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Cryptic - Too many "kill 5 squadrons" missions

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I don't mind a fight and I don't mind that the fight missions aren't always diverse and full of great story and scripting. But tonight I reached my limits, I'm sorry to say.

I did the "Patrol the Sierra Sector" and "Patrol the Vendor Sector" missions back to back. Both of these want me to patrol 3 systems. What I didn't expect was that 5 out of the 6 systems was a "kill 5 (insert race) squadrons" affair. At the end of this, I was so sick of killing irrelevant spaceships that I longed for a nice quiet "Scan 5 irrelevant things" mission.

Please Cryptic, please consider making more diverse and more interactive missions. I know not all missions can be great scripted story-progressing works of art. But there's got to be better ways to make filler missions than this.

I believe you can do it. :)
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    You'll get more episode focused content as you level and it gets a lot better.

    Sub Lt. Cmdr isn't the best part of the game. We've been staying that since close beta (i.e. it needs to more interesting at that level to pull people in).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    You'll get more episode focused content as you level and it gets a lot better.

    There is still plenty of kill/scan five things.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    In fact once you finish all the episodes, the only thing left to do in the game is scan/kill 5 things. This is where you're suppose to spend the rest of your ships career.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Didn't say there wasn't. However, content gets more interesting once you are past Lt and there is more of it and its not all just patrols.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    You'll get more episode focused content as you level and it gets a lot better.

    Sub Lt. Cmdr isn't the best part of the game. We've been staying that since close beta (i.e. it needs to more interesting at that level to pull people in).

    If only it was limited to sub Lt. Cmdr. rank. I promoted to Commander during those missions :)

    I seriously doubt they'll be gone in higher level missions.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Jujube wrote: »
    In fact once you finish all the episodes, the only thing left to do in the game is scan/kill 5 things. This is where you're suppose to spend the rest of your ships career.

    No, please read the "what we are adding" section on the home page of this site.

    They have already added a new sector, with some new Admiral 5 missions. We have a new exploration area, which isn't all "kill 5 things".

    Raids and other stuff is to be added soon.

    You do not run out of the current epiodes until level cap and if you've also been doing other things while leveling, then after.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    huskeonkel wrote: »
    If only it was limited to sub Lt. Cmdr. rank. I promoted to Commander during those missions :)

    I seriously doubt they'll be gone in higher level missions.

    Correct. You have patrol missions all the way to Adminal, but there's a lot of other stuff to, which is less apparent while you are a Lt.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I just finished 2 missions in a row in under 10 minutes. One where you talk to a ferengi and then some holo deck sex slave chick program, and then one where you um, yea, repair 5 satellites. Real handy how you warp in and the first satellite is in your face, and they are all in a nice lil row for ya. Tell me what is the point at all.
    You don't even have to look for things, they stack them all out in a nice order for you, boring.
    A few of the missions as I have said before are good. But mostly boring carp.
    The back in time mission, and the undine mission are really the only one's I recall that I enjoyed doing.
    I think they had a few good ones in, like these, and just threw some more carp in just to have, missions.
    Perhaps given time they will have more decent story plot missions, untill then /yawn.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    You must have skipped a lot of episode content then, they they do keep on improving the further you get into the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    You'll get more episode focused content as you level and it gets a lot better.

    Sub Lt. Cmdr isn't the best part of the game. We've been staying that since close beta (i.e. it needs to more interesting at that level to pull people in).

    No, it won't get any better. Im CO8, and the scenarios are exactly the same as what Huskeonkel has relayed in the OP. All the Exploration missions where you work to collect 75 BoE's for 3 systems are exactly the same whether you are doing BoE First, Second, or Third Level. Exactly the same.



  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Pannadharo wrote: »
    No, it won't get any better. Im CO8, and the scenarios are exactly the same as what Huskeonkel has relayed in the OP. All the Exploration missions where you work to collect 75 BoE's for 3 systems are exactly the same whether you are doing BoE First, Second, or Third Level. Exactly the same.

    Garbage. I'm Admiral 5.

    Patrols don't deviate much and exproration variation is limited, which is more of what you see at the lower tier. Episode conent however is another matter. There are a lot of good ones and more of them as you progress.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    Garbage. I'm Admiral 5.

    Patrols don't deviate much and exproration variation is limited, which is more of what you see at the lower tier. Episode conent however is another matter. There are a lot of good ones and more of them as you progress.

    Okay ... Garbage ...

    But every Patrol mission I have done, every Exploration mission I have done up to where I am now are exactly the same. And, the OP is talking specifically about Patrol missions.

    You want garbage, you got it. But the OP has a valid compalint, and from my own personal experience, that is exactly what Im getting ... EXACTLY what he is complaining about.

    Please dont try to supress my contrubitions by inserting your own opinions as if they are more valid than any one elses ... thats Trolling ... something your close to achieving.



  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Yes, the OP does have a very valid point from what he/she is seeing and I have also stated so in my very first post. The early game, needs to be more diverse than it currently is. The point is it does change, or should I say at least gives more options alongside them. Episode missions have story lines and very good ones. They are not "go kill 5 mobs".

    I'm not supressing anything, but I will state what is the truth. There's the odd to many haters on these forums at the moment and this is obviously a new player simply asking the question because they are concerned. In fact I had the very same concern about the game.

    Patrol and Exploration missions need a lot more diversity. Episode missions are fine, but more non combat focused ones would be great.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Agree with OP.
    I am an Admiral now, shouldn't I be getting diplomatic missions by now?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Yea I'm commander 6 and just did another "scan 5 sensor deallies" quest. 5 5 5 5 why is it always 5, someone could not count past the fingers on one hand, maybe they were to busy w/ the other hand.
    I rant negatively but I am also positive in that I think they will add more content.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    Yes, the OP does have a very valid point from what he/she is seeing and I have also stated so in my very first post. The early game, needs to be more diverse than it currently is. The point is it does change, or should I say at least gives more options alongside them. Episode missions have story lines and very good ones. They are not "go kill 5 mobs".

    I'm not supressing anything, but I will state what is the truth. There's the odd to many haters on these forums at the moment and this is obviously a new player simply asking the question because they are concerned. In fact I had the very same concern about the game.

    Patrol and Exploration missions need a lot more diversity. Episode missions are fine, but more non combat focused ones would be great.

    Yes it is true that the story missions are coming as you progress through the ranks. I do really enjoy them when I get them. The point I'm trying to make is that the kill 5 of something missions are too prevalent. They take up too much of the "mission space" so to speak, compared to story missions.

    I hope Cryptic make another way to level through the ranks than what we have. As in CO, we pretty much have only one path to follow to reach admiral, unless you want to do Exploration or Defend over and over and over.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    huskeonkel wrote: »
    I don't mind a fight and I don't mind that the fight missions aren't always diverse and full of great story and scripting. But tonight I reached my limits, I'm sorry to say.

    I did the "Patrol the Sierra Sector" and "Patrol the Vendor Sector" missions back to back. Both of these want me to patrol 3 systems. What I didn't expect was that 5 out of the 6 systems was a "kill 5 (insert race) squadrons" affair. At the end of this, I was so sick of killing irrelevant spaceships that I longed for a nice quiet "Scan 5 irrelevant things" mission.

    Please Cryptic, please consider making more diverse and more interactive missions. I know not all missions can be great scripted story-progressing works of art. But there's got to be better ways to make filler missions than this.

    I believe you can do it. :)

    No joke,

    I agree with you. After I kill three ships, I think "oh man, not MORE"...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    Episode missions have story lines and very good ones. They are not "go kill 5 mobs".
    .

    ..are you kidding me? They all go like this :
    Kill 5 mobs
    Scan something
    Beam to base, scan 4 computers, killing a mob at each one
    Beam back to ship, kill 2 mobs
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    DarKcS wrote: »
    ..are you kidding me? They all go like this :
    Kill 5 mobs
    Scan something
    Beam to base, scan 4 computers, killing a mob at each one
    Beam back to ship, kill 2 mobs

    -- true story
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    This is sadly true...

    Warp into a sector, kill some ships.
    Beam down to planet, kill some dudes.
    Oh no! Lead dude beams to his ship to escape!
    Beam up, kill him, mission complete.

    How many times have we seen this scenario?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    DarKcS wrote: »
    ..are you kidding me? They all go like this :
    Kill 5 mobs
    Scan something
    Beam to base, scan 4 computers, killing a mob at each one
    Beam back to ship, kill 2 mobs

    That is true. But it doesn't feel like its that simple. Perhaps because its scripted and the difficulty seems higher. I for one can't wait until we get diplomacy missions :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    STO is actually little different to the majority of MMOs. Regardless of the game there are typically very few quest types, those being: -

    1) Kill X of Y
    2) Collect X
    3) Collect X by killing Y

    The problem is that the exploration and patrol missions don't do as well at masking them, as the pattern is oftern the same and how you engage the mobs are linear. A simple fix would be for one to have to look for them, instead of being nearly always in a straight line from ones spawn point. They could also widen the patrols to include sectors that simply don't have anything in them (ie. a false alarm, they must be in one of the others), or even just simple things like an ambush or finding something that unlocks an episode, or a mini-mission with a means of obtaining an unsuspected reward.

    What is really being asked here, is that STO deviates from what the MMO industry usually produces as content.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    STO is actually little different to the majority of MMOs. Regardless of the game there are typically very few quest types, those being: -

    1) Kill X of Y
    2) Collect X
    3) Collect X by killing Y

    The problem is that the exploration and patrol missions don't do as well at masking them, as the pattern is oftern the same and how you engage the mobs are linear. A simple fix would be for one to have to look for them, instead of being nearly always in a straight line from ones spawn point. They could also widen the patrols to include sectors that simply don't have anything in them (ie. a false alarm, they must be in one of the others), or even just simple things like an ambush or finding something that unlocks an episode, or a mini-mission with a means of obtaining an unsuspected reward.

    What is really being asked here, is that STO deviates from what the MMO industry usually produces as content.

    Interesting thought, but I don't think that prolonged search will make people enjoy the missions more. People want substance, right away. The main issue is the repetitiveness and the feeling that the missions are just an inane grind with no story fabric to them. Cryptic should have spent the time necessary to develop their mission tools a lot more, but I think the whole Time vs. Cryptic vs. Atari vs. Money vs. The players is a whole other issue :) One that is taken up in other threads.
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