Rumour has it, it's a game where you go around killing stuff, and the guys you kill drop stuff, that you have to pay Cryptic actual money to use. So you can upgraded your guy, so he's better at killing stuff, faster.
Isnt the XBox version of Blacklight Repritu..Retroprito.. ah heck you know what I mean in the works?
As someone who hasn't logged into this game in over a year, I have to/agree with about 90% of the OP's sentiments. Now, a 12 year old sandbox (AO) gets my yearly sub and any money I spend in a pixel-Store while my lifer sits here and rots.
The NERFs come from a total unfamiliarity of developers to their own game. The PVP boards have stated this fact almost since launch. You know it's bad when players have to explain the internal combat systems to devs working on "fixing" a so-called problem. IE; look at FaW and all the CHANGES that it's been thru. Sad part is, they almost had a decent balance before the "dark times", just before F2P, and the skillbox revamps. Then came the DPS, pure P2W C-Store with nothing to offset builds on the other side of that story. DPS is king and PVP is dependant upon pure DPS and killing before being killed. That's why STO is commonly called "Escorts Online". After that there was basicly no saving PVP in this game. Devs do things due to the "coolness" factor, "looks cool, seems cool, let's do it", don't even think about listening to testors, and then find out that something is totally OP or UP via the forums erupting. "Opps, get out the NERF bat".
As with SWG and the CU, NGE, and C6CD no other game destroyed SWG, except SWG. It was ALL SOE Austin that CHANGED and NERFed their way into low population and closed servers. And it is the same exact way here. The absolute worst thing about STO is Cryptic, their business model and their developer mindsets.
Like I say, I'm not sure we ever really saw Stephen's grand vision so much as we saw him racing to complete a bunch of tight deadline objectives. So I'm not sure we have a clear idea what his vision would be as a longterm EP. (Or if he is longterm.)
I didn't love what I perceived as the abrasiveness of his previous tenure but I'm not sure how much he had to do with that. He was handed the reins unexpectedly and he was assigned a lot of hard goals with short deadlines and not necessarily a TON of flexibility on how to get there.
From what I know of the guy, there are things that make me uneasy. He strikes me as very into the ludic/mechanical side of narrative, that gels well at Cryptic overall, and I think sometimes it's good for the game to have more of a touchy feely, poet type (which Stahl is a bit) maybe butting heads with the team a little bit, creating a tension between right and left brained approaches. (And I think Stahl did more of this in his first go as EP.)
At the same time, he's a real Trek fan and a real sci-fi fan who is hard nosed about things working and making sense. Heck, the guy prefers Booster Gold and Blue Beetle's solo comics as depictions of working super-heroes who need money to the Giffen-DeMatties "Bwa-haha" take. That goes wildly in the face of popular opinion so I really take him at his word that he's a guy focused on things working and making sense. Because that's an example of the kind of opinion nobody would fake having.
He strikes me as the kind of guy who would object to plot holes and clamp down on bugs and focus on strong structure, when it comes to systems, story, and IP-adherence. I can think of good game systems I think he'd say yes to that I'm not sure Stahl would. Meanwhile, the reverse is true that I can see him clamping down against some longterm plans or novel ideas because they aren't totally coherent. So I half expect species respecs to get pushed aside again unless they're part of a technical push.... and I imagine something like BO to Captain conversion, a technical nightmare with high novelty, is going to remain dead.
I have a lot of respect for Stephen. Losing somebody who's been passionate about the game like Stahl is always a mixed bag but I never felt like Stahl was really BACK. He felt more like the PR voice for decisions made by other people or by collective process in his second go as EP. In that respect, maybe he's a better fit designing a new game. Stephen strikes me as a no BS authoritative presence who will take the job seriously though.
Out of curiosity, how would people feel if it was Zinc? I think we BARELY got to see his longterm vision but that we saw more of his than we saw of Stephen's.
The other thing to consider is that PvP can be seen as tactical simulation (even between the Klingon and Federation should the war end), which we know that they do from time to time in the Star Trek universe. So PvP can easily fit in Star Trek, depends on how you frame it.
This I agree with 100%. This can end the Fed-KDF war, and enable faction-based, mixed-faction, and free-for-all PVP matches, all with a solid in-story justification that actually feels like Trek, rather than Star Wars.
Oh. And a freebie question for any journalists/podcasters out there who get to interview Stephen:
Stephen D'Angelo is a fan of hard science fiction. He likes technobabble when it makes sense and dislikes it when it doesn't, as near as I can figure. He likes ideas that have realism and believable elements over cheap fantasy gimmicks. He's more Niven than pulp.
So somebody PLEASE ask him about the Voth.
Specifically, what he thinks of the Voth in Trek, how they were implemented in STO with laser T-Rexes, and whether they fit with his vision of STO.
Because my gut says he'll say something a LOT like what a lot of forum posters said there... and that the Voth are an example of something he might, at the least, expect to be executed differently assuming he wouldn't have shut down the idea.
...talking to players is like being a mall Santa. Everyone immediately wants to tell you all of the things they want, and you are absolutely powerless to deliver 99% of them.
There have been a few games in the works at Cryptic for awhile. Two of which haven't been made public as far as I know. So Dan could have gone over to one of them, or since he has experience with xbox (since he did work over there for awhile) he went to work on the console ports. It's really hard to say until they announce it or he comes on and puts a lot of things to rest. This isn't anything shocking in the gaming industry. People get shuffled around or move on to work on other projects for awhile.
Now with Stephen back at the helm..I think iconians (the poster not the race) hit the nail on the head for me. I was here and read all the posts he made and yes, it did leave a small sour taste in my mouth. However everyone deserves a second chance so I'm willing to give him that but I think we all got to remember that the roadmap for the next few months has already been set and is in progress. While he could easily change it (he is EP after all) I doubt he will. So it will be a few before we see anything he had a hand in.
So ultimately welcome our to new overlord! Can I haz Dan's stuff? :P
Yes, I'm that Askray@Batbayer in game. Yes, I still play. No, I don't care. Former Community Moderator, Former SSR DJ, Now Full time father to two kids, Husband, Retail Worker. Tiktok: @Askray Facebook: Askray113
I totally agree with the OP. Since I realized that my original main that I had invested a ton of time and real money in was rendered completely obsolete by the OP Romulan faction I vowed to not spend another dime on this game. And I haven't and won't until both FEDs and KDF have comparable space traits that restore balance to the faction.
The other issue with PVP as well is spot on. Pug stomping kills PvP and needs to stop. We need new PvP modes other than arena and cap & hold.
Lastly, like you said, the Dev's need to stop doing what "they think is cool" and consider more what the players want and goes along within what you can find in the Trek verse.
1) PvP needs to be removed from the game, period. Star Trek is, was, and always will be about cooperation, not competition. All the silly, alien spacecraft, and components, need to be removed also.
2) You are never going to be able to put a whole BioWare like RPG into the Foundry. This is not only beyond the capabilities of STO, but beyond the capability of any current MMO. That being said, players should be allowed to choose whatever rep marks they need from completing foundry content. And these marks should be awarded in meaningful quantities.
3) I concur. Anything bought from the C-Store, should be account wide, and not character bound.
4) I promised myself 2 years ago, that Cryptic abused me financially, for the last time. Through calculated discipline, I have maintained that promise. I feel comfortable now admitting I shall never spend another cent of real money on this product, no matter who's in charge, or what they may do to actually improve the game, for as long as it is a wholly, or partially, owned subsidiary of Perfect World Entertainment, or any of it's affiliates.
another game?! You've only just released Neverwinter, which tooks devs from both STO and CO to make. So this new game will probably take more from STO, take the last and remaining dev left on CO, and even some from Neverwinter. Quantity over quality. No wonder your original logo was a factory.
I have a knot in my stomach that tells me that this is the way PWE works. (I never knew of them before STO)
Push out new Tittles constantly, while putting older tittles, (even if they are popular and successful into maintenance mode, length to be determined by how much money comes into the given tittle).
Sure, there will still be big releases here and there and you can bet you will pay dearly for them, but I'm not sure anymore if we can expect to get the attention we would like, or have come accustomed too.
Franky, I'm a little worried how this is going to affect all the plans we've been told about.
You know, the, "The future looks great, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!" speech we get to get us excited.
This leadership shake-up, plus a new tittle = We're pretty busy getting the new boss to speed and getting a new tittle out, so there might be a "slight" delay in fantastic stuff we've told you were coming, but here's an exciting new bunch of lockboxes to tide you over the wait. Stay with us, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT! - really long stretch ..... grind, grind, grind, new rep, more grind old content.
Despite all the hype about buffing up staff, I've been walking away with the feeling that things are done half measured, (mini factions, bugs rampant)
It feels to me like there never is any REAL focus, for any meaningful length of time, on ANY project.
I can see them juggling their collective asses off on one tittle, while busting their humps off to finish a project on another, while working on the little things we would like for STO on their lunch breaks.
But as this is my first MMO, I'm learning this is probably the way MMOs work in general anyways.
To new players, just walking into things, things look awesome, but spend any length of time on one game and your encouraged to relieve your eventual boredom by playing another, queue ARC to make this easier.
With the combination of the return of D'Angenlo's leadership, Geko being allowed to run rampant with his grind agenda and laserhead dinosaur ideas, and another game stealing more devs from STO, I've lost what little excitement I've had for the future of this game.
Funny how this can happen over night right?
I see one of Stephen's toughest jobs being: Keeping us excited.., when realistically, it probably isn't possible with what's on their collective plates.
im very aware of that, for the last 2 games sto and now was in production, it was champions devs that were taken from their project. remember that is for now and when the new game needs devs it will be champions to pay that bill yet again. champions is/has been the redheaded step child of this company, and I don't see it ending. oh and here is a post I found "as well as supporting efforts on both Star Trek Online and Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter"
You have a very odd understanding of how game development works.
People are hired, quit, move between projects/companies CONSTANTLY. Dan going to a new project is not some omen of abandonment. Champions has it's own team. That team is the size it is because that's how much Champs brings in. If it were a bigger game, it would have a bigger team. People aren't removed from the team to punish players, the team is scaled to the revenue being generated.
In addition, you say that CO is tapped to fill out the STO & NW projects. . . ok, sure. In that anyone who works at any company long enough is going to work on multiple projects, and therefore WILL be removed from their previous projects. Keep in mind that City Of got tapped when we started making Champions (well, Marvel). And STO/NW people will be taken off to new projects as those games go through their natural life cycle. Just as those games will lose people to help build further games.
And what pray tell, has this mythical "Cryptic North" accomplished for CO since?
The articles you linked were posted over 6 months ago. Things change. And we've heard NOTHING since then regarding Cryptic North. For all we know, it's since been closed, to focus on this "4th project"
Cryptic North is alive and well. And while they're a small team, they've been doing a fantastic job with new stuff: Alerts, Vehicles, Auras, Costumes, Events, etc.
... Then came the DPS, pure P2W C-Store with nothing to offset builds on the other side of that story. DPS is king and PVP is dependant upon pure DPS and killing before being killed. That's why STO is commonly called "Escorts Online". After that there was basicly no saving PVP in this game.
Just heading out, but I thought I'd jump back in and comment on this one. I think there is another factor in the shift to DPS. Back in the days when I played wargames on paper maps with cardboard pieces (the origin of the term "gamer") the Designers and Developers used to often hype what the rest of us called 'Beer and Pretzels' games. The fan base wanted tactically complex and detailed military simulations. The devs wanted to be able to enjoy their games after a hard day at work... without having to think too much. I think the shift to DPS comes from this.
There used to be something of a natural tension between Star Trek cannon and the beer and pretzels urge of developers. The shows all have ships that can survive in mass fleet actions and only defeat each other one on one by some clever tactic by the captain of the enterprise (or wesley). The complexity of STO and the strong power of healing reflected this. But the devs don't want a chess game at the end of the day, and the players razz them about how little they play their own game... So we get escorts that press space bar to win.
I believe this is why science ships are so obviously underpowered. The devs would have to think about the game more when they join in and it would become, well... like just more work. Also escorts are predictable. When two three or five attack you then it's easy for the dev to know what the result will look like. Science powers can combine in mysterious ways. That's exactly what I find exciting in the game... but what the Devs consider a headache.
But if I want beer and pretzels... I still own PONG.
GOOD! I hated Captain Stahl and his horrible priority decision making for this game.
To DeAngelo:
Communication
Story Content
Communication
Story Content
Story Content
Those are your priorities. Stop wasting your time and ours remastering old missions no one cares about. Make Foundry a real priority and deliver new set pieces EVERY month. Give me a reason to care about whats going on in STO, so I dont only come back for new stories. Create something dynamic that rewards weekly logins and mission taking per toon.
Make Fleet missions that matter. Make universe missions that matter. Maybe make the global player base go research a star system and collectively as a playerbase we all have to turn in so much research data within 30 days to unlock the next part of the dilema. Like how Battlefield games use to want so many kills from the community to unlock a mission. If the playerbase doesnt reach the quota, we dont discover in time that a star will go super nova. Now we have the next 30 days to make evacuation runs from those planets, while fighting off that species enemies as we rush them to safety. If the community does turn in enough research data, then we spend the next month doing things to stabalize the sun, and ward off their enemies as we do it, saving the system's planets. As a gamer, I need to feel like something bad will happen somewhere in the universe if I dont take my ship and crew out of starbase to once again save the universe. Give me a reason to stay on the sideline, I will. But if you introduce community missions that span say 3 months as a set, and then never put that particular planet in jeopardy again EVER, Im going to keep thinking the universe doesnt need my captain and my crew the months of Jan through March. If we save the planets, they are available to foundry authors and we can go do dailies from them set AFTER their dire circumstances. If the community fails to save those planets, that species will still live in the universe, but their home planets are lost, and Cryptic literally deletes those maps and never uses them dressed as they were again. And you cant bluff. If the community thinks Cryptic wont delete those maps of those planets, we wont bother saving them. Seriously delete stuff if the STO community doesnt put the global effort in to save those planets. MAKE US CARE! Dynamic events like that that permanently alter the STO universe is what this game needs.
STO: @AGNT009 Since Dec 2010
Capt. Will Conquest of the U.S.S. Crusader
GOOD! I hated Captain Stahl and his horrible priority decision making for this game.
To DeAngelo:
Communication
Story Content
Communication
Story Content
Story Content
Those are your priorities. Stop wasting your time and ours remastering old missions no one cares about. Make Foundry a real priority and deliver new set pieces EVERY month. Give me a reason to care about whats going on in STO, so I dont only come back for new stories. Create something dynamic that rewards weekly logins and mission taking per toon.
Make Fleet missions that matter. Make universe missions that matter. Maybe make the global player base go research a star system and collectively as a playerbase we all have to turn in so much research data within 30 days to unlock the next part of the dilema. Like how Battlefield games use to want so many kills from the community to unlock a mission. If the playerbase doesnt reach the quota, we dont discover in time that a star will go super nova. Now we have the next 30 days to make evacuation runs from those planets, while fighting off that species enemies as we rush them to safety. If the community does turn in enough research data, then we spend the next month doing things to stabalize the sun, and ward off their enemies as we do it, saving the system's planets. As a gamer, I need to feel like something bad will happen somewhere in the universe if I dont take my ship and crew out of starbase to once again save the universe. Give me a reason to stay on the sideline, I will. But if you introduce community missions that span say 3 months as a set, and then never put that particular planet in jeopardy again EVER, Im going to keep thinking the universe doesnt need my captain and my crew the months of Jan through March. If we save the planets, they are available to foundry authors and we can go do dailies from them set AFTER their dire circumstances. If the community fails to save those planets, that species will still live in the universe, but their home planets are lost, and Cryptic literally deletes those maps and never uses them dressed as they were again. And you cant bluff. If the community thinks Cryptic wont delete those maps of those planets, we wont bother saving them. Seriously delete stuff if the STO community doesnt put the global effort in to save those planets. MAKE US CARE! Dynamic events like that that permanently alter the STO universe is what this game needs.
...
He strikes me as the kind of guy who would object to plot holes and clamp down on bugs and focus on strong structure, when it comes to systems, story, and IP-adherence. I can think of good game systems I think he'd say yes to that I'm not sure Stahl would. Meanwhile, the reverse is true that I can see him clamping down against some longterm plans or novel ideas because they aren't totally coherent. So I half expect species respecs to get pushed aside again unless they're part of a technical push.... and I imagine something like BO to Captain conversion, a technical nightmare with high novelty, is going to remain dead.
...
Besides no species respec which should, as an expensive store option, exist; all of the above sounds really awesome and in some cases REALLY needed. A STO EP riding against bugs with righteous fire of bug-fixing justice in his eyes.
Stop wasting your time and ours remastering old missions no one cares about. Make Foundry a real priority and deliver new set pieces EVERY month. Give me a reason to care about whats going on in STO, so I dont only come back for new stories. Create something dynamic that rewards weekly logins and mission taking per toon.
...Do you even realize how stupid you sound? You want lots of shoddy new content, a "reason to care", and stuff that rewards weekly logins.
As if the system as-is, which rewards daily logins rather well, isn't enough. As if any dev worth his title and pips is going to push out a lot of shoddy new content, instead of actually taking his time and making something beautiful like the Sphere. As if the Trek actor VOs and professional-quality writing in the Foundry aren't enough reason to care.
The single thing that you said that I agree with? Giving the Foundry some love. Otherwise? Your entire post is an oxymoron.
Seriously. "Old missions no one cares about." The newbies care about those missions; they have to play through them. I care about those missions; I go back and replay them sometimes, just for kicks. Accolade farmers care about those missions. In-depth RPers care about those missions.
To our new Supreme Leader (do you mind if I call you that?):
I hope that you don't get discouraged by the hate on this thread. I am sure that you'll do a great job as Executive Producer, especially if you stay geeky and have fun. Several people I respect say that you have a passion for quality content; I sincerely hope that you bring this to STO, starting with season 8.5. Welcome, and Qapla'!
This I agree with 100%. This can end the Fed-KDF war, and enable faction-based, mixed-faction, and free-for-all PVP matches, all with a solid in-story justification that actually feels like Trek, rather than Star Wars.
I'd agree with the removal of the "current" system of PVP. PVP in a Star Trek game should be a form of "Wargame Exercises". And as a wargame in Star Trek, weapon hits are simulated, systems are shut down accordingly etc. But ships aren't DESTROYED in a wargame (unless you have a malfunctioning M-5 computer aboard).
The only 2 episodes of Trek that directly involve war games. Cryptic devs, take note! Learn, redo, improve!
Ofcourse, any PVE content could potentially involve the destruction of ships. As a Star Trek game (Federation side), one would hope for diplomacy first, followed as a last resort, combat.
I'd agree with the removal of the "current" system of PVP. PVP in a Star Trek game should be a form of "Wargame Exercises". And as a wargame in Star Trek, weapon hits are simulated, systems are shut down accordingly etc. But ships aren't DESTROYED in a wargame (unless you have a malfunctioning M-5 computer aboard).
The only 2 episodes of Trek that directly involve war games. Cryptic devs, take note! Learn, redo, improve!
Ofcourse, any PVE content could potentially involve the destruction of ships. As a Star Trek game (Federation side), one would hope for diplomacy first, followed as a last resort, combat.
EXACTLY!!! This is what I've been recommending for what feels like millennia, but is probably only months.
Wargame exercises, tactical simulations, training scenarios...call them whatever, just make it make sense. Starships are expensive, after all. And with LOR, the fed-KDF war is getting stupid. I killed another Romulan ship just the other day. In PVP. That's a Romulan Republic officer basically murdering another Republic citizen. And being rewarded for it.
Yeah. We needs PVP to be justified as simulations.
You have a very odd understanding of how game development works.
People are hired, quit, move between projects/companies CONSTANTLY. Dan going to a new project is not some omen of abandonment. Champions has it's own team. That team is the size it is because that's how much Champs brings in. If it were a bigger game, it would have a bigger team. People aren't removed from the team to punish players, the team is scaled to the revenue being generated.
In addition, you say that CO is tapped to fill out the STO & NW projects. . . ok, sure. In that anyone who works at any company long enough is going to work on multiple projects, and therefore WILL be removed from their previous projects. Keep in mind that City Of got tapped when we started making Champions (well, Marvel). And STO/NW people will be taken off to new projects as those games go through their natural life cycle. Just as those games will lose people to help build further games.
Cryptic North is alive and well. And while they're a small team, they've been doing a fantastic job with new stuff: Alerts, Vehicles, Auras, Costumes, Events, etc.
I want to first I respect you and the job that you do. this is no way a critazing you or anyone.
As for what you say I can only say if this is true, why weren't the devs moved to champions when the game was faltering and moved the side for a year and a half? I remember exactly what champions got when now was in dev. lock boxes and temp missions. what did sto get 3 full seasons.
even now if cryptic wanted they could send some much needed help to champions. that is all I am saying.
also as far as dan moving, I didn't say anything about him outside of wishing him well. what I said is champions well once again get left in the cold or roundabout way.
I'd agree with the removal of the "current" system of PVP. PVP in a Star Trek game should be a form of "Wargame Exercises". And as a wargame in Star Trek, weapon hits are simulated, systems are shut down accordingly etc. But ships aren't DESTROYED in a wargame (unless you have a malfunctioning M-5 computer aboard).
So basically you want to play a game in which you log in and play another game? :rolleyes:
So basically you want to play a game in which you log in and play another game? :rolleyes:
That's the idea. If you want to PVP, you do it as a tactical simulation. If you want to fight the Borg, of course that's real, if you're killing Thot Trel the gloriously hammy and his mooks, that's real, but PVP is a wargame.
it's a game not a simulation cryptic have repeatedly said this, so all this 'realism' thing needs to just stop, Who cares if you are romulan and killed another romulan, pretend he was tal shiar, if it upsets you so badly.
it's a game not a simulation cryptic have repeatedly said this, so all this 'realism' thing needs to just stop, Who cares if you are romulan and killed another romulan, pretend he was tal shiar, if it upsets you so badly.
Dude, it ruins suspension of disbelief. Ruins it.
The Fed-Klingon war was enough of a rehash as it was; LOR just made it more obvious. PVP is no longer believable. Maybe it was before the Borg came back, Tholians started abducting ships, and the Breen attacked the Deferi, forcing the Feds and Klingons to work together, but now it's just ridiculous.
That's the idea. If you want to PVP, you do it as a tactical simulation. If you want to fight the Borg, of course that's real, if you're killing Thot Trel the gloriously hammy and his mooks, that's real, but PVP is a wargame.
That's the idea, anyway.
I could only understand this if it's applied to FvF and KvK queues. That would make sense, although the existance of FvF & KvK queues makes no sense to me personally.
And I highly doubt the devs will bother to work on this given how PvP doesn't get any attention and especially having the Fed. players requesting a game mechanic where you disable rather than destroy ships in order to be more in like with the practices in the shows since forever and nothing being done about it.
But other than that to me it's, dare I say, a pointless idea. *shrugs*
I could only understand this if it's applied to FvF and KvK queues. That would make sense, although the existance of FvF & KvK queues makes no sense to me personally.
And I highly doubt the devs will bother to work on this given how PvP doesn't get any attention and especially having the Fed. players requesting a game mechanic where you disable rather than destroy ships in order to be more in like with the practices in the shows since forever and nothing being done about it.
But other than that to me it's, dare I say, a pointless idea. *shrugs*
Frankly, I WANT fed vs fed and KDF versus KDF queues. It could be a lot of fun.
I know that PVP revamps are a low priority, and they're kind of a low priority for me, too, but it can be really fun to run them sometimes. I ran a full mine/torp build on my regular t'varo retrofit once, and I actually got first place--that's one of my fondest STO memories. Also the day I discovered that transphasics are waaaaaaaaay underrated, but that's another story.
Comments
Isnt the XBox version of Blacklight Repritu..Retroprito.. ah heck you know what I mean in the works?
Let a female Betazoid on the helm.. it doesn't matter anymore...It's already over
Its called "Star Grind: Online".
The NERFs come from a total unfamiliarity of developers to their own game. The PVP boards have stated this fact almost since launch. You know it's bad when players have to explain the internal combat systems to devs working on "fixing" a so-called problem. IE; look at FaW and all the CHANGES that it's been thru. Sad part is, they almost had a decent balance before the "dark times", just before F2P, and the skillbox revamps. Then came the DPS, pure P2W C-Store with nothing to offset builds on the other side of that story. DPS is king and PVP is dependant upon pure DPS and killing before being killed. That's why STO is commonly called "Escorts Online". After that there was basicly no saving PVP in this game. Devs do things due to the "coolness" factor, "looks cool, seems cool, let's do it", don't even think about listening to testors, and then find out that something is totally OP or UP via the forums erupting. "Opps, get out the NERF bat".
As with SWG and the CU, NGE, and C6CD no other game destroyed SWG, except SWG. It was ALL SOE Austin that CHANGED and NERFed their way into low population and closed servers. And it is the same exact way here. The absolute worst thing about STO is Cryptic, their business model and their developer mindsets.
I didn't love what I perceived as the abrasiveness of his previous tenure but I'm not sure how much he had to do with that. He was handed the reins unexpectedly and he was assigned a lot of hard goals with short deadlines and not necessarily a TON of flexibility on how to get there.
From what I know of the guy, there are things that make me uneasy. He strikes me as very into the ludic/mechanical side of narrative, that gels well at Cryptic overall, and I think sometimes it's good for the game to have more of a touchy feely, poet type (which Stahl is a bit) maybe butting heads with the team a little bit, creating a tension between right and left brained approaches. (And I think Stahl did more of this in his first go as EP.)
At the same time, he's a real Trek fan and a real sci-fi fan who is hard nosed about things working and making sense. Heck, the guy prefers Booster Gold and Blue Beetle's solo comics as depictions of working super-heroes who need money to the Giffen-DeMatties "Bwa-haha" take. That goes wildly in the face of popular opinion so I really take him at his word that he's a guy focused on things working and making sense. Because that's an example of the kind of opinion nobody would fake having.
He strikes me as the kind of guy who would object to plot holes and clamp down on bugs and focus on strong structure, when it comes to systems, story, and IP-adherence. I can think of good game systems I think he'd say yes to that I'm not sure Stahl would. Meanwhile, the reverse is true that I can see him clamping down against some longterm plans or novel ideas because they aren't totally coherent. So I half expect species respecs to get pushed aside again unless they're part of a technical push.... and I imagine something like BO to Captain conversion, a technical nightmare with high novelty, is going to remain dead.
I have a lot of respect for Stephen. Losing somebody who's been passionate about the game like Stahl is always a mixed bag but I never felt like Stahl was really BACK. He felt more like the PR voice for decisions made by other people or by collective process in his second go as EP. In that respect, maybe he's a better fit designing a new game. Stephen strikes me as a no BS authoritative presence who will take the job seriously though.
Out of curiosity, how would people feel if it was Zinc? I think we BARELY got to see his longterm vision but that we saw more of his than we saw of Stephen's.
This I agree with 100%. This can end the Fed-KDF war, and enable faction-based, mixed-faction, and free-for-all PVP matches, all with a solid in-story justification that actually feels like Trek, rather than Star Wars.
Stephen D'Angelo is a fan of hard science fiction. He likes technobabble when it makes sense and dislikes it when it doesn't, as near as I can figure. He likes ideas that have realism and believable elements over cheap fantasy gimmicks. He's more Niven than pulp.
So somebody PLEASE ask him about the Voth.
Specifically, what he thinks of the Voth in Trek, how they were implemented in STO with laser T-Rexes, and whether they fit with his vision of STO.
Because my gut says he'll say something a LOT like what a lot of forum posters said there... and that the Voth are an example of something he might, at the least, expect to be executed differently assuming he wouldn't have shut down the idea.
Now with Stephen back at the helm..I think iconians (the poster not the race) hit the nail on the head for me. I was here and read all the posts he made and yes, it did leave a small sour taste in my mouth. However everyone deserves a second chance so I'm willing to give him that but I think we all got to remember that the roadmap for the next few months has already been set and is in progress. While he could easily change it (he is EP after all) I doubt he will. So it will be a few before we see anything he had a hand in.
So ultimately welcome our to new overlord! Can I haz Dan's stuff? :P
Former Community Moderator, Former SSR DJ, Now Full time father to two kids, Husband, Retail Worker.
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The other issue with PVP as well is spot on. Pug stomping kills PvP and needs to stop. We need new PvP modes other than arena and cap & hold.
Lastly, like you said, the Dev's need to stop doing what "they think is cool" and consider more what the players want and goes along within what you can find in the Trek verse.
what star trek have you been watching? lol
I have a knot in my stomach that tells me that this is the way PWE works. (I never knew of them before STO)
Push out new Tittles constantly, while putting older tittles, (even if they are popular and successful into maintenance mode, length to be determined by how much money comes into the given tittle).
Sure, there will still be big releases here and there and you can bet you will pay dearly for them, but I'm not sure anymore if we can expect to get the attention we would like, or have come accustomed too.
Franky, I'm a little worried how this is going to affect all the plans we've been told about.
You know, the, "The future looks great, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!" speech we get to get us excited.
This leadership shake-up, plus a new tittle = We're pretty busy getting the new boss to speed and getting a new tittle out, so there might be a "slight" delay in fantastic stuff we've told you were coming, but here's an exciting new bunch of lockboxes to tide you over the wait. Stay with us, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT! - really long stretch ..... grind, grind, grind, new rep, more grind old content.
Despite all the hype about buffing up staff, I've been walking away with the feeling that things are done half measured, (mini factions, bugs rampant)
It feels to me like there never is any REAL focus, for any meaningful length of time, on ANY project.
I can see them juggling their collective asses off on one tittle, while busting their humps off to finish a project on another, while working on the little things we would like for STO on their lunch breaks.
But as this is my first MMO, I'm learning this is probably the way MMOs work in general anyways.
To new players, just walking into things, things look awesome, but spend any length of time on one game and your encouraged to relieve your eventual boredom by playing another, queue ARC to make this easier.
Funny how this can happen over night right?
I see one of Stephen's toughest jobs being: Keeping us excited.., when realistically, it probably isn't possible with what's on their collective plates.
You have a very odd understanding of how game development works.
People are hired, quit, move between projects/companies CONSTANTLY. Dan going to a new project is not some omen of abandonment. Champions has it's own team. That team is the size it is because that's how much Champs brings in. If it were a bigger game, it would have a bigger team. People aren't removed from the team to punish players, the team is scaled to the revenue being generated.
In addition, you say that CO is tapped to fill out the STO & NW projects. . . ok, sure. In that anyone who works at any company long enough is going to work on multiple projects, and therefore WILL be removed from their previous projects. Keep in mind that City Of got tapped when we started making Champions (well, Marvel). And STO/NW people will be taken off to new projects as those games go through their natural life cycle. Just as those games will lose people to help build further games.
Cryptic North is alive and well. And while they're a small team, they've been doing a fantastic job with new stuff: Alerts, Vehicles, Auras, Costumes, Events, etc.
Just heading out, but I thought I'd jump back in and comment on this one. I think there is another factor in the shift to DPS. Back in the days when I played wargames on paper maps with cardboard pieces (the origin of the term "gamer") the Designers and Developers used to often hype what the rest of us called 'Beer and Pretzels' games. The fan base wanted tactically complex and detailed military simulations. The devs wanted to be able to enjoy their games after a hard day at work... without having to think too much. I think the shift to DPS comes from this.
There used to be something of a natural tension between Star Trek cannon and the beer and pretzels urge of developers. The shows all have ships that can survive in mass fleet actions and only defeat each other one on one by some clever tactic by the captain of the enterprise (or wesley). The complexity of STO and the strong power of healing reflected this. But the devs don't want a chess game at the end of the day, and the players razz them about how little they play their own game... So we get escorts that press space bar to win.
I believe this is why science ships are so obviously underpowered. The devs would have to think about the game more when they join in and it would become, well... like just more work. Also escorts are predictable. When two three or five attack you then it's easy for the dev to know what the result will look like. Science powers can combine in mysterious ways. That's exactly what I find exciting in the game... but what the Devs consider a headache.
But if I want beer and pretzels... I still own PONG.
Nerfing is Fraud...
To DeAngelo:
Communication
Story Content
Communication
Story Content
Story Content
Those are your priorities. Stop wasting your time and ours remastering old missions no one cares about. Make Foundry a real priority and deliver new set pieces EVERY month. Give me a reason to care about whats going on in STO, so I dont only come back for new stories. Create something dynamic that rewards weekly logins and mission taking per toon.
Make Fleet missions that matter. Make universe missions that matter. Maybe make the global player base go research a star system and collectively as a playerbase we all have to turn in so much research data within 30 days to unlock the next part of the dilema. Like how Battlefield games use to want so many kills from the community to unlock a mission. If the playerbase doesnt reach the quota, we dont discover in time that a star will go super nova. Now we have the next 30 days to make evacuation runs from those planets, while fighting off that species enemies as we rush them to safety. If the community does turn in enough research data, then we spend the next month doing things to stabalize the sun, and ward off their enemies as we do it, saving the system's planets. As a gamer, I need to feel like something bad will happen somewhere in the universe if I dont take my ship and crew out of starbase to once again save the universe. Give me a reason to stay on the sideline, I will. But if you introduce community missions that span say 3 months as a set, and then never put that particular planet in jeopardy again EVER, Im going to keep thinking the universe doesnt need my captain and my crew the months of Jan through March. If we save the planets, they are available to foundry authors and we can go do dailies from them set AFTER their dire circumstances. If the community fails to save those planets, that species will still live in the universe, but their home planets are lost, and Cryptic literally deletes those maps and never uses them dressed as they were again. And you cant bluff. If the community thinks Cryptic wont delete those maps of those planets, we wont bother saving them. Seriously delete stuff if the STO community doesnt put the global effort in to save those planets. MAKE US CARE! Dynamic events like that that permanently alter the STO universe is what this game needs.
Capt. Will Conquest of the U.S.S. Crusader
I like your ideas.
Besides no species respec which should, as an expensive store option, exist; all of the above sounds really awesome and in some cases REALLY needed. A STO EP riding against bugs with righteous fire of bug-fixing justice in his eyes.
I believe it when I see it
...Do you even realize how stupid you sound? You want lots of shoddy new content, a "reason to care", and stuff that rewards weekly logins.
As if the system as-is, which rewards daily logins rather well, isn't enough. As if any dev worth his title and pips is going to push out a lot of shoddy new content, instead of actually taking his time and making something beautiful like the Sphere. As if the Trek actor VOs and professional-quality writing in the Foundry aren't enough reason to care.
The single thing that you said that I agree with? Giving the Foundry some love. Otherwise? Your entire post is an oxymoron.
Seriously. "Old missions no one cares about." The newbies care about those missions; they have to play through them. I care about those missions; I go back and replay them sometimes, just for kicks. Accolade farmers care about those missions. In-depth RPers care about those missions.
To our new Supreme Leader (do you mind if I call you that?):
I hope that you don't get discouraged by the hate on this thread. I am sure that you'll do a great job as Executive Producer, especially if you stay geeky and have fun. Several people I respect say that you have a passion for quality content; I sincerely hope that you bring this to STO, starting with season 8.5. Welcome, and Qapla'!
worffan101.
I'd agree with the removal of the "current" system of PVP. PVP in a Star Trek game should be a form of "Wargame Exercises". And as a wargame in Star Trek, weapon hits are simulated, systems are shut down accordingly etc. But ships aren't DESTROYED in a wargame (unless you have a malfunctioning M-5 computer aboard).
Source Material:
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Computer_(episode)
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Peak_Performance_(episode)
The only 2 episodes of Trek that directly involve war games. Cryptic devs, take note! Learn, redo, improve!
Ofcourse, any PVE content could potentially involve the destruction of ships. As a Star Trek game (Federation side), one would hope for diplomacy first, followed as a last resort, combat.
EXACTLY!!! This is what I've been recommending for what feels like millennia, but is probably only months.
Wargame exercises, tactical simulations, training scenarios...call them whatever, just make it make sense. Starships are expensive, after all. And with LOR, the fed-KDF war is getting stupid. I killed another Romulan ship just the other day. In PVP. That's a Romulan Republic officer basically murdering another Republic citizen. And being rewarded for it.
Yeah. We needs PVP to be justified as simulations.
I want to first I respect you and the job that you do. this is no way a critazing you or anyone.
As for what you say I can only say if this is true, why weren't the devs moved to champions when the game was faltering and moved the side for a year and a half? I remember exactly what champions got when now was in dev. lock boxes and temp missions. what did sto get 3 full seasons.
even now if cryptic wanted they could send some much needed help to champions. that is all I am saying.
also as far as dan moving, I didn't say anything about him outside of wishing him well. what I said is champions well once again get left in the cold or roundabout way.
So basically you want to play a game in which you log in and play another game? :rolleyes:
That's the idea. If you want to PVP, you do it as a tactical simulation. If you want to fight the Borg, of course that's real, if you're killing Thot Trel the gloriously hammy and his mooks, that's real, but PVP is a wargame.
That's the idea, anyway.
Dude, it ruins suspension of disbelief. Ruins it.
The Fed-Klingon war was enough of a rehash as it was; LOR just made it more obvious. PVP is no longer believable. Maybe it was before the Borg came back, Tholians started abducting ships, and the Breen attacked the Deferi, forcing the Feds and Klingons to work together, but now it's just ridiculous.
I could only understand this if it's applied to FvF and KvK queues. That would make sense, although the existance of FvF & KvK queues makes no sense to me personally.
And I highly doubt the devs will bother to work on this given how PvP doesn't get any attention and especially having the Fed. players requesting a game mechanic where you disable rather than destroy ships in order to be more in like with the practices in the shows since forever and nothing being done about it.
But other than that to me it's, dare I say, a pointless idea. *shrugs*
Frankly, I WANT fed vs fed and KDF versus KDF queues. It could be a lot of fun.
I know that PVP revamps are a low priority, and they're kind of a low priority for me, too, but it can be really fun to run them sometimes. I ran a full mine/torp build on my regular t'varo retrofit once, and I actually got first place--that's one of my fondest STO memories. Also the day I discovered that transphasics are waaaaaaaaay underrated, but that's another story.
But TEHO.