I like the game (Been playing since the day it went F2P), but what sorta kills it for me is the fact that space combat isn't from the view of The Captain's Chair. To me Star Trek space battles is the captain sitting in his or her chair calling out commands to the bridge crew and seeing everything through the main view screen in the front of the bridge. Having a third-person exterior view of your ship takes away from the iconic nature of Star Trek space battles for me.
Been discussed ad nausieum and it was determined that a Captains view would make space combat all but impossible in STO.
Tiny view screens, lack of situational awareness and limited perception and I think just the mechanics in programming such was a factor.
There is the option to conn the ship from the bridge view only in Star Trek Bridge Commander but once you reach the advanced missions you can no longer rely on automated AI to manage the ship for you while you stare at one enemy target at the time. The opponents will flank and destroy you while you're fixtated.
It's then you transition to a STO-like external view to get a better perspective to manage a fluid, fast paced tactical scenario while flying the ship manually... just like STO.
It was nice to see this 'manual control' interface take centre stage in STO.
Actually, I have always assumed that the picture we see actually is the tactical display on the bridge's main screen, generated by the ship's computer for the captain's convenience.
Actually, I have always assumed that the picture we see actually is the tactical display on the bridge's main screen, generated by the ship's computer for the captain's convenience.
That could work but the captain panning the view randomly on the big screen is going to make everyone sick and cause the ship to crash.
Helm & science probably have their own console displays (they need astrometrics data, etc). Ditto for engineering.
The STO flight interface makes perfect sense for the 'sensor fusion' portion of a tactical officer's display, indeed. More of a dogfight view for the TO to manage 360 degree weapons firing than anything else.
I expect there will be sensors staff monitoring stellar cartography type 3D maps for long range sensor contacts and things not managed by the player such as orbital flight and warp speed navigation.
The scenes outside of the ships in the shows were always more interesting to me than inside on the bridge. I, for one, am very happy I'm not inside on the bridge in combat.
Comments
Tiny view screens, lack of situational awareness and limited perception and I think just the mechanics in programming such was a factor.
It's then you transition to a STO-like external view to get a better perspective to manage a fluid, fast paced tactical scenario while flying the ship manually... just like STO.
It was nice to see this 'manual control' interface take centre stage in STO.
That could work but the captain panning the view randomly on the big screen is going to make everyone sick and cause the ship to crash.
Helm & science probably have their own console displays (they need astrometrics data, etc). Ditto for engineering.
The STO flight interface makes perfect sense for the 'sensor fusion' portion of a tactical officer's display, indeed. More of a dogfight view for the TO to manage 360 degree weapons firing than anything else.
I expect there will be sensors staff monitoring stellar cartography type 3D maps for long range sensor contacts and things not managed by the player such as orbital flight and warp speed navigation.