But seriously, here's why. It makes sense both in-universe and out of universe.
They're some of the most undeniably awesome aliens in Trek, yet we know next to nothing about them and have barely ever even seen the Tholians themselves.
Since we know next to nothing about them, there's no way to tell if they're actually evil. They could just as well be ruthless anti-heroes. Which I would prefer, to be honest, since there are waay too many hostile factions in this game already. Although something could be said for the fact that so many of this game's villains are in fact tragic, so. Anyway.
We know for a fact that the Iconians' short-term goal is chaos and infighting. It stands to reason then that, provided the AQ is going to win this war, the next main step in the storyline will be a massive alliance. The formal end of the F/K war that never existed in the first place, etc., etc. And the Tholians? Should be the key to all of it.
They have an empire that expands throughout space and time, through multiple dimensions. We can't even begin to comprehend their strength. Other than perhaps the full-fledged Dominion military, the Tholians are the Alpha Quadrant's only hope of matching the Iconians. And it fits with their motivations, too.
They're studying ancient ruins on Dewa III, and seizing technology elsewhere. This could very well be preparation for an offensive against the Iconians when they arrive. There's been some speculation that they're related to the Iconians in some way. If that's the case, make it like the Romulans and the Vulcans: they're distant cousins, estranged at some point in the past. This would give the Tholians ample reason to fight them. I really do get the feeling that they're not malicious -- they just don't particularly care about anyone, and their moral system is bizarre. Actually, we've heard of things like "Tholian ambassadors" in DS9 as the source of some silk Kasidy had, so they're clearly not "shoot-on-sight" hostile.
And here's how they should be implemented. First, there's an STF series. An Iconian Obex-class (assuming that is in fact the class name and not something else) dreadnought shows up outside a gate somewhere, and a Special Task Force is sent to take it down to investigate -- but it's Wolf 359 all over again. The Federation just can't hold out against a foe that plays with the Borg like a cat with a mouse. Then, out of nowhere, thirty Tarantula Dreadnoughts warp in and tear the Iconians apart.
A week later, real time, we get the Tholian faction implemented, with the early episodes showing the events from a Tholian perspective throughout the game so far. Operations on Dewa III, attacking Nukara Prime, realizing the value of the Alpha Quadrant as a prospective ally against the Iconians...
Seriously we NEED more Tholians in this game.
And then the Dominion, because PURPLE. And because changelings, and because Odo as Big Good. And then the Breen, if necessary.
For those of you who say the dominion are evil, they are not evil, only control freaks.
Yeah, what could be evil about deliberately engineering an entire species to be fatally dependent on drugs supplied by you like the Founders/Vorta did to the Jem'Hadar, right? :rolleyes:
Yeah, what could be evil about deliberately engineering an entire species to be fatally dependent on drugs supplied by you like the Founders/Vorta did to the Jem'Hadar, right? :rolleyes:
Well, the Jem'Hadar have demonstrated that they're difficult at best to keep in line otherwise. Kar'Ukan wasn't the only Jem'Hadar to ever betray the Founders. :P
Well, the Jem'Hadar have demonstrated that they're difficult at best to keep in line otherwise. Kar'Ukan wasn't the only Jem'Hadar to ever betray the Founders. :P
Oh, well them being a bit difficult changes things entirely, making genetically enforced slavery totally acceptable. :P
All of the Dominion's actions seem to be based around the fear of Solids experienced by the Founders. If you enslave a bunch of Solids so that they will never attack you, then you don't need to fear them. A Dominion faction could work based on who is the leader. If Odo is the leader, then it could work. Besides every other mini-faction that could be introduced seems to come from a position of weakness while a Dominion faction would be a mini-faction that comes from a position of strength. Cardassians had their homeworld devastated and need help from the Federation. Liberated Borg have the Collective after them as well as any other alien race that has been devastated by the Collective.
My prediction for the next faction would be a Dominion and/or Cardassian faction with Liberated Borg faction after that.
But seriously, here's why. It makes sense both in-universe and out of universe.
They're some of the most undeniably awesome aliens in Trek, yet we know next to nothing about them and have barely ever even seen the Tholians themselves.
Since we know next to nothing about them, there's no way to tell if they're actually evil. They could just as well be ruthless anti-heroes. Which I would prefer, to be honest, since there are waay too many hostile factions in this game already. Although something could be said for the fact that so many of this game's villains are in fact tragic, so. Anyway.
We know for a fact that the Iconians' short-term goal is chaos and infighting. It stands to reason then that, provided the AQ is going to win this war, the next main step in the storyline will be a massive alliance. The formal end of the F/K war that never existed in the first place, etc., etc. And the Tholians? Should be the key to all of it.
They have an empire that expands throughout space and time, through multiple dimensions. We can't even begin to comprehend their strength. Other than perhaps the full-fledged Dominion military, the Tholians are the Alpha Quadrant's only hope of matching the Iconians. And it fits with their motivations, too.
They're studying ancient ruins on Dewa III, and seizing technology elsewhere. This could very well be preparation for an offensive against the Iconians when they arrive. There's been some speculation that they're related to the Iconians in some way. If that's the case, make it like the Romulans and the Vulcans: they're distant cousins, estranged at some point in the past. This would give the Tholians ample reason to fight them. I really do get the feeling that they're not malicious -- they just don't particularly care about anyone, and their moral system is bizarre. Actually, we've heard of things like "Tholian ambassadors" in DS9 as the source of some silk Kasidy had, so they're clearly not "shoot-on-sight" hostile.
And here's how they should be implemented. First, there's an STF series. An Iconian Obex-class (assuming that is in fact the class name and not something else) dreadnought shows up outside a gate somewhere, and a Special Task Force is sent to take it down to investigate -- but it's Wolf 359 all over again. The Federation just can't hold out against a foe that plays with the Borg like a cat with a mouse. Then, out of nowhere, thirty Tarantula Dreadnoughts warp in and tear the Iconians apart.
A week later, real time, we get the Tholian faction implemented, with the early episodes showing the events from a Tholian perspective throughout the game so far. Operations on Dewa III, attacking Nukara Prime, realizing the value of the Alpha Quadrant as a prospective ally against the Iconians...
Seriously we NEED more Tholians in this game.
And then the Dominion, because PURPLE. And because changelings, and because Odo as Big Good. And then the Breen, if necessary.
I don't see Tholians as a faction themselves, but I could see them as part of a Dominion faction, given how that was the side they were on in the Dominion war, perhaps as a C-store species.
Also, is it just me, or at the Tholians the most good faction in the story missions? I mean it is basically them looking around a new plannet (Dewa III, or Nukra) then for no adequately fleshed out reason everyone is like "Nope, don't like them" and open fire. The Tholians react, and are suddenly the big baddies.
"I am a travelor of both time and space to be where I have been"
I think you're thinking of the Breen. The Tholians have only shown up three times: once during TOS, where they stole a starship, and twice during ENT, where they attacked the Enterprise and the Suliban to grab a future time capsule and then appeared in the Mirror Universe, where said stolen starship was found by the Terran Empire. In the past.
The Breen are pretty similar though. Mysterious aliens, generally hostile, extremely powerful, who use bluish weapons. In STO, anyway. Actually come to think of it, they're the only two factions known to use energy dissipators, too...Except Tholians are hot, and the Breen are cold.
Calling them "slaves" is wrong because they arent, there is nothing in the Dominion that makes the Jem'hadar to be considered slaves because, to start, there is NO property in the Dominion since there is no difference on the Founders.
-facepalm-
So since they don't fit one cherry-picked-for-the-twisting-of-reality definition of slavery, there's nothing wrong with enslaving them?
So since they don't fit one cherry-picked-for-the-twisting-of-reality definition of slavery, there's nothing wrong with enslaving them?
Wow, some of these people scare me. :eek:
I don't see anything wrong with it
Isn't the Federation the same? They don't pay anyone, they order their people around, they send them on suicide missions, and kill anyone who tries to leave (Marquis)
"I am a travelor of both time and space to be where I have been"
Well...I'd put it more this way: the Founders created the Jem'hadar, Vorta, etc. As such, they have the right to do whatever with them that they want. In theory.
'Course it's not as clear-cut as, say, fictional characters. "Roddenberry was enslaving Spock! Making him do his bidding!" In that case, it's clear that he created the character and thus CAN effectively treat him as property.
But that factor, combined with the fact that they WANT to serve the Founders, however engineered that was, tends to indicate to me that it's pretty much all right.
Actually...that could work. Like just as a joke faction. Possibly involving Q, since Q can be used to believably justify virtually any type of silliness. There wouldn't actually be any gameplay though. You'd just roll up your tribble and sit there, moving around and nibbling at grain occasionally.
Why not keep it simple and continue a storyline they have started already with Season 8 ? As some of the Voth are running over to the other side, why not make those rebelling Voth a new faction ?
OK, if I have to stay here for a while, your cieling ... looks idious.:D
Just thinking. What if the Iconians reapear from somewhere. That would be nice.New faction. The story should start where the others factions ended. Otherwise I'm for Cardassians or Ferengi. But Ferengi would be somehow more difficult, becouse Cryptic must than create Ferenginar (I don't know where is it now), and the other problem is... all ferengi women are nude on Ferenginar.
...Iconians will never be playable. At least I don't think so. Seeing as how they're the main villains in the entire game forever. Also, Ferengi women wear clothes now. Rom changed things some as Grand Nagus.
...Iconians will never be playable. At least I don't think so. Seeing as how they're the main villains in the entire game forever. Also, Ferengi women wear clothes now. Rom changed things some as Grand Nagus.
Correct. The devs have said no evil factions so no Borg Collective faction or Iconian faction.
I don't know, I've always wanted to play a Hirogen and fly one of their warships
That'd be more likely to happen with a Hirogen lockbox, honestly.
"Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Next playable faction will DEFINATELY be the KAZON EMPIRE!!!!
Or maybe the Cardassians.
A Dominion Faction seems flawed where your home is in the Gamma Quadrant and the Main races would be Founder? Not likely as the ability to shape shift seems improbable, the Vorta? There is only one on any ship as the voice of the founders so that would have to be your Captain right? And the Jem'Hadar, a race built solely for Military Police actions and obedience via addiction.
Cardassians also really only have themselves in the Union so it seems hard to believe that would really be a FACTION. The Romulans should have been a standalone faction with Romulans, Reman, Hirogen, Suliban, Kzin and Aliens.
I guess if you allow the Cardassians to be aligned with the Breen and maybe the Dominion to a small extent I guess it could work as a new faction.
Most likely though any "faction" introduced will simply additional races to join either the Federation or the Klingon Defense Force as is what happened unfortunately with the Romulans. I can't see how this has led to further strife and chaos as now you are pitting Romulan against Romulan in the PvP battlegrounds.
The best Faction that fits the lines of what happened with the Romulans, however, is the Liberated Borg. The Borg consist of thousands of species, so it seems to be that if one where liberated by either faction they might side with them in their endeavors.
A few pages back, someone nominated the Xindi as a playable faction. I'll second (third? fourth? whatever) that nomination.
The Xindi arc in Enterprise ended with the Xindi, and indeed the entire Delphic Expanse, disappearing from normal space to an uncertain fate. A Xindi-faction storyline in STO could have them and the Expanse suddenly reappearing for no apparent reason, leaving the Xindi to form alliances with their new neighbors - the Feds and Klingons - while at the same time trying to determine what caused the Expanse to shift back into normal space. (Presumably, the Iconians would have something to do with it. Cryptic could even link the Sphere Builders to the Iconians, just as they linked the Solanae to them in the Dyson Sphere storyline.)
Something similar enough to the existing Empires that it can be interfaced in, but different enough to make it stand out. They have unique ship profiles with their asymmetrical designs, which could be expanded upon in the same scope as the Roms were (just hopefully with less chunkiness.)
As for composing races, a quote from Memory Alpha.
Among the species in the Breen Confederacy mentioned in Zero Sum Game, only four were mentioned by name and described in some detail, and an additional fifth species was described in Plagues of Night. They include:
The Silwaan, a humanoid species and a founding species of the Confederacy, who possessed (in the case of the character Chot Nar) bronze-tinted skin, white hair and jade-colored eyes .
The Fenrisal, a furred, lupine humanoid species whose snouted facial structure served as the inspiration for the archetypical Breen helmet design.
The Paclu, a large, powerful humanoid species who often serve in the Confederacy military thanks to their strength. They are noted to possess four-lobed brains that make their minds difficult to read, as well as an unspecified number of hearts.
The Amoniri, a humanoid species whose bodies possess no blood and evaporate when exposed to normal M-class atmospheres, requiring them to wear actual refrigeration suits to function outside of their regular environment. They also serve commonly in the Confederacy military alongside the Paclu.
The Vironat, a humanoid species with cleft arms and legs with highly-accurate sensory organs located along their lengths that grant them exceptional tactile abilities, making them highly-effective engineers. The enhanced sensory abilities of the species also renders them prone to motion sickness.
While yes there would pose a problem as there are already Breen ships in circulation, they could technically go and reskin those to be another type of vessel, or something of that manner, preserving all stats and such. There are the ships that weren't lockbox, just an event reward.
Didn't the Xindi join the federation later on? I think they'd be better off just being added as playable races to the fed.
Also, someone said Hirogen earlier. Back when LoR was in development, we were told playable Suliban and Suliban boffs were almost a certanty for romulans, and that Hirogen for the Roms in the same role/reasoning as Nausicaans in the KDF were being considered.
And then neither idea was ever mentioned again. I would like both put back on the table. Suliban should have some kind of shroud-like trait and a bonus to ground combat dodge, maybe a bonus to EW abilities in space like countermeasures, stealth, or subspace compiler.
I don't care what they do with hirogen. I like how they and their ships look. I'd just be happy to have one as a merc.
Didn't the Xindi join the federation later on? I think they'd be better off just being added as playable races to the fed.
Also, someone said Hirogen earlier. Back when LoR was in development, we were told playable Suliban and Suliban boffs were almost a certanty for romulans, and that Hirogen for the Roms in the same role/reasoning as Nausicaans in the KDF were being considered.
And then neither idea was ever mentioned again. I would like both put back on the table. Suliban should have some kind of shroud-like trait and a bonus to ground combat dodge, maybe a bonus to EW abilities in space like countermeasures, stealth, or subspace compiler.
I don't care what they do with hirogen. I like how they and their ships look. I'd just be happy to have one as a merc.
It is never confirmed that the Xindi join the Federation
Just saying
"I am a travelor of both time and space to be where I have been"
Comments
THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS THOLIANS
*takes deep breath*
But seriously, here's why. It makes sense both in-universe and out of universe.
They're some of the most undeniably awesome aliens in Trek, yet we know next to nothing about them and have barely ever even seen the Tholians themselves.
Since we know next to nothing about them, there's no way to tell if they're actually evil. They could just as well be ruthless anti-heroes. Which I would prefer, to be honest, since there are waay too many hostile factions in this game already. Although something could be said for the fact that so many of this game's villains are in fact tragic, so. Anyway.
We know for a fact that the Iconians' short-term goal is chaos and infighting. It stands to reason then that, provided the AQ is going to win this war, the next main step in the storyline will be a massive alliance. The formal end of the F/K war that never existed in the first place, etc., etc. And the Tholians? Should be the key to all of it.
They have an empire that expands throughout space and time, through multiple dimensions. We can't even begin to comprehend their strength. Other than perhaps the full-fledged Dominion military, the Tholians are the Alpha Quadrant's only hope of matching the Iconians. And it fits with their motivations, too.
They're studying ancient ruins on Dewa III, and seizing technology elsewhere. This could very well be preparation for an offensive against the Iconians when they arrive. There's been some speculation that they're related to the Iconians in some way. If that's the case, make it like the Romulans and the Vulcans: they're distant cousins, estranged at some point in the past. This would give the Tholians ample reason to fight them. I really do get the feeling that they're not malicious -- they just don't particularly care about anyone, and their moral system is bizarre. Actually, we've heard of things like "Tholian ambassadors" in DS9 as the source of some silk Kasidy had, so they're clearly not "shoot-on-sight" hostile.
And here's how they should be implemented. First, there's an STF series. An Iconian Obex-class (assuming that is in fact the class name and not something else) dreadnought shows up outside a gate somewhere, and a Special Task Force is sent to take it down to investigate -- but it's Wolf 359 all over again. The Federation just can't hold out against a foe that plays with the Borg like a cat with a mouse. Then, out of nowhere, thirty Tarantula Dreadnoughts warp in and tear the Iconians apart.
A week later, real time, we get the Tholian faction implemented, with the early episodes showing the events from a Tholian perspective throughout the game so far. Operations on Dewa III, attacking Nukara Prime, realizing the value of the Alpha Quadrant as a prospective ally against the Iconians...
Seriously we NEED more Tholians in this game.
And then the Dominion, because PURPLE. And because changelings, and because Odo as Big Good. And then the Breen, if necessary.
Yeah, what could be evil about deliberately engineering an entire species to be fatally dependent on drugs supplied by you like the Founders/Vorta did to the Jem'Hadar, right? :rolleyes:
My character Tsin'xing
Oh, well them being a bit difficult changes things entirely, making genetically enforced slavery totally acceptable. :P
My prediction for the next faction would be a Dominion and/or Cardassian faction with Liberated Borg faction after that.
Also, is it just me, or at the Tholians the most good faction in the story missions? I mean it is basically them looking around a new plannet (Dewa III, or Nukra) then for no adequately fleshed out reason everyone is like "Nope, don't like them" and open fire. The Tholians react, and are suddenly the big baddies.
And slavery, as practiced by the Dominion, is the very definition of evil.
And that brings us back to: No evil factions. :P
But it isn't really slavery for most of them, given how they are kinda theocratic about following orders
The Breen are pretty similar though. Mysterious aliens, generally hostile, extremely powerful, who use bluish weapons. In STO, anyway. Actually come to think of it, they're the only two factions known to use energy dissipators, too...Except Tholians are hot, and the Breen are cold.
So as long as they don't complain about it, it's not slavery? :eek:
Holy Phil Robertson, Batman!
-facepalm-
So since they don't fit one cherry-picked-for-the-twisting-of-reality definition of slavery, there's nothing wrong with enslaving them?
Wow, some of these people scare me. :eek:
I don't see anything wrong with it
Isn't the Federation the same? They don't pay anyone, they order their people around, they send them on suicide missions, and kill anyone who tries to leave (Marquis)
'Course it's not as clear-cut as, say, fictional characters. "Roddenberry was enslaving Spock! Making him do his bidding!" In that case, it's clear that he created the character and thus CAN effectively treat him as property.
But that factor, combined with the fact that they WANT to serve the Founders, however engineered that was, tends to indicate to me that it's pretty much all right.
Correct. The devs have said no evil factions so no Borg Collective faction or Iconian faction.
That'd be more likely to happen with a Hirogen lockbox, honestly.
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
Or maybe the Cardassians.
A Dominion Faction seems flawed where your home is in the Gamma Quadrant and the Main races would be Founder? Not likely as the ability to shape shift seems improbable, the Vorta? There is only one on any ship as the voice of the founders so that would have to be your Captain right? And the Jem'Hadar, a race built solely for Military Police actions and obedience via addiction.
Cardassians also really only have themselves in the Union so it seems hard to believe that would really be a FACTION. The Romulans should have been a standalone faction with Romulans, Reman, Hirogen, Suliban, Kzin and Aliens.
I guess if you allow the Cardassians to be aligned with the Breen and maybe the Dominion to a small extent I guess it could work as a new faction.
Most likely though any "faction" introduced will simply additional races to join either the Federation or the Klingon Defense Force as is what happened unfortunately with the Romulans. I can't see how this has led to further strife and chaos as now you are pitting Romulan against Romulan in the PvP battlegrounds.
The best Faction that fits the lines of what happened with the Romulans, however, is the Liberated Borg. The Borg consist of thousands of species, so it seems to be that if one where liberated by either faction they might side with them in their endeavors.
The Xindi arc in Enterprise ended with the Xindi, and indeed the entire Delphic Expanse, disappearing from normal space to an uncertain fate. A Xindi-faction storyline in STO could have them and the Expanse suddenly reappearing for no apparent reason, leaving the Xindi to form alliances with their new neighbors - the Feds and Klingons - while at the same time trying to determine what caused the Expanse to shift back into normal space. (Presumably, the Iconians would have something to do with it. Cryptic could even link the Sphere Builders to the Iconians, just as they linked the Solanae to them in the Dyson Sphere storyline.)
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Something similar enough to the existing Empires that it can be interfaced in, but different enough to make it stand out. They have unique ship profiles with their asymmetrical designs, which could be expanded upon in the same scope as the Roms were (just hopefully with less chunkiness.)
As for composing races, a quote from Memory Alpha.
While yes there would pose a problem as there are already Breen ships in circulation, they could technically go and reskin those to be another type of vessel, or something of that manner, preserving all stats and such. There are the ships that weren't lockbox, just an event reward.
Also, someone said Hirogen earlier. Back when LoR was in development, we were told playable Suliban and Suliban boffs were almost a certanty for romulans, and that Hirogen for the Roms in the same role/reasoning as Nausicaans in the KDF were being considered.
And then neither idea was ever mentioned again. I would like both put back on the table. Suliban should have some kind of shroud-like trait and a bonus to ground combat dodge, maybe a bonus to EW abilities in space like countermeasures, stealth, or subspace compiler.
I don't care what they do with hirogen. I like how they and their ships look. I'd just be happy to have one as a merc.
It is never confirmed that the Xindi join the Federation
Just saying