as much as i love this game, there is ONE question which stays on my mind:
will we get the 3rd faction in 2013?
i don't really care if it would be a Romulan only faction, or a Rom/Cardi mix.
DStahl was talking about playable "species", no factions, but still, there in fact weren't any Romulan ships in the lockboxes.. the New Romulus COULD be a start-up to a new faction.. we all know the rumors..
My bets:
1. Somewhere between now and Season 9, Cryptic will announce that the KDF is complete. There won't be any changes though...
2. There is going to be a half-harted attempt at a 3rd faction before seaon 10. I don't think there will be leveling as a 3rd faction, you will just create a character and there you are at level 40-50 or so.
3. Your UI will be different and you will have a few ship and costume options along with freindly species for BOffs. There may even be a few race and name changes in the DOffs as well as a few race specific misisons.
My bets:
1. Somewhere between now and Season 9, Cryptic will announce that the KDF is complete. There won't be any changes though...
2. There is going to be a half-harted attempt at a 3rd faction before seaon 10. I don't think there will be leveling as a 3rd faction, you will just create a character and there you are at level 40-50 or so.
3. Your UI will be different and you will have a few ship and costume options along with freindly species for BOffs. There may even be a few race and name changes in the DOffs as well as a few race specific misisons.
would be ok with me if there is :
- green UI
- homeworld, DOFF system, Fleet system, Foundry and some dailies
- ships in the store
To me, it looks like: Season 8 finishes the KDF (more or less). Season 9 gives us the Romulan faction and Cardassians as playable characters for the Federation (and possibly the KDF).
yeah there was some talk about a Gorn adventure Zone.. Perhaps that will be the new reputation, and will come with some 3-4 missions and a KDF tutorial (a real, bloody one)
To me:
Between now and S10 we will get the finished KDF, a new faction will take the place of the KDF as the "mini-faction", that faction will be the RSE. The Cardassians will be available as a new species for the UFP, while the Remans and possibly the "free" Romulans will be a new species for both the KDF and the UFP.
There will be new free ships as well as paid ships to reflect the "new" species and their status in the game.
The Iconians will take the place of the Borg as the "badasses"/main enemies.
I am not sure about:
Undine, Tholians, Breen.
Dan has hinted that Season 8 is supposed to be a focus on the war effort with the federation. He also said that if the KDF gets finished, then they'd look at bringing a Romulan faction into the mix, which would set the stage of how they set up future factions. I see them possibly making a klingon Feature Episode version of the whole B'vat storyline, just from the Klingon perspective. It fits in with the whole return of the Featured Episodes deal, and it would also very much tie into the war effort.
I expect that somewhere between 9 and 10 that we might see them add the missing sector block in between Beta Ursae the two lower blocks of the sirius sector blocks, with the third sector giving the KDF a shorter route than to go from Eta Eridani to Orellius then to Beta Ursae (since without being tier 3 for marauding, Sirius is off limits).
To me:
Between now and S10 we will get the finished KDF, a new faction will take the place of the KDF as the "mini-faction", that faction will be the RSE. The Cardassians will be available as a new species for the UFP, while the Remans and possibly the "free" Romulans will be a new species for both the KDF and the UFP.
There will be new free ships as well as paid ships to reflect the "new" species and their status in the game.
The Iconians will take the place of the Borg as the "badasses"/main enemies.
I am not sure about:
Undine, Tholians, Breen.
two ask cryptics ago Dstahl has indicated that finishing the kdf faction isn't going to happen.
So don't bet on a romulan faction.
I went back and looked at Ask Cryptic October and November, since those are the last two ask cryptics.
October: Nothing said about KDF, period.
November: Q: (ebrithil1) As much as I love all the new content you've been pushing out for the Feds, I like my Klingons too. When can we expect to see you fulfill the promise you made to expand the content on the red side?
Dstahl: Personally, I?m still very committed to ensuring the KDF has levels 1-50, more so than I can even publicly talk about because it would involve going into details about all the internal conversations I?ve had within the company about this topic. It is my goal as EP to make this happen and the only thing that I can give you is that I?m fighting for it and want to do it. It just isn?t official yet.
In addition, the septermber edition of Ask Cryptic has Dan talking about letting players start from level 1 on the klingon side, making it so that players don't have to be so dependent on unlocking them from the federation. It's all a matter of where they feel they're comfortable with the KDF, and the possibility of letting a 1-50 KDF come to light.
I'm aiming for Season 10 for any possible Third Party Faction, weither it's a Romulan Faction or a Romulan / Cardassian mix.
Cryptic has quite a bit on their hands in finishing fleshing out the KDF as is, and they have to build up the Romulans in an equal fashion. And one of their challenges is providing enough races and ships to make them viable.
I'd be content with them just fixing the Klink transporter that still beams me to the shipyard, when I wan't to go to the First City, for Season 8. This apparently, isn't a high priority compared to what the next lockbox will be, though.
I went back and looked at Ask Cryptic October and November, since those are the last two ask cryptics.
October: Nothing said about KDF, period.
November: Q: (ebrithil1) As much as I love all the new content you've been pushing out for the Feds, I like my Klingons too. When can we expect to see you fulfill the promise you made to expand the content on the red side?
Dstahl: Personally, I?m still very committed to ensuring the KDF has levels 1-50, more so than I can even publicly talk about because it would involve going into details about all the internal conversations I?ve had within the company about this topic. It is my goal as EP to make this happen and the only thing that I can give you is that I?m fighting for it and want to do it. It just isn?t official yet.
In addition, the septermber edition of Ask Cryptic has Dan talking about letting players start from level 1 on the klingon side, making it so that players don't have to be so dependent on unlocking them from the federation. It's all a matter of where they feel they're comfortable with the KDF, and the possibility of letting a 1-50 KDF come to light.
From the December Ask Cryptic, it appears that a full KDF faction is what he wants:
Q: (hippiejon) If there was ONE thing you can add to the game. Your personal dream update. Big or Small. What would it be?
Dstahl: Klingon PvE content from 1-50 with a solid PvE and PvP endgame. Plain and simple. Then after that, real Star Trek exploration.
I went back and looked at Ask Cryptic October and November, since those are the last two ask cryptics.
October: Nothing said about KDF, period.
November: Q: (ebrithil1) As much as I love all the new content you've been pushing out for the Feds, I like my Klingons too. When can we expect to see you fulfill the promise you made to expand the content on the red side?
Dstahl: Personally, I?m still very committed to ensuring the KDF has levels 1-50, more so than I can even publicly talk about because it would involve going into details about all the internal conversations I?ve had within the company about this topic. It is my goal as EP to make this happen and the only thing that I can give you is that I?m fighting for it and want to do it. It just isn?t official yet.
In addition, the septermber edition of Ask Cryptic has Dan talking about letting players start from level 1 on the klingon side, making it so that players don't have to be so dependent on unlocking them from the federation. It's all a matter of where they feel they're comfortable with the KDF, and the possibility of letting a 1-50 KDF come to light.
Yes.
They have planned and are actively working on S8. Fixing the KDF isn't even on the cards.
Therefore: No KDF fix for S8.
What he wants and what PWE lets him make are two very different things.
That said, there's obviously demand for more KDF stuff. If they add some more missions and replace that god-awful tutorial with something less tedious, they'll be able to add the missing levels and that in turn will add more players. Win-win.
"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
That if they add a third faction, in Ker'rat everybody will warp in at the third faction's spawn point on a restart. That some Feds will complain that the KDF and new faction are camping that spawn.
In all honesty, I am expecting more grind in those seasons or rather a way to reinvent another aspect of the game to be more grindable. Like crafting. The last season, I was so disappointed that I logged once during the first day of the season and didnt log on for a week.
To me, it looks like: Season 8 finishes the KDF (more or less). Season 9 gives us the Romulan faction and Cardassians as playable characters for the Federation (and possibly the KDF).
Knowing their love for each other (or rather, lack of) I can't see Cardassians actively serving in the Klingon Empire.
##### ##### #####
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, but I'm actually rooting for a mixed faction of Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order. Romulans and Cardassians are the next two desired factions to play as, and it's going to take them at least to season 9 to give us a third faction, if not longer. If they concentrate on just one faction, we'll be waiting another 5+ seasons for a 4th faction, whereas if they combine military remnants of two great powers in to one faction, they'll be killing two birds with one stone.
They wouldn't have to worry so much about loads more unique ship designs (sure, they'll have to create some, but it'll be limited compared to two-factions worth).
They wouldn't need to worry about limited Boff choices, with a combined faction, you'd have at least five species, with the possibility of two or three more (Suliban included).
They'd only need one more academy and starbase/city opposed to two.
They'd only need one more tutorial and level 1 - 50 content opposed to two.
They wouldn't need to edit current sectors, simply create a new one (above current Cardassian space and left of current Romulan space) for a combined sector.
To me, it looks like: Season 8 finishes the KDF (more or less). Season 9 gives us the Romulan faction and Cardassians as playable characters for the Federation (and possibly the KDF).
i don't think they will do this, as it would TRIBBLE off far too many people.
Also, these things have to be Canon, and i just do not see Romulans or Cardassians in the UFP..
For Romulans - it would also mean that Feds get to use Cloaking devices, which would erase the treaty (CBS will not approve this) - ill repeat myself, but RSE was greater, bigger than KDF. It does not dissapear, or does not get assimilated by Federation in a decade.
For Cardassians - would Federation want them? These treachery creatures which wait for you to turn around to get you from behind? You really think so? Cardies are the opposite of Deferans, in every way, except they are not rich.
Even then - now Bajor is in the UFP. They would VETO Cardassian application.. you can bet your mothers life on that one.
What would TECHNICALLY happen ingame , if Romulans/Cardassians were to join FED/KDF?
- many of KDF AND FED ships would be rendered obsolete because of the new cloaking tech in both factions - much work for Cryptic.. perhaps even more as creating the homeworld and copy paste Doff system of a new faction..
- loss in revenue for Cryptic - people do not really need to create new toons to play with the new ships and co.. you don't realize it = a ship costs 2k Zen, but DOFF space, inventory space, doff packs, reskill tokens, costumes, whatever... costs far more..
- pissed gamers ragequitting, plus a VERY bad publicity
- loss in lore - Cryptic would loose ability to expand this plot. And with Cryptic, also CBS, if they are planning another series in the future (what imho depends also a little bit on success of this mmo and of course other more important factors)
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, but I'm actually rooting for a mixed faction of Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order. Romulans and Cardassians are the next two desired factions to play as, and it's going to take them at least to season 9 to give us a third faction, if not longer. If they concentrate on just one faction, we'll be waiting another 5+ seasons for a 4th faction, whereas if they combine military remnants of two great powers in to one faction, they'll be killing two birds with one stone.
Yeah idealistically - possible.
But excuse me, could you please suggest a PLOT - how could these 2 groups come together and learn to cooperate?
They wouldn't have to worry so much about loads more unique ship designs (sure, they'll have to create some, but it'll be limited compared to two-factions worth).
They wouldn't need to worry about limited Boff choices, with a combined faction, you'd have at least five species, with the possibility of two or three more (Suliban included).
They'd only need one more academy and starbase/city opposed to two.
They'd only need one more tutorial and level 1 - 50 content opposed to two.
They wouldn't need to edit current sectors, simply create a new one (above current Cardassian space and left of current Romulan space) for a combined sector.
They'd save themselves a lot of work.
all this is very true,
but i do not think they are EVER going to bring a faction 1-50, merely they could go with endgame mini factions 40-50 and above.
The only way i see this coming true would be:
Step 1: Taking the content the KDF has (plus perhaps a handfull of missions - 3 or 4), stick it on the new tutorial, play with the lvl range of accessibility of these missions. Done. (very possible as i am getting to lvl 50 in the KDF with the last 2 FE'S untouched)
Step 2: Do the same on the FED side, which would mean Fed's would be in the endgame sooner as they finish the Romulan story arc. Which imho would be a good thing, cause one could choose where to lvl and which encounters to face at endgame lvl.
But excuse me, could you please suggest a PLOT - how could these 2 groups come together and learn to cooperate?
Cooperation isn't a problem, the two groups have proven that in the past when they went to the Gamma Quadrant in an attempt to wipe out the Founders.
In regards to a plot though, what's one thing that both the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar desire most? Power. Both their respective empires' are currently without it; the Cardassian Military was disbanded at the closure of the Dominion War, and the Romulan Military is in a state of civil unrest.
Both groups have a lot to gain by working together. Neither are as focused on their respective empires as they are about their own organizations.
but i do not think they are EVER going to bring a faction 1-50, merely they could go with endgame mini factions 40-50 and above.
As I've stated earlier in this thread, most MMO's have three fully-playable factions. That is what STO needs to continue to be successful. The two most desired factions are the Romulans and Cardassians (with Reman and Jem Hadar included, respectively). To fulfill the desire of three factions and to please the majority of players, the only way to go is the proposed combination.
Minifactions aren't going to work long-term. If anything, I'd feel they'd actually take away from the game just as the Klingon faction feels to do now (hence more players playing as Federation opposed to Klingon). If we got a mixed third faction, I'd sure as hell play it (likely, more so than my Klingon toon).
What he wants and what PWE lets him make are two very different things.
That said, there's obviously demand for more KDF stuff. If they add some more missions and replace that god-awful tutorial with something less tedious, they'll be able to add the missing levels and that in turn will add more players. Win-win.
Exactly . In addition to this they have been saying the same thing ever since release ( pretty much ) as can be read on sto-wiki
and you will have a hard time finding any KDF-player still believing these comments . In my opinio the "KDF-finish " will never happen and they will instead now focus on a new faction and on FED .
No hybrid factions. Besides, those two groups only formed together because of a common enemy and that common enemy manipulating them into cooperating in order to destroy them as a threat which worked.
Third faction needs to be the RSE or whatever Cryptic calls the new Romulan nation. However, I don't see this til after Season 10 probably around Season 12 or 13.
Hopefully, Season 8 will not be a Klingon Adventure Zone and actually be KDF-centric missions with some KDF-UFP war story continuations or story wrap up with missions for both sides with the level cap increasing to 55.
We know they want more different reputations, so more grind is on the horizon.
and you will have a hard time finding any KDF-player still believing these comments . In my opinio the "KDF-finish " will never happen and they will instead now focus on a new faction and on FED .
Why do you think they will make a new faction rather than fix what they already have.
It contradicts all good business sense, logic, and previous efforts by cryptic.
It would make them pariahs.
Yes hybrid factions. We've already got something similar with the KDF. Before STO it was just Klingons, now it's Klingon, Orion, Gorn, Nausicaan, Lethean and Ferasan.
Besides, those two groups only formed together because of a common enemy and that common enemy manipulating them into cooperating in order to destroy them as a threat which worked.
I doubt they were manipulated. They saw a common goal and reached out to each other in order to achieve it.
Why do you think they will make a new faction rather than fix what they already have.
It contradicts all good business sense, logic, and previous efforts by cryptic.
It would make them pariahs.
Cryptic changing it's mind, making no sense, pissing off the entire playerbase and being utterly idiotic isn't exactly without precedent.
Comments
1. Somewhere between now and Season 9, Cryptic will announce that the KDF is complete. There won't be any changes though...
2. There is going to be a half-harted attempt at a 3rd faction before seaon 10. I don't think there will be leveling as a 3rd faction, you will just create a character and there you are at level 40-50 or so.
3. Your UI will be different and you will have a few ship and costume options along with freindly species for BOffs. There may even be a few race and name changes in the DOffs as well as a few race specific misisons.
would be ok with me if there is :
- green UI
- homeworld, DOFF system, Fleet system, Foundry and some dailies
- ships in the store
gonna bump some cash to my paypal account
yeah there was some talk about a Gorn adventure Zone.. Perhaps that will be the new reputation, and will come with some 3-4 missions and a KDF tutorial (a real, bloody one)
Between now and S10 we will get the finished KDF, a new faction will take the place of the KDF as the "mini-faction", that faction will be the RSE. The Cardassians will be available as a new species for the UFP, while the Remans and possibly the "free" Romulans will be a new species for both the KDF and the UFP.
There will be new free ships as well as paid ships to reflect the "new" species and their status in the game.
The Iconians will take the place of the Borg as the "badasses"/main enemies.
I am not sure about:
Undine, Tholians, Breen.
I expect that somewhere between 9 and 10 that we might see them add the missing sector block in between Beta Ursae the two lower blocks of the sirius sector blocks, with the third sector giving the KDF a shorter route than to go from Eta Eridani to Orellius then to Beta Ursae (since without being tier 3 for marauding, Sirius is off limits).
So don't bet on a romulan faction.
I went back and looked at Ask Cryptic October and November, since those are the last two ask cryptics.
October: Nothing said about KDF, period.
November: Q: (ebrithil1) As much as I love all the new content you've been pushing out for the Feds, I like my Klingons too. When can we expect to see you fulfill the promise you made to expand the content on the red side?
Dstahl: Personally, I?m still very committed to ensuring the KDF has levels 1-50, more so than I can even publicly talk about because it would involve going into details about all the internal conversations I?ve had within the company about this topic. It is my goal as EP to make this happen and the only thing that I can give you is that I?m fighting for it and want to do it. It just isn?t official yet.
In addition, the septermber edition of Ask Cryptic has Dan talking about letting players start from level 1 on the klingon side, making it so that players don't have to be so dependent on unlocking them from the federation. It's all a matter of where they feel they're comfortable with the KDF, and the possibility of letting a 1-50 KDF come to light.
Cryptic has quite a bit on their hands in finishing fleshing out the KDF as is, and they have to build up the Romulans in an equal fashion. And one of their challenges is providing enough races and ships to make them viable.
From the December Ask Cryptic, it appears that a full KDF faction is what he wants:
Q: (hippiejon) If there was ONE thing you can add to the game. Your personal dream update. Big or Small. What would it be?
Dstahl: Klingon PvE content from 1-50 with a solid PvE and PvP endgame. Plain and simple. Then after that, real Star Trek exploration.
http://sto.perfectworld.com/news/?p=787991
They have planned and are actively working on S8. Fixing the KDF isn't even on the cards.
Therefore: No KDF fix for S8.
What he wants and what PWE lets him make are two very different things.
That said, there's obviously demand for more KDF stuff. If they add some more missions and replace that god-awful tutorial with something less tedious, they'll be able to add the missing levels and that in turn will add more players. Win-win.
"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
That if they add a third faction, in Ker'rat everybody will warp in at the third faction's spawn point on a restart. That some Feds will complain that the KDF and new faction are camping that spawn.
Including pvp, crafting, mini-factions and traits you name it.
I think there isn't much of anything they don't want to change, just some things have low priority such as more story episodes for the kling faction.
The Mayans are coming
Yes Please.
I don't place bets. I have hopes.
Knowing their love for each other (or rather, lack of) I can't see Cardassians actively serving in the Klingon Empire.
##### ##### #####
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, but I'm actually rooting for a mixed faction of Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order. Romulans and Cardassians are the next two desired factions to play as, and it's going to take them at least to season 9 to give us a third faction, if not longer. If they concentrate on just one faction, we'll be waiting another 5+ seasons for a 4th faction, whereas if they combine military remnants of two great powers in to one faction, they'll be killing two birds with one stone.
They'd save themselves a lot of work.
i don't think they will do this, as it would TRIBBLE off far too many people.
Also, these things have to be Canon, and i just do not see Romulans or Cardassians in the UFP..
For Romulans - it would also mean that Feds get to use Cloaking devices, which would erase the treaty (CBS will not approve this) - ill repeat myself, but RSE was greater, bigger than KDF. It does not dissapear, or does not get assimilated by Federation in a decade.
For Cardassians - would Federation want them? These treachery creatures which wait for you to turn around to get you from behind? You really think so? Cardies are the opposite of Deferans, in every way, except they are not rich.
Even then - now Bajor is in the UFP. They would VETO Cardassian application.. you can bet your mothers life on that one.
What would TECHNICALLY happen ingame , if Romulans/Cardassians were to join FED/KDF?
- many of KDF AND FED ships would be rendered obsolete because of the new cloaking tech in both factions - much work for Cryptic.. perhaps even more as creating the homeworld and copy paste Doff system of a new faction..
- loss in revenue for Cryptic - people do not really need to create new toons to play with the new ships and co.. you don't realize it = a ship costs 2k Zen, but DOFF space, inventory space, doff packs, reskill tokens, costumes, whatever... costs far more..
- pissed gamers ragequitting, plus a VERY bad publicity
- loss in lore - Cryptic would loose ability to expand this plot. And with Cryptic, also CBS, if they are planning another series in the future (what imho depends also a little bit on success of this mmo and of course other more important factors)
Yeah idealistically - possible.
But excuse me, could you please suggest a PLOT - how could these 2 groups come together and learn to cooperate?
all this is very true,
but i do not think they are EVER going to bring a faction 1-50, merely they could go with endgame mini factions 40-50 and above.
The only way i see this coming true would be:
Step 1: Taking the content the KDF has (plus perhaps a handfull of missions - 3 or 4), stick it on the new tutorial, play with the lvl range of accessibility of these missions. Done. (very possible as i am getting to lvl 50 in the KDF with the last 2 FE'S untouched)
Step 2: Do the same on the FED side, which would mean Fed's would be in the endgame sooner as they finish the Romulan story arc. Which imho would be a good thing, cause one could choose where to lvl and which encounters to face at endgame lvl.
Cooperation isn't a problem, the two groups have proven that in the past when they went to the Gamma Quadrant in an attempt to wipe out the Founders.
In regards to a plot though, what's one thing that both the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar desire most? Power. Both their respective empires' are currently without it; the Cardassian Military was disbanded at the closure of the Dominion War, and the Romulan Military is in a state of civil unrest.
Both groups have a lot to gain by working together. Neither are as focused on their respective empires as they are about their own organizations.
As I've stated earlier in this thread, most MMO's have three fully-playable factions. That is what STO needs to continue to be successful. The two most desired factions are the Romulans and Cardassians (with Reman and Jem Hadar included, respectively). To fulfill the desire of three factions and to please the majority of players, the only way to go is the proposed combination.
Minifactions aren't going to work long-term. If anything, I'd feel they'd actually take away from the game just as the Klingon faction feels to do now (hence more players playing as Federation opposed to Klingon). If we got a mixed third faction, I'd sure as hell play it (likely, more so than my Klingon toon).
Exactly . In addition to this they have been saying the same thing ever since release ( pretty much ) as can be read on sto-wiki
http://www.stowiki.org/User:Peregrine_Falcon
and you will have a hard time finding any KDF-player still believing these comments . In my opinio the "KDF-finish " will never happen and they will instead now focus on a new faction and on FED .
Third faction needs to be the RSE or whatever Cryptic calls the new Romulan nation. However, I don't see this til after Season 10 probably around Season 12 or 13.
Hopefully, Season 8 will not be a Klingon Adventure Zone and actually be KDF-centric missions with some KDF-UFP war story continuations or story wrap up with missions for both sides with the level cap increasing to 55.
We know they want more different reputations, so more grind is on the horizon.
Why do you think they will make a new faction rather than fix what they already have.
It contradicts all good business sense, logic, and previous efforts by cryptic.
It would make them pariahs.
I doubt they were manipulated. They saw a common goal and reached out to each other in order to achieve it.
I hope there is a new sector zone, but each planet has a number of missions to advance another five levels.
Cryptic changing it's mind, making no sense, pissing off the entire playerbase and being utterly idiotic isn't exactly without precedent.
To name a few.
STF-gate, the emblem conversion, crafting getting a bullet to the head also spring to mind. I'm certain there are others.