Other Mmos do this. They give the option to purchase through steam. Allowing them to subscribe through the steam service. Now they can add the option of going to their website and then buy through steam, Which would be one way I could buy the lifetime subscription. Another option, though this might burn and anger those that bought it with real money. Consoles PS4 and Xbox One have the option to buy Lifetime Subscription Dirrectly with Zen I feel its high time PC gets to do this as well.
The version they could put in zen store could be the version that does not give any benefits like a monthy 500 zen benefit. In fact they could do it that way if people can't buy it the normal way can buy it with zen but at the cost of losing some benefits from the lifetime subscription. Like the free zen.
Another thing they can do is add a Neverwinter like Vip System. Which allows you to play those races they have locked behind the lifetime subscription with the unlock of all the faction outfits and maybe some ships without any of other benefits.
I think its high time they add other means of buying Lifetime Subscription. 28 votes
They could add both the ability to purchase through steam by the means of steam wallet or through the zen store like consoles
They should just add buy from steam option on their webpage for those that play with steam. But keep Lifetime sub out of the zen store.
2 votes
They should keep it out of steam and add it directly to Zen Store while removing some benefits like free monthly zen that way people can grind for the races they want to play.
Neverwinter like vip system that allows you to play liberated borg, talaxian so long as your subscribed to it. As well as Access to Captains Table. With Uniform unlocks without any of the other benefits.
1 vote
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Comments
They can make money by selling it on steam. Even if it costs more to buy it that way.
If I am going to spend real money on STO (which I do), I'd rather let all the money go to Cryptic rather than using a service that takes a cut just for the convenience of using said service. In the end I spend the same amount of money, but Cryptic does not receive the same amount of money.
Keep the LTS out of Steam and out of the C-Store... even if the C-Store version is a nerfed version of the LTS. That will only confuse people.
Well they would still get the money they would not get from me otherwise for the lifetime sub its one of the two ways I can buy it I can't do it through any other means, They would still make lots and lots of money. From players that can't buy it from arc. Having both options is wise. Even having the third option of zen store would be good. Even if they make it cost like 30000 zen.
If Neverwinter's VIP system is coming to STO, does that mean free daily Lockbox Keys? Since the subscription system is gone, then Cryptic could easily replace the monthly 500 Zen Stipend with free daily Lockbox keys. Also, if Neverwinter's VIP system is coming to STO and no more subscriptions, then how does that affect Lifetime Subscriptions?
Problem.
We used to have the Steam Starter Pack available on Steam. $20 got you a T1 Steamrunner, a T5 Steamrunner, a title (Steam Powered), some BOffs, and some gear for said BOffs.
People were taking advantage of Steam to essentially get that $20 pack for FREE.
Buy, put in the code, ask for refund from Steam. As STO is not attached to Valve, calling for a refund did not remove the item from STO because of said refund. People abused the system to get something for nothing. So Cryptic removed the Steam pack from Steam, and we got a slimmed down Steamrunner pack in the C-Store instead.
Putting a lifer sub on Steam is just BEGGING for abuse of the same kind. It won't work.
I kinda like my 500 Zen. Granted I only get it 11 months out of the year unless its a leap year because of WHEN I got mine...
Frickin' February only having 28 days. lol
There is one other thing they can do allow you to buy lifetime subscription the same way you buy zen on steam. Pretty much it opens a pop up and you make a choice maybe it would be 200 dollar option instead. Of the many options for buying zen. Making you have to purchase it while in game. Could be another option.
To avoid the to many edits limit just going to clarify clearer.
What I meant is they put in a tab for subscription in the zen store. Place it right next to the buy zen tab.
When you click on it you get the subscription type you want and the price. Then you click buy and then the subscription comes through they could do it where they require you to have gone through verification at least once before getting the lifetime subscription but then allows you to buy using steam wallet.
Neverwinter doesn't have a LTS. What it has is Packs similar to the Expansion packs STO releases. The first one cost $200 provided VIP Login Access and various different items instead of being mostly one type of item like how STO overloads their packs with ships. It also included various ingame bonuses to different PWE games like the Andorian Light Escort which is most likely the rarest STO ship. The last one was released almost 4 years ago and provided a race respec to a Dragonborn.
As to my opinion on the poll, leave it as is
Besides calling it a "subscription" when they don't even sell subscriptions anymore is silly.
Neverwinter has always been f2p and has done various packs rather than LTS.
The recent dropping of regular subs is so far confirming my suspicions that they're already leaning towards a neverwinter style VIP system. Probably with different perks like xp boosts and a console style large zen purchase for the LTS perks package minus stipend.
Hopefully it'll actually get tested before being unleashed unlike the obnoxious launch page thing.
Option 3 read like you're suggesting that the borg or talaxians get locked in a person drops the vip status which is a big NOPE.
I concur that this or something similar that is tailored for STO will happen in the next few months since Cryptic cancelled the regular subscription model.
I doubt Cryptic will give a rat's *** about any player that had been a regular subscriber & was almost to a next tier in rewards. I hope I'd be incorrect, but Cryptic's history concerning STO & its customer service indicates callousness.
People get hung-up on the title of "free-to-play", but all that is nowadays is a description of a business model. Are there players that play STO, & other games, for completely free of spending any real-world money? Yes, & good for them for working the system. There's also the majority of players that eventually spend whatever amount, small & vast, of real-world money on STO, & other games, & hopefully those players think it is enjoyable & worth it. If those players don't they probably stop spending real-world money.
Cryptic has had the majority of my characters with the incorrect lesser veteran reward tier that I paid for via a regular subscription (a little over 300 days). Cryptic has known about it since late July of last year & still refuses to correct it. Why should I have to pay the same amount for a product & service as everyone else then Cryptic &/or Arc goofs-up to where I'll only get a part of the benefits I paid for so I cancelled my subscription? After the third go-around of submitting tickets with documentation I gave-up, & that is what Cryptic really wanted. So I decided to not spend real-world money on STO anymore, & the game can still be enjoyed.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
My character Tsin'xing
This should be done as a non-bound token, like the keys and R&D packs. This will put them on the exchange. Because, well, someone has to buy them in the first place. So locking it to that account would be stupid. Just as outfit, drydocks, retrain tokens, and eveything, except ships, should be.
This one change, making everything, except ships a package one can sell on the exchange, would increase sales across the board on all items. You could even do this with ships, and again, increase sales across the board. Granted, the packaging here would have to be character unlock only. Thus, buying a C-Store ship, or outfit, off the exchange, only unlocks it for one character when used, like the Promo Pack/Lockbox/Lobi ships.
Remember, someone has to buy said item for, to be able to sell it on the exchange. So in either case, whether multiple player by the same item from the C-Store, or one play buys multiples of it to post on the exchange, Cryptic is still getting paid either way.