Trading Suggestions

maxlevelgod69

Hello there!

I am walking through Risa Right now, and just found a location where Entertainment Provisions can be purchased at half the price that I can replicate them for.

But here's the thing: There's no demand. Sure, a couple missions might ask for it. But let's be realistic, in game, there's no NPCs who need Entertainment Provisions, nor are there many missions which need them and the time you spend getting to this point on Risa you may well have just replicated a couple of them, as time to do the mission is worth more than the credits you're spending.

Simple cost/benefit analysis.

Now one of my old favorite games called Trade Wars used to have a pretty robust and ever-changing system of supply/demand between ports. Sometimes a port would get depleted of an item or overstocked, then you'd handle trades and make a profit. Being a trader in trade wars was the name of the game. I built a program to help me diagnose and optimize routes, then all I had to do was plan it out a bit and do the leg work, and I could make a tidy little profit with very little work involved, and met some cool characters in the game playing this.

STO has the same potential with it.

I've sold all my shields and weapons and spending time exploring. Just used the jetpack on Risa which is quite cool. And then came across a vendor who sold things lower than they could be replicated for and thought...

Trade Wars.

My suggestion: We trek enough to Star Bases. How about having planetary level exchanges for transference of goods and material? Then plant vendors in between planets which sell goods and we can have fun as gamers checkin out who's selling what where and play the game as traders.

Furthermore, there could be 'trade' specific missions and 'fleets' where you could work trading and exploring rather than fighting and 'securing'. An augmentation, per se, to discovery and other ways of building relationships and creating competition in game.

That and you're gonna be doin more footwork too, which will provide your amazing developers and artists to show off some of the beautiful ground artwork they are capable of.

It wasn't until I popped into Bajor and Risa that I saw what your team is capable of.

I think that's the tip of the iceberg to be honest. But you gotta create incentive for your gamers to pop into these places every once in a while, make the trade contacts dynamic and ever changing, and something you gotta explore to determine who's selling what where and who's buying what where.

This way, someone like me who loves the cool art - it gives you a chance to show off what you do as a graphics guru - and me a chance to appreciate the wow factor when ya stun me with the views....

now why can't I make it to that ship in the bay???? I wanna go check it out!

lordvalecortez

Now clearly this means lot to you and I can see the appeal on some level but that's not what Trek is about. Nor is that what this game is about. While it does present an alternate sort of grind, people come to STO to pew pew in space ships. And that's pretty much it. What you have described is something more akin to the X series of games or even ancient of days Trade Wars.

I doubt the player base would go for such an idea though it would add a less militarized portion to the game, which it really does need. But flash and dakka sells, not shuffling part A to destination B to trade for part C to take to place D.

maxlevelgod69

lordvalecortez wrote: »

Now clearly this means lot to you and I can see the appeal on some level but that's not what Trek is about. Nor is that what this game is about. While it does present an alternate sort of grind, people come to STO to pew pew in space ships. And that's pretty much it. What you have described is something more akin to the X series of games or even ancient of days Trade Wars.

I doubt the player base would go for such an idea though it would add a less militarized portion to the game, which it really does need. But flash and dakka sells, not shuffling part A to destination B to trade for part C to take to place D.

Here's the thing.

You're making a lot of very poor assumptions based on the logic which built the game itself.

Not everyone who watched Star Trek wanted to be Captain Kirk, or Captain Picard.

And I am not that unusual. Take a look at the internet, and you have plenty of people developing LCARS systems because they love the computer user interfaces, take a look at the makeup and clothes and trekkie conventions, and you will find aliens of all kinds in all shapes and forms and rarely a Captain.

Now don't get me wrong, STO takes you into the Star Trek Universe. Like a dip your toes in the water thing.

But if you're going to honor the Star Trek universe. Remember the red shirts.

There are people who DO NOT mind playing the bit characters just to be a part of it all.

And remember - Not all of us want to be Captain Kirk.

Some of us are perfectly fine with owning a Quark's, being a Goofy Tom Parris type who loves him some women and holodeck fun in oddball space antiquated space adventures, or being that spoiled god the Federation just encountered in space.

Star Trek is not just a tv show about a Captain. It's a tv show about ethics, morals, decisions, diversity, love, hate, honor, hope, deception, fun, humor, drama, perversion, humility, leadership, and most of all - it's about the support characters.

What would Star Trek be without Spock, or Wesley Crusher, or Q for that matter.

My favorite line ever, from Worf was:
"I protest, I am not a Merry Man"

That single line made me want to be Q myself, for the potential fun you could have playing with people who flat out had personality issues which needed subtle yet funny influence. Let's face it, Star Trek is an uptight stuffy universe at times, and with someone like Q around to add levity to the picture, I was always looking forward to episodes with him on them wondering what he'd do next. Now if I were given the opportunity to be like him, I'm a bit more of a pervert and I'd probably be in much more trouble than he got into with the continuum. He'd no longer be taking the heat, that's for sure!

That's all I am saying is. I got into Star Trek thinking they'd honor the series and let us play the periphery bit parts within a Star Trek universe.

Maybe not necessarily be Q, per se, he's a unique and comical man. But what's wrong with being that seedy trader you just met in the corner of a futuristic thailand to continue your mission? What's wrong with being that alternate reality Captain Ryker who just got drunker than a skunk with his crew and your entire ship slipped into an alternate reality and you don't know how to use the COM system when someone hails you, and you feel like hell from the hangover and express that on the intercom.

Bit parts ARE fun. But the system has to support it and if it did. you'd have a LOT less scripted starships with scripted captains running around the virtual galaxy created by the developers to make it 'look' as if there's activity goin on, when there really isn't, and their numbers are FAR lower and they don't know why it is not attracting people.

They, like you - I suspect an employee - doesn't comprehend:

Not everyone wants to be "THE" Captain.

Being 'a' part time captain is perfectly fine by me. It's my preference in fact.

My bet is, this is more common than you think.

And if you simply altered development a little and focused on supporting us bit players.

You'd have incredible potential.