To whom this may concern:
This is a formal rant from me, Franker (Ingame name, flame me if you wish).
The current costs of energy to crafting needs, IS ABSURD. 5 star items, which are absolutely necessary in order to access 'end-game content' are completely overpriced, yet highly coveted. Not in the respect that the gear = survivability, but in the respect you can't gain access unless you are equipped in all 5 star gear.
My gripe with this situation? This is copy and pasted; directly from the FAQs section, when purchasing energy via Spiral Knights website.
200 Energy for $ 0.75 USD - That's 267 energy per dollar!
750 Energy for $ 2.45 USD - That's 306 energy per dollar!
1,600 Energy for $ 4.95 USD - That's 323 energy per dollar!
3,500 Energy for $ 9.95 USD - That's 352 energy per dollar!
7,500 Energy for $19.95 USD - That's 376 energy per dollar!
20,000 Energy for $49.95 USD - That's 400 energy per dollar!
It costs 800 Energy, on top of in-game currency, per 5 star item. If you look at the conversion from dollar-to-energy, as show here, you can plainly see, this is ludicrous. I understand this game is free to play, but it is more so, PAY TO WIN. Unless you are dumping fifty dollars per purchase, the cost of gear is sickening. The cheapest you can get a piece of 5 Star gear, is TWO DOLLARS!
If you don't think that two dollars per piece of in-game gear is a joke, tell mommy and daddy to stop paying for your energy tab, and you pick it up. As a responsible adult, I like the game, but think greed is very blatantly standing around, smacking us all on the rump, trying to corral us like sheep.
Now. I know what everyone is thinking. But what about costs to the company. I understand you guys have to make money, but honestly look at this. This is designed to bankrupt your player base. Think about longevity of the game versus making a quick buck (as you have in the last two months this game has been around). If you, the company, want to thrive and continue to have a healthy player base, the prices have to be reduced, as in-game economy is a joke as is, in inflates more and more, with each passing day.
In summary. The cost of crafting is a joke, and I think it needs to be tweaked. I'd love to give my input on the game and such, and speak on the matter.
Thank you for reading this, as it is a wall of text.
Franker
You've never played most F2P games it seems. Comparatively the above is rather cheap. EVERYBODY can get 5* gear by playing and trading their crowns for CE that other players buy and sell.
Currently the only items in game that can ONLY be bought with real money are two 1* items. Most F2P games have entire equipment sets, good equipment sets, that can only be accessed via the cash shop. You want to do anything past midgame? You're gonna pay real money. There are a ton of people that have 5* gear that haven't spent a cent in game.
~Gwen