I am speaking of course about the change made to Bounty Week a little while back, where the BBA rewards were changed from a credit cost and some BBA Certificate costs to ENTIRELY BBA Certificates. The problem?

 

It renders BBA Reputation almost entirely invalid. All that work grinding in the first few weeks just wiped away, as anything I want to buy now I can't just use my credits on. No, I have to spend BBA Certificates, of which you can only earn 2 a day while the event runs.

 

On one character, that's 14 a week at max... not even that really, as there isn't 7 Kinpins as at least one of each are faction-specific and that assumes you've spent BBA Certs to unlock all the Kingpins to begin with. That's horrendously inefficient considering you can only earn them monthly.

 

Previously, you got to Legend Rep then could buy whatever you want. HK customization? 1 mil credits, no big deal. 2 Blaster Pistols? 500k.

 

Now? That same HK customization costs 50, yes 50 BBA Certs which is the same amount as a Mount. Those Blaster Pistols will set you back around 24 or so BBA Certs now.

 

 

 

All you've done with this change that purely seems to exist because "nobody wanted to do the event anymore" is reward players with dozens of alternate characters, and punish every single person who got to Legend rank with BBA.

 

 

"But doesn't the removal of the credit cost help new players?"

 

You'd think so, but check those prices and how many BBA Certs one can earn during a week. Even if we assume 14 Certs a week IS possible on one character (which it isn't) , that's still 4 months of grinding to earn a HK Customization/Mount. By that point that should probably be 50/55 and have Dailies open to them where grinding 1 million credits is just a matter of time doing Dailies on a, well, daily basis.

 

 

The solution that doesn't alienate players would be to allow players to purchase with EITHER credits or current BBA prices so everyone can pick and choose how they want to pay.

 

Got credits? Use credits.

 

Got an excess of BBA Certs but flat broke? Use those.

 

Got both? Use whichever you feel like.

There have been a couple of threads on this already. The general consensus is that the change brought Bounty week rewards in line with the other event rewards.

 

Truthfully, it was needed to keep the event used. If you didn't have to collect the contracts there would be no incentive to ever do another contract again.

 

Events in MMO's exist to keep players doing, not so you can grind out the rep in a week and then buy whatever you want. It's the same reason there are weekly caps on rep, so you can't max it out in a day and then complain there is nothing to do.

If only the events weren't just glorified daily quests...

It renders BBA Reputation almost entirely invalid. All that work grinding in the first few weeks just wiped away, as anything I want to buy now I can't just use my credits on. No, I have to spend BBA Certificates, of which you can only earn 2 a day while the event runs.

 

Choose one:

1) You grind reputation to max in few weeks and buy whatever you want. Then complain about lack of content.

2) You grind reputation to max in few weeks but you keep doing contracts because vendor has that one item you want more than anything else.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Halinalle

Choose one:

1) You grind reputation to max in few weeks and buy whatever you want. Then complain about lack of content.

2) You grind reputation to max in few weeks but you keep doing contracts because vendor has that one item you want more than anything else.

 

Your choices might be acceptable if the BH event hadn't had a system in place for a year or more that was primarily reputation and currency driven.

 

Not everyone rushes to legend status in a week or something. I had been saving up for getting the HK customization, after finally getting to legend, only to see the price change to 50 contracts, without any warning.

 

Though not quite as interested in the bowcasters, seeing them go to 39 contracts yields the same response. I believe they used to be 250k in credits.

 

As far as bringing the event in line with others, if that was a priority for BW, it should have been changed long ago.

 

I don't believe that's the case - they were changed simply to have people run contracts all over again (it takes a lot to get to Legend status), because after a year+ participation was likely starting to wane, and perhaps encourage folks to purchase contracts with credits, which always ties into the CM in some form nowadays.

Edited June 15, 2014 by arunav

Your choices might be acceptable if the BH event hadn't had a system in place for a year or more that was primarily reputation and currency driven.

 

So, why they changed it? Most likely because no one did the contracts anymore. If you try to counter this with "people just buy completed contracts from GTN anyway and BW has CM as money source!":

- CM has nothing to do with events

- Where do you think those completed contracts come from?

Truthfully, it was needed to keep the event used. If you didn't have to collect the contracts there would be no incentive to ever do another contract again.

 

Events in MMO's exist to keep players doing, not so you can grind out the rep in a week and then buy whatever you want. It's the same reason there are weekly caps on rep, so you can't max it out in a day and then complain there is nothing to do.

 

That's the issue with the event itself. It's boring, it's basically just a Daily that doesn't require a lot of killing, but a lot of wasted time running around.

 

Basically Bioware didn't want to keep adding Bounty Items as a carrot (aka the Sleen and other Mount), so decided to make it worse for everyone and make EVERY REWARD require a big grind. All that does is make the event even less appealing and make items I might have bought enter the "why bother?" pile.

 

Between 500k for 2 pistols or 24 Contracts (so 24 seperate bounties, at least two months of waiting), I sure know which I'd choose. All this decision did was make the event worse.

 

 

Choose one:

1) You grind reputation to max in few weeks and buy whatever you want. Then complain about lack of content.

2) You grind reputation to max in few weeks but you keep doing contracts because vendor has that one item you want more than anything else.

 

 

Er, the former obviously. Also anyone who had an item "they really wanted" already got it with credits a long time ago, every subsequent addition to the vendor was always BBA contract only and nothing wrong with that, they're extras.

 

Lack of content is not an issue either, only the really scummy players finish events instantly then have the gall to complain "not enough to do event sucks!". The issue is Bounty Week runs monthly, and it's "event" is as said basically a Daily x 2. Meanwhile we have to wait months on end just to get another Gree or Rakghoul to return.

 

Reverting original content to BBA Contract currency "just so you'll have more incentive to do it" is just making people work harder to achieve the exact same thing. They could change all the Gree armors from credits to Grey Helix and it'd be the same thing, putting up artificial walls where none are needed. If anything this doesn't encourage me to do the event at all, it just makes me not want to bother as something I could've got easily now requires a huge grind instead.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Transairion

Er, the former obviously. Also anyone who had an item "they really wanted" already got it with credits a long time ago, every subsequent addition to the vendor was always BBA contract only and nothing wrong with that, they're extras.

 

If you don't want to do then pay someone else to do them for you. It's as simple as that.

 

I'm happy that Rakghoul event is over. Do you know how annoying it is to die to level 55 rakghouls just because some level 55 "me first!" runs past you and rakghouls that spawn aggro your level 30 character? Yes, I know level 50 tank can still survive it if there's no elite in spawn, but level 30 dps character has no chance against those level 55 rakghouls.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Halinalle

Basically Bioware didn't want to keep adding Bounty Items as a carrot (aka the Sleen and other Mount), so decided to make it worse for everyone and make EVERY REWARD require a big grind. All that does is make the event even less appealing and make items I might have bought enter the "why bother?" pile.

 

Between 500k for 2 pistols or 24 Contracts (so 24 seperate bounties, at least two months of waiting), I sure know which I'd choose. All this decision did was make the event worse.

 

I stopped doing the event when I maxed my reputation (second time around iirc). Noted that added mounts required BBA certs instead of credits, which although i'm slightly tempted, i've already done my grind for max rep. So i'm really in agreement with your point of view.

 

Why would I bother? The whole point of maxing my reputation on something is to get "x" item either now or later on. I'm certainly not going to keep grinding to get new rewards, that defeats the purpose of the initial grind and the whole reputation system.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Transcendent

If you don't want to do then pay someone else to do them for you. It's as simple as that.

 

I'm happy that Rakghoul event is over. Do you know how annoying it is to die to level 55 rakghouls just because some level 55 "me first!" runs past you and rakghouls that spawn aggro your level 30 character? Yes, I know level 50 tank can still survive it if there's no elite in spawn, but level 30 dps character has no chance against those level 55 rakghouls.

 

You mean pay someone else an exceedingly inflated price?

 

I was better of running KDY alone repeatedly to get KDY Kits then possibly trying to pay the several milllion credits for the amount needed.

 

 

The Rakghoul event "trolling" and under-levels getting smashed (I've never seen a lower level get aggro on a higher level mob without outright running into them though) is an entirely seperate issue though.

 

In fact the Rakghoul event hasn't even returned yet, so even though plenty of people have Max Reputation and enough materials to buy all those infected Mounts, pets and so on.... we can't even buy them until Jeelvic returns with the event. I'm just.... sitting on those materials still, watching them take up space.

 

Event vendors only being active while the event is active is another artificial block we didn't need.

You mean pay someone else an exceedingly inflated price?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

You mean pay someone else an exceedingly inflated price?

 

So what would be a fair asking price for a completed contract?

Edited June 15, 2014 by JediRelentless

Your choices might be acceptable if the BH event hadn't had a system in place for a year or more that was primarily reputation and currency driven.

 

Not everyone rushes to legend status in a week or something. I had been saving up for getting the HK customization, after finally getting to legend, only to see the price change to 50 contracts, without any warning.

 

Though not quite as interested in the bowcasters, seeing them go to 39 contracts yields the same response. I believe they used to be 250k in credits.

 

As far as bringing the event in line with others, if that was a priority for BW, it should have been changed long ago.

 

I don't believe that's the case - they were changed simply to have people run contracts all over again (it takes a lot to get to Legend status), because after a year+ participation was likely starting to wane, and perhaps encourage folks to purchase contracts with credits, which always ties into the CM in some form nowadays.

 

How does buying contracts with credits tie into the CM again? Specifics would be nice, instead of "CM bad, grrrr".

 

The solution that doesn't alienate players would be to allow players to purchase with EITHER credits or current BBA prices so everyone can pick and choose how they want to pay.

 

 

I think that sounds reasonable.

I think that sounds reasonable.

 

Agreed. Doubt it will ever happen though.

How does buying contracts with credits tie into the CM again? Specifics would be nice, instead of "CM bad, grrrr".

 

If you hadn't noticed, plenty of folks essentially buy credits through the CM by selling packs or other items on the GTN.

 

When a weapon goes from 250k on the BH vendor to approximately 45k per contract (on my server) x 39 contracts, some players might simply choose to buy credits from the CM for it.

 

Many things in the player economy now revolve around or involve the CM.

Edited June 15, 2014 by arunav

I think that sounds reasonable.

 

BW should make this change for folks who already earned the rewards once...

45k * 39 is 1,755 million?

 

That shouldn't even be problem with current rewards from dailies. More characters you have, easier it is to achieve.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Halinalle

There have been a couple of threads on this already. The general consensus is that the change brought Bounty week rewards in line with the other event rewards.

 

Truthfully, it was needed to keep the event used. If you didn't have to collect the contracts there would be no incentive to ever do another contract again.

 

Events in MMO's exist to keep players doing, not so you can grind out the rep in a week and then buy whatever you want. It's the same reason there are weekly caps on rep, so you can't max it out in a day and then complain there is nothing to do.

 

There's no incentive to keep doing it still because it is only slightly less boring than the nightlife event.

If you hadn't noticed, plenty of folks essentially buy credits through the CM by selling packs or other items on the GTN.

 

When a weapon goes from 250k on the BH vendor to approximately 45k per contract (on my server) x 39 contracts, some players might simply choose to buy credits from the CM for it.

 

Many things in the player economy now revolve around or involve the CM.

 

Um, maybe? Most of the people I know make their money running dailies and off of drops. There is one guy in our guild that does a lot of GTN work, some from the CM, but really, since I can't just go to the CM and buy 1 million credits, I'm going to have to disagree. That's a lot cash to throw around for something from an event that one can actually just farm to get the items.

45k * 39 is 1,755 million?

 

That shouldn't even be problem with current rewards from dailies. More characters you have, easier it is to achieve.

 

You missed the point. Folks attained the appropriate reputation for the BH event by completing contracts/participating in the event.

 

The weapon you are referring to used to be 250k with the appropriate reputation rank. Now, after it being in place for more than a year, it costs 1.755 million credits.

 

Your response is a poor counter to the point made earlier in the post, one that you questioned.

You missed the point. Folks attained the appropriate reputation for the BH event by completing contracts/participating in the event.

 

The weapon you are referring to used to be 250k with the appropriate reputation rank. Now, after it being in place for more than a year, it costs 1.755 million credits.

 

Your response is a poor counter to the point made earlier in the post, one that you questioned.

 

Again, they changed because they noticed that players don't do contracts anymore. They just buy them from GTN and be done with it. And let's not forget: "Not enough content!"

 

So, what's "fair price" for completed contract?

Edited June 15, 2014 by Halinalle

The devs did the right thing. It brought back some importance to the event, to actually participating. I think things should stay exactly the way they are now. It's good for the economy that completed contracts retain their value. I think it shows appreciation to the people who continue to play this monthly event.

You missed the point. Folks attained the appropriate reputation for the BH event by completing contracts/participating in the event.

 

The weapon you are referring to used to be 250k with the appropriate reputation rank. Now, after it being in place for more than a year, it costs 1.755 million credits.

 

Your response is a poor counter to the point made earlier in the post, one that you questioned.

 

No, it costs nothing except your time and effort. You can't give a value to something based on the value of something else. Just because people erroneously believe that Completed Contracts have X value does not make the items you buy with those Contracts equal to the value of the total number of Contracts needed for purchase.

 

The actual value is derived from the value of your time and effort alone. Since I can complete a single Contract in 10 minutes and have 18 toons I can have 18 Contracts in around 3 hours or so if I desire.

 

What you propose is a false argument in order to bolster your argument.

You mean pay someone else an exceedingly inflated price?

.

 

Okay, don't know what server you are on, but say it was the way you want it.

 

You pay 1,000,000 for that HK-51.

 

But, with the way it is now... at least on the Harbinger server where contracts sell for only 10-15k each usually, pay only 500-750k. Or less, cause I farmed half those myself. Seriously, unless you are way too impatient or your server's entire economy is whack, they are CHEAPER now.