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Is the price of Zen too high?
spacebaronline
Member Posts: 1,103 Arc User
Zen sellers love the price. buyers hate the price.
Currently 425 per zen = 8k dilithium cap = 19 zen per day per toon. to buy a 3000 ship would take 158 days of grinding = people would rather roll many toons or pay real money - either way, I think Cryptic likes the price up here.
I don't think the contraband nerf will change much. Either some major more sinks need to be added, or major dilithium nerfs across the board to bring the price down. Contraband nerf only hurts some big whales in the game.
The real question is why would Cryptic want the price lower? This high price would push more people to spend real cash.
Currently 425 per zen = 8k dilithium cap = 19 zen per day per toon. to buy a 3000 ship would take 158 days of grinding = people would rather roll many toons or pay real money - either way, I think Cryptic likes the price up here.
I don't think the contraband nerf will change much. Either some major more sinks need to be added, or major dilithium nerfs across the board to bring the price down. Contraband nerf only hurts some big whales in the game.
The real question is why would Cryptic want the price lower? This high price would push more people to spend real cash.
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if I stop posting it doesn't make you right it. just means I don't have enough rum to continue interacting with you.
Your concerned about how long it takes you to get something for free, I'm concerned about how much value I'm getting from my hard earned cash.
As I said - Zen sellers love the price. Maybe Cryptic does to as it encourages people to put more real cash into the game. I think the contraband nerf is just to get rid of the heavy farmers. We might get a big dip in the price this weekend, as there will be thousands of brand new level 60 AOY toons just waiting for Fleet gear, rep gear, and the bonus upgrade weekend. Dilithium sink weekend it should be called.
They actually don't like it being so high. They want it to be fair to both zen sellers and for zen buyers so that the latter can get C-store items while the former can get dilithium for whatever they may need it for.
On topic, I don't see it as that big of a problem. If anyone noticed, the price has actually gone down considerably this last week. Why? Because people have new characters with the AOY event. They need Dilithum for upgrades and to get Fleet Gear.
It's a supply/demand system.. prices fluctuate. If the price isn't right for you, rather you're a buyer or seller, then just wait a bit. Personally, I am waiting for it to inch up a bit further and then I'm going to sell a couple hundred zen. If it goes back down at a later time, I'll cash in the other way.
That makes no sense.
The rate currently only 'scares away' Free to play people that want to grind Dilithium instead of spending money.
The rate at current benefits those that will spend and enables them to spend less. The higher the rate, the cheaper they get Dilithum for their upgrades, gear, and fleet contributions.
There is only one type of player that the current rate works against and that's those that don't spend money. The reality is, that group is not Cryptic's primary focus, nor should it be.
I've spent many years working in "free" online business with "upsells" so I can speak from real experience. Everyone starts as "free" and you have to have that "achievable" carrot in there for them to keep them in the product as a percentage will turn into real spenders. The high rate does not leave a player with an achievable "carrot". So I'm sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. But carry on anyway.
Yeah right, everyone online is an expert about everything.
I understand quite well how the F2P model works, and you're full of it. You don't convince free players to spend by giving them everything freely and easily. You may be a self professed expert in 'free online business,' but the rest of us use common sense.
I could give you my resume, but the hard reality is that I have real life business experience in this area and you do not. Regardless, Cryptic themselves have come out and said that the high exchange rate is not in their best interest and in a move that boggles my mind, they nerf contraband (dil production) in order to deal with the problem. So on one hand, we have Cryptic saying what I'm saying and you saying what you're saying based on your personal "common sense". hmmm.. Yes. I think everyone should listen to your wisdom.
That was my feeling after reading your response and typing out one of my own... But what does it all matter. Let's just play the game and have some fun lol...
This is the issue, right here.
There's not a whole lot to make someone want dilithium, and there's oodles of it everywhere. Any decent dil sink put in would not only have more people buying it with Zen, but everyone complaining about Zen sellers would be sinking their dil into it instead of the exchange. It seems like people don't even consider that.
"We need more dil sinks!" means something desirable everyone wants, not just that theoretical someone you're looking to buy Zen from. Otherwise, it's not that good a dil sink.
Sounds good man.. no hard feelings.
They're changing Contraband turn in mission from every 4 hours to every 20 hours.
Exchange rate has indeed dropped lately. Due to new AoY characters and upcoming upgrade weekend: people are stockpiling/using dil at the moment.
See, now I'm just offering opinion based on what I see.. but are they trying to fix it? Because this weekends Dilithum event would seem to suggest otherwise. I doubt that the Contraband 'fix' was an attempt to stabalize the market. Why do I feel that way? Because it seems logical that if that was goal, they would focus more on something that has more effect in Dilithum Generation. Contraband Farming is only really possible with the KDF side and we all know that the vast majority of players are Fed side.
In one interview, Bort said that they were 'watching the market.' He never said a word about intending to do anything to change it, just that they are watching it and mindful of the exchange rate. They still offer Dilithum Weekends, they gave Temporal Recruits the ability to generate much more dilithum then regular characters, I don't see them doing anything to effect the market one way or another. The only thing that has done it is the increased demand for Dilithum because everyone has new characters from the AOY event. This and this alone has dropped the rate from just under 500 to just over 400 in a matter of days.
Again, just saying what I see, but the only thing I have seen effecting the market one way or another is player demand.
From his twitter
Jeremy Randall @BorticusCryptic Jun 28
The Zen Exchange is a difficult subject to comment on, but I can confirm that it's the reason I'm looking at our economy reports in detail.
Jeremy Randall @BorticusCryptic Jun 28
Poring over long-term Dil Economy reports. So many pretty squiggly lines.
And thus, the contraband nerf. Which doesn't fix the real problem which is a need for even more "constant" things for the zen buyers to spend dil on.
and who said humans don't have the lobes for business?
First off, OP. You're welcome.
Myself and the other players who spend money on this game are the ones keeping the lights on. My contribution may not be as much or as often as some. "F2P" is a serious misnomer. PWI/Cryptic is a business. It is most definitely not a charity. They are in business to make money. Since they cannot make it off of you, and they have to do things like pay the bills, it has to come from somewhere. Namely, people who spend Real World Currency on this game and ARC. Which gives you and quite a few others the ability to come in here and b***h endlessly about how tough it is to earn Zen.
NONE of the Zen on the Exchange came from PWI/Cryptic. Not. A. Single. One. ALL of it came from players converting Real World Currency into STO currency. This may be a, ahem, difficult concept for people to wrap their heads around. Because we now live in a world where everyone is a victim. We now live in a world where everyone is entitled to do as they damn well please with zero chance of consequences or accountability. We now live in a world where people expect others to support them and give them things. Like Zen.
Until you have spent Real World Currency on this game, shut up. From my viewpoint, you're another freeloader who thinks because he breathes constantly, people should line up to kiss his a**. I'm not asking people to line up and salute because I spent money on this game. I am also not saying everyone who spends no money on this game is a freeloader or is ungrateful.
I spend money on this game because I have more than enough discretionary income from my adult job to allow me to do so. Generally, I do not mind if others benefit without paying anything. They want to play STO because they like it and I have the monetary means to allow them to do so. Win-win, I say.
But for the last month or so there has been an endless stream of willfully ignorant t**ds cluttering up this forum crying about how expensive Zen is and how unfair it all is. Like a lot of people, I've heard enough of this ridiculous b******t. I'm one of the few who will say something out loud about and call the welfare state wannabes on it.
I can guarantee one thing, though. Not one sorry sonofab***h ever will start a thread about how tough it is to earn Dilithium and how unfair it is the people who spend Real World Currency on Zen don't buy enough.
What I see there is them reviewing the economy, I don't see anything that tells me that they have done, or intend to do anything about it. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing anyone's opinion, or trying to be argumentative against anyone. I'm a person that doesn't like to deal in the hypothetical, I'm judging by actions and with the exception of the Contraband 'fix' all I see is Cryptic continuing as normal.
They keep pouring Dilithium into the market and outside of of the Contraband thing (the reasons for which are still unclear) there doesn't seem to be any intent to try and manipulate the exchange rate. Again, I'm not invalidating your argument, but I don't see any reason to assume that the Contraband thing is in response to the Zen exchange rate. If they were that worried about it, you would think they would have cancelled (or at least postponed) the Dilithium weekend, or not make it so Temporal Recruits gain Dilithum with every kill.
I'm honestly cool either way, I have a character that can use the Dilithum but I also like to use Dilithium to offset my Zen costs on purchases. I'll take advantage either way, if they're trying to reduce the exchange rate then great. I just don't fully believe that they are. What I do see however, is the market changing because of demand, the AOY recruits are walking Dilithum Sinks.
i believe they're simply keeping an eye on it so the price remains at an even keel and doesn't dramatically shift in either direction...
granted it'd be seriously awesome if it bottomed out to 25dil per zen, but that's just my broke TRIBBLE talking.. think of the ramifications of a dil price blowout on zen..
The Dil exchange is exactly that, so keeping the price between a pair of proverbial goalposts keeps things flowing nicely, we'll see when the next lockbox rolls around.
Makes sense, and I'm sure that there is a point where Cryptic prefers the exchange remain. I just don't personally believe that they're too interested in trying to actively effect the market. If they are, they certainly can.
i thiiink their preferred range is around the 350-450 mark on average. I could most certainly be wrong, but that's the way the Dil Exchange was ever since STO went F2P..
From about June to about Nov of last year when I cared enough to keep track, the exchange rate was around 225. Hit 240 at one point (think it was the defiant). While fleet holding was going on it dropped to about 200. Since then there's been nothing (except now with AoY) to keep it in check, i.e. "big things" to spend dil on.
A. Sellers feel that its market value for their £/$ transaction (I'm not going to argue with that. they made a monetary purchase)
B. Buyers willing to pay what the Sellers set the market value of Zen at support the current rate of the dil exchange therefore the current value of Zen on the exchange is correct.
So if you don't like the market value of Zen then don't buy it. Its only not buying will it devalue the market and lower the value of Zen. If you are still buying then STFU moaning about it as you are contributing and supporting the value of Zen so have no complaint.
Removing the accessibility and flow of Dil will only affect the market if Zen is not moving. Sellers list the Zen at its current price because they know it will sell. Its not about the amount of dil people have its the fact people are willing to pay the price Sellers set.
So as the Defari would say everything is in balance