall under the same catergory as the op, if you guys would just stop posting, the average quality of posts in the forum would skyrock
No, I'm not like the OP. I'm a person not a wannabe prophet.
And if you would stop posting, the forums would be more boring, so keep up the good banter.
Plasma doping was an unintended side-effect of the scaling to Mk XIV. It deserved a fix.
Surgical Strikes, however, was, very much so, intentional. +40% CrtH, which would be used against X amounts of CrtD. Now pretending their metrics suddenly tell them it's OP is rather disingenuous.
As a result of the latter, I will no longer trust a certain Dev when he introduces yet another good ability in the future. And, consequently, will keep my wallet closed until these unsavory business practices come to a halt.
Plasma doping was an unintended side-effect of the scaling to Mk XIV. It deserved a fix.
Surgical Strikes, however, was, very much so, intentional. +40% CrtH, which would be used against X amounts of CrtD. Now pretending their metrics suddenly tell them it's OP is rather disingenuous.
As a result of the latter, I will no longer trust a certain Dev when he introduces yet another good ability in the future. And, consequently, will keep my wallet closed until these unsavory business practices come to a halt.
Game's going to be gone before you could possibly reopen the wallet.
I'd happily add something else, common knowledge, usual sentences... but I have too many demonstrations in my mind currently of harmonic motion, harmonic oscillator, pendulum, Third law of Kepler, range, impulse, gravitational field + many more to do that.
Plasma doping was an unintended side-effect of the scaling to Mk XIV. It deserved a fix.
Surgical Strikes, however, was, very much so, intentional. +40% CrtH, which would be used against X amounts of CrtD. Now pretending their metrics suddenly tell them it's OP is rather disingenuous.
As a result of the latter, I will no longer trust a certain Dev when he introduces yet another good ability in the future. And, consequently, will keep my wallet closed until these unsavory business practices come to a halt.
Why is it so hard to believe that the devs get stuff wrong and underestimate the power of abilities?
I mean, are you telling me that Aceton Beam sucks so hard because the developers secretly don't want to sell Engineering heavy ships?
But I think it's good if people that only buy power stop spending money on the game. That means selling power can never become a viable business model. Of course, unfortunately it doesn't mean the opposite - that selling balanced stuff is good for business and they'd get things balanced the first time around. It still means they don't need to try that hard for the first release, they can still always nerf stuff later.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
Why is it so hard to believe that the devs get stuff wrong and underestimate the power of abilities?
In the case of plasma doping, sure, one can easily see how the scaling, post-DR, produced unanticipated, and undesired side-effects. Surgical Strikes was a pretty straight-forward deal, though: CrtH x CtrD, specifically made for DR.
Funny thing, I kinda saw it coming... and not. Which is to say, when I first saw the Surgical Strikes specs announced, I knew it would be incredibly good (for the CrtD build I had in mind). Some there be who'd say I should have known it was too good to be true. Rather, though, I figured "This is so cool, no way this was unintentional!" So, I bought into Intel, thinking they'd let us keep what they sold us. History is about to prove me wrong, though.
I mean, are you telling me that Aceton Beam sucks so hard because the developers secretly don't want to sell Engineering heavy ships?
Might be closer to the truth than you think. Except it's not really done in secret: this game is simply made to highly favor raw DPS, aka Tactical Abilities.
Also, part of the reason Science and Engineering often seem to be getting the shaft, is because their respective abilities can often be used in support of Tactical Abilities. If a Science Captain could only do GW3, and not have access to Tactical abilities as well, the former might very well have been made a lot stronger. It's a combination that rapidly renders it OP, though (like putting a Tactical Captain in a Science vessel).
Aceton Beam is a ridiculous ability, though, yes; on that we certainly agree.
But I think it's good if people that only buy power stop spending money on the game. That means selling power can never become a viable business model. Of course, unfortunately it doesn't mean the opposite - that selling balanced stuff is good for business and they'd get things balanced the first time around. It still means they don't need to try that hard for the first release, they can still always nerf stuff later.
Or sell power, but in a more honest way: aka, not taking it away later on because you have the latest shiny to peddle. It would bolster much more customer confidence.
Aceton Beam is a ridiculous ability, though, yes; on that we certainly agree.
/QUOTE]
I really wish we could get things like that worked on and fixed first, instead of adding new abilities. Balance what we already have, before introducing new (likely unbalanced) things first.
Or sell power, but in a more honest way: aka, not taking it away later on because you have the latest shiny to peddle. It would bolster much more customer confidence.
I hope they never do that.
It's realy, really easy for Cryptic add a number to some bonus. They can sell you millions of power upgrades for no effort at all.
That they require new Tier 6 ships to have
- A new skin
- a new mastery trait
- a special console
is an excellent way to keep them honest.
but if their entire business model relies only on selling power, they can sell you access to Mark XV for 5,000 Zen this month, and for a Mark XVI for 5,000 Zen next month.
But you'd probably cry:" But I bought Mark XV for 5,000 Zen! I didn't expect that there would be a Mark XVI upgrade later, if I had known that, I wouldn'T buy the Mark XV stuff". Which is incidentally pretty much what every player that wants to use a ship that bought a ship that could use Aux2Bat or BFAW might think if Surgical Strikes comes a long.
Just stop buying stuff just because it's powerful. That is sending the wrong signal and can only lead to bad things.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
Why is it so hard to believe that the devs get stuff wrong and underestimate the power of abilities?
It is kind of a curious question there, eh? Kind of forces one to look at their complaints. Is it a case of it's something that happens with stuff that other folks use all the time but never something that happens with what the person is using...eh?
Aceton beam is a decent debuff power IMO. Halving outgoing energy damage is actually useful against boss ships(and it makes tanking the CE easier). Granted they'll still have ridiculously powerful torpedo attacks(or shards), but weaker energy. The doT is not the reason to use it.
but if their entire business model relies only on selling power, they can sell you access to Mark XV for 5,000 Zen this month, and for a Mark XVI for 5,000 Zen next month.
But you'd probably cry:" But I bought Mark XV for 5,000 Zen! I didn't expect that there would be a Mark XVI upgrade later, if I had known that, I wouldn'T buy the Mark XV stuff". Which is incidentally pretty much what every player that wants to use a ship that bought a ship that could use Aux2Bat or BFAW might think if Surgical Strikes comes a long.
There's a major, major flaw in your argument. Namely, that BFAW didn't get nerfed, so as to sell SS. Likewise, I wouldn't mind if, next month, they come with something else, even more powerful than SS. I *do*, however, get upset when they purposely nerf the old, in order to sell the new. Then it becomes a 'Bait & Switch' Spiel I no longer want to buy into.
Just stop buying stuff just because it's powerful. That is sending the wrong signal and can only lead to bad things.
lol This, in a nutshell.
Frankly, while I don't aprove of Cryptic's bait & switch tendencies the players of this game are the only ones to blame about the quality of service they're receiving. I've said it before, I'll say it again - STO is exactly the kind of game this playerbase deserves. It's just a pitty that some good folks end up with the results requested by the naive majority of the playerbase, but it is what it is.
Really, if people don't like where this is going then maybe it's time to wake up and take some personal action (and no, i don't mean legal action lol ) instead of whining on the forum and then go back to their usual behavior regarding the game.
Or let me illustrate what's going on here:
Step 1. Player A bought something. Step 2. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence. Step 3. Player A whines of the forum, proclaiming to close wallet and never spend a dime on STO again until Cryptic changes their policies. Step 4. Cryptic announces Zen discount and master key sale a week later. Step 5. Player A spends 250$ on Zen, proclaiming how the deal was a bargain for them and best thing since sliced bread. Step 6. Cryptic releases a new OP toy. Step 7. Player A buys said toy. Step 8. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence. Step 9. Rinse and repeat.
If you're going to blame Cryptic about their policies, take a good long look in the mirror yourselves first bacause you're the ones supporting said policies with your money and sending Cryptic a signal that what they're doing is ok and accepted by their customers.
As a general rule, preferring powercreep instead of balance is shortsighted earning. If the game was even by far balanced we wouldn't be in this situation. SS3 was wrong from the very beginning, you didn't need to be sherlock holmes to understand that.
The nerf brought it down to what it should have been in the first place. Even then, there are so many overpowered and so many underpowered abilities scattered left and right that it's impossible to take care now of them. It's too late, they should have done that from the very beginning.
old SS3, Ionic, Viral, Barrage and DR cheese destroyed PvP. Those who are gone will not come back because for every step they do forward, it's two steps back.
The PvErs now rant because they've been toned down. But the damage has been done already. A part of the community is gone, the remaining one is angry, devs aren't trusted anymore. If they cared to release the above stuff after balancing it, they'd have avoided both issues.
As I said, it was a shortsighted move. And the "shortsight" is ending.
Frankly, while I don't aprove of Cryptic's bait & switch tendencies the players of this game are the only ones to blame about the quality of service they're receiving. I've said it before, I'll say it again - STO is exactly the kind of game this playerbase deserves. It's just a pitty that some good folks end up with the results requested by the naive majority of the playerbase, but it is what it is.
Really, if people don't like where this is going then maybe it's time to wake up and take some personal action (and no, i don't mean legal action lol ) instead of whining on the forum and then go back to their usual behavior regarding the game.
Or let me illustrate what's going on here:
Step 1. Player A bought something. Step 2. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence. Step 3. Player A whines of the forum, proclaiming to close wallet and never spend a dime on STO again until Cryptic changes their policies. Step 4. Cryptic announces Zen discount and master key sale a week later. Step 5. Player A spends 250$ on Zen, proclaiming how the deal was a bargain for them and best thing since sliced bread. Step 6. Cryptic releases a new OP toy. Step 7. Player A buys said toy. Step 8. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence. Step 9. Rinse and repeat.
If you're going to blame Cryptic about their policies, take a good long look in the mirror yourselves first bacause you're the ones supporting said policies with your money and sending Cryptic a signal that what they're doing is ok and accepted by their customers.
I am sure this will not be a problem for meimetoo. He will never purchase any Zen ever again, unless Cryptic proves to him they won't nerf stuff someone could buy. Since that will never happen....
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
Frankly, while I don't aprove of Cryptic's bait & switch tendencies the players of this game are the only ones to blame about the quality of service they're receiving. I've said it before, I'll say it again - STO is exactly the kind of game this playerbase deserves. It's just a pitty that some good folks end up with the results requested by the naive majority of the playerbase, but it is what it is.
Really, if people don't like where this is going then maybe it's time to wake up and take some personal action (and no, i don't mean legal action lol ) instead of whining on the forum and then go back to their usual behavior regarding the game.
Or let me illustrate what's going on here:
Step 1. Player A bought something. Step 2. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence. Step 3. Player A whines of the forum, proclaiming to close wallet and never spend a dime on STO again until Cryptic changes their policies. Step 4. Cryptic announces Zen discount and master key sale a week later. Step 5. Player A spends 250$ on Zen, proclaiming how the deal was a bargain for them and best thing since sliced bread. Step 6. Cryptic releases a new OP toy. Step 7. Player A buys said toy. Step 8. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence. Step 9. Rinse and repeat.
If you're going to blame Cryptic about their policies, take a good long look in the mirror yourselves first bacause you're the ones supporting said policies with your money and sending Cryptic a signal that what they're doing is ok and accepted by their customers.
Can't even say I disagree with you. Yes, I need to be stronger, and *really* send out a sgnal this time.
Closing wallets for ever is a dangerous game, though. Because the likelihood of them giving in is small. Rather, when whales (and whalettes :P) stop spending, they'll ere just shut down the game altogether. Acts of sobatage are always tricky that way, with the players usually winding up on the losing end.
What I *can* do, however, and will do, is suspend my spending on the next shiny, until after several months, to see whether or not it suddenly gets nerfed, after all. That might actually encourage them to have a closer look at things before releasing them.
Can't even say I disagree with you. Yes, I need to be stronger, and *really* send out a sgnal this time.
Closing wallets for ever is a dangerous game, though. Because the likelihood of them giving in is small. Rather, when whales (and whalettes :P) stop spending, they'll ere just shut down the game altogether. Acts of sobatage are always tricky that way, with the players usually winding up on the losing end.
Are the players really losing here? It's people at Cryptic that have to worry about their job. You just have to worry about finding a new game. And if the game is not worth spending money on it anymore, is it really worth playing?
What I *can* do, however, and will do, is suspend my spending on the next shiny, until after several months, to see whether or not it suddenly gets nerfed, after all. That might actually encourage them to have a closer look at things before releasing them.
What would your policy if they nerfed the item before you buy it, but it's still good? Kinda like Surgical Strikes?
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
Closing wallets for ever is a dangerous game, though. Because the likelihood of them giving in is small. Rather, when whales (and whalettes :P) stop spending, they'll ere just shut down the game altogether. Acts of sobatage are always tricky that way, with the players usually winding up on the losing end.
I think this is a flawed perception and almost on the same level of asinine as the claim that rises up here every now and then which says that we should praise Cryptic as the "savior of Star Trek" regardless of the quality of the product, because if they didn't made a Star Trek MMO nobody else would have and nobody else ever will in the future.
If they want to shut the game down for whatever reason, they'll shut the game down regardless of the whales and whalettes spending or not spending tons of cash. If they decided to shut sown shop, they'll just pick up that cash, invest it in the next "secret project" and pull out the plug.
On the other hand, if they wish to keep developing and growing the game - they'll do everything they can to improve, keep the game going and satisfy disgrunted customers. If they're planning to keep the game, the reduced spending of players won't make them shut down the game - at least not before they tried everything in their power to satisfy the consumers and bring back the money.
It boils down to personal convictions, addictions and fanaticism. If I'm not satisifed with the quality of the product, I won't spend until it's improved to satisfy my personal norms. Being dissatisfied, publically complaining and yet still spending because I don't want the game to shut down, or just because it's Star Trek is perverse in my book, in the lack of a better word.
It is not our job as players to keep the game running at any cost, regardless if we are or aren't satisfied with what we're getting for our money. That's Cryptic's job, it's their business. If they can't handle it, they'll flop - if they can, they'll grow. But I as a consumer should not worry about their business future, I've got enough of that in my own workplace. Yeah, I like the game and love Star Trek, but blindly funding something that isn't working out for me because of fright is not healthy IMHO.
It boils down to personal convictions, addictions and fanaticism. If I'm not satisifed with the quality of the product, I won't spend until it's improved to satisfy my personal norms. Being dissatisfied, publically complaining and yet still spending because I don't want the game to shut down, or just because it's Star Trek is perverse in my book, in the lack of a better word.
It is not our job as players to keep the game running at any cost, regardless if we are or aren't satisfied with what we're getting for our money. That's Cryptic's job, it's their business. If they can't handle it, they'll flop - if they can, they'll grow. But I as a consumer should not worry about their business future, I've got enough of that in my own workplace. Yeah, I like the game and love Star Trek, but blindly funding something that isn't working out for me because of fright is not healthy IMHO.
Well, that's one way to look at it. Me? I think it's delusional to believe Cryptic will change their policies, just because I stomp my little feet in protest: for me 10 others. Not saying you're arguing that case, but thinking one person can make that much of a difference, I believe, is also rather egomaniacal, for lack of a better term. Like you're saying: they'll do what they want, with or without me.
Also, it's not totally black and white for me; not: either I spend, or I don't. I prefer the third option, which is to delay my future payments, until I can see whether the 'Bait & Switch' will stop. Cuz, unlike you, I'm not so convinced they'll just keep going, regardless: when people en mass stop spending, there simply won't be profit for them in it any more, and I do think they *will* shut down then. Cuz I don't think they really love Star Trek as much as they love Latinum.
Also, it's not totally black and white for me; not: either I spend, or I don't. I prefer the third option, which is to delay my future payments, until I can see whether the 'Bait & Switch' will stop. Cuz, unlike you, I'm not so convinced they'll just keep going, regardless: when people en mass stop spending, there simply won't be profit for them in it any more, and I do think they *will* shut down then. Cuz I don't think they really love Star Trek as much as they love Latinum.
I didn't say they'll keep going. I said that it's up to them, their future plans and will wheather they'd keep going or pull the plug in such a situation.
What I'm saying is that if there's a defeatist mentality at Cryptic, and they are already halfway into shutting the game down and calling it a day - they'll just look for an excuse to shut the game down. On the other hand, if they're dedicated and willing to keep the game going, make it work and with that make themselves more money through the game - they'll try to locate the source of the stopped spending en masse by their customers and try to rectify.
It's quite simple really, like you said - they may or may not love Star Trek, but they're in it for the latinum. I love Star Trek, but it sill ain't my job as a consumer to keep funding the game at any cost just because I'm not sure wheather Cryptic likes Star Trek enough to keep going or give up.
It's not black and white for me either, but I've stopped spending after the S8 fiasco. I never said I'm done spending forever, but in order to get me to invest real cash again they'll need to show me that they're implementing fully functional systems and gameplay that I'm willing to support. Since the entire last year under D'Angelo has been a trainwreck and there wasn't any decision they made regarding STO that I liked and would want to support, I haven't opened my wallet since.
I'm willing to give Ricossa the benefit of the doubt, but he'll have to convince me that he has Cryptic back on the right track before I start spending again.
If because of this they decide to shut down STO, I'll certainly be sad as hell - however, I won't pay them my hard earned money for removing content I liked to play, for releasing half baked and broken systems, stupid things like Undine lockboxes, Delta Rising or the rubberbanding lagfest the game has currently turned into. Because for me liking the game and loving the IP is one thing, but funding a lacklustre product just because of that is another.
I do have hope, because there was time I had a gold sub just as my modest way of continuously supporting the game I loved and I firmly believed it was going in the right direction, not that I really needed it - I bought Zen when I wanted/needed anyway. But after everything that transpired in the last 16 months, I'm not paying them for hope. They'll need to show me that their mind is once again in the right place.
Comments
Well, people like you fall under the same catergory as the op, if you guys would just stop posting, the average quality of posts in the forum would skyrock
Meh, but would it be as entertaining?
I guess everyone wants to conveniently ignore this.
We have two major problems in the game: Absurdly high damage scaling and impossibly high NPC HP. They're direct causes of each other and continue to go on and on and on forever.
That's why we have so much power creep. You can't address one without addressing the other.
Except, Cryptic seems to have found a way, since everyone will (according to their logic) keep doling out money for more damage, in order to both combat high NPC HP out of frustration/necessity as well as for the satisfaction of seeing huge damage numbers.
Thing is...folks doing that...are basically just doing the equivalent of Finish Now.
They don't want a 10-15 minute run where even without any of that stuff they're overkill for the requirements...they want some 4-7 minute run.
If the content required folks to do it, that would be one thing. But the content doesn't.
It's just Finish Now all over the place with a bunch of impatient folks. And yep, Cryptic is going to take advantage of those folks...and...I'm happy that they do. It lets me play the way I like to play.
It's one thing for the folks that actually want to see how fast they can run that treadmill, it's another for all the folks that don't find that fun but keep on trying to do it...it's a massive lolwut moment.
We have so much power creep because it can be easily packaged and sold to players, and its sale can be easily projected in future revenue estimates. It also translates well across the language/cultural barrier that exists between Cryptic and its Chinese overlords.
That's what I said.
We started off with a teensy bit, but then as soon as it became monetized, bam. Explosive power creep with no end in sight.
And now we're in the never ending cycle of power creep vs difficulty (Though, despite what Cryptic may think, HP sponges are not difficulty - just horribly tedious).
No, I'm not like the OP. I'm a person not a wannabe prophet.
And if you would stop posting, the forums would be more boring, so keep up the good banter.
Absolutely no!
Yes. Of course he did. What else could we be talking about?
Surgical Strikes, however, was, very much so, intentional. +40% CrtH, which would be used against X amounts of CrtD. Now pretending their metrics suddenly tell them it's OP is rather disingenuous.
As a result of the latter, I will no longer trust a certain Dev when he introduces yet another good ability in the future. And, consequently, will keep my wallet closed until these unsavory business practices come to a halt.
Game's going to be gone before you could possibly reopen the wallet.
I'd happily add something else, common knowledge, usual sentences... but I have too many demonstrations in my mind currently of harmonic motion, harmonic oscillator, pendulum, Third law of Kepler, range, impulse, gravitational field + many more to do that.
*kewl*
I mean, are you telling me that Aceton Beam sucks so hard because the developers secretly don't want to sell Engineering heavy ships?
But I think it's good if people that only buy power stop spending money on the game. That means selling power can never become a viable business model. Of course, unfortunately it doesn't mean the opposite - that selling balanced stuff is good for business and they'd get things balanced the first time around. It still means they don't need to try that hard for the first release, they can still always nerf stuff later.
In the case of plasma doping, sure, one can easily see how the scaling, post-DR, produced unanticipated, and undesired side-effects. Surgical Strikes was a pretty straight-forward deal, though: CrtH x CtrD, specifically made for DR.
Funny thing, I kinda saw it coming... and not. Which is to say, when I first saw the Surgical Strikes specs announced, I knew it would be incredibly good (for the CrtD build I had in mind). Some there be who'd say I should have known it was too good to be true. Rather, though, I figured "This is so cool, no way this was unintentional!" So, I bought into Intel, thinking they'd let us keep what they sold us. History is about to prove me wrong, though.
Might be closer to the truth than you think.
Also, part of the reason Science and Engineering often seem to be getting the shaft, is because their respective abilities can often be used in support of Tactical Abilities. If a Science Captain could only do GW3, and not have access to Tactical abilities as well, the former might very well have been made a lot stronger. It's a combination that rapidly renders it OP, though (like putting a Tactical Captain in a Science vessel).
Aceton Beam is a ridiculous ability, though, yes; on that we certainly agree.
Or sell power, but in a more honest way: aka, not taking it away later on because you have the latest shiny to peddle. It would bolster much more customer confidence.
It's realy, really easy for Cryptic add a number to some bonus. They can sell you millions of power upgrades for no effort at all.
That they require new Tier 6 ships to have
- - A new skin
- - a new mastery trait
- - a special console
is an excellent way to keep them honest.but if their entire business model relies only on selling power, they can sell you access to Mark XV for 5,000 Zen this month, and for a Mark XVI for 5,000 Zen next month.
But you'd probably cry:" But I bought Mark XV for 5,000 Zen! I didn't expect that there would be a Mark XVI upgrade later, if I had known that, I wouldn'T buy the Mark XV stuff". Which is incidentally pretty much what every player that wants to use a ship that bought a ship that could use Aux2Bat or BFAW might think if Surgical Strikes comes a long.
Just stop buying stuff just because it's powerful. That is sending the wrong signal and can only lead to bad things.
It is kind of a curious question there, eh? Kind of forces one to look at their complaints. Is it a case of it's something that happens with stuff that other folks use all the time but never something that happens with what the person is using...eh?
My character Tsin'xing
There's a major, major flaw in your argument. Namely, that BFAW didn't get nerfed, so as to sell SS. Likewise, I wouldn't mind if, next month, they come with something else, even more powerful than SS. I *do*, however, get upset when they purposely nerf the old, in order to sell the new. Then it becomes a 'Bait & Switch' Spiel I no longer want to buy into.
lol
Frankly, while I don't aprove of Cryptic's bait & switch tendencies the players of this game are the only ones to blame about the quality of service they're receiving. I've said it before, I'll say it again - STO is exactly the kind of game this playerbase deserves. It's just a pitty that some good folks end up with the results requested by the naive majority of the playerbase, but it is what it is.
Really, if people don't like where this is going then maybe it's time to wake up and take some personal action (and no, i don't mean legal action lol
Or let me illustrate what's going on here:
Step 1. Player A bought something.
Step 2. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence.
Step 3. Player A whines of the forum, proclaiming to close wallet and never spend a dime on STO again until Cryptic changes their policies.
Step 4. Cryptic announces Zen discount and master key sale a week later.
Step 5. Player A spends 250$ on Zen, proclaiming how the deal was a bargain for them and best thing since sliced bread.
Step 6. Cryptic releases a new OP toy.
Step 7. Player A buys said toy.
Step 8. Cryptic few months later nerfs it, be it because of 'bait and switch' or incompetence.
Step 9. Rinse and repeat.
If you're going to blame Cryptic about their policies, take a good long look in the mirror yourselves first bacause you're the ones supporting said policies with your money and sending Cryptic a signal that what they're doing is ok and accepted by their customers.
The nerf brought it down to what it should have been in the first place. Even then, there are so many overpowered and so many underpowered abilities scattered left and right that it's impossible to take care now of them. It's too late, they should have done that from the very beginning.
old SS3, Ionic, Viral, Barrage and DR cheese destroyed PvP. Those who are gone will not come back because for every step they do forward, it's two steps back.
The PvErs now rant because they've been toned down. But the damage has been done already. A part of the community is gone, the remaining one is angry, devs aren't trusted anymore. If they cared to release the above stuff after balancing it, they'd have avoided both issues.
As I said, it was a shortsighted move. And the "shortsight" is ending.
I am sure this will not be a problem for meimetoo. He will never purchase any Zen ever again, unless Cryptic proves to him they won't nerf stuff someone could buy. Since that will never happen....
Can't even say I disagree with you.
Closing wallets for ever is a dangerous game, though. Because the likelihood of them giving in is small. Rather, when whales (and whalettes :P) stop spending, they'll ere just shut down the game altogether. Acts of sobatage are always tricky that way, with the players usually winding up on the losing end.
What I *can* do, however, and will do, is suspend my spending on the next shiny, until after several months, to see whether or not it suddenly gets nerfed, after all. That might actually encourage them to have a closer look at things before releasing them.
What would your policy if they nerfed the item before you buy it, but it's still good? Kinda like Surgical Strikes?
I think this is a flawed perception and almost on the same level of asinine as the claim that rises up here every now and then which says that we should praise Cryptic as the "savior of Star Trek" regardless of the quality of the product, because if they didn't made a Star Trek MMO nobody else would have and nobody else ever will in the future.
If they want to shut the game down for whatever reason, they'll shut the game down regardless of the whales and whalettes spending or not spending tons of cash. If they decided to shut sown shop, they'll just pick up that cash, invest it in the next "secret project" and pull out the plug.
On the other hand, if they wish to keep developing and growing the game - they'll do everything they can to improve, keep the game going and satisfy disgrunted customers. If they're planning to keep the game, the reduced spending of players won't make them shut down the game - at least not before they tried everything in their power to satisfy the consumers and bring back the money.
It boils down to personal convictions, addictions and fanaticism. If I'm not satisifed with the quality of the product, I won't spend until it's improved to satisfy my personal norms. Being dissatisfied, publically complaining and yet still spending because I don't want the game to shut down, or just because it's Star Trek is perverse in my book, in the lack of a better word.
It is not our job as players to keep the game running at any cost, regardless if we are or aren't satisfied with what we're getting for our money. That's Cryptic's job, it's their business. If they can't handle it, they'll flop - if they can, they'll grow. But I as a consumer should not worry about their business future, I've got enough of that in my own workplace. Yeah, I like the game and love Star Trek, but blindly funding something that isn't working out for me because of fright is not healthy IMHO.
Well, that's one way to look at it. Me? I think it's delusional to believe Cryptic will change their policies, just because I stomp my little feet in protest: for me 10 others. Not saying you're arguing that case, but thinking one person can make that much of a difference, I believe, is also rather egomaniacal, for lack of a better term. Like you're saying: they'll do what they want, with or without me.
Also, it's not totally black and white for me; not: either I spend, or I don't. I prefer the third option, which is to delay my future payments, until I can see whether the 'Bait & Switch' will stop. Cuz, unlike you, I'm not so convinced they'll just keep going, regardless: when people en mass stop spending, there simply won't be profit for them in it any more, and I do think they *will* shut down then. Cuz I don't think they really love Star Trek as much as they love Latinum.
I didn't say they'll keep going. I said that it's up to them, their future plans and will wheather they'd keep going or pull the plug in such a situation.
What I'm saying is that if there's a defeatist mentality at Cryptic, and they are already halfway into shutting the game down and calling it a day - they'll just look for an excuse to shut the game down. On the other hand, if they're dedicated and willing to keep the game going, make it work and with that make themselves more money through the game - they'll try to locate the source of the stopped spending en masse by their customers and try to rectify.
It's quite simple really, like you said - they may or may not love Star Trek, but they're in it for the latinum. I love Star Trek, but it sill ain't my job as a consumer to keep funding the game at any cost just because I'm not sure wheather Cryptic likes Star Trek enough to keep going or give up.
It's not black and white for me either, but I've stopped spending after the S8 fiasco. I never said I'm done spending forever, but in order to get me to invest real cash again they'll need to show me that they're implementing fully functional systems and gameplay that I'm willing to support. Since the entire last year under D'Angelo has been a trainwreck and there wasn't any decision they made regarding STO that I liked and would want to support, I haven't opened my wallet since.
I'm willing to give Ricossa the benefit of the doubt, but he'll have to convince me that he has Cryptic back on the right track before I start spending again.
If because of this they decide to shut down STO, I'll certainly be sad as hell - however, I won't pay them my hard earned money for removing content I liked to play, for releasing half baked and broken systems, stupid things like Undine lockboxes, Delta Rising or the rubberbanding lagfest the game has currently turned into. Because for me liking the game and loving the IP is one thing, but funding a lacklustre product just because of that is another.
I do have hope, because there was time I had a gold sub just as my modest way of continuously supporting the game I loved and I firmly believed it was going in the right direction, not that I really needed it - I bought Zen when I wanted/needed anyway. But after everything that transpired in the last 16 months, I'm not paying them for hope. They'll need to show me that their mind is once again in the right place.