The reason the game only is "2.5 3D" in terms of maps, navigation and movement has little to do with the engine, but a lot to do with the players - it turns out many are not very good at fully fledged 3D movement. It just isn't what we're experienced with normally, and many get easily disoriented and confused. And even if there are succesful fully fledged 3D games, it's still considered as a bit risky, especially if you want a game that needs mass market appeal to survive.
Another aspect is - once you go full 3D, things don't really look as they did in the movies. If for example Cryptic had based the combat mechanics of STO on licensed work like the Technical Manuals, we would fire Phasers at 300,000 km distance and never experience any of the cool action space scenes like in the movies or TV shows, and never see any of those NPC ship models at close. (Combat would be more like in "The Wounded", where they only showed schematic views.)
Except this is not even 3D yet.
Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
I was actually hoping to read more information about the new sector maps but as usual whenever an interesting subject comes out it gets hijacked and derailed.
What information are you looking for specifically with the new section of map?
The only things we know of at this point regarding the expansion is the following:
1) 20 Draconis (Station K-13's new home) is being moved into one of the new sectors.
2) Ferenginar is being moved up a sector and is being replaced by the Maxia sector, important from TNG as the place where Picard as Captain of the Stargazer was ambushed by Ferengi.
3) Sauria and Delta are canon federation member systems being added, while Ferasa is being added into the game as an allied species of the Klingon Empire.
4) @somtaawkhar compiled a list of notes regarding the new systems.
So without having gone on Tribble myself to look at it(since the launcher hangs on the DL), and using only the star charts as an guide, I have put together this marked version of the new Tribble map.
Most of the new planets are ToS/TaS era planets, though there are a few DS9/ENT referenced planets in there as well.
Some background info for some of these planets
-Aaamazzara: Home of the Federation member Aaamazzarite species. An insectoid race that makes everything from their body chemistry, from clothes to furniture, like bees building a hive.(Background aliens in TMP)
-Antos: Home to Federation member Antos IV natives. Natives know the art of cellular metamorphosis, a technique that accelerates healing, and was used to heal Garth of Izar after his accident. Also home to giant energy generating/controlling worms.(TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy", "Who Mourns for Adonais?")
-Arbazen: Homeworld of the Federation member Arbazan species(DS9: "The Forsaken")
-Berengaria: Strategically important Federation colony world, home to 200 meter long fire breathing dragon creatures(ENT: "Bound")(TOS: "This Side of Paradise")(DS9: "In the Cards")
-Delta: Home to the Federation member Deltan species(TMP, Search for Spock, Voyage Home)
-Izar: Federation colony world. home to Garth of Izar, as well as the Starfleet Tactical School and the Izar Institute of Meteorology.(TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy")(Star Charts)
-Sauria: Home to the Federation member Saurian species.(Background aliens in TMP)
-Zaran: Home to the Federation member Zarantie species.(Background aliens in TMP)
-20 Draconis: System where K-13 reappeared after being temporally displaced. Home to a species that was wiped out by the Tzenkethi(STO: "Echoes of Light")
-Argus: Planet were Kirk encoutered the Dikironium cloud creature(TOS: "Obsession")
-Balancar: Ferengi Alliance world known for being the only source of "syrup of squill"(DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi")
-Balosnee: Inhabited planet where tidal harmonies could cause hallucinations(DS9: "The Nagus")
-Fesarius: Homeworld of the First Federation species. First contact made between Balok and Kirk(ToS: "The Corbomite Maneuver")
-Ferasa: Home of the Kzinti, aka the Ferasans in STO.(ToS: "The Slaver Weapon")
-Ferenginar: Homeworld of the Ferengi species(DS9)
-Omega Sagitta: Home to the two inhabited worlds of Altec and Straleb united in the Coalition of Madena(TNG: "The Outrageous Okona")
-Stameris: Home to a slave market where the Ferengi who captured the NX thought about selling some of the crew(ENT: "Acquisition")
-Zetar: Homeworld of the now incorporeal Zeterians(TOS: "The Lights of Zetar")
-Rotanev: Real world star not mentioned in Star Trek lore outside the Star Charts maps
-Eta Serpentis: Real world star not mentioned in Star Trek lore outside the Star Charts maps
5) As far as I know from the last time I was on tribble, the current build doesn't allow normal travel from the Maxia sector or any of the border sectors forward due to the "deep space" volume not removed from the map. There are a few ways around this though.
1) If you can get into the tribble fleet, there's the fleet holding transwarp option.
2) "Echoes of Light" playthrough until you get to 20 Draconis, then leave the system. It'll deposit you in the new sector space section.
3) copy a character from the live server that is parked in the Ferenginar sector and copy the character to tribble. When you load on tribble, they will be in the new area of the map thanks to the move of Ferenginar.
Neat. Was hoping the Alpha quadrant would get some expansion, and if the Tzenkethi are gonna be the next major baddie, as well as a potential revamp/expansion of the Breen arc, it makes sense to expand the map.
Comments
Another aspect is - once you go full 3D, things don't really look as they did in the movies. If for example Cryptic had based the combat mechanics of STO on licensed work like the Technical Manuals, we would fire Phasers at 300,000 km distance and never experience any of the cool action space scenes like in the movies or TV shows, and never see any of those NPC ship models at close. (Combat would be more like in "The Wounded", where they only showed schematic views.)
Except this is not even 3D yet.
What information are you looking for specifically with the new section of map?
The only things we know of at this point regarding the expansion is the following:
1) 20 Draconis (Station K-13's new home) is being moved into one of the new sectors.
2) Ferenginar is being moved up a sector and is being replaced by the Maxia sector, important from TNG as the place where Picard as Captain of the Stargazer was ambushed by Ferengi.
3) Sauria and Delta are canon federation member systems being added, while Ferasa is being added into the game as an allied species of the Klingon Empire.
4) @somtaawkhar compiled a list of notes regarding the new systems.
5) As far as I know from the last time I was on tribble, the current build doesn't allow normal travel from the Maxia sector or any of the border sectors forward due to the "deep space" volume not removed from the map. There are a few ways around this though.
1) If you can get into the tribble fleet, there's the fleet holding transwarp option.
2) "Echoes of Light" playthrough until you get to 20 Draconis, then leave the system. It'll deposit you in the new sector space section.
3) copy a character from the live server that is parked in the Ferenginar sector and copy the character to tribble. When you load on tribble, they will be in the new area of the map thanks to the move of Ferenginar.
My character Tsin'xing