I'm sitting here with my wife. We've just completed one of the many, many "Patrol the XXXXX Sector" missions. She turns, and asks me: "So, what are we doing?"
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I assume that I'm leveling up for some reason, is there any endgame?
Me: I'm not sure.
Her: Well, it seems that all we're doing is going around exploring and doing diplomatic missions.
Me: Come to think of it, in all the movies and TV shows, that's really all they did. We were just fortunate that the Enterprise et al happened to have very eventful cruises.
Her: So, what's the point?
Me: I'm not really sure.
It's very confusing to hail starfleet and receive the same missions over and over. I get that the developers want the patrol and exploration missions to be repeatable, but for what purpose?
Am I missing the point? Please enlighten me. I've reserved the collector's edition of the game, but if this is all there is (and nothing more), why should I spend that money on STO when there are several other options out there?
Well, its is star trek... the missions are... star trek like... thats pretty much what, you know, makes it... Star Trek Online, ya know, playing Star Trek...like... missions... Online... and stuff.
Well, its is star trek... the missions are... star trek like... thats pretty much what, you know, makes it... Star Trek Online, ya know, playing Star Trek...like... missions... Online... and stuff.
Not to be trollish, but this is the type of answer I was expecting to see.
I'm sitting here with my wife. We've just completed one of the many, many "Patrol the XXXXX Sector" missions. She turns, and asks me: "So, what are we doing?"
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I assume that I'm leveling up for some reason, is there any endgame?
Me: I'm not sure.
Her: Well, it seems that all we're doing is going around exploring and doing diplomatic missions.
Me: Come to think of it, in all the movies and TV shows, that's really all they did. We were just fortunate that the Enterprise et al happened to have very eventful cruises.
Her: So, what's the point?
Me: I'm not really sure.
It's very confusing to hail starfleet and receive the same missions over and over. I get that the developers want the patrol and exploration missions to be repeatable, but for what purpose?
Am I missing the point? Please enlighten me. I've reserved the collector's edition of the game, but if this is all there is (and nothing more), why should I spend that money on STO when there are several other options out there?
I'm pretty sure MMO's are full of "SIDE" quest or "FETCH" quest missions like this.
Unfortunatlely you're not missing anything. The missions are just copies and plain boring. Honestly with the lack of depth in the missions I don't see how they couldn't make a copy for the Klingons but thats another discussion. They have talked about soo much exploring and special genesis missions or whatever but they seem to be MIA.
i guess it is repetative but every mmo is like that plus like u said its what they did in the shows..and i read somewhere that there is 5man instances at end game and raids
i guess it is repetative but every mmo is like that plus like u said its what they did in the shows..and i read somewhere that there is 5man instances at end game and raids
Some MMO's do have a "tad" more storylines and events thrown in to make it bearable.
I'm sitting here with my wife. We've just completed one of the many, many "Patrol the XXXXX Sector" missions. She turns, and asks me: "So, what are we doing?"
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I assume that I'm leveling up for some reason, is there any endgame?
Me: I'm not sure.
Her: Well, it seems that all we're doing is going around exploring and doing diplomatic missions.
Me: Come to think of it, in all the movies and TV shows, that's really all they did. We were just fortunate that the Enterprise et al happened to have very eventful cruises.
Her: So, what's the point?
Me: I'm not really sure.
It's very confusing to hail starfleet and receive the same missions over and over. I get that the developers want the patrol and exploration missions to be repeatable, but for what purpose?
Am I missing the point? Please enlighten me. I've reserved the collector's edition of the game, but if this is all there is (and nothing more), why should I spend that money on STO when there are several other options out there?
I'm confused, what other options out there are there that have more of a point?
if your looking for some kind of interesting plot... you could try the missions that come from admiral quinn, they kind of follow a this mission leads to that mission kind of storyline.
I could be incredibly wrong here, but I get the distinct impression that the exploration missions were included because so many fans, from very early on, wanted it. I've been lurking these forums since they opened, and that has always been a big request from the fan base.
However, I think the problem is that either the fans didn't specify their desire well enough, or Cryptic didn't fully understand the request.
The fans said: "We want to explore."
And that's exactly what they got.
However, exploration isn't a correct description of what the fans wanted. They wanted adventures that result from exploration.
I've said this before, but the primary misconception that resulted in exploration missions is that people think that Star Trek is about exploration. It's not. Starfleet is about exploration. There's a subtle, but important distinction between the two. Starfleet is about exploring strange new worlds, etc, etc.
Star Trek, on the other hand, is about adventures in outer space. I'm sure there are billions of routine exploration missions that happen in Starfleet, but we don't watch those on Star Trek, because it is boring. On Star Trek, we see the exploration missions in which things go wrong. We see the adventures. We watch the Enterprise get overtaken by androids, or we watch Picard get stolen by a probe and then have to live his entire life as an alien (great episode by the way). We don't, however, see the 500 anomalies that the Enterprise investigated between those episodes. We don't see the thousand plant samples they take for the scientists to study the molecular structure.
Again Starfleet=Exploration. Star Trek = Adventure. There is a difference, and I think that difference is what's causing many players to feel like something's missing.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a dig on Cryptic. I love the game, and I actually enjoy the exploration missions. I feel like they brought what people asked for. However, I think the spirit of the request may have been overlooked. Whether it was overlooked by fans or by cryptic or both, I don't know.
I have faith that, over time and updates, we'll see more exploration that results in grand adventures. Until then, I consider the exploration missions just a little added flavor to the game. I personally enjoy them, but I understand why others don't.
Yes, there are actual storylines in the game... the ones that start with Admiral Quin are the real 'episodes' in the game. The Patrol stuff from Sulu and the exploration stuff through the genesis system from Grall are 'side quests'... then theres PvP as well. Actually, this game has quite a lot to do, and its pretty easy to get to it... the only problem with this is game is actually getting in it and staying there.
The patrols need work...too long and you end up fighting every stop.
If your going to patrol 6 systems, 4 should be quiet, and maybe 2 have fights.
keep it a bit fresher, have the 2 fight ones be random.
episodics are better, explore ones are getting a bit better.
still waiting for a mission where you beam down and some sadistic alien beams
away your bridge officers...then you have to go rescue them :-P that would be a hoot.
I'm sitting here with my wife. We've just completed one of the many, many "Patrol the XXXXX Sector" missions. She turns, and asks me: "So, what are we doing?"
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I assume that I'm leveling up for some reason, is there any endgame?
Me: I'm not sure.
Her: Well, it seems that all we're doing is going around exploring and doing diplomatic missions.
Me: Come to think of it, in all the movies and TV shows, that's really all they did. We were just fortunate that the Enterprise et al happened to have very eventful cruises.
Her: So, what's the point?
Me: I'm not really sure.
It's very confusing to hail starfleet and receive the same missions over and over. I get that the developers want the patrol and exploration missions to be repeatable, but for what purpose?
Am I missing the point? Please enlighten me. I've reserved the collector's edition of the game, but if this is all there is (and nothing more), why should I spend that money on STO when there are several other options out there?
I'm having a similar feeling. I have no idea on what there is out there. I only see what presented to me and at the moment and it's a bit dull. I like the game, don't get me wrong, it's just seems they wanted to cover a lot of areas and didn't have time to take a second pass at it.
It feels like a multi player game more so than an MMO. I'm enjoying it in the limited time I have, but for some of the people that spend hours at a time in a game things might seem a bit sparse. Try following more of the scripted missions, some of those are very nice.
I'm pretty sure MMO's are full of "SIDE" quest or "FETCH" quest missions like this.
Agreed, they are. But even then, somehow, they are usually tied into the greater story. Right now, in my log, I have two exploration missions, three patrol missions, two defend XXXXX sector block missions, Starbase 24, the PVP intro quest and "The Kufah'Magh'.
I'm assuming "The Kuvah'Magh' is the "story" quest line that will eventually lead to endgame. All the others are filler and fluff. This is everything I can get at the moment. I've already completed one of the exploration missions and one of the defend missions, along with the defense of Starbase 24.
SUGGESTION: Once a quest is completed for the first time, make the quest accessible from a "Duty" Database, where people can go to request "Duty Assignments" if they feel the need to farm XP, Badges or items.
The question not being answered by the storyline is WHY? I want to be immersed in this story. Why have the Klingons suddenly broken away from Starfleet? Yes, there is a brief explanation in the opening cinematic, but why not drive deeper into the heart of it? Why have the Orion and Gorn joined in with the Klingons? Why is it important that I complete these missions against them? Why are certain sectors under attack from the Klingon Empire? For what reason are these systems desired? Why is it necessary for me to spend my time patrolling them?
Now, the exploration missions: What is the point? Right now, it seems the exploration missions are there to farm gear. Each successful exploration tour awards badges, which can be used to purchase gear that is far better than what most can get at the earlier stages. Beyond this, what is the point?
At the beginning of this game, the storyline is almost non-existent. People will tire of the Patrol and Exploration missions. They will ask for a story. Right now, the game does not deliver in that department.
Cryptic, as with Champions, as with City of Heroes before that do not have a particularly good track record of creative content. You would hope they'd do more with such a famous IP so we'll see what the future brings.
I know many will find this incomprehensible, but you are supposed to enjoy playing the game...
Reaching top level is a consequence of playing...
I never understand people who think content is only an obstacle for the fabled high-end
Enjoy the ride, play it, read the quests, invite friends to do that one mission with you...
Enjoy each bite in your sandwitch, do not put it all in your mouth at once...
I totally agree. However, if you take the first few bites, are you going to continue eating when the taste of the sandwich does not agree with you? You could just send the sandwich back and order a different one (read: play a different game), or you could talk to the Chef and find out why he/she made the sandwich that way, offering advice for the next one.
Well if you go onto the main site there are things like the two future past videos and the "path to 2409" that are good story bits leading up to this point. As for big story wait until you get out of your miranda. The ratio of story missions to patrol missions gets a lot better after you get your first tier escort/cruiser/science vessal and the stories have a lot more to do with big changes to the universe.
It's a case of unfortunate realism, starfleet doesn't send lieutenants into situations where the entire fate of the galaxy hinges on their capability.
Well if you go onto the main site there are things like the two future past videos and the "path to 2409" that are good story bits leading up to this point. As for big story wait until you get out of your miranda. The ratio of story missions to patrol missions gets a lot better after you get your first tier escort/cruiser/science vessal and the stories have a lot more to do with big changes to the universe.
It's a case of unfortunate realism, starfleet doesn't send lieutenants into situations where the entire fate of the galaxy hinges on their capability.
I'd also venture that Starfleet would not give command of any starship to an ensign in Starfleet Academy either, but that's what happens in the intro. So, on the basis of that, your entire second point is nullified.
As for the first point: if I have to read a blog or watch videos that are not in the game in order to set the mood, the game has then failed to immerse the player into the setting. What that does is alienate the player. You want to grab them and suck them in to the environment. The initial intro does this, but beyond that, it does not do much to keep the player going until reaching the rank of LCDR, granting access to the "big story" you speak of.
I'm sitting here with my wife. We've just completed one of the many, many "Patrol the XXXXX Sector" missions. She turns, and asks me: "So, what are we doing?"
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I assume that I'm leveling up for some reason, is there any endgame?
Me: I'm not sure.
Her: Well, it seems that all we're doing is going around exploring and doing diplomatic missions.
Me: Come to think of it, in all the movies and TV shows, that's really all they did. We were just fortunate that the Enterprise et al happened to have very eventful cruises.
Her: So, what's the point?
Me: I'm not really sure.
It's very confusing to hail starfleet and receive the same missions over and over. I get that the developers want the patrol and exploration missions to be repeatable, but for what purpose?
Am I missing the point? Please enlighten me. I've reserved the collector's edition of the game, but if this is all there is (and nothing more), why should I spend that money on STO when there are several other options out there?
for fun. the same reason why you do PVE in any MMO. if you don't get that I suggest you go find another game genre.
I'd also venture that Starfleet would not give command of any starship to an ensign in Starfleet Academy either, but that's what happens in the intro. So, on the basis of that, your entire second point is nullified.
As for the first point: if I have to read a blog or watch videos that are not in the game in order to set the mood, the game has then failed to immerse the player into the setting. What that does is alienate the player. You want to grab them and suck them in to the environment. The initial intro does this, but beyond that, it does not do much to keep the player going until reaching the rank of LCDR, granting access to the "big story" you speak of.
I dunno, I was immersed enough to reach ltcmdr. The game doesn't really need all that much introduction because it's star trek, most of its common knowledge. The whole klingon debacle isn't too complicated. The federation was at war with them for ages before, so it's not far fetched.
And sure starfleet would give command of a starship to an ensign. There was a crisis, things needed to get done. An ensign stepped up and got a field promotion. Thats not out of the question.
It's just like WoW and every other MMO. You get a quest and go kill a mob. Except this is in space. Everyone is Hunter-like in that you have pets - 5 of them - your bridge crew.
Well if you go onto the main site there are things like the two future past videos and the "path to 2409" that are good story bits leading up to this point. As for big story wait until you get out of your miranda. The ratio of story missions to patrol missions gets a lot better after you get your first tier escort/cruiser/science vessal and the stories have a lot more to do with big changes to the universe.
It's a case of unfortunate realism, starfleet doesn't send lieutenants into situations where the entire fate of the galaxy hinges on their capability.
Wasn't JIm Kirk right out of the acadamy when he got command from Spock via Pike in the last movie?
I'd also venture that Starfleet would not give command of any starship to an ensign in Starfleet Academy either, but that's what happens in the intro. So, on the basis of that, your entire second point is nullified.
As for the first point: if I have to read a blog or watch videos that are not in the game in order to set the mood, the game has then failed to immerse the player into the setting. What that does is alienate the player. You want to grab them and suck them in to the environment. The initial intro does this, but beyond that, it does not do much to keep the player going until reaching the rank of LCDR, granting access to the "big story" you speak of.
It's a problem that I"ve been complaining about since the begining. in the first 10 levels the combat is too dull because you only have three bridge officers and three weapons and no skills and no specialization. In addition the story was severely lacking until I got my first real ship, I made a thread about people leaving before they really get to the game but it doesn't look like it went too far.
They really need to add more of the content early on and improve early ship combat. Once you get 4 weapons and 5 bridge officer powers plus your first three captain abilities it starts to get much better, and more difficult. I didn't get that far in beta but I'm assuming it gets even more fun when you get to admiral level, also I've heard some great storylines from people who got farther involving federation secret missions and time travel to prevent a klingon radical faction from destroying the past federation.
Also the reason starfleet gave a lieutenant command of a starship is because you proved yourself capable in a command situation when the rest of your officers had died. With the klingons and the borg attacking the federation starfleet is in desperate need of officers who can fight, but getting put into delicate situations like escorting the romulan ambassador through cardassian space isn't something they want trigger happy young captains to do.
I'm sitting here with my wife. We've just completed one of the many, many "Patrol the XXXXX Sector" missions. She turns, and asks me: "So, what are we doing?"
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I assume that I'm leveling up for some reason, is there any endgame?
Me: I'm not sure.
Her: Well, it seems that all we're doing is going around exploring and doing diplomatic missions.
Me: Come to think of it, in all the movies and TV shows, that's really all they did. We were just fortunate that the Enterprise et al happened to have very eventful cruises.
Her: So, what's the point?
Me: I'm not really sure.
It's very confusing to hail starfleet and receive the same missions over and over. I get that the developers want the patrol and exploration missions to be repeatable, but for what purpose?
Am I missing the point? Please enlighten me. I've reserved the collector's edition of the game, but if this is all there is (and nothing more), why should I spend that money on STO when there are several other options out there?
The answer is simple what you're doing. Getting level capped and then you'll be grinding phat loot like EVERY MMO I have ever played. I will agree that the partol missions are kinda dull but the episodes are interesting. I think some people had unrealistic expectations on what STO was gonna be.
Comments
Not to be trollish, but this is the type of answer I was expecting to see.
Glad you were not disappointed, then.
I'm pretty sure MMO's are full of "SIDE" quest or "FETCH" quest missions like this.
What game were you playing? Starfleet only ever send me to shoot stuff.
Some MMO's do have a "tad" more storylines and events thrown in to make it bearable.
I'm confused, what other options out there are there that have more of a point?
if your looking for some kind of interesting plot... you could try the missions that come from admiral quinn, they kind of follow a this mission leads to that mission kind of storyline.
However, I think the problem is that either the fans didn't specify their desire well enough, or Cryptic didn't fully understand the request.
The fans said: "We want to explore."
And that's exactly what they got.
However, exploration isn't a correct description of what the fans wanted. They wanted adventures that result from exploration.
I've said this before, but the primary misconception that resulted in exploration missions is that people think that Star Trek is about exploration. It's not. Starfleet is about exploration. There's a subtle, but important distinction between the two. Starfleet is about exploring strange new worlds, etc, etc.
Star Trek, on the other hand, is about adventures in outer space. I'm sure there are billions of routine exploration missions that happen in Starfleet, but we don't watch those on Star Trek, because it is boring. On Star Trek, we see the exploration missions in which things go wrong. We see the adventures. We watch the Enterprise get overtaken by androids, or we watch Picard get stolen by a probe and then have to live his entire life as an alien (great episode by the way). We don't, however, see the 500 anomalies that the Enterprise investigated between those episodes. We don't see the thousand plant samples they take for the scientists to study the molecular structure.
Again Starfleet=Exploration. Star Trek = Adventure. There is a difference, and I think that difference is what's causing many players to feel like something's missing.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a dig on Cryptic. I love the game, and I actually enjoy the exploration missions. I feel like they brought what people asked for. However, I think the spirit of the request may have been overlooked. Whether it was overlooked by fans or by cryptic or both, I don't know.
I have faith that, over time and updates, we'll see more exploration that results in grand adventures. Until then, I consider the exploration missions just a little added flavor to the game. I personally enjoy them, but I understand why others don't.
If your going to patrol 6 systems, 4 should be quiet, and maybe 2 have fights.
keep it a bit fresher, have the 2 fight ones be random.
episodics are better, explore ones are getting a bit better.
still waiting for a mission where you beam down and some sadistic alien beams
away your bridge officers...then you have to go rescue them :-P that would be a hoot.
I'm having a similar feeling. I have no idea on what there is out there. I only see what presented to me and at the moment and it's a bit dull. I like the game, don't get me wrong, it's just seems they wanted to cover a lot of areas and didn't have time to take a second pass at it.
It feels like a multi player game more so than an MMO. I'm enjoying it in the limited time I have, but for some of the people that spend hours at a time in a game things might seem a bit sparse. Try following more of the scripted missions, some of those are very nice.
Agreed, they are. But even then, somehow, they are usually tied into the greater story. Right now, in my log, I have two exploration missions, three patrol missions, two defend XXXXX sector block missions, Starbase 24, the PVP intro quest and "The Kufah'Magh'.
I'm assuming "The Kuvah'Magh' is the "story" quest line that will eventually lead to endgame. All the others are filler and fluff. This is everything I can get at the moment. I've already completed one of the exploration missions and one of the defend missions, along with the defense of Starbase 24.
SUGGESTION: Once a quest is completed for the first time, make the quest accessible from a "Duty" Database, where people can go to request "Duty Assignments" if they feel the need to farm XP, Badges or items.
The question not being answered by the storyline is WHY? I want to be immersed in this story. Why have the Klingons suddenly broken away from Starfleet? Yes, there is a brief explanation in the opening cinematic, but why not drive deeper into the heart of it? Why have the Orion and Gorn joined in with the Klingons? Why is it important that I complete these missions against them? Why are certain sectors under attack from the Klingon Empire? For what reason are these systems desired? Why is it necessary for me to spend my time patrolling them?
Now, the exploration missions: What is the point? Right now, it seems the exploration missions are there to farm gear. Each successful exploration tour awards badges, which can be used to purchase gear that is far better than what most can get at the earlier stages. Beyond this, what is the point?
At the beginning of this game, the storyline is almost non-existent. People will tire of the Patrol and Exploration missions. They will ask for a story. Right now, the game does not deliver in that department.
Reaching top level is a consequence of playing...
I never understand people who think content is only an obstacle for the fabled high-end
Enjoy the ride, play it, read the quests, invite friends to do that one mission with you...
Enjoy each bite in your sandwitch, do not put it all in your mouth at once...
Yep, this, pretty much this...
though I woulda said... sammitch
I totally agree. However, if you take the first few bites, are you going to continue eating when the taste of the sandwich does not agree with you? You could just send the sandwich back and order a different one (read: play a different game), or you could talk to the Chef and find out why he/she made the sandwich that way, offering advice for the next one.
See my point?
It's a case of unfortunate realism, starfleet doesn't send lieutenants into situations where the entire fate of the galaxy hinges on their capability.
I'd also venture that Starfleet would not give command of any starship to an ensign in Starfleet Academy either, but that's what happens in the intro. So, on the basis of that, your entire second point is nullified.
As for the first point: if I have to read a blog or watch videos that are not in the game in order to set the mood, the game has then failed to immerse the player into the setting. What that does is alienate the player. You want to grab them and suck them in to the environment. The initial intro does this, but beyond that, it does not do much to keep the player going until reaching the rank of LCDR, granting access to the "big story" you speak of.
Yes, like EQ2. blah blah blah fate of Norrath blah blah blah
for fun. the same reason why you do PVE in any MMO. if you don't get that I suggest you go find another game genre.
but wait, don't you play all games for fun?
STO's PVE is mysteriously less fun than the PVE in other MMOs.
Not sure what the exact reason is, but it just feels that way.
I dunno, I was immersed enough to reach ltcmdr. The game doesn't really need all that much introduction because it's star trek, most of its common knowledge. The whole klingon debacle isn't too complicated. The federation was at war with them for ages before, so it's not far fetched.
And sure starfleet would give command of a starship to an ensign. There was a crisis, things needed to get done. An ensign stepped up and got a field promotion. Thats not out of the question.
Wasn't JIm Kirk right out of the acadamy when he got command from Spock via Pike in the last movie?
It's a problem that I"ve been complaining about since the begining. in the first 10 levels the combat is too dull because you only have three bridge officers and three weapons and no skills and no specialization. In addition the story was severely lacking until I got my first real ship, I made a thread about people leaving before they really get to the game but it doesn't look like it went too far.
They really need to add more of the content early on and improve early ship combat. Once you get 4 weapons and 5 bridge officer powers plus your first three captain abilities it starts to get much better, and more difficult. I didn't get that far in beta but I'm assuming it gets even more fun when you get to admiral level, also I've heard some great storylines from people who got farther involving federation secret missions and time travel to prevent a klingon radical faction from destroying the past federation.
Also the reason starfleet gave a lieutenant command of a starship is because you proved yourself capable in a command situation when the rest of your officers had died. With the klingons and the borg attacking the federation starfleet is in desperate need of officers who can fight, but getting put into delicate situations like escorting the romulan ambassador through cardassian space isn't something they want trigger happy young captains to do.
The answer is simple what you're doing. Getting level capped and then you'll be grinding phat loot like EVERY MMO I have ever played. I will agree that the partol missions are kinda dull but the episodes are interesting. I think some people had unrealistic expectations on what STO was gonna be.
Yes and it was a stupid plot device there too but nobody wants to watch a movie called "Star Trek 2: Kirk gets promoted to Lieutenant"