1.7.5 Content Update (75561)

[Reaganite]

I understand that this is first and foremost a business, but two plat per run is excessive. One plat maybe, but not two. Keep it reasonable.

[Duped]

.......In the past you may have been charging too little for what you gave us (the creative content all the way up to AO3) but you did a complete 180 and started charging WAY too much for content that was inferior.

Are you sure it wasn't a 360 they did :P

Wonderfully worded, 100% agree, even if you are Debbie Downer.

[PatsoeGamer]

Interesting read, here's my top comments for feedback to STS on the latest update:

Pro's
1. new vanities awesome
2. new weapons awesome

Con's
1. Pay per run dislike
2. Same maps as last year
3. Spent too much on xmas pack

To improve on future holiday promotions and leave me and others as more satisfied customers
1. Remove pay per run and make the pink drop difficult
2. Make new maps, with new scenery
3. Make the holiday pack a non lottery item, have the lottery for pink drops & equipment. Make different holiday packs with different items. Or charge plat per item and scale it in price.

[Appleisaac]

No matter how many powerful posts are written here, it won't make a difference... :-( I say that 2 plat per run is a tremendous rip off for farmers, but it lowers the cost of getting the Christmas vanities and just running through the campain once to get the vanities and have fun... I really think this would have been a great idea if they had kept the other option availible to spend about 20-50 plat so people could farm without giving sts every cent they have ever made... :-) I do like the Christmas vanities though four plat is a good price for two cool vanities! :-D

[Xenzix]

Honestly... I really can't understand the 2plat per run issue for 2011 x'mas festival... Especially for anyone who paid for x'mas festival last year. Seriously Devs.. This is not the way to earn the loyalty of your players... Purchasing a winter festival should account for purchasing access to winter festival whenever it brought back.. Making your loyal longtime players to pay repeatedly for the same (or very similar content) is really a slap in the face for those who play continually and continue to buy plat for new and original content. I was very disappointed with the request for Plat to use the same winter festival I paid for last year... VERY disappointed!
This is not the way to establish a loyalty base and really should be addressed.

[Justg]

Xenzix, there are all new items in the levels and the drop rates are huge. If you want to jump in and score some cool items, it does not cost very much at all. If you want to repeatedly farm to sell the items to other players, it will cost more to do so. We feel it is a good balance.

[Rare]

Xenzix, there are all new items in the levels and the drop rates are huge. If you want to jump in and score some cool items, it does not cost very much at all. If you want to repeatedly farm to sell the items to other players, it will cost more to do so. We feel it is a good balance.

Not trying to start anything but Netflix thought they were being fair when they split DVD and streaming video. How did that turn out? Of course a company like Netflix has a pretty long leash.

[CrimsonTider]

Xenzix, there are all new items in the levels and the drop rates are huge. If you want to jump in and score some cool items, it does not cost very much at all. If you want to repeatedly farm to sell the items to other players, it will cost more to do so. We feel it is a good balance.

Well, there is our answer: no change or consideration put into our suggestions. Highly disappointed.

[Jaymonee]

Well, there is our answer: no change or consideration put into our suggestions. Highly disappointed.

Only because they are suggestions, I'd say that the suggestion box is overflowing.

[StompArtist]

Xenzix, there are all new items in the levels and the drop rates are huge. If you want to jump in and score some cool items, it does not cost very much at all. If you want to repeatedly farm to sell the items to other players, it will cost more to do so. We feel it is a good balance.

Was checking pms and saw this comment, here is a small reply: some players enjoy running the beautiful dungeons more than farming or being obsessed with pinks. This approach makes it impossible/irrational for these players to truly enjoy the content since it is entirely geared towards plat for items or plat for gold. Some players enjoy playing a bear looking for coal hearts not role playing being the best dressed vain toon or the wealthiest pixel owner... cheers.

PS: JustG do you honestly think that the only reason folks are playing these games is to get pinks? Because that is how you are making it sound...

[Kalielle]

I understand the thinking behind the system now - charge hardcore farmers while allowing everyone to casually enjoy the content. It makes sense in theory, but I think the issue is that it leaves no way for players who are not rich in real life to become rich and powerful in game, which is what many play an MMO for. The assumption is that low-spending players will be happy to just have some fun and get a few neat items for themselves. This leaves out those who can't spend a lot but are hardcore players and want to feel successful in game.

I'm hoping that PL can find another solution to make both classes of players feel satisfied. For example if the inflation in PL was fixed, then maybe the gold-buying options would become more attractive to platinum users. Then the free users could feel good about themselves farming items to sell to plat buyers. The plat buyers would still have an advantage but it wouldn't be as visible, or as exclusive.

Or maybe sellable plat items and elixirs could be introduced. I know the idea was rejected in the past, but I wonder if it would really be such a bad thing. Even WoW now introduced a pet that people can buy for $10 and resell to other players for gold. If players had another way to get items other than plat, then maybe there wouldn't be such a divide in the community based on plat spending.

[Elyseon]

They don't really care what we say, ask, or think because they know some people will throw loads of plat in and make them a lot of money, which is all they care about

[Pharcyde]

I understand the thinking behind the system now - charge hardcore farmers while allowing everyone to casually enjoy the content. It makes sense in theory, but I think the issue is that it leaves no way for players who are not rich in real life to become rich and powerful in game, which is what many play an MMO for. The assumption is that low-spending players will be happy to just have some fun and get a few neat items for themselves. This leaves out those who can't spend a lot but are hardcore players and want to feel successful in game.

I'm hoping that PL can find another solution to make both classes of players feel satisfied. For example if the inflation in PL was fixed, then maybe the gold-buying options would become more attractive to platinum users. Then the free users could feel good about themselves farming items to sell to plat buyers. The plat buyers would still have an advantage but it wouldn't be as visible, or as exclusive.

Or maybe sellable plat items and elixirs could be introduced. I know the idea was rejected in the past, but I wonder if it would really be such a bad thing. Even WoW now introduced a pet that people can buy for $10 and resell to other players for gold. If players had another way to get items other than plat, then maybe there wouldn't be such a divide in the community based on plat spending.

Well said -

The old PL, or as many oldies call fun PL had its fair share of issues. A lot of the issues had been resolved, but the new biggest issue is the increasingly big gap between rich and poor.

I liked the old system were you could buy decent elixirs for gold, then the power elixirs for platinum.

[Appleisaac]

They don't really care what we say, ask, or think because they know some people will throw loads of plat in and make them a lot of money, which is all they care about

As long as there are rich obsessed people sts won't give us new original stuff/or lower the need for plat...

Sts please prove me wrong!

[Appleisaac]

Well said -

but the new biggest issue is the increasingly big gap between rich and poor.

I liked the old system were you could buy decent elixirs for gold, then the power elixirs for platinum.

Sounds like london in the days when charles dickens wrote the book A Christmas Carol to try to get the rich to be more charitable towards the poor... Lol I know this isn't related to the post at all, but I just thought it was cool!

[pastrychef]

To all those who defended the plat elixirs, 500 plat vanity helm, etc with "it's optional", "it's not needed to enjoy the game", "don't buy it if you don't want to". Right back at ya.

[kallima]

I have not been able to post my feedback as I was limited to only mobile devices and knew my feedback would be rather long-winded. So forgive the delay as the point seems pretty moot now.

I do think STS has become more plat driven and WF just confirms this for me. I took a hiatus and was a bit shocked at how contradictory the latest decisions have been. The thrasher elixirs are not an issue for me. I didn't rage quit when they retired my twinks from scale farming because I discovered that I can still scale farm - just the drops will be worth less due to an increase in scaled drops. I understood STS is a business. They need revenue to sustain their business, pay their employees, advertise their game etc.

However, my issues are with the seemingly hypocritical decisions that negate patches the devs realized were issues. They stated "we want to maintain the integrity of leaderboards" then counteract that by presenting the "enable xp" and thus kills lixir. I haven't seen a reasonable response to why they no longer want to maintain the integrity of the leaderboards, so I can only assume that plat purchases mean more to them than the integrity of the leaderboards.

They've recognized that powerleveling introduces an influx of unskilled players (scatterbears, mages that don't heal, birds that refuse to do damage etc) so place a prevention to this by limiting players to gain xp at a level appropriate dungeon. Once again, this is nullified by the "access any map" elixir. Again, I have not seen a response from the devs stating why they went against their own words and patch, so can only assume that plat purchases are of more value than players that actually want to learn and experiene their game in full.

If I'm incorrect in any of my two previous points, please quote them or direct me to the link where they state WHY they decided to essentially void these patches. I did read they wanted players to have the option to more variety - but frankly they can disable kills from the "enable xp" lixir and disable xp from the "access any map" lixir. That way end game players can still level toons without the monotony of the same campaign, and early toons that just want to explore a map can - but without the benefit of powerleveling or leeching xp while contributing nothing to the team.

Winterfest has confirmed my fear of a plat-driven STS. Let me just state that when I came back I bought two 2K plat packs - not a problem because frankly, I'll spend my disposable income as I see fit (don't ask what I spend on shoes, lol). But the pay to play is rather cumbersome and inconvenient, not to mention, psychologically I begin to feel nickel and dimed. Charge me 1K plat for an all access pass. Charge others without my means, 30-50 plat for 1-4 hours. These are just random numbers but figures I would be willing to pay. I get that the 2plat is a nominal amount to pay but that isn't conducive to the group play you also encourage, or lip-service whatever the case may be. So for the plat conservative, if they have already done their quests to get the Xmas tree hat and Snowflake wings, they have to shell out more plat to help a friend obtain them too? Where is the community interaction in that, because all that inspires is an "I'm in it for me attitude." I foresee people looking for friends to join them in WF questing with a response like "Sorry man, out of plat and out of tap joy offers, good luck finding a group." Which is fine, but it is our nature to WANT to help friends, to share the joy we experience when in a new map and say "Wow, STS did an awesome job," or lament the fact that the environment is the same.

I was prepared to continue purchasing those 2K plat packs but now am hesitant to do so as I do not like to indirectly support decisions with which I disagree. I will state that I have changed my ratings for PL on both the ios and android market, just as I did when GCD was first introduced. I will change it back depending on what, if anything, the devs decide to change. If I remember correctly the GCD meltdown resulted in PL being downgraded to 2 stars in approx a week. I'm not encouraging others to do the same, but we've spoken with our voices on forums, some have voiced it with their pocketbook, this is just another avenue. By all means, for those that applaud this pay to play strategy - show them with your ratings just as I did when I began my first journey into the world of Alterra, but my perception has changed as did my rating.

I'll end on a positive note, because there are positives about this campaign - devs you did a great job with the new weapons. Can i just say that I absolutely love my Cuddle Me Santa bracer! And the update on the launcher is pretty sick - bravo. The stats are the same, but level 10 items having no stat requirements...it will be super interesting to see how level 10 PVP will change, if at all.

My last appeal - please provide us with more than just 2plat per boss kill. 30-50 plat per x hour(s) or an all access plat for 500-1000plat. Crunch the numbers, there has to be a middle ground where you are still making money and everyone feels like they get to experience it for more than 5minutes.

P.S. We are the same forum users that encouraged with a thread for EVERYONE to buy plat on your one year anniversary. I know I did. We WANT STS to thrive, we show you with our plat purchases (whether necesary or celebratory) - that in itself should tell you that we don't feel entitled to "free" anything. Thank you and I hope I don't get banned, I kept my post constructive, if there is anything you feel is offensive, plesae PM me and I will remove it ASAP.

[Pakax]

Ill make it shorter: this leaves me being unsatisfied. I have spend plat on this WF and usually, i dont mind spending plat. This time, i do. Something is wrong. I reckon you would have got a lot more money from me on luck elixir for free runs in WF with lower drop rate. And guess what, i would have felt happy.

[CrimsonTider]

Let me put this whole situation in another light:

I average around 30-35 friends at any given moment when I log into PL. Since this update, the MOST friends I have had on is 9 and average, yes AVERAGE, 4. Allow me to add my friends are some of the most hardcore players in the game. Some of who I see around 2-3 hours per night, I have not seen in a few days.

This is not coincedence.

[FluffNStuff]

Xenzix, there are all new items in the levels and the drop rates are huge. If you want to jump in and score some cool items, it does not cost very much at all. If you want to repeatedly farm to sell the items to other players, it will cost more to do so. We feel it is a good balance.

Will you be changing the side levels to this or will you just be doing it with the next side level?