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We need an overall cost reduction to Z store Ships

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  • themadprofessor#9835 themadprofessor Member Posts: 1,203 Arc User
    trennan wrote: »
    fury#0751 wrote: »
    All I want as a reward is the ability to recover any bound to character items when I'm tired of that character.
    As an LTS I have 'quit' STO multiple times and when I come back a few years later, its nice to create a new Captain and start over just to get a feel of how the missions and game mechanics have changed.
    Consequently I have deleted a number of unplayed Captains only to realize later I'd unpacked a lobi ship or Character bound item.

    Unlike some others I don't have the patience or time to play alts, so when expansions come out offering a new playthrough experience, they devalue any previous character bound purchases i've made.

    I really like the game, but the thing stopping me making purchases at the moment is, all the ships Im interested in are character bound and I've promised myself to not spend any zen on items that aren't BoA or, even if Character Bound, reappear in my store as a reclaimable item if I delete the character that previously claimed it.

    There is this. However, while they offer new play through experiences with expansions. I don't let it detract me from my main characters. Like the Gamma Recruit. I did it's play through, and the more annoying rewards like complete 100 TFOs. Outside of that, I log in to doff and adm on it. I don't delete chars, I simply let them sit idle until I decide to toy around with them again. I mean in total you can have 56 characters for LTS and 55 for non-sub. I still play my mains after I finish the newer play through.

    This way, you can save you character bound stuff for the ones you play, and account bound for your alts. This is how I play, and the majority of ships in the C-store hold very little value to me. Outside of their traits, they don't even really interest me. Which is why I've been playing sine the game went F2P, and have not bought any ship from the c-store.

    This is where the character bound ships and equipment gain more value to me, than the c-store ones. I'm buying the character bound one for the express purpose to use them. I'm not wasting money on ships, traits, and consoles, that I'm likely never going to use to begin with.

    Now if they separated these into the following categories:

    Ship
    Ship Trait
    Consoles

    To where I could buy just the ones I wanted, with out having to acquire part of it I don't want. For instance buying a ship to get the trait. I don't actually want the ship or the console. This is where the C-store ships lose their value to me. Why would I want to waste money on buying two products I don't want, just to get the product that I do?

    Now someone mentioned hobbies. I'll use two that have a bit in common, leather working and tailoring. Sure, you have to spend money on these, that's a given. You chose tailoring as the hobby, but you need a specific needle from leather working to accomplish something. The question is, would you buy a $100 leatherworking kit, to get the 1 needle you need? Or would you buy just the needle?

    This is how the C-store ships work for me. I'm having to buy the $100 kit, to get the $5 needle I need. Which makes them a waste of money.

    Playing devil's advocate here, but sometimes when you buy that $100 kit for the $5 needle, you find something else in that kit that you never thought of using, but once you do, you wonder how you lived without it.

    Translation: Sometimes buying the pack is the better deal and pays off.
    Space Barbie Extraordinaire. Got a question about Space Barbie? Just ask.

    Things I want in STO:

    1) More character customization options such as more clothing options, letting the toon complexion affect the entire body, not just the head. Also a true RGB color picker applied to all costume and appearance options, which would allow for true appearance customization and homogenous colors instead of "this same exact color looks vastly different on two different pieces."
    2) Bridge customization, not bridge packs. Let us pick a general layout and adjust the color palette, console appearance, and chair types, as well as more ready room layout options.
    3) Customizable ground weapons, i.e. The aesthetic look of phaser dual pistols but they shoot antiproton bolts. For obvious reasons this would only apply to standard ground weapons.
    4) For the love of Q please revamp Plasma Ground Weapons. They look like demented Supersoakers right now.
    5) True Vanity Impulse and Deflector effects similar to Vanity Shields.
    6) A greater payout for hitting T6 Reputations. Currently it takes more time and resources to get from T5 to T6 than it does to get from nothing to T5. Make that grind really pay out at the end.
    7) Mirrorverse Refugee event similar to AoY/Delta/Gamma, complete with new Mirrorverse recruits for all factions.
    8) Independent Faction, because yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me!
  • jagdtier44jagdtier44 Member Posts: 376 Arc User
    Cryptic is a business. If ships would sell enough at lower prices to make them more profit then prices would already be lowered.

    If you want lower prices, 20% off sales happen several times a year and there have been flash sales with steeper discounts.

    Just because they're a business doesn't mean they have always done exactly what is necessary to make the best profit. Maybe the OP has a better idea than they have because they're complacent in their approach and too scared to make a change. It's like when established authors said that it would completely not profitable to lower ebook prices to 99 cents. Some unknowns did that and became millionaires almost overnight. Some of those established authors still haven't broken $100,000 in profit to this day.

    The point: It's way too easy to discount the ideas of others as "the guys in suits must know better because they're wearing suits".

    It's also pretty easy to be an armchair CFO and just post TRIBBLE on forums...

    It is not a zero-sum thing - the ideas may well be awesome.

    If the people with the ideas actually want to change things, then this forum is not the place, IMO/IME.

    Going around in circles about financial data and company metrics we do not have, IMO, is just idle speculation in a blatant effort to, once again, make the company 'look bad' and a few forum posters feel better about themsleves and thier 'amazing fiscal insights'.

    :)

    Yeah I suppose Cryptic should never have made those changes to the Discovery mega pack that surfaced on the forums and reddit a bunch because nobody went to their studio with a presentation and charts with fiscal data on how it would of been a better value with the changes they made to it... just because not every suggestion is good doesn't mean you should automatically rule out anything that doesn't come with a power point attached to it.
  • trennantrennan Member Posts: 2,839 Arc User
    trennan wrote: »
    fury#0751 wrote: »
    All I want as a reward is the ability to recover any bound to character items when I'm tired of that character.
    As an LTS I have 'quit' STO multiple times and when I come back a few years later, its nice to create a new Captain and start over just to get a feel of how the missions and game mechanics have changed.
    Consequently I have deleted a number of unplayed Captains only to realize later I'd unpacked a lobi ship or Character bound item.

    Unlike some others I don't have the patience or time to play alts, so when expansions come out offering a new playthrough experience, they devalue any previous character bound purchases i've made.

    I really like the game, but the thing stopping me making purchases at the moment is, all the ships Im interested in are character bound and I've promised myself to not spend any zen on items that aren't BoA or, even if Character Bound, reappear in my store as a reclaimable item if I delete the character that previously claimed it.

    There is this. However, while they offer new play through experiences with expansions. I don't let it detract me from my main characters. Like the Gamma Recruit. I did it's play through, and the more annoying rewards like complete 100 TFOs. Outside of that, I log in to doff and adm on it. I don't delete chars, I simply let them sit idle until I decide to toy around with them again. I mean in total you can have 56 characters for LTS and 55 for non-sub. I still play my mains after I finish the newer play through.

    This way, you can save you character bound stuff for the ones you play, and account bound for your alts. This is how I play, and the majority of ships in the C-store hold very little value to me. Outside of their traits, they don't even really interest me. Which is why I've been playing sine the game went F2P, and have not bought any ship from the c-store.

    This is where the character bound ships and equipment gain more value to me, than the c-store ones. I'm buying the character bound one for the express purpose to use them. I'm not wasting money on ships, traits, and consoles, that I'm likely never going to use to begin with.

    Now if they separated these into the following categories:

    Ship
    Ship Trait
    Consoles

    To where I could buy just the ones I wanted, with out having to acquire part of it I don't want. For instance buying a ship to get the trait. I don't actually want the ship or the console. This is where the C-store ships lose their value to me. Why would I want to waste money on buying two products I don't want, just to get the product that I do?

    Now someone mentioned hobbies. I'll use two that have a bit in common, leather working and tailoring. Sure, you have to spend money on these, that's a given. You chose tailoring as the hobby, but you need a specific needle from leather working to accomplish something. The question is, would you buy a $100 leatherworking kit, to get the 1 needle you need? Or would you buy just the needle?

    This is how the C-store ships work for me. I'm having to buy the $100 kit, to get the $5 needle I need. Which makes them a waste of money.

    Playing devil's advocate here, but sometimes when you buy that $100 kit for the $5 needle, you find something else in that kit that you never thought of using, but once you do, you wonder how you lived without it.

    Translation: Sometimes buying the pack is the better deal and pays off.

    Of this I am well aware. Especially when working on a car, and needing a specific screwdriver bit to remove something. This is something where I have to buy the small bit kit in order to get it. Had to deal with this putting a new ignition switch in my car, need the one bit to remove the steering wheel. Of course I discovered later, one of the electricians kits I had previously bought, had the bit I needed in it. I still have both kits. I learned never to get rid of a tool. The moment you do, is the moment you need it.

    With the game however, it's a bit different. With the aforementioned kits, I have the ability to sell them if I want. With the game, I have the ability to just throw what I don't want away. I don't have the ability to recoup anything I've spent on it. Thus, the kit loses value.

    I also know that the aforementioned categories, would only turn a profit as character unlocks, instead of account.

    So the C-Store ships fall in the Ogre's choice on how they sell them, and whether or not someone decides to buy them.
    Mm5NeXy.gif
  • darkbladejkdarkbladejk Member Posts: 3,816 Community Moderator
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    Woo thanks for that example of T5U lockbox ship that was the ONLY Cardassian ship in the game for a looooooooong time for proof that T5U ships are still selling well on the C-store. (WHICH btw you still dropped for a T6)

    It's true the other day this guy was like hey I want to buy a new ship what should I get? and everyone in the fleet was like buy this t6 or that one. and I was like HEY wait. for almost the same price you could get a Regent Assault cruiser! it's the same thing man.

    Less consoles, less weapons, less stats, and no trait don't make them lesser ships at all. Your being disingenuous, sure the content in STO is doable in T5s but to not claim they are lesser ships is calling the ocean dry.

    I assure you Cryptic is selling far less T5 Hakoonas these days than they are t6 scimitars, morrigus or even Karas. I don't think anyone is clamoring to buy a T5 Multi vector escort with the T6 Hestia kicking around. How about Andromedas vs Yamatos?

    people can screech anecdotal all they want but we can all clearly see what has done well for Cryptic and what hasn't. You can see a ship coming look at it's stats, layouts, console, and trait and see if a new ship is going to be selling. (or just a canon ship in general)

    Do we know the EXTENT of how well or how poorly? No we don't because as stated Cryptic doesn't release that information but acting like the Bortasqu' wasn't a failure because we don't know to what extent makes me chuckle

    edit: final point, do we really need cryptics sales figures to know that the reason the t6 nova hasn't come out yet is because science ships don't sell as well as Tac ships?

    Replace the Galor with the t5u Karfi and you have a friend and fleetmate of mine who currently still uses that as his main KDF ship. By your line of logic that t6 is always superior, then why was my t5u Galor outperforming all of my t6 ships well into the AoY era, and why was I able to keep threat over fleetmates, friends, and even pug groups if t6 is automatically that much superior?

    I'm not sure where you got your information on the differences between t5u and t6, but there is no difference in weapon slots or even the amount of consoles on the ships. The only differences between the t5u and t6 ships are minor variations in their boff layout, and the t6 having the ability to utilize specialist seating such as command, intel or so on. The other difference is that most cstore t6 variants come with a starship trait that can be utilized at tier 5 mastery unlock. As proof here are some of the states on the t5u fleet excelsior vs the t6 fleet excelsior.

    At 65 they both start with a base hull of 64350, have a hull modifier of 1.43, have a shield modifier of 1.1, turn rate of 8, impulse modifier of 0.15, inertia of 40, +5 bonus power ot all power levels, 4/4 weapons layout, 4 device slots, 4 tac consoles, 5 engineering consoles, and 2 science consoles, with the t5u getting its 5th engineering console after upgrading to t5u, and both ships having all 4 cruiser commands.

    The only difference in the 2 ships comes in with their boff seating. both ships have a Lt Cmdr Tac seat, a Cmdr Eng seat, a Lt Sci, Ensign Eng. On the t5u excelsior the final seat is a Lt engineering seat, and on the t6 it's a Lt Cmdr Engineering/Command. That's literally the only differences between the t5u fleet excelsior and t6 fleet excelsior. Links to their wiki pages if you would like to verify the numbers I've given you. Aside from those minor differences they're the exact same ship.

    https://sto.gamepedia.com/Fleet_Advanced_Heavy_Cruiser_(T6)
    https://sto.gamepedia.com/Fleet_Advanced_Heavy_Cruiser_Retrofit

    I would dare say if that one extra engineering power and those potential command powers are making or breaking one's build, then they have alot more problems than simply not being able to use command powers or a second Lt Cmdr engineer power. Specialist seating like command, intel, pilot etc. can definitely help in today's game but are NOT required to do well and succeed in today's environment.
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    I assure you Cryptic is selling far less T5 Hakoonas these days than they are t6 scimitars, morrigus or even Karas. I don't think anyone is clamoring to buy a T5 Multi vector escort with the T6 Hestia kicking around. How about Andromedas vs Yamatos?

    According to what numbers do you make that statement and determination? I know of plenty of folks who bought the T5 version of the ship just so they could get the multi vector console even after the t6 Hestia was released. You severely under-estimate how many folks will buy a ship just for a console or something like that because it was used on the show. Unless you have access to numbers that the rest of us simply don't, or work for Cryptic yourself, you can't possibly access to the sales numbers to know what is selling and what isn't. Unless you have access to those numbers, whether you like it or not, that is 100% your opinion and nothing more.
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    people can screech anecdotal all they want but we can all clearly see what has done well for Cryptic and what hasn't. You can see a ship coming look at it's stats, layouts, console, and trait and see if a new ship is going to be selling. (or just a canon ship in general)

    Once more without access to the sales numbers to know for certain, you have no logical basis to know what has sold well and what hasn't. All you can do is guess based off circumstantial and anecdotal evidence. When a new ship is coming and the stats are released, all you can do is speculate based off how you think like minded players may go. Not everyone thinks the same way as you do or even plays the same way you do in game. There are several ships that I use and have used for tanking that some of my more DPS oriented fleetmates and friends typically don't use. On the opposite end, there are ships they use that I typically don't. Simply because you personally don't like a ship does not automatically mean it won't sell.
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    Do we know the EXTENT of how well or how poorly? No we don't because as stated Cryptic doesn't release that information but acting like the Bortasqu' wasn't a failure because we don't know to what extent makes me chuckle

    edit: final point, do we really need cryptics sales figures to know that the reason the t6 nova hasn't come out yet is because science ships don't sell as well as Tac ships?

    To answer these 2 questions, once more, you can't and won't know for certain how well sales of any kind have done unless cryptic makes that information public. Simply because your particular pet ship hasn't been made into a t6 ship yet doesn't mean it will never happen, it simply means for whatever reason they haven't gotten to it yet. If you're going to assert that the T6 Nova hasn't been released yet is because it wouldn't sell, then you would indeed need some numbers to back that up if you wanted to assert it as established fact.

    As for the Bortasqu being a failure, again based on what authority do you make such a broad sweeping statement? I really don't get how you're coming to some of these conclusions that you are when neither of us has the sales numbers in front of us.

    There's a host of reasons as to why certain ships may not be out yet, such as legal reasons, licensing fees or what have you. Unless that information is made public neither of us can know for certain and it's pure opinion.
    "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
  • xyquarzexyquarze Member Posts: 2,120 Arc User
    Yeah...but practically speaking, unless you really happen to love a particular design, are you really going to go with the mechanically inferior/outdated ship over the current meta/up to date one for the same price?

    Many chimed in on this already, but I feel like adding my 2cts while a cooldown is slowly whittling down.

    Yes, I do. I often don't even know exactly what the "current meta" is. And even if I do know, I will prefer the ship that suits my needs and wants. Which can be a certain general build I have in mind and want to try out. And if that is including Grav Well, then the current meta can TRIBBLE my EPOHH if it only offers lt Sci access. Unless there is a ship strictly inferior for the same price (and not a single one is), every ship is worth a consideration.

    Sure, I'll look into the ships apparently doing well and see whether I think I can make a build that also suits my style of play and uses the meta. But again it can NANOV my TARDIGRADE if it includes mechanics I don't like (thinking of you, Aux2Bat), and suddenly it may not be as shiny anymore.
    My mother was an epohh and my father smelled of tulaberries
  • davefenestratordavefenestrator Member Posts: 10,689 Arc User
    edited February 2019
    valoreah wrote: »
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    Relax man, he made a good point in that a lot of the mediocre ships might sell better at a lower price point as $30 is a lot to ask for a subpar ship to fly just for fun.

    "subpar" according to what measure? DPS? Not everyone is a DPS chaser.

    Yeah...but practically speaking, unless you really happen to love a particular design, are you really going to go with the mechanically inferior/outdated ship over the current meta/up to date one for the same price?

    Yes. I've been playing since 2012, with breaks now and then. I've never paid attention to the current meta. Each of my captains has a theme, and I get them a ship that fits that theme. Earlier this year my Romulan Liberated Borg got a Tal Shiar Adapted ship because it fit the Borg theme and had nothing obviously wrong with it. I could have spent the money on a newer, "better" ship instead but it wouldn't have fit. Space Barbie is the true end game.

    I buy other ships when I like the look or they look like they're fun to fly regardless of what their DPS will be.

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  • echattyechatty Member Posts: 5,918 Arc User
    edited February 2019
    valoreah wrote: »
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    Relax man, he made a good point in that a lot of the mediocre ships might sell better at a lower price point as $30 is a lot to ask for a subpar ship to fly just for fun.

    "subpar" according to what measure? DPS? Not everyone is a DPS chaser.

    Yeah...but practically speaking, unless you really happen to love a particular design, are you really going to go with the mechanically inferior/outdated ship over the current meta/up to date one for the same price?

    Yes. I've been playing since 2012, with breaks now and then. I've never paid attention to the current meta. Each of my captains has a theme, and I get them a ship that fits that theme. Earlier this year my Romulan Liberated Borg got a Tal Shiar Adapted ship because it fit the Borg theme and had nothing obviously wrong with it. I could have spent the money on a newer, "better" ship instead but it wouldn't have fit. Space Barbie is the true end game.

    I buy other ships when I like the look or they look like they're fun to fly regardless of what their DPS will be.

    This is me as well. The 'current meta' means nothing to me. What matters to me is if the ship flies and if it keeps my toons alive. I've flown every ship that I've acquired, and some have been pretty butt-ugly. I also don't own every ship in the c-store, lobi store or exchange, but I own a fair few.

    I'm pretty much space barbie myself. I do not have maxed-out character slots, nor do I have 50+ toons, but I do love each and every one of the ones I have. The new Vulcan ships has me wanting to create a Vulcan now, and I just might. That's a very nice ship, IMO, of course. I won't dare to speak for anyone else on what ships are good, bad or must-have. That's all subjective.
    Now a LTS and loving it.
    Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
    I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything. :D
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  • echattyechatty Member Posts: 5,918 Arc User
    Neither will I. If I buy that Andorian escort I will fly it on someone in my roster, not just fly for the trait and discard it.

    I actually like flying the Event ships and swap between them sometimes just for something different and fun.
    Now a LTS and loving it.
    Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
    I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything. :D
  • postagepaidpostagepaid Member Posts: 2,899 Arc User
    The fact that a galor was performing as well as it did is more down to the build (and pilot) than the ship itself.

    Take a ship with similar weapon & console slots and your results will be similar. For example the t'laru and jem carrier are both a 4/2 weapon setup, intel based and lend themselves very nicely to a build using grav wells and torps, pets are similar and having the wingmen strafing means the new ship edges ahead for killing stuff.
  • grendelthewise#0990 grendelthewise Member Posts: 640 Arc User
    I saw we buy ships from the c-store that have 12 tactical slots, 12 engineering slots, and 12 science slots.
    Fleet Admiral of the U.S.S. ATTILA KHAN-CDA (NX-921911).
  • trennantrennan Member Posts: 2,839 Arc User
    monodoso wrote: »
    I saw we buy ships from the c-store that have 12 tactical slots, 12 engineering slots, and 12 science slots.

    No thanks. The powerecrep is bad enough as it is. Don't need to make it any worse.
    Mm5NeXy.gif
  • echattyechatty Member Posts: 5,918 Arc User
    I agree with Trennan. We don't need ships that OP. The ones we have are fine, whether one wants to toodle around with the very basics or min/max the bejeebus out of them.
    Now a LTS and loving it.
    Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
    I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything. :D
  • ltminnsltminns Member Posts: 12,572 Arc User
    We need the Fesarius!!! :)
    #FesariusNow
    'But to be logical is not to be right', and 'nothing' on God's earth could ever 'make it' right!'
    Judge Dan Haywood
    'As l speak now, the words are forming in my head.
    l don't know.
    l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
    That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
    Lt. Philip J. Minns
  • majorprankstermajorprankster Member Posts: 25 Arc User
    jagdtier44 wrote: »
    Yeah I suppose Cryptic should never have made those changes to the Discovery mega pack that surfaced on the forums and reddit a bunch because nobody went to their studio with a presentation and charts with fiscal data on how it would of been a better value with the changes they made to it... just because not every suggestion is good doesn't mean you should automatically rule out anything that doesn't come with a power point attached to it.

    So you are comparing what might be considered an Internet-based torches and pitchforks moment, where enough(?) consumers that play the game spoke out, about a specific price on a specific pack, to a few forum posters who think they have an idea to fundamentally change the entire pricing structure in a single forum thread? And you assume that the 'outcry' changed plans when you have no solid proof of that - PR is PR.

    Really?

    I have said a couple times now, the idea might be sound, but you do not change the corporate pricing structure of a company through a forum thread.

    If you guys really want to rag on Cryptic that bad, then perhaps you could try turning this into a torches and pitchforks moment.

    IMO, this is still just people whining because they cannot afford the entertainment they desire, trying to make Cryptic look 'bad/greedy/evil/stupid', in a blatant effort to get more for less.

    Just typical consumer greed. :)
  • grendelthewise#0990 grendelthewise Member Posts: 640 Arc User
    trennan wrote: »
    monodoso wrote: »
    I saw we buy ships from the c-store that have 12 tactical slots, 12 engineering slots, and 12 science slots.

    No thanks. The powerecrep is bad enough as it is. Don't need to make it any worse.

    you are right, the power creep in game even after having some things nerfed are still out of control
    Fleet Admiral of the U.S.S. ATTILA KHAN-CDA (NX-921911).
  • darkbladejkdarkbladejk Member Posts: 3,816 Community Moderator
    it's clear at this point this is just going in circles and folks will have to agree to disagree at this point. /thread
    "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
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