well, in my OPINION the graphics were not what i've expected, Perpetual had superior graphics to STO... and no Alikar... it will not be the death for EVE
I'm hoping that the gameplay will be better then the trailer... sincerely
Trailer looked pretty good, but they have plenty to do in the art department before this game goes live, if it is to be of interest to most Trek fans.
#1: Graphics looked sub-par, especiailly on the planet-side graphics. Space-graphics looked okay, but nothing spectacular. Eve Online has superior space graphics, and it's run on a single server, much like Jack Emmert said he wishes STO to be. I for one hope the graphics gets an upgrade before it goes live.
#2: Some of the ships seen looked pretty good, but the NX01/Sovvy wannabe needs to go. It had a mixture of NX01 and Sovvy nacelles, and a weird "pod" thingy between it's two nacelles. Just the look of the nacelles indicates to me that the game has the potential to "go where so many other Trek games have gone before"... straight in the trash.
#3: Gameplay-wise from what little we actually saw, has its potentials. Much more would need to be revealed for me to be truly interested in this MMO.
#4: They said the game is set in the year 2409. We have at least 3 separate Trek episodes which clearly indicates what the look of Starfleet will be around this time, at least when it comes to uniform design. The TNG/VOY-style uniforms from the trailer, is NOT what is suppose to be in use according to canon. Designers should have a look at TNG's "All Good Things", DS9's "The Visitor" and VOY's "Endgame". All take place around the year of 2404, merely 5 years pre-STO.
In conclusion: The game certainly has potential... but it is far from being "LIVE-worthy" to live up to standards required by most gamers today. I will not buy this game simply because it has the label "Star Trek" on the title. Cryptic needs to prove alot more for this game before I make my decision.
Well...needless to say the graphics will be polished and overhauled ALOT before Beta even opens let alone going live, it's the nature of development I would say that having game play like that is quite a promising sign at this stage! ...but...comparing a EARLY gameplay mock-up to a game thats been developed, released and has had years of polish and an entirely new engine and look tacked onto it like EVE has is hardly a fair comparison. (Before they upgraded the look of EVE I always thought the games ships and stations looked rather bad compared to the look of space) Writing off or condemning something at this stage isn't giving the game a chance at all.
I would think that after watching the pod cast, if they deliver half the things they said they were going to do with the game then I think STO will be the game alot of folks are looking for and not another twitch grindfest like many had feared it would be, I know I feel alot better right now! Personally I think a hats off to Cryptic for putting things together like they are at this early stage is in order. Can't wait to see how it comes along in the following year/ years :P and hopefully we get all the things that they would like to bring us
Well...needless to say the graphics will be polished and overhauled ALOT before Beta even opens let alone going live, it's the nature of development I would say that having game play like that is quite a promising sign at this stage! ...but...comparing a EARLY gameplay mock-up to a game thats been developed, released and has had years of polish and an entirely new engine and look tacked onto it like EVE has is hardly a fair comparison. (Before they upgraded the look of EVE I always thought the games ships and stations looked rather bad compared to the look of space) Writing off or condemning something at this stage isn't giving the game a chance at all.
I would think that after watching the pod cast, if they deliver half the things they said they were going to do with the game then I think STO will be the game alot of folks are looking for and not another twitch grindfest like many had feared it would be, I know I feel alot better right now! Personally I think a hats off to Cryptic for putting things together like they are at this early stage is in order. Can't wait to see how it comes along in the following year/ years :P and hopefully we get all the things that they would like to bring us
Well said Sir!
I agree in that shooting holes into what Cryptic has shown us at the present moment in time would be counter productive. Things will be polished before it is released out into the open world.
I also must agree and say well done to Cryptic for what they've accomplished so far in the development process. I am amazed by what they have done in the time they have had up to this point. Nothing to sneeze at friends. I'm looking forward to seeing what else is in store for STO.
I still get goosebumps/chill down the spine feeling plus a smile every time I watch the trailer.
#2: Some of the ships seen looked pretty good, but the NX01/Sovvy wannabe needs to go. It had a mixture of NX01 and Sovvy nacelles, and a weird "pod" thingy between it's two nacelles. Just the look of the nacelles indicates to me that the game has the potential to "go where so many other Trek games have gone before"... straight in the trash.
The team member flying that ship might have customized his ship to look like that. You can customize your ships, you know.
good footage, and good webcast. Jack Emmeret said "within 3 years" considering how long they have had the license thats not a lot of time. Then again they had this much put together already.. thats impressive. Someone asked about the Klingons firing on the federation. during the webcast it was mentioned that the federation and Empire dont get along as well as they used to... from what we saw, thats an understatement
#2: Some of the ships seen looked pretty good, but the NX01/Sovvy wannabe needs to go. It had a mixture of NX01 and Sovvy nacelles, and a weird "pod" thingy between it's two nacelles. Just the look of the nacelles indicates to me that the game has the potential to "go where so many other Trek games have gone before"... straight in the trash.
#3: Gameplay-wise from what little we actually saw, has its potentials. Much more would need to be revealed for me to be truly interested in this MMO.
#4: They said the game is set in the year 2409. We have at least 3 separate Trek episodes which clearly indicates what the look of Starfleet will be around this time, at least when it comes to uniform design. The TNG/VOY-style uniforms from the trailer, is NOT what is suppose to be in use according to canon. Designers should have a look at TNG's "All Good Things", DS9's "The Visitor" and VOY's "Endgame". All take place around the year of 2404, merely 5 years pre-STO.
In conclusion: The game certainly has potential... but it is far from being "LIVE-worthy" to live up to standards required by most gamers today. I will not buy this game simply because it has the label "Star Trek" on the title. Cryptic needs to prove alot more for this game before I make my decision.
That "pod" thingy is what's known as a weapons pod. A good example of it in action is in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Edit: Looking at it again, it may also be a fifth implulse engine as well (it has four of them on the saucer section, a pair on each side of the back).
There is time yet for development of the game, this is merely how it looks at this given time.
Since this is generally accepted by the developers to not be taken canonically (TV shows and movies are one thing, but novels and computer/console games are another), it's not such a big deal if they don't follow exactly what is shown. And there's plenty variation between the uniforms shown in the 'future' episodes, to allow differences anyways.
Second, interior graphics, okay but lacking. I know with time these will be polished, but I'll throw my two cents in and hope that uniforms completely overhauled. Hire the designers of the Perpetual uniforms.
EDIT: Wait... 2-3 years away yet? Blah. Too long await to maintain any form of interest.
thanks for the link. I was watchin the webcast live and it was outstanding. Awesome to answer questions and have a nice presentation AND a trailer. Excellent job
Second, interior graphics, okay but lacking. I know with time these will be polished, but I'll throw my two cents in and hope that uniforms completely overhauled. Hire the designers of the Perpetual uniforms.
The trailer showed a couple different uniform designs, both of which i like.
Personally i prefer the voyager uniforms to TNG but both are excellent.
Second, interior graphics, okay but lacking. I know with time these will be polished, but I'll throw my two cents in and hope that uniforms completely overhauled. Hire the designers of the Perpetual uniforms.
The Perpetual costumes, errr, uniforms were too clunky. Very '90's comic book hero, with all those accessories, straps and so on.
The ones shown are a combination of the different uniforms, but with some noticiable differences.
Golden (Engineering) and red (command) uniforms have are mostly grey with the appropriate colour for the shoulders, and black collars. The blue (science) uniform is mostly blue with black shoulders. Fasinating. Then there's the guy with mostly grey with black shoulders.... Is that guy a member of the Security (possibly Marine) branch?
Considering the past history of the two galactic powers, here's my theory:
The Federation's ready to expand, thanks to the transwarp conduit technology. The Klingons are worried that this will leave their Empire to stagnate, and possibly die while the Federation picks up the pieces. Maybe the Federation offers to share the technology if the Klingons become members of the Federation.
I wouldn't doubt that the Klingons demanded to use the transwarp technology so they could expand their empire. When the Federation refused, the Klingons broke off from their truce and sought to rip it from the hands of their former allies. After all, they both have their ideas of how to expand and the Klingons aren't exactly the type to not seize any opportunity that they they can find to test their warrior mettle and lay claim to the galaxy.
So far so good Hoping we'll get some glimpses of what exactly we can look forward to insofar as the gameplay itself is. I like the immersion for starships and planets on an even keel, adventures everywhere you go. Looking forward to being in game!!
Considering the past history of the two galactic powers, here's my theory:
The Federation's ready to expand, thanks to the transwarp conduit technology. The Klingons are worried that this will leave their Empire to stagnate, and possibly die while the Federation picks up the pieces. Maybe the Federation offers to share the technology if the Klingons become members of the Federation.
I wouldn't doubt that the Klingons demanded to use the transwarp technology so they could expand their empire. When the Federation refused, the Klingons broke off from their truce and sought to rip it from the hands of their former allies. After all, they both have their ideas of how to expand and the Klingons aren't exactly the type to not seize any opportunity that they they can find to test their warrior mettle and lay claim to the galaxy.
Wow. :eek:
I must admit that is a very logical and possibility. It makes sense to me.
Considering the past history of the two galactic powers, here's my theory:
The Federation's ready to expand, thanks to the transwarp conduit technology. The Klingons are worried that this will leave their Empire to stagnate, and possibly die while the Federation picks up the pieces. Maybe the Federation offers to share the technology if the Klingons become members of the Federation.
I wouldn't doubt that the Klingons demanded to use the transwarp technology so they could expand their empire. When the Federation refused, the Klingons broke off from their truce and sought to rip it from the hands of their former allies. After all, they both have their ideas of how to expand and the Klingons aren't exactly the type to not seize any opportunity that they they can find to test their warrior mettle and lay claim to the galaxy.
I hope not, it's possible, it looks like STO's main PvP avenue, I wonder what Nimoy said about that having been such a large part of Trek 6's story. Making peace with the Klingons was a monumental victory for Galactic peace, and in it's own reflection on earth, the end of the cold war and the wall coming down.
A most enjoyable preview trailer, and a pretty good presentation, down to earth detailed info on what's coming. Thank you for your honesty Cryptic and not giving us the usual bells and whistles. This license has had more than it's share.
Also thank you for keeping the basic gameplay focused around the player but with great potential for teamwork.
Thank you also for understanding that we don't all have 30hrs a week to spend on these games even though we would like to sometimes.
And above all else... THANK YOU FOR UNLEASHING THE KLINGON EMPIRE!!!
Soon it will return to its Glory days of conquest and Honor. Qa'Pla!!!
Just downloaded and watched the Movie , and um this is a very sad day ... Where I was looking forward to this game. Based on the video , now I am not.
The Graphics are Sub Par compared to other Space related games such as Eve Online and even E&B.
E&B graphics are actually on par with this , and Eve Online blow these graphics out of the water with a much sharper and cleaner look.
I'm really dissappointed , having been looking forward to this for a while , and having played most of the SCI FI MMO's (Anarchy Online, Eve Online, Earth and Beyond) , this is a huge let down.
With Age of Conan , Requiem and other Extremely High Quality Graphics (Sharp, Clean, Sophisticated) MMO's just coming out, and not to mention what will be possible within the next year... to see something that reminds me of a Sub Par Saturday morning cartoon for STO is just extremely sad.
GREAT to finally see this come to life and the scope of the game looks immense so Kudos to Cryptic for having the guts to go for it... really excited.
GAMEPLAY:
Massive game, tons of game play mechanics to work out, a lot of balancing and systems to deal with... hard to tell from the footage how that's all going to work out BUT... if I can be a Klingon and kick the TRIBBLE out of the Federation that might be all I need!
VISUALS:
Overall:
I thought it was a polished dev demo... not a polished shipped game demo. To me it looks like the lighting model needs work. I didn't see any dynamic shadows in space, no real bloom anywhere, no player / AI shadows etc. I'm not sure if these things will be implemented but to me... space and the ships / planets in it looked a little flat at this point.
Ships:
Loved the variation of ships and can't wait to see more. I agree with those who have said some of the ships may have come across looking strange because of user customization. Can't wait to see what the possibilities there are. Again a better lighting model will help bring out the scale and detail of the designs. Warp looked nice and the impulse engine trail was nice as well.
Space:
I was a little underwhelmed BUT... again, dev art. A lot of people have been comparing the look to EVE and I think that's fair.. .in that... it's not there yet. Space felt really disjointed to me. A lot of elements, a lot of colour and asteroid belts but you could FEEL the separation of the parts, the whole didn't come together for me. At times I could almost see the geometry that was being used to encapsulate the elements.
Polish and lighting will take care of all of that down the road I'm sure.
Ship Interiors:
Disappointing, felt like Play-Station one level graphics. Now.. I can certainly understand trying to make these as simple and quickly as possible. A game this massive and assets cost / production hit ads up very quickly. BUT... again the lighting left a lot to be desired and the actual sets / LCAR execution felt the farthest away from ship-able quality for me.
STILL... I have faith. The work this team has done on their other projects leads me to believe they'll work it out...
Ground / planet surface / sets:
Maybe even more disappointing than the interiors for me. They felt rushed, not thought out and thrown together... all trademarks of dev art. Once the missions and locals become more set and the visual style and lighting models come together I can image these environments being amazing.
I'm not worried at all really....
Special FX:
Lacking really... the engines and warp stood out for me but only in a crowd of average FX elements. The phasers / weaponry, explosions etc. all seem to need much more work both visually and timing wise.
That being said I know FX get tweaked throughout the projects life cycle so I look for massive improvements in this area as the game gets tightened up.
Characters / uniforms:
Animation felt stiff and I didn't see any facial motion at all. I'm assuming there will be much more done here... As for the uniforms they looked standard issue. Nothing spectacular or controversial. My biggest question here is how will they handle player customization and how will leveling / rank / experience be visualized on the player? Certainly when I was with Perpetual that was the 1st issue we tackled. The uniform is a very iconic element in Star Trek (maybe THE most iconic visual next to the Enterprise itself) and modifying it is difficult. Our solution was for department based specialization (more that just colour) and a uniform based ranking system (instead of the collar pins). The equipment that could be added was all department specific and could be gained via experience and leveling. Our biggest concern was that how will MY character stand out in a world where uniformity rules? The above was our "solution".
It'll be interesting to see what Cryptic does here... or if their game-play mechanic even deems it necessary to have that level of customization. If anyone can figure it out, in regards to player customization, it will be Cryptic. I'm excited to see what they come up with.
As I said... this was a development Demo and most of my issues are somewhat tempered because of the stage of production they're at. All I know is that if they are 2 - 3 years away and they're this far along already that I'm really interested to see how the game will look once all of the layers of iteration and polish have been added.
Really great stuff!
Congrats to the entire Cryptic team for pulling this off at this stage...
Comments
well, in my OPINION the graphics were not what i've expected, Perpetual had superior graphics to STO... and no Alikar... it will not be the death for EVE
I'm hoping that the gameplay will be better then the trailer... sincerely
You've definitely gotten my attention!
#1: Graphics looked sub-par, especiailly on the planet-side graphics. Space-graphics looked okay, but nothing spectacular. Eve Online has superior space graphics, and it's run on a single server, much like Jack Emmert said he wishes STO to be. I for one hope the graphics gets an upgrade before it goes live.
#2: Some of the ships seen looked pretty good, but the NX01/Sovvy wannabe needs to go. It had a mixture of NX01 and Sovvy nacelles, and a weird "pod" thingy between it's two nacelles. Just the look of the nacelles indicates to me that the game has the potential to "go where so many other Trek games have gone before"... straight in the trash.
#3: Gameplay-wise from what little we actually saw, has its potentials. Much more would need to be revealed for me to be truly interested in this MMO.
#4: They said the game is set in the year 2409. We have at least 3 separate Trek episodes which clearly indicates what the look of Starfleet will be around this time, at least when it comes to uniform design. The TNG/VOY-style uniforms from the trailer, is NOT what is suppose to be in use according to canon. Designers should have a look at TNG's "All Good Things", DS9's "The Visitor" and VOY's "Endgame". All take place around the year of 2404, merely 5 years pre-STO.
In conclusion: The game certainly has potential... but it is far from being "LIVE-worthy" to live up to standards required by most gamers today. I will not buy this game simply because it has the label "Star Trek" on the title. Cryptic needs to prove alot more for this game before I make my decision.
I would think that after watching the pod cast, if they deliver half the things they said they were going to do with the game then I think STO will be the game alot of folks are looking for and not another twitch grindfest like many had feared it would be, I know I feel alot better right now! Personally I think a hats off to Cryptic for putting things together like they are at this early stage is in order. Can't wait to see how it comes along in the following year/ years :P and hopefully we get all the things that they would like to bring us
looks amazing, love the space scenes .
on standbye for more material.
keep up the good work.
duane in the uk.:)
Well said Sir!
I agree in that shooting holes into what Cryptic has shown us at the present moment in time would be counter productive. Things will be polished before it is released out into the open world.
I also must agree and say well done to Cryptic for what they've accomplished so far in the development process. I am amazed by what they have done in the time they have had up to this point. Nothing to sneeze at friends. I'm looking forward to seeing what else is in store for STO.
I still get goosebumps/chill down the spine feeling plus a smile every time I watch the trailer.
The team member flying that ship might have customized his ship to look like that. You can customize your ships, you know.
That "pod" thingy is what's known as a weapons pod. A good example of it in action is in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Edit: Looking at it again, it may also be a fifth implulse engine as well (it has four of them on the saucer section, a pair on each side of the back).
There is time yet for development of the game, this is merely how it looks at this given time.
Since this is generally accepted by the developers to not be taken canonically (TV shows and movies are one thing, but novels and computer/console games are another), it's not such a big deal if they don't follow exactly what is shown. And there's plenty variation between the uniforms shown in the 'future' episodes, to allow differences anyways.
First, exterior/space graphics look great.
Second, interior graphics, okay but lacking. I know with time these will be polished, but I'll throw my two cents in and hope that uniforms completely overhauled. Hire the designers of the Perpetual uniforms.
EDIT: Wait... 2-3 years away yet? Blah. Too long await to maintain any form of interest.
The trailer showed a couple different uniform designs, both of which i like.
Personally i prefer the voyager uniforms to TNG but both are excellent.
The Perpetual costumes, errr, uniforms were too clunky. Very '90's comic book hero, with all those accessories, straps and so on.
The ones shown are a combination of the different uniforms, but with some noticiable differences.
Golden (Engineering) and red (command) uniforms have are mostly grey with the appropriate colour for the shoulders, and black collars. The blue (science) uniform is mostly blue with black shoulders. Fasinating. Then there's the guy with mostly grey with black shoulders.... Is that guy a member of the Security (possibly Marine) branch?
Considering the past history of the two galactic powers, here's my theory:
The Federation's ready to expand, thanks to the transwarp conduit technology. The Klingons are worried that this will leave their Empire to stagnate, and possibly die while the Federation picks up the pieces. Maybe the Federation offers to share the technology if the Klingons become members of the Federation.
I wouldn't doubt that the Klingons demanded to use the transwarp technology so they could expand their empire. When the Federation refused, the Klingons broke off from their truce and sought to rip it from the hands of their former allies. After all, they both have their ideas of how to expand and the Klingons aren't exactly the type to not seize any opportunity that they they can find to test their warrior mettle and lay claim to the galaxy.
Wow. :eek:
I must admit that is a very logical and possibility. It makes sense to me.
I hope not, it's possible, it looks like STO's main PvP avenue, I wonder what Nimoy said about that having been such a large part of Trek 6's story. Making peace with the Klingons was a monumental victory for Galactic peace, and in it's own reflection on earth, the end of the cold war and the wall coming down.
Also thank you for keeping the basic gameplay focused around the player but with great potential for teamwork.
Thank you also for understanding that we don't all have 30hrs a week to spend on these games even though we would like to sometimes.
And above all else... THANK YOU FOR UNLEASHING THE KLINGON EMPIRE!!!
Soon it will return to its Glory days of conquest and Honor. Qa'Pla!!!
I'm not a trekkie, but I loved Voyager when I was younger.
I wonder when we'll get told a potential release date...
The Graphics are Sub Par compared to other Space related games such as Eve Online and even E&B.
E&B graphics are actually on par with this , and Eve Online blow these graphics out of the water with a much sharper and cleaner look.
I'm really dissappointed , having been looking forward to this for a while , and having played most of the SCI FI MMO's (Anarchy Online, Eve Online, Earth and Beyond) , this is a huge let down.
With Age of Conan , Requiem and other Extremely High Quality Graphics (Sharp, Clean, Sophisticated) MMO's just coming out, and not to mention what will be possible within the next year... to see something that reminds me of a Sub Par Saturday morning cartoon for STO is just extremely sad.
GREAT to finally see this come to life and the scope of the game looks immense so Kudos to Cryptic for having the guts to go for it... really excited.
GAMEPLAY:
Massive game, tons of game play mechanics to work out, a lot of balancing and systems to deal with... hard to tell from the footage how that's all going to work out BUT... if I can be a Klingon and kick the TRIBBLE out of the Federation that might be all I need!
VISUALS:
Overall:
I thought it was a polished dev demo... not a polished shipped game demo. To me it looks like the lighting model needs work. I didn't see any dynamic shadows in space, no real bloom anywhere, no player / AI shadows etc. I'm not sure if these things will be implemented but to me... space and the ships / planets in it looked a little flat at this point.
Ships:
Loved the variation of ships and can't wait to see more. I agree with those who have said some of the ships may have come across looking strange because of user customization. Can't wait to see what the possibilities there are. Again a better lighting model will help bring out the scale and detail of the designs. Warp looked nice and the impulse engine trail was nice as well.
Space:
I was a little underwhelmed BUT... again, dev art. A lot of people have been comparing the look to EVE and I think that's fair.. .in that... it's not there yet. Space felt really disjointed to me. A lot of elements, a lot of colour and asteroid belts but you could FEEL the separation of the parts, the whole didn't come together for me. At times I could almost see the geometry that was being used to encapsulate the elements.
Polish and lighting will take care of all of that down the road I'm sure.
Ship Interiors:
Disappointing, felt like Play-Station one level graphics. Now.. I can certainly understand trying to make these as simple and quickly as possible. A game this massive and assets cost / production hit ads up very quickly. BUT... again the lighting left a lot to be desired and the actual sets / LCAR execution felt the farthest away from ship-able quality for me.
STILL... I have faith. The work this team has done on their other projects leads me to believe they'll work it out...
Ground / planet surface / sets:
Maybe even more disappointing than the interiors for me. They felt rushed, not thought out and thrown together... all trademarks of dev art. Once the missions and locals become more set and the visual style and lighting models come together I can image these environments being amazing.
I'm not worried at all really....
Special FX:
Lacking really... the engines and warp stood out for me but only in a crowd of average FX elements. The phasers / weaponry, explosions etc. all seem to need much more work both visually and timing wise.
That being said I know FX get tweaked throughout the projects life cycle so I look for massive improvements in this area as the game gets tightened up.
Characters / uniforms:
Animation felt stiff and I didn't see any facial motion at all. I'm assuming there will be much more done here... As for the uniforms they looked standard issue. Nothing spectacular or controversial. My biggest question here is how will they handle player customization and how will leveling / rank / experience be visualized on the player? Certainly when I was with Perpetual that was the 1st issue we tackled. The uniform is a very iconic element in Star Trek (maybe THE most iconic visual next to the Enterprise itself) and modifying it is difficult. Our solution was for department based specialization (more that just colour) and a uniform based ranking system (instead of the collar pins). The equipment that could be added was all department specific and could be gained via experience and leveling. Our biggest concern was that how will MY character stand out in a world where uniformity rules? The above was our "solution".
It'll be interesting to see what Cryptic does here... or if their game-play mechanic even deems it necessary to have that level of customization. If anyone can figure it out, in regards to player customization, it will be Cryptic. I'm excited to see what they come up with.
As I said... this was a development Demo and most of my issues are somewhat tempered because of the stage of production they're at. All I know is that if they are 2 - 3 years away and they're this far along already that I'm really interested to see how the game will look once all of the layers of iteration and polish have been added.
Really great stuff!
Congrats to the entire Cryptic team for pulling this off at this stage...