Please make some certification-tiers cheaper

Hyncharas · 2013-06-21, 01:22 AM

Maybe people have noticed this or not, but when you're upgrading vehicles especially, some tiers for certifications are rediculously expensive. A good example of this is "Composite Armor" on the Harasser - tier 1 is 50CPs, tier 2 is 100CPs, tier 3 is 200CPs... then, tier 4 is 1,000CPs!!!

I would ask that SOE consider reviewing the costs of certification-tiers to make sure some of them are not set too high, and reimburse those players who have already purchased them at atrocious prices.

Falcon_br · 2013-06-21, 02:18 AM

Sorry dude, the game have a no refund policy.
On the GU 01 the liberator composite armor upgrade went down from 2.250 certs to 600 certs.
Nobody receive those certs back, and back those days, 1650 certs were like 100 hours of playtime!
Also, we call the last rank of almost all certifications like a vanity rank.
It really don't make much difference to the skill.
The increase health of Nanoweaver 4 to 5 is not worth one bullet of any weapon, so it is just to say you got it, also increase the range you will survive a sniper round to the head in 4 meters, not a big deal.
So, I normally recommend to all my outfit member to get what they want to the maximum level minus one.
The only noticeable difference are the medic and engineer gun. The medic revives people with full health, which is nice, and the engineer gun removes mines, what is very nice.
Also, adrenaline shield and anchored mode must never be used on lower levels them maximum minus one, to be effective normally they must be used on maximum level, so start saving 2150 certs if you plan to use one of then.
But all other skill are not cert wise to get it to maximum level, just get it if you are dedicated to that. Almost all my outfit members use composite armor on the sunderer and harasser on the maximum level minus one, I am the only one on the maximum level and we really don't notice difference into my sunderer and other sunderers from the outfit.
Also, I heard the last level of the reaver speed upgrade can make you outrun missiles (with afterburners), which is very nice, but I don't play nc, so I can't confirm that.

OCNSethy · 2013-06-21, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Falcon_br

...Almost all my outfit members use composite armor on the sunderer and harasser on the maximum level minus one, I am the only one on the maximum level and we really don't notice difference into my sunderer and other sunderers from the outfit.
....

Do you mean Blockade armour on the Sundy? There does not appear to be a composit armour option for sundies.

camycamera · 2013-06-21, 04:59 AM

i agree, the cert prices are stuuuupid

Roderick · 2013-06-21, 08:58 AM

While I feel the cert tree should be reviewed and fixed, those players that already have paid for the high priced certs would be left to suffer with the "no refund policy" crap.

Unless SOE changes their policy and refunds cert points, the next best thing they could do is leave what is in place alone and come out with more balanced options as the game evolves. Examples of such are alternate abilities or even the implants, etc. These options could be made more fair and realistic for the everyday player.

OctavianAXFive · 2013-06-21, 06:03 PM

Mmm look at this TR fest.

Anyway, if they want to refund certs it wouldn't be a big deal I think. It's just like any other MMO when they do major talent tree changes. Just refund everyone the amount of certs they've earned and reset all of the skills.

Now there's obviously a catch in PS2 in that certs also buy weapons. That might have been a bit short sighted. I've always felt that store bought items should be rewards for time played or earned through an alternate resource that you gather on top of the usual cert gain.

Anyway, they could still refund everyone certs knowing and reset skills knowing a few people will use their huge stockpile to buy expensive weapons. But if they only do it once a year then I don't see there being a huge problem.

AThreatToYou · 2013-06-21, 06:07 PM

The increase health of Nanoweaver 4 to 5 is not worth one bullet of any weapon, so it is just to say you got it, also increase the range you will survive a sniper round to the head in 4 meters, not a big deal.

Nanoweave 5 is a huge deal for protection against weapons like the Hailstorm, T9 Carv, Repeater, Blitz and Sirius in addition to shotgun pellets.

Greenthy · 2013-06-22, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by OctavianAXFive

Mmm look at this TR fest.

Anyway, if they want to refund certs it wouldn't be a big deal I think. It's just like any other MMO when they do major talent tree changes. Just refund everyone the amount of certs they've earned and reset all of the skills.

Now there's obviously a catch in PS2 in that certs also buy weapons. That might have been a bit short sighted. I've always felt that store bought items should be rewards for time played or earned through an alternate resource that you gather on top of the usual cert gain.

Anyway, they could still refund everyone certs knowing and reset skills knowing a few people will use their huge stockpile to buy expensive weapons. But if they only do it once a year then I don't see there being a huge problem.

Like auraxium ?
Crap where did that ever go...

Must say I also found the switch to certs for weapons a weird choice.
Not wanting to go back to the auraxium farming of beta, but they could have kept it minus the gain from facilities.

Falcon_br · 2013-06-23, 12:35 AM

Originally Posted by AThreatToYou

Nanoweave 5 is a huge deal for protection against weapons like the Hailstorm, T9 Carv, Repeater, Blitz and Sirius in addition to shotgun pellets.

Last time I did the math:
T9 carv, bullets to kill:
7 with no nano weaver.
8 with any lvl of nano weaver.

Hailstorm:
9 bullets to kill.
10 bullets to kill with any lvl of nanoweaver.

So, unless the enemy is attacking you with a weapon of 112 damage, like the tx-1 repeater, nanoweaver 5 is not more useful then the nanoweaver 4.

Of course on the long run, in long range fight, nanoweaver 5 have a small chance of saving you life, and that on like 500+ hours of playtime make it worth it, but for new players, skip the last level of all certs is better.

AThreatToYou · 2013-06-23, 01:32 AM

My point was, at range, nanoweave 5 is a huge power boost. even up close it helps against headshots. I'd say its worth 1k certs for everyone, especially when it comes to protection against snipers and shotguns.

also, I haven't even played for 500 hours

I don't see how the last rank of nanoweave isn't worth it. I can see a refusal for the last rank only if the player in question hasn't earned 5k certs total yet. I'll concede and say, for the most part, the last rank of something is more or less "prestige".

Now, for any rank of something above 1k certs, I think that is absurd and the cost should be reduced.

What else are they going to use 1k certs on? Other suit mods? That's silly, you can use only one at a time. I don't imagine it is wise to split so few certs for lower ranks of other things. New guns? With the amount of guns they are adding, I don't see much reason to go out and "unlock em all!". The most realistic thing I'd see is certing into things like C4, mines, HA shield, grenades, and cooldown timers rather than the last rank. And you can do most of that below total 5k certs.

Baneblade · 2013-06-23, 02:55 AM

Afaik, you only need Nanoweave 3 to survive OHSOK snipers.

Falcon_br · 2013-06-23, 03:06 AM

As I said, skip the last level of it until you have spare certs.
Getting a second brick of c4 is more important to most classes then Nanoweaver 5.
Also, almost all skills on the last level are more helpful to the player then Nanoweaver 5.
After you got everything you need, you can get Nanoweaver 5, or flak armor 5 if you desire.
One cert point in all classes to unlock Nanoweaver 1, it is very worth, even if you are not going to that class or Nanoweaver on it, the one extra bullet to kill you worth much more then one cert.
Flak armor starts to be useful on level 3.
Other suits slots are not worth to unlock.

And before someone says, omg, I love my medic with extra revive grenades! That's not what we are discussing here, my point is already clear, the last level of most skills are a vanity level and is good to the game to sunk some certs out of it.

Rolfski · 2013-06-23, 04:02 PM

It's designed as intended. You don't want people to get bored after 6 months because they have unlocked everything, that's just not how MMO's work. It's exactly the reason you often see the last tier costing 1000 certs. That tier is specially designed for hardcore players that invest a lot in a particular class.

And some vehicle cert lines are indeed insanely pricey because they make you straight-up more powerful against other players by increasing your tanking capability or dps (like magazine size). You have to balance that out with cert prices. Funny btw you mention composite armor for Harassers because that upgrade is just downright OP atm.

Hyncharas · 2013-06-26, 12:49 PM

@OctavianAXFive, @Greenthy:

I agree that they should periodically refund certs earned - perhaps whenever they release a new continent/battle island, but the game should record what items were purchased with Station Cash.

It depends on your preference. If you can afford to purchase Station Cash now and then, so be it; weapons and other gear shouldn't just go through that route, however. This is not meant to be a pay-to-play MMO.