Don't want to open more worthless Command Crates!

[Savyl]

I hate to be negative and I'm usually positive.. however I must say that for tier 3 on this new system it's been discouraging to the point I am seriously thinking of leaving this game. I did get one helmet at command rank 216 but haven't gotten anything worthwhile since and now I am currently command rank 274. I did get a few good pièces in tier 2. I mostly get items that are not even for my class.. just junk. It's sad when I hate the grind of old content, heroics and dailies but now I hate to even open another worthless crate. I understood that with this last patch things would improve. I'm not seeing that on my end. Nothing has changed for me.

[Kirtastropohe]

I may be mistaken, but I don't think the increased drop rates are going to occur until they add tier 4 (yeah... you get to enjoy another 100 levels of the same torture you're feeling now, well, actually 200 more because they want to add tier 5 down the line too).

 

I feel your pain though. I haven't gotten anything worth writing home about in at least 80 crates. I almost don't care to open them at this point.

[Savyl]

I may be mistaken, but I don't think the increased drop rates are going to occur until they add tier 4 (yeah... you get to enjoy another 100 levels of the same torture you're feeling now, well, actually 200 more because they want to add tier 5 down the line too).

 

I feel your pain though. I haven't gotten anything worth writing home about in at least 80 crates. I almost don't care to open them at this point.

So tier 4 hasn't been added yet? I wish I understood more on this RNG system, like does everything in the game from simple drops, etc effect the RNG for these crates or not.

[Sargrith]

Your feelings are exactly why increasing the rate we get them without changing what was in them was a terrible idea.

[Vember]

Your feelings are exactly why increasing the rate we get them without changing what was in them was a terrible idea.

 

Yes the loot tables need serious adjustment.

[mike_carton]

My tier 3 experience.

[Sargrith]

So tier 4 hasn't been added yet? I wish I understood more on this RNG system, like does everything in the game from simple drops, etc effect the RNG for these crates or not.

 

Nothing effects what is in those crates, just some things can affect the rate you gain them at.

[SteveTheCynic]

So tier 4 hasn't been added yet? I wish I understood more on this RNG system, like does everything in the game from simple drops, etc effect the RNG for these crates or not.

Tier 4 comes with 5.2 in April, I think.

[Sargrith]

What is contained in the crates really makes a huge impact on the player even more then the rate they are earned.

 

If every crate gives you something toward better gear, or something you value then every crate is a reward. If most crates give you nothing but things to disintegrate than we have a problem.

 

Lets look at the components you get from PvP.

 

If every crate gave you from say 50-100 components (pick any number the higher the more value they have) every crate would be a reward and something you want and feel good about obtaining.

 

But when you can open 10 (small number just because) crates in a row with nothing but green stuff that doesn't help then each one only adds to your dispair over the entire situation. It embitters you with negative reinforcement.

 

This is why they need to fix the contents sooner rather than later, increasing the speed actually in a way make the system worse.

[Savyl]

Nothing effects what is in those crates, just some things can affect the rate you gain them at.

Thanks for your comment.. I understand that we need better content in the higher tier crates. I would also like to understand what affects the rate you gain them at. Does anyone know? Just curious since I'm mostly a solo player. Thank you.

 

A week ago I was happy with the items for tier 2 but I guess I spoke too soon because tier 3 has been horrid.

[Ryenke]

Yes, unknown/undisclosed drop rates and unmitigated RNG with no duplicate protection or mitigation. And you are paying BWA for that privilege!

 

(Un)rewarding, (un)exciting and the 'frustration' of the hunt brought to you exclusively for 15 dollars a month from those (un)inspired developers at BWA.

[Sargrith]

Thanks for your comment.. I understand that we need better content in the higher tier crates. I would also like to understand what affects the rate you gain them at. Does anyone know? Just curious since I'm mostly a solo player. Thank you.

 

A week ago I was happy with the items for tier 2 but I guess I spoke too soon because tier 3 has been horrid.

 

Rate you gain them at is affected by the rate you gain command xp. Now command xp is gained faster when you are doing the daily perfect activity (bring up the command map and it will tell if you if is PvP, Plantary, Flash Points what have you). Command xp will also get a buff when your side wins the light vs dark contest, you can also see who has won, if anyone, using command map.

 

Now there are token you can buy from the cartel market that will give you a buff on command xp and also some you can buy from a vendor on fleet using the command tokens you get in every crate.

 

Those are the methods that will increase your command xp gains and thus the rate you gain new crates.

[Andryah]

Yes the loot tables need serious adjustment.

 

This ^^ needs more embracing by the players here on the forum rather then the constant remove-rng memes. It should be one of the top 2 or 3 pressure points being pushed by forum members, rather then all the hyperbolic nonsense (ie: /remove-RNG, #remove-RNG, etc).

 

Loot tables for GC are clearly a disaster IN the context of what they told us would come with 5.0. Loot tables done right (which is not rocket science) would largely remove any visible signs of RNG. Sure it's still there, but when used with flawed and stingy loot tables.... it's very bad.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Andryah

[Jensaga]

I'd rather get less loot crates with a better item yield.

Opening 10 crates in a row of absolute junk gets me to the point where I don't even want to open them anymore. It just fills up my inventory.

[realleaftea]

If every crate gives you something toward better gear, or something you value then every crate is a reward. If most crates give you nothing but things to disintegrate than we have a problem.

 

Lets look at the components you get from PvP.

 

If every crate gave you from say 50-100 components (pick any number the higher the more value they have) every crate would be a reward and something you want and feel good about obtaining.

 

But when you can open 10 (small number just because) crates in a row with nothing but green stuff that doesn't help then each one only adds to your dispair over the entire situation. It embitters you with negative reinforcement.

A PvP match rewards you with ~5 UCs. In other words, approx. 1/20th of a gear piece. A crate containing 50~100 UCs is totally unrealistic. Something around 10 is more likely... if you disassemble the content. Over the course of 90~120 levels, you would receive 900~1200 UCs... almost enough to get all your gear pieces.

 

BioWare could alter the content of the crates instead. But even if you would get all 14 gear pieces over the course of 90~120 levels, that would still result in 76~106 crates that contain nothing of value. And that's the demotivating part. So they would either have to lower the number of levels per tier (further increasing the chances to get an item) or would have to increase the CXP reward for disassembling these crates, so that the unsatisfying results don't waste that much of your time.

 

IMO, the latter would only lessen the 'pain', so the former idea seems way more charming & motivating.

Edited March 3, 2017 by realleaftea

[Wimbleton]

Back when 5.1 dropped and I posted that command crate RNG rate had been messed with, everyone told me I was crazy.

[midianlord]

This ^^ needs more embracing by the players here on the forum rather then the constant remove-rng memes. It should be one of the top 2 or 3 pressure points being pushed by forum members, rather then all the hyperbolic nonsense (ie: /remove-RNG, #remove-RNG, etc).

 

Loot tables for GC are clearly a disaster IN the context of what they told us would come with 5.0. Loot tables done right (which is not rocket science) would largely remove any visible signs of RNG. Sure it's still there, but when used with flawed and stingy loot tables.... it's very bad.

 

I really don't understand how anyone could seriously believe that there is any compromise to be made with this un-mitigatedly predatory system, and its un-mitigated **** implementation.

 

There are no compromises to be brooked or made here, this unmitigated **** needs reversion, back to the system that we had since 2.0 that worked just fine -- it only needed a little adjustment so the Basic comms didn't rain on you the way they were by late 3.xx, and/or more things to buy with same. (Just as an aside: Why did the Basic Commendations Crafting Schematics vendors just kinda up and vanish one night, anyway?)

 

PvP-wise, the gear-gap had essentially been eliminated, just some standards to be made explicit, and then enforced (which they'd finally started doing, if memory serves).

 

Bar that, un-sub + /un-install. They won't acknowledge anything else, so why keep eating this **** from these incompetents and rationalising it by saying, "Well, this sucks a whole bowl full of balls, but at least it doesn't suck a whole truck full of balls...We should beg them to dial it back so it just sucks a small tea-coaster worth of balls! We should then remember to thank them profusely for giving us such a tasty, five-star calibre snack! And if you don't like it, then you're just a hateful hating hater! You...you...hater, you!"

 

Not.

***********.

Good.

Enough.

 

Not even close.

 

(I've seen mobile-games do this better, for Gods' sakes.)

 

Stop enabling these people, and demand better for your money.

Edited March 3, 2017 by midianlord

[jimmorrisson]

Welcome to last December.

[Storm-Cutter]

Maybe they'll introduce a tick box for what you routinely keep and what you trash. - for CCs of course.

 

Disintegrate anything ticked....

Gear that's isn't an upgrade - tick.

Pet you've already got -tick

useless orange shell -tick

rep tokens for something already maxxed -tick

schematic you've already got - tick

Weapon you can't use on your character -tick

green junk -tick

blue junk -tick

< rank 5 gifts -tick.

 

Command tokens (FWIW) -leave unticked

Actual armour upgrade- leave unticked.

 

Seeing as some games give daily items as a reward for just logging on - I'm disappointed that there isn't more variety in the command crates. - And I've gone 50 ranks into tier 3 without 1 thing remotely useful, so yeah, not really fun.

[Rabenschwinge]

I believe that part of the problem is that many people refuse to use any gear that doesn't have a set bonus, but even a 228 is an improvement over a 216 with set bonus.

 

I remember upgrading from a mix of 220s and 216 with 212 relics and full 208 augments to 228s as soon loaded into the game after the release of 5.0. Within two days I had full 228s, some of them crafted with a slightly less favorable attribute distribution (it's like using Lethal Mod As instead of the normal Lethal Mods) with full 228 augments.

 

The result was roughly an increase by 500 points in primary weapon damage, 4% in critical chance, 6% in alacrity, 2% more damage reduction even though I am using light armor. I don't recall the increase in the critical damage, but it must have raised accordingly with the critical chance, similarly I don't quite recall the bonus damage, but that raised, too. (Note that the percent values given represent an absolute increase of a stat typically measured in percent, not a relative increase to the previous.)

 

When I look at the set bonus (For an infiltration shadow,I simplified it a little to not go into details with all the procs and abilities and assume the best case):

Two pieces) 2% more damage for 15 seconds every every 30 seconds, i.e. 1% in average.

Four pieces) The cooldown for Force Potency from 45 to 30 seconds which in turn allows me to use Force Breach more often, in many cases twice in a row. That's serious, but overusing it may mess with your Force balance and might force you to fill in standard attacks. It's difficult to put a number on it, but I'd say 3 or 4 % increase in overall damage output.

Six pieces) One automatical critical hit every minute. Nice, but not as impressive as a 4% increase in critical chance alone. Makes you a little more front loaded and it can be helpful in PvP if used wisely, but the overall damage output is affected even less than by the bonus for two pieces. 0.5% increase in damage output. (An automatical critical hit does not mean that the respective ability would not have crit otherwise, so it's only an increase in 60% of the cases assuming a roughly 40% critical chance.)

 

All in all the set bonus is a nice gadget, but not a replacement for good stats. Also, at least in this example of a damage dealer, more damage is all it does. It does not improve your survivability as an increase of damage reduction does or your tactical flexibility as an increase in alacrity. To run around in tier 3 with a rating 216 head piece is self defeating. The benefit of two 240 armorings (if you replace one you can also replace another without loosing another set bonus) in mastery alone is worth more than the set bonus for two or six pieces and at least comparable to the set bonus for four pieces. And that's not even accounting for the armor rating itself.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Rabenschwinge

[AscendingSky]

I believe that part of the problem is that many people refuse to use any gear that doesn't have a set bonus, but even a 228 is an improvement over a 216 with set bonus.

 

I remember upgrading from a mix of 220s and 216 with 212 relics and full 208 augments to 228s as soon loaded into the game after the release of 5.0. Within two days I had full 228s, some of them crafted with a slightly less favorable attribute distribution (it's like using Lethal Mod As instead of the normal Lethal Mods) with full 228 augments.

 

The result was roughly an increase by 500 points in primary weapon damage, 4% in critical chance, 6% in alacrity, 2% more damage reduction even though I am using light armor. I don't recall the increase in the critical damage, but it must have raised accordingly with the critical chance, similarly I don't quite recall the bonus damage, but that raised, too. (Note that the percent values given represent an absolute increase of a stat typically measured in percent, not a relative increase to the previous.)

 

When I look at the set bonus (For an infiltration shadow,I simplified it a little to not go into details with all the procs and abilities and assume the best case):

Two pieces) 2% more damage for 15 seconds every every 30 seconds, i.e. 1% in average.

Four pieces) The cooldown for Force Potency from 45 to 30 seconds which in turn allows me to use Force Breach more often, in many cases twice in a row. That's serious, but overusing it may mess with your Force balance and might force you to fill in standard attacks. It's difficult to put a number on it, but I'd say 3 or 4 % increase in overall damage output.

Six pieces) One automatical critical hit every minute. Nice, but not as impressive as a 4% increase in critical chance alone. Makes you a little more front loaded and it can be helpful in PvP if used wisely, but the overall damage output is affected even less than by the bonus for two pieces. 0.5% increase in damage output. (An automatical critical hit does not mean that the respective ability would not have crit otherwise, so it's only an increase in 60% of the cases assuming a roughly 40% critical chance.)

 

All in all the set bonus is a nice gadget, but not a replacement for good stats. Also, at least in this example of a damage dealer, more damage is all it does. It does not improve your survivability as an increase of damage reduction does or your tactical flexibility as an increase in alacrity. To run around in tier 3 with a rating 216 head piece is self defeating. The benefit of two 240 armorings (if you replace one you can also replace another without loosing another set bonus) in mastery alone is worth more than the set bonus for two or six pieces and at least comparable to the set bonus for four pieces. And that's not even accounting for the armor rating itself.

 

You understand that not everyone plays Infiltration Shadow, right? That different classes and specs have different set bonuses that may be of more advantage than the Infiltration Shadow set bonus? You also understand that not everyone plays DPS, right? And those tank and heal players may seriously NEED their set bonuses, right?

 

No, I guess you don't. Sorry, but my Vanguard tank needs longer durations on her defensive cooldowns, quicker cycling taunts, and more damage reduction overall much more than a small upgrade to HP and damage done (as a tank, remember). That set bonus makes her a far better tank with better survivability and aggro control than a higher Mastery stat ever could. That is why lower level armorings with a set bonus are superior to higher level armorings without a set bonus in this case.

 

Try to think beyond yourself and your main's stats, okay?

Edited March 3, 2017 by AscendingSky

[Rabenschwinge]

Try to think beyond yourself and your main's stats, okay?

 

My point is that stats are relavant. It's self defeating to consider the set bonus alone without considering the stats. There are tanks who get along without set bonus. Tanking does have something to do with defense rating, shield rating, absorb rating and the ability to hold aggro. In a tight boss fight the damage the tank deals is part of the equation, too. Tanks which are too focused on set typically just can't hold aggro, even if they taunt as often as possible and I drop aggro as often as possible.

 

The problem with set bonus is that is a status symbol that people don't want to give up. You're obviously not even considering the alternative, what you would get in turn if you're willing to surrender it, nor even try to seriously quantify the benefits. It's a "must have" to you even though it obviously isn't. This quasi-religious devotion to a set bonus without the slightest indication of reason and objectivity is most annoying. Even for a tank set bonus is not a replacement for a massive increase in damage reduction, defense chance and the ability to hold aggro. I wouldn't replace a 230 with set bonus for 232 without looking closely what the consequence would be, but I would try to assess the consequences, rather than submitting mindlessly to status symbol.

 

Even for a tank, overall survivability is not completely negligible compared to defensive cooldowns. Especially considering that the effect of certain cooldowns often has consequences which are more or less helpful depending on your stats.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Rabenschwinge

[AscendingSky]

My point is that stats are relavant. It's self defeating to consider the set bonus alone without considering the stats. There are tanks who get along without set bonus. Tanking does have something to do with defense rating, shield rating, absorb rating and the ability to hold aggro. In a tight boss fight the damage the tank deals is part of the equation, too. Tanks which are too focused on set typically just can't hold aggro, even if they taunt as often as possible and I drop aggro as often as possible.

 

The problem with set bonus is that is a status symbol that people don't want to give up. You're obviously not even considering the alternative, what you would get in turn if you're willing to surrender it, nor even try to seriously quantify the benefits. It's a "must have" to you even though it obviously isn't. This quasi-religious devotion to a set bonus without the slightest indication of reason and objectivity is most annoying. Even for a tank set bonus is not a replacement for a massive increase in damage reduction, defense chance and the ability to hold aggro. I wouldn't replace a 230 with set bonus for 232 without looking closely what the consequence would be, but I would try to assess the consequences, rather than submitting mindlessly to status symbol.

 

Even for a tank, overall survivability is not completely negligible compared to defensive cooldowns. Especially considering that the effect of certain cooldowns often has consequences which are more or less helpful depending on your stats.

 

You do know that the only stats associated with armorings are Mastery and Endurance, right? No Defense rating, Shield rating, or Absorb rating. Oh look, that makes your whole argument fall apart. Tsk tsk.

 

Also, accusing me of being 'quasi-religious' for saying one of my toons is far better served with a set bonus than without is absolutely laughable. I never said anything about set bonuses being a level of 'status'; that's all your delusion. The only one mindlessly adhering to a point without considering reason and logic is you, when you state "No one needs set bonuses, everyone needs to upgrade to higher level armorings without set bonuses," based on your analysis of one DPS toon of yours without considering tanks or healers in the mix. Bless your heart.

Edited March 3, 2017 by AscendingSky

[Rabenschwinge]

You do know that the only stats associated with armorings are Mastery and Endurance, right? No Defense rating, Shield rating, or Absorb rating. Oh look, that makes your whole argument fall apart. Tsk tsk.

 

You forget the most obvious one: Armor Rating. Which results in Damage Reduction.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Rabenschwinge

[Sargrith]

You forget the most obvious one: Armor Rating. Which results in Damage Reduction.

 

 

Damage reduction is based on armoring, but you can craft 228 armorings without ever opening a crate....the DR difference between them and a 230 or 234 is minor at best.