Lead Content Designer Scott "Goatshark" Shicoff shares details about the divided Romulan Empire in this first entry of the Legacy of Romulus News Dev Blog series.
I'm very disillusioned that Goatshark dodged any detail on how tech-sharing alliances will be justified. Particularly from the UFP perspective.
I specificaly want to understand the rationale that allows the Federation reconcile Prime Directive violations, namely,
Providing knowledge of technologies or science (TOS: "A Private Little War"; VOY: "Caretaker")
Taking actions to generally affect a society's overall development (TNG: "Who Watches The Watchers")
Taking actions which support one faction within a society over another (TOS: "The Omega Glory"; TNG: "Too Short a Season")
Helping a society escape the negative consequences of its own actions (VOY: "Time and Again", "Thirty Days")
Subverting or avoiding the application of a society's laws (TOS: "Wolf in the Fold"; TNG: "Justice")
Interfering in the internal affairs of a society (TNG: "Symbiosis", "Reunion", "Redemption", "Redemption II", "The Price"; DS9: "The Circle", "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"; VOY: "Thirty Days")
There will be rage, but you know what? I like it. I think it makes sense in the context of STO - I'll hold back final judgement until I've finished leveling up my first Romulan but I'm hopeful and looking forward to the next Dev Blog!
Oh, I like. You aren't starting with the Republic, or the RSE. You're in your own corner of the universe... I really do like it. Wish this first post had more... but maybe it'll actually become a weekly thing and we'll get more information. ^_^
Original Join Date: January 2010 Original Name: -Gen-Alaris Days Subscribed: 1211 (As of May 26, 2013)
There will be rage, but you know what? I like it. I think it makes sense in the context of STO - I'll hold back final judgement until I've finished leveling up my first Romulan but I'm hopeful and looking forward to the next Dev Blog!
Like Greed, Nerdrage is eternal. :P
So Sela WAS rescued by the Iconians, and Hakeev was following what she wanted him to do? Hunh... ok then.
"You, the player, start as a member of this third group. Doing your best to simply live your life apart from Sela and the Tal Shiar, as well as D'Tan and the Romulan Republic, ....
It remains to be seen if you will be able to stay unaligned in the long run,...."
= we CAN allign ourselfs with D'Tan ... OR SELA ?!
This initial Dev Blog was created to provide some of the background story of Legacy of Romulus. We have a ton of Dev blogs planned that will cover mechanics and reveal more information, starting tomorrow with an interview-style blog. It's going to be a great couple months and an incredible summer and 2013 for STO.
Since we know you end up in a RRW ship, we can assume that the opening scenes after character creation somehow throw you into the arms of the Republic. (As in the Tal Shiar waste your family farm.)
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I joke, but that really is a great way to start out, though I somehow think our "alliance choice" is going to be prompted by an attack on the colony by these new enemies.
Personally. as a Romulan, I like how you begin your "career" as nothing but a common man (or woman). I also am intrigued by the Sela-Hakeev connection. It seems that she was working with him all along while not "publicly" working with him on his projects. That is so like a Romulan, though, at least in my opinion.
I am intrigued by the fact we start out as nobodies... maybe just s somewhat of a somebody on our colony, and then get the chance to join the Republic.
while in the process learning more of the back story... very nice.
Surprising to read about the third faction of Romulans.
It seems that the colonists have chosen the way of living a simple live on a colony.
What I don't get is why this group decides to join either the Federation or the Klingons. Why would they prefer total strangers - clearly former arch-enemies of the empire with whom they were constantly on a war like status instead their own kind?
Why would they leave their newly found worlds at all and live on starships if they just want to be colonists?
Why would they offer strangers their technology and their starships?
In the end I think you made a mistake to outline the future of the empire with a third faction. A scattered empire once again scattered seems to be too much in my opinion. You should have left it with the two internal factions: The Tal'Shiar and D'Tan's movement.
It wouldn't have made sense if you were a member of Sela's faction and join the Fed or KDF, but D'Tan's. This third one confuses and raises more questions than answering them.
I'm very disillusioned that Goatshark dodged any detail on how tech-sharing alliances will be justified. Particularly from the UFP perspective.
I specificaly want to understand the rationale that allows the Federation reconcile Prime Directive violations, namely,
Providing knowledge of technologies or science (TOS: "A Private Little War"; VOY: "Caretaker")
Taking actions to generally affect a society's overall development (TNG: "Who Watches The Watchers")
Taking actions which support one faction within a society over another (TOS: "The Omega Glory"; TNG: "Too Short a Season")
Helping a society escape the negative consequences of its own actions (VOY: "Time and Again", "Thirty Days")
Subverting or avoiding the application of a society's laws (TOS: "Wolf in the Fold"; TNG: "Justice")
Interfering in the internal affairs of a society (TNG: "Symbiosis", "Reunion", "Redemption", "Redemption II", "The Price"; DS9: "The Circle", "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"; VOY: "Thirty Days")
Survivors make up the third primary group of Romulans and Remans. These are people scattered across the galaxy, doing their best to make a new life in the shadow of their homeworlds' destruction. They have rejected the iron fist of the Tal Shiar, but they also doubt that D'Tan and his forces possess the ability to achieve their goals.
You, the player, start as a member of this third group. Doing your best to simply live your life apart from Sela and the Tal Shiar, as well as D'Tan and the Romulan Republic, you have managed to reach a level of happiness and comfort as a member of an agricultural colony. ~ Blog
I like the idea in general.
grrr... I would have loved for a chance to be apart of the Tal Shiar.
This initial Dev Blog was created to provide some of the background story of Legacy of Romulus. We have a ton of Dev blogs planned that will cover mechanics and reveal more information, starting tomorrow with an interview-style blog. It's going to be a great couple months and an incredible summer and 2013 for STO.
Cheers,
Brandon =/\=
While I appreciate that you all don't want to let everything out of the bag all at once, you've also created a situation where a lack of information on how exactly Romulan interactions will work has created a great deal of angst for players and the STO team alike it seems.
I do like the way we will be starting out...but I wonder then...why cant I throw in with Sela or go hunt down Donatra and save her happy self from the Borg? I do not like D'tan in the least.
Now I do have a thing for the Reman, but surely if I am as awesome of a Romulan as I am an Orion on the KDF then Sela would let me staff my ship with whoever I wanted and they would get all equal treatment as long as I was around.
I mean Sela and the Old Regime...they conquered the Borg tech....HELLO New Romulan Empire, we dont need allies if we can do that. AND they have the backs of the Iconians (maybe, atleast affiliated with them) and we do know for sure that they have used the Iconian gates...also HELLO totally useful for the Empire.
Surprising to read about the third faction of Romulans.
It seems that the colonists have chosen the way of living a simple live on a colony.
What I don't get is why this group decides to join either the Federation or the Klingons. Why would they prefer total strangers - clearly former arch-enemies of the empire with whom they were constantly on a war like status instead their own kind?
Why would they leave their newly found worlds at all and live on starships if they just want to be colonists?
Why would they offer strangers their technology and their starships?
In the end I think you made a mistake to outline the future of the empire with a third faction. A scattered empire once again scattered seems to be too much in my opinion. You should have left it with the two internal factions: The Tal'Shiar and D'Tan's movement.
It wouldn't have made sense if you were a member of Sela's faction and join the Fed or KDF, but D'Tan's. This third one confuses and raises more questions than answering them.
You, as the player character, weren't involved with the wars between the Federation and/or Klingon Empire. Also, just because the Romulan Star Empire was at war with the two other major powers (Federation and Klingon Empire), doesn't mean the every single citizen of the Romulan Star Empire agreed with or even took part in the wars against the Federation and/or Klingon Empire.
Frankly, I think it's better to ally oneself to either the Federation or the Klingon Empire.
" the Tal Shiar seek to bring the old Romulan power back to the galaxy by any means necessary. They seek to rule and control through fear and oppression. They are willing to harvest and implement Borg technology. But most dangerous of all, they have enlisted the services of dark and mysterious forces; ancient enemies of the galaxy they believe they can control."
that sounds like the most fun to me.
Beers,
Jengoz =/
"Star Trek Online is powered by the most abundant resource in the galaxy . . . Gullibility"
"Star Trek Online is powered by the most abundant resource in the galaxy . . . Gullibility"
You will end the tutorial with a ship, I'm pretty sure. And it will be a Republic ship.
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QFE. I rather liked a quote from Will Riker from "House of Cards," by Peter David, to fit this sort of situation.
"The Prime Directive, Admiral, last time I checked, did not first appear on the wall of Starfleet Headquarters in flaming letters accompanied by a sepulchral voice intoning, Thou Shalt Not Butt In,'" Riker said flatly. "It's a guide for day-to-day interaction with developing races so that we don't have umpty-ump Starfleet officers running around playing god by their own rules. But this is not day-to-day, Admiral. And we're not talking about playing god. We're talking about showing compassion for fellow living beings."
A simple Romulan Farmboy, staying out of the Fight between the Empire and the Republic.....till one day two Borg drones show up at your door step asking for help from an Old Romulan hermit. ....Later in search for the Borg drones, the Empire burn your farm down and kill your Aunt and Uncle.
Now angry you join the Republic in it's battles against the evil Empire.
Comments
I specificaly want to understand the rationale that allows the Federation reconcile Prime Directive violations, namely,
Kirk's Protege.
So some serious "stuff" is gonna go down, and we're gonna be thrown right smack into it.
Original Name: -Gen-Alaris
Days Subscribed: 1211 (As of May 26, 2013)
Conjoined, Re-emergence, and . . .
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
So Sela WAS rescued by the Iconians, and Hakeev was following what she wanted him to do? Hunh... ok then.
My character Tsin'xing
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
It remains to be seen if you will be able to stay unaligned in the long run,...."
= we CAN allign ourselfs with D'Tan ... OR SELA ?!
*do not want D'Tan... want Sela!*
Cheers,
Brandon =/\=
It looks like a post apocalyptic game now. We already have space zombies, but now we have the background.
Sounds cool. Will we keep the farm? :P
God, lvl 60 CW. 17k.
Why do so many Romulans have to be dead? The Super nova didn't originate that far from Romulus did it?
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I joke, but that really is a great way to start out, though I somehow think our "alliance choice" is going to be prompted by an attack on the colony by these new enemies.
Lifetime Sub since June 2010
Now i want to be a farmer.
God, lvl 60 CW. 17k.
I am intrigued by the fact we start out as nobodies... maybe just s somewhat of a somebody on our colony, and then get the chance to join the Republic.
while in the process learning more of the back story... very nice.
It seems that the colonists have chosen the way of living a simple live on a colony.
What I don't get is why this group decides to join either the Federation or the Klingons. Why would they prefer total strangers - clearly former arch-enemies of the empire with whom they were constantly on a war like status instead their own kind?
Why would they leave their newly found worlds at all and live on starships if they just want to be colonists?
Why would they offer strangers their technology and their starships?
In the end I think you made a mistake to outline the future of the empire with a third faction. A scattered empire once again scattered seems to be too much in my opinion. You should have left it with the two internal factions: The Tal'Shiar and D'Tan's movement.
It wouldn't have made sense if you were a member of Sela's faction and join the Fed or KDF, but D'Tan's. This third one confuses and raises more questions than answering them.
Looks fun to me so far.
"We are smart." - Grebnedlog
Member of Alliance Central Command/boq botlhra'ghom
The Romulan Republic has asked for help, and the Federation (and KDF) is giving it. As the Federation has done so before with Bajor, and tried to do with the Cardassians, until the Maquis prevented them. Remember, the Federation's ultimate goal is to assimi...er, welcome, the Romulans into their organisation at some point in the future.
Commanding Officer: Captain Pyotr Ramonovich Amosov
Dedication Plaque: "Nil Intentatum Reliquit"
grrr... I would have loved for a chance to be apart of the Tal Shiar.
I will take what I can get.
Thanks guys.
While I appreciate that you all don't want to let everything out of the bag all at once, you've also created a situation where a lack of information on how exactly Romulan interactions will work has created a great deal of angst for players and the STO team alike it seems.
Now I do have a thing for the Reman, but surely if I am as awesome of a Romulan as I am an Orion on the KDF then Sela would let me staff my ship with whoever I wanted and they would get all equal treatment as long as I was around.
I mean Sela and the Old Regime...they conquered the Borg tech....HELLO New Romulan Empire, we dont need allies if we can do that. AND they have the backs of the Iconians (maybe, atleast affiliated with them) and we do know for sure that they have used the Iconian gates...also HELLO totally useful for the Empire.
Frankly, I think it's better to ally oneself to either the Federation or the Klingon Empire.
that sounds like the most fun to me.
Beers,
Jengoz =/
"Star Trek Online is powered by the most abundant resource in the galaxy . . . Gullibility"
[Kluless][Kold][Steel Heels][Snagtooth]
[Louis Cipher][Outta Gum][Thysa Kymbo][Spanner][Frakk]
[D'Mented][D'Licious]
Joined October 2009. READ BEFORE POSTING
QFE. I rather liked a quote from Will Riker from "House of Cards," by Peter David, to fit this sort of situation.
Now angry you join the Republic in it's battles against the evil Empire.
I like it.