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STO - Best MMO of all time?
bmcd73
Member Posts: 263 Arc User
First I would like to say that I am a vet gamer. I've been playing PC games since the very first PC games. I grew up on games like Zork and Ultima. I have beta tested almost every single major MMO released to date and have actively played most of them since Meridan 59 and Ultima Online. I have been a technology consultant for over 22 years. So I have a good amount of experience with this stuff.
When STO was first released, I bought a lifetime membership. I was thinking "It's Star Trek...how could I go wrong???" Not only that, I bought the collectors edition, I purchased the magazines that had special codes in them and I even went to Del Taco to get the cup that had the shuttle pet code. Then I played it....for a month. It sucked. Nothing was really fleshed out. There wasn't any high level content. Most of the systems in place today just didn't exist. Like all the MMOs I play, I often revisit them to see what has been updated/changed. STO was no different. Things got better but I still only played a few weeks at a time.
Then it went F2P. I was beyond pissed. I was so angry that I had spent that money "for nothing". I didn't pick up the game for a while. After my anger subsided, I decided to check it out again and it has been getting better and better ever since.
Today, beside Warcraft which is unquestionably the most successful MMO of all time, STO is the game I play the most. I play it more than I played Ultima Online. I play it more than I played Everquest. I play it more than I play WoW. I know Cryptic does some stupid things here and there but everyone does. I wanted to write up why I think this game is so awesome in hopes of getting a few more of my friends to try it out.
Lifetime membership - I was originally pissed that the game went F2P after I had spent all that money for a membership. But today I am glad I did it. The benefits from being a lifer are great. The extra character slots, bank slots, ship slots, boff slots, free ships, monthly zen, etc. has made my time in STO more convenient.
F2P - The systems you have built in STO for the store is hands down the best of any F2P game. Most F2P games require you throw real world money to buy anything in the store. Some like DDO you can acquire the store currency in game but it isn't practical at all. Others force you to into the store with gating things like bags...*cough* *cough* Neverwinter.... But what I love about this game is that you make dilithium just by playing the game. Sure I can grind it. But almost every thing I do in this game gives me dilly making it fairly easy to spend 1000s of Zen in the store. The exchange rate isn't crazy either like it is in Neverwinter. I also love how there are ways to convert EC into dilly and vice versa.
Customizations - I love how I can customize everything in this game from my Capt. uniform to my crew to the looks of my ship. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent customizing my crew.
Crating - crafting feels better now. It wasn't special at all before but there is something that makes it feel special now. It's easy enough to level it up but you need that specialized RD School tech to make it happen. I think that is cool. It gives the DoFFs a sense of being.
Upgrades - The upgrade system is amazing. I love how I can have my fav weapon, armor, console, etc. and I can just upgrade it to "legendary" quality. It's not overly costly ESPECIALLY when you run the double research weekends. I have so many toons by now that I don't feel overly obligated to upgrade everything to epic. I casually do it along the way.
DoFFs - I know the UI could be better but it is fun collecting the DoFFs. The mini-game around Doffing is at least interesting. There is a ton of room for improvement here but it is another way to advance your character.
BoFFs - The new updates to allow you to use whatever BoFF you want was brilliant. Allowing us to train our BoFFs however we want gives great flexibility. You can build out your crew however you want. Totally cool.
Training system - WAAAAAYYYYY better than it was. Allowing players to sell "scrolls of training" is something that was needed for a long time. This was a really great change.
Admiralty - This is another nice little mini-game but far more lucrative than the DoFFs. It would be nice if the UI auto selected the "best" fit or made it easier to slot them. It would also be cool to somehow use your DoFFs and your ships together.
Drydock - just added and between this and the Admiralty system has now made all those ships you worked for easy to hang on to. It's like a mini game just collecting everything. I have a few toons with over 40 ships. It's easy to reclaim through c-store but ships that couldn't be reclaimed either needed to be trashed (which is what I did unfortunately) or kept which reduces your ship slots. Drydock has made it possible to store these old ships that cannot be reclaimed from the c-store.
Ground/Space traits - I have said that these needed to be separate since they were introduced. We finally have it and it's a great change.
BoFF skills - there are so many skills that you have the ability to roleplay or customize your playstyle any way you want. I have captains that are beam boat captains, cannon captains, exotic/science captains, tanks, etc. You may not be able to min/max every single possible build but you can still be viable no matter what.
Specialization - All the new specializations add a new depth to BoFFs and to your captain. Yet another way to advance your character. Great change.
Events - The events get a little monotonous but the payouts are really worth it.
Reputation System - Another cool way to get rewarded for just playing the game. The reputation store/gear is really cool and not very difficult to get.
Fleet/Armada - I love how you can advance your fleet and an advanced fleet can create elite gear. I love all the special things that open up with a fleet. The Armada system was brilliant. Allowing members of different fleets to contribute to other fleets for creds has been a boon for everyone.
Hardcore/Casual - I am hardcore but play casual. That means that I play a lot but spread out my time across many toons. So none of my toons are that great but I have a bunch that are pretty darn good. This game supports both playstyles. Want to grind...sure. What to jump in for some quick action...got it. Feel like leveling a new toon...gotcha covered.
I feel like I could go on and on. For me, I think of all the MMOs I have played, this one is in the top 5 if not at the very top. Just my 2 EC worth...
When STO was first released, I bought a lifetime membership. I was thinking "It's Star Trek...how could I go wrong???" Not only that, I bought the collectors edition, I purchased the magazines that had special codes in them and I even went to Del Taco to get the cup that had the shuttle pet code. Then I played it....for a month. It sucked. Nothing was really fleshed out. There wasn't any high level content. Most of the systems in place today just didn't exist. Like all the MMOs I play, I often revisit them to see what has been updated/changed. STO was no different. Things got better but I still only played a few weeks at a time.
Then it went F2P. I was beyond pissed. I was so angry that I had spent that money "for nothing". I didn't pick up the game for a while. After my anger subsided, I decided to check it out again and it has been getting better and better ever since.
Today, beside Warcraft which is unquestionably the most successful MMO of all time, STO is the game I play the most. I play it more than I played Ultima Online. I play it more than I played Everquest. I play it more than I play WoW. I know Cryptic does some stupid things here and there but everyone does. I wanted to write up why I think this game is so awesome in hopes of getting a few more of my friends to try it out.
Lifetime membership - I was originally pissed that the game went F2P after I had spent all that money for a membership. But today I am glad I did it. The benefits from being a lifer are great. The extra character slots, bank slots, ship slots, boff slots, free ships, monthly zen, etc. has made my time in STO more convenient.
F2P - The systems you have built in STO for the store is hands down the best of any F2P game. Most F2P games require you throw real world money to buy anything in the store. Some like DDO you can acquire the store currency in game but it isn't practical at all. Others force you to into the store with gating things like bags...*cough* *cough* Neverwinter.... But what I love about this game is that you make dilithium just by playing the game. Sure I can grind it. But almost every thing I do in this game gives me dilly making it fairly easy to spend 1000s of Zen in the store. The exchange rate isn't crazy either like it is in Neverwinter. I also love how there are ways to convert EC into dilly and vice versa.
Customizations - I love how I can customize everything in this game from my Capt. uniform to my crew to the looks of my ship. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent customizing my crew.
Crating - crafting feels better now. It wasn't special at all before but there is something that makes it feel special now. It's easy enough to level it up but you need that specialized RD School tech to make it happen. I think that is cool. It gives the DoFFs a sense of being.
Upgrades - The upgrade system is amazing. I love how I can have my fav weapon, armor, console, etc. and I can just upgrade it to "legendary" quality. It's not overly costly ESPECIALLY when you run the double research weekends. I have so many toons by now that I don't feel overly obligated to upgrade everything to epic. I casually do it along the way.
DoFFs - I know the UI could be better but it is fun collecting the DoFFs. The mini-game around Doffing is at least interesting. There is a ton of room for improvement here but it is another way to advance your character.
BoFFs - The new updates to allow you to use whatever BoFF you want was brilliant. Allowing us to train our BoFFs however we want gives great flexibility. You can build out your crew however you want. Totally cool.
Training system - WAAAAAYYYYY better than it was. Allowing players to sell "scrolls of training" is something that was needed for a long time. This was a really great change.
Admiralty - This is another nice little mini-game but far more lucrative than the DoFFs. It would be nice if the UI auto selected the "best" fit or made it easier to slot them. It would also be cool to somehow use your DoFFs and your ships together.
Drydock - just added and between this and the Admiralty system has now made all those ships you worked for easy to hang on to. It's like a mini game just collecting everything. I have a few toons with over 40 ships. It's easy to reclaim through c-store but ships that couldn't be reclaimed either needed to be trashed (which is what I did unfortunately) or kept which reduces your ship slots. Drydock has made it possible to store these old ships that cannot be reclaimed from the c-store.
Ground/Space traits - I have said that these needed to be separate since they were introduced. We finally have it and it's a great change.
BoFF skills - there are so many skills that you have the ability to roleplay or customize your playstyle any way you want. I have captains that are beam boat captains, cannon captains, exotic/science captains, tanks, etc. You may not be able to min/max every single possible build but you can still be viable no matter what.
Specialization - All the new specializations add a new depth to BoFFs and to your captain. Yet another way to advance your character. Great change.
Events - The events get a little monotonous but the payouts are really worth it.
Reputation System - Another cool way to get rewarded for just playing the game. The reputation store/gear is really cool and not very difficult to get.
Fleet/Armada - I love how you can advance your fleet and an advanced fleet can create elite gear. I love all the special things that open up with a fleet. The Armada system was brilliant. Allowing members of different fleets to contribute to other fleets for creds has been a boon for everyone.
Hardcore/Casual - I am hardcore but play casual. That means that I play a lot but spread out my time across many toons. So none of my toons are that great but I have a bunch that are pretty darn good. This game supports both playstyles. Want to grind...sure. What to jump in for some quick action...got it. Feel like leveling a new toon...gotcha covered.
I feel like I could go on and on. For me, I think of all the MMOs I have played, this one is in the top 5 if not at the very top. Just my 2 EC worth...
0
Comments
B ) I agree with your sentiments above, and really enjoy STO.
C ) Cue all the haters in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
--Red Annorax
haha...well that makes it an easy pick for you. It's top 1 or 2 for me and I have played them all
Neverwinter is another gem. If you like proper ground combat then you need to play that game. And also if you're a D&D fan hehe.
Least favorite:
Second Life - did not know what the objective of the game was until someone clued me into the fact that it was about player owned sims. To be honest the place for me was a complete bore-fest.
APB Reloaded - Great graphics and impressive customization for both characters and vehicles. Horrible community in the forums and in game. Terrible developer feedback and glitches/disconnects galore. If you want a rage game this is one for you.
In short, so far I have not gone wrong with sto. For all the problems that crop up, there is alot of good things in this game that makes it worthwhile from the community to the developers.
If I hadn't discovered STO however I might be tempted by neverwinter for old school game fan purposes.
"If this will be our end, then I will have them make SUCH an end as to be worthy of rememberance! Out of torpedos you say?! Find me the ferengi!".
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
Came here to say, basically exactly this... STO is great, and is my favorite Star Trek game of all time, and definitely my favorite current game. With that said, CoH holds a near mythic spot in my heart that will never be filled by anything less, nor I think could it be filled again even by CoH which has lost a lot of the community and family that made it the greatest thing ever once upon a time.
So here I sit in my Captain's seat, readying phasers against another galactic threat. Here I will remain, Lifetime membership pinned to my chest, and TR-116b and saber close at hand.
There is no balance, it's buggy, power creep is rampant, easiest to play spec does the most damage, game is all about damage, trinity is useless, PvP is dead, isn't much endgame, and heck I could go on and on but my point is made...STO isn't the best MMO out there...by far.
- Graphisms are really outdated
- There are plenty of bugs
- Game updates are empty of interesting stuff 90% of the time
- There is basicly no high end game
- Supposed to be free but everyone know that it isn't true
But due to its mechanics the game is addicting.
STO isn't a lot of things...but STO is the freest game I've ever played...no matter how many people will claim...STO is P2W...you can earn everything pretty much for free. If you aren't will to put the time and effort into it because it's easier to toss money at the screen, that isn't Cryptic's fault.
The freest game you ever played? Lol. Go check path of exile for exemple you'll see the what is a real free to play.
Sorry but for me a game that give you any advantage when paying is a P2W. And yes you can earn everything much for free, but that's an illusion because there are too many things you need that you can't afford without paying. I am a lifetimer for 4 years now, I refine around 50k dilit per day and I still have to spend 25-50$ per month in this game to get what I want. I don't see where is the free in that.
Wrong on both counts. First, "want" is not the same thing as "need". There are plenty of things I've bought in STO over the years that I wanted, but not a single thing I actually needed. Second, at one time I had 30,000 zen, which is $300 worth, that I didn't actually buy. I earned it from trading dilithium. So yes, you can actually earn anything you want in the game store without spending your won money. You may not WANT to put the time in to earn it for free, but that does not change the fact that you have the ability to do so.
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
...Why would they pay for anything?
STO is pretty good. Not the best but most defiantly not the worst. I will say however, I did prefer STO when it was P2P but had no choice but to go F2P for the most part.
As for your other points:
Lifetime membership - Value depends heavily on your enjoyment level of the game itself, may be worth, may not be.
Customizations - Seeing less and less of this with ships.
Crating - Can't comment, never used
Upgrades - Can't comment, never used
DoFFs - Meh, just a fancy card game, nothing special
BoFFs - Probably one of my most favorite feature of the game, pretty good to bring a group with you to help you out. It's also pretty unique.
Training system - Can't comment, never used
Admiralty - Can't comment, never used
Drydock - Can't comment, never used
Ground/Space traits - Most games have this, nothing special
BoFF skills - See Boffs
Specialization - Can't comment, never used
Events - Weekend and/or hourly events were way better IMO
Reputation System - One of the most hated features of the game for me. All it does it create unnecessary segmentation to the game play and content.
Fleet/Armada - No comment.
Hardcore/Casual - This is becoming less and less true over time. Interesting to see what happens down the road in the very near future.
Paying for ships is fine for me, but free players should have a free T6 ship, at least once per account. Then if they like the game they will keep buying ships, like well all do. Main problem is that free players are stuck with T4 ships for a while before they can afford a T6 ship, and this is where I call this game a P2W, because the paying player with his T6 will have a big advantage on the free player with his T4.
I would agree if you wasn't capped at 8k/day. But to make 30k zen with 3 free chars (the max you can have as free player) at the current rate of 240dil/zen that will take almost a year...
You can buy more character slots with the FREE zen you can earn through the dilithium exchange. So there goes that excuse. Next?
PS: whether you "agree" or not is irrelevant. You are factually wrong. You do not "need" anything from the game store, and you can in fact earn anything in the store without spending any of your own money. Whether you personally like how it works has nothing to do with the actual facts.
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
This is an infernal loop. If you buy free characters slots that's delay the time until you get your first T6 ship.
We will disagree on that then. For me it is impossible to enjoy the game without the store.
More skilled players can do that with vendor trash.
My character Tsin'xing
So? You're slowed down a bit for a larger gain in the end...trouble is to many people don't think of the bigger picture when you can just toss money at the problem then complain like you actually were forced to pay money, which you weren't.
And that's fine. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion, and your opinion is no more right or wrong than anyone else's. But there is a difference between an opinion and being factually wrong, and your previous statements that you "need" anything in the game store or that you "can't afford them without paying" are both factually wrong. A correct statement would be you don't LIKE how it works, which is fine.
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
Slowed a bit? You ll need EC cap, spend dilithium on reputation projects, spend dilithium on upgrades and buy bank slots to be able to stock your sets. And ofc you spent your skills points right like all new players so you don't have to buy skill respec.
I won't complain on how much I spent on this game, what I say is that you can't enjoy it without spending money. And if you are gonna tell me that someone can enjoy the game only by farming 8k dilit on 5-7 chars/day, then I must ask myself about the true goal of the life.
You don't need the EC cap to buy stuff on the C-Store
You don't need to buy reputation gear...nor do you need to spend dilithium to level reputations
You don't need bank slots to buy from the C-Store
You don't need to upgrade gear to buy items on the C-Store...nor do you need MK XIV Epics to perform most of the content in this game...heck you don't need XIV Epics to do anything.
No one said it was perfect...but it isn't P2W because you aren't willing to put in the time and you prefer the instant gratification of purchasing stuff with money.
If anything it's P2GetThingsQuicker.
Since DR has launched I've gotten multiple T6 ships off the C-Store...only one I paid for was the T6 Intrepid, since I really wanted the bridge, I haven't had much money to spend on STO in a while...but I still get along fine...and I don't even cap dilithium on multiple characters daily.
The only reason I still play is because I like flying a space ship around and because it's star trek and there's no real alternative to get my star trek fix.