Should Races become the new Ships?

centersolace · January 2013

We are running out of ships. Not only is there a finite number of canon vessels, but ship request threads are disappearing as they get filled. With the possible exception of the Odyssey, Cryptic original ships aren't very popular unless they're based on a canon ship. There's also a limited amount of ship slots, and most ship collectors have already had them filled, or they're unwilling to buy more. So it seems that ships are on the profit decline, if they haven't been there for a while.

So what about Races and Species? After all, there are a couple hundred to choose from.

Plus, there are a lot of Species based threads going around so it seems like there's a lot of intrest (I am!

). If Cryptic threw in a Species-change token it would give people a reason to experiment, and even dust off a few alts they haven't used in a while, or even make new ones if they haven't yet.

After all, isn't one third of the entirety of Star Trek the aliens themselves?

hevach · January 2013

Player races have pretty narrow profit margins I'd expect. Not like ships where any captain could just buy them, a race would mean a new character, which the reputation system is turning into a much bigger investment than that once meant, or with race changes would necessitate a double purchase each time, and some people just won't let go of their captains for numerous reasons.

They could potentially fix that by making each race a mini-pack of sorts. Player race and a bridge officer with a unique weapon or device to mirror the universal consoles on ships, maybe a costume unlock.

novapolaris · January 2013

hevach wrote: »

Player races have pretty narrow profit margins I'd expect. Not like ships where any captain could just buy them, a race would mean a new character, which the reputation system is turning into a much bigger investment than that once meant, or with race changes would necessitate a double purchase each time, and some people just won't let go of their captains for numerous reasons.

They could potentially fix that by making each race a mini-pack of sorts. Player race and a bridge officer with a unique weapon or device to mirror the universal consoles on ships, maybe a costume unlock.

Yes. They could make the costume unlocks... special badges. *Totally* not going to fly off the shelves, right?

pwstolemyname · January 2013

Sadly to sell races cryptic would have to do somthing to encorage us to use alts more. I have 12 characters that I have leveld to 50. I log in my klinks to feed my main character dilithium and I log in my main to have fun. My other feds only see earth space dock from time to time when a fleet mate needs an ability trained.

My main character has a lot of ships and a lot of boffs to go with his general purpose skill build. Without specializing or the most obserdly priced equipment I put skill stackers and [acc]x3 adicts to shame wether its in pvp or a pve leader board.

As the game is right now there is no need for any one to play more then one character.

I baught the catian race because I liked the look of them and made a character that I leveld to 50 and then forgot about as i went back to my human. I was simply too atatched to my existing character.

I dont think I will buy any more races as I now know I wont use them.

if cryptic gave a new race some stupidly silly advantages I think I world rather make bitter comments about it then buy it.

warpangel · January 2013

Combined with a species-changing token, they could be good sells. Cardassian and Romulan seem popular at least.

Without one, not so much. People aren't going to abandon their characters that easily.

Unknown · January 2013

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thay8472 · January 2013

New ships =
ship for all our characters

New races =
1) us buying either more alt slots or waiting for waiting for a species change token.
2) flog us these new species as bridge officers (similiar to the cats)
3) ????
4) profit

flash525 · January 2013

Whilst new species is a good idea (in that it would further fund Cryptic and keep the game with us) there are only so many species that would practically join with the Federation of Klingon Defense Force. Besides the fact, there are only so many species that people will realistically play with / as for said faction; the main ones (not yet included as Bridge Officers) are the Romulan and Cardassian; each of which I'd rather see saved for a 3rd faction.

The problem with other species (be that Talarian, Sheliak, Son'a, Breen, Vorta, Selay, etc) is that I don't think there will be enough request for them. I don't think that many people would buy them to make their design and creator worth the effort.

Think about the Klingons for the moment, most people playing the KDF are one of three species; Klingon, Orion (female) or Alien (and that Alien option looks a lot like Human). Most Federation players seem to favor Human (or Vulcan; it's not always easy to tell the ears apart, especially when not close). If people aren't willing to try a Nausciaan, Lethean, Gorn, Tellarite, Ferengi, Andorian (ect) then they aren't likely to spend money toward another minor species.

As far as ship designs go, there are countless designs left on the drawing boards. So long as someone has an imagination (might lack on the Klingon front) but otherwise an imagination, then there are designs to be made. It's not only canon designs that are popular, the Patrol Escort isn't a canon design, and there are a fair number of those flying around. You're lucky to enter a sector that doesn't have at least one somewhere.

akwartz01 · January 2013

flash525 wrote: »

most people playing the KDF are one of three species; Klingon, Orion (female) or Alien (and that Alien option looks a lot like Human). Most Federation players seem to favor Human (or Vulcan; it's not always easy to tell the ears apart, especially when not close). If people aren't willing to try a Nausciaan, Lethean, Gorn, Tellarite, Ferengi, Andorian (ect) then they aren't likely to spend money toward another minor species.

Man, I really must be weird, I don't have a single human, vulcan or alien character but do have one Lethean, Nausicaan and Gorn captain plus three Tellarites in the Federation.

virusdancer · January 2013

Four toons...four Aliens. Hrmm, I think my first two toons when I started playing last Jan were a Ferengi and an Orion. I added a Lethean and a Human. I had switched to four Aliens by April/May...and through a number of rerolls that I couldn't even begin to guess at...I'm still at four Aliens.

Accurate/Elusive + two additional Space Traits based on what I plan to do with the toon. There's no room for actual races with wasted Ground Traits or giving up Accurate/Elusive for me...

thay8472 · January 2013

hmm im

fed:

Bajoran
Human
Vulcan
Andorian
Alien
Trill

KDF
Orion
Joined Trill
Alien

might make a leathena during the next q lvl event.

zahinder · January 2013

I personally think they could be doing WAY more with costumes. I mean, the formal attire -- all the men's suits have a shiny greenish gloss. Huh?

Hell, I'd pay cash for a flippin HAT -- why can't my character from gangster-world dress in his traditional homeland attire?

I mean, look how diverse the costume packs are in Champions Online.

stealthymcthief · January 2013

I'd rather see Cryptic make more content than trying to take all our money. At this point they can release whatever they want for Zen, I wouldn't buy it. There's nothing to do with it so there's no point in spending anything. I have won the game, I could log on every day and farm stuff I've done a million times to amass more space wealth but I don't need any new shiny ship or weapon for that.

I'd gladly spend money if there was anything to do but as it stands now there isn't.

zahinder · January 2013

Also, I personally find clothing (or general appearance) store items to be the most palatable pay content -- you don't have to worry about balance, and it's fun to buy cool new looks.

flash525 · January 2013

I have three characters at the moment; my main FED is an Andorian, with a Betazoid that I've only recently started up. Both my crews are a variety of species (with the exception of the alien choice). My KDF character is, as predictable, a Klingon (with an entire Klingon-crew). He's an Engineer. I've got a 4th character slot to start up at some point, though there is a lack of KDF content and I don't want to make a 2nd Klingon. Not really liking the other choices.

For what it's also worth, I'm not running any purchasable species, no purchasable costumes, and no purchasable ships (with the exception of the Galor). I'm getting by quite nicely without all these excess cosmetics.

akwartz01 wrote: »

Man, I really must be weird, I don't have a single human, vulcan or alien character but do have one Lethean, Nausicaan and Gorn captain plus three Tellarites in the Federation.

Then I commend your variety.

virusdancer · January 2013

zahinder wrote: »

Also, I personally find clothing (or general appearance) store items to be the most palatable pay content -- you don't have to worry about balance, and it's fun to buy cool new looks.

Yep, vanity items tend to be the most tolerable for many folks.

TBH, as I walk around ESD, Qo'nos, New Romulus, Drozana, DS:9... I probably couldn't tell you what the last person I walked by was wearing. It's just not something I pay attention to in the least.

I can definitely see where folks that are RPing or using STO as a 3D avatar chat app - such things would be wildly important...but meh, I spend the vast majority of my time in game looking at ships. Either my ship, the ships on my team, or enemy ships...heck, even neutral ships. I've spent far more time dorking around with various kitbashing options on my Fed ships than I have on the toon's costume/appearance. I'd be more likely to spend funds (or grind funds in exchange for funds that somebody else spent money on) for ship skins/costumes/kitbash options than on character appearance.

markhawkman · January 2013

akwartz01 wrote: »

Man, I really must be weird, I don't have a single human, vulcan or alien character but do have one Lethean, Nausicaan and Gorn captain plus three Tellarites in the Federation.

Extremely.

My roster is:
Fed;
Orion/Kriosian(alien)
Vorta(alien)
Kzinti(Caitian)
Joined Trill 'Borg'
Liberated Borg Human
Bolian
cybernetically enhanced Human
Romulan/Vulcan(Vulcan)
Andorian(foundry char)

KDF:
Orion(male)
Liberated Borg Klingon(tribble foundry)

centersolace · January 2013

Perhaps if there was a species respec, and every species came with a account wide costume unlock that came with the playable and BOFF versions, then would you give them a try?

flatmatt · January 2013

I can't say any species in particular comes to mind that would fit in Starfleet/KDF that would have broad appeal. What I think would be successful, however, are more options for existing species (including Aliens). I'd love to have more variations of face textures, hair, forehead ridges, and whatnot. And I'd definitely be willing to pay for a pack of more exotic Alien pieces. Mainly I want a BOff with a beak. Oh, and a shading option to create the people of Cheron.

(For the record, my captains are a Human, a Klingon/Romulan hybrid (Alien), a Saurian, and a Joined Trill, in that order. I also bought a Caitian BOff for my first captain solely for appearance--she's not used on ground missions. I would also like to eventually make a Ferasan captain when and if the Klingons get a decent amount of content added.)

markhawkman · January 2013

The Cheron.... yeesh.... one of the screwiest of the screwball race ideas in TOS...

dp667 · January 2013

As a lifetime subscriber from Jan of 2010 Let me let you guys in on some secrets you may or may not know.

THE most requested feature early on in the game was a new faction like the Romulans or the Dominion... The Romulans could encompass at least 2 new races (possibly more) and the Dominion could encompass MANY more examples include:

Breen (allied 2375)
Cardassians (2373-2375)
Dosi
Jem'Hadar (military servant race)
Karemma
T-Rogorans (conquered 2370)
Vorta (servant race)
Yaderans (conquered 2340)
Son'a (allied 2375)

New races = new ships = new content and new missions = new pvp opportunities (including up to 4 way pvp talk about CRAZY) And people WOULD pay to unlock that.. bored with your Fed and KDF character? Try RSE or Dominion on for size.

centersolace · January 2013

markhawkman wrote: »

The Cheron.... yeesh.... one of the screwiest of the screwball race ideas in TOS...

And you know what? We need more screwball ideas! Like bird people!

voporak · January 2013

centersolace wrote: »

And you know what? We need more screwball ideas! Like bird people!

Sentient bipedal cats from TAS? That's crazy! But they made them.

You have now scared me because Cryptic might actually put these bird people in-game. o.O

markhawkman · January 2013

centersolace wrote: »

And you know what? We need more screwball ideas! Like bird people!

Hehe, I liked the bird people. The Cheron were screwy because Lokai and Bele had apparently been fighting for 50 millenia!!!! The rest of their race was wiped out in the civil war while they dueled each other around the galaxy? Buh what?

zerobang · January 2013

flash525 wrote: »

If people aren't willing to try a Nausciaan, Lethean, Gorn, Tellarite, Ferengi, Andorian (ect) then they aren't likely to spend money toward another minor species.

speak only for yourself, sir

http://i.imagebanana.com/img/30w7x8ul/STO201301.png

if i can have a Ship + Captain Species that fit together i go for it.

in fact, if there is a LockBox SHIP like the Tholian Ships, where i can NOT have a fitting captain i skip it.
(my Orion only got the Breen Ship at the moment because it was free and i am bored of the Orion Ship and the Orion Fleet Ships only look better but have the same bad ship layout, if i could have a Breen Captain for it it would be 10 times better and i'd totally buy one for the Ship).

Also IF Alien LockBox Species came with their own Ground Kits / Abilities... and cool ones at that. I'd totally go for that too, because i'm sick and tired of having only 3 playstyles on ground (TAC/SCI/ENG ...and all my chars have ALL Kits and swap them as the mission i play requires it, so in the end i have 10 chars but only 3 styles to play them, which is already repetitive to no end -> champions on the other hand has so many archetypes that i get confused and have no idea how to decide what to do, i wish STO had that much depth to it in groundcombat).

Should Races become the new Ships?

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