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Age of Discovery: First thoughts... (Possible Spoilers)

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  • tiekosoratiekosora Member Posts: 325 Arc User
    At risk of sounding like a Cryptic apologist, I suspect the reason this seemed rushed, and the tutorial was essentially a reskin of the existing one, is because CBS forced this on them, with a ridiculous deadline. The second season of the show doesn't premiere until mid-January. This could have waited til then, so as to polish things up, add a little more here and there, and do a distinct tutorial, though not nearly as long.

    As far as only three race selections, you CAN make just about any race using the alien. I made a Denobulan in no time flat. An Andorian would have been as easy, maybe easier. I was a little disappointed that the bank was not on the Disco academy map. But it really didn't matter, as the weapons on the ship scale really well, and all I would have gotten was some EC from the account bank.

    In regards to the starter Walker-class, it does seem a bit overpowered, but I guess that is because of the number of weapons right off the bat. All in all, I do like not having to change ships every rank. On the TV shows, the hero ships are there for the long haul. I would like to see other low tier ships get the same treatment in regards to leveling up with us.

    I didn't do many RTFOs, but the system seems to work well for me so far. Also, some of the changes within existing 2409 era missions, were great. The sudden jump from fighting Undine Sokketh on the ground to beaming up to fight the space battle, seemed to have no real segue. The interactions with the Klingons, while in orbit, did seem to make much more sense. One last note, I think that with the way the final mission ended, and how we were thrust into the 25th Century, this would have been a perfect time to do another Temporal Agent event.
    18EOWbV.jpg

    They make a wondrous mess of things. Brave amateurs, they do their part.
  • captainkoltarcaptainkoltar Member Posts: 895 Arc User
    Yeah I think you're right about the time pressure thing. A damn shame too, as there were some elements (maps and assets) that I really did like.

    Incidentally (and too late for you now), you can get at the Account Bank from the bridge of your ship while in the 23rd century.
  • dogmaticusdogmaticus Member Posts: 82 Arc User
    Actually they do mention that this is just the start of the longer DSC arc. Which is great. Even in the reskinned tutorial it all seems a bit more... mature. I don't know why. Maybe the revamped Klingons are simply more menacing, or it's the better mimics of the character models.

    I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more DSC content, as the series is really looking great. Can't wait for the second season :).
  • avoozuulavoozuul Member Posts: 3,196 Arc User
    edited October 2018
    I can't place any thoughts on it as the patching process has been going at a crawl for me all day for a 6GB patch. It's taken me 8 hours and I am only just at 86.88% downloaded. Patching has never gone this slow for me before.
  • galman1galman1 Member Posts: 9 Arc User
    I am glad to see I wasn't the only one doing a double take while playing the tutorial mission. I thought to myself, they changed graphics, sounds, and the species involved but it was essentially just a redo of that tutorial mission you had to go through with you toon in the past. That made think okay this is the best they could come up with. Aren't their any new storylines to be found in ST Discovery? This entire idea sounds like had to cook it quickly and instead of letting it simmer in the over, then went to microwave.

    I have no idea what their long term goal is, but this is like taking a helium balloon that people ride over things like the napa valley and then totally deflating as fast as possible. It sure would have been nice if they didn't have any fresh ideas and they were under pressure with CBS that they could explain how rushing this could backfire (if CBS even listened to the devs or the devs had already thought to themselves this was a chessy way to bring Discovery into the STO Universe). I don't know what it is like when you toon finished that incredible SMALL introduction to the Disc. universe before you merge into STO. Their phasers were more cannon like (I did not mean canon just in case any mistook my words).

    Now I assume in the move from Discovery timeline to current they just found a better timeline where they weren't losing to the Klingons and no one asked. They now have access to ships with much greater power/weapons/engines etc much like the AOY which at least had a reason for being thrown into the STO universe that suppose to happen further along after STNG.

    So now we have 3 types of klingons possible, no ridges, ruffles with ridges and ones that look like they swirled up the ridges before trying to draw straight lines and don't even really talk like the Klingon that most of us non-discovery types grew up on and still see as the way a Klingon is.

    I agree with the klingon players who would like to have seen things from the klingon view, maybe they couldn't change the art work enough for the Klingon tutorials or something. To me this big Discovery moment has at least been to me a real roar no one can hear.

    It appears we have to earn 250K for mark VI. Doesn't make sense when you compare the pace for I-V. I know it was made to be something will take time to do, but is it more grind to hide the missing content or shorten content or storylines awaiting upgrades. Sure I get 5k per daily and up to 10k per day combined (based on my first toon/main), what do I need to get the supposed Mk XIV or XV or do you still have to manually upgrade not sure.

    However no "bonus" or recruit event like with Delta, Temporal and VIL/Gamma really felt like a hit to the gut not giving me any incentive to worry about getting into this new toon quickly.

    Oh well as one person said when I expressed my concerns before, It is add on content that I don't have to play and can stick to what is left of the normal STO but with some pauses as content gets a gfx makeup improvement.
  • marty123#3757 marty123 Member Posts: 670 Arc User
    > @jonsills said:
    > So, how do they voice the captain when you can be any gender, any appearance, and one of a number of species? What accent should they use, and what if they go with, say, a Received English accent but my captain hails from Canton?
    >
    > Relax, and remember that this is early days for Starfleet yet. There aren't that many species in it (Spock was one of the first Vulcans to serve on a mixed-species crew; the Valiant was the Vulcan ship in the fleet in TOS). The only reason we get a choice at all is because there are several species aboard Discovery.
    >
    > I did like the Rush easter egg in the tutorial, and am wondering who the fan is in the dev community.

    Not to mention you’d need multiple accents for humans
  • roger562roger562 Member Posts: 1 New User
    Age of discovery was super dissaopinting, they could have easily allowed us to continue to play in the 23rd century and continue updating the story as the story progressed but its just another way to start a federation character and its completely pointless. If I wanted to play the federation storyline again I would have made a starfleet character again! We should honestly all write to them telling them to change this because its completely stupid and pointless.
  • cristonic2cristonic2 Member Posts: 68 Arc User
    Cryptic, you had such a shot here. You had a chance to prove me wrong (and honestly, with the bets I won, I am happy you didn't). All you had to do was become creative, you know, that thing that Developers used to become when designing and writing. Of course you didn't become creative, you either recolored or reskined everything you could from the game and called it new, all the way down the the toast at SFA. Really, I have been around since launch, and at one time, you had good writers and creators. But this has to be the exact reason I dislike Discovery itself, it's a pile of junk piled on more junk that makes no sense and has no purpose other than keeping the Axanar idea from happening while they hold that up in court. Discovery is their way of trying to beat everyone to the punch, and it's failed horribly. Netflix isn't paying for any of it anymore...they did pay for the first season completely BTW. So right now, you have made exactly what fits the Discovery plates, a total rip off and a poorly made season, thank you for being so predictable.
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    edited October 2018
    I see quite a few comments about the Klingon's looks, language, about origins, etc.
    Know that discovery is NOT part of OUR reality.
    They come from some mirror universe type reality, where things took a turn for the odd.
    I mean, come on... a mushroom engine?
    Instant hopping to where-ever?

    One can say a lot, come up with a million reasons to disclaim this, but really?

    We should have heard at least from a FEW people in that era that were involved, but no.
    And so, it can become as crazy as they like.

    The can add magic, unicorns, trolls, dragons, planet sized chickens, gigantic space whale... oh wait...

    Point is, new world, new players, new boss... new rules...
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    Heh, about the Gigantic Space Whale card, they actually DID play this one in Discovery.
    Who knows what I am talking about? ;)
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,354 Arc User
    edited October 2018
    kiksken wrote: »
    I see quite a few comments about the Klingon's looks, language, about origins, etc.
    Know that discovery is NOT part of OUR reality.
    They come from some mirror universe type reality, where things took a turn for the odd.
    Wrong. And this is getting really tired.

    As I pointed out in discussions in-game, that's what Klingons look like in 2265. Ten years later they look like Puerto Ricans with Fu Manchu moustaches. Ten years after that, to quote Voltaire,

    "Now they look like heavy-metal rockers from the dead,
    With leather pants and frizzy hair and lobsters on their heads!"


    Apparently not only are the Klingons unafraid of genetic engineering, they actually use it cosmetically. Given the LEGO Genetics of Star Trek, they probably do have "a gene" for straight or curly hair, rather than it being the messy combination of genetic markers one sees in the real world.
    Lorna-Wing-sig.png
  • postagepaidpostagepaid Member Posts: 2,899 Arc User
    Mission rewards at 65 are generic mk11 greens, REALLY! Who is it thinks that the writing and production quality is good enough that players don't deserve something for suffering through them? No loot drops either, another factor that kills replayability as does the apparent lack of ship mastery points.

    Intro to the arc for a non disco character is quimby hailing you that jula has appeared but while that is the first you've heard about it he talks like it's common knowledge. Where's the continuity or grasp that stories usually have a beginning middle and end, even those that dance about with flashbacks do so.

    My jem hadar has all the arcs locked back up tighter than a nuns chastity belt, even those they were in the middle of so even getting to the disco content on them will be a major slog since the skip button is still absent.

    Streamlining the journal and not putting in the much requested skip mission button or the option to skip an entire arc isn't streamlining, its slapping a new coat of paint over a patch of rust and thinking it'll be fine.

    Dr chan was annoying with iffy dialogue, joins cooper in the list of doctors that need spaced at birth, kensington was a better fit. You're still doing the BS of slapping a cutscene into the middle of a fight who then hails you while the fight is going on so you miss what they're saying because the slightest tickle of damage makes the box go away. The ship then blinked about spinning and not doing very much of use making me wonder why I had to wait on them to help.

    On board the glenn was something of a relief to see a move back from the show accurate scaling mentality that plagues ds9. The lack of enemies spawning inside walls was a blessed relief after the victory is waiting arc although they still can't cope with going through doorways.

    Why was I shown in a cutscene protecting the shuttle as it made its escape, the thing we were heading there to stop? It came way too soon in that sequence and most of the shuttle bay is invisible walled. Could have easily been something more epic if you'd opened up the bay and timed the scene better.

    Had to restart the space section after a discoklink flew into the station, got stuck and couldn't be shot at from any angle.

    Oh and the DV cluster needs to be in from the edge of the map, especially if the satnav is never going to be fixed to take you to those stationary points in space rather than up to10ly away.
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    edited October 2018
    sophlogimo wrote: »
    kiksken wrote: »
    Heh, about the Gigantic Space Whale card, they actually DID play this one in Discovery.
    Who knows what I am talking about? ;)

    Mudd. Harry Mudd.
    Ummm no...
    Something really blown out of proportion, I mean.
    It is quite obvious...
    Or it should be.
    jonsills wrote: »
    kiksken wrote: »
    I see quite a few comments about the Klingon's looks, language, about origins, etc.
    Know that discovery is NOT part of OUR reality.
    They come from some mirror universe type reality, where things took a turn for the odd.
    Wrong. And this is getting really tired.

    As I pointed out in discussions in-game, that's what Klingons look like in 2265. Ten years later they look like Puerto Ricans with Fu Manchu moustaches. Ten years after that, to quote Voltaire,

    "Now they look like heavy-metal rockers from the dead,
    With leather pants and frizzy hair and lobsters on their heads!"


    Apparently not only are the Klingons unafraid of genetic engineering, they actually use it cosmetically. Given the LEGO Genetics of Star Trek, they probably do have "a gene" for straight or curly hair, rather than it being the messy combination of genetic markers one sees in the real world.
    Oh, wow, you speak looks... how very cute.
    And what about all the frikken rest then?
    Their version of EVERYTHING?
    Quite shortsighted, IMHO.
    Read below, Postagepaid's text, about everything in it supports my theory.
    Mission rewards at 65 are generic mk11 greens, REALLY! Who is it thinks that the writing and production quality is good enough that players don't deserve something for suffering through them? No loot drops either, another factor that kills replayability as does the apparent lack of ship mastery points.

    Intro to the arc for a non disco character is quimby hailing you that jula has appeared but while that is the first you've heard about it he talks like it's common knowledge. Where's the continuity or grasp that stories usually have a beginning middle and end, even those that dance about with flashbacks do so.

    My jem hadar has all the arcs locked back up tighter than a nuns chastity belt, even those they were in the middle of so even getting to the disco content on them will be a major slog since the skip button is still absent.

    Streamlining the journal and not putting in the much requested skip mission button or the option to skip an entire arc isn't streamlining, its slapping a new coat of paint over a patch of rust and thinking it'll be fine.

    Dr chan was annoying with iffy dialogue, joins cooper in the list of doctors that need spaced at birth, kensington was a better fit. You're still doing the BS of slapping a cutscene into the middle of a fight who then hails you while the fight is going on so you miss what they're saying because the slightest tickle of damage makes the box go away. The ship then blinked about spinning and not doing very much of use making me wonder why I had to wait on them to help.

    On board the glenn was something of a relief to see a move back from the show accurate scaling mentality that plagues ds9. The lack of enemies spawning inside walls was a blessed relief after the victory is waiting arc although they still can't cope with going through doorways.

    Why was I shown in a cutscene protecting the shuttle as it made its escape, the thing we were heading there to stop? It came way too soon in that sequence and most of the shuttle bay is invisible walled. Could have easily been something more epic if you'd opened up the bay and timed the scene better.

    Had to restart the space section after a discoklink flew into the station, got stuck and couldn't be shot at from any angle.

    Oh and the DV cluster needs to be in from the edge of the map, especially if the satnav is never going to be fixed to take you to those stationary points in space rather than up to10ly away.
    Indeed, absolutely NOTHING is known from 'that timeline'.
    No mushroom engine, no characters, nada.
    Not much even resembles Star Trek as we knew it before Discovery.
    Damn, some of the tech there even exceeds ours in our timeline, really?

    The Discovery folks seemingly made sure to have ABSOLUTELY no tie in with the original ST, having it's own universe.
    But that is OK, even STO actually tieying it in, and the way how... FOR NEW DISCOVERY CHARACTERS.
    You begin in the Discovery realm, 23hundreds, Klingon diva uses weapon, goes wrong, and voila, here they are, WITH YOU.
    Short and simply put.
    And Daniels gives you the go to hunt her down before she marries a Teletubby, live many and had long children.
    Because that would upset the timeline...
    And we cannot have that... can we.
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    The entire arc is a shorter TOS styled arc with a reskinned Fed Tutorial.

    And the end of the arc once again Daniels drags you to the 25th century and once again you're right back in Federation proper like TOS captains.

    What a gyp and totally lazy. The tutorial was a beat by beat rehash of the Fed Tutorial.

    But cheap starting package and the tier 1-4 ship, I might hate that clqss but 7 weapons locked and cocked at tier 1 ship, good god. Wish I could reskin that for other ships!

    DSC could of done what I wanted TOS to do, an anthology series covering missing parts of Star Trek lore, but I knew it would not be.

    I am loathe to call this an actual expansion. Major dud.
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  • kyle223catkyle223cat Member Posts: 584 Arc User
    I liked the new UI for Discovery characters. Hated that the tutorial was just a re-skinned Federation tutorial. It felt cheap and embarrassing.
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  • nevioninevioni Member Posts: 1 Arc User
    Played through Discovery last night and I like it, People seem to be miffed that it is a reskin of the older Federation tutorial but to be honest that makes sense to me, They are both Federation characters just in different era's so the tutorial reflects that, same mission different era. I also don't see it as an issue as Discovery seems to be aimed at new players coming in from the latest series as apposed to vets. Updated graphics and dialog are well done, particularly like the sunset; ship skin and weapons etc. look real nice. I found myself lolling at some of the facial expressions (doubt that was the intention)
  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,354 Arc User
    It's entirely a reskin? Huh. I must have missed the part in the original tutorial where we rushed home after Vega IX only to watch the Borg destroy ESD while firing a universe-rending weapon.
    Lorna-Wing-sig.png
  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,100 Arc User
    jonsills wrote: »
    It's entirely a reskin? Huh. I must have missed the part in the original tutorial where we rushed home after Vega IX only to watch the Borg destroy ESD while firing a universe-rending weapon.

    That isn't the tutorial.
    2gdi5w4mrudm.png
    Typhoon Class please!
  • bendalekbendalek Member Posts: 1,781 Arc User
    What I'd "like" to see, is an option for DSC Toons (and perhaps those others, over lvl 65, who completed ALL story missions) is to unlock a Discovery Era Starfleet Academy/HQ and be able to not only "Role Play" with other DSC Toons, but also purchase DSC Weapons/Equipment from vendors. (Oh and for Spocks sake, add Mail/Bank/Exchange to the Discovery Starfleet Academy ... please).

    Also, I could "maybe" see them doing a DSC Klingon tutorial, as the current one has you also fighting the Federation, so it wouldn't be that much of a stretch, and it would be kinda cool seeing things from the "other" perspective. They could maybe have you play as an "obscure" Klingon Political/Cultural faction, to explain the appearance differences.
    Oh, hoho hohhhhh, Oh,, hoho, hohhhhh
    My%20STO%20Sig%20Clear_zps5etu86s1.png
  • nikephorusnikephorus Member Posts: 2,744 Arc User
    > @evilmark444 said:
    > I lost a massive amount of interest when I realized the new tutorial is just an unskippable reskin of the normal Fed tutorial. Some Mary Wiseman voiceovers don't change the fact that I've played all of that before, and forcing myself through that ridiculously long tutorial again before I can get to the new stuff is a real struggle.

    This was my reaction as well... then I found out there was also no rewards. That ended my TRIBBLE journey really quickly. This was probably the worst season I've ever seen. They removed the red alerts, reworked the tutorial with tilly voice overs and expanded the rep grind. That's literally it...
    Tza0PEl.png
  • cha0tic1acha0tic1a Member Posts: 77 Arc User
    edited October 2018
    Reskin of normal Fed tutorial... I'm okay with that TBH.
    There are enough differences to not bore me to death, I like the reference to Finnegan playing tricks on Kirk as I just watched that episode.
    Hull breach cut scene was very good.

    Bad things...Felt too rushed to get into normal content, should have 'padded' it out with patrol missions at least.
    And I would have loved to watch the combats but because of the bright light visual spam out of control that didn't happen...get this sorted please across the board as it's really me off annoying.
  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,354 Arc User
    Thay, everything up until you get hit by the weapon and shunted ahead is still officially part of the tutorial. The new AoD missions will apparently come later, according to the interview given by Geko and the author of the IDW DSC comics. (Also, it seems Kurtzman is in fact working closely with Cryptic during development of the new Picard show, as it's Kurtzman's hope to create a cohesive Trekverse across several media, including STO.)

    As for the earlier portions, as I noted, there are going to be similarities because the purpose of a tutorial is to teach new players how to do things, not to keep veterans entertained. That's why vets have the option to skip tutorials.
    Lorna-Wing-sig.png
  • kibi#8855 kibi Member Posts: 101 Arc User
    I'm only disappointed that there isn't more, which means I clearly liked whats been offered so far, having the discovery type weapons level with the walker class would have been nice but i'll never get bored of the new warp effect.
  • burstorionburstorion Member Posts: 1,750 Arc User
    All I can say is two things

    1) What a difference (a bad difference) to ViL
    2) Regarding the missions - for me if there is no loot, there will be no boots (on the ground). I was prepared to drag myself through the new missions for new shiny toys but with nothing to gain and my disdain for TRIBBLE; I think these missions will never be touched by me

    As to TFOs, as an avid elite player; it kind of is galling to do an advanced, get a common tfo box and get more dil/mark rewards combined than doing an elite as is when anyone with enough time in sto remembers the ISE->ISA 'reasoning' the devs made, lowering the dil reward by making ISE into ISA as it was considered too much reward for the skill involved - however now I can field a 'meh, It'll do' ship/ground build and get as much reward (if not more) than I'd have gotten from an Elite of the same kind!

    Add to that fact the TFO box is mark choice and its even better as now I can do a snoozefest advanced and get the option to split my reward marks to a different rep and can play the 'eh, I hate this map -> bail and take the penalty by moving to another alt' game, rather than having to do it to earn what I desire
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