I remain indifferent. Having played some of the new content on Tribble, I can honestly say I enjoy it and will therefore continue to do so.
However, S8 DOES seem to be lacking something that was present with LoR. I think the 'issue' lay in the manner in which LoR was presented. LoR was, in my opinion, handled very well with repuation completion episodes setting the ball rolling, followed by small tidbits leading to hints leading to speculation leading to a reveal and then a countdown timer. In essence, we were given a proper buildup which really wet everyone's appetite.
And I am NOT saying that Cryptic should repeat that process. Whilst it does add a LOT of content, Season 8 obviously isn't an expansion like LoR was and thus was never going to have quite the same impact on the game as LoR did. So far as I recall, pretty much everyone was looking forward to at least SOME aspect of LoR.
And therein lies part of the issue in my opinion, because they did a fantastic job building LoR up, and it set a precedent that S8 (despite having some great content) just can't quite match.
Well, to be fair, they (Cryptic) considered LoR their first true expansion (and by most accounts were working on stuff for it for close to a year.)
The 'Season 8' update, is more along the lines of their past Season updates, with about 4-6 months work to achieve the launch results. LoR was 'special' for cryptic and STO in a lot of ways, and they state that after LoR, they'd go back to the 'Season' type updates; which is what they have.
Do I hope the do another 'LoR' type 'expansion' in the future? Yep. That said, I do have to say that the marketing end has improved with regard to how they promote new content as compared to when the game first released; and they've done better at pacing the info releases out rather then their original style of 'massive info dump of everything one week prior to launch'.
Truth be told, I too am not a big fan of how they're handling the S8 content (the PvE Queue content list is IMO not a good UI and is getting way too cluttered (I think they need to start adding tabs with the type of rewards to make the lists easier to read); and I'm am truly tired of more and more new currencies added at the drop of a hat; but as others have said, there are plenty of environments and ways to play STO, so it is in fact catering to a wider range of players and playstyles; so in the end, that's probably good for their bottom line, which is why they run the game in the first place.
Still, it is something new; and with the Fed tutorial revamp completed, the game is overall a pretty complete experience now, no matter what faction you play (and yes, I've been here since 2009 - and I know the history of the KDF faction, but again, at least is now has a decent tutorial, and enough PvE mission content to level to 50, and you DON'T have to start a Fed character to unlock it anymore. What they have does give a 'Klingon' experience now from level 1.)
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Now I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, any new content is good content, but is anyone else not particularly excited for Season 8? From what I'm aware, it just seems like another Season 7; a new zone, a new set of marks, and another reputation grind...
I am going to agree with your statements. While Season eight looks fantastically designed, the overall problem is that its not anything significantly new. Season seven and eight are exactly the same. Players will get another grinding zone, holdings, tools, etc... I do not think people are sensing doom. What people are noticing is that "Star Trek: Online" has become stale. If you add in the endless grinding, the experience has become a little daunting.
I am going to give "The Sphere" a try tomorrow. If I do not experience anything interesting, I will just move onto another game. I will give the new season a chance to 'wow' me.
IMHO, LoR wasn't 6 months of content.
IMHO, S8 isn't 6 months of content either and S9 is coming late next spring.
I agree with that as well. Since the endgame content and after faction missions remained the same, "Legacy of Romulus" contained around fifteen to twenty days worth of new content. Once you complete the faction exclusive missions, the endgame content was the same as the Federation and KDF factions. ...and, that is why I deleted my Romulan avatars. I didn't want to do the same stuff over and over again.
New content is always a good thing. Can't say I'm all that excited for yet another reputation grind as these get boring very quickly. I'm looking forward to checking it all out as I haven't had a chance to test it on Tribble.
I am in the same boat. Even though I am going to loath another reputation grind, I am looking forward to playing through the new content. I want this season to be exciting; however, I also think it will be hard to accomplish.
My KDF Cardassian captain and his pet Elachi crawler sitting in his Borg-enhanced Tholian ship sitting over New Romulus agrees that this really ruins immersion.
XD
Hence not immersion-breaking, but shadow-of-immersion. Enough immersion had been broken already. This just breaks whatever dim shadow is left of it.
EDIT: And also good to note: I can still have immersion in my crew. That you have acquired that kind of stuff doesnt mean I have. My crew still has some immersion .
Sometimes, everything new in a Season is not shown all at once Yes, the launch date is a good bulk of it, but it's not required to be everything.
So Season 8's launch might seem meh now, and launch may or may not change that opinion, but it's hardly begun no matter how you look at it.
I think this is the best way to look at s8. I get the feeling there is a lot of work being done alongsidw this release, that will be implemented throughout s8.
And who knows, s9 could be a boomer, with a link to the delta quadrant now established, new enemies are in, and th roms pretty much sorted and storyline progressing, it could all bebleading to a large chunk of storyline content.
While existing Federation Captains are unable to replay the tutorial, they will be able to invite Elisa Flores to join their crew by speaking with the contact at Starfleet Academy near Lt. Ferra.
But I've been to the Academy over by Ferra - I don't see any Elisa Flores anywhere.
Too easy, takes too much time to keep me interested in doing such an easy TRIBBLE. The battlezones had an incredible potential (pvp) and yet they didn't do it and chose lousy npcs we can one-shot and do no damage. What a shame.
The new "elite" stfs aren't even elite, even the starbase 24 is more challenging. Real disappointment here.
I'm looking forward to it. Something new and different. The so called grind isn't too bad, since I only get on a few hours per week. So I don't get burned out so quickly. Plus the rep builds, unlike other MMOs, you have to be there each day doing the same thing. I hated that TRIBBLE, specially WoW on that. On there I avoided the Reps like the plague.
After I try it and see for myself. Then I will decide how I like the new Season.
For the ones saying Dinos isn't Trek. Where you think they got the idea from? Hmmm, Voth on Voyager, and Gorn from TOS. Amazing! I don't expect to see all aliens all humanoids. I'm waiting for an insect alien to come out next.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
I'm looking forward to it. Something new and different. The so called grind isn't too bad, since I only get on a few hours per week. So I don't get burned out so quickly. Plus the rep builds, unlike other MMOs, you have to be there each day doing the same thing. I hated that TRIBBLE, specially WoW on that. On there I avoided the Reps like the plague.
After I try it and see for myself. Then I will decide how I like the new Season.
For the ones saying Dinos isn't Trek. Where you think they got the idea from? Hmmm, Voth on Voyager, and Gorn from TOS. Amazing! I don't expect to see all aliens all humanoids. I'm waiting for an insect alien to come out next.
Well looks like my prediction of people getting tired of the new zones within a week is coming true. The Space zone is either bugged or full of "rat ear" missions. And then there is the new Reputation and Fleet Hold grinding.
People have had it with STO, they aren't interested in anymore grinding.
Edit: The only thing that does actually interest me is the new Federation Tutorial, though I'm not sure whether that'll be open to existing characters. I'm not about to create another character just so I can play a Tutorial.
I don't think that a tutorial is really a selling point to be honest, I'm of the same opinion though in many regards, season 8 turned out to be utter dross in my opinion, badly made dross at that. I'm going to look at the tutorial but other than that I'm probably done with this game for now (barring the free lobi).
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
I'm not THAT difficult to please, I just have a very low tolerance threshold for stupid BS! - George Carlin.
To be honest, so far I really haven't found much to keep my interest, but i'm still learning it all, maybe there will be something under the surface I am missing. I won't complain about the detail though, its interesting and unique looking in this game
In a recent interview, Captain Geko said the devs realized that the people who tested new content on Tribble were less inclined to stick around. So their solution was to limit the people who could test it to lifetimers/subscribers only.
....instead of limiting the amount of testers, maybe the devs should've taken that as a sign that the content they created just wasn't good enough to hold people over.
Comments
Well, to be fair, they (Cryptic) considered LoR their first true expansion (and by most accounts were working on stuff for it for close to a year.)
The 'Season 8' update, is more along the lines of their past Season updates, with about 4-6 months work to achieve the launch results. LoR was 'special' for cryptic and STO in a lot of ways, and they state that after LoR, they'd go back to the 'Season' type updates; which is what they have.
Do I hope the do another 'LoR' type 'expansion' in the future? Yep. That said, I do have to say that the marketing end has improved with regard to how they promote new content as compared to when the game first released; and they've done better at pacing the info releases out rather then their original style of 'massive info dump of everything one week prior to launch'.
Truth be told, I too am not a big fan of how they're handling the S8 content (the PvE Queue content list is IMO not a good UI and is getting way too cluttered (I think they need to start adding tabs with the type of rewards to make the lists easier to read); and I'm am truly tired of more and more new currencies added at the drop of a hat; but as others have said, there are plenty of environments and ways to play STO, so it is in fact catering to a wider range of players and playstyles; so in the end, that's probably good for their bottom line, which is why they run the game in the first place.
Still, it is something new; and with the Fed tutorial revamp completed, the game is overall a pretty complete experience now, no matter what faction you play (and yes, I've been here since 2009 - and I know the history of the KDF faction, but again, at least is now has a decent tutorial, and enough PvE mission content to level to 50, and you DON'T have to start a Fed character to unlock it anymore. What they have does give a 'Klingon' experience now from level 1.)
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Um so? Majority of MMOs haven't got 6 months worth of content in total outside of grind.
Daizen - Lvl 60 Tactical - Eclipse
Selia - Lvl 60 Tactical - Eclipse
I am going to give "The Sphere" a try tomorrow. If I do not experience anything interesting, I will just move onto another game. I will give the new season a chance to 'wow' me.
I agree with that as well. Since the endgame content and after faction missions remained the same, "Legacy of Romulus" contained around fifteen to twenty days worth of new content. Once you complete the faction exclusive missions, the endgame content was the same as the Federation and KDF factions. ...and, that is why I deleted my Romulan avatars. I didn't want to do the same stuff over and over again.
I am in the same boat. Even though I am going to loath another reputation grind, I am looking forward to playing through the new content. I want this season to be exciting; however, I also think it will be hard to accomplish.
XD
Hence not immersion-breaking, but shadow-of-immersion. Enough immersion had been broken already. This just breaks whatever dim shadow is left of it.
EDIT: And also good to note: I can still have immersion in my crew. That you have acquired that kind of stuff doesnt mean I have. My crew still has some immersion
Join the Deltas today!
I think this is the best way to look at s8. I get the feeling there is a lot of work being done alongsidw this release, that will be implemented throughout s8.
And who knows, s9 could be a boomer, with a link to the delta quadrant now established, new enemies are in, and th roms pretty much sorted and storyline progressing, it could all bebleading to a large chunk of storyline content.
Maybe.
But I've been to the Academy over by Ferra - I don't see any Elisa Flores anywhere.
Too easy, takes too much time to keep me interested in doing such an easy TRIBBLE. The battlezones had an incredible potential (pvp) and yet they didn't do it and chose lousy npcs we can one-shot and do no damage. What a shame.
The new "elite" stfs aren't even elite, even the starbase 24 is more challenging. Real disappointment here.
After I try it and see for myself. Then I will decide how I like the new Season.
For the ones saying Dinos isn't Trek. Where you think they got the idea from? Hmmm, Voth on Voyager, and Gorn from TOS. Amazing! I don't expect to see all aliens all humanoids. I'm waiting for an insect alien to come out next.
USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
My character Tsin'xing
People have had it with STO, they aren't interested in anymore grinding.
"Here's to hoping Season 9 is an improvement."
That's around the time I foresee myself logging back in, at the earliest.
This doesn't feel like a Star Trek game at all any more.
I don't think that a tutorial is really a selling point to be honest, I'm of the same opinion though in many regards, season 8 turned out to be utter dross in my opinion, badly made dross at that. I'm going to look at the tutorial but other than that I'm probably done with this game for now (barring the free lobi).
I'm not THAT difficult to please, I just have a very low tolerance threshold for stupid BS! - George Carlin.
....instead of limiting the amount of testers, maybe the devs should've taken that as a sign that the content they created just wasn't good enough to hold people over.