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Do we have too many maps?
ironmako
Member Posts: 770 Arc User
Now i know the first answer to anyone's minds is going to be a resounding "no" but before you shout at your monitors and move on, allow me to voice my thought.
Its been over 5 years that ive been playing this game, and I have seen lots of new things added to the game in that time. But I have have always had the feeling that most content in new areas never gets properly utilised to its full potenial.
One notable type of content is the sandbox/soial zones. We really do have a lot of these, and yet every time i go visit one, it is sparsly poplated with only a couple of players, or completely empty.
All the starbases, the different worlds, they all remain barren, even areas which I saw a large amount of players demanding, and when the developersgranted the players wishes, these areas reamin abandined also. Take the ESD Club 47. When ESD was being remodelled, there was no C-47. I remember seeing lots of playes protesting about this. Then the devs created it (a very good job they did of it IMO) and to this day, nobody uses it, so where did all the demand come from in the first place?
Amazingly, I only recently discovered the Delta sphere command area, never been to it before, as once I finished the Delta Quadrant missions, I had no reason to return, and always used the transwarp to get back to the Alpha/Beta Quadrant. So recently, I find this new area, and yup, only one other player was in there with me.
You can't really call these places "social zones" if the only people in there to socialise with are NPC's, even the RP'ers don't use these zones. Or what about the fleet maps, the stations, the new colonies etc? I have one of my alts belong to a fleet which apparently has many active members, yet every time I go to a fleet zone, yup you guessed it, abandoned. Or the event zones like Risa? This large map with all the seating areas, the bars, always empty. People log in, float about, and log out. Totally unappreciated IMO.
I think about all the time, the brainstorming, the development work, the labour costs etc that goes into all of these maps, and I do wonder if the devs time is being used effectively, especially in places that never see much use at all....
I always said that I would love to see the Remans get their "new home" on New Romulus opened to players to use, but now I can see why the developers may be reluctant to add yet anotther social area which just won't get used.
What do you guys think? How would you like to see the different social maps get developed to get more usage out of them?
Its been over 5 years that ive been playing this game, and I have seen lots of new things added to the game in that time. But I have have always had the feeling that most content in new areas never gets properly utilised to its full potenial.
One notable type of content is the sandbox/soial zones. We really do have a lot of these, and yet every time i go visit one, it is sparsly poplated with only a couple of players, or completely empty.
All the starbases, the different worlds, they all remain barren, even areas which I saw a large amount of players demanding, and when the developersgranted the players wishes, these areas reamin abandined also. Take the ESD Club 47. When ESD was being remodelled, there was no C-47. I remember seeing lots of playes protesting about this. Then the devs created it (a very good job they did of it IMO) and to this day, nobody uses it, so where did all the demand come from in the first place?
Amazingly, I only recently discovered the Delta sphere command area, never been to it before, as once I finished the Delta Quadrant missions, I had no reason to return, and always used the transwarp to get back to the Alpha/Beta Quadrant. So recently, I find this new area, and yup, only one other player was in there with me.
You can't really call these places "social zones" if the only people in there to socialise with are NPC's, even the RP'ers don't use these zones. Or what about the fleet maps, the stations, the new colonies etc? I have one of my alts belong to a fleet which apparently has many active members, yet every time I go to a fleet zone, yup you guessed it, abandoned. Or the event zones like Risa? This large map with all the seating areas, the bars, always empty. People log in, float about, and log out. Totally unappreciated IMO.
I think about all the time, the brainstorming, the development work, the labour costs etc that goes into all of these maps, and I do wonder if the devs time is being used effectively, especially in places that never see much use at all....
I always said that I would love to see the Remans get their "new home" on New Romulus opened to players to use, but now I can see why the developers may be reluctant to add yet anotther social area which just won't get used.
What do you guys think? How would you like to see the different social maps get developed to get more usage out of them?
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Basically now content is intended to be consumable - finish it then move on and never look back. Consider the Tzenkethi space battle zone. That was move on before you even tried it! But places like Risa and Q's will be packed during events. You have to go where the events and current content lead you. That said there are some places that still get trafic like DS9. Nimbus III may have had the longest staying power of anything in the game. I never understood why but everytime I go there there are people still.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
Apart from that: yes, many zones are underused unless people explicitely agree to meet there (which one of my fleets does occasionally, although it's mostly Risa it can be others), but I usually spot a few players around. Exceptions maybe the Romulan Flotilla and the Captain's Table. I am not convinced though that Delta leavers would be occupying them more. Either way, I don't think they hurt. If people want to go to a frequented one, they can.
As for Nimbus III: I for one like it and occasionally revisit, though not with the goal to meet other players.
Obviously the more content added, means players will be spread out over the different maps. I am glad the endeavor system exists, it gets people to re-visit some maps, they only went through quickly when leveling up.
Like the whole reputation system nonsense, the failings of its rewards structure aside, the reward vendors for endgame gear that existed before it used to be located on DS9, and that resulted in it being a pretty busy place in a way it never was before or has been ever since.
Its not as much that they are bad as it is that they completely lack worthwhile rewards.
I love the different maps, even down to the different quirks, like the woman near the exchange console at DS9 who does a few streches, talks to herself, then occasionaly pulls out a phser, or the guy whoi perpetualy applying 'percussive maintenance' to the console in Starbase 39, but I do get the feeling that no players are properly enjoying the content provided. People log in, do their dailies, collect some marks, then log out.
Look at the Drauur Colony, that map is pretty big, and yet will just be aother area that will stay mostly abandoned. all that time and effort creating it.....wasted.
I think the devs should hold off creating any more maps and concentrate on the current ones, and come up with new and exciting ideas to draw the players to them. THe Endeavour system is good, but only to a degree. Even the other day we had to dance on Nimbus. So what did we do as players? we beam in, do the dance, get the reward, and beam out. Though saying that, it was nice to see lots of ships in orbit and a crowd on the planet surface for once.
Lol I remember that, get him out of the cell and he was unstoppable lol
When it comes to the borg, I've always said that they have become a joke in the game. Even my ferengi alt goes full 'MMA' on them at Defera without any hassle. I would like to see the borg insanely buffed on Defera, give them back that image of what made them scary in the first place. Yeah, Defera, would certianly be one map I would love to see get some attention.
What if I were to tell you the farming isn't so good compared to some other places?
Some maps are even underused in the part they appear in. In "Shadow Play" (Fed Romulan arc) you bring a Romulan you rescued in the mission before home to her colony. The ground map is vast - a city, a fortress/whatever on an island in the sea, a hill with buildings. Yet you barely enter the city, talk to the local governor, talk to representatives of RomRep and RomSE, talk to a Virinat survivor, then beam out. So much work by some designer, yet not really used.
I went to Risa today, and sure enough, there was 18 other players, but most of them were cosplaying as what can only be described as space-harlots. Unless you like "Boldly going where many men have been before", then it's not really anything special IMO. I would prefer to be in the company of players who actually have clothes on their alts...
Unfortunately, it seems ALL the social zones are just hiding places for various UI buttons, with nothing to do that actually needs the map. The New Romulus adventure zone I suppose could count as a social map, as it contains exchange/bank/mail facilities, so that could be the one exception. The academies have that particle-scanning event thing, but it only runs once in a blue moon (and rewards bunk). And Risa of course is only operational in the summer.
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.'
You can throw in the other battlezones (at least Kobali) then, I guess.
As for the academies: they have unique doff missions (helpful at the lower levels due to low fatality rate, uninteresting afterwards), doff acquirement officers (also found on starbases, but for those without fleets useful), dil refining officer, 50% vendor (as I think all social zones), the "lore of empire" double quest. No real need but not too shabby either.
That map (space and ground) was originally used in a mission in the Romulan story arc for the Feds, they sadly removed a lot of the missions from that arc, but managed to reuse some of the maps.
Meh, that doesn't promote social behavior. That just encourages players to do their doffing and admiralty at a specific place (in contravention to how those systems are designed.)
What I'd like to see: activities similar to the seasonal events built into the background of social zones. For example: happy hour at Quarks (which starts a non-combat minigame that plays out like pie-eating during the winter event, with rewards based on individual achievement [so participation is never futile, which I think is the problem with New Romulus alerts].) There wouldn't necessarily be something going on at all times (unlike the seasonal events) but just something to occasionally bring players together at a focal point (making you more aware of the fact they exist.)
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I like that there are so many places to visit, it makes the galaxy seem bigger. With even fewer places to visit it would make the galaxy feel even smaller, that is not what I want from a game that is meant to take place in an explored galaxy.
If all the things you mentioned were just added to the players hud then what reason would there be to go any where? Take them vendors away and that area becomes totally useless. You might not think it's useful anyway but for me and other players it's somewhere else to visit, new vistas, it makes the galaxy seem bigger (as it should) and I think taking some of the things you mentioned away would lessen the game, a galaxy full of possibilities but not bigger than a town (with lack of places to visit).
Maybe you're just lazy or bored, maybe an option could be added to do it from the UI as well as visit the places, but for me (and probably many others) I would still choose to go there.
I would like some other reasons to visit places, optional daily maintenance thingies, stuff to interact with, mini games maybe but not something like we already have (ore mini games or admiralty etc) maybe mini games to do with repairing your ship, giving in reports etc, make a fun little mini game of that and make it optional.
I play and mod Skyrim a lot and one of the first things I did (and still do, and added a lot more of) is adding stuff to towns to make them useful and to give me a reason to go there, like bounty quest boards (3 types), tavern mini games (card games, dice games etc), I would actually only carry about 20-30 arrows and little food/potions to actually give me more of a reason to visit towns and cities.
I'd really like more added to STO like that. I can't think of anything off the top of my head ATM but then again, I'm not paid to do that lol.
Yeah, I'd like to see stuff like that added. What you mentioned could be seen as an #off duty' event, and also have things to do for when you're working too, systems check on your ship-mini game... ok I've ran out of idea's already lol
Shouldn't you be able to check out you bridge crew on your bridge?
On Dranuur, you have to create Omega roofies to put into the cocktails of the Kentari, maybe have similar style mini games on other stations and planets to get them more populated perhaps?