I do understand that Cryptic gets their living from ship sales, but at this point ships are expensive.

so fleet ships are coming out. that makes the retrofit ships somewhat expired (?). the fleet ships are the same price, gets you better stats, one more console slot, and no uniqe console. I must say, if the retrofit prices do not decrease, they do not worth the money (or at least they should give you the retfit skin, because at this point you only get a console).

however the decreased prices would apply for the fleet ships too. you have to grind for it plus you have to pay for it.

I am not saying they should be a lot cheaper, but I would not mind a 500 Zen decrease somewhere (I would say the retrofit, because it is inferior, basically you buy the console)

btw did not cryptic say, that fleet ships will be cheaper? because at that point you have to pay the same, plus you have to get fleet credits, plus you need a fleet with the required military tier, and ship resources (which ideally you will have to help in)

The situation is comlicated and can be summerized in the following way:

Fleet Ships
Cost Fleet Credits
Cost Ship Modules (Equal to 2k zen)
Require Dedication to the fleet or at least strong fleet.

Pros:
Strongest Ships in the game
Not all that expensive because Ship modules can be bought from the exchange

Cons:
Character unlock
No console
Depend of fleet for acquiring them

Zen Store Ships:
Cost Zen Points - about 2500

Pros:
Account unlock
Bonus Console
No need for fleet to get them.

Cons:
Require either Dilithium or Zen, no way around it.
Not as strong as their fleet version.

I mentioned in another thread, but endgame content is currently tuned to be T5 anyway. It's not like ********, where you need more powerful gear to move forward; all these Fleet ships will do is make the current PVE game easier, and give you an edge in PVP.

Considering how tough they've made it to get up to the Fleet ships anyway, the C-Store ships you already have will do you just fine.

EDIT:
Wow. Just wow. They censored War Craft. WoW.

I can't say it is though. the tough part is to get a fleet (yes it is very very very hard to get a fleet long range retro for example, if you start from zero military tier in the fleet, but here then the price reduction would be nice) with military tier X (insert the tier you need). the rest is cakewalk. each ship costs 20k fleet creds (if I did not miss a 0 from the end) and 2k Zen.

in one hour this morning I collected 4k fleet credits, so you can get it in less then a day. while the 2k zen equals some retrofits (which have weaker console, for example the Tac escort retro will be better bought as a fleet ship, because I dont think the cloak is that useful - especially not over the better stats)

There's a reason SOB is concentrating 100% of our resources exclusively on Military for the time being (yes, you can only raise 2 military projects at a time, but this keeps the fleet from exerting resources where they aren't needed and military will be raised much faster since we won't have to farm for NEARLY as many resources to get the same result).

Work smarter, not harder. I can't even stand to do any PvE. It makes me feel dirty and bores me to tears. The less I'm forced to do it just to get the effect in PvP I desire, the better.

WTB GW2, where I can advance 100% in PvP and never be forced to so much as touch PvE at all ever in the game if I choose and still come out with the best equipment in the game...

...for free, no less.

I dont understand why everyones flying into a rage over the fleet ships costing zen , when by the time the starbase has actually UNLOCKED the ability to purchase those ships , you could easily have grinded enough dilithium to be able to buy it

Because one console slot and few thousand of hps costs 2000 ZEN. That's something you create in database in few minutes, there is no work behind, no new skin, no new abilities, nothing, its just milking the customer.

Because PvE ****fest grinding nonsense is not enjoyable, and we feel we should not be forced to grind for a year to get something that would actually contribute to a tip in the power scale in PvP - the only enjoyable mode to many of us within the game - and we should not be forced to do something we don't enjoy in a game we are meant to enjoy just to do the one mode in the game we actually DO enjoy.

/rant

i think what they need to do is implement a pvp way of getting fleet marks to be honest , maybe add them to the pvp rewards for fed vs klingons >_>
as for the actual grinding involved , sure it takes a while for starbases to level up , but you dont have to really grind much to do it really :| whats the actual grind , EC? duty officers which everyone more than likely has coming out their ears or provisions ? theres only really the fleet marks , and if they add those to pvp that'll ease the grindfest somewhat , that or if you have pve orientated people in the same fleet , they could donate the marks neccesary

at least they made it cheaper to get a fleet version of a c store ship if you already own it buying the same ship twice would suck heavily

The Fleet Ships are not the same price.

The Fleet Ships are per character, not per account.

I've used my Defiant-R on at least 4 different characters at different times, and it's infinitely available to every character I ever make once they hit VA.

You can't do the same with the Fleet Ships.