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Underdark to Bring Sweeping Changes to Astral Diamonds | Neverwinter | MMORPG.com

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited November 2015 in News & Features Discussion

imageUnderdark to Bring Sweeping Changes to Astral Diamonds | Neverwinter | MMORPG.com

A new and very frank note has been posted on the Neverwinter site that delves into a great deal of the history of the Astral Diamond market along with attendant admission that the system has not been scrutinized as regularly, or as thoroughly, as it should have been.

Read the full story here



¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


Comments

  • BlinkennBlinkenn Member UncommonPosts: 166
    Seems like alot of this is too little, too late? I haven't played in a long while and never gave into the p2win temptation that seems just under the surface here. How's that other D&D game, Sword Coast Legends, oh nevermind, metacritic has that one barely breaking average as well.
  • jack17jack17 Member UncommonPosts: 12
    Give Sword Coast Legends a try its actually quite a fun game and if you check the updates they are pretty much fixing most people don't like, unlike Neverwinter too little too late.
  • kryntokkryntok Member UncommonPosts: 77
    These changes are a plus especially to existing players. Its not right to complain about it.
  • AthisarAthisar Member UncommonPosts: 666
    "Sweeping" is a bit of a major overstatement. It's an increase of what is a tiny amount (the AD requirements in the game are really, really steep), but still a step in the right direction.
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    edited November 2015
    It's a fun read...
    "It turns out that managing economies is hard and complex." No sh.t, Sherlock :wink: Maybe an economist could come handy. Btw. game economies are on the easier end of the spectrum due to the total control you (as devs) have on it. Of course if you don't care...
    "We plan to take a look at some more AD prices — are they in a good place? If nobody is buying something, should its price be lowered? [...]"  what do you mean, plan? You're an f2p game, built from scratch as one... I thought that's a given, you obviously monitor and control all the pricing and purchase data, have an analyst team, etc... is it not a given? Maybe that's why it turns out hard to manage the economy...

    "Neverwinter PC has been around for a while, and there’s a lot of AD in the economy. Some of that is due to exploits, [...]"  loved that part :wink: Wait, some of that is due to exploits? Buuut... you stated after every duping / exploiting / etc. incident that you've handled the situation and no effect of those false ADs left in the system. Some did?


    Don't get me wrong, just pulling your leg here. I like your games, and plan to play the Salvatore questline in the future, but first I want to grab Nighthawk's new jet in CO.
    Btw, any plans to check the economy there too? Q exchange rate is uncomfortably close to the upper limit of 500... just kidding :lol: 
  • Azaron_NightbladeAzaron_Nightblade Member EpicPosts: 4,829
    Nice to see they're reducing the insane upgrade costs. I've actually upgraded a companion from white to purple at some point because I liked having my cleric run around with a mercenary. It was a very painful process, and one I wasn't very likely to repeat. (Especially since I could've just used one of my purple account-wide comps instead. :pleased: )

    Ah well, I had fun with it at the time. And it was a rather unique thing to do, since I was practically the only one running around with that comp regardless of the groups I joined. (Or at least the only one that had her upgraded that far xD)

    My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)

    https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/

  • Azaron_NightbladeAzaron_Nightblade Member EpicPosts: 4,829

    Po_gg said:

    "We plan to take a look at some more AD prices — are they in a good place? If nobody is buying something, should its price be lowered? [...]"  what do you mean, plan? You're an f2p game, built from scratch as one... I thought that's a given, you obviously monitor and control all the pricing and purchase data, have an analyst team, etc... is it not a given? Maybe that's why it turns out hard to manage the economy...

    They also have their PWE overlords that need to approve whatever changes Cryptic wants to make to the AD (and in turn Zen) system.

    My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)

    https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/

  • Dreamo84Dreamo84 Member UncommonPosts: 3,713
    Neverwinter is a fun game but the UI kinda kills me. It's all just TOO busy! Too many currencies and special things this and that yadda yadda

    image
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    Azaron_Nightblade said:

    Po_gg said:
    ... I thought that's a given, you obviously monitor and control all the pricing and purchase data, have an analyst team, etc... is it not a given? Maybe that's why it turns out hard to manage the economy...
    They also have their PWE overlords that need to approve whatever changes Cryptic wants to make to the AD (and in turn Zen) system.
    That's my point, even if Neverwinter is their only f2p title, PWE behind them has all the expertise and experience... that's why it's a bit odd to see this newbie / casual approach :wink:
    While STO and CO still has subscription, veteran rewards, lifetime accounts, sub bonuses, etc., Neverwinter has none of those things. Neverwinter's main income (apart from occasional "packs") is from Zen, and the AD (and AD economy) has a decent part of fueling Zen purchases.

    Maybe just my over-analising mindset (occupational hazard :wink: ) but if I had to operate with such conditions I'd keep a tight grip on the data - which is not even a tough thing to do, since these games are basically just huge databases with a graphical interface... all the data is there by default.
    That's why I was surprised (and amused) on that "we plan to check the prices" part :wink:  If they don't have all the time at their disposal up-to-date reports about every item with cross-references about the effects of events, sales, updates, etc. then they're doing something wrong. That's the whole point of f2p and microtransactions, that's why it is so effective... and they're now planning to check the prices... :lol: 
  • OzmodanOzmodan Member EpicPosts: 9,726
    Enjoyed their game, but the cash shop pricing just was ridiculous.  The biggest joke in the game is all those purple chests you find, but cannot open because it would bankrupt almost anyone buying the keys to open them.
  • goboygogoboygo Member RarePosts: 2,141
    edited November 2015
    Ozmodan said:
    Enjoyed their game, but the cash shop pricing just was ridiculous.  The biggest joke in the game is all those purple chests you find, but cannot open because it would bankrupt almost anyone buying the keys to open them.

    Dreamo84 said:
    Neverwinter is a fun game but the UI kinda kills me. It's all just TOO busy! Too many currencies and special things this and that yadda yadda

    The currency's of F2P games are the look over here not over there stage act of the business models magic trick.  They all use the same trick because it seems to work so well on so many.
  • RazeeksterRazeekster Member UncommonPosts: 2,591
    This is why I no longer play PWE games. Perfect World was my first MMO as a teenager, and I loved it because of the unique races (one could fly, others transformed into tigers and crap like that), but I had to quit it because one day I did the math and realized I'd spent over $1000 on it over like a couple years. It's too bad, it was a fun game.

    Smile

  • AthisarAthisar Member UncommonPosts: 666
    Po_gg said:
    Azaron_Nightblade said:

    Po_gg said:
    ... I thought that's a given, you obviously monitor and control all the pricing and purchase data, have an analyst team, etc... is it not a given? Maybe that's why it turns out hard to manage the economy...
    They also have their PWE overlords that need to approve whatever changes Cryptic wants to make to the AD (and in turn Zen) system.
    That's my point, even if Neverwinter is their only f2p title, PWE behind them has all the expertise and experience... that's why it's a bit odd to see this newbie / casual approach :wink:
    While STO and CO still has subscription, veteran rewards, lifetime accounts, sub bonuses, etc., Neverwinter has none of those things. Neverwinter's main income (apart from occasional "packs") is from Zen, and the AD (and AD economy) has a decent part of fueling Zen purchases.

    Maybe just my over-analising mindset (occupational hazard :wink: ) but if I had to operate with such conditions I'd keep a tight grip on the data - which is not even a tough thing to do, since these games are basically just huge databases with a graphical interface... all the data is there by default.
    That's why I was surprised (and amused) on that "we plan to check the prices" part :wink:  If they don't have all the time at their disposal up-to-date reports about every item with cross-references about the effects of events, sales, updates, etc. then they're doing something wrong. That's the whole point of f2p and microtransactions, that's why it is so effective... and they're now planning to check the prices... :lol: 
    They do have a sub now, VIP. It gives various bonuses (extra 10% XP, 10% extra AD on most rewards, free AH listings), a lockbox key every day, and various other bits like instant travel and access to mail from anywhere. The key is pretty valuable, as the lockbox contents aren't bound, and on average you'll earn about 25K AD per day from selling them.

    They still target the whales though. If you want to avoid all the grind you can buy pretty much anything. The campaigns can be bought for 50k Zen ($50 USD) each, and all the best in slot enchants and mounts (which ridiculously have stat bonuses now) are all available indirectly for cash on AH.
  • ArglebargleArglebargle Member EpicPosts: 3,481

    PWE destroyed this game.   The original ideas for it could have been very interesting.  But the PWE enforced remake turned it into a cash shop floozy, and so it's sinking.  


    They can't rebuild the hull after they've hit the iceberg.  

    If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.

  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    Athisar said:
    Po_gg said:
    [...] While STO and CO still has subscription, veteran rewards, lifetime accounts, sub bonuses, etc., Neverwinter has none of those things. Neverwinter's main income (apart from occasional "packs") is from Zen, and the AD (and AD economy) has a decent part of fueling Zen purchases.
    [...]
    They do have a sub now, VIP. [..]
    Sorry but have to disagree :wink: 
    VIP is like a sub on the surface, but actually it's also just an another (and a good one, might I add) way to fuel Zen purchases, and even more it's for boosting the AD Exchange (with offering a great goal / urge for free players to sell their ADs and get the Zen from the Zen buyers).
    I'd love to see the numbers, how much more transactions were made in the last couple months, since VIP arrived :wink:

    (on a sidenote, VIP has a few odd novelties which I hope won't transfer over other games, like the VIP version of "veteran rewards" which are only active when you "sub" - a horrid idea, imo.)
  • BraindomeBraindome Member UncommonPosts: 959
    Blinkenn said:
    Seems like alot of this is too little, too late?
    Sickeningly so. The fact that these companies can afford to lose tens of thousands of customers without blinking an eye until they finally get down to their minimum base quota should tell alot of people that these companies are just making to damn much money "hand over fist" and consumers should stop spending so damn much cause it just makes them care less....until they reach that bottom barrel quota which in this case really proves it as fact as this has taken them an ungodly amount of time to address.
  • meonthissitemeonthissite Member UncommonPosts: 917
    People keep missing the picture here. If their system was fair people wouldn't be driven to exploit in the first place. At no time in any other title did I ever have the urge to exploit. For example, I don't have any desire to Exploit in ESO and it's simple, you earn plenty from doing normal activities like questing. I've respecced I can't tell you how many times, I gather plenty never wanting for the materials I need to craft, and I have the best gear I can have for my level simply from crafting. These crazy developers who think they can dupe everyone into thinking that an MMO is best played when macrotransactions directly affect progression astound me and their supporters are just as bad!
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