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Episodic Content focusing on the Flagship(s)

sirsitsalotsirsitsalot Member Posts: 2,803 Arc User
You know, what I wish they would do is take the Enterprise F and her crew and make an in-game series of missions surrounding it. Give the players a special character slot that lets them play a member of the crew of the Ent-F. These missions would be written in true star trek model:

Intro
4 to 5 acts.
Conclusion.

Each mission would pad out to about 45 minutes with a mixture of playable content and cutscene conetent. We'd be able to EXPERIENCE star trek episodes from the inside.

The advancement of the character would be different. It wouldn't be about ranks or collecting gear, but about playing a star trek series. The storyline that spans the scope of the entire game could be presented through these episodes, with the Enterprise-F at the forefront. Each episode could even start with the classic "Space: The Final Frontier" intro with the voice of Captain Shon narrating. A video featuring the Enterprise-F in different space scenes a la Voyager would accompany the voice cast credits. Each season the series runs could get an updated intro featuring different dramatic space scenes from the series as it would have come so far.

So what happens between episodes? Well, I always thought that the Flagship should always be in the game somewhere on a daily basis. I say each zone within Federation space shoud be give a series of daily Enterprise-F missions. It should aso get its own DOff Assignments which could yield 1 fleet mark each for those who find her and beam aboard to do them. The character one plays as a crew member of the Ent-F would be able to pass the rewards of the daily mission to any single Federation character on his account.

The daily missions would have canned dialogue, of course, but still voiced by the primary crew voice actors.

How many episodes?

24 episodes spanning a season, just like a series of Star Trek. The player would be furthering the plot, but it would be presented with dramatic cutscenes.

What of the Klingons and Romulans? Let there be similar dramatic series for their flagships.

Clearly the episodic content would be linear in nature. But they would be rolled out roughly evey two week with dailies in between, Star Trek Online would become Star trek in truth. In the meantime, core gameplay wher the player gets to be captain of his own ship continues as it already is... A monetized grinffest with plotlines related to what is explored in-depth with the Flagships' series.

Through the course of the series, the player's character would advance through rank, one rank per season. And if the series ends... The character is released to the core game world, where he/she commands a starship. But the player could look back on an experience of an epic Trek story. So what if many would have the same experience? It would be no different than the same experiences we have now.

Mechanics-wise, the episodic series would use only proven gameplay mechanics and pre-existing assets creatively.

What would incentivize this for PWE?

Monetize it. Seasonal access would cost a silver player 144000 RD, obtainable from gameplay or by purchasing Zen to trade for RD. For gold members, upon the completion of the season finale, 24000 RD would be rewarded. Again, that reward could be gifted to any standard character of the appropriate faction. This seasonal RD bonus would be an incentive for players to subscribe to the game, thus generating guaranteed monthly revenue.

As it is, nobody is given any reason to care about the Enterprise F or her primary cast of characters, because there is very little reason or opportunity to serve with them or even interact with them. We've got a new Federation flagship that just celebrated its first Anniversary. Big whoop! What does it mean? Nothing. We don't know who these characters are. They are just pretty mannequins, for all intents and purposes. If Cryptic were to make them meaningful by giving us regular experiences with them, then maybe the characters would become as loved as the characters in the TV series have become. Well maybe not AS loved, but at least cared about.

There is so much potential this game has. It's sad to see it as just the huge grindfest it has become... Focusing stories on the flagships of each faction would add a layer of depth to the game that would be both rewarding and optional.

Thoughts?
Post edited by sirsitsalot on
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Comments

  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    If I wanted to play characters I didn't create in an MMO, I would be playing DC Universe Online.
  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    If I wanted to play characters I didn't create in an MMO, I would be playing DC Universe Online.

    And DCUO is optional just as this could be.
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
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  • hyplhypl Member Posts: 3,719 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    If I wanted to play characters I didn't create in an MMO, I would be playing DC Universe Online.

    You mean Marvel Heroes? In DC Universe Online you can create your own heroes. :confused:
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    hypl wrote: »
    You mean Marvel Heroes? In DC Universe Online you can create your own heroes. :confused:

    Too many Hero MMO'S!!!! :o
  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Too many Hero MMO'S!!!! :o

    Too few good ones don't you mean :P?
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
    ashkrik_by_lindale_ff-d65zc3i.png
  • neoakiraiineoakiraii Member Posts: 7,468 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    No way, waste of time, I'm playing a game about my character , If I cared about the crews of the flagships I'll read the magazines.
    GwaoHAD.png
  • skyranger1414skyranger1414 Member Posts: 1,785 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Words cannot express how bad this idea is OP.

    What little content development they do, to get used up on a joke ship?

    You do realize its not April 1st right?
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  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    You misunderstand... You would create this character just like any other. But he would he a member of the Enterprise F Crew.

    I suppose that one coule be given the option to request a transfer and be released to the core game if desired. But this would be a way to introduced focused storyline in the spirit of an actual Star Trek series while leaving the core game as it currently is.

    When you create your Romulan character, you are confined to the scope of the faction's initial storyline, with access to sector blocks limited until you progress. It would be limited in similar fashion with the Enterprise-F character sort of being a faction unto itself. The transporter room or the Shuttle Bay on the Enterprise-F would be the link to either the daily mission content, or to the episodic mission content.

    So the Enterprise-F character would be sort of confined to the Enterprise-F and whatever content it links to.

    But the ability to put in a transfer request that would release the player to the standardized game.

    Thanks for your input

    Wait, I thought we would be playing the actual Ent-F characters?
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
    ashkrik_by_lindale_ff-d65zc3i.png
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  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    That would be a good idea for it's own game, but not here. I would rather have that development time go to a mission that takes place on the flagships that I can use with a normal character rather than one I have to create from scratch.
  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I would rather it be a mode where I can play as ENT-F people, not make my own ENT-F character.
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
    ashkrik_by_lindale_ff-d65zc3i.png
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  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    You know, Starship Mine on the ENT-F with our normal captains... now that I can get behind!
  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    No... we would be playing a character of our own creation. The episodic content would be what we would be assigned to, carrying out the orders of our superior officers (the main Ent-F crew). Cutscenes would present the main crew in a dramatic way, We would do the actual missions, and the resolution would also be custscene. We would be driving the content progression like any other PvE mission arc. But the story would be permiated with the flagship crew's unique character attributes.

    Like I said, there is not reason to even care about the crew of the flagship, in spite of Cryptic developing back-story for each of them. It would be different if we could have a perspective of serving with them and/or under them.

    Of course, this would be optional. Imagine what it might have been like if the discovery of Season 8's Dyson Sphere happened on the watch of the Enterprise-F's crew, and the initial forays into its environments would be under the responsibility of the player under orders of Captain Shon. The rest of the experience could unfold as it does already, but essentially following after the Flagship's initial visit.

    Captain Shon "Good job, [PlayerRank]. We'll submit our initial findings to Starfleet Command so that thorough exploration of the sphere can occur. Helm, Take us out..."

    Then you could log in as your core-game character and begin the Dyson Sphere content accordingly as the captain commanding one of many ships sent by Starfleet to follow up on the Enterprise-F's initial discovery. Deeper involvement would lead to the Fleet Holding progression as well as the reputation progression...

    So we are looking at a deeper storytelling layer where we would be at the center of the discovery, as well as the in-depth involvement as captain of our own ship.

    Of course, the Flagship content would remain optional.
    Well, not as fun then if we can't play the main characters to me.
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
    ashkrik_by_lindale_ff-d65zc3i.png
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  • neoakiraiineoakiraii Member Posts: 7,468 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    No... we would be playing a character of our own creation. Snip

    Sounds like it should be it's own game, for a single player game, not for STO, for a different company.
    GwaoHAD.png
  • snoggymack22snoggymack22 Member Posts: 7,084 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    to get used up on a joke ship?

    It's the enterprise in this game. So lashing out at it like that is kind of tacky. I mean it makes me think you don't even like Star Trek.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    neoakiraii wrote: »
    Sounds like it should be it's own game, for a single player game, not for STO, for a different company.

    I said that already. :P
  • neoakiraiineoakiraii Member Posts: 7,468 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    I said that already. :P

    It needed repeating :D
    GwaoHAD.png
  • snoggymack22snoggymack22 Member Posts: 7,084 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    You know, what I wish they would do is take the Enterprise F and her crew and make an in-game series of missions surrounding it.

    I don't know about the details of what you propose. But the general premise ... an episode centered on the F, I'd really enjoy.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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  • neoakiraiineoakiraii Member Posts: 7,468 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    No it didn't... We're talking about options here, not mandatory content.

    Options that take manpower, and time away from my character who been stuck in 2409 for 4 years
    GwaoHAD.png
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    neoakiraii wrote: »
    Options that take manpower, and time away from my character who been stuck in 2409 for 4 years

    It's like Quatum Leap only the same person in the same month.
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  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Oh, boy...

    And I can't be Scott Baluka.
  • neoakiraiineoakiraii Member Posts: 7,468 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Don't get me wrong i liek your idea, justn ot for this game, i would love to see a Telltale Trek game, would take me back to the Era of 25th anniversary, Judgement rights, and Final unity.
    GwaoHAD.png
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