It's been almost 3 months since I started playing STO. Not a long time, compared to many people here. Though you can see from my account that I enjoyed your game well enough that I have spent over $1000 on various things in such a short period of time. In part, it's for my own enjoyment without a doubt and my quest for perfection. Although new to STO, I was fairly active a decade ago with the earlier versions of Star Trek online gaming. From that time, I became passionate about great PvP since there were very few contents aside PvP. Therefore, the rich content you provided, the storyline and all these details is very refreshing to see.
Naturally, I find myself gravitating again towards PvP as I completed the story based content. To be as ready as possible, I spent a lot of time and money to perfect my ships and crew, using virtually only top notch / ultra rare (read: very expensive) items - still stuck in the old mindset of what PvP was in Star Trek online gaming - my mistake without a doubt. It just became clear to me why a lot of people shy away from PvP as a % of the total membership base, which is shocking when you think about it. Remember, prior to STO, most Star Trek gaming pretty much is all about PvP once the llimited storyline is through. Knowing that PvP is what motivates a lot of people to give you money and provide you the momentum to create new contents such as buying zen and keys - here is my simple and sincere suggestions :
- Create one on one PvP queues where players can see who is lined up for PvP and can decide whether they want to play each other or not. Some basic information should be provided such as faction, ship type, player level
- Separate Pug and Premade into two separate ques. The reasoning is simple, premades destroys pugs 99% of the time. If you are concerned that the Crystalline Catastrophy is too difficult and some people may not wish to play as a result, think about pug who try out PvP only to find premades setting up traps, ambush them and totally destroy them
- Provide a ranking system similar to accolades so that players can accumulate points for their pvp experience and in a way, let others know how good they are. This feedback actually came from someone on my fleet who doesn't play pvp. I asked him and that's what he said, it's pointless, there is not even a ranking or point system.
As it stands, the PvP is effectively dysfunctional - because most of these match ups are plagued by all kind of problems that caused them to be lopsided, most often rotating around mismatched teams, usually uneven # of players to begin with or people bailing out half way. As soon as this happens, if ruins the experience for everyone and both sides. So it doesn't matter how much one spends money or practice to become better when you are 1 or 2 players fighting against 4 or 5 players, half of the time. One can't help but wonder, what's the point? Thousands of dollars later, hundred of millions of EC and millions of dilithium spent for what? You can't even get a good pvp experience to truly test your skills except inviting friends for private match ups. Win or loss is not important, a win can be totally boring while a loss could have been exhilarating. My fleet does stf 99% of the time, they are great but I am more attracted to PvP. On the occasions they do private PvP, it's very fun and enjoyable because we don't have any of the problems cited above. It would be nice if the general PvP experience can be a little more functional and less intimidating to the membership in general.
By allowing newer players to start doing one to one pvp against players closer to their level - it would allow players to start early, even before they finish the story based content. PvP needs not be an elitist club where only those who spent a gazillion amount on their ships or gear can enjoy or take part. But for those who seek the thrill of challenging someone more experienced, they can find those as well - something for everyone = increasing higher participation rate = more active membership = more interest = higher revenue
It's been almost 3 months since I started playing STO. Not a long time, compared to many people here. Though you can see from my account that I enjoyed your game well enough that I have spent over $1000 on various things in such a short period of time.
It's been almost 3 months since I started playing STO. Not a long time, compared to many people here. Though you can see from my account that I enjoyed your game well enough that I have spent over $1000 on various things in such a short period of time. In part, it's for my own enjoyment without a doubt and my quest for perfection. Although new to STO, I was fairly active a decade ago with the earlier versions of Star Trek online gaming. From that time, I became passionate about great PvP since there were very few contents aside PvP. Therefore, the rich content you provided, the storyline and all these details is very refreshing to see.
Naturally, I find myself gravitating again towards PvP as I completed the story based content. To be as ready as possible, I spent a lot of time and money to perfect my ships and crew, using virtually only top notch / ultra rare (read: very expensive) items - still stuck in the old mindset of what PvP was in Star Trek online gaming - my mistake without a doubt. It just became clear to me why a lot of people shy away from PvP as a % of the total membership base, which is shocking when you think about it. Remember, prior to STO, most Star Trek gaming pretty much is all about PvP once the llimited storyline is through. Knowing that PvP is what motivates a lot of people to give you money and provide you the momentum to create new contents such as buying zen and keys - here is my simple and sincere suggestions :
- Create one on one PvP queues where players can see who is lined up for PvP and can decide whether they want to play each other or not. Some basic information should be provided such as faction, ship type, player level
- Separate Pug and Premade into two separate ques. The reasoning is simple, premades destroys pugs 99% of the time. If you are concerned that the Crystalline Catastrophy is too difficult and some people may not wish to play as a result, think about pug who try out PvP only to find premades setting up traps, ambush them and totally destroy them
- Provide a ranking system similar to accolades so that players can accumulate points for their pvp experience and in a way, let others know how good they are. This feedback actually came from someone on my fleet who doesn't play pvp. I asked him and that's what he said, it's pointless, there is not even a ranking or point system.
As it stands, the PvP is effectively dysfunctional - because most of these match ups are plagued by all kind of problems that caused them to be lopsided, most often rotating around mismatched teams, usually uneven # of players to begin with or people bailing out half way. As soon as this happens, if ruins the experience for everyone and both sides. So it doesn't matter how much one spends money or practice to become better when you are 1 or 2 players fighting against 4 or 5 players, half of the time. One can't help but wonder, what's the point? Thousands of dollars later, hundred of millions of EC and millions of dilithium spent for what? You can't even get a good pvp experience to truly test your skills except inviting friends for private match ups. Win or loss is not important, a win can be totally boring while a loss could have been exhilarating. My fleet does stf 99% of the time, they are great but I am more attracted to PvP. On the occasions they do private PvP, it's very fun and enjoyable because we don't have any of the problems cited above. It would be nice if the general PvP experience can be a little more functional and less intimidating to the membership in general.
By allowing newer players to start doing one to one pvp against players closer to their level - it would allow players to start early, even before they finish the story based content. PvP needs not be an elitist club where only those who spent a gazillion amount on their ships or gear can enjoy or take part. But for those who seek the thrill of challenging someone more experienced, they can find those as well - something for everyone = increasing higher participation rate = more active membership = more interest = higher revenue
Thank you for your time
Iskan@Iskandus
Don't be too hard on this fellow, friends, he has obviously put a lot of thought into this post. And anyone who has spent time in this segment of STO knows that he is also putting his finger on a number of problematic issues (ques that create 4 v 5, server drops, mismatched teams, etc.).
If you really want to get into some great pvp, set up "premade" private matches. Get some mates together, figure out who is going to call targets, subnuc, heal, etc., and then find another set of players to go against you. If you get rolled, then ask your opponents to help you.
You might also consider joining up with Pvp Boot Camp. We are an organization dedicated to helping people learn how to PvP. Here is the most recent update:
Don't be too hard on this fellow, friends, he has obviously put a lot of thought into this post. And anyone who has spent time in this segment of STO knows that he is also putting his finger on a number of problematic issues (ques that create 4 v 5, server drops, mismatched teams, etc.).
If you really want to get into some great pvp, set up "premade" private matches. Get some mates together, figure out who is going to call targets, subnuc, heal, etc., and then find another set of players to go against you. If you get rolled, then ask your opponents to help you.
You might also consider joining up with Pvp Boot Camp. We are an organization dedicated to helping people learn how to PvP. Here is the most recent update:
There are also some great PvP fleets out there who are willing to help you learn how to PvP.
The stuff the OP has covered is stuff that has been bothering me with PvP, especially lately.
However, your suggestion falls flat a little with many of us as most of my ingame friends are not PvPers, my fleet isnt PvP orientated so for that does that mean that we shouldnt PvP? Or do but instead of having even close to a chance just expect to lose every single time? If thats the case the all I can say is BS.
It recently since being active on the forum that this game at times has so many elitist p***ks unwilling to help, unwilling to listen or just unwilling to realise that for a game to have a PvP element involved, has to be balanced (to a point). Frankly, Im p**s bored of PvP with premades rolling it all the time because of better communication systems and better teamwork, oh and practice between one another.
Is it so much to ask for a PvP element that the CASUAL PvPer can be involved in?
Or do so many people take great pride in stomping Pug teams?
Even as far as ruining it for people who may not have the 'network' of online friends, or for people who are unwilling to download TS3 (due it already destroying 1 high end gaming machine with a virus) or even people that actually do know how to PvP but cant get a group together due to other fleet commitments but do PvP to burn time waiting for CDs on PvE fleet stuff/STFs.
The stuff the OP has covered is stuff that has been bothering me with PvP, especially lately.
However, your suggestion falls flat a little with many of us as most of my ingame friends are not PvPers, my fleet isnt PvP orientated so for that does that mean that we shouldnt PvP? Or do but instead of having even close to a chance just expect to lose every single time? If thats the case the all I can say is BS.
It recently since being active on the forum that this game at times has so many elitist p***ks unwilling to help, unwilling to listen or just unwilling to realise that for a game to have a PvP element involved, has to be balanced (to a point). Frankly, Im p**s bored of PvP with premades rolling it all the time because of better communication systems and better teamwork, oh and practice between one another.
Is it so much to ask for a PvP element that the CASUAL PvPer can be involved in?
Or do so many people take great pride in stomping Pug teams?
Even as far as ruining it for people who may not have the 'network' of online friends, or for people who are unwilling to download TS3 (due it already destroying 1 high end gaming machine with a virus) or even people that actually do know how to PvP but cant get a group together due to other fleet commitments but do PvP to burn time waiting for CDs on PvE fleet stuff/STFs.
Please don't take my suggestion (get some mates together for pvp) as a statement that people who are not in pvp fleets should forget about pvp. If that is what you heard, then please accept my apologies. What I do wish to make clear, however, is that one thing that we can do as players to level the playing field in pvp is simply to team up. I think most people would agree that a team that is in communication with one another will have a bit of an advantage over a team that doesn't. There are issues of balance that we as players cannot fix; they are in the hands of the devs. Teamwork, however, is one thing we can create however, and it has a profound impact on the players experience.
If you don't like TeamSpeak or verbal communications, then use text. Be a leader in the questions. Set up the "Target X" keybind. You will be amazed how effective a no-comms team can be. Just step up and take hold of leadership, and in most cases people will follow you.
I am sorry that you have had a negative experience with "elitists" who are unwilling to help. To be honest, I have the privilege of knowing quite a few of the greatest PvP players in this game (and I am not one of them), and most of them do not fit the characteristics you have described above.If you want to be put in contact with some helpful pvp'ers, just send me an ingame note: @gradstudent1
The stuff the OP has covered is stuff that has been bothering me with PvP, especially lately.
However, your suggestion falls flat a little with many of us as most of my ingame friends are not PvPers, my fleet isnt PvP orientated so for that does that mean that we shouldnt PvP? Or do but instead of having even close to a chance just expect to lose every single time? If thats the case the all I can say is BS.
It recently since being active on the forum that this game at times has so many elitist p***ks unwilling to help, unwilling to listen or just unwilling to realise that for a game to have a PvP element involved, has to be balanced (to a point). Frankly, Im p**s bored of PvP with premades rolling it all the time because of better communication systems and better teamwork, oh and practice between one another.
Is it so much to ask for a PvP element that the CASUAL PvPer can be involved in?
Or do so many people take great pride in stomping Pug teams?
Even as far as ruining it for people who may not have the 'network' of online friends, or for people who are unwilling to download TS3 (due it already destroying 1 high end gaming machine with a virus) or even people that actually do know how to PvP but cant get a group together due to other fleet commitments but do PvP to burn time waiting for CDs on PvE fleet stuff/STFs.
I have one question, though, and it may be because I misunderstand both you and the OP. Please don't take the question sarcastically; it is not meant to be so:
What kind of balanced PvP scenario are you imagining in which teamwork (facilitated by such programs as TeamSpeak) would not give a team a definitive advantage over another? Apart from 1 v 1, which is currently available to you at any point, how would you balance things so that the "casual" (which I take to mean, someone not interested in team-play) player can be on par with everyone else?
I have one question, though, and it may be because I misunderstand both you and the OP. Please don't take the question sarcastically; it is not meant to be so:
What kind of balanced PvP scenario are you imagining in which teamwork (facilitated by such programs as TeamSpeak) would not give a team a definitive advantage over another? Apart from 1 v 1, which is currently available to you at any point, how would you balance things so that the "casual" (which I take to mean, someone not interested in team-play) player can be on par with everyone else?
That is a very logical question.
By casual I mean a pug player, a player like myself and many others who do PvP in a none 'serious' manner, so they do a fair amount of PvE, like the challenge of PvP every once in a while but actually would like a fair chance in a public queue without having to leave a fleet to join a PvP fleet, or to not fuss around with TS3 and the risks of adware viruses that comes with it, hell, even people that dont speak English.
The way (or in part) to help with that is 2 separate queues, 1 for pug, 1 for premades.
If anyone joins as a group of 3 or more players, they join the premade, singulars join the pug team, 2 players as a team will either boost numbers in premade or go into a pug.
From there it plays out the same.
Pug games will spin either way, you will have the people that naturally work quite well together, but at least everyone is on a more level playing field.
Part of the reason PvP isnt popular is because it is so unforgiving, so many premades stomping pugs, the pugs have no chance (unless the fleet still hasnt worked its teamwork out yet), its not even fun going in for a fight only to find you get subnuced and viral matrixed to the hilt, you cant move, you cant shoot, you have no resistance or no buffs, you need a heal or a sci team thrown over but its not there because the pug team has 5 tac in it, or as Ive had, 4 engineer cruisers (2 Gal X's in there to boot) and me as a lone tac.
If you want to go complicated, you could even have on the pug side (and only pug side if its possible) the proper 5 person team setup, ie 1 engineer, 1 sci, 3 tac. (although lately PvP seems to be top heavy with scis spamming the cr4p out of you).
Ill drop this in, subnuc and viral matrix should not be stackable and you should receive an immunity for say 2 minutes once its cleared (cuts down on spam usage of an already silly powerful skill). Past 2 days have been atrocious with groups just spamming SNB and VM on 1 ship. 6 minute timers and 135 second burn off period in amongst having no offensive or defensive for upwards of a minute (if they leave you alone). Thats not fighting, thats not even a PvP, thats just not even worth the time or effort to queue. Now someone will say 'get your team to throw you a sci team or engineer team bla bla', all well and good if it wasnt for the fact that 4 tac 1 engineer has been put against a premade (or even pug team) of 5 sci, debuff and spam central.
OP: Its funny because Cryptic thinks that PvPers never spent much on this game, but tons of PvPers i know throw money at this game like crazy, respecs, lockbox ships, etc.
Its lulz.
But your ideas are great, but I lost any hope that they will ever do something about this PvP system. In fact i am convinced they hardly know their own code when it comes to the PvP system.
My theories are that this whole pvp system is somewhat hard coded into the engine and there is no way to easily add new features or additions or modifications to this system without totally breaking open the code and (partly) rewrite it.
Thanks for all your feedback and comments, I find them to be polite and constructive.
Here are some thoughts :
- A one on one cue is not mutually exclusive to the existing team cues. Case in point, while playing in Kerrat today, a fellow Fed player invited me to a private one on one, it was a lot of fun, I learned a great deal as well. We friended each other at the end.
- There are too many variations possible to put players in specific silo. I am a tact captain who often flies Sci ships such as the Wells or Vesta. How do you classify me then? On my Wells, one particular build has absolutely no tact station, a very unusual & niche design
- For casual fed players, I find that Kerrat is a good place to do casual pvp because it also has pve content. There, you are flanked by a large number of other Fed players so stick with the group, the Klignons can't gang bang you there. It's not perfect but here is a possible alternative
- I don't have access to Cryptic data to know for sure. It's possible most of the pvpers tend to be younger, either teens or students, thus have less capacity to spend. My fleet is more mature, virtually everyone active there is 30+old or close to so they rarely ever pvp. Some pvpers manage to get their top notch equipment virtually free entirely via grinding. I admire their resolve but I simply can't do that.
The OP has good points, ones that have been made since launch and still no real effort to make PvP better, only worse. The comments provided may sound smug or whatnot, but they are just showing how players work around the mechanics we are given.
Personally, I find my PvP elsewhere. Maybe one day it will be added to STO.
There are some really good models out there. Some have large areas of PvP where coordinated teams and individuals are side by side. PvP areas can have many objectives instead of just cramming a group into a small area and letting them go at it. Even the old X-Wing games had a lobby to set up matches, and that was back in the early 90's.
This is the free 2 play age where lockboxes and gimmicks are spammed to keep new players joining and throwing money away on a quick buzz. Those of us who want a long term monogamous relationship with a game are out of luck. We are supposed to install a lot of these free 2 play games and switch between them to avoid boredom, not immerse ourselves in strategy and skill in one good game.
Maybe next season? Don't hold your breath, after 3 years I need some air, lol.
You mentioned you wanted to be able to know who you where fighting ect... best to just ask first.
Organizing PvP matches is what the chan is for... you can ask for team matches and by all means your free to ask for 1v1s... the challenge system works just fine for that.
I want to say that I appreciate this thread by the OP. I find myself in a similar situation often.
I often find myself doffing around sector space or doing some fleet admin stuff, in the background I might have queued for a fleet action and a pvp. I'll take whatever comes first as I just want a quick game before I log to another toon. I imagine this is what other casual pvpers do and it's not really conducive to organized pvp I admit.
I accept that if I pug a match it's going to be a gamble and I do run with opvp pugmades on occasion. But most of the time I just want one quick game, not a set of three, not staying teamed for 45+ mins. I like the flexibility of jumping into a pvp, back to an stf, doing a fleet action and so on.
As a pug veteran I can say that getting rolled by pug/premades goes with the territory and sometimes I wonder why I bother doing it at all. It seems to me that SOME pug/premades are absolutely terrible sports, gang banging teams (Some KDF fleets are shameless about it). They, in my opinion, have ruined pvp. You know the type; the fleet that queues for a game rolls over all the pugs, pops fireworks and trash talks in-game. I no longer queue for FvK for this and some other reasons *cough* Elite Fleet Dis.
That being said I have become a much better player by learning at the pug school of hard knocks. And I have seen some fleets and pugmades have a player sit out if it's 4v5, MT comes to mind doing it in one game I was in.
But there are groups out there ruining it for the good pug/premades. I often wonder how many people have been driven away from pvp never to return because of the actions of a few.
Inner Circle / Special Circumstances Gardiner, Suval, Thran Korvak, Raketh, Xedar, Zidow Decis, Vesok
Comments
this is a team game.
1v1's are good for dogfights in escorts only, which can be fun...but cruiser 1v1's are snorefests, ans scivsci is a crapshoot.
other than that, good post
have fun kill bad guys
-thrusters on full-
Get help.
Or find a worthwhile charity or some such.
Don't be too hard on this fellow, friends, he has obviously put a lot of thought into this post. And anyone who has spent time in this segment of STO knows that he is also putting his finger on a number of problematic issues (ques that create 4 v 5, server drops, mismatched teams, etc.).
If you really want to get into some great pvp, set up "premade" private matches. Get some mates together, figure out who is going to call targets, subnuc, heal, etc., and then find another set of players to go against you. If you get rolled, then ask your opponents to help you.
You might also consider joining up with Pvp Boot Camp. We are an organization dedicated to helping people learn how to PvP. Here is the most recent update:
http://sto.perfectworld.com/news/?p=854511
There are also some great PvP fleets out there who are willing to help you learn how to PvP.
The stuff the OP has covered is stuff that has been bothering me with PvP, especially lately.
However, your suggestion falls flat a little with many of us as most of my ingame friends are not PvPers, my fleet isnt PvP orientated so for that does that mean that we shouldnt PvP? Or do but instead of having even close to a chance just expect to lose every single time? If thats the case the all I can say is BS.
It recently since being active on the forum that this game at times has so many elitist p***ks unwilling to help, unwilling to listen or just unwilling to realise that for a game to have a PvP element involved, has to be balanced (to a point). Frankly, Im p**s bored of PvP with premades rolling it all the time because of better communication systems and better teamwork, oh and practice between one another.
Is it so much to ask for a PvP element that the CASUAL PvPer can be involved in?
Or do so many people take great pride in stomping Pug teams?
Even as far as ruining it for people who may not have the 'network' of online friends, or for people who are unwilling to download TS3 (due it already destroying 1 high end gaming machine with a virus) or even people that actually do know how to PvP but cant get a group together due to other fleet commitments but do PvP to burn time waiting for CDs on PvE fleet stuff/STFs.
Please don't take my suggestion (get some mates together for pvp) as a statement that people who are not in pvp fleets should forget about pvp. If that is what you heard, then please accept my apologies. What I do wish to make clear, however, is that one thing that we can do as players to level the playing field in pvp is simply to team up. I think most people would agree that a team that is in communication with one another will have a bit of an advantage over a team that doesn't. There are issues of balance that we as players cannot fix; they are in the hands of the devs. Teamwork, however, is one thing we can create however, and it has a profound impact on the players experience.
If you don't like TeamSpeak or verbal communications, then use text. Be a leader in the questions. Set up the "Target X" keybind. You will be amazed how effective a no-comms team can be. Just step up and take hold of leadership, and in most cases people will follow you.
I am sorry that you have had a negative experience with "elitists" who are unwilling to help. To be honest, I have the privilege of knowing quite a few of the greatest PvP players in this game (and I am not one of them), and most of them do not fit the characteristics you have described above.If you want to be put in contact with some helpful pvp'ers, just send me an ingame note: @gradstudent1
I have one question, though, and it may be because I misunderstand both you and the OP. Please don't take the question sarcastically; it is not meant to be so:
What kind of balanced PvP scenario are you imagining in which teamwork (facilitated by such programs as TeamSpeak) would not give a team a definitive advantage over another? Apart from 1 v 1, which is currently available to you at any point, how would you balance things so that the "casual" (which I take to mean, someone not interested in team-play) player can be on par with everyone else?
That is a very logical question.
By casual I mean a pug player, a player like myself and many others who do PvP in a none 'serious' manner, so they do a fair amount of PvE, like the challenge of PvP every once in a while but actually would like a fair chance in a public queue without having to leave a fleet to join a PvP fleet, or to not fuss around with TS3 and the risks of adware viruses that comes with it, hell, even people that dont speak English.
The way (or in part) to help with that is 2 separate queues, 1 for pug, 1 for premades.
If anyone joins as a group of 3 or more players, they join the premade, singulars join the pug team, 2 players as a team will either boost numbers in premade or go into a pug.
From there it plays out the same.
Pug games will spin either way, you will have the people that naturally work quite well together, but at least everyone is on a more level playing field.
Part of the reason PvP isnt popular is because it is so unforgiving, so many premades stomping pugs, the pugs have no chance (unless the fleet still hasnt worked its teamwork out yet), its not even fun going in for a fight only to find you get subnuced and viral matrixed to the hilt, you cant move, you cant shoot, you have no resistance or no buffs, you need a heal or a sci team thrown over but its not there because the pug team has 5 tac in it, or as Ive had, 4 engineer cruisers (2 Gal X's in there to boot) and me as a lone tac.
If you want to go complicated, you could even have on the pug side (and only pug side if its possible) the proper 5 person team setup, ie 1 engineer, 1 sci, 3 tac. (although lately PvP seems to be top heavy with scis spamming the cr4p out of you).
Ill drop this in, subnuc and viral matrix should not be stackable and you should receive an immunity for say 2 minutes once its cleared (cuts down on spam usage of an already silly powerful skill). Past 2 days have been atrocious with groups just spamming SNB and VM on 1 ship. 6 minute timers and 135 second burn off period in amongst having no offensive or defensive for upwards of a minute (if they leave you alone). Thats not fighting, thats not even a PvP, thats just not even worth the time or effort to queue. Now someone will say 'get your team to throw you a sci team or engineer team bla bla', all well and good if it wasnt for the fact that 4 tac 1 engineer has been put against a premade (or even pug team) of 5 sci, debuff and spam central.
Its lulz.
But your ideas are great, but I lost any hope that they will ever do something about this PvP system. In fact i am convinced they hardly know their own code when it comes to the PvP system.
My theories are that this whole pvp system is somewhat hard coded into the engine and there is no way to easily add new features or additions or modifications to this system without totally breaking open the code and (partly) rewrite it.
Sad.
Here are some thoughts :
- A one on one cue is not mutually exclusive to the existing team cues. Case in point, while playing in Kerrat today, a fellow Fed player invited me to a private one on one, it was a lot of fun, I learned a great deal as well. We friended each other at the end.
- There are too many variations possible to put players in specific silo. I am a tact captain who often flies Sci ships such as the Wells or Vesta. How do you classify me then? On my Wells, one particular build has absolutely no tact station, a very unusual & niche design
- For casual fed players, I find that Kerrat is a good place to do casual pvp because it also has pve content. There, you are flanked by a large number of other Fed players so stick with the group, the Klignons can't gang bang you there. It's not perfect but here is a possible alternative
- I don't have access to Cryptic data to know for sure. It's possible most of the pvpers tend to be younger, either teens or students, thus have less capacity to spend. My fleet is more mature, virtually everyone active there is 30+old or close to so they rarely ever pvp. Some pvpers manage to get their top notch equipment virtually free entirely via grinding. I admire their resolve but I simply can't do that.
Personally, I find my PvP elsewhere. Maybe one day it will be added to STO.
There are some really good models out there. Some have large areas of PvP where coordinated teams and individuals are side by side. PvP areas can have many objectives instead of just cramming a group into a small area and letting them go at it. Even the old X-Wing games had a lobby to set up matches, and that was back in the early 90's.
This is the free 2 play age where lockboxes and gimmicks are spammed to keep new players joining and throwing money away on a quick buzz. Those of us who want a long term monogamous relationship with a game are out of luck. We are supposed to install a lot of these free 2 play games and switch between them to avoid boredom, not immerse ourselves in strategy and skill in one good game.
Maybe next season? Don't hold your breath, after 3 years I need some air, lol.
Its called Opvp.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=178955
Join it and ask for all the 1v1s you want.
You mentioned you wanted to be able to know who you where fighting ect... best to just ask first.
Organizing PvP matches is what the chan is for... you can ask for team matches and by all means your free to ask for 1v1s... the challenge system works just fine for that.
I often find myself doffing around sector space or doing some fleet admin stuff, in the background I might have queued for a fleet action and a pvp. I'll take whatever comes first as I just want a quick game before I log to another toon. I imagine this is what other casual pvpers do and it's not really conducive to organized pvp I admit.
I accept that if I pug a match it's going to be a gamble and I do run with opvp pugmades on occasion. But most of the time I just want one quick game, not a set of three, not staying teamed for 45+ mins. I like the flexibility of jumping into a pvp, back to an stf, doing a fleet action and so on.
As a pug veteran I can say that getting rolled by pug/premades goes with the territory and sometimes I wonder why I bother doing it at all. It seems to me that SOME pug/premades are absolutely terrible sports, gang banging teams (Some KDF fleets are shameless about it). They, in my opinion, have ruined pvp. You know the type; the fleet that queues for a game rolls over all the pugs, pops fireworks and trash talks in-game. I no longer queue for FvK for this and some other reasons *cough* Elite Fleet Dis.
That being said I have become a much better player by learning at the pug school of hard knocks. And I have seen some fleets and pugmades have a player sit out if it's 4v5, MT comes to mind doing it in one game I was in.
But there are groups out there ruining it for the good pug/premades. I often wonder how many people have been driven away from pvp never to return because of the actions of a few.
Gardiner, Suval, Thran
Korvak, Raketh, Xedar, Zidow
Decis, Vesok