Everyone is agreeing on the same point. The name, Star Trek. Everything else is secondary to this.
Your statement is inaccurate. I, for one, have stated more than once that it's the gameplay that brings me back. There are any number of games with the Star Trek name on them that don't appeal to me in the least - Timelines, for instance, or Bridge Commander.
Please do not assume that just because some of the posts agree with you, all of them do.
Yea while I think the name Star Trek is what originally attracted me to this game... I'd also agre with jonsills on that note it's mostly the game play that brings me back. Although I do enjoy seeing where the story may lead to... it would be nice if we got to visit a few more planets that showed up even briefly in the series or movies and not always in a combat situation.
As for Retention:
"Please UNBIND Landing from Main menu; Neverwinter doesn't bind to Main Menu.
Yet what I'd like to mostly see is just something to encourage people running queue's a little more often.
What about a slight Energy Credit reward for the first time either a ground &/or space queue is run within each Reputation? I mean it shouldn't matter your preference of ground &/or space, just have to be: Omega, Nukara, New Romulus, Dyson, 8472, Delta, Iconian, Terran, Temporal, etc... Now given we have 10 or more I don't think it should be a large amount but perhaps 75,000 EC for Advanced &/or 125,000 for Elite perhaps to a daily maximum of the first 5-7 unique queue reputations per character?
People used to run Tour the Galaxy to get the accolade 'Well Travelled' &/or for the 350k - 1m+ Energy Credit, depending how fast they could go depending on skills, impulse, and warp drive; yet many new players rarely seem to do it now??? Still perhaps Tour the Galaxy still hasn't had it's accolade or trait Well Travelled fixed after visiting all systems in the Beta Quadrant? It at least use to provide a 20% cool down to Transwarp, yet aside from my first four character's few if any have earned it since... I'm sure I've tried and completed all Beta systems since then.
It might also be nice for a New Trait for navigating all Alpha Quadrant systems, but using the Wormhole and visiting a few systems in Gamma Quadrant, then helping to defending part of the Battlezone.
I mean I'm mostly happy how Star Trek Online has grown or advanced - just wish more queues would spawn a little bit more frequently.
This.. might be a bit inappropriate as I am not 'currently playing'(merely lurking, observing, and hoping for improvement). I can, however, explain what drove me to the game, inspired me to keep playing as well as champion the game to other people, and ultimately what fails to continue to interest me.
What originally excited me about this game(aside from my love of Star Trek) was that the gameplay felt a LOT like Earth and Beyond (one of the first spaceship MMOs, made by Westwood Studios) - minus all the space monsters/lifeforms and fleshed out crafting/trading system.
What kept me playing was the free-form, non-linear 'sandbox' you were free to explore in the star trek universe. I leveled my first character all the way to max without even finishing half of the Klingon War story arc. I made a point to visit each and every planet and 'explore' them; I think I spent the entire 40+ level 'grind' in exploration clusters, making up my own personal story for why my ship and it's crew were visiting each site. I didn't need a big, scripted plot behind each and every little thing that told me what my story was - I just needed the places and procedural infrastructure to support the stories that I was more than happy to create and tell. That kind of.. freedom of narrative.. is what helped me really grow attached to my characters, their crew, and the ships they flew.
The content that I enjoy(ed) most is the type that is both dynamic and (relatively) unscripted. Specifically, I like the free-form nature of patrols and battlezones. There might be an over-arching meta-chain of events, but the moment-to-moment gameplay completely free-form; you pick what you want to work on and go for it. (I'm kind of sad that Space Adventure Zones were kind of a stillborn experiment.) I realize that scripted story missions are part of the MO now, and that it's a fun and challenging experience to work on as a developer and fan who gets to personally work with the actors. However, as a player, I honestly don't enjoy getting dragged around by the neck and having the actions of the player character (that I'm supposed to be attached to) get dictated to me by a hamfisted storytelling attempt to include every member of the Star Trek universe. I would enjoy interacting with these characters so much more if it was something I had to actively seek out and make the choice to work with/for(either as part of a larger effort or to gain their favor/cooperation). I suspect I'm not a fan of Queued content for a similar reason - it's too scripted and too controlled.
The progression that I enjoy(ed) most.. is experimentation. This was another huge draw and sticking point for me. I loved creating/figuring out how to make strange or conceptual ideas functional and 'viable'. Bringing my DHC Bortasqu Subspace Jumper or Quantum Minelayers to bear against Elite Cubes, or creating my EPG 'Vacuum' Bastion, or converting the Eclipse into a long range DBB Surgical Strikes Sniper were all fun and engaging projects that consumed my playtime and resources(and yes, there are probably around 2 dozen other "functional" builds I've tinkered with). Unfortunately, this primary motivator for me.. has been encumbered and.. restricted.. by the upgrade, specialization, starship trait and lockbox systems. So many new and interesting mechanics have been added to the game over the recent years, but they're all "locked" behind (directly or indirectly) paywalls. There are a LOT of concepts and builds I'd love to mess around with, but subjectively speaking, the investment to simply 'try' them.. is far beyond what I am willing to spend. As someone with nearly a dozen characters, having those costs compounded by the lack of account-wide support of acquisition turns a frustration.. into a write-off.
Obviously, I don't expect any realistic 'solutions' to these issues. I do think a constructive concession would be to remove Reputation Store Weapons and re-introduce them as random drops from respective mob encounter groups. I don't think their current implementation is successful and the change would introduce a sense of identity to encounters that would add to a sense of discovery and encounter group culture.
Although I do enjoy seeing where the story may lead to... it would be nice if we got to visit a few more planets that showed up even briefly in the series or movies and not always in a combat situation.
It would be nice if they had a design team dedicated specifically to creating new planets.
Places like Trillus Prime or Betazed, ones that originated the major species in STO.
Just to add new social hubs to visit or call home.
It might even have some role-play value, like playable Trills concregating on Trillus Prime, for example.
And as an added bonus, should the Dev Team decide to start a storyline/episode series based around that homeworld, it'll already be ready for them to use, they won't have to dedicate time to making it from scratch because it's already there.
Bees like honey, they don't like vinegar.
Everytime someone makes a character that is an copy of an existing superhuman, Creativity is sad
The content that I enjoy(ed) most is the type that is both dynamic and (relatively) unscripted. Specifically, I like the free-form nature of patrols and battlezones. There might be an over-arching meta-chain of events, but the moment-to-moment gameplay completely free-form; you pick what you want to work on and go for it. (I'm kind of sad that Space Adventure Zones were kind of a stillborn experiment.) I realize that scripted story missions are part of the MO now, and that it's a fun and challenging experience to work on as a developer and fan who gets to personally work with the actors. However, as a player, I honestly don't enjoy getting dragged around by the neck and having the actions of the player character (that I'm supposed to be attached to) get dictated to me by a hamfisted storytelling attempt to include every member of the Star Trek universe. I would enjoy interacting with these characters so much more if it was something I had to actively seek out and make the choice to work with/for(either as part of a larger effort or to gain their favor/cooperation). I suspect I'm not a fan of Queued content for a similar reason - it's too scripted and too controlled.
.
Yes, this is neat, and goes under in all the scripted missions.
I love how there is a "found" mission when visiting Vulcan, why not add "found" missions on many planets?
I loved how Archer visited Vulcan to find the old scripts.
Yeah, we do have foundry, but the rewards are rather meh, and the mission quality varies.
Although I do enjoy seeing where the story may lead to... it would be nice if we got to visit a few more planets that showed up even briefly in the series or movies and not always in a combat situation.
It would be nice if they had a design team dedicated specifically to creating new planets.
Places like Trillus Prime or Betazed, ones that originated the major species in STO.
Just to add new social hubs to visit or call home.
It might even have some role-play value, like playable Trills concregating on Trillus Prime, for example.
And as an added bonus, should the Dev Team decide to start a storyline/episode series based around that homeworld, it'll already be ready for them to use, they won't have to dedicate time to making it from scratch because it's already there.
This would be a HUGE thing - could even pose as new EXPANSION, so much could be done if every playable race would have a "hub" with shops and some missions.
Take Bajor - we already have the map, but there is no reason to get back there and "explore"..
Also new Romulus could use a second zone with already built city and some outskirts and some missions. The same goes for Earth, Qo'Nos, Trill, Ferenginar, Cardassia, we could revisit Andoria, and Ferenginar. To get to know our races and their heritage.
Ideas for small 4-5- mission Arcs:
- intercept a space fight, rescue some people, help the dying Trill symbiont back to Trill and/or get him a body - get a new BOFF.
- help developing relationships between Andorians and Aenerans, get to explore the ice caves there, earn an ice pet
- and so on.. plenty of stuff waiting in the series episodes
One could append a diplomacy specialization to this, with special doffs and boffs being earned in return.
Cause the Kobali have more of a zone than most of our old races, we are touring the whole galaxy, why not go back to the roots for a change?
Afterall, that is the canon trek we players love and know, it would add hugely to the immersion.
The content that I enjoy(ed) most is the type that is both dynamic and (relatively) unscripted. Specifically, I like the free-form nature of patrols and battlezones. There might be an over-arching meta-chain of events, but the moment-to-moment gameplay completely free-form; you pick what you want to work on and go for it. (I'm kind of sad that Space Adventure Zones were kind of a stillborn experiment.) I realize that scripted story missions are part of the MO now, and that it's a fun and challenging experience to work on as a developer and fan who gets to personally work with the actors. However, as a player, I honestly don't enjoy getting dragged around by the neck and having the actions of the player character (that I'm supposed to be attached to) get dictated to me by a hamfisted storytelling attempt to include every member of the Star Trek universe. I would enjoy interacting with these characters so much more if it was something I had to actively seek out and make the choice to work with/for(either as part of a larger effort or to gain their favor/cooperation). I suspect I'm not a fan of Queued content for a similar reason - it's too scripted and too controlled.
.
Yes, this is neat, and goes under in all the scripted missions.
I love how there is a "found" mission when visiting Vulcan, why not add "found" missions on many planets?
I loved how Archer visited Vulcan to find the old scripts.
Yeah, we do have foundry, but the rewards are rather meh, and the mission quality varies.
Although I do enjoy seeing where the story may lead to... it would be nice if we got to visit a few more planets that showed up even briefly in the series or movies and not always in a combat situation.
It would be nice if they had a design team dedicated specifically to creating new planets.
Places like Trillus Prime or Betazed, ones that originated the major species in STO.
Just to add new social hubs to visit or call home.
It might even have some role-play value, like playable Trills concregating on Trillus Prime, for example.
And as an added bonus, should the Dev Team decide to start a storyline/episode series based around that homeworld, it'll already be ready for them to use, they won't have to dedicate time to making it from scratch because it's already there.
This would be a HUGE thing - could even pose as new EXPANSION, so much could be done if every playable race would have a "hub" with shops and some missions.
Take Bajor - we already have the map, but there is no reason to get back there and "explore"..
Also new Romulus could use a second zone with already built city and some outskirts and some missions. The same goes for Earth, Qo'Nos, Trill, Ferenginar, Cardassia, we could revisit Andoria, and Ferenginar. To get to know our races and their heritage.
One could append a diplomacy specialization to this, with special doffs and boffs being earned in return.
Cause the Kobali have more of a zone than most of our old races, we are touring the whole galaxy, why not go back to the roots for a change?
To the planets part. You can't design terrain maps in the foundry. You're having to use premade there. So, getting the look exactly right is a pain for foundry authors. I did this with my missions in the foundry. I try to find a way to link them to something in lore. Like my Archanis mission, KDF side, references the fact that Archanis use to be an Imperial planet, then was a Federation planet, and then was recently returned to the Empire. I also work this a bit differently. Instead of using the planet as the entry point for a mission. I tend to use the nearest starbase for it. So that you're warping to said area from a "restock/maintenance" stop. Which is something that isn't included anywhere else in the game. You're just stuck out there on a never ending run, like your ship and crew never need a break.
As to the diplomacy this. I'd like to see the diplomacy and exploration missions return, along with the deep space patrols. These were something I'd go do. It might not have been daily, but I'd go do them. It wouldn't even need a specialization. Just to put these back in game.
Right now as it is. I did MU, for the dil reward on one character. I'll run an FE for the upgrade tech reward in the weekly box. Other than that, I don't much bother with running anything. I'll hit up a queue here and there for fleet marks, but that's about it. The endeavor, ehh, if it's something I feel like doing. Which is generally, a no I don't feel like it. Besides, in general, the endeavor reward isn't worth going to do whatever it is it want you to do.
The six main areas I listed in my reddit post about this was:
Bug Fixes, the game needs them.
Content - more in depth, and based around the factions. Thus a klingon, plays as a klingon, instead of a Starfleet officer.
Gameplay, time to kick the reliance on power creep to the curb.
Tailor/Ship appearances. Mainly, fixing the clipping issues, giving everything an R-G-B slider, and allowing us to mix and match ship parts for a "junker" look.
Foundry, because this needs some serious work.
PvP, needs work, and everything isn't always going to be hunky dory, we're all friends. I mean the storyline is 2409-2410. The latest Klingon war just ended. There's still going to be bad blood there. Which feeds back int o the content part, of the factions perspective on how things should be handled. But this was also in reply to the "evil" faction question that was asked. Because, to have this, PvP is where the "good" and "evil" factions will face off. It won't be in come episode or STF.
But, as I said, I do agree with the diplomacy and exploration ideas. We had these long ago, and I know people other than myself that miss them.
New expansions like Victory is Life with new levels and goals, and episodes and their environments mostly.
Episodes and environments first:
Some of my favorite episodes include the ones in the Dyson arc, where we explore fascinating structures and alien environments. Especially the ground maps in this game look great.
Whenever I level a new character (something I do to have a new species or to have one to dedicate a ship to) I'm still amazed by some of the older maps like the surface of P'Jem. It's been years since I first played it, but it still looks wonderful, another world that we can get lost in.
I have the same pleasant experience in some of the patrol systems (which should really be made replayable btw), ranging from the Beytan system and its ground map to the Pico system with its asteroid belt. The environments look great and it's a fun piece of content that you can play at your own pace, without worrying about objectives ; instead spending time to take in the map.
I think that is what keeps playing me mostly. The queues are great and all, and the ones with several objectives (like Gravity Kills) can be enjoyable, but ultimately the fact that you need to focus on objectives is distracting me from just relaxing and enjoying where you are in the game. More maps where we can stroll around and just enjoy being there - possibly combined with minor tasks or mini-games - would definitely help to retain my interest in the game.
I know this is an old suggestion, but revamping some of the planetary social maps like Vulcan and Andoria and adding some sort of permanently available mini-game there like Ushaan events are part of that.
As for new goals:
New levels which unlock new abilities, new progression systems (any news on that coming btw?) are another reason to keep playing. Sometimes the new goals like creating a new build or filling up a newly released specialisation or reputation can be frustrating for how long these tasks take. But it is definitely a reason to keep playing, given their rewards and the great experience a newly optimised build can give.
So my main advice for this part would be to keep promoting the development of different kinds of builds. Reward-wise it would be nice if we could see some more out-of-the-box thinking.
Instead of having another reputation with another uniform (which look great usually, that's not the problem), kit module and ship sets, why not add something special like maybe a small craft, or a Boff, or maybe a holo-emitter?
Lastly - and not really related to the other two parts - one thing that really has the potential to keep me interested in the game for even a longer time beyond the six or seven that I have been playing already, is more playable species. Even if they're not Voth . It would be great to have more ... alien species as in 'less humanoid'. Or make them humanoid, but give them something special like a trait such as the Caitians have. Maybe Kelpians with increased run speed (if it is possible to disable this trait in the Winter event of course) or a species that can teleport small distances, a swarm-like species... anything special.
Overall, you guys have been doing a great job and created a fascinating game that has been enjoyable for me for years. Thank you (all the people who have worked on STO) for that. I'm sure you will know what to do, the game has only become better over the years.
PS
Real-life shuttles in the C-store are still appreciated
`.\\//
PPS
I don't know how to type something resembling a thumb.
New expansions like Victory is Life with new levels and goals, and episodes and their environments mostly.
Episodes and environments first:
Some of my favorite episodes include the ones in the Dyson arc, where we explore fascinating structures and alien environments. Especially the ground maps in this game look great.
Whenever I level a new character (something I do to have a new species or to have one to dedicate a ship to) I'm still amazed by some of the older maps like the surface of P'Jem. It's been years since I first played it, but it still looks wonderful, another world that we can get lost in.
I have the same pleasant experience in some of the patrol systems (which should really be made replayable btw), ranging from the Beytan system and its ground map to the Pico system with its asteroid belt. The environments look great and it's a fun piece of content that you can play at your own pace, without worrying about objectives ; instead spending time to take in the map.
I think that is what keeps playing me mostly. The queues are great and all, and the ones with several objectives (like Gravity Kills) can be enjoyable, but ultimately the fact that you need to focus on objectives is distracting me from just relaxing and enjoying where you are in the game. More maps where we can stroll around and just enjoy being there - possibly combined with minor tasks or mini-games - would definitely help to retain my interest in the game.
I know this is an old suggestion, but revamping some of the planetary social maps like Vulcan and Andoria and adding some sort of permanently available mini-game there like Ushaan events are part of that.
As for new goals:
New levels which unlock new abilities, new progression systems (any news on that coming btw?) are another reason to keep playing. Sometimes the new goals like creating a new build or filling up a newly released specialisation or reputation can be frustrating for how long these tasks take. But it is definitely a reason to keep playing, given their rewards and the great experience a newly optimised build can give.
So my main advice for this part would be to keep promoting the development of different kinds of builds. Reward-wise it would be nice if we could see some more out-of-the-box thinking.
Instead of having another reputation with another uniform (which look great usually, that's not the problem), kit module and ship sets, why not add something special like maybe a small craft, or a Boff, or maybe a holo-emitter?
Lastly - and not really related to the other two parts - one thing that really has the potential to keep me interested in the game for even a longer time beyond the six or seven that I have been playing already, is more playable species. Even if they're not Voth . It would be great to have more ... alien species as in 'less humanoid'. Or make them humanoid, but give them something special like a trait such as the Caitians have. Maybe Kelpians with increased run speed (if it is possible to disable this trait in the Winter event of course) or a species that can teleport small distances, a swarm-like species... anything special.
Overall, you guys have been doing a great job and created a fascinating game that has been enjoyable for me for years. Thank you (all the people who have worked on STO) for that. I'm sure you will know what to do, the game has only become better over the years.
PS
Real-life shuttles in the C-store are still appreciated
`.\\//
PPS
I don't know how to type something resembling a thumb.
Star Trek Fan first and foremost. I like them all from ToS all the way through the movies. I even like JJTrek. I can't get Discovery, so I can't comment on that.
Next, I like being able to play in my own way. If I want to DOFF/Admiralty/mine, that's what I do. If I want to play a mission, I play a mission. If I want to run queues, I run queues. If I want to only do things like the Radiation Scan patrols, the Deferi Dailies and Nimbus Dailies, then that's what I do. And there is no wrong way to play.
Then if I want to team with a friend to help her through content that she despises, which then makes said content fun, then I do that.
So I guess my biggest draw is diversity. To be able to play and ignore what I don't like. Like PvP. There is no draw to PvP at all for me. If others like it, they're welcome to it, just don't try to tempt me. I won't bite.
I have a Lifer acct and a F2P acct and I enjoy both of them. I have certain characters who are mostly RP or mules(miners). Others who do the content when I feel like doing content.
Now a LTS and loving it.
Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything.
My friend I occasionally team with is a stickler for tradition. Her Fed/Rom/KDF characters all wear the uniform/weapon/ship of its respective faction. She said it's how she gets the true Star Trek experience. And that's fine.
Me, I like to experiment, no matter which faction I'm playing, so I don't always wear the 'right' uniform or carry the 'right' gun or even fly the 'right' ships. Sometimes things like that are because I can't throw money at the game like I'd like to, so I use what I can get, on either acct.
But does that make either of us wrong? No. We just have our own style and the differences make us an awesome team.
Now a LTS and loving it.
Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything.
I get to hop in my favorite trek ships and blow things up when I have a bit of time for some fun. It's SUPER casual.
So do I. I love just coming in to do Radiation Scan Patrols, Deferi Dailies and several other fun things, plus check out the DSEs that pop up for a bit more dil and mats.
Some days I never get around to any missions and I still have a blast. Literally.
Now a LTS and loving it.
Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything.
not been around as long as the PC counterparts but been on the game since launch on console release and for the simple fact its a free game , its fun for the most part but can get boring at times but what game doesn't and the ONE key reason is it is highly addicting as can be to hard to put down once you invest alot of time and money into the game especially years and months put into the game and takes quite a while to master what skills works best for your play style. i guess the reason is im a perfectionist and wont stop until i get the game down to a tee then and only then do i think i will retire from the game for while or for good but who knows .
Got to say for me it’s the customisation of my ships and toons. I already have started collecting items for my new toon for vil and I do like collecting the special weapon sets from mission rewards
Would also love to see ent maco ground weapons to go with the uniforms and separately I’m looking so forward to hopefully getting a warship voyage one day
The of Star Trek &/or the vision of how humanity might progress, come together, and welcome and make a few friendly neighbours in the universe. This seems very much a common theme here...
It's interesting I'm not the only one who wish for exploring planets:
▪ It be nice if eventually a new social area came available for Cross faction even if it was a smaller map. Trill &/or the Ferengi Planet perhaps with the Trade Commission, Grand Negus Hall, or something might be nice?
▪ It also be nice if Various Planets had weekly patrol's. Then regardless what faction you are some would give a chance to visit planet's only previously seen as a member of the major other faction as well.
For me I think it is a combination of several things in that I like Star Trek so getting to fly around some of those ships is great but this is not the only game I can do that and I barely play the other one. With that I would say it helps me to stay here because the level of resources needed to succeed in the game is set at a reasonable level so I can play casually or intensely as the mood takes me and feel that I can get somewhere.
Having an LTS helps with making the game more comfortable but even then there are several things which I deem out of reach, namely lockbox and lobi content, but other than that pretty much everything in game is attainable to most people. This is what I like most.
I keep playing the game because: I enjoy being in the Star Trek Universe; I like experimenting with different ship builds; I like spending time on certain maps, mainly ground maps (kind of wish we had an Exchange on Nimbus III); I like chatting with people who enjoy Star Trek and the game (remember Japori Online when players actually interacted with each other to accomplish a goal?); I personally like to do DOFF missions (how I miss using my Tuffli and transwarping to the each of the spacial anomalies); I spend some time at Ker'rat and Otha, so I might say "farming" with some PvP (not too thrilled on the whole one-hit vape); I used to spend a lot of my time the Voth Battlezone and Kobali Prime, but ever since we had to use DirectX 11, I haven't been able to stay long on those maps (definitely my favorite "farming" maps in the game); and of course, there is Risa an Q's Winter Wonderland (I do wish we had more DOFF missions there).
If there is one thing I would like to see added to this game, it is some means to eliminate Vanity Pets from being stored in the Banks. I had mentioned a Vanity Pet tab where we can store those pets we purchase or obtain, but I wouldn't mind if they became reclaimable so that we could delete and retrieve them after we either obtained them or purchased them.
For me it's mild OCD, I simply have to log in to keep bringing in the dilithium ore so I can refine and then when the exchange rate dips (like during Phoenix events) I buy Zen. I try to do it as efficiently as I can because I have 10 toons (soon to be 11) to cycle through. Right now though, my sights are set firmly on the expansion.
I like the story as a whole, but liked it better when it was separated, than since it's been unified. The stories when focused to by faction were interesting because each faction track viewpoint and story beats were different even during the same point in time. Made it very enjoyable to me. When the stories merge to one track, then being anything other than Fed looses it's faction viewpoint and feel. It became to homogenized and bland to be interesting.
You can fly a ship and do away missions. Unique in the games I have encountered so far.
Customization makes it easy and fun to have alts. From the captain, the bridge officers and ships, everything can be made to look and fit to your own personal aesthetics.
Events. Even more so now that the rewards are account unlocked. I praise the person who made this change.
It's free. And the Free-to-Play model is the best that I have encountered for my ability to invest into. I even have the LTS for me.
I just wish you would maintain separate but parallel stories for each faction for each plot. To maintain the unique feel of each faction and to tell a deeper richer story overall. And give people a story reason to play all the factions. SO that they could see the story from various viewpoints.
I am new to STO.. there seems to have been a learning curve, but what keeps me playing these 2 - 3 weeks I have been? the stories.. the MIssions and the general Star trek nostalga and feel I am an AVID star trek fan as well as star wars, but I think star trek was my first love.. and IT IS GREAT TO BE BACK!! PLEASE KEEP the story Line as good as it is (or better) and as true to the star trek genre as possible, and I may even STAY LONGER than I had INTENDED!! I am having a ball!! please keep the game as top notch as possible also I like how PLAYABLE it is as a free to play player.. PLEASE KEEP the PLAYABILITY as FREE TO PLAY part GOES< and I may even stay and occassionally at least pay a little here and there if I feel so inclined, (money is tight right now I am poor and on a limited budget...) anyways KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK PLEASE!! and KEEP THE GAME AVAILABLE TO ALL, AND THANK YOU!!!
What keeps me coming back to sto? The stories told by the foundry authors and the devs. The events that have been added to the game over time. While not a system per say, the intereactions with those u meet either in 1s own fleet or just exploring the various areas of the game.
Love Star Trek in general........As far as STO is concerned. Wishes that game content came out a little more often. Also when you put out that content make sure that it is compellling enough to replay said missions ect......Personally have not seen that IMHO sence the Iconian Story Arc. " Life death, life after death that sort of thing."
At the moment, nothing, as I got burned out earlier in the year. I’ll come back for the expansion, and if I like things, I might stick around. To answer the question, over the years I’ve played consistently for the following reasons only to stop for months at a time after hitting a wall in my ability to enjoy things:
1) Episodes - I love the stories, even the goofy ones, and I have beaten all of them on elite with four different toons on PC (all factions represented) and one toon on XBOX. However, when the stories dry up I find myself moving onto other things. And I do not like having to play them multiple times to grind out sets as it feels like I am being paid in worthless digital content to work a job where my assignment is to keep your numbers up. It’s painfully obvious that you want people to replay the content to get these items in order to artificially inflate your numbers and I grow resentful and usually get burned out. Suggestion: More stories, less replay requirements. Or, make the storylines significantly different for each faction and make each reward an account unlock so I can unlock each one with a different toon.
2) PVP - I am one those hated, scorned, abhorrent players that enjoys fighting other players. I have probably sank over a thousand dollars into my builds over the years (just for PvP, more money for other things), and I have kept the pace through several different metas, managing to survive in an environment of broken/OP/ uncounterable content, having a blast at it the whole time. But I recognize PVP is out of reach for F2Pers and the vast majority of the player base, and I have grown forlorn as the PVP community has shrank and become more and more insular as the years have passed. Eventually, it became dominated by one or two fleets who exploit everything possible and got their kicks by pug stomping every single match in the arena, and though their team tactics are enviable and quite masterful, it got to the point where it was impossible to even get a single kill as a PUG and joining a competitive team wasn’t an option due to the dwindling player base. Suggestion: New maps like Ker’rat. Offer template builds on one of these maps and as a version of arena for a balanced option that casuals can enjoy. And leave the current “anything” goes version of PVP as an option for those who want to spend the money and compete at those levels. Also, fix the scoreboard as it is just embarrassing at this point.
3) Accolades - when I finally sat out to do this I had a blast. Climbing mountains on New Romulus, scouring ruins on Nimbus, replaying queues/episodes I hadn’t touched in years with my own little objectives in mind gave new life to the game. I worked my hind end off to reach 100 in Sompek. Then I started finding out that more and more of the accolades were broken or unobtainable and I lost interest, which is sad, because accolade hunting makes you see some of books and crannies of your massive universe that you otherwise wouldn’t have a reason to see. Suggestion: Fix the broken accolades, add more, make that aspect of the game a central part of the UI (the journal is too out of the way to draw interest) and offer better rewards.
4) Seasonal Events - I turn into a psychopath when the assimilated snowmen come out. I don’t know why, but I think it has something to do with the game actually being social and assessable to everyone.
Things I can no longer enjoy:
PVE Queues - Either too easy, or they’re too hard for reasons such as arbitrarily high amounts of hitpoints. The best queue in my opinion is Core Assault, as it requires actual teamwork, whereas most of them are the equivalent of turning on a fire hose and dousing the NPCs in DPS. I’d like to see more strategy, more complicated maps, and harder objectives that make you think.
Grind Events - Mirror Invasion, Crystalline, Kobyashi, etc., these events are comprised of people who want to do the bare minimum to get the reward. For many, this means never leaving the spawn. There is nothing enjoyable about running the same mission fifteen times for a piece of gear or a lackluster ship. Again, it is a blatant attempt to inflate your numbers and I don’t like being taken for a sucker. Don’t mask your inability to produce new content regularly by holding a shiny carrot in front of the playerbase so that they will play the same, effortless mission again and again. If you want to retain players like me, you have to not insult them.
Reputations - I’m sick of them. I’m sick of running the same two or three Queues over and over (if they’ll even pop) to hit that 1200+ mark threshold again and again. This is another transparent attempt to boost your numbers without actively engaging with the playerbase. Suggestion: Get rid of universal marks and make the reps account wide.
I don’t think STO needs to necessarily have a new episode every week. And I don’t think you need to revamp the mechanics again and again. What you need is to make it more social. Find weekly ways to get players to visit the various corners of the galaxy and work together. Endeavors are a great concept, but they fall short of requiring social behavior and ultimately become just another grind. There’s nothing fun about “deal 10000 Polaron dmg” or “kill a tholian commander.” What would be nice would be incentivizing something like the missions in Defera, where you have to first put a team together and work with people.
TLDR: less grind, fix the broken stuff, stop insulting me, offer an accessible version of PVP, find ways to make the game social again
1. This is Star Trek. Something tells me that if this were "generic space MMO", I'd probably be long gone.
2. Relative Single-Player friendliness. I don't need a group to get my fix.
Now why am I one of the "show up for certain events / new content, otherwise check in periodically" types?
1. Perceived biases against my more "favorite" parts of Trek. See my sig. I'm a TOS/TMP guy, why are "my" "iconic" ships locked behind the most expensive methods of acquisition while the majority of the playerbase, being more TNG-era, can get their ships via C-store?
2. Space-whale driven economy. Part 1, above, might not be so bad if it wouldn't take me a year (or $1,000) to get the stuffs necessary to buy one off the exchange.
3. Boredom. Combat is DPS-centric, the only differences between the three classes is the methodology of dispensing said DPS. Doffing the same missions on my AoY that my 12 other characters have been Doffing for the past 5 years isn't exactly driving me to the DOff table - nevermind that a couple of my characters have Tuffli's so they can get to the Doffing missions better than my AoY can.
4. Grind. Play the exact same mission 50+ times to get 13 characters the set, with absolutely no variety to the mission. Do thing X daily for a month (or longer, in the case of Doffing) to get to the reward point.
5. Genericness. Why should I even bother to keep up on my KDF Sci, when I'm already getting to experience "all the content" (except Marauding DOff missions) as my ex-main Joined Trill Sci or my current main AoY Sci (or my Feddie Tac alt, or my Rommie Sci alt, or my fill-in-the-blank Alt).
6. "Feels like a job". Yeah, I could ignore all the boredom/grindiness/genericness and spend all my free time in STO doing the "optimal" things to turn my 13 characters into a massive Dil / currency farm to counter the space-whale driven economy - only taking "vacations" when new stuff comes along. But I'd rather be off in a different game instead...
Detecting big-time "anti-old-school" bias here. NX? Lobi. TOS/TMP Connie? Super-promotion-box. (aka the two hardest ways to get ships) Excelsior & all 3 TNG "big hero" ships? C-Store. Please Equalize...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
Since I was little, I was always about Star Trek. Games, movies, tv shows and action figures. As a lot of people can attest, there has been a lot of sub-par content in the trek game market. I finally got around to playing STO when F2P launched and was hooked. Made some good friends. Seen some good changes and bad changes.
For me, story content is a big part of what makes me play STO, or any other game. I like a good story. I applaud what has been done to kind of revamp some of the early Fed missions. Though, considering I have played them more times that I can possibly count, I can't really be asked to play them AGAIN. I generally enjoy the new content that gets released as FE's and such.
Now to a major deterrent. Some players may agree and a lot will probably disagree with me. While the game throws dil. at you left and right, it also has a TON of dil sinks. New gear, ships, projects, fleet projects, comodities, and the list keeps going. With the sheer amount of dil that some fleet projects require, it sometimes makes players a bit hesitant to drop their dil. into them, considering some save it for the dil. exchange and stuff. With all the additions of ways to sink your dilithium, the refinement cap hasn't been adjusted at all. I'm not asking for any major adjustments, but maybe a small increase of 10,000 instead of what it is and has been.
The other would be the sheer amount of currencies. Rep currencies, zen, dil., lobi, event, and more. As I recall, in the distant past, the developers did away with the frustrations of many currencies, then over the years we have added even more than the orignal cast asside currencies of days past. To a new player, this may seem extremely daunting.
Comments
Yea while I think the name Star Trek is what originally attracted me to this game... I'd also agre with jonsills on that note it's mostly the game play that brings me back. Although I do enjoy seeing where the story may lead to... it would be nice if we got to visit a few more planets that showed up even briefly in the series or movies and not always in a combat situation.
As for Retention:
"Please UNBIND Landing from Main menu; Neverwinter doesn't bind to Main Menu.
@borticuscryptic
Yet what I'd like to mostly see is just something to encourage people running queue's a little more often.
What about a slight Energy Credit reward for the first time either a ground &/or space queue is run within each Reputation? I mean it shouldn't matter your preference of ground &/or space, just have to be: Omega, Nukara, New Romulus, Dyson, 8472, Delta, Iconian, Terran, Temporal, etc... Now given we have 10 or more I don't think it should be a large amount but perhaps 75,000 EC for Advanced &/or 125,000 for Elite perhaps to a daily maximum of the first 5-7 unique queue reputations per character?
People used to run Tour the Galaxy to get the accolade 'Well Travelled' &/or for the 350k - 1m+ Energy Credit, depending how fast they could go depending on skills, impulse, and warp drive; yet many new players rarely seem to do it now??? Still perhaps Tour the Galaxy still hasn't had it's accolade or trait Well Travelled fixed after visiting all systems in the Beta Quadrant? It at least use to provide a 20% cool down to Transwarp, yet aside from my first four character's few if any have earned it since... I'm sure I've tried and completed all Beta systems since then.
It might also be nice for a New Trait for navigating all Alpha Quadrant systems, but using the Wormhole and visiting a few systems in Gamma Quadrant, then helping to defending part of the Battlezone.
I mean I'm mostly happy how Star Trek Online has grown or advanced - just wish more queues would spawn a little bit more frequently.
What originally excited me about this game(aside from my love of Star Trek) was that the gameplay felt a LOT like Earth and Beyond (one of the first spaceship MMOs, made by Westwood Studios) - minus all the space monsters/lifeforms and fleshed out crafting/trading system.
What kept me playing was the free-form, non-linear 'sandbox' you were free to explore in the star trek universe. I leveled my first character all the way to max without even finishing half of the Klingon War story arc. I made a point to visit each and every planet and 'explore' them; I think I spent the entire 40+ level 'grind' in exploration clusters, making up my own personal story for why my ship and it's crew were visiting each site. I didn't need a big, scripted plot behind each and every little thing that told me what my story was - I just needed the places and procedural infrastructure to support the stories that I was more than happy to create and tell. That kind of.. freedom of narrative.. is what helped me really grow attached to my characters, their crew, and the ships they flew.
The content that I enjoy(ed) most is the type that is both dynamic and (relatively) unscripted. Specifically, I like the free-form nature of patrols and battlezones. There might be an over-arching meta-chain of events, but the moment-to-moment gameplay completely free-form; you pick what you want to work on and go for it. (I'm kind of sad that Space Adventure Zones were kind of a stillborn experiment.) I realize that scripted story missions are part of the MO now, and that it's a fun and challenging experience to work on as a developer and fan who gets to personally work with the actors. However, as a player, I honestly don't enjoy getting dragged around by the neck and having the actions of the player character (that I'm supposed to be attached to) get dictated to me by a hamfisted storytelling attempt to include every member of the Star Trek universe. I would enjoy interacting with these characters so much more if it was something I had to actively seek out and make the choice to work with/for(either as part of a larger effort or to gain their favor/cooperation). I suspect I'm not a fan of Queued content for a similar reason - it's too scripted and too controlled.
The progression that I enjoy(ed) most.. is experimentation. This was another huge draw and sticking point for me. I loved creating/figuring out how to make strange or conceptual ideas functional and 'viable'. Bringing my DHC Bortasqu Subspace Jumper or Quantum Minelayers to bear against Elite Cubes, or creating my EPG 'Vacuum' Bastion, or converting the Eclipse into a long range DBB Surgical Strikes Sniper were all fun and engaging projects that consumed my playtime and resources(and yes, there are probably around 2 dozen other "functional" builds I've tinkered with). Unfortunately, this primary motivator for me.. has been encumbered and.. restricted.. by the upgrade, specialization, starship trait and lockbox systems. So many new and interesting mechanics have been added to the game over the recent years, but they're all "locked" behind (directly or indirectly) paywalls. There are a LOT of concepts and builds I'd love to mess around with, but subjectively speaking, the investment to simply 'try' them.. is far beyond what I am willing to spend. As someone with nearly a dozen characters, having those costs compounded by the lack of account-wide support of acquisition turns a frustration.. into a write-off.
Obviously, I don't expect any realistic 'solutions' to these issues. I do think a constructive concession would be to remove Reputation Store Weapons and re-introduce them as random drops from respective mob encounter groups. I don't think their current implementation is successful and the change would introduce a sense of identity to encounters that would add to a sense of discovery and encounter group culture.
It would be nice if they had a design team dedicated specifically to creating new planets.
Places like Trillus Prime or Betazed, ones that originated the major species in STO.
Just to add new social hubs to visit or call home.
It might even have some role-play value, like playable Trills concregating on Trillus Prime, for example.
And as an added bonus, should the Dev Team decide to start a storyline/episode series based around that homeworld, it'll already be ready for them to use, they won't have to dedicate time to making it from scratch because it's already there.
Bees like honey, they don't like vinegar.
Everytime someone makes a character that is an copy of an existing superhuman, Creativity is sad
Yes, this is neat, and goes under in all the scripted missions.
I love how there is a "found" mission when visiting Vulcan, why not add "found" missions on many planets?
I loved how Archer visited Vulcan to find the old scripts.
Yeah, we do have foundry, but the rewards are rather meh, and the mission quality varies.
This would be a HUGE thing - could even pose as new EXPANSION, so much could be done if every playable race would have a "hub" with shops and some missions.
Take Bajor - we already have the map, but there is no reason to get back there and "explore"..
Also new Romulus could use a second zone with already built city and some outskirts and some missions. The same goes for Earth, Qo'Nos, Trill, Ferenginar, Cardassia, we could revisit Andoria, and Ferenginar. To get to know our races and their heritage.
Ideas for small 4-5- mission Arcs:
- intercept a space fight, rescue some people, help the dying Trill symbiont back to Trill and/or get him a body - get a new BOFF.
- help developing relationships between Andorians and Aenerans, get to explore the ice caves there, earn an ice pet
- and so on.. plenty of stuff waiting in the series episodes
One could append a diplomacy specialization to this, with special doffs and boffs being earned in return.
Cause the Kobali have more of a zone than most of our old races, we are touring the whole galaxy, why not go back to the roots for a change?
Afterall, that is the canon trek we players love and know, it would add hugely to the immersion.
To the planets part. You can't design terrain maps in the foundry. You're having to use premade there. So, getting the look exactly right is a pain for foundry authors. I did this with my missions in the foundry. I try to find a way to link them to something in lore. Like my Archanis mission, KDF side, references the fact that Archanis use to be an Imperial planet, then was a Federation planet, and then was recently returned to the Empire. I also work this a bit differently. Instead of using the planet as the entry point for a mission. I tend to use the nearest starbase for it. So that you're warping to said area from a "restock/maintenance" stop. Which is something that isn't included anywhere else in the game. You're just stuck out there on a never ending run, like your ship and crew never need a break.
As to the diplomacy this. I'd like to see the diplomacy and exploration missions return, along with the deep space patrols. These were something I'd go do. It might not have been daily, but I'd go do them. It wouldn't even need a specialization. Just to put these back in game.
Right now as it is. I did MU, for the dil reward on one character. I'll run an FE for the upgrade tech reward in the weekly box. Other than that, I don't much bother with running anything. I'll hit up a queue here and there for fleet marks, but that's about it. The endeavor, ehh, if it's something I feel like doing. Which is generally, a no I don't feel like it. Besides, in general, the endeavor reward isn't worth going to do whatever it is it want you to do.
The six main areas I listed in my reddit post about this was:
Bug Fixes, the game needs them.
Content - more in depth, and based around the factions. Thus a klingon, plays as a klingon, instead of a Starfleet officer.
Gameplay, time to kick the reliance on power creep to the curb.
Tailor/Ship appearances. Mainly, fixing the clipping issues, giving everything an R-G-B slider, and allowing us to mix and match ship parts for a "junker" look.
Foundry, because this needs some serious work.
PvP, needs work, and everything isn't always going to be hunky dory, we're all friends. I mean the storyline is 2409-2410. The latest Klingon war just ended. There's still going to be bad blood there. Which feeds back int o the content part, of the factions perspective on how things should be handled. But this was also in reply to the "evil" faction question that was asked. Because, to have this, PvP is where the "good" and "evil" factions will face off. It won't be in come episode or STF.
But, as I said, I do agree with the diplomacy and exploration ideas. We had these long ago, and I know people other than myself that miss them.
And the fact that you put stuff here.
I mean, in the game.
New expansions like Victory is Life with new levels and goals, and episodes and their environments mostly.
Episodes and environments first:
Some of my favorite episodes include the ones in the Dyson arc, where we explore fascinating structures and alien environments. Especially the ground maps in this game look great.
Whenever I level a new character (something I do to have a new species or to have one to dedicate a ship to) I'm still amazed by some of the older maps like the surface of P'Jem. It's been years since I first played it, but it still looks wonderful, another world that we can get lost in.
I have the same pleasant experience in some of the patrol systems (which should really be made replayable btw), ranging from the Beytan system and its ground map to the Pico system with its asteroid belt. The environments look great and it's a fun piece of content that you can play at your own pace, without worrying about objectives ; instead spending time to take in the map.
I think that is what keeps playing me mostly. The queues are great and all, and the ones with several objectives (like Gravity Kills) can be enjoyable, but ultimately the fact that you need to focus on objectives is distracting me from just relaxing and enjoying where you are in the game. More maps where we can stroll around and just enjoy being there - possibly combined with minor tasks or mini-games - would definitely help to retain my interest in the game.
I know this is an old suggestion, but revamping some of the planetary social maps like Vulcan and Andoria and adding some sort of permanently available mini-game there like Ushaan events are part of that.
As for new goals:
New levels which unlock new abilities, new progression systems (any news on that coming btw?) are another reason to keep playing. Sometimes the new goals like creating a new build or filling up a newly released specialisation or reputation can be frustrating for how long these tasks take. But it is definitely a reason to keep playing, given their rewards and the great experience a newly optimised build can give.
So my main advice for this part would be to keep promoting the development of different kinds of builds. Reward-wise it would be nice if we could see some more out-of-the-box thinking.
Instead of having another reputation with another uniform (which look great usually, that's not the problem), kit module and ship sets, why not add something special like maybe a small craft, or a Boff, or maybe a holo-emitter?
Lastly - and not really related to the other two parts - one thing that really has the potential to keep me interested in the game for even a longer time beyond the six or seven that I have been playing already, is more playable species. Even if they're not Voth
Overall, you guys have been doing a great job and created a fascinating game that has been enjoyable for me for years. Thank you (all the people who have worked on STO) for that. I'm sure you will know what to do, the game has only become better over the years.
PS
Real-life shuttles in the C-store are still appreciated
`.\\//
PPS
I don't know how to type something resembling a thumb.
d~(-.o ) There ya go, a thumbs up and a wink.
One can even use, \m/~ (-.-) ~\m/
Next, I like being able to play in my own way. If I want to DOFF/Admiralty/mine, that's what I do. If I want to play a mission, I play a mission. If I want to run queues, I run queues. If I want to only do things like the Radiation Scan patrols, the Deferi Dailies and Nimbus Dailies, then that's what I do. And there is no wrong way to play.
Then if I want to team with a friend to help her through content that she despises, which then makes said content fun, then I do that.
So I guess my biggest draw is diversity. To be able to play and ignore what I don't like. Like PvP. There is no draw to PvP at all for me. If others like it, they're welcome to it, just don't try to tempt me. I won't bite.
I have a Lifer acct and a F2P acct and I enjoy both of them. I have certain characters who are mostly RP or mules(miners). Others who do the content when I feel like doing content.
Me, I like to experiment, no matter which faction I'm playing, so I don't always wear the 'right' uniform or carry the 'right' gun or even fly the 'right' ships. Sometimes things like that are because I can't throw money at the game like I'd like to, so I use what I can get, on either acct.
But does that make either of us wrong? No. We just have our own style and the differences make us an awesome team.
So do I. I love just coming in to do Radiation Scan Patrols, Deferi Dailies and several other fun things, plus check out the DSEs that pop up for a bit more dil and mats.
Some days I never get around to any missions and I still have a blast. Literally.
Would also love to see ent maco ground weapons to go with the uniforms and separately I’m looking so forward to hopefully getting a warship voyage one day
It's interesting I'm not the only one who wish for exploring planets:
▪ It be nice if eventually a new social area came available for Cross faction even if it was a smaller map. Trill &/or the Ferengi Planet perhaps with the Trade Commission, Grand Negus Hall, or something might be nice?
▪ It also be nice if Various Planets had weekly patrol's. Then regardless what faction you are some would give a chance to visit planet's only previously seen as a member of the major other faction as well.
Also because it's Trek.
For me I think it is a combination of several things in that I like Star Trek so getting to fly around some of those ships is great but this is not the only game I can do that and I barely play the other one. With that I would say it helps me to stay here because the level of resources needed to succeed in the game is set at a reasonable level so I can play casually or intensely as the mood takes me and feel that I can get somewhere.
Having an LTS helps with making the game more comfortable but even then there are several things which I deem out of reach, namely lockbox and lobi content, but other than that pretty much everything in game is attainable to most people. This is what I like most.
Still waiting to be able to use forum titles
If there is one thing I would like to see added to this game, it is some means to eliminate Vanity Pets from being stored in the Banks. I had mentioned a Vanity Pet tab where we can store those pets we purchase or obtain, but I wouldn't mind if they became reclaimable so that we could delete and retrieve them after we either obtained them or purchased them.
It's Star Trek.
I like the story as a whole, but liked it better when it was separated, than since it's been unified. The stories when focused to by faction were interesting because each faction track viewpoint and story beats were different even during the same point in time. Made it very enjoyable to me. When the stories merge to one track, then being anything other than Fed looses it's faction viewpoint and feel. It became to homogenized and bland to be interesting.
You can fly a ship and do away missions. Unique in the games I have encountered so far.
Customization makes it easy and fun to have alts. From the captain, the bridge officers and ships, everything can be made to look and fit to your own personal aesthetics.
Events. Even more so now that the rewards are account unlocked. I praise the person who made this change.
It's free. And the Free-to-Play model is the best that I have encountered for my ability to invest into. I even have the LTS for me.
I just wish you would maintain separate but parallel stories for each faction for each plot. To maintain the unique feel of each faction and to tell a deeper richer story overall. And give people a story reason to play all the factions. SO that they could see the story from various viewpoints.
KDF: Dahar Master Kan (Borg Klingon Tactical)::Dahar Master Torc (Alien Science)::Dahar Master Sisteric (Gorn Engineer)
RR-Fed: Citizen Sirroc (Romulan Science)::Fleet Admiral Grell (Alien Engineer)
RR-KDF: Fleet Admiral Zemo (Reman Tactical)::Fleet Admiral Xinatek (Reman Science)::Fleet Admiral Bel (Alien Engineer)
TOS-Fed: Fleet Admiral Katem (Andorian Tactical)::Lieutenant Commander Straad (Vulcan Engineer)
Dom-Fed: Dan'Tar (Jem'Hadar Science)
Dom-KDF: Kamtana'Solan (Jem'Hadar Science)
CoHost of Tribbles in Ecstasy (Zombee)
1) Episodes - I love the stories, even the goofy ones, and I have beaten all of them on elite with four different toons on PC (all factions represented) and one toon on XBOX. However, when the stories dry up I find myself moving onto other things. And I do not like having to play them multiple times to grind out sets as it feels like I am being paid in worthless digital content to work a job where my assignment is to keep your numbers up. It’s painfully obvious that you want people to replay the content to get these items in order to artificially inflate your numbers and I grow resentful and usually get burned out. Suggestion: More stories, less replay requirements. Or, make the storylines significantly different for each faction and make each reward an account unlock so I can unlock each one with a different toon.
2) PVP - I am one those hated, scorned, abhorrent players that enjoys fighting other players. I have probably sank over a thousand dollars into my builds over the years (just for PvP, more money for other things), and I have kept the pace through several different metas, managing to survive in an environment of broken/OP/ uncounterable content, having a blast at it the whole time. But I recognize PVP is out of reach for F2Pers and the vast majority of the player base, and I have grown forlorn as the PVP community has shrank and become more and more insular as the years have passed. Eventually, it became dominated by one or two fleets who exploit everything possible and got their kicks by pug stomping every single match in the arena, and though their team tactics are enviable and quite masterful, it got to the point where it was impossible to even get a single kill as a PUG and joining a competitive team wasn’t an option due to the dwindling player base. Suggestion: New maps like Ker’rat. Offer template builds on one of these maps and as a version of arena for a balanced option that casuals can enjoy. And leave the current “anything” goes version of PVP as an option for those who want to spend the money and compete at those levels. Also, fix the scoreboard as it is just embarrassing at this point.
3) Accolades - when I finally sat out to do this I had a blast. Climbing mountains on New Romulus, scouring ruins on Nimbus, replaying queues/episodes I hadn’t touched in years with my own little objectives in mind gave new life to the game. I worked my hind end off to reach 100 in Sompek. Then I started finding out that more and more of the accolades were broken or unobtainable and I lost interest, which is sad, because accolade hunting makes you see some of books and crannies of your massive universe that you otherwise wouldn’t have a reason to see. Suggestion: Fix the broken accolades, add more, make that aspect of the game a central part of the UI (the journal is too out of the way to draw interest) and offer better rewards.
4) Seasonal Events - I turn into a psychopath when the assimilated snowmen come out. I don’t know why, but I think it has something to do with the game actually being social and assessable to everyone.
Things I can no longer enjoy:
PVE Queues - Either too easy, or they’re too hard for reasons such as arbitrarily high amounts of hitpoints. The best queue in my opinion is Core Assault, as it requires actual teamwork, whereas most of them are the equivalent of turning on a fire hose and dousing the NPCs in DPS. I’d like to see more strategy, more complicated maps, and harder objectives that make you think.
Grind Events - Mirror Invasion, Crystalline, Kobyashi, etc., these events are comprised of people who want to do the bare minimum to get the reward. For many, this means never leaving the spawn. There is nothing enjoyable about running the same mission fifteen times for a piece of gear or a lackluster ship. Again, it is a blatant attempt to inflate your numbers and I don’t like being taken for a sucker. Don’t mask your inability to produce new content regularly by holding a shiny carrot in front of the playerbase so that they will play the same, effortless mission again and again. If you want to retain players like me, you have to not insult them.
Reputations - I’m sick of them. I’m sick of running the same two or three Queues over and over (if they’ll even pop) to hit that 1200+ mark threshold again and again. This is another transparent attempt to boost your numbers without actively engaging with the playerbase. Suggestion: Get rid of universal marks and make the reps account wide.
I don’t think STO needs to necessarily have a new episode every week. And I don’t think you need to revamp the mechanics again and again. What you need is to make it more social. Find weekly ways to get players to visit the various corners of the galaxy and work together. Endeavors are a great concept, but they fall short of requiring social behavior and ultimately become just another grind. There’s nothing fun about “deal 10000 Polaron dmg” or “kill a tholian commander.” What would be nice would be incentivizing something like the missions in Defera, where you have to first put a team together and work with people.
TLDR: less grind, fix the broken stuff, stop insulting me, offer an accessible version of PVP, find ways to make the game social again
Besides that the community in our cross faction fleet.
2. Relative Single-Player friendliness. I don't need a group to get my fix.
Now why am I one of the "show up for certain events / new content, otherwise check in periodically" types?
1. Perceived biases against my more "favorite" parts of Trek. See my sig. I'm a TOS/TMP guy, why are "my" "iconic" ships locked behind the most expensive methods of acquisition while the majority of the playerbase, being more TNG-era, can get their ships via C-store?
2. Space-whale driven economy. Part 1, above, might not be so bad if it wouldn't take me a year (or $1,000) to get the stuffs necessary to buy one off the exchange.
3. Boredom. Combat is DPS-centric, the only differences between the three classes is the methodology of dispensing said DPS. Doffing the same missions on my AoY that my 12 other characters have been Doffing for the past 5 years isn't exactly driving me to the DOff table - nevermind that a couple of my characters have Tuffli's so they can get to the Doffing missions better than my AoY can.
4. Grind. Play the exact same mission 50+ times to get 13 characters the set, with absolutely no variety to the mission. Do thing X daily for a month (or longer, in the case of Doffing) to get to the reward point.
5. Genericness. Why should I even bother to keep up on my KDF Sci, when I'm already getting to experience "all the content" (except Marauding DOff missions) as my ex-main Joined Trill Sci or my current main AoY Sci (or my Feddie Tac alt, or my Rommie Sci alt, or my fill-in-the-blank Alt).
6. "Feels like a job". Yeah, I could ignore all the boredom/grindiness/genericness and spend all my free time in STO doing the "optimal" things to turn my 13 characters into a massive Dil / currency farm to counter the space-whale driven economy - only taking "vacations" when new stuff comes along. But I'd rather be off in a different game instead...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
For me, story content is a big part of what makes me play STO, or any other game. I like a good story. I applaud what has been done to kind of revamp some of the early Fed missions. Though, considering I have played them more times that I can possibly count, I can't really be asked to play them AGAIN. I generally enjoy the new content that gets released as FE's and such.
Now to a major deterrent. Some players may agree and a lot will probably disagree with me. While the game throws dil. at you left and right, it also has a TON of dil sinks. New gear, ships, projects, fleet projects, comodities, and the list keeps going. With the sheer amount of dil that some fleet projects require, it sometimes makes players a bit hesitant to drop their dil. into them, considering some save it for the dil. exchange and stuff. With all the additions of ways to sink your dilithium, the refinement cap hasn't been adjusted at all. I'm not asking for any major adjustments, but maybe a small increase of 10,000 instead of what it is and has been.
The other would be the sheer amount of currencies. Rep currencies, zen, dil., lobi, event, and more. As I recall, in the distant past, the developers did away with the frustrations of many currencies, then over the years we have added even more than the orignal cast asside currencies of days past. To a new player, this may seem extremely daunting.
Keep up the good work and Victory is Life!
Stay FABULOUS friends!