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Featured episodes every 2 months being considered

chalpenchalpen Member Posts: 2,207 Arc User
edited May 2014 in Star Trek Online General Discussion
In the last stoked around two hours into the broadcast gecko mentioned that he is trying to create a plan to make new featured episodes every 2 months.

Man, if you can do that and find a way to monetize if just take my $ man. Just take it.
Should I start posting again after all this time?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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    martakurillmartakurill Member Posts: 456 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Honestly, instead of a "show stopper" mission every two months, I'd rather see a return to the 5 episode (1 per week for 5 weeks) format for featured episodes. Then just do one of those arcs about every three months. I really, really miss those. (And make them playable with a group, like the old ones.)

    I mean, seriously, why not have writers, office volunteers, etc..even just make episodes in the foundry...but with some authority to them, so it feels as if the game's story is advancing a bit more regularly.

    EDIT: And yes, I would so pay for access to an episode series. Single episodes, not so much.
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    thecosmic1thecosmic1 Member Posts: 9,365 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    I will pay double whatever Chalpen is willing to pay. :)
    STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
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    chalpenchalpen Member Posts: 2,207 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    martakurill wrote: »
    Honestly, instead of a "show stopper" mission every two months, I'd rather see a return to the 5 episode (1 per week for 5 weeks) format for featured episodes. Then just do one of those arcs about every three months. I really, really miss those. (And make them playable with a group, like the old ones.)

    I mean, seriously, why not have writers, office volunteers, etc..even just make episodes in the foundry...but with some authority to them, so it feels as if the game's story is advancing a bit more regularly.

    EDIT: And yes, I would so pay for access to an episode series. Single episodes, not so much.
    The reason why they stopped it was that it was too hard. I accept that.
    Should I start posting again after all this time?
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    cptjhuntercptjhunter Member Posts: 2,288 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Nothing would make me more happy, and willing to open my wallet again.
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    mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Is it really a question of monetizing them directly, or is it just that a featured episode drives people back into the game?

    If they can deliver something like the last episode every 2 months, I think I can be happy with just single episodes. It don't always have to b big stories, but they should stay good stories. The stories need to have twists (Both Egg and Q'onos as actual target were decent twists in the last episode) and turns, some nice scenery, and voice overs.
    Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
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    shpoksshpoks Member Posts: 6,967 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    cptjhunter wrote: »
    Nothing would make me more happy, and willing to open my wallet again.

    Exactly. Just reading this makes me happy. :)
    We've been asking for more focus on story missions for a lot of time and TBH, having a new FE bi-monthly will go a long way of making the game not feel like just a repetitive rep. grind.
    HQroeLu.jpg
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    starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    If they can do an episode every 2 months at the same level as the quality of Sphere of Influence, A Step Between Stars, and Surface Tension, then that would make lots of people happy. Quality is almost always better than quantity. Right now they are at 3 months per episode for the last 3 episodes.
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    martakurillmartakurill Member Posts: 456 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    chalpen wrote: »
    The reason why they stopped it was that it was too hard. I accept that.

    I remember that announcement, and to this day I'm not sure about that. imagine if they paid one talented foundry author full time to create "authorized missions." I'd be willing to bet one person could pretty much create those missions with more than enough time to spare.

    I mean, I guess this is what foundry featured episodes are supposed to be like, but the few I've played end up feeling like 2 hour plus excursions into fan fiction, rather than real, reasonable length episodes.
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    dkeith2011dkeith2011 Member Posts: 595 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Would be a nice change from the endless grind.
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    altechachanaltechachan Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    I would enjoy a more episodic one-off bi-montly FE as well. Sure, you can have your story arcs of five but as Geko mentioned in the interview there are just some stories that are better off as one episodes.
    Member since November 2009... I think.
    (UFP) Ragnar
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    thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,101 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Me too... Introduce anohter race cryptic.... failing that... give the Tholians some FE lovin.
    2gdi5w4mrudm.png
    Typhoon Class please!
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    centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    martakurill wrote: »
    Honestly, instead of a "show stopper" mission every two months, I'd rather see a return to the 5 episode (1 per week for 5 weeks) format for featured episodes. Then just do one of those arcs about every three months. I really, really miss those. (And make them playable with a group, like the old ones.)

    I mean, seriously, why not have writers, office volunteers, etc..even just make episodes in the foundry...but with some authority to them, so it feels as if the game's story is advancing a bit more regularly.

    EDIT: And yes, I would so pay for access to an episode series. Single episodes, not so much.

    Yes, because the Breen Arc and the 2800 were such "well written", "fun", and "engaging" missions. :rolleyes:
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    martakurillmartakurill Member Posts: 456 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    centersolace wrote: »
    Yes, because the Breen Arc and the 2800 were such "well written", "fun", and "engaging" missions. :rolleyes:

    Heheh, I enjoyed them myself. Admittedly though, I rp-ed them with members of my fleet. That may have made for a better than average experience.
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    hyefatherhyefather Member Posts: 1,286 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    A feature episode every 2 months that takes a total of 20 minutes to complete. Give us back out 5 mission story arcs. Equal to the 2800 and Breen and I'll also be happy to throw you a 20 every month. STO needs storys that expand its lore that its already created. Not something new every 2 months that nobody cares about and has nothing to do with sto to begin with. I know they can do it. because its been done before.
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    ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    hyefather wrote: »
    A feature episode every 2 months that takes a total of 20 minutes to complete. Give us back out 5 mission story arcs. Equal to the 2800 and Breen and I'll also be happy to throw you a 20 every month. STO needs storys that expand its lore that its already created. Not something new every 2 months that nobody cares about and has nothing to do with sto to begin with. I know they can do it. because its been done before.

    What are you talking about? Every single missions has something to do with STO.. Most of the FE arcs did nothign to advance the main plot of the game...

    Nor were any of them as high of quality as the latest missions... I will take quality over quantity...
    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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    worffan101worffan101 Member Posts: 9,518 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    centersolace wrote: »
    Yes, because the Breen Arc and the 2800 were such "well written", "fun", and "engaging" missions. :rolleyes:

    Well-written, yes. Fun, yes, with the possible exception of "Of Bajor" and that one where you have to fly a shuttle in the Gamma Quadrant. Engaging, definitely.

    Love the old FE series.
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    erraberrab Member Posts: 1,428 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    I'd be very happy with a new FE every two months.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    rinksterrinkster Member Posts: 3,549 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    centersolace wrote: »
    Yes, because the Breen Arc and the 2800 were such "well written", "fun", and "engaging" missions. :rolleyes:

    They definitely had their moments.

    And not every story arc should end with assaults on homeworlds.

    I'd be very happy with some end game missions that tied up or into threads from earlier ones.

    Did the Klingons ever get on to that moon where we moved the tribble?

    How's that Romulan farming colony going? Or that mine run by the Ferengi?

    Point is, there are lots of loose ends and jumping off points in the story so far.

    I'd like to see some of the side roads explored and revisited.
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    kimmymkimmym Member Posts: 1,317 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Story missions are what STO does best.
    I once again match my character. Behold the power of PINK!
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    Fleet Admiral Space Orphidian Possiblities Wizard
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    greyhame3greyhame3 Member Posts: 914 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    I'm all for this. More FEs is a good thing.
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    leviathan99#2867 leviathan99
    leviathan99#2867
         Member Posts: 7,747 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    I heard the interview.

    I think the every two months model is fine.

    Keep in mind, that was being discussed in addition to the occasional remastering on the side and expansions every 18 months. Geko said for those you can expect what we saw in the Legacy of Romulus expansion.

    That's around 40 episodes every 18 months. Those episodes won't always be for new factions. In fact, the next expansion doesn't have a new faction and Geko seemed doubtful about ever adding one.

    So that's 40 LoR quality episodes for your existing characters every 18 months. Those likely won't get broken up because expansions target a different kind of player activity and a different kind of player Cryptic is deliberately targeting.

    Then maybe one front remastered a year. (And they can use audio/voiceover from the TV shows for these, which does open up some options there!) And they are unlikely to give up on this until the Romulan and Cardassian fronts are re-done because this targets a different group of players, largely new players who Cryptic risks losing if the whole leveling curve isn't redone. But in a couple of years... Maybe the Romulan and Cardassian fronts will be re-done in a couple of years, though, freeing up enough dev power for a monthly Featured Episode.
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    crypticarmsmancrypticarmsman Member Posts: 4,113 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    chalpen wrote: »
    In the last stoked around two hours into the broadcast gecko mentioned that he is trying to create a plan to make new featured episodes every 2 months.

    Man, if you can do that and find a way to monetize if just take my $ man. Just take it.

    Must be mirror Gecko as he seemed to have a different outlook on PvE content in general in his last Priority One audio interview.:eek::D;)

    (If it's true, more power to him.)
    Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012
    TOS_Connie_Sig_final9550Pop.jpg
    PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
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    ursusmorologusursusmorologus Member Posts: 5,328 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    chalpen wrote: »
    In the last stoked around two hours into the broadcast gecko mentioned that he is trying to create a plan to make new featured episodes every 2 months.
    One of the things I'd really like to see is intro (tutorial) story arcs for each of the major species. Things like, you roll a new Vulcan toon, and you get a Vulcan-specific tutorial story arc, showing how he ended up in Starfleet. Then he can choose between joining Starfleet or staying Vulcan Civilian. Release these along with a species reputation/social zone/shipyard every couple of months. You could soak up a couple of years that way, and you would have a really deep universe.
    [img]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x57/UrsusMorologus/MechWarrior Online/Catapult_K2 sig.jpg[/img]
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    simeion1simeion1 Member Posts: 898 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    worffan101 wrote: »
    Well-written, yes. Fun, yes, with the possible exception of "Of Bajor" and that one where you have to fly a shuttle in the Gamma Quadrant. Engaging, definitely.

    Love the old FE series.

    Wow I would have to ask if you are a Trek fan. Of Bajor was one of the best FE they developed. It had little coma yet yes, but it had tons of Trek feel. Yes it might have been done better, but look what was going on at the time. Cryptic and STO. Just went F2P and was unsure on how well the game would perform. They made a FE and a mission that had a Trek like feel to it with a small number of Devs. Atari had Cryptic on a hireling hold and PWE gave them the tools they needed to succeed.
    320x240.jpg
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    ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Problems with of Bajor is, it's tedious after the first time you play it, it's buggy when doing team play, and so on.
    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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    chk231chk231 Member Posts: 161 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    Yeah, the recent Feature Episode with Tuvok was excellent!
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    doffingcomradedoffingcomrade Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    sirsitsalot wrote: »
    How to monetize it without directly charging for it?
    They've already worked that out: Give you the incomplete or crappy version of something, then squeeze you in the Rep System, C-Store or the Lobi Store for the missing parts or real version of it. See Dyson ships: Get the incomplete set from the Grindiversery, then be squeezed in the C-Store for the 9pack, and then squeezed again in the Lobi store for the missing Warp Core if you missed the Grindiversary.

    See also the Obisek Carrier, where you can got the TRIBBLE version from the mission during its featured run, then squeezed at the Lobi store for the real one and missing parts, and now you can also be ripped off in the Fleet Store by paying modules for the garbage version.

    So I'm pretty sure they have this worked out.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    tobar26thtobar26th Member Posts: 799 Arc User
    edited May 2014
    martakurill wrote: »
    Honestly, instead of a "show stopper" mission every two months, I'd rather see a return to the 5 episode (1 per week for 5 weeks) format for featured episodes. Then just do one of those arcs about every three months. I really, really miss those. (And make them playable with a group, like the old ones.)

    I mean, seriously, why not have writers, office volunteers, etc..even just make episodes in the foundry...but with some authority to them, so it feels as if the game's story is advancing a bit more regularly.

    EDIT: And yes, I would so pay for access to an episode series. Single episodes, not so much.

    I have mixed feelings.

    When the feature episodes first came around their quality was second to none, it was the pinnacle of STO missions. At the time I'd have given anything for that quality to continue.


    Then I played the more recent 'show stoppers'.


    I don't really want to go back.
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