Crew Slots and The “Vault” Feature

Posted: 22 July 2016 10:50 AM Greetings, Captains! We wanted to give you an update on a subject about which we have heard you loud and clear: crew space, and the upcoming feature that is currently in development, the “Vault” (the final name is still to be determined!) Here’s what we currently know about the crew conundrum and the upcoming Vault feature! The number of crew in STAR TREK TIMELINES is ever-increasing, and we know that players want to collect as many crew as possible. The choice to keep one of each crew is understandable! However, it is not necessary for gameplay. We did not design the way crew and slots work with the intention that most players would acquire as many crew as possible. Instead, the game was designed with creating the challenge in mind for players to keep and level their favorite characters from the Star Trek Universe. Players can strategize and work on the right crew to fully equip and level them. This enables players to be competitive as they participate in Away Missions, Shuttle Missions, Cadet Challenges, Events, and any other activities in which players choose to participate while playing the game. For those reasons, the average amount of crew that players have is a limiting factor in how long it takes to perform most actions in the game. Increasing that average by even 5 crew would have a measurable impact on the game’s performance. As more players start playing the game and continue to acquire crew and resources, this would become even more apparent without limits to crew space; the analogy that we’ve used is a DMV with one window open, and more and more customers coming to get service, slowing down the experience for everyone. Since we are a mobile game and recognize that our players have a wide variety of devices, we are always concerned about making sure our game runs as smoothly as possible for players. Putting a real money cost on individuals having more slots, up to the current maximum of 180, is how we have limited the potential impact on game performance. The vault feature that is coming later this summer will allow collectors to have access to all characters into which they have invested time and effort. Since TIMELINES will never be a game in which most players manage hundreds of crew, we hope players will focus on favorite characters or pick crew based on in-game strategies. STAR TREK TIMELINES is, above all, a strategy RPG that requires thought and care in developing crew and characters that have traits that are required to advance in the game. After the vault launches, any crew that are fully fused, leveled to 100, and fully equipped will automatically be stored in your vault. That crew will be available to you even if you choose to dismiss that character to free more crew slots; if you need to bring the character out for a mission or other game activity, you will be able to pull them from the vault for that purpose. We know this doesn’t answer some important questions, such as how we will structure pricing for use of the vault and what date the vault will be available in your game. We’re still working on the answers, but we can say that this will come as soon as it is fully functional and tested. We’ll keep providing updates as we are confident the information we can provide is as accurate as possible. Live long and prosper, The STAR TREK TIMELINES Team Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 10:56 AM So the only crew that will be placed in the vault, are the most valuable crew (level 100 fully fused and fully equipped) for use in missions, events, etc? So if we want to continue to use them, the vault does zero to address the crew slot problem (unless we want to pay each time we want to use our most valuable crew)? If I misunderstood what you said, I’m sorry, but that what it appears that you are saying. Is that the case? Signature Althea Biermont

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Posted: 22 July 2016 10:58 AM Althea Biermont - 22 July 2016 10:56 AM So the only crew that will be placed in the vault, are the most valuable crew (level 100 fully fused and fully equipped) for use in missions, events, etc? So if we want to continue to use them, the vault does zero to address the crew slot problem? If I misunderstood what you said, I’m sorry, but that what it appears that you are saying. Is that the case? Once that crew is “complete”, it will be there forever for your use. You can dismiss the crew to free up a space unless you need that crew, in which case you will be able to bring the crew out of the vault for that particular mission/task. Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 10:58 AM Sounds awesome.

Thank you for all your hard work. I love this game, and i feel i have gotten value back from the money ive put in (vip9). Unlike most forum posters here, i have no issues with the game. Sure the rng can be fickle, but it can also be very generous. I like the challenge. I also haven’t had any issues with crew space at all, but this feature will be cool.

So DB, thank you again for this awesome game! Signature Timelines Item Finder on Google Play Timelines Crew Cost Viewer Profile

Posted: 22 July 2016 10:58 AM izausome - 22 July 2016 10:58 AM Sounds awesome.

Thank you for all your hard work. I love this game, and i feel i have gotten value back from the money ive put in (vip9). Unlike most forum posters here, i have no issues with the game. Sure the rng can be fickle, but it can also be very generous. I like the challenge. I also haven’t had any issues with crew space at all, but this feature will be cool.

So DB, thank you again for this awesome game! Awesome! So glad you’re enjoying Timelines! Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:05 AM DB Becca - 22 July 2016 10:58 AM Althea Biermont - 22 July 2016 10:56 AM So the only crew that will be placed in the vault, are the most valuable crew (level 100 fully fused and fully equipped) for use in missions, events, etc? So if we want to continue to use them, the vault does zero to address the crew slot problem? If I misunderstood what you said, I’m sorry, but that what it appears that you are saying. Is that the case? Once that crew is “complete”, it will be there forever for your use. You can dismiss the crew to free up a space unless you need that crew, in which case you will be able to bring the crew out of the vault for that particular mission/task. That is still unclear to me. When you say it will be there forever for your use, do you mean we can use them for any reason, any time we need and there will be no cost to do so? If there is a cost, I do not want my level 100 crew in the vault. I want my level 100 crew available to me at all times for missions, cadet challenges, events without having to pay to use them. I really want to be happy about this feature but it doesn’t sound like something that will actually help with the problem of crew slots. For example, if someone has 35 slots and 35 crew, but none of them are level 100, and they get a great new crew member, there is nothing they can do? They still have to delete one of their crew? The vault can’t be used for any crew that is not level 100, fully fused and fully equipped? Signature Althea Biermont

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:05 AM Obviously there are still healthy margins coming in from people buying crew slot expansions, so this is an attempt to mollify mid- and high-level players while keeping that particular golden goose laying eggs. I consider myself a relatively average paid monthly player, with a handful of 100s but only several eligible to go on shore leave, or whatever. So I’d be in line for a couple extra slots opening up. That’s a good thing. I can’t help but think, however, we’ll just be back to this point in however many months when the new normal reaches its breaking point. A collectible card game where you cannot collect all the cards is fundamentally flawed. I would urge DB to make vault transactions merit-based or completely gratis or this forum might actually burn down. Profile

Posted: 22 July 2016 11:08 AM DB Becca - 22 July 2016 10:50 AM The number of crew in STAR TREK TIMELINES is ever-increasing, and we know that players want to collect as many crew as possible. The choice to keep one of each crew is understandable! However, it is not necessary for gameplay. We did not design the way crew and slots work with the intention that most players would acquire as many crew as possible. Instead, the game was designed with creating the challenge in mind for players to keep and level their favorite characters from the Star Trek Universe. Players can strategize and work on the right crew to fully equip and level them. This enables players to be competitive as they participate in Away Missions, Shuttle Missions, Cadet Challenges, Events, and any other activities in which players choose to participate while playing the game. So you’re saying that DB did not design the game with the goal of maximizing profits? To intentionally design a game in a manner such that it limits your potential revenue seems incredibly counter-intuitive. This seems to be post-facto reasoning. You’re effectively saying “if someone has reached their crew limit, we’re okay with them never giving us a cent again so long as they like their crew.” Based on the ridiculous offers we get in the game ($100 for 2 Kira, a Riker, credits and chronitons?), the fact that EVERYTHING costs dilithium, and the impossibility of obtaining dilithium in-game without paying for it, I don’t believe you. DB Becca - 22 July 2016 10:50 AM For those reasons, the average amount of crew that players have is a limiting factor in how long it takes to perform most actions in the game. Increasing that average by even 5 crew would have a measurable impact on the game’s performance. As more players start playing the game and continue to acquire crew and resources, this would become even more apparent without limits to crew space… Since we are a mobile game and recognize that our players have a wide variety of devices, we are always concerned about making sure our game runs as smoothly as possible for players. Putting a real money cost on individuals having more slots, up to the current maximum of 180, is how we have limited the potential impact on game performance. I’m not a programmer. I don’t know about any of this stuff. I suppose even if I did I couldn’t know for sure what the impact would be unless I knew everything about your serves and the number of players, all their characters, etc., but I find this claim hard to believe as well. Yes, I know there were similar issues in GoTA, but apparently that happened because there were people with THOUSANDS of characters and items. And I’m sure some people still have that many, and it’s been managed. I don’t see why this is an acceptable excuse. The vault feature that is coming later this summer will allow collectors to have access to all characters into which they have invested time and effort. Since TIMELINES will never be a game in which most players manage hundreds of crew, we hope players will focus on favorite characters or pick crew based on in-game strategies. STAR TREK TIMELINES is, above all, a strategy RPG that requires thought and care in developing crew and characters that have traits that are required to advance in the game. DB Becca - 22 July 2016 10:50 AM After the vault launches, any crew that are fully fused, leveled to 100, and fully equipped will automatically be stored in your vault. That crew will be available to you even if you choose to dismiss that character to free more crew slots; if you need to bring the character out for a mission or other game activity, you will be able to pull them from the vault for that purpose. We know this doesn’t answer some important questions, such as how we will structure pricing for use of the vault… So let me get this straight… I work hard to level my character to 100 and get all their items for them. These are some of my best characters. Characters that I use daily for shuttle missions. Now, without a say, they get stored in a Vault, and I am forced to PAY to use that character? Because that’s what “pricing,” says to me. The only positive I see here is that we can somehow dismiss but not actually dismiss our crew… somehow. It’s very poorly described here. I once had such hope for this game, but if this is your “solution,” to the Great Crew Slot Crisis of Spring/Summer 2016, I’m afraid you’ve crushed my hopes one too many times. Signature Disruptor Beam at court, the court of silence. VIP 12 Admiral of the 7th Tactical Wing Member of the VIP 0 Heroes as Darmok Mk 0.5 Profile

Posted: 22 July 2016 11:08 AM Althea Biermont - 22 July 2016 11:05 AM DB Becca - 22 July 2016 10:58 AM Althea Biermont - 22 July 2016 10:56 AM So the only crew that will be placed in the vault, are the most valuable crew (level 100 fully fused and fully equipped) for use in missions, events, etc? So if we want to continue to use them, the vault does zero to address the crew slot problem? If I misunderstood what you said, I’m sorry, but that what it appears that you are saying. Is that the case? Once that crew is “complete”, it will be there forever for your use. You can dismiss the crew to free up a space unless you need that crew, in which case you will be able to bring the crew out of the vault for that particular mission/task. That is still unclear to me. When you say it will be there forever for your use, do you mean we can use them for any reason, any time we need and there will be no cost to do so? If there is a cost, I do not want my level 100 crew in the vault. I want my level 100 crew available to me at all times for missions, cadet challenges, events without having to pay to use them. I really want to be happy about this feature but it doesn’t sound like something that will actually help with the problem of crew slots. For example, if someone has 35 slots and 35 crew, but none of them are level 100, and they get a great new crew member, there is nothing they can do? They still have to delete one of their crew? The vault can’t be used for any crew that is not level 100, fully fused and fully equipped?

Ah, I see the disconnect - sorry Althea - No, they don’t just disappear into the vault. They’re still available. The vault makes it so that you CAN dismiss that crew if you want to free up space. So, for example, most of my 1 star crew are not all that useful to me in the game, but many of them are leveled. I could dismiss them and free up all that one-star space and still have them. But if I suddenly needed 1 Star Mayweather for something, I could pull him out and use him again. Does that make more sense? Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:10 AM Sounds interesting! It will be nice for my Teenager Nog to have a place to rest. He has been a good help, but others are starting to be better. He has a special place in my heart, since he was my first (!). To 100 that is. And now I get to keep him forever. Signature The user formerly known as “RebKean”

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:10 AM DaiMon Darmok - 22 July 2016 11:08 AM So let me get this straight… I work hard to level my character to 100 and get all their items for them. These are some of my best characters. Characters that I use daily for shuttle missions. Now, without a say, they get stored in a Vault, and I am forced to PAY to use that character? Because that’s what “pricing,” says to me. The only positive I see here is that we can somehow dismiss but not actually dismiss our crew… somehow. It’s very poorly described here. I once had such hope for this game, but if this is your “solution,” to the Great Crew Slot Crisis of Spring/Summer 2016, I’m afraid you’ve crushed my hopes one too many times. No no no, sorry, I thought it was described clearly but - no, they don’t disappear into the vault. Just that you may now dismiss that crew and always have access to it, but no, you have complete control over who is important to you, and who you can live without during daily game play once you have them immortalized in the Vault. Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:11 AM So if we don’t want to pay for vault features we can just pretend it doesn’t exist and play the game as we have been? Profile

Posted: 22 July 2016 11:11 AM Sky Cap - 22 July 2016 11:11 AM So if we don’t want to pay for vault features we can just pretend it doesn’t exist and play the game as we have been? Yep! Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:12 AM Dr. Giggles - 22 July 2016 11:10 AM Sounds interesting! It will be nice for my Teenager Nog to have a place to rest. He has been a good help, but others are starting to be better. He has a special place in my heart, since he was my first (!). To 100 that is. And now I get to keep him forever. Yes! Signature Star Trek Timelines Community Manager

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Posted: 22 July 2016 11:13 AM DB Becca - 22 July 2016 10:50 AM ...Instead, the game was designed with creating the challenge in mind for players to keep and level their favorite characters from the Star Trek Universe… Well, I didnt find any character from the Star Trek Universe, that is not my favorite But this seems as a great feature for collectors (as myself). Signature My Cryostasis Vault Profile