test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Way too confronting
varnoukh
Member Posts: 0 Arc User
That's my take on the Klingon experience and why I deleted my character at level 3.
As a long-time trekkie I'm more than a little bit fond of the Federation. But I thought I'd give the Klingons a try to see their stuff after having played through (and enjoyed) the Romulan and Federation content.
Eeek.
Even in the intro video, watching Federation ships been gleefully blown up was a turn off.
The Klingon intro was well crafted and it was very interesting to see melee combos - curiously absent from the other faction intros - but the whole Klingon faction seems to have been crafted as enemies of and hating the Federation.
I'd have found a quest in the intro to punch babies in the face only slightly less offensive than blowing up Federation ships.
In every other online game with a "baddies" faction like this from an established IP, they don't focus so much on the badness of the baddies. The game tries to introduce them in a way that gives players something to relate to, that they can sympathise with. The obvious "good" thing about Klingons is their sense of honour and a storyline revolving around that could have been a nice hook to draw players in - especially if it didn't pit players against the Federation right from the start.
Klingons look like they have some interesting ships but based on that starting experience, as a Trekkie I have to pass. Even though I enjoyed both the Romulan and Federation storylines I don't want to see any more of the Klingon one.
As a long-time trekkie I'm more than a little bit fond of the Federation. But I thought I'd give the Klingons a try to see their stuff after having played through (and enjoyed) the Romulan and Federation content.
Eeek.
Even in the intro video, watching Federation ships been gleefully blown up was a turn off.
The Klingon intro was well crafted and it was very interesting to see melee combos - curiously absent from the other faction intros - but the whole Klingon faction seems to have been crafted as enemies of and hating the Federation.
I'd have found a quest in the intro to punch babies in the face only slightly less offensive than blowing up Federation ships.
In every other online game with a "baddies" faction like this from an established IP, they don't focus so much on the badness of the baddies. The game tries to introduce them in a way that gives players something to relate to, that they can sympathise with. The obvious "good" thing about Klingons is their sense of honour and a storyline revolving around that could have been a nice hook to draw players in - especially if it didn't pit players against the Federation right from the start.
Klingons look like they have some interesting ships but based on that starting experience, as a Trekkie I have to pass. Even though I enjoyed both the Romulan and Federation storylines I don't want to see any more of the Klingon one.
Post edited by varnoukh on
0
Comments
Personally, i found that fighting Klingons as my Level 10 character felt like a challenge, and actually felt like i was in battle with those from the Tv Shows.
Playing as my level 10 KDF, a Federation minifleet (Consisting of a few science vessels, a frigate and a Typhoon BATTLEship) is wiped out with ease in my Standard BoP whilst offering almost no resistance whatsoever.
I've enjoyed playing my Klingon, but any scenario when i am fighting the Federation just seems weird. Personally they have gone for the "Federation is weak babbys!" Approach, and in space combat you can easilly pitch your Century old B'rel against a Typhoon BATTLE ship and it may aswell not bother fighting back...
The Feklrhi (Or whatever) Missions and Wider Varity of Carriers is what i enjoy about KDF play.
I just wish they would portray the Federation ships as a little more formiddable
The logic behind this as given to us in several TNG episodes and a Movie is the B'Rel shape may be old, but the things are new in terms of components and structure.
They keep revising the internals. Like an Old Muscle car with an upgrade engine and chassis.
If I ask you a question it is not an insult but a genuine attempt to understand why.
When I insult you I won't be discreet about it, I will be precise and to the point stupid.
The new content fits the story of STO well and is great if you are a fan of the klingons in the IP.
It may not be for all players though. Thats all right though. Two out of Three ain't bad.
R.I.P
Look, in this game as in any other either you are willing to play the part or you won't enjoy it.
Let's say Mass Effect, for example. Can you actually enjoy the full renegade path if you keep thinking you should help everyone, be polite, diplomatic and so on? Of course not. You need to put aside your feelings and role play. Think how you would react if you were a different person with certain characteristics. Its the same thing with STO. If you are FED and you bump into someone on the ESD you both say you are sorry and politely interact. If you are KDF you both stand your ground, confront the other and try to dominate the situation. A few pushes and punches and then bloodwine, laughing and sharing stories as old commrades of battle. Or someone dies. Either way works.
Playing KDF is not being the "bad guy", is playing a straight in you face attitude game. Push me, I push you back. If you don't push me, you should have, because that's how we act! It's finding what makes the other guy tick and the genuine feelings and reactions that come from it. Battle is a test of might but also of character of one self.
The KDF Never loved the Federation in Trek, even when they had a shaky alliance with them during the TNG/DS9 era. The KDF even declared war on the Federation in that era.
If fact, I would go so far as to say that the KDF intro and early missions are far closer to the spirit of the Klingons in Trek then any missions the Fed characters are doing. The Feds in this game are all shoot first and ask questions... never. The Fed vaporize everything they see - including the Jem'hadar eggs - and do it with a Klingon-like lust for battle. The Feds in this game are about as un-Trek as you can get, IMO.
As far as other games "badguys," go play the Sith in SWTOR. The intro video has Sith crash landing a ship in the middle of a Jedi enclave and then murdering every Jedi they see.
Quite right.
R.I.P
QFT. I'm always wondering why it feels like I'm committing a genocide of every intelligent species in the galaxy while playing as a Fed.
The feds are like the borg, consuming every specie, making them puppets
Of star fleet. The KDF are the only ones who can stop them.:D
But the Klingons? The Klingons are the only faction in this game that you can match up and see similarities to the TV shows and movies. The rivalry between houses that could go into open combat. Being a Chancellor isn't a guarantee to stay in power. Remember, Chancellor Martok (yes, that Martok) yes killed by the current one, who took up that position. The Klingons happily engaged in battle, most especially with their longtime foes, the Federation.
As far as how the faction is represented, the Klingons could do better:
- There's still cookie cutter missions that are obviously made with a Federation faction in mind, but recolored to be a Klingon mission. Great example are the Dominion / DS9 ones.
- Non-Klingon characters in the storyline, or even your own BOFFs, automatically are made to sound "Klingon" in their manners and how they carry themselves. This is fine for Starfleet where every group loses their identity and are absorbed in the "one" of the Federation. But the Empire isn't quite like that, not from what I see. Yes, the Klingons forcefully keep it together, keep everyone in line. But the Gorn, Orion, Nausicaans use their own peoples' ship designs. They have their own uniforms. They still have their "identity." I just wish these groups and their NPCs / BOFFs act more like their own people, and not as Klingons. They may serve the Empire, but they are still their own distinct groups.
And yet for all those 'assimilated' member worlds, the local culture still remains. You go to Andoria, the first thing they tell you on beaming down is that its a special non-Ushaan zone, implying that the rest of the planet otherwise is still more traditionally Andorian. Vulcans still have all their various rites and local culture and architecture when you check out the planetary surface, and on P'jem it's implied to be out-of-the-ordinary for a Starfleet captain to beam down. In "Of Bajor," we see that despite Bajor being Federation-assimilated, once on the surface its still Bajoran security forces, Prophets, and protests about outsiders. All these worlds are even so hive-minded that they have diplomatic missions to each other despite having been Federation members for centuries, and depending on the situation still even do things like withdraw ambassadors when annoyed. Certainly there are shared laws throughout Federation space, and those are implied to be more general principles and basic rights, not rules micromanaging the internal affairs of member worlds. Yes Starfleet, as a the Federation's paramilitary arm, has its own unified internal culture, but militaries do tend to do that in general, and even in the shows we see that it allows a lot of leeway to cultural differences so long as those differences don't interfere with duty. As overused as the "Federation consumes all" meme is, the in-game information suggests that all those consumed cultures are still independent in everything except basic rights, military, and extra-Federation diplomacy, less like the US or EU and more like the UN (as far as political structure, if not actual implementation).
Plus one could easily counter that meme by pointing to the KDF-Orion prisoner from the Rom mission "Enemy Action" (from dialogue and mannerisms, you'd never know she wasn't Klingon) or S'tass' boasts about The Honor Of The Empire in "Second Wave," but personally I think those are more examples of sloppy writing than cultural implications.
But as for the Fed missions being way too violent, I won't debate that assessment in the slightest. Rarely do you get to talk or Science! your way out of a bad situation even when that would obviously be a better solution (why so many people hate Divide Et Impera for example). Plus when you have characters like Franklin Drake around (he kills HOW MANY of his own people in the first couple of missions?), the Fed path is a heck of a lot more aggressive than it probably should be. Not that the Klingon one offers any more freedom really; if you want to be loud and boastful and violent you're set, but if you want to take a more 'noble disciplined warrior' approach, you're SOL as far as the story missions go. Its more a flaw of the generally linear approach of the story missions, not any one faction in particular.
The problem is that this game's main strength is it's main weakness. The space combat is one of the main highlights of the game, but because of that focus combat needs to feature heavily throughout.
I remember on an old Fed toon that to counter some of the pew pew and feel more like a Starfleet officer I would play some of those dialog heavy foundry missions. They were very good but they were also long, and required a ton of reading more than any real interaction or game play. If missions like this were in the developed episodic content it would turn a fair few players off, they just don't have the patience to talk to various NPC's endlessly.
At least the newer content is in the right direction, and perhaps in the future we will see more missions in tune with the ideals of Starfleet and the Federation but isn't a long winded dialog fest.
This bugs me to no end. I have no problems with Klingon vasals/mercenaries/allies but they would never absorb those like the Federation does. Gorn, Nausicaan etc. should have their own ships, uniforms and social areas (Homeworld or mercenary space station or something). And they shouldn't act "Klingon" - the Empire's ambassador in the DS9 example is a great example. A Gorn wearing a Klingon warrior's uniform, praising the Empire (which has occupied his homeworld) and spouting out stereotypical rhetorics even real Klingons would roll their eyes on?
Additionally, half of the Doff assignments consist of spying, assasinating and framing - the KDF faction in this game is a bunch of pirates, plain and simple. I'd really wish for more diversity and authenticity.
Regarding the Intro that has you kill Feds: On the one hand I agree that the whole STO Fed/Kling war setting is kinda phony, OP you do realize that as a Starfleet (Terran Empire
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Divide Et Impera.
If Starfleet were truly depicted the way it was portrayed in TNG/DS9, most of the time Captains would be given missions more along the lines of the Outreach ones or something diplomatic in nature.
"Today, Captain, we're sending you to resolve a trade dispute between Podunk VI and Middle Of Nowhere VII! Be prepared. Rumors abound the Podunkians have over seasoned the oatmeal in a desperate attempt to gain a tactical advantage during negotiations! It is a mission which demands your unique skill set. Good luck, Captain!"
Yeah, that's gonna have 'em begging to give their money away to the first game company they see. Instead, the Devs tried for a more VOY based approach, with more shooting. Lots more shooting. Janeway et al simply shot their way through a lot of problems during Voyager, didn't they?
I started playing Klingon more out of curiosity than anything else. And stayed there. Because it is fun. Because it seems every Starfleet officer winds up looking and sounding like every other Starfleet officer. And they all are Escort Captains. With the Diplomat Accolade. Because they shot up enough things to earn it. At least we tlhIngans are honest enough to admit we like fighting. So, OP, stop going down the road where you tell everyone how wonderful Starfleet is and how ebil the Klingons are. My Klingon Captain never followed an Undine shapeshifter to a Romulan logistics base to shoot up medical supplies. Then again, the Empire is smart enough to see the Undine for the threat they are in the first place.
I can almost imagine my Star Fleet Captain saying "We come Peace." than turning to the Away Team or silencing the main view screen and saying "Shoot to kill."
Fed Exploration missions seem to be turning up, killing whoever happens to be there where as Klingon Exploration missions seem to be turning up to find out why your missing an ore shipment and defending the Mining outpost or taking out whoever invaded the Colony.
If I ask you a question it is not an insult but a genuine attempt to understand why.
When I insult you I won't be discreet about it, I will be precise and to the point stupid.
And the KDF tutorial is brilliant, especially if you're a Klingon. I would like if there were dialogue options for other species, particularly the more pragmatic races, such as Gorn and Orions, but the missions are very well-written as geared towards typical officers of the KDF.
[tlhingan Hol grammar TRIBBLE] I think you mean tlhInganpu'. [/tlhingan Hol grammar TRIBBLE]
...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
- Anne Bredon
You clearly do not belong in the KDF faction. And I'm not saying this as an insult or a bad thing, it's perfectly normal for a person to have most affection towards a certain faction. In your case it clearly is the Federation. If you can say things like "I'd have found a quest in the intro to punch babies in the face only slightly less offensive than blowing up Federation ships." it's very clear that you'll never be able to enjoy playing in the Klingon faction.
This is very obvious from your post. It's not a problem Klingons blowing up ships for you, them blowing up Federation ships is the actual problem. Like I said, you like the Federation a lot and don't want to participate in scenes where Starfleet ships are blown to Grethor. That's perfectly fine.
I'm saying all of this because it seems like a clear issue for you, while it's perfectly normal for that to happen in the said situation if you look at it from an objective point of view.
A fleet of my enemy that I'm at open war with is violating my space, what am I suposed to do?
You mean just like I completely owned a couple of fleets consisting of Negh'var Battlecruisers with my NX class? :rolleyes:
More formidable = Set difficulty at elite.
Even then the opposition is pretty weak in this game in PvE, for Klingons the Federation are weak babies, for Feds. the Klingons are dumb idiots that can't make their apex battlecruisers survive agains a frigate. It's a bit dissaponting at times, but it is what it is.
When did Klingons get the Apex Battleship?
lol
*lights up a cigar with a burning dilithium crystal*
Problem? :cool:
I want you to know you did miss on the chance of torturing a Starfleet captain for secret codes after cutting a bloody path through what remains of his crew.
Pirates? What makes them pirates? The "attack transport" thingy?
I strongly suggest you check history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prize_rules
the Klingons in this game, only disable freighters like the rules of war declare.
They're acting with honor.
What they're doing, disrupting commerce shipping that can be used in the war effort against them, is a common method of warfare. The big difference is that they don't blow up the freighters...unlike pretty much every party in WW2 did with their subs. They only disable them.
Its kind of annoying actually it goes from blowing up a sworn enemy , raiding and pillaging a key target to oh yeah we are friends now because **** got real with the borg and other more threatening enemies.
That and as others have said meanwhile in the Federation its basically KILL ALL THE THINGS and STEAL ALL THEIR STUFF without asking questions. It is more like the Terran Alliance from the mirror universe than the ask questions first shoot only when our shields are down attitude that is portrayed in the tv shows.
Anyhow...
Only one point I think is worth responding to, because it is clear *cough* this person completely missed it.
What's clear when people over-use words like "clearly" is that they're trying too hard to misrepresent something.
In reality, what is clear (haha) from my original post is that I've played in villain factions in other MMOs and been able to enjoy them. SWTOR is a good example. Even putting aside the light side options for Republic players, the game is not pinpoint focused on the conflict between that faction and the one which most people would be familiar with as the good guys. That's definitely part of it but there's so much more to the faction and its story and they don't drop players straight into that conflict.
I just know having mentioned SWTOR there'll be a flood of "failed game" and "EA are evil" comments but the reality is they have been much more successful than STO. And the approach they took to representing the "villain" faction is basically the standard in the industry because of this particular issue. Need I say WOW? Mmmm?
STO seems to have a serious problem with faction balance in terms of population and that has flow on effects to things like STF and PVP queues. And those are the subjects of dissatisfaction and complaints.
I know up until recently KDF didn't even have this early content and it was written probably with the hope that it would help to beef up KDF numbers. I also don't doubt that there are players who love the angle they've taken. But given the popularity of the IP, I'd have to guess that a large proportion of its current and potential players are at least a bit Trekkie and for many of them, this tutorial is going to be an immediate and significant turn off.
i.e. not going to do the job of beefing up KDF numbers.
Interesting to know. Not hugely surprised. That's pretty much the story of Star Trek.... and many other sci-fi IPs. But I think they might have the "bad" volume turned up a bit too high at the start to keep people who would like where it ends up.
So true.
The Feds' creed: We come in peace, shoot to kill.
The Klinks' creed: Shoot to kill.
Same end result, just no hypocrisy.
STO Forum member since before February 2010.
STO Academy's excellent skill planner here: Link
I actually avoid success entirely. It doesn't get me what I want, and the consequences for failure are slim. -- markhawman
Bottom line, I don't know what you showed up for when you signed up for STO, but I showed up for this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaVIIoRKBlk
And if that's what you want too, then you're going to have to accept that the world will need a bit more hostility in it.
Now, if only Cryptic had made the rest of the game in a similar fashion, rather than just ignoring the war and having the Federation and KDF work together on every damn thing that crops up.
I want Cryptic to make up its mind as to what's going on. Either continue the war or end it, none of this 'gradual shift from focusing on the war to focusing on working together to handle threats as if the war never existed'.
To the OP: You're probably just not the type of player to play KDF, then, at least not in STO. There is a war with the Federation, and the Klingon Empire treats its wars very seriously. The opponent in the war is the enemy, and the enemy must be crushed or defeated in some way.