Cert/Weapon Cost Changes Incoming

[Hamma]

Hey all -

Based on a lot of feedback on the current weapon cert prices being too high from a time investment point of view, we're going to be making some adjustments to both cert gain rate and cert costs for weapon unlocks. This will affect both vehicle and infantry weapons.

Some notes:
1 - Our goal here is to reduce the overall time investment for weapons by about 30% on the top end weapon unlocks.
2 - StationCash prices are remaining exactly where they are.

We're doing two things to accomplish this change.

First, we'll be changing the XP:Cert ratio back to 250:1. So you'll be earning cert points twice as fast as the current build.

Second, we'll be adjusting many of the cert prices to compensate for this increase, most certs for things like class abilities,attachments, etc. will be doubling to maintain the same overall time investment as current, but weapon certs will be increasing by a smaller amount or in some cases staying the same, effectively reducing the total time investment for unlocking items. The new weapon cert costs will be:

SC Cost | Old Cert Cost | New Cert Cost | Overall time investment delta
----250 --|--------- 50-------- |--------- 100--- ---- |--------- 0%
----500 --|--------- 250------ | --------- 250------- | ---------50%
----700 --|--------- 375------ | --------- 500------- | ---------33%
----700 --|--------- 550------ | --------- 750------- | ---------32%
----700 --|--------- 725------ | -------- 1000-- --- | ---------31%

At launch all weapons will fall into one of those 5 price categories. As you can see, these prices combined with doubling the cert gain rate effectively cuts the total time investment for the top end weapons down by 30+% for all players.

As always, thanks for your continued feedback about the game. And remember, that doesn't end when the beta does, we want to keep hearing from you throughout the life of the game.

Interesting.

[SixShooter]

And everyone says they dont listen;).
:cheers:

[Crator]

Everyone didn't know what they were thinking. This helps though. :)

[bigcracker]

so the old cert way was 50 certs for a weapon attachment and you gained certs at 1 for every 500xp a pop. Now you need 100 certs for that same attachment at 250xp per cert... idk if its my math skills but isnt that the same?

[Timealude]

so the old cert way was 50 certs for a weapon attachment and you gained certs at 1 for every 500xp a pop. Now you need 100 certs for that same attachment at 250xp per cert... idk if its my math skills but isnt that the same?

No, thats just for the weapons.

[Tenhi]

So the old cert way was 50 certs for a weapon attachment and you gained certs at 1 for every 500xp a pop. Now you need 100 certs for that same attachment at 250xp per cert... idk if its my math skills but isnt that the same?

Yep its the same for attachments. Thats also stated in the post...

most certs for things like class abilities,attachments, etc. will be doubling to maintain the same overall time investment as current

The only thing that changed are the weapons. While I'm not a fan of the "lets make the numbers large!" thing I like the overall adjustment. I would have prefered it if they just changed the XP/Cert-Ratio to something like 333/1 instead of going for 250/1 and changing the Cert Prices... but thats probably just me.

[SixShooter]

Attachment costs are the same which is fine since everyone was really only bitching about the weapon costs anyway. Funny to see the official forums and people already bitching that it will be too fast now. SC costs stay the same which is fine with me.

[Sturmhardt]

Hm... Does not affect me. I planned on buying all the weapons I need with sc anyway...

[Sunrock]

Attachment costs are the same which is fine since everyone was really only bitching about the weapon costs anyway. Funny to see the official forums and people already bitching that it will be too fast now. SC costs stay the same which is fine with me.

Well anyone that have red official game forums for a while knows people only post when they have something to complain about and never when they like something. So it's not so odd to see when the devs change something that have been complained about on the forum that other players that liked to old ways start to complain after the changes.

That is way it's never a good idea for developers to just listen to the players by reading forums. As they will only listen to those that does not like the game and never on those that do like it.

[Ghoest9]

Im way more concerned about attachment and ability costs.
Ill probably buy a couple of favorite weapons early with station cash so I can play with them right off.

[Terckan]

Please could you put the source of this news ? :)

Edit: nevermind just found it http://forums.station.sony.com/ps2/index.php?threads/cert-gain-rates-and-weapon-cert-pricing.46391/

[Storn]

The time it takes to get these weapons isn’t a concern for me; however, if you’re trying to sell something you put the price at $99 (gives the illusion of being cheaper) not $100 because large numbers scares people. From a business model point of view going with large cert numbers is a bad thing. Ultimately and in my opinion this will turn people off if not scare them away all together.

Recommendation: Adjust the numbers down and modify the xp and cert gain again.

[Sturmhardt]

The time it takes to get these weapons isn’t a concern for me; however, if you’re trying to sell something you put the price at $99 (gives the illusion of being cheaper) not $100 because large numbers scares people. From a business model point of view going with large cert numbers is a bad thing. Ultimately and in my opinion this will turn people off if not scare them away all together.

Recommendation: Adjust the numbers down and modify the xp and cert gain again.

On the other hand: if you earn 100 xp in 1 day you feel more rewarded as if you would get only 10...even if you get the same stuff for them ;)

[Crator]

Well anyone that have red official game forums for a while knows people only post when they have something to complain about and never when they like something. So it's not so odd to see when the devs change something that have been complained about on the forum that other players that liked to old ways start to complain after the changes.

That is way it's never a good idea for developers to just listen to the players by reading forums. As they will only listen to those that does not like the game and never on those that do like it.

I disagree. How would they ever know what the majority thinks about it then? Unless they did polls from the launchpad. But the way they are currently doing it is valid imo.

[Bags]

Still a ridiculous amount of time to get 750 items.

Well, I see why air is OP... all of its counters are 750. Well played SOE.

[Sunrock]

I disagree. How would they ever know what the majority thinks about it then? Unless they did polls from the launchpad. But the way they are currently doing it is valid imo.

Who say that they know what the majority thinks? I have never believed SOE did for any of there games, especially when it came to SWG.

But I agree that this change was valid. But you don't need to care about what the players think to do what is best for the game.

[MrBloodworth]

Link?

[Crator]

But I agree that this change was valid. But you don't need to care about what the players think to do what is best for the game.

Yeah, players opinion don't matter at all. They'll keep playing something they don't like, so no biggie.

[bjorntju1]

First, we'll be changing the XP:Cert ratio back to 250:1. So you'll be earning cert points twice as fast as the current build.
Nice :)

Second, we'll be adjusting many of the cert prices to compensate for this increase, most certs for things like class abilities,attachments, etc. will be doubling to maintain the same overall time investment as current

Ugh, nevermind.

[Ruffdog]

But I agree that this change was valid. But you don't need to care about what the players think to do what is best for the game.

This is an MMO. The players are the game.

[Sifer2]

Hehe I knew they would do this. Only the smart people will realize that it's still no where near what it was before. It's a simple tactic if you want people to put up with getting less. You give them WAY less. Then you give them a little more to make them stop complaining an forget they got less lol.

[Sunrock]

This is an MMO. The players are the game.

I have played almost all MMORPGs that have been released on the western market. Playing on a well populated server makes the experience more fun yes. But saying that the players are the game is putting way way too mush weight on the community. No matter how many play the game the game can be totally ruin if the developers change core game mechanics and even lesser mechanics in the game that are change can ruin the fun as mush as see you server to from high pop to low pop. SWG is a really good example. SOE totally ruin that game by making allot of stupid decisions with the game. And what they did there was to listen to a lowed minority on the forum screaming for changes no few wanted. After the NGE patch a large majority of players left the game because the game had become something they did not want.

[FireWater]

Unfortunately a community full of dollars is worth more than a community full of opinions. Can't pay out salaries/bonuses with opinions.

[Crator]

^ There's a fine balance between that I think FireWater. SOE considers players content and rightfully so since this is a pure PvP game. Players really are content. They want to have as many as possible to support this design. IMO, the F2P model they are implementing will accomplish this. So they don't want to scare away non-paying players. Hence the reason the last patch they put in made it so the time to obtain things isn't as long as it was before.