Is it possible to have as Bridge Officers people like Mc Coy, Spock, etc etc? You know like the Bridge officers with same face, body looking like the actual officers of the Star Trek Series?
Is it possible to have as Bridge Officers people like Mc Coy, Spock, etc etc? You know like the Bridge officers with same face, body looking like the actual officers of the Star Trek Series?
Has this been asked before?
I read a short while ago that another player created their own Eraun, pretty good likeness too. Guess it's just a matter of tweaking and playing around with head and body settings.
Having actual likeness is a legal issue. They cannot simply just make characters look like the actors without have legal permission to.
As for them being recruit able bridge officers I believe it's been discussed before and I think the consensus was that it just seems.. wrong for everyone and their uncle to be running around with Spocks and Siskos.
I was thinking more like having a package for DS9, a package for Star Trek the original, etc etc. So you can have your choice of picking and choosing having these characters as your bridge officers.
It might technically be a TOS violation (it is in the foundry at least, presumably to prevent a repeat of the Marvel/CoH lawsuit since Cryptic has very limited actor likeness rights), but you can make some pretty good matches. You can see Scotty, McCoy, and Spock in a couple time travel missions (Everything Old is New and Past Imperfect), and I've seen an absolutely spot-on Kira. It's not like they actively enforce it beyond some name restrictions, but like any TOS violation it still opens you up and there's not much you can do about it if action eventually does find you.
I was thinking more like having a package for DS9, a package for Star Trek the original, etc etc. So you can have your choice of picking and choosing having these characters as your bridge officers.
If Cryptic sells them, it goes from, "technically a TOS violation," to "lawsuit, no technically about it," really fast.
Here's the thing, its 'Possible' to do on your own, but there is an issue with it, and its the same issue if you are asking if Cryptic would do it.
That issue is likeness rights. Basically, in order to have a character in game that looks like an actor, you have to pay a fee to them to use their image in game. That can cost a little bit of money. Now couple onto that the fact that if you create something that looks like another person (and that includes friends and such) without their permission, you are violating the EULA and possibly the ToS. Granted I am unaware at this time of anyone actually having the book thrown at them for such, but just because I don't know doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
And, why would you want that? Beyond the fact that this is 2409(ish) (meaning that all the crews we have seen on TV are either passed beyond the rim, sitting in the nexus still, or in a job that wouldn't make them your junior officer, well except for Kim, he most likely is still probably being treated like a 3rd class citizen of the Federation) there is the fact that this is a Star Trek universe. Its far bigger than being part of one of the TV crews. The universe is large enough that you don't need more than touch-stoning what has been on TV, this is YOUR adventure, you can create your own compliment without being limited to the canon built on other peoples backs.
I think a better angle would be more personality options for Boffs. For example voice packages and even more expression to be shown. That also goes for captains actually, its just something I always notice how hollow the players personal characters feel.
well, the other issue with that is frankly, there isn't an AI in place to do the 'Spock and Mc Coy at each other throats' part either.
Other than what is written by an author (Cryptic or Foundry) there is no coding of a 'personality' for any BOff's. There has been (kinda) an attempt to do with with Tovan on the Romulan side and the one you get from the new Fed tutorial, but all of them are still writer driven. There would need to be some programming done at any rate to even begin to simulate an interaction like I think you are suggesting.
I think a better angle would be more personality options for Boffs. For example voice packages and even more expression to be shown. That also goes for captains actually, its just something I always notice how hollow the players personal characters feel.
Well, the one problem with this (believe it or not in the very dark early beginnings(by which I mean even before open beta) BOffs had voices, in fact they still exist in the game files) is...well people. If you look at some of the feedback for characters like Tovan, some players were very much against being 'forced' to take on a character that didn't conform to their particular worldview of what their crew should be. That is also part of what tanked the VO for your boffs (that and as I recall, they just sound...cheesy). This could possibly be revisited of course, the MMO industry as a whole seems to be swinging more and more towards audio interaction with characters more than it was when the game first launched (one of the good outcomes of SWTOR I suppose). Now how everyone overall will react, that will take observation (not that the forums would hate it, never the forums....) but who knows, this is more likely to be revisited if enough people think it would improve the games quality.
Well, the one problem with this (believe it or not in the very dark early beginnings(by which I mean even before open beta) BOffs had voices, in fact they still exist in the game files) is...well people. If you look at some of the feedback for characters like Tovan, some players were very much against being 'forced' to take on a character that didn't conform to their particular worldview of what their crew should be. That is also part of what tanked the VO for your boffs (that and as I recall, they just sound...cheesy). This could possibly be revisited of course, the MMO industry as a whole seems to be swinging more and more towards audio interaction with characters more than it was when the game first launched (one of the good outcomes of SWTOR I suppose). Now how everyone overall will react, that will take observation (not that the forums would hate it, never the forums....) but who knows, this is more likely to be revisited if enough people think it would improve the games quality.
Tovan is a set personality though , I propose more of a package , for example you could have personality packs from , positive personality, a dark personality, serious etc. Tovan to me just seemed like a stuck up pain in the neck which is why I don't use him., just don't like his character. Tovan however is a good starting point though but personality toggles would be better, I'm sure its all very complex though.
Comments
I read a short while ago that another player created their own Eraun, pretty good likeness too. Guess it's just a matter of tweaking and playing around with head and body settings.
As for them being recruit able bridge officers I believe it's been discussed before and I think the consensus was that it just seems.. wrong for everyone and their uncle to be running around with Spocks and Siskos.
Edit:
If Cryptic sells them, it goes from, "technically a TOS violation," to "lawsuit, no technically about it," really fast.
That issue is likeness rights. Basically, in order to have a character in game that looks like an actor, you have to pay a fee to them to use their image in game. That can cost a little bit of money. Now couple onto that the fact that if you create something that looks like another person (and that includes friends and such) without their permission, you are violating the EULA and possibly the ToS. Granted I am unaware at this time of anyone actually having the book thrown at them for such, but just because I don't know doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
And, why would you want that? Beyond the fact that this is 2409(ish) (meaning that all the crews we have seen on TV are either passed beyond the rim, sitting in the nexus still, or in a job that wouldn't make them your junior officer, well except for Kim, he most likely is still probably being treated like a 3rd class citizen of the Federation) there is the fact that this is a Star Trek universe. Its far bigger than being part of one of the TV crews. The universe is large enough that you don't need more than touch-stoning what has been on TV, this is YOUR adventure, you can create your own compliment without being limited to the canon built on other peoples backs.
Other than what is written by an author (Cryptic or Foundry) there is no coding of a 'personality' for any BOff's. There has been (kinda) an attempt to do with with Tovan on the Romulan side and the one you get from the new Fed tutorial, but all of them are still writer driven. There would need to be some programming done at any rate to even begin to simulate an interaction like I think you are suggesting.
Well, the one problem with this (believe it or not in the very dark early beginnings(by which I mean even before open beta) BOffs had voices, in fact they still exist in the game files) is...well people. If you look at some of the feedback for characters like Tovan, some players were very much against being 'forced' to take on a character that didn't conform to their particular worldview of what their crew should be. That is also part of what tanked the VO for your boffs (that and as I recall, they just sound...cheesy). This could possibly be revisited of course, the MMO industry as a whole seems to be swinging more and more towards audio interaction with characters more than it was when the game first launched (one of the good outcomes of SWTOR I suppose). Now how everyone overall will react, that will take observation (not that the forums would hate it, never the forums....) but who knows, this is more likely to be revisited if enough people think it would improve the games quality.
Tovan is a set personality though , I propose more of a package , for example you could have personality packs from , positive personality, a dark personality, serious etc. Tovan to me just seemed like a stuck up pain in the neck which is why I don't use him., just don't like his character. Tovan however is a good starting point though but personality toggles would be better, I'm sure its all very complex though.