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Cryptic is becoming a Gearbox Studio!

ambassadorkael#6946 ambassadorkael Member, Administrator Posts: 2,673 Community Manager
Hey folks! You may have seen the press release that just went out, and I wanted to create a post here and get ahead of any questions you may have. Below is all the information I can currently share, but feel free to ask more questions in the thread below, and if I can answer them, I will.

https://embracer.com/release/embracer-group-enters-into-agreement-to-acquire-perfect-world-entertainment/

So what does this mean for Star Trek Online?
It's an exciting new opportunity for us to work with a new and very talented group of people. We've all seen the previous work Gearbox has done, and it's cool to get to be a part of that. But in terms of the day to day operations of STO, very little will change, if anything at all. The team is not changing, the leadership of both STO and Cryptic Studios is not changing, and the team who was previously at PWE, now Gearbox, is unchanging as well. Basically, you should see very little difference once this deal goes through in how our game runs.

Will Star Trek Online be sunset because of this deal?
There are no plans to sunset Star Trek Online right now. We are hard at work on continued development and remain committed to providing our players with the best experience possible.

Will I still launch the game through Arc?
If Arc was your preferred way to launch the game, that won't change. You'll also still be able to launch it through Steam, or just the Cryptic launcher itself.

How will this affect my account?
Your account should experience no changes as a result of Cryptic joining the Gearbox family. If there are any changes, we'll let you know in a separate forum post.

This is an exciting time for us, and I hope we have even more details to share with you soon.
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on
«1345

Comments

  • foxman00foxman00 Member Posts: 1,478 Arc User
    Wow, certainly interesting times ahead Captains
    pjxgwS8.jpg
  • discojer2#5455 discojer2 Member Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    Well, that was unexpected. I'm not sure I like the idea of the game now being under Gearbox, given their history of somewhat dodgy practices

    Still, I guess it makes sense with the flop of the MTG game and the flop of Torchlight III
  • raijinmeister#1931 raijinmeister Member Posts: 192 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    Oh well...
  • pottsey5gpottsey5g Member Posts: 4,164 Arc User
    Is this the same Gearbox that has a terrible reputation among players with multiple controversies?

    When I hear Gearbox I think multiple controversies like payment issues, Twitter feuds, misappropriating funds, USB left at a restaurant that contained sensitive company data, as well as child pornography , siphoned money.

    If kept separate like THQ Nordic I am not too worried. If this is put under Gearbox its very likely everything will change. Gearbox are renowned for dodgy practices
  • mirrorterranmirrorterran Member Posts: 423 Arc User
    The only experience I have with Gearbox is their release of remastered Homeworld which included some very questionable changes to the gameplay....eventually fixed after much outcry. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like they will be having much of an impact on STO.
  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,275 Arc User
    Good, maybe now PWE will loosen the purse strings a little.​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • bridgernbridgern Member Posts: 709 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    “The optimist says, ‘It can’t get any worse!’ And the pessimist replies, ‘Oh yes it can!”

    Bridger.png
  • commander#5939 commander Member Posts: 11 Arc User
    We'll just have to see, looks like I'll be going F2P for some time
  • aftulusaftulus Member Posts: 668 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    I heard about the buyout thing from the embracer group or something.

    What if they don't need the money as badly adn switch to a slightly more traditional layout.

    Keep lockboxes and keys, but make lockboxes with different colors. White/Green/Blue/Purple/Violet/Yellow. Then have better odds in the higher boxes. Treat them as random chests and have them be high end gear boxes. With better odds they could be less of a gamble and the game could have more of an economy in them. Keys could be rarely found and then mostly bought with zen if youwant to farm and sell things.

    The entire game economy is fixable from a play style standpoint. so, logically you could fill out all of the existing systems and use them fully and let money come in where it does. Low volume is free high volume is pay or grind. All of the traditional game mecahnics could be used. No reason to throw out development. Just add to it. The basics are there, just not used fully in almost all cases in this game. And the game would and could become richer from it.
    Post edited by rattler2 on
  • aftulusaftulus Member Posts: 668 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    They adjust the odds a little so that the color is fitting to the dil/zen market.

    Basically epic would be the only box you would want to use now at 500 dil per zen. If you devide the values by 6 and take off 25 you get approximately every 80 dil/zen would require a higher box to pay out in ec for sales. This would allow it to scale or have scaled in the past.

    White/common <= 105 dil/zen
    Green/uncommon <= 185 dil/zen
    Blue/Rare <= 265 dil/zen
    Purple/Very Rare <= 345 dil/zen
    Violet/UV <= 425 dil/zen
    Yellow/epic = 500 dil/zen

    This could make a sliding box rarity based on the range of EC likely on the market. The prices of keys were predictable over the games life so EC is then predictable at different ranges. So, the box odds and the likelihood of finding rare boxes goes up. The price of boxes for higher chances would also go up.

    Not sure how much a chance at a high end ship would need to be from white to epic? 50x?

    Maybe if the epic box had an equal chance at all of the prizes equally, but was fairly rare. around 15 times more likely to get a T6 ship. Or 7% chance for any prize in the box. They could be very valuable on the market. They could cost as much as the keys to buy them or more. I'm guessing epic boxes would sell for around 150-200 mill each.(up to 250million)

    If you compressed the chances then lower end boxes could be useful for farming certain items. Epics for high end ships, and other boxes for mid to low end prizes.

    I'm assuming the odds/keys vs the chance to get ships make it always equal about 1.5-2billion ec to get a T6 ship. It just slides from more key cost to more box cost as the odds increase.

    To control the price the odds of a certain box quality dropping in game could adjust with the current dil/zen prices automatically. As you get closer to 500dil it will be a little more likely to drop epic loot boxes.
  • phaeton#9727 phaeton Member Posts: 30 Arc User
    🎶 The change, it had to come
    We knew it all along
    We were liberated from the fold, that's all
    And the world looks just the same
    And history ain't changed
    'Cause the banners, they are flown in the next war

    ...

    Meet the new Boss
    Same as the old Boss 🎵
    ---=== Contact Me In-Game: @phaeton#9727 ===---
  • captaind3captaind3 Member Posts: 2,449 Arc User
    Curioser and Curioser.
    tumblr_mr1jc2hq2T1rzu2xzo9_r1_400.gif
    "Rise like Lions after slumber, In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew, Which in sleep had fallen on you-Ye are many — they are few"
  • jcswwjcsww Member Posts: 6,789 Arc User
    pottsey5g wrote: »
    Is this the same Gearbox that has a terrible reputation among players with multiple controversies?

    When I hear Gearbox I think multiple controversies like payment issues, Twitter feuds, misappropriating funds, USB left at a restaurant that contained sensitive company data, as well as child pornography , siphoned money.

    If kept separate like THQ Nordic I am not too worried. If this is put under Gearbox its very likely everything will change. Gearbox are renowned for dodgy practices
    pottsey5g wrote: »
    Is this the same Gearbox that has a terrible reputation among players with multiple controversies?

    When I hear Gearbox I think multiple controversies like payment issues, Twitter feuds, misappropriating funds, USB left at a restaurant that contained sensitive company data, as well as child pornography , siphoned money.

    If kept separate like THQ Nordic I am not too worried. If this is put under Gearbox its very likely everything will change. Gearbox are renowned for dodgy practices

    That's sort of how this game seems to go though. From Cryptic to Atari. Then Atari to PWE. Now PWE being rolled into GearBox. It could be worse though. :P Being based in the EU where lotto boxes are incredibly unpopular so hopefully that turns into a good thing for this game and the end of loot boxes arrives shortly after.
  • darknovasc01darknovasc01 Member Posts: 164 Arc User
    PWE bought up by THQ owners, Cryptic will stay independent, under Gearbox.

    https://thesixthaxis.com/2021/12/21/embracer-have-bought-perfect-world-creators-of-neverwinter-and-star-trek-online/

    BTW they also just bought Dark Horse comics as well
  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,275 Arc User
    The servers are still in the USA, though, so are beholden to US law, and there's no law against lootboxes yet - I don't think the publisher, even a new one, gets a say in the matter, especially when they're coming in this late.​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • gaevsmangaevsman Member Posts: 3,190 Arc User
    Well Cryptic will remain independent,. so not much is going to change, with a little luck, some prices will go down, not getting my hopes up, but just maybe..
    The forces of darkness are upon us!
  • gaevsmangaevsman Member Posts: 3,190 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    Didn't knew that Coffee Stain was part of the Embracer group.. i love Satisfactory!, if i'm not here, i'm bulding my base there! :lol:
    The forces of darkness are upon us!
  • inferiorityinferiority Member Posts: 3,929 Arc User
    I hope this announcement can bring a change and a freshness of some sort to STO - although it might take some time to trickle down into the game...

    Still, I see this as a good thing and I look forward to what may come as a result of this change.
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  • antonine3258antonine3258 Member Posts: 2,391 Arc User
    Gearbox has been on an acquisition tear lately - that gives some fears of 'synergy' happening. Not like it can increase the monetization push at this point without adding a mobile games stamina mechanic.
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  • alcyoneserenealcyoneserene Member Posts: 2,412 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    Why does this sound like incredible news? Unless I'm mistaken, this is like the best change that could possibly happen for STO, the biggest hope to allow Cryptic to manage itself more than PWE ever let them.
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  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,950 Arc User
    Why does this sound like incredible news? Unless I'm mistaken, this is like the best change that could possibly happen for STO, the biggest hope to allow Cryptic to manage itself more than PWE ever let them.

    While I'm happy PWE is getting replaced, the only Gearbox game I've played is Aliens: Colonial Marines so I don't have a lot of faith in things changing for the better.
    Lifetime Subscriber since Beta
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  • darknovasc01darknovasc01 Member Posts: 164 Arc User
    Hopes for changes following this, with level of expectation of them happening:

    Reasonable
    • Increase the size of the dev team a little, so they can at least devote a few more resources to QA, testing and bug fixing than at present.
    • Increase the budget modestly (say to two shoestrings instead of one).

    Unlikely
    • Increase the budget/dev team enough to allow resources for more content updates (not just ships for to sell), and maybe even some new mechanics.
    • Bring back subscriptions as an option.

    Pipe Dream
    • Fix the Dilithium exchange, even up to changing to a fixed price model with buying Zen with dilithium direct from PWE.
    • Remove the lockbox mechanic, or at least overhaul it to be vastly more friendly to players.
    • Vastly improve the odds of getting an Epic token from the Phoenic boxes, or come up with a system for new players to get time limited rewards they have missed which is much more fair.

    Everyone agrees that Discovery is great/terrible (your choice)
    • Bring back the Foundry !
  • darknovasc01darknovasc01 Member Posts: 164 Arc User
    I still have a soft spot for Gearbox from Half-Life:Opposing Force :)
  • rednuxrednux Member Posts: 17 Arc User
    Gearbox is a subsidiary of the Embracer Group. It has ten operative groups consisting of 77 internal studios and publishers and the overall group has a total of 8k employees in 45 countries. Perfect World Entertainment/Cryptic Studios along with Dark Horse Media were acquired this month.
  • duddutcher#4834 duddutcher Member Posts: 68 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    The king is dead, long live the king!

    jokes aside. i have no idea what this is gonne mean besides what has been said by ambassadorkeal. but just hope there is not gonne be a "oops and now all your stuff is gone" what has happen to some other games, or so i have heard.

    and i hope this game is not gonne be sunset. the fact its being mentiond (even as in: not gonna happen) is getting me worried. didnt even know something like that would be possible for sto, i got a lot of money invested in this game (have played for many many years ever sinds i was 13 years old and im now 21) and knowing it could potentialy be sun set keeps me from investing more.

    but can someone smarter than me explain if it is reasonable to fear this?
    Post edited by duddutcher#4834 on
  • naabal421#0722 naabal421 Member Posts: 162 Arc User
    >under Gearbox
    This is not good news. Gearbox are one of the scummiest companies in the industry... just look up Randy Pitchford, and his actions/comments. Especially with a recent USB key, senstivie company documents,and pornography.

    If anything was going to kill STO, this is it.
  • tvirxtvirx Member Posts: 92 Arc User
    Why does this sound like incredible news? Unless I'm mistaken, this is like the best change that could possibly happen for STO, the biggest hope to allow Cryptic to manage itself more than PWE ever let them.

    I am absolutely with you on this; incredible news, indeed.
  • tasshenatasshena Member Posts: 525 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    The funny thing about Colonial Marines is that if you search online, there's like one thing in one file you can change and it runs fine :p A lot of the original mess was one mistake in one file. Too bad it took someone online to figure that out :p

    https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/15/17574248/aliens-colonial-marines-fixing-code-typo-ai-xenomorphs​​
  • ambassadorkael#6946 ambassadorkael Member, Administrator Posts: 2,673 Community Manager
    > @duddutcher#4834 said:

    > and i hope this game is not gonne be sunset. the fact its being mentiond (even as in: not gonna happen) is getting me worried. didnt even know something like that would be possible for sto, i got a lot of money invested in this game (have played for many many years ever sinds i was 13 years old and im now 21) and knowing it could potentialy be sun set keeps me from investing more.
    >
    > but can someone smarter than me explain if it is reasonable to fear this?

    Honestly, we were just trying to cover all bases of stuff folks might be worried about. There's no need to be concerned for STO, which is still very profitable.
  • raventomoeraventomoe Member Posts: 723 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    > @duddutcher#4834 said:

    > and i hope this game is not gonne be sunset. the fact its being mentiond (even as in: not gonna happen) is getting me worried. didnt even know something like that would be possible for sto, i got a lot of money invested in this game (have played for many many years ever sinds i was 13 years old and im now 21) and knowing it could potentialy be sun set keeps me from investing more.
    >
    > but can someone smarter than me explain if it is reasonable to fear this?

    Honestly, we were just trying to cover all bases of stuff folks might be worried about. There's no need to be concerned for STO, which is still very profitable.

    I think my bigger concern as a long time player is if Randy Pitchford is allowed anywhere near the game. The guy does not have a good reputation (look up Aliens: Colonial Marines and all the stuff he is involved in as well as his ongoing feud with the Jimquisition) in the industry.

    Still, hopefully this brings good things and more funding for STO and all the products as a whole.
    "The Multiverse, the ultimate frontier..."
    Thus begins...Lyrical Trek
This discussion has been closed.