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Exploration Sector revamp and the Foundry

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I know one of the things that Dan has mentioned sevral times is redoing the exploration componet of the game. One of the problem I and many others run across is that after a while the same missions keep coming up over and over. Slight variations of the same theme. This is largely due to the fact the development team had limited trme to create missions.

Then along comes the Foundry. It occured to me that this simple tool could solve that problem. When creating mission let people designate whether the mission would be a regular mission or an exploration mission. Once it got tested and reviewed it could be added to the exploration database. These wouldn't be selectable they would be presented just as regular exploration mission are now.

I think most people who are realy intto using the Foundry wouldn't mind creating the shorter mission types that go with the exploration clusters and yet the huge amount of diversity that would be delivered would be awesome. With the number of people who would probably do this there is a good likelyhood that after a while you would never ever see the same mission twice.

Just a thought. What does everyone else thnk?
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I think that could be a good idea. However, certain factions only show up in certain star clusters. For example, Roms, Cards, and Borg do NOT show up in Delta Valonis. So who would ensure that the correct type of mission showed up in the correct star cluster?

    Also, the Devs have been pretty thourough in making sure that UGC is shown seperately from official content. The only way you can even do UGC is by going to a special tab in your mission contacts. I highly doubt that they would allow a person to get a UGC mission through normal gameplay without them specifically looking for one.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I think that could be a good idea. However, certain factions only show up in certain star clusters. For example, Roms, Cards, and Borg do NOT show up in Delta Valonis. So who would ensure that the correct type of mission showed up in the correct star cluster?

    Also, the Devs have been pretty thourough in making sure that UGC is shown seperately from official content. The only way you can even do UGC is by going to a special tab in your mission contacts. I highly doubt that they would allow a person to get a UGC mission through normal gameplay without them specifically looking for one.

    I wonder how much of a pain it would be to have a drop down menu added were you could choose exploration and which sector. Then only the assests appropriate to that area would be made available.

    I 100% agree with this. Using the foundry for the exploration areas Is something I've thought about since it was mentioned.


    But the existing quests also need an overhaul in a bad way. For example. It drives me crazy when I approach a planet and discover the same thing I did in the last quest and my bridge officers don't seem to know this. I wish there was some way that once I did one quest my bridge officers would have a new dialog saying something like "sir we are picking up similar reading as we did in system TRIBBLE." bah blah blah.

    I've also recommended in a previous post that they add an extensive accolade system for the exploration areas as a side goal. This would add a nice flavor of exploration feel to these areas. Like discovering comets. All the calssifications of planets, stars, nebulas ect. Extensive enough were it might take you your entire leveling experience achieving them all. Have ultra rare discoveries. And a title for discovering them all.

    Edit: Added thought. The explorations areas are too confrontational. These areas are prefect place to cater to the players who prefer non combat quests. Also redo the scan 4 quest to make them a bit more interesting. Adding some of the new flavor like in the quarantine quest.

    Also and maybe some will dissagree but jazz up these areas a bit. Now, I Sooooo love the new sector space. Love it Soo much. But these places should feel alien. They should feel new. They should look like you're in a nebula or star nursery ect. They should look like a place you would want to explore. Further down the road when they lose the walls between sectors I think it'd be great if entering the exploration areas was kind of like entering badlands in sector space now.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Pikoy wrote:
    I wonder how much of a pain it would be to have a drop down menu added were you could choose exploration and which sector. Then only the assests appropriate to that area would be made available.

    Great idea! However, I see the second issue I mentioned being the main issue that would prevent this from happening.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Great idea! However, I see the second issue I mentioned being the main issue that would prevent this from happening.

    Yeah you're correct, that is a problem. Maybe we can get a dev comment on their thoughts on the foundry being used for exploration space. I'm sure it is something they've already discussed.



    Edit: just makes sense they would want to figure out how to make this work. Foundry + exploration space = win IMHO

    Klingons are heading in a nice direction. Sector space is gorgeous. I honestly feel the exploration areas are the sore thumb of the game right now. Sure ground combat needs work. But I feel a deep overhaul of these sectors should be a main focus of season 4
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I agree with a drop down menu or simply a check=box in optinos to enable or disable random Foundry generated exploration mission as well a cryptic designed ones. That way it is still the player's choice.

    As to ensuring proper enemies in proper sectors that seems fairly easy. Simply have players flag the mission for which sector it belong in. If someon intentially mis-flag a mission the reviewers would catch it and it would have to be reflagged. Once "publsihed" whatever sectors its flagged for it would go to that database.

    I realize what we are talking about is some upfront work for Crptic but the benefits seems huge.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010

    I realize what we are talking about is some upfront work for Crptic but the benefits seems huge.

    My thoughts exactly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Pikoy wrote:
    My thoughts exactly.


    Thanks. I just hope this thread gets picked up by a dev.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Does it seem possible for for Foundry Exploration Missionsto be stripped of their Mission Descriptions and Accept/Reject step and then be hooked into the appropriate faction subsectors by Cryptic?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Roy_Vash wrote: »
    Does it seem possible for for Foundry Exploration Missionsto be stripped of their Mission Descriptions and Accept/Reject step and then be hooked into the appropriate faction subsectors by Cryptic?

    Possible? Most definitely. However, they definitely wouldnt do that. They may very well allow us to create exploration missions at some point, but they definitely arent going to chop up existing player created missions.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Possible? Most definitely. However, they definitely wouldnt do that. They may very well allow us to create exploration missions at some point, but they definitely arent going to chop up existing player created missions.

    Oh I agree. I think you have to set out to create an exploratin mission. Label it thus and have it thrown into the pool of exploration missions. I think the easiest way is simply an option in the menu to enable/disable player generated exploration missions in the exploration clusters. If you check enabled you know you are taking chances. I and I am sure many many others are quite willing to take that chance.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Oh I agree. I think you have to set out to create an exploratin mission. Label it thus and have it thrown into the pool of exploration missions. I think the easiest way is simply an option in the menu to enable/disable player generated exploration missions in the exploration clusters. If you check enabled you know you are taking chances. I and I am sure many many others are quite willing to take that chance.

    Well I still think that exploration missions can be tested first. Again maybe there could be a tab in testing the UGC missions that is for exploration. or simply have a mission when you choose one can be labeled as exploration.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Pikoy wrote:
    Well I still think that exploration missions can be tested first. Again maybe there could be a tab in testing the UGC missions that is for exploration. or simply have a mission when you choose one can be labeled as exploration.

    Yes perhaps I misspoke I do agree they need testing. Once they reach a magic number of positive reviews then they get added to the exploration database.
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