Retiring Glossy Photos of Q

pwlaughingtrendy · November 2015

Information about the return of Q’s Winter Wonderland is just around the corner! As part of this year's holiday festivities, we will be retiring the “Autographed 8x10 Glossy Photos of Q” and changing how starships will be earned during this event.

You can learn more about the trade-in system here.

~LaughingTrendy

farshore · November 2015

You'll let us spend lobi to get photos to get ahead, but if we run the event years ahead of time on multiple characters, that's no good?

orion0029 · November 2015

Can't say I'm surprised about this, since I've vented about this change during the summer event changeover I don't see any reason to complain now.

Carry on.

Edit: I'd just like to add that retiring the Sarr Theln (a T6 ship) does seem rather mean toward people who were counting on it being available this year. A more acceptable method of retiring these ships would be to leave them available for this year (after announcing they will be retired), then remove them after the event ends. This would let players have one last chance to get them, then they'd be gone forever. Still unpleasant, but would give players at least a chance to get one before its gone...

psycoticvulcan · November 2015

We want to maintain the exclusivity and collectability of the event ships from the Winter Event each year

Why?

angrytarg · November 2015

Can't say I'm surprised. I had 960 pictures ready

Unknown · November 2015

This content has been removed.

davefenestrator · November 2015

farshore wrote: »

You'll let us spend lobi to get photos to get ahead, but if we run the event years ahead of time on multiple characters, that's no good?

They changed the event so completing ONCE now unlocks for ALL CHARACTERS including FUTURE ALTS you create months or years later.

Cryptic has done something very nice for us. You should be happy about that.

questerius · November 2015

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

thay8472 · November 2015

^^ what he said ""

Why?

angrytarg · November 2015

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

"trade" usually means to another account ("trade window"), but I may be wrong.

breadandcircuses · November 2015

Disapointing, since it only penalizes players for having foresight and planning to stick around for another year. Ah well, doesn't change that I'd have been running the laps anyway (to stock up for next year).

Really, I think you've been looking at resource stockpiling wrong. Those stockpiles are an indication of our intention to stick with STO for another year. They don't cost you (the company) money, because folks willing to stockpile items for a full year are not likely to be the ones willing to burn Lobi just to save time; they're already willing to take a full year to unlock the next item, right? Plus, by continually retiring currencies and introducing replacements, you're wasting space with additional resource trade-in shops and item entries that really weren't needed in the first place.

Disappointing, but not surprising, and at least we get some random stuff...

[EDIT] Unless you're actually adding value to these Events by opening up the trade-in shops for all prior years' currencies, allowing us to potentially stockpile on more characters to get trade-in stuff when the Events return the following year? I'm certainly not interested enough to bother (I only stockpile on one character for the ship, and I'm certainly not going to spend the Lobi at current purchase rates just to save a couple days), but I can actually see this being a benefit for folks that really like the Event's minigame.

haplo013 · November 2015

Would be nice if we were informed at the beginning of an event that this would be the last time and the change would happen for the next time the event ran.

cers001 · November 2015

is it bad that I'm getting joy from my own misery in this game?

questerius · November 2015

angrytarg wrote: »

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

"trade" usually means to another account ("trade window"), but I may be wrong.

It usually does, but i'd like confirmation one way or the other.
For me it doesn't really matter since i filled the spec tree some time ago, but others may want to use this on unfinished alts.

hatepwe · November 2015

I just wish if they aren't good for future purchases then let us at least sell/trade them among ourselves. If I have 1 photo left and Jim has 29 I don't care about that 1 it is a pittance but for Jim that 1 makes a huge difference. Would suck to be a handful of photos away from something useful in that store.

robertjenkins · November 2015

oh well, everything changes... and it is the winter event!! BEST PART OF THE GAME!

bioixi · November 2015

Forget about the pictures, we need to know the stats of the dreadnought, is it 4/4 or 5/3? how many tac consoles? intel or command?

Show us a picture of the new model.

IMPORTANT-->will we be able to use the old model too?<---IMPORTANT

questerius · November 2015

bioixi wrote: »

Forget about the pictures, we need to know the stats of the dreadnought, is it 4/4 or 5/3? how many tac consoles? intel or command?

Show us a picture of the new model.

IMPORTANT-->will we be able to use the old model too?<---IMPORTANT

No ship, only an admiralty card.

gulberat · November 2015

haplo013 wrote: »

Would be nice if we were informed at the beginning of an event that this would be the last time and the change would happen for the next time the event ran.

I believe we were warned before Risa started that this was the way forward for ALL events. I don't necessarily agree with all aspects of the decision, but there was advance warning.

As for me I am still refusing to do that stupid race. (I suck so bad at racing games it's not even funny.) Which means as usual no Breen ship for me, but oh well.

I do, however, have an obscene number of Q-Mendations stashed from last year's Winter Anniversary...which I would not be surprised if they are phased out as well. Oh well...it'll be part of my mission for this year to give my Reman some love...spec points, in this case. I would particularly like to know, are the spec points you get for turning in your old marks account-bound or character-bound? If account bound, I would at least consider that fairly reasonable compensation as it would spare me at least a few weeks of work on that toon (and net me more time to rack up Omega particles, as I am pretty danged good at the Guitar Hero game).

crypticarmsman · November 2015

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

The Q-Autographs were un-tradable (even within the same account) - why would you expect the new event currency to be tradable between accounts? - (Especially since once you finish the event and claim the ship on that first character, you can then claim said ship on any other character on that account.)

mmorine · November 2015

welp.... Another event i will never finish.... that Federation Carrier better have some good stats, or i am just.... not going to play this game anymore, missed last year's event ( the only time i actually wanted to do it ) and was hoping at least the carrier would be for this year....... looks like every time i miss an event i am well and truly screwed.

storules · November 2015

breadandcircuses wrote: »

Disapointing, since it only penalizes players for having foresight and planning to stick around for another year. Ah well, doesn't change that I'd have been running the laps anyway (to stock up for next year).

Really, I think you've been looking at resource stockpiling wrong. Those stockpiles are an indication of our intention to stick with STO for another year. They don't cost you (the company) money, because folks willing to stockpile items for a full year are not likely to be the ones willing to burn Lobi just to save time; they're already willing to take a full year to unlock the next item, right? Plus, by continually retiring currencies and introducing replacements, you're wasting space with additional resource trade-in shops and item entries that really weren't needed in the first place.

Disappointing, but not surprising, and at least we get some random stuff...

[EDIT] Unless you're actually adding value to these Events by opening up the trade-in shops for all prior years' currencies, allowing us to potentially stockpile on more characters to get trade-in stuff when the Events return the following year? I'm certainly not interested enough to bother (I only stockpile on one character for the ship, and I'm certainly not going to spend the Lobi at current purchase rates just to save a couple days), but I can actually see this being a benefit for folks that really like the Event's minigame.

I agree with this guy. WHY...WHY...WHY? This is NOT fair for older players and leaves a horrible taste in players mouth. WHY bother with doing this anymore if you will change the gifting system all the time. WHY don't you just standardize ALL events into ONE currency instead. The only thing being done is upsetting players and having re-new economies to make people grind endlessly.

I dont need Spec points nor upgrades or silly emotes. Would be better to get a conversion system to be more FAIR or at least some DILITHIUM.

Happy Holidays!

gulberat · November 2015

crypticarmsman wrote: »

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

The Q-Autographs were un-tradable (even within the same account) - why would you expect the new event currency to be tradable between accounts? - (Especially since once you finish the event and claim the ship on that first character, you can then claim said ship on any other character on that account.)

What about once you turn them in to get spec point boxes? Do THOSE become account bound instead of character bound?

questerius · November 2015

gulberat wrote: »

crypticarmsman wrote: »

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

The Q-Autographs were un-tradable (even within the same account) - why would you expect the new event currency to be tradable between accounts? - (Especially since once you finish the event and claim the ship on that first character, you can then claim said ship on any other character on that account.)

What about once you turn them in to get spec point boxes? Do THOSE become account bound instead of character bound?

Which was my question in the first place..

jonathanlonehawk · November 2015

gulberat wrote: »

crypticarmsman wrote: »

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

The Q-Autographs were un-tradable (even within the same account) - why would you expect the new event currency to be tradable between accounts? - (Especially since once you finish the event and claim the ship on that first character, you can then claim said ship on any other character on that account.)

What about once you turn them in to get spec point boxes? Do THOSE become account bound instead of character bound?

That's what I want to know as well. I have 1000 Q'Pics on a character that doesn't need spec points (Maxxed out) but if I could turn them in for the account bound boxes I could jump-start my KDF character.

ddesjardins · November 2015

The changing reward currency was not unexpected. A fairly decent proportion of active players have been stock-piling the 8x10's for a couple of years now. Getting the next ship takes 1 run of the event.

I'm sure there will be a mechanism, or level of flexibility to finish existing projects already slotted. I'm also satisfied with the reward options to use up our 'legitimately earned in a grey area' of the promotion. I didn't have anything saved up for the previous change in promotion currency - so I'm looking forward to finally getting those ship emotes

lianthelia · November 2015

Thing I find intriguing is

"More information on the 2015 Winter Event is right around the corner! The event goes live very soon!"

Unless they're changing things and running it much earlier this year I wouldn't exactly call a month away *very soon*.

bioixi · November 2015

gulberat wrote: »

crypticarmsman wrote: »

questerius wrote: »

"These cannot be traded".. does that mean character bound or account bound? I hope it's the latter.

The Q-Autographs were un-tradable (even within the same account) - why would you expect the new event currency to be tradable between accounts? - (Especially since once you finish the event and claim the ship on that first character, you can then claim said ship on any other character on that account.)

What about once you turn them in to get spec point boxes? Do THOSE become account bound instead of character bound?

They are not spec point boxes, they are not inventory items, once you buy 1 spec point it goes straight to your specialization XP, oddly enough you do need free inventory space to purchase them (Note: technically they are items, but they disappear from your inventory as soon as you purchase them and award you the XP).

The RnD packs are character bound.

The emotes are account bound.

Tech upgrades are character bound.

baddmoonrizin · November 2015

The problem with giving players "one last chance" to get the previous ship(s), is that there would always be someone asking for "one last chance" because [insert excuse here as to why they missed it before]. If an exception were granted for this year, it would be used as the basis of an argument for granting an exception the next year. Players were told during the summer that this was going to happen, so if Cryptic is going to retire them, then just retire them. No "last chance" promotions.

Now, that's not to say that I support that decision. I don't agree at all with retiring rewards, or one-time only rewards that cannot be reclaimed. I do not see the problem with allowing the winter/summer ship or CC/MI projects to be done indefinitely. Especially when Cryptic runs new player recruitment promotions like Delta Rising. I just don't see how it's advantageous to Cryptic to deny rewards to newer players.

mustrumridcully0 · November 2015

psycoticvulcan wrote: »

We want to maintain the exclusivity and collectability of the event ships from the Winter Event each year

Why?

So that you get into the game every year and play every event, otherwise you're missing out something that won't come back. It's basically a way to "bind" players to the game so they don't wander off and forgot about STO and buying stuff in game.

ddesjardins · November 2015

breadandcircuses wrote: »

Disapointing, since it only penalizes players for having foresight and planning to stick around for another year. Ah well, doesn't change that I'd have been running the laps anyway (to stock up for next year).

Really, I think you've been looking at resource stockpiling wrong. Those stockpiles are an indication of our intention to stick with STO for another year. They don't cost you (the company) money, because folks willing to stockpile items for a full year are not likely to be the ones willing to burn Lobi just to save time; they're already willing to take a full year to unlock the next item, right? Plus, by continually retiring currencies and introducing replacements, you're wasting space with additional resource trade-in shops and item entries that really weren't needed in the first place.

Disappointing, but not surprising, and at least we get some random stuff...

[EDIT] Unless you're actually adding value to these Events by opening up the trade-in shops for all prior years' currencies, allowing us to potentially stockpile on more characters to get trade-in stuff when the Events return the following year? I'm certainly not interested enough to bother (I only stockpile on one character for the ship, and I'm certainly not going to spend the Lobi at current purchase rates just to save a couple days), but I can actually see this being a benefit for folks that really like the Event's minigame.

They've made a number of changes to the reward mechanisms for the event. The most significant is that the cost for additional ships per alts has been reduced to running the event once - not multiple times. This is hugely beneficial for players with multiple alts - getting essentially the rewards for free.

From the company's perspective (at least from my view point) : The game mechanism - using the same rewards for each new seasons ship - was a bad design choice. It encouraged stockpiling for the next season. It made no sense if the goal was to encourage people to play each season. It was further made worse (from a company perspective) with the 'free' ship per alt strategy. Players spent less time in the Winter Event, exacerbated by the significant bugs in the new events. Something had to give, and losing a saved currency was the best direction.

Retiring Glossy Photos of Q

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