9.5 and Exploration Accolades

azurianstar

Since it's now been revealed that exploration cluster missions are going with 9.5, people want to know - what's going to happen to the Exploration Cluster Accolades?


Are they going to be Removed?

Players get to keep, but can never finish?

Or are the cluster missions are getting a revamp and someday will return?



I ask this, because many in the accolade channel are uncertain. Should they rush to finish the cluster accolades before 9.5, or if the accolades are going away and their scrambling would be all for nothing?

aloishammer

Or, like some of the Omega ones with the rep revamp, will any "in-progress" Exploration Accolades be automatically completed?

centaurianalpha

...it's now been revealed that exploration cluster missions are going with 9.5...

You mean "going away"?? Why would that happen? It's one of the few features that provides open-ended end-game play in STO...:eek: And it's one of the few ways to "chain" missions together into an ad-hoc story independent of the existing episode string. I will be seriously disappointed if this proves to be true... :mad:

hypl

centaurianalpha wrote: »

You mean "going away"?? Why would that happen? It's one of the few features that provides open-ended end-game play in STO...:eek: And it's one of the few ways to "chain" missions together into an ad-hoc story independent of the existing episode string. I will be seriously disappointed if this proves to be true... :mad:

They're not up to the "standard of quality" according to Cryptic. And let's face it, they've all been TRIBBLE since launch. Warp in, scan or destroy 5 things, then leave.

Of course, they could have plans to fully revamp exploration at a later date, perhaps with the next expansion.

rekurzion

While there was some potential it was really boring and limited. I never liked the way exploration was regulated to little pockets tucked away from the game and the game play was severely lacking. If all I have to do is scan 5 objects why do I as the captain/admiral have to beam down and do that?

It could really use a revamp.

centaurianalpha

I agree that a revamp would be in order, but I doubt very much that will happen if the feature is removed from the game first. Better to leave it as is, and schedule an overhaul at some definite date. If S9.5 is that date, then all's well...

sheldonlcooper

centaurianalpha wrote: »

I agree that a revamp would be in order, but I doubt very much that will happen if the feature is removed from the game first. Better to leave it as is, and schedule an overhaul at some definite date. If S9.5 is that date, then all's well...

Sorry, they are being removed. It was my favorite part of the game, but soon they will be gone forever.

sle1989

aloishammer wrote: »

Or, like some of the Omega ones with the rep revamp, will any "in-progress" Exploration Accolades be automatically completed?

My bet is this.

I would think that if they revamp exploration it would come with the next expansion as it is (most likely) the Delta Quadrant and they would need new areas to explore. Adding a new system there would be great.

valarauko43

I NEED to say that exploration of the various belts, clusters, expanses, and nebulas is one of my favorite things about STO in spite of the opinions of the detractors. My main, A FEDTAC did them all. Seventy (70) times each for the accolades. Now I'm sad because I did'nt finish them on my three Alts. I don't know when this is happening but I am about to leave Risa and get back to "work". I have seen all the negative comments but I only have one...there are too many Gorgans.

mvp333

Sure, the Exploration Cluster system sucks, but it's one of the only attempted simulations of actual mildly-unique Star Trek-themed gameplay that I've seen in this game... Everything else is just pew pew, grind grind, pew pew some more.

nightken

mvp333 wrote: »

Sure, the Exploration Cluster system sucks, but it's one of the only attempted simulations of actual mildly-unique Star Trek-themed gameplay that I've seen in this game... Everything else is just pew pew, grind grind, pew pew some more.

on the bright side do you think they would remove it if they weren't planing something. most things that have gone that have come back in some form. and with the big as LoR thing coming and no signs of a new sub faction. what do you think the next thing on the list of player want the devs would love to make is?

captainjgee

The Star Cluster missions are the only true Star Trek missions left is the game.Yes they are limited but at least they are random and you had no idea what you would get. The end game content, if you can call it content, is just replaying the same mission again, and again, and again, and again, for ever. If you are removing exploration from the game, however bad, you might as well remove the name Star Trek from the game. Adding the Neverwinter crafting system to the game is just plan lazy. Just call STO from now on Neverwinter: The Next Generation Online. :mad::mad::mad:

Also with the removal of these mission we are also losing a way to earn 1440 Dilithium daily. Another Dilithium nerf from Cryptic. Soon we will be only able to buy Dilithium with Zen.

neoakiraii

captainjgee wrote: »

The Star Cluster missions are the only true Star Trek missions left is the game.Yes they are limited but at least they are random and you had no idea what you would get. The end game content, if you can call it content, is just replaying the same mission again, and again, and again, and again, for ever. If you are removing exploration from the game, however bad, you might as well remove the name Star Trek from the game. Adding the Neverwinter crafting system to the game is just plan lazy. Just call STO from now on Neverwinter: The Next Generation Online.

Also with the removal of these mission we are also losing a way to earn 1440 Dilithium daily. Another Dilithium nerf from Cryptic. Soon we will be only able to buy Dilithium with Zen.

What exploration missions were you playing? They were the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....you had a great idea what you were getting.there were not secrets, or surprises.

nightken

neoakiraii wrote: »

What exploration missions were you playing? They were the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....you had a great idea what you were getting.

I had a post write to nicely detail all of them.... then I remembered what forum I'm on a deleted it. I get the feeling trying to explain just how bad the current system is would fall on deaf ears.


however it is very much trek.... the crews hated those boring missions too. :P

psiameese

If only this game weren't called, well, Star Trek.

I'm aware that the Devs already admitted that the Genesis System failed to do what it was intended. As a player of over 4 years, I can't disagree that these don't hold up upon replay. However, I do enjoy these missions on my alts. Who I don't focus too much on leveling up. That's how I roll.

I disagree with any design decision which removes what content it does offer before patching in it's successor.

I'm not a Duty Officer. I want my Captain's - who I invest significantly more time designing to play - to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life...etc.

ashkrik23

I hope they remove incomplete accolades. I despise looking at stuff I cannot get anymore.

bemlega

At least they could tell what they're up to, with the accolades.

I'll put my money on "Keep Accolades, remove possibility to get them".

p.s.: Not that i'd like it to be that way.

azurianstar

neoakiraii wrote: »

What exploration missions were you playing? They were the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....you had a great idea what you were getting.there were not secrets, or surprises.

That is the unfortunate truth. There literally was the same missions over and over again. They were the same exact missions in all exploration clusters, except the enemy was tailored to the area.

The exploration in STO never was anything close to exploration, it was more like fetch missions.


I keep telling Cryptic this but there is a 30 year old game called Starflght (it ran off pre-Pentium computers, that's how old) and it had literally 1000x more exploration than STO ever had. There are fans that made a recreation that you can find on the net. I would suggest the Devs actually play it and know what exploration feels like for a game.

captainjgee

neoakiraii wrote: »

What exploration missions were you playing? They were the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....you had a great idea what you were getting.there were not secrets, or surprises.

Perhaps you should spend less time in the forums and play the game. All of STO is known content now, once you played a mission once no surprises any more. At least the Star Cluster mission attempted to be random. I play them every day and after 4 years was surprised to find a great new map, go figure that one then. :P

futurepastnow

As with the deprecated Omega accolades, the "fair" way would be to auto-complete any that are in progress.

I will not mourn the exploration clusters. I want nothing more than a good, Star Trek feeling exploration system in STO, but that wasn't it and was never going to be it.

Bring on the Delta Quadrant.

baddmoonrizin

ashkrik23 wrote: »

I hope they remove incomplete accolades. I despise looking at stuff I cannot get anymore.

I hate the idea of having incomplete Accolades that I cannot finish, too. But I also hate the idea that I won't be able to get those Accolades.

Since DOFFing will still be possible with the nebulae, perhaps link the current star cluster Exploration Accolades to the DOFFing assignments.

15 successful DOFF assignments = X Wanderer
35 successful DOFF assignments = X Nomad
70 successful DOFF assignments + Cluster Assignment Chain = X Explorer and "X Explorer" title

Increase the numbers if you have to, but perhaps do something to still make these Accolades possible to achieve.

theanothername

I hate seeing stuff getting the Axe without replacement. Even more if its such a big part that I occasional like to do.

What the exploration system needed was some polish & a few new variables thrown into the pot & in time a season dedicated to it to make it a exploration 2.0; not a complete removal.

neoakiraii

captainjgee wrote: »

Perhaps you should spend less time in the forums and play the game. All of STO is known content now, once you played a mission once no surprises any more. At least the Star Cluster mission attempted to be random. I play them every day and after 4 years was surprised to find a great new map, go figure that one then. :P

The star cluster missions are the same, you either scan a bunch of stuff, shoot a bunch of stuff, or give somebody a bunch of stuff.:)

If this is your idea of a fun surprise, then the forums is where I shall be. At least the forums, when it repeats itself like the cluster missions, it's entertaining.

talien

hypl wrote: »

They're not up to the "standard of quality" according to Cryptic. And let's face it, they've all been TRIBBLE since launch. Warp in, scan or destroy 5 things, then leave.

Of course, they could have plans to fully revamp exploration at a later date, perhaps with the next expansion.

You forgot "Warp in, beam to planet, fall through terrain and have to exit mission."

It sucks that they're removing exploration clusters instead of FIXING THEM, but in the sad state they're in I'm not going to shed any tears for them when they go.

ashkrik23

baddmoonrizin wrote: »

I hate the idea of having incomplete Accolades that I cannot finish, too. But I also hate the idea that I won't be able to get those Accolades.

Since DOFFing will still be possible with the nebulae, perhaps link the current star cluster Exploration Accolades to the DOFFing assignments.

15 successful DOFF assignments = X Wanderer
35 successful DOFF assignments = X Nomad
70 successful DOFF assignments + Cluster Assignment Chain = X Explorer and "X Explorer" title

Increase the numbers if you have to, but perhaps do something to still make these Accolades possible to achieve.

I will take that.

stofsk

Are they removing exploration clusters (and thus, the doff assignments you had access to) or are they just removing the crappy-although-fun-from-a-nostalgic-perspective random missions you could play there?

capnmanx

stofsk wrote: »

Are they removing exploration clusters (and thus, the doff assignments you had access to) or are they just removing the crappy-although-fun-from-a-nostalgic-perspective random missions you could play there?

Sort of both. They are turning them into interactable objects in sector space which, if I understand it correctly, just open a Doff assignment window when you click on them.

stofsk

Well that's sort of... ok, I guess. I'm a little sad to see the randomised missions go, but that's just nostalgia talking. If doffing isn't affected then I don't really have any cause for complaint.

Hell, maybe this will mean KDF will regain access to Delta Volanis for doffing. :v

capnmanx

nightken wrote: »

on the bright side do you think they would remove it if they weren't planing something. most things that have gone that have come back in some form. and with the big as LoR thing coming and no signs of a new sub faction. what do you think the next thing on the list of player want the devs would love to make is?

Considering that they just left exploration to rot all this time, I can't conjure up any faith in the idea that they are secretly building a whole new system from scratch. Adding new mission types to the clusters over time would have been a whole lot easier after all.

If they do have plans for exploration, is really hope they give us a hint or two soon. Not knowing sucks.

nightken

capnmanx wrote: »

Considering that they just left exploration to rot all this time, I can't conjure up any faith in the idea that they are secretly building a whole new system from scratch. Adding new mission types to the clusters over time would have been a whole lot easier after all.

If they do have plans for exploration, is really hope they give us a hint or two soon. Not knowing sucks.

they way this fandom acts... I wouldn't give an information after much less before. we have a month and a half, at least before I'm proven wrong.

capnmanx

nightken wrote: »

they way this fandom acts... I wouldn't give an information after much less before. we have a month and a half, at least before I'm proven wrong.

*sigh* Well, I won't argue with that.

Still, they didn't remove crafting at the start of season 9 to make room for the revamp in 9.5 now did they? So if we are talking about a new exploration system in X2, why are they taking out the clusters in 9.5?

How about this? They are being taken out because the clusters play a role in resource collection, and they didn't want to go through all the exploration stuff replacing old things with new things in time for the crafting revamp. Too much trouble; especially considering that in its present state it's not a very popular feature.

It's easy to see why they might think to take them out; the obvious reason doesn't have anything to do with a replacement exploration system though. That's why I'm worried.