There are a lot of complaints about the limited numbers of Klingon players for PvP.
Two reasons why this is:
1) Minimum Federation level requirements in a Federation character
Firstly, I can understand developers implementing a minimum level restriction due to time constraints to release the game. You have contractual deadlines and waiting until Cataclysm comes out is a terrible launch window (same with waiting until the fall - higher developer costs and SW coming Spring 2011).
However, this discourages players from creating a Klingon at all. With the investment required just to reach level 5, players are set in their ways. The game also doesn't start improving until you reach a new rank as battles become more tactical due to the wide array of options. Most gamers simply interested are wondering "Why bother?" especially after the following.
2) Lack of Klingon PvE
Secondly, players that bother going through the process of leveling their Federation officer will face the abrupt disappearance of PvE content. It's virtually all PvP. As disposable as the stories might be on the Federation side, they at least have a variety of experiences (not just blow X many tier 2 Federation vessels).
This might be more fun if the PVP interface wasn't buried in a GUI submenu (making it a larger button for Klingon players might encourage more Klingon players - or offering "quests" for entering PvP content - like orders from the KDF).
There's also a distinct lack of options on the Klingon side - one might argue that the Klingon faction (at present) is a "lite" version of the Federation.
There's a lot of potential but much of it rides on a symmetrical playing experience. While content might be different (or inverted to the opposing face), it is just as fully realized as the other side.
RIght now, Klingons are a simple cube half trying to complement the Federation's icosahedron.
To illustrate:
Klingon Player ExperienceFederation Player Experience
What's worse is that part of the Federation player experience (PvP) also suffers from the lack of players (caused by the previously mentioned issues).
That said, I really love the game and look forward to the devs' promises of fleshing out the Klingon faction.
Comments
Often there will be 60 fed's waiting for 5 kilingons to join, with wait times sometimes over an hour it makes it unplayable.
You cant even do other things while waiting unless the mission is really short or you risk losing about 30-40mins of mission time when the pvp invite finally comes.
In my opinion we are all basically playing in a paid for BETA.
They need to catch things up bug wise and get the existing platform stable before they can begin implimenting plans I am sure they have on the drawing board.
Don't get me wrong. I don't mind paying for a BETA because the main reason I was enticed to sign on was because I wanted to be on the ground floor of a brand new MMO. I fully expected things to be rough and that does not bother me at all.
I got to play the full open beta before deciding to drop my money on it. I have absolutely no room to complain about the time it takes them to ix things before they start expanding the content.
The only possible disapointment I will have is if they don't impliment incremental massive expansion over the next couple of years. If they don't then I can cancell. I certainly am getting my monies worth of entertainment now and am patient enough to give them the time they need.
I expect it could take 6 months for things to get on the right track regarding your issues.
Give it a month and you will see alot more Klingon players.
I have a good question that might help entice more ed Players to go Klingon.
Can you use your resources from your main ed ALT and transfer them to a Klingon Alt.
Energy Credits mainly.
Can you transfer equipment to your Klingon ALT from your FED Alt?
Most Klingons seem to do KvK pvp, that pops all the time.
Who wants to fight feds? Boring and unbalanced. KvK is far more fun.
#2- This is horrendous, and I suspect/hope is being addressed. Sure, let the feds prioritize pve and the klingons remain pvp focused, but there has to be options and incentives for people to play besides wait times and memorizing pvp maps. The Klingon side is so lifeless and boring right now I have to salute anybody who has taken the time to really focus play over there. Anybody who gets max ranked on the Klingon side once/if the new stuff drops is having ez mode compared to these guys.
However, the longer this feature is held-back, the more subscribers will have moved on.
Klingon PvE and "create fed first" removal are two big features needed before this game has to compete with World of Warcraft and their ilk (and a necessity before SWTOR comes out).
As for the investment, even reducing it to level 3 until Tier 1 KDF content comes out would help retain players. Right now, it's sort of "hiding" the lack of PvE content.
I hope they focus on 1 tier at a time for fleshing the KDF out.
We could see Tier 1 by mid march, Tier 2 by late April, etc.
Art assets are mostly there - even randomly generated content would suffice to fill in PvE missions in the interim.
2. Investment of time to get to level 5? Yea if I invested a whole hour id probably be so mad I would throw a brick at my monitor. For petes sake its a hour to go from tutorial to 5, and your whining?