I think that it sucks to need to use so many diamonds to gain promethium. I just needed to spend 150 diamonds to repair damage to my ship, and it will cost another 250 to send it out again. I play in three worlds, and this expenditure of diamonds will just be untenable.
The designers are basically making this a pay-to-play game...it will not be playable without spending money to buy diamonds. There are not enough ways within the game to get diamonds to make this reasonable. This does not seem like a good direction for a game that is advertised as a free game.
And you are surprised by this and wonder why.? LOL. I have numerous posts on this and why they do what they do. Notice a few things and then you will fully understand why they are doing these things. First, we all know it cost money to pay employees, to have servers, to do tech support, to have support and for the Bosses at the Company to get paid the big salaries they are getting. This is why you are "encouraged" to buy diamonds. I know many on the game who do not pay a dime to play it. You have to think ahead, plan ahead and use your brain to figure out ways not to pay to play. I on the other hand, do pay to play it. I figure it is something I enjoy and I will pay my fair share. What I will NOT do is be forced to do something against my will, thoughts or ideas. No matter who says what, I look, listen and learn. That said, why do think they had a survey a while back for the players to fill out. LOL. If you think it truly was a survey, then you are like others who think they want to improve the game. REALLY.? They do not want to improve the game, the way people think, for if they did they would follow players feedback on Beta and on here. They could care less about our feedback, our proposals and the rest. I will NOT take credit for this one, as it was someone else who said it yet I like it and feel it is true, they only make changes when we do not spend money on things anymore. Why do you think you have to spend diamonds now.? Come on, tell me....?
Well, they use to get a large portion of diamond spending from GvG. Now that GvG is taking a huge hit and people are NOT spending the diamonds there, they needed to find a new source of revenue for people to spend their Diamonds on. Now, back to the survey, that survey was for 1 reason and 1 reason alone, anyone tell you otherwise has NEVER been in management EVER and they know nothing about marketing or sales. The reason was to find your button to push, to "encourage" you to purchase diamonds. Period. The rest is just fluff and fodder.
Yes, the game has changed and there has been some good changes of late, like the GE (Guild Expedition) which you can easily get some free diamonds from. I know I have and I complete Level 3 each week. If you want me to forecast what will happen next, I can use logic to tell you that now they implemented Competition in GE, why.? Well, most normal players have since been handcuffed by this new "Rogue Mistake" they claim and even with the backlash on Beta, they claim it is to fix a bug. I believe someone else said the same thing I thought when fighting FE, if I can't hit someone with my first shot, I move on to another troops I can, that is just an excuse of "the games" to change the way the ROGUES work, period. So, diamonds were being used by high level players fighting in GvG to heal units and continue fighting. Now that GvG has stalled and people have basically moved onto GE and other things, they had to figure out how to make money elsewhere. Where the Competition in GE comes into play. This is another way for guilds to compete and even I am guilty of wanting my primary world and guild to be # 1, so I have been pushing people to get in some wins too. NOTICE SOMETHING....So, how does "the game" get the higher levels to spend their diamonds, now you see it first hand.
Now how about this one, notice the recent strings of Diamond Sales and Pop-up Sales, lol. You see my point here. The Recent Sales and Pop-Up Sales are the results of the surveys and a way to get you to spend money for diamonds. There is a reason for the number of sales too. Everyone knows that you don't need a sale if your sales are doing well. In fact, the only reason for a sale is to "entice" someone to buy something that is lacking in sales or the need to clear inventory. In this case, the inventory is not your basic inventory or "hard goods" and is "Virtual Currency" so there is no need to rotate inventory of said "hard goods". Therefore, they wish to rotate your "Virtual Currency" and "Entice" you to spend your diamonds on these latest implements to "the game". Can you see what is going on....?
A new age that is now being done is parts.? What about a use for the Arctic Future Age Goods that Guilds are stockpiling by the thousands because their ARC's, ATOM's and OBS's are still generating goods that are currently useless. This has never happened before in the game and I myself am still left wondering why. Well, it is all about generating revenue now for the game and having players spend their diamonds. What will come next, we will see. For now, it is very clear what "the game" wants from you and how they are trying to "entice" you to spend them.
Enjoy the game and play smart, you will be better off.
Steve - LordStevie
