Getting queues to pop over on the KDF side can be difficult sometimes due to the lack of players. Recent queues have been cross faction to help with this. With the advent of the Romulan faction, can we expect new queue events to be cross faction? Will older queues be re-tuned to be cross faction?
It's been said in a few places that an all new character creator is coming in May. Can you share any more details on that?
Several of us run multi-faction fleets and have a bit of trouble keeping up on the Starbase and Embassy projects for the two existing factions, especially for smaller fleets. With Romulans coming I fear that my own fleet cannot keep up with even more fleet holdings. Is there any help for us on the way?
STO has become very DPS oriented to the point where many of the player base jokingly call the game "Escorts Online." Are there any changes coming down the pipes to bring science ships and cruisers back into the fight?
Are any new STFs going to be added in with the Romulans joining the fight?
Is New Romulus going to be the HQ for the Romulan faction, similar to ESD or Qo'nos? I ask because up until this point the factions have not been able to visit the others respective HQ. Would Federation and KDF players be able to visit the Romulan HQ if they are based on New Romulus?
New Romulus is a beautiful planet, but doesn't have all that much to do on it right now. With the Romulans coming, are there any plans to expand the content there? Would it be only for Romulans or for players of all factions?
Tacofangs, AKA The Artist formerly known as Tumerboy, is pure awesomeness wrapped in a taco shell. How do you deal with being around such awesomeness on a daily basis?
Does Denise Crosby come to your offices to do the VO work or does she do it in via ISDN?
I felt that the last VO work sounded like she was reading it and not acting it as much. Did the dev team pick up on that? Please give her our encouragement to kick some butt.
join Date: Sep 2009 - I want my changeling lava lamp!
Can you tell us more about what to expect in the May update? Pertaining to all three factions if possible.
What does the May update mean for the Foundry?
Will the Remans get their own unique ship designs? I believe the Countdown comics provided a rough frigate design already.
Are you still planning to remaster some of the older missions? I know a couple that could really use an update.
Can you give us any idea of how and when that exploration revamp might happen?
Will we ever get playable Taconians? Boffs and Doffs would be nice too.
Will we get to properly meet the captain and crew of the K.D.F. Bortasqu'? We see them at Tau Dewa every now and then, but it would be nice to actually talk to them.
Why is the Terran Empire helping the Tholians? After that incident on Nukara, I would expect them to hate each others' guts. Will we get an answer soon?
A few Ask Cryptics ago, you hinted that STO might become compatible with Macs in the not-too-distant future. Can you tell us more about that?
Are there any plans to add audio FX to the Foundry?
Since much of the New Romulus storyline depends on progress in the Reputation System, there are undoubtedly many players who are missing out on it by not bothering with the Reputation grind. Will any future storyline content be restricted to Reputation Tiers in the future?
Can you please make sure to congratulate the team on all their hard work? And to continue to make sure May is the best month for STO ever?
"Critics who say that the optimistic utopia Star Trek depicted is now outmoded forget the cultural context that gave birth to it: Star Trek was not a manifestation of optimism when optimism was easy. Star Trek declared a hope for a future that nobody stuck in the present could believe in. For all our struggles today, we haven’t outgrown the need for stories like Star Trek. We need tales of optimism, of heroes, of courage and goodness now as much as we’ve ever needed them." -Thomas Marrone
You've previously mentioned a re-built "Character Creator" will be coming with the May update. This subject consists of 2 questions; 1. Any details of what improvements will be made with the new creator? 2. Will the new creator be applied to the "Tailoring" system as well?
Having a blast running spotlighted Foundry missions, and being rewarded handsomely with Dilithium at completion. Any progress on adding Dilithium to all "Cryptic-made" story missions?
On the subject of Dilithium, any chance of adding a small amount to all Fleet Events? Fleet Actions already have Dilithium, but the events have none.
A great addition to STO, was when you added "Transwarp" to any story mission in the game, sending your ship instantly to the start of the mission from any location you were currently at. What is the chance of applying this same tech to Foundry missions?
What can you tell us regarding the KDF in May? The Legacy of Romulus site mentions leveling from 1-50, but no mention about if you've added new missions to KDF, revamped FED missions from a KDF perspective etc.
Judging by the UI Picture, the first Romulan rank is Sublieutenant. Going by Memory-Alpha, the next 4 ranks would be Lieutenant, Centurion, Subcommander, then Commander.
Would I be correct?
Another question, is the TOS Romulan BoP C-Store, or free?
Ok several things the andorian ships are great and as is the interior but will we ever see a complete andorian interior considering this ship is widely availible unlike others with a custom bridge? Also weve got a vulcan and andorian vessels any chance we will see more things like uniforms or other ships from them and other founding members of the Federation? Maybe like a founders of the Federation pack? One more in the past you have talked about Fleet Admiral ships is there anymore word as to if or when we will get them?
1. Will older Doff packs, such as the Reinforcements Doff pack and Gamma Quadrant Doff pack, be available for Romulan use? Or will those doffs be sorted in via the Romulan Doffgrinder?
2. Is there any chance that the sub-departments within the Tactical and Science doff departments get rebalanced so that the ratio between Tactical:Security Doffs and Science:Medical doffs is closer to 1:1?
3. What will the Romulan Republic's elite force contribution to Battle Group Omega be called?
Thanks for giving us time to plan ahead for a significant update!
When will STO start getting "quality of life" updates? Are you willing to hit the brakes on adding content to the game and actually take the time to fix various longstanding issues? Or are you going to leave the cracks unattended to?
Oh, and what about the ISP issues Cryptic seems to be ignoring? A lot of people, including myself, have had connection problems that we can't really do much about. This is a serious problem that needs to be resolved, because if we can't play, then what's the point of investing any further into STO?
In your other game Neverwinter, at the end of a dungeon run there is a score board listing several categories (healing, damage, kill count, ect.). Will Star Trek Online have this feature added to it's group activities as well?
Will the Jem'Hadar attack ship hangar pet be made available to Jem'Hadar dreadnought owners without the requirements the the playable Attack ship be owned?
How far out is the level cap raise? I ask because I am working very hard to acquire Purple MK XII tactical consoles and the Purple MK XII Field Generator as they are very difficult to craft (by chance) or are very expensive on the exchange. I don't want to see my investment wasted by a level cap raise in 6 months.
I understand that MinMaxing and the pitfalls of it financially fall on me if I choose to do it, but since a level cap raise has been mentioned in the past, I thought I'd ask.
Will high value Purple MK XII consoles remain as difficult to obtain for the foreseeable future?
Will a level cap raise bring Mk XIII and XIV gear and when can we expect it?
join Date: Sep 2009 - I want my changeling lava lamp!
Can you start making things happen in game that seems to make the game move along a more realistic timeline. For example, When is another Federation President chosen? Having this in game as a passive event and maybe even having all of us vote each time who should be the next President would be cool.
1 - Any chance of seen Q costume or an Q NPC on the Foundry?
2 - It is possible to add dynamics objects information in UI Lobi store (or others UI store) to avoid the risk of buying the same object twice? (Ex: "Already unlocked costume" on the outfit box before buying).
3 - Any chance of seen Lobi Crystals in the Zen Store? Or seen Lobi vanity objects in the Zen Store? Having two ways to obtain this vanity objects will be nice and don't menace the selling of the keys...
4 - is it possible to set up a special inventory for pets? Many Epohhs and vanity pets... Too many for the normal inventory (I have unlock all the inventory slots in C-Store but it is not enough ^^')
5 - Any chance to have improvement of the personnal housing ?
Since both Feds and KDF have Carriers, are Romulans going to have their own? If so, will it include the Scimitar and can you shed any light on how the Scimitar will function as a ship in-game (such as sharing details that it is a Z-Store ship and what potential stats are)?
There is a ship I've really REALLY wanted to play for a long time, the Romulan Griffin-Class from Star Trek: Armada and Armada 2. Is there any chance you will be able to get the rights to this ship? I'd definatly pay for this ship!
Future Faction - Specific Questions
Now that the precedence has been set of you guys adding factions, are there plans to put a playable Dominion/Cardassian faction sometime within the next year or two?
Is there any chance of an Undine faction as an ultra-long-term faction addition? I've always wanted to play the tripeds and TRIBBLE over the Alpha Quadrant as one of them
KDF - Specific Questions
First of all, on behalf of the entire KDF community, I thank you for adding levels 1-20 for our faction. With all of those levels added, can you give us a rough estimate of how many more missions you added for the KDF in this update? Or is it an awesome surprise for us to find out?
Play my missions on Holodeck! Return of Ja'Dok Series (6 Part Series) Enemy of the Exile Series (4 Part Series) Task Force Ja'Dok Series (3 Part Series)
1) With the upcoming Romulan faction approaching soon (AMAZING, Thank you!) - would there be any benefits or any changes to the Romulan Rep system?
Such as an exclusive minor bonus to the Romulan faction for helping the rebuild of New Romulus?
2) Tholian Rep System: if available to all factions (no need to confirm), have you considered putting in Tholian Marks for helping out at Nukara Prime?
3) What is YOUR favorite feature, aspect, or "something" coming out in May? - That's if you're allowed to reveal it of course!
Also, other than the obvious answer: "Romulan Faction", what does the team think the player base will enjoy the most in the upcoming May update? (again, if you can reveal of course).
Will there be an appropriate 1000-day veteran ship for the Romulan faction?
In my opinion, and I have no idea how other players will take this but... I have a feeling that this will be the way to get the dreaded Scimitar... or a very expensive C point ship, it'll bring in big bucks to support the game this ship.
Could you introduce the option to return C-Store items like ships and costumes for a tiny refund? 10% of original ZEN would be fair. But I would even accept 250,000 EC, if I could return a 2500 ZEN ship that I no longer use.
I think a return policy with minimal refund would benefit both Cryptic and players. Players can get rid of obsolete inventory. At the same time, cleaning up the closet would motivate players to purchase new items from the C-Store! :cool:
So far, what part of the whole process of planning and building this large update are you the most pleased with? Behind the scenes, what has gone particularly well?
1) We going to see Romulan Faction Assets, Characters, and more added to the Foundry?
2) Where is the new homebase for the Romulan Faction? Rator or Mol'Rihan?
3) Will there be Beta testing for the new Romulan content?
4) Will the Romulan players have to build up Romulan Reputation?
5) How is the Tholian reputation system going to work? Is it going to be more grinding or is it going to take a different approach?
6) Instead of Romulan Fleet Starbases, since there is expected to be a lower population in the long-run than KDF, could we be seeing a community starbase and have it visibily built over Mol'Rihan as the Romulan Spacedock?
7) Will we be seeing the missing ships and costumes added to the Foundry anytime soon?
8) Will the Romulan players have all Accolade assets open that they have to grind, like STFs, Exploration, and Deep Space Encounter DSEs? If they do have access to DSEs, how will they function in the Romulan DSEs? Because Klingon players couldn't fight in Sirius, Regulus, or Pi Canis, it's tougher for the Romulans since the Romulan DSEs are empty.
9) When will we ever see the K'Vort?
10) What's next with the remaining canonical Star Trek ships?
11) Has the team changed their minds about helping small fleets advance with their Starbases? Like scaling down of Dilithum Costs or creating an alliance / co-op system?
As a member with a Lifetime Subscription, how will my LTS perks translate to a Romulan faction? Will I be able to play as a Liberated Borg Romulan, shooting fireworks from a special veteran ship?
Comments
It's been said in a few places that an all new character creator is coming in May. Can you share any more details on that?
Several of us run multi-faction fleets and have a bit of trouble keeping up on the Starbase and Embassy projects for the two existing factions, especially for smaller fleets. With Romulans coming I fear that my own fleet cannot keep up with even more fleet holdings. Is there any help for us on the way?
STO has become very DPS oriented to the point where many of the player base jokingly call the game "Escorts Online." Are there any changes coming down the pipes to bring science ships and cruisers back into the fight?
Are any new STFs going to be added in with the Romulans joining the fight?
Is New Romulus going to be the HQ for the Romulan faction, similar to ESD or Qo'nos? I ask because up until this point the factions have not been able to visit the others respective HQ. Would Federation and KDF players be able to visit the Romulan HQ if they are based on New Romulus?
New Romulus is a beautiful planet, but doesn't have all that much to do on it right now. With the Romulans coming, are there any plans to expand the content there? Would it be only for Romulans or for players of all factions?
Tacofangs, AKA The Artist formerly known as Tumerboy, is pure awesomeness wrapped in a taco shell. How do you deal with being around such awesomeness on a daily basis?
Mine Trap Supporter
I felt that the last VO work sounded like she was reading it and not acting it as much. Did the dev team pick up on that? Please give her our encouragement to kick some butt.
What does the May update mean for the Foundry?
Will the Remans get their own unique ship designs? I believe the Countdown comics provided a rough frigate design already.
Are you still planning to remaster some of the older missions? I know a couple that could really use an update.
Can you give us any idea of how and when that exploration revamp might happen?
Will we ever get playable Taconians? Boffs and Doffs would be nice too.
Will we get to properly meet the captain and crew of the K.D.F. Bortasqu'? We see them at Tau Dewa every now and then, but it would be nice to actually talk to them.
Why is the Terran Empire helping the Tholians? After that incident on Nukara, I would expect them to hate each others' guts. Will we get an answer soon?
A few Ask Cryptics ago, you hinted that STO might become compatible with Macs in the not-too-distant future. Can you tell us more about that?
Are there any plans to add audio FX to the Foundry?
Since much of the New Romulus storyline depends on progress in the Reputation System, there are undoubtedly many players who are missing out on it by not bothering with the Reputation grind. Will any future storyline content be restricted to Reputation Tiers in the future?
Can you please make sure to congratulate the team on all their hard work? And to continue to make sure May is the best month for STO ever?
"Critics who say that the optimistic utopia Star Trek depicted is now outmoded forget the cultural context that gave birth to it: Star Trek was not a manifestation of optimism when optimism was easy. Star Trek declared a hope for a future that nobody stuck in the present could believe in. For all our struggles today, we haven’t outgrown the need for stories like Star Trek. We need tales of optimism, of heroes, of courage and goodness now as much as we’ve ever needed them."
-Thomas Marrone
Having a blast running spotlighted Foundry missions, and being rewarded handsomely with Dilithium at completion. Any progress on adding Dilithium to all "Cryptic-made" story missions?
On the subject of Dilithium, any chance of adding a small amount to all Fleet Events? Fleet Actions already have Dilithium, but the events have none.
A great addition to STO, was when you added "Transwarp" to any story mission in the game, sending your ship instantly to the start of the mission from any location you were currently at. What is the chance of applying this same tech to Foundry missions?
What can you tell us regarding the KDF in May? The Legacy of Romulus site mentions leveling from 1-50, but no mention about if you've added new missions to KDF, revamped FED missions from a KDF perspective etc.
"We are smart." - Grebnedlog
Member of Alliance Central Command/boq botlhra'ghom
Would I be correct?
Another question, is the TOS Romulan BoP C-Store, or free?
Daizen - Lvl 60 Tactical - Eclipse
Selia - Lvl 60 Tactical - Eclipse
Since this May update is so large, can we expect any PvP updates? New maps or game types?
2. Is there any chance that the sub-departments within the Tactical and Science doff departments get rebalanced so that the ratio between Tactical:Security Doffs and Science:Medical doffs is closer to 1:1?
3. What will the Romulan Republic's elite force contribution to Battle Group Omega be called?
Thanks for giving us time to plan ahead for a significant update!
As this is STO's first "expansion", what other expansions might we receive in the future; will we ever see "seasons" again?
When, if ever, will we see another featured episode series?
Oh, and what about the ISP issues Cryptic seems to be ignoring? A lot of people, including myself, have had connection problems that we can't really do much about. This is a serious problem that needs to be resolved, because if we can't play, then what's the point of investing any further into STO?
Also is it possible we may get new patterns for the cat species?
Many patterns seen such as in this thread.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=570271
Any plans to allow players access to non-humanoid species, either as playable characters or BOffs/DOffs?
Will Romulan characters be able to access the Romulan Reputation system?
I understand that MinMaxing and the pitfalls of it financially fall on me if I choose to do it, but since a level cap raise has been mentioned in the past, I thought I'd ask.
What kind of ships will we be able to fly, and do they include the dreaded Scimitar?
What kind of customization options will be available for said ships?
Will there be an appropriate 1000-day veteran ship for the Romulan faction?
Typhoon Class? When?
What races will we be able to use with the Romulan Faction? Just Romulan and Reman or will Hirogen, Alien etc be a option?
Where are the Enterprise Maco outfits?
2 - It is possible to add dynamics objects information in UI Lobi store (or others UI store) to avoid the risk of buying the same object twice? (Ex: "Already unlocked costume" on the outfit box before buying).
3 - Any chance of seen Lobi Crystals in the Zen Store? Or seen Lobi vanity objects in the Zen Store? Having two ways to obtain this vanity objects will be nice and don't menace the selling of the keys...
4 - is it possible to set up a special inventory for pets? Many Epohhs and vanity pets... Too many for the normal inventory (I have unlock all the inventory slots in C-Store but it is not enough ^^')
5 - Any chance to have improvement of the personnal housing ?
Thanks again for the Q&A.
Live Long and Prosper.
Since both Feds and KDF have Carriers, are Romulans going to have their own? If so, will it include the Scimitar and can you shed any light on how the Scimitar will function as a ship in-game (such as sharing details that it is a Z-Store ship and what potential stats are)?
There is a ship I've really REALLY wanted to play for a long time, the Romulan Griffin-Class from Star Trek: Armada and Armada 2. Is there any chance you will be able to get the rights to this ship? I'd definatly pay for this ship!
Future Faction - Specific Questions
Now that the precedence has been set of you guys adding factions, are there plans to put a playable Dominion/Cardassian faction sometime within the next year or two?
Is there any chance of an Undine faction as an ultra-long-term faction addition? I've always wanted to play the tripeds and TRIBBLE over the Alpha Quadrant as one of them
KDF - Specific Questions
First of all, on behalf of the entire KDF community, I thank you for adding levels 1-20 for our faction. With all of those levels added, can you give us a rough estimate of how many more missions you added for the KDF in this update? Or is it an awesome surprise for us to find out?
Return of Ja'Dok Series (6 Part Series)
Enemy of the Exile Series (4 Part Series)
Task Force Ja'Dok Series (3 Part Series)
Such as an exclusive minor bonus to the Romulan faction for helping the rebuild of New Romulus?
2) Tholian Rep System: if available to all factions (no need to confirm), have you considered putting in Tholian Marks for helping out at Nukara Prime?
3) What is YOUR favorite feature, aspect, or "something" coming out in May? - That's if you're allowed to reveal it of course!
Also, other than the obvious answer: "Romulan Faction", what does the team think the player base will enjoy the most in the upcoming May update? (again, if you can reveal of course).
Thank you!
In my opinion, and I have no idea how other players will take this but... I have a feeling that this will be the way to get the dreaded Scimitar... or a very expensive C point ship, it'll bring in big bucks to support the game this ship.
God, lvl 60 CW. 17k.
I think a return policy with minimal refund would benefit both Cryptic and players. Players can get rid of obsolete inventory. At the same time, cleaning up the closet would motivate players to purchase new items from the C-Store! :cool:
2) Where is the new homebase for the Romulan Faction? Rator or Mol'Rihan?
3) Will there be Beta testing for the new Romulan content?
4) Will the Romulan players have to build up Romulan Reputation?
5) How is the Tholian reputation system going to work? Is it going to be more grinding or is it going to take a different approach?
6) Instead of Romulan Fleet Starbases, since there is expected to be a lower population in the long-run than KDF, could we be seeing a community starbase and have it visibily built over Mol'Rihan as the Romulan Spacedock?
7) Will we be seeing the missing ships and costumes added to the Foundry anytime soon?
8) Will the Romulan players have all Accolade assets open that they have to grind, like STFs, Exploration, and Deep Space Encounter DSEs? If they do have access to DSEs, how will they function in the Romulan DSEs? Because Klingon players couldn't fight in Sirius, Regulus, or Pi Canis, it's tougher for the Romulans since the Romulan DSEs are empty.
9) When will we ever see the K'Vort?
10) What's next with the remaining canonical Star Trek ships?
11) Has the team changed their minds about helping small fleets advance with their Starbases? Like scaling down of Dilithum Costs or creating an alliance / co-op system?