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Refund Special Items on Character Deletion

If I buy a ship for Lobi, or for Fleet Credits, or any Zen Store item that unlocks for exactly 1 character than then subsequently delete that character those items, credits and advantages are lost despite real money having been paid.

Sometimes I change my mind, I want a Tac rather than an Engineering Human main. I am quite happy to level again from scratch, but loosing all my ships, levelling bonuses and so on? No.

Now, I am sure that one could argue this from the reactive "this will loose Cryptic" revenue angle because people will pay for stuff only once, but I'll preempt that by saying thats rubbish. People already buy stuff for multiple toons because they want multiple toons. This case deals specifically with people who want to delete existing toons - delete the existing benefits we have gained - and start over with a slightly different toon.

To us, having "per character" items returned to us on character deletion adds great value. I would be far more inclined to buy keys to open Lockboxes for the lobi if it meant that, in the case I decide I want to delete the character the ship is on I don't loose the ship.

Ultimately, me deleting a character to rebuild it slightly better keeps me playing the game. Asking me to simply abandon all the items I have on a character and re-buy them doesn't incline me to actually re-buy them. It just inclines me to cut my losses, not create that 2nd character, and thus, not play the character I want to play.

Comments

  • discojerdiscojer Member Posts: 533 Arc User
    I don't understand why you would ever delete a character. Just make a new one. Character slots are cheap.
  • anazondaanazonda Member Posts: 8,399 Arc User
    I see benefits of this...

    However, ask yourself: What is the incentive to buy more lottery-boxes for Lobi to get said items on new characters if you can just move them around like this?

    There is none.
    Don't look silly... Don't call it the "Z-Store/Zen Store"...
    Let me put the rumors to rest: it's definitely still the C-Store (Cryptic Store) It just takes ZEN.
    Like Duty Officers? Support effords to gather ideas
  • ihatepwe735ihatepwe735 Member Posts: 337 Arc User
    anazonda wrote: »
    I see benefits of this...

    However, ask yourself: What is the incentive to buy more lottery-boxes for Lobi to get said items on new characters if you can just move them around like this?

    There is none.

    I thought I covered this. To *have* the items. Right now we don't *have* the items. I would buy items today and try them out on this character if I knew I could move them to another/different character later.

  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,918 Arc User
    This is a frequently requested feature.. has been for a while.

    Sure, the players would love it.. but it's just not going to happen. I know someone will be along with some thing that their father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate heard in a pod cast saying they're considering it, but until I see it actually hit game, I call shenanigans.

    It's not a bad idea, but it's not going to happen.
    Insert witty signature line here.
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    One if cryptic's biggest money makers? NEVER. GONNA. HAPPEN. EVER.
    afMSv4g.jpg
    Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!

    http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
  • anazondaanazonda Member Posts: 8,399 Arc User
    anazonda wrote: »
    I see benefits of this...

    However, ask yourself: What is the incentive to buy more lottery-boxes for Lobi to get said items on new characters if you can just move them around like this?

    There is none.

    I thought I covered this. To *have* the items. Right now we don't *have* the items. I would buy items today and try them out on this character if I knew I could move them to another/different character later.

    But that way they will only earn the money once, instead of twice...
    Don't look silly... Don't call it the "Z-Store/Zen Store"...
    Let me put the rumors to rest: it's definitely still the C-Store (Cryptic Store) It just takes ZEN.
    Like Duty Officers? Support effords to gather ideas
  • ihatepwe735ihatepwe735 Member Posts: 337 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    anazonda wrote: »
    anazonda wrote: »
    I see benefits of this...

    However, ask yourself: What is the incentive to buy more lottery-boxes for Lobi to get said items on new characters if you can just move them around like this?

    There is none.

    I thought I covered this. To *have* the items. Right now we don't *have* the items. I would buy items today and try them out on this character if I knew I could move them to another/different character later.

    But that way they will only earn the money once, instead of twice...

    No. They earn the money once, instead of not at all...

  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,918 Arc User

    No. They earn the money once, instead of zero...

    From you.

    Obviously though, the majority does not agree because this model has been working for them for going on 9 years now and generated quite a bit of money.

    Everyone that suggests this says the same thing, that they won't buy otherwise and that everyone else feels the same way. Again, I don't even disagree with your idea.. I like it, but your logic just isn't supported.

    You should learn to do what I have done.. I love lock boxes.. I hope they last forever and nothing changes. They appeal to peoples lack of self control, they dump hundreds of dollars at a time into this horrible system and keep the servers alive so that I can play while spending next to nothing.

    People spend a lot of money on these things.. maybe you don't, I don't either.. but we are not the majority my friend.
    Insert witty signature line here.
  • ihatepwe735ihatepwe735 Member Posts: 337 Arc User

    No. They earn the money once, instead of zero...

    From you.

    ...

    In economics there are a number of situations where the outcome violates basic common sense. Surely profits go up if you increase prices? No. not if people buy less. Surely people buy less if you increase prices? No, not if you are selling Veblen goods like sports cars.

    So I repeat - those people you refer to - the ones that buy lock boxes and keys and shove money into STO? They have a thing called 'disposable income' and they're going to spend that on STO one way or another. They'll probably end up buying the same thing 10 times for 10 different characters.

    Other people? We have less disposable income so we're picky and we like to spend it on items that feel valuable. So, right now, this month, I have to choose whether to buy an account wide mount in Rift, or a not very account wide Ship in STO. One of these choices feels more valuable than the other. Maybe I am a minority. I don't actually think so. I think the majority actually have a limited disposable income and we'd far rather spend our budget on items in games that we get to keep.

    Ultimately its Cryptics call. And, as you point out - they've been making sub-optimal assessments of their client bases spending habits for 9 years now.

  • anazondaanazonda Member Posts: 8,399 Arc User
    anazonda wrote: »
    anazonda wrote: »
    I see benefits of this...

    However, ask yourself: What is the incentive to buy more lottery-boxes for Lobi to get said items on new characters if you can just move them around like this?

    There is none.

    I thought I covered this. To *have* the items. Right now we don't *have* the items. I would buy items today and try them out on this character if I knew I could move them to another/different character later.

    But that way they will only earn the money once, instead of twice...

    No. They earn the money once, instead of not at all...

    No no no... Because you are not their target audience in this matter... Their target is people with money to spare, so you really don't matter that much in this regard.

    It's better to make money twice from a reasonable amount of people, than opening op only earning it once from all people.
    Don't look silly... Don't call it the "Z-Store/Zen Store"...
    Let me put the rumors to rest: it's definitely still the C-Store (Cryptic Store) It just takes ZEN.
    Like Duty Officers? Support effords to gather ideas
  • ihatepwe735ihatepwe735 Member Posts: 337 Arc User
    anazonda wrote: »
    anazonda wrote: »
    anazonda wrote: »
    I see benefits of this...

    However, ask yourself: What is the incentive to buy more lottery-boxes for Lobi to get said items on new characters if you can just move them around like this?

    There is none.

    I thought I covered this. To *have* the items. Right now we don't *have* the items. I would buy items today and try them out on this character if I knew I could move them to another/different character later.

    But that way they will only earn the money once, instead of twice...

    No. They earn the money once, instead of not at all...

    No no no... Because you are not their target audience in this matter... Their target is people with money to spare, so you really don't matter that much in this regard.

    It's better to make money twice from a reasonable amount of people, than opening op only earning it once from all people.

    read
  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,918 Arc User
    And, as you point out - they've been making sub-optimal assessments of their client bases spending habits for 9 years now.

    That is 100% the opposite of what I said.
    Insert witty signature line here.
  • ussvaliant#6064 ussvaliant Member Posts: 1,006 Arc User
    Sorry I can't agree here if you create a character and "choose" to purchase character bound items and then have a change of mind that is not the fault of Cryptic. They have provided the services you have paid for and part of the conditions of that purchase is it is a character bound item which by purchasing you accept this.

    If the start over was due to the fault of the goods provider because of bugs and starting over was the only way to resolve then yes your complaint has weight.

    But a change of mind, sorry that's on you.
    maR4zDV.jpg

    Hello rubber banding my old friend, time to bounce around the battlezone again, where are all my bug reports going?, out of love with this game I am falling, As Cryptic fail to acknowledge a problem exists, Shakes an angry fist, And from Support all I'm hearing are the sounds of silence.
  • ihatepwe735ihatepwe735 Member Posts: 337 Arc User
    coldnapalm wrote: »
    And you claim that people who have disposable income will spend it on this game just because...yeah no. Whales don't spend money just because. They need SOMETHING to spend it on. You are advocating removal of basically the entirety of what they spend their money on with no replacement and you just assume they will keep spending money because you say so. Despite what every market research on this topic saying otherwise.

    What are you saying? This has got nothing to do with whales. Whales buy things for multiple characters. This is about deleting characters.

    Read what you are responding to. Its polite.


  • anazondaanazonda Member Posts: 8,399 Arc User
    Superlink1... Is that you?
    Don't look silly... Don't call it the "Z-Store/Zen Store"...
    Let me put the rumors to rest: it's definitely still the C-Store (Cryptic Store) It just takes ZEN.
    Like Duty Officers? Support effords to gather ideas
  • darkbladejkdarkbladejk Member Posts: 3,698 Community Moderator
    and that's more than enough of a flame fest in here /closed
    "Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again." - Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek Generations

    Star Trek Online volunteer Community Moderator
This discussion has been closed.