Yep, they could. They don't. What does that tell you?
To me, that clearly sais they want new Cryptic-created content, and that will include content for the KDF.
But: We don't strictly need that to enjoy our KDF toons. Because of the many awesome Klingon Foundry missions. What was the last Foundry mission you played?
What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If these Foundry missions you acclaim in lieu of Cryptic created content are good enough for KDF then they are good enough for Federation, am I not correct? No one needs Cryptic created content then as the Foundry would suffice for both factions. But as you said, they have not decided cut more content but continue to develop. Therefore, the sauce you recommend is not good for either the goose or the gander.
Jack Emmert: "Starfleet and Klingon. ... So two factions, full PvE content." Al Rivera hates Klingons Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert All cloaks should be canon.
Or more specifically, if the Foundry is so great, PW can sack about 90% of Cryptic's staff because we wont need anyone for new content. Right? :P
This is not Team Fortress where the best ideas are made "game canon" and there is a huge temptation from the money counters to ask "if people are making content for free, why are we paying YOU?" (Yes TF has its own ways around this).
Really STO is just a Fed game with Token Klinks anyway, everything from the HUD to icons and publicity and so forth, the Klingon faction needs a heavy rebuild and certainly a dedicated season to run through things on a massive checklist.
I will suggest that early game content could be spent examining not only the Fed war, but also the relationships between houses and the alied species. Section 31 would probably try to break the Gorn away from the Klinks as they're the "brains" of the faction with their tech heavy vessels and the king on the council, as well as looking at the Ferasians (anything to make them interesting!) and perhaps looking into Orion and Nausicaan activity in smuggling out some shady secrets the Feds didn't want to share etc.
Drink one shot for ever time someone complains about realism in Star Trek.
Drink two shots if they don't know what "fiction" is.
I don't think anyone can seriously argue that the KDF shouldn't get any additional content, ever. If someone did directly say that, I didn't catch it. That would be trolling.
(((Strong hint)))
It is true that the Foundry can be a tool to provide extra content, and I hope KDF players are willing to take advantage of whatever they can get.
It's not too much to expect to ask Cryptic to keep making content for both factions. It's unrealistic at this point to expect to get it all at once, continually, and to maintain true parity.
What we should expect is that Cryptic will make the attempt to balance things out going forward and to close the gap by as much as they can whenever they have time in their schedule. It's not wrong to ask Cryptic to make time in their schedule, and to keep asking.
The gap cannot be closed if the devs release 'counterpart' content to accompany whatever the KDF gets. . .which is what I fully expect to happen.
And the Feddies will still stamp their feet and demand new toys and the like, while the KDF is kept on the back burner.
My PvP toon is Krov, of The House of Snoo. Beware of my Hegh'ta of doom.
That alone would make a huge difference, even if starting level KDF don't have any new content.
They had that a long time ago. KDF used to start at level 5, with roughly the same exclusive content it has now. It was a rather long, dull grind. They compressed everything into the state it is now to make leveling more bearable, with the thinking that they'll eventually get around to creating more content for the KDF faction.
My PvP toon is Krov, of The House of Snoo. Beware of my Hegh'ta of doom.
They had that a long time ago. KDF used to start at level 5, with roughly the same exclusive content it has now. It was a rather long, dull grind. They compressed everything into the state it is now to make leveling more bearable, with the thinking that they'll eventually get around to creating more content for the KDF faction.
Actually, no. When KDF began at the low level following release, you still had to create a Federation character first and play to unlock the Klingon faction. Since the release of this game, never has a player been able to create a KDF faction character as their first avatar.
Now that the starting level and level required to unlock KDF has been raised to Commander, new players are further discouraged from playing KDF as players tend to get attached to and identify with their first character or the one they have put the most time and effort into. At release, when the required Federation playtime was much less, players who desired to play KDF could quickly speed the first Federation levels to abandon that character for what they really wanted to play. From an in-game standpoint, the incentive no longer exists to essentially start over after an extended period with basic equipment and no credits or duty officers.
This is also partially why WoW remains the juggernaut it is today while so many other MMO's, rushed and flawed or not, fail. Players have so much time invested in their WoW characters that they grow discontent with starting over in a new game, whether they enjoyed it or not, and return to WoW even if it just means sitting faux AFK in town so others can gawk at their purple-text pixels.
Jack Emmert: "Starfleet and Klingon. ... So two factions, full PvE content." Al Rivera hates Klingons Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert All cloaks should be canon.
Actually, no. When KDF began at the low level following release, you still had to create a Federation character first and play to unlock the Klingon faction. Since the release of this game, never has a player been able to create a KDF faction character as their first avatar.
Now that the starting level and level required to unlock KDF has been raised to Commander, new players are further discouraged from playing KDF as players tend to get attached to and identify with their first character or the one they have put the most time and effort into. At release, when the required Federation playtime was much less, players who desired to play KDF could quickly speed the first Federation levels to abandon that character for what they really wanted to play. From an in-game standpoint, the incentive no longer exists to essentially start over after an extended period with basic equipment and no credits or duty officers.
This is also partially why WoW remains the juggernaut it is today while so many other MMO's, rushed and flawed or not, fail. Players have so much time invested in their WoW characters that they grow discontent with starting over in a new game, whether they enjoyed it or not, and return to WoW even if it just means sitting faux AFK in town so others can gawk at their purple-text pixels.
That's what I kinda meant. . .for all intents and purposes, players could start as a KDF. The first 5 levels are more or less inconsequential. The KDF merely lacked a real tutorial. Of course, the first levels were still pretty thin, due to lack of content, but at least we had the option of starting that early. Now the population problem is further exacerbated by the higher starting level, as you indicated.
My PvP toon is Krov, of The House of Snoo. Beware of my Hegh'ta of doom.
The thing both sad and difficult to understand is that while content made with the Federation in mind does not fit well with the Klingons this would not be true the other way around, so why do they not go that way instead? It is much easier to justify a Starfleet Captain that does get embroiled in the Houses' intrigues or who does get temporarily involved with a KDF crew than to justify Klingons who do appease angry Bajorans or help the Romulans build a new home. And to be honest I doubt there are many Federation players who would not enjoy to play through new missions made with the mood and sheer badassity of the Klingon exclusive ones instead of escorting hurt people to the infirmary and talking down protesters.
Though given how badly they did neuter the Romulans I do kind of fear what their writters would do to the Klingons, the Nausicaans, the Orions, or any of the others in an attempt to make them generically sympathetic.
With the direction they do seem to take the setting in maybe this lack of attention is a hidden blessing.
If they actually thought it through and gave a nice back story, not a dev blog, but an actually in game back story, then yeah the KDF could come to aid of the New Romulans if it benefited the KDF.
Since we got the RSE at Rator III, New Romulus at Mo'Rihan, and the Remans in between. A Second Romulan Civil War set up is created and the UFP can behind New Romulus to the KDF behind the RSE.
The First Romulan Civil War was shown in the Path to 2409 and the early STO videos.
Missions are possible and fun to make, I am sure several foundry authors would click a submit tickbox to have a chance to have their missions be considered as actual faction Klingon missions!
Sure some people wouldn't, and that should be an option, on/off at creation. But it is such an EASY way of creating missions for the devs. All it needs is testing and balancing on the test server after that.
My mind boggles at why this isn't encouraged, giving great props to those authors whose missions make it to the game. This then could be done for romulans, cardassians and any number of mini factions after the klingon one is fully given its due. Plus honor those creators who make, put their names in lights and even give them special perks if you like , why not, they are helping you and the game/community! (last bit optional)
Missions are possible and fun to make, I am sure several foundry authors would click a submit tickbox to have a chance to have their missions be considered as actual faction Klingon missions!
Sure some people wouldn't, and that should be an option, on/off at creation. But it is such an EASY way of creating missions for the devs. All it needs is testing and balancing on the test server after that.
My mind boggles at why this isn't encouraged, giving great props to those authors whose missions make it to the game. This then could be done for romulans, cardassians and any number of mini factions after the klingon one is fully given its due. Plus honor those creators who make, put their names in lights and even give them special perks if you like , why not, they are helping you and the game/community! (last bit optional)
I've always been a huge supporter of this type of idea; however, it seems like Cryptic is not willing to give it a shot.
I've always been a huge supporter of this type of idea; however, it seems like Cryptic is not willing to give it a shot.
Honestly it seems so obvious and easy, my money is on a copyright issue. To get around that, have anything that is reviewed to 4/5 stars reviewed by a dev who knows what is allowed and what is not.
I may be inventing a problem here, but without that factor I see no reasonable issue in the way.
We really only have one choice.
Continue to express our desires and wait to see if they happen or leave and let them put the final shovel of dirt on the KDF while they claim its our fault.
I guess I just don't like the Iconian concept. Maybe I just have difficulty believing that, after hundreds of thousands of years of hiding out wherever they've set up shop, they've decided to try re-conquering stuff. They'd have done it long ago, if they had possessed the capability or still existed.
I'd have been fine with another species-specific story arc, maybe one that's focused on Cardassians, both the True Way and the puppet government. Perhaps the KDF could side with the True Way and establish an alliance in order to remove the Federation's influence on Cardassian space. Since Cryptic seems content to treat the 'Federation-Klingon War' as a cold war, this would make perfect sense. Cut off the Federation's access to allies (Cardassians, Romulans, etc), and expand PvP so that there's more of a 'wartime' feel to things.
This would make far too much sense, though, so they'll just stick to throwing lockbox goodies at foolish money-loaded players and creating blatantly Federation-based content with a nearly-transparent 'Klingon' wrapper for the KDF version.
Exactly! It makes no sense to put off your Galactic domination plans until Several superpowers have risen up, with the power to resist! I like the idea of the Iconians sitting in the shadows and turning the quadrant against itself, they just have to develop it more and create a better backstory.
Fix the crew losses on a Vo'quv Carrier! Also the BOP AI!
I have only recently returned to STO after a long break. I've had to do a bit of catch up, content wise because of the new episodes. I haven't even touched Romulus yet. I primarily play as a Fed. I was loathe to play a Klink purely because of the lack of Klingon specific content. Sure there's a teeny-tiny KDF PvE about a traitor house... I play STO over SWTOR and WoW because I can solo a lot easier and group when I want to, not when the game says so or a mission that I'm soloing throws enemies at me that are far and above my capabilities... I still think that Borg need to be made more powerful but less of them. Like in the movies. 1 cube and everyone gets life insurance and writes wills... In STO, multiple TACTICAL cubes and a Unimatrix...BRING IT ON!!! -_- Anyway, I'm, off track...
Early KDF missions could focus more on hunting down Undine infiltrators (in both Federation and Klingon space - thus adding pressure to the Fed/KDF war by having KDF ships making incursions into Federation space) and then adressing issues such as the Borg. The Borg could invade Klingon space too, not just Feds. I was a little confused when Cryptic made the Borg invade Deferra. It doesn't make sense, they may be an old race, but would the Borg really hit a race that poses no threat? I would have thought they'd hit the Romulans considering they've been tinkering with Borg tech before they'd hit the Deferrans... What strategic importance does assimilating them have? When two (three if you include the Romulans, 4 is you include the Dominin "regaining it's power") very powerful, proven threats are right there, torpedoes loaded and capacitors charged with shields up and ignoring the 'Resistance is futile' line.
I'm not against the war ending, the war is a joke anyway. "Oh no, we're at war with the klingons! Here's an early game storyline about going back to the past to save future klingons, genetic manipulation and LOOK! Shiny things!" -_- The Fed/Klingon War should have been a major focus of Fed and KDF player's leveling experience. It could even have been based upon what career you chose. Instead it takes the backseat to everything else happening. Federation or not, war is the priority. The other missions should feel likre you've been 'squeezed in' becuase every other ship is tied up in the war effort... Here's my suggestions...
FOR FEDS
All players are initially assigned to the 4th Fleet (Starfleet Academy) for the tutorial however after the Borg attack on the Vega Colony and the subsequent showing of your capabilities you and your ship are transferred to a specific fleet based on your career.
Tactical - The combat oriented career, most of your missions are purely combat. Assigned to the 2nd Fleet (Starfleet Tactical Command). Fleet actions, patrols, recon missions, attacks on strategic targets... You're assigned to a fleet that deals with the Klingons primarily. Tactical officers are primarily supposed to fly escorts but that's not required. But escorts are the best tool for the job... Just don't get hit too much. You could even incorporate PvP into it, having KDF/Feds play the same missions but from their own pespective. KDF attacks/Feds defend and vice versa with AI ships so that if no other PCs are playing, the misison can still be completed. Let's face it...if you're on a Saber, Akira, Defiant or Prometheus, you're not there to kowtow to diplomats, you're there to bring hurt. Your 'exploration' is undertaking scouting missions, not seeking out new worlds and new civilisations.
Engineering - The multi-role career. Assigned to the 5th Fleet (Starfleet Corps of Engineers) initially. A little bit of combat, taking part in fleet actions in the war, patrols and the like. But not to the extent of the Tactical officer. In addition, you're also diverted to assist ships that have been disabled or to help out a Federation colony. That's what cruisers are for. Not that every engineer uses a cruiser. And let's not forget diplomacy and exploration either. Cruisers make really good diplomatic ships. They're big, visually impressive and not as aggressive looking. Even though the Sovereign was among the most powerful ships in the fleet, it managed to look like a vessel of peace...until it fired a spread of quantum torpedoes...
Science - Humanitartian aid. Scientific discovery. Diplomatic missions. Deep space exploration. The staple diet of a Science officer. Assigned to the 3rd Fleet (Starfleet Medical Command) and initially deployed to the front to assist in the war by providing medical aid and a few extra phaser banks and photon torpedo tubes, Science officers are soon diverted to other tasks more 'sciencey'. A nice change of pace, more time exploring and discovering, less time pew pewing...unless you're into that in which case you can request a transfer on a (PvE) mission by mission basis.
Higher level players are assigned to the 1st Fleet and are then given access to expeditionary missions (which allows you to explore the quadrant).
All this is just PvE missions. It has no restrictions on PvP, and you can still group to do PvE missions. This allows different characters access to different content in ways that are believable. Tactical officers do different missions to Engineers who do different missions to Science officers and though they share some common elements, they're not exactly the same. It might be a grind, but it's not the same one as every one else.
FOR KDF
I try to like the KDF. I like most of their ships, I like the atmosphere and culture. I really try to like the PvE. I'm not much of a fan of PvP myself. I've dabbled but nothing dedicated. For a Klingon player it's less about what career you chose, and more about what ship you command. The KDF are warriors, no explorers. That's not to say they don't explore or use diplomacy, they just do it in a warlike way... "We come in peace...Weapons are loaded, charged and locked on but we come in SO MUCH PEACE! QAPLA!"
You're in a bird of prey? Say to hello to recon missions, lightning raids and fleet actions.
You're in a battlecruiser? Recon, patrols and fleet actions.
You're in a raptor? Recon, patrols, raids and fleet actions.
You're a tactical officer? Tactical Klingons are about hitting the enemy where it hurts. HARD. In addition to space missions, you should also gain access to ground missions (that make sense) like any true Klingon warrior such as hunting down Undine.
Engineering? Supporting fleets, assisting in the repairs of downed ships, providing a show of force to an annexed minor race of the Empire or seeking out new minor races to exploit (Klingon version of Exploration) as well as putting down resistance from warp-capable minor races (Klingon version of Diplomacy).
Science? Are you even Klingon? Kidding. Healing warriors, making them stronger in battle. As well as annexing minor races and putting down rebellions... Capturing Undine for interrogation...
The Klingon idea isn't nearly as fleshed out as I'd like but I've only been dwelling on it for a week. I've been thinking up the Fed missions since before I went on my break. Maybe we could incorporate selecting what House we belong to instead of just belonging to the House of Martok, for example. Perhaps belonging to the different houses grants access to House specific missions. Perhaps Houses can replace Klingon career types...
Suffice to say, I'm very interested in any attempts to further the experience for Klingon players. Feds have a LOT more options available to them. I dunno what Cryptic are saying about the KDF player base is small an unimportant. It's an integral part of the game that they're seemingly purposely neglecting. Stop developing Fed stuff for just one season. Flesh out the KDF. Then worry about a third...hell, even a fourth faction...
Love to hear your thoughts... PM me if you want to rage, leave it off the public forum. =P
Really nice ideas, in an ideal world I'd like to see the actual episodic content differ depending on your choice of career. Rather than have every officer follow the same linear path through the game you could have unique perspectives depending on what career you follow. It does bug me that everyone HAS to be a tactical officer, just with different tools.
And I see the problem with the KDF too - it's hard to develop ideas for science or engineering officers when the KDF is (and indeed supposed) to favour brute strength and aggression. Because of this I think it would be better if the KDF had it's own career choices.
Tactical officers should be known as Warriors. They do the fighting, raiding and pillaging in the name of the Empire. They make sure the populations of new worlds stay in line by quelling uprisings or rebellions, they patrol the borders of the Empire and engage anyone they find.
To replace Science officers you have operatives for KDF Intelligence. They confuse and disturb the enemy with covert operations, assassinations and intelligence gathering. They work behind the scenes using the best technology the KDF has to their advantage.
And Engineering officers can be a Fleet Marshall of something. A focus on supporting the entire KDF fleet so the machine stays well oiled for conquest. They get ships back into the fight, they establish listening posts and staging areas, they gather resources and build new weapons. Their cruisers are the flagships for the Empire, and take part in massive space battles.
Just some ideas off the top of my head - it'll never happen of course since it would be too much work, but at the very least Crypic could make the daily/optional content more career specific.
Really nice ideas, in an ideal world I'd like to see the actual episodic content differ depending on your choice of career. Rather than have every officer follow the same linear path through the game you could have unique perspectives depending on what career you follow. It does bug me that everyone HAS to be a tactical officer, just with different tools.
And I see the problem with the KDF too - it's hard to develop ideas for science or engineering officers when the KDF is (and indeed supposed) to favour brute strength and aggression. Because of this I think it would be better if the KDF had it's own career choices.
Tactical officers should be known as Warriors. They do the fighting, raiding and pillaging in the name of the Empire. They make sure the populations of new worlds stay in line by quelling uprisings or rebellions, they patrol the borders of the Empire and engage anyone they find.
To replace Science officers you have operatives for KDF Intelligence. They confuse and disturb the enemy with covert operations, assassinations and intelligence gathering. They work behind the scenes using the best technology the KDF has to their advantage.
And Engineering officers can be a Fleet Marshall of something. A focus on supporting the entire KDF fleet so the machine stays well oiled for conquest. They get ships back into the fight, they establish listening posts and staging areas, they gather resources and build new weapons. Their cruisers are the flagships for the Empire, and take part in massive space battles.
Just some ideas off the top of my head - it'll never happen of course since it would be too much work, but at the very least Crypic could make the daily/optional content more career specific.
I like this idea. Cryptic should be looking to their fan base for ways to improve their game with ideas like this. What is unfortunate is that they can't use anything they haven't come up with themselves for legal reasons or some such, which is quite silly really... "We want to improve the game but we're all out of ideas and making KDF specific content is too hard." -_- We could stop contributing to your slaries for you, how's that for too hard? Put a poll out for your players, see what they want. Sure you'll get the oddball that goes "MAW PHAYZORS! PEW PEW DEATH TO EVERYTHING!" but a majority of the players like, care and want to see this game IMPROVE and evolve. I'd be interested to see a financial statement for STO, see how much it costs to keep the lights on and the devs paid, how much they get in revenue from subs and the C-Store...
Comments
What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If these Foundry missions you acclaim in lieu of Cryptic created content are good enough for KDF then they are good enough for Federation, am I not correct? No one needs Cryptic created content then as the Foundry would suffice for both factions. But as you said, they have not decided cut more content but continue to develop. Therefore, the sauce you recommend is not good for either the goose or the gander.
Al Rivera hates Klingons
Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert
All cloaks should be canon.
This is not Team Fortress where the best ideas are made "game canon" and there is a huge temptation from the money counters to ask "if people are making content for free, why are we paying YOU?" (Yes TF has its own ways around this).
Really STO is just a Fed game with Token Klinks anyway, everything from the HUD to icons and publicity and so forth, the Klingon faction needs a heavy rebuild and certainly a dedicated season to run through things on a massive checklist.
I will suggest that early game content could be spent examining not only the Fed war, but also the relationships between houses and the alied species. Section 31 would probably try to break the Gorn away from the Klinks as they're the "brains" of the faction with their tech heavy vessels and the king on the council, as well as looking at the Ferasians (anything to make them interesting!) and perhaps looking into Orion and Nausicaan activity in smuggling out some shady secrets the Feds didn't want to share etc.
Drink one shot for ever time someone complains about realism in Star Trek.
Drink two shots if they don't know what "fiction" is.
The gap cannot be closed if the devs release 'counterpart' content to accompany whatever the KDF gets. . .which is what I fully expect to happen.
And the Feddies will still stamp their feet and demand new toys and the like, while the KDF is kept on the back burner.
They had that a long time ago. KDF used to start at level 5, with roughly the same exclusive content it has now. It was a rather long, dull grind. They compressed everything into the state it is now to make leveling more bearable, with the thinking that they'll eventually get around to creating more content for the KDF faction.
Actually, no. When KDF began at the low level following release, you still had to create a Federation character first and play to unlock the Klingon faction. Since the release of this game, never has a player been able to create a KDF faction character as their first avatar.
Now that the starting level and level required to unlock KDF has been raised to Commander, new players are further discouraged from playing KDF as players tend to get attached to and identify with their first character or the one they have put the most time and effort into. At release, when the required Federation playtime was much less, players who desired to play KDF could quickly speed the first Federation levels to abandon that character for what they really wanted to play. From an in-game standpoint, the incentive no longer exists to essentially start over after an extended period with basic equipment and no credits or duty officers.
This is also partially why WoW remains the juggernaut it is today while so many other MMO's, rushed and flawed or not, fail. Players have so much time invested in their WoW characters that they grow discontent with starting over in a new game, whether they enjoyed it or not, and return to WoW even if it just means sitting faux AFK in town so others can gawk at their purple-text pixels.
Al Rivera hates Klingons
Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert
All cloaks should be canon.
That's what I kinda meant. . .for all intents and purposes, players could start as a KDF. The first 5 levels are more or less inconsequential. The KDF merely lacked a real tutorial. Of course, the first levels were still pretty thin, due to lack of content, but at least we had the option of starting that early. Now the population problem is further exacerbated by the higher starting level, as you indicated.
Though given how badly they did neuter the Romulans I do kind of fear what their writters would do to the Klingons, the Nausicaans, the Orions, or any of the others in an attempt to make them generically sympathetic.
With the direction they do seem to take the setting in maybe this lack of attention is a hidden blessing.
Since we got the RSE at Rator III, New Romulus at Mo'Rihan, and the Remans in between. A Second Romulan Civil War set up is created and the UFP can behind New Romulus to the KDF behind the RSE.
The First Romulan Civil War was shown in the Path to 2409 and the early STO videos.
Sure some people wouldn't, and that should be an option, on/off at creation. But it is such an EASY way of creating missions for the devs. All it needs is testing and balancing on the test server after that.
My mind boggles at why this isn't encouraged, giving great props to those authors whose missions make it to the game. This then could be done for romulans, cardassians and any number of mini factions after the klingon one is fully given its due. Plus honor those creators who make, put their names in lights and even give them special perks if you like
I've always been a huge supporter of this type of idea; however, it seems like Cryptic is not willing to give it a shot.
Honestly it seems so obvious and easy, my money is on a copyright issue. To get around that, have anything that is reviewed to 4/5 stars reviewed by a dev who knows what is allowed and what is not.
I may be inventing a problem here, but without that factor I see no reasonable issue in the way.
Exactly! It makes no sense to put off your Galactic domination plans until Several superpowers have risen up, with the power to resist!
Fix the crew losses on a Vo'quv Carrier! Also the BOP AI!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Early KDF missions could focus more on hunting down Undine infiltrators (in both Federation and Klingon space - thus adding pressure to the Fed/KDF war by having KDF ships making incursions into Federation space) and then adressing issues such as the Borg. The Borg could invade Klingon space too, not just Feds. I was a little confused when Cryptic made the Borg invade Deferra. It doesn't make sense, they may be an old race, but would the Borg really hit a race that poses no threat? I would have thought they'd hit the Romulans considering they've been tinkering with Borg tech before they'd hit the Deferrans... What strategic importance does assimilating them have? When two (three if you include the Romulans, 4 is you include the Dominin "regaining it's power") very powerful, proven threats are right there, torpedoes loaded and capacitors charged with shields up and ignoring the 'Resistance is futile' line.
I'm not against the war ending, the war is a joke anyway. "Oh no, we're at war with the klingons! Here's an early game storyline about going back to the past to save future klingons, genetic manipulation and LOOK! Shiny things!" -_- The Fed/Klingon War should have been a major focus of Fed and KDF player's leveling experience. It could even have been based upon what career you chose. Instead it takes the backseat to everything else happening. Federation or not, war is the priority. The other missions should feel likre you've been 'squeezed in' becuase every other ship is tied up in the war effort... Here's my suggestions...
FOR FEDS
All players are initially assigned to the 4th Fleet (Starfleet Academy) for the tutorial however after the Borg attack on the Vega Colony and the subsequent showing of your capabilities you and your ship are transferred to a specific fleet based on your career.
Tactical - The combat oriented career, most of your missions are purely combat. Assigned to the 2nd Fleet (Starfleet Tactical Command). Fleet actions, patrols, recon missions, attacks on strategic targets... You're assigned to a fleet that deals with the Klingons primarily. Tactical officers are primarily supposed to fly escorts but that's not required. But escorts are the best tool for the job... Just don't get hit too much. You could even incorporate PvP into it, having KDF/Feds play the same missions but from their own pespective. KDF attacks/Feds defend and vice versa with AI ships so that if no other PCs are playing, the misison can still be completed. Let's face it...if you're on a Saber, Akira, Defiant or Prometheus, you're not there to kowtow to diplomats, you're there to bring hurt. Your 'exploration' is undertaking scouting missions, not seeking out new worlds and new civilisations.
Engineering - The multi-role career. Assigned to the 5th Fleet (Starfleet Corps of Engineers) initially. A little bit of combat, taking part in fleet actions in the war, patrols and the like. But not to the extent of the Tactical officer. In addition, you're also diverted to assist ships that have been disabled or to help out a Federation colony. That's what cruisers are for. Not that every engineer uses a cruiser. And let's not forget diplomacy and exploration either. Cruisers make really good diplomatic ships. They're big, visually impressive and not as aggressive looking. Even though the Sovereign was among the most powerful ships in the fleet, it managed to look like a vessel of peace...until it fired a spread of quantum torpedoes...
Science - Humanitartian aid. Scientific discovery. Diplomatic missions. Deep space exploration. The staple diet of a Science officer. Assigned to the 3rd Fleet (Starfleet Medical Command) and initially deployed to the front to assist in the war by providing medical aid and a few extra phaser banks and photon torpedo tubes, Science officers are soon diverted to other tasks more 'sciencey'. A nice change of pace, more time exploring and discovering, less time pew pewing...unless you're into that in which case you can request a transfer on a (PvE) mission by mission basis.
Higher level players are assigned to the 1st Fleet and are then given access to expeditionary missions (which allows you to explore the quadrant).
All this is just PvE missions. It has no restrictions on PvP, and you can still group to do PvE missions. This allows different characters access to different content in ways that are believable. Tactical officers do different missions to Engineers who do different missions to Science officers and though they share some common elements, they're not exactly the same. It might be a grind, but it's not the same one as every one else.
FOR KDF
I try to like the KDF. I like most of their ships, I like the atmosphere and culture. I really try to like the PvE. I'm not much of a fan of PvP myself. I've dabbled but nothing dedicated. For a Klingon player it's less about what career you chose, and more about what ship you command. The KDF are warriors, no explorers. That's not to say they don't explore or use diplomacy, they just do it in a warlike way... "We come in peace...Weapons are loaded, charged and locked on but we come in SO MUCH PEACE! QAPLA!"
You're in a bird of prey? Say to hello to recon missions, lightning raids and fleet actions.
You're in a battlecruiser? Recon, patrols and fleet actions.
You're in a raptor? Recon, patrols, raids and fleet actions.
You're a tactical officer? Tactical Klingons are about hitting the enemy where it hurts. HARD. In addition to space missions, you should also gain access to ground missions (that make sense) like any true Klingon warrior such as hunting down Undine.
Engineering? Supporting fleets, assisting in the repairs of downed ships, providing a show of force to an annexed minor race of the Empire or seeking out new minor races to exploit (Klingon version of Exploration) as well as putting down resistance from warp-capable minor races (Klingon version of Diplomacy).
Science? Are you even Klingon? Kidding. Healing warriors, making them stronger in battle. As well as annexing minor races and putting down rebellions... Capturing Undine for interrogation...
The Klingon idea isn't nearly as fleshed out as I'd like but I've only been dwelling on it for a week. I've been thinking up the Fed missions since before I went on my break. Maybe we could incorporate selecting what House we belong to instead of just belonging to the House of Martok, for example. Perhaps belonging to the different houses grants access to House specific missions. Perhaps Houses can replace Klingon career types...
Suffice to say, I'm very interested in any attempts to further the experience for Klingon players. Feds have a LOT more options available to them. I dunno what Cryptic are saying about the KDF player base is small an unimportant. It's an integral part of the game that they're seemingly purposely neglecting. Stop developing Fed stuff for just one season. Flesh out the KDF. Then worry about a third...hell, even a fourth faction...
Love to hear your thoughts... PM me if you want to rage, leave it off the public forum. =P
Really nice ideas, in an ideal world I'd like to see the actual episodic content differ depending on your choice of career. Rather than have every officer follow the same linear path through the game you could have unique perspectives depending on what career you follow. It does bug me that everyone HAS to be a tactical officer, just with different tools.
And I see the problem with the KDF too - it's hard to develop ideas for science or engineering officers when the KDF is (and indeed supposed) to favour brute strength and aggression. Because of this I think it would be better if the KDF had it's own career choices.
Tactical officers should be known as Warriors. They do the fighting, raiding and pillaging in the name of the Empire. They make sure the populations of new worlds stay in line by quelling uprisings or rebellions, they patrol the borders of the Empire and engage anyone they find.
To replace Science officers you have operatives for KDF Intelligence. They confuse and disturb the enemy with covert operations, assassinations and intelligence gathering. They work behind the scenes using the best technology the KDF has to their advantage.
And Engineering officers can be a Fleet Marshall of something. A focus on supporting the entire KDF fleet so the machine stays well oiled for conquest. They get ships back into the fight, they establish listening posts and staging areas, they gather resources and build new weapons. Their cruisers are the flagships for the Empire, and take part in massive space battles.
Just some ideas off the top of my head - it'll never happen of course since it would be too much work, but at the very least Crypic could make the daily/optional content more career specific.
I will believe the more KDF content when I see it
I.R.W. Raptor's Claw
Storm Eagle Class Warbird Fleet Ha'feh
I have never trusted humans, and I never will
I like this idea. Cryptic should be looking to their fan base for ways to improve their game with ideas like this. What is unfortunate is that they can't use anything they haven't come up with themselves for legal reasons or some such, which is quite silly really... "We want to improve the game but we're all out of ideas and making KDF specific content is too hard." -_- We could stop contributing to your slaries for you, how's that for too hard? Put a poll out for your players, see what they want. Sure you'll get the oddball that goes "MAW PHAYZORS! PEW PEW DEATH TO EVERYTHING!" but a majority of the players like, care and want to see this game IMPROVE and evolve. I'd be interested to see a financial statement for STO, see how much it costs to keep the lights on and the devs paid, how much they get in revenue from subs and the C-Store...