"To an extent" indeed. The extent is also commonly termed "lip service." As in they're making a token attempt at the illusion of choice, but when it comes down to it you've still got absolutely zero influence on the final outcome of the mission. A bit like dealing with Farek- you decide whether to blow her and her ship away or let it run, but it takes place in a vaccum and makes no difference to the end result. "What happens at the other end of the wormhole stays at the other end of the wormhole?"
Indeed, its the same limitation for the foundry, No matter what the player does, the mission must start at point A, and end at point C, and if there happens to be a point B on the story board then the player MUST go there and do whatever the mission tells him to do
( the only workaround is to put things on the map and not in the story board)
Do you ever feel like your character is a puppet Admiral whos only there to do as administration tells him or her to do? As it stands we have little to no operational Authority to make effective judgements in the field.
I guess it comes down the the end result, We're all playing the same holonovel of one captains adventures, What they decided to do we are fated to repeat
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there are a few missions where you disable a ship, but it's a plot device.
I miss the Star Trek, Star fleet comand games, where you could seriously sit there, beat a ship down almost do death, send security or marines over, secure control of a ship, then bring it back to port for reputation.
Still I don't get why you can fully disable systmes on a ship till you leave it deaf, dumb and blind.
Granted probably harder than just outright destroying the ship, but there should be an option to simply disable.
Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!
OP, you have to play the game as it is meant to be played. STO is an action packed game.
If you don't like that then you need to try a different game.
AFAIK there is only one mission that doesn't require fighting and that is on a Deferian transport where you play doctor and interrogate Breen prisoners. The game mechanics are heavily focused on combat so I don't think Cryptic meant to explore the diplomatic side of Star Trek in this game.
Tyr shall give me strength! For the glory of Tempus! I am the hands of Shar! Flames of Kossuth, protect me! Oghma, grant me knowledge! Lolth commands, and I obey!
AFAIK there is only one mission that doesn't require fighting and that is on a Deferian transport where you play doctor and interrogate Breen prisoners. The game mechanics are heavily focused on combat so I don't think Cryptic meant to explore the diplomatic side of Star Trek in this game.
There's a bunch of different missions that require no fighting. There's a mission in one of the starbases where you just investigate some malfunctions. There's the lead in to the diplomacy missions, one of which literally involves getting a jumja stick from DS9 all the way to Romulan space. There's the part of the DS9 Featured episode where you're on Bajor, which has practically no fighting and the little combat that is there takes place on a holodeck simulation. There's the diplomacy asides and the very first part of that episode which leads up to an argument at a diplomatic conference right before the Jem'Hadar attack.
Anyways, to the OP, I have to say I just levelled up a character on a non-combat path. He did DOFF missions and exploration missions that involve no fighting (I would purposely skip fighting missions).
It can be repepitive, but that's where you just have to use your own imagination a bit more. Like sure I do Aid the Planet on what seems like the same planet multiple times. But I'm Starfleet. They need more medical supplies. It's my mission and my orders. I do it.
This game does have a viable non-combat levelling path. It's a tad repepitive, yeah, but no more repetitive than the combat path (like seriously, how many more Klingons do you have to disintegrate?) Like once you've done the story arcs through the first time, they tend to be repetitive too.
So I don't know. I think you just need to not go into this game with expectations of a lot of depth. Just roll with it and enjoy what's there.
Comments
Indeed, its the same limitation for the foundry, No matter what the player does, the mission must start at point A, and end at point C, and if there happens to be a point B on the story board then the player MUST go there and do whatever the mission tells him to do
( the only workaround is to put things on the map and not in the story board)
Do you ever feel like your character is a puppet Admiral whos only there to do as administration tells him or her to do? As it stands we have little to no operational Authority to make effective judgements in the field.
I guess it comes down the the end result, We're all playing the same holonovel of one captains adventures, What they decided to do we are fated to repeat
I miss the Star Trek, Star fleet comand games, where you could seriously sit there, beat a ship down almost do death, send security or marines over, secure control of a ship, then bring it back to port for reputation.
Still I don't get why you can fully disable systmes on a ship till you leave it deaf, dumb and blind.
Granted probably harder than just outright destroying the ship, but there should be an option to simply disable.
Star Trek Battles member. Want to roll with a good group of people regardless of fleets and not have to worry about DPS while doing STFs? Come join the channel and join in the fun!
http://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1145998/star-trek-battles-channel-got-canon/p1
If you don't like that then you need to try a different game.
AFAIK there is only one mission that doesn't require fighting and that is on a Deferian transport where you play doctor and interrogate Breen prisoners. The game mechanics are heavily focused on combat so I don't think Cryptic meant to explore the diplomatic side of Star Trek in this game.
For the glory of Tempus!
I am the hands of Shar!
Flames of Kossuth, protect me!
Oghma, grant me knowledge!
Lolth commands, and I obey!
There's a bunch of different missions that require no fighting. There's a mission in one of the starbases where you just investigate some malfunctions. There's the lead in to the diplomacy missions, one of which literally involves getting a jumja stick from DS9 all the way to Romulan space. There's the part of the DS9 Featured episode where you're on Bajor, which has practically no fighting and the little combat that is there takes place on a holodeck simulation. There's the diplomacy asides and the very first part of that episode which leads up to an argument at a diplomatic conference right before the Jem'Hadar attack.
Anyways, to the OP, I have to say I just levelled up a character on a non-combat path. He did DOFF missions and exploration missions that involve no fighting (I would purposely skip fighting missions).
It can be repepitive, but that's where you just have to use your own imagination a bit more. Like sure I do Aid the Planet on what seems like the same planet multiple times. But I'm Starfleet. They need more medical supplies. It's my mission and my orders. I do it.
This game does have a viable non-combat levelling path. It's a tad repepitive, yeah, but no more repetitive than the combat path (like seriously, how many more Klingons do you have to disintegrate?) Like once you've done the story arcs through the first time, they tend to be repetitive too.
So I don't know. I think you just need to not go into this game with expectations of a lot of depth. Just roll with it and enjoy what's there.