For that to happen oyu would need either a western publisher or an eastern publisher that understands that western players generally don't get into the whole "do X over 9000 times to unlock the ability to maybe possibly unlock the ability to level up."
Ok, that last bit was an exageration but you get the idea.
How the Devs see Star Trek, apparently:
Star Trek: The Original Grind
Star Trek: The Next Grind
Star Trek: Deep Space Grind
Star Trek: Voyage to the Grind
Funny. I've been through 3 different graphic cards since STO first launched; 9600GT, GTX260, and now GTX465. The only marked difference, is the ability to run the game at higher settings without having as much framerate lag. But i've successfully run the game at maximum settings using all of the above cards, with no noticable difference between the three of them. Only difference was it seemed to run smoother, but the graphics looked identical, using identical settings on all 3 cards.
STO may be "ahead of the curve" compared to most Asian MMOs, and possibly even some of the Western MMOs, but it's certainly not ahead of the graphics curve for games such as TERA, RIFT or EVE Online. I say this from having years of experience playing various MMOs.
In any case, the biggest issue with STO, is that it requires massive bug fixing, and optimization. Certainly alot easier to do, than building a brand new game engine from scratch (with it's own new bugs and problems).
So perhaps Cryptic should put more focus into bugfixing and optimizing, and less focus on adding new grind mechanics?
I think the appropriate comparison for STO is fantasy MMOs, since that's really the core of what this game engine is.
Still, EVE uses a lot of tricks to do what it does and it's much lower rez in terms of what it does with 3D. Graphics quality has nothing to do with prettiness or quality and everything to do with specs, polycounts, hard numbers. And I'm pretty certain STO beats EvE there, barring an update I'm unaware of. If they had EvE's sense of art direction, they'd look better.
In fact, I'd guess STO's graphics are significantly higher spec than TERA, RIFT, or EvE and that what you're witnessing there is art direction you find more appealing and a bigger emphasis on cool effects. If STO's engine was in those artist's hands, there games would probably have higher system requirements and look even better.
I'd venture to say that the biggest MMO with a better graphics engine than STO is probably APB. STO (and Cryptic in general) tend to be inefficient with using their engine for high quality effects. That doesn't make the engine itself weak and in general Cryptic seems to sacrifice style for other design objectives (customization, camera movement, certain gameplay styles or controls) a lot. But Cryptic is going to be using the same engine in 15 years if they're still in business, with upgrades. So it would literally be less work to re-do the artwork in STO than do a STO 2.
And again, CBS may be able to charge them a new fee for calling it STO 2.
True, it doesn't guarantee better in general. But in this specific case, a new star trek MMORPG would absolutely NEED to be made by another company. The one making this one doesn't have the manpower, resources or ability to create what a new Star Trek MMO would need to create.
It would have to be another company working on it. Because the problems with cryptic games tend to be across the board and infect all of their games.
Even if they did, the manpower would be more efficiently applied here.
You'd get more out of Cryptic spending 5 years developing a TOS server/expanshalone than you would from a new studio developing a TOS MMO because the framework is in place here.
Even something like a cover system would be easier to add, provided the content itself is all new.
There's not another development company out there currently that could do justice to the ST IP both on the ground and in space. Every other company focuses on one of those aspects or the other and usually leaves the other side of the equation severely lacking.
Then you run into the wanted "completely-realistic" type of space combat that would utterly decimate the fan-base of any possible space version because complete 3-axis movement is difficult enough for even hard-core sim players to grasp and perfect. Normal, regular, every-day humans that go about their daily activities here on planet Earth have a hard enough time with 2 axis movement in the real world.
Bottom line is no, it is not time for an STO2, nor will it be time for it in the near future as it just won't be the money-maker it needs to be in order to off-set the financial resources needed to make it.
STO will see a bit of an influx of new players in May and probably into the summer after JJTrek2 comes out. Cryptic would be quite prudent to toss some new cookies out to maybe grab some of that new blood and entice them into the C-Store or to stick around a while like during the summer months until Cryptic can manage to create a "real" Season 8. (this is part of the reason why I feel that Romulans are coming sooner than expected).
what I mean is cryptic and PW keep the license but they start working on STO 2 so they wont be left behind so by year 5 it could be ready to go
Given that this game (like any MMO) is constantly being worked on/upgraded - exactly what would be the point/difference in an 'STO2' per se. And given the overall audience is the same - what profit/advantage would CBS or Cryptic obtain by doing this while this version of the game is still profitable for them?
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
There's not another development company out there currently that could do justice to the ST IP both on the ground and in space. Every other company focuses on one of those aspects or the other and usually leaves the other side of the equation severely lacking.
Then you run into the wanted "completely-realistic" type of space combat that would utterly decimate the fan-base of any possible space version because complete 3-axis movement is difficult enough for even hard-core sim players to grasp and perfect. Normal, regular, every-day humans that go about their daily activities here on planet Earth have a hard enough time with 2 axis movement in the real world.
Bottom line is no, it is not time for an STO2, nor will it be time for it in the near future as it just won't be the money-maker it needs to be in order to off-set the financial resources needed to make it.
STO will see a bit of an influx of new players in May and probably into the summer after JJTrek2 comes out. Cryptic would be quite prudent to toss some new cookies out to maybe grab some of that new blood and entice them into the C-Store or to stick around a while like during the summer months until Cryptic can manage to create a "real" Season 8. (this is part of the reason why I feel that Romulans are coming sooner than expected).
I think the best you could hope for out of a rival Trek MMO would be a much better ground game and space combat being relegated to cinematics, minigames, and maybe a rail shooter.
This is the best you're going to see with this particular balance of ground and space... and maybe the best received you'd see with space. I think the only way for another Trek MMO to really go, assuming it would run concurrently with STO, is to aim to revolutionize the ground game.
Given that this game (like any MMO) is constantly being worked on/upgraded - exactly what would be the point/difference in an 'STO2' per se. And given the overall audience is the same - what profit/advantage would CBS or Cryptic obtain by doing this while this version of the game is still profitable for them?
The only way I could really see CBS benefiting is:
If it was TOS-based.
OR
If the focus was much smaller, ie. entirely based inside the TNG era Enterprise and away missions but with lavish detail that plays off the specialization on a narrow element.
If the focus was much smaller, ie. entirely based inside the TNG era Enterprise and away missions but with lavish detail that plays off the specialization on a narrow element.
I quickly read through, so if it's been said, then I'll reiterate.
When STO has finally turned off the lights on Starbase 1 & Kronos, that is the end of any game in the prime universe. I hope I'm wrong & have no malice toward the reboot, I actually really enjoyed it. However, in my very personal opinion, I truly believe that this IS THE LAST prime universe game. I dont see this game ending any time soon & hope to be there on ESD at the end, but depending on how the duel license thing works with Trek, gaming, etc, I see all future games to be in the alternate universe (save that Star Trek Excalibur game, gosh I want to play that).
It would probably have to be more narrow than Perpetual to compete assuming STO was also on the market. STO is a very broad take on a very big picture.
The only way I could see a rival game working is if it's VERY, VERY narrow.
For example... A DS9 game. With the whole station. You almost never leave the station except for raids and maybe Cardassia and Bajor handled as major expansions. Now, from that, maybe you can play any one of a dozen factions. But everything would be very narrowly focused on the station and the activities/events would have to be lavish.
I THINK the overall direction for Perpetual was still pretty broad. Lots of aliens. Lots of space. Variety of ships.
The only way I can see to go is probably somewhere between the new Tomb Raider, as a co-op game, and Journey. Very narrow but very rich experience. Exploration within a small, lavish area.
If you try to go too broad, you're up against STO.
Not many companies want to deal with Trek, and the baggage that comes with it (canon)
Heck couldn't even get a browser Trek game going, so a another MMO not likely anytime soon.
If they made a new game they wont be able to "capture trek" because no one can agree what Trek is every fan has their own views, and who wants to deal with that.
That's why we have reboots, that's why we have people who just do something and if someone has a problem just say it's not canon.
So if they made another Trek MMO or game or anything a group of people will still complain it's not Trek.
Trek was due for a Crisis on infinite Earths for a long time, the prime line is dead, and I don't think anyone will ever go back to it unless they pull a Doctor Who and just continue with it but just ignore everything that happen in the past and only acknowledge certain events, and people.
I don't think the Prime universe is dead and I don't think it is time for an STO2 yet.
STO is stil one of the better looking MMO out there. I know there is something like TERA, but I think it has more to do with the art direction rather than the graphical capability.
We don't need a new engine. When it comes to graphics and the engine, especially in an MMO that needs a large variety of players with machines of varying specs, that means they need to keep the stress on the client's machine lowest possible.
In a year or so, they should release a major graphical update patch that increases textures and polycounts.
Developer wise, if CBS decides on a STO2, in maybe 5 years or so, I hope they keep Crypic. I know people complains about them, but they'll know what they are doing. They will learn from their mistakes and success. Bringing in a new developer would ruin the game because they won't know about the troubles and methods of the first STO and they are not familiar with the community to gauge what players want.
What Crypic needs to do now is to focus on refining this game and making more content for this game.
And make money on this game so when the time comes, they'll have the money to make a STO2 with proper funding and development team. With an increased amount of capital, they can hire more workers and eventually split up into two teams, one for STO and another on STO2.
I think the game is fine, it needs some more TLC, which it is getting.
So the devs are using the same engine on three different games, that's great it means improvements from one can be brought over to another. Neverwinter might get a guild hall with upgradable options like the fleet starbases, they might add the Foundry to Champions, hoverbikes or ridable targs might be put into STO.
You say the graphics are dated, look at WOW or Mincraft, one looks like a cartoon and the other looks like an NES game (8bit). Starfleet is supposed to be shinny and chrome plated with 5 star hotel furniture. KDF is supposed be about function and weapons first and comfort last, the metal cups ill lit smokey corridors and rugged design of there ships matches everything we've seen in the shows.
As for a STO 2, i don't think its needed yet, maybe in about 7 or 8 years. Unless they do a new engine upgrade which would require a reinstall, I'll consider that STO 2.
The sorry state ground PVE is in is reason enough to completely revamp ground. After star citizen comes out in 2014, STO will probably be forced to update it's engine because it will look so dated. I would hope that Cryptic makes a new engine for STO 2 by 2015 at least.
We all know of the bug problems this game has as well as the limitations that the devs have run into as far as the engine goes etc etc. I mean for those that follow guild wars it was a game that had a huge following and while ok it had flaws so they decided scrap it take what worked used better systems and of course they had more time as this was the sequel rolled it all up into a big ball added some pepper and wala Guild Wars 2 whichas I said the original game was good or ok but the second iteration was and is vastly superior so I ask would you support and is it time for Star Trek Online 2???
There is no-one to finance this and if there ever is, please pick a better studio. thx.
Focusing on those bugs gets 'em fixed. Not spending millions of dollars on another project.
In three solid years, they haven't done a single season that "focuses" on bug fixes. They also haven't done that with their other game. Nor did they do that with City of Heroes when they were developing that.
They fix bugs. But it's never been a focus.
And this game's development history shows that they continually push through new ideas, new mechanics, bugs and all, and leave them incomplete (Diplomacy! Hey! You all ever vote on DS9? Yeah, me neither).
So I'm not sure what to say. I mean what's the gentlest way I can put it? They've never pushed aside "new" for "bug fix focus." I don't think they can.
Ideally, STO 2 would occur in about 3-4 years, completely re-do the graphics/design elements/aesthetics/style/controls/mechanics, but would be close enough to STO that all characters/purchases could be carried over to the new one to whatever their upgraded equivalents would be.
There seem to be an awful lot of people playing this game that haven't the first clue about what it takes to run an MMO, successful or otherwise. So far I have seen people claim that "The only issue is the engine" and "It's probably just your hardware" and I won't even bother with the "its simple, just fix the bugs".
There are numerous factors that come in to play when developing, launching, running and updating an MMO. First and foremost is the hardware the game runs on; by that I mean the database servers and the other required hardware, not your PC's. Updating a graphics engine is not all that difficult in the grand scheme of things but what IS difficult however is keeping the movement of data from one part of the system to another flowing smoothly.
Desyncs, what we see as lag, are probably the biggest problem in online gaming, and can be extremely difficult to overcome both from a hardware standpoint as well as a software one. Depending on how STO's database servers operate and are interconnected with the rest of the system, this could be as simple as boosting existing hardware by adding RAMSANS, adding better load balancers to share out incoming connections to the proxy layer servers, upgrading the fiber channel backbone that connects the proxy servers or just adding more nodes.
Adding more horsepower to the system would remove a lot of problems, but it can be insanely expensive and time consuming. Then, when the hardware is optimised, you can start working on optimising and fixing all the bugs in your software without having to worry that your system is going to fall over every 5 minutes, or have to deal with a few thousand people complaining about lag when 2 million people are all logged in.
Games like STO are made to be played on a vast array of differently specced machines all with their own unique quirks. Expecting a company, in the space of 3 years, to build a fully fledged and bug free gaming environment shared by over 2 million people is comparable to expecting a 6 month old child to understand the philosophical fineries of Aristotle or Plato.
In short, if you think its "Simply a case of..." then the chances are it is a damn sight more complex than you are capable of understanding. Even thinking about making "STO MK II" is ridiculous in the extreme, and I would sincerely hope that Cryptic and PWE treat such suggestions with as much thought as the people suggesting it did when making their request in the first place.
None.
It should also be noted that Trek fans, like many other fan groups, can be insanely anal about "What Trek is and what it means". Attempting to please everyone is impossible, so stop asking for anyone to attempt it.
Under a certain light i would be up for STO2. If they carry over existing content from this game, such as models/animations, stats, account informaiton, to a new engine could be very good. Wouldnt really call it STO2 but more of a upgrade of the existing game. Alot of mmo's that have done this that ive played screwed it up lol, but it can be done right. They dont have to start from scratch either, for example: converting content over to Unreal Engine, 3 or newly 4, could have great benifits to what can be done with the game. Unlike other mmo's this game isnt one giant instance, it is many, which would make alot it easier to do. Sure they have to work out new contracts and such but could really pay off. The unreal engine has been proven to be fully capable for Large scale mmo's/
Games like STO are made to be played on a vast array of differently specced machines all with their own unique quirks. Expecting a company, in the space of 3 years, to build a fully fledged and bug free gaming environment shared by over 2 million people is comparable to expecting a 6 month old child to understand the philosophical fineries of Aristotle or Plato.
Also, Cryptic has a small team working on STO. Compared to other MMO companies, Cryptic doesn't have too many people.
If they suddenly focus in working on a STO2, the current STO will fall apart and looses players.
People will move on and STO's reputation will be worse off.
With that lost of players and lowered reputation, even if they release a fantastic STO2, they will have a hard time bringing back old players or attracting new players.
To be honest I would rather see a different company's take on STO, I don't like Cryptic s cartoony art style in Star Trek at all. So unless they revamped their engine or got an new engine which doesn't feel so cheesy/shoddy...then meh...
To be honest I would rather see a different company's take on STO, I don't like Cryptic s cartoony art style in Star Trek at all. So unless they revamped their engine or got an new engine which doesn't feel so cheesy/shoddy...then meh...
I agree. Granted, they are better than TOR's models. :rolleyes:
fix the bugs , get in all you want for this game inside 3-5 years then look at tech that you could then add and expand and what i'd like to see that might be a neat aspect is instead of player run fleets they get a planets they buy ( however way that is ) and you can do like fleets now and even have pirate missions for the planet etc....as an added pve or missions to the episodes , one could even envision a type of sim city that then pulls the builder types into a game like this ....and then like the old school rpg books tramp freighters each world would have a trade code ...then you can trade with other worlds .....and make alliances and be in whatever major force if you join the federation that is your tier 5 say , if you go klingon that's your tier 5 or more....
lots they can still do in a game like this but they dont need to start fresh. THE chat system code is a bit buggy but that is more to do with browser issues and the browser makers badly implementing things with the base code not being perfect either.
Be neat in a way to use the idea of new romulous how you help it out to "build up your planet but also like fleets to see it grow. WITH the avatar types you ahve its easy to then have a new homeworld and expand tons of races.
There seem to be an awful lot of people playing this game that haven't the first clue about what it takes to run an MMO, successful or otherwise. So far I have seen people claim that "The only issue is the engine" and "It's probably just your hardware" and I won't even bother with the "its simple, just fix the bugs".
There are numerous factors that come in to play when developing, launching, running and updating an MMO. First and foremost is the hardware the game runs on; by that I mean the database servers and the other required hardware, not your PC's. Updating a graphics engine is not all that difficult in the grand scheme of things but what IS difficult however is keeping the movement of data from one part of the system to another flowing smoothly.
Desyncs, what we see as lag, are probably the biggest problem in online gaming, and can be extremely difficult to overcome both from a hardware standpoint as well as a software one. Depending on how STO's database servers operate and are interconnected with the rest of the system, this could be as simple as boosting existing hardware by adding RAMSANS, adding better load balancers to share out incoming connections to the proxy layer servers, upgrading the fiber channel backbone that connects the proxy servers or just adding more nodes.
Adding more horsepower to the system would remove a lot of problems, but it can be insanely expensive and time consuming. Then, when the hardware is optimised, you can start working on optimising and fixing all the bugs in your software without having to worry that your system is going to fall over every 5 minutes, or have to deal with a few thousand people complaining about lag when 2 million people are all logged in.
Games like STO are made to be played on a vast array of differently specced machines all with their own unique quirks. Expecting a company, in the space of 3 years, to build a fully fledged and bug free gaming environment shared by over 2 million people is comparable to expecting a 6 month old child to understand the philosophical fineries of Aristotle or Plato.
In short, if you think its "Simply a case of..." then the chances are it is a damn sight more complex than you are capable of understanding. Even thinking about making "STO MK II" is ridiculous in the extreme, and I would sincerely hope that Cryptic and PWE treat such suggestions with as much thought as the people suggesting it did when making their request in the first place.
None.
It should also be noted that Trek fans, like many other fan groups, can be insanely anal about "What Trek is and what it means". Attempting to please everyone is impossible, so stop asking for anyone to attempt it.
Comments
Ok, that last bit was an exageration but you get the idea.
Star Trek: The Original Grind
Star Trek: The Next Grind
Star Trek: Deep Space Grind
Star Trek: Voyage to the Grind
Everquest, Planetside, Guildwars ...
I think the appropriate comparison for STO is fantasy MMOs, since that's really the core of what this game engine is.
Still, EVE uses a lot of tricks to do what it does and it's much lower rez in terms of what it does with 3D. Graphics quality has nothing to do with prettiness or quality and everything to do with specs, polycounts, hard numbers. And I'm pretty certain STO beats EvE there, barring an update I'm unaware of. If they had EvE's sense of art direction, they'd look better.
In fact, I'd guess STO's graphics are significantly higher spec than TERA, RIFT, or EvE and that what you're witnessing there is art direction you find more appealing and a bigger emphasis on cool effects. If STO's engine was in those artist's hands, there games would probably have higher system requirements and look even better.
I'd venture to say that the biggest MMO with a better graphics engine than STO is probably APB. STO (and Cryptic in general) tend to be inefficient with using their engine for high quality effects. That doesn't make the engine itself weak and in general Cryptic seems to sacrifice style for other design objectives (customization, camera movement, certain gameplay styles or controls) a lot. But Cryptic is going to be using the same engine in 15 years if they're still in business, with upgrades. So it would literally be less work to re-do the artwork in STO than do a STO 2.
And again, CBS may be able to charge them a new fee for calling it STO 2.
Even if they did, the manpower would be more efficiently applied here.
You'd get more out of Cryptic spending 5 years developing a TOS server/expanshalone than you would from a new studio developing a TOS MMO because the framework is in place here.
Even something like a cover system would be easier to add, provided the content itself is all new.
Focusing on those bugs gets 'em fixed. Not spending millions of dollars on another project.
Then you run into the wanted "completely-realistic" type of space combat that would utterly decimate the fan-base of any possible space version because complete 3-axis movement is difficult enough for even hard-core sim players to grasp and perfect. Normal, regular, every-day humans that go about their daily activities here on planet Earth have a hard enough time with 2 axis movement in the real world.
Bottom line is no, it is not time for an STO2, nor will it be time for it in the near future as it just won't be the money-maker it needs to be in order to off-set the financial resources needed to make it.
STO will see a bit of an influx of new players in May and probably into the summer after JJTrek2 comes out. Cryptic would be quite prudent to toss some new cookies out to maybe grab some of that new blood and entice them into the C-Store or to stick around a while like during the summer months until Cryptic can manage to create a "real" Season 8. (this is part of the reason why I feel that Romulans are coming sooner than expected).
Given that this game (like any MMO) is constantly being worked on/upgraded - exactly what would be the point/difference in an 'STO2' per se. And given the overall audience is the same - what profit/advantage would CBS or Cryptic obtain by doing this while this version of the game is still profitable for them?
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
I think the best you could hope for out of a rival Trek MMO would be a much better ground game and space combat being relegated to cinematics, minigames, and maybe a rail shooter.
This is the best you're going to see with this particular balance of ground and space... and maybe the best received you'd see with space. I think the only way for another Trek MMO to really go, assuming it would run concurrently with STO, is to aim to revolutionize the ground game.
The only way I could really see CBS benefiting is:
If it was TOS-based.
OR
If the focus was much smaller, ie. entirely based inside the TNG era Enterprise and away missions but with lavish detail that plays off the specialization on a narrow element.
You mean like the way that Perpetual was headed?
When STO has finally turned off the lights on Starbase 1 & Kronos, that is the end of any game in the prime universe. I hope I'm wrong & have no malice toward the reboot, I actually really enjoyed it. However, in my very personal opinion, I truly believe that this IS THE LAST prime universe game. I dont see this game ending any time soon & hope to be there on ESD at the end, but depending on how the duel license thing works with Trek, gaming, etc, I see all future games to be in the alternate universe (save that Star Trek Excalibur game, gosh I want to play that).
It would probably have to be more narrow than Perpetual to compete assuming STO was also on the market. STO is a very broad take on a very big picture.
The only way I could see a rival game working is if it's VERY, VERY narrow.
For example... A DS9 game. With the whole station. You almost never leave the station except for raids and maybe Cardassia and Bajor handled as major expansions. Now, from that, maybe you can play any one of a dozen factions. But everything would be very narrowly focused on the station and the activities/events would have to be lavish.
I THINK the overall direction for Perpetual was still pretty broad. Lots of aliens. Lots of space. Variety of ships.
The only way I can see to go is probably somewhere between the new Tomb Raider, as a co-op game, and Journey. Very narrow but very rich experience. Exploration within a small, lavish area.
If you try to go too broad, you're up against STO.
Heck couldn't even get a browser Trek game going, so a another MMO not likely anytime soon.
If they made a new game they wont be able to "capture trek" because no one can agree what Trek is every fan has their own views, and who wants to deal with that.
That's why we have reboots, that's why we have people who just do something and if someone has a problem just say it's not canon.
So if they made another Trek MMO or game or anything a group of people will still complain it's not Trek.
Trek was due for a Crisis on infinite Earths for a long time, the prime line is dead, and I don't think anyone will ever go back to it unless they pull a Doctor Who and just continue with it but just ignore everything that happen in the past and only acknowledge certain events, and people.
STO is stil one of the better looking MMO out there. I know there is something like TERA, but I think it has more to do with the art direction rather than the graphical capability.
We don't need a new engine. When it comes to graphics and the engine, especially in an MMO that needs a large variety of players with machines of varying specs, that means they need to keep the stress on the client's machine lowest possible.
In a year or so, they should release a major graphical update patch that increases textures and polycounts.
Developer wise, if CBS decides on a STO2, in maybe 5 years or so, I hope they keep Crypic. I know people complains about them, but they'll know what they are doing. They will learn from their mistakes and success. Bringing in a new developer would ruin the game because they won't know about the troubles and methods of the first STO and they are not familiar with the community to gauge what players want.
What Crypic needs to do now is to focus on refining this game and making more content for this game.
And make money on this game so when the time comes, they'll have the money to make a STO2 with proper funding and development team. With an increased amount of capital, they can hire more workers and eventually split up into two teams, one for STO and another on STO2.
A rushed sequel is never a good idea.
So the devs are using the same engine on three different games, that's great it means improvements from one can be brought over to another. Neverwinter might get a guild hall with upgradable options like the fleet starbases, they might add the Foundry to Champions, hoverbikes or ridable targs might be put into STO.
You say the graphics are dated, look at WOW or Mincraft, one looks like a cartoon and the other looks like an NES game (8bit). Starfleet is supposed to be shinny and chrome plated with 5 star hotel furniture. KDF is supposed be about function and weapons first and comfort last, the metal cups ill lit smokey corridors and rugged design of there ships matches everything we've seen in the shows.
As for a STO 2, i don't think its needed yet, maybe in about 7 or 8 years. Unless they do a new engine upgrade which would require a reinstall, I'll consider that STO 2.
There is no-one to finance this and if there ever is, please pick a better studio. thx.
at one point I would have said bioware but they flopped too .........but blizzard has the money and PW has the money
In three solid years, they haven't done a single season that "focuses" on bug fixes. They also haven't done that with their other game. Nor did they do that with City of Heroes when they were developing that.
They fix bugs. But it's never been a focus.
And this game's development history shows that they continually push through new ideas, new mechanics, bugs and all, and leave them incomplete (Diplomacy! Hey! You all ever vote on DS9? Yeah, me neither).
So I'm not sure what to say. I mean what's the gentlest way I can put it? They've never pushed aside "new" for "bug fix focus." I don't think they can.
I would support a STO 2 if it were set in an earlier era say 2260 an on.
USS WARRIOR NCC 1720 Commanding Officer
Star Trek Gamers
Heh. One can dream can't he? :rolleyes:
There are numerous factors that come in to play when developing, launching, running and updating an MMO. First and foremost is the hardware the game runs on; by that I mean the database servers and the other required hardware, not your PC's. Updating a graphics engine is not all that difficult in the grand scheme of things but what IS difficult however is keeping the movement of data from one part of the system to another flowing smoothly.
Desyncs, what we see as lag, are probably the biggest problem in online gaming, and can be extremely difficult to overcome both from a hardware standpoint as well as a software one. Depending on how STO's database servers operate and are interconnected with the rest of the system, this could be as simple as boosting existing hardware by adding RAMSANS, adding better load balancers to share out incoming connections to the proxy layer servers, upgrading the fiber channel backbone that connects the proxy servers or just adding more nodes.
Adding more horsepower to the system would remove a lot of problems, but it can be insanely expensive and time consuming. Then, when the hardware is optimised, you can start working on optimising and fixing all the bugs in your software without having to worry that your system is going to fall over every 5 minutes, or have to deal with a few thousand people complaining about lag when 2 million people are all logged in.
Games like STO are made to be played on a vast array of differently specced machines all with their own unique quirks. Expecting a company, in the space of 3 years, to build a fully fledged and bug free gaming environment shared by over 2 million people is comparable to expecting a 6 month old child to understand the philosophical fineries of Aristotle or Plato.
In short, if you think its "Simply a case of..." then the chances are it is a damn sight more complex than you are capable of understanding. Even thinking about making "STO MK II" is ridiculous in the extreme, and I would sincerely hope that Cryptic and PWE treat such suggestions with as much thought as the people suggesting it did when making their request in the first place.
None.
It should also be noted that Trek fans, like many other fan groups, can be insanely anal about "What Trek is and what it means". Attempting to please everyone is impossible, so stop asking for anyone to attempt it.
Sig by my better half.
Well said.
If they suddenly focus in working on a STO2, the current STO will fall apart and looses players.
People will move on and STO's reputation will be worse off.
With that lost of players and lowered reputation, even if they release a fantastic STO2, they will have a hard time bringing back old players or attracting new players.
So as long as my LTS transfers to STO2, I'd be all for it.
If it did not, I'd have to say goodbye to PWE/Cryptic.
I agree. Granted, they are better than TOR's models. :rolleyes:
lots they can still do in a game like this but they dont need to start fresh. THE chat system code is a bit buggy but that is more to do with browser issues and the browser makers badly implementing things with the base code not being perfect either.
Be neat in a way to use the idea of new romulous how you help it out to "build up your planet but also like fleets to see it grow. WITH the avatar types you ahve its easy to then have a new homeworld and expand tons of races.
Thread should have ended here.