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Where's all the wildlife.

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I see these awesome landscapes and the only animal life is other humanoids. Might add a bit of mystery to those scanning missions. Are we going to get those cute bunnies or something a little more aggressive this time?
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on
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  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Merls wrote:
    I see these awesome landscapes and the only animal life is other humanoids. Might add a bit of mystery to those scanning missions. Are we going to get those cute bunnies or something a little more aggressive this time?

    and animal life on planets gives items that can be enemies without a moral attachment, you can defend a village from them and it would seem pretty clear, then you could even flip it with a death world trilogy approach that the planet is defending itself, or like the silicon based life form that dug tunnels.

    Lots of dilemmas and stories from just the visual image of what the thing looks like to create a question of perception.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    That is what I want to know. I asked this very question a week or so ago asking for more Trek related creatures roaming these boring scan artifact missions for a little spice. Have a wondering Mugato or Denibian Slime devil or flying parasites. SOMETHING!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    That is what I want to know. I asked this very question a week or so ago asking for more Trek related creatures roaming these boring scan artifact missions for a little spice. Have a wondering Mugato or Denibian Slime devil or flying parasites. SOMETHING!

    I seem to remember reading were the devs where working on animals.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Yes Cryptic really dropped the ball there.

    Also they missed many opportunities to add depth to some of the missions. Such as when you have to deactivate force fields or unlock doors, instead of just interacting with them how about a puzzle of mini-game?

    Most of the away missions there is absolutely no exploring to do. Have to find the research lab? Just follow the convenient path that allows very little room to move from and fight your way through the 5-6 groups of mobs.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Why are we even making an issue of this? Its not that I dont appreciate that you're wanting something that would be cool to see. But even Mass Effect had ONE planet in it with any wildlife. Actually there were two I think but both had the same little monkeys just roaming around.

    Seriously, I live in Texas and I can go outside and walk for half an hour and see no wildlife. Maybe a rabbit here and birds of course.

    But games, especially rpgs, dont often have a lot of it. Sure, in WoW they have things wondering around the forest such as wild boars you can spend hours shooting.

    However, of all the things I think this game needs that is lacking, wild life on planets is the least of my concerns. It would just take gobs of extra programming. It will lag down the game a bit. And there's no point to having it other than fluff.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I like having weather. I did do one mission where it was a dust storm. The mission itself was really lame, scan 4 things and leave. But I liked the dust storm effect. Would love to see snow and rain too. Maybe its already there, I have only done like 4 or 5 ground missions, but so far that dust storm is the only thing I have seen.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Hey Merls

    I also think that the exploration planets feel empty : I would like to see more friendly aliens, wild animals (friendly or not), to be able to discuss with the inhabitants etc. You may want to post your ideas in this thread :

    http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=102017

    The devs are using it as one of their main source for feedback and already said that they will work on what we post there. Your suggestions wouldn't go unnoticed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    And there's no point to having it other than fluff.

    Unless it was part of story lines, they make natural foes for a colony, or an away party with an easier idea that they are immediately bad. And that immediate perception can be used to create surprise and branched information where they turn out to be sentient in some places with good reason for action.

    So it would only be fluff if they had no interaction with player decisions, or if they did not hint to things, or create more possibilities.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I'd LOVE to see the dragons of Barengaria! Spock references them in "This Side of Paradise".
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Merls wrote:
    I see these awesome landscapes and the only animal life is other humanoids. Might add a bit of mystery to those scanning missions. Are we going to get those cute bunnies or something a little more aggressive this time?


    Starfleet killed them its part of the new federation that kills any and everything in its path. These are the logs of the conv to the captain of the USS Bloodbath from Starlfeet Command

    Starfleet : Captain! We need you to venture forth to every corner of the galaxy and kill any non-sentient life you find.

    USS Bloodbath : Sir not to look a gift horse in the mouth but why just non-sentient life?

    Starfleet: Sentient life fights back so we need to keep them alive long enough to train up and coming admirals in the bloody business of wholesale genocide that way they are skilled enough to continue pacifying the rest of the universe. You like the the blood filled oceans on risa don't ya?

    USS Bloodbath: Yes Sir! I try to get there every time I have shore leave.

    Starfleet: Well how do you think we get enough blood to fill those oceans on risa ?

    USS Bloodbath: I never really thought about it sir.

    Starfleet: You have your orders Captain now get to it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.
    Awesome :D any chance you could create some kind of system to catalogue these new lifeforms for accolades? ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    Hooray!!!!111!!

    I better be able to shoot them and scan them
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    No TRIBBLE? That's pretty sweet. Glad to hear it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    Hrmm, I wonder if this will also include he "social zones".

    At any rate, this is good news.

    To the "fluff" comment, yeah it is fluff...Blizzard has a whole team of people who solely add this kind of "fluff" to the game in WOW's case. Why? because it adds immersion, life to the game, and for a Star Trek game this type of fluff is typically well received (I could kiss the artist/dev who created the "Stovokor" emote :D).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    Awesome news!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.


    I gotta say you guys over at cryptic are starting to impress me first you guys announced that diplomatic/noncombat missions are being put at the top of the to-do list. Now you guys are adding in native life on planets. Awesome job I am starting to think there may be some hope for this game after all. Keep it please you have made me smile today cryptic dev team :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    prez420 wrote: »
    Starfleet killed them its part of the new federation that kills any and everything in its path. These are the logs of the conv to the captain of the USS Bloodbath from Starlfeet Command

    Starfleet : Captain! We need you to venture forth to every corner of the galaxy and kill any non-sentient life you find.

    USS Bloodbath : Sir not to look a gift horse in the mouth but why just non-sentient life?

    Starfleet: Sentient life fights back so we need to keep them alive long enough to train up and coming admirals in the bloody business of wholesale genocide that way they are skilled enough to continue pacifying the rest of the universe. You like the the blood filled oceans on risa don't ya?

    USS Bloodbath: Yes Sir! I try to get there every time I have shore leave.

    Starfleet: Well how do you think we get enough blood to fill those oceans on risa ?

    USS Bloodbath: I never really thought about it sir.

    Starfleet: You have your orders Captain now get to it.

    I'd never really thought of how they got all that blood in the oceans. I always figured they just kept sending ships back in time stealing whales. That being said, I missed this communique. Thats the last time I spend my duty shift on the bridge in my ready room with the comm officer. Oh who am I kidding. No it's not. I've obviously got alot of slaughtering to catch up on. Hmmm...maybe those whiny settlers always looking for commodities. Yeah...everyone sensible runs for the hills when they get hailed by needy planets. I can probably contribute a few buckets of their blood. Risa, here I come!

    Oh, and cool update dtsahl. thanks! Imagine that guys, an MMO getting better over time. What a concept. I'll just sit here and whip up a big ol' batch of patience and let you guys do your thing. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    You are quickly becoming my favorite yellow poster... its great to see that a lot of the things that have bugged me are being addressed as things go. Excellent news Dstahl!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    Very nice. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    Thanks for the information. It is appreciated.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    Great news, thanks for the update ! Look, I know you guys are under high pressure right now, but once you get more time, you really need to show us what your arts team is working on. I mean, the exploration planets are BEAUTIFUL, space is BEAUTIFUL, you should be much more proud of them. Show us sketches, maybe a video-interview with the arts team leader showing on his/her computer how he/she works.

    You should be proud of those guys, they did an amazing job. I, for one, would like to know more.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    This is certainly a change for Cryptic. Since now, there has never ben ANY animal lifeforms designed in your MMOs (CoH/V or CO). It will be interesting to see what you come up with :).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Brigadoom wrote:
    Awesome :D any chance you could create some kind of system to catalogue these new lifeforms for accolades? ;)

    Gotta catch 'em all! Gotta catch 'em all!

    Can YOU find all 150 species?!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Hopefully they willl add a bit of AI to the critters so they just don't stand around. Would love to see some predator/prey action and or even stalking of our away team :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Talgoth wrote:
    Hopefully they willl add a bit of AI to the critters so they just don't stand around. Would love to see some predator/prey action and or even stalking of our away team :D

    Always liked how Saga of Ryzom (RIP, but heard it's being resurrected) did this. Predator/Prey interaction with the critters AND sometimes the predator didn't always win. ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    dstahl wrote: »
    The character artists had a ton of work cut out for them with this game and as we neared launch a decision was made to focus on player character art (aliens for you to play) than having them focus on alien fauna that you would only see when on away missions.

    The team is now scheduling to go back and add these alien lifeforms to make planets feel more alive. This will be in one of our updates in the near future.

    AWESOME. as I was reading your message my heart sank because it didn't seem like you cared but then at the end BAM. wildlife coming to planets! wooooo! give us birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, fish in the water! the works!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Always liked how Saga of Ryzom (RIP, but heard it's being resurrected) did this. Predator/Prey interaction with the critters AND sometimes the predator didn't always win. ;)

    SWG had a good system, before the NGE nerf.

    Would love to be jogging to the next scan point, then BAM, out of left field a big cat-like critter comes running from the side and knocks my captian on her tush..lol
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Would definitely love to see some fauna! As someone mentioned earlier, predator/prey relationships would do much to add immersion. Even if my away team and I ended up on the "prey" list from time to time :P
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    See, all people need to do is give Cryptic time to make things happen and they'll come through.
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