The Guitar Hero game would not be possible. The internet lag of sending the keypress to the server would throw off the timing in a random way. We also couldn't have the client tell the server that the player pressed the key at the right time. Someone could hack the client to always tell the server that the user timed it perfectly.
That being said, the "sine wave" and "topographic map" games might be a bit too intimidating for people? The rest just plain rock out, and I adore the medical one.
Just because the interface looks intimidating does actually mean the game would be complex. Perhaps the sine wave isnt guitar hero, but Simon (remember the game from the late 70s), where you repeat a sequence of lights and tones.
Also, consider that you will want more complicated games at some level... not every game should be "easy" thus the optional "phone a friend" or NPC buyout idea.
Wow, even after all this time I can't tell how great it feels to see not just one dev, but three of you comment on these suggestions.
Guys, I love Star Trek so much and have so much faith in STO's potential. The way you've been listening to the community since launch has been great, and now that you've stumbled into this thread I hope you've gotten a lot more food for thought.
Thanks also to the dozens of other posters who kept this thread running and have been submitting your own ideas here. Love and ponies for everyone!
All that said, I might have to pump out more concepts now that this baby has gotten stickied. THANKS for that, by the way.
Look at me, babbling like a school girl. Tee hee!
It's good to see you back! Yes! Please do!
For brainstorming take a look at www.freerealms.com as they have some interesting mini games like chef and blacksmithing that use tools and items to craft an item.
What are some things players would want to do in Star Trek:
Warp core alignment and or repair
Tractor beam lock on - Or any other sort of system lock on
Hacking a computer system.
Repairing a broken system.
Telepathic union mini game - Mind melds - capture the thought
Setting up a forcefield or breaking through a forcefield.
Shutting off a self destruct sequence.
WE need more threads like this! Awesome response from the DEVs.... ThomastheCat... I believe they should name the new bar at DS9 after you!
Name a bar??!? If any of these ideas make it into the game, Cryptic ought to financially compensate the original creator for his time, creativity and dedication to the game.
Looks like the Dev team got around to watching this weeks STOked
If this was caused by us, then I'm humbled. I've been in support of the idea of mini-games since Beta. Really hoping this new round of publicity means we'll soon be seeing something like these ideas implemented.
These are awesome ideas! ! It would add a new level of game play and make this feel more Star Trek like.
Also, a few pages back some one mentioned about the miny games not being in pop-up windows, but more of "look over the character's shoulder and see what there doing" sort of thing that could also be fun. Im not saying make every miny game like that, but a few could be.
If this was caused by us, then I'm humbled. I've been in support of the idea of mini-games since Beta. Really hoping this new round of publicity means we'll soon be seeing something like these ideas implemented.
Well, it seems now everyone will want to get a mention in your show to ensure the Devs will look at it.
My suggestions would be to mention threads that discuss to implement persistent and open PvP. There are some good ideas floating around, I think.;)
This is literally one of the best threads ever posted on these forums and deserves alot more Dev feedback than it has recieved.
I wouldn't say it was "one of the best" but THE BEST THAT I HAVE EVER READ. I honestly think that these ideas need serious recommendation and consideration. The concepts are wonderful and the illustrations are perfect! It would do wonders for removing the "F-Key" monotony during the scripted missions.
Can I suggest adding a Crack Attack or Tetris-style Tribbles game? Maybe there's a stasis bay that keeps Tribbles from breeding and your goal is to fit them all in there.
Also... One suggestion that would tremendously broaden the proposed Poker game and probably be useful in S2's Prime Directive content as well as Ferengi negotiations and even interrogations is a mini-game or mini-game aspect that involves non-verbal cues, bluffs and tells.
Imagine a Simon type game that's designed to simulate acting/lying/deception. Call it "The Bluffing Game".
You know the emotional beats and facial cues/mannerisms you're supposed to hit. Like Simon or the Apexis Crystal game from Warcraft.
Here's the gist of it:
You're talking to an NPC. You get a selection of things to tell them, each more absurd than the last.
Then you play a Simon-style game, pressing buttons that send an animated version of your character into emotes as the text scrolls across, indicating a time limit.
Communication:
If you choose to tell the truth, you get a fairly simple game but if you fail it, the NPC says something like, "You seem nervous. I don't know if I can trust you." In this version, you get judged based on the accuracy of the key presses. This can tend to boost your diplomatic standing. This one may give Science buffs. Think Picard.
Intimidation:
But you can choose to say something more bold, which may be true, and you have to play a faster paced version of the game. This one is faster but gives some allowances for inaccuracy. This one may give you Engineering buffs. Think Sisko.
Deception:
Then the third option is a wild lie designed to manipulate the person you're talking to and is intensely difficult. But that third option can get some hostile enemies to surrender without a fight, unlock special perks, etc. This one is a mad series of keypresses where you can get most of them wrong but there are key ones you have to get right. This one may give Tactical buffs. Think Kirk.
Each faction gets a slight bonus to each of these in the form of extra seconds on the clock. Federation gets bonus time for Communication games, KDF gets bonus time for Intimidation games and Romulans get bonus clock time for Deception games.
First off, I forgot to thank a couple of STO podcasts who have mentioned this thread in their recent episodes.
STOKast is first, they were the first to mention this thread as far as a I know. And then, of course, there was yesterday's episode of STOked. Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!
So I have another minigame concept for you all. See below.
The Game: This is a riff on the oh-so-addicting puzzle game "Bejeweled" - or more specifically, "Bejeweled Twist." You have glyphs of various colors that you need to put in a sequence of at least three to make a set. The trick is that you do this by rotating a 2x2 set of glyphs clockwise. There are possibilities for combos and the like.
In this iteration, it might be so that once a set is created those pieces are "off the board" and you cannot use those slots to rotate other pieces into anymore. This would require some work in designing playable maps, but could make for an interesting variation on the theme.
The Allegory: How does the Universal Translator work, anyway? Well, from the little I understand about linguistics and Star Trek Technobabble, it uses a set of pre-coded phonemes, language patterns and cultural anthropology databases to detect recognizable patterns in new dialects and translate them in near real time.
But sometimes it doesn't work right or sometimes it needs a hand. You can join the company of officers like Captain Picard and practice xenoanthropology on ancient alien ruins that you come across in your travels. See some ancient alien ruins and need to know if it's a weapons silo or daycare center? Whip out your translation matrix to find out!
Perfect for science officers looking for ancient worlds explore or engineering officers looking for ancient technology to loot.
The Game: This is a riff on the oh-so-addicting puzzle game "Bejeweled" - or more specifically, "Bejeweled Twist."
Hrmm, wouldn't this infringe on PopCap games' IP? Just wondering if this puzzle needs a few more differentiators to make it unique enough so Cryptic/Atari can't be sued over it. Could be nothin', but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Hrmm, wouldn't this infringe on PopCap games' IP? Just wondering if this puzzle needs a few more differentiators to make it unique enough so Cryptic/Atari can't be sued over it. Could be nothin', but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't think it'd matter because I don't think you can patent the mechanics of a game, just the code itself. As long as Cryptic starts from scratch with the code and art running their minigames I think they're fine.
Otherwise "jumping" as a game mechanic would require royalty payments to Miyamoto or the like.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't think it'd matter because I don't think you can patent the mechanics of a game, just the code itself. As long as Cryptic starts from scratch with the code and art running their minigames I think they're fine.
Otherwise "jumping" as a game mechanic would require royalty payments to Miyamoto or the like.
True enough. Great job, I really hope Cryptic follows through and implements all of this.
Comments
Awesome! This will be useful for my next idea.
Someone please add this.
Just because the interface looks intimidating does actually mean the game would be complex. Perhaps the sine wave isnt guitar hero, but Simon (remember the game from the late 70s ), where you repeat a sequence of lights and tones.
Also, consider that you will want more complicated games at some level... not every game should be "easy" thus the optional "phone a friend" or NPC buyout idea.
Happy we finally got some Dev visibility.
these would add sooo much to the game:p
It's good to see you back! Yes! Please do!
For brainstorming take a look at www.freerealms.com as they have some interesting mini games like chef and blacksmithing that use tools and items to craft an item.
Another game is also www.puzzlepirates.com
What are some things players would want to do in Star Trek:
Warp core alignment and or repair
Tractor beam lock on - Or any other sort of system lock on
Hacking a computer system.
Repairing a broken system.
Telepathic union mini game - Mind melds - capture the thought
Setting up a forcefield or breaking through a forcefield.
Shutting off a self destruct sequence.
Name a bar??!? If any of these ideas make it into the game, Cryptic ought to financially compensate the original creator for his time, creativity and dedication to the game.
If this was caused by us, then I'm humbled. I've been in support of the idea of mini-games since Beta. Really hoping this new round of publicity means we'll soon be seeing something like these ideas implemented.
Also, a few pages back some one mentioned about the miny games not being in pop-up windows, but more of "look over the character's shoulder and see what there doing" sort of thing that could also be fun. Im not saying make every miny game like that, but a few could be.
~Kiri
Great work!
Well, it seems now everyone will want to get a mention in your show to ensure the Devs will look at it.
My suggestions would be to mention threads that discuss to implement persistent and open PvP. There are some good ideas floating around, I think.;)
In for one!
I could see all these being implamented with ship interia's cos these are all things that could be done during the day to day running of your ship.
I wouldn't say it was "one of the best" but THE BEST THAT I HAVE EVER READ. I honestly think that these ideas need serious recommendation and consideration. The concepts are wonderful and the illustrations are perfect! It would do wonders for removing the "F-Key" monotony during the scripted missions.
MAKE IT SO!
Also... One suggestion that would tremendously broaden the proposed Poker game and probably be useful in S2's Prime Directive content as well as Ferengi negotiations and even interrogations is a mini-game or mini-game aspect that involves non-verbal cues, bluffs and tells.
Imagine a Simon type game that's designed to simulate acting/lying/deception. Call it "The Bluffing Game".
You know the emotional beats and facial cues/mannerisms you're supposed to hit. Like Simon or the Apexis Crystal game from Warcraft.
Here's the gist of it:
You're talking to an NPC. You get a selection of things to tell them, each more absurd than the last.
Then you play a Simon-style game, pressing buttons that send an animated version of your character into emotes as the text scrolls across, indicating a time limit.
Communication:
If you choose to tell the truth, you get a fairly simple game but if you fail it, the NPC says something like, "You seem nervous. I don't know if I can trust you." In this version, you get judged based on the accuracy of the key presses. This can tend to boost your diplomatic standing. This one may give Science buffs. Think Picard.
Intimidation:
But you can choose to say something more bold, which may be true, and you have to play a faster paced version of the game. This one is faster but gives some allowances for inaccuracy. This one may give you Engineering buffs. Think Sisko.
Deception:
Then the third option is a wild lie designed to manipulate the person you're talking to and is intensely difficult. But that third option can get some hostile enemies to surrender without a fight, unlock special perks, etc. This one is a mad series of keypresses where you can get most of them wrong but there are key ones you have to get right. This one may give Tactical buffs. Think Kirk.
Each faction gets a slight bonus to each of these in the form of extra seconds on the clock. Federation gets bonus time for Communication games, KDF gets bonus time for Intimidation games and Romulans get bonus clock time for Deception games.
STOKast is first, they were the first to mention this thread as far as a I know. And then, of course, there was yesterday's episode of STOked. Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!
So I have another minigame concept for you all. See below.
BEJEWELED
Attachment not found.
Bigger image:
http://www.secondstartotheleft.com/images/STO/STO_Minigames_Bejeweled.jpg
The Game: This is a riff on the oh-so-addicting puzzle game "Bejeweled" - or more specifically, "Bejeweled Twist." You have glyphs of various colors that you need to put in a sequence of at least three to make a set. The trick is that you do this by rotating a 2x2 set of glyphs clockwise. There are possibilities for combos and the like.
In this iteration, it might be so that once a set is created those pieces are "off the board" and you cannot use those slots to rotate other pieces into anymore. This would require some work in designing playable maps, but could make for an interesting variation on the theme.
The Allegory: How does the Universal Translator work, anyway? Well, from the little I understand about linguistics and Star Trek Technobabble, it uses a set of pre-coded phonemes, language patterns and cultural anthropology databases to detect recognizable patterns in new dialects and translate them in near real time.
But sometimes it doesn't work right or sometimes it needs a hand. You can join the company of officers like Captain Picard and practice xenoanthropology on ancient alien ruins that you come across in your travels. See some ancient alien ruins and need to know if it's a weapons silo or daycare center? Whip out your translation matrix to find out!
Perfect for science officers looking for ancient worlds explore or engineering officers looking for ancient technology to loot.
That Bejeweled game you just mentioned brought sweet memories of Daniel of Stargate SG-1.
Asteroids is my favourite so far, love that game.
Hrmm, wouldn't this infringe on PopCap games' IP? Just wondering if this puzzle needs a few more differentiators to make it unique enough so Cryptic/Atari can't be sued over it. Could be nothin', but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't think it'd matter because I don't think you can patent the mechanics of a game, just the code itself. As long as Cryptic starts from scratch with the code and art running their minigames I think they're fine.
Otherwise "jumping" as a game mechanic would require royalty payments to Miyamoto or the like.
True enough. Great job, I really hope Cryptic follows through and implements all of this.