I bet you've all heard of this but in the guys over at perpetual entertainment are working on an mmo called Star Trek Online(STO).
It is predicted to be out by 2007. Sounds REALLY awesome, but I wanna know what you guys think.
Im joining as soon as beta comes. But i dont kno if they r internet based or client based. And if it is client based it better not be for PC.
Granted, it's for PC.
I read about that on Gamespot.
The good news is we have time to buy or upgrade PCs before the game comes out.
Spock, this is exactly the reason that I have a pc. Most games are not made for mac
all to true. I want one for Age of Empires III. :P
I'm hoping they do a good job with this game. I was disappointed with the Star Wars Galaxies MMO. I'm not sure TREK will work with this type of format of game. But, time will tell.
Rick might be right, but even if the game is half decent, I would still play it a lot. Just the thought of a startrek mmo makes the hair on my arms stand up.
I'm not a real big MMO player. I tried AO once because I got a free month trial from my cousin, but that's pretty much it. However, I'm sure to be the first in line to get this when it comes out. The ST universe is a really diverse and complicated place, and if they manage to pull this off (because it wouldn't be the first time a ST game failed to deliver), it should be a really great game. But it will probably be the only MMO I'd play, considering the main reason I don't play them is the montly fee.
But if that doesn't work, there is an other MMO in developement, a free one, called Destiny's Wind. It's fan-based, and so far looks very promissing. http://www.destinyswind.org/index.php
I'll just play Elite Force untill they come out. ;)
I used to play runescape and if Trek MMO is as good and detailed as runescape, ill never tear my eyes from this screen again :o
Well good luck ever seeing again if spock if you're never gonna tear your eyes from the screen. lol.
Ill need it ;D
Spock I also suggest getting a pc by the time the beta comes out. OR ELSE :o
i'm really looking forward to this one. i hope it's extensive, there's so much they can use from the franchise. i wonder if they will separate out gameplay by era or if you have to progress through time?
i haven't been very impressed with any of the trek games thus far. elite force and bridge commander were okay. starfleet command was decent but it never seemed to end or even progress.
Quote from: Riskygodfather on November 20, 2005, 08:52:56 AM
Spock I also suggest getting a pc by the time the beta comes out. OR ELSE :o
Yay im probbably goin to work for crappy PC laptop
I'm looking forward to this game. I'm not a big gamer but this sounds like fun.
I'm a HUGE video game fan, and if they mess this game up, they have to deal with MY WRATH. maybe they'll even make a movie:
STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF RISKYGODFATHER!
*applause, applause*
Quote from: spock on December 07, 2005, 02:52:11 PM
*applause, applause*
THANK YOU, ILL BE HERE ALL NIGHT!! ;D *bow*
Ole
I thought I'd post here again, just to see what everyone is thinking about the prgression of the making of the game, and what you guys think it will be like, and maybe a tv series about the game. So post your STO thoughts here. ;D
ha, this topic should really be moved to conversations... "the wrath of Risky..."
;D
thank u for proving my point further...
i'm wit risky on this one. but i think they'll do a good job. idk the developer perpetual entertainment, but they wont make mistakes like lucas arts did wit the star wars mmorpg. like forgetting tht ppl love star wars for two reasons, on foot fight, and space dog fights. and then forgetting the star ships the first time around. also, the ppl making the game kno tht it rly isnt tht hard to make a good mmorpg, and wit a liscence such as star trek behind it, they'll be racking up piles of $$$ before they now it.
well said...
And with the ideas they have so far, even if the gameplay and storyline aren't very good, I think that the dough will rake in and everyone will still love it.
well, here's the thing, ppl thought tht with the matrix online game. and well, there's no need to make the ppl who made tht game sad. thts also wat the ppl who made everquest for ps2 thought, but no one bought it cause it wasnt ne good. mmo's actually have to be good, cause ppl who play them kno wat they're doing. if they dont, they're the ones wit 1 month free trials. but if it's good, the star trek liscence attracts non-mmo players too.
I guess you are right. Thanks and, ya the ST lisence will give them an advantage.
i mean, it doesnt have to be as good as WoW, but if it's crappy like matrix or camelot, we might see the death of star trek games as a whole
I sure hope not. And are you hyped about new Star Trek games coming out by Bethesda. I hope they make these games as good as Oblivion.
o, they def will. bethesda is an amazing developer. just like the books in ES tht i mentioned in the other forum, it's gonna be packed full of star trek goodness. were u a fan of elite force?
oh, dont get me stated on elite force, i could talk for hours... and are u referring to legacy?
I haven't played any ST games ever! I'm so ashamed!
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE NO HONOR!!!!!!!!!!!!
(seriously, whats up with that? ive played almost all of them...)
I don't know, I just haven't ever played even one single Star Trek game. I didn't even know there were any until about a year ago.
buy EF, then buy the EF expansion pack (both for PC), install both, play the singleplayer.. then do the multiplayer holomatch, its like xbox live but with a star trek first person shooter... its awsome....
Ok, sounds good.
yeah, picard delta is right. it's an amazing game. i have it for ps2 and have only played the campaign and i still think it's amazing.
(to sam) yeah, we're talking bout legacy.
The thing I like in STar Wars games is when you can get a lightsaber. That's why I like JK2 and JK:JA.
yeah, i like jk2 too. i dont have academy, but kyle kartan is good enough for me.
the multiplayer is awesome in tht game too. the way u can customize ur skills and everything. it's rly rly rly cool.
u want a game like that? KOTOR!!!!! it is seriously one of the best games ever made... (the first one, not the second; the second is good, but not nearly as good)
whoa sam! kotr and jk2 r very very diff.
kotr is a rpg and jk2 is an action sw game. both r great, but they cannot be used to substitute eachother.
Ya, JKII has kick butt Multiplayer, and that game had me hooked for a long time. Now I'm on to bigger and better things....
wat would those bigger better thing be?
GC:II, Oblivion, WoW, Wii(soon... soon) sci-fi movies, and now comic books.
wat's GC:II?
O, that's Galactic Civilisations 2, it's a very fun turn based space 4x genre game. It's fun a you play a few times a week for half an hour to an hour at a time, or else it gets boring, but otherwise it's extremely fun and entertaing, and you can explore many possibilities of victory, from annhiliation of your oponents, to being civilised and well-manered diplomats and slowly whiening your oponents to your side.
sounds very entertaining. and fun.
Gamespot gave it like a 9.3, so I knew it was going to be good.
i c.
yeah, sounds fun... i talked to u about it on skype a while ago...
i'll have to try it out. is it an old game?
no, i dont think so... came out a few months ago i think...
Ya it came out a few omths ago, but don't play it for too long at a time or you will get bored. Played it in small doses and its great.
ah, c, the whole new pc games doesnt work for my rig. my comp is an extremely portable sony vaio. ask sam, he'll give u the model number and the year it came out knowing him :)
Sony Vaio
S Series
VGN-S560P/B
13.3" Notebook PC (Intel Pentium M Processor 750, 512 MB RAM, 100 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive)
I'm pretty sure that is the model but I'm not 100%...
Well, thats a good comp for a labtop. Whatever, back to the STO topic, It's gonna be great.
yeah we know... we all agreed on that... thats why we got off topic... lol...
HAHA
But we can still talk bout sto
i hope tht it isnt all on the ship stuff. going and exploring new worlds is a huge thing tht should be worked on alot. but so should space battles. u kno wat would be cool, PvP battle between mercs and the federation.
play bridge commander if u want good space battles...
k
but if sto is just a combo of bridge commander. and camelot (a rly good mmo in my opinion) it'll do well
i agree... i'lll will be fun...
I'm wondering how they are going to do this game.
Are there going to be starships? Or maybe it's going to be like Star Wars Galaxies, where you just take transports to other planets. Or both/something else.
It's hard to visualize starships with people logging in and out constantly.
Might be hard to solo on the Enterprise. :laugh:
Haha, well they've already stated that Galaxy class ships are going to be like cities, with NPC captains. And Skip, I was just wondering how you think that BC would work in STO? Do you mean like you click on a guy, then tell him what to do, then you rely on him to do it? Cause if so, I agree with you.
Also, the idea of logging in and it is fixed by NPCs who automatically take over your role when you log. So if they stick to what is true to ST, this game will rock.
I have a big question, will i need to pay a monthly fee and what platform is it on?
Yes, it will definitely cost to play, and so far it's only announced on PC.
I really dislike the monthly pay plan.
Off topic a bit, I saw that Lord of the Rings Online is offering a lifetime subscription for something like $200. It's steep....but I've thought about it.
If WoW would come out with that, or Star Trek Online, well, that I might do.
I am taking a wait and see approach to the Lord of the Rings MMO. Preliminary reports from the beta test are not good.
heh i made a thred and someone moved my tell thing....and if the monthly fee is 14.00 then cya star Trek MMO but if its 14.00 a year HELLO KIRK!
it's probably monthly... but im not sure... you should google it...
ok :)
I played Everquest for years and now World of Warcraft. Both require a monthly fee (usually they allow you to prepay quarterly or even for up to 6 months in advance to save a couple of dollars). For me, the hours of fun I get for my $15 a month is very much worth it. Think of it as the price of two movies out per month. I definitely get more than 3-4 hours (length of two movies) of entertainment out of these games per month.
The TREK MMO will certainly have to charge a fee. If the game is good, it would be great fun to create a crew of us from the forums and go off and save the galaxy, etc. Have to see how it turns out.
I never mind paying a fee for an MMO.
Most MMO's add new content, and provide a gaming experiance that's worth it to me.
Besides, MMO's keep me from buying 2-3 $50-60 games a month.
15 bucks is way cheaper then that.
yeah :) since world of warcraft is getting boring I may switch to Star Trek On-line!
Warcraft....boring.......I can't hear this!
I did the lifetime membership for LOTR, because I really only have to play for under two years to have it pay for itself. It also allows me to take long breaks when I need it without worrying about canceling.
Darkmolerman, you could always tell your family that you want gift subscription cards for STO when it comes out. The other option is to have them get you the gift credit cards that could be used for your online purchase if you really want to play.
Frankly, I want to be a voice actor for STO! I need to start researching how I would audition for that.
Quote from: Chrystabel on April 27, 2007, 05:17:17 PM
Frankly, I want to be a voice actor for STO! I need to start researching how I would audition for that.
Ooh...If you find out how, let me know too. Angela and I'd love to try out for that.
lol that would rock!
News:
AGDC 07: Star Trek Online Interview with Daron Stinnett
by Dana Massey
The lure of a good recruiting event - AGDC - brought Daron Stinnett, the Executive Producer of Star Trek Online, out of hiding long enough for us to pin him down and get a progress report on Perpetual Entertainment's eagerly anticipated MMO.
Despite the fact that Perpetual announced STO before their upcoming debut title Gods and Heroes, the game has been shrouded in mystery for quite some time. With a license as popular as Star Trek, Stinnett told us that he does not want to deliver false promises or burn people out with too much information too early.
"We'll start talking about it when we're ready to show it," said Stinnett simply. That said, they cannot disappear entirely and with that in mind, he took some time to bring us up to date on the game's development.
For the first six months of 2007, the team has focused primarily on space gameplay. Then, this summer, they transitioned over to ground. The plan is to split this calendar year and as they hit the home stretch, Stinnett told us that both halves of the game are functional.
While technically, they're not in full scale development, they are getting closer. Last time we spoke, the team's goal was to create functional areas that act as prototypes for both land and space. Now, the team's goal is to create many small areas that prototype the look and feel of each environment.
Once they polish off the second half of their plan, the real trick for the development team is to make sure both halves of the game work and play as one. While both have obvious differences and a unique feel, he does not want it to feel like two entirely different games.
The ground gameplay experience should be relatively familiar to fans of the MMO genre, at least in terms of base mechanics. They're not going to reinvent the wheel and that means ability-driven combat.
Once off the planets, things spice up a bit.
"[Star Trek Online has a] unique and interesting combat model for space that people have not experienced before," he told us. The Star Trek intellectual property treats space differently than the majority of other science-fiction properties. Ships are usually larger and more deliberate - unlike Star Wars, for example. In many properties, space combat owes its inspiration to fighter jets, while Star Trek's lineage has more in common with large naval battles. This difference is part of their vision for a slower, more tactical experience in space combat.
At launch, STO will have 25 sectors (space zones) for players to explore. Each one has its own themes and storyline. Like the series, the game doesn't want to send people mindlessly into firefights. Instead, there are larger issues to explore, usually related to real-world issues. One example of this is a sector that focuses in on the environment.
Like Tabula Rasa, this kind of real-world issue exploration runs the risk of being preachy, but Stinnett does not believe that will be a problem. Each theme acts as a jumping off point for their designers, some common theme to link things together. They have no urge to grind axes and will make sure that kind of thing is not in the final product.
After a few false starts where they released information way too early, Stinnett has become a cagey veteran at not saying too much. One example of this is the list of playable races. They had previously released a list and revised it a few times, now he has no comment on who to expect, save that they'll unveil each one as it gets created, 3D model and all.
As Star Trek has recently been a dormant license for owner CBS, the timing of STO has enabled them to have a bit of fun and expand on cannon. Stinnett gave us the example of the Tribble. In the original series, Tribbles were cute balls of fur that reproduced rapidly. The result was James T. Kirk neck-deep in fur.
At Perpetual, they had an idea for a twist on it: the Killer Tribble. As the name implies, it's a mean, evil version of the cute balls of yore. Well, CBS likely wouldn't let them do it just for kicks, but in this case they had a plan. Star Trek lore also has the concept of a mirror universe where good is bad and so on. It seems a few Tribbles from the other side might have made it into this dimension.
Once Perpetual launches Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising and Star Trek looks to be roughly a year from launch, fans of the game can expect to hear a lot more from Stinnett and friends. Until then, back to development they go.
I just really looked into ST:Online today. If this works out, it is the game that will cause me to leave WoW.
I heard some rumors that the company that is developing this game is having serious financial problems and is looking for someone to take over the development for STO. Gods and Heroes, the game mentioned a couple of times in Jen's article above has been cancelled completely, and STO is in jeopardy. This is not good news.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on October 18, 2007, 04:21:58 PM
I heard some rumors that the company that is developing this game is having serious financial problems and is looking for someone to take over the development for STO. Gods and Heroes, the game mentioned a couple of times in Jen's article above has been cancelled completely, and STO is in jeopardy. This is not good news.
Here's one article on a Blog I read...They included Perpetual's announcement. I think it was a smart move to put Gods and Heroes on hold, cancel it or what ever they did. From an investor's standpoint, I would tend to believe that STO would earn me the most money and would insist that they put all their effort into making it the best game and launch sometime this century. I hope that's all that's going on here.
------
Article found at
http://dungeonrun.com/2007/10/
October 9th, 2007
Gods & Heroes Canceled
Earlier today we heard Perpetual Entertainment was being liquidated and aquired by a major indy game developer, only to later learn new investors were coming on board instead. As of about 8PM CST Chris McKibbin, Co-Founder of Perpetual released a statement and updated the official Gods & Heroes website with the following announcement.
Loyal and faithful community members and Beta testers, thank you for your support, help, and understanding during the Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising development process.
The development team established some very lofty and ambitious goals when the initial work was started on Gods & Heroes. Recently, we took a step back to evaluate the competitive landscape, the game's current state, and the overall goals for our organization. And while we are truly proud of and pleased with what we have created in Gods & Heroes, we also realize that achieving the level of quality and polish that we are committed to will take a significant investment.
The Perpetual team is faced with a unique challenge of simultaneously developing both Gods & Heroes and Star Trek Online in addition to growing our Online Game Platform business. After assessing all of Perpetual's opportunities, we have made the decision to put the development of Gods & Heroes on indefinite hold.
I want to express my overwhelming gratitude to the community, engineers, designers, artists, animators, and the game services team for the support and effort that has gone into Gods & Heroes.
Moving forward, we're shifting our collective focus, resources and development efforts to Perpetual's Platform Services division and Star Trek Online, thereby ensuring that the game lives up to the high level of expectation set by the dedicated Star Trek fan base.
Again, I would personally like to thank all of the Gods & Heroes supporters who have been with us from the beginning. Hopefully, your continued support will be as valuable to our future endeavors as it was with Gods & Heroes..
Vade in pace,
Chris McKibbin
In non-PR speak "indefinite hold" means CANCELLED, and never to see the light of day again. Frankly after seeing and playing the latest build of Gods & Heroes I can't fault them or their investors for writing the game off, at worst they'll have a nice tax deduction.
What does this mean for Perpetual Entertainment and Star Trek Online? Well the company will continue to exist with its current executive management and they'll continue developing the Star Trek Online IP. What remains to be seen is whether the Star Trek Curse will rear its head and claim yet another game title or if they'll pull off a miracle and be the 2nd Star Trek game title that didn't suck.
If they weren't already under enough pressure before to do STO justice with a very skeptical gaming community, the cancellation of their debut MMO and company reshuffling only casts even more doubt on their ability to pull Star Trek Online off as a company.
Wow, thats not good. This will make STO much more unstable *in being released*. NOOOOOOOOOO I WANT MY STAR TREK!!!!
King Linksr
I don't know...they ditched the Gods and Heroes game to devote more developers and time to STO. Might mean it's going to be better. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a "glass is half full" gal.
lol. I'm not giving up on the game, but usually its a bad thing if they drop a game in development. I'll just keep hoping.
King Linksr
Yeah, but this was their reasoning...whether it's fact or not I'm not sure:
Moving forward, we're shifting our collective focus, resources and development efforts to Perpetual's Platform Services division and Star Trek Online, thereby ensuring that the game lives up to the high level of expectation set by the dedicated Star Trek fan base.
Wow they dropped the game in beta.
Supposedly investors came onboard to rescue Perpetual so they probably believe that STO can make them some money. They also probably pushed the developers to drop Gods and Heroes and focus solely on STO. I hope the game ships and turns out to be great. . .
As I read more and more about Star Trek Online, I get more and more excited. This game, if they do it right, will be soooo awsome. I honestly think that it will compete with World of Warcraft as hard as that is to believe for some. Wow is fun, but I think it lacks the community feel that ST Online will bring. Again, this is all on the fact of whether or not they pull this off right. It will be difficult, but I think they can do it. Lets see some action here!!! Woot!
King Linksr
:D agreed.
The internet is a buz with this rumor and I'm not sure if it's true or not. I don't know what "more casual" means. For me, a non-MMO gammer, it may be a good thing. Maybe it's asier to keep up with...I don't know. Here's one of many articles out there:
Update: Star Trek Online to Become "More Casual," Developer Perpetual Acquired by New Ownership
by Chris Remo Nov 26, 2007 6:03pm CST
Update: Shacknews has received a considerable amount of new information regarding today's Perpetual news from a source close to the company, who requested to remain anonymous. Some information was gleaned from a letter detailing various changes to the company and Star Trek Online, which was recently distributed to all Perpetual employees.
Perpetual has been acquired by new ownership, reportedly a media company looking to use Star Trek Online to make its first major inroads into the video game market. Along with the acquisition comes a partial retargeting of Star Trek Online to what our source describes as a "more casual" experience, one which may potentially eschew subscription fees in favor of the practice of charging real money for optional in-game items, a practice popularized by various Korean MMOs.
Hmmm. . .such a plan probably would make the game more accessible to fans who generally don't play MMOs.
ooooo. Me like this idea. If they pull that off correctly, they could easily usurp WOW. Wow is apparently a "casual gaming experience" but in all honesty, if your not raiding or PVPing all the time, you just don't do well in the game. Unless of course you Role-play a lot. There really is no way to be bad at role-playing. :laugh:
I think some might be opposed to people being able to buy in-game items, but I honestly think that in this case that, unless I heard different, ST Online is going to be more of a Role playing game than WOW ever was or ever will be. So buying items for in-game use would not at all bug me. Besides, it is your $$ and it would eliminate all of the 3rd party gold sellers. To be honest, Blizzard should make new servers that let you buy gold in-game or something. Just for those servers that you cannot transfer in or out. Just make new characters. It would eliminate a lot of gold-selling. Not all, because you still have all the other servers, but quite a bit of it.
I'm ever becoming more and more excited about this game and its promise. However, if Perpetual screws this up....they will be quite hated by more people than just me. ;)
Lets hear it for more news!!
King Linksr
Quote from: Kinglinksr on November 28, 2007, 11:33:16 PM
Besides, it is your $$ and it would eliminate all of the 3rd party gold sellers.
Good point. That's definitely another plus.
NEW VIDEO PREVIEW OF THE GAME (from the HD-DVD set):
http://gaming.trekcore.com/startrekonline/downloads.html
Awesome! I never played an MMO except the Star Wars one, so I hope this comes out great!
It's slated for 2008? I didn't realize they had decided that. Cool video! Thanks for posting it Rico. I heard them mention the word "casual"... It still sounds like its going to be a great game.
I want to walk around the Klingon homeworld! I wonder who's going to get the exclusive preview? If the game really will be released in 2008, we should see one soon.
I've seen some of those sketches on their web site.. They are working on Vulcan cities too. I hope they allow us to put houses on specific planets. I'm so living on Vulcan. :D
I am looking forward to this game if it EVER comes out :) It's been a long time since they started talkig about it. I am really hoping that this game is different from all the rest of the games out there like WoW,Daoc,EQ,LOTRO. They really need to make this game for all players, not just the hardcore gamers that have nothing to do but play games. It would be nice to hop on the game for 30 minutes and hop off and not have to spend 6 hours a night on it like the rest....
Long Live Duke Nuken Forever....ohhh wait that that's still in development. 10 years later!
I SO WANT THIS GAME!!!!!! /CRY /CRY It sounds so beautiful!!!!! Don't screw me over guys. Don't screw me over. I'll never forgive your company if this game isn't everything that you say it is. I'm so happy. This is definately going to be better than wow ever was if they do it right.
WOOOOOOOOOOT!!!
King Linksr
P.S. Yes I'm going nuts, but considering how my game style goes, this game will be perfect.
From Warcry's Razor Wire:
First Star Trek Online Screenshot Released
Over at the official Star Trek Online site a new DevLog went up and it included the first official screenshot from the upcoming MMO. Despite the recent news coming out of San Fransisco which made things seem shaky for the game, it seems that work is progressing:
While flying through space in a starship, players will use the Interaction System in exactly the same way ("Keep it Consistent")... but the NPCs the player will interact with will reflect more of the awesome diversity of the Star Trek universe. In space, players can respond to hails from officials on distant planets, or get orders from the commanders of besieged space stations, or do business with the owners of untrustworthy Orion shipyards, simply by right-clicking on those planets, space stations, or shipyards in exactly the same manner as if they were on the ground. In fact, the Interaction System is often the key to the player's ability to transition between space and ground, as ably illustrated by our VERY FIRST RELEASED IN-GAME SCREEN SHOT:
I saw this yesterday as well. I'm interested to see how this interaction scheme they are talking about shapes up, there are definitely two very distinct aspects of this game, hopefully they will be nicely integrated. Also that ship looks pretty cool, I'd assume it's one of the smaller ones.
oooooo. Sounds like an interesting concept for a game.
Still listening!
King Linksr
The icons on the screen that allow you to choose your actions (I think I read that was what they are for)...Remind me of KOTOR. I hope they function similarly.
Very cool screen shot. We on these boards are going to have to set up a guild to hang out together.
Yep, we've discussed the possibility a few pages back on this thread. That would be fun.
Yea, I think that if this game works out how they have shown it, definately get a lot of attention. I can't wait. Its like a 2nd Christmas next year. XD :laugh:
King Linksr
Here's what the STO Dev Log says:
Entry 5.0 - "Interactions in Action"
Stardate 61390.2 (December 4th, 2007)
Hola, STO fans, and welcome back to the DevLog! There's something darned cool lurking in this entry, so let's skip the endearingly goofy banter and get right to it...
Over the past few DevLogs we've primarily focused on a sampling of the low-level processes of STO development, taking a peek at terrain generation, object design, and version testing, among other things.
Today we'd like to seriously shift gears, and start revealing a little bit about the actual game systems themselves. We'll start with a deceptively simple game mechanic that's deucedly difficult to nail down: the Interaction System.
What's the Interaction System you ask? In a nutshell, the Interaction System controls every non-combat, player-to-NPC interaction in the game. If you want to talk to a Ferengi shopkeeper, it goes through the Interaction System. Need to get some additional phaser training at the local Starfleet Academy? That's the Interaction System. Want to beam down to a planet? Interaction System. Responding to a distress call from a crippled starship? That's the Interaction System, too. In fact, when one is done tallying up the mission givers, trainers, vendors, Transwarp Terminal operators, Dahar Masters, helpful cadets and informative colonists, you'll find that there are just about as many peaceful interactions in Star Trek Online as the phasers-and-bat'leths variety. Put plainly, the Interaction System is the glue that holds all the other systems of STO together, transforming a bunch of disconnected (though spectacularly well designed and balanced) phaser fights into an actual game, so it's vitally important that we get it "just right."
As we design, implement, and refine our Interaction System, we're trying to keep a few basic goals in mind:
* Keep it Simple - The less clicks and extraneous buttons the better.
* Keep it Intuitive - The best Interaction System is one the player can figure out without any instruction.
* Keep it Consistent - No matter where the player is (ground, space, another dimension) or what kind of interaction he's engaged in (dialogue, buying, training, obtaining missions, etc.) the widgets of the Interaction System's interface should behave in a consistent manner.
* Keep it Trek - A blanket goal of STO, but one that bears repeating.
* Keep if Fun - You'd be surprised how often this gets forgotten.
So, what can you interact with in STO? A better question might be: what CAN'T you interact with?
When playing on the "ground" (the surface of a planet, the promenade of a space station, or the interior of an "abandoned" Borg cube, etc.), players will use the Interaction System to chat with terrified aliens, order cups of Earl Grey from station replicators, launch games of chance from charming Dabo girls, and get missions from Starfleet superiors, among scores of other activities. All of these interactions, from the mundane to the sublime, will be launched by the most casual of mechanisms ("Keep it Simple"): a single right-click of the mouse on a neutral or friendly NPC.
While flying through space in a starship, players will use the Interaction System in exactly the same way ("Keep it Consistent")... but the NPCs the player will interact with will reflect more of the awesome diversity of the Star Trek universe. In space, players can respond to hails from officials on distant planets, or get orders from the commanders of besieged space stations, or do business with the owners of untrustworthy Orion shipyards, simply by right-clicking on those planets, space stations, or shipyards in exactly the same manner as if they were on the ground. In fact, the Interaction System is often the key to the player's ability to transition between space and ground, as ably illustrated by our VERY FIRST RELEASED IN-GAME SCREEN SHOT:
http://www.startrekonline.com/devlog/viewimage.php?IntScreen.jpg
Wow, it goes along with my phrase of KISS. "Keep it simple stupid" :laugh: Ever the more information they release the more excited about this game I get.
Thanks Jen.
King Linksr
PR firm Kohnke Communications is suing Star Trek Online developer Perpetual Entertainment for breach of contract and fraud, among other allegations.
ImageKohnke Communications, which has represented studios including NetDevil, Red 5 Studios and Cryptic studios, filed the December 7 court document in a California Superior Court.
The filing, discovered by MMO-centric website TenTonHammer, is yet another setback for Perpetual Entertainment, which recently opted to cancel the MMO Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, in order to concentrate more on the development of Star Trek Online.
Perpetual cancelled (or "placed on indefinite hold") Rome Rising in order to avoid having to pay the PR firm between $80,000 and $280,000 upon the launch of the game, Kohnke alleges. These costs would've had a negative impact on the development of Star Trek Online, which Perpetual is in the process of developing.
Kohnke also alleged that Perpetual asked the PR firm to create promotional materials for Rome Rising with the knowledge that the game would be cancelled. Kohnke called the alleged act "fraudulent and malicious."
The filing lists defendants as Perpetual Entertainment, P2 Entertainment Inc., Perpetual CEO Joseph Keene and president Chris McKibbin.
Kohnke is seeking between $80,000 and $290,000 in damages.
One word... "Ug"!
Well that is unfortunate.
Good grief...people are so sensitive today that they'll sue over anything. I mean, if I were to step on Jen's foot right now she would probably sue me for haraasment and "damages" to her foot. Thats of course if I didn't already know she was a trekkie geek and probably wouldn't care. :laugh: ;)
/sigh Another setback for my most favorite awaiting game..... :'( :'( :'(
King Linksr
Actually I wouldn't sue... ;)
I could have sued a doctor for malpractice a few years ago but didn't. :)
If Perpetual did do this...they deserved to be sued. I've worked in the print/design industry for years and we always have one slime ball or another trying stuff like that. It's underhanded.
(http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2007/20071214.jpg)
Wow! I fear the Star Trek MMO might never see the light of the Internet highway. :(
Quote from: Rico on December 16, 2007, 01:24:30 PM
Wow! I fear the Star Trek MMO might never see the light of the Internet highway. :(
No, Rico, don't say such Blasphemous things. You don't want a crying person on Christmas on your conscience do you??? *sniff* *sniff*
King Linksr
Well this isn't ideal...
------------------
Breaking News: P2 Out As Star Trek Online Developer
by Dana Massey, 14 Jan 2008 2:10 pm
P2 Entertainment - formerly Perpetual Entertainment - has ceased development on Star Trek Online, according to multiple sources at the San Francisco based developer. The news does not, however, mean that the game is canceled. The license, as well as the game's content - but not the code - have been transferred to another Bay Area development studio where work will continue. It is not entirely clear at this time what this means for the individual developers who worked on the project at P2.
As a company, P2 Entertainment will continue on with their profitable Perpetual Platform, which has been licensed to industry leaders like BioWare, and refocus their core business on the casual games market.
Without the code, whoever takes over Star Trek Online will be faced with a lot of work to complete the project, which means that fans may have longer to wait for a completed Star Trek Online.
P2 Entertainment had no comment on the story.
WarCry will continue to follow this story as it develops.
http://www.warcry.com/articles/view/breakingnews/2802-Breaking-News-P2-Out-As-Star-Trek-Online-Developer
crud...
To borrow from another franchise, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Murphy's Law...
It's cursed or something!
I'm going to say this and you won't know what I'm saying cause I'm turning the profanity filter on:
)(*&$#)(*% )(*&)#@($* )(*&$#@)(*& (*@$&)#@(*%&)
I have a feeling someone (Paramount/maybe Blizzard (but thats a conspiracy theory)) put a knee in the gut to this project cause it was looking too good....
So much for a replacement to WOW.....
King
Why do bad news come in one day?? Why can't in be spread out over a week...
King
Better to get it all out of the way!
Quote from: billybob476 on January 14, 2008, 02:17:20 PM
Better to get it all out of the way!
As true as that might be, this news could have not....had....to happen....
Excuse me for a couple minutes
King
(Goes into a corner and cries then trashes his dorm room then walks back to computer (after 5 hours))
That's all i have to say.
I can't say anything other than:
We will remember this as the day that ST Online died....
And the video currently expresses my frustrations perfectly. Be thankful I'm not a Jedi.
King
Well...I am very disappointed. But I'm going to keep thinking happy thoughts, cause that's just the way I am. It will eventually right itself... hopefully.
I would rather them get this thing right than release something like Lineage II or Shadowbane....eeek.
hmmm. . .I don't even know what to think about this piece of news. . .I suppose it's that bad.
HOPE?
Cryptic Studios
City of Heroes Devs Rumored To Take Over Star Trek Online
The troubled development history of Star Trek Online may have gotten a shot in the arm, now that the MMO is rumored to be in development at Cryptic Studios. While rumored cancellation of Marvel Universe Online isn't exactly the best (still unconfirmed) news for the developer, having someone work on Star Trek Online is better than no one. w00t Studios says it has anonymous sources pointing to the new home of STO, who recently sold off rights to City of Heroes to owner NCsoft, who in turn created a new subsidiary with Cryptic staffers at its core. Frankly, I'm starting the whole swirling of intellectual properties and people a bit dizzying. Someone replicate me a hypospray.
http://kotaku.com/345350/city-of-heroes-devs-rumored-to-take-over-star-trek-online
That would be some very good news if it ends up with the Cryptic staff.
I played COH/COV for 2 years before I got into WoW, Cryptic could do a very good job with this based on that.
So long as ST Online comes out how it was intended and its good, I'm happy.
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on January 17, 2008, 10:47:20 AM
So long as ST Online comes out how it was intended and its good, I'm happy.
King
Hopefully before Duke Nukem II!
ST Onine Forever! Starring Captain Nukem of the starship Let's Rock!
...and he's all out of bubble gum.
wow..i want to get into this. :D
I just got this from WIRED Blog. Cryptic is interviewing the former P2 STO employees. If they're hired by Cryptic for this "unannounced game" (probably STO) perhaps they can still finish it the way the game was intended.
P2 Entertainment Laying Off Star Trek Online Staff
By Earnest Cavalli EmailJanuary 17, 2008 | 5:08:57 PMCategories: MMO Gaming
Stoscreen Continuing the drama surrounding the game, P2 Entertainment (formerly Perpetual Entertainment) will be laying off members of the Star Trek Online development team today, according to sources within the company.
Coinciding with our earlier rumor regarding the acquisition of the license by City of Heroes/Villains creator Cryptic Studios, the firm has begun interviewing P2 staff members for "positions on unannounced projects."
We can't yet confirm that this indicates a continuation of the game's development at Cryptic, but it certainly hints in that direction.
This news comes as little surprise given P2's recent announcement that development on the title had "largely stopped."
"Positions on unannounced project"....pleaseeee. What else would they hire them for? A bit obvious.
King
Well, if the licensing isn't all negotiated they are likely not legally allowed to say anything.
Cryptic Confirms STO Developer Interviews, No Comment On License
Dana Massey
Cryptic Studios confirmed that they recently brought in developers from P2 Entertainment's Star Trek Online for job interviews, but had no comment on reports that they had purchased the game's assets or acquired the license from CBS.
They were interviewed for positions on unannounced projects at the Bay Area studio, with permission from P2.
Sources at P2 confirm that development on STO has largely stopped, although when contacted P2 representatives had no comment. They did, however, confirm that the entire development team is, as of today, still employed with the company.
Star Trek Online dev team getting pink slips today
razor posted on 17 Jan 2008 3:13 pm
Word out of San Fransisco is that P2 Entertainment will be laying off the Star Trek Online team entirely today. This action was seen as inevitable after WarCry posted the news that P2 was shutting down all production on the MMO earlier this week. While a number of the team may be heading over to Cryptic (I wonder why!) there are some that will be looking for employment. Any game studios looking to pick up some new employees know where to look.
Thanks for keeping us posted on this Jen. I sure hope Cryptic is able to continue work on this - hopefully with many of the old team members.
January 24, 2008
Report: Kohnke, Perpetual Suit Dismissed
Report: Kohnke, Perpetual Suit Dismissed A lawsuit filed by industry public relations firm Kohnke Communications against former Star Trek Online developer Perpetual Entertainment has reportedly been dismissed in court following a mutual resolution by both parties.
A Kohnke representative confirmed the resolution to consumer site Shacknews, commenting, "The parties have reached an agreement, but we can't detail any further than that. Part of the agreement was that we would not detail."
The suit had alleged fraudulent transfer, breach of contract, fraud and other charges, with claimed damages totaling between $80,000 and $280,000, stemming from Kohnke's claim that it was owed payment for its work promoting the canceled title Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising.
The suit also claimed Perpetual sold the Star Trek Online license to a separate corporate entity, P2 Entertainment, before liquidating its assets, without disclosing details of the transaction to the PR firm.
The resolution comes just after, according to consumer site Kotaku, Perpetual had issued a formal response to the suit, calling the PR firm's claim "vague, uncertain, ambiguous and unintelligible" and asking a judge to dismiss the case.
Perpetual recently ceased its work on Star Trek Online, whose license and content -- excluding the game's code -- will reportedly be transferred to another Bay Area development studio, where work on the game will continue.
As for P2, they maintain a business focus on their Perpetual Platform, and will additionally focus on the casual games market.
Hm well things are looking up for development to continue at least.
Maybe STO isn't dead after all!! :cheers
I got these google alerts in my inbox today:
Star Trek Online Development Moved To Cryptic Studios
Mar 13, 2008 at 9:05 AM - Andrew Burnes - 3 Comments
Johnny Knoxville points us to Star Trek Gamers where a legal notice issued by lawyer Timothy Harris to the site's owner inadvertently led to the discovery that Cryptic Studios had taken control of the troubled Star Trek Online MMO. The change of developer was rumored for some time, but the digging of another user on the site revealed that Timothy Harris is representing Cryptic Studios' Champions Online, effectively confirming the rumor.
-----
Star Trek Online Official Site Mysteriously Updated
By Earnest Cavalli EmailMarch 12, 2008 | 2:20:41 PMCategories: MMO Gaming
Stonline After the collapse of Star Trek Online developer Perpetual Entertainment last year, most thought we'd heard the last of the game, at least until recently when the game's official site was mysteriously updated with a new logo and the words "Coming Soon."
Attempts to trace the site's current owner have been unsuccessful, leading many to wonder who exactly is updating the site and presumably continuing work on the game itself.
Despite a complete lack of solid information, many believe Cryptic Studios, developers of City of Heroes and the upcoming Champions Online, to be the most likely new developer.
Game|Life contacted Cryptic earlier this morning for any sort of confirmation on the rumors, but the firm refused to confirm or deny the allegations.
-----
Star Trek: Online back on track?
Thursday, 13 Mar 2008 12:45
Star Trek Online's reassuring message? A new teaser page on the official Star Trek: Online website has boosted hopes the trouble MMO will eventually see the light of day.
Many feared for its future after reports in January claimed developer Perpetual Entertainment was no longer working on the game. Rumours had it Cryptic Studios, creators of the City of Heroes franchise, were to be handed the licence with the apparent aim of targeting more casual gamers.
With the statement on the official website, however, it appears a new developer for the title has finally been found. The target audience for the game is still unknown, as is the involvement of Cryptic.
----
Fingers still tightly crossed for this one! If they were smart, they would get one done by May of 2009 to coincide with the new movie.
sounds encouraging
Hoping... I really want to fly around in my own starship then beam down to any planet I want...
Don't know how concrete this is but...
Concrete proof that Cryptic Studios is Developing Star Trek Online!
« on: Today at 06:56:55 AM »
Since the collapse of Perpetual Entertainment in Feburary 2008, many people have been wondering what the fate of Star Trek Online is.
Perpetual stated at the time that devlopment of Star Trek Online had been passed to another bay area developer, however since that time, we have not seen or heard anything about our beloved MMORPG.
Speculation has been arife about who could possibly have the development rights to Star Trek Online - with some people suggesting Bethesda or "Blissovision" - however the hot favorite until now has been Cryptic Studios.
Well, it appears that we may well be on the road to getting an answer of sorts to the question - "Are Cryptic Studios Developing Star Trek Online" with the appearence on the Cryptic Studios homepage, of a mysterious countdown timer, with an unmistakeably Sci-Fi Esque background picture - which some people have speculated is very similar to some of the early concept art for STO from Perpetual.
UPDATE: Thanks to some help from Demosthenes, former owner of the now shut down STOnet, we are now able to confirm that the image used on the Cryptic Timer is from Perpetual Entertainments Concept Art for Star Trek Online.
http://www.hailingfrequency.co.uk/boards/index.php?topic=731.0 (http://www.hailingfrequency.co.uk/boards/index.php?topic=731.0)
Great news! Looks like the announcement date or whatever the date means is set for July 28th, 2008. And here is the mysterious image.
(http://crypticstudios.com/images/games/space.jpg)
To see the countdown clock in action go here:
http://crypticstudios.com/ (http://crypticstudios.com/)
COOL
SWEET!
King
Fascinating. :vulcan
'Star Trek: Online' ... 25 Days And Counting?
By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: SyFy Portal
Jul-02-2008
The long-awaited massive multiplayer online role playing game "Star Trek: Online" may be hitting stores in just 25 days.
That's the speculation, at least, that's floating around after a mysterious counter showed up on the official site of Cryptic Studios, the game-maker who took over the production of "Star Trek: Online" from Perpetual Entertainment earlier this year.
The countdown has absolutely nothing else around it to indicate what it is, except it is under the "games" header. As of July 2, it simply states 25 days and some change on a background that includes a planet and a star field.
It's possible that it could be an advertisement for Champions Online, which has a button right under the counter and is still under development by Cryptic. However, earlier press releases for that game tout a Spring 2009 launch, not a Summer 2008 launch.
"Star Trek: Online" has been in development hell for a long time. Perpetual first announced the project in September 2004 as an MMORPG, and has since been through a few iterations. In fact, it's never been officially confirmed that Cryptic is the new studio putting together the property, but has been heavily rumored since Perpetual gave up the property.
The countdown would lead to July 27, but it's not clear if that's when Perpetual intends to launch the game, begin a beta, or have some other sort of announcement for "Star Trek: Online." In fact, it could simply be Cryptic's official announcement that they are developing the game, and some detailed plans on what they intend to do.
July 27 is a Monday, and the first Monday after San Diego Comic-Con International, which could also be a good venue to announce such a venture ... but fans likely will have to wait until then.
Umm.....call me skeptical but this seems WAY too soon for the release of a MMO. I have high doubts that games such as Wow, Eve Online, or Everquest were released this fast. Especially with the switching of hands with companies.
If that is the release date, then I would say that ST Online is going to be just a failed game. I seriously doubt they could have developed a deep and good game this fast.
King
I don't think it's the release date. I think they might announce a closed or even an open beta. . . hopefully.
Not even that I think they'll just announce their working on it. It wasn't even close to beta when perpetual was working on it.
I think they are going to say "congrats trekies we are making this, maybe old news but officially this is hot off the presses!"
And if it's that, I'll be happy. I so want into the beta on STO!
Did I miss something? I thought nobody knew how far they wre with this game? Blizzard kept Diablo III in the dark for a long time so I don't doubt that STO may be farther along then we thought.
There is also the possibility that that game is a huge mess and they just want to release it and make some quick cash from the initial sales. Kinda like Lineage II and Shadowbane :)
Quote from: Blackride on July 03, 2008, 06:39:18 AM
Did I miss something? I thought nobody knew how far they wre with this game? Blizzard kept Diablo III in the dark for a long time so I don't doubt that STO may be farther along then we thought.
There is also the possibility that that game is a huge mess and they just want to release it and make some quick cash from the initial sales. Kinda like Lineage II and Shadowbane :)
Terrible idea imo. But certainly possible. *sigh*. We'll see I guess.
King
It's a long way off still. My best guess is the date is when they will announce that they are officially working on it. And hopefully some timing range on a release date.
P.S. Diablo 3 is a long way off still too.
I give Diablo 3 2 years.
WOTLK:
1 year.
Yes, I said it.
King
If this was a release date, believe me they would be sounding its praises and advertising the HECK out of it. No reputable company would release anything for sale with zero advertising. If the count down has something to do with STO, I'm betting it's an official announcement that they are working on it.
Yeah really, Tabula Rasa had no advertisement and how many people know about that?
Quote from: Jen on July 03, 2008, 06:09:42 PM
If this was a release date, believe me they would be sounding its praises and advertising the HECK out of it. No reputable company would release anything for sale with zero advertising. If the count down has something to do with STO, I'm betting it's an official announcement that they are working on it.
Yea, that's what I was thinking too. No advertising means no release. Same thing with Starcraft 2, WOTLK, etc. When we see more of that, THEN we know its coming soon.
King
Quote from: Rico on June 12, 2008, 06:37:34 AM
Great news! Looks like the announcement date or whatever the date means is set for July 28th, 2008. And here is the mysterious image.
(http://crypticstudios.com/images/games/space.jpg)
To see the countdown clock in action go here:
http://crypticstudios.com/ (http://crypticstudios.com/)
5 days left on the counter...
Can't wait. :D
QuoteStar Trek Online will be "Revealed" on Sunday August 10th at the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention according to a mysterious entry on the Creation Entertainment website!
At 1.30pm on Sunday August 10th, there is a mysterious entry on the Creation Entertainment website that simply says "Star Trek Online Revealed".
While we dont have an information about exactly what is to be revealed, Hailing Frequency will be there in force and on the front row with live audio and video equipment to find out exactly what will be revealed.
Want to find out what exactly is to be revealed? Then be sure to tune in to Hailing Frequency!
http://www.hailingfrequency.co.uk/boards/index.php?topic=901.0
Hopefully Angela and I can be there to see that! Very exciting. :cheering
Check this out...
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/cryptic-studios-job-listing-reveals-star-trek-online/
I know it hasn't actually been announced yet, and the game's completion may be some time from now... but does everyone still have an interest in forming a TrekSF Roleplaying Guild? Angela and I have been talking off and on about this since we first found out about STO. We've discussed creating our characters from the TrekSF RPG in the MMO. I think it would be fun to eventually have a ship called "The Arabella".
J
Quote from: Jen on July 27, 2008, 09:09:39 AM
I know it hasn't actually been announced yet, and the game's completion may be some time from now... but does everyone still have an interest in forming a TrekSF Roleplaying Guild? Angela and I have been talking off and on about this since we first found out about STO. We've discussed creating our characters from the TrekSF RPG in the MMO. I think it would be fun to eventually have a ship called "The Arabella". J
I am all for a guild/clan set up. Of course I am not sure how ships are going to work or anything....
I'm not either... last I heard, and I'm sure it's changed since then, guilds had their own ships. Again, that could have changed. But it would be nice if it was true.
Quote from: Jen on July 27, 2008, 09:09:39 AM
I know it hasn't actually been announced yet, and the game's completion may be some time from now... but does everyone still have an interest in forming a TrekSF Roleplaying Guild? Angela and I have been talking off and on about this since we first found out about STO. We've discussed creating our characters from the TrekSF RPG in the MMO. I think it would be fun to eventually have a ship called "The Arabella".
J
We did discuss this before and I'm still up for it. It would very cool. I'm interested to see how ST Online works out.
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on July 27, 2008, 09:23:47 AM
Quote from: Jen on July 27, 2008, 09:09:39 AM
I know it hasn't actually been announced yet, and the game's completion may be some time from now... but does everyone still have an interest in forming a TrekSF Roleplaying Guild? Angela and I have been talking off and on about this since we first found out about STO. We've discussed creating our characters from the TrekSF RPG in the MMO. I think it would be fun to eventually have a ship called "The Arabella".
J
We did discuss this before and I'm still up for it. It would very cool. I'm interested to see how ST Online works out.
King
Yeah, I brought it up a few years ago when I first joined the forums. It was just a sparkle in Perpetual Entertainment's eye back then. Now it looks like it will actually come to fruition.
Quote from: Jen on July 27, 2008, 01:44:09 PM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on July 27, 2008, 09:23:47 AM
Quote from: Jen on July 27, 2008, 09:09:39 AM
I know it hasn't actually been announced yet, and the game's completion may be some time from now... but does everyone still have an interest in forming a TrekSF Roleplaying Guild? Angela and I have been talking off and on about this since we first found out about STO. We've discussed creating our characters from the TrekSF RPG in the MMO. I think it would be fun to eventually have a ship called "The Arabella".
J
We did discuss this before and I'm still up for it. It would very cool. I'm interested to see how ST Online works out.
King
Yeah, I brought it up a few years ago when I first joined the forums. It was just a sparkle in Perpetual Entertainment's eye back then. Now it looks like it will actually come to fruition.
The only relief I have now, is that I'm playing an official Star Trek cannon race. Back then, I was like, "Oh crap, what am I going to play?" lol.
King
BAM!
http://startrekonline.com/
Wow - now that's a web site. :joker
YES!!!!!
This is almost totally different from the other version from the information so far.
Quote from: Just X on July 30, 2008, 04:32:34 PM
This is almost totally different from the other version from the information so far.
There really isn't that much information though to be honest. It pretty abstract stuff from what I am seeing on the site. What are you seeing that is totally different? I am curious.
I think he was just saying that the web site is totally different.
Not much new info, but the screen caps look pretty decent, and it sounds like the developers have some fairly solid backing on getting the game up and running. When I first signed up for the initial testing of the game, I was pretty disappointed, but based on what I'm seeing now, I think this game might actually turn out allrignt.
Quote from: Jen on July 30, 2008, 06:55:41 PM
I think he was just saying that the web site is totally different.
Ahh That makes sense. I thought I was going crazy(again)....
If you read about the game you'll find out that you now start as either a star fleet captain or the captain of a klingon ship.
This was different from the start at the academy and get a ship of the first version.
Quote from: Just X on July 31, 2008, 08:29:23 AM
If you read about the game you'll find out that you now start as either a star fleet captain or the captain of a klingon ship.
This was different from the start at the academy and get a ship of the first version.
Yea, I read about that and went....uhh...wait...weren't we supposed to eventually grow into one? I guess we'll have to see....
King
I've just signed up. yay.
Here is what they wrote about the new game:
Become part of Star Trek®: The Star Trek universe will appear for the first time in a massively multiplayer online game. Everything from the elegant domes of Starfleet Academy to the ancient temples of Vulcan, from the towers of Qo'noS to the Fire Caves of Bajor, from the mysterious Mutara Nebula to the unexplored voids of deep space, all will be represented in stunning 3-D graphics. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.
Adventure in the Final Frontier: Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations in an expanding vast universe. Make contact with alien races, discover resources and uncover mysteries that will change the future of the Star Trek universe.
You Are the Captain: Command your own starship as a Federation Captain or a Klingon Warrior. Outfit it with the systems that you need to make your mark in the galaxy. Customize your ship as you see fit. Recruit, train and mold your crew into an elite force for exploration and combat.
Surface, Shipboard and Deep Space Adventures: Command your vessel in thrilling space battles, or beam down to planets with your away team for face-to-face confrontations. Missions will take you and your friends into space, planetside and even inside starships!
Powered by the Cryptic Engine, Star Trek® Online will be developed for both console and PC formats. With customizable ships and characters from the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets, ground, space and shipboard gameplay and unique options for player-generated content set in the Star Trek universe, Star Trek Online is the MMOG that allows you to boldly go where no one has gone before!
Hmm.....this sound's more like Eve Online to be honest. :( I'm going to give it a 0/10 for "originality".....the original idea sounded a hell of a lot better than this.
/fail
King
I hope that's just a first step in the evolution of this game. To me, the allure of STO wasn't the prospect of captaining a ship... it was the thought of playing in the world I can only hope will be reality one day. I don't want to be limited to a star ship captain. What if I wanted a character to be a doctor, or a scientist? I hope they continue to add different occupations to the game. It's OK to start off like this, but I hope they expand it...
"Online will be developed for both console and PC formats." This is good, as I would finally get some use out of my 360. I could use either my PC or the console, depending on my mood. ;)
"With customizable ships and characters from the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets, ground, space and shipboard gameplay and unique options for player-generated content set in the Star Trek universe."
"Player-generated content" means it's more open to role playing... That sounds more promising to me.
Quote from: Jen on July 31, 2008, 07:50:17 PM
I hope that's just a first step in the evolution of this game. To me, the allure of STO wasn't the prospect of captaining a ship... it was the thought of playing in the world I can only hope will be reality one day. I don't want to be limited to a star ship captain. What if I wanted a character to be a doctor, or a scientist? I hope they continue to add different occupations to the game. It's OK to start off like this, but I hope they expand it...
Yea, this is my problem. It sounds like a "captaining the starship" game again and there are so many right now. LAME and unoriginal. Excuse my anger. Its just......why? WHY? did they have to conform....
GRRR
King
Angry King............... Well i'm new to this STO, i have no idea what they have been promising or what they will deliver. So for me it's all rather exciting. Saying that i wont have any time to look at the damn site as i'm always here hah ha.
I don't think it's anything to be angry about. It hasn't even come out yet. And things change, it could just be a first step.
It all looks quite nice to me. I'd quite like to be a captain.
idk, maybe it will be better than I currently view it. Right now, I'm very skeptical. However, I'm also extremely skeptical about Wow's next expansion. Minor paranoia I suppose ;)
King
King, I am seeing it the same way you are.
Why would I want to start the game as a captain? Maybe I don't even want to be a captain of a ship. I personally like games like DAOC and EQ where you start off killing rats and grow with the characters. I had visions of killing tribbles till I was level 5 :).
Now if the game is more about leveling up your ship rather than your character, then I may see it. That kinda play is not for me but I can understand it.
Its intresting seeing all your comments. As i say i'm totally new to this kind of gaming. ( console boy mainly) so for me its exciting whatever happens ha ha.
Quote from: Blackride on August 03, 2008, 03:58:22 AM
King, I am seeing it the same way you are.
Why would I want to start the game as a captain? Maybe I don't even want to be a captain of a ship. I personally like games like DAOC and EQ where you start off killing rats and grow with the characters. I had visions of killing tribbles till I was level 5 :).
Now if the game is more about leveling up your ship rather than your character, then I may see it. That kinda play is not for me but I can understand it.
If it's all about leveling up a ship, not your character, then it's pretty much a Eve Online MMORPG game. Just edited. That already doesn't make me intrigued. I was originally intrigued but now....idk. We'll have to see when it comes out.
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on August 03, 2008, 10:05:08 AM
If it's all about leveling up a ship, not your character, then it's pretty much a Eve Online MMORPG game. Just edited. That already doesn't make me intrigued. I was originally intrigued but now....idk. We'll have to see when it comes out.
King
Hmmm. I really am not "on board" with that concept yet. I never played Eve Online either though. I am sure I will get sucked in though because I am looking for a good MMORPG and I am totally sick of the WoW game/crowd, etc..
While I'm not convinced of the changes, perhaps we need to consider the obvious. The first game was kind of huge. I mean the various ships, the developing to get a ship, the many planets. Maybe perpetual bit off more than they could chew. how many delays did they have? the game should have been out years ago.
I think that at this point we might need to compromise what was promised with the perpetual version and what can be accomplished and delivered into a working game.
I would love for a game that had people manning the stations and doing their thing when you went into combat, but I think that we need to realize that the logistics in that will be horrendous.
I'm not going to dismiss the game because of the old promises. I'm still excited by the idea of a MMORPG based on Trek. Given Cryptic constant and FREE updates of their previous games, I trust that they will bring a product out that is both worthy of the Trek legacy and strong enough to have people playing it for years to come.
Quote from: Just X on August 03, 2008, 02:03:29 PM
While I'm not convinced of the changes, perhaps we need to consider the obvious. The first game was kind of huge. I mean the various ships, the developing to get a ship, the many planets. Maybe perpetual bit off more than they could chew. how many delays did they have? the game should have been out years ago.
I think that at this point we might need to compromise what was promised with the perpetual version and what can be accomplished and delivered into a working game.
I would love for a game that had people manning the stations and doing their thing when you went into combat, but I think that we need to realize that the logistics in that will be horrendous.
I'm not going to dismiss the game because of the old promises. I'm still excited by the idea of a MMORPG based on Trek. Given Cryptic constant and FREE updates of their previous games, I trust that they will bring a product out that is both worthy of the Trek legacy and strong enough to have people playing it for years to come.
I have to be honest, I compromised for a years in SWG,ShadowBane,Lineage, Planetside and EQII and I don't think I will be doing it again. I spent a lot of time in those games with empty promises and gurantees that things would be fixed, they didnt. Lately I really have been waiting on the reviews to buy a MMORPG. I do this because its not like a single player game where I could care less about the review. Should a MMORPG get bad reviews you can pretty much kiss it good bye and without a decent population it's pretty much worthless.
I am not over-reacting to what STO is being billed as because it's still very early. I want to like it because it's Trek just like I wanted to like SWG and EQII. Here is hoping it is!
Just my ole 2 cents....
Quote from: Blackride on August 03, 2008, 03:50:52 PM
Quote from: Just X on August 03, 2008, 02:03:29 PM
While I'm not convinced of the changes, perhaps we need to consider the obvious. The first game was kind of huge. I mean the various ships, the developing to get a ship, the many planets. Maybe perpetual bit off more than they could chew. how many delays did they have? the game should have been out years ago.
I think that at this point we might need to compromise what was promised with the perpetual version and what can be accomplished and delivered into a working game.
I would love for a game that had people manning the stations and doing their thing when you went into combat, but I think that we need to realize that the logistics in that will be horrendous.
I'm not going to dismiss the game because of the old promises. I'm still excited by the idea of a MMORPG based on Trek. Given Cryptic constant and FREE updates of their previous games, I trust that they will bring a product out that is both worthy of the Trek legacy and strong enough to have people playing it for years to come.
I have to be honest, I compromised for a years in SWG,ShadowBane,Lineage, Planetside and EQII and I don't think I will be doing it again. I spent a lot of time in those games with empty promises and gurantees that things would be fixed, they didnt. Lately I really have been waiting on the reviews to buy a MMORPG. I do this because its not like a single player game where I could care less about the review. Should a MMORPG get bad reviews you can pretty much kiss it good bye and without a decent population it's pretty much worthless.
I am not over-reacting to what STO is being billed as because it's still very early. I want to like it because it's Trek just like I wanted to like SWG and EQII. Here is hoping it is!
Just my ole 2 cents....
Me too. My friends keep asking me to play WOW with them. I don't care for those genres. The only MMO games I will consider are either set in the Star Trek or Star Wars Universe. Why? Cause I would LOVE to visit them. It's escapism. I'd love to take a walk in those realms. SWG has issues, so I've avoided it. I have heard very good reports that Bioware is currently working on a Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic MMO. IF STO blows that's what I'll turn to next. But, I hope STO is a great game. But it's a game... That's all. It's intended to be fun. If it's not... I plan to move on. It's not the end of the world. I'm going to keep that in mind.
Quote from: Just X on August 03, 2008, 02:03:29 PM
While I'm not convinced of the changes, perhaps we need to consider the obvious. The first game was kind of huge. I mean the various ships, the developing to get a ship, the many planets. Maybe perpetual bit off more than they could chew. how many delays did they have? the game should have been out years ago.
I think that at this point we might need to compromise what was promised with the perpetual version and what can be accomplished and delivered into a working game.
I would love for a game that had people manning the stations and doing their thing when you went into combat, but I think that we need to realize that the logistics in that will be horrendous.
I'm not going to dismiss the game because of the old promises. I'm still excited by the idea of a MMORPG based on Trek. Given Cryptic constant and FREE updates of their previous games, I trust that they will bring a product out that is both worthy of the Trek legacy and strong enough to have people playing it for years to come.
I have to agree with Blackride. Enough effing compromises. Don't give out promises you cannot keep because it ticks me off and I WILL NOT get it. We haven't had 1, count it ONE decent Star Trek game in many years. I'm tired of compromises for the ST universe. ENOUGH already. I don't care about logistics but if you find out 1/2 way into pre-production that you can't do it then don't even bother finishing. You've already ruined the game for everyone.
I'll also agree with Jen. Its a game. But enough with these stupid half-assed games that companies release for Star Trek. The best one I've seen yet is Star Trek Bridge Commander. That's it. Time enough to start releasing games that are good.
King
King, you act as if you are being personally attacked, like this poor company that took over the Star Trek MMO owes you. If you don't like what you are hearing about this game then don't buy it.. it's that simple. I've never heard anyone so negative about something that is still a long way from being released. Yes they promised something different when they started... but guess what.. things don't always go as planned. If you can do better then by all means create your own Star Trek MMO the way you want it.. you might find out that it's not as easy as you seem to think it is.
I for one am very excited about a Star Trek MMO game... I won't pass judgement on it until it's actually released and I'm playing it.
I don't want to sound like I'm feeling like I'm being personally attacked. I just feel....idk. I guess I'm just seeing the same pattern that keeps happening in these MMOs today. They promise things that aren't totally unreasonable and then fail to follow through. Perhaps the original idea was unfeasible. But already I see a pattern and I guess I'm just tired of seeing it happen.
It may very well be that we've reached a limit in MMOs and companies can't keep up with "consumer demand" in this area. Perhaps we've finally hit the limit for them. We'll see I guess. I'm not saying I won't play it, but already I'm skeptical. And that is rarely good.
King
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on August 03, 2008, 11:37:22 PM
I've never heard anyone so negative about something that is still a long way from being released.
You should try reading the 1up boards or other gaming sites :).
I will take a wait and see approach as I always do but I don't see anything wrong with dicussing what we may/may not like. I basically respect both your opinions and King's on this topic.
As a follower of computer gaming and especially MMO's I have a variety of views on this. One thing you have to always keep in mind is these games vary and change a lot while they are being created. But due to the internet and information everywhere we get to see little details sneak out very early. Now things may change a lot by the time the final product comes out. So I don't put much stock in early info you get.
Specifically on this project creating a "Star Trek" MMO is an even harder task than making the next movie. They need to create a compelling game for both Trek fans and non-fans. And one that will be fun and keep them playing month after month. A very tough task. I anxiously will wait to see what they come up with.
Quote from: Kinglinksr on August 03, 2008, 09:58:58 PM
I have to agree with Blackride. Enough effing compromises. Don't give out promises you cannot keep because it ticks me off and I WILL NOT get it. We haven't had 1, count it ONE decent Star Trek game in many years. I'm tired of compromises for the ST universe. ENOUGH already. I don't care about logistics but if you find out 1/2 way into pre-production that you can't do it then don't even bother finishing. You've already ruined the game for everyone.
I'll also agree with Jen. Its a game. But enough with these stupid half-assed games that companies release for Star Trek. The best one I've seen yet is Star Trek Bridge Commander. That's it. Time enough to start releasing games that are good.
King
I can see what you are saying, but Cryptic didn't make any promises what so ever. They picked up the property and are developing it how they think will work best.
Remember, this is a new game from a new company. While I like some of the things that the old company promised, I'm not going to get upset at a new company for doing things their way.
This is not Perpetual's Trek Online. It's Cryptic's. Anything that was promised from another company shouldn't even be considered as promises from Perpetual.
Quote from: Just X on August 04, 2008, 08:57:42 AM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on August 03, 2008, 09:58:58 PM
I have to agree with Blackride. Enough effing compromises. Don't give out promises you cannot keep because it ticks me off and I WILL NOT get it. We haven't had 1, count it ONE decent Star Trek game in many years. I'm tired of compromises for the ST universe. ENOUGH already. I don't care about logistics but if you find out 1/2 way into pre-production that you can't do it then don't even bother finishing. You've already ruined the game for everyone.
I'll also agree with Jen. Its a game. But enough with these stupid half-assed games that companies release for Star Trek. The best one I've seen yet is Star Trek Bridge Commander. That's it. Time enough to start releasing games that are good.
King
I can see what you are saying, but Cryptic didn't make any promises what so ever. They picked up the property and are developing it how they think will work best.
Remember, this is a new game from a new company. While I like some of the things that the old company promised, I'm not going to get upset at a new company for doing things their way.
This is not Perpetual's Trek Online. It's Cryptic's. Anything that was promised from another company shouldn't even be considered as promises from Perpetual.
Ok, you got me there. Still, when you pick up a game like that, I feel you should at least attempt to do what the previous company/person was trying to do. In this case, they deviated quite a bit. At least in my opinion.
Oh well, we'll see what happens. The future is never certain.
King
Maybe that's part of the reason why Perpetual didn't finish... Maybe they needed to do things in steps and they were trying to do the whole enchilada right off the bat.
Yes, I know I've been pretty nasty/negative about this latest news, but its mostly bitter disappointment. I'd like to see a good Star Trek game, and had high hopes that ST Online would fill that void. Maybe I was too hopeful. But to be honest, when was the last time you were excited for a video game of Star Trek? (Before STO)
King
Wait till it comes out, then give it a test drive. Might prove to be just what you wanted. ;)
Quote from: Jen on August 04, 2008, 10:41:38 AM
Wait till it comes out, then give it a test drive. Might prove to be just what you wanted. ;)
Can't do much else lol. ;)
But I will. Thank goodness for a mind full of patience. I would go nuts otherwise.
King
I think one of the major problems facing MMOs today is WoW. If a new MMO comes out and is not the WoW killer in the first couple of months then it is in trouble. Yes, some games will get a small spattering of support but the longevity of the game may be at risk. It's would appear to me that if an MMO is not released full baked it will loose people.
This post is not really about STO as it is about MMOs in general. I personally sick of WoW and I keep waiting for the WoW killer app to come out, and it hasn't. I am keeping my fingers crosed for future games but nothing looks promising enough to be that game yet :(
Do you still play WOW Blackride or are you on "break"? ;)
Quote from: Jen on August 04, 2008, 07:23:45 PM
Do you still play WOW Blackride or are you on "break"? ;)
No, I played it for about 6 - 8 months after years on DAOC and EQ II, but I could never really get into it. My guild is there still but it just never captured me.
Quote from: Blackride on August 04, 2008, 02:32:35 PM
I think one of the major problems facing MMOs today is WoW. If a new MMO comes out and is not the WoW killer in the first couple of months then it is in trouble. Yes, some games will get a small spattering of support but the longevity of the game may be at risk. It's would appear to me that if an MMO is not released full baked it will loose people.
This post is not really about STO as it is about MMOs in general. I personally sick of WoW and I keep waiting for the WoW killer app to come out, and it hasn't. I am keeping my fingers crosed for future games but nothing looks promising enough to be that game yet :(
Sadly, I fear the only game that can kill Wow is one that you can solo all by yourself with no help. Wow has done that now and is going very quickly to making the entire game soloable. Which imo has killed the fun with it. With Eve Online, you NEED help in order to be successful. Also, its a long-term game which also seems to keep Wow players from playing it. It seems, that the only way to kill Wow is to have instant reward, no risk, and solo gameplay......which is so wrong it hurts.
King
Today is the day they are going to reveal game play footage. There's a link on the STO site where you can see the announcement live on the web cam at 1:30 pm PST
http://www-waa-akam.thomson-webcast.net/us/dispatching/?event_id=ef804b5c6581bb453902e96f13b91a1e&portal_id=d9882584be03673749d664f440208ab2
Yep - they are showing it at the Trek con in Vegas. Looking forward to seeing some real footage.
Live event - in progress.....
Here's some good info. You will have to go to YouTube to view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOigF0xziQ
Gah, video is gone....
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on August 10, 2008, 03:07:01 PM
Gah, video is gone....
King
No - just copy and paste the link. They disabled embedding. Hate that.
Quote from: Rico on August 10, 2008, 02:27:37 PM
Here's some good info. You will have to go to YouTube to view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOigF0xziQ
Wow, that guy in the interview seemed very irritated. Because Angela and I work in PR and marketing, I can say without any hesitation that that was just bad PR on Jack's part. Even if he was ticked off at the podcaster, he's selling a game and he should have acted a bit more friendly... the people watching can make or break it the game. :dry
I'm going to look to see if there's anything on the STO site regarding the game play video. 3-4 years out? Is that what I ready in the shout box? Is that true?
Just went to the STO Site. You can download a video of the game play. I'm downloading now....
http://www.startrekonline.com/videos
Quote from: Jen on August 10, 2008, 07:08:34 PM
Quote from: Rico on August 10, 2008, 02:27:37 PM
Here's some good info. You will have to go to YouTube to view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOigF0xziQ
Wow, that guy in the interview seemed very irritated. Because Angela and I work in PR and marketing, I can say without any hesitation that that was just bad PR on Jack's part. Even if he was ticked off at the podcaster, he's selling a game and he should have acted a bit more friendly... the people watching can make or break it the game. :dry
Boy, Jen, I agree 100%. That guy comes off as a total tool. All I can say in his defense is he mentions at the very start how the podcast guy ambushed him at a coffe shop.
I just watched the entire video that was aired as a live feed. 3-4 years... yep. That's what they said. I think that it's interesting that your bridge crew is basically set up like your pets... an extension of you. Fun concept.
Quote from: Jen on August 10, 2008, 07:51:31 PM
I just watched the entire video that was aired as a live feed. 3-4 years... yep. That's what they said. I think that it's interesting that your bridge crew is basically set up like your pets... an extension of you. Fun concept.
=\ 3-4 years...geez. *sigh*. I suppose one could see why, but still.....idk. Something like this should just be kept on the down low, otherwise people will get all excited and when its finally released...it will kaplooie.....oh well.
King
Here's some more video....
/>Star Trek Online Las Vegas Webcast (http://www.vimeo.com/1504688?pg=embed&sec=1504688) from Cryptic Studios (http://www.vimeo.com/user665820?pg=embed&sec=1504688) on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com?pg=embed&sec=1504688).
Wednesday's Penny Arcade:
(http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2008/20080813.jpg)
LOL. :D IF only real life were that easy.
LOL :D
King
The latest news I heard is that this game is "closer to finished than most people think." Nothing definitive has been released but it is absolutely going to be here sooner than 3-4 years.
If that's true it seems odd the lead guy would say years during this big media press event at the con.
A bit more news/info from Cryptic. Not a lot of detail, but here you go...
Ask Cryptic returns with answers on ships, customization and PvP content. Thanks very much to our development team for taking time out of their busy schedules to answer these!
Will ship roles be analogous to naval combat roles or will they be more like the party roles in other MMOs – will ships be cruisers or destroyers or they be tanks or healers?
Federation ship classes are inspired by the television shows. So, for example, you could have a ship like the Enterprise, the Defiant or the Voyager. We call the different classifications of ships Cruisers, Escorts and Science Vessels.
More details on the exact roles and differences are coming soon, but for now, suffice it to say that the ship roles are a combination of naval combat and traditional MMO gameplay. Klingon ships are different, and reflect their style and culture. And everything will be very customizable and very Star Trek.
Will Starfleet and Klingon uniforms be semi-customizable with extra additions?
Character customization is one of the hallmark features of a Cryptic game. You will be able to modify and customize the uniform of your characters, but it will always have the look of a uniform. The costume options will reflect popular pieces from the show, as well as new concepts and styles.
Will our choice of ships be limited by our chosen specialty as captain? So, for example, Defiants and Akiras are usable only by tactical captains, Nova and Nebula for science, etc.?
No, not at all. You can train and advance in any ship class, or even in multiple ship classes. Certainly your skills and abilities – and those of your Bridge Officers – will affect your ship in many ways, as will your ship modifications. So expect to see lots of permutations.
How customizable will Bridge Officers be? Will players be allowed to choose their race, gender, name and/or physical appearance?
You will be able to fully customize your Bridge Officers' race, appearance, gender, name and physical appearance. It wouldn't be a Cryptic game if you couldn't. You will also train and customize their skills and abilities throughout their career.
Will we be able to play 3D chess?
We are always looking at gameplay elements to enhance the Star Trek experience. 3D chess is a Trek classic, and it's on the list. But it may not be in for launch – maybe an expansion. Should it be before or after the playable Horta?
Space PvP has already been confirmed for the outer most regions and neutral zones, but what about planets in those sectors? Will there be ground PvP?
Where you can PvP in space, you will be able to PvP on the ground. There will be open PvP ground locations, and perhaps instanced PvP locations.
There's an awesome six page cover story on the game in the new Game Informer magazine, available at all Game Stop stores. There's some great info on the story, play mechanics, episode structure, character creation, and loads of other stuff. Go get it asap, they will usually give you a copy for free if you ask nicely. They are saying release is Fall 2009, but Game Informer (read: Game Stop) release dates are about as accurate as throwing bones or reading tea leaves, so take this with a big grain of salt.
Some cool new wallpapers from the game here:
http://www.startrekonline.com/wallpapers
STO has a forum. I signed up as "Sevryll". Hope to see some of you guys over there too. :)
http://forums.startrekonline.com (http://forums.startrekonline.com)
New Screen shots of game:
http://www.startrekonline.com/gallery/screenshots (http://www.startrekonline.com/gallery/screenshots)
Looks like people are beginning to put together guilds, or "fleets". Anyone interested in starting one now?
Here's the link to the post that tells you what to do, and displays examples of fleets that are being formed now.
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=9791 (http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=9791)
I will most definitely be giving this game a try and I'd be more then happy to be a founding member of the TrekSF fleet (or whatever name we give it).
Will we be an RP fleet? I'd assume so...
Years away still for this game....
Well, never too early to reserve a name.
Quote from: billybob476 on October 14, 2008, 08:03:32 AM
Well, never too early to reserve a name.
Are you saying player names or Fleet names that will be used in the actual game years from now are officially already being reserved? I've never heard of something like that before for a game.
Honestly, not a clue. Probably not official.
Quote from: Rico on October 14, 2008, 08:07:37 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on October 14, 2008, 08:03:32 AM
Well, never too early to reserve a name.
Are you saying player names or Fleet names that will be used in the actual game years from now are officially already being reserved? I've never heard of something like that before for a game.
I believe the spokes person made mention of this in the streaming video. I'm pretty sure that's what this is, though it does seem strange to me that they would be forming them so early. :)
So...any ideas for fleet names?
fuzzybunnykins?
:)
Arabella
Tiberius
Aurora
Treksf
fuzzybunnykins...that would strike fear into the heart of the Klingon Empire. LOL. ;)
INFOGRAMES TO ACQUIRE CRYPTIC STUDIOS, A LEADING MMO GAMES DEVELOPER, PUBLISHER AND OPERATOR
- Acquisition Will Provide State-of-the-Art Games and Technology Expected to Boost Atari's Online Business Growth -
LYON, FRANCE – 9 December 2008 – Infogrames Entertainment, the parent company of Atari, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to fully acquire Cryptic Studios Inc., one of the world's leading developers, publishers and operators of Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games.
The transaction encompasses all of Cryptic's proprietary IP, tools, technology and work-in-progress and integrates all members of the leadership team and employees into Infogrames. This acquisition is a critical step in the implementation of Atari's strategy to become a leading online game developer and publisher.
Cryptic is currently developing three unique MMO franchises, planned for release over the next three years on PC and next-generation consoles, including Champions Online to be released in 2009 and Star Trek Online to be released in 2010. A third game currently in development will be announced in the near future.
Established in 2000 and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, USA, Cryptic has a proven track record of delivering successful MMO franchises (City of Heroes and City of Villains sold to NCSoft) generating over USD 100 million in lifetime revenues and up to 180,000 peak subscribers.
Cryptic is led by a highly experienced management team who shares Atari's vision in online gaming and who has committed to stay with the group. Cryptic employs approximately 150 professionals, comprising leading industry creative, technical and operation experts with a proven track record in delivering on-time, on-budget titles. Cryptic's revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008 amounted to USD 17 million.
Atari will benefit from Cryptic's powerful proprietary engine, scalable content development tools and online server architecture to deliver very high productivity-per-employee and industry-leading client/server performance and create unique, high quality MMO games on 18 to 24-month cycles. Atari will also gain a proven set of high-quality MMO game operating tools for sophisticated customer service and account management.
David Gardner, CEO of Infogrames, the parent company of Atari, said: "The acquisition of Cryptic Studios brings to Infogrames an outstanding creative organisation, with a proven track-record of success in the fast-growing MMO category. Cryptic's success is founded on leading-edge technology and the vision of a seasoned executive management team. I am impressed with the tools and technology that Cryptic has developed to make MMOs less expensive to build. Creating vast worlds and interesting interactions can be very people intensive but with the use of Cryptic's toolset they have a proven way of cutting average production costs in half. This is exactly the type of company we wanted to acquire in order to build Atari for the 21st century."
"We share a common vision with Atari and their leadership team." said John Needham, Chief Executive Officer of Cryptic Studios, "With our game development and online platform technology skills, we're very excited about the opportunities that this unique combination with Atari creates. I am committed to helping Atari grow into a leading online game company and look forward to being part of the team."
About Cryptic Studios
Cryptic Studios, Inc., based in Los Gatos, CA, and established in July 2000, is one of the leading independent developers of massively multiplayer online games. Cryptic is developing three major titles for the PC and current generation consoles, including Star Trek Online, Champions Online and an unannounced project. For more information on Cryptic Studios, please visit http://crypticstudios.com/. (http://crypticstudios.com/.)
About Infogrames Entertainment and Atari
The Infogrames group, including the Atari brand, is a global producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and all interactive game platforms including consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony Computer Entertainment, advanced smartphones, Personal Computers, web and online. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries through an international distribution network and direct to consumers via http://www.atari.com/. (http://www.atari.com/.)
Atari's extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Alone in the Dark, Test Drive, V-Rally, My Horse & Me, Backyard Sports franchise, Total Annihilation, Outcast etc.), publishing properties (The Witcher, Legendary, Race Pro etc.), international licenses (Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, Jamie Oliver etc.) and classic games covering the entire history of the video game industry (Pong, Missile Command, Asteroids etc).
© 2008 Atari Europe SASU. All rights reserved.
Champions, Champions Online, and Cryptic Studios are trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of CBS Studios Inc and used with permission.
Latest Update to the STO Fiction:
EARTHDATE 2008.12.05
The Path to 2409: 2382
The unstable situation of the Romulans continues to be a source of concern for the Alpha and Beta quadrants.
The loss of agricultural planets now claimed by the Imperial Romulan Empire threatens Romulus with severe food shortages. Romulus' power plants and factories cannot increase output without the heavy metals and dilithium that once flowed from Remus.
To avert the looming civil crisis, Praetor Tal'aura reluctantly accepts food shipments from the Federation. But she refuses the Federation's offer to facilitate negotiations between her and Empress Donatra, saying that it is an internal Romulan matter.
Tal'aura charges her proconsul, Fleet Commander Tomalak, with retaking the planets held by Donatra. Tomalak appoints Admiral Taris as his second in command and orders her to re-organize and mobilize Romulus' remaining military forces.
Seeking to stabilize the homeworld, Tal'aura agrees to reform the Romulan Senate. A reorganization commission selected by Tal'aura votes to allow her to appoint senators directly rather than holding elections, and she packs the Senate with her supporters. Leaders of the Romulan-Vulcan Unification movement petition Tal'aura for representation in the Senate for themselves and the Remans, but Tal'aura declines to respond to their request.
The makeup of the Romulan Senate angers Romulan nobles, who dominated the Senate prior to Shinzon's takeover but now hold only a handful of seats. Representatives of several of the noble lines argue that for centuries the Romulan Senate has been a partner with the praetor in governing the empire, something that a weakened body beholden to Tal'aura cannot be. The Line of Tellus goes so far as to denounce Tal'aura publically and withdraw its members from government service.
The Klingon Empire takes advantage of the weak position of the Romulans to stage lightning strikes into Romulan space, retaking Khitomer and the sector surrounding it. The Federation Council criticizes the move, but Ambassador K'mtok responds that the empire is simply reclaiming territory that belonged to the Klingons by right.
Thwarted in their attempts to find a role in the Romulan government, the Unification movement, represented by Ambassador Spock, presses its case with the Federation Council. The Council takes up the matter of formally supporting the Unificationists, but is heavily influenced by Councilor T'Los of Vulcan, who states that the result of the unification of the two races cannot be predetermined, while the probable course of the Romulans and Vulcans remaining separate can be reasonably predicted. Therefore, her only logical choice is to protect the Vulcan way of life by opposing unification.
The council does not reach a decision on whether or not to support the Unificationists, and votes to table the matter.
A legal issue of interest to analysts in the Federation is rights for artificial life forms. On Stardate 60334.46, Admiral Owen Paris of Starfleet Research and Development orders that the mobile emitter brought back from the Delta Quadrant by the USS Voyager be taken to Starfleet's facility on Galor IV for study.
The Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) known as The Doctor files a lawsuit to block the transfer of the mobile emitter, arguing that he is a sentient being who acted as a member of Starfleet during Voyager's time in the Delta Quadrant and that the mobile emitter is necessary to his quality of life and performance of his duties. The office of the Judge Advocate General issues an injunction against the transfer of the mobile emitter until it can study the case and issue a ruling.
The Bajorans and their allies continue to press for the Cardassians to surrender members of its government and military to stand trial for war crimes. But over the course of four months, 472 Cardassians wanted by the Bajorans disappear from Cardassia Prime.
The Cardassian government reports it is attempting to determine the whereabouts of its citizens. The Bajorans respond by accusing the Cardassian government of willingly assisting fugitives.
Ro Laren completes her time in Federation custody and returns to Bajor. She accepts a commission in the Bajoran militia and is appointed head of security for Deep Space Nine.
Looks like we may have a release date for the Trek MMO. At least unofficially. Very early in 2010:
First pre-order appears - price & date set?
Retailer Gamestop is now taking pre-orders on Star Trek Online (online and in stores). The release date given is January 26, 2010 and the price is $49.99 (which is typical for a MMORPG). Although most MMORPGs come in both a collectors and standard edition, Gamestop is only listing a single edition. Cryptic have yet to make an official announcement about a date or a price, so it should be assumed that this listing is subject to change. It is possible that Gamestop is jumping the gun (without authorization from Crytpic) to get an edge. Also remember that STO, like almost all MMORPGs, is expected to have an additional monthly fee.
more here:
http://trekmovie.com/2009/03/10/sto-update-new-screenshots-first-pre-order-more/ (http://trekmovie.com/2009/03/10/sto-update-new-screenshots-first-pre-order-more/)
Stores like amazon and gamestop sometimes make up these dates literally out of nowhere. It might be based on information but it might be based on nothing.
Quote from: billybob476 on March 12, 2009, 08:49:07 AM
Stores like amazon and gamestop sometimes make up these dates literally out of nowhere. It might be based on information but it might be based on nothing.
Yes - but in my experience it's usually based on some bit of knowledge. Especially since it's such an odd date. The end of January? Might not happen, but it's one more little tidbit to chew on.
Still no word on which console it will be ported to in addition to the PC? I've read articles where they are "teasing" the possibility of Sony or XBox or both.
Just found a new image from the game... Klingons! ;D
http://blog.wired.com/games/2009/03/klingons-4-othe.html (http://blog.wired.com/games/2009/03/klingons-4-othe.html)
I used that one a few days ago as the Trek daily pic!
http://www.treksinscifi.com/trekdaily/?p=531 (http://www.treksinscifi.com/trekdaily/?p=531) ;)
Quote from: Rico on March 12, 2009, 10:26:54 AM
I used that one a few days ago as the Trek daily pic!
http://www.treksinscifi.com/trekdaily/?p=531 (http://www.treksinscifi.com/trekdaily/?p=531) ;)
Doh! But it doesn't live here in this super awesome cool STO thread. ;)
Did they mention the hardware requirements anywhere? As far as I understand MMORPGS don't necessarily need high-end gamer PCs. But would it run on an iMac? (Don't look funny at me, I was quite happy I finally had something available that would enable me to play Oblivion.)
I'm guessing you can flip between Mac OS and Windows OS. I'm not looking at you funny. I'm a Mac girl myself. :)
If you can run Oblivion now... I think you could probably run the STO MMO. From what I understand MMO's are light weight by comparison to games like Oblivion because of the fact you play them online.
Well that depends, form what I understand warhammer can be pretty heavy. Even on my machine I can't run WoW near max settings.
Quote from: Jen on March 12, 2009, 10:38:18 AM
I'm guessing you can flip between Mac OS and Windows OS. :)
If you can run Oblivion now... I think you could probably run the STO MMO. From what I understand MMO's are light weight by comparison to games like Oblivion because of the fact you play them online.
MMO's vary greatly on hardware needed. Typically when they first come out they need some fairly good hardware. But since they last for years, slowly the hardware moves past the software since the game doesn't change a lot. For example, World of Warcraft has been out for several years now and doesn't need a high end machine to run. But some newer MMO's like Conan and Warhammer need more modern hardware to run well. As far as specific specs for the Trek MMO, it won't be until close to the game coming out that specs will probably be released. But I would guess if you have any type of computer that's not more than a year or two old you should be ok.
Quote from: billybob476 on March 12, 2009, 10:39:25 AM
Well that depends, form what I understand warhammer can be pretty heavy. Even on my machine I can't run WoW near max settings.
Angela and I have a friend who plays WOW on dial up... very carefully. :D
Wow, I can only imagine the latency on dialup!
Thanks for your replies,
Quote from: Jen on March 12, 2009, 10:38:18 AM
I'm guessing you can flip between Mac OS and Windows OS. I'm not looking at you funny. I'm a Mac girl myself. :)
Glad to hear this! :)
Thanks for your replies. Looks like I have a chance! :D
I so want to play ST-O but Time is a factor. It could be so amazing though....
Quote from: Dangelus on March 14, 2009, 10:51:09 AM
I so want to play ST-O but Time is a factor. It could be so amazing though....
These days I wouldn't dare go near it. That way lies divorce and destitution! I'm fairly sure I don't have the self discipline to limit my online activiies in that sort of arena.
Quote from: Feathers on March 14, 2009, 12:11:25 PM
Quote from: Dangelus on March 14, 2009, 10:51:09 AM
I so want to play ST-O but Time is a factor. It could be so amazing though....
These days I wouldn't dare go near it. That way lies divorce and destitution! I'm fairly sure I don't have the self discipline to limit my online activiies in that sort of arena.
Very good point! :roflmao
I had a custom gaming rig built in January of 08, hand picked all of the components myself, primarily so i could play Oblivion in max settings. I reckon it'll be able to handle STO. I hope.
Well, this video of potential character creation looks promising (if it's real)
Star Trek Online Character Creation Trailer (HD) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vyRshsZcgU#lq-lq2-hq-vhq-hd)
looks promising
Do we know any sort of time frame for release?
I wonder how/if the movie will affect STO.
Quote from: billybob476 on May 13, 2009, 12:35:46 PM
Well, this video of potential character creation looks promising (if it's real)
Star Trek Online Character Creation Trailer (HD) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vyRshsZcgU#lq-lq2-hq-vhq-hd)
Sweet!
Some new gameplay video. I think this came out of E3.
Star Trek Online Gameplay Trailer [High Quality] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwjJs1F8xWw#lq-lq2-hq-vhq-hd)
I may get mobbed by saying this, but I think I need to see some REAL gameplay footage, not just some 'exciting' in-engine trailer. As it stands the graphics (especially the space battles) are not impressing me.
I think there is some "in-game" stuff in there. But, who knows how this will all turn out.
Oh I think most or all of it is in game. Not really doing it for me at this point looks-wise is all I'm saying.
Ok I'm sorry, but I have lost any and all faith I had in this game. Not only are the graphics terribly unimpressive compared to other MMOs, (especially Eve Online: Apocrypha) but the game mechanics look worse than Star Trek: Bridge Commander. The planets look fake, I mean, its just so cartoony from my viewpoint. If this is supposed to be real, well, they failed spectacularly.
If this is truly the best they can do, they should just give it up now. Not only do the Star Ships look wrong/fake, the people look like Avatars we were using 5 years ago. The engine streams out of the ship are not Cannon-esque.
I mean cmon, this is just sad. I don't want another "Shoot-em-up" MMO. We already have Eve Online, World of Warcraft and more. I wanted to see more, I love exploring but now it looks like its just "Bring your ship to the Borg and prepare to die" game. *sigh*
This...is a sad day. RIP: STO
King
I have my doubts too guys, but it's only a couple minutes of footage. For me, it will be about the gameplay and that is hard to know about yet. I'll reserve judgment a bit until I get a chance to try it out.
Quote from: Rico on June 08, 2009, 03:39:46 PM
I have my doubts too guys, but it's only a couple minutes of footage. For me, it will be about the gameplay and that is hard to know about yet. I'll reserve judgment a bit until I get a chance to try it out.
Ditto
I'm just hoping for more of a RPG than a fleet warfare game.
Here's the timeline and how it affects the game. It seems as though It is in the future of the "prime" timeline where Romulus is indeed destroyed. Kind of where the current season of the RPG is at.
(http://media3.startrekonline.com.s3.amazonaws.com/img/misc/Chart-01.jpg)
Neat chart, but I think we will be in the "alternate timeline" for our RPG. Not in the "Prime" timeline. But it was decided to destroy Romulus there too.
Right. Damn time travel, so confusing!
Just watched that trailer and I think this game's graphics look terrible!
It looks like graphics for a PC game about 20 years ago.
Here's the timeline, with the RPG fit in to it:
Nice work Rico!
Hee hee, great addition there Rico.
Quote from: billybob476 on June 15, 2009, 12:16:38 PM
Here's the timeline and how it affects the game. It seems as though It is in the future of the "prime" timeline where Romulus is indeed destroyed. Kind of where the current season of the RPG is at.
(http://media3.startrekonline.com.s3.amazonaws.com/img/misc/Chart-01.jpg)
LOL, I was going to post that today and ran out of time at lunch. Glad you put it up. :D
Star Trek Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Stargate Worlds (if it ever gets released), I'm going to have to retire about 20 years early so I have enough time to check all this stuff out! Anyone know how I can make about 80K a year from home? :D
Quote from: Rico on June 15, 2009, 01:12:47 PM
Here's the timeline, with the RPG fit in to it:
I don't know how i missed that. Nice. I need to post a copy in the OOC!
I think this image would have saved us a page or two of debate in the initial RPG season 10 thread! :)
Quote from: billybob476 on June 18, 2009, 11:06:31 AM
I think this image would have saved us a page or two of debate in the initial RPG season 10 thread! :)
LOL, I doubt it. We like to debate too much. :D
http://trekmovie.com/2009/07/22/sto-game-update-new-screenshots-backstory-more/ (http://trekmovie.com/2009/07/22/sto-game-update-new-screenshots-backstory-more/)
(Link is from Rico's Pic of the day)
Well, this is starting to look "great". Apparently, you can solo the entire game, conduct "raids" and its basically shoot-and-destroy.
World of Warcraft anyone?
Although I will give them cudos on the good looking backgrounds and planet views from Space, this is all too obvious becoming another kill-as-many-people-to-lvl.
Oh well, they've gotta sell games amiright?
King
Well at the end of the day isn't almost any MMO a "kill-as-many-people-to-lvl"?
For the most part yes. The only game that is exempt from that is Eve Online, (although that depends on how you play). Its kinda sad because this game is turning into the "flavor of the month" game. I was hoping for an actual good game since Bridge Commander, but now that hope is being dashed.
AH well, what can you do. The only way to sell games are to make them WoW-esque and hope people will buy them more than WoW itself. (warhammer anyone?)
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on July 23, 2009, 10:13:41 AM
For the most part yes. The only game that is exempt from that is Eve Online, (although that depends on how you play). Its kinda sad because this game is turning into the "flavor of the month" game. I was hoping for an actual good game since Bridge Commander, but now that hope is being dashed.
AH well, what can you do. The only way to sell games are to make them WoW-esque and hope people will buy them more than WoW itself. (warhammer anyone?)
King
Except world of warcraft kind of ripped off several other pen and paper games like warhammer and video games like ever quest which were around long before it was a pixel in it's creator's eye.
...which comes from Tolkien which comes from the mythologies of various societies. These stories and games are based on archetypes and primeval symbols that we as humans identify with on a very basic level.
Quote from: Kinglinksr on July 23, 2009, 09:54:40 AM
http://trekmovie.com/2009/07/22/sto-game-update-new-screenshots-backstory-more/ (http://trekmovie.com/2009/07/22/sto-game-update-new-screenshots-backstory-more/)
(Link is from Rico's Pic of the day)
Well, this is starting to look "great". Apparently, you can solo the entire game, conduct "raids" and its basically shoot-and-destroy.
World of Warcraft anyone?
Although I will give them cudos on the good looking backgrounds and planet views from Space, this is all too obvious becoming another kill-as-many-people-to-lvl.
Oh well, they've gotta sell games amiright?
King
From what I understand this is limited to specific areas and no one has to do it. The game has to appeal to a broad audience or they will not be successful. It has to attract more than just Star Trek fans. :)
Quote from: billybob476 on July 23, 2009, 09:55:59 AM
Well at the end of the day isn't almost any MMO a "kill-as-many-people-to-lvl"?
Star Wars Galaxies tried to get around this a bit, with experience coming from various missions that didn't always involve "killing stuff." I do hope ST: Online tries to focus a lot on a variety of missions for leveling rather than simple killing.
I just hope that there's no "grinding", the worst element of MMOs that has largely been rendered obsolete by games like WoW where there is so much content that it has become unneccessary. There needs to be enough variety in missions that you can go from level 1 all the way to the cap without having to repetitively kill creatures over and over again to efficiently and quickly level. Does anyone fondly remember the literally scores of hours spent killing the same damn creatures over and over again in Everquest?
Yeah grinding is a thing of the past I believe. Then again, I believe in Eve you 'grind' your various skills, but I think that happens in the background while you are doing other things. Am I right King?
Quote from: billybob476 on July 24, 2009, 06:31:41 AM
Yeah grinding is a thing of the past I believe. Then again, I believe in Eve you 'grind' your various skills, but I think that happens in the background while you are doing other things. Am I right King?
Yeah, skill training is done passively in Eve. This is unique for a game such as this. The only grind is making money, which sadly is the only way to make money legitimately. If anything can change this, this will surprise me.
King
A ton of more pictures from the game here: http://kotaku.com/5326397/all-the-star-trek-online-screens-youll-ever-need (http://kotaku.com/5326397/all-the-star-trek-online-screens-youll-ever-need)
New footage of the game shot at the GamesCom trade fair in Cologne, Germany. Lots of combat shown.
"Star Trek: Online" in-game footage, 8/2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOiEzf5wKsY#ws-normal)
Well, I guess this is what you get when you combine WoW with EvE. Lots of unending combat with flashy graphics. I'm pretty much turned off to the potential of this game. "Everyone is a captain, everyone gets an epic fight, everyone, everything". Yeah, that's what they say in WoW too. Oh it'll be fun at first, but it will eventually get dry and boring.
The ships move around very stuttering-like and the engine trails are very much out of place. The "hand-to-hand" combat is so WoW like its not even funny. Although some of it is good, this just feels wrong and I will not be reserving it or anything. I'll wait till people here play it before I even look at it.
Just sad...
King
P.S. sorry about this post, it's just to express my supreme disappointment that this game is a new Warhammer Online or LOTR Online. Both were good at first and then became dull fast.
I dunno. Like King said, it looks too much like WoW. I'm still hoping it won't be that way. I'm looking forward to maybe trying it, or at least hearing and seeing more about it when it comes out.
Hopefully, they'll put out 14 day trials like WoW did so we can try it before buying.
First, let me say this is a flash video taken of a video wall of videos. Please do not think this represents the exact way ships and people will move in the game or even comment on the graphic engine. You are certainly not seeing the game on a full resolution monitor in play mode.
However, I will comment on the gameplay shown. While it's a bit early to tell and I doubt we have seen everything it does sadly look to be like many other MMO's in a Star Trek skin. I will certainly still give it a try when it comes out, but I am thinking they may have let some great opportunities slip by them that might have made this a different and unique game. Time will tell.
As a chap who has never played wow, never played a mmo i have to say I am seriously thinking about giving this a go. Maybe its because i have no expectations, but hell no one has played it yet, so lets not kick it in the ass before we've even tried it.
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on August 21, 2009, 02:53:19 PM
...hell no one has played it yet, so lets not kick it in the ass before we've even tried it.
Well said Meds. No matter how things look, we won't know whether this game is fun or not until the day it comes out officially.
Quote from: Jaames on August 25, 2009, 03:10:53 PM
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on August 21, 2009, 02:53:19 PM
...hell no one has played it yet, so lets not kick it in the ass before we've even tried it.
Well said Meds. No matter how things look, we won't know whether this game is fun or not until the day it comes out officially.
No! Logic...must...not...intervene....emoraging...subject......no, must.....resist.....
:P
jk
Tis a good point meds. We shall see.
King
Sign up for the closed beta here now:
http://www.startrekonline.com/preview_application (http://www.startrekonline.com/preview_application)
Signed up this morning, the system was a little wonky to say the least.
How's the closed beta going billybob?
Haven't received an invite! Not sure if my application actually ever went though or not.
I don't think it's actually started. At least that I know of.
I hope it doesnt start until I get my new computer!
I realize they're not going to do it right away, but has anyone heard which console platform they are going to port it to? They were being pretty tight lipped about it before. Sony or Xbox? They did say it would be console and PC based...just never said WHICH console. I'd rather play in front of our flat screen TV in the living room than my computer in my cramped little home office.
I've heard nothing about a console release. I'd certainly prefer to play on console over having to buy a new computer but I highly doubt this will happen.
Quote from: Jen on September 23, 2009, 11:15:34 AM
I realize they're not going to do it right away, but has anyone heard which console platform they are going to port it to? They were being pretty tight lipped about it before. Sony or Xbox? They did say it would be console and PC based...just never said WHICH console. I'd rather play in front of our flat screen TV in the living room than my computer in my cramped little home office.
Very, very doubtful it would end up on a console. MMO's really don't work that way. For one thing, there is a huge amount of text chat and keyboard work. Not to mention many, many other issues. Where did you hear it would end up on a console system? I have never heard that about this game.
Champions Online is coming out for consoles, though the launch has been delayed (PC version is out of course). I googled around and back around August last year it seems there was talk of STO coming to consoles but I can't find any recent references.
I heard the head hancho of STO talking about during a keynote at the Trek Convention (I think it was at the convention). I watched it online since I couldn't make the con. They said it wouldn't happen right away...but it was their goal. This is something that Bioware, the folks making KOTR, said they were also working toward, though I think they said it would eventually be ported to Sony Playstation.
The Xbox folks say it's their goal to have PC players and Console players competing against one another in the near future...what better environment than an MMO? Sure, not everyone will want to play it on a console, but I don't want to play it on a PC. By offering both options, they gain more players for their game.
Yeah, I think I heard similar "wishful thinking" talk. I still highly doubt both that it will happen and even if it does, it won't be anywhere near the same game. I've followed gaming for a very long time and they "talk" about wanting to do a great deal, but it rarely happens like they say. This Trek MMO would have to be a HUGE hit for them to even consider it. Look at it this way, World of Warcraft is a mega hit and it isn't on any console. One of the biggest issues is the hardware in consoles currently isn't up to the task of what a modern PC game needs. Again, this is just based on what I have seen over the years. I really doubt we will see it happen.
Quote from: Rico on September 23, 2009, 11:39:13 AM
Yeah, I think I heard similar "wishful thinking" talk. I still highly doubt both that it will happen and even if it does, it won't be anywhere near the same game. I've followed gaming for a very long time and they "talk" about wanting to do a great deal, but it rarely happens like they say. This Trek MMO would have to be a HUGE hit for them to even consider it. Look at it this way, World of Warcraft is a mega hit and it isn't on any console. One of the biggest issues is the hardware in consoles currently isn't up to the task of what a modern PC game needs. Again, this is just based on what I have seen over the years. I really doubt we will see it happen.
I think it all depends on the deal. Everquest became a console game before it dried up in popularity.
Also with regard to WoW, it wouldn't really make much of a difference in my mind. What would it gain them, 100,000 new subsscirbers? 500,000 even? Maybe even 1 million? Not sure if that would be worth the development time and the additional support staff needed.
Champions Online is doing it, but it was designed from the group up that way. Ideally you are supposed to play the game with a gamepad, even on your PC.
Quote from: Just X on September 23, 2009, 12:26:09 PM
Quote from: Rico on September 23, 2009, 11:39:13 AM
Yeah, I think I heard similar "wishful thinking" talk. I still highly doubt both that it will happen and even if it does, it won't be anywhere near the same game. I've followed gaming for a very long time and they "talk" about wanting to do a great deal, but it rarely happens like they say. This Trek MMO would have to be a HUGE hit for them to even consider it. Look at it this way, World of Warcraft is a mega hit and it isn't on any console. One of the biggest issues is the hardware in consoles currently isn't up to the task of what a modern PC game needs. Again, this is just based on what I have seen over the years. I really doubt we will see it happen.
I think it all depends on the deal. Everquest became a console game before it dried up in popularity.
Not exactly. I beta tested and played that console game (along with playing EQ for about 5 years). The console version was a very different and "dumbed down" version of the game. It wasn't "Everquest" and you were not playing with the people in the PC MMO game at all. So again, I doubt we will see "Star Trek: Online" on a console. Perhaps a "dumbed down" version one day, but I even doubt that at this point.
Quote from: billybob476 on September 23, 2009, 12:33:48 PM
Also with regard to WoW, it wouldn't really make much of a difference in my mind. What would it gain them, 100,000 new subsscirbers? 500,000 even? Maybe even 1 million? Not sure if that would be worth the development time and the additional support staff needed.
Champions Online is doing it, but it was designed from the group up that way. Ideally you are supposed to play the game with a gamepad, even on your PC.
I think they'd do whatever they could to gain the numbers that WoW has. I know I'm not an MMO player and I don't know jack about it, but I do think it will happen. It's a natural progression. If it will bring them more money they'll seriously consider it. But my original question was whether or not they had announced which console they were considering...I guess they haven't said anymore on that because they're focusing on the release of the PC version.
Quote from: Jen on September 23, 2009, 03:19:34 PM
I think they'd do whatever they could to gain the numbers that WoW has. I know I'm not an MMO player and I don't know jack about it, but I do think it will happen. It's a natural progression. If it will bring them more money they'll seriously consider it.
It will probably bring in more but how much will it cost to port it to a new platform? I think you're still talking serious investment to reinvent something for new hardware so that cost has to be covered before any sort of profit can be realised.
...hang on, I'm commenting on a game thread...sorry... :-[
Quote from: Feathers on September 23, 2009, 03:27:46 PM
Quote from: Jen on September 23, 2009, 03:19:34 PM
I think they'd do whatever they could to gain the numbers that WoW has. I know I'm not an MMO player and I don't know jack about it, but I do think it will happen. It's a natural progression. If it will bring them more money they'll seriously consider it.
It will probably bring in more but how much will it cost to port it to a new platform? I think you're still talking serious investment to reinvent something for new hardware so that cost has to be covered before any sort of profit can be realised.
...hang on, I'm commenting on a game thread...sorry... :-[
Yes - this is my point exactly. It most likely won't happen because the cost will be huge. It would basically need to be a whole new game. Very few primarily PC games get moved to consoles - very few. And if they do, they typically are things like shooters and so on. Console games move to PC's, but generally not the other way around. And certainly not an MMO. No one has ever done it (that Everquest game doesn't count - it was entirely new game). Could it make them a little more money, very doubtful when you factor in the costs. Trust me on this. And frankly, you really don't want to play an MMO on a TV. The resolution isn't there and it isn't made for this type of game.
Eve Online is coming to console...ish. (Well, I should say they are adding it into their repertoire). So its not totally out of the question. Its a FPS that will affect the PC MMO. Its rather cool idea though. Although admittedly, to get every single complex detail of a PC MMO to a Console at this time is rather difficult/impossible.
King
I played Everquest Online Adventures on PS2 as well, as a beta tester and paid subscriber. It was super fun but never caught on. I never heard of the servers shutting down so I wonder if there are still people playing that game. They even came out with an sequel that expanded the world and offered some gameplay improvements but by that time WoW was out and the flood of players from all versions of Everquest had begun. That was my first experience with an MMO, unless you count Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast.
A PS3 port of Star Trek Online makes the most sense because of native support for USB peripherals like blue tooth headsets and keyboards. I certainly don't see it happening on 360 because of the added cost of Xbox Live, unless they perhaps allow Star Trek to be playable for silver members. I can't imagine people agreeing to pay 50 bucks or more for a gold subscription then an added cost to play Star Trek online.
Then again, the Windows operating system and Xbox 360 are supposed to be very similar animals, which is why you used to see so many 360 games released under the Games for windows branding. This might make a console port easier to manage on the 360. So it is hard to say what will happen.
It will be interesting to see what happens when DC Universe Online gets off the ground. Sony Online Entertainment seems to be getting behind this release and it looks like it might be serious fun. Another recent announcement is Final Fantasy XIV, which will be an MMO as well and will most likely lift alot more from WoW than eleven did. You just have to know that Sony and Microsoft see the subscription based MMO genre as being a potential gold mine for their consoles that is so far untouched. It will happen eventually, and a popular license like Star Wars or Marvel/DC is probably what it will take for this to break. I'm not sure that Star Trek has the mass appeal needed to bring people in the numbers needed to make it financially viable.
Quote from: Rico on September 23, 2009, 03:54:40 PM
Quote from: Feathers on September 23, 2009, 03:27:46 PM
Quote from: Jen on September 23, 2009, 03:19:34 PM
I think they'd do whatever they could to gain the numbers that WoW has. I know I'm not an MMO player and I don't know jack about it, but I do think it will happen. It's a natural progression. If it will bring them more money they'll seriously consider it.
It will probably bring in more but how much will it cost to port it to a new platform? I think you're still talking serious investment to reinvent something for new hardware so that cost has to be covered before any sort of profit can be realised.
...hang on, I'm commenting on a game thread...sorry... :-[
And frankly, you really don't want to play an MMO on a TV. The resolution isn't there and it isn't made for this type of game.
Well...actually...I'm playing the original KOTOR right now on my 360, it's not even a 360 game...and the graphics are pretty crap since it's not designed for the system I'm playing it on. But it's not the graphics or the resolution that entice me to play this game for the fifth time all the way through. It's the story. I'm weird like that. :)
I'd rather sit on my comfy couch than in a stiff backed office chair. It's the way I roll man...it's the way I roll. ;)
Buy a laptop Jen. Then you can sit in a comfy spot and play anything! ;)
Quote from: Rico on September 24, 2009, 10:52:32 AM
Buy a laptop Jen. Then you can sit in a comfy spot and play anything! ;)
Got one. ...a big one for editing Anomaly and the audio dramas... I get a crick in my neck staring at it for too long. :D You know I'm just making excuses why I'd rather play on my console. I like the controller better too. A girl can wish can't she? Let me wish... ;) :D
New trailer! Especially for the Klingon fans out there....
Star Trek Online | October 2009 | Klingon Trailer! (LQ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3Bif3UAKho#ws)
Quote from: Rico on October 16, 2009, 05:11:42 AM
New trailer! Especially for the Klingon fans out there....
Looks AWESOME! But the voice acting seems a little cheesy, probably not much of that in the actual game though.
This is pretty interesting on the recent history going on in the game....
Star Trek Online - Future Past: Part One - TGN (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud9lIsT13nU#ws-hd)
Wow...ok, now I'm starting to get excited about this.
anybody heard anything about the beta yet? This game is supposedly due in February, a short beta testing period doesn't bode well.
Closed beta was announced today! Now I'm just watching my email and waiting!
Me too! I need to throw around the "Hey - I'm Press!" credentials to them - hehe.
My new computer shipped yesterday...i want in!
Unconfirmed, but it looks like Trek: Online is due to release on 2-2-2010. Story here: http://www.massively.com/2009/11/05/star-trek-online-release-date-set/ (http://www.massively.com/2009/11/05/star-trek-online-release-date-set/)
More background/history for the game...
STAR TREK ONLINE - "The Future Past, Part Two" - Pre-Beta Footage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKJUOirLnr4#)
Sneak peek of the box art for the game:
Interesting they have what looks like the new Enterprise on there.
I wouldn't say it was the new Enterprise. It shares a few features perhaps but is definately a different ship.
Quote from: Feathers on November 17, 2009, 08:10:23 AM
I wouldn't say it was the new Enterprise. It shares a few features perhaps but is definately a different ship.
Yeah I think it's the Excalibur.
Has anyone out there reserved their copy of the game yet? I just reserved mine at Game Stop and found out that they are coming out with a collectors edition. I can't wait for this game to come out. This is what it comes with.
• Limited Edition Collectible Box
• Exclusive Art Book
• Buddy Passes (Allows your friends free trial play)
• Exclusive Die Cast Starfleet Comm badge (pin)
Also for reserving Star Trek Online at GameStop you get an exclusive in-game Starfleet Constitution Class Starship. This unique, upgradable starship comes equipped with blue phasers and an extra engineering station mod slot.
Granted it won't be able to hold it's own against newer ships... but it will be fun to fly around in an old Constitution Class ship.
Is there going to be a Treks in Sci-Fi fleet in STO?
I don't reserve or preorder anymore. Always plenty of copies around on release day/week/month.
Quote from: VaeVictis1701 on November 19, 2009, 12:26:22 PM
Is there going to be a Treks in Sci-Fi fleet in STO?
That sounds like an awesome idea!!!
Well, I'm certainly going to be trying the game and I hope the rest here that play can join up and we can form a Fleet together. Quite a bit of new stuff about the game, including the video below that shows you checking out your bridge and other features in the game.
Star Trek Online - Bridge Trailer (http://vimeo.com/7749202)
More stuff here:
http://trekmovie.com/2009/11/21/sto-update-box-art-trailers-open-beta-bridge-announcement-more/ (http://trekmovie.com/2009/11/21/sto-update-box-art-trailers-open-beta-bridge-announcement-more/)
Here's another new video showing more of the space combat part of the game.
Star Trek Online - Space Exploration Trailer (http://vimeo.com/7748987)
Hmm, maybe I will reserve the Collector's Edition. It will also get you into the open beta in January. Here's more of what you get:
# Deluxe Packaging: Futuristic 3dX holography set in a high quality brushed aluminum finish. Heavy duty construction with magnetic closures and nested compartments for all components.
# Deluxe Manual: High end, hardbound, art book, manual, and disc case in a single, elegant package. "HD Printing" on over 40 glossy pages of exclusive art from the Star Trek Online Universe.
# Communicator Badge: High quality cast metal design based on the in-game badge model. Fully 3d Sculpted with recessed burst and curved contours.
# Guest Passes: Credit card style buddy passes to invite three of your friends for a three day trial of Star Trek Online.
# Red Matter Capacitor: A unique item that charges up and delivers extra energy to all of your ship's equipment for a short time. A device that, when used, gives you a small bump in energy, has a long recharge.
# Next Generation Uniform: Uniform Options from and the Next Generation. The timeless look worn by Picard, Data and Riker.
# "Deep Space Nine" Uniform: Uniform Options from the "Deep Space Nine" Series. Grey shoulders, on a black uniform, just like Sisko, Worf and Dax.
Bonus Details
Reserve Star Trek Online and receive a GameStop exclusive in-game Starfleet Constitution Class Starship. This unique, upgradable starship comes equipped with blue phasers and an extra engineering station mod slot. Available online and in-store while supplies last.
Online Customers / Store Customers: Code and instruction to download will come packaged with your game.
Bonus Details
Reserve Star Trek Online and receive beta access, and 2-day early head-start access. Beta begins January 12, 2010 and runs through January 26, 2010. Early head start will begin on January 29, 2010. Available online and in-store while supplies last.
Online / In-Store Pickup Customers: A beta activation code and download instructions will be emailed beginning 1/11/10.
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=75981 (http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=75981)
(http://www.ebgames.com/common/images/lbox/647663b.jpg)
Hm, that actually is somewhat compelling.
I reserved a regular copy at Best Buy, and it came with an open beta code as well. I'm excited!
I just preordered the Collector's edition. I wanted to make sure I would get into the January beta testing.
Here's some of Zach Quinto's voice work for the game and the EMH program.
Star Trek Online | Zachary Quinto Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAh3mxL6xYc#)
Star Trek Online release a list of all the different retail special pre-order items for the game. It looks like I am going to be extremely broke when this game comes out. This makes about six different copies of the game I am going to have to get. :-(
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/755 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/755)
This is main page for this lists.
http://www.startrekonline.com/retail (http://www.startrekonline.com/retail)
This is the retail page that lists the items for each retailer.
http://www.startrekonline.com/exclusives (http://www.startrekonline.com/exclusives)
This page lists what the special items are.
http://www.startrekonline.com/preorder-faq (http://www.startrekonline.com/preorder-faq)
This is the FAQ for the per-order items.
Here are my nitpicks:
Graphics aren't as high as I had hoped. This might be due to the fact that I play Eve or the Devs wanted as many people to be able to play the game. I'm unsure here, so I might be a little unfair.
Spaceship combat looks clunky and it just doesn't scream: This is Star Trek. To me. Now here, I'm going to really nitpick it as it seems to be STO's focus, but compared to Eve Online's combat system, this one doesn't compare on a graphic or mechanic level. The ships move very almost twitch like. Ships shouldn't be able to do that on a dime, especially in the Star Trek universe. Heck, I'd link clips to all the Star Trek battles in all the series, but ships don't do that. The actual captains shooting and slashing each other also isn't the greatest look either, but then again, this is an MMO so any combat system is hard to implement with hand-to-hand.
Here is a video that shows the combat system of Eve:
http://www.youtube.com/ccpgames#p/c/F614A7A6461E61E1/1/08hmqyejCYU (http://www.youtube.com/ccpgames#p/c/F614A7A6461E61E1/1/08hmqyejCYU)
(For actual in-game footage, go to 1:37)
Combat system of Star Trek online:
Star Trek Online - Bridge Trailer (http://www.vimeo.com/7749202)
Visually and how ships perform against others is going to decide whether this game makes or breaks. As I am unaware of the past of this company, I can only hope its a decent system.
What do I like about STOnline?
The ability to visit planets. Eve has yet to do this (although it is coming soon), so I'll give STO kudos in letting us do this. Its pretty cool.
The beaming down to other planets.
The asteroid belts and other spacial stuff is actually pretty cool.
Avatars are actually pretty well detailed, which surprised me. And the buildings are interesting too.
Although, if we are all supposed to be captains, what are the rest of the avatars all about? (On the bridge)
So all in all, I will probably trial it out and see if I like it. I am unsure if I will like it because it seems like the game is biting off more than it can chew. The interviews with their devs haven't made me any more secure either.
King
P.S. Yes, I am comparing apples to oranges. but its only fair. Yes, Eve Online will appeal to some while STO will appeal to others. But I just don't want to see STO become another warhammer. Hard to say at this point if it will or not.
Just so that you are aware. Cryptic created City of Heroes and city of Villains. For my personal tastes, it has been far better than WOW.
I've also compared the videos you showed where the EVE video seem more like cut scenes, most of the STO stuff looks like in game play. You have to expect that to be different.
Quote from: Just X on December 17, 2009, 11:51:44 AM
Just so that you are aware. Cryptic created City of Heroes and city of Villains. For my personal tastes, it has been far better than WOW.
I've also compared the videos you showed where the EVE video seem more like cut scenes, most of the STO stuff looks like in game play. You have to expect that to be different.
Actually, except for the cinematic touches they added, that is basically how ships move and interact. But yes, you are right in some respect. And no, I didn't know they had created City of Heroes, but then again I never played that game. (Never had the time)
However, I'm still willing to try this game despite my nitpicks. I myself am looking for a Star Trek game that I can sink my teeth into. So far, most Star Trek games have been disappointing. I'm hoping this one will be different. hard to say at this point and time.
King
P.S. Edited my post above with a more accurate representation.
Quote from: Kinglinksr on December 17, 2009, 11:28:57 AM
Although, if we are all supposed to be captains, what are the rest of the avatars all about? (On the bridge)
The other avatars on the bridge are either your bridge crew, (npc) or other players visiting your ship. Think of the bridge is almost like an in game house. They have designed it as a place for you to interact with your friends while out in space.
Quote from: VaeVictis1701 on December 17, 2009, 12:09:07 PM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on December 17, 2009, 11:28:57 AM
Although, if we are all supposed to be captains, what are the rest of the avatars all about? (On the bridge)
The other avatars on the bridge are either your bridge crew, (npc) or other players visiting your ship. Think of the bridge is almost like an in game house. They have designed it as a place for you to interact with your friends while out in space.
Ahh, thank you. That is different then. But certainly is pretty cool. Be interesting to see how they make that work...
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on December 17, 2009, 12:13:31 PM
Ahh, thank you. That is different then. But certainly is pretty cool. Be interesting to see how they make that work...
King
Glad I could help. From everything that I have read and seen on the topic they are going to make this game very involved and personalized. Everything about the ship can be customized. From the exterior, IE. saucer section, nacelles, and body can all be changed and the interior can also be adjusted. Placement of counsels, the look and type of counsels can be adjusted. They have also stated that they are going to add other places that you can visit on the ship, IE Captains Ready Room and 10 Foreword. But this won't be added till after launch.
Game looks interesting but after Star Wars Galaxies I am not getting my hopes up too high yet!
Everything about this game screams "WIN" to me. :)
Leonard Nimoy is also doing some voice work for the game. He is doing some intro stuff and some other in-game sequences.
Star Trek Online | Leonard Nimoy Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyrVbt0ktqE#)
February can't come fast enough. :(
Another bit of video footage...
Star Trek Online - Starbase 24 - HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n27RwrK6wIM#)
For anyone interested the next issue of Star Trek Magazine is going to be devoted to in-depth coverage of Star Trek Online. It should hit the stands sometime in February.
Kevin
I pre-ordered on Steam. Can't wait.
I should be starting the Beta next week.
I'll be waiting comments from you guys before I think of paying for it. (Due to lack of funds right now :( )
Interesting vid.
King
Are we going to all try to be on the same server? I think that would be cool personally....
Watch this video. From someone playing the Beta. Looks pretty fun!
My Weekend In STO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f88kqAdYQuM#)
P.S. I plan on posting my server when I start.
I am preordering the collector's from gamestop, I am going to register the key with steam tho, I want the badge but not sure if I will continue playing for awhile so if I go with the digital content. I still want to know how much a month it is
More gameplay and away team footage.
STO Exploration Trailer HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZobN3V9kQ0o#)
This looking cool and i have never played any kind of game like this before i am very tempted if IF i can find teh time lol
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 08, 2010, 12:11:01 PM
I am preordering the collector's from gamestop, I am going to register the key with steam tho, I want the badge but not sure if I will continue playing for awhile so if I go with the digital content. I still want to know how much a month it is
I don't think it works like that. You have to buy it from where ever you buy it and you get the perks from that place. I don't think you can register it as something else to get different perks because they wouldn't be seeing the money.
What mainly would decide if I would truly go to this game is if the PVP element is balanced. If they can pull that off well, then I may more than likely go to it.
King
Quote from: Blackride on January 08, 2010, 10:04:19 AM
Are we going to all try to be on the same server? I think that would be cool personally....
If I'm not mistaken there is only going to be one server. I believe the way it works is the area that you are in the game is housed on a physical server and when you move to a different area you data is transferred to that physical server which are all connected. So there is only going to be one instance of you name appearing in the STO universe.
I think all of us being in the same fleet would be an awesome idea.
Ah so it will be Eve style, I do like the one world thing.
I'm resisiting even looking at this!
It's years since I've played any sort of computer game like this and the reason I stopped still applies...it's just sooooo adictive.
Still, this is looking very tempting...
Maybe when the kids have grown up :D
Quote from: Feathers on January 11, 2010, 09:37:25 AM
I'm resisiting even looking at this!
It's years since I've played any sort of computer game like this and the reason I stopped still applies...it's just sooooo adictive.
Still, this is looking very tempting...
Maybe when the kids have grown up :D
I am in the same boat - I hear the siren call of these game but had a problem with them! We should open a GAMANON - gamers anonymous - we would have to come up with a proper step program...
"Hi my name is Pete, and I am a game addict"
"Hi Pete!"
Quote from: billybob476 on January 11, 2010, 09:37:03 AM
I do like the one world thing.
I think the one world aspect of this game will be amazing. I hope they go with a semi-persistence universe... I believe that would give the game an entirely new level of excitement.
Just entered my preorder code!
Ok so want to say our character names here and find them? Im going with my trek RPG name Andrus Suder
Quote from: Just X on January 11, 2010, 11:33:11 AM
Just entered my preorder code!
Figures - I got mine today via email too and I can't play it on this old laptop! Maybe I'll send the code to one of my sons to try.
All downloaded and ready to roll in four hours and 12 minutes!
Still no code for me...is it only for pre-orders or did you guys do the beta signup? don't think I'll be buying until Mid-February.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 12, 2010, 07:06:19 AM
Still no code for me...is it only for pre-orders or did you guys do the beta signup? don't think I'll be buying until Mid-February.
I did he pre-order from Gamestop
Quote from: Just X on January 12, 2010, 06:47:04 AM
All downloaded and ready to roll in four hours and 12 minutes!
Lucky :P I am installing the game right now
Just made my first character and the customization is amazing. I didn't do it too heavily, but I really like it
Picture please Chris.
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on January 12, 2010, 12:23:07 PM
Picture please Chris.
I can get pics as soon as I get home
Good man. :)
Hehe well I am not a good student, I am supposed to be listening to how to do a science lab
I only had in-class wifi my last year of university. If I had it all throughout I don't think I would have graduated.
I am about to create my guy right now....woot
I love Extralife.
http://www.myextralife.com/comic/comic-the-same-but-different/ (http://www.myextralife.com/comic/comic-the-same-but-different/)
Quote from: billybob476 on January 12, 2010, 01:25:53 PM
I only had in-class wifi my last year of university. If I had it all throughout I don't think I would have graduated.
Lol yeah graduate :P We even have netbooks so I am now in math as the teacher gets ready for class.
So far so good with the game. The space stuff is a bit clunky though......
My video card keeps messing up and I can't find my adapter to make it non DVI
Quote from: billybob476 on January 12, 2010, 01:25:53 PM
I only had in-class wifi my last year of university. If I had it all throughout I don't think I would have graduated.
Wi-Fi in College?!!!!! Dude, I had a type writter and then one of the first Apple 2's when I was a Junior!
I had a Pentium III laptop with a PCMCIA wifi card sticking out the side :)
I had punch cards to program a main frame with! LOL!!
If anyone is interested, the Hailing Frequency podcast is giving away 1000 open beta keys, you just need to post in this thread and join a group on their site:
http://hailingfrequency.com/boards/index.php/topic,2006 (http://hailingfrequency.com/boards/index.php/topic,2006)
Once they have 1000 posts they will close out the giveaway.
Bummer can't play. It can't decompress without failing. Lol I get with the times and get win7 and it fails me... (people are saying that is the problem) well waiting for the next patch hoping it will fix it. I wish I had at least a friend who played the game so I could play their beta.
www.Giantbomb.com (http://www.giantbomb.com) has posted an hour long preview video of the open beta. It's very amusing and looks totally cool, check it out.
Quote from: Rico on January 12, 2010, 05:38:05 PM
I had punch cards to program a main frame with! LOL!!
Ah, glory days! I had an Osborne Vixen with CP/M...later graduated to a Tandy 1000SX - which I personally upgraded from 256K to 512K of RAM - wow!!
Quote from: Bromptonboy on January 14, 2010, 07:20:22 AM
Quote from: Rico on January 12, 2010, 05:38:05 PM
I had punch cards to program a main frame with! LOL!!
Ah, glory days! I had an Osborne Vixen with CP/M...later graduated to a Tandy 1000SX - which I personally upgraded from 256K to 512K of RAM - wow!!
Well I had a leveno s10e notebook GAWD so old :P although it is rather slow but no huge complaints here.
So - anyone have thoughts on the Beta yet?
I'm enjoying it, but they are doing a lot of patching and fixing in mid stream
Funny someone in my WoW guild was commenting how a lot of people were complaining about how the servers are being patched a lot and there are some issues. Apparently people are complaining that they paid for this and it doesn't work.
It makes me laugh. People sign on to a BETA TEST and then get mad when their testing finds issues. They didn't pay for beta access, they paid for a game available on launch day, beta access is a perk and is entirely optional.
Still waiting for my key from that giveaway thing yesterday.
I am one of the complainers but only because it won't even let me play the game, win 7 64bit apparently has a "decompression" problem
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 14, 2010, 10:54:16 AM
I am one of the complainers but only because it won't even let me play the game, win 7 64bit apparently has a "decompression" problem
Better to find out now while it's free than getting upset after paying for it.
Quote from: Just X on January 14, 2010, 11:04:32 AM
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 14, 2010, 10:54:16 AM
I am one of the complainers but only because it won't even let me play the game, win 7 64bit apparently has a "decompression" problem
Better to find out now while it's free than getting upset after paying for it.
That is why I preordered it for the beta, I did not want to get a game and find out it sucks. But hard to play when all you can do is watch the loading screen freeze and crash...
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 14, 2010, 10:54:16 AM
I am one of the complainers but only because it won't even let me play the game, win 7 64bit apparently has a "decompression" problem
Well then I'll have the same issue since I'm on Win7 64.
Well far as I know its just a beta issue, and the latest patch might have cleared it up
It's a bit scary to me that the game is less than a month away and can't even handle 64 bit Win 7. I mean - really?
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2010, 09:54:27 AM
So - anyone have thoughts on the Beta yet?
The graphics are not that great to be honest when compared to today's games. You can tell that this game was in development for a bit as the engine they use must be older. The space areas look much better than the ground missions. The space battles are very clunky at this point, kinda feels like you are moving in slow mo. It's hard to explain until you try it your self. I would say the good stuff is the character creation, sound, and music.
There are bugs but it BETA so I totally expect that. For example sometimes when I run around as my human self, it's actually my ship! lol.
Overall it's your typical MMO with a Trek theme, not that I was expecting something different :). I also do not want to be to hard on a BETA as I did the same for SWG.
BTW I am on XP 64 bit with no issues as posted above.
Also forgot to say that there is lots of loading as anytime you beam anywhere or go to sectors it loads. There are TONS of zones to load into. Some people may not care about that at all, but do not expect something like EQII where there was one open world with little loading.
I got my beta key this morning, I had previously downloaded and installed. I applied my key, logged in and jsut took a glance at the character creation screen. I think I need to upgrade my video drivers as it says it doesn;t support anti-aliasing with my current-gen ATI crossfire setup (dual radeon 4850's).
I had no issues at all installing/launching under win7 64.
I'll create my character and play tonight
EDIT: Turns out the anti aliasing thing is a known issue with ATI cards that they are working on.
Are there multiple Beta servers? Where are you all playing? List your characters too.
For those out there that know you are going to be playing this game for a while Cryptic has released their pricing for yearly and lifetime subscriptions. 119.99 a year or 239.99 for lifetime. With both of these you get 2 additional character slots and with the lifetime you get a playable Borg character. The way they list it, it appears to be different from the Borg bridge officer that you get as one of the retail perks. I believe that you get to play as a Borg character. (but I could be wrong) Either way... I excited for the STO experience to begin. ;D
http://www.startrekonline.com/exclusive_specials (http://www.startrekonline.com/exclusive_specials)
I want to get a borg but I don't have 240 dollars laying around :P that and I rather not start paying for a new MMO... it sucks when you stop playing and forget to stop paying. Although I did the math. The unlimited borg subscription means you need to play for 14 months if I like it as much as WOW then that would be no problem playing more then that
also the Borg perks are this:
Borg Nanites: +10% Health Regeneration
Description: Ground Trait. Constantly regenerates shields and health.
Efficient: +5 Starship Shield Efficiency, +5 Starship Engine Efficiency, +5 Starship Energy Weapon Efficiency, +5 Starship Auxiliary Systems Efficiency
Description: Space Trait. Provides a bonus to efficiency stats, improving the effectiveness of many of your power management abilities.
The Liberated Borg also has a unique optional trait.
Neural Blast: 30 second debuff. Drastically reduces run speed. Every 4 seconds, Neural Blast has a 40% chance to hold the target for 3 seconds.
Description: Activatable Ground Trait. Inject the target with neural toxins, which continually attempt to hold the target for the duration. Also reduces the target's movement speed.
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 15, 2010, 10:19:21 AM
I want to get a borg but I don't have 240 dollars laying around :P that and I rather not start paying for a new MMO... it sucks when you stop playing and forget to stop paying. Although I did the math. The unlimited borg subscription means you need to play for 14 months if I like it as much as WOW then that would be no problem playing more then that
I know the feeling. I have played several MMO that I took a break from and forgot to cancel my subscription to it. Nothing like looking at your bank statement at the end of the month and remembering to cancel it... but at that point it's like I've already paid for the next month... I might as well play it some. I have a feeling that even if the game bombs I will still play it for the community aspect.
Yeah it's a tough call. I mean if I knew I'd be paying WoW for 4 years and they offered a lifetime sub it would have been a no brainer. However every other MMO I end up burning out on.
yeah in my last year of wow I would log on for Christmas, the expansion, talking to people, and other holidays. I would play for months and never even logged on. As soon as I can play the beta and think I can play for at least a year then the lifetime sub is fine.
Quote from: Rico on January 15, 2010, 09:51:32 AM
Are there multiple Beta servers? Where are you all playing? List your characters too.
It just loads me right into a server. I never got a choice, nor do I know which one I am on. Not sure how that's going to work past BETA.
Well it looks like the initial flood of new users has slowed down OR they fixed something. The load times from zone to zone have dropped.
I spend most of my time in space for some reason. I have yet to get a quest on the ground except for one for negations. It was kinda cool that it was not a kill task.
I give up, I never got in the game yet, im switching my preorder to mass effect 2
Quote from: Blackride on January 14, 2010, 05:58:20 PM
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2010, 09:54:27 AM
So - anyone have thoughts on the Beta yet?
The graphics are not that great to be honest when compared to today's games. You can tell that this game was in development for a bit as the engine they use must be older. The space areas look much better than the ground missions. The space battles are very clunky at this point, kinda feels like you are moving in slow mo. It's hard to explain until you try it your self. I would say the good stuff is the character creation, sound, and music.
There are bugs but it BETA so I totally expect that. For example sometimes when I run around as my human self, it's actually my ship! lol.
Overall it's your typical MMO with a Trek theme, not that I was expecting something different :). I also do not want to be to hard on a BETA as I did the same for SWG.
Judging the trailers from before, that's what I was thinking myself. The engine looked pretty out of date. Like almost around pre-Vista era of graphic power.
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2010, 04:42:17 PM
It's a bit scary to me that the game is less than a month away and can't even handle 64 bit Win 7. I mean - really?
Sheesh, Eve was compatible to Windows 7 before Windows 7 was even officially available. And they aren't?! What kind of joke is that?
I'll keep watching and hoping. I'd rather like to play it, but can't afford it (stupid holidays).
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 15, 2010, 10:19:21 AM
I want to get a borg but I don't have 240 dollars laying around :P that and I rather not start paying for a new MMO... it sucks when you stop playing and forget to stop paying. Although I did the math. The unlimited borg subscription means you need to play for 14 months if I like it as much as WOW then that would be no problem playing more then that
That right there ticks me off. I have to spend $240 and basically hand myself over for life? In order to get the Borg deal. Yeah...I think Cryptic can take that and shove it...although yes, its not that big of deal, but we're banking on this lasting for more than a year. Which I guess most MMOs do, but not all are "lively"
This is foreboding. I'm trying to be positive (and yes, I edited the crap out of myself again) but this isn't boosting my confidence. They've been working on this game for years...while I agree that BETA rarely goes well, I was hoping for better comments than this. Maybe it has a chance, maybe not. I guess we'll just wait and see (or play)
King
Well, to be fair, Cryptic has been working on this game for about a year or two. So far aside from some client crashes I haven't had any issues. Being that it's in beta, crashes like that are to be expected. People forget what WoW was like when it launched.
King, I think you should try the game before being that critical of if. Also, the Borg character is not a necessity. It's a perk given to those that want to make a huge initial investment in the product. Anyone buying the lifetime subscription for the borg has issues.
This is a nice move on cryptic's part. By setting up lifetime subscription, they put people in the seats. They have people that will be dedicated to some form of playing.
Bottom line is that I'v enjoyed what I've seen. I trust cryptic because I like their other products.
Betas have issues.
Betas are not there for you to have fun, they are there for you to help test a system so it can be improved. If you want to play a polished product, the beta is the wrong place for you. I don't know how but somehow there are a bunch of people out there that suddenly forgot that beta means bugs. Download any beta software and they will quickly let you know that it might have issues.
The engine is a fine engine. The game is a fun game. Not everything is kill kill kill. The ship stuff is nice.
I just bought my bridge and I love it.
Yeah, I'm not sure I can justify the lifetime sub investment but I will definitely be playing this game in Feb.
By the way, anyone in beta can friend @billybob476
I'm anxious to try it out. And I agree that it's impossible to really judge something without trying it yourself. I would expect this game will improve the technical aspects a lot as the first few weeks happen. Pretty much every MMO has some growing pains early on.
Well, if I might ask, you say there is something to do besides PVP. What have you seen on the test server so far for Player VS Environment stuff?
King
Underneath it all it's a pretty standard MMO. I actually haven't done any PvP at all as of yet. Quest wise I've done escort quests, quests on other ships (shutting down plasma leaks and escorting survivors to a beam out point) PvE ship combat on 'patrol' missions, etc. Mobs drop loot both in space and on the ground.
The ship combat controls take some getting used to (movement controls are WASD plus you have throttle and the camera moves independently) but overall it's fun. You can also adjust power allocation, shift power to specific shields, etc. A big part of combat is maneuvering to protect damaged shields and bring in fresh ones. Also your weapons have specific firing arcs.
Quote from: Kinglinksr on January 18, 2010, 10:42:32 AM
Well, if I might ask, you say there is something to do besides PVP. What have you seen on the test server so far for Player VS Environment stuff?
When you play as a Federation character you have the option to do just PVE type of content. Cryptic has what they call their Genesis creator which produces their PVE content in excess. They say there shouldn't be a lack of PVE content because of it. They have actually been stressed to get all of the content in the game that the creator has put out. However when you decide to play on the Klingon side... for the most part they are PVP centric.
Yeah what he said!
I just finishing upgrading my power supply to handle a new vid card and it's even better than it was
Oe of my WoW guildies put up a nice shot of his ship:
http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75 (http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75)
Quote from: billybob476 on January 18, 2010, 11:56:29 AM
Oe of my WoW guildies put up a nice shot of his ship:
http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75 (http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75)
lol and with that pic I now want to play it :P but from looking at space combat it looks like an RTS which I do not want in a game, I want it to be like flying mounts in WOW
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 18, 2010, 07:30:58 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 18, 2010, 11:56:29 AM
Oe of my WoW guildies put up a nice shot of his ship:
http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75 (http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75)
lol and with that pic I now want to play it :P but from looking at space combat it looks like an RTS which I do not want in a game, I want it to be like flying mounts in WOW
I would hate that. Having as ship reduced to nothing more than a mount wouldn't work for Trek.
Quote from: Just X on January 18, 2010, 08:01:57 PM
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 18, 2010, 07:30:58 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 18, 2010, 11:56:29 AM
Oe of my WoW guildies put up a nice shot of his ship:
http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75 (http://forum.myextralife.com/showpost.php?p=426766&postcount=75)
lol and with that pic I now want to play it :P but from looking at space combat it looks like an RTS which I do not want in a game, I want it to be like flying mounts in WOW
I would hate that. Having as ship reduced to nothing more than a mount wouldn't work for Trek.
I mean the controls and the view, where you will be 3rd person and you can bank left or right without the mouse. Oh and switch into the bridge
One thing I haven't seen any discussion about is how this game handles death. Can someone elaborate? How is it different if you die during an away mission as opposed to having your whole ship blow up in space combat? Do you just respawn? Is there exp loss? Corpse run? Items lost?
At the moment it appears you just respawn, however I just read a dev interview saying you will experience 'some crew loss'.
Developer chat is here: http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=70875 (http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=70875)
meh, can't read those forums from work :( The more I hear about this game the more interested I am to play it. Unfortunately it won't run on my laptop and I believe my next computer is going to be a Mac, so I guess I am going to be stuck with WoW until Cryptic ports this to Mac. I would love to be part of the Treks in Sci Fi fleet though!
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 19, 2010, 07:30:55 AM
The more I hear about this game the more interested I am to play it.
I would love to be part of the Treks in Sci Fi fleet though!
Me too. The picture of the ship earlier in the thread did it for me. I want to fly one of those!
I'm not going to, though, as I doubt it would run on our laptop, I couldn't justify the ongoing costs and I don't want to get divorced.
Q: What are the system requirements?
A: The minimum system requirements are:
* OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 3800+
* Memory: 1GB RAM
* Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics
* Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
* DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
* HDD: 10GB Free Disk Space
* Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
* Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
The recommended system specifications are:
* OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
* CPU: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 5600+
* Memory: 2GB RAM+
* Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850+
* Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
* DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
* HDD: 10GB Free Disk Space
* Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
* Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
Frankly, unless you have a high end, newer laptop you really shouldn't try playing newer games like this. Most heavy gamers that I know don't game on a laptop. They just are not up to it. But, you can put together a standard 'box' system that's really nice and capable for $500 or so these days.
Quote from: Rico on January 19, 2010, 10:07:24 AM
Frankly, unless you have a high end, newer laptop you really shouldn't try playing newer games like this. Most heavy gamers that I know don't game on a laptop. They just are not up to it. But, you can put together a standard 'box' system that's really nice and capable for $500 or so these days.
This is the truth. Laptops, even the gaming ones, simply can't handle the power that games demand. Also, the cooling systems are rarely up to it. Which is why I went desktop. My own laptop no doubt suffered an early death due to this.
King
You really do not need a high end machine to play this game.
Yeah, Something tells me my Intel 2.5 dual core, 6 gigs of ram, and 4670 ATI graphics card can run it...
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 20, 2010, 03:14:25 PM
Yeah, Something tells me my Intel 2.5 dual core, 6 gigs of ram, and 4670 ATI graphics card can run it...
0_o and then some....
King
yeah, I built it as a Christmas present :) my cam broke so I might not be able to post pics. But it is an antec 300 case (the one rico built but without the windows and other doodads)
Quote from: Darkmolerman on January 20, 2010, 03:20:22 PM
yeah, I built it as a Christmas present :) my cam broke so I might not be able to post pics. But it is an antec 300 case (the one rico built but without the windows and other doodads)
That's the exact case I used. Its pure awesome imo. I could have 8 GB in it right now but I'm lacking $$ so only 4GBs. One day...
King
lol my processor is already lacking in speed, I might overclock or get a quad core. 2.5 is a bit lacking. I want to build a entertainment PC so I can watch movies on a TV, maybe a blu ray drive (probably buy it for the entertainment PC and use it for the gaming one lol) Its nice to be a dreamer with no money :P
I just upgraded the video card that I upgraded a few days ago. I saw a better one cheaper than the one I just got, so I went with it.
Quote from: Just X on January 20, 2010, 04:15:51 PM
I just upgraded the video card that I upgraded a few days ago. I saw a better one cheaper than the one I just got, so I went with it.
Which one?
King
I went from the geforce 9400gs to the 9500gt
Pre-ordered the Collector's Edition. Installing download now. EXCITED.
Quote from: Just X on January 20, 2010, 04:34:31 PM
I went from the geforce 9400gs to the 9500gt
Heh heh, same one as mine. :) Only problem I had was the fan started going bad on the 2nd one. Easy fix (RMA) and nothing happened since to those two, just humming away.
King
P.S. I'll quit derailing the thread I promise.
Quote from: Kinglinksr on January 20, 2010, 04:49:07 PM
Quote from: Just X on January 20, 2010, 04:34:31 PM
I went from the geforce 9400gs to the 9500gt
Heh heh, same one as mine. :) Only problem I had was the fan started going bad on the 2nd one. Easy fix (RMA) and nothing happened since to those two, just humming away.
King
P.S. I'll quit derailing the thread I promise.
I have dual ATI 4850's in crossfire. I average about 70 fps in the game :)
I...am...jealous...lol
I'm now not buying this lol. As with WOW I have no idea what anyone here is saying lol. I'm going back to my pocket calculator. ;)
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on January 21, 2010, 07:43:41 AM
I'm now not buying this lol. As with WOW I have no idea what anyone here is saying lol. I'm going back to my pocket calculator. ;)
I'm right there with you, mate! Color me confused!
I watched the first hour of the Giant Bomb guys playing the beta (they've posted something like 6 hours of video now) and although the game so far seems pretty linear it looks like alot of fun. I am really wanting to play this game.
New big patch today. Release notes here: http://www.startrekonline.com/node/910 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/910)
Here's the coolest thing though: "Leonard Nimoy has provided an audio journal overview as you enter each new Sector Block."
Quote from: billybob476 on January 21, 2010, 09:22:40 AM
New big patch today. Release notes here: http://www.startrekonline.com/node/910 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/910)
Here's the coolest thing though: "Leonard Nimoy has provided an audio journal overview as you enter each new Sector Block."
Yeah, I think I posted about that sometime. Zachary Quinto is doing some voice work too for the game.
I heard Quinto in the video I saw, it appears he is doing all the tutorial narration.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 21, 2010, 08:54:52 AM
I watched the first hour of the Giant Bomb guys playing the beta (they've posted something like 6 hours of video now) and although the game so far seems pretty linear it looks like alot of fun. I am really wanting to play this game.
You watched a video of people playing a video game?!
Quote from: Bryancd on January 21, 2010, 10:44:28 AM
You watched a video of people playing a video game?!
Indeed! At Giant Bomb.com, they do "quick looks" which is kind of like Mystery Science Theater 3000 for video games. They offer some genuinely funny commentary and insight into the games they cover. It's been especially interesting to watch the Star Trek MMO since my computer can't handle it.
Do you have a link?
No I can't access most gaming sites at work. But if you go to Giantbomb.com, then click on features you should find them all. They are up to part six for the trek MMO.
Go visit your local Del Taco for cups and other game promotional tie-in's.
Star Trek Online Del Taco Shuttle 'pet' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j28sH5kOJxg#)
http://www.startrekonline.com/deltaco (http://www.startrekonline.com/deltaco)
Quote from: Rico on January 24, 2010, 05:52:03 AM
Go visit your local Del Taco for cups and other game promotional tie-in's.
Interesting tie-in. It's original!
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
I am still trying to wrap my arms around this game. I just upgraded my pc and put on windows 7 also. This game seems to be a bit un-stable at this point with 7. I am sure it's just a beta thing.
There are definetly more people playing the last few days. It's VERY hard to keep track of what's going on sometimes since they throw a zillion ships at you at once! That takes some getting used to.....
Quote from: Blackride on January 24, 2010, 03:42:46 PM
I am still trying to wrap my arms around this game. I just upgraded my pc and put on windows 7 also. This game seems to be a bit un-stable at this point with 7. I am sure it's just a beta thing.
There are definetly more people playing the last few days. It's VERY hard to keep track of what's going on sometimes since they throw a zillion ships at you at once! That takes some getting used to.....
I have 7 and I haven't had any stability problems at all. It might be your system and not the game. The swarms of ships is a big thing though. I like how they have fighters now.
Yea I know they've been having more issues with ATI cards then NVidia. There's a ton of potential combinations of things that can cause a problem. Win7 might be a contributor, but it may not.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 24, 2010, 09:20:32 AM
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
So cool! So that means you get a Borg playable character? I gather thats going to be an independent Borg as opposed to a part of the collective. Is he PvP only or is he going to have a questline and level progression associated with him?
Quote from: billybob476 on January 24, 2010, 09:20:32 AM
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
Very cool Joe! :)
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 25, 2010, 04:53:39 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 24, 2010, 09:20:32 AM
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
So cool! So that means you get a Borg playable character? I gather thats going to be an independent Borg as opposed to a part of the collective. Is he PvP only or is he going to have a questline and level progression associated with him?
I'm not sure of the in-game details. I know it's a 'freed' borg (7 of 9 style) and has cool abilities like 'efficiency' and 'nanites'. I didn't get to play it in Beta, only once the head start begins on Friday.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 25, 2010, 06:07:06 AM
I'm not sure of the in-game details. I know it's a 'freed' borg (7 of 9 style) and has cool abilities like 'efficiency' and 'nanites'. I didn't get to play it in Beta, only once the head start begins on Friday.
I have a feeling that as the game matures (if it does well) that the Klingon faction will develop into as fully realized of a campaign as the Federation has currently. Although I wasn't there at the launch of WoW, what I've heard is the the Alliance had a heck of alot more to do at launch than the Horde did, and that the Horde races/questlines developed gradually over time. Hopefully this happens with the Klingons and maybe even there are plans to do this with the Borg as well! Three unique, competing factions with unique "episodes" would do alot to set this game apart from other MMOs out there now.
Indeed, the fact that Klijngopns are much more PvP-centric is a very cool idea. I like the way the experiences between both factions are quite different. Hopefully they'll continue on this road as things develop.
So Rico, now that you've carted the big computer with you to IL, can we expect to see you in STO come Feb 2?
Quote from: billybob476 on January 25, 2010, 07:49:28 AM
So Rico, now that you've carted the big computer with you to IL, can we expect to see you in STO come Feb 2?
I thought that was why he was taking it :)
I mean what else will there be to do in an empty house with no family members around every night
One very cool thing is that they appear very VERY concious of the timeline. Obviously this game was in development long before the new movie came out and they've already addressed that it is still taking place in the 'Prime' timeline. However 2 days ago I rolled a new Federation character, they had added in the Nimoy voiceover as kind of an intro.
I was very pleased to hear Nimoy as Spock talk about the Hobus ultranova, his efforts to save Romulus and even though he travelled back in time, the timeline he left behind continues on. I thought it was a cool nod to the new stuff without having to deal with it directly in the game.
Quote from: Feathers on January 25, 2010, 08:12:22 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 25, 2010, 07:49:28 AM
So Rico, now that you've carted the big computer with you to IL, can we expect to see you in STO come Feb 2?
I thought that was why he was taking it :)
I mean what else will there be to do in an empty house with no family members around every night
Well, I hope to be in the game soon. I have one hitch to it. I preordered it to come to a Gamestop near my home in Michigan. I have tried to change my pick up spot to a Gamespot in Rockford, IL and no one can do this for me. The store can't do it. The Gamestop online order site said they can't change my order, so I'm kind of stuck. It's preordered in my name so I'm not sure Lynn can even pick it up. I think there is only like a $5 penalty if I don't pick it up (which is dumb), but I might just buy it somewhere here.
As I followup to the above, I just got another email from Gamestop. They said the store "reserves the right" to not transfer preorders even though I preordered this online. Which is frankly a load of,..... This is a scam to charge people $5.00 who don't pick up their games. So, I wrote them back and tossed around my "Trek Podcaster" weight - LOL! I told them I would inform my listeners to not buy the new Trek Online game (or any others) from Gamestop. We'll see if that helps at all (probably not but it was fun to write it). :)
Frankly while we're all excited about this game I don't see it selling out on launch day. Can you cancel the gamestop preorder and just order it from amazon? They'll email you your head start key within 24 hours and then you jsut download the client.
Gamestop is a scam. I quit using them since they tried to scam me out of a Gamecube game years and years ago. (Something about we didn't order enough/store rules) Bloody hell, don't try that crap with me, I'm not amused.
King
Quote from: Rico on January 26, 2010, 09:57:20 AM
As I followup to the above, I just got another email from Gamestop. They said the store "reserves the right" to not transfer preorders even though I preordered this online. Which is frankly a load of,..... This is a scam to charge people $5.00 who don't pick up their games. So, I wrote them back and tossed around my "Trek Podcaster" weight - LOL! I told them I would inform my listeners to not buy the new Trek Online game (or any others) from Gamestop. We'll see if that helps at all (probably not but it was fun to write it). :)
There is a way around it so you don't have to transfer your pre-order. You should be able to contact the Store Manger for the one where your reservation is and inform them that you are out of town and that your wife will be picking up the game in your place. She can then give you the codes you need from it so you can have your added bonuses and then mail you the game. The good part is you will still be able to play the head start and the game for a little while without installing the game. They said that there is going to be a grace period where people can still play without the retail version installed.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 26, 2010, 10:01:40 AM
Frankly while we're all excited about this game I don't see it selling out on launch day. Can you cancel the gamestop preorder and just order it from amazon? They'll email you your head start key within 24 hours and then you jsut download the client.
Nope can't seem to cancel. I may try to have Lynn pick it up, but it may not work since I used a credit card in my name. I'll come up with something.
Gamestop will let you put the $5 toward any other game (WoW Cataclysm perhaps?) Just tell them you don't want it. Then go preorder in Il.
Quote from: Rico on January 26, 2010, 12:15:48 PM
Nope can't seem to cancel. I may try to have Lynn pick it up, but it may not work since I used a credit card in my name. I'll come up with something.
If they won't work with you then I would cut off all business with them. I use to work for Game Stop and I would bend over backward to ensure that my customers received their product any way possible. Some of the times I involved the district manager to give me permission to do things to help out my costumers.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 24, 2010, 09:20:32 AM
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
Nice. I'm thinking about doing that as well. :)
Quote from: wraith1701 on January 26, 2010, 01:45:59 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 24, 2010, 09:20:32 AM
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
Nice. I'm thinking about doing that as well. :)
Just remember, you've got till Feb 1st then the offers go away (1 year and lifetime)
Quote from: billybob476 on January 26, 2010, 01:51:41 PM
Quote from: wraith1701 on January 26, 2010, 01:45:59 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 24, 2010, 09:20:32 AM
I cracked and went for the lifetime membership. This way I can switch between it and WoW without feeling bad! Early birthday present for me.
Nice. I'm thinking about doing that as well. :)
Just remember, you've got till Feb 1st then the offers go away (1 year and lifetime)
Cool; I still have some time to think about it.
Have you (or any of the other beta players out there) mastered the art of using a phaser yet? Some of the player characters that I've seen online make it look like a piece of cake, but the whole "target-with-mouse-then-hit-1-to-fire" seems awkward to me. Is there an easier way to use it?
...I'm also open to any tips on how to smoothly fly a starship. :P
I basically just hit tab which will target the closest enemy, also instead of 1, 2, 3 etc to fire weapons I use:
spacebar - fires all phasers that have the target in their firing arc
ctrl + spacebar - fires all torpedoes that have the target in their firing arc
The good thing about that is is you are broadside on an enemy hitting spacebar will fir both your front and rear phasers at once.
with regard to steering, I usually fly with the mouse holding down both buttons and work the camera around to make the ship do what I want, other times I use the keyboard, depends how I feel.
Here's the latest "State of the Game" from the developers dated Jan 27th:
QuoteThe Journey Begins...
Thank you all so very much for making this entire Beta experience as awesome as it has been.
I could look back and reminisce about the downtimes. I could wax nostalgic about the patches. I could even recall every exploit with distaste and still fondly remember the awesome emergent gameplay you've shown us... And yet, all that implies an end. Sure, the test is over. But, in reality, this is only the beginning.
We've been working without rest for nearly two years to reach this moment -- the moment when we can begin expanding Star Trek Online in earnest. The years ahead when we get to work directly with you to figure out what we add next to the game, where we fill out content, and what new systems we might add. That's real development. That's live development.
Not a team to just sit back and wait, we're already working on content additions, bug fixes and 'quality of life' improvements that we're going to roll out over the next couple months. Here are a few of the things we're working on:
The Borg
The Borg have planned. They have adapted. They have evolved. What the Borg cannot assimilate, they will destroy.
You saw a little Borg action in our End of Beta event – prepare to see more. The Federation have tracked down the Borg staging ground for their assault on the Alpha Quadrant. Join up with Battle Group Omega and take the fight to the Borg. Experience new Federation Episodes, Borg Exploration Clusters, deep space encounters. Also expect daily missions for these tasks to maximize the rewards you'll be getting for helping out Starfleet in the Gamma Orionis Sector.
"Raid-i-sodes"
These are the high-end episodes you've been waiting for. Locked to 5-players, you'll need every trick and every bit of teamwork to complete these challenges.
A Borg raid-i-sode series culminating in an encounter with the Borg queen is on its way. Expect a couple other "loose ends" to be addressed in the future, as well.
Available for both Klingon Generals and Starfleet Admirals, we'll be releasing a new one of these every few weeks for the next three months.
First Update
We're already working on it and it'll be out before you know it.
The first update is going to have more PvP, Klingon exploration content, more ground fleet actions, more ship costume pieces, more playable species, and then some.
Bugs and Reactions to Them
Of course, like any MMO, we'll scramble during the first couple weeks reacting to new bugs. putting in quality of life fixes, and closing exploits that weren't exposed to us during Beta.
We'll be fine tuning as well, but don't expect thoughtless or harsh changes to game balance. We're more than willing to wait and make sure everything we do is measured and calculated.
Expect a public test shard to become available real soon, too. We've named her "Tribble." This is where the brave Captains (read: addicted testers) amongst you can try out our changes before we push them live. If you're one of those who can't get enough of the bleeding edge of development – or have a penchant for finding bugs and balance issues – keep an eye on the forums for details.
So, thank you again for the awesome Beta, but the fun begins now.
We have years of development left in us and a universe of content still to add. Here's where it gets interesting... Here's where you help us figure out what comes next.
I, for one, am looking forward to taking that journey.
-Zn
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/957 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/957)
Quote from: billybob476 on January 28, 2010, 03:54:01 AM
Here's the latest "State of the Game" from the developers dated Jan 27th:
Quote
...First Update
We're already working on it and it'll be out before you know it.
The first update is going to have more PvP, Klingon exploration content, more ground fleet actions, more ship costume pieces, more playable species, and then some.
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/957 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/957)
Does this mean there will be some Klingon PvE content? Is it possible now to level as a Klingon without doing PvP? I don't really understand that whole functionality.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 28, 2010, 07:59:09 AM
Does this mean there will be some Klingon PvE content? Is it possible now to level as a Klingon without doing PvP? I don't really understand that whole functionality.
In comparison to the Federation the Klingon's won't have as much PVE content. They said that Klingon's are going to be primarily a PVP faction. So you could level a Klingon threw PVE... you just might end up doing a lot of the same mission over and over again. :-(
Quote from: VaeVictis1701 on January 28, 2010, 09:23:27 AM
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 28, 2010, 07:59:09 AM
Does this mean there will be some Klingon PvE content? Is it possible now to level as a Klingon without doing PvP? I don't really understand that whole functionality.
In comparison to the Federation the Klingon's won't have as much PVE content. They said that Klingon's are going to be primarily a PVP faction. So you could level a Klingon threw PVE... you just might end up doing a lot of the same mission over and over again. :-(
Really?? That seems strange to me. Isn't this supposed to be balanced similar to World of Warcraft where you can level on each side with about the same amount of content? If this is true about the Klingons I think that's a big mistake. The Klingon culture, planetary systems, etc. is plenty big enough for content. Frankly, if this game is heavily PvP I'm going to be turned off. First, that isn't really "Star Trek." It's about exploring strange new worlds, new civilizations, etc. I want a LOT of missions like that. Not, go here and defend the neutral zone time and again against the enemy. Now, I haven't played even the beta yeat, so I'll reserve some judgment - for now. I just hope the range of content is there.
From what I have heard, isn't 80+% of the game ship based, so PVP? I thought there wasn't nearly as much in terms of away mission scenarios.
I actually think it makes perfect sense and I have a feeling this is the approach they took:
Klingons are a warrior race, they challenge each other and fight for dominance constantly. With this in mind they made Klingon gameplay much more PvP centric then the Federation.
I haven't played Klingons but as far as I have heard there isn't 'less' game for that faction, it's just a different experience initially. I think it's a refreshing and novel approach. It gives you a reason to play the other faction aside from getting to play an orc instead of a human.
Quote from: Rico on January 28, 2010, 10:02:24 AM
Really?? That seems strange to me. Isn't this supposed to be balanced similar to World of Warcraft where you can level on each side with about the same amount of content? If this is true about the Klingons I think that's a big mistake. The Klingon culture, planetary systems, etc. is plenty big enough for content. Frankly, if this game is heavily PvP I'm going to be turned off. First, that isn't really "Star Trek." It's about exploring strange new worlds, new civilizations, etc. I want a LOT of missions like that. Not, go here and defend the neutral zone time and again against the enemy. Now, I haven't played even the beta yeat, so I'll reserve some judgment - for now. I just hope the range of content is there.
I agree that there is plenty in the Klingon sector to have loads of PVE content however like billybob476 said they were going for it to be a different experience. It's not to say that there won't be PVE... it just that about 70-80ish% will be PVP. In comparison the Klingon ships are designed for battle and leaves little in the way of science and exploration. For all of us out there that enjoy the thought of exploring strange new world, we'll have the Federation. It's not to say that it might not change later on down the road. One of the things that Cryptic has said is that if they see that the community wants something in the game... they will strive to get it in the game. But they way I look at this is game style preference. Which has got me curious about the hint of two new factions being added to the game in the future... (the Romulans and Cardassian.)
I have also been led to believe that you are compelled to start as a Federation character, and can only start a Klingon when your Fed has reached a certain level.
That's how it was in Beta. not sure if that's a rule for release or not.
From everything that I have read and seen that's what they intend to do for launch. They didn't develop a Klingon tutorial. :-(
hehe oops. Probably better, the Klingon tutorial would probably yell at you.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 28, 2010, 11:23:15 AM
hehe oops. Probably better, the Klingon tutorial would probably yell at you.
yea... nothing like a General calling you a "Patagh" while your trying to learn how to control your ship during an attack. :(
Quote from: VaeVictis1701 on January 28, 2010, 11:40:39 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 28, 2010, 11:23:15 AM
hehe oops. Probably better, the Klingon tutorial would probably yell at you.
yea... nothing like a General calling you a "Patagh" while your trying to learn how to control your ship during an attack. :(
LoL! Why would you wan't it any other way? Most of us probably wouldn't survive a tutorial led by a Klingon!
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 28, 2010, 12:38:18 PM
LoL! Why would you wan't it any other way? Most of us probably wouldn't survive a tutorial led by a Klingon!
This is true... but for those who did I'm sure there would be a barrel of Blood Wine waiting for them. :cheers
Love it...
http://www.pvponline.com/2010/01/28/first-contact/ (http://www.pvponline.com/2010/01/28/first-contact/)
Epic lol.
King
I think that I'm done with sto for now. It's a fun game, but time has become too limiting. It wouldn't make sense to pick it up now. I'd play it a fourth of the time I use xbox live for 3 times the cost.
Well the servers keep crashin this morning...ugggg!
Really? I've only had one disconnect and I was able to log right back on.
Quote from: Blackride on January 30, 2010, 07:02:18 AM
Well the servers keep crashin this morning...ugggg!
Is that because the "head start" began today?
It was up and down this morning, no biggie. It has been fine ever since.
BTW my name on the game is : Dayma
Please contact me on the game so we can be friends. Heaven knows.....I need em!
The server went down... :( having STO withdraw.
I am eager to read reviews and see what other people think of the game. I was not expecting that the game had sooo much space battles.
I am Dunsell in-game. I am enjoying the game! The space battles are fun (I am still getting used to navigating the ship better). The away missions need a little work but I am sure that will come.
The music is well done. The graphics are pretty good although not all my computers can run the game because they have older graphics cards. My DELL Latitude D630 has an NVIDIA Qaudro NVS which is not supported. But both my gaming desktops are good-to-go.
The intros by Nimoy are a nice touch, placing the game in the alternate universe of Trek. Wonder if the game is prepared to follow story lines as new movies are released (i.e. will they get pre-release story lines so that they can release new content soon as a new movie is released).
Right now I am concerned about server stability because for every 30-45 minutes of game play, we lose at least 20 minutes to server outages. It looks like this game is running on one server -- as hard as that is to believe. I hope I am wrong on this but there is NO WAY this game will survive with only one server.
Either they set up zones/instances on separate servers or they eventually get to a point where characters 'exist' on specific servers like in most MMOs.
We should all find each other in-game and set up our own 'fleet'!
The game is most decidedly not running one one server. It was already running on quite a bit of hardwre and whent he response to open beta was as big as it was Cryptic started rolling out more servers as thy were delivered.
I am glad to hear that. It must be a cluster of servers that manage the environment. I am sure that there are a number of server types involved (database, application, login, interface, etc) it worries me that the environment seems so sensitive.
Maybe they need multiple 'sets' of servers that can provide real-time system failover. They need to do something.
Quote from: RickPeete on January 30, 2010, 06:28:23 PM
I am Dunsell in-game. I am enjoying the game! The space battles are fun (I am still getting used to navigating the ship better). The away missions need a little work but I am sure that will come.
The music is well done. The graphics are pretty good although not all my computers can run the game because they have older graphics cards. My DELL Latitude D630 has an NVIDIA Qaudro NVS which is not supported. But both my gaming desktops are good-to-go.
The intros by Nimoy are a nice touch, placing the game in the alternate universe of Trek. Wonder if the game is prepared to follow story lines as new movies are released (i.e. will they get pre-release story lines so that they can release new content soon as a new movie is released).
Right now I am concerned about server stability because for every 30-45 minutes of game play, we lose at least 20 minutes to server outages. It looks like this game is running on one server -- as hard as that is to believe. I hope I am wrong on this but there is NO WAY this game will survive with only one server.
Either they set up zones/instances on separate servers or they eventually get to a point where characters 'exist' on specific servers like in most MMOs.
We should all find each other in-game and set up our own 'fleet'!
Eve is based on a single shard or server as it were. Its worked for them for 6 years now. But the technology they got behind that is pretty impressive. Something that Cryptic probably doesn't have.
King
btw to add friends you need their full desgination.
Mine is : Dayma@blackride
Quote from: billybob476 on January 26, 2010, 08:21:44 PM
I basically just hit tab which will target the closest enemy, also instead of 1, 2, 3 etc to fire weapons I use:
spacebar - fires all phasers that have the target in their firing arc
ctrl + spacebar - fires all torpedoes that have the target in their firing arc
The good thing about that is is you are broadside on an enemy hitting spacebar will fir both your front and rear phasers at once.
with regard to steering, I usually fly with the mouse holding down both buttons and work the camera around to make the ship do what I want, other times I use the keyboard, depends how I feel.
Sweet; thanks man. I need to slow down & take time to review the tutorials. My last time out, I joined a team with 4 other players during the initial borg vs federation ship to ship action, and tried to learn as I went along. I'm going a little more slowly now that the game is live. :)
Quote from: Kinglinksr on January 31, 2010, 01:19:07 AM
Quote from: RickPeete on January 30, 2010, 06:28:23 PM
I am Dunsell in-game. I am enjoying the game! The space battles are fun (I am still getting used to navigating the ship better). The away missions need a little work but I am sure that will come.
The music is well done. The graphics are pretty good although not all my computers can run the game because they have older graphics cards. My DELL Latitude D630 has an NVIDIA Qaudro NVS which is not supported. But both my gaming desktops are good-to-go.
The intros by Nimoy are a nice touch, placing the game in the alternate universe of Trek. Wonder if the game is prepared to follow story lines as new movies are released (i.e. will they get pre-release story lines so that they can release new content soon as a new movie is released).
Right now I am concerned about server stability because for every 30-45 minutes of game play, we lose at least 20 minutes to server outages. It looks like this game is running on one server -- as hard as that is to believe. I hope I am wrong on this but there is NO WAY this game will survive with only one server.
Either they set up zones/instances on separate servers or they eventually get to a point where characters 'exist' on specific servers like in most MMOs.
We should all find each other in-game and set up our own 'fleet'!
Eve is based on a single shard or server as it were. Its worked for them for 6 years now. But the technology they got behind that is pretty impressive. Something that Cryptic probably doesn't have.
King
That one server that Eve runs on is most likely many servers. The thing that Eve does so well is make you not realize that's the case by not displaying loading screens. So far though, Eve is the only game where the whole universe is in a single instance.
One of my WoW guildies put up a great video of the end f beta event. This gives you a pretty good idea of what gameplay looks like when it gets intense.
Star Trek Online End Beta Event: Borg Invasion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I6jNY0dnoE&feature=player_embedded#)
Looks absolutely absorbing (say the man with no experience of this sort of game). I look at that and get a peek into a whole alternate reality for myself. I could spend days playing this sort of thing non-stop. It's probably just as well I don't have days to do that!
DUDE. The line to sign onto the server is currently 801 people long. Game seems to be pretty popular!
Quote from: wraith1701 on January 31, 2010, 01:27:52 PM
DUDE. The line to sign onto the server is currently 801 people long. Game seems to be pretty popular!
That's because zones are crashing like crazy. I've been kicked at least 10 times in the last 2 hours. Uggg....
LOL The STO forums are exploding with ticked off people.
I guess it's good I tend to play early morning!
Well, I finally downloaded the game and am patching it right now. Maybe I can get on tonight for the first time.
Quote from: Rico on January 31, 2010, 03:02:00 PM
Well, I finally downloaded the game and am patching it right now. Maybe I can get on tonight for the first time.
Would be great to start playing with some of u. I think that will make this a lot more fun.
Well, I made a science type character named Rico and finally after about a 30min. queue wait I got into the game into the mess hall. Then about 2 minutes later the server crashed or dropped me back to the login screen. Looks like it's going to be a rough launch for this game. :(
Quote from: RickPeete on January 30, 2010, 06:28:23 PM
The intros by Nimoy are a nice touch, placing the game in the alternate universe of Trek. Wonder if the game is prepared to follow story lines as new movies are released (i.e. will they get pre-release story lines so that they can release new content soon as a new movie is released).
The game doesn't take place in the alternate universe. Cryptic sated that STO will take place in the prime universe. They released information on what happens before the game begins in the Pathway to 2409 section of the site. I believe they had Nimoy do those intros to give people who weren't Trek fans before the movie a connection to the game. They said the reason for not having it in the alternate time line is because they didn't want to be held by the contents of the next movie.
They had some major issues Friday night. The servers crashed twice. Then Saturday morning they had some type of connection issues. Only about 2/3 of the shards were running which is the reasons for the queue. The servers went down for a little while but then came back up and the game has been running smooth ever since. I think we'll be good for launch now... I hope. :)
All in all this game is amazing... it's about time STO finally got off the ground. Has the Treks in Sci Fi Feet been created?
Well, I can barely get into the game so far. Crashed last night for me. I'm hoping things smooth out over the next week or so. I really want to start playing.
Quote from: VaeVictis1701 on February 01, 2010, 03:34:56 AM
Quote from: RickPeete on January 30, 2010, 06:28:23 PM
The intros by Nimoy are a nice touch, placing the game in the alternate universe of Trek. Wonder if the game is prepared to follow story lines as new movies are released (i.e. will they get pre-release story lines so that they can release new content soon as a new movie is released).
The game doesn't take place in the alternate universe. Cryptic sated that STO will take place in the prime universe. They released information on what happens before the game begins in the Pathway to 2409 section of the site. I believe they had Nimoy do those intros to give people who weren't Trek fans before the movie a connection to the game. They said the reason for not having it in the alternate time line is because they didn't want to be held by the contents of the next movie.
They had some major issues Friday night. The servers crashed twice. Then Saturday morning they had some type of connection issues. Only about 2/3 of the shards were running which is the reasons for the queue. The servers went down for a little while but then came back up and the game has been running smooth ever since. I think we'll be good for launch now... I hope. :)
All in all this game is amazing... it's about time STO finally got off the ground. Has the Treks in Sci Fi Feet been created?
Saturday afternoon they were down for at least 5 hours. This has been a mess of a launch for them unfortunately. They didn't even tell people they were having issues until 4-5 hours into it. I am not saying this is a bad game by any means, but the launch is nothing to write home about.
Well, technically the "launch" isn't until tomorrow. This "head start" is for preorders only. Let's hope this is helping them work out some more bugs. But in my experience it may very well be worse tomorrow when the game is open to everyone that buys a copy off the shelf.
I'l agree, tomorrow will likely be a bit of a crap shoot. It may go well and it may be a disaster. However, this isn't entirely unexpected in an MMO launch. Also, since Cryptic recently launched Champions Online I think they learned a lot there. So far things have gone relatively smooth and while there has been downtime, its been minimal overall.
I like the game a lot. But the stability issues are bumming me out. City of Villains is not plagued with these problems. Nor was Star Wars Galaxies (it had other problems tho).
Has anyone figured how toearn credits in the game? I want to buy ship component upgrades but so far no mission has given credits.
Quote from: RickPeete on February 01, 2010, 05:50:38 AM
I like the game a lot. But the stability issues are bumming me out. City of Villains is not plagued with these problems. Nor was Star Wars Galaxies (it had other problems tho).
Has anyone figured how toearn credits in the game? I want to buy ship component upgrades but so far no mission has given credits.
I have just been selling the stuff I scan for in space.
Yeah selling random drops are good, you can buy things for the artifacts you scan in space and on missions at Memory Alpha. Also once the economy gets in order a bit you'll be able to sell stuff for good money on the Exchange (kind of like the auction house in WoW).
Give the game a few weeks and I'm sure the stability issues will go away. With regard to City of Villians, that game wasn't so much a new game as it was a big expansion to City of Heroes, so things went a lot smoother there (I was in that Beta as well). I know ti seems like I keep running to defend the devs and the game stability but I KNOW this game will be amazing, we just have to give it some time. It hasn't even officially launched yet.
Quote from: Blackride on February 01, 2010, 05:15:17 AM
Saturday afternoon they were down for at least 5 hours. This has been a mess of a launch for them unfortunately. They didn't even tell people they were having issues until 4-5 hours into it. I am not saying this is a bad game by any means, but the launch is nothing to write home about.
Now that you bring it up I remember it being down for that long. I spent my time watching the people go at it in IRC so I guess I didn't really notice the time go by. I didn't like how they didn't tell us anything was wrong, like you said, till like 4 hours into it. They just kept saying the server is restarting.
But whatever they did to fix the problem it seemed to have worked. I played all night Sunday and didn't get off today till about 6 am EST and didn't run into any more issues. Granted most people were prob. already in bed by then. :)
Quote from: billybob476 on February 01, 2010, 06:08:55 AM
Yeah selling random drops are good, you can buy things for the artifacts you scan in space and on missions at Memory Alpha. Also once the economy gets in order a bit you'll be able to sell stuff for good money on the Exchange (kind of like the auction house in WoW).
Give the game a few weeks and I'm sure the stability issues will go away. With regard to City of Villians, that game wasn't so much a new game as it was a big expansion to City of Heroes, so things went a lot smoother there (I was in that Beta as well). I know ti seems like I keep running to defend the devs and the game stability but I KNOW this game will be amazing, we just have to give it some time. It hasn't even officially launched yet.
I am willing to give it time also but in the scheme of things this is a rough start. Maybe comparable to Lineage IIor Shadowbane.
I am still not sure how amazing the game is yet from a non-trek front, BUT from a Trek perspective it's cool. It will be interesting to see how the non trek crowd responds to a game with more space battles than away missions.
I am also willing to give it some time. I want it to succeed. But, I already feel the game was rushed to get it out while Trek was still kind of "hot." I also am worried about the emphasis on space combat. I really don't have a lot of interest in that aspect. Again, "explore strange new worlds" should have been always in their minds. I realize the premise is a war with the Klingons, but you can also have planet skirmishes too (which I'm sure they have). We'll see together how it all works out.
...and exploration will be a big part of the game as it goes on. They have a system they've named "Genesis" which handles the creation of random systems and planets for exploration type systems. One cool mission you beam down to a planet covered in intense dust storms (kind of like on Ceti Alpha V). The exec producer has said that they've only just scratched the surface with the dynamic content generation system, Im excited to see how much further they go.
Quote from: billybob476 on February 01, 2010, 09:55:34 AM
...and exploration will be a big part of the game as it goes on. They have a system they've named "Genesis" which handles the creation of random systems and planets for exploration type systems. One cool mission you beam down to a planet covered in intense dust storms (kind of like on Ceti Alpha V). The exec producer has said that they've only just scratched the surface with the dynamic content generation system, Im excited to see how much further they go.
I agree that the exploration should be a big part of the game. The space battles are not going to keep me playing. It's cool but I like to explore new environments.
Well there seems to be an issue with the game over-heating video cards. I am having this issue and reading on the STO message boards it sounds like alot of people are. This seems to be happening after the last patch. So basically I can not do any ground mission becuase my FPS drops, heat goes up and the game crashes. Serenity NOW!
Quote from: Blackride on February 02, 2010, 04:54:32 AM
Well there seems to be an issue with the game over-heating video cards. I am having this issue and reading on the STO message boards it sounds like alot of people are. This seems to be happening after the last patch. So basically I can not do any ground mission becuase my FPS drops, heat goes up and the game crashes. Serenity NOW!
Really? What type/model video cards is this happening with?
Interesting, I know during beta ATI cards had some issues, I had to switch off dynamic shadows or something. Haven't played in the past day so not sure if there was a new patch.
I have two 5870s and yes in Beta ATI did have some issues, but not this one.
Yeah, two 4850's here. First time in a long time I've been on ATI, I was an Nvidia guy for the longest time.
Well, maybe I'll be ok since I use an Nvidia 8800 GT. I've always preferred their cards.
I really wish this was available for the Mac! I have Windows capability, but is has never worked properly on my machine. :'(
STO All Day!
Got my GameStop box, changed my ship to a USS Constitution Class Cruiser and I was off fighting in a major Fleet Mission attacking wave after wave of Klingons. So much fun!!!
I even got Quantum Torpedoes now! So awesome!!
lol I just want the badge...so my friends :P
And i am happy to say that while their registration servers were definitely overloaded today, the gaming servers were up and running all day long with no problems that I could see. I never got kicked out and I never crashed.
Good stuff!
Quote from: dataskatt on February 02, 2010, 05:14:35 PM
I really wish this was available for the Mac! I have Windows capability, but is has never worked properly on my machine. :'(
It should but you would need to run Windows in Boot Camp, not Parallels.
Quote from: Bryancd on February 03, 2010, 04:41:45 AM
Quote from: dataskatt on February 02, 2010, 05:14:35 PM
I really wish this was available for the Mac! I have Windows capability, but is has never worked properly on my machine. :'(
It should but you would need to run Windows in Boot Camp, not Parallels.
This is a pretty graphic intensive game. Unless you have a recent, high end Mac with a top end video card you may have trouble. Even under boot camp. Anyone else out there with a Mac that has attempted this?
Quote from: Rico on February 03, 2010, 05:22:28 AM
Quote from: Bryancd on February 03, 2010, 04:41:45 AM
Quote from: dataskatt on February 02, 2010, 05:14:35 PM
I really wish this was available for the Mac! I have Windows capability, but is has never worked properly on my machine. :'(
It should but you would need to run Windows in Boot Camp, not Parallels.
This is a pretty graphic intensive game. Unless you have a recent, high end Mac with a top end video card you may have trouble. Even under boot camp. Anyone else out there with a Mac that has attempted this?
I know people who are running it on 3+ year old iMac and PowerBook laptops, even the least expensive came with very good video cards. The first Intel based machines in 2006, the first model which could run Windows, had a ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB of SDRAM.
Yeah, not sure what the new macs come with, also I noticed that in the last patch right before launch it seems to me they did some graphuics upgrades. At least for me the anti-aliasing seemed a lot better. I'll have to take some screenshots, should be getting my cruiser soon.
Quote from: billybob476 on February 03, 2010, 05:49:35 AM
Yeah, not sure what the new macs come with, also I noticed that in the last patch right before launch it seems to me they did some graphuics upgrades. At least for me the anti-aliasing seemed a lot better. I'll have to take some screenshots, should be getting my cruiser soon.
A new 21.5 inch iMac comes with a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
Well I have been stable with the game now since they patched it last. The 5870 s are rockin with this game.
In space I was getting over 100 fps!
I'll stop now :)
Quote from: billybob476 on February 03, 2010, 06:57:13 AM
In space I was getting over 100 fps!
I'll stop now :)
In space...no one can see you lag
Quote from: billybob476 on February 03, 2010, 06:57:13 AM
In space I was getting over 100 fps!
I'll stop now :)
In a big battle - or just cruising along?
Oh, by the way Lynn was able to pick up my collector's edition at the local Gamestop for me yesterday. Still annoyed I just couldn't transfer the order to a store nearby, but at least I have the game. It's at home - but I got my copy.
Quote from: Rico on February 03, 2010, 09:33:25 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on February 03, 2010, 06:57:13 AM
In space I was getting over 100 fps!
I'll stop now :)
In a big battle - or just cruising along?
Oh, by the way Lynn was able to pick up my collector's edition at the local Gamestop for me yesterday. Still annoyed I just couldn't transfer the order to a store nearby, but at least I have the game. It's at home - but I got my copy.
Just cruising I get around 120. In battle it'll range from 70-100. Away missions about 60-90. When there are fire effects on the screen (on away missions) it sometimes drops to about 35-40. Honestly I was never really a big believer in Crossfire / SLI but i've never had performance like this before. Love my Doghouse :)
What resolution do you play in Joe?
1680 x 1050.
My next upgrade is a bigger screen that supports 1920 x 1200. Right now I'm on a 20" widescreen. Obviously my FPS would go down a bit at the higher res.
Well I got my copy of Star Trek online. Trouble is I cannot install it on my computer, The installation goes about halfway through then just stops! Anybody else having this proble???. So I gues I can look at the cover box until I hear from tech support
Well, I have been playing for 6 days straight now and here are my impressions.
1. The game seems to be 70% space battles. Possibly even more.
2. Space battle can get confusing.
3. Away missions are fun but some are bugged. One of them took me 2 hours to do and I got to the end,only to find out it was bugged!
4. Missions/quests can be very long and time consuming. This is either good or bad depending on the type of player you are. The good side is that the xp is decent.
5. The voice overs are cool.
6. Character creation and ship creation are awesome.
7. No network performance issues or server issues the last few days for me.
8. Limited documentation on the game causes confusion. The tutorial is good but ends a bit soon for me.
My last observation is that ship control is VERY clunky. I am not sure if this is because I am only level 9 and the ship(reliant) I am using is just bad or what.....
One question - is the game solo friendly? In other words can you handle the space battles and away missions by yourself for the most part, or do you need to group up?
P.S. 70% space battles?? Have these guys watched "Star Trek?"
Most things I've run into aside from the Fleet Actions and "defend x sector" missions are soloable. The interesting thing about this game is that if you are on a mission you will (by default) enter an 'open instance group'. If there are other people who are on the same mission it will auto-group you with them.
You can turn off this option in the social interface but I personally really like it. So far no one has acted up.
I could see in the future if there is nobody in those open instances, you will not be able to solo them. Luckily there are usually people in the instances.
In my experience they have to be very careful about solo vs. group play. I've played quite a few MMO's and one of the biggest things that made WOW so popular is ease of play - and especially ease of solo play. If Trek online relies to much on grouping it will have problems. Even having some bot type ships around would be fine if you need the fire power. I do hope to finally get some time this coming weekend to really get into the game and give it a go.
Quote from: Rico on February 04, 2010, 09:53:52 AM
In my experience they have to be very careful about solo vs. group play. I've played quite a few MMO's and one of the biggest things that made WOW so popular is ease of play - and especially ease of solo play. If Trek online relies to much on grouping it will have problems. Even having some bot type ships around would be fine if you need the fire power. I do hope to finally get some time this coming weekend to really get into the game and give it a go.
I would say that there seems to be balance on solo vs grp stuff so far.
Rico what's your account name? That's how you add friends, that way you don't have to know everyone's alts.
So since my mains name is Rasht my 'full' name for chat purposes is Rasht@billybob476
I should be on this weekend in the mornings.
I think my account name is: treksf@gmail.com
Thanks for the info everyone! Mine is one of the first Intel Macs. It handle graphics and even recording music pretty well. I probably will need to get more RAM though. Better yet, I may wait for my tax refund, and put that toward a new Mac! ;D
Visited everyone's favorite (formerly) tribble infested space station today.
Oh - cool! Can you visit the inside of the station too?
So, has anyone played it enough to render a verdict?
Yeah you can beam on to the station. Thanks to it's proximity to the Klingon border it serves as a front line base for the federation.
Mark I've been playing since open beta and to me this game is awesome. It's very much Trek. There are exploration missions where the solution isn't just shooting everything up. At this point I feel like I can reccomend it to anyone on these forums.
Quote from: sheldar on February 06, 2010, 11:32:53 AM
So, has anyone played it enough to render a verdict?
I am level 11 Lt. Commander. Do you consider that enough? Not exactly level 20+ like some of these people in game. I played a total of 15 hours so far. And about 20 hrs in Beta...
The game is decent, but I would not say great imo. If you like Trek you will like the game. Unfortunately I think that if you aren't into Trek at all this game is not going to satisfy the consumers like WoW does/did. There is a real lack of community or world for me so far. I feel like this is a single player game right now. Even when you are in big battles with 20 different people, it still feels very much single player. This is not a bad thing if you are into that.
There is also a lot less feeling of satisfaction in the game when compared to EQII,WoW,SWG, and DAOC. For example you SHOULD get xp for every new place you enter, but you don't. You should get more XP for destroying or killing things, but you don't.
Please don't mis-understand me, I am enjoying the game because I enjoy Trek. I am just giving you my honest opinion of someone who put TONS of hours into MMO's over the last 10 years. If you like Trek you will overcome the things I said above :)
Quote from: Blackride on February 06, 2010, 12:18:35 PM
The game is decent, but I would not say great imo. If you like Trek you will like the game. Unfortunately I think that if you aren't into Trek at all this game is not going to satisfy the consumers like WoW does/did. There is a real lack of community or world for me so far. I feel like this is a single player game right now. Even when you are in big battles with 20 different people, it still feels very much single player. This is not a bad thing if you are into that.
There is also a lot less feeling of satisfaction in the game when compared to EQII,WoW,SWG, and DAOC. For example you SHOULD get xp for every new place you enter, but you don't. You should get more XP for destroying or killing things, but you don't.
Please don't mis-understand me, I am enjoying the game because I enjoy Trek. I am just giving you my honest opinion of someone who put TONS of hours into MMO's over the last 10 years. If you like Trek you will overcome the things I said above :)
Why should you get more XP for destroying and killing things? Doesn't that go counter to Trek as a property?
Quote from: Just X on February 06, 2010, 12:42:46 PM
Why should you get more XP for destroying and killing things? Doesn't that go counter to Trek as a property?
You could argue that but it's really is non stop killing. There are very few delivery or negotation missions.
Well the good sign is that the servers are full and there is a queue for log on!
Hmmm I am very tempted to give this a go but I think I am going to wait. I'm not a massive gamer anyway and I think this would eat into my time too much right now.
Hopefully after a few revisions this game will mature into a must have.
Are others getting long queue's and waits to log in? I tried about an hour ago and it said there was about 750 people in from of me to login. I decided not to wait. I hope this gets better soon.
I've logged in twice today with no queues.
I am playing now but I started in the queue for about 15 minutes. I was number 118 out of 554!
Quote from: Rico on February 06, 2010, 02:43:31 PM
Are others getting long queue's and waits to log in? I tried about an hour ago and it said there was about 750 people in from of me to login. I decided not to wait. I hope this gets better soon.
Sounds like the wow days of old..
Quote from: billybob476 on February 06, 2010, 03:25:02 PM
I've logged in twice today with no queues.
Really? How can that be?? I just don't get this. I've tried a few times and each time have a very long wait. I'd rather go play WOW than wait.
Quote from: Rico on February 06, 2010, 03:56:43 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on February 06, 2010, 03:25:02 PM
I've logged in twice today with no queues.
Really? How can that be?? I just don't get this. I've tried a few times and each time have a very long wait. I'd rather go play WOW than wait.
It depends when you log on. From about 2-4pm est it was slammed.
Okay so this is going to sound dumb.
The number next to your rank is your 'grade' within that rank, right? I am a Lt.Grade 8 (two grades to next rank). But how do I know what 'level' I am?
I would think that when I reach the next rank of Lt. Cmdr, that number will go back to '1' as I go through the ten levels of Lt. Cmdr.
Hmmm.... I am logged out for now. Gonna spend some human time with my son -- we are going out for Mexican food tonight! Yum!
Might get back on around 9PM CST if time permits.
As I understand it each rank has 10 grades so as Lt. Grade 8 you are level 8.
Lt 1 - 10
Lt. Cmdr 11 - 20
Cmdr 21 - 30
Capt 30 - 40
Admiral 40 - 50
That's in keeping with Cryptic games that tend to have 50 as a level cap.
Hmmm.. okay that makes total sense. Doh!
Well after my next mish I will be a level 9. A little more to go and I will move up to Lt. Cmdr and get a new ship slot (I think)!
I am liking Admiral Quinn's missions a lot. Good XP, drops, and BO points!
The Cruiser is a nice ship. It's makes space battles fun since you are not bogged down by a slow moving ship!
WOW! I want to see this stuff!
Star Trek Online - Guardian of Forever and Doomsday Machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNyTK1o1AP4#)
Yeah I haven't reached the Guardian yet. That's one of the reasons I like this game. They bring in stuff from all the series. You can really tell the devs are big Trek fans.
Quote from: billybob476 on February 07, 2010, 08:10:32 AM
Yeah I haven't reached the Guardian yet. That's one of the reasons I like this game. They bring in stuff from all the series. You can really tell the devs are big Trek fans.
Yet, I can't sit in my own Captains chair!
Quote from: Rico on February 07, 2010, 07:33:50 AM
WOW! I want to see this stuff!
That was a good mission. One of the few where there is actual voice acting! So that made it even better.
What was that mission? Who do you get it from? Quinn?
Quote from: RickPeete on February 07, 2010, 01:35:39 PM
What was that mission? Who do you get it from? Quinn?
Presumably not Nathanial Jacob Quinn??? (RPG reference for the uninitiatd)
Quote from: RickPeete on February 07, 2010, 01:35:39 PM
What was that mission? Who do you get it from? Quinn?
Yep. It's a long one....
ARGGGGG more queues!!!!!
http://pc.ign.com/articles/106/1066136p1.html (http://pc.ign.com/articles/106/1066136p1.html)
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6249723.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;title;2 (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6249723.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;title;2)
Quote from: Blackride on February 07, 2010, 01:23:44 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on February 07, 2010, 08:10:32 AM
Yeah I haven't reached the Guardian yet. That's one of the reasons I like this game. They bring in stuff from all the series. You can really tell the devs are big Trek fans.
Yet, I can't sit in my own Captains chair!
Bridges were added in as a last minute feature, hence they are not yet fully functional.
Quote from: billybob476 on February 08, 2010, 04:24:50 AM
Quote from: Blackride on February 07, 2010, 01:23:44 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on February 07, 2010, 08:10:32 AM
Yeah I haven't reached the Guardian yet. That's one of the reasons I like this game. They bring in stuff from all the series. You can really tell the devs are big Trek fans.
Yet, I can't sit in my own Captains chair!
Bridges were added in as a last minute feature, hence they are not yet fully functional.
I hear you, but how could they miss such a fundemental part? I am sure they will fix it soon. I am getting tired of commanding my Cruiser standing up!!!!!
Standing makes your crew take you more seriously :)
Quote from: billybob476 on February 08, 2010, 04:24:50 AM
Quote from: Blackride on February 07, 2010, 01:23:44 PM
Quote from: billybob476 on February 07, 2010, 08:10:32 AM
Yeah I haven't reached the Guardian yet. That's one of the reasons I like this game. They bring in stuff from all the series. You can really tell the devs are big Trek fans.
Yet, I can't sit in my own Captains chair!
Bridges were added in as a last minute feature, hence they are not yet fully functional.
...why would that be a "last minute feature"? I've gotta wonder just what have they been doing all these years? I'd think that would be a high-priority for a Star Trek game. Heck, any, ST game, that are involved with flying spaceships usually have a bridge.
King
That's the same thing I was thinking King.
Good thing about this game is there is no risk of loosing anything and the fights are easy.
Quote from: Blackride on February 08, 2010, 01:44:29 PM
That's the same thing I was thinking King.
Good thing about this game is there is no risk of loosing anything and the fights are easy.
You know, I'm so used to the Eve mentality I could probably never get used to the WoW/STO mentality of never losing anything. Its kinda ingrained in me that whatever I use, probably is going to go "poof". *shrugs*. Not saying its a good/bad thing.
On another note, so nothing happens when you "die/lose spaceship fight"? No damage, no cost, nothing?
King
Yeah, that's one thing they need to change. I mean in WoW you don't really lose anything but at least you have to run back to your body and your durability takes a hit. In STO you just kind of respawn and all is well.
I think at the very least putting in that durability mechanic would do SOMETHING. Basically you'd have to put into a star base at a certain point for repair.
Quote from: billybob476 on February 08, 2010, 01:58:32 PM
Yeah, that's one thing they need to change. I mean in WoW you don't really lose anything but at least you have to run back to your body and your durability takes a hit. In STO you just kind of respawn and all is well.
I think at the very least putting in that durability mechanic would do SOMETHING. Basically you'd have to put into a star base at a certain point for repair.
Yeah, I agree on that. If nothing is holding you back from killing/get killed, then the game itself kinda becomes pointless....hmm
King
You do lose things. You lose crew and that reduces your stats until you can get back to port. Or maybe they regen over time, but there is most assuredly a loss. As for the bridge, it wasn't included because it wasn't needed. You command the ship from an third person perspective. Hails are handled via popup. There was no need for an actual bridge, but when you do get them, they are pretty much clubhouses.
You regen by itself and its VERY fast.
So can you walk into your own ship or is there only the bridge?
Quote from: Darkmolerman on February 09, 2010, 11:26:20 AM
So can you walk into your own ship or is there only the bridge?
They are eventually going to add more. Some of the things that they said they wanted to add was the Captains Ready Room and a place like 10 forward.
Quote from: Darkmolerman on February 09, 2010, 11:26:20 AM
So can you walk into your own ship or is there only the bridge?
You can walk around the bridge.
Admiral Quinn is the guy from TNG who had the weird parasite inside him that Merrick/Queen was controlling.
I want to do the mission with the Guardian but I think I won't see it until towards the end of Level 10 (which I just made tonight). I wish I could play this game more than just 1 1/2 hours per day.... Maybe this weekend will be a good gaming weekend (once I have woo'ed my wifey for Valentine's Day).
Same here, I just made level 10 and wish I had more play time!
I am level 15 and you can easily do the Guardian mission and the Doosday one.
I just made it to Lt. Commander and got my new heavy cruiser ship! Armed to the teeth, a bridge crew of six (4 on duty) and ready to rock! Now if I can just get Quinn to give me the Guardian mish....
Quote from: RickPeete on February 10, 2010, 10:26:51 PM
I just made it to Lt. Commander and got my new heavy cruiser ship! Armed to the teeth, a bridge crew of six (4 on duty) and ready to rock! Now if I can just get Quinn to give me the Guardian mish....
Quinn is the only one who has good missions currently imo. At least there is TONS of room to grow.
I made level 16 last night. If I see u on we can hook up.
I looked for ya Thursday night but no joy.
I finally got the Guardian mission tho! Awesome set of missions! And I made a ton of skillpoints. It moved me to Lt Cmdr Grade 2 already!
One thing though...
Has any experienced their computers just 'turning themselves off' while in the game? I have had two different computers just 'turn off' after zoning into a mission. I have never seen this before. The only thing I can think of is that tonight there was a new patch to the game which I loaded.
I am just curious if anyone had experienced this. I am going to check the STO forums and see if anyone has posted about this.
Thankfully, I did not lose my place (or my progress) when I rebooted and returned to the game. Whew!
Rebooting your machines? Huh?! That really sounds like a possible graphics/heat issue. Rick what type of hardware/graphics cards are you using?
I had that issue when I had dynamic lighting turned on. It was heating up my card like crazy!
I had to turn of dynamic lighting during beta because it was causing massive framerate drops during beta (at least on ATI cards). It would definitely cause me client crashes but no full on reboots. Then again my machine has about 600 fans cooling it so it may very well have been heating up and I didn't notice.
If you ARE running an ATI card try turning off Dynamic Lighting.
Yep I have them and I turned it off. No troubles since.
I have an ATI Radeon X600 on my DELL Desktop. It is kinda old but works great. I already had the dynamic lighting turned off. But I think it is likely the graphics card just got driven too hard and the system shut off to protect the components from damage.
I may be in the market for a new graphics card and perhaps a bigger power supply for the DELL.
The other computer is another story. It has an NViDIA GeForce 9800 GT card. Both systems has 6GB of RAM and Dual Core processors of at least 3.2gz.
Arrrggg!! The STO servers went down last night around midnight and they just went down again at 2PM. Right in the middle of my task force mission with The Doomsday Machine! Bummer!
But I hooked up with Blackride though which is cool!
Just finished the Doomsday Mission! So very cool!
Now leveled to Lt. Cmdr Grade 3 and halfway to 4....
I am almost Commander. I need about one soild mission to get it.
It was nice meeting RickPeet on line. Now where are the rest of u?
Hello all
I'm looking for a few people to enjoy STO with. My in game handle is Aeryn@Roman01 so please add me. Also is there a Treks in SCI-FI fleet?
Quote from: NC Dave on February 14, 2010, 01:40:49 PM
Hello all
I'm looking for a few people to enjoy STO with. My in game handle is Aeryn@Roman01 so please add me. Also is there a Treks in SCI-FI fleet?
mine is Dayma@Blackride
Mine is dunsell@dunsell
STOKED! Just bought my STO pre-order from Gamestop and loading it now. hope my new emachines e525 laptop can handle it!! :metallica:
Quote from: Ricardocameron on February 16, 2010, 03:59:18 PM
STOKED! Just bought my STO pre-order from Gamestop and loading it now. hope my new emachines e525 laptop can handle it!! :metallica:
Yuck, Emachines? I won't touch those with a 10 foot pole. Hope it works for you dude.
:)
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on February 16, 2010, 04:16:22 PM
Quote from: Ricardocameron on February 16, 2010, 03:59:18 PM
STOKED! Just bought my STO pre-order from Gamestop and loading it now. hope my new emachines e525 laptop can handle it!! :metallica:
Yuck, Emachines? I won't touch those with a 10 foot pole. Hope it works for you dude.
:)
King
So you would touch it with a 9 foot pole? he-he I do dislike emachines alot too...
Quote from: Darkmolerman on February 16, 2010, 09:11:11 PM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on February 16, 2010, 04:16:22 PM
Quote from: Ricardocameron on February 16, 2010, 03:59:18 PM
STOKED! Just bought my STO pre-order from Gamestop and loading it now. hope my new emachines e525 laptop can handle it!! :metallica:
Yuck, Emachines? I won't touch those with a 10 foot pole. Hope it works for you dude.
:)
King
So you would touch it with a 9 foot pole? he-he I do dislike emachines alot too...
lots of $$ helps =D
King
emachines are made by gateway for the past few years. Gateway is a quality company. Having build and owned quite a few computers, eMachines can be a great value for the money.
People get strangely protective and sometimes even defensive about their hardware purchases. Bashing someone's choice of computer or console, for whatever reason, is almost like making fun of their kids.
Yep. There was a time when eMachines used low-end hardware to keep their costs down. It really all depends on the components inside. That said, ST: Online seems to need some pretty good hardware to run well.
Sorry, I should have explained why. We have an emachines system atm. It was underpowered then, as it is now. (Despite them saying it had more than enough power to run XP. Yeah, 512MB of ram runs XP...) My gateway laptop had many issues over the years and I simply gave up on them as a quality company. They're customer service is poor to none, and they quit making customizable computers about 1-2 years ago. My mom's laptop is currently experiencing problems they can only fix and their excuse is: "We find no issues with it".
But I apologize for bashing the system. I just don't trust emachines or Gateway.
*edit*
Back to STO, it sounds like the missons so far have been related to the TV series, are their any that aren't involved directly with ST Canon?
King
King:
Not sure how you are defining "Canon". I would expect that a game with the Trek name would by its very nature need to follow Canon. Otherwise, it is not official 'Trek' but a 'game that borrows from Trek'.
I think the game takes Canon and extends the missions and such along a reasonable progression from the series. Most of the missions are not direct from the series at all. I mean all the Gorn content is not Canon -- there was only really one TOS episode that dealt with the Gorn in any detail. So from that perspective, I think the game does take Canon forward but with an eye towards not totally violating it.
Even the content that is pulled directly from episodes -- The Guardian and Doomsday -- have taken those missions in a different direction. The destruction of the Doomsday Device (the prototype) was not done using torpedoes as the game does -- it was done by the self destruct of another Constitution class vessel inside of it.
I think Cryptic is trying to ride a careful line of providing content that gives us fans a real sense of being in the Trek Universe while also giving us and Non-Trekkers new stuff to enjoy and explore (and destroy!).
Quote from: RickPeete on February 17, 2010, 02:03:21 PM
King:
Not sure how you are defining "Canon". I would expect that a game with the Trek name would by its very nature need to follow Canon. Otherwise, it is not official 'Trek' but a 'game that borrows from Trek'.
I think the game takes Canon and extends the missions and such along a reasonable progression from the series. Most of the missions are not direct from the series at all. I mean all the Gorn content is not Canon -- there was only really one TOS episode that dealt with the Gorn in any detail. So from that perspective, I think the game does take Canon forward but with an eye towards not totally violating it.
Even the content that is pulled directly from episodes -- The Guardian and Doomsday -- have taken those missions in a different direction. The destruction of the Doomsday Device (the prototype) was not done using torpedoes as the game does -- it was done by the self destruct of another Constitution class vessel inside of it.
I think Cryptic is trying to ride a careful line of providing content that gives us fans a real sense of being in the Trek Universe while also giving us and Non-Trekkers new stuff to enjoy and explore (and destroy!).
kk, that's basically what I was asking for.
King
Quote from: Just X on February 17, 2010, 04:35:47 AM
emachines are made by gateway for the past few years. Gateway is a quality company. Having build and owned quite a few computers, eMachines can be a great value for the money.
Hence my buying one!! sure, it's cheeeeep..i paid what, $350 with shiiping on Ebay? I'd love a 600 gigaquad LCARS system, but I'm not rich, with 3 kids; but guess what...It gets me online and runs STO just fine 4 now anyway :D... and to think i got a NEW LAPTOP for under $1000.... i'm ok with that.
Quote from: Kinglinksr on February 17, 2010, 02:07:13 PM
Quote from: RickPeete on February 17, 2010, 02:03:21 PM
King:
Not sure how you are defining "Canon". I would expect that a game with the Trek name would by its very nature need to follow Canon. Otherwise, it is not official 'Trek' but a 'game that borrows from Trek'.
I think the game takes Canon and extends the missions and such along a reasonable progression from the series. Most of the missions are not direct from the series at all. I mean all the Gorn content is not Canon -- there was only really one TOS episode that dealt with the Gorn in any detail. So from that perspective, I think the game does take Canon forward but with an eye towards not totally violating it.
Even the content that is pulled directly from episodes -- The Guardian and Doomsday -- have taken those missions in a different direction. The destruction of the Doomsday Device (the prototype) was not done using torpedoes as the game does -- it was done by the self destruct of another Constitution class vessel inside of it.
I think Cryptic is trying to ride a careful line of providing content that gives us fans a real sense of being in the Trek Universe while also giving us and Non-Trekkers new stuff to enjoy and explore (and destroy!).
kk, that's basically what I was asking for.
King
well said
I prefer making my gaming rigs, my case (Antec 30) looks so basic but it is in fact a power house of greatness
You can find me at @Chrystabel. My Borg is Two of Twelve and my Klingon is Qapla'. I don't play that often (too many papers to grade...yuck!), but I would love to join a Treks in SF fleet if one of you creates it. I'm sure my husband would join, too.
Quote from: Chrystabel on February 17, 2010, 10:55:42 PM
You can find me at @Chrystabel. My Borg is Two of Twelve and my Klingon is Qapla'. I don't play that often (too many papers to grade...yuck!), but I would love to join a Treks in SF fleet if one of you creates it. I'm sure my husband would join, too.
I have not looked into creating a fleet at all. That would be cool though.
Currently I am Commander 4.
Reviews are coming in.....and they aren't good:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/startrekonline/review.html (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/startrekonline/review.html)
http://pc.ign.com/articles/106/1069985p1.html (http://pc.ign.com/articles/106/1069985p1.html)
I'm starting to hear a pattern that does not excite me at all:
Ground and anything to do with it sucks.
Repetition, repetition, repetition. <---Never exciting
Charge in and hope you survive, tactics be damned. <---Again, not a good thing.
Exploration is lacking. <---In a game based on exploration, that is never a good thing.
And I'm not basing it solely on the above two comments. People that I've been playing Eve Online with are saying the same thing. I've also read other blogs and reviews. Its sad, but this looks like another Warhammer. Lots of features promised, just the one little thing you didn't hear: Its coming "Soon".
I wish I could play this game, but $60 + monthly fee to find out its a so-so game...not in my budget atm. Can anyone change my mind on this? (Yes, that's a challenge :) )
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on February 18, 2010, 04:41:31 PM
I'm starting to hear a pattern that does not excite me at all:
Ground and anything to do with it sucks.
Repetition, repetition, repetition. <---Never exciting
Charge in and hope you survive, tactics be damned. <---Again, not a good thing.
Exploration is lacking. <---In a game based on exploration, that is never a good thing.
And I'm not basing it solely on the above two comments. People that I've been playing Eve Online with are saying the same thing. I've also read other blogs and reviews. Its sad, but this looks like another Warhammer. Lots of features promised, just the one little thing you didn't hear: Its coming "Soon".
I wish I could play this game, but $60 + monthly fee to find out its a so-so game...not in my budget atm. Can anyone change my mind on this? (Yes, that's a challenge :) )
King
I hate to say it but Warhammer online was a much better game than this. I am level 25 currently on STO and bored to death. There is literally nothing to do except repeat the same patrol and defend missions over and over again.
I've told all my friends to steer clear from this game for a bit to see if they add anything because if they don't it's going to die. I hate saying that because I love Star Trek and wanted so much to love this game. It's just not working for me at this point. I will most likely keep playing hoping to see some changes.
I still haven't had a chance to get into the game really, but this is what scared me. I feel the game was rushed. Yes, they will probably be adding content but less than a month of most people playing and to hear comments like this from Trek fans is not good. I do hope they can add new content quickly and keep it fresh.
- Oh, on a side note the Collector's Edition is on sale at Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V1PTO8/ref=s9_simi_gw_p14_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=17EBN8EAHT7NQZ0YPYGF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V1PTO8/ref=s9_simi_gw_p14_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=17EBN8EAHT7NQZ0YPYGF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846)
What really confuses me, is why would they rush this game? Was it lack of caring? Was it corp executives pressure? What? I mean, is Cryptic really in financial trouble that they had to rush a game to avoid crumbling under? I have to wonder, why did they rush this game. It makes no sense to me, no one is going to break the WoW level by rushing a game development. Blizzard certainly did not rush their game. And in the long run, your game is going to be crushed by some of the power hitters. World of Warcraft, Eve Online, City of Heroes (their own game!) Warhammer (I guess) and other competitors. Especially Eve Online which is all about quality and is its direct competitor. (In terms of the Sci-Fi element).
But yet, what we get is an incomplete game, full of bugs (usually forgivable), lack of content and other issues. I have to ask, "What the hell has Cryptic been working on for the past couple+ years?" The graphics engine?
It confuses me...and I don't like being confused. *I'll end the rant now, I swear, I'm just disappointed.*
King
Quote from: Kinglinksr on February 18, 2010, 04:41:31 PM
I'm starting to hear a pattern that does not excite me at all:
Ground and anything to do with it sucks.
Repetition, repetition, repetition. <---Never exciting
Charge in and hope you survive, tactics be damned. <---Again, not a good thing.
Exploration is lacking. <---In a game based on exploration, that is never a good thing.
And I'm not basing it solely on the above two comments. People that I've been playing Eve Online with are saying the same thing. I've also read other blogs and reviews. Its sad, but this looks like another Warhammer. Lots of features promised, just the one little thing you didn't hear: Its coming "Soon".
I wish I could play this game, but $60 + monthly fee to find out its a so-so game...not in my budget atm. Can anyone change my mind on this? (Yes, that's a challenge :) )
King
Nope. I personally wouldn't even attempt to. You're basing your opinion of something on second hand information. You also started by comparing it to a game you like again, without trying it. You've convinced yourself that it's not for you and that's fine, but not really worth the energy to convince you otherwise. Either you try it or you take the opinions of other who might not have your taste.
The simple fact is that all MMORPGS are pretty damned repetitive. The only thing that drives most people isn't the grinding, but hitting the next level and rounding that next bend. If it's too hard, you lose people. If it's too easy you lose people. The only thing that changes is the setting. If you fight in your level, you level up, fight something too hard and you die. Fight something too safe and you level slowly.
I don't even know why they call them RPGs because there is pretty close to no role playing that happens. Kinda like calling Halo an RPG. It's not. They stole some of the magic of the table top combat systems, but tossed all the actual role playing.
You make great points Just X. You are right that arguing with me is for the most part, tiresome, and I don't deny that of myself. *Bad King*. However, I have to base my information off 2nd hand info, because I can't make $75 purchases if what I'm purchasing is a waste of $$. However, I'm not going to argue on that point.
You are right too, MMOs are repetitive. And the term RPG is rather inaccurate unless your hardcore about it. But mainstreaming has done away with "RPGing" altogether with games like this. Even Eve doesn't have the greatest of support for this due mostly to the lack of an Avatar.
However, what I was trying to ask was, why are people here continuing to play STO or do they think they see the end already?
(Next question would be, why didn't I ask this in the first place? Idk I think up questions after I post, my bad :P)
King
The annoying thing is I could see them not finishing the game as much as they could because of it being Trek. I bet if it were an unknown sci-fi show most people would not like it as much.
One thing that has kept me playing WOW over the years is the ton (and I mean TON) of content they have and keep adding. Even after playing for 5+ years there are areas I haven't explored in the game and quests not done. I'm very much into those aspects of MMO's - exploring new areas, new quests, etc. Content keeps me coming back for more.
I would like to counter the theory about it not feeling completed with a counter theory.
What if being a licensed property actually hampers the development process. I know that with some properties, you have to get preapproval for everything that you do.
There are many cases where things get held up while the creative teams wait for word to come down from on high. I know for a fact that Last Unicorn Games had to do that when they did the trek rpg.
Here is what I think. When you pick up the license to a property, you have so much time to do something with it before it reverts back to the holder. Cryptic came in when the license had been held for years and the game was years late.
Rather than a full period of development, they had to build on the back of the old software to get it out.
To this effect, you would more than likely have to focus on the early level and early content and hope people don't level fast while you go through the approval process of new content.
Since you are beholden to greater rules when working with a licensed property, I would say that the trek name might have been a hinderance.
A friend of Angela and I gave us a few trial keys to play STO. I don't plan (at this time) to buy a subscription to play this game. I like to play LOTS of different games and I can do that just fine with an XBL subscription. But, I want to review this game for Anomaly. So we're both going to give it a whirl for 10 days. Anyone want to meet us in game to show us the ropes? We'll have to set up a time to do that obviously, as we're both really busy with family stuff this weekend.
Quote from: Jen on February 19, 2010, 07:00:37 AM
A friend of Angela and I gave us a few trial keys to play STO. I don't plan (at this time) to buy a subscription to play this game. I like to play LOTS of different games and I can do that just fine with an XBL subscription. But, I want to review this game for Anomaly. So we're both going to give it a whirl for 10 days. Anyone want to meet us in game to show us the ropes? We'll have to set up a time to do that obviously, as we're both really busy with family stuff this weekend.
Let me know if you need assistance. I have about 100 hrs of playng time in game so far.
I am in as well.
I haven't played that much yet, but I'm game! Let me know what time you plan on playing. I'm Qapla'@Chrystabel.
I've been a bit confused with some of the things that have been said here and I'm hoping you guys can help me out.
I've hear people say that they are just repeating the patrol missions. Is it your playing the same one over and over again or it is that all the missions are similar in that aspect? I have yet to repeat a single mission during my time in STO and find that there are plenty to choose from. Granted there are quite a few patrol this area type missions.
I've also heard people say that there isn't a lot of content in the game. I have yet to run into this problem... outside of exploring type missions. I've found the story line for the game to be quite intriguing and have enjoyed it thus far. I like how there are ties to the older content and how they expand on the universe. Granted I'm only Captain 1 so I have no idea if it comes to a stand still once you hit Rear Admiral.
If anyone out there wants help with anything in the game or just someone to party with feel free to shoot my an invite. I'm @VaeVictis1701. Does anyone know if the Treks in Sci-Fi fleet has been created yet? If not I'm currently running a fleet called Fleet 47 which everyone here is welcome to join. Look forward to seeing you guys online.
I think people are saying that you repeat the patrol/exploration mission (i.e. 'explore area x') however the missions that comprise those patrols are not repetitive.
Yes, most of the game except for the main storyline missions are repeating with just a different planets or enemy. I know people say mosts MMOs are like that, this is a bit different.
You also have little to no way to actually explore planets as you are limited to the area you can walk which is very small.
I am also not sure what the "End Game" is here. If it's PVP I am going to be turned off by that....
Quote from: Blackride on February 23, 2010, 09:15:32 AM
Yes, most of the game except for the main storyline missions are repeating with just a different planets or enemy. I know people say mosts MMOs are like that, this is a bit different.
You also have little to no way to actually explore planets as you are limited to the area you can walk which is very small.
I am also not sure what the "End Game" is here. If it's PVP I am going to be turned off by that....
I have to agree with the fact that there is next to no exploring the planets outside of what your are there for. That is a bit upsetting. The same things is also true for space exploration of systems. The only difference is that it is stretched over a larger field.
If I am not mistaken the "End Game" is going to comprise of big Fleet Actions and Raid Asodes. If they stick by to what they said... PVP shouldn't be a major part of the End Game aspect of the game. They said they didn't want to force people to PVP as apart of the game. So... here's hoping.
Quote from: VaeVictis1701 on February 23, 2010, 09:25:32 AM
Quote from: Blackride on February 23, 2010, 09:15:32 AM
Yes, most of the game except for the main storyline missions are repeating with just a different planets or enemy. I know people say mosts MMOs are like that, this is a bit different.
You also have little to no way to actually explore planets as you are limited to the area you can walk which is very small.
I am also not sure what the "End Game" is here. If it's PVP I am going to be turned off by that....
I have to agree with the fact that there is next to no exploring the planets outside of what your are there for. That is a bit upsetting. The same things is also true for space exploration of systems. The only difference is that it is stretched over a larger field.
If I am not mistaken the "End Game" is going to comprise of big Fleet Actions and Raid Asodes. If they stick by to what they said... PVP shouldn't be a major part of the End Game aspect of the game. They said they didn't want to force people to PVP as apart of the game. So... here's hoping.
Hopefully you and I can meet up in game. I am part of a RP Fleet currently since the forums does not have one yet.
Quote from: Blackride on February 23, 2010, 10:26:43 AM
Hopefully you and I can meet up in game. I am part of a RP Fleet currently since the forums does not have one yet.
Looking forward to it. There's only been a couple of instances where I got to party with good people. Most just take advantage of the party system by sitting there doing nothing hoping that others will do the mission for them. :(
Well, I finally got a little time in on Trek online - well before the game crashed pretty hard - almost had to reset. I was in an early space mission and just as I warped in to the second area I think, the game froze and crashed. Kind of makes me sad. Got this error (see pic below). I'm running Vista, have a 8800 GT video, Creative SB X-Fi, etc. Any thoughts??
That is one bad corrupted file...I hope that didn't screw anything else up.
King
When you load the launcher it should do a 'verify' which could repair corrupt files. If not, a reinstall might have to take place.
Quote from: billybob476 on February 28, 2010, 06:30:06 AM
When you load the launcher it should do a 'verify' which could repair corrupt files. If not, a reinstall might have to take place.
Thanks. I'll check into it later on today after I do the podcast.
Just got back from visiting my folks in Montreal. To be more precise, when you opent he laucnher click 'options' on the top horizontal menu and select the option 'Force verify'.
Rico, better get playing before they institute a death penalty :)
I'll be glad! What's the point of dying if nothing bad happens? They haven't mentioned what it is yet as far as I know.
Quote from: Blackride on March 01, 2010, 01:47:29 PM
Rico, better get playing before they institute a death penalty :)
Yeah - that's kind of true. I hope to have some time to try more this week. Hey - what day of the week is the normal "patch day" for this game? Or has it be random so far?
Quote from: Rico on March 01, 2010, 02:26:45 PM
Quote from: Blackride on March 01, 2010, 01:47:29 PM
Rico, better get playing before they institute a death penalty :)
Yeah - that's kind of true. I hope to have some time to try more this week. Hey - what day of the week is the normal "patch day" for this game? Or has it be random so far?
It's been kinda random to this point. Some small and some big patches.
Better then Eve, they have maintenance every day!
Quote from: billybob476 on March 02, 2010, 05:58:59 AM
Better then Eve, they have maintenance every day!
I'll take the less than an hour maintenance schedule anyday to Wow's irritatingly bad timing schedules. Seriously, Tuesday is the WORST day you could schedule WoW maintenance.
=P
King
P.S. how is DT hurting you? Your on the same time zone as me and if your up that late, your up too late lol!
Oh it never bothered me much. I didn't play Eve very long, I wish I had the time to get into it but I'm much too casual to be able to get into it to the degree I wanted to.
Quote from: billybob476 on March 02, 2010, 10:24:54 AM
Oh it never bothered me much. I didn't play Eve very long, I wish I had the time to get into it but I'm much too casual to be able to get into it to the degree I wanted to.
That's cool, and understandable. Eve-O is kinda a niche game. Your either into it, or your not. :)
King
Yeah I don't get people that put Eve down. It's a very cool, very deep, very beautiful looking game. I wish I had the time to get into it for real. It is a very, very different game then STO.
Life has been getting in the way of my gaming time! I hate when that happens! lol
Did I miss something? Are they instituting a dealth penalty in STO? I wonder what they would do? Damaged components you would have to replace or pay to have repaired in spacedock? That would really interrupt game play if you died and then had to zone out.
Or maybe that 'Replicator' button would actually do something useful and allow you to 'replicate' the damage/unusable components (the non-rare ones only).
Personally I think it would make a ton of sense to have a kind of durability on your ships components. The more you explode, the more 'damaged' they become. Maybe you would be able to dispatch damage control teams to repair which would use up some energy credits and give you a minor debuff while the repairs are going on.
Otherwise you could put into a station or repair dock for instant and cheaper repairs.
In any MMO, you need some sort of death penalty. Otherwise, things like tactics and thinking it through are pointless. If there is no death to dying, what stops you from making obviously suicidal mistakes. Eve has some of the harshest death penalties, which makes it fun. Even WoW does, although they have cut back on theirs. You just can't not have it.
King
I got a little more time in the game last night. Made it to the Starbase after a couple more Borg missions. I'm still having a bit of trouble controlling my ship in space, etc. Got blown up once when 2-3 Borg probes ganged up on me. Couldn't seem to get away from them. Can't you just warp out if you get in trouble? Also, having a bit of trouble finding these guys I need to talk to on the Starbase. I did find the "Auction House." Geez - things seems to cost A LOT! Anyway, hope to have some more time to play the next couple of nights.
I use the mouse to maneuver my ship, hold down both buttons and mouse around will steer you. As you play money (or energy) comes much quicker, until Lt. Commander you can really just get by with drops, I haven't bought anything off the exchange as of yet!
Finding people on the main starbase is a little bit tough but they DO appear as orange (I think) dots on your mini map.
Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I was holding both the mouse buttons down but my turning arc seemed too wide and slow. So I kind of went back to the keyboard. Still learning. I'll poke around the Starbase more later on.
Also slowing your speed a notch or two will tighten your turn radius. When you get into bigger ships (like cruisers) that becomes a big part of space combat.
Quote from: billybob476 on March 03, 2010, 08:15:23 AM
Also slowing your speed a notch or two will tighten your turn radius. When you get into bigger ships (like cruisers) that becomes a big part of space combat.
Yep, I knew that and tried it but still had a bit of trouble. I'll get the hang of it. I'm just not that into flying space combat missions for a Trek MMO I guess. But they do look pretty!
There are drops that improve turning radius as well as using the power "Transfer power to Auxiliary" which helps with ship movement. Also check on your power distribution where you can click on the Speed choice which improves movement. You can customize each of those to your preferences (Weapons, Defense, Speed, and Auxiliary).
Get an Escort if u want something faster with better turn radius. I hate flying Cruisers as they are just too slo for me.
OK, I am Rear Admiral 2 and getting extremely board (140hrs played). The missions and places you visit repeat both graphically and task wise.
For example: You beam down to a planet, find something, then find another one of that something, and then finally find three more of that something.
Another example: Beam to base, find a computer, find another computer, find three more of those computers.
You do this constantly in this game. I sure hope they inject more content into this game quickly before they start to loose people.
This is an issue that Cryptic games (Like City of Heroes for example), it takes them a long time to get to releasing end game content. Personally I'm only Lt. Commander 2 so I haven't experienced this as of yet.
Have you tried PvP? I've been in a few times and it's been a ton of fun.
Quote from: Blackride on March 03, 2010, 12:34:26 PM
Get an Escort if u want something faster with better turn radius. I hate flying Cruisers as they are just too slo for me.
Back before I was married I always preferred my escorts faster with a quicker turn radius. I've got to try this game.
Quote from: Blackride on March 08, 2010, 05:37:04 AM
OK, I am Rear Admiral 2 and getting extremely board (140hrs played). The missions and places you visit repeat both graphically and task wise.
For example: You beam down to a planet, find something, then find another one of that something, and then finally find three more of that something.
Another example: Beam to base, find a computer, find another computer, find three more of those computers.
You do this constantly in this game. I sure hope they inject more content into this game quickly before they start to loose people.
It scares me that after only about a month out for the game that people are hitting this type of wall. Although at my current rate of play, it will take me about a year to hit 140 hrs. of playtime so maybe I'm ok? :)
By the way, is Cryptic going for more PVP? More PVE? Or a balance? Don't know if I read anything anywhere on this...
King
They are adding more PvE content (especially for the Klingons), not sure what their plans are for PvP.
I did not buy the game for PvP personally. I got enough of that in DAOC and Warhammer. I ONLY do PvP for the exp and that's it.
So, what's the latest from folks playing? I haven't really had much more time for the game yet, but hope to over this weekend. I heard they have some new content coming.
I was able to get in for a little while yesterday, they released a new Borg "raid" for higher level players and the first major content patch is coming out soon (which they refer to as 'seasons').
I'm still a mere Lt. Commander 2, while sometimes it feels like missions are sparse, I'm still enjoying myself and the storylines in the missions themselves are quite cool. I got into a group yesterday and we had to beam to a planet and save colonists from Klingons. The group worked really well. I'm an engineer so I'd run ahead and drop a phaser turret then fall back and drop a medical generator while the others attacked. it made for some cool maneuvers.
Here's what they are saying about the content patch:
Quote
Our latest content update, Season One: Common Ground, is releasing shortly. Here's just a bit of the updates we have headed players' way.
PVP Updates
Wargames – Federation players can now participate in PvP against one another to better prepare for the dangers of the battlefield.
New PvP Map – Explore "Shanty Town," a brand new Ground Assault map available for both Klingon and Federation players.
Customization
Off-Duty Uniforms – Experience DS9 in style! Starfleet officers will have the option to change into off-duty outfits to enjoy more casual attire.
New Stances and Hairstyles – Further customize your Captain by changing his or her hairstyle, or adopting two brand new stances: Stern and Relaxed.
The Captain's Log - A web-based application to check in on you and your friends' Captains and ships.
Ships
A New Klingon Battle Cruiser – The K'Tanco Battle Cruiser has been made available to Klingon Lieutenant Commanders.
Klingon Ship Customization - Use the ship tailor to customize your Bird of Prey, Carrier or Raptor.
Missions
New Fleet Actions Everywhere!
The Big Dig – Available in Romulan space.
DS9 Under Siege - The True Way has attacked and boarded DS9. Repel the invasion to save the day.
Klingons Can Play, Too – Klingon Captains may now access the Crystalline Entity, Big Dig and Breaking the Planet Fleet Actions
Skills
Respec Is Here – Unhappy with your Captain's skill point allocation? Use the respec tool to change things up. (Available both in-game and as a C-store item.)
New Skill: Starship Attack Vectors – Improve your ship's accuracy and critical hit chance.
New Skill: Combat Maneuvers – Improve your ship's evasion and turn rate.
New Skill: Starship Battle Strategy – Improve your ship's critical hit severity and damage resistance.
In The C-Store
New Bridge Variants - All new ways to update your Bridges' look, available for a low price in the C-Store for both Federation and Klingon ships.
Federation Ship Variants – New takes on your old favorites, available for a low price in the C-Store.
Respec - Unhappy with your Captain's skill point allocation? Use the respec tool to change things up.
Character Slot - Purchase an additional character slot if you'd like to have more than three characters on your account.
Rename - Changed your mind about the cool name you chose? Get it legally changed! Recognized across the Alpha Quadrant.
New Federation Playable Species - Become a Tellarite, Pakled or Rigelian.
This is only a bit of the changes, fixes and updates coming to Star Trek Online in March. Season One: Common Ground will be available in mid-March. For a full list of what will be available in Season One, please visit the Engineering Reports forum. Interested in checking things out early? Visit the Tribble test server forums for early release notes.
http://www.startrekonline.com/season_one (http://www.startrekonline.com/season_one)
I plan on picking up a trial 10-day from my friend soon. So I'll be on for at least 10 days.
:)
King
I am a rear admiral 3 (playing time 150 hrs) and have not played at all this week. The higher you get , the less there is to do. I haven't played much this week because it's just has not been holding my attention. Hopefully some new content will help with that.
I will say that if this games stays the way it is there are going to be lots of people dropping out. I hate to say that as I want the game to succeed due to it being Trek.
...and I still can't sit in my own darn captains chair!!!
...Actually it looks like you can now sit in your captain's chair! Been having some stability issues my last two play sessions. Coupled with not much time I still haven't gone past Lt. Cmdr 2. I just got the Guardian of Forever mission so looking forward to that.
Also it looks like they've come out with an Armory style site, here's my guy:
http://www.startrekonline.com/character_profiles/64720/view (http://www.startrekonline.com/character_profiles/64720/view)
Still pretty barebones but it's good to see them releasing content an community utilities steadily.
New content trailer. Looks very cool! Q!
Star Trek Online "Expanding Universe" Trailer, Part One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJiywXOdPTw#)
Ok, so I did get to try this game, and here are my thoughts on this.
Pros:
Customization for both ships and characters are very nice. Could spend hours on trying to get it right.
RP wise, the universe felt semi-deep and expanded in accordance with Star Trek Cannon.
The amount of ships introduced was great. I wish I could have flown more, but never got beyond my first ship.
Music was pretty good :)
Cons:
Graphics are not up to par with current graphic engines. The drain on the graphic cards was 2X higher than most MMOs demand. And for what you get out of the drain, it really lacks compared to WoW or EvE.
Social element is lacking. For this game, it feels like you could solo forever until the "high end raiding" and even then, getting a fleet might be forced. Lack of Guild/Corporation is bad. (Or did I miss this?) Even when in fleets, there is no need to coordinate as you can just charge in and PEW PEW.
Lack of death penalty. This really detracts from using strategy or thinking ahead as you can just charge in, lose your ship and be back in 14 seconds.
Ground combat was basically point, shoot and hope you survive.
Too much instancing
Final thoughts:
Basic Key control settings is just terrible. But since this can be changed, its not really a con. Just a complaint :P
Also, I went through a ton of patching. This ruined several days of playing the game. And on a 10-day deal, that annoyed me.
The game itself had potential, but ultimately there just isn't enough to hold me here. Lack of Social element, lack of risk, just....lacks. Which makes me sad as I had hoped to play this game as well. There are positives, but just not enough of em.
King
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on April 02, 2010, 10:20:34 AM
Ok, so I did get to try this game, and here are my thoughts on this.
Pros:
Customization for both ships and characters are very nice. Could spend hours on trying to get it right.
RP wise, the universe felt semi-deep and expanded in accordance with Star Trek Cannon.
The amount of ships introduced was great. I wish I could have flown more, but never got beyond my first ship.
Music was pretty good :)
Cons:
Graphics are not up to par with current graphic engines. The drain on the graphic cards was 2X higher than most MMOs demand. And for what you get out of the drain, it really lacks compared to WoW or EvE.
Social element is lacking. For this game, it feels like you could solo forever until the "high end raiding" and even then, getting a fleet might be forced. Lack of Guild/Corporation is bad. (Or did I miss this?) Even when in fleets, there is no need to coordinate as you can just charge in and PEW PEW.
Lack of death penalty. This really detracts from using strategy or thinking ahead as you can just charge in, lose your ship and be back in 14 seconds.
Ground combat was basically point, shoot and hope you survive.
Too much instancing
Final thoughts:
Basic Key control settings is just terrible. But since this can be changed, its not really a con. Just a complaint :P
Also, I went through a ton of patching. This ruined several days of playing the game. And on a 10-day deal, that annoyed me.
The game itself had potential, but ultimately there just isn't enough to hold me here. Lack of Social element, lack of risk, just....lacks. Which makes me sad as I had hoped to play this game as well. There are positives, but just not enough of em.
King
Good points King. I am actually canceling the game after getting Rear Admiral 3. There is just nothing to do. The social aspect of this game is also totally missing or not needed. I cant put my finger on it.
I guess I will wait for KOTR MMO :)
Just a small update from me, still enjoying myself (keeping it very casual). I actually re-rolled a tactical officer (a Klingon!). Sorry to hear others aren't enjoying themselves. My new guy is only about Lt. 5.
I find myself dying a lot more on the ground then I did with my Engineer. I guess that shield generator really did help!
I haven't gotten a chance to play more for a couple weeks. I think I may just wait a few months until they add some content and features. One little thing that kind of bugs me still is character movement. Seems a bit wonky at times, depending on where you are. I still do think the game could have used a few more months of work before they released it. But I do hope they continue to enhance it and add more to it.
I kind of alternate my weekends, last weekend was an STO weekend, this weekend will probably be WoW. I feel like the game stability has gotten a lot better in the past few weeks and the low level content is definitely there. There's a big patch coming where before the month is out where they will be introducing the difficulty slider (kind of like normal / heroic in WoW but for all levels) and a death penalty system.
Oh wow, just poking around the STO site and came across this!
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/1564 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/1564)
Rico, you've been linked!
Quote from: billybob476 on April 22, 2010, 07:43:33 PM
Oh wow, just poking around the STO site and came across this!
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/1564 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/1564)
Rico, you've been linked!
WOW! Coolness! About the interview with Mike Martin last weekend. Nice!
Neat!
I love my wife...
I just made Lt. Commander on my Tactical officer and got my first escort ship. She walks in the room, looks at the screen and says "Hey that looks a bit like the Defiant."
Completely awesome, I think Fran might just be an Anomaly :)
I'll throw up a few screenshots when I get home this evening.
That's great! Any woman that knows what the Defiant looks like is ok in my book. :)
Actually what made it even better is that you can't get the exact Defiant class ship at Lt. Commander. It was a lower tier of escort. She made the connection that it looked similar to the defiant but wasn't the same class :)
DS9 is actually her favorite series.
And as a follow up here's a fun shot of my Klingon tactical officer, Ropek and his trusty pulse phaser rifle.
looks so cool how much dose it cost
Quote from: sparrow on May 01, 2010, 05:14:15 AM
looks so cool how much dose it cost
If you mean the game - it's about $50 for the game and then $15 monthly to play.
Quote from: Rico on May 01, 2010, 07:39:40 AM
Quote from: sparrow on May 01, 2010, 05:14:15 AM
looks so cool how much dose it cost
If you mean the game - it's about $50 for the game and then $15 monthly to play.
Yup, typical MMO fee.
King
cool thanks
Time to beat the drum again, the devs just put out a Q&A addressing player questions, very interesting (especially the talk of the Diplomatic Corps missions and raising the level cap), I think we're getting to the point where they *should* have launched the game.
http://startrekonline.com/node/1800 (http://startrekonline.com/node/1800)
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/05/18/atari-going-casual-cryptic-for-sale/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29 (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/05/18/atari-going-casual-cryptic-for-sale/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29)
"It looks like Atari, recently the focus of negative attention after Test Drive Unlimited developer Eden Games went on strike due to their treatment, are looking to gather some more cash. Via PCG we see Gamespot spotted the news that the publisher is selling Cryptic, the studio behind Star Trek: Online and Champions: Online.
Cryptic hasn't been making Atari money. Last year they lost them €12.6m, and this year a further €5.3m. But then releasing two whopping great MMOs will do that. So now they're looking for a seller. The company statement said,
"In line with the previously stated strategy of fewer but more profitable releases and further expansion into casual online and mobile games, the company has determined that external development creates more flexibility in the changing marketplace. Therefore, the company has made the decision to divest itself from Cryptic Studios. The divestiture process is underway and more details will be provided as appropriate."
Oh dear. The incantation has been spoken: "Casual online and mobile games".
It seems that Cryptic don't think this will affect their current games, but no one knows what's happening with Neverwinter, their next planned release."
Oh boy, that isn't good if STO isn't making enough $$...
King
I really enjoy playing STO, they are working on new content all the time, but I do know Champions has been struggling. In fact there is a massive upgrade coming to STO in July, so here's hoping it can weather the storm.
I wish they would publish the subscription base of this game. I have a feeling they aren't very good. With the next Star Wars MMO coming out this game will be in trouble imo.
They probably had a great first two or three months and then have been dying a slow death ever since. Jettisoning the studio is certainly not a sign of good things for the future of the game. Too bad, because I was hoping for a mac version so I could try it out.
The player base is 120,000 constantly active and 250,000 registered. In the last month due to new content returning players has quadrupled. They are hoping the new ground combat in season 4 will bring more back. Atari have also said cryptic is in profit, which is why they are selling it as a going concern. So the game is safe.
Looks like the Chinese game company Perfect World is buying Cryptic Studios. I wonder what this means for the future of STO?
http://trekmovie.com/2011/05/31/chinese-company-buying-star-trek-online-developer-cryptic-for-50m/ (http://trekmovie.com/2011/05/31/chinese-company-buying-star-trek-online-developer-cryptic-for-50m/)
Shame the king of Jordan could not have brought it to go with his new Star Trek Theme park lol.
Reactivated my account for a month. They've added A LOT of content. So I want to check the game out again.
Interested to hear what you have to say!
On another board there has been contention about the design, but I dig the fact that it's fan submitted. Old time Star Trek style. The design itself is interesting, might take time to grow on me.
Merging this into the STO thread in the Gaming section.
i really lioke the changes they have made and there is a load more stuff comibng down the pipe, once they have sorted out the bugs from Season four new featured series will hit. Hopefully i will see you in game, although the time zone may affect that. MY ingame handle is @a2flyer.
Perfect World Entertainment confirms Star Trek Online going F2P this year
by Shawn Schuster on Aug 31st 2011 10:00PM
Star Trek Online fight
File this one under "Stuff we Missed from Last Week": Thanks to the keen eye of reader The First Avenger, we've learned that Perfect World Entertainment plans to turn Star Trek Online free-to-play by the end of this year.
"And also Star Trek Online, after the acquisition, in fact Cryptic is working on the free-to-play model for Star Trek Online," Perfect World Entertainment's CEO, Kelvin Lau, said in a recent earnings call for Q2 2011. "This is going to be launched by the end of this year as well. So I think free-to-play model we have a bigger potential in US market and also in China market."
This news should be no surprise to anyone who knows that PWE's portfolio consists of F2P games, and it was inevitable that STO would follow in the footsteps of its older brother, Champions Online. We'll keep you posted on more details as they become available.
I'm waiting for the market to backlash on F2P games....its coming.
King
Free to play?! Oh no I haven't got time to get hooked to this!! :)
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 02, 2011, 12:58:12 PM
I'm waiting for the market to backlash on F2P games....its coming.
King
Most disagree. The demographics of the average gamers skew older as time goes on...I heard recently that the average gamer is 36 years old now. In light of today's economy where people raising families find it harder to justify a $60+ price tag for a single game, you can begin to understand the huge appeal free to play gaming has to many people. You can already see the changes with the disastrous failure of the Nintendo 3DS...people aren't willing to pay $40 for one game when they can buy 40 games for 99 cents each on their phones. Even the home consoles are begining to experiment with the free-to-play model. The Playstation network is starting to make F2P MMOs available on their store, and Playstation Home has been a HUGE cash cow for them, and is completely supported by digitally downloadable content that enhances a free environment. In my opinion, the $60 blockbuster multimillion dollar games are going to become more and more a niche product, while the casual, free and cheap to play games are going to start to dominate the marketplace in the very near future.
There are two problems with F2P games:
1) potential to cost way more than $60. Take a look at farmville.
2) seems to give devs an excuse to not produce quality experiences.
Cheaper games may be the wave of the future thanks to Steam sales, but F2P allows devs to be extremely greedy...
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on September 02, 2011, 01:28:16 PM
There are two problems with F2P games:
1) potential to cost way more than $60. Take a look at farmville.
2) seems to give devs an excuse to not produce quality experiences.
Cheaper games may be the wave of the future thanks to Steam sales, but F2P allows devs to be extremely greedy...
King
It's not greedy to offer options to the consumer. I've never played Farmville, but my understanding is that a high percentage of players never pay a dime to play that game, and that Zynga makes its money from a very small percentage of hardcore fans that choose to pay for items that make the experience more streamlined, faster, or whatever. Developers have to produce quality experiences or no one will be bothered to pay for anything. If a game sucks it will get immediately deleted, what do you lose? Nothing, it's free.
There's a big debate going on right now over Blizzard's decision to allow players to pay real world money for items in a Diablo 3 auction house when that game is released. It allows people the option to outfit their characters with uber end game gear without having to earn it, if they pay enough money on the auction house. I'm sure this is a case where Blizzard sees money left on the table, as people have been doing this kind of thing in WoW for years, so they are doing what they can to get a piece of the action.
My point is, with so many games out there competing for our dollars, developers have to do what they can to stay afloat. Would you rather see Star Trek Online fold due to lack of interest, or an inability for Cryptic to justify the cost of continued development and support with a dwindling subscriber base? There's a potential for Star Trek Online going free to play to completely revitalize the player base with new blood and interest from this move.
Do you think LOTRO would still be around if they hadn't gone free to play? I don't.
QuoteWould you rather see Star Trek Online fold due to lack of interest, or an inability for Cryptic to justify the cost of continued development and support with a dwindling subscriber base?
Yes. Because it means the game is not worth our time and maybe someone will try and fill the gap with a game worthy of our attention. We do not need to waste our time on substandard games. (yes, there is also the possibility that no one will try and fill the gap, but I'll take quality of quantity any day)
QuoteDo you think LOTRO would still be around if they hadn't gone free to play?
No. Again, lack of quality was killing that game.
Does LOTRO or STO deserve to survive? That's the real question. I've played both and both are mediocre MMOs that come no where close to the level of quality that MMOs like WoW, Eve, or any other currently popular MMO is at. LOTRO and STO were shoved through the development pipeline and the consumers reacted negatively to both games because of the quality they were presented with. Its not a simple "its because it requires a subscription problem", its a simple: This game is not worth $15 a month. I tried LOTRO. I genuinely tried to play STO, I REALLY wanted to love that game, but it had a lot of issues with the base-game and I could not wait for "promised updates" to come from the developers. And its not likely F2P will bring me back to the game. (Ignoring that I'm on a MMO-hiatus atm)
I'll admit, I haven't tried an MMO on a F2P system. I guess I should ask a LOTRO player how it works. For some reason, F2P seems to lower people's standards to play and pay for the game. I've tried social-games that use F2P and the level of "abuse" varies from game to game, some companies like Zynga do a pretty good job but there are companies like Ngmoco:) that will take your wallet and empty it gleefully, while their games continue to get more buggy or they even remove the game and you get no refund, no matter how long ago you started playing their games.
I also have a lot of issues with Pay-To-Win systems like the one you mentioned. It pretty much sucks the fun out of multiplayer games because the rich can easily outstrip others and skills no longer became part of the equation. I had a vague interest in Diablo, (and that's because I have not played any of the Diablo games) but that was before they announced that Diablo is basically a Pay-to-Win, MMO-that-isn't-an-MMO game and I'm just going to ignore it.
I have hopes for F2P that it might one day be a viable system of gaming. Some games like Team Fortress 2 do a good job of balancing free content to pay content, but there are so few amongst the horde of F2P games that do and its turning off gamers from them. Sometimes, we just like being assured that all we are going to pay is $60 and get an upfront quality experience, but thanks to Steam, we can get them for much less and the amount of $$ to value goes up. The system of paying up front is never going away, so long as demos continue to be produced. This is largely thanks to services like Steam.
Btw, if your argument contains the: "But you have to pay to play these games..." then that is not "
Free-To-PLAY". That is a very very nice demo then.
King
Tim - I'm not sure what free to play games you have tried yet, but I think you really are off the mark on this one. Free to play doesn't necessarily mean less quality or is it some kind of ploy to get even more money from people. It's a very viable business model that is working more and more these days. Games like DOTA are a great example of this as is LOTR Online and many, many others. Also, you may mot like these games or the idea of F2P games, but many, many people are just fine with this idea. And that is the real proof of it being a successful way to market a game.
Quote from: Rico on September 02, 2011, 04:55:14 PM
Tim - I'm not sure what free to play games you have tried yet, but I think you really are off the mark on this one. Free to play doesn't necessarily mean less quality or is it some kind of ploy to get even more money from people. It's a very viable business model that is working more and more these days. Games like DOTA are a great example of this as is LOTR Online and many, many others. Also, you may mot like these games or the idea of F2P games, but many, many people are just fine with this idea. And that is the real proof of it being a successful way to market a game.
I've tried quite a few games that were F2P.
We Rule/Farm/City, Team Fortress 2, Farmville, FarmTown, Tiny Tower, Tap Fish, Robotek HD, several others on iOS that I can't remember because I deleted on day one =\ and I swear there was another PC game but its not coming to me. More often than not its less enjoyable than paid-for games. Granted, I haven't tried a F2P MMO and in one respect that's actually more attractive than a subscription based, WoW-like one because then I don't have to pay for all the expansions. But on-hiatus from MMOs so that will have to wait.
F2P may not be a "ploy", but I've noticed most F2P games like to subtly (or not subtly) encourage their customers to spend lots of $$ through various methods. Yes, this is a legitimate business tactic, but that does lessen the experience of the game because it feels dirty and greedy. Maybe I've just had a bad experience. Out of the list I mentioned, Robotek and Team Fortress 2 were the only games I've truly enjoyed, the rest just play on you, trying to make you spend $$ when they really should be trying to get you to enjoy the game itself.
Many people may be fine with how things currently are, but I'm not. I think things can be better, for both parties. And if anyone cares to mention a non-MMO-F2P game, I'd certainly like to hear about it.
King
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_Newerth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_Newerth)
Quote from: Rico on September 02, 2011, 06:01:29 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_Newerth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_Newerth)
Forgot about those genre of games...really competitive type games. Not my cup of tea or a fan of due to the communities, LoL, DOTA, HoN and such, but yes, I guess that is one way that F2P has worked.
Btw, not to completely drag this topic off topic, (which I did...) but is anyone on the forum still playing STO?
King
Two topics we got way off topic tonight.
I'm not playing the game right now, but I'd definitely go back again if it went free to play.
Quote from: Rico on September 02, 2011, 06:09:56 PM
Two topics we got way off topic tonight.
I'm not playing the game right now, but I'd definitely go back again if it went free to play.
Did you play when they changed ground combat? (or anyone for that matter), I think you were the one that played the "trailer" for that content update a few podcast episodes back.
King
Yes, I played after they changed the combat. It's easier and quicker to target enemies. But that wasn't a big deal for me. I still maintain the game doesn't "feel" a lot like Star Trek to me.
I still play I have Klingon and federation characters. Most people in my fleet are American and English with a few from Germany. But it's still very busy ingame with a healthy base.
Is anyone here playing the Star Trek online game? I see its going to be free in early Jan.... is it worth playing? :andorian
Marko
I might be tempted to get it once it's free. Not that I'm cheap, it's just I would only be able to play irregularly so I can't justify a monthly sub. :)
We have another pretty long thread going about this game. Merging it with that.
I still play I stumped up for a lifetime at the start ,so I have a gold membership.
We are currently playing what you guys will get when free to play hits. I have to say the improvements are impressive. Ground combat is a lot better and the mission select screen far easier to access. Plus there are lots if new guns and kits.
Some cool pics of the Enterprise - F for the game at the link below:
http://trekmovie.com/2011/12/23/work-in-progress-images-of-star-trek-onlines-uss-enterprise-f/ (http://trekmovie.com/2011/12/23/work-in-progress-images-of-star-trek-onlines-uss-enterprise-f/)
WHOO i got a 30 day trial for christmas!
I want to check this out also when it goes free. I didn't really want to pay monthly because I wouldn't play it enough probably. And since I'll have to play this on my wife's pc I will be limited to my playing time.
I might give it another go since it seems like there's an 'unofficial' mac wrapper so I can run it natively on my MacBook.
They just added a few new things to the game , more ships have become available and The Borg have been tweaked in some missions so they are better balanced
Free to play is now active for all lapsed, old players (like me). So, time to rejoin Starfleet!
http://www.startrekonline.com/download (http://www.startrekonline.com/download)
I'm thinking of picking it up again later and seeing what they changed, not even sure if my account still exists, but I'll try.
King
I'll have to check how much the software itself will be to purchase. Can I buy it online in download form?
Quote from: Dangelus on January 05, 2012, 05:46:51 PM
I'll have to check how much the software itself will be to purchase. Can I buy it online in download form?
It's FREE. See my recent post for the download link. The free period starts officially on Jan. 17th...
Wow I thought "free" just meant there was no sub anymore. So the game is free too? Awesome! :)
wait wait wait free star trek online? that's cool! jan. 17th can't come fast enough!
Quote from: Dangelus on January 05, 2012, 06:19:34 PM
Wow I thought "free" just meant there was no sub anymore. So the game is free too? Awesome! :)
Yep - all free. Like many "free" games these days, it will have a few limitations and you can buy other things like more ships, uniforms, etc. But you will be able to do a lot for free.
I think I can afford that!!!
Jan. 17, 2012. The day I join Starfleet!!
Is there actually money to be made through this approach? I hear about it quite a lot but have never really understood how companies make any money out of it.
Quote from: Feathers on January 06, 2012, 05:49:16 AM
Is there actually money to be made through this approach? I hear about it quite a lot but have never really understood how companies make any money out of it.
Basically you get to play a limited version of the game (i.e. up to a lower level cap, only able to go to certain areas, only able to play limited factions etc) for free. If you want more access you can either pay for specific additional access or go back to paying a monthly fee for various levels of access.
The free version is really just an indefinite demo.
It's the "freemuim" model used in a lot of apps these days. They hook you in then you just HAVE to buy all the little add ons to "enhance" the game. Must be working.
Quote from: billybob476 on January 06, 2012, 05:52:08 AM
Quote from: Feathers on January 06, 2012, 05:49:16 AM
Is there actually money to be made through this approach? I hear about it quite a lot but have never really understood how companies make any money out of it.
Basically you get to play a limited version of the game (i.e. up to a lower level cap, only able to go to certain areas, only able to play limited factions etc) for free. If you want more access you can either pay for specific additional access or go back to paying a monthly fee for various levels of access.
The free version is really just an indefinite demo.
Oh that doesn't sound as appealing now. :(
Actually Joe, the STO - free to play system is quite a bit more inclusive than a demo. They allow you to do a great deal. See this chart for a comparison...
http://www.startrekonline.com/f2p_features (http://www.startrekonline.com/f2p_features)
Oh that's pretty much the whole game :)
Quote from: billybob476 on January 06, 2012, 06:01:38 AM
Oh that's pretty much the whole game :)
Yes - I don't see many real restrictions in their free to play model for STO. :)
Quote from: Rico on January 06, 2012, 06:03:29 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on January 06, 2012, 06:01:38 AM
Oh that's pretty much the whole game :)
Yes - I don't see many real restrictions in their free to play model for STO. :)
That'll learn me to go read stuff before I shoot my big mouth :) I was going off other stuff I've played like AoE Online.
It's an easy mistake. All the various Free to play games vary somewhat in what they offer - especially in the MMO area. For example, Everquest 2 has more restrictions in it's free to play version. It's kind of a case-by-case thing. Anyway, I'm just glad more people will get the chance to try out this game.
Much happier now. :)
Since I bought a lifetime sub when the game came out I have a perma 'gold' account.
Well, I got the game downloaded, patched and installed again. Played for about an hour. It seems more fun and quite a bit different than the last time I fired it up. I may give this a go for awhile now. Beat off some more pesky Orion pirates and saved a ship. I'm a Lieutenant now and just got sent to Vulcan on some kind of diplomatic mission. Fun! :vulcan
Really hoping to try this out on the 17th! I have been having trouble finding the specs on this game though. I'm sure it is on the website but I just can't find it. I know I have plenty of hard drive space but I was wondering about my video card mostly. Does anyone know the recommended specs???
There are a lot of video options in the game itself, so unless your video card is ancient (4+ years old), you should be fine.
Here are my specs for my wifes pc. Mine is even older.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 2.20 ghz.
32 bit
2 gb ram
NVidia GeForce 6150 LE video card.
So what do you think??
Hmmm, it will probably run but that's some fairly old hardware. Here are the official specs for the game:
System Requirements
OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 3800+
Memory: 1GB RAM
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics
Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
HDD: 8GB Free Disk Space
Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
Recommended System Configuration
OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
CPU: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 5600+
Memory: 2GB RAM+
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850+
Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
HDD: 8GB Free Disk Space
Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/494 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/494)
Thank you for posting that, Rico, that really helps.
I'll be trying this game out when my account is available on the 17th. Doesn't hurt to try out games again for free.
King
Tim - if you bought and paid for the game previously you can play again right now. Just like I am doing.
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2012, 10:02:48 AM
Tim - if you bought and paid for the game previously you can play again right now. Just like I am doing.
I tried a couple days ago and it said I had to wait. Guess I'll try in a bit again though...
King
Tried again, said I didn't have a subscription so I have to wait until the 17th.
King
Well, I got an email to previous buyers of the game and subscribers that allow them to play under their old accounts already. My old characters are there and everything. Are you logging in with your old account?
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2012, 10:55:32 AM
Well, I got an email to previous buyers of the game and subscribers that allow them to play under their old accounts already. My old characters are there and everything. Are you logging in with your old account?
Yup, logging in with the old account.
King
Keep in mind Perfect World now owns the game. But you have to log in under your Cryptic account still - at least I did. It's all detailed at the link below...
Part of the email...
All inactive Star Trek Online accounts have been reactivated! That's right, you can PLAY NOW for FREE. This is our way of thanking the many loyal customers who sat in the Captain's chair during the past two years. Free-to-play opens for the general public on January 17th, but you can enjoy this early access today. Download the game HERE and PLAY NOW.
http://view.email.perfectworld.com/?j=fe5516797d6605747210&m=fec216717c6d0778&ls=fdda1d707d6d0d7a771d787d&l=fe92127177610d7977&s=fe2617747c620778701476&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2316757c650574761278&r=0 (http://view.email.perfectworld.com/?j=fe5516797d6605747210&m=fec216717c6d0778&ls=fdda1d707d6d0d7a771d787d&l=fe92127177610d7977&s=fe2617747c620778701476&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2316757c650574761278&r=0)
I only used my Cryptic account. It still says I can't reactivate it until the 17th. The thing is, I can't remember if I actually paid for a month of STO or if I just used the demo back then. Its possible all I used was the demo.
King
Oh - if you never actually bought the game and subscribed this doesn't apply to you then.
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2012, 01:06:05 PM
Oh - if you never actually bought the game and subscribed this doesn't apply to you then.
I would have to go and look at receipts from years ago, but I'm beginning to think I never did.
King
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on January 14, 2012, 01:08:15 PM
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2012, 01:06:05 PM
Oh - if you never actually bought the game and subscribed this doesn't apply to you then.
I would have to go and look at receipts from years ago, but I'm beginning to think I never did.
King
You shouldn't have to do that. After you login to Cryptic's main website, just look at any games you have that you are just no longer subscribed to anymore. Easy.
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2012, 01:11:36 PM
Quote from: KingIsaacLinksr on January 14, 2012, 01:08:15 PM
Quote from: Rico on January 14, 2012, 01:06:05 PM
Oh - if you never actually bought the game and subscribed this doesn't apply to you then.
I would have to go and look at receipts from years ago, but I'm beginning to think I never did.
King
You shouldn't have to do that. After you login to Cryptic's main website, just look at any games you have that you are just no longer subscribed to anymore. Easy.
Subscribed for: 0 days. Well, that pretty much clears that up doesn't it. xD. Oh well, I can wait three days. Got plenty to do anyway :)
King
I wanna play! :(
Dan I'm gonna pick this up next week when it is free to play and give it a spin. I won't be able to give it loads of time that's why i waited for the free to play but I'm really looking forward to it.
I got the free email today, tempted to download it but i dont want bucket loads of stuff on my laptop. Does it take up lots of room?
I'm not 100% sure
I'm going to try run it on my Mac with a bit of luck with wineskin
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/494 (http://www.startrekonline.com/node/494)
this link for the system requirements may help.
Cheers mate.
No worries :)
Hmm, what server is everyone on anyway?
Anyway, I'll be trying it off and on for the next month or so, so if you add "Isaac Starstriker" in game I will happily accept. :)
King
I'll get started with this soon but I start my work shifts tonight so it'll have to wait a few days.
I think I'm going to download an see if this plays on my old laptop
been awfully frustrated lately, as when i try to download F2P all i get is a text file, then i try to update everything and i get more text files. is there any in-browser option? one that doesn't just create more and more text files?
forgive me, i have no computer knowledge what-so-ever, and i really don't know what to do.
If you go here: http://startrekonline.com/download (http://startrekonline.com/download)
It doesn't start the download of an exe file?
"this program cannot be run in DOS mode" and a whole bunch of other characters.
Which version of windows are you running? XP? Are you just double clicking the downloaded file?
i'm on a mac, version 10.5.8. yep, i'm clicking on the file.
Quote from: turtlesrock on January 18, 2012, 08:42:02 AM
i'm on a mac, version 10.5.8. yep, i'm clicking on the file.
Oh the game doesn't officially run on macs. PC only (aside from a thrid party wrapper that I haven't tried yet, but the setup is a bit convoluted)
Or you could run it under boot camp on a Mac.
Quote from: Rico on January 18, 2012, 08:46:11 AM
Or you could run it under boot camp on a Mac.
If its in Intel Mac.
Bah my laptop will not run this game. I do not meet the minimum system requirements. It's been so long since I updated this computer I have over 29 critical updates and my browser is so slow it barely is running the site I go to to download the game. I'm going to try anyway just to see what happens, but it's not looking good.
Anyone have a Windows Install disc they can lend me so I can run bootcamp on my Mac. ;) I have a registration code from work.
Yeah so it didn't work on my laptop. The first level on the ship seemed choppy but playable, but once I beamed down to the planet it was totally unplayable. Too bad, it seems really fun. Well, maybe if I can get my hands on one of those windows discs and find my Snow Leopard disc I'll get this going one day.
Some big stuff going on right now in the game due to the 2nd year celebration. Learn more about it all here: http://trekmovie.com/2012/02/03/star-trek-online-celebrates-2nd-anniversary-with-new-flagship-missions-season-4-trailer/ (http://trekmovie.com/2012/02/03/star-trek-online-celebrates-2nd-anniversary-with-new-flagship-missions-season-4-trailer/)
http://youtu.be/B5znfFotn0A (http://youtu.be/B5znfFotn0A)
Oh, you can also play the game for free via Steam if you want too.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/9900/ (http://store.steampowered.com/app/9900/)
Have I said that I'd love to play this but dare not?
The time it would take would be too much. I'd never be able to put it down.
Quote from: turtlesrock on January 18, 2012, 08:42:02 AM
i'm on a mac, version 10.5.8. yep, i'm clicking on the file.
I got STO running yesterday using this method on my Mac and its very straight forward if you need any help give me a shout.
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=76799 (http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=76799)
The game runs very well as long as its set up right.
:)
I would VERY much like to talk to you about this. Did it work 100%, I see some people are having bugs or issues with sound not working and other things.
I've been meaning to give this a go, I may try it this weekend as well.
Quote from: Jobydrone on February 08, 2012, 07:05:01 AM
I would VERY much like to talk to you about this. Did it work 100%, I see some people are having bugs or issues with sound not working and other things.
I had some trouble to start off with the graphics but now that that is all working it runs just fine
make sure you are patient to start out with the patching of this game took me 4 hours
follow the instruuctions to the letter and you can't go wrong
from the videos I've seen I'm not missing much from a sound or graphics point of view
I'm very new to mmorpg games but I'm really getting into it
Downloading the main client now to my Mac, three minutes to go. Read the instructions for the wrapper and it seems too good to be true. Getting excited!
Edit 1: Logged into my existing Cryptic account, and patching now...looks good so far!
Edit 2: Argh, 4.5 GB patch download is hanging at 84% please start...please start...please start
Edit 3: Whew, the power of positive thinking! It's going again...almost there...
Edit 4: Woo hoo, seems to be working. After about an hour tweaking settings, my Andorian named Zabadoo is deep into the tutorial and after fragging a few Borg, I'm going to see about reading up on the game a bit. I have absolutely no idea any of the mechanics of the game, but I am enjoying finally being able to try it out. Oh my, might be playing hooky tomorrow...Thanks "Data" for the tip. I knew about that wrapper but never got around to trying it until your post inspired me. Looking forward to playing and hoping to join up with you all soon!
Great mate i had to run that huge patch twice!!!!! I hit about the same mark you did and it stopped i ended up leaving it overnight and got to have a play of it just before work the next day.
Can we all leave our STO info NAME and SHIP NAME if we see eachother in the game i guess that would be cool
My name is TU'BOK (VULCAN) i command the USS PATHFINDER
Currently my name is Zabadoo on the USS Excruciating but I do not believe this is going to be my permament character, since I can only have one with free to play. I will definitely keep posting here with my information as I plan to play through this game, I've been waiting so long to play it!
likewise mate
I'm sure I have alot to learn about mmorpg gaming but I plan to stick at it
I've deleted my Andorian and started over with a Vulcan female, Lieutenant T'Lanna, currently level 4 tactical officer in command of the starship Jerry Garcia. I ran into a strange bug where I didn't complete every objective in the tutorial mission but still completed it, so it got stuck in my quest log and could never be cleared because you can't ever go back to the instance where the first quest is. It bugged the heck out of me to have that quest there so I just started over. T'lanna is a tactical officer so I've focused on distributing my skill points into ships weapons and ground phasers. So far I've found myself easily mowing through everything on Normal difficulty. I'm guessing I have to bump it up to Hard level to make the game a bit more worthwhile. I need to figure out if it is worth it to spread my skills out over the engineering and science stations, or if I risk spreading myself too thin if I do that.
I am starting to get a feel for how the game works. It rewards levelling in an interesting way, every reward up to lvl 50 seems to be clearly spelled out in the interface. They put the carrot out there, like my next crew member, or level ten getting a better ship, more abilities etc, so it makes you want to continue playing. The game is very similar to WoW with a Star Trek skin, at least in the way you gain skills, and level up abilities. You have weapon slots, one armor slot, shields, consumables, various ship upgrades, and then upgrades for your bridge crew. Missions are actually quite long, so you have to dedicate quite alot of time to completing just one mission. I havent figured out how to actually meet people or the need to get in groups, although it appears that I have my first available mission where the Admiral is recommending I bring some friends (defending an area of space from a Klingon armada.) I have no friends so I guess I am either skipping that mission, waiting to outlevel the mission and blow through it, or perhaps enticing one of you all to come with me. Anyone interested?
If you open a ticket with support via the help section in game they should be able to remove that quest from your log.
Well it's gone now since I didn't do the tutorial with my new character, but thanks for the tip.
One of the features that looks really interesting is the Foundry, which allows you to create your own maps, missions, and space battles that anyone can play. Has anyone tried this or created any content? Seems like it could be some very creative fun.
A little off topic but I'm getting really tempted by this now. I've been playing Star Trek: Legacy on the Xbox and whe it's fairly limited, I'm still having a blast flying about in the NX-01 and phasering Romulans. The idea of doing that in an online world is sooooo attractive.
(BTW the iPhone dictionary automatically capitalised Romulans for me. Someone at Apple like Trek.)
I say give it a try. There's a TON of space combat in STO and while it takes a little getting used to, it is pretty fun and I imagine get even more so as you level up and get more powerful ships.
Just dowmload and im looking for some basic tips on what type of character to be. I know that is a big question but just remember i just want to have fun in the trek universe. Im not new to gaming but havent done the whole mmo thing yet. Thanks for any help.
I'll Pop a link down for you to read its been my source of info for the game. Reading some of the posts on the official forum can get a bit much and give you lots of info you don't need.
They say basics but some of these things you will not really need to know if you just want to get in and have fun.
http://www.stowiki.org/Guide:_Basics (http://www.stowiki.org/Guide:_Basics) - this has a great overview of the strengths of each class. the whole set of guides on this site are a great place to start but my advice is just get in and have a go that's the best way to learn.
Have fun.
In my experience, Tactical officer is probably the easiest class to play as you only have one job: blow things up :)
thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction. Oh one more thing I love to blow things up so I mite go that way.
I've played this game for a little while now and I'm having a real hard time figuring out what the appeal is supposed to be. Granted I'm still only level 8 and in my original ship, but so far I've really not enjoyed my time in the Federation very much.
My biggest problem is with the space combat. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? It has to get better as you upgrade your ships, but if it doesn't get about 500% better I don't think I'll ever enjoy the space combat. Every space battle, at least playing solo, takes FOREVER. My ship turns like a giant rock floating in space, and by the time my weapons are charged up to fire the enemy ships have flown circles around me and are out of the fire radius of my most powerful weapons. Even using the special abilities of my bridge crew to power up the ships abilities doesn't appreciably help at all. And it seems there's never even a possibility of experiencing a diplomatic resolution that can avoid combat. Every mission has been rinse, repeat: figure out which section of space you need to be in, float around like a turtle until you can warp where you need to be, spend 30 minutes in space combat, beam down to the ground mission, phaser kill everyone in sight, beam out, 30 more minutes of space battle, hail starfleet and start all over again with the next mission.
Some of the stories in the missions have been interesting and I really want this to get better so I can see more of the lore. Has anyone that has progressed futher than me give me a good reason to continue?
Once you get out of your starter ship, things get better. Also, when in combat you shouldn't run at full impulse, it really increases your turning radius. I usually slowed down to 1/2 impulse which tightens up your turns.
I guess this is the problem I ran into with STO, after awhile it just wasn't all that much fun.
Thanks Joe, I get a new ship at lvl 10 I think, so I will tough it out I guess. I have a really hard time finding time to play this because it takes so long to accomplish anything and I have so many more games that are just basically way more fun to play than this.
Too much space combat turned me off the game too. That for me isn't what "Star Trek" is really all about. But I do want to find some time to still play a bit more. But three MMO's is a bit much (counting WOW and TOR).
Maybe we could make some time to do some of these quests together? I imagine with more than one ship the space combat would go a heck of a lot faster. What level are you Rico?
I know I'm late to the party on this but I did start playing last weekend and have been neglecting my treksinscifi forum time. I have for the most part been enjoying the game except for one mission I did was boring. The ones I did yesterday were pretty fun. I could use a manual though.
Are any of you still playing this? I am on the perfect world server. I also want to say I dont play alot of different games so I have nothing to compare this too. I have still been playing Star Wars: Empire at War and Age of Empires III.
Well anyway if you are on the game still let me know.
I'm really enjoying this so far. And I have fought the urge to buy anything. Just got me a new ship yesterday! I have been to DS9, which was awesome, and Deep Space Station K7.
Are any of you guys still playing this? I'm on the perfect world server. I am still liking this game. I will also say that I haven't played any online games except for a short trial of Star Wars galaxies so I don't have other games to compare this to. I did run into a problem with filling a bridge station even though it's wide open to be filled. So that has me a little stumped on trying to fill that spot. And yes I have gotten bridge officers but they wont let me place them.
Hey, Rico are you on the Perfect World server? I thought I saw you there one time but when I caught up with the ship it wasn't you.
I also unlocked a part of the game that says I can replicate an emergency hologram. I can't find anywhere to do that! And I really want to do it. Any ideas?
Unlocked a Klingon character at level 24 and I don't like it as much.
I'm just trying to get back into the game a little right now. I login via my Cryptic account. Character is named Rico.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=900311 (http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=900311)
After so very long Cryptic is releasing a Mac client for this on November 12. Interesting timing considering the new console launches and all the holiday games coming out around now, but I will download and give it a run to see if it works appreciably better than the Wineskin port I used to play this a while ago.