Not a whole lot to say. . . we're all working hard on Ex2, which we can't talk about.
Romulan Anniversary this weekend.
The summer event is coming.
What, specifically, would you like to know?
The entire STO team is transported to a mysterious, deserted island with no hope for escape. Who is most likely to still be alive by the end of the first season? :P
Not a whole lot to say. . . we're all working hard on Ex2, which we can't talk about.
Romulan Anniversary this weekend.
The summer event is coming.
What, specifically, would you like to know?
Is it almost to a point where you can tease Ex2?
Most of us have guessed it involves the Delta Quadrant though, if not, it would be nice for a tease.
You guys have told us it doesn't include a new faction and that it does include about the same increase in content that LoR has, which means either new missions for the existing three or TONS of shared faction missions. (LoR added 40 episodes to the game.)
The lack of a faction also hints at something new mechanically. I guess the safe bet is space away teams since ship interiors seem so far off Geko's radar.
I imagine you're under NDA and can't tease it but I think we almost have to be getting close enough to an announcement (I expect it during the summer event, when you have lots of people around) that a pre-announcement teaser almost seems due.
I can't really expect you to do that. But something from Geko, D'Angelo or the marketing team at PWE feels due as a pre-announcement tease. It's not that we're owed one but it feels a bit odd that we haven't had anything. No screenshot of a WIP map or UI or Talaxian Captain. No color coded countdown timer. It just feels a bit too quiet.
I'm looking at the OP's post and I can't shake the feeling of "I told you so!". I told people that we'll start missing Dan Stahl soon enough.
The whole silence doesn't suprise me. If you take the first reign of D'Angelo as EP and the trainwreck the "communication" turned out to be back then and compare it with the alarming rate of unpopular decisions that have been made since he's in-charge once again, noone should really be suprised that they've shut up.
I also miss BranFlakes. There's that issue as well, I don't have anything against Trendy and Smirk - they do their job well, but BranFlakes could singlehandedly make this place feel lively with his well timed and intelligent replies, puns or jokes. The man just had that magical charm about him.
Also, as others mentioned - he made sure much more info flowed around on anything, from the basic thing of having a dev.blog on anything pretty much on a daily basis to the new links of community-dev interaction he was trying to establish.
It does feel much more quiet and stale, though. Meh. I miss Dan Stahl for this game's general direction, I think STO would have been better off with him at the helm.
I think this is basically on the mark - though DStahl had basically stopped posting to the forum regularly long before he transferred.
I think the real issue is the loss of BranFlakes. Brandon was all over the forum posting in a lot of different threads and making us believe we were being heard and that some of ideas were getting to the Devs. Smirk and Trendy tend to post much less, even combined, so it can leave the forum feeling a little rudder-less.
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.
Not so true, I have to applaud Trendy for getting quite involved with the community, particularly in-game, they can be talked to almost every night on ESD.
I have to agree on that one. While Bran improved things in the last year, Trendy and Smirk certainly picked up from where he left. I find the current style of communication to be at quite a good and high standard. Just look at the sticky thread of known bugs in the bug forum for example. You wouldn't have seen that a while back. They're doing a great job!
On top of that you even have a Dev, respectively Taco, frequently posting. What more can you ask for?
Does it seem like the paths of communication are a lot more silent than they use to be?
It just feels ... quiet.
And as a result the game feels ... less ... somehow. For me, it feels like its becoming more removed.
When was the last time we had a State of the Game? ... Or had the ability for us the players to ask questions? (Remember the player submitted Q&As we'd get to participate in on a regular basis?)
I guess what I'm feeling is like we the players are more removed from the process and are no longer being as included.
It makes the game feel less. It leaves me carrying less about this game I've played since the days of closed beta.
When was the last time D'Angelo showed up and made himself accessible to the players?
I mean if we are going by what we see ... Am I the only one who feels like CaptainGeko is the one in charge these days?
Right now, I'm missing Dan Stahl ... and no offense to the newer community managers (love pwaughingtrendy) but I'm also missing BranFlakes.
I seem to remember a Priority One podcast mentioning that De'Angelo was different from Stahl and probably not communicate with the player-base like Stahl.
I think this is basically on the mark - though DStahl had basically stopped posting to the forum regularly long before he transferred.
I think the real issue is the loss of BranFlakes. Brandon was all over the forum posting in a lot of different threads and making us believe we were being heard and that some of ideas were getting to the Devs. Smirk and Trendy tend to post much less, even combined, so it can leave the forum feeling a little rudder-less.
It's okay if D'Angelo doesn't say much, and saves it for the big news. But he does need to pop in once in a blue moon, to let us know what he's thinking.
Is Season 9.5 something on Schedule ? again ETA ? Details ?
What's next, besides Summer Event and Exp2 ? (right now it's like 2 Things for the rest of 2014 ... Exp2 is still ~6months away so I'd take anything ... like "Maybe new Shuttle soon" i.E)
Summer Event is surely in July, like it was last year. And the Expansion was said for the latter part of the year, so could be in late October / Early November like previous seasons (but it gives enough lead time not to interfere with the Winter Event).
Summer Event is surely in July, like it was last year. And the Expansion was said for the latter part of the year, so could be in late October / Early November like previous seasons (but it gives enough lead time not to interfere with the Winter Event).
Last Summer Event was end of June (27th) :P ... still would be nice to get a Date ... after all it's just 3-4 weeks away (probably) ... just like Bonus Mark WE, which is already in the Event Calender ...
... kind of silly to announce these things just a few days before ...
And the Expansion was said for the latter part of the year, so could be in late October / Early November like previous seasons (but it gives enough lead time not to interfere with the Winter Event).
Yeah still more interested in what's in between ... Exp2 might be "epic" but it's still ~6months away ...
Patch Notes : Resolved an Issue, where people would accidently experience Fun.
I seem to remember a Priority One podcast mentioning that De'Angelo was different from Stahl and probably not communicate with the player-base like Stahl.
Yeah, I remember that too. I'm not surprised since he's more of a technical side and alot of the fixes lately (yay Be'Ves and Nimbus ground!) aren't exactly things you can write a dev blog about.
Member since November 2009... I think. (UFP) Ragnar
Last Summer Event was end of June (27th) :P ... still would be nice to get a Date ... after all it's just 3-4 weeks away (probably) ... just like Bonus Mark WE, which is already in the Event Calender ...
... kind of silly to announce these things just a few days before ...
Well close enough. :P
I'm sure they will start providing blogs about the new stuff at the Summer Event within the next two weeks.
Yeah still more interested in what's in between ... Exp2 might be "epic" but it's still ~6months away ...
Right now, I'm reserving my expectations with the new Expansion. I loved LoR, but Seasons 8 and 9 were a letdown (with the exception of the new Featured Episodes and Mr. Dorn and Russ's performances).
Does it seem like the paths of communication are a lot more silent than they use to be?
It just feels ... quiet.
And as a result the game feels ... less ... somehow. For me, it feels like its becoming more removed.
When was the last time we had a State of the Game? ... Or had the ability for us the players to ask questions? (Remember the player submitted Q&As we'd get to participate in on a regular basis?)
I guess what I'm feeling is like we the players are more removed from the process and are no longer being as included.
It makes the game feel less. It leaves me carrying less about this game I've played since the days of closed beta.
When was the last time D'Angelo showed up and made himself accessible to the players?
I mean if we are going by what we see ... Am I the only one who feels like CaptainGeko is the one in charge these days?
Right now, I'm missing Dan Stahl ... and no offense to the newer community managers (love pwaughingtrendy) but I'm also missing BranFlakes.
who cares about stahl! it was brandon who kept the community active more then expected. if anything your pining away for the past, i always do that. such nostalgia of the past and wanting it all back again.
T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW. Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
The second expansion pack for the game. Legacy of Romulus is the first.
I suspect that the second expansion is going to be a "technical revamp" focus rather than the "content enhancement" focus of LoR.
I dunno. Geko said to expect expansions to have the same amount of content as LoR (40 missions by my count). Also, content would tie Taco up but a "technical revamp" likely wouldn't.
In fact Season 9 was so focused on technical revamps that Taco was assigned to redo ESD so if it is a tech heavy expansion, that would likely mean Taco is redoing a lot of maps.
For anyone who would like to submit Q for A, we have begun a new initiative to give you a chance to directly ask about issues you are concerned with. While I can't answer every question, and I cannot force our Devs or our EP to be more talkative with the community, I will always try to answer what I can.
Check out the forum thread for our weekly Q & A here.
As far as Dev Blogs are concerned, we are definitely in a drought, but Trendy and I are working hard to get more put on the schedule for the coming weeks.
We do have some great info about the Summer Event and it will be coming soon!
In fact Season 9 was so focused on technical revamps that Taco was assigned to redo ESD so if it is a tech heavy expansion, that would likely mean Taco is redoing a lot of maps.
I truly have no problem with that. Go Taco go!
Member since November 2009... I think. (UFP) Ragnar
While I adore both Trendy and Smirk in there rolls as the community redshirts, the big difference ive noticed with them is there lack of actual knowledge behind the scenes . where Smirk will say we will look into X . Geko will tell a podcast that we are never going to get X , thats contradictory .
Maybe they are more compartmentalized than Mr BranFlakes was .Bran seemed to have that knowledge upfront .
That said Both Smirk and Trendy do a great job ,they keep us entertained with streams and keep us in the loop in Regular maintenance and emergency maintenance , and with news of up coming events .
as for D'angleo coming out to speak , considering the state of the game with the loadout system , the graphical, lag some users have and other season 9 issues Etc , it kinda makes sense He doesnt want to walk in that mine field .
i give Tacofangs and the other non community devs credit for at least interacting , (even if we dont agree with the ESD Shuttlebay lock down :P )
while i feel that more interaction with us would be a great benefit to the morale of the community . the more a community feels its apart of the process the more passionate the community is about the game .
For anyone who would like to submit Q for A, we have begun a new initiative to give you a chance to directly ask about issues you are concerned with. While I can't answer every question, and I cannot force our Devs or our EP to be more talkative with the community, I will always try to answer what I can.
Check out the forum thread for our weekly Q & A here.
As far as Dev Blogs are concerned, we are definitely in a drought, but Trendy and I are working hard to get more put on the schedule for the coming weeks.
We do have some great info about the Summer Event and it will be coming soon!
~CaptainSmirk
Could you anounce this in the STO Starter that there is an Q&A or in the news Blog ?
[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."
For anyone who would like to submit Q for A, we have begun a new initiative to give you a chance to directly ask about issues you are concerned with. While I can't answer every question, and I cannot force our Devs or our EP to be more talkative with the community, I will always try to answer what I can.
Check out the forum thread for our weekly Q & A here.
As far as Dev Blogs are concerned, we are definitely in a drought, but Trendy and I are working hard to get more put on the schedule for the coming weeks.
We do have some great info about the Summer Event and it will be coming soon!
~CaptainSmirk
I also heard you are moving on the PvP boot camp delays. Excellent, this will make many happy and give heart for them to continue with the program.
Thanks.
Comments
The entire STO team is transported to a mysterious, deserted island with no hope for escape. Who is most likely to still be alive by the end of the first season? :P
Is it almost to a point where you can tease Ex2?
Most of us have guessed it involves the Delta Quadrant though, if not, it would be nice for a tease.
You guys have told us it doesn't include a new faction and that it does include about the same increase in content that LoR has, which means either new missions for the existing three or TONS of shared faction missions. (LoR added 40 episodes to the game.)
The lack of a faction also hints at something new mechanically. I guess the safe bet is space away teams since ship interiors seem so far off Geko's radar.
I imagine you're under NDA and can't tease it but I think we almost have to be getting close enough to an announcement (I expect it during the summer event, when you have lots of people around) that a pre-announcement teaser almost seems due.
I can't really expect you to do that. But something from Geko, D'Angelo or the marketing team at PWE feels due as a pre-announcement tease. It's not that we're owed one but it feels a bit odd that we haven't had anything. No screenshot of a WIP map or UI or Talaxian Captain. No color coded countdown timer. It just feels a bit too quiet.
I think the real issue is the loss of BranFlakes. Brandon was all over the forum posting in a lot of different threads and making us believe we were being heard and that some of ideas were getting to the Devs. Smirk and Trendy tend to post much less, even combined, so it can leave the forum feeling a little rudder-less.
I have to agree on that one. While Bran improved things in the last year, Trendy and Smirk certainly picked up from where he left. I find the current style of communication to be at quite a good and high standard. Just look at the sticky thread of known bugs in the bug forum for example. You wouldn't have seen that a while back. They're doing a great job!
On top of that you even have a Dev, respectively Taco, frequently posting. What more can you ask for?
Officially Nerfed In Early 2410
I seem to remember a Priority One podcast mentioning that De'Angelo was different from Stahl and probably not communicate with the player-base like Stahl.
Will PvP boot camp and other fan creations continue to get support from the Devs and crew? That is the main concern I have heard lately.
R.I.P
is there going to be a season 9.2? you mentioned expantion 2- is that the next big update/release?
Well done!
Star Trek Online Intro HD [3rd Fleet Anniversary]
Join Date: Jul 2009
For once we completely agree.
Summer Event is surely in July, like it was last year. And the Expansion was said for the latter part of the year, so could be in late October / Early November like previous seasons (but it gives enough lead time not to interfere with the Winter Event).
Last Summer Event was end of June (27th) :P ... still would be nice to get a Date ... after all it's just 3-4 weeks away (probably) ... just like Bonus Mark WE, which is already in the Event Calender ...
... kind of silly to announce these things just a few days before ...
Yeah still more interested in what's in between ... Exp2 might be "epic" but it's still ~6months away ...
Seconded and signed.
See. Exactly the point of my post. Taco...Taco...Taco. Forgive them.
Yeah, I remember that too. I'm not surprised since he's more of a technical side and alot of the fixes lately (yay Be'Ves and Nimbus ground!) aren't exactly things you can write a dev blog about.
(UFP) Ragnar
Whatchoogonnagimme? ::ducks:: :P
Well close enough. :P
I'm sure they will start providing blogs about the new stuff at the Summer Event within the next two weeks.
Right now, I'm reserving my expectations with the new Expansion. I loved LoR, but Seasons 8 and 9 were a letdown (with the exception of the new Featured Episodes and Mr. Dorn and Russ's performances).
So .... What's Ex2?
U.S.S. Maelstrom, NCC-71417 (Constitution III-class/flagship) --- Fleet Admiral Hauk' --|-- Dahar Master Hauk --- I.K.S. qu'In 'an bortaS (D7-class / flagship)
The second expansion pack for the game. Legacy of Romulus is the first.
I suspect that the second expansion is going to be a "technical revamp" focus rather than the "content enhancement" focus of LoR.
(UFP) Ragnar
who cares about stahl! it was brandon who kept the community active more then expected. if anything your pining away for the past, i always do that. such nostalgia of the past and wanting it all back again.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
I dunno. Geko said to expect expansions to have the same amount of content as LoR (40 missions by my count). Also, content would tie Taco up but a "technical revamp" likely wouldn't.
In fact Season 9 was so focused on technical revamps that Taco was assigned to redo ESD so if it is a tech heavy expansion, that would likely mean Taco is redoing a lot of maps.
LoL
Something something darkside....
Something something complete...
~CaptainSmirk
Check out the forum thread for our weekly Q & A here.
As far as Dev Blogs are concerned, we are definitely in a drought, but Trendy and I are working hard to get more put on the schedule for the coming weeks.
We do have some great info about the Summer Event and it will be coming soon!
~CaptainSmirk
I truly have no problem with that. Go Taco go!
(UFP) Ragnar
Maybe they are more compartmentalized than Mr BranFlakes was .Bran seemed to have that knowledge upfront .
That said Both Smirk and Trendy do a great job ,they keep us entertained with streams and keep us in the loop in Regular maintenance and emergency maintenance , and with news of up coming events .
as for D'angleo coming out to speak , considering the state of the game with the loadout system , the graphical, lag some users have and other season 9 issues Etc , it kinda makes sense He doesnt want to walk in that mine field .
i give Tacofangs and the other non community devs credit for at least interacting , (even if we dont agree with the ESD Shuttlebay lock down :P )
while i feel that more interaction with us would be a great benefit to the morale of the community . the more a community feels its apart of the process the more passionate the community is about the game .
This is great news. Thanks.
U.S.S. Maelstrom, NCC-71417 (Constitution III-class/flagship) --- Fleet Admiral Hauk' --|-- Dahar Master Hauk --- I.K.S. qu'In 'an bortaS (D7-class / flagship)
What exactly is it about it you can't talk about?
Could you anounce this in the STO Starter that there is an Q&A or in the news Blog ?
"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."
I also heard you are moving on the PvP boot camp delays. Excellent, this will make many happy and give heart for them to continue with the program.
Thanks.
R.I.P
This just in: The expansion is a Star Wars episode VII tie-in.