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[Dev Journal] Neverwinter: Get Everything You Want By Playing

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Comments

  • LegendtriggerLegendtrigger Member Posts: 39

    they should have never added astral diamonds, those just lower the games quality by far.

    Only cash shop with cosmetic,mounts xp and gold boosts etc.

  • AerowynAerowyn Member Posts: 7,928
    Originally posted by Torvaldr
    This model sounds good on paper.  If you have time to spend you can pay your way in that fashion.  If you have money to spend you can accelerate yourself.  If you have a little of both you can play a little each way.  If it actually works out that way then I'll like it.  We'll see how it pans out in reality though.  Implementation is a whole new beast.

    works fine in gw2 don't see why it wouldn't work here as long as the CS is setup in a similar fashion

    I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg

  • RohnRohn Member UncommonPosts: 3,730
    Originally posted by Torvaldr
    This model sounds good on paper.  If you have time to spend you can pay your way in that fashion.  If you have money to spend you can accelerate yourself.  If you have a little of both you can play a little each way.  If it actually works out that way then I'll like it.  We'll see how it pans out in reality though.  Implementation is a whole new beast.

     

    It already works that way in STO.  The game has very, very few limits to content, classes, etc, and you can get Zen for the store by trading the dilithium you earn by playing.  It's one of the most accessible F2P games out there, and it looks like Neverwinter in following the same path.

    Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    Originally posted by grim1234

    Facepalm. How can he not tell people, that every piece of equipment you'll want, you'll be able to buy at the Auction House, and not with Astral Diamonds, but with the normal currency. And you cannot buy the normal currency with real-life money, or even exchange Astral Diamonds for the normal currency. So THAT is why it's not P2W, because everybody will have the same ways of earning normal money and they won't be able to boost it in any way.

    ...

    That is how Star Trek Online is constructed, and hopefully they won't change a thing in Neverwinter.

    Don't get me wrong, as I said it earlier I have no problem with the model, just every once and a while I like to correct factual mistakes, especially with facepalm :)

    Of course you can buy normal currency with real money, in fact you can convert any currency into the others, sometimes directly, sometimes with one extra step. Even that totally worthless GPL is convertable... (Ok, Lobi is not, but that's a pretty new currency.) You think PWE would miss such a big chunk of the market and let it slip to gold-seller's hands? No way :)

    So, for example in STO's case the official goldselling (Zen for EC, the in-game currency) is happening via lock box keys, it has a pretty much fixed rate, $1 is somewhere between 1.3-1.5 million EC. The exchange is constantly filled with it.

  • niceguy3978niceguy3978 Member UncommonPosts: 2,047
    Originally posted by Aerowyn
    Originally posted by Torvaldr
    This model sounds good on paper.  If you have time to spend you can pay your way in that fashion.  If you have money to spend you can accelerate yourself.  If you have a little of both you can play a little each way.  If it actually works out that way then I'll like it.  We'll see how it pans out in reality though.  Implementation is a whole new beast.

    works fine in gw2 don't see why it wouldn't work here as long as the CS is setup in a similar fashion

    I like the way it works in GW2, but it doesn't seem like it is going to work the same way in this game.  First, there is an extra layer of currency in between that is only obtainable at a maximum rate per day.  Meaning you can get as many unrefined diamonds as you want but you can't do anything with them until you refine them, which is a fixed amount per day.  This wasn't the case in GW2 because you could farm as much gold as you could and there was no set fixed amount.  This is a fairly large difference and not a good one (to me).

  • LegendtriggerLegendtrigger Member Posts: 39

    Well in guild wars 2 u couldnt get much gold for gems.

    You would rly have to spend alot of real money to get some decent gold.

    So it didnt rly make sence to exchange gems for gold.

    + their auction house worked with normal ingame gold and their lockboxes only contained

    small things like xp boosts etc not real worthy items (wich is a good thing).

  • SilvergryphSilvergryph Member UncommonPosts: 10
    Originally posted by Falcomith
    Originally posted by Kilrain
    This is what I was hoping for and wish more game companies would do the same. The only thing I have to say is, I want to play a Drow without paying cash. Hey, he said I could do anything without paying, right?
     

    You might have missed this...

    "And please note that last sentence -- you can get everything you want by playing. Everything. This includes mounts, costumes, etc. Why? How? Because you can put your Astral Diamonds up on an auction house and sell them for micro-transactable points. Then you can purchase anything you'd like in our micro-transaction store. "

    It looks like we might be able to purchase the Drow using that method. Assuming the Drow will be in the store eventually. I hope so.

    You don't have to purchase drow at all. Every player can make a drow for free at launch. The exclusive in the Hero of the North founder's pack is just an exclusive background called Menzobarranzen Renegade. The background origins are just a block of text in your bio. You do get Faerie Fire instead of Darkfire, but that is just a similar power with a different skin. Functionally, darkfire gives a debuff to attack/damage for the enemy and the faerie fire gives a buff to attack/damage for the PC.

  • Squeak69Squeak69 Member UncommonPosts: 959

    ROFLMAO this is priceless, they are doing EXACTLY wat they did with tier other games nothing new at all exept no sub option cause they relize subs was costing them money casue people wernt forced to buy anything if they had patence,

    go play CO or STO and tell me how long you can go without spending alot of m,oney for basic things if ya wnt to compete in high end game, it takes months to gets a single thing

    oh and somewhere in the thread someone asked how they are going to pay the employees, its simple CO has only about 10 people running the whole game, GMs Devs maintnece everything is 10 people, most of thier games run like that basicly once they finish a game they drop it and start worknig on the next quick cash grab. perfect world has been following this pattern for awhile now

    F2P may be the way of the future, but ya know they dont make them like they used toimage
    Proper Grammer & spelling are extra, corrections will be LOL at.

  • red_cruiserred_cruiser Member UncommonPosts: 486

    CO is a great game and their F2P model is fair.  Out of all the MMOs I play, that is the only one I come back to regularly.  I like my characters; I like the game; and they make it very easy to just jump in, play for a little bit, and actually accomplish something. 

    Because this game is F2P; I have a lot of friends who might not otherwise play who will end up giving the game a chance.  They don't even hit you with an upfront cost.  Will they spend a lot of money at the store?  Probably not, but I've already purchased a pack for the game. 

  • grim1234grim1234 Member Posts: 5

     

    Originally posted by udon

    You do know that Astral diamonds are the currancy used by the aution house right?  If you want to play this game for free you will be selling in game gold for Zen to other players than buying Astral diamonds with Zen from other players and both tansactions makes Cryptic/PWI money.  You will be able to earn rough diamonds by doing in game events and such but you are capped on how many you can refine to ensure that the grind stays consistent to everyone.

    This game is designed from the ground up to insert Zen into nearly every aspect of it though the use of astral diamonds as a intermediate currancy regradless of what lip service the devs may give to otherwise.  They have a vested interest in keeping the value of that Zen in time to earn high to keep it's value in trade high enough so that those who value time more than money will buy it with cash and sell to others who don't.  

    The whole system depends on Zen being valuable and hence a pain to earn by free means to work.

     

     

    Really? Is this a first hand confirmed info from a beta player?

    And ONLY Astral Diamonds will be used in the Auction house?

    And BOTH currencies can be exchanged for ZEN?

     

    Besides: "(...) you can put your Astral Diamonds up on an auction house and sell them for micro-transactable points."

    Deducating from this sentence it looks like only Astral Diamonds will be used for earning ZEN. Just like in Star Trek.

     

    But I ask again: is what you say a confirmed, first hand information from a beta player? If not, then I still have hope that what you say is a misinterpretation and they won't ruin the game like that.

  • LaromussLaromuss Member UncommonPosts: 331
    Originally posted by grim1234

     

    Originally posted by udon

    You do know that Astral diamonds are the currancy used by the aution house right?  If you want to play this game for free you will be selling in game gold for Zen to other players than buying Astral diamonds with Zen from other players and both tansactions makes Cryptic/PWI money.  You will be able to earn rough diamonds by doing in game events and such but you are capped on how many you can refine to ensure that the grind stays consistent to everyone.

    This game is designed from the ground up to insert Zen into nearly every aspect of it though the use of astral diamonds as a intermediate currancy regradless of what lip service the devs may give to otherwise.  They have a vested interest in keeping the value of that Zen in time to earn high to keep it's value in trade high enough so that those who value time more than money will buy it with cash and sell to others who don't.  

    The whole system depends on Zen being valuable and hence a pain to earn by free means to work.

     

     

    Really? Is this a first hand confirmed info from a beta player?

    And ONLY Astral Diamonds will be used in the Auction house?

    And BOTH currencies can be exchanged for ZEN?

     

    Besides: "(...) you can put your Astral Diamonds up on an auction house and sell them for micro-transactable points."

    Deducating from this sentence it looks like only Astral Diamonds will be used for earning ZEN. Just like in Star Trek.

     

    But I ask again: is what you say a confirmed, first hand information from a beta player? If not, then I still have hope that what you say is a misinterpretation and they won't ruin the game like that.

    i've played the beta and yes Astrals are for Aution house and varous other AD vendors.  You can get AD from events, some quests etc  Also its been verified by many videos, interviews with cryptic

  • grim1234grim1234 Member Posts: 5
    Originally posted by Laross

    i've played the beta and yes Astrals are for Aution house and varous other AD vendors.  You can get AD from events, some quests etc  Also its been verified by many videos, interviews with cryptic

    Um.... and you can't pay with normal currency at the Auction House, only Astrals? If  so, then what is the normal money even for?

  • LaromussLaromuss Member UncommonPosts: 331
    Originally posted by grim1234
    Originally posted by Laross

    i've played the beta and yes Astrals are for Aution house and varous other AD vendors.  You can get AD from events, some quests etc  Also its been verified by many videos, interviews with cryptic

    Um.... and you can't pay with normal currency at the Auction House, only Astrals? If  so, then what is the normal money even for?

    NOrmal ir for other vendor, equipment etc.  probably crafting as well but don't quote me on crafting i'm only guessing there.  But there is plenty to spend with Gold.

  • grim1234grim1234 Member Posts: 5
    Originally posted by Laross

    NOrmal ir for other vendor, equipment etc.  probably crafting as well but don't quote me on crafting i'm only guessing there.  But there is plenty to spend with Gold.

    Um, but why would anyone buy anything from vendors. I mean, in Star Trek vendors sell worthless piece of crap, you just go to the Auction House and, using normal money, buy the best stuff people offer and your wallet allows you to.

    So are the players in Neverwinter forced to use worthless crap from vendors until they grind enough Astrals? I ask again: what's the purpose of the normal currency, when the Astral Diamonds seems to be the real deal? Is there anything really worth buying with Gold that you won't find at the Auction House?

  • LanessarLanessar Member Posts: 87
    Originally posted by furbans

    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game.

    ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard.

    What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds.

    The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy.

    Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds.

    That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right?

    Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds.

    Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune.

    Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors)

    Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure.

    Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds.

    You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them. 

     If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.
  • RohnRohn Member UncommonPosts: 3,730
    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by furbans

    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game.

    ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard.

    What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds.

    The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy.

    Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds.

    That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right?

    Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds.

    Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune.

    Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors)

    Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure.

    Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds.

    You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them. 

     If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.

     

    Very well stated.  The "cost" of playing the game appears to be consistently exaggerated.  It appears that just about everything can be earned simply by playing the game.

    Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.

  • BurntvetBurntvet Member RarePosts: 3,465
    Originally posted by Rohn

    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by furbans
    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game. ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard. What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds. The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy. Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right? Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds. Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune. Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors) Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure. Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds. You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them.   If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.

     

    Very well stated.  The "cost" of playing the game appears to be consistently exaggerated.  It appears that just about everything can be earned simply by playing the game.

     

    Except that your ability to gain "refined" AD (the ones you actually spend) is gated by a daily limit. So, technically, yes... you don't "have to" buy anything from the store, but if you don't, you'll be waiting for an extremely long time getting that stuff. This is a typical F2P "scam" where if you don't pay, your gameplay will suffer immensely, due the inherent penalties of not paying. And make no mistake, the game was explicitly designed to be this way. And no, trying to buy that stuff in the AH for gold is not viable, either.
  • grim1234grim1234 Member Posts: 5
    You all talk about Asrals - but what about Gold? What can you buy with Gold? I mean, does it even mean anything in the economy?
  • LanessarLanessar Member Posts: 87
    Originally posted by Burntvet
    Originally posted by Rohn
    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by furbans

    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game.

    ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard.

    What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds.

    The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy.

    Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds.

    That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right?

    Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds.

    Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune.

    Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors)

    Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure.

    Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds.

    You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them. 

     If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.

     

    Very well stated.  The "cost" of playing the game appears to be consistently exaggerated.  It appears that just about everything can be earned simply by playing the game.

     

    Except that your ability to gain "refined" AD (the ones you actually spend) is gated by a daily limit. So, technically, yes... you don't "have to" buy anything from the store, but if you don't, you'll be waiting for an extremely long time getting that stuff. This is a typical F2P "scam" where if you don't pay, your gameplay will suffer immensely, due the inherent penalties of not paying. And make no mistake, the game was explicitly designed to be this way. And no, trying to buy that stuff in the AH for gold is not viable, either.

    (sigh) Did you not read my post? Anything in the game can be gotten without AD. Anything. It might not be a black, on-fire something, or it may not be the exact something with a fancy glowy graphic that can be purchased with AD, but it's pretty darn similar.

    I'm not going to bat for this game, I enjoy playing it but I'm not a fanboi. It has issues and things I don't like.

    But implying "you can't buy things from the AH if you don't pay" or "you'll be waiting a long time to get something" isn't true. This depends upon what you want. And not upon what you need.

    If you've just got to have some specific thing or specific look, that may be the case. But that's the "ooh, shiny!" scenario. You don't need that stuff to play the game or enjoy it. You're not missing something. It's just the difference of a rock-golem skin, or a guy with a sword and shield. They functionally work just as well as the ones you get from quests for free.

    I have no issues with legitimate problems with their model, but saying you can't get a level 3 mount or good items or a companion without paying is false information.
  • LanessarLanessar Member Posts: 87
    Originally posted by grim1234
    You all talk about Asrals - but what about Gold? What can you buy with Gold? I mean, does it even mean anything in the economy?
     

    Gold gets you all the needed basics you want in the game. Mounts, blue items/gear, consumables (potions, skill items, healing).

     

    Item mods are drop-only (mobs or chests, pretty frequent - I had at least 4-5 slots worth of mods by 30) or through the AH (AD only). Upgrading mods just required you to combine them (again, no AD cost).

    Runestones (companion-specific mods) were quest-given and drops (and could be purchased on the AH for AD). I had 5 Runestones by Level 30 from questing.

     

    That basically covers it. Most items you want to get at level 1-30 were from instances. These had some of the best stuff, honestly. I got a blue chest at level 17 that was good until level 28 compared to dropped gear, and it certainly outdid anything the AD vendor sold under level 34.

     
  • BurntvetBurntvet Member RarePosts: 3,465
    Originally posted by Lanessar

    Originally posted by Burntvet
    Originally posted by Rohn
    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by furbans
    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game. ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard. What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds. The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy. Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right? Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds. Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune. Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors) Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure. Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds. You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them.   If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.

     

    Very well stated.  The "cost" of playing the game appears to be consistently exaggerated.  It appears that just about everything can be earned simply by playing the game.

     

    Except that your ability to gain "refined" AD (the ones you actually spend) is gated by a daily limit. So, technically, yes... you don't "have to" buy anything from the store, but if you don't, you'll be waiting for an extremely long time getting that stuff. This is a typical F2P "scam" where if you don't pay, your gameplay will suffer immensely, due the inherent penalties of not paying. And make no mistake, the game was explicitly designed to be this way. And no, trying to buy that stuff in the AH for gold is not viable, either.

    (sigh) Did you not read my post? Anything in the game can be gotten without AD. Anything. It might not be a black, on-fire something, or it may not be the exact something with a fancy glowy graphic that can be purchased with AD, but it's pretty darn similar.

    I'm not going to bat for this game, I enjoy playing it but I'm not a fanboi. It has issues and things I don't like.

    But implying "you can't buy things from the AH if you don't pay" or "you'll be waiting a long time to get something" isn't true. This depends upon what you want. And not upon what you need.

    If you've just got to have some specific thing or specific look, that may be the case. But that's the "ooh, shiny!" scenario. You don't need that stuff to play the game or enjoy it. You're not missing something. It's just the difference of a rock-golem skin, or a guy with a sword and shield. They functionally work just as well as the ones you get from quests for free.

    I have no issues with legitimate problems with their model, but saying you can't get a level 3 mount or good items or a companion without paying is false information.

     

    Well, that's not "anything" then, now is it? And when the AH prices go nuts because of the farmers/bots, it will be even worse. The fact is that a good number of items will be cash shop only, by way of refined AD, and in game acquisition of that is purposely limited. The title of the thread and the blurb from the developers say "Get everything you want by playing." Well, the point is, unless you are willing to spend untold time grinding everything, that is not going to happen in any reasonable amount of time, unless you pay real money, which is the point (and whether or not "similar" items are available is irrelevant to your claims and those of the devs).
  • LanessarLanessar Member Posts: 87
    Originally posted by Burntvet
    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by Burntvet
    Originally posted by Rohn
    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by furbans

    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game.

    ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard.

    What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds.

    The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy.

    Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds.

    That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right?

    Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds.

    Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune.

    Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors)

    Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure.

    Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds.

    You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them. 

     If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.

     

    Very well stated.  The "cost" of playing the game appears to be consistently exaggerated.  It appears that just about everything can be earned simply by playing the game.

     

    Except that your ability to gain "refined" AD (the ones you actually spend) is gated by a daily limit. So, technically, yes... you don't "have to" buy anything from the store, but if you don't, you'll be waiting for an extremely long time getting that stuff. This is a typical F2P "scam" where if you don't pay, your gameplay will suffer immensely, due the inherent penalties of not paying. And make no mistake, the game was explicitly designed to be this way. And no, trying to buy that stuff in the AH for gold is not viable, either.

    (sigh) Did you not read my post? Anything in the game can be gotten without AD. Anything. It might not be a black, on-fire something, or it may not be the exact something with a fancy glowy graphic that can be purchased with AD, but it's pretty darn similar.

    I'm not going to bat for this game, I enjoy playing it but I'm not a fanboi. It has issues and things I don't like.

    But implying "you can't buy things from the AH if you don't pay" or "you'll be waiting a long time to get something" isn't true. This depends upon what you want. And not upon what you need.

    If you've just got to have some specific thing or specific look, that may be the case. But that's the "ooh, shiny!" scenario. You don't need that stuff to play the game or enjoy it. You're not missing something. It's just the difference of a rock-golem skin, or a guy with a sword and shield. They functionally work just as well as the ones you get from quests for free.

    I have no issues with legitimate problems with their model, but saying you can't get a level 3 mount or good items or a companion without paying is false information.

     

    Well, that's not "anything" then, now is it? And when the AH prices go nuts because of the farmers/bots, it will be even worse. The fact is that a good number of items will be cash shop only, by way of refined AD, and in game acquisition of that is purposely limited. The title of the thread and the blurb from the developers say "Get everything you want by playing." Well, the point is, unless you are willing to spend untold time grinding everything, that is not going to happen in any reasonable amount of time, unless you pay real money, which is the point (and whether or not "similar" items are available is irrelevant to your claims and those of the devs claims).
     

    Ok. Let's say it clearly then:

     

    You want a flashy horse that goes 100% runspeed, and looks awesome, yes, you're paying. Be that time or money. It's all the same to me. If you want a non-flashy horse that goes 100% runspeed, you don't have to pay.

     

    But calling it pay-to-win or a scam, being snarky on the model just because someone can't have something with a different skin... how do you expect them to make money? You want to save the grind, you can. As far as the economy, it's far too early to predict that at this point. CO and STO seem to do pretty well. We'll see.

     

    Your comment seems to intimate that you literally cannot play the game without paying money; that's false. You will not be any wore off than someone who does pay - you will have companions, you will have a mount, all function just as well as a paying customer.

     

    But if your gameplay "suffers immensely" because you don't have a fire elemental, but have to stick with the free mage (who function pretty much identically), then it seems further discourse with you is pretty useless.

     

    It's certainly not P2W, it's not a scam. 

     
     
  • itgrowlsitgrowls Member Posts: 2,951
    Originally posted by Burntvet
    Originally posted by Rohn
    Originally posted by Lanessar
    Originally posted by furbans

    what I've seen is that you have to use Astral Diamonds in the game.

    ...but you also make a decent amount as a totally free player, at least, from my time in the beta. I earned at least 10K diamonds over the beta weekend, and I wasn't trying very hard.

    What to ride the lvl 40 or lvl 60 mount?  Need to fork of Astral Diamonds.

    The mounts for 40-60 cost gold (10g and 20g). If you want a 40-60 Nightmare mount, or a mount that looks like a tiger, then you pay AD. But a "level 3 mount" can be bought with in-game gold. I was at 20g by level 30 in the beta, waaay before I needed a L2 mount, so they aren't stingy.

    Want to buy something off the AH?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds.

    That's the currency for the AH. But you do realize you can stand in a field and hit CTRL-I and get 1500 AD, right?

    Companion upgrades?  Astral Diamonds.

    Upgrades get dropped in the world as well. And are also awarded as quest rewards. If you want a higher-ranked Rune, you can combine the ones you find as drops (no cost) into a higher-ranked Rune.

    Want wome good quality gear?  Fork over some Astral Diamonds. (There are some seal/token vendors)

    Or just earn it from questing. Or buy blues from a vendor for gold. Heck, a 20-minute instance run netted me gear better than what they were selling for AD for a level 20 cleric, that's for sure.

    Want a new companion?  Give em some Astral Diamonds.

    You get them for free from quests, don't have to pay anything for them. By level 30 I had gotten three, and you don't have to pay a single AD for them. 

     If you want a hawk, or an elemental, or a ghost companion, you pay AD. But a standard man-at-arms is just as good as an ele. So, again, pay AD for the skin.

     

    Very well stated.  The "cost" of playing the game appears to be consistently exaggerated.  It appears that just about everything can be earned simply by playing the game.

     

    Except that your ability to gain "refined" AD (the ones you actually spend) is gated by a daily limit. So, technically, yes... you don't "have to" buy anything from the store, but if you don't, you'll be waiting for an extremely long time getting that stuff. This is a typical F2P "scam" where if you don't pay, your gameplay will suffer immensely, due the inherent penalties of not paying. And make no mistake, the game was explicitly designed to be this way. And no, trying to buy that stuff in the AH for gold is not viable, either.

    LOL @ extremely long. When comparing to games like GW2 where it literally will take you months to get up enough gold to actually buy something from the store, PW games are very much tame. This is a complete exaggeration of how their currency systems work in Cryptic games, take it from a lifetimer of STO. 

    It generally takes me about a week to get 46k dilithium in STO to buy 500 Zen points in order to purchase things from the store (keep in mind this is with me skipping over things so I'm not playing ALL of the missions one would play to get the maximum amount of Dilithium per day). The in game stores are very different. The dilithium store is not the RMT store it's the in game second currency store, one can buy things one needs there as well (which it looks like the AD store will be like this). Very different then what you are suggesting.

    Buying stuff for Gold is actually Viable because in STO it's the equivolent of Energy Credits which they use in their exchange. You can gear yourself very well in EC XII maxed gear from the drops others get from playing the max difficulty missions. It's not hard at all to get EC in STO all one has to do is explore missions (which are generally very easy and drop alot of useless resources).

    I can understand having a problem with typical F2P models but this one is loads better then LOTRO and other games I've played that allowed for the conversion of in game earned currency to be used in their RMT store. You can actually get anything you want and it really doesn't take as long as people say. 

    Another example of how this is not a bad system for comparison could be the Laurel system in GW2, if for example they leave it the way it is now (no retro) it will literally take you 16 months time to gather enough laurels to fully gear your character in all ascended gear infusions jewelry the works. PW games aren't this bad because they give you three options to purchase what you need, and if you don't want to go out and earn it and two options to earn the currency to use it for purchases. It does not feel like a grind at all, trust me I've played some games with seriously poorly designed economies before and STO is not it.

    If NW is using STO's model there's nothing to worry about at all.

    Keep in mind also, that PW changed STO's system when they took over. They added Dilithium as a currency and the dilithium store (non RMT) which one can use to purchase the items one needs, ALSO they added the reputation system (the best reputation system I've ever seen in any game) and they've added the fleet (guild) system where one builds upon the fleet with resources gathered from the gameplay and once one reaches a certain level with it the entire fleet can purchase some of the best gear in the game. I hope they add this system to NW.

  • IllyssiaIllyssia Member UncommonPosts: 1,507

    Just what' the hell's an Astral Diamond?

    A type of currency used in-game to purchase gear and to bid in the auction house, Astral Diamonds 'are what we've dubbed a "time currency" (similar to Dilithium in Star Trek Online or Questionite inChampions Online). Typically, a player can earn Astral Diamonds by doing certain types of quests and missions. And, usually, this content is time limited so a player can only repeat this type of gameplay so often. In our Starter Packs, we provide players a treasure chest full of Astral Diamonds so their own epic tales can begin at a sprint.

     

    This is just so Cryptic. Yes, you can pull out your two-handed sword with your Guardian and hack your way over many hours to a bounty of Astral Diamonds, or, you simply pull out your two-sided credit card  and you can plunder the Astral Diamonds in seconds from their epic cash shop. 

  • itgrowlsitgrowls Member Posts: 2,951
    Originally posted by Illyssia

    Just what' the hell's an Astral Diamond?

    A type of currency used in-game to purchase gear and to bid in the auction house, Astral Diamonds 'are what we've dubbed a "time currency" (similar to Dilithium in Star Trek Online or Questionite inChampions Online). Typically, a player can earn Astral Diamonds by doing certain types of quests and missions. And, usually, this content is time limited so a player can only repeat this type of gameplay so often. In our Starter Packs, we provide players a treasure chest full of Astral Diamonds so their own epic tales can begin at a sprint.

     

    This is just so Cryptic. Yes, you can pull out your two-handed sword with your Guardian and hack your way over many hours to a bounty of Astral Diamonds, or, you simply pull out your two-sided credit card  and you can plunder the Astral Diamonds in seconds from their epic cash shop. 

    Actually PW is in charge of the monetization. I love it I play a little each week and get loads of currency to use for whatever I want in STO. Do it across two toons and you'll have all of what you need for one in no time. It's a great system. If you want it all right this second sure spend the money, but you don't have to, the game isn't designed to force you to do the hardest stuff and have to have the best ever gear in order to do said questing, nor is it designed to cutoff people from seeing content if you aren't geared like the elephant in the room, AHEM WoW and others like WoW.

    Really baffled about why people are having a problem with this unless they're really just haters on anything F2P vs Sub.

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