I agree, Cryptic had a good start to this with the featured episode with Dorn's VO, but that is as far as it went. After that it went downhill as fast as the men's downhill in the Olympics. Worst story content in the game, period, and not worth my time at all. I won't be attending, ever.
The reputation cutscenes are not that bad. They are quite good, frankly. I have seen 3 so far and I like them.
But - and that's a big but - ... where are the story driven missions?
SoI shouldn't have been standalone. Period. It should have been a FE SERIES. After SoI we should have EXPLORED the other side of that gate. Find the Sphere. Find the Voth. Explain how we got in trouble with them. We should have witnessed it first hand.
I can't believe that Season 8 is released in it's current state. If they would have done a FE series after SoI, they could have pushed back the release of S8. We would have understood.
SoI was great. LoR was great.
But S8? It's a catastrophe story-wise. I really, really love the battlezone. I played it for hours. But it's so devoid of meaning!
Here, Voth. Deal with them. At least the Borg and the Tholians and the Elachi appeared with some reasons behind their actions. The Voth want Omega, okay... but the story is presented in way that's... horrible. Some reputation cutscenes AFTER we are already thrown into a conflict we don't understand are not enough.
We get those cutscenes - which explain nothing about the stuff between SoI and S8 - after we already killed thousands of Voth. Otherwise, there is no way to unlock them.
Itt's bad design. And I am at a loss how the same company which made LoR and SoI could us present with this.
Look, I am a fan of STO. I pay money for ships and Zen and I love it. My free time goes straight into it.
Please don't give us meaningless content like S8. Being fun is not enough. We need a reason to go there and fight the Voth. I even got over the dinosaurs (which are, frankly, as far off the IP as you can get). But I can't get over the absence of a cohesive story.
Not after you guys have shown that you can do better.
Well you all have very valid points. Either one of two things needs to happen IMO:
1) Geko is seriously talked to and told that all his future creations require a thematic backbone (To include immersion episodes and introductory content that require first person perspective as well as supporting content via cut scenes). Also giving him some good advice like not pointing to bad writing to support bad writing would be helpful PR.
2) Geko steps down to allow a truly creative lead to take his place.
The reputation cutscenes are not that bad. They are quite good, frankly. I have seen 3 so far and I like them.
But - and that's a big but - ... where are the story driven missions?
SoI shouldn't have been standalone. Period. It should have been a FE SERIES. After SoI we should have EXPLORED the other side of that gate. Find the Sphere. Find the Voth. Explain how we got in trouble with them. We should have witnessed it first hand.
I can't believe that Season 8 is released in it's current state. If they would have done a FE series after SoI, they could have pushed back the release of S8. We would have understood.
SoI was great. LoR was great.
But S8? It's a catastrophe story-wise. I really, really love the battlezone. I played it for hours. But it's so devoid of meaning!
Here, Voth. Deal with them. At least the Borg and the Tholians and the Elachi appeared with some reasons behind their actions. The Voth want Omega, okay... but the story is presented in way that's... horrible. Some reputation cutscenes AFTER we are already thrown into a conflict we don't understand are not enough.
We get those cutscenes - which explain nothing about the stuff between SoI and S8 - after we already killed thousands of Voth. Otherwise, there is no way to unlock them.
Itt's bad design. And I am at a loss how the same company which made LoR and SoI could us present with this.
Look, I am a fan of STO. I pay money for ships and Zen and I love it. My free time goes straight into it.
Please don't give us meaningless content like S8. Being fun is not enough. We need a reason to go there and fight the Voth. I even got over the dinosaurs (which are, frankly, as far off the IP as you can get). But I can't get over the absence of a cohesive story.
Not after you guys have shown that you can do better.
Wow. Are you a mind reader? Did you look into my thoughts when you wrote this? That's amazing. It's pretty much my entire outlook on S8.
I'm totally there on the lack of storyline. I too love the battlezone and the space adventure zones and all that jazz. But the complete lack of story is baffling. SoI really should have been at least a 2 part episode. There's just so much missing in between SoI and the missions we do inside the Sphere.
It's like:
Sphere of Influence
|
Missing storyline
|
Missions in Sphere----
One little cutscene that's basically "Okay, you are now inside a Dyson Sphere. Oh and it's generating Omega. Oh and Voth. Go kill 'n stuff" is nowhere near what it should have been. Even more so after coming off of the quality of LoR story and the pace that SoI set. Then it just does a "lore faceplant" as I call it.
So +1 on your post. The lack of story is a huge disappointment for me.
Wow. Are you a mind reader? Did you look into my thoughts when you wrote this? That's amazing. It's pretty much my entire outlook on S8.
I'm totally there on the lack of storyline. I too love the battlezone and the space adventure zones and all that jazz. But the complete lack of story is baffling. SoI really should have been at least a 2 part episode. There's just so much missing in between SoI and the missions we do inside the Sphere.
It's like:
Sphere of Influence
|
Missing storyline
|
Missions in Sphere----
One little cutscene that's basically "Okay, you are now inside a Dyson Sphere. Oh and it's generating Omega. Oh and Voth. Go kill 'n stuff" is nowhere near what it should have been. Even more so after coming off of the quality of LoR story and the pace that SoI set. Then it just does a "lore faceplant" as I call it.
So +1 on your post. The lack of story is a huge disappointment for me.
It really does seem like either all the writers on the Cryptic team have been fired or laid off....
First off, I will say, God Bless STO for the new game content: What I am going to say now, is JUST my opinion/ review of Season 8. And though it is a negative view perhaps, it is just that, a view, it does not mean I am not grateful for all of STO's hard work. I'm sure STO can take this review with a 'grain of salt'.
Season 8 Review/ thoughts:
To put it bluntly, Season 8, is quite dull, boring and .... well.. utterly Boring... The stories, in my opinion, are quite literally 'do this do that' without really any story in my opinion.
The whole thing just seems rather pointless. I don't know if it's just cause it's not my 'cup of tea', or what, yet I can see why the servers are not lined up with players wanting to play season 8.
Someone else said on the forums not too long ago, (can't remember where I read it), that if there is no waiting to log into the game, then that is a bad sign for Season 8.
I suppose the one positive thing I can say is that the maps are cool looking, yet that's about it.
I prefer a real in depth story/ stories. With characters that have some great depth to them as well. Season 8 has none of that unfortunately. It seems they focused more on how the maps should look and getting new content out for Season 8, Rather than the Story content and characters itself.
Personally I would have preferred a more simple looking map/s, with better dialogue and story.
That is just my opinion/ review of Season 8 for STO.
Alrighty God Bless ya all.
Agreed with most of it. Have you tried the new FED tutorial? I know it seems like a tiny piece of the pie but at least they did try some new content.
Cryptic has made a business plan decision that grinding is the only way they could retain players. Forget about any other form of end game such as PvPs or new STFs.
Unfortunately, most of us are hooked into it like a "bad" drug. Until we find the antidote for the addiction to grind this is a model plan that they can justify better. Disappointed but still enjoying it somehow:D
Honestly I'm surprised at how so many people are demanding more of a story than just blowing things up.
I agree that the featured episode was good. It got me so excited about season 8 because I assumed (you know what happens when you assume :rolleyes:) that it would immerse us into the reason behind the Voth, Borg and Elachi's exsistance. I assumed we'd have some Elachi and/or Borg allies that we make along the way. Allies that at first we wanted to kill, but now we want them to live and join us. It would skew our perspective into why the Elachi and Voth are not just our enemies, for the hell of it, but because they have a great reason for their actions.
Basically, I was expecting a story line as good as when the Romulan season was released.
But I was wrong...
Grinding and lockboxes have solidified themselves as the corner stones of this game.
One day Cryptic will be free from their Perfect World overlord. Until that day comes, they will continue to pamper the whales of this game, and ignore everyone that isn't a whale.
Agreed with most of it. Have you tried the new FED tutorial? I know it seems like a tiny piece of the pie but at least they did try some new content.
Cryptic has made a business plan decision that grinding is the only way they could retain players. Forget about any other form of end game such as PvPs or new STFs.
Unfortunately, most of us are hooked into it like a "bad" drug. Until we find the antidote for the addiction to grind this is a model plan that they can justify better. Disappointed but still enjoying it somehow:D
lol.. Well it's a drug sending this player into rehab. I have played less lately than I originally wanted to due to this release. The only interesting parts were the breach and the map mechanics for ground. After playing those a couple times it feels like a short ended stick.
Wow. Are you a mind reader? Did you look into my thoughts when you wrote this? That's amazing. It's pretty much my entire outlook on S8.
I'm totally there on the lack of storyline. I too love the battlezone and the space adventure zones and all that jazz. But the complete lack of story is baffling. SoI really should have been at least a 2 part episode. There's just so much missing in between SoI and the missions we do inside the Sphere.
It's like:
Sphere of Influence
|
Missing storyline
|
Missions in Sphere----
One little cutscene that's basically "Okay, you are now inside a Dyson Sphere. Oh and it's generating Omega. Oh and Voth. Go kill 'n stuff" is nowhere near what it should have been. Even more so after coming off of the quality of LoR story and the pace that SoI set. Then it just does a "lore faceplant" as I call it.
So +1 on your post. The lack of story is a huge disappointment for me.
What hurts me the most is, that they could easily think of the "missing link" in this story.
The stuff between SoI and S8 would make for a great story! Discovering and exploring a Dyson Sphere... I mean okay, it would be one (or some) linear story mission(s), and no new system, but it would catch the spirit of Trek. Exploration.
To miss that opportunity makes me really, really sad. How epic would it have been to be the first to visit that sphere?
Now we're just thrown in there when there is already infrastructure. Starbucks could already have set up shops there. No exploration feeling at all.
Pretty much we will know for sure how well Cryptic and PWE think they did. Which if the majority of the forum posters are also the same view as the majority of the player base we will probally see another lockbox before the end of the year as well as a lot of ships being pushed out. Just to hit expected profit they expected in this last quarter of the year.
All I could be bothered doing on all my chars is the 'storyline' though more accurate might be a tutorial on the Dyson. Yeah, I agree the maps look cool and the art team did a superb job on things but Season 8 is so boring. I have so much better things to do then grind out rep per toon. Its all just worthless, dull content the Rep theme parks.
I was really primed for Season 8 with the great Sphere of Influence mission, and hoping for a feature series based on what happens there, but was completely let down.
FYI, I've been here since closed Beta and cant be bothered to care about any of the rep grinds. The first time I noticed unlocking items doesnt mean unlocking a store, it means unlocking grindy item building options, I had to roll my eyes and move on to something more worth time and this Dyson TRIBBLE is more of the same, no thanks.
The ONE thing I liked in season 8 was the Fed Tutorial, it was great! Kudos to whoever worked on that, i thought it fit in great with the other faction tutorials, and it was fun, but everything else, bad. S8 needed a Feature Series.
Comments
But - and that's a big but - ... where are the story driven missions?
SoI shouldn't have been standalone. Period. It should have been a FE SERIES. After SoI we should have EXPLORED the other side of that gate. Find the Sphere. Find the Voth. Explain how we got in trouble with them. We should have witnessed it first hand.
I can't believe that Season 8 is released in it's current state. If they would have done a FE series after SoI, they could have pushed back the release of S8. We would have understood.
SoI was great. LoR was great.
But S8? It's a catastrophe story-wise. I really, really love the battlezone. I played it for hours. But it's so devoid of meaning!
Here, Voth. Deal with them. At least the Borg and the Tholians and the Elachi appeared with some reasons behind their actions. The Voth want Omega, okay... but the story is presented in way that's... horrible. Some reputation cutscenes AFTER we are already thrown into a conflict we don't understand are not enough.
We get those cutscenes - which explain nothing about the stuff between SoI and S8 - after we already killed thousands of Voth. Otherwise, there is no way to unlock them.
Itt's bad design. And I am at a loss how the same company which made LoR and SoI could us present with this.
Look, I am a fan of STO. I pay money for ships and Zen and I love it. My free time goes straight into it.
Please don't give us meaningless content like S8. Being fun is not enough. We need a reason to go there and fight the Voth. I even got over the dinosaurs (which are, frankly, as far off the IP as you can get). But I can't get over the absence of a cohesive story.
Not after you guys have shown that you can do better.
1) Geko is seriously talked to and told that all his future creations require a thematic backbone (To include immersion episodes and introductory content that require first person perspective as well as supporting content via cut scenes). Also giving him some good advice like not pointing to bad writing to support bad writing would be helpful PR.
2) Geko steps down to allow a truly creative lead to take his place.
I'd be good with either of those.
Wow. Are you a mind reader? Did you look into my thoughts when you wrote this? That's amazing. It's pretty much my entire outlook on S8.
I'm totally there on the lack of storyline. I too love the battlezone and the space adventure zones and all that jazz. But the complete lack of story is baffling. SoI really should have been at least a 2 part episode. There's just so much missing in between SoI and the missions we do inside the Sphere.
It's like:
Sphere of Influence
|
Missing storyline
|
Missions in Sphere----
One little cutscene that's basically "Okay, you are now inside a Dyson Sphere. Oh and it's generating Omega. Oh and Voth. Go kill 'n stuff" is nowhere near what it should have been. Even more so after coming off of the quality of LoR story and the pace that SoI set. Then it just does a "lore faceplant" as I call it.
So +1 on your post. The lack of story is a huge disappointment for me.
Mine Trap Supporter
It really does seem like either all the writers on the Cryptic team have been fired or laid off....
I nominate Geko for removal next. Maybe the next guy or gal can actually turn this terrible horse around.
Agreed with most of it. Have you tried the new FED tutorial? I know it seems like a tiny piece of the pie but at least they did try some new content.
Cryptic has made a business plan decision that grinding is the only way they could retain players. Forget about any other form of end game such as PvPs or new STFs.
Unfortunately, most of us are hooked into it like a "bad" drug. Until we find the antidote for the addiction to grind this is a model plan that they can justify better. Disappointed but still enjoying it somehow:D
I agree that the featured episode was good. It got me so excited about season 8 because I assumed (you know what happens when you assume :rolleyes:) that it would immerse us into the reason behind the Voth, Borg and Elachi's exsistance. I assumed we'd have some Elachi and/or Borg allies that we make along the way. Allies that at first we wanted to kill, but now we want them to live and join us. It would skew our perspective into why the Elachi and Voth are not just our enemies, for the hell of it, but because they have a great reason for their actions.
Basically, I was expecting a story line as good as when the Romulan season was released.
But I was wrong...
Grinding and lockboxes have solidified themselves as the corner stones of this game.
lol.. Well it's a drug sending this player into rehab. I have played less lately than I originally wanted to due to this release. The only interesting parts were the breach and the map mechanics for ground. After playing those a couple times it feels like a short ended stick.
What hurts me the most is, that they could easily think of the "missing link" in this story.
The stuff between SoI and S8 would make for a great story! Discovering and exploring a Dyson Sphere... I mean okay, it would be one (or some) linear story mission(s), and no new system, but it would catch the spirit of Trek. Exploration.
To miss that opportunity makes me really, really sad. How epic would it have been to be the first to visit that sphere?
Now we're just thrown in there when there is already infrastructure. Starbucks could already have set up shops there. No exploration feeling at all.
My character Tsin'xing
I was really primed for Season 8 with the great Sphere of Influence mission, and hoping for a feature series based on what happens there, but was completely let down.
FYI, I've been here since closed Beta and cant be bothered to care about any of the rep grinds. The first time I noticed unlocking items doesnt mean unlocking a store, it means unlocking grindy item building options, I had to roll my eyes and move on to something more worth time and this Dyson TRIBBLE is more of the same, no thanks.
The ONE thing I liked in season 8 was the Fed Tutorial, it was great! Kudos to whoever worked on that, i thought it fit in great with the other faction tutorials, and it was fun, but everything else, bad. S8 needed a Feature Series.
I can read that easily had no trouble what so ever.
I can still move.
I can still fight.
I will never give up!