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Maybe, it is Time for a New Story?

zdfx19zdfx19 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
The game launched with a two faction war based story that the original team was going to develop through episodes over time. It fell flat with the player base and was completely abandoned over time in favor of visiting on other themes from Reman rebels to Devidian incursions and desert frontier worlds. Today, the war exists only on paper as a remembrance from subpar (and bugged) episodes most people skip playing and as a setup for nearly dead PVP arenas while players from both factions party together on Risa... It's dead Jim.

We killed the war...

The Cryptic team showed they were capable of much better work with the new Romulan campaign presenting story episodes so much better in all ways from mob combat to level design than the old content that it is hard to play through the older material now. It really sticks out like a wounded thumb. In the past attempts were made to remaster older episodes to bring them up to par but once more that fell flat as people did not want to revisit subpar material they had trudged through before again and again.

Therefore, I would like to see Cryptic develop a new story and new campaigns for both the Federation and KDF to bring them into current times, attract new players, and really improve the play experience all around. It could be done in a similar fashion to the LOR release. New 35 mission campaigns with updated ship packs. New featured episodes could follow to build on the mutual story of the three factions. We can put the war into the past and see something more appealing develop.

Older materials of some merit could be converted and remastered into historical skirmishes similar to the Lord of the Rings Online system for solo or two or three people to run for marks and special rewards giving small fleets and solo players an outlet of their own end game. Along the way, its also an excuse to revamp fixtures such as exploration and crafting while pumping some quality content into the game.

That?s my view. How about you? Would you like a new story with new content to replace the old and bringing some revamps to existing features like exploration (FED) or even PVP (KDF) with it? Or should they just keep adding on as they do now?
Post edited by zdfx19 on

Comments

  • stirling191stirling191 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    You're assuming that a new story would make any more sense than the current one.
  • zdfx19zdfx19 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    You're assuming that a new story would make any more sense than the current one.

    And why can't you let me be an optimist? Yes. I think the current team could put together a better, more cohesive story. :)
  • stirling191stirling191 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    zdfx19 wrote: »
    And why can't you let me be an optimist? Yes. I think the current team could put together a better, more cohesive story. :)

    You expect the writing team that continuously shoots holes in it's own stories (case in point: the entire Romulan Republic and it's relationship with, well, everyone else) to turn around and stop doing that?

    There's optimism, and then there's blind faith.
  • johnny111971johnny111971 Member Posts: 1,300 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I'm fine being at war... in fact.... i think they should;

    1) Craft a story line (perhaps the Thaleron weapon use) to causes a rift in the "allies" that moves the Romulan's to abandon their alliance with the KDF or the Federation, and rejoin their bothers/sisters in a full 3rd faction (their "fleet" base can be the Vault), now also at war with the Klingon's and Federation...

    2) 3 Way PVP Maps (not in a dirty way ;) )

    3) Neutral Zone spaces established (Eta Eridani, Pi Canis, Regulas) that seperate the three factions that are open PVP areas. (Territory control?)

    Opens path way for;

    Cardassian/Jem Faction to take over DS9 and surronding space

    Star Trek Online, Now with out the Trek....
  • captsolcaptsol Member Posts: 921 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Opens path way for;

    Cardassian/Jem Faction to take over DS9 and surronding space

    We already did that in a Feature Episode, I don't want to see it again.

    What we need is to get rid of the Fed/Klingon War and move on to whatever 'Big Plan' Cryptic supposedly has for the Iconians and others that they keep teasing at with every new release so we have a PvE enemy worthy of all these shiny new ships that the C-Store and Lobi Boxes keep tossing at us.
  • foxspirit13foxspirit13 Member Posts: 75 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    One of the sore-thumb points that people keep complaining about, and that Cryptic seemingly ignores, is that the "war story" has been there forever with no progression, its just there. Like a cancer eating at your body.

    They need to end the war, it's utterly ridiculous for the two super powers to be fighting each other while there are more dangerous enemies they should be working together to defeat. You can still have your pvp, but it would require a little work to revamp it, such as turning warzones into wargames, or shadow-wars or border-skirmish type settings. Alter the npcs complaining about the war so that they are grudgingly accepting the alliance and so on.

    People pretty much ignore the war-theme as it is, would KDF and Feds really be partying together on Risa if the war was really part of the setting? I don't think so. While in history, warring factions have stopped fighting for shared holidays, this is nothing like that since the lolwut festival is a Risian thing (and therefore only a Fed thing).

    It's time for Cryptic to get rid of the war theme. I don't expect them to jump right on it and crank it out in the next few weeks (that would be unrealistic), but they could start working on it and push it out in a mini-expansion or something. Maybe they could have it as an Episodic series were your missions involve ending the war, or you find out that the Chancellor is an Changeling and you have to go rescue the real Chancellor from the True Way/Dominion.

    There's so much that could be done with a ending-the-war series, and I think it would be really well recieved.
  • zdfx19zdfx19 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    You expect the writing team that continuously shoots holes in it's own stories (case in point: the entire Romulan Republic and it's relationship with, well, everyone else) to turn around and stop doing that?

    There's optimism, and then there's blind faith.

    I think every one of those holes could make for a fun story in a future episode if they chose to use it... But admittedly some things will always be brushed under the Horta in the name of fun.
  • oldkilldareoldkilldare Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    there's nothing wrong with the concept of the feds and klingons being at war.

    what was wrong was thinking that inter faction pvp was going to be a major thing in a star trek game.

    they were told that right at the beginning but the people that said it were at least partily shouted down by the MMO PK seeking locusts that (always largely temporarily) descend on any new MMO and the occasional supposed DS9 "fan"...

    and ofc pvp is cheap "content" development...just give them a ring to bash each other in and the people who take part make their own "fun"... >_>


    the idea of the war is fine (especially now the Klingons are "a full faction") and i agree it could do with some expanding.

    for a start imo the feds need PVE "Defense" Dil mssions like the Klingons have to redress a now very obvious potential earning imbalance and to reinforce the idea that they are in a war from a story pov.

    PvP should be revamped but NOT from a hardcore "OMG BALANCE!!!" pov but rather taking into account that its a niche part of the game and it's biggest expansion potential is actually in making it "casual" as opposed to trying to make it acceptable to "teh hardcore".

    (in WoW terms) what STO should be going for in it's "war" scenario/pvp is more Alterac Valley than Arena...


    ie PvP that can be casually enjoyed on a large MMO scale (and that has PVE elements) but that isn't completely hung up on 1 on 1 "balance" which restricts what can be added to the game elsewhere.

    personally i'd like to see suitably tuned bots placed into newly designed PvP maps rosters so queue popping and access to "the war" is near instant at any time.

    EvE is right over there *points* and this game is never going to be EvE.
    tbth it really shouldn't even be thinking about trying.

    as for content what the game needs, what the game has ALWAYS needed, is NOT more levelling content and an excuse to leverage selling us more ships/costumes but rather more "end game" content including vast swathes of missions to do at max level and with that in mind personally i'd like to see an end game mission on every single planet/system and/or lvl 50 "patrols".
  • seanl217seanl217 Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I completely agree, I've played a small chunk of the Rom story so far and was totally impressed... However, I decided to begin a new Fed char and going from the Romulan Story to the original Fed makes you realise how it needs abit of a redesign. Not 100% if its just because I've played the Fed missions so much but they seem so stale now! needs a remake.
  • starakusstarakus Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    If you think the fed story line is sad now compared to Romulan, go back or start a Klingon storyline. These were supposedly revamped? Go and play "Blood of the Empire" where you see the rooms clipped, floating npc and pathing markers, and have to look the bug up online, just to complete it. There is a reason you can't start a Klingon character first off and its a good one, along with the plot holes and lack of continuity. That level in particular is like an early alpha of a game and basically completely broken, for going on a year or more. I can not see, if you have any pride in your game at all, how you could ever permit such a level to go live, much less continue to ignore it for such a long time.

    Since the KDF are regularly ignored and their concerns go unanswered, I decided to roll a Klingon and see what the fuss was all about first hand. I am LVL 20 as of yesterday. I can say my experience so far has been like a scab, it really hurts and it is severely damaged, but I can't stop picking at it. I'll keep playing till Admiral but the experience so far is lackluster, imbalanced, and broken.
  • dharmalogicdharmalogic Member Posts: 42 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    (Hoping Cryptic reads this thread)

    I agree that the war needs to end. The idea that PVP for the factions continues as skirmishes sounds great.

    If Cryptic wants a faction at total odds with everyone else, they need to make one. The Dominion, The Borg, or even the Sphere Builders and whatever Xindi they still have following them (i'm guessing reptilians and insectoids).

    I would like to see the Iconians as a major story enhancer. For this to be as big as they built it, I'm thinking story missions, quable repeating missions, STFs, red alerts, etc.

    For the new enemy after, I would love to see the war with the Sphere Builders. For timeline purposes, they could say that they stepped up their plans (which is why the war has started before Enterprise J is built).
    You would need special personal shields to survive in any conflict that occurs in their space, special weapons, etc.
    Temporal Agent Danials specified that in the future, Klingons, Federation and Xindi would be allied in a massive effort to stop the Sphere Builders (another reason to ditch the war).
    They could introduce various Xindi and Suiliban as playable races, and add their ships to the list of playable ones. (Suliban could pilot a 'swarm' of their cell ships).


    All in all, the ideal MMO would have something like 4 factions. Their alignment would depend on player actions. So players that did missions that benefited other factions would increase reputation with them. The more players of one faction that did this for another, the more the two factions would be peacefully aligned. Conversely, if more players attacked the other faction (players and NPCs) the more the relationship between the two factions would degrade.
    For this to be viable space would have to be vast (think EVE Online). Starsystems and colonies would have to have a capture and hold system, and player actions would have to have a lasting impact in the game world. With such a system you could have Feds, KDF, Dominion and Romulans as a faction (or any combination really). But this last idea is too vast for STO, it would have to be a new game entirely, not that I wouldn't leap at the chance to play it.
  • platewearingbirdplatewearingbird Member Posts: 455 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    ofc pvp is cheap "content" development...just give them a ring to bash each other in and the people who take part make their own "fun"... >_>

    Funny, that's just what we have, and it's enough for STO.


    The problem is that since PvP exists most PvPers I talk to think of it as the BEST THING EVER and say that doing anything but that makes you a "skill-less noob".
  • bitemepwebitemepwe Member Posts: 6,760 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I think the story is fine, just not completed and left static as no time has changed in the game since launch. Its still 2409 as far as everything is concerned ingame.
    Leonard Nimoy, Spock.....:(

    R.I.P
  • zdfx19zdfx19 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    If you don't have good leveling content to "hook" players into investing enough to stick with the game or care enough to return then no amount of end game content will do any good in sustaining a player base. STO is and always should be a theme park related to enjoying the Trek experience where new players enter through the gate to exit and perhaps visit again next summer for a vacation when the new ride releases rather than an open world sandbox (which it is not cut out to be as an IP.)

    Factional PVP as currently implemented works against the interests of the majority of the player base. I agree with you here. If you buy into the idea that STO is a theme park about the experience of Trek then perhaps its time to integrate some PVP into it. Yes, PVP can be story meaningful and its a great excuse to make a new one. You want some PVP ideas then ok, here you go.

    How about a Starfleet Academy or KDF simulator where people sign up for PVP scenarios based on the shows where they get to pilot historical ships in historic battles? For example, a PVP scenario where you pilot a historic Constitution class ship against a TOS style Romulan warbird inspired by the episode "Balance of Terror." Not only would you have to contend with the other players ship but with a victory objective such as do x amount of damage to the FED cruiser and then cross the neutral zone or destroy the warbird before it can escape to stop a war for the FED.

    There would be no balance issues either as the DEV team would create the stock ships, gear, and BOFF load outs. With victory conditions and historical basis it would relate to the Trek experience, be more challenging, and be more meaningful than some kit bash arena where the only objective is to PWN junior over there for LULZ and TEARZ. You know, it might actually be something new to STO PVP. Good competitive fun.

    You want an area for more open factional PVP outside the competitively balanced? Fine advance the story to after the war where there is a cold war style conflict over resources. It would be STO?s own world vs world vs world map like GW2. If a factions players control area Y your side can refine X amount additional dilithium per day. Control area N as a faction and your side gets X amount additional fleet marks each day. It?s meaningful, can be integrated into a new story as only nominally supported actions for independent fleets, can provide new exciting end game content for fleets outside the sickening grind where they may have to work together with their previously unknown fellows...

    This game isn?t EVE. It should never try to be EVE. Even EVE is looking for way to reinvent itself with click exploration loot drops and other silliness making its way into play. STO needs to define its own path. Forget EVE... It's a spreadsheet trying to learn to be a game today.

    Finally, I have been fearful of investing in playing Klingon content based on word of mouth from faction players. A revamped story, episodes, and factional aims could do wonders for you though.

    This was aimed at a few folks (more than I could quote) and was auto-magically posted before I finished lol.
  • zdfx19zdfx19 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Please forgive me this bump. Its an issue I take seriously and still wonder what others think.
  • theanothernametheanothername Member Posts: 1,513 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    The war is over, its just that neither faction leader wants to admit it yet. Its time for a few episodes to clarify this.

    PvP will not be affected. It made no sense when the game was released and will continue to do so.
  • captiandata1captiandata1 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    maybe there could be a bit of a internal war between the main federation faction and 2 a sub federation faction at odd with the federation console and starfleet. one of the sub federation would want to join the kdf jampek, durose side. the other sub federation would be in lined with the tal shiar. mean while the main federation faction and the romulan republic declears war on both the ranegade federation/ tal shiar factions which spills over the the federation/klingon/tal shiar romulans

    also the could be a internal war on the kdf side between pro federation worf, martak faction and the jampek, durose, tal shiar sub faction. the tal shiar has supported the durose family for year ensuring that jampak was the current klingon leader by supportin the durose famliy. klingon internal wars happened from time to time and the durose family is made up of mostly kling pe'teg cowards and had more dishonor then it had honor. as far as jampek he could either be an 8472 species or a changeling or simply a dishonorable leader siding with the tal shiar. the houses of worf, martak go to war declearing war with jampek and the durose tal shiar faction to be pe'tag cowards.

    the romulan republic have had to defend then selves for about 20 years without the federation and kdf help against the romulan tal shiar and even then they needed a new home world and diplomacy meating to get any federation and the kdf help and even then it was not til a romulan republican sacrifice his life in a heroic and honorable way to save the the federation and kdf and the romulan republic members to send help to the romulan republic. as much as it was needed to have the player join in alligiance either the federation or kdf faction it would have been a nice option to stay in the romulan republic defence force totally or even have the option to side with the tal shiar romulan faction.

    for pve story missions if would be more productive if you could earn dilithium from every mission as a reward. also how about a repeatable back to back new romulas sector patol and beable to start doing the new romualas patrol missing from level one.
  • theroyalfamilytheroyalfamily Member Posts: 300 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    The war was over when Starfleet allowed the Klinks onto Space Arkham Asylum to pick up the Founder. LoR confirms this - there's no way either power would let that "personal alliance" thing happen.

    I would be a really easy thing to make official, too. Klingons apparently can re-sign a treaty with the Federation just by the Chancellor saying it's back in effect :rolleyes: so that would be a one-minute scene in a FE (kinda like how it was in DS9...). There would still be tension and lack of trust, etc - even though the Klinks and Feddies had been allies for decades in TNG, as far as the show was concerned the Klingons were a half-step away from being the antagonists in any particular episode - they never seemed too concerned that they were shooting at allies. That could remain the same in STO.
  • turbomagnusturbomagnus Member Posts: 3,479 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Yeah, that's always been a problem with me. It's like everyone from ensign to captain is at war, then you reach 'flag rank' and it's all co-operation (OMEGA, Nukara, New Rom, etc.)... it gives really bad impressions.

    My proposal on a way to resolve the 'war' plot is to have Kahless return with proof of the Iconians (possibly with the Hurq as a servant race?) being behind the Fek'ihri invasion and - permitting J'mpok to remain Chancellor (so as to keep him in the Great Hall for the earlier missions that he's part of) - reclaims his position as Emperor, ending the Klingon/Federation War by simply saying that the Klingons have greater enemies to fight and the Federation can aid them, stay out of their way or the Klingons will go through them. They are not the Federation's enemies. They are not the Federation's allies. They are Klingon.

    It's not hard. Look at the Fed-Cardassian War - it lasted almost twenty years before open hostilities ended, another year before a cease-fire agreement, then the final treaty to end it took another three years.
    "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it's not for the timid." -- Q, TNG: "Q-Who?"
    ^Words that every player should keep in mind, especially whenever there's a problem with the game...
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