I know this has been discussed before but I think this is a different approach.
commanding your ship from the bridge in space, in my opinion people have been thinking too much about how to do this from the "actual" ship interiors, which would be really complicated.
Why not make it just another UI / camera position option?
go to each bridge and take a screen shot sitting in the captains chair
overlay that shot onto the space UI, with the bridge main viewer open to look out into space.
go to each ship and place a camera option where the bridge is supposed to be.
add some text to the screenshots for red alerts, cloaking, evasive maneuvers, make the camera jump when under attack, etc., etc.
I know it is not "true bridge combat" but I would definitely use it.
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also thought of physically adding a bridge to each ship for space maps with bo's, etc, etc, but I get the feeling that much detail on each ship in space would cause the servers to melt.
I would suggest to have "Play From The Bridge" taking place while traveling through sector space.
Here is my vision:
After a mission, I beam back to my ship's bridge. Now I'm telling my Boffs to set course to my next destination (ENGAGE!). Based on my ships speed and the distance to my next target I've got some time to spend on my bridge now. Visiting engineering to check for new prototypes, assinging doffs to new missions or whatever.
Just in case I come along a threat (e.g. red alert), my tactical Boff will let me know, that assistance is needed. I could imagine other interesting events as well (including trading oportunities, distress calls,...) appearing at random. Some of those as "real" missions, others as Doff assingments.
Space fighting, or space mission in general would still take place in the common way.
This would be quite like in most episodes: You mostly experience the ships interior, except in times of space hostilities or away team missions.
This kind of sector traveling would not only provide more of a Trek-feeling, but could possibly even offer the oportunity for one giant sector map - by eleminating sector space as it currently exists.
Instead you would have one big map, showing your current position and the position of interesting places/people/... nearby.
Currently: "when reaching borders of a sector, offer ability to switch maps" [Mission/Station/Area A -> Sector Space X -> Sector Space Y -> ... -> Mission/Station/Area B]
New travel: "when timer reaches 0 -> offer oportunity to beam to targeted map"
[A -> Bridge -> B]
Maybe we could also get rid of some of the autopiloting problems.
("NO - I DON'T want to go to Delta Volanis! I just told you to set course to Beta Ursae!")
I would suggest to have "Play From The Bridge" taking place while traveling through sector space.
Here is my vision:
After a mission, I beam back to my ship's bridge. Now I'm telling my Boffs to set course to my next destination (ENGAGE!). Based on my ships speed and the distance to my next target I've got some time to spend on my bridge now. Visiting engineering to check for new prototypes, assinging doffs to new missions or whatever.
Just in case I come along a threat (e.g. red alert), my tactical Boff will let me know, that assistance is needed. I could imagine other interesting events as well (including trading oportunities, distress calls,...) appearing at random. Some of those as "real" missions, others as Doff assingments.
Space fighting, or space mission in general would still take place in the common way.
This would be quite like in most episodes: You mostly experience the ships interior, except in times of space hostilities or away team missions.
This kind of sector traveling would not only provide more of a Trek-feeling, but could possibly even offer the oportunity for one giant sector map - by eleminating sector space as it currently exists.
Instead you would have one big map, showing your current position and the position of interesting places/people/... nearby.
Currently: "when reaching borders of a sector, offer ability to switch maps" [Mission/Station/Area A -> Sector Space X -> Sector Space Y -> ... -> Mission/Station/Area B]
New travel: "when timer reaches 0 -> offer oportunity to beam to targeted map"
[A -> Bridge -> B]
Maybe we could also get rid of some of the autopiloting problems.
("NO - I DON'T want to go to Delta Volanis! I just told you to set course to Beta Ursae!")
HECK YES! This would be a great replacement for the dullest (and most annoying, in the case of warping) part of STO gameplay... There should be an option to view your ship flying though sector space, perhaps, but not control it from that view. Also, the silly "astrometrics" you see now should be eliminated, and replaced with a true 3D (though cubic :cool:) view of the Galaxy.
I really like this suggestion. Best one i've read so far and i totally want it implemented a.s.a.p!
It should be easy enough for them to do.
I hate the sector space as it is right now, even though i spend about 50% of my gametime in it. Would be a welcome change being able to tell my helmsman to plot a course for this/that destination and engage thrusters at maximum capacity!
"For in this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means for controlling peace..."
It doesn't matter how they do it a bunch of my fleet mates and I were just discussing this very topic tonight.
regardless of how its done or where its applied in game there is nothing quite as distinct in star trek as the captain standing on his bridge commanding his bridge officers. Its one of the central recurring themes of star trek and I think needs some time and effort put into it far more then a new enemy from the voyager series. We have lots of Killing to choose from. In fact I think in some cases we have to many instances which we can queue into from anywhere in the galaxy. Id like to see a large push to code into the game some of the more iconic things about star trek such as Command from your bridge.
It doesn't matter how they do it a bunch of my fleet mates and I were just discussing this very topic tonight.
regardless of how its done or where its applied in game there is nothing quite as distinct in star trek as the captain standing on his bridge commanding his bridge officers. Its one of the central recurring themes of star trek and I think needs some time and effort put into it far more then a new enemy from the voyager series. We have lots of Killing to choose from. In fact I think in some cases we have to many instances which we can queue into from anywhere in the galaxy. Id like to see a large push to code into the game some of the more iconic things about star trek such as Command from your bridge.
Ah man that just made me brainstorm.
How about if you could build 3 different fleet ships (Cruiser/Science vessel/Escort) and have proper war with them against an enemy faction or a fleet specific raid, while the fleet leader assigns one captain for each ship and then other fleet members as duty officers, to fill the tactical/science/engineering consoles on each ship?
I'd love to play the game like that, and have my captain on voice com telling me or anyone with the right rank to engage thrusters, re-route power to shields etc.
Imagine the possibilities. Imagine the immersion we'd get from something like that!
"For in this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means for controlling peace..."
I think going viewing sector space moment from the bridge might be kind of fun. Although, if such a thing was implemented, I would hope that it would be an optional feature.
I would suggest to have "Play From The Bridge" taking place while traveling through sector space.
Here is my vision:
After a mission, I beam back to my ship's bridge. Now I'm telling my Boffs to set course to my next destination (ENGAGE!). Based on my ships speed and the distance to my next target I've got some time to spend on my bridge now. Visiting engineering to check for new prototypes, assinging doffs to new missions or whatever.
Just in case I come along a threat (e.g. red alert), my tactical Boff will let me know, that assistance is needed. I could imagine other interesting events as well (including trading oportunities, distress calls,...) appearing at random. Some of those as "real" missions, others as Doff assingments.
Space fighting, or space mission in general would still take place in the common way.
This would be quite like in most episodes: You mostly experience the ships interior, except in times of space hostilities or away team missions.
This kind of sector traveling would not only provide more of a Trek-feeling, but could possibly even offer the oportunity for one giant sector map - by eleminating sector space as it currently exists.
Instead you would have one big map, showing your current position and the position of interesting places/people/... nearby.
Currently: "when reaching borders of a sector, offer ability to switch maps" [Mission/Station/Area A -> Sector Space X -> Sector Space Y -> ... -> Mission/Station/Area B]
New travel: "when timer reaches 0 -> offer oportunity to beam to targeted map"
[A -> Bridge -> B]
Maybe we could also get rid of some of the autopiloting problems.
("NO - I DON'T want to go to Delta Volanis! I just told you to set course to Beta Ursae!")
I support the entirety of this post as being both desirable and realistically achievable.
Operating from the bridge in system space, for me, is much less desirable.
Agreed! Not everyone wants to play from the bridge, but a lot of people do. At least make it an option. It would be the ultimate, realistic Star Trek experience.
I've always wanted to play from the bridge. I never saw the point of it being in-game other than it's just being there to make it feel authentic. When I first started playing, I thought it would be about YOU as a captain and YOUR crew and YOUR ship that will become a thing of legends.
Boy, I was so wrong once I played through all the missions and features. The game is split up into three games. One is the Scenario's (Story Mode), two is Text-based MMO (like Travian) where you wait for projects to finish, third is the instancing. (Much like Heroic instances in WoW)
The Reputation system is neat and it should stay, having new traits etc. But I find it odd that they'd just leave the bridge-system completely in the dark.
People are complaining about not having a typical bridge for their ships and complain about laziness. What point is it to have a unique bridge if you can barely use it? They tried to tie it in with some story-based missions - like decrypting files.. (and Feds First Contact missions)
I really hope they do something with the bridge part and actually animate the view-screen to correspond to where you are in Sector Space. If not just seeing stars woosh by in Warp speeds and slow snowy-like stars in sub-light speeds. Once approaching a star-system, show some sort of high-res GIF or something that slowly comes into view. It doesn't have to be completely dynamic in my view, but a good representation.
An added bonus would be that you actually get to hail any NPC ship out there and have some dialogue. When suspicious, you hail and ask about their intentions.
Heck, I could go a bit farther and ask to remove the DoFF missions (maybe keep the lesser-important ones like sending away to do some marauding or medical aid on alien planets) and have your own-self do them. Or at least keep it optional..
Who doesn't want to raid a convoy? The Startbase 24(?) is a nice example of how it could look like, but still in '3rd'-person.
All these great ideas make me sad. Because I've learned the hard way, the better the idea the least likely it is to appear in this game.
I would like to feel like a Admiral in this game, where I sit in "The Chair" and command. Instead of what we have now that makes me feel like the lowly ensigned doing all the flying and fighting myself.
One day Cryptic will be free from their Perfect World overlord. Until that day comes, they will continue to pamper the whales of this game, and ignore everyone that isn't a whale.
Comments
Here is my vision:
After a mission, I beam back to my ship's bridge. Now I'm telling my Boffs to set course to my next destination (ENGAGE!). Based on my ships speed and the distance to my next target I've got some time to spend on my bridge now. Visiting engineering to check for new prototypes, assinging doffs to new missions or whatever.
Just in case I come along a threat (e.g. red alert), my tactical Boff will let me know, that assistance is needed. I could imagine other interesting events as well (including trading oportunities, distress calls,...) appearing at random. Some of those as "real" missions, others as Doff assingments.
Space fighting, or space mission in general would still take place in the common way.
This would be quite like in most episodes: You mostly experience the ships interior, except in times of space hostilities or away team missions.
This kind of sector traveling would not only provide more of a Trek-feeling, but could possibly even offer the oportunity for one giant sector map - by eleminating sector space as it currently exists.
Instead you would have one big map, showing your current position and the position of interesting places/people/... nearby.
Currently: "when reaching borders of a sector, offer ability to switch maps" [Mission/Station/Area A -> Sector Space X -> Sector Space Y -> ... -> Mission/Station/Area B]
New travel: "when timer reaches 0 -> offer oportunity to beam to targeted map"
[A -> Bridge -> B]
Maybe we could also get rid of some of the autopiloting problems.
("NO - I DON'T want to go to Delta Volanis! I just told you to set course to Beta Ursae!")
HECK YES! This would be a great replacement for the dullest (and most annoying, in the case of warping) part of STO gameplay... There should be an option to view your ship flying though sector space, perhaps, but not control it from that view. Also, the silly "astrometrics" you see now should be eliminated, and replaced with a true 3D (though cubic :cool:) view of the Galaxy.
It should be easy enough for them to do.
I hate the sector space as it is right now, even though i spend about 50% of my gametime in it. Would be a welcome change being able to tell my helmsman to plot a course for this/that destination and engage thrusters at maximum capacity!
~Admiral Arleigh Burke~
regardless of how its done or where its applied in game there is nothing quite as distinct in star trek as the captain standing on his bridge commanding his bridge officers. Its one of the central recurring themes of star trek and I think needs some time and effort put into it far more then a new enemy from the voyager series. We have lots of Killing to choose from. In fact I think in some cases we have to many instances which we can queue into from anywhere in the galaxy. Id like to see a large push to code into the game some of the more iconic things about star trek such as Command from your bridge.
Ah man that just made me brainstorm.
How about if you could build 3 different fleet ships (Cruiser/Science vessel/Escort) and have proper war with them against an enemy faction or a fleet specific raid, while the fleet leader assigns one captain for each ship and then other fleet members as duty officers, to fill the tactical/science/engineering consoles on each ship?
I'd love to play the game like that, and have my captain on voice com telling me or anyone with the right rank to engage thrusters, re-route power to shields etc.
Imagine the possibilities. Imagine the immersion we'd get from something like that!
~Admiral Arleigh Burke~
I support the entirety of this post as being both desirable and realistically achievable.
Operating from the bridge in system space, for me, is much less desirable.
Task Force Command and Task Force Command KDF
Boy, I was so wrong once I played through all the missions and features. The game is split up into three games. One is the Scenario's (Story Mode), two is Text-based MMO (like Travian) where you wait for projects to finish, third is the instancing. (Much like Heroic instances in WoW)
The Reputation system is neat and it should stay, having new traits etc. But I find it odd that they'd just leave the bridge-system completely in the dark.
People are complaining about not having a typical bridge for their ships and complain about laziness. What point is it to have a unique bridge if you can barely use it? They tried to tie it in with some story-based missions - like decrypting files.. (and Feds First Contact missions)
I really hope they do something with the bridge part and actually animate the view-screen to correspond to where you are in Sector Space. If not just seeing stars woosh by in Warp speeds and slow snowy-like stars in sub-light speeds. Once approaching a star-system, show some sort of high-res GIF or something that slowly comes into view. It doesn't have to be completely dynamic in my view, but a good representation.
An added bonus would be that you actually get to hail any NPC ship out there and have some dialogue. When suspicious, you hail and ask about their intentions.
Heck, I could go a bit farther and ask to remove the DoFF missions (maybe keep the lesser-important ones like sending away to do some marauding or medical aid on alien planets) and have your own-self do them. Or at least keep it optional..
Who doesn't want to raid a convoy? The Startbase 24(?) is a nice example of how it could look like, but still in '3rd'-person.
I would like to feel like a Admiral in this game, where I sit in "The Chair" and command. Instead of what we have now that makes me feel like the lowly ensigned doing all the flying and fighting myself.