Producer Steve "SalamiInferno" Ricossa, Jr. shares details about the upcoming Fleet System expansion in this entry of the Season 7 News Dev Blog series.
Season 7: The Grind Continues
Season 7: The Dilithium Plot Thickens
Season 7: Grind II
Season 7: Tedium Intensifies
Season 7: The Story Forgotten
Season 7: Bugged System Bonanza
Season 7: Old Rope
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"
"
Season 9: Potential PvP Content...
It's expected that Cryptic will be stripping the ability to earn dilithium from STFs. That's a massive influx of fleet resources that we could loose. Therefore we're going to have to spend more real money to make it up - Or stop altogether.
According to Tribble, Cryptic is going to charge people for picking up duty officers from the Academies that are currently free. While one person doesn't make a massive amount of DoFF's from the system, a fleet worth does make an impact on it's development. If we will be made to pay then that's more real money needed to make it up plus more dilithium going into a system with very little return.
Let's not forget that it costs dilithium to buy ships now, a LOT for new players.
At the rate Cryptic is monopolizing STO - it's soon going to become more expensive to play Star Trek Online FTP then it ever was under the subscription system. That is NOT progress. That's a sign that the developers simply wish to sponge as much money out of the playerbase before moving on.
Dilithium is simply becoming too important a currency to strive for anymore. Fleet starbases will languish at Tier II - III.5 as people realize that grinding for identical starbases simply becomes too much like work, and less of a game.
For any developers that read this, it's time you took a step back and considered the long view. Don't drive people away simply because you have the ability to.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] @Aquitaine985 Lag Industries STO PvP Fleet - Executive
A Sad Panda of Industrial calibre. 2010: This is Cryptic PvP. Please hold the line, your call is very important to us...
First things first, the progression of an Embassy is shorter than that of a Starbase. A fleet of players running at maximum efficiency
So a fleet all but ignoring the regular Starbase projects
can completely finish their Embassy in less than half the time and cost it
Heretic said that Starbases would take 7 months to finish with no downtime between projects.
So half of that is 3.5 months. It will take "less than half", so lets say 3 months.
3 months of all but ignoring your regular starbase projects, with no downtime between the Embassy projects...
[SIGPIC]Handle: @kirian_darkstar
Registered: Oct/2009 , LTS : Feb/2011
Fleets: Warriors of the Phoenix, Kirian Industries[/SIGPIC] Three years and still no Captain Klaa hair...
Only 2 sub-tracks, 3 tiers, and lower XP costs per tier. Loose extrapolation from what I saw on tribble and stowiki, a maxed-out embassy looks like a slightly larger investment equivalent than a tier 2 starbase, but less than tier 3.
I really appreciate that the hint from Ask Cryptic held true, that embassies and other holdings would be smaller side-projects and the Starbase would still be the big project for fleets. My biggest fear for S7 was that our already crushing starbase grind would be joined by an equally steep embassy grind, and that when S8 hit we'd still be buried under tier 3 or 4 of them both only to add something else similarly demanding.
Season 7: The Grind Continues
Season 7: The Dilithium Plot Thickens
Season 7: Grind II
Season 7: Tedium Intensifies
Season 7: The Story Forgotten
Season 7: Bugged System Bonanza
Season 7: Old Rope
"
"
"
Season 9: Potential PvP Content...
Season 10: We might start looking at finishing the KDF in a couple more Seasons.
[SIGPIC]Handle: @kirian_darkstar
Registered: Oct/2009 , LTS : Feb/2011
Fleets: Warriors of the Phoenix, Kirian Industries[/SIGPIC] Three years and still no Captain Klaa hair...
And I can't wait to see what it costs in project terms to unlock the embassy bartender and chef. :rolleyes:
500 rotgut and 500 Ale?
2000 Osil (sp?) twists?
And the new dilithium costs....
so small fleets like mine (5 players) will either have to give up progressing one base over the other, or commit to doing nothing in the game but grind, grind, grind.
Even if they raised the dilithium refining cap, I doubt it would help. I hardly ever grind out all 8k per dayas is.
So a fleet all but ignoring the regular Starbase projects
Heretic said that Starbases would take 7 months to finish with no downtime between projects.
So half of that is 3.5 months. It will take "less than half", so lets say 3 months.
3 months of all but ignoring your regular starbase projects, with no downtime between the Embassy projects...
Should be substantially faster than that, if things are proportional to starbases. There's only 64,000 XP in the subtiers, compared to 750,000 XP in the starbase ones.
Assuming they stay proportional at all three tiers, time wise, it should be slightly less than tier 2 in all three starbase tracks (75,000 XP), but probably more expensive because you spend half of that at tier 3 costs, not tier 2. Cost wise, this is hitting the point where a starbase is no longer a viable solo project, not the point where they become an unmanageable group project.
Season 7: The Grind Continues
Season 7: The Dilithium Plot Thickens
Season 7: Grind II
Season 7: Tedium Intensifies
Season 7: The Story Forgotten
Season 7: Bugged System Bonanza
Season 7: Old Rope
"
"
"
Season 9: Potential PvP Content...
i like the angle they are coming at with this update and i am interested to the whole Updated kits thing. does that mean we at last get MK XI and Mk XII kits for use? i hope so it will make things go a lot faster in things like the STF's and what not. also to the grinding complainers "good things come to those who wait" and i am waiting patiently because some nice nuggets are in here if you look at it.
We would really like to see more information on how this applies to the KDF. We did see a Klingon ambassador to the Federation in Star Trek IV and VI. And all 3 empires had an ambassador on that neutral planet in V.
HOWEVER, such a big diplomatic push in STO seems so un-Klingon. Will the KDF version be different at all? Is there a different backstory? What's up?
We would really like to see more information on how this applies to the KDF. We did see a Klingon ambassador to the Federation in Star Trek IV and VI. And all 3 empires had an ambassador on that neutral planet in V.
HOWEVER, such a big diplomatic push in STO seems so un-Klingon. Will the KDF version be different at all? Is there a different backstory? What's up?
You took the words out of my still moving gagh I got a feeling they aren't going to surprise me in the manner of it being the same old same for both sides. If they were going to do this they should have put the state of federation and KDF at the point of being allies like in tng/ds9/voyager era. This cross faction stuff could only make sense in line with how it was where the Klingon forces being sent in were smaller to assist the federation in battle but the whole thing about being at war and helping the enemy help another one of our enemies of the KDF does not really mesh with what they are doing.
To expand on my comments and yours, I really like how VERY different the DOFF missions are for the KDF. Not only do we have Marauding instead of Diplomacy, but we have access to different missions entirely in all the categories.
I am hoping this will be true of the Romulan Embassy / Romulan Marks system as well.
P.S. I love running into you on these forums. Please keep the fireplace going in my absence.
Season 7: The Grind Continues
Season 7: The Dilithium Plot Thickens
Season 7: Grind II
Season 7: Tedium Intensifies
Season 7: The Story Forgotten
Season 7: Bugged System Bonanza
Season 7: Old Rope
"
"
"
Season 9: Potential PvP Content...
Season 7: Copy and Paste
Season 8: Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V
Hardly see much of a difference between Season 6 and 7. Season 6 gave us the Fleet Starbases and Nukara....Season 7 will give us Fleet Embassies and New Romulus. No word on a few new missions for storyline play?
The new rewards, new social environment, and new possibilities combine to provide fun, interesting, and most of all, Trek experience for the fleets in STO.
Hmm... while being part of a fleet is cool, sure, I think that most Star Trek fans would want to be in command of a starship before they wanted to be part of a fleet, like the one referenced at the beginning of the post. But I guess building an embassy is a trek experience...? Diplomacy is big in trek, but Sisko was the only one who really dealt with a permanently stationed "embassy"... I htink the real "Trek experience" will be the revamped exploration... IF it's done well.
As I said in the tribble feedback thread, I really like the rewards the embassy gives. Something everyone could use. The starbase rewards were too specific, if you already own lockbox stuff and ships, it's somewhat useless, but this holding gives everyone true rewards. Good job ont this part of season 7.
It's sad consoles have their own category (no one cares about consumables), scis will have hard time to convice their fleetmates to work on diplomacy instead of recruitement. Swapping kits and consoles would have been an interesting change.
One negative point: fleets doesn't offer at all a Trek experience. Picard would never say "let's kill some tholians to unlock the romulan stores to get a plasma torp on the Enterprise".
More DOFF assignment slots would be pretty sweet... depending on how steep that grind is to get it.
My experience with starbase building is not making me very optimistic on that point.
My views may not represent those of Cryptic Studios or Perfect World Entertainment. You can file a "forums and website" support ticket here Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
One negative point: fleets doesn't offer at all a Trek experience. Picard would never say "let's kill some tholians to unlock the romulan stores to get a plasma torp on the Enterprise".
A new, genuine Bridge Officer species? I am delighted!
With a bit of luck, they'll add the TOS Vulcan Nurse hairstyle that was seen on the... Vulcan nurse NPC.
Whatever, I am a species collector and happy to see an additional bridge officer species. If this works out, maybe we'll also get regular, customizable (and female) Remans?*
*Obisek's Remans are allies of New Romulus and several Remans have settled there as well.
Here's hoping for a zstore option for this. I have no interest in yet another starbase system, or fleets in general, but I do enjoy the Doff system and would dearly love to not be hindered by the 20 assignment limit and be able to make use of more of my Doffs.
A new, genuine Bridge Officer species? I am delighted!
With a bit of luck, they'll add the TOS Vulcan Nurse hairstyle that was seen on the... Vulcan nurse NPC.
Whatever, I am a species collector and happy to see an additional bridge officer species. If this works out, maybe we'll also get regular, customizable (and female) Remans?*
*Obisek's Remans are allies of New Romulus and several Remans have settled there as well.
Yeah, but I noticed the negative too: It's gated behind the embassy system. I sincerely hope there are other ways to get Romulan bridge officers than through this system. I'm burnt out on the Starbase grind at this point; I'm not sure I can slog through another one, especially if they have anywhere near the requirements of the starbase system.
I hope Cryptic realizes that not all players want to be in big fleets -- or even be in fleets at all -- but may still want to be involved in the Romulan side of things.
We would really like to see more information on how this applies to the KDF. We did see a Klingon ambassador to the Federation in Star Trek IV and VI. And all 3 empires had an ambassador on that neutral planet in V.
HOWEVER, such a big diplomatic push in STO seems so un-Klingon. Will the KDF version be different at all? Is there a different backstory? What's up?
I agree, why do Klingons have an Embassy??? I find that very odd. Shouldn't the Klingon counterpart have been something like a Garrison??? That would have kept things in line (marauding rather than diplomacy).
Comments
So is this the way Federation ships get hold of cloaking devices?
Still waiting to be able to use forum titles
Season 7: The Dilithium Plot Thickens
Season 7: Grind II
Season 7: Tedium Intensifies
Season 7: The Story Forgotten
Season 7: Bugged System Bonanza
Season 7: Old Rope
"
"
"
Season 9: Potential PvP Content...
It's expected that Cryptic will be stripping the ability to earn dilithium from STFs. That's a massive influx of fleet resources that we could loose. Therefore we're going to have to spend more real money to make it up - Or stop altogether.
According to Tribble, Cryptic is going to charge people for picking up duty officers from the Academies that are currently free. While one person doesn't make a massive amount of DoFF's from the system, a fleet worth does make an impact on it's development. If we will be made to pay then that's more real money needed to make it up plus more dilithium going into a system with very little return.
Let's not forget that it costs dilithium to buy ships now, a LOT for new players.
At the rate Cryptic is monopolizing STO - it's soon going to become more expensive to play Star Trek Online FTP then it ever was under the subscription system. That is NOT progress. That's a sign that the developers simply wish to sponge as much money out of the playerbase before moving on.
Dilithium is simply becoming too important a currency to strive for anymore. Fleet starbases will languish at Tier II - III.5 as people realize that grinding for identical starbases simply becomes too much like work, and less of a game.
For any developers that read this, it's time you took a step back and considered the long view. Don't drive people away simply because you have the ability to.
@Aquitaine985
Lag Industries STO PvP Fleet - Executive
A Sad Panda of Industrial calibre.
2010: This is Cryptic PvP. Please hold the line, your call is very important to us...
So half of that is 3.5 months. It will take "less than half", so lets say 3 months.
3 months of all but ignoring your regular starbase projects, with no downtime between the Embassy projects...
Registered: Oct/2009 , LTS : Feb/2011
Fleets: Warriors of the Phoenix, Kirian Industries[/SIGPIC]
Three years and still no Captain Klaa hair...
I really appreciate that the hint from Ask Cryptic held true, that embassies and other holdings would be smaller side-projects and the Starbase would still be the big project for fleets. My biggest fear for S7 was that our already crushing starbase grind would be joined by an equally steep embassy grind, and that when S8 hit we'd still be buried under tier 3 or 4 of them both only to add something else similarly demanding.
Season 10: We might start looking at finishing the KDF in a couple more Seasons.
Registered: Oct/2009 , LTS : Feb/2011
Fleets: Warriors of the Phoenix, Kirian Industries[/SIGPIC]
Three years and still no Captain Klaa hair...
500 rotgut and 500 Ale?
2000 Osil (sp?) twists?
And the new dilithium costs....
so small fleets like mine (5 players) will either have to give up progressing one base over the other, or commit to doing nothing in the game but grind, grind, grind.
Even if they raised the dilithium refining cap, I doubt it would help. I hardly ever grind out all 8k per dayas is.
Should be substantially faster than that, if things are proportional to starbases. There's only 64,000 XP in the subtiers, compared to 750,000 XP in the starbase ones.
Assuming they stay proportional at all three tiers, time wise, it should be slightly less than tier 2 in all three starbase tracks (75,000 XP), but probably more expensive because you spend half of that at tier 3 costs, not tier 2. Cost wise, this is hitting the point where a starbase is no longer a viable solo project, not the point where they become an unmanageable group project.
So full of "WIN"
HOWEVER, such a big diplomatic push in STO seems so un-Klingon. Will the KDF version be different at all? Is there a different backstory? What's up?
Nouveau riche LTS member
You took the words out of my still moving gagh
That's so disturbing!
To expand on my comments and yours, I really like how VERY different the DOFF missions are for the KDF. Not only do we have Marauding instead of Diplomacy, but we have access to different missions entirely in all the categories.
I am hoping this will be true of the Romulan Embassy / Romulan Marks system as well.
P.S. I love running into you on these forums. Please keep the fireplace going in my absence.
You did read that right!
My name is Andy and I approve this message
Wait... WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! Romulan BOffs, NEW KITS, and now MORE ASSIGNMENT SLOTS?! This heresy gets sweeter by the SECOND!
It would get sweeter by the second, if they weren't simultaneoulsy jacking DOFF dilithium costs thru the roof.
Or in other words, making it much more dilithium-expensive to complete ANY project, Starbase or Embassy.
Season 7: Copy and Paste
Season 8: Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V
Hardly see much of a difference between Season 6 and 7. Season 6 gave us the Fleet Starbases and Nukara....Season 7 will give us Fleet Embassies and New Romulus. No word on a few new missions for storyline play?
Hmm... while being part of a fleet is cool, sure, I think that most Star Trek fans would want to be in command of a starship before they wanted to be part of a fleet, like the one referenced at the beginning of the post. But I guess building an embassy is a trek experience...? Diplomacy is big in trek, but Sisko was the only one who really dealt with a permanently stationed "embassy"... I htink the real "Trek experience" will be the revamped exploration... IF it's done well.
It's sad consoles have their own category (no one cares about consumables), scis will have hard time to convice their fleetmates to work on diplomacy instead of recruitement. Swapping kits and consoles would have been an interesting change.
One negative point: fleets doesn't offer at all a Trek experience. Picard would never say "let's kill some tholians to unlock the romulan stores to get a plasma torp on the Enterprise".
...
God, lvl 60 CW. 17k.
My experience with starbase building is not making me very optimistic on that point.
Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
Kirk would :cool:
Yes, but a Pakled toddler was smarter thank Kirk on an average day.
But then, Sisko might do something similar. "Defend Romulans from Tholians, we get new tech to help defend more Romulans."
With a bit of luck, they'll add the TOS Vulcan Nurse hairstyle that was seen on the... Vulcan nurse NPC.
Whatever, I am a species collector and happy to see an additional bridge officer species. If this works out, maybe we'll also get regular, customizable (and female) Remans?*
*Obisek's Remans are allies of New Romulus and several Remans have settled there as well.
Yeah, but I noticed the negative too: It's gated behind the embassy system. I sincerely hope there are other ways to get Romulan bridge officers than through this system. I'm burnt out on the Starbase grind at this point; I'm not sure I can slog through another one, especially if they have anywhere near the requirements of the starbase system.
I hope Cryptic realizes that not all players want to be in big fleets -- or even be in fleets at all -- but may still want to be involved in the Romulan side of things.
I agree, why do Klingons have an Embassy??? I find that very odd. Shouldn't the Klingon counterpart have been something like a Garrison??? That would have kept things in line (marauding rather than diplomacy).
The decision just does not make sense to me.