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Proposal: A queue system for Episodes
ihatepwe735
Member Posts: 337 Arc User
When STO was launched you literally had to fly _everywhere_ to do anything. Even the PvE and PvP battlezones where star systems you flew to - and to a degree they still are - flying to a number of systems brings up a somewhat confusing dialog that brings up the Queue interface.
Over time this was refined and a queue system was added allowing players to queue for PvP and PvE queues from anywhere. And this really opened up the endgame - players could base themselves wherever they wanted - ESD or some Fleet holding - chat with friends and simply queue for content.
Alerts were (Eventually) added to this.
I feel it is seriously about time to close the loop and add the remaining sector space content: Patrols and missions.
I imagine an interface - somewhat similar to the PvE queue interface - with elements of the Admiralty interface. In it - a selection of available episodes, patrols and even foundry missions would be displayed. Selecting a mission allows the player to choose a ship from their active ships and then a timer starts. When the timer dings, the player can accept the mission - which transports the player and activates the appropriate ship into the mission instance - and like a queue - invites any Team mates to come along.
Using active ships means that
* players are encouraged to buy and equip multiple mission ready ships
* encourages players to buy more active ship slots
* provides a measure of balance in that players are limited to the number of missions they can have "active" to the number of ship slots they have.
Using a timer before the mission becomes ready means that
* Players know this is a secondary not primary way to do missions.
* Players are still encouraged to fly to mission locations
* Throttles the number of missions players can cycle through in this way.
Mixing up Foundry, Episode and Patrol content means that
* STO can present players with a more dynamic list of content to play
* Completely new mission types can be developed and slotted into the system
* Advancement through episode content would be managed like DOFF assignment chains.
This supports the general direction being taken by the Endeavour and Personal Endeavor system in that it gives the players semi random objectives to complete - which is great for solving the end-game fatigue many players suffer when, because there are so many potential things to do - players don't know which one to choose, and/or just choose the "optimal" option which quickly gets boring.
In summary:
* it drives the sale of ships and ship slots
* it presents existing content in an interesting way
* it allows players the option of choosing a social zone to live in for the purposes of chat etc without constraining their ability to do missions.
Over time this was refined and a queue system was added allowing players to queue for PvP and PvE queues from anywhere. And this really opened up the endgame - players could base themselves wherever they wanted - ESD or some Fleet holding - chat with friends and simply queue for content.
Alerts were (Eventually) added to this.
I feel it is seriously about time to close the loop and add the remaining sector space content: Patrols and missions.
I imagine an interface - somewhat similar to the PvE queue interface - with elements of the Admiralty interface. In it - a selection of available episodes, patrols and even foundry missions would be displayed. Selecting a mission allows the player to choose a ship from their active ships and then a timer starts. When the timer dings, the player can accept the mission - which transports the player and activates the appropriate ship into the mission instance - and like a queue - invites any Team mates to come along.
Using active ships means that
* players are encouraged to buy and equip multiple mission ready ships
* encourages players to buy more active ship slots
* provides a measure of balance in that players are limited to the number of missions they can have "active" to the number of ship slots they have.
Using a timer before the mission becomes ready means that
* Players know this is a secondary not primary way to do missions.
* Players are still encouraged to fly to mission locations
* Throttles the number of missions players can cycle through in this way.
Mixing up Foundry, Episode and Patrol content means that
* STO can present players with a more dynamic list of content to play
* Completely new mission types can be developed and slotted into the system
* Advancement through episode content would be managed like DOFF assignment chains.
This supports the general direction being taken by the Endeavour and Personal Endeavor system in that it gives the players semi random objectives to complete - which is great for solving the end-game fatigue many players suffer when, because there are so many potential things to do - players don't know which one to choose, and/or just choose the "optimal" option which quickly gets boring.
In summary:
* it drives the sale of ships and ship slots
* it presents existing content in an interesting way
* it allows players the option of choosing a social zone to live in for the purposes of chat etc without constraining their ability to do missions.
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Comments
I rather not have what I do in the game predestined or prearranged by some random selection by the program (I turned off the Endeavor UI). I like to pick and choose which missions and patrols I want to do and repeat on my own. And I would like to repeat them as many times as I need to.
I enjoy flying around hunting for DOFF assignments...because it feels like I "found" a mission to send my crew out on...instead of sitting at a desk playing admin clicking through a menu like Admiralty is.
Just because they found a way to incentivize by adding a small reward for players to repeat play the queues for a while....that, too, will bore players, eventually.
They need to come up with something new and a challenge...not just re-arrange and repackage what they already have.
P.S. If you did not know this already....they made all Transwarp to Mission destinations free to use. You can get to anywhere in the game now, without using sector space, if you so choose to.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
In System Space, click on the "Switch Starship" button, it brings up a menu called "Switch Active Starship". Clicking on a ship on that list will change ships for you.
It is at the bottom left hand side of the Status page.....below the list of BOFFs.
It works in System Space, I am not sure if it works while you are in a mission or TFO, though....but those take place in System Space, too, so it probably does.
PLUS side: if you have the option to "Move Equipped Items to Newly Readied Ship" turned on....you don't have to have everything already set up on other ships unless you want to. And you can carry the few consoles etc...to fill in when you need.
I took a picture: https://i.imgur.com/7jYq730.jpg
I am sure someone who uses that system can explain all the intricacies of what happens if slots don't match up between ships.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
However other mission "types" suddenly also become convenient and easy:
* I could send ships to Patrols
* I could send ships to space battle zones like the Solanae Dyson Sphere.
* I could send ships to orbit planets with ground open mission zones like Nakura, New Romulus or that desert planet.
* I could send ships to give access to dilithium mining.
* I could send ships to fleet holdings.
Sure, with no other changes one could game the system by switching ships when you "claimed" a mission. But really I'd expect people to mostly want to have mission appropriate ships sent to each of these locations. But I can now have an interface that lets me "transwarp" to any destination, with my current team, do a mission, a battlezone, or contribute to a fleet event, and when I'm done return to my previous location to continue, say, the winter event, or manipulating the exchange, or fiddle with my ship build in the shipyard in ESD or whatever takes my fancy.