This is why you are seeing me spend the apples I have on Featured Episodes and UGC. They are the biggest bang for the buck for everyone and ultimately they help solve the content problem in 2 ways: They provide a base of content for *any* future faction over time, and UGC allows players to create the content they are interested in playing. If that is more KDF content - then players will be able to make far more missions than we ever could.
I really hope that helps to explain our thinking and why we are spending our mission dollars where we are.
So the question is begging to be asked those players that pay your wages via subs are now being asked to do your jobs for you by making content.
will said players get free play say one months free play per mission that they create that people actually play ?
Or are you expecting those people to keep paying your wage & do your job at same thime ?
& as far as im concerned your still known as dstahl the distrusted. where the **** are those klingon ships ?
its now nearly 2 months since season 2 came out.
This is one of the reason we asked for the UGC engine to be developed in the first place. We recognize that we'll never be able to keep up with player's desire for content.
I've discussed in the past that there is diminishing returns for devoting a ton of time on any one specific piece of content. Case in point the STFs. We spent *the most* time out of all of our mission types, making those STFs (multiple weeks of development for 1 mission) and the problem is - they are very complex to make and ended up with bugs and very few people ultimately end up being able to play them. They are at a point now where I'd redesign them and open them up for smaller teams or cross-faction teams if I had the manpower to do it.
The lessons learned from that is that we can waste a lot of precious content development time making content that is exclusive to a very small percentage of the paying customer base. When you have limited content development resources (which we've always had) it makes more sense for us to be spending our content efforts on either missions that everyone can enjoy or tools that allow players to make tons of content on their own.
This is why you are seeing me spend the apples I have on Featured Episodes and UGC. They are the biggest bang for the buck for everyone and ultimately they help solve the content problem in 2 ways: They provide a base of content for *any* future faction over time, and UGC allows players to create the content they are interested in playing. If that is more KDF content - then players will be able to make far more missions than we ever could.
I really hope that helps to explain our thinking and why we are spending our mission dollars where we are.
I can accept that the UGC will help the content problems of the KDF and any future factions, but what about the new ships, tailor options, crafting, etc for the KDF and any new factions? Hopefully such additions will still be worked on by the Dev team and soon find thier way into the game in a timely fashion?
I can accept that the UGC will help the content problems of the KDF and any future factions, but what about the new ships, tailor options, crafting, etc for the KDF and any new factions? Hopefully such additions will still be worked on by the Dev team and soon find thier way into the game in a timely fashion?
Well from a recent post by Dstahl, the only way new "items" (ships, uniforms, outfits, etc...) will make it into game is through the Devs, as UGC does not support creating new assets.
Well from a recent post by Dstahl, the only way new "items" (ships, uniforms, outfits, etc...) will make it into game is through the Devs, as UGC does not support creating new assets.
I was shamelessly poking at D-man. Childish I know, but I'm still a little grumpy over the way resources have been jandled and allocated.
Though I'm delirously happy over the upcoming ships for the KDF and friends.
This is one of the reason we asked for the UGC engine to be developed in the first place. We recognize that we'll never be able to keep up with player's desire for content.
I've discussed in the past that there is diminishing returns for devoting a ton of time on any one specific piece of content. Case in point the STFs. We spent *the most* time out of all of our mission types, making those STFs (multiple weeks of development for 1 mission) and the problem is - they are very complex to make and ended up with bugs and very few people ultimately end up being able to play them. They are at a point now where I'd redesign them and open them up for smaller teams or cross-faction teams if I had the manpower to do it.
The lessons learned from that is that we can waste a lot of precious content development time making content that is exclusive to a very small percentage of the paying customer base. When you have limited content development resources (which we've always had) it makes more sense for us to be spending our content efforts on either missions that everyone can enjoy or tools that allow players to make tons of content on their own.
This is why you are seeing me spend the apples I have on Featured Episodes and UGC. They are the biggest bang for the buck for everyone and ultimately they help solve the content problem in 2 ways: They provide a base of content for *any* future faction over time, and UGC allows players to create the content they are interested in playing. If that is more KDF content - then players will be able to make far more missions than we ever could.
I really hope that helps to explain our thinking and why we are spending our mission dollars where we are.
I submit that if you spend the time to unique powerful loot for completing STF-x 20 times, for example, that these would get run, a lot. They would then function like mini-raids, in a way.
The main problem right now is that except for the "let's go experience them" factor, they are just about the worst possible reward for time spent missions in the game.
Also, each individual mission should have their individual cool rewards, to avoid people just running the easiest of the STFs to get said rewards.
Ideally, these rewards should be mechanically different from other items, rather than just "purples". For example, the hardest of the STFs on elite might give you efficient engines mark X or XII.
I was shamelessly poking at D-man. Childish I know, but I'm still a little grumpy over the way resources have been jandled and allocated.
Though I'm delirously happy over the upcoming ships for the KDF and friends.
Ah I see... well I'm a little grumpy on a number of fronts myself, that's probably why I like the KDF so much.
There has been something called "Hair Tech" mentioned in a number of Engineering reports... Lord knows what that is.
The few times he's posted about it (and they're old posts by now) it's the answer to my problem. But dstahl framed it in relevance to Klingon hair rather than Nausicaan hair, so I'm still unsure. It got a little bit of chatter when Catians were being made because there was no "mane" or really long head of hair possible to reflect the one catian from the cartoon.
Not much said about it since.
That and chair sitting seem to be extremely complex programming problems.
The few times he's posted about it (and they're old posts by now) it's the answer to my problem. But dstahl framed it in relevance to Klingon hair rather than Nausicaan hair, so I'm still unsure. It got a little bit of chatter when Catians were being made because there was no "mane" or really long head of hair possible to reflect the one catian from the cartoon.
Not much said about it since.
That and chair sitting seem to be extremely complex programming problems.
Ah chair sitting one of the few things that SWG got right in all of its iterations.
Ooooo a troupe that crawls across the bridge would be some interesting hair tech indeed.
I was thinking (since it could be Shatner created) a toupe that crawls across the floor and dry-humps the legs of the female crew members?
Or an attack toupe for self-defense.
I was thinking (since it could be Shatner created) a toupe that crawls across the floor and dry-humps the legs of the female crew members?
Or an attack toupe for self-defense.
<Serpieri Looks at Roach>
<Serpieri Looks at the Reincarnation of Kirk>
<Serpieri pulls out her Heavy Plasma Cannon>
BUUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNN......you freakin TRIBBLE LOVIN KIRK HEAD THING
<Serpieri Looks at Roach>
<Serpieri Looks at the Reincarnation of Kirk>
<Serpieri pulls out her Heavy Plasma Cannon>
BUUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNN......you freakin TRIBBLE LOVIN KIRK HEAD THING
lol
Don't bother, being Kirk-based genetically- Its already procreated and had offspring.
BTW, I had to burn the drapes and the couch, somethings not even ajax can sterilize.
Nice...hey Roach, looking at your avatar:
What is that?
Is it an Augmented Tribble-Shatner Hybrid?:D
Yellowbeard, becuase he has a big..
Yellowbeard.
The pirate Yellowbeard captured many galleons, killing over five-hundred men in cold blood. He would tear the captains hearts out and swallow them whole. Often forcing his victims to eat their own lips, he was caught and imprisoned... for tax evasion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpf-xMB-ml8
Possibly one of Kirks early,early descendants- but I doubt it.
Thanks, never saw that movie.
Certainly gotta change that in the near future.
And seeing how similar this fellow's beard looks like Shatner's "hair", he might actually be ralated:
Thanks, never saw that movie.
Certainly gotta change that in the near future.
And seeing how similar this fellow's beard looks like Shatner's "hair", he might actually be ralated:
Its a cult classic in that it has actors from all the best comedy teams and solo acts of its time. Monty Python, Cheech and Chong, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, etc.
Its a cult classic in that it has actors from all the best comedy teams and solo acts of its time. Monty Python, Cheech and Chong, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, etc.
This is one of the reason we asked for the UGC engine to be developed in the first place. We recognize that we'll never be able to keep up with player's desire for content.
Dan, thank you for bring this up i think many in the past have been rather frustrated by the simple fact that this wasn't being address and it is a nice fresh air to hear your team being upfront. Iam not all the familiar with how things work, to a certain degree though i welcome the upfront that can and you are willing to go without compromising areas you cant mention.
We have learned from CBS that we will not be able to feature the Kzinti as a playable faction as their backstory and specifics are tied to Niven's literary works and our current license does not cover that. (We were able to use the Caitians as they appeared outside of the animated series)
Instead we are investigating what other feline-like species might be allied with the KDF.
That is interesting, that says alot though not all the disappointing as you are telling us what you cant and can do within that of the ST universe.
Do you mean a 4 legged creature or more "canoid" like facial features?
Well if our "investigation" doesn't turn up anything related, we will most likely invent our own feline like species for the KDF to play.
After seeing some of the development of the new Gorn, i welcome making something up though if you can make up alot of things in which you cant use iam sure that many would understand and welcome something that is created out of thin air.
Overall, iam really enjoying all the work your team is doing and exploring it is very exciting to see the new direction an care you and your team are taking with that of STO. Keep up the good work.
We have learned from CBS that we will not be able to feature the Kzinti as a playable faction as their backstory and specifics are tied to Niven's literary works and our current license does not cover that. (We were able to use the Caitians as they appeared outside of the animated series)
Instead we are investigating what other feline-like species might be allied with the KDF.
How about one of these seen in the Trek universe instead:
Lyran Star Empire? (SFC2)
Mirak Star League? (SFC2)
Sivaoan? (ST novel "Uhura's Song")
Eeiauoan? (ST novel "Uhura's Song")
Or these non-Trek universe ones?
Khanate of Orion? (Starfire)
Klirathi? (Wing Commander)
Hrruban? (Anne McCaffrey's Doona trilogy: "Decision at Doona", first published in 1969)
Mrrshan? (Master Of Orion)
Aslan? (Traveller RPG)
Or just throw some random letters together then tweak a little so it can be pronounced (or not) and viola! You have a new race name for your new KDF cat species. Tweak the Caitian model to look more unkempt, add in nasty claws, and tweak the face to add a vicious toothy fang-filled snarl and we are ready for Tribble!
The irony of the matter is that SFC2 was basically Star Fleet Battles for the PC and the race called "Mirak" actually had a rather different name in Star Fleet Battles: the Kzinti.
For legal reasons the name could not be used in SFC2 but the ships and stats are absolutely identical to those from SFB.
They were simply changed to dog-like creatures and renamed.
(And I am convinced Mirak is sime kind of contraction for "Missile Rack")
My proposal would be to take the Caitians add stripes, make them bulkier, give them bigger teeth, similar to the Gorn and call them "Ligeraans":D
Named after the largest known cat in Earth, the Liger
What I see with fixing the lack of content on the KDF side is a lot in line with what Blizzard did with Battle.net a decade ago.
As most of us may know, Blizzard had a few good hits..... Starcraft, Diable, Warcarft. The catch here is all of these games were available online in multiplayer for free on Blizzards Battle.net service. Now a decade later Blizzard holds the majority of gamers across their titles and have the largest monthly paying player base.
My point being... Cryptic needs to do what Blizzard did a decade ago, put money (dollars, funds, investment, LOSS!) up front to win a loyalty and a solid player base. Blizzard built Battle.net and maintained the service for free long before any other gaming service was anywhere close to providing solid multi player. Kali.net was a great service but small, Westwood Studios never was good a a large multiplayer service (300 online at a time compared to Battle.net 250,000 online at a time).
KDF is not complete and Cryptic will trickle content if we are even close to being lucky. What Cryptic needs to do is take the loss, build a solid, loyal fan base and reap the benefits a decade from now. Ditch the short term return, get vision beyond 3 years and provide a product you subscribers are proud to boast about and will sell your game through word of mouth.
Put the money up front.... I know its a business.... Just find a way! Others have done it and your income is a trickle of what they (Blizzard) are pulling down now. Please develop KDF content, you may come across the magic button that blossums your game into the funds you need.
PvE content for Klingon would just about cause ALL of your Fed subscriber base to start another character, who knows they may even microsubscribe to an extra player slot, extra uniform and more months subscriptions to develop the new characters.
What I see with fixing the lack of content on the KDF side is a lot in line with what Blizzard did with Battle.net a decade ago.
As most of us may know, Blizzard had a few good hits..... Starcraft, Diable, Warcarft. The catch here is all of these games were available online in multiplayer for free on Blizzards Battle.net service. Now a decade later Blizzard holds the majority of gamers across their titles and have the largest monthly paying player base.
My point being... Cryptic needs to do what Blizzard did a decade ago, put money (dollars, funds, investment, LOSS!) up front to win a loyalty and a solid player base. Blizzard built Battle.net and maintained the service for free long before any other gaming service was anywhere close to providing solid multi player. Kali.net was a great service but small, Westwood Studios never was good a a large multiplayer service (300 online at a time compared to Battle.net 250,000 online at a time).
KDF is not complete and Cryptic will trickle content if we are even close to being lucky. What Cryptic needs to do is take the loss, build a solid, loyal fan base and reap the benefits a decade from now. Ditch the short term return, get vision beyond 3 years and provide a product you subscribers are proud to boast about and will sell your game through word of mouth.
Put the money up front.... I know its a business.... Just find a way! Others have done it and your income is a trickle of what they (Blizzard) are pulling down now. Please develop KDF content, you may come across the magic button that blossums your game into the funds you need.
PvE content for Klingon would just about cause ALL of your Fed subscriber base to start another character, who knows they may even microsubscribe to an extra player slot, extra uniform and more months subscriptions to develop the new characters.
While i can appreciate your reasoning and thought, a decade old tech and means of attraction of players doesn't work like it did a decade ago. While Blizzard does have the current largest base of players, that is going by the waste side in part to some of the questionable changes and directions and Blizzard is simply becoming the norm as it once stood high on the side of the MMO community and innovation into new gaming. As well, i wouldn't recommend anything to use the method of anything Blizzard or that of Activision in part that Activision at one point had the star trek IP and destroyed it. Remember, just because something worked at one studio, doesn't mean it will work at Cryptic or its system.
Cryptic is a business model based off of the short term, not the long term. You're asking them to approach something from a different direction than the company was created to do.
Trust is the point of contention between the KDF fans and the Dev's. Like a targ that has been beaten too much, the KDF no longer trust the Dev's to handle them with care and attention.
Trust is the point of contention between the KDF fans and the Dev's. Like a targ that has been beaten too much, the KDF no longer trust the Dev's to handle them with care and attention.
Ding ding we have a winner.
After the way the KDF has been treated many Klingon players wouldn't believe the devs if they told us rain was wet.
Trust is the point of contention between the KDF fans and the Dev's. Like a targ that has been beaten too much, the KDF no longer trust the Dev's to handle them with care and attention.
I have to agree there, they have a lot of work to do.
However, your comments on Targ 'House Training' show a lack of understanding on raising a truly obedient pup!
Comments
So the question is begging to be asked those players that pay your wages via subs are now being asked to do your jobs for you by making content.
will said players get free play say one months free play per mission that they create that people actually play ?
Or are you expecting those people to keep paying your wage & do your job at same thime ?
& as far as im concerned your still known as dstahl the distrusted. where the **** are those klingon ships ?
its now nearly 2 months since season 2 came out.
I can accept that the UGC will help the content problems of the KDF and any future factions, but what about the new ships, tailor options, crafting, etc for the KDF and any new factions? Hopefully such additions will still be worked on by the Dev team and soon find thier way into the game in a timely fashion?
Well from a recent post by Dstahl, the only way new "items" (ships, uniforms, outfits, etc...) will make it into game is through the Devs, as UGC does not support creating new assets.
I was shamelessly poking at D-man. Childish I know, but I'm still a little grumpy over the way resources have been jandled and allocated.
Though I'm delirously happy over the upcoming ships for the KDF and friends.
Better hair.
I submit that if you spend the time to unique powerful loot for completing STF-x 20 times, for example, that these would get run, a lot. They would then function like mini-raids, in a way.
The main problem right now is that except for the "let's go experience them" factor, they are just about the worst possible reward for time spent missions in the game.
Also, each individual mission should have their individual cool rewards, to avoid people just running the easiest of the STFs to get said rewards.
Ideally, these rewards should be mechanically different from other items, rather than just "purples". For example, the hardest of the STFs on elite might give you efficient engines mark X or XII.
Ah I see... well I'm a little grumpy on a number of fronts myself, that's probably why I like the KDF so much.
There has been something called "Hair Tech" mentioned in a number of Engineering reports... Lord knows what that is.
The few times he's posted about it (and they're old posts by now) it's the answer to my problem. But dstahl framed it in relevance to Klingon hair rather than Nausicaan hair, so I'm still unsure. It got a little bit of chatter when Catians were being made because there was no "mane" or really long head of hair possible to reflect the one catian from the cartoon.
Not much said about it since.
That and chair sitting seem to be extremely complex programming problems.
Ah chair sitting one of the few things that SWG got right in all of its iterations.
Aftermath of the Shatner Toupe days?
Ooooo a troupe that crawls across the bridge would be some interesting hair tech indeed.
I was thinking (since it could be Shatner created) a toupe that crawls across the floor and dry-humps the legs of the female crew members?
Or an attack toupe for self-defense.
<Serpieri Looks at Roach>
<Serpieri Looks at the Reincarnation of Kirk>
<Serpieri pulls out her Heavy Plasma Cannon>
BUUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNN......you freakin TRIBBLE LOVIN KIRK HEAD THING
lol
Don't bother, being Kirk-based genetically- Its already procreated and had offspring.
BTW, I had to burn the drapes and the couch, somethings not even ajax can sterilize.
What is that?
Is it an Augmented Tribble-Shatner Hybrid?:D
Yellowbeard, becuase he has a big..
Yellowbeard.
The pirate Yellowbeard captured many galleons, killing over five-hundred men in cold blood. He would tear the captains hearts out and swallow them whole. Often forcing his victims to eat their own lips, he was caught and imprisoned... for tax evasion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpf-xMB-ml8
Possibly one of Kirks early,early descendants- but I doubt it.
Certainly gotta change that in the near future.
And seeing how similar this fellow's beard looks like Shatner's "hair", he might actually be ralated:
http://www.sliceofscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/tribbles2.jpg
or he's a donor.
Its a cult classic in that it has actors from all the best comedy teams and solo acts of its time. Monty Python, Cheech and Chong, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, etc.
And David Bowie - as the shark....
lol- I forgot that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVuyHAq9Ks
Dan, thank you for bring this up i think many in the past have been rather frustrated by the simple fact that this wasn't being address and it is a nice fresh air to hear your team being upfront. Iam not all the familiar with how things work, to a certain degree though i welcome the upfront that can and you are willing to go without compromising areas you cant mention.
That is interesting, that says alot though not all the disappointing as you are telling us what you cant and can do within that of the ST universe.
After seeing some of the development of the new Gorn, i welcome making something up though if you can make up alot of things in which you cant use iam sure that many would understand and welcome something that is created out of thin air.
Overall, iam really enjoying all the work your team is doing and exploring it is very exciting to see the new direction an care you and your team are taking with that of STO. Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Acidrain
How about one of these seen in the Trek universe instead:
Lyran Star Empire? (SFC2)
Mirak Star League? (SFC2)
Sivaoan? (ST novel "Uhura's Song")
Eeiauoan? (ST novel "Uhura's Song")
Or these non-Trek universe ones?
Khanate of Orion? (Starfire)
Klirathi? (Wing Commander)
Hrruban? (Anne McCaffrey's Doona trilogy: "Decision at Doona", first published in 1969)
Mrrshan? (Master Of Orion)
Aslan? (Traveller RPG)
Or just throw some random letters together then tweak a little so it can be pronounced (or not) and viola! You have a new race name for your new KDF cat species. Tweak the Caitian model to look more unkempt, add in nasty claws, and tweak the face to add a vicious toothy fang-filled snarl and we are ready for Tribble!
For legal reasons the name could not be used in SFC2 but the ships and stats are absolutely identical to those from SFB.
They were simply changed to dog-like creatures and renamed.
(And I am convinced Mirak is sime kind of contraction for "Missile Rack")
My proposal would be to take the Caitians add stripes, make them bulkier, give them bigger teeth, similar to the Gorn and call them "Ligeraans":D
Named after the largest known cat in Earth, the Liger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger
http://mrbarlow.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/liger.jpg
As most of us may know, Blizzard had a few good hits..... Starcraft, Diable, Warcarft. The catch here is all of these games were available online in multiplayer for free on Blizzards Battle.net service. Now a decade later Blizzard holds the majority of gamers across their titles and have the largest monthly paying player base.
My point being... Cryptic needs to do what Blizzard did a decade ago, put money (dollars, funds, investment, LOSS!) up front to win a loyalty and a solid player base. Blizzard built Battle.net and maintained the service for free long before any other gaming service was anywhere close to providing solid multi player. Kali.net was a great service but small, Westwood Studios never was good a a large multiplayer service (300 online at a time compared to Battle.net 250,000 online at a time).
KDF is not complete and Cryptic will trickle content if we are even close to being lucky. What Cryptic needs to do is take the loss, build a solid, loyal fan base and reap the benefits a decade from now. Ditch the short term return, get vision beyond 3 years and provide a product you subscribers are proud to boast about and will sell your game through word of mouth.
Put the money up front.... I know its a business.... Just find a way! Others have done it and your income is a trickle of what they (Blizzard) are pulling down now. Please develop KDF content, you may come across the magic button that blossums your game into the funds you need.
PvE content for Klingon would just about cause ALL of your Fed subscriber base to start another character, who knows they may even microsubscribe to an extra player slot, extra uniform and more months subscriptions to develop the new characters.
While i can appreciate your reasoning and thought, a decade old tech and means of attraction of players doesn't work like it did a decade ago. While Blizzard does have the current largest base of players, that is going by the waste side in part to some of the questionable changes and directions and Blizzard is simply becoming the norm as it once stood high on the side of the MMO community and innovation into new gaming. As well, i wouldn't recommend anything to use the method of anything Blizzard or that of Activision in part that Activision at one point had the star trek IP and destroyed it. Remember, just because something worked at one studio, doesn't mean it will work at Cryptic or its system.
Ding ding we have a winner.
After the way the KDF has been treated many Klingon players wouldn't believe the devs if they told us rain was wet.
I have to agree there, they have a lot of work to do.
However, your comments on Targ 'House Training' show a lack of understanding on raising a truly obedient pup!
Hence, one should not beat thier targ. Its bad judgement and you may go blind.