The simple solution (and for foundry too) is to make a set of interact points that are added to every bridge map that could have npcs, mobs, etc keyed to them. This means that a simple story could be mapped regardless of the players bridge, just with less customization than a normal map.
Well, "simple" is not neccessarilly actually simple. This might be a solution, but how hard would it actually be to implement? It would work very different from regular mission design, for example. How would that work out?
Alternately, they could make a mission on a standard (fed/rom/KDF) bridge and interior and just let people deal with the fact that it doesn't look like "their" bridge. Honestly, I'd rather have on ship stories with a different bridge set than not because it doesn't match mine perfectly.
I agree.
One - I am deliberately not saying easy - solution would be to get rid of the existing small/medium/large interior and replace them with a more or less standard interior that can be "flavored" with colors and props to fit the appropriate faction (and possibly additional player costumizations). Leave the bridges as they are, hwoever (since people actually bought them and they are very different), and use the "fixed interation points" idea.
That would give some more freedom in events happening outside your bridge, which is where I figure most of the variable action would happen anyway.
But there are still a lot of stylistic problems. Currently, a Klingon Warp Core looks quite different from a Federation one, and the Romulan Singularity core also uses a layout quite unique from the Federation and Klingon ones.
Maybe it all will require to go back to the fixed interaction and spawn points. But I don't think that's easy at all. Because it means you need to playtest a lot of configurations to ensure that SFX looks good, that NPCs don't spawn in unfortunate positions (half-way through the wall, too close together, sitting on a bunch of consoles) and so on. And the limitations of the interact system wouldn't make mission design easier at all, I think, because a lot of ideas could not be implemented.
And setting up all the interiors in the first place to have the right amount of interacts and capabilties would be a ton of work, especially since you can't miss any. (And of course, a lot of interiors must be expanded first to even work.)
Only Cryptic can really know how feasible it would be.
I think while you and I would be okay with using a generic interior instead of our chosen ones, I think too many people would find it jarring. We might be limited to visiting other ship's interiors, and that's not the same thing.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
I want a "Trapped in a malfunctioning holodeck" mission
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
I want a "Trapped in a malfunctioning holodeck" mission
*points at Foundry* You could write one.
I tried. I suck at foundry.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
Comments
I agree.
One - I am deliberately not saying easy - solution would be to get rid of the existing small/medium/large interior and replace them with a more or less standard interior that can be "flavored" with colors and props to fit the appropriate faction (and possibly additional player costumizations). Leave the bridges as they are, hwoever (since people actually bought them and they are very different), and use the "fixed interation points" idea.
That would give some more freedom in events happening outside your bridge, which is where I figure most of the variable action would happen anyway.
But there are still a lot of stylistic problems. Currently, a Klingon Warp Core looks quite different from a Federation one, and the Romulan Singularity core also uses a layout quite unique from the Federation and Klingon ones.
Maybe it all will require to go back to the fixed interaction and spawn points. But I don't think that's easy at all. Because it means you need to playtest a lot of configurations to ensure that SFX looks good, that NPCs don't spawn in unfortunate positions (half-way through the wall, too close together, sitting on a bunch of consoles) and so on. And the limitations of the interact system wouldn't make mission design easier at all, I think, because a lot of ideas could not be implemented.
And setting up all the interiors in the first place to have the right amount of interacts and capabilties would be a ton of work, especially since you can't miss any. (And of course, a lot of interiors must be expanded first to even work.)
Only Cryptic can really know how feasible it would be.
I think while you and I would be okay with using a generic interior instead of our chosen ones, I think too many people would find it jarring. We might be limited to visiting other ship's interiors, and that's not the same thing.
In all seriousness if i have to deal with voyagers silly cramped layout for another mission like mindscape i believe i am going to destroy a planet.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
My character Tsin'xing
I tried. I suck at foundry.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
My character Tsin'xing