test content
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Options

Let's put the "micro" back in microtransactions.

245

Comments

  • Options
    spyralpegacyonspyralpegacyon Member Posts: 408 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    therealmt wrote: »
    Why is this game and endless grind for more power?

    Why does it have to be? Nobody forced anyone to get on the min-max train.
    tumblr_n1hmq4Xl7S1rzu2xzo2_400.gif
  • Options
    rmy1081rmy1081 Member Posts: 2,840 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    But er...those are pretty decent examples of games that are outright P2W...no?

    DCUO is pay for content. There's no way to gain station points from any in game means, which is a big reason I don't play that game much. DDO and LOTRO is also pay for content but has a system to earn turbine points in game, with DDO being the easier of the two in obtaining them. I don't really know about LOTRO but DDO isn't pay to win. But hey, I've been taking my gimp bard (before they were the FOTM) into epic elite content for years and doing great so I may have a skewed point of view.

    My greater point was seeing games from different developers lowering prices but at the same time putting out less content, just doing it more often. DCUO is actually partnering with DC and releasing new story missions based on the current happenings in the DC comings and movies. DDO is putting out classic DnD modules. They'er not overreaching story arcs and since the story is already built, they can release them pretty fast. It would be nice if STO followed suit by lowering prices but IDK how that would work since most of their profit comes from ship sales.
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    rmy1081 wrote: »
    DCUO is pay for content. There's no way to gain station points from any in game means, which is a big reason I don't play that game much. DDO and LOTRO is also pay for content but has a system to earn turbine points in game, with DDO being the easier of the two in obtaining them. I don't really know about LOTRO but DDO isn't pay to win. But hey, I've been taking my gimp bard (before they were the FOTM) into epic elite content for years and doing great so I may have a skewed point of view.

    My greater point was seeing games from different developers lowering prices but at the same time putting out less content, just doing it more often. DCUO is actually partnering with DC and releasing new story missions based on the current happenings in the DC comings and movies. DDO is putting out classic DnD modules. They'er not overreaching story arcs and since the story is already built, they can release them pretty fast. It would be nice if STO followed suit by lowering prices but IDK how that would work since most of their profit comes from ship sales.

    DCUO sells powers.
    Both DDO and LotRO sell improvements...faster this, faster that.

    As you mentioned, they're also selling content. So it becomes a case of paying for stuff to do...rather than having free stuff to do where you don't need anything to do that stuff.

    Sure, they could probably lower the cost of ships if they started charging for everything else too.

    New FE coming...break out the credit card. New Specialization...break out the credit card. Want to fly faster across the map...break out the credit card. Etc, etc, etc...

    Yep, ship sales do a good part of the funding for the game...reduce that funding, it would have to be made up somewhere else.
  • Options
    shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Since no one else is really hitting upon this, I will than.

    STO is an online MMORPG and, unlike basic $30 - $65 console/computer games, doesn't actually sell games for a living to keep them in business.

    They sell products within the game, while the game itself [software] is absolutely free.

    So, when you think charging $30 for a C-store toy is expensive, just think of it as them selling a single copy of a game, like sooooo many other companies do.

    Now, don't get me wrong, a contribution of $100+ from someone, is enough to pretty much buy 2+ console/computer games but, that is how those companies make their money and, not how EVERY game developing company makes their money.

    It's either sell bunches of software copies and, people get to play it for whatever period and, may or may not get DL for it for free or, a fee + even the possibility of paying for game time via subscription fees for using their servers. [not all companies do this mind you]

    Or

    Get the entire game for free + DL content to boot [not all MMORPG's do this, as some charge for some DL content and/or, subscription fees] and, simply pay for in game goods/products/services/etc. [Some games offer ways to obtain these free as well via monetary trades]

    So, the major question is, what do you prefer to spend your time/money on?
    tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


    Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    As Voporak once put so eloquently, you can also have a steak dinner by picking up lost pennies in a parking lot too.

    And if one wants to compare playing STO to picking up pennies in a parking lot...then perhaps it simply is not the game for them. Or maybe it is...if that's their thing.
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    His comment was more to dispel the myth that everything can be bought for free with little to no effort. Most folk who bandy about the tired, old "you can earn it for free" adage misrepresent the time and effort involved to do so IMO.

    Do they misrepresent it or just view it differently?

    Tom's quick and easy might be tedious and laborious to Jerry.
  • Options
    thegrandnagus1thegrandnagus1 Member Posts: 5,165 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Do they misrepresent it or just view it differently?

    Tom's quick and easy might be tedious and laborious to Jerry.

    Yes. And to use that hunting analogy, someone who knows what they are doing is completely different from someone hunting for the first time. Especially afterwards when you are actually preparing your meal.

    The-Grand-Nagus
    Join Date: Sep 2008

    og9Zoh0.jpg
  • Options
    rmy1081rmy1081 Member Posts: 2,840 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    DCUO sells powers.
    Both DDO and LotRO sell improvements...faster this, faster that.

    As you mentioned, they're also selling content. So it becomes a case of paying for stuff to do...rather than having free stuff to do where you don't need anything to do that stuff.

    Sure, they could probably lower the cost of ships if they started charging for everything else too.

    New FE coming...break out the credit card. New Specialization...break out the credit card. Want to fly faster across the map...break out the credit card. Etc, etc, etc...

    Yep, ship sales do a good part of the funding for the game...reduce that funding, it would have to be made up somewhere else.

    Yeah, I totally agree with you. I've always liked that STO has free content. Even if I take a break, I can still come back and not have to pay for what I missed. STO has the most generous F2P model I've ever seen. I didn't mind buying $20 ships. I farmed for the extra $5 for $25 ships and now I farm for the extra $10 for the $30 ships. If that means we get to keep our free content them I'm happy. My only concern is what will cryptic do if other MMOs are dropping prices.
  • Options
    feiqafeiqa Member Posts: 2,410 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Just a thought on putting micro into micro transactions.

    Instead of lowering the cost of the big ticket items we get more small ticket items?

    Like 150zen one character unlocks of cross faction uniforms. KDF/RR can buy all those 'not' uniforms the feds get. Fed/RR can get access to the oddly racially locked kdf uniforms. and Fed/KDF can get the romulan uniforms. (I think the tos rom female uniform was also a Klingon female uniform in Day of the Dove.)

    Just as examples. That is little extra coding. No extra materials, and it gives several fans things they want. and is monetized.

    Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
    Network engineers are not ship designers.
    Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    Hey if you want to spend months/years grinding out dilithium to purchase everything for from the store for free, more power to you. Clearly most others would rather spend the funds than waste the time.

    I don't suffer that particular condition where I need everything...and...certainly not the particular version of that condition where I need it all now. I get what I want when I get it...it's all good...just from playing the game - and - in the end, playing a game's just about finding an enjoyable means of wasting time.

    If one isn't enjoying themselves...well, I don't have that particular condition either...then maybe they shouldn't play.

    Sounds like you've brought up somebody that needs to do a bit more than navel lint introspection about their life choices.
    rmy1081 wrote: »
    Yeah, I totally agree with you. I've always liked that STO has free content. Even if I take a break, I can still come back and not have to pay for what I missed. STO has the most generous F2P model I've ever seen. I didn't mind buying $20 ships. I farmed for the extra $5 for $25 ships and now I farm for the extra $10 for the $30 ships. If that means we get to keep our free content them I'm happy. My only concern is what will cryptic do if other MMOs are dropping prices.

    Thing is though, if they're dropping prices while adding more prices to things - they're actually charging more, no? The proverbial nickel and dime situation...
  • Options
    shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    Hey if you want to spend months/years grinding out dilithium to purchase everything for from the store for free, more power to you. Clearly most others would rather spend the funds than waste the time.

    And, it is what keeps this game alive $ wise and, I will always say TY in appreciation!
    feiqa wrote: »
    Just a thought on putting micro into micro transactions.

    Instead of lowering the cost of the big ticket items we get more small ticket items?

    Like 150zen one character unlocks of cross faction uniforms. KDF/RR can buy all those 'not' uniforms the feds get. Fed/RR can get access to the oddly racially locked kdf uniforms. and Fed/KDF can get the romulan uniforms. (I think the tos rom female uniform was also a Klingon female uniform in Day of the Dove.)

    Just as examples. That is little extra coding. No extra materials, and it gives several fans things they want. and is monetized.

    This is something that has been asked for, in many ways more than once, lots of people have given ideas of little things here and there, that they would be willing to obtain via zen but, the vast majority has not been added, either because they were not the greatest of ideas and/or, Cryptic just doesn't feel/want to add them for reasons!
    tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


    Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

  • Options
    praxi5praxi5 Member Posts: 1,562 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    And you don't actually need any of it to successfully play the game. Learn the difference between need and want.

    Do I get value out of the money I do spend on this game? Yes, yes I do. I get every penny of value because the game entertains me. That's what games are for. If you are expecting anything more than entertainment then YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

    This is the second time you have quoted something of mine with a demeaning response.

    ... And also the second time where your point was already addressed and acknowledged in a post that you apparently decided to quote without reading.

    I already said that it's not necessary to buy a new ship or upgrade. But once you've played out all of the content (over and over again) in your existing or free ships, what's left to do but buy a new ship for a different play style?
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    Never said otherwise. All I attempted to point out was that some folk like to toss about getting everything for free as if it were a quick and easy thing to do. It isn't. Clearly there is less time and effort involved with spending real money versus grinding out the requisite dilithium. That's how the game is structured in order to make the money necessary to keep the game running.

    I tend to go with everything basically being a Finish Now scenario. Just like there are folks that will hit that Finish Now cause they need it now, there are folks that will just toss the money at the game. Have to be thankful for that, cause if they didn't - well, I couldn't play at the leisurely pace that I do.

    At the current rate for what I do, it's about 80 minutes for for 80,000+ Dil which works out to 329 Zen. Which if one shortcuts it, works out to $3.29 worth of Zen over 80 minutes or ~$2.47 an hour. That's a horrible wage...if it were working. I mean, it's like 5 minutes vs. 80 minutes...horrible...if it were working.

    I see it more as unwinding...just something mindless to do, to let things settle...something that's likely to kill fewer braincells than putting on the boob tube to unwind.
    The game doesn't play by itself. Everyone has to learn to play. If you want to eat for free you have to learn to hunt, fish, and farm/garden. If you want stuff for free in the game you have to learn to use those skills too.

    Which in of itself presents the case that the one that spends time in the game might have a shot at having a wee bit more understanding of the game than the one that spends little time in the game...which will affect the efficiency of the spending in the game.
  • Options
    bobs1111bobs1111 Member Posts: 471 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Do they misrepresent it or just view it differently?

    Tom's quick and easy might be tedious and laborious to Jerry.

    It is all relative, and to answer your earlier how does this change make for D inflation, I hope I get to the right point here somewhere... ;)

    Some people that play STO simply refuse to spend money or stick to a "won't spend more then X in a month". Those people used to "farm" toons.

    Increasing the cost to 3k for One T6 ship (and the strong tie in with traits ect on the packs.. meaning 9k is what most people really want for a ship pack) means this.
    At the currant exchange the "free" cost of one T6 ship is around 744,000 D, or 93 Toon days at 8k. That is more then most (yes a few may) be willing to farm.
    If you had 10 toons that you could afford to use the Daily limit from, it would take you 9.3 days. Now if you had it down to 9 min per toon (some people being a bit faster and some a bit slower) that is still an hour and a half per day... for 9 days or 13.5 hours of work in game for 30 bucks.

    Before T6 price increases... and at around a 175 exchange rate, someone with 10 toons could grab a ship in 2-3 days, and 3-5 hours. That was a justifiable amount of time spent.

    Currently it is more work then most people will bother with to buy other players zen with D. Which means fewer individuals like me fighting over pricing and driving the cost of D down. At this point the only people selling large amounts of D are gold farmers (that are all working the same large farm) guess what, they don't fight themselves over pricing. lol

    EDIT PS... just read your last post there where you broke down your 10 toon run. lol :) I agree with you 80 min to 325 or so zen isn't TERRIBLE, it could be far worse... in my view they where far better off with a pricing system that encouraged more people to spend that hour and a half farming... cause the numbers of people doing it had us pushing the market meaning we where making 500-600 zen for the same amount of work. Yes the people spending money where getting less of a deal I admit... however the game was far more alive. I don't think Cryptic was in a place where they could afford to push those "free" working players as hard as they did. Not many people are willing to put in that many hours to earn something like a 3k ship... a 9k pack forget about it, at the rate you play its honestly a full work week of grinding D.
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    It just gets into that combination of the value of Zen and value of Dil.

    For the exchange rate to have reached 243:1 (it's been higher) points to the value of Zen having increased and the value of Dil having decreased.

    The two simplest factors to account for that (not necessarily the correct factors) would be:

    Ships...Zen value increases.
    Saturation...Dil value decreases.

    There are all sorts of new Ships coming out that some folks apparently want.
    There are a lack of Dil sinks while Dil has never been (outside of exploits) easier to get.

    If people were cutting down on their farming, there would be less Dil...perhaps they have...perhaps that's why it hasn't gone to 300-400+, eh?

    But it's the relationship between the values of those two items tied into the supply and demand of them...yeah?

    How many folks are just speculating as well, eh? Buying Dil they don't need now expecting there to be some kind of Dil sink down the road and wanting to be ready for it, eh?
  • Options
    erei1erei1 Member Posts: 4,081 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Wait, do you mean ~120$ for a multifaction ship pack, the price for a physical collector of a brand new AAA games, is slightly overpriced ? I can't believe it !

    Sarcasms aside, yeah, it's way overpriced. Cryptic always said all the STO content will be free. So they make ships for the price of others game expansion. And instead of doing like 1-2 expansion per year, they can make dozen of them.

    Also, it's a lot cheaper (a lot) to make a ship, than to make a 30$ worth expansion.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Someone posted a great response once, regarding the ability to get ships and other things without paying any actual money. I wish I knew who to credit for the comment, and I'm afraid I'm paraphrasing. I hope I get it right.

    It's like going to a steakhouse. You can buy a steak for $30 or you can buy it by collecting pennies from the parking lot.

    In other words, their method of getting things without paying actual cash is prohibitively time consuming and costly. It's not really a viable option.

    It was already mentioned in the thread...
    valoreah wrote: »
    As Voporak once put so eloquently, you can also have a steak dinner by picking up lost pennies in a parking lot too.

    ...and discussed - cause it's a bad analogy.

    It's like saying if somebody logs in once a week, then the R&D system could take over 6.6 years to get to Level 20 via a single Research Project!!!!
  • Options
    philipclaybergphilipclayberg Member Posts: 1,680
    edited May 2015
    Just because there is a ship does not mean you have to buy it. If one does not have impulse control...

    Sounds like Igor in the comic strip, "Dork Tower". If there is a new -- no matter how badly written -- supplement to "Warhamster 40k" -- he always says: "I must have it!"

    Alot of Igors in STO, then.
  • Options
    johnstewardjohnsteward Member Posts: 1,073 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    praxi5 wrote: »
    Ships cost a whopping $30. That's enough for a whole game right there.

    Then Cryptic tries to upsell us on packs, by coupling desirable traits or consoles with ships with less desirable BOff loadouts. Not always, but sometimes. The "encouragement" for the packs happens regardless, thanks to set bonuses. $60.

    Lobi ships costs 800 Lobi. At an average of 5 Lobi per box, that's 40 keys worth of boxes. Each key is $1.25. That's $50 for a Lobi ship. For a ship on a single toon, not an account unlock.

    The chances of getting a ship out of a box is laughably low. But let's say people spend about $50 on average there. Though it's likely significantly higher for people who are determined to get a ship. Again, not an account unlock.

    Player reports put it around 1.3 million Dil to upgrade the gear on a single toon. At the current exchange rate of 243 Dil:1 Zen, that's around 5350 Zen - a little over $50. Per toon, not even an account unlock.

    These prices are a bit high, no? You can easily afford multiple games for the cost of getting yourself a nice ship and decent gear for a single toon - and Cryptic wants us to do this every other month.

    Sure, you don't have to upgrade or get a new ship - but then, what's the point? Content is few and far in between, and it looks like ship releases seem to be taking the place of new content. Yes, you can complete everything with Mk XII gear, but the scaling (both bonuses to damage/stats and enemy health) is so skewed towards the high end that it heavily encourages upgrading.

    @spencerb96in-game has provided a table showing upgrade costs. Original posting here.

    EDIT: To make my point more clear; No, you don't have to buy every ship. But when you do plop down $30 for a ship, are you really getting $30 worth out of it? Is that ship worth a whole game?

    800 lobi are T5 lobi ships, T6 cost 900. And at s rate of 5 lobinper box its 180 boxes for 900 or 160 boxes for 800 lobi not 40. math doesnt seem to be your strong suit does it?;)

    And you are right ships and generally everything in this game is extremely expensive. Thats just because modt ppl here dont spent a dime on the game they play every day. Free to pay in all its wonderous glory. You are free to pay but if you do you pay for all those who didnt pay..
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    Actually, it's right on point to what I had said regarding the time and effort versus reward.

    But it's not. It's no less subjective than the quick 'n easy folks, just at the other end of the spectrum. It's also subjective in the sense of comparing the ability to get Dil to having to pick up pennies from a parking lot. It's drowning in subjective...

    To some...it will take too long...it will require too much effort.
    To some...they're in no rush...it's no effort at all.
    Working 5-10 minutes and that's a ship...not sure anybody's arguing that's not faster.

    But the sheer hyperbole of the time/effort involved...just comes way to close to all the whining, no - the whinging (curious word, slightly different meaning) - that comes about with so many things that are not easy peasy instant gratification.
    Sounds like Igor in the comic strip, "Dork Tower". If there is a new -- no matter how badly written -- supplement to "Warhamster 40k" -- he always says: "I must have it!"

    Alot of Igors in STO, then.

    There is a lot of the "must have it all", "must have it all now", "must have it all on all forty toons now", that goes in STO.

    Meh, stuff happens when it happens...it's a game, it could all be gone tomorrow - then all the precious would be gone! Heh...stuff happens when it happens...I get stuff when I get stuff.
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    But it is. What takes less time and effort to buy something like a ship bundle from the store? Grinding out the dil for it or paying for it immediately?

    This isn't rocket science.

    Reading is fundamental...perhaps if you hadn't snipped...well...yeah, you wouldn't have asked a stupid question - given it was already answered.

    And Grinding Dil? I get Dil from playing...I'm not grinding...it's a reward as I'm playing. People that play with poopoo glasses only see poopoo. And voila...what I said....
  • Options
    virusdancervirusdancer Member Posts: 18,687 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    I did read it.

    Really? You read this?

    "Working 5-10 minutes and that's a ship...not sure anybody's arguing that's not faster."

    So you ask which is faster...after having read that?

    Derp.

    And that wasn't the first time that I'd said it. Yet you asked all the same.

    Derpity derp.
Sign In or Register to comment.