I wanted to see if it was possible to play as a traditional (TNG) Klingon character in STO, ignoring how they were portrayed in some movies and shows, and any allusions to the real world, which I don't like. When I say traditional Klingon, I mean Klingon, not a 'Liberated Borg Klingon'.
I've tried to look at them simply as 'space orcs', where Romulans are 'dark elves', Vulcans are 'regular elves', and Ferengi are 'goblins'. After all, Tolkien's books came out way before TOS, and while he did not invent those beings, he did popularize them, at least to some.
I've read several posts where Starfleet players claim that Klingons are 'OP' and how they have 'plenty of choices'. I've watched some of the
'Klingon Controversy' STOked episode, where the hosts insulted Klingon fans. I wanted to check their claims.
First, we are given two default racial traits: 'honorable' and 'warrior'. Both are ground traits and cannot be changed, if you wanted a pure or mainly a space build. Considering that ground combat, including PvP, isn't very popular in STO, you are left with only two space trait choices. According to STO forums, most space STF'ers and PvP'ers make 'alien' characters with four space traits because it gives an advantage. Even a 'human' character on Starfleet comes with one unique space trait.
Next is the visual customization: There is no traditional Klingon hair. You are given a few choices from what looks like dreadlocks, instead of wavy frizzy hair seen on the shows. I wanted to use the
iconic Klingon gauntlets with Klingon writings/markings on them. There is no such option. Instead, all gauntlets are bland and devoid of anything written in Klingon. I wanted to use the traditional Klingon 'fingerless gloves' with 'spiked knuckles' as seen in the same picture but there is no such option.
I wanted to set a proper rank and specialization on the
traditional Klingon collar but instead the closest collar in style has two blurry 'dots' on them as a cheap imitation.
I wanted to use 'red' for the torso uniform/armor like the main character in 'Klingon Honor Guard' but there is no such shade of red. Most of the colors look muddy. I tried using the 'Klingon Empire Badge' but it looks badly aligned and sticks out beyond the uniform when worn with a jacket of any kind.
I've enabled the 'Klingon Spine Armor' but it doesn't look like the spine armor on the TNG Klingons. It goes under the shoulder pads, which, by the way, clip with the Klingon hair.
I was excited at the possibility of seeing a traditional Klingon
D'k Tahg dagger on my Klingon character's belt when in the game but there are no visual kits that show up on the Klingons. In fact, from what I've read, you can't even use such a dagger as a weapon. Apparently, it's only on some NPCs.
Why is it that some players can mod
such a dagger for free
in games like 'Skyrim' but Cryptic couldn't do it in years since STO was out?
I wanted to fly a basic Klingon Bird of Prey that you see on the shows but you start with something non-traditionally Klingon because the original B'Rel was only for lower levels, which were removed. The only other traditional choice is the C-Store B'Rel at Tier 5. Even the D7 K't'inga now uses the Starfleet nacelles (coloring).
I wanted to equip Klingon-specific torpedo launchers but the only choice is a Hargh'Peng from the DOFF missions, which cannot be used with the 'High Yield' skills. The rest are the Starfleet-type or non-Klingon torpedo launchers with majority having Starfleet like icons for graphics.
I wanted to use the traditional Klingon disruptors for a more brute-force type of damage, as per their description, but all they have is a 'proc' for an occasional bit of damage boost. That's in contrast to the
'phaser proc from hell' as described and confirmed in the PvP forums here.
Where is the attention to detail?
I wanted to
'crush the federation' as advertised in the official STO trailer but most of the missions and featured episodes have barely anything to do with that, and quickly move onto the other Klingons, Romulans, and so on.
How could Klingons ever be popular here? Would it be more correct to say that STO's version of Klingons isn't popular because Cryptic did a poor job of it?
I'm enjoying watching
the "Let's Play" videos on the internet for games like "Klingon Honor Guard" much more than this, where the Klingons at least
look traditionally Klingon (although the arms are a bit oversized). They even have nice touches added like the main character going "muahahaha" when he pulls out his D'k Tahg dagger. He would also randomly say things like "smells like a smoked bregit", "p'taq" or "you fight like a ferengi" when fighting. See, those kinds of additions make a difference. Also, the music is better than in STO.
I feel sorry for those who wasted their money on the LTS (Lifetime Subscription) to play for the Klingons but you guys should stick around anyway, at least on the forums, to remind Cryptic of what they've done.
I might check back in September or October to see how things have progressed, if at all but not until then.
Comments
This History of the Klingon Empire with Cryptic Studios is a good/sad view of the lack of development.
http://www.stowiki.org/User:Peregrine_Falcon#The_History_Of_The_Klingon_Empire_With_Cryptic_Studios
"...just look at my track record for making the improvements that I said we would with the KDF and judge by that." - Dan Stahl
Not sure what you mean by that. We've seen Klingon ships use red and green torpedoes. That matches up with STO's photon and plasma torpedoes, graphics and all.
"Critics who say that the optimistic utopia Star Trek depicted is now outmoded forget the cultural context that gave birth to it: Star Trek was not a manifestation of optimism when optimism was easy. Star Trek declared a hope for a future that nobody stuck in the present could believe in. For all our struggles today, we haven’t outgrown the need for stories like Star Trek. We need tales of optimism, of heroes, of courage and goodness now as much as we’ve ever needed them."
-Thomas Marrone
Welcome to the KDF.
Add you voice to the list of fans who wish to see it better portrayed in STO.
R.I.P
Not entirely sure what snowlili meant by this however:
-there are no green Photons in the game and while I'm not too keen about those myself since they were just Starfleet weapon effects recoloured I do have to say it would be nice if they were in the game.
-the K't'inga in Star Trek I fired some rather unique large-caliber Photons from its 3-deck launcher and I must admit I miss those in the game.
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090525062206/memoryalpha/en/images/a/a4/IKS_Amar_firing_forward_torpedo.jpg
perhaps those were the ones snowlili is missing as well.
Yes, it's a shame that the "standard" uniform is nothing like a standard Klingon uniform: shoulder pad way too large, wrong collar, wrong spine armor, no dagger of gun holster, no fingerless gloves, no rank insignia, no House insignia... I do love my Honour Guard armour however.
We could use more love but we are in a much better situation right now than we were at launch...
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This, however, is soething I welcome on the red side. On the blue side, everyone has a "so ****ing special" kind of uniform it really is no uniform anymore. I have absolutely no immersion playing together with other feds. On the red side, at least the style of the "uniforms" is still similliar. If every klingon player became even more "special" with his or her outfit the feeling of "a bunch of pirates" would only improve
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Just wait until they roll out the next patch. Upon entering the zone we take constant ticks of hull damage until we warp out and log off.
Al Rivera hates Klingons
Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert
All cloaks should be canon.
i'M ALL A TWITTER IN ANTICIPATION
R.I.P