I wanted to point out that your Math is incorrect. I will admit that i dropped $100 on these packs and i'm aaaaaaalmost legend already.

 

I figure $150 in packs should pretty much get anyone to Legend, even with horrible luck.

Either you got extemely lucky, have incredibly cheap CC, or are lying.

One has to spend more than 100$ to get enough CC for 2 batches of 24 packs(14 000 CC), but let's assume it's that 100$.

From what I gathered from different people, it seems that you get around 2 of both epic rep items and cartel certificates. Not enough data about blues and greens, but let's assume they are equal. That means 11880 rep per batch, 23760 total rep for 2 batches. Not even enough to get to hero.

Depeneding what you mean by 'almost', you're probably lying anyway since nobody can even get to champion untill next tuesday, evem with increased weekly rep cap. And to get enough rep items from 48 packs to reach close to legend, you would have to get only purple rep items, which just isn't likely enough.

This still has to be confirmed. 5 months and i'm still waiting for content that worth F2P changes & CM.

Yeah

When are we going to see some content from all the money these cartel packs are making for EA?

We hear that F2P was the right thing to do and how great it is. Yet it seems any money made from the cartel market goes back into recolouring items to sell in the cartel market. And with this system it seems an even harder way to get it, now you need between 4 and 10 rare certificates.

I don't think we'll ever get any kind of breakdown for their income and where all the funds go.

 

However, I do know that creating story content, operations, developing new systems, new planets, are all a lot more expensive than making armor, speeders, and pets for packs. Heck, WoW whips those a a few days notice and throws them up for charity when there's some big disaster.

 

The overall quality of Makeb is going to say a lot about how much time and effort is going to the playability of the game, I think. If that was a total bust then I'd be awfully disappointed. They *say* that the income from the Cartel Market has allowed them to do a lot of cool stuff with Makeb. I really don't see much of a point in just saying "they're liars!" when I haven't even seen it yet.

Good post.

And i Agree, if Makeb is the suck, then yeah... we'll have been mislead.

I LIKE what i see on 2.0 so far, it does look like significant resources have been expended for the transition from 50 to 55. There's just an epic ton of changes. Faith... i still have it, but only time will tell us the truth.

I like CM packs, and the new ones are a nice change -- even the commonest drops from them seem less like dreck than the faction banners and dancer outfits. However, I am a bit "meh" over the idea of rep tracks per shipment. more for the ill will it's generated than anything else. Seems like an unnecessary bloat for the reputation window, and yes, tracks would be costly to max, one way or another, if maxing rep is your thing. (It sure isn't mine. ) The "story" behind the different shipments is a nice touch, but IMO a single pack track would have been more than enough. Maybe the vendors and items could still swap out when the shipments changed?

I do feel the need to repost, though, since I don't get the impression it's being noticed:

What does it mean when a pack is embargoed?

 

When a pack is embargoed it means that the pack will be temporarily removed from the Cartel Market. Embargoed packs and/or items from a Shipment may be made available to players at a future date. Prior notice will be provided if packs/items are to be permanently embargoed.

The implication, at least to me, is that shipments will likely repeat, meaning you could have more than one chance at that rep track... kinda like the Gree stuff. So if you *are* a regular pack buyer, maybe you don't have to blitz-buy the first time around. But who knows. Everything is fraught with maybes. :/

One cartel reputation grind was bad enough; I’m not a fan of it at all, but now you going to add more with new packs. That a horrible idea, at least with only one people could look forward to unlocking it over a year or two as they continue to buy packs. Then I could see it as a reward system but that won’t be possible if you make multiply one. Please stick to one system and as you may have notice the idea isn’t being well accepted by many of your players.

I also notice how all the Reputation vendor in game (expect for the Gree one) reward aren’t great, just poorly re-skinned outfit. You didn’t even recolor them so they stood out form the one already in game; example the Voss outfit could have been made black and white instead of blue. Yet, the new cartel Reputation system has ton of new things. You claim both the game and cartel are getting things but it doesn’t feel that way. You need to start putting new gear into the game as well as the Cartel Market.

I do love the game and maybe well seem some really neat outfits with the Rise of the Hutt expansion.

 

The implication, at least to me, is that shipments will likely repeat, meaning you could have more than one chance at that rep track... kinda like the Gree stuff. So if you *are* a regular pack buyer, maybe you don't have to blitz-buy the first time around. But who knows. Everything is fraught with maybes. :/

If they brought the packs back, put them at a discount, made the rep items and certs in those packs tradeable, then I am a *little* more ok with it. Not happy, still dislike everything about it, but at least in that case, it would give people who are not into buying the packs an option to get reputation in a more direct way, while still giving the advantage to the pack buyers. Because, as it is now, I don't ever see myself getting reputation from these packs or having access to the vendor. Never. Unless something changes.

As someone else mentioned, boosting subscriber CCs would be kind of nice, too, but that's besides all this rep stuff, I always feel like it's a bit low.

The implication, at least to me, is that shipments will likely repeat, meaning you could have more than one chance at that rep track... kinda like the Gree stuff. So if you *are* a regular pack buyer, maybe you don't have to blitz-buy the first time around. But who knows. Everything is fraught with maybes. :/

Repeated shipments don't cost BW extra money, but also don't bring in nearly same income as new ones. And so-called "Cartel Market Team" (which apparently is way more productive than any other team that shown us fruits of their labor) still has to be paid, even if they don't do anything.

If packs will return, they will return as side dish, and won't really be worth buying when compared to new packs.

Either you got extemely lucky, have incredibly cheap CC, or are lying.

One has to spend more than 100$ to get enough CC for 2 batches of 24 packs(14 000 CC), but let's assume it's that 100$.

From what I gathered from different people, it seems that you get around 2 of both epic rep items and cartel certificates. Not enough data about blues and greens, but let's assume they are equal. That means 11880 rep per batch, 23760 total rep for 2 batches. Not even enough to get to hero.

 

Depeneding what you mean by 'almost', you're probably lying anyway since nobody can even get to champion untill next tuesday, evem with increased weekly rep cap. And to get enough rep items from 48 packs to reach close to legend, you would have to get only purple rep items, which just isn't likely enough.

2 packs of 24 Cost 13824 CC

buying two stacks of 5500 CC Cost $80

Buying one stack of 2400 CC Cost $20

That's a total of 13400 CC

The last 424 CC was made up by what was left from my monthly grant, but even if i bought that retail that's still just $5 more.

aaaand i just realized the Armor only requires "hero" not champ.. my bad.

Revised estimate due to total fail on my part earlier (I thought the armor required champ, long week and i have a case of the stupids), it probably costs $200 to $250 to get to Legend.

Still far, far less than the estimated $700.

Repeated shipments don't cost BW extra money, but also don't bring in nearly same income as new ones. And so-called "Cartel Market Team" (which apparently is way more productive than any other team that shown us fruits of their labor) still has to be paid, even if they don't do anything.

If packs will return, they will return as side dish, and won't really be worth buying when compared to new packs.

That in itself isn't an issue to me. The only reason why I'm interested in this at all is because there is a vendor that offers a few things I'd like to have, that I can't get any other way than through the reputation. Also, some people are completionists about collecting titles and reputation. The new packs will have a whole new rep system and probably a new vendor with new rewards. So those who never got the older stuff would still be interested in buying them.

Revised estimate due to total fail on my part earlier (I thought the armor required champ, long week and i have a case of the stupids), it probably costs $200 to $250 to get to Legend.

 

Still far, far less than the estimated $700.

$250 is still ridiculous. That's almost the cost of the three airline tickets I just purchased through southwest for myself, my mom and niece (she's turning 21) to Las Vegas.

Since the last shipment is Cartel Pack, their plan is probably to release a new shipment every 4 months. That's 3 Cartel Reputation Factions each year.

Well,it's still bad though.

If EAware was half as good in programming as they are in wringing money from players, the SWToR would be bug free by the end of the week. Instead, each new patch brings new bugs and glitches.

It is sad to see what happened to gaming industry. Used to be about pride of making a great game, product people will remember and enjoy... now it is only about how much they can cash from a product.

Do you guys recall Baldur's Gate? Those were the days... no DLC or Cartel packs.

This is more a comment on the cartel system overall, but also has to do with the new reputation. I dislike seeing items being gated behind reputation that can only be earned through spending real/virtual currency. This alienates a subscriber base, who in reality is your most loyal customers.

Under the new system if I want max reputation and access to the items sold by those vendors I would be better off taking my $15 sub fee and spending it on cartel coins and crates every month instead.

You can say that subs just buy these things off of the GTN yet that is an extra expense of virtual currency where if you are F2P you get the rep for free by spending cartel coins. Basically subs are having to pay more in terms of real time/money to advance this rep path than F2P players when the premise behind subbing is that you supposedly get more value for your money not less.

This system entices me to stop subbing if I really wanted items from the cartel vendors. Also I think it is a wrong decision just in terms of game design to restrict items behind this virtual gate of reputation and certificates. There is no reason to embargo items it is just another restriction. I could have been saving up my CC or credits to buy an item and then it gets embargoed and I'm out of luck. The CC market should be about offering MORE choices and gear options for players not putting up barriers and hoops people have to jump through to get what they want. The investment to get an item should be either through real money or through the time invested in earning virtual currency (credits). This new system now requires both which makes these new items prohibitively expensive, even moreso than before. All this is going to cause is hyperinflation on the GTN as people start buying up packs and make it impossible for people to acquire the items they want without serious real money and time investment. From a design philosophy it just seems crazy.

$250 is still ridiculous. That's almost the cost of the three airline tickets I just purchased through southwest for myself, my mom and niece (she's turning 21) to Las Vegas.

Yeah, and that's why i totally agree that the rep items should be sell-able and trade-able.

Also, proof of Hero:

http://tweaked.crazedcrackheadz.com/hero.jpg

What a terrible terrible horrendous way to implement a reputation faction. This has got to be the most despicable low down shameful money hungry company move in mmo history. The only mmo out there that charges its subscribers to gain reputation with a faction. Absolutely ridiculous that you are making it so that if people want reputation with this faction that they have to purchase contraband packs either through spending their monthly stipend of cartel coins, spending more money to buy cartel coins to purchase more packs, or by spending up all their in game credits to buy the packs from the GTN with their super inflated prices. It is downright shameful that bioware is making it so we have to buy roughly 250 bucks worth of packs to rep up here. Now I have no problem having cartel items and vanity stuff that people can buy that is their perogative. But now you are targetting your loyal subscribers and the completionists that like to max everything in game. You have singled out your achievement focused crowd.

It's a damned pity that bioware had to sink to this level because the items they made available with this reputation vendor are nice. I actually like the idea of using certifcates and credits to purchase the vanity stuff. But they completely ruined it by making us buy contraband packs to raise the rep. Shame on you Bioware.

Hey, you know those exclusive items you got for buying that collectors edition? No one else can get those, ever. So you paid more for the game and got stuff that us poor people who just bought the standard edition didn't get. That's paying to win. Now I'll never be able to collect all the mounts in the game without spending extra money beyond my sub on a collectors box somewhere.

I would agree with you if it wasn't for that I see the cartel rep vendor getting updated more than the collectors vendor. How else are you going to keep people buying your cartel packs,besides the obvious making credits from it.Oh the collectors vendor did get updated the other day....with one item.So just to let you know your are not missing out on anything as the armor is bind on pickup and that the imp side trooper armor is the better of the two.The tirsa prime can be bought from the vip vendor and you can buy a vip band in game.

What a terrible terrible horrendous way to implement a reputation faction. This has got to be the most despicable low down shameful money hungry company move in mmo history. The only mmo out there that charges its subscribers to gain reputation with a faction. Absolutely ridiculous that you are making it so that if people want reputation with this faction that they have to purchase contraband packs either through spending their monthly stipend of cartel coins, spending more money to buy cartel coins to purchase more packs, or by spending up all their in game credits to buy the packs from the GTN with their super inflated prices. It is downright shameful that bioware is making it so we have to buy roughly 250 bucks worth of packs to rep up here. Now I have no problem having cartel items and vanity stuff that people can buy that is their perogative. But now you are targetting your loyal subscribers and the completionists that like to max everything in game. You have singled out your achievement focused crowd.

It's a damned pity that bioware had to sink to this level because the items they made available with this reputation vendor are nice. I actually like the idea of using certifcates and credits to purchase the vanity stuff. But they completely ruined it by making us buy contraband packs to raise the rep. Shame on you Bioware.

No, they making it so that people who like to buy packs get something extra for their money. It's a faction created specifically for people who were already buying packs. Why would you want to level this faction if you don't buy packs?

Though I have bought cartel packs in the past, I don't find this addition to the game the least bit enticing and will not endorse it by participating. This needs to be re-thought and perhaps implemented in a different way.

There was a time when us subs where told the entire game would be accessible to us for the monthly sub fee. Some fluff in the CM was fine, especially since you could wait and buy it off the GTN in most cases.

Holding unique gear hostage behind prohibitively expensive paywalls is a despicable practice IMO, even if it does pad your bottom line. I wish to see the game succeed, however I don't feel this is a legitimate way of accomplishing that goal. All it has accomplished, in my personal case, is to prompt me to abstain from any future cartel market purchases and ponder whether I really want to continue with this game at all.

No, they making it so that people who like to buy packs get something extra for their money. It's a faction created specifically for people who were already buying packs. Why would you want to level this faction if you don't buy packs?

Except that their numbers have shown people buy ~$70 worth of cartel packs each time. Paying another $200 on top of that just to have the POSSIBILITY of buying more items is not getting "something extra", is simply adding much more expensive things to buy with a whole bunch of hoops to jump through on the way.

 

There was a time when us subs where told the entire game would be accessible to us for the monthly sub fee. Some fluff in the CM was fine, especially since you could wait and buy it off the GTN in most cases.

 

Holding unique gear hostage behind prohibitively expensive paywalls is a despicable practice IMO, even if it does pad your bottom line. I wish to see the game succeed, however I don't feel this is a legitimate way of accomplishing that goal. All it has accomplished, in my personal case, is to prompt me to abstain from any future cartel market purchases and ponder whether I really want to continue with this game at all.

Seriously, the Rep items need to be trade-able.

This solves the majority of the complaints.

No, they making it so that people who like to buy packs get something extra for their money. It's a faction created specifically for people who were already buying packs. Why would you want to level this faction if you don't buy packs?

The extra is exclusive items not attainable any place else. So even if you don't want any items from the packs, if you want the exclusive armor from the reputation vendor there is no other way to get it, not even off the GTN. Basically they just added a real world money sink into the game. You have to buy packs to get the reputation to get access to the items that you actually want since there is no direct way to purchase those items.

It would be like having to buy 50 loaves of bread before the grocer allows you to buy any meat even if you never wanted to buy bread in the first place.

Seriously, the Rep items need to be trade-able.

This solves the majority of the complaints.

Yep, either this or the items from the vendor being trade-able would be a good solution.

Except that their numbers have shown people buy ~$70 worth of cartel packs each time. Paying another $200 on top of that just to have the POSSIBILITY of buying more items is not getting "something extra", is simply adding much more expensive things to buy with a whole bunch of hoops to jump through on the way.

There's no way in hell I'll ever max out this reputation, but I'm just saying the idea doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm not going to spend $200 on packs, but if someone wants to then more power to them. I've gone through periods where I've spent $200 a month on CDs and Blurays. What people do with their money is their own business. Before I saw the huge thread in the forums I thought it was a great idea when I first opened my packs. I didn't know anything about but I thought it was nice I was guaranteed to get something from every pack, whereas before I might get a pack where the "rare" was the covert torso armor or something equally worth nothing.

So I'm currently almost Hero status. I was able to get an eye patch. That was cool. If I wasn't able to get an eye patch I would be fine with that too.

The extra is exclusive items not attainable any place else. So even if you don't want any items from the packs, if you want the exclusive armor from the reputation vendor there is no other way to get it, not even off the GTN. Basically they just added a real world money sink into the game. You have to buy packs to get the reputation to get access to the items that you actually want since there is no direct way to purchase those items.

 

It would be like having to buy 50 loaves of bread before the grocer allows you to buy any meat even if you never wanted to buy bread in the first place.

No, it's like the grocer giving a free lobster to people who buy $200 worth of shellfish and then there are the people who don't buy shellfish complaining that they don't get a lobster. As I said before, the CE has exclusive items you can't get anywhere else. To get them you had to pay extra money for the CE. Also, you can buy packs on the GTN and get the reputation when you open them.

No, it's like the grocer giving a free lobster to people who buy $200 worth of shellfish and then there are the people who don't buy shellfish complaining that they don't get a lobster. As I said before, the CE has exclusive items you can't get anywhere else. To get them you had to pay extra money for the CE. Also, you can buy packs on the GTN and get the reputation when you open them.

Nope. It's like someone going to the store, specifically to buy lobster, but they are told they can't; they have to buy an undetermined amount of other seafood first before the store will even consider selling them a lobster. Hostage situation. Pay the ransom, then hope you get what you want. Not acceptable to me.