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Massively Visits Cryptic (Pt. 6)

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Massively's STO Columnist Terilynn Shull recently visited Cryptic Studios to talk to the team. In this week's Captain's Log entry, which is also the final entry in this series, she concludes recapping her interview with Lead Writer Christine Thompson.


Link to the column.
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  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    good read, i think the dialog and text extras have been great. those bajoran texts, i though they must have been lifted from an episode or official book or something, but i had a feeling they were all organically written by the writer in question. thats a level of polish and quality that i really appreciate, cant wait to see whats next.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    When I'm finally freed up just a bit, I have a Foundry mission plotted out that is all "safety valves" being turned at once.

    It covers why you don't meet any of the familiar characters still serving in Starfleet (and likely won't) and it has a bit of action and intrigue behind it.

    I hope Kestrel gets to play it. The working title is "The Soul of Shinzon." Yes, it's got some major Romulan lore to it, tying up something from Nemesis that was never addressed and turning it on its head. I look forward to getting it out.

    Nice interview overall.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Some interesting items in there. I like the idea of a female Klingon commanding the Bortasqu' (and not just one wearing the Steel Corset of Massive Cleavage the Duras sisters wore. Klingons still appear to have a little sexism in their culture, and it'd be fascinating to see just how tough a female has to be to command the flagship!

    Some interesting insights into Kestrel, and the kind of missions she wants to write. I disagree with the author's opinion of Of Bajor, but mostly because of the restrictions of the medium; as an intro to Bajoran culture and the situation Bajor is in, it worked pretty well. The problems with the 4800 series lay not in the writing but in the fiats the writer had to work within (the alpha had to revolt against his gods, Bajor had to be shared between the Feds and the Klingons while a frickin' war is going on, the Starfleet captain in the first episode had to be hawkish and unwilling to negotiate.) Her views of Janeway were interesting; "out-Kirking Kirk," is an interesting observation of when Janeway didn' t just go off the rails but disintegrated said rails, and is worth some further consideration. I too would like to see what happened to the Doctor, and to Torres, and to Dax!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    I totally agree, we don't get to see too many strong female characters. A female capt for the Bortasqu' NEEDS to happen! :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Great read! I'd love to see a female commanding the I.K.S. Bortas(qu?), and bringing back Doctor Joe is a brilliant idea. I'd also like to see Dax return (in whatever form), but I'd much prefer Joe.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Strangely enough, when I have to get something really cranked out, or if I'm really in a rush, then I listed to pop. Like Britney Spears/Katy Perry kind of pop because it's peppy and fun, and when it's done, I get to take my headphones off."

    No wonder some missions are just horrible... :rolleyes:
    Recently, Thompson had been granted the opportunity to create and write short backgrounds for the newly revealed crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-F. As most players will know by now, the new Enterprise is commanded by an Andorian male by the name of Va'Kel Shon.

    Can she turn Shon into a non-******* character? I keep hating him more and more and he is an abonination to all captain's of the Enterprise. It's a shame... :mad: :(
    "We're lucky to have a full-time writer. Some games don't have them. Sure, others have more than one, but it's because Cryptic has been so efficient that we've been able to make do with one. Star Trek needs a writer because at its heart it's always about the stories."

    It's rude to lie. :rolleyes:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Part SIX?! Surely you were only there a day, how much can you possibly spread out what was a mediocre story at best out so much is beyond me...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    She admits that this tactic isn't the best way of doing things from a story-telling standpoint because it leaves a lot of hanging plot lines, but it's the nature of the gaming beast. "For Season Six, it looks like we'll be adding a new race in, and I'm really excited about it because it's a race that hasn't been seen (in Star Trek) very often, but I need to find out where they fit in the world because it's not a race that we had thought about for a while. They don't appear in The Path to 2409, and now I get to go into this established world two years later and try to figure out how they'll fit."

    You heard it here first, folks: They're bringing back the Bynars.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Genmomo wrote:
    You heard it here first, folks: They're bringing back the Bynars.
    Nope. The Tholians.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Your all wrong it's the keepers of the lockbox lottery wanting to give us better odds:p
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Tucana wrote:
    Nope. The Tholians.

    That was my first thought, too.

    Well, we shall see (and hope!).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Part SIX?! Surely you were only there a day, how much can you possibly spread out what was a mediocre story at best out so much is beyond me...

    :) Three people were interviewed for an hour each. I have an editorial word limit on my columns.

    Now, is it difficult for you to comprehend or do you still need more clarification?
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