The purpose of this game is to make money. There is nothing wrong with that - until we have Star Trek tech for real, we've got to use money! A free-to-play game works via micro-transactions and incentivizing subscriptions. I like a lot of the benefits for subscribers, but I have had a few ideas.
- Delta Recruits - While everyone had an opportunity to create a Delta Recruit during the event, being able to make more would provide an advantage for people who like alt characters or who got it late on the Delta recruit event.
- High-Stakes Dabo - Raise the bet limit to 10,000 EC for subscribers - that will only speed up the GPL conversion process. Purely a convenience feature.
- Discount in ZEN Store - Subscribers get a discount when buying anything with ZEN. If someone is already willing to pay money for game stuff, it doesn't hurt to encourage more purchases. It's not like there is any shortage of stuff to spend it on. Also, a discount would make the bonus ZEN go further, while reducing the disruption of the in-game economy.
- Full Bank in Ready Room - Change the account bank terminal to a normal bank access point. I understand the bank access is a perk for the freighters and Ferengi ships, but they still have the on-ship Trader NPC and other features.
Captain's Table
I have to admit that I was underwhelmed by the Captain's Table. For a station that requires you to go through your home system to visit, it was surprisingly bare. There are a number of features that could be added to make it a more appealing destination:
Make the Wholesaler a commodities broker that sells every kind of commodity at the broker rate. It's good for re-stocking your ship without having to make multiple stops.
Add a complete Chef menu of every food available from a vendor elsewhere - perhaps for one of the waitresses.
Give Cap a complete Bartender menu, with every drink available from a vendor elsewhere
Have a random assortment of ST captains show up at the table. This would be a good place for some less serious stuff, such as an argument between a Breen and Tholian on the temperature of a drink or an appearance by canon ST captains.
Add a Doff mission to Cap representing your captain telling a story for a drink.
Comments
Oh, wait...
Seriously though, there has been talk about revamping the Captain's Table. At very least, Tacofangs has plans to add doors for easier access from Club 47, I think the only thing holding that up is the fact that the Romulans and KDF don't have a similar place to connect from.
- no transwarp cooldown, EC prices for warp-to-mission-start removed
- no respec tokens needed to reskill while subscribed
- double or triple XP gained from R&D projects
- half or third of the original dilithium cost when applying tech upgrades to items
- guaranteed random improved/superior/Experimental superior tech upgrade upon every succesful completion of normal/advanced/elite PvE queue
- 50% bigger chance to crit when upgrading items with tech upgrades, possibly autocrit to higher rarity after 10th unsuccesful try
- 15% of your specialization XP earned with active character will also count on all your other characters (both active and inactive characters need to be level 60.)
- reputation gear(both earned from daily/hourly boxes, bought from stores or from completed projects) transferable through account bank, receiving character still needs appropriate level of reputation to be able to use the item
Subscriber's game should feel more rewarding and should offer smoother progression through game while also minimizing price of some services. This should help cope with the last biggest grinds namely upgrade system and specialization system. It could also help gear up your alts if you would be able to transfer no longer needed(or outdated but still useful) reputation gear from your main to your alt.
As you see, its not so easy.
And maybe a free cake delivered everyday at your door.
Oh wait, the cake is a lie.
#lolthread
While I do agree with the general point you're making, I think your list of suggestions is a bit too much. It would be nice if Subscribers would get some rewards that actually make a difference in-game or that allows for a special experience. At the moment the only ones I can think of are the Skill point boost, Zen stipend and the exclusive playable species.
More convenience things would be nice, like having a full bank on my ship, no transwarp cooldowns and free services. (Although I think that services like respec should be free for all players tbh. Especially if you consider how often powers are changed like recently happened with power insulators.)
All the other things you are suggesting would give subscribers an unfair advantage though. Rewards that give a bit more convenience are fine, but anything system-related like higher critting chances for upgrades would turn the Subscriptions into a pay-to-win feature. And we've already seen too many of those features added to the game recently.
Stop writting non sense, guys, seriously
The argument that non-subscriber can spend monthly much more than subscription cost is invalid. It is your choice. Choice that what you spent your money on was worth it. But right now the monthly subscription is not worth it. It is only good to be activated once to get your bank and inventory bigger or when you level your character to get half-a-dozen of respec tokens. That or get a lifetime. That's why I think it needs more perks that will be active only during active subscription to create incentive to either buy lifetime or keep paying monthly. It doesn't matter if you buy a hundred master keys or a mega bundle of DSDs afterwards.
Because it is far more difficult to drop away 200+$ at once than paying whatever is a sub these days every month. Thats the reason lifetime subscribers should have more benefits if the case will come.
Wtf you talking about lol. It is a real fact that people that are not subscribers in any way most of the times use more money than subscribers. My choice?? so, a monthly sub is not your choice??? someone is forcing you?
In a mmorpg monthly subs are almost treated the same as free playes. In all mmorpgs. They have no more "value", asking for extra rewards for a monthly sub is ridiculous. They already are giving you monthly stipend and veteran rewards, lol and you want even more?? seriously...
Nowadays, not a monthly sub or a lifetime sub are worthy. But thats another story..