Draconis Bottleneck and the Same Old Grind

[Ctfunnygirl]

Right now SS has a ton of high ranking players stuck in a bottleneck called Draconis. There is nowhere else to go. So, we buzz around in our weird Drac sea creature ships... grinding grinding grinding to afford bps to put on better tech so we can survive on The Hive.

Here SS created their own monster. It’s a grind mess - creating chaos and conflict by making Draconis ssoooo blasted expensive. I mean - would you continue to grind if you had cry to pay for the bps you want on your ship? Hmmmm… Give me a minute… Let me think……

HECK NO! No. No.No.No. That would be insane. None of us are insane… we are merely cranky. Very very cranky.

We are plagued with “Grind Madness,” Splitscreen, and…. it ain’t pretty.

It appears the solution to keeping us “busy” and keeping us in the game… is to price ships and tech astronomically expensive; which makes us grind more - but in different places – for less cry - for a longer period of time. OMG! And split the blueprints into a dozen pieces or more – creating a mind numbing amount of time and effort into outfitting just one system ship.

Oh THAT works.

But the developers have forced us to grind - placing all the high levels in the same places competing for the same harvs and same cry.

The biggest gripe was that there was a lack of grinding spots - and that the grinding spots were monopolized by high levels who could instantly obliterate all the harvs in range - and the Gemini and Mizar players couldn't catch a break and actually SHOOT some harvs.

Now it’s even worse! Now every grind spot down to Antares is occupied by a level 70 or higher ship who is grinding for ladder status or cry in their big ship with a low level blaster. Every one. Go look. Me included.

The simplest solution would have been to keep the cry drop the same and add additional grind spots. Or – here’s a thought - provide missions with big enough cry rewards to actually afford the ships we are forced to buy in order to survive.

Look, I know I have to grind. I know it’s part of the game. But it is this supposed to be a grinding game? Or is it a 3d science fiction spaceship kick butt shoot’em up have a blast game that includes grinding.

Look devs, we don’t want any razzle dazzle. We just want the same game we were playing last year. How hard can that be? There is a nightmare brewing if the next system continues the upward spiral of expensive ships with even MORE grinding in store for us. Who will stay in the game if you have to grind 5 million cry for the next system ship? Will you… ? Will I? Hmmmm… Could maybe you do something Splitscreen to make the decision even a bit a little bit more difficult for me?

Lool - Askone Server - Frequent and Justified Complainer

 

[Death-Hunter]

well spoken but useless.....i think totally agree with, i already started to grind for sirius now but i have little feeling i have to get 3million+ so that means 2.750.000 to go

 

[Hyyppa]

I have to agree about Draconis. It is total overkill from SS. There should be atleast 3 systems between Sol and Draconis to explain these cryonite costs. Though nothing explains that amount of mantis on planets. SS developer team should reduce ship costs a lot and reduce pod cryonite drop.

Ships cost go up in clear scale. You can buy 2-4 ships from new system with cryonite needed to buy deluvian and best normal items from previous system.

Vega: 3,2k for equipped ship rank 10.
Antares: 1,8k for ship and 11k when equipped.
Gemini: 3,7k for ship and 21k when equipped.
Mizar: 7,4k for ship and 46k when equipped.
Sol: 11k for ship. Items cant be compared as rank 55 items are not meant for rank 45 ship.
Sol rank 60: 116k for equipped ship.
Draconis: 108k for SHIP ONLY

This shows clearly mistake made in Draconis. Draconis ship should cost maximum 50k, preferably 30k. Also, equipped ship costs about 7 times more than only ship. So Draconis ship with best Hive items should cost around 200k-300k. That is over 50% less than currently. Also pod cryonite should be reduced 50-75% or increase mission rewards for all Draconis stories and whites 500% (example Mantis Hive Queen story mission reward would 25 000 cryonite). This might reduce problem, though cryonite reward from white missions has to be increased lots to make then viable option for getting cryonite and to reduce pressure on grinding spots.

 

[pbhuh]

The only reason why SplitScreen Studios has made these prices insanely high is that they want us to don't rush the game.

But SS(S), you only made people insane by forcing them to grind more then 500K.

500K!

Thats 5x as high as the price for Sol was.

Come on!

 

[Royal Ri Death]

I hope everything is changed to better at draconis to I get there...

 

[pbhuh]

SS(S), Please listen, so many complaints. Next patch we want changes, if this even doesn't get attention.

I remember a big ranting wave in the time of sol or draconis.

It's happening again, and this time we aren't so happy anymore. We have had enough.

Many players love this game and can't stop playing it, but more and more begin to play other games instead of PG.

 

[Death-Hunter]

The only reason why SplitScreen Studios has made these prices insanely high is that they want us to don't rush the game.

But SS(S), you only made people insane by forcing them to grind more then 500K.

500K!

Thats 5x as high as the price for Sol was.

Come on!

571k ! and 885k full gold..... way to much

 

[godman]

This shows clearly mistake made in Draconis. Draconis ship should cost maximum 50k, preferably 30k.

If the game is gonna follow the same pattern as it did before the ship should cost about as much as the rare ship in the system before...

 

[pbhuh]

This shows clearly mistake made in Draconis. Draconis ship should cost maximum 50k, preferably 30k.

If the game is gonna follow the same pattern as it did before the ship should cost about as much as the rare ship in the system before...

actually...

no.

The GC-X is same as the MST-FF, MST-X is more expensive then the STAM R-
The rares are 2x the ship price. The next ship qua rank is often 175%-200% the price of the previous one.

And the price for a Draconis Ship would be best around 35K still high, but only 1/3 of that from the price now and 175% of the STAM S-

 

[Royal Ri Death]

if I am right a draconis ship should cost 41k cryo, cus each next system ship is almost the same price as the before systems rare ship...

 

[pbhuh]

if I am right a draconis ship should cost 41k cryo, cus each next system ship is almost the same price as the before systems rare ship...

no it isn't.

Antares Normal: 1862
- Rare: 3724
Gemini: 3763
- Rare: 7526
Mizar: 7494
- Rare: 14989
Sol: 11628
Sol: 20568
- Rare: 41136
Draconis: 108608
- Rare: 217215

If Draconis price would be that of the Mizar-Sol or Sol-Sol it would be around 30-40K. Not 41K.

This also gives a good look why Rare Ships should not be 2x the price of the normal version.

15K for a Mizar Rare.
20K for a Sol 60.

Anyone? Pretty fair I guess? No? Well let's fix it.

 

[DivineWind]

Right now SS has a ton of high ranking players stuck in a bottleneck called Draconis. There is nowhere else to go. So, we buzz around in our weird Drac sea creature ships... grinding grinding grinding to afford bps to put on better tech so we can survive on The Hive.

Here SS created their own monster. It’s a grind mess - creating chaos and conflict by making Draconis ssoooo blasted expensive. I mean - would you continue to grind if you had cry to pay for the bps you want on your ship? Hmmmm… Give me a minute… Let me think……

HECK NO! No. No.No.No. That would be insane. None of us are insane… we are merely cranky. Very very cranky.

We are plagued with “Grind Madness,” Splitscreen, and…. it ain’t pretty.

It appears the solution to keeping us “busy” and keeping us in the game… is to price ships and tech astronomically expensive; which makes us grind more - but in different places – for less cry - for a longer period of time. OMG! And split the blueprints into a dozen pieces or more – creating a mind numbing amount of time and effort into outfitting just one system ship.

Oh THAT works.

But the developers have forced us to grind - placing all the high levels in the same places competing for the same harvs and same cry.

The biggest gripe was that there was a lack of grinding spots - and that the grinding spots were monopolized by high levels who could instantly obliterate all the harvs in range - and the Gemini and Mizar players couldn't catch a break and actually SHOOT some harvs.

Now it’s even worse! Now every grind spot down to Antares is occupied by a level 70 or higher ship who is grinding for ladder status or cry in their big ship with a low level blaster. Every one. Go look. Me included.

The simplest solution would have been to keep the cry drop the same and add additional grind spots. Or – here’s a thought - provide missions with big enough cry rewards to actually afford the ships we are forced to buy in order to survive.

Look, I know I have to grind. I know it’s part of the game. But it is this supposed to be a grinding game? Or is it a 3d science fiction spaceship kick butt shoot’em up have a blast game that includes grinding.

Look devs, we don’t want any razzle dazzle. We just want the same game we were playing last year. How hard can that be? There is a nightmare brewing if the next system continues the upward spiral of expensive ships with even MORE grinding in store for us. Who will stay in the game if you have to grind 5 million cry for the next system ship? Will you… ? Will I? Hmmmm… Could maybe you do something Splitscreen to make the decision even a bit a little bit more difficult for me?

Lool - Askone Server - Frequent and Justified Complainer

As usual very apt Lool. I think the chief culprit here, apart from prices, is BOREDOM. There is nothing left to do except grind (for cry or warscore {which is the topic of a sifferent post}). Teresa and Lustra are now virtually unplayable at times. How many times have I seen in open chat statements like " if you don't want to lag don't come to {grid ref}". SS want us to go on the PTR to try to recreate the game in order to discover what is causing lag issues. No need. Just take a look at Teresa/Lustra and you can see why.

Solutions?
1. Increase cry drops and lower prices of higher system tech (unlikely).
2. Change the way warscore is alloted and how a gold skull (or similar) is awarded (unlikely).
3. Create new and challenging white missions for the old CQ planets that are now redundant (unlikely).
4. Change pirate mode and the benefits gained from going red (unlikely).
5. Implement a system that pays cry value for data-discarded rare drops (suggested previously in another post) (unlikely).

Essentially something needs to be done now, but I have the suspicion that all efforts are being concentrated on Sirius in making it as expensive and difficult as possible. We have been told to wait for the summer with all the new developments it will bring. (I really can't wait for all the new and exciting things I can do with gravitons!!!). Message to devs. Summer is here. Ah, but you didn't say which summer

 

[Death-Hunter]

my idea is to use the cq planet that are not activated since last patch for grind planets, this idea have been suggested alot already but i think this will actually solve the problem so u have 1 planet in each system that allows u to grind and maybe add some grinding missions to it also.. :mrorange:

 

[Toxity]

Its all about money,

They made Draconis so expensive and difficult so we spend our money for memberships and boosters
I think they want new servers or so......i know i payed allready for 1....
not 1 game is free, its up to the players if they want to spend money in it or not.....the ones who do, pay for the servers, paying the devs and the rest of the crew....nothing is free....

So i think when Sirius comes online, we must be millionairs to pay for memberships and boosters if we want all the stuff.......

Thats what I think.......

 

[TFusion20]

let them do, they are just killing their own game, noone will even think about sirius if it will be the same step forward, as the step from sol to drac (looking to cry prices). And even when it is not such a big step forward, it still to expensive

 

[WRAITH1]

(usually gave up postin as there never was feedbk to feedbk but now servers are down and practicing my typing and english again.lol)

this game has been missing basic elements from the start(bosses,minigames,decent pvp,etc)
but biggest lack was always communiction between game makers and players opinions.
many good ideas were listed by many a good players with big hopes in the game but nothing ever happened as i know noone really representing developers department ever even bothered say "ty no need for ideas" or "buzz off" or such as i know.
no wonder most of the beta players didnt hang around for long.
the game developing system itself is flawed cause noone can develop content as fast as players play it, thts y most "normal" games implement non linear time consuming content as bosses, minigames, pvp options ,etc. so the player can play even if no new system appears for years.(many even do the math how many hours of gameplay each content represents)
->>>just a small example i could have finished storyline i 15 days easy in this game as is; and everything as is linear is only new once.
only goodies were the easter eggs and the new white missions (one even incourages u to use a specific ship type to more easy succeed solo which this game lacks its rather tank monopoly imo)

long story short we dont even know wht the plan of the game company is ; it lacks so MANY basic things for such LONG time makes u wonder if the game isnt "parked" waiting for a bid for buyout (meaning development is almost standing still)

 

[Tallon69]

let them do, they are just killing their own game, noone will even think about sirius if it will be the same step forward, as the step from sol to drac (looking to cry prices). And even when it is not such a big step forward, it still to expensive

Sad but true.... in their ignorance, the powers that be not only slowed progress, but made draconis the worst and most boring system to be in. Not only is it Way ..insanely.. stupidly expensive, but also the rares drop painfully slow and only in certain locations. I have watched several clans including my own go from 20-30-40 active players down to 2-3 players over this. Definitely doesn't make me want to rush out and renew my membership.
And the big kicker is, THERE IS INCREASINGLY NOWHERE TO GRIND IN DRACONIS!!!!!!!! sry for the caps but, can you hear us now SS? Nearly every grind spot, harv spot, e-field spot..etc..etc.. is taken up on GAZ and the Hive at any given time. I guess that should theoretically get better when more drac players get bored/frustrated and quit. So please pull the proverbial "head" out, and make some positive changes here.

 

[lance]

Right now SS has a ton of high ranking players stuck in a bottleneck called Draconis. There is nowhere else to go. So, we buzz around in our weird Drac sea creature ships... grinding grinding grinding to afford bps to put on better tech so we can survive on The Hive.

Here SS created their own monster.

-Created a monster that could have been avoided if they had listened to us. Noone wanted the CQ changes (the ones they put in place anyway), the restrictions, the price increase, the restrictions, the new pirate mode, the restrictions, you get the picture. Everything we were HAPPY WITH was taken out and replaced and yet the old problems; not enough grind space, jumping people on 1v1s, pod cry on drac ships too high, too many restrictions... were never addressed.

This game has just turned into the classic dev attitude of late...

"take the money and run"

 

[pbhuh]

Right now SS has a ton of high ranking players stuck in a bottleneck called Draconis. There is nowhere else to go. So, we buzz around in our weird Drac sea creature ships... grinding grinding grinding to afford bps to put on better tech so we can survive on The Hive.

Here SS created their own monster.

-Created a monster that could have been avoided if they had listened to us. Noone wanted the CQ changes (the ones they put in place anyway), the restrictions, the price increase, the restrictions, the new pirate mode, the restrictions, you get the picture. Everything we were HAPPY WITH was taken out and replaced and yet the old problems; not enough grind space, jumping people on 1v1s, pod cry on drac ships too high, too many restrictions... were never addressed.

This game has just turned into the classic dev attitude of late...

"take the money and run"

Since complaining doesn't work, lets be positive 1 time ( I know it's hard ^^ )

They tried to fix something of the old cq system, not sure what.
Then they tried to fix the fact that players rushed trough systems and added something against that in draconis.
They tried to make it easier to get blueprints by making a more rewarding system (altought the new bp system takes longer it's easier to make progress)
They tried to fix the new CQ system, since more and more people did no CQ's any more etc.

they have tried to do stuff, it didn't work.

The only thing we can actually complain about is the fact that they do not listen to our good ideas to fix problems.

 

[CapnSanta]

Hi Guys and Gals,

Long time no write for poor old Santa hey.

I have been giving the game a rest for 5 months and decided to see what is new ..... and it appears nothing much has changed. Sure the game has different functions in it, you know, it plays differently then when I was last "in to it" ... but this post highlights comments I made a long time ago for a very long time...

They change things to make money... if you want ... and I mean really want, something to happen then you need to stop spending money.

There IS an aspect about the game play that is not as enjoyable as it once was, however I cannot put my finger on the exact item/thing that causes me to say this. There are many things that are better for sure, but it really comes down to enjoyment. That's why I had a break, for I no longer was enjoying it. Now that I am back I have found the most uplifting part has been the warm welcome's' from all the old players I used to hang out with.

As for game play, there are many things I would do differently but as I do not own the company I have no real say in matters. But IF you want to get your message of desired changes across... MONEY is the ONLY answer you can respond with!

Also, I feel that SS are making other games too, so PG does not have a full time team "just doing it", thus resources are spread out and hence updates of larger systems are delayed.

Yes I also think the Draco prices are a bit pathetically high... if they follow the same pattern of increase it will become unfeasable to play due to the time wasted to obtain enough greens to buy items. There will have to be an upper limit to tech amounts and costs.

That's all for now.