The entire team is expected to constantly deliver based on their discipline. Everyone has individual schedules of what they should be working on next. In the case of the 3rd Nacelle config for the galaxy - that was done by the lead ship model artist (with a little of his own extra time) in addition to all the cool new ships he is working on for the new sectors coming to the game.
That's all fine and dandy - and I could see this if the AGT Enterprise was just fluff, a skin. Since it's NOT with that multiple-target phaser cannon (overpower things much if it also has the same slots that a T5 cruiser has?) , the fact that you have to be a viral marketer in order to get it is a real turnoff. As a customer that pre-ordered this game, it's a bit disapplonting that I also have to act as a memeber of Atari's marketing team (volunteer, yet!) to get that ship, with it's unique power.
No thanks - I'll see ya later, perhaps when your marketers at Atari get the clue your marketers over at your other MMO did - and quit pulling stunts like this.
It's not the ship - again, if it was just a T5 skin that'd be one thing, and appropriate - but adding unique potentially OP's powers (depending onthe strwength of the power) is quite another. That's actually a game-altering one. unlike the Automated Defense Turret that basically won't scratch a frigate.
I welcome the news that we're getting T5 Galaxy, Intrepid and Defiant class ships. That will make me and a friend of mine happy.
However, I do need to add this about the referral Future Enterprise.
I've resigned myself to never getting one. I simply don't know anyone else who isn't either already playing the game or has no interest. I had one friend who I was trying to get to play it, but I don't even know if he would've qualified because he already has a Cryptic account, and I was going to get him to play using one of my guest passes from my Collector's Edition. Unfortunately, when I told him about the particulars of the Referral program, he chose not to try the game at all, stating he can't support a company that does things like make items that will likely be impossible to get by some of the playerbase. He's kinda picky about his MMOs anyway, but the case still needs to be mentioned - you have _lost_ a potential sale because of the fact that these items are gated behind being able to convince multiple people to sign up.
Other MMOs have done this as well, as I understand, so I know it's not unprecedented. FF11 for instance, I am told, did exclusive items for referrals. But most of the MMOs I've played who have done referral programs, have made it things like game time discounts or something, things that are still rewarding but don't create have/have-not cases in the playerbase. The Cryptic Points part is great. I think that's a good tangible reward that doesn't create have/have-nots; Anyone can get Cryptic Points. Every time I see a Future Enterprise in the game, I will be reminded that I don't have enough friends who are interested in STO to get myself one.
I'm not going to ask the devs to NOT do it. It _is_ a compelling reward. But, I feel it needs to be made available some other way, too. Maybe design an STF where at some point we encounter the universe where the Future Enterprise-style ships came from, and successful completion of the STF grants you access to one. Or make it a vet reward, say at 500 or 600 days or something. Just please make it attainable somehow by everyone, eventually.
But why is he working on the 3rd nacelle version when the base/original version still hasen't been fixed yet...
The 3rd nacelle variant was done in conjunction with working on fixing up the Galaxy - and if you check out the Galaxy on Tribble - you'll notice it has been updated.
That's all fine and dandy - and I could see this if the AGT Enterprise was just fluff, a skin. Since it's NOT with that multiple-target phaser cannon (overpower things much if it also has the same slots that a T5 cruiser has?) , the fact that you have to be a viral marketer in order to get it is a real turnoff. As a customer that pre-ordered this game, it's a bit disapplonting that I also have to act as a memeber of Atari's marketing team (volunteer, yet!) to get that ship, with it's unique power.
No thanks - I'll see ya later, perhaps when your marketers at Atari get the clue your marketers over at your other MMO did - and quit pulling stunts like this.
It's not the ship - again, if it was just a T5 skin that'd be one thing, and appropriate - but adding unique potentially OP's powers (depending onthe strwength of the power) is quite another. That's actually a game-altering one. unlike the Automated Defense Turret that basically won't scratch a frigate.
Why assume that this is an unbalanced design? All that's been said is that it's a working cannon. He didn't say how well it worked. What's more, dstahl also said that it will be available through other means as well, so you'll probably have your chance to get one eventually.
First off, I'd like to apologize to dstahl if this has become a riot. That was not my intention, I didn't want this to become a full blown riot like the salegate fiasco was. Riots are bad for the game, as they get people quiting, and all I care about is improving the game. This was intended to be a petition, and if you guys can't keep the posts civil, please leave the thread.
Now, let me gets this straight. The AGT Galaxy will have a unique power? What happened to the previous statement about exclusives not having lasting affects on gameplay. You said this back when people were worried about the effects preorder exclusives would have. At least those were low tier items that weren't useful at the higher levels, this is an end-game ship, where players spend most of their time. How is this power supposed to balance in PvP without becoming unfair? This was bad enough when an elite group of players were getting an aesthetic skin. Now they're getting unique powers?
Also, the statement about T5 versions of the Tier 4 ships is both exciting and disheartining. Though I'm happy to see lower tier ships made available at higher tiers, I had hoped for a full blown refit system, instead of just one tier getting bumped up.
Thanks for the quick response dstahl, and thinks for shedding some light on this mystery.
The 3rd nacelle variant was done in conjunction with working on fixing up the Galaxy - and if you check out the Galaxy on Tribble - you'll notice it has been updated.
Multi-task!
Nice!
Could still do with some more work though... but its definatley a leap in the right direction.
The entire team is expected to constantly deliver based on their discipline. Everyone has individual schedules of what they should be working on next. In the case of the 3rd Nacelle config for the galaxy - that was done by the lead ship model artist (with a little of his own extra time) in addition to all the cool new ships he is working on for the new sectors coming to the game
So, basically, you are saying you have plenty of staff to make fluff, but not near enough staff to fix bugs and create content. You have been saying that for a long time now. We, I think, are still asking, why hasn't this changed?
It seems to me a plan was put in place a long time ago and because of player demands, much has been heaped onto the original plan without much in additional staff. You obviously have plenty of character artists as you assumed that is all that was needed after launch to keep people happy for awhile. A new uniform or hairstyle. But, things changed rapidly and what is really needed, new content, can't be made fast enough or debugged well enough.
I feel for you man, honestly.
But, I can't support what Cryptic is doing in regard to priorities. I honestly think that if they don't put some more folks on staff to hammer out content faster and to debug better, all the ship "costumes" in the world aren't going to matter.
Hell, what about offering no pay internships to upcoming programers and level designers?:)
Dstahl please could you forward the comment to the team that lots of players myself included would like to see the special edition galaxy class added for all to Tier 5- Be it a reward, or a C-Store. I am not too fussed but it would be a huge bonus for myself and many others.
If it came before the middle/end of may it would also probably be enough to make me resub for a month just to pvp in the badboy. I loved my Galaxy and the soverign felt like a lump of lead after.
The entire team is expected to constantly deliver based on their discipline. Everyone has individual schedules of what they should be working on next. In the case of the 3rd Nacelle config for the galaxy - that was done by the lead ship model artist (with a little of his own extra time) in addition to all the cool new ships he is working on for the new sectors coming to the game.
So the new sectors have new ships, huh? Is this confirmation that when the level cap opens up, it's going to be a Breen dominated area...?
Because we have the Breen mentioned and no other enemies would necessarily require new ships tied to the new sectors.
That would make it look like the Kobheerian sector block "north" of Zeta Andromeda is the RA 5-10 leveling area.
And that might make peculiar sense.
Kobheerians were UFP members (and a Ferenginoid species) who remained neutral in the Dominion war. They mysteriously turned up at the Tsunkatse match in the Delta Quadrant where Seven of Nine took on the Pendari Champion (played by The Rock).
And in turn, the Iconian Gateway we saw on DS9 ("To the Death" - The First Appearance of Weyoun)led to Dozaria, a Breen Planet in that sector block.
Actually, it does have the bad-TRIBBLE phaser cannon on the underside of the saucer - it is a unique power that comes with the ship (ie not a weapon slot) and fires a narrow cylindor beam that (I believe) will be capable of hitting multiple targets.
So...how does someone who's already recruited their friends to play this game, paid in a Lifetimer subscription, bought multiple copies of the game to get the uniforms they want, AND already dumped money into C-Store points to get playable races implied to already be in the game at launch aquire this particular ship, with the third nacelle and special phaser cannon...without participating in a questionably-legal Pyramid scheme?
Why assume that this is an unbalanced design? All that's been said is that it's a working cannon. He didn't say how well it worked. What's more, dstahl also said that it will be available through other means as well, so you'll probably have your chance to get one eventually.
dstahl has specirfically stated that it's a multiple-target front power, so the AGT Enterprise will be able to achieve damage that a standard T5 cruiser can't, by definition. Additional damage is additional damage, after all, and with everything else being equal (as I mentioned in my post), that POTENTIALLY overpowers the ship.
No other T5 Cruiser will have that, at least for a few months, it's a power specific to the ship (like the susbystem targeting is intrinsic to a Science ship), but unlike the Science ship's powers (that are available to BOFFs), the AGT Enterprise's power will be unique to the AGT Enterprise.
See what I mean now? Basically if the power does ANY DAMAGE AT ALL, it has the POTENTIAL to overpower the ship in relation to other cruisers - no amount of "balancing" will combat that.
Now, if having that wpoer cost that cruiser a weapon slot or two - then it could be balanced out. Then you'd have people screaming that the AGT ENterprise was "inferior" to other cruisers because it didn't hacve as many slots, or something
So...how does someone who's already recruited their friends to play this game, paid in a Lifetimer subscription, bought multiple copies of the game to get the uniforms they want, AND already dumped money into C-Store points to get playable races implied to already be in the game aquire this particular ship, with the third nacelle and special phaser cannon...without participating in a questionably-legal Pyramid scheme?
Texchnically, it's not a Pyramid scheme, it's a viral-marketing scheme that rewards you when you get five "recruits". There is no money changing hands between your friends and you, or between you and Cryptic - which eliminates it from legally being considered a pyramid scheme.
Not to belittle you're point, b/c I think I actually agree with you on this, but the Automated Defense Turret/Battery/tactical console item is nothing new. ...
Regarding the Steam thing, if I'd just seen it on the site that would have been my first guess too, but my first contact with it was in a thread where someone was complaining about how useless the actual droppable turret in space is. It's a different item than the defense battery in the DDE (which I have). The Radiometric Converter is also different than what D2D had for preorder - it had a shield that regenned health, probably just copying the relevant armor trait.
But yeah, C-Store items shouldn't have special abilities over things you can earn/get in-game. I don't mind if there are some "neater" looking things in the C-Store to give us more options on the same types of things that we see in-game, but they shouldn't have more functionality than what we can get in-game either.
For example:
new costumes/ship cosmetic pieces = good
new armor pieces that have a random proc (something not in-game)/or ship designs that have special powers over their tier counterparts = bad
Well, Cryptic kept saying that... though as has been pointed out to me by various apologists, many of the marketing gimmicks with actual game-altering effects have all been 'deals' outside the C-store :rolleyes:
Like that actually has any ethical distinction... of course there's the unique species traits of species in the C-store, too.
Ugh. It makes me ill to think about now. I actually argued in favor of the C-store, extensively, when I thought it was going to just consist of the same extraneous stuff that went in the C-store in Champions.
Now, if having that wpoer cost that cruiser a weapon slot or two - then it could be balanced out. Then you'd have people screaming that the AGT ENterprise was "inferior" to other cruisers because it didn't hacve as many slots, or something
It really doesn't matter what they do, some small percentage of the user base will be unhappy with it. This includes doing nothing.
Some people, if you give them free sex, will complain she's not blonde.
Actually, it does have the bad-TRIBBLE phaser cannon on the underside of the saucer - it is a unique power that comes with the ship (ie not a weapon slot) and fires a narrow cylindor beam that (I believe) will be capable of hitting multiple targets.
Oh. Uhm, hm. dstahl, I really hate to say this, but... okay, it might not be a major effect in game, but this is a little bit more than a cosmetic difference. If it's on the level of the Red Matter capacitor and the point-defense plasma gun tac console, okay, that's fairly modest. But more than that? Hrm. That's some mild cause for concern. Is it on the level of a weak beam attack with the same firing arc as the dual cannons? (I suppose sort of like the high-density phaser beam special attack, or the arcwave blast?)
The implication I've gotten so far in this thread is that the T4-to-T5 upgrades mentioned would have some sort of special abilities. I really hope they don't come off as gimmicky; that was one of the things I disliked about ST:Armada and ST:BOTF. Phaser cannon would be okay, I imagine; a Corbomite Device? Yeeek...
Put it in the C-store? Uhm.. I think there's plenty enough in there now and with what's coming down the pipe. (Maybe a new model for the T1 Light Cruiser.) I don't mind the C-store, really, as it lets me pick and choose what cosmetic enhancements I'd like to the game, but.. it's getting a little bit heavy there. (Cryptic should really start now in organizing the interface with category tabs, if they put too much more in there.) For some reason the idea of ships with powers (as opposed to BOffs with powers, which are at best one-sixth of the ground encounter experience) sold in the C-Store... bugs me a bit. I think what bothers me is that it's such an iconic -- if rather funky -- ship.
I know we've had jokes here about wanting a ship to mount the axial wave-motion phaser on ships, but actually doing it is a surprise! Thinking about this, while this is rather cool, it's on a cruiser hull, which has the turn rate of a space shuttle launch crawler. I'm kind of intrigued, and a bit torn about it. I do hope that there is another way to obtain it, since I'm really not likely to be able to recruit five people into STO. Seriously, there's just no way unless I become the Scott Richter of STO (and loose friends in the process!) It wouldn't surprise me if it becomes a vet's reward some time down the line, say about the 2- or 3-year mark, but then again, who knows? If it's not available any other way (which given the use of the word 'special' and not 'exclusive,' implies it'll be available some other way at some point) then.. oh, well.*
Anyway, time to wait and see what comes of this. No pitchforks, just question-marks popping above my head.
* - Like I said, offer me a Starstalker or a Missouri and I'll consider finagling five subscriptions... no, wait... ($50 * 5) + ($15 * 5) = Profane Bleeping Crud. No. No, I dished out for the LTS, I can't afford or justify five subscriptions -- which seems to come out to about the price of an LTS or so -- no matter how cool the item is. Sorry, Cryptic. I guess we're both out of luck.
The 3rd nacelle variant was done in conjunction with working on fixing up the Galaxy - and if you check out the Galaxy on Tribble - you'll notice it has been updated.
Multi-task!
I just logged on to tribble to take a look see... and a tear came to me eye. The model is there, the skin is not that still needs a but of work, but the model is there. I saw the ship and her name is Galaxy...
What is wrong with the current Galaxy? I know the saucer isn't the exact replica of the Enterprise, but what else is wrong with it?
There's a whole threadnought on errors in the models in-game, from inappropriate time eras to details.
Basically, the complaints with the origina Galaxy model were:
1) No front torpedo launchers accounted for on the model
2) Warp pylons not being flush with the rear of the engineering hull (visible seam on the top)
3) Incorrect nacelle placement
4) Missing phaser strips
Sauer issues - well, it depends on which saucer you mean. The working miniature (depending on which model you're talking about - the 6-foot original model, or the 4-foot shooting miniature) had two different saucer configuration. Subtle differences, yes - such as the height of the saucer rim - but there nonethless.
dstahl has specirfically stated that it's a multiple-target front power, so the AGT Enterprise will be able to achieve damage that a standard T5 cruiser can't, by definition. Additional damage is additional damage, after all, and with everything else being equal (as I mentioned in my post), that POTENTIALLY overpowers the ship.
No other T5 Cruiser will have that, at least for a few months, it's a power specific to the ship (like the susbystem targeting is intrinsic to a Science ship), but unlike the Science ship's powers (that are available to BOFFs), the AGT Enterprise's power will be unique to the AGT Enterprise.
See what I mean now? Basically if the power does ANY DAMAGE AT ALL, it has the POTENTIAL to overpower the ship in relation to other cruisers - no amount of "balancing" will combat that.
Sigh, I just don't see why they are doing this. This whole "exclusivity" tact that Cryptic seems to love is one thing, but to do it with stuff other than fluff, I dunno, it just doesn't make sense to me.
It really doesn't matter what they do, some small percentage of the user base will be unhappy with it. This includes doing nothing.
Some people, if you give them free sex, will complain she's not blonde.
True enough - SOMEBODY will always be unhappy - that's actually a product of a healthy fanbase. it's when everyone seems happy and the Forums go quiet - that's when the death knell is sounding.
Oh, and in my case - I'd complain if she wasn't a redhead
You know I'm thrilled that ship is in the game, as for how I have to get it, I've already tried to get my friends to play STO and nobody is interested. Okay so now what, c-store? Bluh shell out more money, even if I weren't a lifer I would have a problem with that because I'd be paying per month. I really really want to stay with this game but I'm being given more and more reasons to turn my back when things we all obviously want are either sold at an extra cost or made difficult to attain. That ship could have been a big reward from end-game content or whatever. Anyway, I'm boarder-lining on flaming here and need to stop. Could you guys please stop with the gimmicks and just put this stuff in the game so we can enjoy it.
What the heck is the point of REWARDING someone for something if everyone too lazy or unwilling to take a risk gets it too?
I think it has to do with the whole thing being unfair, as not everyone has the possibility to earn these goodies.
In some countries participating in these kind of "referral" thingies is illegal, thus players in those countries stand no chance whatsoever to get anything.
Before any more pitchforks get handed out... let me offer up some info before you go burning down the village.
The 3-Nacelle Future Enterprise config will be an exclusive variant of a T5 Galaxy ship we are planning to add to the game as we increase the skillcap at various points in the future. In fact I see plans on the schedule to add T5 versions of the Galaxy, Intrepid, and Defiant class.
So yes - the Future Enterprise - 3 Nacelle config is an exclusive "variant" and may be the only T5 Galaxy for a while, but there will be ways to get similar ships in the future - they just might not have the 3rd Nacelle - or front mount single phaser cannon.
you may now go back to your regularly scheduled riot...
you still don't get it. you are *WASTING* and *SQUANDERING* oppurtunities to make the game BETTER by offering UNIQUE things for players for in-game achievements, for making a quick buck.
My wife thinks im a big nerd for playing STO so theeres now way i can get 5 other people to play.
Heck im a big nerd, do I know 5 other people.
This recruit a freind is an unachievable goal from a community stereotyped by the media as living in mums basement with spots and cosplay. That and 5 people to play ?? Insane.
I was going to go into a grand, eye-watering wall of text responding to a bunch of people, but the thread has pretty much gotten off topic, so I'm just going to stick to the topic itself.
I could not, in any good conscience, suggest to my friends that they should not only buy the game, but also subscribe for a month.
There are a couple of reasons for this.
1. I do not believe that the game is worth either the box price or the subscription, let alone both.
2. If the game was in a decent state, this promotion wouldn't be necessary. (See Reason 1)
3. Given my (admittedly very low) opinion of the game, I am simply not willing to, in essence, prostitute the integrity of my friendships so Cryptic can make a little extra money and I can get a ship skin.
4. I simply cannot support something like this as the AGT Galaxy - I now understand - comes with a unique power. That means that it will likely go to an extremely limited number of people in the game, based on the nature of the promotion. It's not something that's fluff like the Captain's Table or a ship skin you buy in the C-Store. I would view that as an entirely unfair advantage for a select few Feds (especially since if I stick around long enough for it to be available, I would go Romulan), and that's just not cricket.
So yeah, make it a vet reward or obtainable in some other way, and drop the unique power or add a companion unique power and make it available to all playable factions.
Comments
That's all fine and dandy - and I could see this if the AGT Enterprise was just fluff, a skin. Since it's NOT with that multiple-target phaser cannon (overpower things much if it also has the same slots that a T5 cruiser has?) , the fact that you have to be a viral marketer in order to get it is a real turnoff. As a customer that pre-ordered this game, it's a bit disapplonting that I also have to act as a memeber of Atari's marketing team (volunteer, yet!) to get that ship, with it's unique power.
No thanks - I'll see ya later, perhaps when your marketers at Atari get the clue your marketers over at your other MMO did - and quit pulling stunts like this.
It's not the ship - again, if it was just a T5 skin that'd be one thing, and appropriate - but adding unique potentially OP's powers (depending onthe strwength of the power) is quite another. That's actually a game-altering one. unlike the Automated Defense Turret that basically won't scratch a frigate.
However, I do need to add this about the referral Future Enterprise.
I've resigned myself to never getting one. I simply don't know anyone else who isn't either already playing the game or has no interest. I had one friend who I was trying to get to play it, but I don't even know if he would've qualified because he already has a Cryptic account, and I was going to get him to play using one of my guest passes from my Collector's Edition. Unfortunately, when I told him about the particulars of the Referral program, he chose not to try the game at all, stating he can't support a company that does things like make items that will likely be impossible to get by some of the playerbase. He's kinda picky about his MMOs anyway, but the case still needs to be mentioned - you have _lost_ a potential sale because of the fact that these items are gated behind being able to convince multiple people to sign up.
Other MMOs have done this as well, as I understand, so I know it's not unprecedented. FF11 for instance, I am told, did exclusive items for referrals. But most of the MMOs I've played who have done referral programs, have made it things like game time discounts or something, things that are still rewarding but don't create have/have-not cases in the playerbase. The Cryptic Points part is great. I think that's a good tangible reward that doesn't create have/have-nots; Anyone can get Cryptic Points. Every time I see a Future Enterprise in the game, I will be reminded that I don't have enough friends who are interested in STO to get myself one.
I'm not going to ask the devs to NOT do it. It _is_ a compelling reward. But, I feel it needs to be made available some other way, too. Maybe design an STF where at some point we encounter the universe where the Future Enterprise-style ships came from, and successful completion of the STF grants you access to one. Or make it a vet reward, say at 500 or 600 days or something. Just please make it attainable somehow by everyone, eventually.
The 3rd nacelle variant was done in conjunction with working on fixing up the Galaxy - and if you check out the Galaxy on Tribble - you'll notice it has been updated.
Multi-task!
Now, let me gets this straight. The AGT Galaxy will have a unique power? What happened to the previous statement about exclusives not having lasting affects on gameplay. You said this back when people were worried about the effects preorder exclusives would have. At least those were low tier items that weren't useful at the higher levels, this is an end-game ship, where players spend most of their time. How is this power supposed to balance in PvP without becoming unfair? This was bad enough when an elite group of players were getting an aesthetic skin. Now they're getting unique powers?
Also, the statement about T5 versions of the Tier 4 ships is both exciting and disheartining. Though I'm happy to see lower tier ships made available at higher tiers, I had hoped for a full blown refit system, instead of just one tier getting bumped up.
Thanks for the quick response dstahl, and thinks for shedding some light on this mystery.
Nice!
Could still do with some more work though... but its definatley a leap in the right direction.
So, basically, you are saying you have plenty of staff to make fluff, but not near enough staff to fix bugs and create content. You have been saying that for a long time now. We, I think, are still asking, why hasn't this changed?
It seems to me a plan was put in place a long time ago and because of player demands, much has been heaped onto the original plan without much in additional staff. You obviously have plenty of character artists as you assumed that is all that was needed after launch to keep people happy for awhile. A new uniform or hairstyle. But, things changed rapidly and what is really needed, new content, can't be made fast enough or debugged well enough.
I feel for you man, honestly.
But, I can't support what Cryptic is doing in regard to priorities. I honestly think that if they don't put some more folks on staff to hammer out content faster and to debug better, all the ship "costumes" in the world aren't going to matter.
Hell, what about offering no pay internships to upcoming programers and level designers?:)
Dstahl please could you forward the comment to the team that lots of players myself included would like to see the special edition galaxy class added for all to Tier 5- Be it a reward, or a C-Store. I am not too fussed but it would be a huge bonus for myself and many others.
If it came before the middle/end of may it would also probably be enough to make me resub for a month just to pvp in the badboy. I loved my Galaxy and the soverign felt like a lump of lead after.
Thank you
So the new sectors have new ships, huh? Is this confirmation that when the level cap opens up, it's going to be a Breen dominated area...?
Because we have the Breen mentioned and no other enemies would necessarily require new ships tied to the new sectors.
That would make it look like the Kobheerian sector block "north" of Zeta Andromeda is the RA 5-10 leveling area.
And that might make peculiar sense.
Kobheerians were UFP members (and a Ferenginoid species) who remained neutral in the Dominion war. They mysteriously turned up at the Tsunkatse match in the Delta Quadrant where Seven of Nine took on the Pendari Champion (played by The Rock).
And in turn, the Iconian Gateway we saw on DS9 ("To the Death" - The First Appearance of Weyoun)led to Dozaria, a Breen Planet in that sector block.
So...how does someone who's already recruited their friends to play this game, paid in a Lifetimer subscription, bought multiple copies of the game to get the uniforms they want, AND already dumped money into C-Store points to get playable races implied to already be in the game at launch aquire this particular ship, with the third nacelle and special phaser cannon...without participating in a questionably-legal Pyramid scheme?
dstahl has specirfically stated that it's a multiple-target front power, so the AGT Enterprise will be able to achieve damage that a standard T5 cruiser can't, by definition. Additional damage is additional damage, after all, and with everything else being equal (as I mentioned in my post), that POTENTIALLY overpowers the ship.
No other T5 Cruiser will have that, at least for a few months, it's a power specific to the ship (like the susbystem targeting is intrinsic to a Science ship), but unlike the Science ship's powers (that are available to BOFFs), the AGT Enterprise's power will be unique to the AGT Enterprise.
See what I mean now? Basically if the power does ANY DAMAGE AT ALL, it has the POTENTIAL to overpower the ship in relation to other cruisers - no amount of "balancing" will combat that.
Now, if having that wpoer cost that cruiser a weapon slot or two - then it could be balanced out. Then you'd have people screaming that the AGT ENterprise was "inferior" to other cruisers because it didn't hacve as many slots, or something
What is wrong with the current Galaxy? I know the saucer isn't the exact replica of the Enterprise, but what else is wrong with it?
Texchnically, it's not a Pyramid scheme, it's a viral-marketing scheme that rewards you when you get five "recruits". There is no money changing hands between your friends and you, or between you and Cryptic - which eliminates it from legally being considered a pyramid scheme.
Regarding the Steam thing, if I'd just seen it on the site that would have been my first guess too, but my first contact with it was in a thread where someone was complaining about how useless the actual droppable turret in space is. It's a different item than the defense battery in the DDE (which I have). The Radiometric Converter is also different than what D2D had for preorder - it had a shield that regenned health, probably just copying the relevant armor trait.
Well, Cryptic kept saying that... though as has been pointed out to me by various apologists, many of the marketing gimmicks with actual game-altering effects have all been 'deals' outside the C-store :rolleyes:
Like that actually has any ethical distinction... of course there's the unique species traits of species in the C-store, too.
Ugh. It makes me ill to think about now. I actually argued in favor of the C-store, extensively, when I thought it was going to just consist of the same extraneous stuff that went in the C-store in Champions.
It really doesn't matter what they do, some small percentage of the user base will be unhappy with it. This includes doing nothing.
Some people, if you give them free sex, will complain she's not blonde.
Oh. Uhm, hm. dstahl, I really hate to say this, but... okay, it might not be a major effect in game, but this is a little bit more than a cosmetic difference. If it's on the level of the Red Matter capacitor and the point-defense plasma gun tac console, okay, that's fairly modest. But more than that? Hrm. That's some mild cause for concern. Is it on the level of a weak beam attack with the same firing arc as the dual cannons? (I suppose sort of like the high-density phaser beam special attack, or the arcwave blast?)
The implication I've gotten so far in this thread is that the T4-to-T5 upgrades mentioned would have some sort of special abilities. I really hope they don't come off as gimmicky; that was one of the things I disliked about ST:Armada and ST:BOTF. Phaser cannon would be okay, I imagine; a Corbomite Device? Yeeek...
Put it in the C-store? Uhm.. I think there's plenty enough in there now and with what's coming down the pipe. (Maybe a new model for the T1 Light Cruiser.) I don't mind the C-store, really, as it lets me pick and choose what cosmetic enhancements I'd like to the game, but.. it's getting a little bit heavy there. (Cryptic should really start now in organizing the interface with category tabs, if they put too much more in there.) For some reason the idea of ships with powers (as opposed to BOffs with powers, which are at best one-sixth of the ground encounter experience) sold in the C-Store... bugs me a bit. I think what bothers me is that it's such an iconic -- if rather funky -- ship.
I know we've had jokes here about wanting a ship to mount the axial wave-motion phaser on ships, but actually doing it is a surprise! Thinking about this, while this is rather cool, it's on a cruiser hull, which has the turn rate of a space shuttle launch crawler. I'm kind of intrigued, and a bit torn about it. I do hope that there is another way to obtain it, since I'm really not likely to be able to recruit five people into STO. Seriously, there's just no way unless I become the Scott Richter of STO (and loose friends in the process!) It wouldn't surprise me if it becomes a vet's reward some time down the line, say about the 2- or 3-year mark, but then again, who knows? If it's not available any other way (which given the use of the word 'special' and not 'exclusive,' implies it'll be available some other way at some point) then.. oh, well.*
Anyway, time to wait and see what comes of this. No pitchforks, just question-marks popping above my head.
* - Like I said, offer me a Starstalker or a Missouri and I'll consider finagling five subscriptions... no, wait... ($50 * 5) + ($15 * 5) = Profane Bleeping Crud. No. No, I dished out for the LTS, I can't afford or justify five subscriptions -- which seems to come out to about the price of an LTS or so -- no matter how cool the item is. Sorry, Cryptic. I guess we're both out of luck.
I just logged on to tribble to take a look see... and a tear came to me eye. The model is there, the skin is not that still needs a but of work, but the model is there. I saw the ship and her name is Galaxy...
There's a whole threadnought on errors in the models in-game, from inappropriate time eras to details.
Basically, the complaints with the origina Galaxy model were:
1) No front torpedo launchers accounted for on the model
2) Warp pylons not being flush with the rear of the engineering hull (visible seam on the top)
3) Incorrect nacelle placement
4) Missing phaser strips
Sauer issues - well, it depends on which saucer you mean. The working miniature (depending on which model you're talking about - the 6-foot original model, or the 4-foot shooting miniature) had two different saucer configuration. Subtle differences, yes - such as the height of the saucer rim - but there nonethless.
This is just out of hand.
What the heck is the point of REWARDING someone for something if everyone too lazy or unwilling to take a risk gets it too?
True enough - SOMEBODY will always be unhappy - that's actually a product of a healthy fanbase. it's when everyone seems happy and the Forums go quiet - that's when the death knell is sounding.
Oh, and in my case - I'd complain if she wasn't a redhead
Or that she's female.
Picky, picky.
I think it has to do with the whole thing being unfair, as not everyone has the possibility to earn these goodies.
In some countries participating in these kind of "referral" thingies is illegal, thus players in those countries stand no chance whatsoever to get anything.
you still don't get it. you are *WASTING* and *SQUANDERING* oppurtunities to make the game BETTER by offering UNIQUE things for players for in-game achievements, for making a quick buck.
are you so BLIND that you can not see this?
Heck im a big nerd, do I know 5 other people.
This recruit a freind is an unachievable goal from a community stereotyped by the media as living in mums basement with spots and cosplay. That and 5 people to play ?? Insane.
I could not, in any good conscience, suggest to my friends that they should not only buy the game, but also subscribe for a month.
There are a couple of reasons for this.
1. I do not believe that the game is worth either the box price or the subscription, let alone both.
2. If the game was in a decent state, this promotion wouldn't be necessary. (See Reason 1)
3. Given my (admittedly very low) opinion of the game, I am simply not willing to, in essence, prostitute the integrity of my friendships so Cryptic can make a little extra money and I can get a ship skin.
4. I simply cannot support something like this as the AGT Galaxy - I now understand - comes with a unique power. That means that it will likely go to an extremely limited number of people in the game, based on the nature of the promotion. It's not something that's fluff like the Captain's Table or a ship skin you buy in the C-Store. I would view that as an entirely unfair advantage for a select few Feds (especially since if I stick around long enough for it to be available, I would go Romulan), and that's just not cricket.
So yeah, make it a vet reward or obtainable in some other way, and drop the unique power or add a companion unique power and make it available to all playable factions.