Working As Intended!

**Xaphan Fox** · 07-19-2012, 07:14 PM

So new items drop.
Those who buy elixirs put 20 of them on auction.
Make 3 million gold in a few hours.

Those who actually play the game without godmode finally get one after hours of playing.
Get to sell them for 6,000gold.

Fun times lol.

Is this really what is intended? I miss Everquest. I miss camping an item and selling it for a million based on my luck alone.
Accomplishments in this game feel hollow.

woof

**bronislav84** · 07-19-2012, 07:33 PM

Paying customers making more in game money, boss. This tends to happen in a F2P game. Is it right? I'm not really sure, but since similar results can be gotten from the gold elixir, it's okay for me.

**csb** · 07-19-2012, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by Xaphan Fox

Is this really what is intended? I miss Everquest. I miss camping an item and selling it for a million based on my luck alone.
Accomplishments in this game feel hollow.

Everquest also had bugs. The difference is that if a bug affected the economy and a few got rich quick, then the entire server got rolled back. It was really annoying for the few that got rich, but was ultimately fair. But, I guess one big difference is that you couldn't accomplish much in one day on EQ, so an entire day of rollback was not significant. But, in DL, you can be half way to finishing the game in a day. (maybe exaggerating a little).

This sort of drop rate bug should be caught by the programmer, who should have unit tests. If not, then QA should have found it. Most likely, it is managements fault for asking everyone to finish by some impossible deadline, which means that not all the changes got tested. The players that find the bugs first are the lucky ones.

Actually, in Everquest there was always a rush after an update to log in. There are many reasons for this, one being to get a good farming camp site. (the major down side of limited spawns) But, another was to discover new bugs that can be exploited. If the bug wasn't too outrageous for Sony to take action, then we could get a quick little profit before the next patch.

**Flowman** · 07-20-2012, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by bronislav84

Paying customers making more in game money, boss. This tends to happen in a F2P game. Is it right? I'm not really sure, but since similar results can be gotten from the gold elixir, it's okay for me.

I don't think there's a gold option for the 35% luck elixir

**Xaphan Fox** · 07-20-2012, 04:07 AM

The point wasn't whether it was attainable by plat or gold, it was that something (luck elixir) exists that ruins the economy dwindling anything of potential worth to scrap within a matter of hours.

**bronislav84** · 07-20-2012, 08:41 AM

Flow you don't see what I really said do you? You're paying for the high amount of rereolls, so you deserve the kachink IMO. Similar with gold elixir gives me one per elixir usuallly. I used four and got three Puri shards.

Now with the prices dropping, your payout might be lower. At least you don't have to worry about making back 12k. Lol I do and I guess I will just keep the third one I farmed up until prices go up again, if they do.

**StompArtist** · 07-20-2012, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Xaphan Fox

The point wasn't whether it was attainable by plat or gold, it was that something (luck elixir) exists that ruins the economy dwindling anything of potential worth to scrap within a matter of hours.

AMEN

**Carapace** · 07-20-2012, 12:23 PM

It creates a different challenge for balancing item drops, but I'm keeping an eye on obvious things I can do to adjust it. Things planned for the future involve more Gold Sinks, and some shuffling of the loot tables in question over time to thin out and balance these scenarios.

There will always be the high rollers however, and it's impossible to have a perfect economy. With the addition of new droppable vanities for trade, and other means for gold to change hands within the community this should hopefully get better, and not worse over the coming months.

**wvhills** · 07-20-2012, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Carapace

It creates a different challenge for balancing item drops, but I'm keeping an eye on obvious things I can do to adjust it. Things planned for the future involve more Gold Sinks, and some shuffling of the loot tables in question over time to thin out and balance these scenarios.

There will always be the high rollers however, and it's impossible to have a perfect economy. With the addition of new droppable vanities for trade, and other means for gold to change hands within the community this should hopefully get better, and not worse over the coming months.

IMO plat elixirs absolutely ruined PL. They turned it from a skill and party based game where everyone had to know how to play their class into a button mashing thrasher fest. Sure, I had the option of not using a thrasher, it wasn't necessary to have one, but if I didn't have one all I ended up doing is run behind everyone and leech (not my idea of fun). The way DL is right now I don't see it as much as a problem because the whole game can be soloed and you can play by yourself and still get kills. The one area they do ruin the game is in the luck/loot department. The 35% elixirs do make it unfair. I understand you guys are in the business to make money, I just wish you'd find a business model that didn't rely on things (elixirs) that change the game so much. Like I said, right now in DL I don't think elixirs are a big problem (except for in the luck dept.) but I'd hate to see it get ruined by plat elixirs as harder and harder campaigns are added that will require us to run in groups rather than solo everything.

I'd like to see elixirs done away with completely. I'd also do away with gamble packs and make all weapons and gems (fire brands, pestilance, etc, everything- all weapons currently available for plat) lootable in the 3d missions and available for plat in the plat store (for a straight up price, no gambling). That way non plat users can play more and farm the items they want and plat users (like myself) can just buy the same things and save ourselves time and get to pvp where we want to be.

Idk if this is the place to speak up but, while I love the vanities and summer event, I can see DL moving towards the same business model (relying on elixir purchases) that ruined PL. You guys want more people playing the 3d instances so you put super cool vanities and gems in there but people simply playing doesn't make any money, you want them to be spending plat on elixirs. I think this because yesterday you were in chat talking about how flow shouldn't be dropping 6 fire shards in an hour and it needed to be adjusted. There was even an in game announcement saying the server was going down for an update. This update was canceled. I'm pretty sure you guys saw how many people were in game spending money on plat luck elixirs and decided to leave drop rates the way they were.

Once again, I love DL and I hope you guys make a killing of it. But please! find another way to make your money instead of elixirs! They are too game changing IMO.

**StompArtist** · 07-20-2012, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by robert7204

IMO plat elixirs absolutely ruined PL. They turned it from a skill and party based game where everyone had to know how to play their class into a button mashing thrasher fest. Sure, I had the option of not using a thrasher, it wasn't necessary to have one, but if I didn't have one all I ended up doing is run behind everyone and leech (not my idea of fun). The way DL is right now I don't see it as much as a problem because the whole game can be soloed and you can play by yourself and still get kills. The one area they do ruin the game is in the luck/loot department. The 35% elixirs do make it unfair. I understand you guys are in the business to make money, I just wish you'd find a business model that didn't rely on things (elixirs) that change the game so much. Like I said, right now in DL I don't think elixirs are a big problem (except for in the luck dept.) but I'd hate to see it get ruined by plat elixirs as harder and harder campaigns are added that will require us to run in groups rather than solo everything.

I'd like to see elixirs done away with completely. I'd also do away with gamble packs and make all weapons and gems (fire brands, pestilance, etc, everything- all weapons currently available for plat) lootable in the 3d missions and available for plat in the plat store (for a straight up price, no gambling). That way non plat users can play more and farm the items they want and plat users (like myself) can just buy the same things and save ourselves time and get to pvp where we want to be.

Idk if this is the place to speak up but, while I love the vanities and summer event, I can see DL moving towards the same business model (relying on elixir purchases) that ruined PL. You guys want more people playing the 3d instances so you put super cool vanities and gems in there but people simply playing doesn't make any money, you want them to be spending plat on elixirs. I think this because yesterday you were in chat talking about how flow shouldn't be dropping 6 fire shards in an hour and it needed to be adjusted. There was even an in game announcement saying the server was going down for an update. This update was canceled. I'm pretty sure you guys saw how many people were in game spending money on plat luck elixirs and decided to leave drop rates the way they were.

Once again, I love DL and I hope you guys make a killing of it. But please! find another way to make your money instead of elixirs! They are too game changing IMO.

That's the catch 22 isn't it? If you spend more than in a full blown PC MMO on a portable game is it truly worth it vs content? But then again STS has to make a living. I have no answer for this but indeed, elixirs are what killed PL for me as well. Very well said Rob.

**Xaphan Fox** · 07-20-2012, 03:35 PM

Meh the microtransaction is a bubble that will burst soon. I hope.

60$ for Diablo 3: A larger, more detailed game in every facet of game development.
Mobile games: 1% the content with an infinitely smaller team and overhead, yet you can be carroted for more than 50 every few weeks on the same content.

Companies finding more efficient ways to separate me from my dollar is not why I picked up an Atari controller 25 years ago.

I pray sts finds more viable ways to produce income without throwing a staple of every mmo, its economy, to the curb. Although wishing for this is prolly like peeing into the wind.

I'd rather pay a monthly fee than have gimmicks instituted that makes achievements hollow.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP
^Truth whistle

Woof

**Xaphan Fox** · 07-20-2012, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Carapace:717621

It creates a different challenge for balancing item drops, but I'm keeping an eye on obvious things I can do to adjust it. Things planned for the future involve more Gold Sinks, and some shuffling of the loot tables in question over time to thin out and balance these scenarios.

There will always be the high rollers however, and it's impossible to have a perfect economy. With the addition of new droppable vanities for trade, and other means for gold to change hands within the community this should hopefully get better, and not worse over the coming months.

I made 4.2 million off of 12k investments in a matter of hours.

The people who play the game your people code into the night, long hours, farm farm farm... By the time they get one, it was prolly 6k on the ah. Fun!

The proof is there already. The elixir, plat or gold attained, are so good it is foolish not to use them. It is moronic not to use them.

It's because instead of one that increase drop rate from .01% change to .05% or something, instead just forces a reroll off of a drop that is common, greens.

Something that has a 1 in 1000 chance of dropping, instead, has a 15% or 30% chances of being a guarantee as long as a green drops. A green drops like 1 in 5. 15% or 30% off of that is crazy easy odds.

It's broke. No other way to slice that pie.

Woof

**Flowman** · 07-20-2012, 04:17 PM

To put it nice and easy - Why do we even need Luck Elixirs? People can buy combat elixirs to help them clear the levels faster, thus increasing odds of drops....fine, that's cool, no harm done. But the Luck elixirs really do ruin the game. People will farm to get them regardless. Having them easily attainable with real money just ruins the games economy.

Just make them rare...0.05% drop rate or something. You guys kept telling me that the drop was meant to be super rare and that me getting 4 in a matter of 2 minutes was just out of sheer luck...but it wasn't luck....it was math. Dropping a green item with nothing higher from a normal mob but the "super rare shard" means that there's a 35% chance I'm getting that rare shard. The pink rerolls from bosses doesn't even compare to this because normal mobs usually don't drop pinks...but now they shed them like Testament sheds his fox hair on my kitchen floor.

If this item was really meant to be rare....it shouldn't be effected by rerolls, or it shouldn't be dropped from normal mobs... a 12% chance of getting a pink shard drop (35% chance give or take of a green x 35% chance of reroll = 12.25%) from ANY mob just isn't fair....unless the drop was never intended to be rare.

Sorry I didn't take my ADD meds today this probably makes NO sense...hehe

**anshdoc** · 07-21-2012, 01:59 PM

Absolute truth and nothing but the truth, u guys are really amazing !
To be so clear about elixir policy, one loses interest totally.
Similar thread - elixirs or no elixirs that's the question guys.

**Corpser** · 07-22-2012, 01:45 AM

what would be good is all games would be an elite map with level scaled drops that stopped any use of elixers whatsoever allowing elite items to keep prices up, being poor i dont mind things being cheap but still.... its a little annoying how i finally get a good drop and within 10 minutes its gone down 6k :/

**mafiainc42** · 07-22-2012, 05:52 PM

I wouldnt mind the luck lixs bein removed throw the sewer rolls into effect then sit back and watch everyone rage quit . I also advocate the drop rate be at 0.1%. I strongly disagree with this whole notion that someone who plays for 5hours aweek deserves anything that someone who plays 6hours aday has. The other buffs are nice. I gurentee i have benifited more the anyone in this game usin these luck elixers and wouldnt mind them bein removed.

**WinterKate** · 07-22-2012, 06:09 PM

I love the new event. I love the buffs. But now the pinks aren't really premium pinks.

And off-topic, I love the vanities and even got one. How I wish the new vanity drops would be a little easier to get. I have seen 1 person wearing just the Gamer top. And she's a level 14. Which means it's really that rare. But we have been farming for like days and still haven't seen one drop, same goes for the mates in the same map as I am. Please do not make it too hard for us. We love you STS, but we are currently in pain.

Please loosen up a bit, we know you love us too.