Stolen from Kaitee: "Captain Klaa - My headcanon is he's Klingon Lego Batman, he cruises around in his Bird of Prey headbanging to heavy metal songs he wrote about himself."
Off topic, but I just saw this - and it is amazing. Nice job @Kaitee.
The funny thing is a lot of the "rebalancing" that has been done lately is a blatant attempt to make people spend more, but I find myself spending less and less lol.
What's even more funny is that they completely fail to comprehend a simple fact: If you produce a quality product you don't need to resort to cheap trickery to entice spending.
@Shan what's the motivation or what are the goals behind the shuttle change?
Simple: to make you spend more to get to 4k VP sooner. Either through boosts or DIL speed ups. There is no other reason, although I'm sure we will get some kind of spin about how it's for our benefit.
But we get to save merits by not needing to open as many missions throughout the event.
If you're in gauntlet you shouldn't be having any merit problems. If you are merit broke I'm happy to offer some playstyle suggestions for gauntlet that should help you (the basic trick is don't play for streaks).
Happy to hear suggestions, I've gone back and forth on my gauntlet approach. I can go for streaks and a top 3 finish but burn merits, I can generate a bunch of merits but have minimal streaks and worse final performance and have less rewards as a result. I'm still trying to find the right balance that can generate merits while getting a decent return on Gauntlet.
Simple: to make you spend more to get to 4k VP sooner. Either through boosts or DIL speed ups. There is no other reason, although I'm sure we will get some kind of spin about how it's for our benefit.
I think it's related to the server load, otherwise I think this decision would rather discourage players to spend. I will probably quit playing faction events. I became a F2P after the last expedition screw up and decisions like this will only make me care less and less about the game.
The funny thing is a lot of the "rebalancing" that has been done lately is a blatant attempt to make people spend more, but I find myself spending less and less lol.
What's even more funny is that they completely fail to comprehend a simple fact: If you produce a quality product you don't need to resort to cheap trickery to entice spending.
Exactly! Instead their plan to make you spend more is to take value away from what is already there. 150 DIL would give me 12 10x Shuttle Boosts on Thursday for faction events and, to me, it was worth it. That would usually give me the 11 Time Boosts I needed to get to 4K VP. Now it would take about 25+ Time boosts I'm sure (didn't do the math, not claiming that number is accurate, put down the pitchforks please ). So now you would need double the Time Boosts to get to the same point. Simple marketing strategy and the WILL try to convince you it's helpful in some way lol
That s u c k i n g sound would be the fun leaving.
It’s almost as if DB hired “Fun Sponge” Michael Burnham to do their event planning/rebalancing...
There definitely seems to be someone new over there making really strange choices lol. Their "strategy" may work if it were mostly young players, but it seems to me there are a LOT of middle aged folk playing, and they see right through most of this junk.
I have edited the original post with some clarification regarding the change to Faction Events, this will not affect Faction Events involving only 1 faction.
I hope Shran is threshold, but either way I'm getting an Andorian, so I'm happy
The change to Faction events though will affect the kickstart...so that's sad
Probably might be? I can't remember for sure, but I kind of think the new 4* is Ranked and the existing 4* is Reward, in cases like this?
Scott
It's random, there is no pure consistency with who is Threshold vs. Ranked. Threshold is probably whichever character they think will make people spend money to FF. I bet Shran's the ranked reward since his stats are pretty bad lol
Ugh, seems like a nerf to me. Going to be harder for sure particularly as I am in a European time zone. Perhaps we could just do away with the slow ramp up in difficulty and start high and work downwards in difficulty
I have edited the original post with some clarification regarding the change to Faction Events, this will not affect Faction Events involving only 1 faction.
I hope Shran is threshold, but either way I'm getting an Andorian, so I'm happy
The change to Faction events though will affect the kickstart...so that's sad
Probably might be? I can't remember for sure, but I kind of think the new 4* is Ranked and the existing 4* is Reward, in cases like this?
Scott
It's random, there is no pure consistency with who is Threshold vs. Ranked. Threshold is probably whichever character they think will make people spend money to FF. I bet Shran's the ranked reward since his stats are pretty bad lol
Thanx. I was trying to remember which way it has been, and that might be why I could not.
Scott
"The truth is like a lion; you don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."
In a surprising move, I personally don't have a problem with this change, primarily because I'm an F2P who doesn't shop for missions.
Restricting the amount of open missions per faction has two distinct effects:
1. Reduces the speed of VP acquisition at the beginning of the event for those that don't spend dilithium.
2. Makes shopping for favorable missions more difficult, which potentially reduces the speed of VP acquisition for those that do shop for favorable missions.
Since the best rewards for events are through competing against each other, and this change actually affects everyone, I don't see it as that much of a problem.
Now, if DB made this change and significantly increased the threshold numbers, I'd be upset.
If DB went back to giving nothing for shuttle mission failures, I'd be upset.
This change by itself? Nope, sorry.
And let me end this comment by making a WAG about why DB made this change, and it has nothing to do with charging more for success in faction events. Perhaps reducing the amount of open shuttle missions is a roundabout way of conserving server resources for something better?
O nice now if we want to get ahead we have to use our dilithium to buy the Thursday cadet tickets to get more 3 speed time boosts . Well thanks but no thanks. I'm just gonna play more smart with my dilithium now. And I didn't mind leaving missions open I play for streaks in gauntlet and have about 4k merits saved.
In a surprising move, I personally don't have a problem with this change, primarily because I'm an F2P who doesn't shop for missions.
Restricting the amount of open missions per faction has two distinct effects:
1. Reduces the speed of VP acquisition at the beginning of the event for those that don't spend dilithium.
2. Makes shopping for favorable missions more difficult, which potentially reduces the speed of VP acquisition for those that do shop for favorable missions.
Since the best rewards for events are through competing against each other, and this change actually affects everyone, I don't see it as that much of a problem.
Now, if DB made this change and significantly increased the threshold numbers, I'd be upset.
If DB went back to giving nothing for shuttle mission failures, I'd be upset.
This change by itself? Nope, sorry.
And let me end this comment by making a WAG about why DB made this change, and it has nothing to do with charging more for success in faction events. Perhaps reducing the amount of open shuttle missions is a roundabout way of conserving server resources for something better?
I think you hit it on the head, as far as reasons.
If they killed the quick start by having the VP simply refresh after each success/fail for all open missions that would be trying to kill the jump start..
This feels like they can't afford more server resources to compensate for the demand.
That being said, I'm not happy with this, not because of the quick start, but simply as I DO shop for missions and use that as a strategy. This minimizes another part of the game that requires the use of more brain matter. Yeah I know it isn't much but damn its nice to have some things in game that you gotta actually think about other than do I airlock or buy the pack.
In a surprising move, I personally don't have a problem with this change, primarily because I'm an F2P who doesn't shop for missions.
Restricting the amount of open missions per faction has two distinct effects:
1. Reduces the speed of VP acquisition at the beginning of the event for those that don't spend dilithium.
2. Makes shopping for favorable missions more difficult, which potentially reduces the speed of VP acquisition for those that do shop for favorable missions.
Since the best rewards for events are through competing against each other, and this change actually affects everyone, I don't see it as that much of a problem.
Now, if DB made this change and significantly increased the threshold numbers, I'd be upset.
If DB went back to giving nothing for shuttle mission failures, I'd be upset.
This change by itself? Nope, sorry.
And let me end this comment by making a WAG about why DB made this change, and it has nothing to do with charging more for success in faction events. Perhaps reducing the amount of open shuttle missions is a roundabout way of conserving server resources for something better?
I think you hit it on the head, as far as reasons.
If they killed the quick start by having the VP simply refresh after each success/fail for all open missions that would be trying to kill the jump start..
This feels like they can't afford more server resources to compensate for the demand.
That being said, I'm not happy with this, not because of the quick start, but simply as I DO shop for missions and use that as a strategy. This minimizes another part of the game that requires the use of more brain matter. Yeah I know it isn't much but damn its nice to have some things in game that you gotta actually think about other than do I airlock or buy the pack.
I always mission shop. Fiver seaters are a no go for me. And I have a very deep roster. Sigh.
In a surprising move, I personally don't have a problem with this change, primarily because I'm an F2P who doesn't shop for missions.
Restricting the amount of open missions per faction has two distinct effects:
1. Reduces the speed of VP acquisition at the beginning of the event for those that don't spend dilithium.
2. Makes shopping for favorable missions more difficult, which potentially reduces the speed of VP acquisition for those that do shop for favorable missions.
Since the best rewards for events are through competing against each other, and this change actually affects everyone, I don't see it as that much of a problem.
Now, if DB made this change and significantly increased the threshold numbers, I'd be upset.
If DB went back to giving nothing for shuttle mission failures, I'd be upset.
This change by itself? Nope, sorry.
And let me end this comment by making a WAG about why DB made this change, and it has nothing to do with charging more for success in faction events. Perhaps reducing the amount of open shuttle missions is a roundabout way of conserving server resources for something better?
I'm not sure what this has to do with spending players vs FTP players. Shopping missions utilizes Merits which is the only resource that you can't buy.
The likely outcome of this change is that spending players (either more of them or to a greater extent) will start spending dilithium which will give them a GREATER advantage relative to players who do not.
In a surprising move, I personally don't have a problem with this change, primarily because I'm an F2P who doesn't shop for missions.
Restricting the amount of open missions per faction has two distinct effects:
1. Reduces the speed of VP acquisition at the beginning of the event for those that don't spend dilithium.
2. Makes shopping for favorable missions more difficult, which potentially reduces the speed of VP acquisition for those that do shop for favorable missions.
Since the best rewards for events are through competing against each other, and this change actually affects everyone, I don't see it as that much of a problem.
Now, if DB made this change and significantly increased the threshold numbers, I'd be upset.
If DB went back to giving nothing for shuttle mission failures, I'd be upset.
This change by itself? Nope, sorry.
And let me end this comment by making a WAG about why DB made this change, and it has nothing to do with charging more for success in faction events. Perhaps reducing the amount of open shuttle missions is a roundabout way of conserving server resources for something better?
I'm not sure what this has to do with spending players vs FTP players. Shopping missions utilizes Merits which is the only resource that you can't buy.
The likely outcome of this change is that spending players (either more of them or to a greater extent) will start spending dilithium which will give them a GREATER advantage relative to players who do not.
Well, as a VIP 14 at least twice over... not me. I'll be spending less. Never used dil for shuttle rushes and I'm even less inclined to start.
Away Team Saru should have like 1500 security at least. The guy is super tough! If we are only getting 6 faction missions there had better not be those terrible 5 crew needed shuttles that are just killers.
I guarantee it will be 6 horrible shuttle choices. You aren't going to see 2 or 3 seat shuttles where each seat has 1 skill in common. We'll end up with new 6 seat shuttles where each seat is a different skill.
But to help with the pain they will add the ability to slot 3 boosts per shuttle to deplete the supply of boosts and force purchasing more.
Comments
Off topic, but I just saw this - and it is amazing. Nice job @Kaitee.
Join the eXo|plosion today!
What's even more funny is that they completely fail to comprehend a simple fact: If you produce a quality product you don't need to resort to cheap trickery to entice spending.
Simple: to make you spend more to get to 4k VP sooner. Either through boosts or DIL speed ups. There is no other reason, although I'm sure we will get some kind of spin about how it's for our benefit.
Happy to hear suggestions, I've gone back and forth on my gauntlet approach. I can go for streaks and a top 3 finish but burn merits, I can generate a bunch of merits but have minimal streaks and worse final performance and have less rewards as a result. I'm still trying to find the right balance that can generate merits while getting a decent return on Gauntlet.
Been there, man.
Considering the theme of the mega event, that was a risky move.
Horrible, horrible decision.
I think it's related to the server load, otherwise I think this decision would rather discourage players to spend. I will probably quit playing faction events. I became a F2P after the last expedition screw up and decisions like this will only make me care less and less about the game.
Exactly! Instead their plan to make you spend more is to take value away from what is already there. 150 DIL would give me 12 10x Shuttle Boosts on Thursday for faction events and, to me, it was worth it. That would usually give me the 11 Time Boosts I needed to get to 4K VP. Now it would take about 25+ Time boosts I'm sure (didn't do the math, not claiming that number is accurate, put down the pitchforks please
It’s almost as if DB hired “Fun Sponge” Michael Burnham to do their event planning/rebalancing...
There definitely seems to be someone new over there making really strange choices lol. Their "strategy" may work if it were mostly young players, but it seems to me there are a LOT of middle aged folk playing, and they see right through most of this junk.
Probably might be? I can't remember for sure, but I kind of think the new 4* is Ranked and the existing 4* is Reward, in cases like this?
Scott
It's random, there is no pure consistency with who is Threshold vs. Ranked. Threshold is probably whichever character they think will make people spend money to FF. I bet Shran's the ranked reward since his stats are pretty bad lol
But the question remains... Why?
Paying customers and whales want to know.
Thanx. I was trying to remember which way it has been, and that might be why I could not.
Scott
Restricting the amount of open missions per faction has two distinct effects:
1. Reduces the speed of VP acquisition at the beginning of the event for those that don't spend dilithium.
2. Makes shopping for favorable missions more difficult, which potentially reduces the speed of VP acquisition for those that do shop for favorable missions.
Since the best rewards for events are through competing against each other, and this change actually affects everyone, I don't see it as that much of a problem.
Now, if DB made this change and significantly increased the threshold numbers, I'd be upset.
If DB went back to giving nothing for shuttle mission failures, I'd be upset.
This change by itself? Nope, sorry.
And let me end this comment by making a WAG about why DB made this change, and it has nothing to do with charging more for success in faction events. Perhaps reducing the amount of open shuttle missions is a roundabout way of conserving server resources for something better?
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Task Force April, Fleet Founder Emeritus
Newfie Central, Squad Founder, In Memoriam
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Although I've noticed a significant improvement the last few faction events.
I think you hit it on the head, as far as reasons.
If they killed the quick start by having the VP simply refresh after each success/fail for all open missions that would be trying to kill the jump start..
This feels like they can't afford more server resources to compensate for the demand.
That being said, I'm not happy with this, not because of the quick start, but simply as I DO shop for missions and use that as a strategy. This minimizes another part of the game that requires the use of more brain matter. Yeah I know it isn't much but damn its nice to have some things in game that you gotta actually think about other than do I airlock or buy the pack.
I always mission shop. Fiver seaters are a no go for me. And I have a very deep roster. Sigh.
I'm not sure what this has to do with spending players vs FTP players. Shopping missions utilizes Merits which is the only resource that you can't buy.
The likely outcome of this change is that spending players (either more of them or to a greater extent) will start spending dilithium which will give them a GREATER advantage relative to players who do not.
Well, as a VIP 14 at least twice over... not me. I'll be spending less. Never used dil for shuttle rushes and I'm even less inclined to start.
I guarantee it will be 6 horrible shuttle choices. You aren't going to see 2 or 3 seat shuttles where each seat has 1 skill in common. We'll end up with new 6 seat shuttles where each seat is a different skill.
But to help with the pain they will add the ability to slot 3 boosts per shuttle to deplete the supply of boosts and force purchasing more.
Also possible!
Task Force Pike/Garrett's Giants, Founder
Task Force April, Fleet Founder Emeritus
Newfie Central, Squad Founder, In Memoriam