In the interests of a good night's rest...
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[S14] Elynduil
✭✭✭✭
in The Bridge
Can we please change the shuttle Reward Boosts to x3 the normal rewards? Or at least the VP component?
You are already taking an increased risk because you are "putting all your eggs in one basket", so to speak, by using a Reward Boost, instead of doing separate runs. You are already giving up using a Skill Boost (and a higher success chance) to use the Reward Boost instead. You really don't need to be penalised with 6 hours' worth of VP during a 9- hour period, as well.
Alternatively, the duration of a Reward Boost shuttle run could be decreased to 6 hours.
But clearly, something needs to change, because there are far too many players willing to wake up in the middle of the night to resend shuttle runs during a Faction Event. This is not healthy. Not to mention the fact that it's not even an option for those who are married or in a live-in relationship (unless you are a horrible, horrible person).
If DB really cares about the health and welfare of its players, this would get addressed.
You are already taking an increased risk because you are "putting all your eggs in one basket", so to speak, by using a Reward Boost, instead of doing separate runs. You are already giving up using a Skill Boost (and a higher success chance) to use the Reward Boost instead. You really don't need to be penalised with 6 hours' worth of VP during a 9- hour period, as well.
Alternatively, the duration of a Reward Boost shuttle run could be decreased to 6 hours.
But clearly, something needs to change, because there are far too many players willing to wake up in the middle of the night to resend shuttle runs during a Faction Event. This is not healthy. Not to mention the fact that it's not even an option for those who are married or in a live-in relationship (unless you are a horrible, horrible person).
If DB really cares about the health and welfare of its players, this would get addressed.
22
Comments
Level 45, VIP 6
Ohh wait......
I for one take the hit with the doubled/trippled time system as I can usually make up the cost using time boosts when I am awake.
Jim
I'm quite sure DB doesn't care about anything, other than us purchasing packs and dilithium.
PM for details.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
Considering their recent behavior, I question the validity of this statement.
Well, if people burn out and quit, they will certainly be buying less packs and dilithium...
1. Send out regular 3 hour missions with the ability to use boosts to increase success chance. Your missions will sit there unclaimed for 5-6 hours until you wake up.
2. Send out missions using the increased time boosts. Your missions will receive double rewards, be given a success chance boost, and will just be coming back to your ship when you wake up.
Personally, I feel this is very fair. It is not a perfect 1-to-1 ratio of time/reward, but it shouldn't be, because players should be expected to absorb some of the cost of being away. Additionally, the playing field is level in that this same boost impact 100% of players equally, so in that way too it is fair.
Bots/macros are the real culprit here, removing those would truly level the playing field.
I just can't, with that statement.
Because getting a normal amount of sleep, a.k.a. "being away", is a punishable offense?
Dunno how prevalent this is, but we are definitely agreed on that.
But perhaps this would explain how many players here casually mention that they set their alarms for every three hours, or just "wake up all the time at night anyway", like it's a badge of honour -- they are, in actual fact, lying.
Not pointing fingers at anyone specific, though, so don't flame.
I still maintain that it's time to stop punishing players for not being deranged, though.
Also, it impacts 100% of players equally. If everyone gets the same amount of sleep, then the rewards are the same, regardless of how big/small they are. If the reward bonus is only 1% increased, it is still fair because it impacts everyone equally.
I know some will say 'that's the price you pay for not setting alarms' but in reality the price you're paying is a) using a time boost from your inventory and b) not getting a chance to use a skills boost to increase the odds of success.
Is a VP penalty on top of that necessary? YMMV, but my answer is that it isn't.
Some games kick you out completely if you've been playing for too long continuously, forcing you to take a break. This is not that revolutionary, really.
No, the goalpost/VP required is currently tied to how many players are willing to set alarms/use bots. The max VP wouldn't change.
That is not how inflation or supply and demand works.
This wouldn't even make Reward Boosts a better alternative to sending shuttles out every three hours with Skill Boosts, but merely a less-poor alternative than it currently is. And definitely not better than using Time Boosts.
Top in the rankings would still be those using Time Boosts.
I don’t think it has anything to do with the threshold rewards. I blew them all away with almost 500K last event while keeping my eight hours of sleep. It has everything to do with the ranked rewards which, IMO has become ultra-competitive and crowded in the 500-1500 range (for people shooting for a top 1000) partially due to booster packs on sale and other reasons.
I can only say I used to safely be in top 1000 for the last year plus but was knocked out at the last few hours in the last two faction events prior to this last one... necessitating a strategy change on my behalf. One of the strategies I considered and rejected (for basically the same health and sanity reasons outlined above) was the 3 hour alarm at night as it is clear to me that the difference between 500 and 1000 place is exactly 2-3 sets of shuttles. The lack of sleep strategy essentially gives you four extra sets of shuttles which would safely put me back into top 1000 easily.
But if you’re not willing to pay to win either through extra time boosts or DIL recalls, the current setup is putting additional pressure on people to screw up their sleep schedule in order to stay in the race.
Having said that, 3x for nine hours also raises the problem of people saying cool, now I don’t need to run shuttles every three hours and I can use my 8 gazillion overnight boosts and play golf on the weekend instead. So maybe the right trade off would be somewhere in between 6-9 hours (7.5?) so that those with babies can still get some advantage and those who want to sleep or play golf have some penalty on top of the 5% gain in success from using skill boosts.
vs 24 hours in a day
I'd say that you would rapidly run into scheduling problems if you tried to chain too many of them in succession.
With regards to the amount of Reward Boosts people currently have in inventory, perhaps only the max rarity could give the max multiplier. And the lower rarities something in between twice and thrice.
Not really... 9 hours in the morning... work, golf, whatever. Do two regular runs before supper and watching DS9 reruns. Then 9 hours before sleeping is exactly 24 hours. Would reduce the grind considerably at the expense of losing 5% increased success. I would certainly consider this strategy myself as this game is grindy enough.
But I agree that the current setup is encouraging sleep deprivation and would like to see a change.
All in all, you'd only be able to afford to do this if you have a healthy complement of bonus crew (which required hard work to get in the first place), anyway, and are not bothered about ranking too highly. Everyone else would have to work a bit harder.
So I will state again what I said in my first comment in this thread, the reduction in expected rewards from your proposed 3x to the current 2x is the manifestation of your assumed cost in the transaction. They are willing to meet you halfway by doubling the reward, but you must give a little something back to account for your lack of active gameplay over that duration of time.
If we cannot agree on this point, then we cannot agree.
I can only speak for myself. Last event I had bonus crew in every slot with unboosted success rates of 90/90/92/93. All the 3* skill boosts did was bump it up from 90 to 95. Now I believe their is some logarithmic increase so that a skill boost at 60% is probably more than 5% but in my worst events where I couldn’t stuff bonus crew in all slots (usually because they had something like limited bonus crew pool or a SCI slot when no bonus crew had SCI) , I can’t remember any unboosted shuttles under 80% (because all the free legendaries from Mega means a 1300 skill crew is only modestly worse than a 800 skill double bonus crew).
I am coming from the point of view not of a whale with unlimited legendaries but as a long time two year player with a monthly DIL card... still not anywhere close to VIP 14).
But honestly, I would consider doing a 9 hour boost during the day just to get away from STT and pay the 5% reduction in success. You could argue that this is sufficient penalty and I would probably agree but it’s probably not DB’s ideal as they want you glued to the game.
We'll just have to agree to disagree then, because I cannot agree that penalising a healthy amount of sleep is ethical, no matter how much DB wants eyes on screen (and no matter how many players are willing to indulge them).
Besides, I don't think they get much sales opportunity when people are just popping in to reload shuttles and exit again.
I believe you are using faulty logic by stating that participation is a requirement. Something is only punitive if it is compulsory. We all have a choice, you are free to not participate. If you do choose to participate you have access to the exact same 3x time, 2x reward boosts I have access to. The playing field is equitable. If the boost was changed to be 3x time, 10x reward, it would still be equitable. The amount of reward will only either change the value of the reward or require an adjustment to the required victory points to achieve the rewards.
But the highest success in the game (and I'm talking mainly about events here) is always — at least partially — about how much time you put into it. So one could argue that people who have to work 12 hours a day on the weekends (and can't get regular breaks to play) are being penalized because they can't devote as much time to playing as people who don't have to work.
There are two dictates at play: 1) a player must be able to have the free time to play; and 2) a player must be willing to devote the free time to play. It is so in any number of games, not just STT. Those who excel often spend a huge amount of time playing. And they are willing to give up sleep, if needed, in order to excel. Those who either can't or won't do so, should be "penalized", to some extent, imo.
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
2. I (and others) strongly believe that players giving up sleep should not be a valid (and rewarded) strategy. Some of you fundamentally disagree with that statement. It's not like we will convince each other, either way. It's up to DB to decide that one.
3. Once again, this change would not make using Reward Boosts a more effective strategy than any other. It would remain the least effective strategy, just less so.
You hit the real crux of it right there. As long as players are willing to give up whatever they have to to get ahead, nothing will really change. You can't blame the players for doing that, because the game has told them "These are your conditions for victory, do what you must."
I think what you're asking for is very reasonable, and should have been the way that particular boost worked from the beginning, but I suspect you will find just as many against it as for it. Another part of the economics (from the player side) is the sunk cost of all this time that it has been a 2x, and all the gameplay that has been done with it as it is. Those that have adapted and succeeded with things as they are would generally not be in favor of rewarding those that haven't and won't.
Waking every three hours to send shuttles will increase stress.
Basically, it's unhealthy behaviour and it has not been discouraged by DB. This is unethical imo.
There needs to be a way to address this. Increases the rewards for the 'sleep time' extension boosts is one possibility which would work to some extent, but I'm not sure it's enough. Perhaps shuttles should have a skill boost option AS WELL, and time extender boosts should only be allowed to be used once in a 24 hour cycle, thus getting around players using them all day. During this period time reduction boosts and quick return using dilithium is prevented.
The timer starts after the 9 hour boost is used or after 15 hours into the event, whichever comes first (to cope with global play time).
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