If we do get a Cardassian faction, it will be done AoY style, with the option to pick between Fed/KDF at the end like the Roms got.
Undoubtedly. A starter ship (Hideki?), a tutorial, a few missions to establish mood and connect them with the Alliance and then continuing on the existing plot line. An origin story, not a faction.
Though I do wish they'd find a way to do away with the archaic Fed/KDF dichotomy already, seeing as we're been in the Alliance together for years.
We can't ally with the Dominion before Boldly They Rode. I don't see how that existing story can remain intact with our captain being a subject or former subject of the Dominion. That would bring your Captain up to level 42 before he can enter the 'main storyline.'
Ideally it would be better to wait for Sela to bring help from the Dominion in Midnight before integrating the Dominion characters with the main storyline, which will require the character to be level 59 at the earliest.
It could be done in a dozen episodes or so. Assume a Gamma Quadrant starter quest which establishes homeworlds for each of the six factionally aligned races interspersed with eps dealing with Dominion problems. They would have to award inordinate amounts of exp for each episode to get your captain ready for the big show.
Conjectural Gamma Arc:
Episode 1: Obedience is Life (to level 5)
Your character is sent to a colony world which has refused to pay tribute to the Dominion. You are their last chance to fall in line. Do they have a legitimate reason? Are they being obstinate? Can you convince them to pay up, or do they need to become an example? Perhaps you really need to convince the Dominion that their hardship is serious and the colony needs Dominion help?
Episode 2: First Command (to level 10)
Your character gets a Hiedekki Fighter and is assigned to patrol shipping lanes where suspected pirate activity is occurring. It could be a giant space amoeba or a doomsday machine, or pirates. You have to find it and call in the fleet.
Episode 3: Karemma Dilemma (to level 15)
Supply chains maintain the Dominion economy, but a vital link in the food supply is threatened when a Karemma farm world stops responding to communications. You are assigned to find out why. Not only do you discover that there is a plague which turns Karemma into mindless rodents, but you discover it is an engineered virus doing the deed. (Spoiler: they did it to themselves while trying to cure a crop blight. The cure sort of worked...)
Episode 4: Dosi Doh's (to level 20)
You have been assigned to command an Attack Vessel but a distress call interrupts your space trials. While experimenting with moving small moons the Dosi break one, and now the scientists must be evacuated before the debris bombards their station. And is that a Preserver Obelisk in the debris field? The Founders will want to know.
Episode 5: Domination (to level 25)
A minor species has begun building a military arsenal of its own. Your job is to eliminate their shipyard and arsenal, possibly destroying the world in the process. However, their techniques are very good. If they could be brought to heel they might make a good source of ships and weapons for the Jem Hadar.
Episode 6: The Mercy Ships (to level 30)
Teplans have advanced since the ending of the blight, and are now preparing for their first ventures back into space. Your task is to evaluate their designs and guide them into building a new, (to the Dominion,) class of ship: the Hospital Ship. The prototype is a Keremma Starship converted into a Hospital Ship, resulting in the Dominion's first science ship, which your character must evaluate by assuming command. Bonus: A Teplan Medical BOff joins your crew.
Episode 7: The Awakening (to level 35)
The Preserver Obelisk is doing something strange, and you must investigate to evaluate its threat level. The debris field creates its own hazards, and so do the Archive defenses. Once neutralized, the captain discovers the Preservers inside are being revived, but their machines are failing. Now is a good time to see if your new doctor can handle a crisis; can he save the Preservers from their failing stasis pods?
Episode 8: Wadi Workout (to level 40)
Having completed your evaluation of the Hospital Ship, you assume command of your new Battlecruiser before your next assignment.
An enhancement to the game Chula turns an innocent game into a battle simulator. While attempting to create a training device for the Jem Hadar they accidentally set the difficulty level too high, resulting in the death of the testing team. Can the technology be salvaged? Or is it time to move along? You must go in and 'calibrate' the device.
Episode 9: The Homecoming (to level 45) Convergent with Facility 4028
A Founder is held captive in the Beta Quadrant, and a Vorta has arranged for her release. Your mission is to escort the Vorta to the hidden prison facility in the Beta Quadrant, where you must unexpectedly defend her from an assault by Dominion forces which vanished a generation ago, only to return to complete their objective of capturing the station beyond the wormhole.
At this point the captain can join the Alpha Quadrant Alliance as part of the cultural exchange which allows recruitment of Dominion races into the A/B factions.
However, only three more missions will take your captain to level 60, so:
Episode 10: Rakhari Reactionaries (to level 50)
Assume command of a brand new Battleship, then track down a renegade sect of Rakhari whose goal is to permanently close the wormhole, thus preventing further dillution of Gamma Quadrant culture and eliminating the destabilizing influence of the Alpha Quadrant species.
Episode 11: Skrreean Skirmish (to level 55)
Skrreeans, posing as grain merchants, have armed their freighters and turned them into fighter carriers to exact retribution on the T-Rogorans who still enslave the Skrreeans who could not escape with the original refugee convoy. You must end the threat to stability. Do you help the Skrreeans get their revenge? Rescue the remaining slaves? Or protect the T-Rogorans from their former slaves?
Episode 12: Zero Dark Thirty (to level 60) Convergent with Midnight
Sela convinces The Founders that aiding the Alpha/Beta quadrant species in their war with the Iconians is a better strategy than allowing the Iconians to amass all the power of three quadrants before they move on the Gamma Quadrant. You are assigned to be a part of that attack group. We are dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. At least, that's what the Jem Hadar say!
This integrates the Gamma Quadrant with the storyline at the end of the Midnight episode, and thereafter the character is assigned to observe the Beta Quadrant powers by participation in a cultural exchange program. They are encouraged to test the ships and crews of the A/B species and ordered to integrate with the command structure of the various races and powers, with the ultimate goal of delivering strategically important observations of their new allies.
There is no way any one mission will net you 5 levels worth of experience.
It will if the Dominion starter quest is designed to integrate your captain into the main story in one of two points where logic dictates a Dominion character can join the Alliance factions. These missions will pay out huge exp, but your freebie gear options would be severely limited.
Your other choice is one T5 starter ship and autolevel to the same point, very likely without any missions at all. There certainly won't be one episode plus patrols per level as in the Fed storyline, or even the more limited but higher exp per episode Klingon storyline.
I thought a nine or twelve step starter quest which could later have episodes slipped into the story to expand it would be doable. Thirty episodes would never happen. Heck, four might be asking a bit much, but I bet no matter the scenario your Dominion captain won't enter the Alpha Quadrant prior to level 40, and won't begin the joined storyline until after Boldly They Rode.
My Klingon began at level 20. There was no starter quest or Tier 1 ship. You had to play a Fed first to level 20 and when you started playing the Klink you began at the Romulan Mystery point of the story. I hope the Dominion Faction at least allows you some game time before it joins the main storyline because until Facility 4028 it makes absolutely no sense story-wise for a Dominion character to be there.
We can't ally with the Dominion before Boldly They Rode. I don't see how that existing story can remain intact with our captain being a subject or former subject of the Dominion. That would bring your Captain up to level 42 before he can enter the 'main storyline.'
Ideally it would be better to wait for Sela to bring help from the Dominion in Midnight before integrating the Dominion characters with the main storyline, which will require the character to be level 59 at the earliest.
It could be done in a dozen episodes or so. Assume a Gamma Quadrant starter quest which establishes homeworlds for each of the six factionally aligned races interspersed with eps dealing with Dominion problems. They would have to award inordinate amounts of exp for each episode to get your captain ready for the big show.
Conjectural Gamma Arc:
Episode 1: Obedience is Life (to level 5)
Your character is sent to a colony world which has refused to pay tribute to the Dominion. You are their last chance to fall in line. Do they have a legitimate reason? Are they being obstinate? Can you convince them to pay up, or do they need to become an example? Perhaps you really need to convince the Dominion that their hardship is serious and the colony needs Dominion help?
Episode 2: First Command (to level 10)
Your character gets a Hiedekki Fighter and is assigned to patrol shipping lanes where suspected pirate activity is occurring. It could be a giant space amoeba or a doomsday machine, or pirates. You have to find it and call in the fleet.
Episode 3: Karemma Dilemma (to level 15)
Supply chains maintain the Dominion economy, but a vital link in the food supply is threatened when a Karemma farm world stops responding to communications. You are assigned to find out why. Not only do you discover that there is a plague which turns Karemma into mindless rodents, but you discover it is an engineered virus doing the deed. (Spoiler: they did it to themselves while trying to cure a crop blight. The cure sort of worked...)
Episode 4: Dosi Doh's (to level 20)
You have been assigned to command an Attack Vessel but a distress call interrupts your space trials. While experimenting with moving small moons the Dosi break one, and now the scientists must be evacuated before the debris bombards their station. And is that a Preserver Obelisk in the debris field? The Founders will want to know.
Episode 5: Domination (to level 25)
A minor species has begun building a military arsenal of its own. Your job is to eliminate their shipyard and arsenal, possibly destroying the world in the process. However, their techniques are very good. If they could be brought to heel they might make a good source of ships and weapons for the Jem Hadar.
Episode 6: The Mercy Ships (to level 30)
Teplans have advanced since the ending of the blight, and are now preparing for their first ventures back into space. Your task is to evaluate their designs and guide them into building a new, (to the Dominion,) class of ship: the Hospital Ship. The prototype is a Keremma Starship converted into a Hospital Ship, resulting in the Dominion's first science ship, which your character must evaluate by assuming command. Bonus: A Teplan Medical BOff joins your crew.
Episode 7: The Awakening (to level 35)
The Preserver Obelisk is doing something strange, and you must investigate to evaluate its threat level. The debris field creates its own hazards, and so do the Archive defenses. Once neutralized, the captain discovers the Preservers inside are being revived, but their machines are failing. Now is a good time to see if your new doctor can handle a crisis; can he save the Preservers from their failing stasis pods?
Episode 8: Wadi Workout (to level 40)
Having completed your evaluation of the Hospital Ship, you assume command of your new Battlecruiser before your next assignment.
An enhancement to the game Chula turns an innocent game into a battle simulator. While attempting to create a training device for the Jem Hadar they accidentally set the difficulty level too high, resulting in the death of the testing team. Can the technology be salvaged? Or is it time to move along? You must go in and 'calibrate' the device.
Episode 9: The Homecoming (to level 45) Convergent with Facility 4028
A Founder is held captive in the Beta Quadrant, and a Vorta has arranged for her release. Your mission is to escort the Vorta to the hidden prison facility in the Beta Quadrant, where you must unexpectedly defend her from an assault by Dominion forces which vanished a generation ago, only to return to complete their objective of capturing the station beyond the wormhole.
At this point the captain can join the Alpha Quadrant Alliance as part of the cultural exchange which allows recruitment of Dominion races into the A/B factions.
However, only three more missions will take your captain to level 60, so:
Episode 10: Rakhari Reactionaries (to level 50)
Assume command of a brand new Battleship, then track down a renegade sect of Rakhari whose goal is to permanently close the wormhole, thus preventing further dillution of Gamma Quadrant culture and eliminating the destabilizing influence of the Alpha Quadrant species.
Episode 11: Skrreean Skirmish (to level 55)
Skrreeans, posing as grain merchants, have armed their freighters and turned them into fighter carriers to exact retribution on the T-Rogorans who still enslave the Skrreeans who could not escape with the original refugee convoy. You must end the threat to stability. Do you help the Skrreeans get their revenge? Rescue the remaining slaves? Or protect the T-Rogorans from their former slaves?
Episode 12: Zero Dark Thirty (to level 60) Convergent with Midnight
Sela convinces The Founders that aiding the Alpha/Beta quadrant species in their war with the Iconians is a better strategy than allowing the Iconians to amass all the power of three quadrants before they move on the Gamma Quadrant. You are assigned to be a part of that attack group. We are dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. At least, that's what the Jem Hadar say!
This integrates the Gamma Quadrant with the storyline at the end of the Midnight episode, and thereafter the character is assigned to observe the Beta Quadrant powers by participation in a cultural exchange program. They are encouraged to test the ships and crews of the A/B species and ordered to integrate with the command structure of the various races and powers, with the ultimate goal of delivering strategically important observations of their new allies.
I like it, or at least something similar to it. I think your single episodes would have to actually be expanded to multiple missions, though, the way the FED/KDF/ROM story arcs are done. But it makes the most sense at this point, if they were to do a Dominion Faction, or any other Faction that's outside of the Alpha/Beta Quadrants, that their pre-level 50 story arc would have to be completely independent of the Iconian War story arc, at least up to Midnight for the Dominion in particular. If a Delta Quadrant Faction were introduced, it could tie-in somewhere during Delta Rising. I believe that Cardassians could be integrated from the beginning, though, using the Romulan model, to ally with FED or KDF, or the AOY model and just make them a subset of the FED Faction.
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We can't ally with the Dominion before Boldly They Rode. I don't see how that existing story can remain intact with our captain being a subject or former subject of the Dominion. That would bring your Captain up to level 42 before he can enter the 'main storyline.'
How come? You can get Dominion duty officers as soon as you unlock the doff system at level 11, why would a player character be any different?
For that matter, you can play a talaxian player character from the start and play the same missions, even though in the storyline we don't even have access to the Delta quadrant until level 50 content. Nobody cares.
I don't see that Cardassia needs a faction. They should indeed be a playable race, (which they are in the alien tailor,) but as a faction, either they need the Dominion or there really isn't enough meat on the bones to make a whole faction. On the other hand, the Dominion can stand on its own without Cardassia.
Cardies should be playable but instead of a faction of their own they can join any other race's starter quest from level 1.
This makes sense even before any of the Alpha Quadrant stuff. Cardassians have already disbanded their fleet by the beginning of STO. If a young Cardassian aspires to command of a starship she can hope for one of very few opportunities to open up in the meagre Defense Force left by treaty, or she can join one of the existing powers. And if a Dominion faction opens up, Cardassian PCs should be allowed as well.
If Klingons, Ferengi and Bajorans in the TNG era could join Starfleet, I really see no reason why a Cardassian couldn't in STO, either.
Well, whilst it was a parallel universe, the episode 'Parallels' did show a Cardassian Starfleet Officer (Ensign) at the conn of the Enterprise. So yeah, by STO's timeframe there is no reason whatsoever that a Cardassian couldn't become a Starfleet Officer.
To be honest, we only really need look as far as Nog for answers to how it would be possible.
At that point you'd probably be lucky to find a Cardassian willing to give up his heritage to join what was in effect a hostile power and he would be fighting against his own people. Even the Bajorans were very standoff-ish around Starfleet and the Ferengi never even considered it because values were so incompatible.
It would of been possible maybe once in a blue moon for the occasional alien from outside the Federation to get membership as a Starfleet officer after training and gaining the right documentation. I mean Worf was also a special case as well being the only Klingon to want to serve in Starfleet and Federation-KDF values were so different because despite their love-hate relationship over the centuries, they both held each other at arms length and not once before or after Worf did a Klingon consider joining up.
Back then you'd be lucky to find stand out examples of what could of been possible, but in STO, realism doesn't even factor into it, so having Cardassians becoming a zen store exclusive race like the Klingons to the federation and Ferasans to the KDF, it's not that much of a problem to consider any more. Obviously it depends on Cryptic considering it and CBS approving it.
T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW. Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
We can't ally with the Dominion before Boldly They Rode. I don't see how that existing story can remain intact with our captain being a subject or former subject of the Dominion. That would bring your Captain up to level 42 before he can enter the 'main storyline.'
How come? You can get Dominion duty officers as soon as you unlock the doff system at level 11, why would a player character be any different?
For that matter, you can play a talaxian player character from the start and play the same missions, even though in the storyline we don't even have access to the Delta quadrant until level 50 content. Nobody cares.
Debatable, there are multiple Federation NPCs who are DQ races that you could meet before going to the DQ. This suggests that some level of contact was possible. Though we don't really know how.
How they can get across to the Federation and klingon empires before official contact, i can only guess that some of them wanted to follow the path of Voyager and the first generation of Talaxians from that 30 year trip would of reached earth or Qo'Nos early in their lives. It's the only thing i could think of that could make sense.
T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW. Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Debatable, there are multiple Federation NPCs who are DQ races that you could meet before going to the DQ. This suggests that some level of contact was possible. Though we don't really know how.
Who are the multiple? The only one I know of is Quinn's secretary, and that was always something of an unexplained thing.
The only ones I can think of you may be referring to is Icheb, who came back on Voyager.
Yeah, Lieutenant Linnea - an Ocampa
One of the researchers at Memory Alpha was also an Ocampa.
How they can get across to the Federation and klingon empires before official contact, i can only guess that some of them wanted to follow the path of Voyager and the first generation of Talaxians from that 30 year trip would of reached earth or Qo'Nos early in their lives. It's the only thing i could think of that could make sense.
LTS rewards are just that, rewards. One shouldn't try to explain them any more then they should try to really explain lockbox, or R&D promotion ships, which are in lockboxes, and R&D promotions, specifically because they don't make sense as normal ships.
Confusing reply to say the least Somtaawkhar. I have no doubt the rewards are what they are, but it's just as intersting as how Ocampa can get across the galaxy and serve as an assistant to powerful people in the military which is the same thing as wondering about how the talaxians did the same before official contact as well, going off what Markhawkman said, the confusing part is how you can entertain the Ocampa but not the Talaxians?
T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW. Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Based upon the situation with the 'Killing Tholian Captain' (close requested by someone not the OP). I am requesting that this Thread be closed. @baddmoonrizin
'But to be logical is not to be right', and 'nothing' on God's earth could ever 'make it' right!'
Judge Dan Haywood
'As l speak now, the words are forming in my head.
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
Actually, I closed that thread based on ambassadorkael's post that the problem was fixed.
Star Trek Online Volunteer Community Moderator and Resident She-Wolf
Community Moderators are Unpaid Volunteers and NOT Employees of Gearbox/Cryptic
Views and Opinions May Not Reflect the Views and Opinions of Gearbox/Cryptic
Based upon the situation with the 'Killing Tholian Captain' (close requested by someone not the OP). I am requesting that this Thread be closed. @baddmoonrizin
It has got speculation written in the thread title and it's all about speculation. so far it seems to of been exactly that. Speculation can also go to places you may not of thought of as you may consider it silly. but speculation is always silly as it's all guessing.
T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW. Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
A handful of Delta Quadrant species could have gotten to the Alpha/Beta Quadrants via running into worm holes or as descendants of liberated Borg drones.
Plus Quantum Slipstream has shortened the distances between there and here even before the advent of Iconian Gateway use.
I'm not really too concerned with Liberated Borg and PC Tlalaxians; they have been in STO longer than I have. My real concern is if and how the game will integrate Gamma Quadrant species into the existing campaign.
Option 1: As a level 1 character of an existing faction.
Positive: Easy to implement, player devises own backstory to explain the character.
Negative: Dominion Faction never happens at all, just new PC races added to creator.
Option 2: Begin at level 40 in a Dominion-side view of the Facility 4028 episode fighting Karukan's rogue Jem Hadar
Positive: Only one new episode is required for the Dominion before joining the existing storyline.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards. (Limits Admiralty cards due to fewer hangar ships.)
Option 3: Begin at Level 50 in Midnight episode.
Positive: From this point on the Alliance and the Dominion are defacto allies anyway.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards.
Option 4: Create a limited number of missions with accelerated advancement, (9-12 episodes max,) to level 40 for integration with main story at Facility 4028, level 45 for integration after Boldly They Rode, or level 50 for inclusion at Midnight. As more Dominion starter episodes are made the rewards can be reduced accordingly to keep the character on track for the target level for integration into the story.
Positive: This gives the new character limited access to gear via story rewards so that she doesn't reach level 50 with only stock white gear. It also offers the player a backstory and purpose for being in the Alliance.
Negative: This would be the most work to build.
Of course, there are variations on the theme and ideas I haven't covered, but to me these are the four most likely options. I seriously hope they don't choose 1, and while my favorite is 4, I think it may encounter the time/reward curve. But I'm hoping!
Plus Quantum Slipstream has shortened the distances between there and here even before the advent of Iconian Gateway use.
I'm not really too concerned with Liberated Borg and PC Tlalaxians; they have been in STO longer than I have. My real concern is if and how the game will integrate Gamma Quadrant species into the existing campaign.
Option 1: As a level 1 character of an existing faction.
Positive: Easy to implement, player devises own backstory to explain the character.
Negative: Dominion Faction never happens at all, just new PC races added to creator.
Option 2: Begin at level 40 in a Dominion-side view of the Facility 4028 episode fighting Karukan's rogue Jem Hadar
Positive: Only one new episode is required for the Dominion before joining the existing storyline.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards. (Limits Admiralty cards due to fewer hangar ships.)
Option 3: Begin at Level 50 in Midnight episode.
Positive: From this point on the Alliance and the Dominion are defacto allies anyway.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards.
Option 4: Create a limited number of missions with accelerated advancement, (9-12 episodes max,) to level 40 for integration with main story at Facility 4028, level 45 for integration after Boldly They Rode, or level 50 for inclusion at Midnight. As more Dominion starter episodes are made the rewards can be reduced accordingly to keep the character on track for the target level for integration into the story.
Positive: This gives the new character limited access to gear via story rewards so that she doesn't reach level 50 with only stock white gear. It also offers the player a backstory and purpose for being in the Alliance.
Negative: This would be the most work to build.
Of course, there are variations on the theme and ideas I haven't covered, but to me these are the four most likely options. I seriously hope they don't choose 1, and while my favorite is 4, I think it may encounter the time/reward curve. But I'm hoping!
I don't think your starting level would actually preclude you from doing lower level missions. AoY dudes start at 10-ish when they do the main story and they get to do the same missions as regular feds who are lower level than that.
Plus Quantum Slipstream has shortened the distances between there and here even before the advent of Iconian Gateway use.
I'm not really too concerned with Liberated Borg and PC Tlalaxians; they have been in STO longer than I have. My real concern is if and how the game will integrate Gamma Quadrant species into the existing campaign.
Option 1: As a level 1 character of an existing faction.
Positive: Easy to implement, player devises own backstory to explain the character.
Negative: Dominion Faction never happens at all, just new PC races added to creator.
Option 2: Begin at level 40 in a Dominion-side view of the Facility 4028 episode fighting Karukan's rogue Jem Hadar
Positive: Only one new episode is required for the Dominion before joining the existing storyline.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards. (Limits Admiralty cards due to fewer hangar ships.)
Option 3: Begin at Level 50 in Midnight episode.
Positive: From this point on the Alliance and the Dominion are defacto allies anyway.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards.
Option 4: Create a limited number of missions with accelerated advancement, (9-12 episodes max,) to level 40 for integration with main story at Facility 4028, level 45 for integration after Boldly They Rode, or level 50 for inclusion at Midnight. As more Dominion starter episodes are made the rewards can be reduced accordingly to keep the character on track for the target level for integration into the story.
Positive: This gives the new character limited access to gear via story rewards so that she doesn't reach level 50 with only stock white gear. It also offers the player a backstory and purpose for being in the Alliance.
Negative: This would be the most work to build.
Of course, there are variations on the theme and ideas I haven't covered, but to me these are the four most likely options. I seriously hope they don't choose 1, and while my favorite is 4, I think it may encounter the time/reward curve. But I'm hoping!
I don't think your starting level would actually preclude you from doing lower level missions. AoY dudes start at 10-ish when they do the main story and they get to do the same missions as regular feds who are lower level than that.
Where could a character with a Dominion background fit into the storyline? Until 4028 the Dominion is a hostile force held in chek with a hostage. Before we cooperate to save the Founder from Karukan there is nothing in the story upon which to base a member of the Dominion serving with Alpha/Beta Quadrant races.
On the other hand, AoY replaces the starter quest with a quest specifically aimed at getting your character to that point in the story. The time travel genie deposits your character at the point where the storylines merge. A similar strategy would limit the Dominion ship options to T1 starter with maybe a T2 parting gift, thereafter restricting the character to Federation ship options.
The STO storyline has established the Dominion as hostile to the Federation up to the point the Female Changeling is released, only allying with the A/B factions in the Iconian War arc. Insertion of a Dominion faction at either of these points offers great opportunity for exploration of the Gamma Quadrant prior to joining the Federation.
Enh... not so much. they could just reframe the missions as simulations to help you understand your allies. so you're not "really" doing it. Maybe make all of it completely optional.
Enh... not so much. they could just reframe the missions as simulations to help you understand your allies. so you're not "really" doing it. Maybe make all of it completely optional.
True enough, but at that point, why have a Dominion faction at all? Simply make Dominion races playable on all factions and let the character begin al level 1 in the starter quest of his chosen faction. At that point you would be playing a Gamma Quadrant race, possibly even a rebel or runaway from The Dominion.
My idea was only applicable if there is going to be a Dominion faction similar to the Romulan one: begin play as part of the Dominion, eventually choose an A/B Quadrant faction to join, and at that point the character completes his rise to level 60 along the main storyline. There are limited opportunities before Facility 4028 for a Dominion faction to join the existing story which requires a minimum level 42 character.
At what point other than Facility 4028, Boldly They Rode, or Midnight would a Dominion faction storyline merge with the existing material? I think the DS9 stuff kind of excludes Dominion faction characters because they would be on the other side of that fight. Merging the story before that point must somehow accommodate the Operation Gamma story where we don't know how to contact the Dominion, which would be implausible were we playing a Dominion faction character.
Comments
Though I do wish they'd find a way to do away with the archaic Fed/KDF dichotomy already, seeing as we're been in the Alliance together for years.
Ideally it would be better to wait for Sela to bring help from the Dominion in Midnight before integrating the Dominion characters with the main storyline, which will require the character to be level 59 at the earliest.
It could be done in a dozen episodes or so. Assume a Gamma Quadrant starter quest which establishes homeworlds for each of the six factionally aligned races interspersed with eps dealing with Dominion problems. They would have to award inordinate amounts of exp for each episode to get your captain ready for the big show.
Conjectural Gamma Arc:
Episode 1: Obedience is Life (to level 5)
Your character is sent to a colony world which has refused to pay tribute to the Dominion. You are their last chance to fall in line. Do they have a legitimate reason? Are they being obstinate? Can you convince them to pay up, or do they need to become an example? Perhaps you really need to convince the Dominion that their hardship is serious and the colony needs Dominion help?
Episode 2: First Command (to level 10)
Your character gets a Hiedekki Fighter and is assigned to patrol shipping lanes where suspected pirate activity is occurring. It could be a giant space amoeba or a doomsday machine, or pirates. You have to find it and call in the fleet.
Episode 3: Karemma Dilemma (to level 15)
Supply chains maintain the Dominion economy, but a vital link in the food supply is threatened when a Karemma farm world stops responding to communications. You are assigned to find out why. Not only do you discover that there is a plague which turns Karemma into mindless rodents, but you discover it is an engineered virus doing the deed. (Spoiler: they did it to themselves while trying to cure a crop blight. The cure sort of worked...)
Episode 4: Dosi Doh's (to level 20)
You have been assigned to command an Attack Vessel but a distress call interrupts your space trials. While experimenting with moving small moons the Dosi break one, and now the scientists must be evacuated before the debris bombards their station. And is that a Preserver Obelisk in the debris field? The Founders will want to know.
Episode 5: Domination (to level 25)
A minor species has begun building a military arsenal of its own. Your job is to eliminate their shipyard and arsenal, possibly destroying the world in the process. However, their techniques are very good. If they could be brought to heel they might make a good source of ships and weapons for the Jem Hadar.
Episode 6: The Mercy Ships (to level 30)
Teplans have advanced since the ending of the blight, and are now preparing for their first ventures back into space. Your task is to evaluate their designs and guide them into building a new, (to the Dominion,) class of ship: the Hospital Ship. The prototype is a Keremma Starship converted into a Hospital Ship, resulting in the Dominion's first science ship, which your character must evaluate by assuming command. Bonus: A Teplan Medical BOff joins your crew.
Episode 7: The Awakening (to level 35)
The Preserver Obelisk is doing something strange, and you must investigate to evaluate its threat level. The debris field creates its own hazards, and so do the Archive defenses. Once neutralized, the captain discovers the Preservers inside are being revived, but their machines are failing. Now is a good time to see if your new doctor can handle a crisis; can he save the Preservers from their failing stasis pods?
Episode 8: Wadi Workout (to level 40)
Having completed your evaluation of the Hospital Ship, you assume command of your new Battlecruiser before your next assignment.
An enhancement to the game Chula turns an innocent game into a battle simulator. While attempting to create a training device for the Jem Hadar they accidentally set the difficulty level too high, resulting in the death of the testing team. Can the technology be salvaged? Or is it time to move along? You must go in and 'calibrate' the device.
Episode 9: The Homecoming (to level 45) Convergent with Facility 4028
A Founder is held captive in the Beta Quadrant, and a Vorta has arranged for her release. Your mission is to escort the Vorta to the hidden prison facility in the Beta Quadrant, where you must unexpectedly defend her from an assault by Dominion forces which vanished a generation ago, only to return to complete their objective of capturing the station beyond the wormhole.
At this point the captain can join the Alpha Quadrant Alliance as part of the cultural exchange which allows recruitment of Dominion races into the A/B factions.
However, only three more missions will take your captain to level 60, so:
Episode 10: Rakhari Reactionaries (to level 50)
Assume command of a brand new Battleship, then track down a renegade sect of Rakhari whose goal is to permanently close the wormhole, thus preventing further dillution of Gamma Quadrant culture and eliminating the destabilizing influence of the Alpha Quadrant species.
Episode 11: Skrreean Skirmish (to level 55)
Skrreeans, posing as grain merchants, have armed their freighters and turned them into fighter carriers to exact retribution on the T-Rogorans who still enslave the Skrreeans who could not escape with the original refugee convoy. You must end the threat to stability. Do you help the Skrreeans get their revenge? Rescue the remaining slaves? Or protect the T-Rogorans from their former slaves?
Episode 12: Zero Dark Thirty (to level 60) Convergent with Midnight
Sela convinces The Founders that aiding the Alpha/Beta quadrant species in their war with the Iconians is a better strategy than allowing the Iconians to amass all the power of three quadrants before they move on the Gamma Quadrant. You are assigned to be a part of that attack group. We are dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. At least, that's what the Jem Hadar say!
This integrates the Gamma Quadrant with the storyline at the end of the Midnight episode, and thereafter the character is assigned to observe the Beta Quadrant powers by participation in a cultural exchange program. They are encouraged to test the ships and crews of the A/B species and ordered to integrate with the command structure of the various races and powers, with the ultimate goal of delivering strategically important observations of their new allies.
It will if the Dominion starter quest is designed to integrate your captain into the main story in one of two points where logic dictates a Dominion character can join the Alliance factions. These missions will pay out huge exp, but your freebie gear options would be severely limited.
Your other choice is one T5 starter ship and autolevel to the same point, very likely without any missions at all. There certainly won't be one episode plus patrols per level as in the Fed storyline, or even the more limited but higher exp per episode Klingon storyline.
I thought a nine or twelve step starter quest which could later have episodes slipped into the story to expand it would be doable. Thirty episodes would never happen. Heck, four might be asking a bit much, but I bet no matter the scenario your Dominion captain won't enter the Alpha Quadrant prior to level 40, and won't begin the joined storyline until after Boldly They Rode.
My Klingon began at level 20. There was no starter quest or Tier 1 ship. You had to play a Fed first to level 20 and when you started playing the Klink you began at the Romulan Mystery point of the story. I hope the Dominion Faction at least allows you some game time before it joins the main storyline because until Facility 4028 it makes absolutely no sense story-wise for a Dominion character to be there.
I like it, or at least something similar to it. I think your single episodes would have to actually be expanded to multiple missions, though, the way the FED/KDF/ROM story arcs are done. But it makes the most sense at this point, if they were to do a Dominion Faction, or any other Faction that's outside of the Alpha/Beta Quadrants, that their pre-level 50 story arc would have to be completely independent of the Iconian War story arc, at least up to Midnight for the Dominion in particular. If a Delta Quadrant Faction were introduced, it could tie-in somewhere during Delta Rising. I believe that Cardassians could be integrated from the beginning, though, using the Romulan model, to ally with FED or KDF, or the AOY model and just make them a subset of the FED Faction.
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For that matter, you can play a talaxian player character from the start and play the same missions, even though in the storyline we don't even have access to the Delta quadrant until level 50 content. Nobody cares.
Cardies should be playable but instead of a faction of their own they can join any other race's starter quest from level 1.
This makes sense even before any of the Alpha Quadrant stuff. Cardassians have already disbanded their fleet by the beginning of STO. If a young Cardassian aspires to command of a starship she can hope for one of very few opportunities to open up in the meagre Defense Force left by treaty, or she can join one of the existing powers. And if a Dominion faction opens up, Cardassian PCs should be allowed as well.
At that point you'd probably be lucky to find a Cardassian willing to give up his heritage to join what was in effect a hostile power and he would be fighting against his own people. Even the Bajorans were very standoff-ish around Starfleet and the Ferengi never even considered it because values were so incompatible.
It would of been possible maybe once in a blue moon for the occasional alien from outside the Federation to get membership as a Starfleet officer after training and gaining the right documentation. I mean Worf was also a special case as well being the only Klingon to want to serve in Starfleet and Federation-KDF values were so different because despite their love-hate relationship over the centuries, they both held each other at arms length and not once before or after Worf did a Klingon consider joining up.
Back then you'd be lucky to find stand out examples of what could of been possible, but in STO, realism doesn't even factor into it, so having Cardassians becoming a zen store exclusive race like the Klingons to the federation and Ferasans to the KDF, it's not that much of a problem to consider any more. Obviously it depends on Cryptic considering it and CBS approving it.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
My character Tsin'xing
How they can get across to the Federation and klingon empires before official contact, i can only guess that some of them wanted to follow the path of Voyager and the first generation of Talaxians from that 30 year trip would of reached earth or Qo'Nos early in their lives. It's the only thing i could think of that could make sense.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
My character Tsin'xing
Confusing reply to say the least Somtaawkhar. I have no doubt the rewards are what they are, but it's just as intersting as how Ocampa can get across the galaxy and serve as an assistant to powerful people in the military which is the same thing as wondering about how the talaxians did the same before official contact as well, going off what Markhawkman said, the confusing part is how you can entertain the Ocampa but not the Talaxians?
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
Based upon the situation with the 'Killing Tholian Captain' (close requested by someone not the OP). I am requesting that this Thread be closed. @baddmoonrizin
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
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It has got speculation written in the thread title and it's all about speculation. so far it seems to of been exactly that. Speculation can also go to places you may not of thought of as you may consider it silly. but speculation is always silly as it's all guessing.
Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
I'm not really too concerned with Liberated Borg and PC Tlalaxians; they have been in STO longer than I have. My real concern is if and how the game will integrate Gamma Quadrant species into the existing campaign.
Option 1: As a level 1 character of an existing faction.
Positive: Easy to implement, player devises own backstory to explain the character.
Negative: Dominion Faction never happens at all, just new PC races added to creator.
Option 2: Begin at level 40 in a Dominion-side view of the Facility 4028 episode fighting Karukan's rogue Jem Hadar
Positive: Only one new episode is required for the Dominion before joining the existing storyline.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards. (Limits Admiralty cards due to fewer hangar ships.)
Option 3: Begin at Level 50 in Midnight episode.
Positive: From this point on the Alliance and the Dominion are defacto allies anyway.
Negative: Lack of access to previous episodes and their rewards.
Option 4: Create a limited number of missions with accelerated advancement, (9-12 episodes max,) to level 40 for integration with main story at Facility 4028, level 45 for integration after Boldly They Rode, or level 50 for inclusion at Midnight. As more Dominion starter episodes are made the rewards can be reduced accordingly to keep the character on track for the target level for integration into the story.
Positive: This gives the new character limited access to gear via story rewards so that she doesn't reach level 50 with only stock white gear. It also offers the player a backstory and purpose for being in the Alliance.
Negative: This would be the most work to build.
Of course, there are variations on the theme and ideas I haven't covered, but to me these are the four most likely options. I seriously hope they don't choose 1, and while my favorite is 4, I think it may encounter the time/reward curve. But I'm hoping!
My character Tsin'xing
Where could a character with a Dominion background fit into the storyline? Until 4028 the Dominion is a hostile force held in chek with a hostage. Before we cooperate to save the Founder from Karukan there is nothing in the story upon which to base a member of the Dominion serving with Alpha/Beta Quadrant races.
On the other hand, AoY replaces the starter quest with a quest specifically aimed at getting your character to that point in the story. The time travel genie deposits your character at the point where the storylines merge. A similar strategy would limit the Dominion ship options to T1 starter with maybe a T2 parting gift, thereafter restricting the character to Federation ship options.
The STO storyline has established the Dominion as hostile to the Federation up to the point the Female Changeling is released, only allying with the A/B factions in the Iconian War arc. Insertion of a Dominion faction at either of these points offers great opportunity for exploration of the Gamma Quadrant prior to joining the Federation.
My character Tsin'xing
True enough, but at that point, why have a Dominion faction at all? Simply make Dominion races playable on all factions and let the character begin al level 1 in the starter quest of his chosen faction. At that point you would be playing a Gamma Quadrant race, possibly even a rebel or runaway from The Dominion.
My idea was only applicable if there is going to be a Dominion faction similar to the Romulan one: begin play as part of the Dominion, eventually choose an A/B Quadrant faction to join, and at that point the character completes his rise to level 60 along the main storyline. There are limited opportunities before Facility 4028 for a Dominion faction to join the existing story which requires a minimum level 42 character.
At what point other than Facility 4028, Boldly They Rode, or Midnight would a Dominion faction storyline merge with the existing material? I think the DS9 stuff kind of excludes Dominion faction characters because they would be on the other side of that fight. Merging the story before that point must somehow accommodate the Operation Gamma story where we don't know how to contact the Dominion, which would be implausible were we playing a Dominion faction character.