Surface Tension- Why can't more of this game be like this?

dmensionhatross

After a bit of an absence I returned recently and played through the Undine missions.

I have to say, the final mission (Surface Tension) was genuinely fun and dare I say, exciting and immersing. I didn't feel like I was going to the surface because you had to justify a ground portion of the mission, or vice versa, that after a ground mission I had to clean up some ships in space. It felt as though the story was written first, and the gameplay was worked around it- it felt organic. And while the engine does lack on the story telling front (not going to win any awards for mocap here), it didn't break me out of the story being told this time around.

On top of this, this was the first time where I felt like, yep, I'm in Star Trek now (a space exploration/diplomacy mode being added would heighten this even further). The space battle at the space dock felt like a genuine battle, and not some mission to wipe X groups of X ships each, or flying to waypoint to waypoint. In the end that's all it really was, but the manner in which it was executed elevated it above your previous efforts, for me. Good stuff!

I know this might come across as a bit of a back handed compliment in the end, but I'm hoping this is the new standard of story telling going into Delta Rising. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I'd be keen to see this level of gameplay and story telling, or better, from now on.

Surface Tension wasn't perfect, but it was very enjoyable and isn't that the main thing?

Just thought I'd share anyway. Don't know if the devs read these forums these days (or ever did).

lordarathron

dmensionhatross wrote: »

After a bit of an absence I returned recently and played through the Undine missions.

I have to say, the final mission (Surface Tension) was genuinely fun and dare I say, exciting and immersing. I didn't feel like I was going to the surface because you had to justify a ground portion of the mission, or vice versa, that after a ground mission I had to clean up some ships in space. It felt as though the story was written first, and the gameplay was worked around it- it felt organic. And while the engine does lack on the story telling front (not going to win any awards for mocap here), it didn't break me out of the story being told this time around.

On top of this, this was the first time where I felt like, yep, I'm in Star Trek now (a space exploration/diplomacy mode being added would heighten this even further). The space battle at the space dock felt like a genuine battle, and not some mission to wipe X groups of X ships each, or flying to waypoint to waypoint. In the end that's all it really was, but the manner in which it was executed elevated it above your previous efforts, for me. Good stuff!

I know this might come across as a bit of a back handed compliment in the end, but I'm hoping this is the new standard of story telling going into Delta Rising. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I'd be keen to see this level of gameplay and story telling, or better, from now on.

Surface Tension wasn't perfect, but it was very enjoyable and isn't that the main thing?

Just thought I'd share anyway. Don't know if the devs read these forums these days (or ever did).

Agreed 100%. This mission was the only one I got genuinely excited playing. The death star run- whoops, I mean planet killer- almost gave me goosebumps. Really well done story, and the Iconian appearance was the cherry on the cake.

adverbero

Well the standard has been improving greatly in recent missions, I sure hope they can keep it up

ashkrik23

DR looks to increase the quality even higher than ST.

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woodwhity

Personally I think "What lies beneath" has more feeling in it, but Surface Tension is one of the 5 best episodes.

stonewbie

Is ST the one episode where the NPC fem KDF Captain is acting all "klingon-ey" in her dialogue? The one where she was talking to Tuvok right in the middle of the space battle saying stuff like "are you scaaaaaared Vulcan?". Sometimes the NPC captain dialogue makes me want to yak. Most of the time its ok but then other times its like the writer decided to let their 9 year old kid finish the script.

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trek21

stonewbie wrote: »

Is ST the one episode where the NPC fem KDF Captain is acting all "klingon-ey" in her dialogue? The one where she was talking to Tuvok right in the middle of the space battle saying stuff like "are you scaaaaaared Vulcan?". Sometimes the NPC captain dialogue makes me want to yak. Most of the time its ok but then other times its like the writer decided to let their 9 year old kid finish the script.

And yet, at the core, it's still a Klingon talking - they really don't take well to betrayal, fear, cowardice, and all that. Koren simply jumps the gun a lot on that, and needed a big show of effort to convince her otherwise, which happens at the end of Surface Tension

feiqa

The surface tension missions, dialogue, and flow were great. The only thing I would also want in later missions is the variance we got in Sphere of Influence. Using beams gets one play style and an accolade, Drones another. On the other side two different paths/puzzles to solve. It increases the replayability a lot.
Heres to hoping they keep up the good work.

stonewbie

trek21 wrote: »

And yet, at the core, it's still a Klingon talking - they really don't take well to betrayal, fear, cowardice, and all that. Koren simply jumps the gun a lot on that, and needed a big show of effort to convince her otherwise, which happens at the end of Surface Tension

But asking a Vulcan if they are scared? that's like asking a Tal Shiar agent if they plan on doing anything deceptive...or asking a Klingon if they wanna fight...or asking a Fed if they come in peace. Of all the people or races to ask if they are afraid or not she asks a Vulcan? has she never met one before? is she stupid? does she have a mentality of a little kid?


I find that a lot of the in combat taunt/dialogue is just cheesy.


Nausicaan NPC: Theres nothing better then killing Romulans!


I mean what next? are they gonna have NPCs sitting in their captains chair spinning around in the middle of a fight reciting Shakespeare?

nightken

*prepares long thread demanding cyptic add more shakespeare and chair spinning and how the game is going end if they don't*



wait do feds still come in peace....

trek21

stonewbie wrote: »

But asking a Vulcan if they are scared? that's like asking a Tal Shiar agent if they plan on doing anything deceptive...or asking a Klingon if they wanna fight...or asking a Fed if they come in peace. Of all the people or races to ask if they are afraid or not she asks a Vulcan? has she never met one before? is she stupid? does she have a mentality of a little kid?


I find that a lot of the in combat taunt/dialogue is just cheesy.


Nausicaan NPC: Theres nothing better then killing Romulans!


I mean what next? are they gonna have NPCs sitting in their captains chair spinning around in the middle of a fight reciting Shakespeare?

That's the idea though; when a Klingon senses something that angers them, they have a hard time controlling themselves, instinctively answering - even if it makes them look stupid, or even if they know better.

It's nothing really new; we've all said things like that without thinking

stonewbie

trek21 wrote: »

That's the idea though; when a Klingon senses something that angers them, they have a hard time controlling themselves, instinctively answering - even if it makes them look stupid, or even if they know better.

It's nothing really new; we've all said things like that without thinking

There are a few other examples in game where people have said that an NPC or group of NPC acted just a little too evil like the Tal Shiar/RSE for example. People have said that they are just too comic book/mustache twirling evil. Nausicaans taunting you in the middle of battle? or the KDF npc commander in the start of the revised Fed tutorial. He beggggged for his life har har har (or something like that). After all the overacting on all the other NPCs by the time i got to this mission i was pretty much just saying to myself "jeez shut up Koren".

trek21

stonewbie wrote: »

There are a few other examples in game where people have said that an NPC or group of NPC acted just a little too evil like the Tal Shiar/RSE for example. People have said that they are just too comic book/mustache twirling evil. Nausicaans taunting you in the middle of battle? or the KDF npc commander in the start of the revised Fed tutorial. He beggggged for his life har har har (or something like that). After all the overacting on all the other NPCs by the time i got to this mission i was pretty much just saying to myself "jeez shut up Koren".

The way the illegitimate son of Duras acted during the challenge of Gowron's ascension, I didn't see it as unusual lol - most klingons behave like the usual, but there are exceptions. And that's definitely the case with other races, bound to have a few who like taunting, even if it is tempting fate

And I didn't find Koren annoying at all - then again, for me, it takes a lot more than that for a character to be annoying

feiqa

nightken wrote: »

*prepares long thread demanding cyptic add more shakespeare and chair spinning and how the game is going end if they don't*



wait do feds still come in peace....

“Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.”

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

“Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find.”

“My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.”

“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.”

Okay I was hoping to find something totally out of character to be funny, but these sound like things that would be cool for a long term Klingon character to quote.

davidwford

stonewbie wrote: »

But asking a Vulcan if they are scared? that's like asking a Tal Shiar agent if they plan on doing anything deceptive...or asking a Klingon if they wanna fight...or asking a Fed if they come in peace. Of all the people or races to ask if they are afraid or not she asks a Vulcan? has she never met one before? is she stupid? does she have a mentality of a little kid?

Vulcans DO experience emotions. They simply try to suppress and deny them. Much like their Romulan cousins, PRIDE is their greatest weakness and deadly sin. Koren, in the heat of the moment tried shaming, goading, mocking, and belittling Tuvok, not realizing that she would have had better luck provoking a response by attacking his logic and calculations for failing to take into account the ferocity of those who have nothing to loose by dying yet everything to gain by winning (ala, the Jem'Hadar). She only did something close to that once with her comments about more opportunities to die.

Unknown

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