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Direction of Next Expansion
captainrevo1
Member Posts: 3,948 Arc User
Thinking ahead a little, word is that LoR did very well and that another expansion *could* be next year. *If* this is the case what direction would you like it to take?
I can think of 3 main options;
1) A new faction - Insert whatever faction name you want here. This would largely be like LoR with 30 odd new missions and a few extra events, fleet holding, reputation system etc for everybody else.
2) Split the content evenly between existing factions - So 30 or so missions split between the three. This gives everybody something new to do and allows for each faction to have totally unique missions. This benefits everybody evenly and we get to have each faction represented by mission that fit the way they are and not shoehorned into one mission story.
3) Have all new cross faction missions - This would be one big story line (most likely featuring the return of the Iconians) that any faction can do. Each mission is largely the same for each faction with some minor differences. The Iconians deserve a big story and it would be nice to see all the factions coming together to help deal with the situation. As there is so much content for everybody this would most likely fit in with a level cap increase to fleet admiral level 60.
Which would pick, or do you see another option?
I can think of 3 main options;
1) A new faction - Insert whatever faction name you want here. This would largely be like LoR with 30 odd new missions and a few extra events, fleet holding, reputation system etc for everybody else.
2) Split the content evenly between existing factions - So 30 or so missions split between the three. This gives everybody something new to do and allows for each faction to have totally unique missions. This benefits everybody evenly and we get to have each faction represented by mission that fit the way they are and not shoehorned into one mission story.
3) Have all new cross faction missions - This would be one big story line (most likely featuring the return of the Iconians) that any faction can do. Each mission is largely the same for each faction with some minor differences. The Iconians deserve a big story and it would be nice to see all the factions coming together to help deal with the situation. As there is so much content for everybody this would most likely fit in with a level cap increase to fleet admiral level 60.
Which would pick, or do you see another option?
Post edited by captainrevo1 on
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After that - a glance at the current skills and if they work as intended (I am thinking of the CrowdControl abilities of Science Officers in the current content, for example). Balancing might need a few tweaks though I do not see it massively out of kilter.
And then - only then - new content, factions, whatever.
I'd happily invest some of my spare time to systematically hunt for bugs. Yet if all I see is that they keep persisting despite having been named (sometimes even beforehand on the test server) - I do loose interest in hunting for them a bit.
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Free Gear and where to get it
Personally, I'd like a mix between 2 and 3. I would like to see one big storyline that takes all the factions to the same beginning and end point, but each faction would have their own storyline to get there. So for instance, if the storyline was about the Iconians, the beginning point could be something like Iconian's attack, and the end point could be major battle to push them back. But everything in between would be different for each faction. So the feds would have ten so mission of them actually being diplomatic, helping worlds, etc. The KDF would have ten so missions of kicking backside and taking names. And the Romulans would have ten so missions of being sneaky buggers, finding Tal Shiar bases, and so on. And then at the end, the all meet up again for the finish.
I would not go for a new faction since that would probably mean another ally system, which was the worst part of LoR.
Nouveau riche LTS member
But of your options, a big cross faction mission arc at cap situated around the Iconians sounds the best to me.
I do not want a new bad guy.
I do not want another rep grind for previous bad guys.
When everything is revealed on the current storylines then they can start making new storylines/races
Save the new factions for later...
The Next Big Thing should be a continuation of the overall storyline and work in any or all of the below major features:
PvP revamp
Crafting revamp
Exploration system revamp
Fed tutorial revamp
Foundry enhancements ported from Neverwinter
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I'd prefer to delve into the Mirror Universe to see how the other half lives.
It would be interesting to Role a new Character from the perspective of the Terran Empire, Klingon Empire or the still in tact Romulan Star Empire.
Using the Mirror Verse has a back drop might be a nice way to get playable Cardassians into the game since many stories have the Mirror Klingon Empire allied with the Cardassians.
Maybe an Expansion would be a bit much with the Mirror Verse but perhaps a Featured Series.
I'd call it something like A Darker Reflection.
Vice Admiral Volmack ISS Thundermole
Brigadier General Jokag IKS Gorkan
Centurion Kares RRW Tomalak
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Bug huntinig sound fantastic.
also i hope for romulans become a real faction and get out of fed space and kdf space.
But with high priority KDF most have a Civil war and kick jampok out of the council and his romulan pets, some time of the days looks like qonos was conquered by romulans that is not aceptable for some os us klingons players, at least for mi fleet and some of my friends.
Also most add, disapointed to not be able to join the talshiar and live the real romulan live from the tv series, this seudo-democratic-pacific romulans.... well, not what i spect from the LOR, at least at lvl 40 one most be able to choose : republic or Empire
Well, out of these 3 combinations you offered here, I'd go with No.2.
Mostly because adding a new faction is a bit early after the Romulan one and would take up much of the developers' time, so the other 3 factions will receive the shorter end of the stick. Also I strongly believe that before any more factions are added, we have to have the existing 3 factions be strong and established with equal opportunites for missions, dailies, ships, costumes etc. (ok, we all know that the Federation will always be a step ahead, but the KDF and RR should be as close to the Fed. as possible before considering another faction)
Secondly, I'm strongly against cross-faction missions. This doesn't mean that I don't understand the manpower the studio has or that it would be much easier for them to produce cross-faction content for everyone in higher volumes, rather than exclusive content, but in smaller amounts. It's just my personal preference on that.
I'd rather have unique experiences in the different factions when I switch my chars, rather than going through the same old again. Plus, this variant is not alt friendly at all, would get boring for anyone after a while. Unfortunately, my personal perception is that this is exactly what we're about to get.
So that leaves us with your suggested option 2. Everyone gets their fair share of a unique experience in equal amounts. Probably the best and most balanced idea IMHO. I hope with the latest additions to their staff that Cryptic will be able to pull something like this out.
There are several reasons I believe this is the best option:
- It promotes faction uniqueness.
- It offers a different experience and different perspective, so many existing players will be interested of making alts in the other 2 factions they haven't played as main and not be bored.
- It vastly helps the immersion in the game.
- It creates the feeling of belonging to a community for the members of said faction.
- It's very good for the longetivity of STO, there would be different aspects to explore and when a player has done everything on a char., he/she can pop in one of the other factions and actually have fun because the experience would be something completely different.
- It opens up a huge amount of possibilites for progression of the storyline for every faction, while cross-faction content limits them.
They're lot more actually, but that's what I could think of from the top of my head atm.
(AKA Cardassians)
PvP revamp.
if you really want the game to shine it has to get what it's ALWAYS LACKED (aside from the bug fixing) and that is cold hard "physical" content.
you should be talking about making every planet visitable at "end game" (possibly with the aid of Foundry competitions) and filling in all the rather large blanks in the quadrants...for starters The Ferengi Alliance and The Breen Confederacy are both "missing from the map" as are many of the homeworlds of races already in game including some of those that are even playable (basically every race bar Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Bajorans, Romulans and Klingons has a non existent planet).
there is A LOT missing actually.
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This is unrealistic. Don't get me wrong bug fixes are important and should be and hopefully will be one of thier priorities for the next season, but it can't be just bug fixes, they don't make any money on bug fixes because it gives them nothing to sell and no extra context to keep people playing.
So more realistically I can see asking for more effort on bug fixes especially ones that have been ignored for along time, but they also need to add new ships, next missions, and new stfs and some other stuff they can make money on as either product or something to use the new product on.
2. scrap PvP. its been dead for 2 years. (primarily from the introduction of FvF and KvK and nothing new being done to it like new maps)
3. STFs that are like the old Borg STFs before they were split apart and basically killed the Borg sector of STO. There was nothing wrong with STFs taking 2 to 3 hours to do. If you're too lazy to set aside 3 hours on a WEEKEND to do an STF that's your problem. It was fun beating the old Borg STFs because you had to unlock the next one by beating the one before it.
^ thank you sir can't help myself
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=780961
Anyway, I'd like to see a story expansion on the old Borg stf missions. Maybe a new faction (liberated borgs) that can only be unlocked by completing a new stf that piggybacks off the old Borg stf missions.
I think more missions to advance the story is likelier than another new faction -- the next new faction will probably be Dominion (alpha-quadrant 'new link' guys, I'd bet) or non-True Way Cardassians, and will probably come no sooner than two or three years from now.
If we get missions, I understand that cross-faction content is easier than doing all-new all-different missions per faction -- to which, please allow me to offer a suggestion: do a mix of both. Write six (for example) cross faction missions (call them U, V, W, X, Y, and Z); in addition write nine unique new exclusive missions (F1, F2, F3 for the Fed; K1, K2, and K3 for KDF, etc). Mix the missions together with different orders per faction (U, F1, V, W, F2, Y, F3, Z vs U, V, K1, K2, W, X, K3, Y, Z) the cross-faction missions can have subtle references to other-faction missions a Fed doing W might get hints about the recent K2 mission, but each cross faction mission should still be flavored as much a possible to the players faction.
Before any new faction gets added, a major re-balance needs to be done, and the devs have to expend some major brain-time to developing coherent factional design philosophies and doctrines. I had always seen KDF as tac-heavy / escort heavy glass-cannon types light on the glass; Roms as sci-heavy with crazy good stealth and cloak but serious glass-jaw syndrome; Cardassians as cruiser- and Engineering- heavy -- tough, durable ships with adequate or better performance; the fed are a balanced-force philosophy -- not as tough as the Cards, sneaky as the Roms, or shooty as the Klinks, but tougher than the Roms and KDF, sneakier than the Cards, and shootier than the Roms and maybe Cards. Once the devs have decided on a concrete design philosophy for each faction -- and not just for each faction in the game at the moment -- then a re-balance pass needs to be done to bring each fleet into line with the others. This means leaving deliberate gaps -- like no Cardi carriers, no dominion cloaks, and all factions (including the cash-cow Feds) should have to settle for second or third best ships in each area that isn't their specialty.
Each career, each console slot, each ship-class, each BOff ability slot, should be carefully placed into the game in such a way that all are valuable in different ways.
Just my 0.02 EC. Call me hopeful, but not optimistic -- and I'm putting my money on more missions.
Occam's Razor makes the cutting clean.
Actually, I think a better idea would be to have ramifications of the Battle at Vega Colony be the formation of a Liberated Borg Faction with it's own unique ships and abilities. Or a New Collective formed after Vega Colony that does not believe in the same ideas as the old Collective and have story line missions that cross over into other faction's missions as The Neo-Collective starts to piece together what the Iconians and Elachi are up too. Could also ally them with the two factions like the Romulans do or all three factions.
This could be timed with an expansion Season of new FE's in the Delta Quadrant.
They could also update places like Earth Spacedock and Deep Space Nine (have an in-game explanation of renovations), which look really cheap compared to some of the honestly great looking Romulan locations.
It would also be a good idea to get rid of the terrible Borg tutorial. Maybe have the tutorial missions as Academy training.
EDIT: Another thing is maybe a new sector to explore. Maybe add the Gamma Quadrant? Or add some more Romulan space (which would help stop them being around Fed and Klingon space so much).
This season:
1) Bug squash
2) Quality of life
3) high replayability content not based on grinding. Mini-games, commodity trading system, etc.
4) escalation of the war, space adventure map possibility
This season and next:
Begin redesign/revamp of sector map. I understand they can't eliminate all of the loading screens between sector blocks, but the game engine should be capable enough of them being able to reduce them. For example, Beta Ursa, Alpha Trianguli, and Zeta Andromeda should all be merged into one sector block with no loading screens between them. Alpha Centuri, Iota Pavonis, and a new RSE sector block should make up another one and so on.
Love the idea another poster had about a giant contest to fill planets, especially for some new sector blocks.
Along with Starting the redesign/revamp of the sector space the season after next should focus on a big addition to faction unique story content.
The latter is always going to be a problem now. How do you implement an entirely new faction that is independent without having to start up a brand new starbase? It isn't possible.
The next logical choice of faction is the Cardassians, but they can easily spin a similar style of collaboration with them (they're more a civilian organization now, just as our Romulan toons start out), and if that's another faction I'm not going to play.
As per the bugs; by my understanding the team are constantly searching for bugs, so we're more or less getting that update every week with the maintenance. Beside the fact, there's no way they'd be able to iron out every single bug in game. Something is going to remain, it always does; nothing is perfect.
Though what I would like to see is not just the show stopping system bugs fixed (Those that cause the game to be unplayable for some players), but for all the small niggles to also be addressed.
Let the environment artists fix the maps, things like the flickering black texture on some nebula or maps with holes in the floors.
Let the ship artists clean up the ship models, things like phaser strips running across escape pods or missing windows, maybe even make the Peghqu' Destroyer's sector space mode actually show the nacelles deployed properly.
Let the character artist try to sort out the mess that the uniforms have become, there are so many clipping issues, or issues where a person's character just cannot even use or modify a uniform. Maybe given the time they could even sort out the textures for things like Trill spots or Borg infected skin.
Many things are minor issues at best, but a quality of life pass for this game would certainly make many players happy.