For what it's worth, I'm just offering my opinion here.
I was very excited when the premise of this game came up. There was lots of room to do something truly epic here and, unfortunately, Cryptic Studios has dropped the ball something awful.
I understand the game is simply in it's infant stages, but any MMO starting out you can already tell right where it's going to go and Star Trek Online is off to a very bad start.
As it stands, the game in it's current form could have made for a very successful multiplatform game starting with a base price of 69.99 and no monthly fee. I would have been very thrilled with this game were I playing it on the PS3. Narrow the quest system a little bit and greatly broadening the storyline would've made for a remarkably successful console game and putting boot-to-a$$ to Star Trek Legacy.
If I were Cryptic, working on a condensed schedule as they were (and not being a very experienced MMO company as it is), this is what I would have done. Then using the proceeds from those sales, take my time on building an amazing Star Trek MMO as a direct sequel to the console launch and having the room to do things right.
Star Trek is just one of those things you don't want to mess up. The majority of Star Trek fans are very, pun intended, fanatical when it comes to the production of Trek material. A series that has set it's bench mark decades ago is very difficult to expand upon and the only true path to success is to tickle the fancy of such avid fans of not only the original series but TNG, DS9, Enterprise, Voyager..etc fans as well.
Going through the forums and the various internet reviews it's already evident that so many are jettisoning their warp cores and abandoning ship before the game gets an even chance; and the direction the game has taken at launch it seems that the community is not going to afford it one.
Looking at the leveling structure as it is, people are freely capable to take themselves all the way up to Admiral and there's no going beyond that. What's left for increased content? Leveling up is, as it stands, done and over with. There is no going beyond Admiral, which pretty much sets the bar very-very low for future content being worthwhile.
No MMO in history has ever made such a gravid and detrimental mistake with the leveling system. WoW and DDO all started players off with a short cap and gently increased those caps as content was developed. The only MMO I've played that stands aside from this is Final Fantasy 11, but to anyone who's played that game knows it's damned difficult to reach cap on some Class types and nigh impossible on a few others without determination.
There was much potential for a Star Trek MMORPG, and it's very sad to spell it's doom so soon but the obvious signs are already in place and the high ticket price to play the game is an ode to the quick-buck scheme using a household name as bait.
STO is a bad haircut and Cryptic is the barber that snipped the wrong strands. There's only three directions to go from here; shave it and wait for it to grow back (shut the game down and start over), try a new style (tidy up what's left, drop the monthly fee and refund those that paid for lifetime and launch a multi-platform one-off), or leave it as it is; an utter embarrassment to be seen until, little by little, over the course of months and months of patching and updating, until the blemish's are no longer distinguishable from what little was done right. There is a fourth direction...but that direction would not be very good for Cryptic; and that is Do Nothing, lose the customer base, go bankrupt, and wait for a more intelligent MMO designer to pick up the pieces of the project.
All that being said, I myself am still curious. If Cryptic has any intention of taking the feedback and the game itself seriously I want to stick around and see what they make of this game by summer.
I would like to see:
More diplomatic/intimidation options and interactions with NPCs.
More freedom to move about planets and star systems; see something new everywhere I go.
More random engagements. This patrolling concept is epic whack.
More AI improvements in ground combat. It seems the enemy enjoys rushing us and engaging in hand-to-hand; no matter that there's five of us with plasma rifles...it doesn't seem to phase them.
A better teaming/party system. Implement an LFG system. If the LFT in the social menu is their idea of a Looking For Group concept, Cryptic is sadly mistaken.
More social options and ship customization. Each person should have the option for a TRULY unique ship both inside and out, bringing friends aboard to combat boarding parties or take over Bridge Officer positions. It really seems sometimes combat can get way out of hand for one person to handle. Make it even MORE out of hand, enable battles to take longer and be a little more challenging and provoking you to use Ship-Board PCs in order to more easily multitask a large battle.
Let your Bridge Officers take your ship to combat while you board enemy ships with friends or Red Shirts and sabotage them to gain the edge in battle.
Encourage enemy captains to back down by utilizing diplomatic or intimidation methods; disabling their weapons and causing them to flee. In the shows, very few enemies were actually destroyed. 9/10ths of battles were determined by the art of the silver tongue or side-quests: Help Us We'll Help You. Or: Help Us and We Won't Punk Your Butt Back To 1966 With Our Ship of Awesome.
Every MMO has a conceptual plan before it's released. Either Cryptic was desperate to start profiting and have no idea where they're taking the game, or this is going to be a really bad Grinder MMO focusing on content-content-content and to hell with any actual improvements.
In Closing: I still think this game would've best been suited as a Multi-platform game AS IS (with minor adjustments to leveling and storyboards). This is NOT shaping up to be an MMO; more like a single player game with pockets of other player characters milling about to randomly share your own, unique experience...or be nowhere to be found when you actually need some help in combat.
Recommendations: I do not recommend making a commitment to this game. Buy if you want; the standard edition. Don't waste your money on the collector's edition. The game is somewhat engaging out of the box but loses steam fast. If you 'do' buy it, stick with the monthly fee, at least for the moment. You'll be biting a very nasty bullet with the lifetime subscription because if the game keeps going in the direction it's already facing you'll most likely be spending twice as much as the Once-Per-Month subscribers are when the game takes a nose-dive.
I have worked on many beta's and test servers
World of warcraft.
EverQuest
Everquest 2
EVE.
AION
Champions
Star Trek online
This is only 2 weeks into the start. and I have to say this. MMOs start Small and get bigger. Making on on mmo like sto is not easy. I think they did a great job, star trek was a story. hey cant put the Hole story into code,. for one resion. The size of the program would be so huge that no one can play it.
Jonathan; fanatic much? I'm posting here because I'm still playing the game, but I'm not hosing 300 bucks for a lifetime sub 'Just' because it's Star Trek. I LOVE Burn Notice, but if they came out with a game that was as disappointing as this, I still wouldn't commit. Get your head on straight, man.
Sayatrist: these things I understand. I even spoke to the concept that the game 'is still' in it's infant stages. They just made quite a few bad choices that are difficult to adjust. That's why I mentioned the leveling bit. People are already at Admiral level and how many more ranks are beyond Admiral? Can you say "None"? And why can't they fix this? What are you going to say to all the people that spent the last three days handcuffed to their computer blitzing to Admiral like Jonny McNoLife over here. Do 'you' want to be the one to tell him he's still level 15, but now is a Lieutenant Commander again?
You don't have to worry about the lifetime/yearly subs, since they are not available anymore.
In any MMo there will be people racing to max level in a few (long) days. They are way to busy racing to level up to max rather than concern themselves about the quality ( or amount) of the content, as long as there is enough content to get them to max level, they are fine...well, until they suddenly have nothing to do at max, THEN they start crying about no content. :rolleyes:
Look, Crypic knows they messed up and other companies are laughing at them. There will be another Star Trek MMO sometime in the future as a result.
STO is what it is. That's all. Fun for a month, then look for another game.
That, my good sir, is what disappoints me. There IS still room for reconciliation, but it's a very narrow and tight space working similar to the game Operation: Don't touch the sides! BZZT! Aww.
Please don't misquote me. I was making an unbiased review. I 'like' Star Trek. But I am not a fanatic who sides with every Trek-labeled device just because it's Trek-labeled. It's called Brandwashing; alluding to Brainwashing with Brand Names.
I've already stated this game would make an excellent console game as it is right now; but there is a long and difficult struggle to make it a sufficient MMO.
If STO could compare to another MMO out there...I would have to say Phantasy Star. Then again, PSO is unique and the Sonic Team could do practically anything they wanted to it. The thing about building a game like this is that it's built on top of an extreme cult following and the people who will be playing it the most expect certain things; unless they're Brandwashed. This is why most Game-to-Movie or Movie-to-Game transitions fail. The director of the movie isn't as intimately knowledged with the game's concept as those are that play it and wind up taking their own diluted and inept direction. And, of course, Vice Versa.
Cryptic really needs to step back and maybe talk to the writers from some of the series'. You'd've thought they would have done that, but alas, $$$. If they did, I doubt the game would've started out the way it had.
Look at DDO. When that game first launched it was under the careful scrutiny of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Now since both have passed (God be with them as they rest in peace) DDO's taking a curve into it's own title and shaking the rule-heavy shackles of Dungeons and Dragons. But, they're doing well because they started out adhering to the principles that made D&D great. Star Trek Online is starting out with it's own little twist and needs to quickly get back to Basic Trek if it's going to make a splash.
It's all basic business model sense and I stick with my original theory of making the quick buck through Brandwashing.
Recommendations: I do not recommend making a commitment to this game. Buy if you want; the standard edition. Don't waste your money on the collector's edition. The game is somewhat engaging out of the box but loses steam fast. If you 'do' buy it, stick with the monthly fee, at least for the moment. You'll be biting a very nasty bullet with the lifetime subscription because if the game keeps going in the direction it's already facing you'll most likely be spending twice as much as the Once-Per-Month subscribers are when the game takes a nose-dive.
I bought the Collector's Edition to MAKE it worth the purchase. I wanted the extras, but I won't be subscribing regularly for another six months at least. Maybe a month between now and then, but not a recurring charge. It's just getting started, but I love it. It's the only Star Trek game I've ever enjoyed playing. It has much potential and Cryptic has told us a little about that potential, but the way I see it, they had to rush release to start making money so they can actually make the game better. I understand completely and will support them as soon as I've got the money.
Stargate Worlds is doing something similar...they're taking the engine and making a multiplayer battle game to make some money to fund the MMO.
I bought the Collector's Edition to MAKE it worth the purchase. "..." It has much potential and Cryptic has told us a little about that potential, but the way I see it, they had to rush release to start making money so they can actually make the game better. I understand completely and will support them as soon as I've got the money.
I do not disagree with you. I, too, purchased the collector's edition and have been harassing two of my closest friends to get the game as well. I am not, at all, bashing the game. I 'want' this game to be good. I really, really want it to be good. I was on board with the project since I first heard about it back in May when all this website had was a picture, one forum thread and a "Coming Soon" stamp. I am all about it but first impressions are just...heartbreaking. And it's important that Cryptic knows these things. Being on board with all smiles will get nothing done; the game will stagnate and I do 'not' want it to.
But I also don't want people to think they've put a lot of money into nothing. Buy the regular edition and pay the monthly. Cryptic's accountants most likely only projected their First and Second Quarter earnings goals using low-ball estimates: meaning, when they sat down and went over how much revenue they 'might' bring in, they do not include collector's editions or lifetime subscriptions. CE purchases and upper-tier subscriptions are all 'bonus' that are accounted for 'after' they reconcile their bottom line with Regular edition and standard subscribers.
No company is stupid enough to project earnings based on expectations of purchases above tier 1 on a tiered income scaling. (Tier 1 = Standard Game, Tier 2 = Deluxe, Tier 3 = Collector's, etc..= any other variants that might have been available fit inbetween.) (Tier 1 Subs = 14.95 Month, Tier 2 = 3 month subs...etc). They only plan on Tier 1 sales, because that's where the majority of their income will fall from. They meet their bottom line with 'just' their first quarter projections only including Tier 1's they're doing well.
Didn't mean to Business School everyone, just trying to account for my words.
In fact: Cryptic actually 'loses' money on sales of the Collector's Edition.
The pretty brushed aluminum case, the copper and zinc combadge, the artistry and binding of the pretty pictures booklet, the additional in-game items they have to design and give away, the 10 day trial cards that are included that impact server capacity and so on.. Collector's Edition is a pitfall for the company to give the consumer something special. The extra 20$ you give in for it is merely a 'break even' tax for the company to pay the designers and staff involved in making it.
As for the Lifetime Sub; 20 months from now they start losing money on you.
Their biggest income comes from the sales of the Standard Edition Direct Download game version and the Month-by-Month subscription. That's why I recommended it that way. It gives the buyer a reprieve in case they're not satisfied and it doesn't damage Cryptics financial ability to improve the game.
It occurred to me recently that if you take the better features of Eve and include them in STO, you would get a pretty good game.
Take STO as you have it, then add from Eve:
Massive, ever-present PVP
Strong facility for guilds/corps/clans
Truly one world, not fragmented instances
Developers that listen to the fans
Free periodic expansions and game dynamic changes
Overall, I think Cryptic should have taken a flight to Iceland and talked to some folks about how to run a MMO. I know CCP isnt perfect, but you cant fault them for making a game to fit their customers. Eve has continually improved over the 7 years it has existed.
I am starting to feel bad that I stopped my sub for Eve to get this.... but I am still willing to give Cryptic a chance. The basics here have potential.
I wanted to love this game, but as I too stated in OB, once you hit Admiral there is nothing left, ntohgint to learn, nothing to look forward to, all skills are yours, and without an endless skill system that you can fill every skill box, no real reason to keep grinding once you do all the quests.
STO needs a complete work-over along the Lines of the NGE, and EQ2's 6 month class reset if they want to recover any sort of credibility.
Drop the Admiral Rank as an acquirable Rank, and adjust all levels to account for Capitan being the Cap rank. Reset the skill cap to allow for this, and adjust the skill lists to be more specific in what they do.
Overhaul bridge officers so that once they have maxed a skill box, and ranked up, you can go back, and for more points, roll that skill over into it's rank 2, or 3 version in the same rank slot. I.E. if a commander level BO had a skill list that looked like 1/2/2/3 right now, in the new system they could after a whole lot of skill spent be sporting 3/3/3/3 rank abilities.( I mean a whole lot, time sink sorta numbers )
Allow for all Commander rank BO if you so wanted on our Ships, and the ability to use those skills they have at each station, but make it cost some points. Make us grind the same merits it takes to promote those officers, and their skills to upgrade our ships consoles starting at Commander rank ships to increase the rank of officer that can sit at the station, or rather unlock the stations potential.
AI, make it so our BO use the expo, expl system, as well as the enemy, and make it so they are smarter than they seem to be.
A 3rd Faction. We need a 3rd playable Faction that can go either way depending on the character if not a 4rth, and 5th, with access to that factions ships. I personally am not a fan of the Klinks, and believe the Federation to be evil, so would prefer to play a non aligned race, or a faction not affiliated with either side. I'd at at least like the option to resign my Starfleet Commission, and take my EC to buy a used ship from a ferengi merchant. My merits would be forfeit, as well as my crew, but I would then have to pay for the crew with EC, and become a real Privateer.
Thats all I got for now, sure I tread on what others have said already, but it's worth repeating.
I liked the game, and while I am still debating getting my LT money back, if they fix a lot of things, it may turn around. It's STO, who would not want ot see the game get better ? besides Sony... We suggest fixes, and complain not to gripe, but to hope the people who are incharge see what we say, and take a look at what they have done, and hopefully, open their eyes. If they start immediatly, they can get alot fo things fixed in a few months, and make small changes like the AI, and cosmetic level titles, like Admiral.
Start small, and work piece meal, it will go easy.
You don't have to worry about the lifetime/yearly subs, since they are not available anymore.
In any MMo there will be people racing to max level in a few (long) days. They are way to busy racing to level up to max rather than concern themselves about the quality ( or amount) of the content, as long as there is enough content to get them to max level, they are fine...well, until they suddenly have nothing to do at max, THEN they start crying about no content. :rolleyes:
Onaccountof,
You missed the point. Cryptic, for some unknown reason, tied the leveling system to storyline concepts. So please explain what rank are you going to achieve past Admiral? Super Admiral? Super Duper Admiral? President? They didn't start small, they laid out the entire Rank system and it's maxed out now. Not to mention the dismal no cap skill system that is now capped for some mysterious reason.
Next there is very little quality to the content and in fact very little content at all. Recycled missions, poor storyline and absolutely nothing storywise for Klingons, you know, 1/2 the damn game.
Comments
World of warcraft.
EverQuest
Everquest 2
EVE.
AION
Champions
Star Trek online
This is only 2 weeks into the start. and I have to say this. MMOs start Small and get bigger. Making on on mmo like sto is not easy. I think they did a great job, star trek was a story. hey cant put the Hole story into code,. for one resion. The size of the program would be so huge that no one can play it.
Sayatrist: these things I understand. I even spoke to the concept that the game 'is still' in it's infant stages. They just made quite a few bad choices that are difficult to adjust. That's why I mentioned the leveling bit. People are already at Admiral level and how many more ranks are beyond Admiral? Can you say "None"? And why can't they fix this? What are you going to say to all the people that spent the last three days handcuffed to their computer blitzing to Admiral like Jonny McNoLife over here. Do 'you' want to be the one to tell him he's still level 15, but now is a Lieutenant Commander again?
Another SENIOR MEMBER smart alec comment.
Dittos to poster.
///bump
In any MMo there will be people racing to max level in a few (long) days. They are way to busy racing to level up to max rather than concern themselves about the quality ( or amount) of the content, as long as there is enough content to get them to max level, they are fine...well, until they suddenly have nothing to do at max, THEN they start crying about no content. :rolleyes:
STO is what it is. That's all. Fun for a month, then look for another game.
Form a complete, logical sentence; then feel free to post again..
That, my good sir, is what disappoints me. There IS still room for reconciliation, but it's a very narrow and tight space working similar to the game Operation: Don't touch the sides! BZZT! Aww.
No i think he meant 2 cents is all STO is worth.
Competition would imply that this game competes with any other mmo out there. It doesn't it's like the wet nasty dirt on the competitions shoe.
I've already stated this game would make an excellent console game as it is right now; but there is a long and difficult struggle to make it a sufficient MMO.
If STO could compare to another MMO out there...I would have to say Phantasy Star. Then again, PSO is unique and the Sonic Team could do practically anything they wanted to it. The thing about building a game like this is that it's built on top of an extreme cult following and the people who will be playing it the most expect certain things; unless they're Brandwashed. This is why most Game-to-Movie or Movie-to-Game transitions fail. The director of the movie isn't as intimately knowledged with the game's concept as those are that play it and wind up taking their own diluted and inept direction. And, of course, Vice Versa.
Cryptic really needs to step back and maybe talk to the writers from some of the series'. You'd've thought they would have done that, but alas, $$$. If they did, I doubt the game would've started out the way it had.
Look at DDO. When that game first launched it was under the careful scrutiny of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Now since both have passed (God be with them as they rest in peace) DDO's taking a curve into it's own title and shaking the rule-heavy shackles of Dungeons and Dragons. But, they're doing well because they started out adhering to the principles that made D&D great. Star Trek Online is starting out with it's own little twist and needs to quickly get back to Basic Trek if it's going to make a splash.
It's all basic business model sense and I stick with my original theory of making the quick buck through Brandwashing.
I bought the Collector's Edition to MAKE it worth the purchase. I wanted the extras, but I won't be subscribing regularly for another six months at least. Maybe a month between now and then, but not a recurring charge. It's just getting started, but I love it. It's the only Star Trek game I've ever enjoyed playing. It has much potential and Cryptic has told us a little about that potential, but the way I see it, they had to rush release to start making money so they can actually make the game better. I understand completely and will support them as soon as I've got the money.
Stargate Worlds is doing something similar...they're taking the engine and making a multiplayer battle game to make some money to fund the MMO.
I do not disagree with you. I, too, purchased the collector's edition and have been harassing two of my closest friends to get the game as well. I am not, at all, bashing the game. I 'want' this game to be good. I really, really want it to be good. I was on board with the project since I first heard about it back in May when all this website had was a picture, one forum thread and a "Coming Soon" stamp. I am all about it but first impressions are just...heartbreaking. And it's important that Cryptic knows these things. Being on board with all smiles will get nothing done; the game will stagnate and I do 'not' want it to.
But I also don't want people to think they've put a lot of money into nothing. Buy the regular edition and pay the monthly. Cryptic's accountants most likely only projected their First and Second Quarter earnings goals using low-ball estimates: meaning, when they sat down and went over how much revenue they 'might' bring in, they do not include collector's editions or lifetime subscriptions. CE purchases and upper-tier subscriptions are all 'bonus' that are accounted for 'after' they reconcile their bottom line with Regular edition and standard subscribers.
No company is stupid enough to project earnings based on expectations of purchases above tier 1 on a tiered income scaling. (Tier 1 = Standard Game, Tier 2 = Deluxe, Tier 3 = Collector's, etc..= any other variants that might have been available fit inbetween.) (Tier 1 Subs = 14.95 Month, Tier 2 = 3 month subs...etc). They only plan on Tier 1 sales, because that's where the majority of their income will fall from. They meet their bottom line with 'just' their first quarter projections only including Tier 1's they're doing well.
Didn't mean to Business School everyone, just trying to account for my words.
The pretty brushed aluminum case, the copper and zinc combadge, the artistry and binding of the pretty pictures booklet, the additional in-game items they have to design and give away, the 10 day trial cards that are included that impact server capacity and so on.. Collector's Edition is a pitfall for the company to give the consumer something special. The extra 20$ you give in for it is merely a 'break even' tax for the company to pay the designers and staff involved in making it.
As for the Lifetime Sub; 20 months from now they start losing money on you.
Their biggest income comes from the sales of the Standard Edition Direct Download game version and the Month-by-Month subscription. That's why I recommended it that way. It gives the buyer a reprieve in case they're not satisfied and it doesn't damage Cryptics financial ability to improve the game.
Take STO as you have it, then add from Eve:
Massive, ever-present PVP
Strong facility for guilds/corps/clans
Truly one world, not fragmented instances
Developers that listen to the fans
Free periodic expansions and game dynamic changes
Overall, I think Cryptic should have taken a flight to Iceland and talked to some folks about how to run a MMO. I know CCP isnt perfect, but you cant fault them for making a game to fit their customers. Eve has continually improved over the 7 years it has existed.
I am starting to feel bad that I stopped my sub for Eve to get this.... but I am still willing to give Cryptic a chance. The basics here have potential.
I wanted to love this game, but as I too stated in OB, once you hit Admiral there is nothing left, ntohgint to learn, nothing to look forward to, all skills are yours, and without an endless skill system that you can fill every skill box, no real reason to keep grinding once you do all the quests.
STO needs a complete work-over along the Lines of the NGE, and EQ2's 6 month class reset if they want to recover any sort of credibility.
Drop the Admiral Rank as an acquirable Rank, and adjust all levels to account for Capitan being the Cap rank. Reset the skill cap to allow for this, and adjust the skill lists to be more specific in what they do.
Overhaul bridge officers so that once they have maxed a skill box, and ranked up, you can go back, and for more points, roll that skill over into it's rank 2, or 3 version in the same rank slot. I.E. if a commander level BO had a skill list that looked like 1/2/2/3 right now, in the new system they could after a whole lot of skill spent be sporting 3/3/3/3 rank abilities.( I mean a whole lot, time sink sorta numbers )
Allow for all Commander rank BO if you so wanted on our Ships, and the ability to use those skills they have at each station, but make it cost some points. Make us grind the same merits it takes to promote those officers, and their skills to upgrade our ships consoles starting at Commander rank ships to increase the rank of officer that can sit at the station, or rather unlock the stations potential.
AI, make it so our BO use the expo, expl system, as well as the enemy, and make it so they are smarter than they seem to be.
A 3rd Faction. We need a 3rd playable Faction that can go either way depending on the character if not a 4rth, and 5th, with access to that factions ships. I personally am not a fan of the Klinks, and believe the Federation to be evil, so would prefer to play a non aligned race, or a faction not affiliated with either side. I'd at at least like the option to resign my Starfleet Commission, and take my EC to buy a used ship from a ferengi merchant. My merits would be forfeit, as well as my crew, but I would then have to pay for the crew with EC, and become a real Privateer.
Thats all I got for now, sure I tread on what others have said already, but it's worth repeating.
I liked the game, and while I am still debating getting my LT money back, if they fix a lot of things, it may turn around. It's STO, who would not want ot see the game get better ? besides Sony... We suggest fixes, and complain not to gripe, but to hope the people who are incharge see what we say, and take a look at what they have done, and hopefully, open their eyes. If they start immediatly, they can get alot fo things fixed in a few months, and make small changes like the AI, and cosmetic level titles, like Admiral.
Start small, and work piece meal, it will go easy.
Onaccountof,
You missed the point. Cryptic, for some unknown reason, tied the leveling system to storyline concepts. So please explain what rank are you going to achieve past Admiral? Super Admiral? Super Duper Admiral? President? They didn't start small, they laid out the entire Rank system and it's maxed out now. Not to mention the dismal no cap skill system that is now capped for some mysterious reason.
Next there is very little quality to the content and in fact very little content at all. Recycled missions, poor storyline and absolutely nothing storywise for Klingons, you know, 1/2 the damn game.
~ Foulwin