As much as I hate to say it, I must... Not when you realize that for most of those years the KDF were a mystical 20% of the playerbase.
I know it can be an emotionally difficult concept to understand, as you clearly love your Faction, but if Cryptic has the option of selling to 80,000 people or 20,000 people they're going to choose 80,000 every single time - especially when they only have enough manpower to do one or the other. For Cryptic it was purely a business choice, not an emotional choice.
Spoken like a medicore businessman, in a competently run business you please all 100% of your customers especially if it does not cost you anything,you DO NOT alienate 20% of your customer base out of poor laziness and that is the point, Cryptic`s either too lazy or simple not smart enough to port over some simple things to the KDF wich wouldnt even cost them a day of time.
Of course i know its pointless since you are one of "those" but i try anyway.
My understanding is that the Fed, KDF, and Rom characters all use a different model base, so it's not just the same model with a different face.
But it is the same, and even if it would not be the same if a hobby modder can create an entirley new model within a week and WITHOUT any cliping issues (something Cryptic has not achieved yet) than one would think those self proclaimed "proffesionals" would do better than that no?
Spock's brain was a good story Better than most of the other rubbish made in later series, that's right, SERiES... what made it "horrible" was the overacting and sometimes just down-right rediculous diologue between the characters.
So yes... I'd love to see a good story like that.... just not in the "so corny it's still on the cob" Dialogue...
We don't want what the Feds have. We want the equivalent. We want fairer treatment. Concern, desire, greed to some extent, and passionate belief that the enough people would buy KDF items to make it worth Cryptic's while.
My understanding is that the Fed, KDF, and Rom characters all use a different model base, so it's not just the same model with a different face. Thus you can't just use any uniform on any species. Each piece needs to be built for each model. Thus making "generic" boots means the artist must make them 3 times, once for each model. IE, 3 times the work.
I never bought this explanation as it made no sense. Alien character types come in a very wide array of shapes and sizes and are able to exceed all KDF species size boundaries except Gorn (on the large end). Yet they can show armor/kit visuals Fed-side with no problem. Orions, Letheans, Klingons, and Nausicaans should be able to show armor/kit visuals, and even Gorn shouldn't have an issue. Additionally, Fed-aligned Romulans can show kit/armor but KDF-aligned Roms cannot. So it's a faction, not a species, issue.
On top of that, the winter coats work just as well on my KDF Orion as on my Fed Trill and Ferengi.
I think a far more likely explanation for no KDF kit/armor visuals is that Cryptic didn't have time to develop a different style for the red faction and decided to leave it out (probably hoping to get to it at a later date that never came). This would explain why, on Fed-side, 2-3 tac kit visuals are identical, why some kit parts don't animate properly with character movements, etc. Time ran out and things went from unfinished to "good enough".
Star Trek: Online - Now with 100% more dinosaurs!!
I never bought this explanation as it made no sense. Alien character types come in a very wide array of shapes and sizes and are able to exceed all KDF species size boundaries except Gorn (on the large end). Yet they can show armor/kit visuals Fed-side with no problem. Orions, Letheans, Klingons, and Nausicaans should be able to show armor/kit visuals, and even Gorn shouldn't have an issue. Additionally, Fed-aligned Romulans can show kit/armor but KDF-aligned Roms cannot. So it's a faction, not a species, issue.
On top of that, the winter coats work just as well on my KDF Orion as on my Fed Trill and Ferengi.
I think a far more likely explanation for no KDF kit/armor visuals is that Cryptic didn't have time to develop a different style for the red faction and decided to leave it out (probably hoping to get to it at a later date that never came). This would explain why, on Fed-side, 2-3 tac kit visuals are identical, why some kit parts don't animate properly with character movements, etc. Time ran out and things went from unfinished to "good enough".
I never bought this argument either... most models in Star trek are humanoid, even the Gorn(though they shouldn't be). That's 1 model with interchangeable pieces(hence Alien). It's also the biggest reason Cryptic and PWE backed down from the "Aliens are Preorder" mini-scandal for Rommies. The only restrictions come with the individual presets of the species which shouldn't do much more than stretch the model of the actual piece of the clothing....
We don't want what the Feds have. We want the equivalent. We want fairer treatment. Concern, desire, greed to some extent, and passionate belief that the enough people would buy KDF items to make it worth Cryptic's while.
There ARE game companies that operate this way. FASA (oops, out of business), TSR (oops, out of business!)...
1 in 6 is more than 1 in 10, anywhere but computer gaming a 1 in 10 number is significant enough to require dedicated support and efforts to make it profitable or more profitable.
You've never operated a small business, that much is very clear. You keep using McDonalds, Boeing, and GM examples - mega-corporations. Cryptic is Ma and Pa Game Design, not EA/Bioware or Activision/Blizzard.
Small companies deal with limited resources; and yes, that often means they're required to alienate some of their customer base. If you own a bakery and can only afford to buy blueberries or cherries, and 80% of your customers buy blueberry pie and blueberry muffins, then you buy the blueberries over the cherries. It really is just that simple. You can send away the cherry pie lovers and retain 80% or your business or send away the blueberry pie lovers and lose 80% of your business for the month/quarter.
And technically, TSR is still in business - bought out by Wizards of the Coast in '97. WotC was, in turn, bought-out by Hasbro in '99.
STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
Seems to me that it's impossible to suggest that the KDF have not been hard done by, historically.
However, its equally clear that there have been serious improvements recently.
The ability to start a KDF from level 1 is hugely important.
But there are still steps that need to be made.
Probably, in my view, the best example of the work that needs to be done is the lack of costumes.
In any MMO, indeed in any game, customising ones character is an important step.
There may be thousands of Klingons/Orions/Gorn/Aliens out there, but this is mine and its going to be unique.
This is gaming basic, surely.
Yet the KDF have had sorely restricted costume options from the get go.
Cryptic have limited the ability of KDF players to express themselves, relative to the options granted the Federation in this regard.
Seems to me there's a chicken/egg situation here.
If Cryptic were to commit to the KDF a bit more, if they were to clearly signal that they intended to fully flesh out this faction, then players will follow.....along with their wallets.
However, while they send the contrary signal....that they dont really see that supporting the KDF is equally important as supporting the Federation.....then players will naturally tend to spend their money somewhere that will be supported.
What I'd like to see is a KDF season.
Perhaps season nine can be the one.
A season of enhancements and improvements, focussed on the KDF. Get some costumes out there, plug up some of the holes in the fleet roster, give us more fleet versions of c-store ships to give us a reason to buy them, make a PvP batleth tournament with a persistent ladder.
In short, take off the Federation/Romulan glasses for a season and get your Klingon on.
In the interests of full disclosure, I have ten toons spread evenly between both factions.
Federation stuff is lovely and I'll play with thatever I can get......but I'd love a little more incentive to develop my KDF toons more.
If you own a bakery and can only afford to buy blueberries or cherries, and 80% of your customers buy blueberry pie and blueberry muffins, then you buy the blueberries over the cherries.
...er.....surely you negotiate with the wholesaler and get an order of 80% blueberries and 20% cherries.
Or you buy cherries on thursdays and tell your cherry pie loving customers thats the day.
What you absolutely don't do is write off 20% of your customers.
You do everything in your power to please both, somehow.
Adapt, improvise, overcome.
Recognising what is, and isn't, a zero sum game is important.
I can understand the business reasons behind them not making any KDF stuff for KDF players to buy... why Idon't understand is why they haven't done anything to change ths situation so the KDF can get new stuff to buy.
For example, why not start making generic packs of say...boots, gloves, visor, headsets, etc, that can be used by all characters regardless of faction? It seems like such an easy way to please everyone and yet they ignore it. Its kinda baffling tbh.
I also get that ships are their big cash cows, so it'd be hard for them to justify working on a low selling KDF ship instead of a hopeful future scimi/avenger/ lockbox ship. But surely they could get someone to spend a day or two working out stats for the fleet version of more of their existing ships and then adding them to the system? KDF ships are fairly balanced so I can't imagine most would need more of a modification beyond +1 console, +10% shields/hull? Naturally i'd expect the more popular ships to get the iconic's treatment.... ie, be made useless so as to promote more lockbox sales (why else would it be that the Defiant, Galaxy, and Intrepid all get useless fleet versions, the fleet defiant doesn't even get 10% extra shields instead getting the questionable fifth tac console). So maybe finally getting fleet versions would be more bittersweet than happy.
As a sidenote, they may be wondering what to do now. What can they bring out for the KDF that will be balanced and still be desirable/profitable? Their monetization system relies on ship sales, which should be one of the things a character least buys. Its a big mess but one that is unlikely to change. Their focus on ship, ships, ships leaves them backed into a corner when they want to push something new. they seem to have gotten a clue as to how overpowered they made the roms, I suspect mostly because they realized how players flying ships like the scimitar are unlike to buy anything less.... so here comes the avenger! Not as powerful as the scimitar but with a familiar and much beloved cruiser shape and an upgrade to all cruisers to make them more desirable!
I'm surprised they haven't gotten around to making generic ships for sale to all factions outside of lockboxes yet. Or maybe that's part of the oversight CBS has, they said yes to a generic romulan rebel alliance but no to generic ships for all?
They seem to have gotten a clue as to how overpowered they made the rom ships, overpowered in PvP but generally less than desirable in PvE.... how did PvE favoring Cryptic even get into that situation anyway? Was it the same "its KEWL!!!" mentality that seems to have brought us space dinosaurs? What's next a spock's brain game mechanic?
I understand that ships are their biggest moneymaker, especially when put in the lottoboxes, yet eventually they will run out of ships and the feds will stop wanting to buy them as the increasing creep of the next ship.being better than the last gets out of control.
At some point they need to treat STO as a MMO and not as a store to just make money off part of the fanbase the IP holds.
All most of us KDF fans ask is for a little more for us to buy to both show our support for STO and our fandom within it.
Costume choices, Kits designed for the various KDF races, weapons and even ships.
It is inconceviable to desire profit from something you do not put time into growing to that end. As well the time needed does not need to be overwhelming or so consuming as to cause a drain on company resources but it does need to be some level of effort to happen.
The biggest gripe of the KDF is that long standing concern that we are only a side thought never to be given honest effort.
After such a long time of watching and waiting, it really on seem all to true all too often. Thats a sad thing for any fan to feel and believe.
Its time for a change and given the new growth at Cryptic now is a good time for it.
so, how are we measuring profitability for this? Quarterly? Annually? Weekly? Minus some cost incurred in distribution (network time) or Server costs (which impacts the ENTIRE game, not just KDF) It's really hard to see how even if the playerbase for KDF was as low as FIVE Percent or 1 out of 20, anything KDF could possibly be ruled "Unprofitable" if it were, in fact, built FOR the KDF playerbase.
And, as i understand it, the KDF player base buys proportionately more stuff than the Fed player base.
As I said in an earlier post, I think this is chickens and eggs.
Make a KDF season, let Cryptic rebuild the faction. Expand what needs to be expanded, fix what needs to be fixed.
In short, give the KDF the Romulan treatment in full.
(I have to give kudos for the rebuilt KDF starting missions)
Ships, costumes, bug fixes, content.
Show the general player base that you're supporting the faction wholeheartedly and they will come play along with their wallets.
Reason being, it would require Cryptic to get over whatever internal block they have in this regard.
As said earlier, I'm not a KDF player really, I just have as many KDF toons as I do Federation toons.
The Fed toons probably get more of my attention because the Feds get more toys to play with. Which equals more choices, opportunities and decisions for me.
The Romulans, as a new faction, are still playing catch up to an extent, but the pace they are improving is staggering compared to the pace of improvements for the KDF.
It's the KDFs turn.
And, if Cryptic do something like this, its players like me who will change the most. Not you.
The KDF faithful are the KDF faithful.
The room for expansion is in the more general player base and the potential is there.
I'm the proof of it, in a way.
I'd play so much more on the KDF side, spend so much more money, if in so doing I felt like Cryptic were supporting me in so doing.
Right now, although theyve become more supportive, they have work to do.
You've never operated a small business, that much is very clear. You keep using McDonalds, Boeing, and GM examples - mega-corporations. Cryptic is Ma and Pa Game Design, not EA/Bioware or Activision/Blizzard.
Small companies deal with limited resources; and yes, that often means they're required to alienate some of their customer base. If you own a bakery and can only afford to buy blueberries or cherries, and 80% of your customers buy blueberry pie and blueberry muffins, then you buy the blueberries over the cherries. It really is just that simple. You can send away the cherry pie lovers and retain 80% or your business or send away the blueberry pie lovers and lose 80% of your business for the month/quarter.
And technically, TSR is still in business - bought out by Wizards of the Coast in '97. WotC was, in turn, bought-out by Hasbro in '99.
All of those companies, weren't always mega-corporations. Every last one of them began as a small business, and where they grew while other small businesses remained small, is by expanding into other opportunities where they saw demand.
There is demand in KDF, but if Cryptic keeps ignoring that demand, then there will be other areas of demand that come up, that they will ignore too.
Eventually, people tire of your product, and unless you are diversifying, you will have a difficult time growing.
It is suicidal, to ignore that percentage.
-- Smoov
edit: and your example of a bakery just makes no sense... of 80% of them like blueberry, and 20% of them like cherry, then you spend 80% of your production making blueberry, and 20% cherry.
The analogies do not work as they are always manipulative to prove the point of the speaker. Blueberries versus cherries, mega corps versus mom & pop....
Why not use the insurance policy analogy? Your a provider of healthcare but wish to make a profit so you only sell to healthy people with low risk of health problems and not to the unhealthy or eldery because they are a drain on your resources and affect your profit margin..
See analogies do not work as they are always designed to favor the speakers point.
Why not use the insurance policy analogy? Your a provider of healthcare but wish to make a profit so you only sell to healthy people with low risk of health problems and not to the unhealthy or eldery because they are a drain on your resources and affect your profit margin..
My father works for a insurance company who has spent millions on lobbyists over the last 2 years trying to put down Obamacare for precisely the reasons you state.
I was born with a heart defect that was repaired shortly after my birth. 25 years later I still cannot get health insurance on my own, even though my father works for the insurance company. My employer's insurance will not cover me either.
This is just the way the world has worked for a very long time. More precisely, it is the way the USA has worked for a very long time.
My father works for a insurance company who has spent millions on lobbyists over the last 2 years trying to put down Obamacare for precisely the reasons you state.
I was born with a heart defect that was repaired shortly after my birth. 25 years later I still cannot get health insurance on my own, even though my father works for the insurance company. My employer's insurance will not cover me either.
This is just the way the world has worked for a very long time. More precisely, it is the way the USA has worked for a very long time.
Whi h is my point. Just because things have worked a certain way is not reason enough on them.continue workng in said fashion.
Whi h is my point. Just because things have worked a certain way is not reason enough on them.continue workng in said fashion.
...and ignore another important factor in business: market saturation.;)
If one part of your market is saturated with products it may even be more profitable to sell stuff to the less saturated part of your customerbase.
There is passion in this here thread
but directed at each other
please keep your nastiness to yourself
and don't let this thread get smothered.
Guys and dolls, this thread is a POLITE appeal to the KDF playerbase (and Feds too, if they wish to wear the Soldier of the Empire title) to show their displeasure with the state of the KDF.
It is NOT an excuse to discuss business practices.
It is NOT an excuse to insult each other and each others ideas (when they are constructive)
It is NOT an excuse to bash on Cryptic or PWE or any dev or any player who may be reading.
It is, and always should be, a peaceful protest of the state of the KDF.
This thread should show those who feel Disenchanted a way to express their anger/hurt/desire for better/solidarity to any and all who log in to play. If my forum title could be Disenchanted, it would be.
I'm not asking for those with conflicting views to "kiss-and-make-up" but would ask you argue/discuss it in another space.
If you come here to ask why we are Disenchanted, we will tell you. If you come here to tell us we should be happy, we will tell you why we are not.
Thank you from the proud fleet leader of 18 Percent.
"...we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than the things that divide us.”
Jo Cox 22.6.1974 - 16.6.2016
Well the problem I see, game was made for Star Fleet first. KDF and roumlan came on as an afterthought.
Frankly PW needs to spend less time on new worlds to go see and beef up the following things:
1. more uniform choices for KDF and Romulans without having to drop CC and or join a fleet.
2. more ships for the KDF and especially the romulans. I mean you should have a ship at each level per faction for each specialty branch. Should be like that on launch. KDF has 1 universal branch if you want to fly BoP, the raptors for tactical and cruisers for engineers. Science is clearly lacking, unless you want to drop CC for the carriers at tiers 2&3. IMO one of those carriers should be able to be choosen without having to spend money on them.
3. Each faction should have something it's known for. Right now KDF really doesn't have that from what I've seen. Romulans have singularity that gives them a lot of flex in dealing with situations. Feds well pick your poision of ships to deal with things as you see fit to get the right tools for the job. KDF[and this is limited experience] really doesn't have a lot of flexibility. Infact execpt for the cloaking device, KDF almost feels like bad knock offs of Star fleet.
3a. And we really need to stray AWAY from cookie cutter molds. This is something that has plagued BSG since beta. And from what I am seeing, STOL is straying into that area. Each faction NEEDS to have that one thing that makes them stand apart. Romulans have it, SF well best all around, but what makes the klingon's stand out? Personally since they are the ONLY faction to get a tier 5 carrier for free, either they need to be the best carrier force out there, or they need to be the ones who have the best DPS.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!
There is passion in this here thread
but directed at each other
please keep your nastiness to yourself
and don't let this thread get smothered.
Guys and dolls, this thread is a POLITE appeal to the KDF playerbase (and Feds too, if they wish to wear the Soldier of the Empire title) to show their displeasure with the state of the KDF.
It is NOT an excuse to discuss business practices.
It is NOT an excuse to insult each other and each others ideas (when they are constructive)
It is NOT an excuse to bash on Cryptic or PWE or any dev or any player who may be reading.
It is, and always should be, a peaceful protest of the state of the KDF.
This thread should show those who feel Disenchanted a way to express their anger/hurt/desire for better/solidarity to any and all who log in to play. If my forum title could be Disenchanted, it would be.
I'm not asking for those with conflicting views to "kiss-and-make-up" but would ask you argue/discuss it in another space.
If you come here to ask why we are Disenchanted, we will tell you. If you come here to tell us we should be happy, we will tell you why we are not.
Thank you from the proud fleet leader of 18 Percent.
^^^Absolutely this!
Yeah, it's interesting how often on these forums people have issues with sticking to the topic and remaining civil in general.
I'll join drowrulesupreme and ask everyone to take the completely off-topic debates or rants of any kind out of here and create other threads for that purpose if you must. This was suposed to be a polite thread where KDF players would express their dissatisfaction with the current reality of the faction in a civilized manner, so let's try to keep it that way.
I'm gonna' say for myself - I am and will be disenchanted until the factions in STO are on equal footing. Because I strongly believe in the concept of faction eqaulity in any game that want's to pass itself as a quality title and grow. And because this initiative is a very cool way of expressing our concerns as oposed to the numerous rants and flame wars.
That said, I think that 2013 is shaping to be a pretty good year for the KDF compared to the previous ones and taking into consideration what was done for the faction during that time.
I stopped playing a long, long time ago, even though I had played since OBeta. Yeah, me and STO go back a ways. The last time I came back for a bit, was around the time the Dominion series launched? I think.
I didn't stay long, because my faction (of which I have over a dozen max-level toons spread over 2 accounts) was still getting shafted. Yeah, when I played STO, I played A LOT.
So, I haven't really checked up on STO in about a year? I think. I came here to see what you guys were doing for Halloween, actually. But I see there's a new featured Episode, w/Michael Dorn. Woot!
Honestly, I can't come back for that. Or the next series. Or the next season. Because I know I would just get really angry and upset with my faction getting leftovers, or the same as the Feds or Roms. I refuse to go through that emotion again.
(Those that remember me, will remember I was a pretty vocal, passionate lobbyist of sorts for KDF content).
I'm Disenchanted the FE isn't KDF-exclusive. KDF deserve one, after this long.
I'm Disenchanted KDF have to share Worf (Michael Dorn) w/Fed & Rom players. Really, how big a draw for the faction would that be, if only KDF toons had access to his VO performance?
I'm Disenchanted KDF don't have their own Series yet. Exclusive to them.
I'm Disenchanted the costume, customization options still aren't on par w/Feds.
I'm Disenchanted that KDF ships still have only the same skins.
I'm Disenchanted we have to share an Eng Carrier w/the other factions.
I'm Disenchanted the KDF exclusive ships have been postponed, or haven't been announced.
I'm Disenchanted that the Rom faction was released the way it was. Rom's deserve a fully-fledged faction just as much as KDF does.
I'm Disenchanted that now with having to make content to fit 3 factions now, each will probably have less content exclusive for it, and that the odds of playing 'catch-up' to make KDF & Rom on-par w/Feds is slim to none. If Devs here try and play 'catch-up,' it's STILL going to take a long time. As long as it ever would have if not more.
Most of all? I'm Disenchanted that I'M STILL DISENCHANTED ABOUT THE SAME BASIC STUFF I WAS THE LAST TIME I LEFT A YEAR AGO and now there's more to be Disenfranchised about (Rom faction being half-*** 'ed).
Honestly? I miss flying around in my Vo'Quv. I miss setting my landing party into position on away missions. I miss the game, but I miss what it could have been even more.
That's what it means to be Disenchanted.
. . . for me, anyways. Best of luck to all! Except those Federation Dogs.
Let THEM eat static for a change.
To be fair, I would suggest you run through the revamped Klingon tutorial with one of your characters just once to give it a fair crack. I ran a new toon through it on Tribble-server to get the full feeling and being able to "punch the Ferengi" is just golden in my books.
"...we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than the things that divide us.”
Jo Cox 22.6.1974 - 16.6.2016
2. Lack of bladed weapons. No D'k tahg ritual daggers, and no Mek'leth. Blade that worf prefers.
3. Lack of ship options compared to the federation. hell don't even have dedicated science vessels unless you drop CC to get the carriers at lower tiers.
4. No real season for KDF only. Really annoying.
All and all it's ok for KDF but it could use some SERIOUS work. And don't get me started on the clusterfrak the Romulans are.
Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!
To be honest, I love the KDF, I love Klingons. I even have a Federation Klingon as my main.
But there are some fundemental issues with the KDF, and the Klingon race in general. Like the total lack of canon hair options, or anything other than the dread mess.
Then there's some of the issues that have been plaguing the KDF for -years- without attention brought to it.
A soon to be release interview with Geko on (I believe) the GnT show (I really must attend the GoS meeting sober) reveals that we will be seeing some love for the KDF in Season 9 and sooner for some ships near the end ofnthis year or the begining of next year.
keep up the pressure and continue to let the Devs know that we are a fanbase vested in the growth of the KDF and wish to to see that growth a reality.
A soon to be release interview with Geko on (I believe) the GnT show (I really must attend the GoS meeting sober) reveals that we will be seeing some love for the KDF in Season 9 and sooner for some ships near the end ofnthis year or the begining of next year.
keep up the pressure and continue to let the Devs know that we are a fanbase vested in the growth of the KDF and wish to to see that growth a reality.
Comments
Spoken like a medicore businessman, in a competently run business you please all 100% of your customers especially if it does not cost you anything,you DO NOT alienate 20% of your customer base out of poor laziness and that is the point, Cryptic`s either too lazy or simple not smart enough to port over some simple things to the KDF wich wouldnt even cost them a day of time.
Of course i know its pointless since you are one of "those" but i try anyway.
But it is the same, and even if it would not be the same if a hobby modder can create an entirley new model within a week and WITHOUT any cliping issues (something Cryptic has not achieved yet) than one would think those self proclaimed "proffesionals" would do better than that no?
Spock's brain was a good story Better than most of the other rubbish made in later series, that's right, SERiES... what made it "horrible" was the overacting and sometimes just down-right rediculous diologue between the characters.
So yes... I'd love to see a good story like that.... just not in the "so corny it's still on the cob" Dialogue...
I never bought this explanation as it made no sense. Alien character types come in a very wide array of shapes and sizes and are able to exceed all KDF species size boundaries except Gorn (on the large end). Yet they can show armor/kit visuals Fed-side with no problem. Orions, Letheans, Klingons, and Nausicaans should be able to show armor/kit visuals, and even Gorn shouldn't have an issue. Additionally, Fed-aligned Romulans can show kit/armor but KDF-aligned Roms cannot. So it's a faction, not a species, issue.
On top of that, the winter coats work just as well on my KDF Orion as on my Fed Trill and Ferengi.
I think a far more likely explanation for no KDF kit/armor visuals is that Cryptic didn't have time to develop a different style for the red faction and decided to leave it out (probably hoping to get to it at a later date that never came). This would explain why, on Fed-side, 2-3 tac kit visuals are identical, why some kit parts don't animate properly with character movements, etc. Time ran out and things went from unfinished to "good enough".
I never bought this argument either... most models in Star trek are humanoid, even the Gorn(though they shouldn't be). That's 1 model with interchangeable pieces(hence Alien). It's also the biggest reason Cryptic and PWE backed down from the "Aliens are Preorder" mini-scandal for Rommies. The only restrictions come with the individual presets of the species which shouldn't do much more than stretch the model of the actual piece of the clothing....
Small companies deal with limited resources; and yes, that often means they're required to alienate some of their customer base. If you own a bakery and can only afford to buy blueberries or cherries, and 80% of your customers buy blueberry pie and blueberry muffins, then you buy the blueberries over the cherries. It really is just that simple. You can send away the cherry pie lovers and retain 80% or your business or send away the blueberry pie lovers and lose 80% of your business for the month/quarter.
And technically, TSR is still in business - bought out by Wizards of the Coast in '97. WotC was, in turn, bought-out by Hasbro in '99.
Seems to me that it's impossible to suggest that the KDF have not been hard done by, historically.
However, its equally clear that there have been serious improvements recently.
The ability to start a KDF from level 1 is hugely important.
But there are still steps that need to be made.
Probably, in my view, the best example of the work that needs to be done is the lack of costumes.
In any MMO, indeed in any game, customising ones character is an important step.
There may be thousands of Klingons/Orions/Gorn/Aliens out there, but this is mine and its going to be unique.
This is gaming basic, surely.
Yet the KDF have had sorely restricted costume options from the get go.
Cryptic have limited the ability of KDF players to express themselves, relative to the options granted the Federation in this regard.
Seems to me there's a chicken/egg situation here.
If Cryptic were to commit to the KDF a bit more, if they were to clearly signal that they intended to fully flesh out this faction, then players will follow.....along with their wallets.
However, while they send the contrary signal....that they dont really see that supporting the KDF is equally important as supporting the Federation.....then players will naturally tend to spend their money somewhere that will be supported.
What I'd like to see is a KDF season.
Perhaps season nine can be the one.
A season of enhancements and improvements, focussed on the KDF. Get some costumes out there, plug up some of the holes in the fleet roster, give us more fleet versions of c-store ships to give us a reason to buy them, make a PvP batleth tournament with a persistent ladder.
In short, take off the Federation/Romulan glasses for a season and get your Klingon on.
In the interests of full disclosure, I have ten toons spread evenly between both factions.
Federation stuff is lovely and I'll play with thatever I can get......but I'd love a little more incentive to develop my KDF toons more.
...er.....surely you negotiate with the wholesaler and get an order of 80% blueberries and 20% cherries.
Or you buy cherries on thursdays and tell your cherry pie loving customers thats the day.
What you absolutely don't do is write off 20% of your customers.
You do everything in your power to please both, somehow.
Adapt, improvise, overcome.
Recognising what is, and isn't, a zero sum game is important.
I understand that ships are their biggest moneymaker, especially when put in the lottoboxes, yet eventually they will run out of ships and the feds will stop wanting to buy them as the increasing creep of the next ship.being better than the last gets out of control.
At some point they need to treat STO as a MMO and not as a store to just make money off part of the fanbase the IP holds.
All most of us KDF fans ask is for a little more for us to buy to both show our support for STO and our fandom within it.
Costume choices, Kits designed for the various KDF races, weapons and even ships.
It is inconceviable to desire profit from something you do not put time into growing to that end. As well the time needed does not need to be overwhelming or so consuming as to cause a drain on company resources but it does need to be some level of effort to happen.
The biggest gripe of the KDF is that long standing concern that we are only a side thought never to be given honest effort.
After such a long time of watching and waiting, it really on seem all to true all too often. Thats a sad thing for any fan to feel and believe.
Its time for a change and given the new growth at Cryptic now is a good time for it.
R.I.P
And, as i understand it, the KDF player base buys proportionately more stuff than the Fed player base.
As I said in an earlier post, I think this is chickens and eggs.
Make a KDF season, let Cryptic rebuild the faction. Expand what needs to be expanded, fix what needs to be fixed.
In short, give the KDF the Romulan treatment in full.
(I have to give kudos for the rebuilt KDF starting missions)
Ships, costumes, bug fixes, content.
Show the general player base that you're supporting the faction wholeheartedly and they will come play along with their wallets.
I'm sure thats a large part of the equation.
Which is why I've been proposing a KDF season.
Reason being, it would require Cryptic to get over whatever internal block they have in this regard.
As said earlier, I'm not a KDF player really, I just have as many KDF toons as I do Federation toons.
The Fed toons probably get more of my attention because the Feds get more toys to play with. Which equals more choices, opportunities and decisions for me.
The Romulans, as a new faction, are still playing catch up to an extent, but the pace they are improving is staggering compared to the pace of improvements for the KDF.
It's the KDFs turn.
And, if Cryptic do something like this, its players like me who will change the most. Not you.
The KDF faithful are the KDF faithful.
The room for expansion is in the more general player base and the potential is there.
I'm the proof of it, in a way.
I'd play so much more on the KDF side, spend so much more money, if in so doing I felt like Cryptic were supporting me in so doing.
Right now, although theyve become more supportive, they have work to do.
Season Nine. The Empire Awakens.
There is demand in KDF, but if Cryptic keeps ignoring that demand, then there will be other areas of demand that come up, that they will ignore too.
Eventually, people tire of your product, and unless you are diversifying, you will have a difficult time growing.
It is suicidal, to ignore that percentage.
-- Smoov
edit: and your example of a bakery just makes no sense... of 80% of them like blueberry, and 20% of them like cherry, then you spend 80% of your production making blueberry, and 20% cherry.
Why not use the insurance policy analogy? Your a provider of healthcare but wish to make a profit so you only sell to healthy people with low risk of health problems and not to the unhealthy or eldery because they are a drain on your resources and affect your profit margin..
See analogies do not work as they are always designed to favor the speakers point.
R.I.P
-- Smoov
I was born with a heart defect that was repaired shortly after my birth. 25 years later I still cannot get health insurance on my own, even though my father works for the insurance company. My employer's insurance will not cover me either.
This is just the way the world has worked for a very long time. More precisely, it is the way the USA has worked for a very long time.
Whi h is my point. Just because things have worked a certain way is not reason enough on them.continue workng in said fashion.
R.I.P
...and ignore another important factor in business: market saturation.;)
If one part of your market is saturated with products it may even be more profitable to sell stuff to the less saturated part of your customerbase.
but directed at each other
please keep your nastiness to yourself
and don't let this thread get smothered.
Guys and dolls, this thread is a POLITE appeal to the KDF playerbase (and Feds too, if they wish to wear the Soldier of the Empire title) to show their displeasure with the state of the KDF.
It is NOT an excuse to discuss business practices.
It is NOT an excuse to insult each other and each others ideas (when they are constructive)
It is NOT an excuse to bash on Cryptic or PWE or any dev or any player who may be reading.
It is, and always should be, a peaceful protest of the state of the KDF.
This thread should show those who feel Disenchanted a way to express their anger/hurt/desire for better/solidarity to any and all who log in to play. If my forum title could be Disenchanted, it would be.
I'm not asking for those with conflicting views to "kiss-and-make-up" but would ask you argue/discuss it in another space.
If you come here to ask why we are Disenchanted, we will tell you. If you come here to tell us we should be happy, we will tell you why we are not.
Thank you from the proud fleet leader of 18 Percent.
Jo Cox 22.6.1974 - 16.6.2016
Frankly PW needs to spend less time on new worlds to go see and beef up the following things:
1. more uniform choices for KDF and Romulans without having to drop CC and or join a fleet.
2. more ships for the KDF and especially the romulans. I mean you should have a ship at each level per faction for each specialty branch. Should be like that on launch. KDF has 1 universal branch if you want to fly BoP, the raptors for tactical and cruisers for engineers. Science is clearly lacking, unless you want to drop CC for the carriers at tiers 2&3. IMO one of those carriers should be able to be choosen without having to spend money on them.
3. Each faction should have something it's known for. Right now KDF really doesn't have that from what I've seen. Romulans have singularity that gives them a lot of flex in dealing with situations. Feds well pick your poision of ships to deal with things as you see fit to get the right tools for the job. KDF[and this is limited experience] really doesn't have a lot of flexibility. Infact execpt for the cloaking device, KDF almost feels like bad knock offs of Star fleet.
3a. And we really need to stray AWAY from cookie cutter molds. This is something that has plagued BSG since beta. And from what I am seeing, STOL is straying into that area. Each faction NEEDS to have that one thing that makes them stand apart. Romulans have it, SF well best all around, but what makes the klingon's stand out? Personally since they are the ONLY faction to get a tier 5 carrier for free, either they need to be the best carrier force out there, or they need to be the ones who have the best DPS.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!
http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
Nice.
Jo Cox 22.6.1974 - 16.6.2016
^^^Absolutely this!
Yeah, it's interesting how often on these forums people have issues with sticking to the topic and remaining civil in general.
I'll join drowrulesupreme and ask everyone to take the completely off-topic debates or rants of any kind out of here and create other threads for that purpose if you must. This was suposed to be a polite thread where KDF players would express their dissatisfaction with the current reality of the faction in a civilized manner, so let's try to keep it that way.
I'm gonna' say for myself - I am and will be disenchanted until the factions in STO are on equal footing. Because I strongly believe in the concept of faction eqaulity in any game that want's to pass itself as a quality title and grow. And because this initiative is a very cool way of expressing our concerns as oposed to the numerous rants and flame wars.
That said, I think that 2013 is shaping to be a pretty good year for the KDF compared to the previous ones and taking into consideration what was done for the faction during that time.
I stopped playing a long, long time ago, even though I had played since OBeta. Yeah, me and STO go back a ways. The last time I came back for a bit, was around the time the Dominion series launched? I think.
I didn't stay long, because my faction (of which I have over a dozen max-level toons spread over 2 accounts) was still getting shafted. Yeah, when I played STO, I played A LOT.
So, I haven't really checked up on STO in about a year? I think. I came here to see what you guys were doing for Halloween, actually. But I see there's a new featured Episode, w/Michael Dorn. Woot!
Honestly, I can't come back for that. Or the next series. Or the next season. Because I know I would just get really angry and upset with my faction getting leftovers, or the same as the Feds or Roms. I refuse to go through that emotion again.
(Those that remember me, will remember I was a pretty vocal, passionate lobbyist of sorts for KDF content).
I'm Disenchanted the FE isn't KDF-exclusive. KDF deserve one, after this long.
I'm Disenchanted KDF have to share Worf (Michael Dorn) w/Fed & Rom players. Really, how big a draw for the faction would that be, if only KDF toons had access to his VO performance?
I'm Disenchanted KDF don't have their own Series yet. Exclusive to them.
I'm Disenchanted the costume, customization options still aren't on par w/Feds.
I'm Disenchanted that KDF ships still have only the same skins.
I'm Disenchanted we have to share an Eng Carrier w/the other factions.
I'm Disenchanted the KDF exclusive ships have been postponed, or haven't been announced.
I'm Disenchanted that the Rom faction was released the way it was. Rom's deserve a fully-fledged faction just as much as KDF does.
I'm Disenchanted that now with having to make content to fit 3 factions now, each will probably have less content exclusive for it, and that the odds of playing 'catch-up' to make KDF & Rom on-par w/Feds is slim to none. If Devs here try and play 'catch-up,' it's STILL going to take a long time. As long as it ever would have if not more.
Most of all? I'm Disenchanted that I'M STILL DISENCHANTED ABOUT THE SAME BASIC STUFF I WAS THE LAST TIME I LEFT A YEAR AGO and now there's more to be Disenfranchised about (Rom faction being half-*** 'ed).
Honestly? I miss flying around in my Vo'Quv. I miss setting my landing party into position on away missions. I miss the game, but I miss what it could have been even more.
That's what it means to be Disenchanted.
. . . for me, anyways. Best of luck to all! Except those Federation Dogs.
Let THEM eat static for a change.
Hello again.
To be fair, I would suggest you run through the revamped Klingon tutorial with one of your characters just once to give it a fair crack. I ran a new toon through it on Tribble-server to get the full feeling and being able to "punch the Ferengi" is just golden in my books.
Jo Cox 22.6.1974 - 16.6.2016
1. Lack of uniform choices
2. Lack of bladed weapons. No D'k tahg ritual daggers, and no Mek'leth. Blade that worf prefers.
3. Lack of ship options compared to the federation. hell don't even have dedicated science vessels unless you drop CC to get the carriers at lower tiers.
4. No real season for KDF only. Really annoying.
All and all it's ok for KDF but it could use some SERIOUS work. And don't get me started on the clusterfrak the Romulans are.
Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!
http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
But there are some fundemental issues with the KDF, and the Klingon race in general. Like the total lack of canon hair options, or anything other than the dread mess.
Then there's some of the issues that have been plaguing the KDF for -years- without attention brought to it.
keep up the pressure and continue to let the Devs know that we are a fanbase vested in the growth of the KDF and wish to to see that growth a reality.
I'll post a link as soon as aI can find one.
R.I.P
YAY! Thanks.:)