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Taking the heart out of the game?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I've been playing F2Ptribble for quite some time and have seen sllight improvements with each update so far in spite of the occasional broken system (it's a test server, it's to be expected). But this is the first update I've felt is a major step in the wrong direction. The thing I've always felt made STO so fun is the realism of the experience. You ARE the captain and, just like a real person, any character has it's strength and weaknesses. If you are unhappy being a character you make a different one with different strength and weaknesses. So far, the updates proposed by the test server have been baby steps toward enhanceing the realism of the experience. The DOFF system was a great step in that dirrection. In this update the addition of the cargo bay and passenger manifest are small improvements, but it seams like the trend with this system is to make it less cool with each update. Shipboard system diagnostics used to give temporary buffs to those systems( nice realism, a maintained ship runs better than a neglected one) but got bumped in favor of dilithium because they can't get a hold on what they want to do with the game economy. Failed missions used to give a debriefs instead of disappearing instantly to the assignment log with no notice given(other than the mission is complete). Now they've dropped the detailed info on which DOFF to assign to a specific mission and the scaling of risk that came with it to give us a useless pie chart( like we're really dumb enough that we don't understand what these percentages mean). It also seams like they can't get a hold on DOFF mission distribution. With each update, there have been less DOFF missions available to the point that half the time I can't maxamize my duty roster. I also really don't like this new skill tree either. I agree the UI could have used an update to make skill effects a little more clear. But, they butcherd the whole system by dumbing it down and flatteneing out the skills of your character. They say there doing this to make it easier for people to change ships( a great way to encourage people to BUY more ships) but, again this takes away from the realism of the experience. A crew and captain are always going to be more effective in a ship they are familiar with. In another ship they would naturally be less effective until trained up and familiar with that ship. Players can easily be effective in more than one ship by using different characters whom are suited to the ship at hand. A simple solution to making it easier for players to use multiple ships would have been to simply lower the price of retrain tokens and extra character slots. Meanwhile they still ignore major problems like the new mission UI which makes it easier to find missions and events but locks players into a boring drudge of forced progression that nowhere near matches the mission availibilty listed in the character progress chart. I mean, seriously, my primary character has played the heck out of missions and has made it to vice admiral and still hasn't even unlocked the Cardassian front???

I'm really frustrated at the picture this whole F2P path is painting. At the beginning it was all about improving gameplay by expanding the user base and improving the immersive nature of the experience. But, as things are progressing, it seems it's more about addressing the issue of how they are going to maximize profits off silver members(C-store price increases, more and more paid ships, etc.). I recognize that the company has to make money to survive, but I don't think taking away the fun of stepping away from life for a couple hours to BE a starfleet or klingon captain is going to aid in that goal. I think it would be far more in their interest to focus on making the game fun to play by creating new challenges, events, and missions, improving immersion, and finding new ways to encourage players to play together( what I see as the biggest advantage of F2P, getting friends who wouldn't pay for ongoing subcriptions to log in and play alongside/against) rather than flattening the game out into a no-brainer shoot'em up.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    your keyboard has two ENTER buttons

    i highly suggest you use at least one of them

    *obligatory wall of text comment*
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I have found the new Skill Tree has grown on me.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Roach wrote: »
    I have found the new Skill Tree has grown on me.

    Agreed ... as long as they give us a whole lot more skill points from a pot not already in game for ground when that revamp hits and the two separate.

    If they simply split the points in half, then this is gonna be harder than the bunk on my Bird-of-Prey.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Roach wrote: »
    I have found the new Skill Tree has grown on me.

    I'm trying to make it work .. but I'm still struggeling ! (to be perfectly honest )
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Agreed ... as long as they give us a whole lot more skill points from a pot not already in game for ground when that revamp hits and the two separate.

    If they simply split the points in half, then this is gonna be harder than the bunk on my Bird-of-Prey.

    Agreed if Ground is to come from they same pool, then ground will not be spec'ed by many and we have the same disaprity as before.
    Ground needs its on pool of points.
    OlBuzzard wrote:
    I'm trying to make it work .. but I'm still struggeling ! (to be perfectly honest )
    It is a WIP, and nothing is set in stone yet.
    Or so I am told.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Roach wrote: »

    [/snip]

    It is a WIP, and nothing is set in stone yet.
    Or so I am told.

    yeah .. I hear ya ! just trying to get someones attention without being rude. I've never been that sort of person on the forum. I don't intent do change. I just hope that being that sort of individual does not end up meaning that I'm being ignored. ( Although I must confess that it seems that way frequently).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Roach wrote: »
    I have found the new Skill Tree has grown on me.

    really??

    maybe i don't understand the new skillsystem. And for some reason i cant reach the same playstyle then on Holodeck. but maybe my fault.....but maybe.

    i think making the game more dumb, casual and grindy and on top of that pay-2-win is a step in wrong direction.

    This is not StarTrek anymore. this is the Money-Track with some nice look, maybe it looks like StarTrek...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I would like to see the return of the changing success percentages on the doff system. Kinda made it more fun...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I would like to see the return of the changing success percentages on the doff system. Kinda made it more fun...

    This WAS NOT Intentional.

    The DOff System caught a BUG or Two (or Three, or Four...) with the last patch...

    Hopefully, tomorrow They will have it somewhat back to normal with another Patch.

    Heretic has posted several times about this since Friday throughout the threads.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    DangerGnom wrote: »
    really??

    maybe i don't understand the new skillsystem. And for some reason i cant reach the same playstyle then on Holodeck. but maybe my fault.....but maybe.
    Actually yes, I find that it grows on me and while requiring hard choices and still buggy and convulted on a few areas, I have not seen a big difference from being on Holodeck.
    Also Equipment is really importnat now to make up for weak areas in a build.
    i think making the game more dumb, casual and grindy and on top of that pay-2-win is a step in wrong direction.

    This is not StarTrek anymore. this is the Money-Track with some nice look, maybe it looks like StarTrek...
    Well, I do not like the Krafting, Grinding and some of the economy changes.
    But niether am I suprised since I knew the game was going F2P and this sort of "ugliness" would rear its head.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Roach wrote: »
    Actually yes, I find that it grows on me and while requiring hard choices and still buggy and convulted on a few areas, I have not seen a big difference from being on Holodeck.
    Also Equipment is really importnat now to make up for weak areas in a build.

    Well, I do not like the Krafting, Grinding and some of the economy changes.
    But niether am I suprised since I knew the game was going F2P and this sort of "ugliness" would rear its head.

    I just wish Ugly Betty had stayed farther away...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    DaveyNY wrote: »
    Roach wrote: »

    I just wish Ugly Betty had stayed farther away...

    Never watched it. I take it the show is not humorous or otherwise engaging?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    OlBuzzard wrote:
    I'm trying to make it work .. but I'm still struggeling ! (to be perfectly honest )

    Same. Till they change it, I give up on tribble. I went through 6 respecs on two different characters. My escort is dead in the water, but my cruiser captains are 'ok' so long as no points go into ground
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    tsabonayev wrote:
    Same. Till they change it, I give up on tribble. I went through 6 respecs on two different characters. My escort is dead in the water, but my cruiser captains are 'ok' so long as no points go into ground

    yeah .. escorts have actually been dead for some time now. That was one of the reasons I never cared to take my first toon to VA. I should have rolled and engineer / escort. Tactical / escort = less than desireable (IMHO).

    AND yes . . your comclusion is correct: Since the game utilizes BOTH space and ground combat . we should not have to choose which work as it should and the other be useless.

    That said: I'm not giving up. Not just yet! I will try until this goes live and see what shakes out.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    OlBuzzard wrote:
    yeah .. escorts have actually been dead for some time now. That was one of the reasons I never cared to take my first toon to VA. I should have rolled and engineer / escort. Tactical / escort = less than desireable (IMHO).

    AND yes . . your comclusion is correct: Since the game utilizes BOTH space and ground combat . we should not have to choose which work as it should and the other be useless.

    That said: I'm not giving up. Not just yet! I will try until this goes live and see what shakes out.

    Well with the old skill system, I was at least a glass cannon. Sure, made of glass, but I usually could give an initial knock out punch. Now, I am a glass slingshot, haha.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    tsabonayev wrote:
    Well with the old skill system, I was at least a glass cannon. Sure, made of glass, but I usually could give an initial knock out punch. Now, I am a glass slingshot, haha.

    witha short rubber band to work it with. (not to mention the nerfed evasive maneuvers)

    :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Z3R0B4NG wrote: »
    your keyboard has two ENTER buttons

    i highly suggest you use at least one of them

    *obligatory wall of text comment*

    thank you, i was in desparate need to know how to make paragraphs on this thing
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    My KDF Tac in a BoP (as ship types do not matter as much now this is as close as I get to an escort)

    Tier 1

    SS Weapons training: 9
    SS Batteries: 9
    SS Hull Repair: 9
    SS Flow Capacitor: 9
    SS Shield Emitters: 9
    Assualt Training: 0
    Close Combat training: 0
    Away Team Leader: Engineer: 0
    Away team Leader: Science: 0
    Away team Leader: Tactical: 0

    Tier 2

    SS Energy Weapons: 9
    SS Projectile Weapons: 9
    Structual Integrity: 9
    SS Subsystem Repair: 0
    SS Warp Core efficiency: 5
    SS Power Insulator: 0
    SS Shield systems: 9
    Security: 0
    Soldier: 0
    Special Forces: 0

    Tier 3

    SS Maneuavers: 9
    SS Target systems: 9
    SS Electro-Plasma systems: 5
    SS Impulse Thrusters: 9
    SS Warp Core Potential: 9
    SS Graviton Generators: 0
    SS Particle Generators: 0
    FireArms: 0
    Grenades: 0
    Martial Arts: 0

    Tier 4

    SS Attack Patterns: 9
    SS Stealth: 0
    SS Engine Performance: 0
    SS Hull Plating: 9
    SS Shield Performance: 9
    SS Intertial Dampeners: 5
    SS Sensors: 5
    Stealth: 0
    Tactics: 0
    Threat Control: 0

    Tier 5

    SS Energy Weapon Specialization: 4
    SS Projectile Weapon Specialization: 5
    SS Armor Reinforcments: 4
    SS Auxullary Performance: 0
    SS Weapons Performance: 4
    SS Counter Measure Systems: 0
    SS Subspace Decompiler: 0
    Advanced Warfare: 0
    Close combat Protection: 0
    Squad Command: 0

    Granted I could go back tweak it some more by shaving some areas down to 8s and 7s to free up more points.
    Overall though this is identical to my Holodeck build, even down to the weakness to CC.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Meanwhile they still ignore major problems like the new mission UI which makes it easier to find missions and events but locks players into a boring drudge of forced progression that nowhere near matches the mission availibilty listed in the character progress chart. I mean, seriously, my primary character has played the heck out of missions and has made it to vice admiral and still hasn't even unlocked the Cardassian front???

    Yes! Can Cryptic PLEASE just keep the mission system the way they are? Stop messing with it and making it worse!!! Doesn't quite make sense players have so many missions left and are at level cap, and while levelling players are forced to do random things to hit the next grade so they can unlock the next story mission.
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