Specifically Poker (as a mini-game). A group of people in a social zone (DS9; ESD ect) around a Poker Table playing for Dilithium, Energy Credits or Latinium (or maybe some of all). It'll add to the social aspect of the game, and it's something still played in the 23rd/24th century.
If they've got Poker on Facebook, we should have it in Star Trek: Online.
I know this has been brought up from time to time, and (last I read on it) it was down to one of the developers having some free / own time to do it. Why (I am curious) does it have to be done in someone's own time? Why can't Poker be incorporated into the game without it having to be stand alone?
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Once you start a game of chance for something that has a real-life value or can be converted into it (e.g. dilithium, ingame items), you will quickly run into legal problems. Afaik STO could be running in the danger of recieving an "MA" rating or getting banned completely in certain countries. IIRC that was also the reason why companies like Blizzard decided against gambling in WoW and were pretty quick to shut down player-initiated gambling.
Two things here:
Firstly, the idea of Poker making it's way into STO hasn't ever been declined. It's always been down too "we'll do it if we've got the time". More of an unessential addon. It isn't going to make a difference to gameplay, so they don't want to put too much time, effort and resource into it (which from their point of view, is fair enough).
Secondly, I can see your worry with regard to real-life value, but that would only apply if said value were to be something that you can get with real money. Dilithium you can obviously exchange for (and from) zen. As far as latinium goes however, there is no real-life value where that is concerned. You can't buy latinium, you can't sell it, and you can't exchange it. Latinium would be the perfect resource for a Poker game. Would give Cryptic the chance to update their Latinium store too; a few new items for purchase by those skilled poker players.
serious note now . poker or any ingame gambling medium between players opens a legal can of worms , alot of states even in the good old USA have strict gambling laws . i love poker , but cant see it ever happening .
Dabo, cough cough.
If you wanted to get really Trek about this then we should be playing Tongo...
Add in a whole range of Earth classic favourites in a functional casino setting, plus tongo, dom-jat, 3-D chess and whatnot. I believe some of these can even be store-bought today (I've seen 3-D chess sets sold at a certain collectible website).
All of these are pretty much a lesser evil than the deceptive nature of lockboxes and the tendency for new players to start spending an endless amount of real money on them.
More minigames = more latinum = Cryptic can populate the Latinum Store. Much more Trek-like than the nonsense we end up with these days.
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Latinum would work. I'm more interested in the minigame itself than I am the currency. I play Poker on and off anyway, usually with friends when socialising. I just think it would be something nice to have within STO.
Plus, they play Poker in TNG.
This.
Hah, you're disillusion. A Sovereign would wipe the floor with an Intrepid. :P
You're on.
*Note, the Long Range Science Vessel Retrofit and the Regent Class are not true representations of the Sovereign or Intrepid Class, and thus cannot be counted.
oh that's a real great suggestion. if they did that then cryptic/pwe would not have to sell zen or subscriptions to make their money...they could just do what facebook does...take everything you post, be it a comment, picture, video, private chat, along with everything on your computer...yes, every folder and file...and sell it all to anyone with the money to pay for it. and if you don't believe facebook does this then you have never read their terms of service, or you are in complete denial, or both. i mean hey, if they want to waste their time and resources on a poker mini-game that's their business. it's just my opinion that those resources could be put to better use.
and i'm also sick of hearing about the "lockbox" gambling. people...it is NOT gambling. first, you do NOT have to pay money for zen for the keys...you can get zen with dilithium...you can even get keys in the exchange with ec. second, for it to be considered gambling there has to be a chance for you to get nothing from the lockboxes...and you always get something...even if it's four lobi crystals and a duty officer pack...you ALWAYS get something. just because you didn't get your little ship that you feel you are entitled to does not mean the system is wrong or that it's gambling...it means you are wrong and perhaps you have a little entitlement issue. and a simple solution is to just not open the boxes...problem solved.
As for a reason, I'd like to think STO has more to offer than space and ground combat. Adding minigames in makes it more fun and worthwhile. If you tire of doing missions or STF's, you can drop by a social group and enjoy a game of Poker (or other). Helps break the day up.
The Lock Boxes are Gabling. If you refuse to believe that, then the joke is in you. You're buying something with the chance of a high, or low-end reward. That's as simple as it's going to get. I don't have a problem with it, but it is gambling.