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A real reputation system?

wombat140wombat140 Member Posts: 971 Arc User
shpoks wrote: »
[in "Would you like to see the Klingon empire at peace with the Federation?"]
I agree that enhancements can be made through using the reputation system. I think that it could be ok if at end-game level it would be up to the player's choice wheather he'll cooperate with Feds. for example and promote peace or not.

However, we'd need a revamp of the reputation system. Ok, maybe not a revamp, but the rep. system needs to grow into something more than just grinding for marks/dil./items so you can buy equipment of a certain faction/reputation.
What is needes is the ability of choice to be implemented in the future with the reputations.

For example, my KDF captain can be benevolent towards Romulans, which in consequence will increase my reputation with Rommies and get me access to equipment unique for their rep. But at the same time their enemies, let's say Tholians for the sake of the argument, don't like me working with Rommies and my rep. with them decreases or goes negative, which in consequence will prevent me from using their toys. Now, some other player that blows Romulan ships will have this 'Tholian' rep and access to their toys, but not the Romulan ones.

You know, we'll be able to have a little more diversity and probably more brain exercise than just everyone having everything just the same. Plus, from immersion perspective it will provide the players that want peace with certain faction (Fed. for ex.) to be friendly and have peace & cooperation with Feds., but it would also be possible for Klingons that couln't bare to help Romulans on their new colony to take a different path.

Long shot I know, but we're all allowed to dream. :) Imagine how would that be like...

I liked this idea so much I thought I'd start a new thread for it instead of derailing the other one.

The "reputation" thing brought in recently is just another annoying form of currency, there are too many of those as it is IMHO and I'm not sure what the point was. But this is something else entirely and it would be GOOD.

It'd be complicated of course, what with there being I make it seven factions - Federation, KDF, Romulans, Borg, Undine, Tholians and Dominion. But the Undine hate everyone anyway and there's no doing anything with the Borg (though it briefly happened in Star Trek: Voyager, didn't it?). And you could do fun things like having a group of rebels that approve of anyone who's UNpopular with the rebels' original faction. Hey, while we're at it, why not allow for a rogue captain to build up a bit of notoriety with his/her OWN side?

I suppose the sticking point would be finding time to work it into enough of the existing missions to make it worth while. But as usual the Foundry could fill some of that gap, if it was arranged right from the outset that Foundry writers could both award reputation and respond to it. Any other ideas about that, anyone?

What do you think?
Post edited by wombat140 on

Comments

  • bloctoadbloctoad Member Posts: 660 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    Freelancer had a great dynamic reputation system where successes and failures of missions always generated ire and good will with someone, even if it wasn't who you intended. For reputations to be of any actual use in gameplay other than another currency grind as you stated, they must be mutually exclusive. It also must be the player's choice which of these factions to assist and which to alienate. Otherwise it ceases to be a potentially exciting part of gameplay and becomes just another expensively gated placeholder for necessary passive stats.

    The problem with expanding the reputation system to where it feels immersive rather than tacked on is that a large chunk of the equipment, items, and goods associated with these factions have already been released in lockboxes. So actually having a useful and expanded reputation system in the future is probably impossible. Oops!
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  • kamiyama317kamiyama317 Member Posts: 1,295 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    That's a good idea. Though I'm not sure on having Undine and Borg factions. How about this:

    United Federation of Planets - gives a 3 piece phaser weapon set
    Klingon Defense Force - gives a 3 piece disruptor weapon set
    Romulan - already exists and gives a 3 piece plasma weapon set
    Dominion - gives a 3 piece polaron weapon set
    Tholian - gives a 3 piece tetryon weapon set (should also have some interesting storyline - I want to know what the Assembly is up to with all this time travel nonsense)
    Fek'Ihri - gives a 3 piece antiproton weapon set

    In addition to the weapon sets, each faction should offer a unique hull material that you can put on your ship hulls, a unique reinforcement, and maybe a ground set?

    The UFP should dislike the Dominion, Tholians, Fek'Ihri
    The KDF should dislike the Romulans, Dominion, Fek'Ihri
    The Romulans should dislike the KDF, Tholians, Fek'Ihri
    The Dominion should dislike the UFP, KDF, Tholians
    The Tholians should dislike the UFP, Romulans, Dominion
    The Fek'Ihri should dislike the UFP, KDF, Romulans

    This should allow the following reputation combinations:
    UFP/KDF
    UFP/Romulan
    KDF/UFP
    KDF/Tholian
    Romulan/UFP
    Romulan/Dominion
    Dominion/Romulan
    Dominion/Fek'Ihri
    Tholian/KDF
    Tholian/Fek'Ihri
    Fek'Ihri/Dominion
    Fek'Irhi/Tholian

    Also, Omega Force shouldn't part of the love/hate relationship. They are anti-Borg and everyone hates Borg.
  • shpoksshpoks Member Posts: 6,967 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    bloctoad wrote: »
    The problem with expanding the reputation system to where it feels immersive rather than tacked on is that a large chunk of the equipment, items, and goods associated with these factions have already been released in lockboxes. So actually having a useful and expanded reputation system in the future is probably impossible. Oops!

    Not necesarily. Since there was a cap increase mentioned from the devs. before it would provide a perfect opportunity to implement this.
    The way I see it, if they ever decide on increasing the cap, that would probably mean a new tier of ships and a new tier of weapons/equipment. This higher tier would be obtained through this reputation system.
    It's a big job to be done for sure and even I doubt that the devs. will go that way (though I hope), but it's not impossible if they put their mind to something like this.
    HQroeLu.jpg
  • haravikkharavikk Member Posts: 278
    edited February 2013
    That's a good idea. Though I'm not sure on having Undine and Borg factions. How about this:

    United Federation of Planets - gives a 3 piece phaser weapon set
    Klingon Defense Force - gives a 3 piece disruptor weapon set
    Romulan - already exists and gives a 3 piece plasma weapon set
    Dominion - gives a 3 piece polaron weapon set
    Tholian - gives a 3 piece tetryon weapon set (should also have some interesting storyline - I want to know what the Assembly is up to with all this time travel nonsense)
    Fek'Ihri - gives a 3 piece antiproton weapon set
    I like the proposal, but does it make sense to have the Fek'Ihri as a possible ally?
    Another possibility would be to divide up New Romulus and the Tal Shiar, and add Cardassians and the True Way.


    For Anti-Proton you could potentially leverage the Temporal Warfare idea and make that some kind of "Temporal Task Force" like Task Force Omega; would be much better to be able to get Chroniton (which are essential Anti-Proton) weapons from them.

    Just some other possibilities.
  • chikahirochikahiro Member Posts: 35 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    I like the idea of a more dynamic Reputation system, where any action will be viewed positively and negatively by various factions, where it can go up and down rather than simply going up. I've suggested as much before, although I realize that what I want isn't necessarily the same as everyone else.

    Certain groups will be mutually opposed, definitely. Some will get along with others, etc. Ideally, what you do, the missions you take, etc., ought reflect on how you're viewed. For instance, more than favor? What if you show yourself to be particularly honorable in combat? You might well have earned the ire of the Klingons, but you'll also get a grudging respect. If you're a sneaky person, that will displease the Klingons, but the Romulans and Cardassians will like that. High roller? Always looking out for the next big deal? Hey, there's a Ferengi here with a business proposal. Searching out new things, and learning? Vulcans will be there for you, and if you're delving into cultures, spirituality, so will the Bajorans.

    No matter what you do, though, you'll never be able to please everyone. Be middling to everyone, or start currying favor with a select few at the expense of others.

    Of course, all this would ideally be tied into a more sandboxy metagame, where each sector and faction influence the overall known space. Things like colonization, military presence, espionage networks, trade, research, cultural impact, etc., could all be factored in.

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  • wombat140wombat140 Member Posts: 971 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    Hey presto, a whole lot of fun possible complications... I'd forgotten all about the Fek'Ihri. No, maybe doesn't make sense to include them, since all the currently playable races are against them anyway.

    And what about the Ferengi? Of course having a dodgy reputation wouldn't necessarily mean they wouldn't want to deal with you! Instead of having a straightforward popularity-meter for that one, maybe you could have an honesty meter - the ones who've previously played it by the book wouldn't get offered the dodgy deals in case they went to the cops, but equally the most notorious fences might not get served by the Ferengi who aren't (currently) up to anything dodgy, for fear of what they might get them into...
  • sean2448sean2448 Member Posts: 815 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    changes I would like to see is boosts at 20hr if the can be reuced to 12hr
  • wombat140wombat140 Member Posts: 971 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    Sorry, what boosts to what? And what does it have to do with the topic? I don't quite follow you. Probably some feature I haven't run into yet.
  • aelfwin1aelfwin1 Member Posts: 2,896 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    I agree that the current Rep system does feel quite "tacked on" .

    I'd much rather see reputation gained by missions specific to that faction (like we have now) and award (or access to a shop) given by an NPC that hails you to congratulate you for your "valiant efforts" .

    That just makes much more sense instead of all this "move lever A to fill slot B with component C" .
    You could even have "Aid the Planet" type missions that require you to purchase / deliver goods for reputation -- thus a way to gain reputation through non violent (and non- Romulan bunny chasing) means . :)
  • twg042370twg042370 Member Posts: 2,312 Arc User
    edited February 2013
    wombat140 wrote: »
    Sorry, what boosts to what? And what does it have to do with the topic? I don't quite follow you. Probably some feature I haven't run into yet.

    I think they meant "cool downs"
    <3
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