As many have said, I'd love to play a perfect Star Trek based MMO.
Not sure thats actually possible, but we can dream.
If we're talking hypothetical ST game that doesn't exist yet, I'd have a couple of conditions on it.
Make it much more narrowly focussed in a particular part of the prime universe time line.
ie, make it all TNG era ships, or TOS ships or (my personal favourite idea) Ent era ships.
Secondly, I'd want it to be developed by a company with the utmost repsect for both the IP as they understand it, and the IP as the players understand it. Furthermore, I'd want them to understand it'd be better to make the game for Star Trek fans, as opposed to MMO fans.
I wouldn't bother with a STO 2, unless its a drastic departure from STO. I.E. Ship interiors and bridges actually having use, exploration, actual good music, and no blasted Queues.
As many have said, I'd love to play a perfect Star Trek based MMO.
Not sure thats actually possible, but we can dream.
If we're talking hypothetical ST game that doesn't exist yet, I'd have a couple of conditions on it.
Make it much more narrowly focussed in a particular part of the prime universe time line.
ie, make it all TNG era ships, or TOS ships or (my personal favourite idea) Ent era ships.
Secondly, I'd want it to be developed by a company with the utmost repsect for both the IP as they understand it, and the IP as the players understand it. Furthermore, I'd want them to understand it'd be better to make the game for Star Trek fans, as opposed to MMO fans.
Yes I would Bit on a re-launch.
Would love to see the TNG era ships and TOS
If we are dreaming I would like to see a Star Fleet Command MMO.
I have heard no indication that STO is still PWE's top MMO here. The only time that was stated was prior to NWN's Launch - and I have no doubt that fantasy-based MMOs are more financially viable then Sci-Fi-based MMOs.
For a STO 2 to be considered STO would need to be financially lagging; and as you stated, their revenues have been, by all indications, quite good. With a year's worth of Expansion Pack 2 on the horizon I do not see them going through all the trouble of getting a new STO license yet.
See, though, I've always wondered if a behind the scenes reason for lack of not ONLY a T5 Connie but a T5 Connie type ship would have to do with keeping demand high for a separate TOS MMO, whether Prime or JJ.
Cryptic has done cross promotion with Paramount before (WoK uniforms, at the time they needed permission for the Excelsior because Paramount owned the movies TMP through Nemesis, which are now CBS). They've clearly done JJ uniforms internally due to leaks we've seen and last year's Tal Shiar adapted ships almost certainly required a Paramount sign off because they're based on the Narada. I can also see where JJ leaving might have made Paramount more agreeable to licensing since JJ wanted more control.
I think a big part of the goal would be to maintain STO (focused as a TNG forward game) and a JJ game (which would be based in JJverse but feature expanded TOS elements like a JJ Miranda, JJ Excelsior, Harry Mudd, Halkans, etc.).
We've also seen oddball spare TOS assets in the Foundry including a ground assault jeep.
Like I say, I think they hold off on some TOS requests not strictly for thematic reasons but to try to maintain something TOS inspired viable as a separate brand.
Also, if Branflakes did indeed say they renegotiated for exclusive Trek MMO rights, well... Part of paying extra for exclusivity seems to me like it might be developing a second game.
I'm iffy on a pure TOS game as much as I would love to play it because it cannibalizes the STO audience but I could see JJverse as a game intended for a different audience. Built for shooter mode ground from the ground up like Neverwinter (ie. simple controls, more console oriented design) and a much more shooter system oriented variation on space as well. A lot more "My first Star Trek MMO" than STO is though maybe a crosspromotion could be something like dilithium sharing between games and costume purchases there being backwards compatible into STO or something on the order of the expensive Neverwinter starter bundles (which offered exclusive STO items) being done so that LTSers in STO get something exclusive in that game and bundle purchasers in that game get special perks back in STO.
It's not like Paramount and CBS are fundamentally enemies or anything like that.
It would need a lot more Massively Multiplayer content. This is pretty much a single-player game with a few multiplayer aspects, and I think this is part of the problem.
Nothing is ever going to be the "perfect" Star Trek because it doesn't exist except in all of your heads. GET A LIFE!
/shatner
A true Star Trek MMO always needed a big 200 million $ production budget like SWTOR had. The lack of production values and immersion is what turned off a good chunk of Trek fans, leaving the game right after launch...
It does not take a 200 million dollar budget. Just those with a 50 million dollar budget caring enough about the Star Trek IP to take it seriously. Which means that Cryptic/Perfect World are just as able to deliver the ideal Star Trek online gaming experience as anyone.
But so long as we the players are willing to embrace whatever sludge they turn out which flies in the face of the IP then it will never be what it could and should be. PWE/Cryptic will only do what they are empowered to do based on their profit margins associated with whatever their connected content is. That means, sadly, we are stuck with what we are stuch with: STO As it is now.
Here is the problem. If you were to list a dozen things a Star Trek game must have and I were to list the dozen things we would probably only agree on around 6-8 of those things. On top of that if you were to then list the dozen tropes an MMO must have - Crafting, Loot, unique costumes and ships for players who do not wish to follow the mold, etc - there is going to be a lot of conflict there too. And that is before we take into account all the things Cryptic must have in the game in order to make money: Lockboxes, Fleet sinks, ships, etc.
The truth of the matter is that Trek fans cannot agree on most of anything. We are all divided into little camps: the TOS camp, the TNG camp, the movies- only camp, the JJverse camp, etc. All of these camps are then topped-off by personal wants: T5 Connie, playable Dominion, playable Borg, more Kitbash ships, less canon ships more 25th Century new ships, etc, etc, etc.
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.
1. Is the STO engine at it's limits or can it handle far better graphics and advanced features that have not been released due to MMOs needing to have a fairly broad appeal rather than to advanced gaming rigs only?
2. Depending on the answer to 1 above, if a new and better engine was developed how likely is that the entire game as we have it today could be just ported over to the new engine so that STO appears the same from gameplay mechanics but appears vastly superior from a graphics viewpoint?
I assume the graphics limitations are due to FTP rather then the Engine. I run everything in the game on high and I am generally pleased with the graphics in-game. Noting that I have not played any of Season 9 so I am unaware of whatever they have done to the graphics in that Season - though if you were happy before S9 then anything that was done can be undone.
I really do not believe they would port the game to another Engine. The overall goal is to keep the graphics as broad as they can so anyone with any crappy laptop can get in and play at least on low.
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.
Sure would! The Captain and crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur need new stories! There haven't been too many lately...
Geko stated the new Expansion Pack is bringing roughly as many new Mission to the game as LoR did. So we should be expecting something in the 40+ range.
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.
Imagine the (highly unlikely) event where Cryptic has recognised the full potential of STO and their 'secret project' is a completely remodelled Star Trek Online, with the majority of the Cryptic team working on it to provide such things as an upgraded engine, mass immersion, exploration and everything else we wish for, with much less bugs than there currently is.
So basically, if Cryptic tried to make a Star Trek game that didn't look, feel, and play like something Cryptic would make?
My thoughts are along the same lines. The same folks with the same management are going to have the same agendas and are likely to use the same methodology and make the same mistakes.
So, first things first; congratulations Cryptic for a good-looking federation ship finally. Well balanced design, 25th century looking I suppose, with good stats. Power creep is prominent though; but it is shiny...
Now to get to the main point, which isn't a request for Cryptic, but rather a question for the players. Many of us have already invested heaps into this game. We've either boldly grinded where no one has grinded before with days clocked into the game, or committed casual genocide on an intergalactic scale with the galaxy's meanest ship, bought for a few thousand zen.
Would you still support Cryptic if it was all erased?
Imagine the (highly unlikely) event where Cryptic has recognised the full potential of STO and their 'secret project' is a completely remodelled Star Trek Online, with the majority of the Cryptic team working on it to provide such things as an upgraded engine, mass immersion, exploration and everything else we wish for, with much less bugs than there currently is. Essentially they make a near perfect MMO to rival the best out there.
Only catch is it's a different game, and characters aren't transferrable. Money invested isn't refunded from the original game, and the original STO is shut down days later.
Would you play and support Cryptic, or nerf em for wasting your time and money?
If you talk about STO 2 the next generation, where you do commanding your ship from the bridge and where you have to go to the transporter room to beam down. O where you can sit in your own ready room and boss around crew, to polish the decks etc etc..
Bit of it in Bridge Commander style and Elite Force yes I would support it big time because thats the kind of MMO I would like to have of Star Trek !!!
How About you ?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
"Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised. It's got me through the worst of the last three years. I beat the Borg with it."
Yeah I'd play. I mean, the entire point of an idealized version of this game would be immersion and playability, rather than tiered equipment. So it wouldn't matter as much that I'd already ground out whatever on other characters.
Well yeah, especially if they managed to create a reasonable porting system that allowed some of the time and energy I've already invested into the system to carry over.
I'm quite happy to start off at level 1 again, the experience I have playing this game would serve me quite well if the mechanics are even remotely similar. However something like Fleet Progression should carry over as for some that's just too massive an undertaking to repeat. But taking it from ground floor, coming back to zero, and starting this shindig all over again? I can do that.
But in an idealized Super Perfect STO, such concerns would be moot.
Yes, I'd ante up for another ride, especially if they cranked it up and had Mass Effect level character interaction, but MMO level customization. Exploration and diplomacy primary concerns instead of barely tertiary afterthoughts.
If one were to fully realize STO as a fully fleshed out Star Trek simulation game it would be a AAA super title of Grand Theft Auto or World of ******** proportions (Edit: Fascinating, this system censored that game's title like a cuss word. I'm not actually a WOW fan, but I certainly don't think of it as a cuss word. That's hilarious.). We're talking seven years of closed development hundreds of millions of dollars, and a dev team of 300+.
Is it possible? Definitely. Is it worth it? Most assuredly. Will it ever happen? I'd like to think that there are always....possibilities.
"Rise like Lions after slumber, In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew, Which in sleep had fallen on you-Ye are many they are few"
Comments
They make a wondrous mess of things. Brave amateurs, they do their part.
Not sure thats actually possible, but we can dream.
If we're talking hypothetical ST game that doesn't exist yet, I'd have a couple of conditions on it.
Make it much more narrowly focussed in a particular part of the prime universe time line.
ie, make it all TNG era ships, or TOS ships or (my personal favourite idea) Ent era ships.
Secondly, I'd want it to be developed by a company with the utmost repsect for both the IP as they understand it, and the IP as the players understand it. Furthermore, I'd want them to understand it'd be better to make the game for Star Trek fans, as opposed to MMO fans.
Yes I would Bit on a re-launch.
Would love to see the TNG era ships and TOS
If we are dreaming I would like to see a Star Fleet Command MMO.
See, though, I've always wondered if a behind the scenes reason for lack of not ONLY a T5 Connie but a T5 Connie type ship would have to do with keeping demand high for a separate TOS MMO, whether Prime or JJ.
Cryptic has done cross promotion with Paramount before (WoK uniforms, at the time they needed permission for the Excelsior because Paramount owned the movies TMP through Nemesis, which are now CBS). They've clearly done JJ uniforms internally due to leaks we've seen and last year's Tal Shiar adapted ships almost certainly required a Paramount sign off because they're based on the Narada. I can also see where JJ leaving might have made Paramount more agreeable to licensing since JJ wanted more control.
I think a big part of the goal would be to maintain STO (focused as a TNG forward game) and a JJ game (which would be based in JJverse but feature expanded TOS elements like a JJ Miranda, JJ Excelsior, Harry Mudd, Halkans, etc.).
We've also seen oddball spare TOS assets in the Foundry including a ground assault jeep.
Like I say, I think they hold off on some TOS requests not strictly for thematic reasons but to try to maintain something TOS inspired viable as a separate brand.
Also, if Branflakes did indeed say they renegotiated for exclusive Trek MMO rights, well... Part of paying extra for exclusivity seems to me like it might be developing a second game.
I'm iffy on a pure TOS game as much as I would love to play it because it cannibalizes the STO audience but I could see JJverse as a game intended for a different audience. Built for shooter mode ground from the ground up like Neverwinter (ie. simple controls, more console oriented design) and a much more shooter system oriented variation on space as well. A lot more "My first Star Trek MMO" than STO is though maybe a crosspromotion could be something like dilithium sharing between games and costume purchases there being backwards compatible into STO or something on the order of the expensive Neverwinter starter bundles (which offered exclusive STO items) being done so that LTSers in STO get something exclusive in that game and bundle purchasers in that game get special perks back in STO.
It's not like Paramount and CBS are fundamentally enemies or anything like that.
Nothing is ever going to be the "perfect" Star Trek because it doesn't exist except in all of your heads. GET A LIFE!
/shatner
IKS Korrasami (Fleet B'rel Bird of Prey Retrofit T5-U)
Your Ramming Speed III deals 242658 (243540) Kinetic Damage (Critical) to you.
The truth of the matter is that Trek fans cannot agree on most of anything. We are all divided into little camps: the TOS camp, the TNG camp, the movies- only camp, the JJverse camp, etc. All of these camps are then topped-off by personal wants: T5 Connie, playable Dominion, playable Borg, more Kitbash ships, less canon ships more 25th Century new ships, etc, etc, etc.
"The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play." - James T. Kirk
I really do not believe they would port the game to another Engine. The overall goal is to keep the graphics as broad as they can so anyone with any crappy laptop can get in and play at least on low.
So basically, if Cryptic tried to make a Star Trek game that didn't look, feel, and play like something Cryptic would make?
You serious?
Nailed it.
If you talk about STO 2 the next generation, where you do commanding your ship from the bridge and where you have to go to the transporter room to beam down. O where you can sit in your own ready room and boss around crew, to polish the decks etc etc..
Bit of it in Bridge Commander style and Elite Force yes I would support it big time because thats the kind of MMO I would like to have of Star Trek !!!
How About you ?
"Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised. It's got me through the worst of the last three years. I beat the Borg with it."
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Well yeah, especially if they managed to create a reasonable porting system that allowed some of the time and energy I've already invested into the system to carry over.
I'm quite happy to start off at level 1 again, the experience I have playing this game would serve me quite well if the mechanics are even remotely similar. However something like Fleet Progression should carry over as for some that's just too massive an undertaking to repeat. But taking it from ground floor, coming back to zero, and starting this shindig all over again? I can do that.
But in an idealized Super Perfect STO, such concerns would be moot.
Yes, I'd ante up for another ride, especially if they cranked it up and had Mass Effect level character interaction, but MMO level customization. Exploration and diplomacy primary concerns instead of barely tertiary afterthoughts.
If one were to fully realize STO as a fully fleshed out Star Trek simulation game it would be a AAA super title of Grand Theft Auto or World of ******** proportions (Edit: Fascinating, this system censored that game's title like a cuss word. I'm not actually a WOW fan, but I certainly don't think of it as a cuss word. That's hilarious.). We're talking seven years of closed development hundreds of millions of dollars, and a dev team of 300+.
Is it possible? Definitely. Is it worth it? Most assuredly. Will it ever happen? I'd like to think that there are always....possibilities.