Does the game start to feel like a chore to you ? Yes / Not and Why ?

constellus · February 2016

Hello all !

I would like to know your opinion if the game is starting to feel like a chore, for me it is now, buy everything or endless grinding , prices going up so fast that is starting to feel like work, after 10 to 12 hours working i want to have some fun when i come home, but it doesn't feel like it anymore.

Does the game start to feel like a chore for you ? Yes / Not and Why ?

(Any tips are appreciated too) ^^

Thank you all.

leemwatson · February 2016

Any game that requires levelling up is a chore....well in fact, most games are. The things that's good about STO is levelling keeps on happening, and there is a real lot of things to explore, because that's mostly what Star Trek is, explore everywhere and everything (Yes I know we're limited to what exploration we can do!). If you play most games (especially console games and PC variants costing upwards of $80) you have maybe 20-40 hours before you're maxed out, STO literally does take weeks or months, which is not bad for a F2P game.

peterconnorfirst · February 2016

No not really, but has been last year at this time when DR was still new.

Since then stuff like admiralty patched out most of the grind and my 9 toons are basically all in a shape where I want them to have. True, I could probably flush another 20-30 mil dil down the toilet for quality upgrades but there is always tomorrow you know.

So it’s basically team up with fiends, queue up and rock a few pve for fun and watch my mountains of Dil grow. Moderate 50-100k DPS on most of my builds easily bring me in a position where I have the means to set the difficulty strait for myself by selecting from the right group of players. Pugs ensure challenges and the STO league smooth sailing so it always works nicely the way I feel like.

When there is a new shiny around I like to have I simply buy it and when not than not.

So if you ask how space is at the moment I must say it’s rather fine and relaxing.

sirmayday · February 2016

Yeah, pretty much, but it's one I undertake willingly for an expected payoff. Right now I spend about an hour a day on the the anniversary event, DOFFing and setting up Admiralty assignments, just accumulating specialization points and dilithium. At some point, there'll be new content, and I'll have the specialization points and dilithium to dive right in. Case in point: I want the new flagship mega-bundle, and have already passively accumulated something like 70% of the dilithium necessary to do so. When a new specialization come out, my main will be able to claim about half of it, so I can enjoy some of its signature abilities (at higher tiers) without grinding it out then.

earwigvr6 · February 2016

Yes the game to me feels like an incredible chore. It's part of the reason that I don't play it anymore. I used to play daily for many hours and would be more than happy to sink countless amounts of money into the game, but over the last 3-4 months there is just nothing that interests me.

Anything and everything that is added to the game is nothing but a grind fest. I have no issue with the idea of grinding, but there has to be an element of fun in it.

For example, let's take a quick look at the current event shall we ?

Start at ESD, talk to Q to get the mission.

From there you have to fly to say, Andoria. Then you have to beam down to the ground and run to the FURTHEST point possible in order to scan the particle. If you are unlucky enough to get Vulcan you have to run all the way to the furthest edge of the map, turn and run all the way back up the hill ! It's insanely boring and pointless.

Anyway, from here you then have to fly to the furthest point away from you ! Usually K7...... From there you again have to fly to another point that is as far away as it can possibly be from your current location.

How is this fun ? It's dragged out for a ridiculous amount of time where you are doing NOTHING of importance.

It seems everything is geared this way of late and it's simply stopped me from playing the game and stopped me from spending my cash on it. It simply has nothing of worth and nothing that is fun anymore.

A single new Episode once every 3-4 months that lasts for 15 minutes does not justify new content to keep me coming back.

And even then !!!!!!!!!................. They try to make us play the same damn thing over and over for different pieces of gear, the vast majority of which is not of any worth to anyone.

Unknown · February 2016

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zerosinder · February 2016

It's not like a chore for me at this point. I just returned to the game and the content past 50 is really really good. If you have not played the last 10 levels you missing out on some great upgraded everything really. You get weapons, consoles, ship parts ect and some really well done story type missions.
The only thing I suggest about newly returning players is get yourself in a fleet asap. This will really help you with advice about the game and get yourself some fleet credit as your gonna need it for your ships later down the line. Also start working on Reputation as soon as you can. There is a learning curve to returning since release as they have added so many new things that you may want to start over from scratch. Your call. Anyway, enjoy the gane and I look forward to seeing everyone in the STO universe

geezerpunk · February 2016

To me it is all in the way you play it. Since coming back in the fall I have had a lot of missions to catch up on, and toons to level. But I was fine with the grind for the Winter event although at the end the fun was kinda gone because I was doing a lot of them solo.

However with the Omega particles I started feeling burned out pretty fast. Maybe because it is a struggle to get a score over 800, but I just make sure that along with collecting particles, I go out and run a couple hours of missions on one of my toons each day. Sometimes flying around, sometimes in a BZ, sometimes something else.

If all I did was collect particles, or run the featured episode four or five times on all seven toons, yeah, I would be board to tears and either drinking heavily while I do it, or finding something else to play.

constellus · February 2016

Thank you all very much for the prompt reply and tips, i appreciate.

echatty · February 2016

geezerpunk wrote: »

To me it is all in the way you play it. Since coming back in the fall I have had a lot of missions to catch up on, and toons to level. But I was fine with the grind for the Winter event although at the end the fun was kinda gone because I was doing a lot of them solo.

However with the Omega particles I started feeling burned out pretty fast. Maybe because it is a struggle to get a score over 800, but I just make sure that along with collecting particles, I go out and run a couple hours of missions on one of my toons each day. Sometimes flying around, sometimes in a BZ, sometimes something else.

If all I did was collect particles, or run the featured episode four or five times on all seven toons, yeah, I would be board to tears and either drinking heavily while I do it, or finding something else to play.

Are you doing the Omega game with your mouse or your arrow keys? And is your resolution set high? I had to lower my res to medium for the Omega game to run right and the mouse is much better than the arrow keys.

As for the OP? No, it's not a chore. I spend the morning farming traces and crafting using the slivers I get from farming. Then I run whichever toon I feel like playing through some content/BZ or whatever.

Right now, since I have the ship, I'm running all toons through the Omega daily for marks, then move the traces to the team bank so I can keep them all on one toon.

Other's mileage may vary, but I have tons of fun.

storules · February 2016

constellus wrote: »

Hello all !

I would like to know your opinion if the game is starting to feel like a chore, for me it is now, buy everything or endless grinding , prices going up so fast that is starting to feel like work, after 10 to 12 hours working i want to have some fun when i come home, but it doesn't feel like it anymore.

Does the game start to feel like a chore for you ? Yes / Not and Why ?

(Any tips are appreciated too) ^^

Thank you all.

From the number of posts that you have, it seems you might be new to STO or perhaps to MMOs? Ever since STO went F2P this game has turned to a grindfest. Nothing new to that and you can do a search for former topics on it...years and years of pure grind. This is a common model for most F2P MMOs. Lots of people do get tired of the grind and they quit STO...then come back and then new players start playing to offset any gaps. If you find it too grindy might be time for a break and I'm sure its ok to keep your sanity. However, don't see the business model change anytime soon.

agnostic4 · February 2016

storules wrote: »

constellus wrote: »

Hello all !

I would like to know your opinion if the game is starting to feel like a chore, for me it is now, buy everything or endless grinding , prices going up so fast that is starting to feel like work, after 10 to 12 hours working i want to have some fun when i come home, but it doesn't feel like it anymore.

Does the game start to feel like a chore for you ? Yes / Not and Why ?

(Any tips are appreciated too) ^^

Thank you all.

From the number of posts that you have, it seems you might be new to STO or perhaps to MMOs? Ever since STO went F2P this game has turned to a grindfest. Nothing new to that and you can do a search for former topics on it...years and years of pure grind. This is a common model for most F2P MMOs. Lots of people do get tired of the grind and they quit STO...then come back and then new players start playing to offset any gaps. If you find it too grindy might be time for a break and I'm sure its ok to keep your sanity. However, don't see the business model change anytime soon.

Don't let post count fool you. I have been with STO since Pre-Orders. Have been playing MMO's since Ultima Online and Everquest.

Not everyone feels compelled to take place in the social norm that is forum posting their opinion on everything that crosses their mind.

Some lurk....muhahahaha....

echatty · February 2016

I'm one who does a lot of lurking and post if I have something to add to a discussion. Usually it's to answer questions if I know an answer.

davefenestrator · February 2016

Nope, when it starts to feel that way I stop playing.

I play other games for awhile then come back (Fallout 4 was fun). I start new characters and play the story missions again. I do new ship builds. I don't worry about grinding 8K dil a day -- I have a job, I can buy zen if I need it.

warmaker001b · February 2016

If you're at a point of feeling a game has become tedious or "a chore" to play, it's time to walk away for a bit. You play a game for entertainment, not as a job.

martakurill · February 2016

I felt very similarly, but this is what I found helped:

1) Don't grind for any event ships ever, unless for some reason they are giving away your dream ship for free. I've been skipping the summer and winter ones for a while, and this will probably be the last time I do the anniversary one (if I weren't only a few days away, I'd actually stop that one now too - forgot how bad this one is).

2) Don't bother with reputations that have nothing to offer you. Still haven't finished the Terran rep. Probably never will.

3) Skip event items unless you REALLY want it. I'm sure many players have remorse over the hours they spent to get the Agony Rifle. Glad I never touched it.

4) Only play the parts of the game that are fun for you. For me, this means story missions, foundry content, RP, and a few of the STFs. (Oh yeah, and snowball fights and hoverboarding and such...)

If you follow these rules, STO is a great Trek playground. If not, it can be a real pain in the...well, you know.

feiqa · February 2016

davefenestrator wrote: »

Nope, when it starts to feel that way I stop playing.

I play other games for awhile then come back (Fallout 4 was fun). I start new characters and play the story missions again. I do new ship builds. I don't worry about grinding 8K dil a day -- I have a job, I can buy zen if I need it.

Exactly.

During the week I just launch chores as a rule. Doffs, R&D, and Admiralty. Weekends are when I am off and can enjoy playing for hours on end.

nikephorus · February 2016

I farm contraband which isn't fun, and feels kind of like work. Fortunately, it's only a few minutes of my play time and it enables me to do fun things on my main character without worrying about earning dilithium to fuel upgrades and such.

daveyny · February 2016

ANYTHING, that feels like a Chore... I stop doing...
at least for a while anyway.

staq16 · February 2016

This thread probably deserves a sticky for sensible responses....

But, like most of the posters above, the answer is simple - when it becomes a chore rather than a relaxing pastime, walk away. Every individual who complains that the game has got to be too much of a grind, or too expensive, is engaging in pure self-inflicted griefing; they've managed to convince themselves that their lives will be incomplete until they get that rep / event item / level / new ship.

hypl · February 2016

No, because I don't play as much these days, making it feel less tiresome and more enjoyable in short bursts.

bobbydazlers · February 2016

not a chore just not enough time to keep up with all the episodes with all the other stuff I want to do I.E. doffing admiralty and so on across 6 characters.

lan451 · February 2016

Almost every game I play ends up feeling like a chore at some point. That's just how things go when you play one thing for a long time. At least for me anyway. I just take a break or find something new to play.

centaurianalpha · February 2016

@ the OP: If it's a chore, then it's pretty much self-imposed. Granted, Cryptic made the career leveling curve extremely flat, so a year of consistent play is now required to reach endgame in all aspects (reputation, R&D, episodes, etc.). But no one is twisting our arms to meet their metrics; most of the time we just want our shiny things, and more of them, sooner!

flyingshoebox · February 2016

At times all the mmo’s I’ve played have felt that way to me. For me it’s a sign that I really need to start doing other things. Whether its playing other games or messing with other hobbies doesn’t matter. You just want to be doing something you enjoy. A lot of people forget that their games are not work and if you’re not having fun then your defeating the purpose of the game you’re playing.

My advice is go play something else for a bit. If you must stick with sto. Look at why it feeling like a job. Is there some item or title that you feel you must have by a particular date and time. If so chuck that date and time and just log in to play the stuff you find fun right now. Chances are the thing you really want that’s ruining your expression will still be their later. Something I always trying to remind a buddy of mine that’s big on achievements in games is that no of it matters. At the end of the day you’re playing a game that was meant to do one thing, entertain you. If you’re not getting that out of it, then you’re doing it wrong.

shanker666 · February 2016

Yes, it is a chore for me, which is why I've basically stopped playing. The Admiralty system just finished it for me,what a boring system,tired of the nonsense. Not enough new content, way too many c-store ships and prices in-game are out of control. Everything based on dilithium, can't even afford to donate to fleet projects because of the massive dil sinks everywhere else in the game.

PWE/Cryptic pays absolutely no attention to the player base, seems like Neverwinter is the star(another waste of time,imo), started the Omega trace particle gathering with the same exact bugs as last time, entitled players who want everything handed to them, instead of playing the game and earning things the way I had to...the list goes on and on.

I really enjoyed this game when I started(New Romulus) but now it has just become a bloated shell of its former self. I just hope that another company will take interest in the game when this one is gone and show it the attention it deserves. Just a money grab now(yes, I understand they have to make money to keep the game going). I have supported the game financially myself but can't find it within myself to do so anymore.

I will login from time to time, just to see how things are going, but I just don't see myself coming back full time anytime soon. All that being said, I have enjoyed my time here and the friends I've made and will think fondly of the many hours spent here,grinding away happily with my fleeties and others. Many thanks to everyone who made the journey so much fun.

groomofweird · February 2016

For me it can feel like a chore sometimes.
Fleet stuff aside, pre DR I had my ships maxed just as I wanted them. It was all fleet and team PVE and PVP runs, good times.
Post DR I seem to still be working to complete those shiny builds. And my game time is largely spent chasing some grind or another to further that goal rather than just playing for fun.
That said, having good friends ingame does help one break the monotony of the grind in favour of a "fun" run or two, that and a good chat.
Also when some of the grind pays off it can really bolster my spirits.
I've been working on fitting my Fleet Mat'ha with some nice cannons. So I've worked EC to buy the ones I wanted and worked on omega tech to upgrade them.
Today I got two sets of Elachi DHC's to UR critDx3 Dmg. Which is what I was hoping for.
So today at least the work seems worth it

flash525 · February 2016

I think it's been a chore for a while now, and then simply is down to the same material being released with a different coat of paint. All the items related to rep are practically identical, both in acquisition, and use. There's too much variety I feel, and that bores the hell out of me. Each new season we get a new rep to grind though, and it sucks out the fun, for me at least.

Unfortunately, that is the nature of the game. Some people are happy to do that, I am not one of them.

ikonn · February 2016

The game itself is really not a chore, if you have up to 3 characters. The chore is the repetitiveness during events just to get whatever shiney is at the end. If you are an altaholic (I gave 28) and run 2 fleets, then yes this game becomes a chore.

evilmark444 · February 2016

Yes, and it's the reason I burn out so often. EVERYTHING is time gated to an absurd extent, and end game progression revolves solely around grinding out faction marks for your daily reputation projects.

One thing the devs could do to INSTANTLY improve the game a great deal would be eliminating ALL of the artificial time gates this game has. WoW tried using time gates in its last expansion, and I haven't played since my main hit max level. Time gates suck all the fun out of any game that uses them.

tousseau · February 2016

It used to, before I took a break.

Back then... between leveling up 4 toons and their reputations, dil grind and doffs... it very much bacame a chore.
Now, I primarily focus on my Sci character... only getting on one of the others when I am looking for a change of pace. Especially now with the abundant sources of dil, it feels better to just kick back and relax.

Does the game start to feel like a chore to you ? Yes / Not and Why ?

Comments

When I think about everything we've been through together,

maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,

and if that journey takes a little longer,

so we can do something we all believe in,

I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.