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An Idea: First Officer

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
This would be an idea that could be used in various ways or implementations, but essentially I feel my captain's chair looks a bit lonely.

I selected the bridge for my T3 cruiser as the one that resembles the TNG Enterprise bridge.(have had it for long while and couldn't think of what was bugging me about it until last night) Now there's obviously a lot of things, disregarding the size, that are way off and that is why I say it merely resembles it as I don't think it's meant to be a recreation of it. However, I noticed that the CPT chair seems awfully small and alone because on that sort of configuration there's usually 3 chairs in front of the archway.

As I thought about it I realized that out of my entire senior staff...I have no Number One.

Then I realized this would be a good way to implement a grouping option without just throwing more ships out there and could be used to give RPers a way to play around with the bridge some more, but also allow us non roleplayers some different types of content.

Basically it would only work for certain types of missions that are specifically geared for it. I mean, how often does the ship just sit and do nothing while the away team is gone in the shows? Not very.

Essentially you or a friend takes the role as first officer on the ship of the other. When both are on the ship, #1 gets to use their normal command abilities just as if they were on their own ship. (basically becoming like an autonomous BOff)

Most of the missions, however, would center their focus around split objectives that are done simultaneously by both players. Either one could join the away team and that would leave the other in command of the ship. Maybe even a special mission or two where the away team pilots a shuttle to get to a planet (could still use the beam down mechanic with a button that says -Land Shuttle- instead of beam down) through a battle between the ship and an aggressor.

Now like I said...this would require certain missions to specifically support it. Perhaps even restricted to those missions only if it would unbalance the rest of the game too much with 2 sets of ship command abilities being run. They would share the same external view of the ship while both are on it obviously.

You could maybe expand it to allow other captains to join up just to be part of the away mission section or to take the first officer station when the away team leaves, but I think that would be a bit much.

Granted, if it's restricted to certain missions this would probably have to be set to require the group in order to run the missions due to the different aspects, but I think we got enough solo content that the players will welcome it.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I have a first officer, a Chief Medical officer, and a Captain's Woman. They're all in roleplay.

    Like your ideas, but they just won't work right now.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    We already have a First Officer, it just doesn't have the title associated.

    Each ship has a single officer who outranks all the others. On an escort, it's a Tac BO...

    That's your First Officer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    We already have a First Officer, it just doesn't have the title associated.

    Each ship has a single officer who outranks all the others. On an escort, it's a Tac BO...

    That's your First Officer.

    While I understand that factor, that's not really the point of my thread. I would think, however, if they really were my first officer they wouldn't be manning a station at the back of the bridge just like the rest of the bridge crew.

    Again, however, I understand what you're referring to and I actually had already figured that out back in OB, but the point of my post was to express an idea for a better way to utilize the position on the ship for more types of gameplay content for us.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I do wish we could "promote" one of our BO's to become First Officer. Not sure why this was left out. Another standard Trek item, missed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Ramierez wrote: »
    While I understand that factor, that's not really the point of my thread. I would think, however, if they really were my first officer they wouldn't be manning a station at the back of the bridge just like the rest of the bridge crew.

    Again, however, I understand what you're referring to and I actually had already figured that out back in OB, but the point of my post was to express an idea for a better way to utilize the position on the ship for more types of gameplay content for us.

    By holding a higher ranking position, they are contributing to the ship by way of more and better skills.

    What you're really asking for, is a proper seating arrangement on the Bridge.

    :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    By holding a higher ranking position, they are contributing to the ship by way of more and better skills.

    What you're really asking for, is a proper seating arrangement on the Bridge.

    :D

    Did you even read my original post? That actual existance of a first officer or not was a mere footnote to describe how I came across the idea of the thread. To have missions that allowed another player to take on the role of #1 to complete split-objective missions specifically geared for that type of gameplay.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Oh...

    No

    We're each a "captain", and you're talking about being demoted to someone else's 2nd in command.

    1) You can always invite someone onto your bridge. So wander around the un-interactive environment, and sit in whatever seat you like.

    2) Team up with your friend, and run missions together. Then you can both fly around and kill stuff, and then you both can beam down and kill more stuff.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Oh...

    No

    We're each a "captain", and you're talking about being demoted to someone else's 2nd in command.

    1) You can always invite someone onto your bridge. So wander around the un-interactive environment, and sit in whatever seat you like.

    2) Team up with your friend, and run missions together. Then you can both fly around and kill stuff, and then you both can beam down and kill more stuff.

    Yes, I am fully aware of this and I'm fine with it. This is an idea for a few missions with a more complex game model rather than just enemies that are beefed to handle 2 ships.

    The focus would not be on both people being on the same ship, but when they are split into ship and away team.

    One player is controlling the ship while the other is leading the away mission.

    An example would be a fight where you disable a ship and send an away team over to retrieve someone or information, while the fight continues in space. Basically one person would be doing the away mission while the other is controlling the ship and fighting to defend it until they get back.

    Various other options abound for how to use the split object mission concept, but I personally would enjoy the prospect for a little more variety in content.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Actually you do have a first officer. It's your highest skilled up tactical officer on your team.

    I bought a bridge that had two chairs, and my tactical officer was sitting their patiently in the other chair.
    I didn't promote him, he decided himself that he was my first officer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I get that you already kinda have a first officer, but I kinda like that idea of running 2 missions at once...a more complex co-op mission than just beefer enemies that are meant for 2 ships/people.

    I mean you may not want to get too complicated here, and I'm sure it would depend on what their engine allows them to do as far as mission structure goes, but basically have 2 series of objectives, one for the away team, and one for the ship in orbit. As soon as the ship in orbit finishes 1 objective, it triggers the next one down on the planet, and vice versa....fairly simple stuff, but would add some cool depth to some of the missions...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Ramierez wrote: »
    An example would be a fight where you disable a ship and send an away team over to retrieve someone or information, while the fight continues in space. Basically one person would be doing the away mission while the other is controlling the ship and fighting to defend it until they get back.

    This exists already, somewhat. Though it won't be like what you want. You can choose to stay in space if you decline to beam down, your friend will just have all of his BO's beam down with him. You on the other hand, will be out in space, but with your objective cleared (destroy enimies so you can beam down) you'll just be sitting up there.

    It sounds like you're talking about player controlled crews, which has been discussed before and determined that it just wouldn't work out and lower the fun factor. How do you expect someone else to take control of YOUR bridge officer. I wouldn't, I'd want to control my OWN character, not someone else's.

    But anyways, you're original post is about a first officer, and they do exist, although not officially. I've noticed that your "First Officer" is always the very first BO that you choose. On my bridge, which has a captain and XO chair, the first BO I picked always sits in the XO chair.

    I"ll try and take a screenshot and post it on here later for proof.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Shayde wrote: »
    I have a first officer, a Chief Medical officer, and a Captain's Woman. They're all in roleplay.

    Like your ideas, but they just won't work right now.

    Well personally, I'd like categorization since it'd allow for more mission personalization.

    And frankly, I'd like to send my XO on the away missions instead of the captain. Can still control manually, just y'know.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I like what I saw in another thread merged with what my friends and I kicked around:

    The first officer is a special promotion which you can use only once. To change it, you have to loose the old officer. What it does is grant that boff an essentially free promotion, and a special title. In addition, any station you put them at, they get to use one rank higher skill than they would normally. Your XO at an ensign station would retain access to their Lt. skills and such.

    This means it is in your best interests for your first officer to be of a different class to you, thus giving you just a hint of edge in that secondary department.

    Just some thoughts, ya know?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Casier98 wrote: »
    I get that you already kinda have a first officer, but I kinda like that idea of running 2 missions at once...a more complex co-op mission than just beefer enemies that are meant for 2 ships/people.

    I mean you may not want to get too complicated here, and I'm sure it would depend on what their engine allows them to do as far as mission structure goes, but basically have 2 series of objectives, one for the away team, and one for the ship in orbit. As soon as the ship in orbit finishes 1 objective, it triggers the next one down on the planet, and vice versa....fairly simple stuff, but would add some cool depth to some of the missions...

    This is it exactly...thank you, finally someone that understands my intent rather than people giving knee-jerk 'player crew' responses which is really not the intent. This isn't an idea to change the core of the gameplay, but a way to add a few missions with a little more complex completion.

    To elaborate, let's say you send an away team onto a battleship you disabled because they had stolen some goods from a tradeship. One player is the XO and running the away team and goes in with a security detail with perhaps one or more of their own BOffs. There are damping fields and security lockouts on the ship that they have to disable and manually tag the stolen goods but they're protected by hostile forces - something we already experience in missions now.

    Meanwhile there are patrols in space that are coming to aid the distressed battleship that the person in the ship will have to engage or risk the away team mission. Like say, if they let a ship streak past to the ship and is allowed a few moments (similar to the time we spend scanning an anomoly or somethign), the away team has to deal with a lot more troops that the enemy ship beams down and perhaps an additional 'leader' NPC.

    These would be considered more epic episodes and since they would be fairly rare, would have slightly improved rewards for both players. Granted they could do this with just using 2 or more ships with the split objectives, I think it would be a bit more interesting with the single ship XO concept.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I think FO would be a great idea for several reasons (mot of which have already been stated). I would love to see one of the BO you have be promoted to a FO, which could give them some abilities; perhaps one or more of the following:
    • Ability to carry 2 weapons or use a kit (obviously not both)
    • Ability to use a special FO Console (Giving an additional slot and freeing up one console for another bridge officer)
    • Special FO abilities (This could be tied into a FO slot like the console in the previous list item)

    Just some ponderings.
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