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Needs some refinement

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
This isn't a gripe thread. Just my own feedback since I have time now that the server is down for a bit.

I have been playing for quite a bit over the past couple of days and have found pretty much what I had figured I'd find. Good space game play, not great. Marginal ground combat/away missions. I have been following this game since the license was held by Perpetual Entertainment. When Cryptic got the license we were all given a release date of the end of 2010/early 2011. If you followed the Path to 2409 entries on the web site, this was close to when they would have come close to 2409. Something happened either with Cryptic or CBS to push this date up to this past week. I can tell by the game play this was rushed by 6 months.

All the right elements are there for a great game. If any gamers remember the game company of Interplay, they released a couple of games called Starfleet Command 1 and 2. These were really good games that were based off of an old Star Trek battles board game. The time frame was the original series. After Interplay went out of business/vanished, Atari picked up the license for Star Trek and made Starfleet Command 3 which was based in the TNG era. The game play was the same as Interplay's versions. I mention these games becasue the space combat in STO is almost EXACTLY like these games. I played my first space battle and I felt like I was sitting playing those games again. I knew what to do right off. There was no secret ot the gameplay mechanics here. It looks like they farmed the old code to make the space combat.

The space battles are ok. They can take a while and are quite challenging if you get outnumbered enough.

The ground combat is something completly different. I do not like it. No strategy to it at all. Just a lot of button mashing. It feels like I am playing a flash game at times. This IMHO needs some major work. I'd like to be challenged here. I have 5 chars in my away team. Simply having them outnumbered won't do it. If I can think of something more constructive to say about it I will post it up here but I don't know where to start.

Star Trek isn't just a shoot 'em up universe. There is conflict and antagonism between different characters and different races. I see some of it captured here in this game but the resolution isn't always resolved at the end of a phaser or Bat 'leth. A lot of the resolutions to episodes were plot twists and mysteries solved. True quests played out on the small screen. Make some quests involve puzzles that need to be solved. Make some dialog choices have consequences and vary the outcome of the quest. Put the spirit of Trek into the game. A good game to reference for what I mean is Star Trek: A Final Unity released by Spectrum Holobyte some 15 years ago, I think it was that long ago. The graphics were great for the time and the puzzles and the story were all involving. The dialog choices you made had consequences.

Drama and plot need to be in this game or at least some weight put into the various things having to do with the story of the game. Adding Leonard Nimoy to do voice over is a nice touch. More of the vocalization is needed. Hire some voice talent and have the NPC's do some talking.

I do like the layout of the game. The sectors and systems and the way you travel from star system to star system. I think it was a nice way to handle the warp speed thing.

The layout of the different zones is awesome. I like the graphics. The look is good. I do think someone is the design department is a little asteroid happy. I am almost waiting for the little flying saucer to come by and start shooting little white torpedoes at me. If you don't get that reference you are far to young.

So far in some places, the game just feels like a sketch drawing. It is enjoyable but it needs to be more robust. More detailed. More colorful. It needs to be filled out more and developed.

Ok I have said my peace. Happy Hunting All.
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I hope server stability is the next thing to get fixed. :P
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Bumping this post as I am hoping it is seen by someone who matters.
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