Well if space fantasy is elves (vulcans & romulans), magic (Q, Prophets, space entities, psychics) and dragons (do space anomalies and things that eat starships count?) then I think Star Trek has it covered! :P
There was also nothing wrong about the early FED missions before the revamp. That said they still benefited from updated level design and mission structure.
Well this is my personal view ofcourse, but to be honest after playing the updated Fed. missions I was less than impressed. Sure, stuff like adding Klingon interior to Klingon facilities you board should have been there since the begining and it's nice to see it, but I don't feel that those missions were very different or overally improved much.
IMO ESD has similar issues. As it is, we have a big donut with some boxes and computer terminals scattered haphazardly around which fulfills the basic function of "MMO hub" just fine but apart from the windows it falls far short from achieving the potential for a more immersive FED starbase (which we know cryptic is capable of looking at their recent work, in particular the fleet bases.)
While I understand your point and I don't have anything particulary against this besides my belief that is a waste of time, ESD will never become 'a more immersive FED starbase' unless Cryptic & PWE shock me and make a U turn by actually hiring some GM to observe and handle what's going on in game.
Experience has thought me that this is very hard to expect from Cryptic/PWE and I have come to expect the exact opposite actually.
Not that I'm saying there's no chance this to change. Just my 2c.
And this is where we can spend a LOT of time, throwing us into an armpit of a social area that, while perhaps comparing favorably in visuals to K-7 (which is simply feasting on the dregs left over from the ESD interior components, so in updating the latter the former could be improved as well), still falls short of the First City or New Romulus. Though there are other pieces of content that are in much greater "need" (Andoria, Vulcan, ship interiors, ect.) there is far less of a payoff in their case than renovating one of the most populous areas in the game which, on whatever scale you care to use (absolute or relative) is lacking.
See, this is more of an 'the eye of the beholder' kinda' thing. To me, ESD doesn't lack anything in particular compared to other similar areas of the game.
You say it falls short of First City for ex., but I remember a thread made recently that demanded First City to be changed to be more like ESD, because that player thought that ESD is better.
My $.02 is that before they embark on "fixing" ESD, they need to work on fixes for longtime bugs like automatic decloaking when dialogue appears in space and such. Maybe even work on some ship interiors to sell in the ZStore (TMP Enterprise and Excelsior interiors, NX-01 interiors) or at least work on the scaling of the current in ship interiors.
Well if space fantasy is elves (vulcans & romulans), magic (Q, Prophets, space entities, psychics) and dragons (do space anomalies and things that eat starships count?) then I think Star Trek has it covered! :P
Well, the shows did have quotas of those elements too. They didn't want to average more than one Q episode a year. They did want for their to be rules governing the setting.
BELIEVABILITY IS EVERYTHING. IT IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF A STAR TREK STORY.
If you're in doubt about a scene, you can apply this simple test: "Would I believe this if it was occurring on the bridge of the battleship Missouri?" If you wouldn't believe it in the twentieth century then our audience won't believe it in the twenty-fourth.
Especially, the people must be believable -- just as believable as if they were living in our 20th century...
...We do not do stories about psi-forces or mysterious psychic powers. No matter how fantastic the events in a story, the explanation must be extrapolated from a generally accepted scientific theory. (We have accepted the telepathy of Lt. Commander Deanna Troi because many reputable scientists acknowledge the possibility of such abilities, but you will note that we have limited Troi to "reading" only emotions...
...Writing FANTASY instead of SCIENCE FICTION. The difference between the two is profound. Despite the fact that both science fiction and fantasy can deal with unusual events, a science fiction story is based on an extrapolation of generally accepted scientific fact or theory. Fantasy, which our format does not permit, need have no basis in reality...
Some funny side elements I noted:
... No stories about warfare with the Klingons or Romulans and no stories with Vulcans...
... No longer do Starfleet Captains lead the way down to dangerous planets...
... [A]ny crew member [can] work at any console with a high degree of familiarity...
... It is a standing order that our phasers are always set to stun...
From the TOS Writer's and Director's guide:
AND SO, IN EVERY SCENE OF OUR STAR TREK STORY...
... translate it into a real life situation. Or, sometimes as useful, try it in your mind as a scene in GUNSMOKE, NAKED CITY, or some similar show. Would you believe the people and the scene if it happened there?
IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE WHO ANSWERS: "THE CHARACTER ACTS THAT WAY BECAUSE IT'S SCIENCE FICTION", DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU.
...
Remember always that STAR TREK is never fantasy; whatever happens, no matter how unusual or bizarre, must have some basis in either fact or theory and stay true to that premise (don't give the enemy Starflight capability and then have them engage our vessel with grappling hooks and drawn swords.)
- That people disturbed by social items have a special Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming room or area just for them.
- That items like the Gingerbread Men be buffed to function year round... except in the designated Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming areas.
- That Holo-Emitters in the Latinum store be buffed into permanent devices... usable anywhere except the designated Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming areas.
- "Roleplay Mode" could be enabled in missions that take place on a bridge, in proximity of Orion dancers wherever they are present in-game, and Memory Alpha. Andoria and Vulcan would be strong candidates as well.
- "Roleplay Mode" would be never be enabled everywhere because frankly, this is a social game, and this should never break the immersion of people using their social items.
Function should be tied to location and this is one way to fairly group players in area by interest or activity. This reduces player conflict while making the appeal of certain underutilized areas functional and possessing of a special appeal that makes their gameplay experience distinct while also making it distinct from other areas of the game.
Nonetheless, I'd like to see her back too, although not AS Earth Spacedock.
Presumably the model still exists, and I know some of the interiors still do. I feel she should be utilised as a large Starbase in a location that, currently, doesn't have one.
I would suggest more areas be made available, instead of a rather smallish area.
What i mean is this, is that ESD only currently has about 2 levels, maybe 3 if you count the separate Shipyard section.
So instead of taking a stroll around a circle, you use turbolifts to get places.
Separate levels for the bank and Exchange (one level total) with some corridors and doors, maybe two rooms per type, so 2 mail rooms, 2 exchange rooms, 2 bank rooms.
A whole level just for the shipyard area with rooms for purchasing consumable items with the vendors in them.
A section outside of a docking collar/ boarding area for purchasing new starships, and an area off that for customization.
A few separate viewing areas, for viewing ships INSIDE and the space OUTSIDE of ESD. Incuding Viewing areas near the bay doors to watch ships coming and going (an age old tradition)
Make the central hub be social things like club 47, a caf area, a meeting hall section thats nicer than what we have now, include in this the training area and separate the trainer into a Captain trainer (respecs) a Tactical Trainer, Engineering Trainer and Science trainer.
Also the ability to pilot a shuttle or work bee inside of ESD's space dock, flying around checking out different ships. (this option would be nice at utopia planetia) and be able to see ships under construction.
while an ESD like that will be alittle different to get used to, it would be far more in depth and fun to explore for newer players. It would also add to the level "immersion" for some people, and provide others (like myself) that find it difficult to find more todo, icuodl spend a while learning and exploring the new ESD.
thats my idea and addition to this.
Note: i do not want specific social zones of any type for diffferent groups.
Also they should add a Brig to ESD. So we can have another place to check out.
Inertia just means you can do Powerslides in you carrier!
I am Il Shadow and i approve these Shennanigans!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
-Bring back the row of ships in the Sol system that was there when the game launched. It used to be fun as a brand new player to fly your little Miranda over to "Ship Row" and gaze in wonder at the bigger cooler ships you would be able to unlock in the future.
-Visible ships flying around outside ESD when you look out a window
-Bring back the lounge!!
-Utopia Planetia expansion to include old ESD asset? =o
Nitpicking is a time-honored tradition of science fiction. Asking your readers not to worry about the "little things" is like asking a dog not to sniff at people's crotches. If there's something that appears to violate natural laws, then you can expect someone's going to point it out. That's just the way things are.
If the goal is to bring more people to social zones here are a few suggestions:
First, make each zone of ESD for example clearer for new players, e.g while the map is colour coded into zones their is no key or indication of what the function of each zone is. Add a key to the map. Also maybe add a popup that comes up each time you enter a zone to indicate to new players where they are with the option to turn this off (call it tutorial mode).
Social zones should have missions linked to that zone that you can't do anywhere else, e.g. maybe port some of the fleet SB missions over to ESD (escourt a dignitary etc).
Social rep, earn social points by doing social zone missions and get specific social rewards (emotes, constumes etc)
Social point rep (borrowing idea from other well known mmos) more time you spend in social zones, doing social missions (escourting dignitaries, diplomatic mission etc), spending time in social areas like club 47 (doing a dance mission, like risa resort or paradise city) earns social points to spend on rep.
Things that have killed social zones is the ability to do everything anywhere in the character screen, with the latest edition being switching ships, most mmos have socal areas being the main point to buy skills and buy things etc. With STO you have almost no incentive to ever visit a social zone!
Holodeck missions- social zones have specific holodeck missions (maybe link with social rep?) shoot targets in set amount of time, famous battle simulator (wolf 359, battle Maxia and Kahn nebula battle etc). Also the ability to fly ships before purchasing.
A fan of hard Sci-Fi, over zany gimmicks, huh? Seeing that STO is basically, one, big, zany, gimmick, at this point, that's kind of like the president of McDonalds saying they want to sell Domino's pizzas.
I disagree with your analogy.
It is like the president of McDonald's saying he wants to make all Happy Meals be vegan friendly and include a math flash card as the toy.
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
I would suggest more areas be made available, instead of a rather smallish area.
What i mean is this, is that ESD only currently has about 2 levels, maybe 3 if you count the separate Shipyard section.
So instead of taking a stroll around a circle, you use turbolifts to get places.
Separate levels for the bank and Exchange (one level total) with some corridors and doors, maybe two rooms per type, so 2 mail rooms, 2 exchange rooms, 2 bank rooms.
A whole level just for the shipyard area with rooms for purchasing consumable items with the vendors in them.
A section outside of a docking collar/ boarding area for purchasing new starships, and an area off that for customization.
A few separate viewing areas, for viewing ships INSIDE and the space OUTSIDE of ESD. Incuding Viewing areas near the bay doors to watch ships coming and going (an age old tradition)
Make the central hub be social things like club 47, a caf area, a meeting hall section thats nicer than what we have now, include in this the training area and separate the trainer into a Captain trainer (respecs) a Tactical Trainer, Engineering Trainer and Science trainer.
Also the ability to pilot a shuttle or work bee inside of ESD's space dock, flying around checking out different ships. (this option would be nice at utopia planetia) and be able to see ships under construction.
while an ESD like that will be alittle different to get used to, it would be far more in depth and fun to explore for newer players. It would also add to the level "immersion" for some people, and provide others (like myself) that find it difficult to find more todo, icuodl spend a while learning and exploring the new ESD.
thats my idea and addition to this.
Note: i do not want specific social zones of any type for diffferent groups.
Also they should add a Brig to ESD. So we can have another place to check out.
Some cool thoughts here.
One suggestion I'd have that wasn't possible when the game launched as I understand it.
Moving floor platforms.
I'd like a set of lifts that act as open glass elevators like you see at malls and hotels. You get in the lift and see yourself rising to the next level.
My understanding is that they couldn't have a moving platform carry you up or down at launch but it seems like this has changed.
If you have five or so and they're all moving at different rates then there shouldn't be much waiting for one but you could move between levels without a loadscreen.
...talking to players is like being a mall Santa. Everyone immediately wants to tell you all of the things they want, and you are absolutely powerless to deliver 99% of them.
- That people disturbed by social items have a special Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming room or area just for them.
- That items like the Gingerbread Men be buffed to function year round... except in the designated Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming areas.
- That Holo-Emitters in the Latinum store be buffed into permanent devices... usable anywhere except the designated Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming areas.
- "Roleplay Mode" could be enabled in missions that take place on a bridge, in proximity of Orion dancers wherever they are present in-game, and Memory Alpha. Andoria and Vulcan would be strong candidates as well.
- "Roleplay Mode" would be never be enabled everywhere because frankly, this is a social game, and this should never break the immersion of people using their social items.
Function should be tied to location and this is one way to fairly group players in area by interest or activity. This reduces player conflict while making the appeal of certain underutilized areas functional and possessing of a special appeal that makes their gameplay experience distinct while also making it distinct from other areas of the game.
I would like to suggest that Cryptic spends time and money wisely.
Why is there enough time and money to re-do their own work over and over again (STFs, Crafting, ESD, etc.), but not enough time and money to do it right the first time?
I would like to suggest that Cryptic spends time and money wisely.
Why is there enough time and money to re-do their own work over and over again (STFs, Crafting, ESD, etc.), but not enough time and money to do it right the first time?
Because they were rushed into the first version, and have been playing ****ty catch up ever since.
Look at the DayZ standalone guys. Good glorious god that game is MUCH awaited and its over a year in the making and is JUST getting to the alpha. BTW it was sparked by a MOD of ARMA, they are making their own, and it will be at least ANOTHER year in the making.
Thats right, game developers that CARE about their community.......
Inertia just means you can do Powerslides in you carrier!
I am Il Shadow and i approve these Shennanigans!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Because they were rushed into the first version, and have been playing ****ty catch up ever since.
Except we're far from being on the 'first version' for much of the game's various facets. In particular if ESD's revamp is on the 'short term' list of changes, this would be the third time it's been created in four years.
That's time and labor that could have been used creating new things elsewhere. This is the fourth year Andoria hasn't had anything done to it, but we can afford to create ESD for the third time?
That's time, money, and labor hours that could be spent creating new canon locations like Betazed, Trill, or places like Jupiter Station or a more permanent Utopia Planitia shipyard with things to do there. The Star Trek universe is massive, so why are we devoting a finite amount of company resources to redoing Earth Spacedock for the second time since launch?
Look at the DayZ standalone guys. Good glorious god that game is MUCH awaited and its over a year in the making and is JUST getting to the alpha. BTW it was sparked by a MOD of ARMA, they are making their own, and it will be at least ANOTHER year in the making.
Thats right, game developers that CARE about their community.......
Apples and oranges. Community-driven development. Nowhere near the amount of paid labor, marketing, etc.
I could go on and on about how drastically different the STO team at Cryptic Studios in comparison to Rocket and his unpaid staff who do what they can when they can.
So I'll just reiterate my question:
How does Cryptic Studios have the time and money to do their work over and over again, but not enough time and money to do it right the first time?
- That he is a fan of hard sci-fi over zany gimmicks.
- That he takes the IP seriously.
-That he is interested in collecting data on longstanding QoL improvements.
- That he is interesting in making individual parts of social hubs have specific function.
- That a ground up revamp of ESD with brand new maps is a near term addition.
I would like to suggest:
- That party items be designated for use in party areas like a dance floor or holosuite.
- That items like the Gingerbread Men be buffed to function year round... in designated fantasy party areas like holosuites.
- That Holo-Emitters in the Latinum store be buffed into permanent devices... usable in designated party areas.
- "Party Mode" could be enabled in missions that take place on holodecks, in proximity of Q wherever he is present in-game, in Q's Winter Wonderland. Risa and the Klingon Red Light District would be strong candidates as well.
- "Party Mode" would be enabled everywhere during designated Q calendar events, possibly along with other unique gameplay elements to indicate that Q is present for the weekend such as tweaked mission elements, strange enemies, etc.
Function should be tied to location and this is one way to fairly group players in area by interest or activity. This reduces player conflict while making the appeal of certain underutilized areas functional and possessing of a special appeal that makes their gameplay experience distinct while also making it distinct from other areas of the game.
But these are all bad ideas. Why do you want him to do bad things?
I don't necessarily disagree with the "function should be tied to location" bit for most things, but I don't see why meaningless toys need to be one of those functions. I just don't see a reason for it other than silencing a few people who can't tell the difference between a minor annoyance and actual harassment.
1. Understand that, as the "good guy" primary base, ESD is arguably the most important zone in the game. I mean, it's the first "town" every "good guy" sees, everyone's expected to go back there all the dang time, etc. etc. First city is a close second, fulfilling the exact same role for the "not so good guys", and I have no clue as to what's going on with the Republic's Flotilla, almost seems you're "railroaded" to that micro-hub called Mol'Rihan Command to do those few things you're not doing at your allies main base...
2. Could someone on the Dev team explain that entire lower left hand quarter of First City and the second floor of ESD? I mean, it sure looks like areas set aside for some sort of "player housing", however, they are nothing but dead space that you either get lost in (First City) or ignore...
3. Can I be the first to say "I'm getting a bit sick and tired of the attitude 'we give social areas, now go forth and be social'?" No offense, but 90% of the time, I'm hitting up a "town" to do inventory management (sell / bank / resupply), not chat it up with the locals. If people haven't noticed, the "decent" social areas - Drozana, Quark's at DS9, Nimbus III bar - attract like minded social people already, why in the name of all that's holy are we trying to "force" socialization in areas that don't attract social people already? (though I'll join in the earlier sentiment, ESD's zone chat and the "old" DS9 when it was the Omega Store zone chat could sure use some moderation - seems every time I popped on those channels it was "gorn or tribble pun hour". Hence my migration to a universal channel that doesn't contain such ilk... and said universal channels let me socialize no matter where I am, I've stopped between waves of an attack to chat it up with the guys on my favorite universal channel, why do I need to hang around a "social zone" to get my socialization on?
3.5 No offense to the fans of Andor/Vulcan/Rura Penthe/not-yet-in-game Betazed/Bajor/site of choice, but if we're gonna "push" social zones, is there a reason we need 4-6 social zones in Sirius sector alone? (ESD complex, Vulcan, Andor, Wolf 359, Risa right off the top of my head). Beta Ursae is worse for this, you have Fleet Mine, Vlugta Mine, Bajor, DS9 (so 4 social areas) within a 5-10 light year cluster. Then people wonder why we're not hitting up zone X when zone Y does just as much, is seconds away, and already is populated for other reasons... Then you have places like Iota Pavonis (north north block of map), the zones north and south of Taw Dewa, Regulus, Alpha Trianguli, Zeta Andromeda - all of which have zero basing facilities. Not even a little "village" with a bank/store.
3.75 Game structure makes hitting up socialization zones a little rough/annoying sometimes, I mean, zone into orbit to zone to the area. Can we get an option (even if it's a L50 unlock) to "beam directly to social zone" right from the space map? Not like the option doesn't already exist, I've had many a system give me "enter system for patrol, continue mission, do something wildly ridiculous" from the space map...
Detecting big-time "anti-old-school" bias here. NX? Lobi. TOS/TMP Connie? Super-promotion-box. (aka the two hardest ways to get ships) Excelsior & all 3 TNG "big hero" ships? C-Store. Please Equalize...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
Except we're far from being on the 'first version' for much of the game's various facets. In particular if ESD's revamp is on the 'short term' list of changes, this would be the third time it's been created in four years.
That's time and labor that could have been used creating new things elsewhere. This is the fourth year Andoria hasn't had anything done to it, but we can afford to create ESD for the third time?
That's time, money, and labor hours that could be spent creating new canon locations like Betazed, Trill, or places like Jupiter Station or a more permanent Utopia Planitia shipyard with things to do there. The Star Trek universe is massive, so why are we devoting a finite amount of company resources to redoing Earth Spacedock for the second time since launch?
I absolutely agree. That's almoset exactly what I said in this thread before.
I don't know what to say, but I'm having harder and harder time to take them seriously. I feel almost like either D'Angelo is taking a politician stance here in terms of "Let's revamp ESD yet again, so people have something to remember me by!" or they really don't have any clear ideas and vision what they want to do and where they want to take the game.
ESD is prefectly fine to me. I agree that other iconic areas need this time and dev effort, we need new things instead of constantly rehashing the old ones we allways had.
3.5 No offense to the fans of Andor/Vulcan/Rura Penthe/not-yet-in-game Betazed/Bajor/site of choice, but if we're gonna "push" social zones, is there a reason we need 4-6 social zones in Sirius sector alone? (ESD complex, Vulcan, Andor, Wolf 359, Risa right off the top of my head). Beta Ursae is worse for this, you have Fleet Mine, Vlugta Mine, Bajor, DS9 (so 4 social areas) within a 5-10 light year cluster. Then people wonder why we're not hitting up zone X when zone Y does just as much, is seconds away, and already is populated for other reasons... Then you have places like Iota Pavonis (north north block of map), the zones north and south of Taw Dewa, Regulus, Alpha Trianguli, Zeta Andromeda - all of which have zero basing facilities. Not even a little "village" with a bank/store.
I get your point about social zones being closely together, however I want to point out a few things.
The Federation was founded by the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites. So if we want to honor the IP, these places should be social zones even though they're close togehther. Furthermore, we already have maps for some of them, which are dead because nothing of interest was developed there, while meanwhile it seems we're about to get the third incarnation of ESD. Which will, in my opinion, do nothing for the quality of the game because it'll still be a troll infested cesspool if left without GM moderation and that's the reason I like to have those other zones - to keep my sanity. lol :P
Also, what we should have in Sirius is ESD/Earth, Risa, Vulcan and Andoria. ESD/Earth and Risa are quite fine (even though Risa could use some activities outside of SE), but Vulcan and Andoria need some work. Especially Andoria, cause it's a huge map with nothing to do and there are some very good ideas on the forum about that.
Personally, I'd love to see P'Jem as an exclusive RP area as well, but that's just me.
Other popular worlds like Tellar Prime, Betazed, Cait and Bolarus are not in the Sirius sector. And while I also get your point about the lack of such areas in other locations, we have to consider that logic dictates a faction can't have their social zones in very distant or hostile space.
Also, what we should have in Sirius is ESD/Earth, Risa, Vulcan and Andoria. ESD/Earth and Risa are quite fine (even though Risa could use some activities outside of SE), but Vulcan and Andoria need some work. Especially Andoria, cause it's a huge map with nothing to do and there are some very good ideas on the forum about that.
They should be low level adventure zones similar to Nimbus III. A few events that cycle for some small amount of dilithium, and a bit of XP.
They should be low level adventure zones similar to Nimbus III. A few events that cycle for some small amount of dilithium, and a bit of XP.
Exactly! That's what I've been saying in numerous threads on this topic.
Make a few missions from a story arc pass through those places, bring vendors and services (mail/bank/exchange/tailor), add a couple od daily missions that reward dil., add maybe some fun leisure activities traditional to the venue that reward a modest amount of EC, bring on a couple of special Doff mission chains exclusive to a social zone and voila! You'll see that zone flourish.
There's a reason many of the social maps in STO are abandoned. There's nothing to do there.
Exactly! That's what I've been saying in numerous threads on this topic.
Make a few missions from a story arc pass through those places, bring vendors and services (mail/bank/exchange/tailor), add a couple od daily missions that reward dil., add maybe some fun leisure activities traditional to the venue that reward a modest amount of EC, bring on a couple of special Doff mission chains exclusive to a social zone and voila! You'll see that zone flourish.
There's a reason many of the social maps in STO are abandoned. There's nothing to do there.
- That he is a fan of hard sci-fi over zany gimmicks.
- That he takes the IP seriously.
-That he is interested in collecting data on longstanding QoL improvements.
- That he is interesting in making individual parts of social hubs have specific function.
- That a ground up revamp of ESD with brand new maps is a near term addition.
I would like to suggest:
- That party items be designated for use in party areas like a dance floor or holosuite.
- That items like the Gingerbread Men be buffed to function year round... in designated fantasy party areas like holosuites.
- That Holo-Emitters in the Latinum store be buffed into permanent devices... usable in designated party areas.
- "Party Mode" could be enabled in missions that take place on holodecks, in proximity of Q wherever he is present in-game, in Q's Winter Wonderland. Risa and the Klingon Red Light District would be strong candidates as well.
- "Party Mode" would be enabled everywhere during designated Q calendar events, possibly along with other unique gameplay elements to indicate that Q is present for the weekend such as tweaked mission elements, strange enemies, etc.
Function should be tied to location and this is one way to fairly group players in area by interest or activity. This reduces player conflict while making the appeal of certain underutilized areas functional and possessing of a special appeal that makes their gameplay experience distinct while also making it distinct from other areas of the game.
Like TF2's Halloween mode? I like it. Except for disco bombs. Those must be everywhere. YOU. WILL. DANCE.
- That people disturbed by social items have a special Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming room or area just for them.
- That items like the Gingerbread Men be buffed to function year round... except in the designated Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming areas.
- That Holo-Emitters in the Latinum store be buffed into permanent devices... usable anywhere except the designated Because Our Roleplay Is Necessary Gaming areas.
- "Roleplay Mode" could be enabled in missions that take place on a bridge, in proximity of Orion dancers wherever they are present in-game, and Memory Alpha. Andoria and Vulcan would be strong candidates as well.
- "Roleplay Mode" would be never be enabled everywhere because frankly, this is a social game, and this should never break the immersion of people using their social items.
Function should be tied to location and this is one way to fairly group players in area by interest or activity. This reduces player conflict while making the appeal of certain underutilized areas functional and possessing of a special appeal that makes their gameplay experience distinct while also making it distinct from other areas of the game.
First its a star trek game and not a random whatever i do what i want dont care game. Second there is nothing social about esd with or without party stuff. Third party stuff is not party at all its just visual bs that may make you enjoy it so why not just display it on the screen of the one using it. There is no real need for balloons and disco stuff on a space station.
Most that happens is one guy uses his party whatever and then maybe 1-2 other do the same the whole thing lasts 5 minutes at best and thats it. Where again is the social party whatever in that?
The esd chat is a waste and full of bs. Only reason 99% of the players go there it to get there stuff they need and be done with it. Maybe you stand around waiting for the next mission to pop but thats it. I dont really see the reason for it.
First its a star trek game and not a random whatever i do what i want dont care game. Second there is nothing social about esd with or without party stuff. Third party stuff is not party at all its just visual bs that may make you enjoy it so why not just display it on the screen of the one using it. There is no real need for balloons and disco stuff on a space station.
Most that happens is one guy uses his party whatever and then maybe 1-2 other do the same the whole thing lasts 5 minutes at best and thats it. Where again is the social party whatever in that?
The esd chat is a waste and full of bs. Only reason 99% of the players go there it to get there stuff they need and be done with it. Maybe you stand around waiting for the next mission to pop but thats it. I dont really see the reason for it.
First its a multiplayer game not a singleplayer stop using social devices i don't like game. Second there is plenty social about esd with or without party stuff just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not. Third party stuff is fun as hell and makes in-game parties a lot more fun whereas roleplay is not social at all it's just text bs so why not just go sit in a featureless room if you can't play with others. There is a real need for balloons and disco stuff on all space stations as they make them more fun.
Most that happens is one guy uses his party whatever then a bunch of others come and join in and have a fun time for a while except for like 5 minutes when antisocial trolls scream at them for having fun but luckily they last for 5 minutes thats it. Where again is the social roleplay whatever in that?
The esd chat is always lively and full of people. Only reason 99% of the people complain about it is because they have control issues and want to force people to play how they like and be done with it. Maybe you stand around screaming at people to stop having fun but that's weird. I don't really see the reason for it.
But you know what? I guess it doesn't matter now does it? By being allowed to visit their studios Cryptic has pretty much signed off on you and your fleet haven't they? They've said in deed what most of us have suspected for years. They're not going to stop you. They're not going to correct you. You won. After long last, you really, really won. STO is yours and no one is going to do a thing about it. Congratulations.
Instead of changing the current ESD, why not create a new starbase at Utopia Planitia Mars and add the old ESD over there... make it a lvl50 hangout spot with all the normal bells and whistles of a full starbase. When inside, the exteriors could show the Utopia Planitia fleet yards and the lovely red planet below.
CM
I love this idea, Please expand the solar systems, show Jupiter station as well.....or even the moon of earth
if ya gonna revamp it... please bring back the OLD ESD... she was big, she had a 24 century feel and the interiors were big and roomy..
Please, do not bring back the old ESD.
The ESD we have now is the classic design that has obviously served its purpose well over the years, well into the 24th century. If a design lasts that long, it's a good, solid design that lasts as long as it does for a reason.
Also, the Cryptic-designed ESD was, frankly, ugly as sin.
All I'd be looking for if there was a redesign is a redesign of the interiors so that they match the exterior (for example, the huge windows all the way around - they don't exist on the exterior of Spacedock.
Considering on the Mohs scale of scifi hardness as shown here Star Trek is closer to fantasy that hard scifi its always been like that.
Your're not real familiar with Star Trek, then, I take it?
Given that the technologies in Star Trek have, in general, either predicted technology in the future or come from contemporary scientific theory, I fail to understand how you can consider Star Trek to be close to fantasy.
Let's take a look at some of the predictive technology, shall we?
The Communicator. Obviously, the comparison here is today's cell phones. The technology of Star Trek in the '60s was predictive when it comes to this.
The Tricorder. What people may not realize is that the Tricorder is also a '60s technology prediction that has come generally if simplistically true - also with cell phones. Right now, my phone has a tricorder app on it. It's fairly simplistic, but it uses the sensors available to provide geolocation, physical orientation (as a compass), audio information (by decibel), and actively seeks a wireless connection in order to gather other data, including solar storms and other space weather information.
It may not be able to do all the things an actual tricorder could, but that won't take much longer to come to fruition - especially since there are already medical device companies who have either reached the prototype stage or are getting close to it, that will allow them to assess a patient's medical condition without invasive surgery.
The Hypospray exists - right now. In fact, three kinds of hypo exist today. One was developed only 4 years after the original series debuted. That one was called a "jet injector." Another device which uses ultrasonic waves to open pores on the skin, allowing the injection liquid to enter the bloodstream without the use of needles, was approved by the FDA. And MIT researchers have engineered a device that delivers a tiny, high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin without the use of a hypodermic needle.
And then, of course, there are the scientists, doctors, engineers, and so on, who became what they are due to the influence of Star Trek in their lives.
When Professor Stephen Hawking - the most brilliant mind today - did a guest spot on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," he asked for a tour of the various sets. When they reached the engine room and he saw the Warp Core, he said, "I'm working on that."
I could go on here, but I think I've made my point. Star Trek may take some license in order to further story, but the basis of its technology has always been science - not fantasy.
Comments
Well this is my personal view ofcourse, but to be honest after playing the updated Fed. missions I was less than impressed. Sure, stuff like adding Klingon interior to Klingon facilities you board should have been there since the begining and it's nice to see it, but I don't feel that those missions were very different or overally improved much.
While I understand your point and I don't have anything particulary against this besides my belief that is a waste of time, ESD will never become 'a more immersive FED starbase' unless Cryptic & PWE shock me and make a U turn by actually hiring some GM to observe and handle what's going on in game.
Experience has thought me that this is very hard to expect from Cryptic/PWE and I have come to expect the exact opposite actually.
Not that I'm saying there's no chance this to change. Just my 2c.
See, this is more of an 'the eye of the beholder' kinda' thing. To me, ESD doesn't lack anything in particular compared to other similar areas of the game.
You say it falls short of First City for ex., but I remember a thread made recently that demanded First City to be changed to be more like ESD, because that player thought that ESD is better.
Well, the shows did have quotas of those elements too. They didn't want to average more than one Q episode a year. They did want for their to be rules governing the setting.
http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/2_The_Next_Generation/Star_Trek_-_The_Next_Generation_Bible.pdf
Some funny side elements I noted:
From the TOS Writer's and Director's guide:
LOL I see what you did there....
And I agree.
What i mean is this, is that ESD only currently has about 2 levels, maybe 3 if you count the separate Shipyard section.
So instead of taking a stroll around a circle, you use turbolifts to get places.
Separate levels for the bank and Exchange (one level total) with some corridors and doors, maybe two rooms per type, so 2 mail rooms, 2 exchange rooms, 2 bank rooms.
A whole level just for the shipyard area with rooms for purchasing consumable items with the vendors in them.
A section outside of a docking collar/ boarding area for purchasing new starships, and an area off that for customization.
A few separate viewing areas, for viewing ships INSIDE and the space OUTSIDE of ESD. Incuding Viewing areas near the bay doors to watch ships coming and going (an age old tradition)
Make the central hub be social things like club 47, a caf area, a meeting hall section thats nicer than what we have now, include in this the training area and separate the trainer into a Captain trainer (respecs) a Tactical Trainer, Engineering Trainer and Science trainer.
Also the ability to pilot a shuttle or work bee inside of ESD's space dock, flying around checking out different ships. (this option would be nice at utopia planetia) and be able to see ships under construction.
while an ESD like that will be alittle different to get used to, it would be far more in depth and fun to explore for newer players. It would also add to the level "immersion" for some people, and provide others (like myself) that find it difficult to find more todo, icuodl spend a while learning and exploring the new ESD.
thats my idea and addition to this.
Note: i do not want specific social zones of any type for diffferent groups.
Also they should add a Brig to ESD. So we can have another place to check out.
I am Il Shadow and i approve these Shennanigans!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
-Visible ships flying around outside ESD when you look out a window
-Bring back the lounge!!
-Utopia Planetia expansion to include old ESD asset? =o
Joined January 2009
First, make each zone of ESD for example clearer for new players, e.g while the map is colour coded into zones their is no key or indication of what the function of each zone is. Add a key to the map. Also maybe add a popup that comes up each time you enter a zone to indicate to new players where they are with the option to turn this off (call it tutorial mode).
Social zones should have missions linked to that zone that you can't do anywhere else, e.g. maybe port some of the fleet SB missions over to ESD (escourt a dignitary etc).
Social rep, earn social points by doing social zone missions and get specific social rewards (emotes, constumes etc)
Social point rep (borrowing idea from other well known mmos) more time you spend in social zones, doing social missions (escourting dignitaries, diplomatic mission etc), spending time in social areas like club 47 (doing a dance mission, like risa resort or paradise city) earns social points to spend on rep.
Things that have killed social zones is the ability to do everything anywhere in the character screen, with the latest edition being switching ships, most mmos have socal areas being the main point to buy skills and buy things etc. With STO you have almost no incentive to ever visit a social zone!
Holodeck missions- social zones have specific holodeck missions (maybe link with social rep?) shoot targets in set amount of time, famous battle simulator (wolf 359, battle Maxia and Kahn nebula battle etc). Also the ability to fly ships before purchasing.
Exposing fakes since 2374
I disagree with your analogy.
It is like the president of McDonald's saying he wants to make all Happy Meals be vegan friendly and include a math flash card as the toy.
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
Some cool thoughts here.
One suggestion I'd have that wasn't possible when the game launched as I understand it.
Moving floor platforms.
I'd like a set of lifts that act as open glass elevators like you see at malls and hotels. You get in the lift and see yourself rising to the next level.
My understanding is that they couldn't have a moving platform carry you up or down at launch but it seems like this has changed.
If you have five or so and they're all moving at different rates then there shouldn't be much waiting for one but you could move between levels without a loadscreen.
Has that changed? I can't think of any examples of that being implemented.
Seriously, there are more important things that need to be looked at besides things that break your roleplay immersion.
This is a better suggestion.
Why is there enough time and money to re-do their own work over and over again (STFs, Crafting, ESD, etc.), but not enough time and money to do it right the first time?
Because they were rushed into the first version, and have been playing ****ty catch up ever since.
Look at the DayZ standalone guys. Good glorious god that game is MUCH awaited and its over a year in the making and is JUST getting to the alpha. BTW it was sparked by a MOD of ARMA, they are making their own, and it will be at least ANOTHER year in the making.
Thats right, game developers that CARE about their community.......
I am Il Shadow and i approve these Shennanigans!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Except we're far from being on the 'first version' for much of the game's various facets. In particular if ESD's revamp is on the 'short term' list of changes, this would be the third time it's been created in four years.
That's time and labor that could have been used creating new things elsewhere. This is the fourth year Andoria hasn't had anything done to it, but we can afford to create ESD for the third time?
That's time, money, and labor hours that could be spent creating new canon locations like Betazed, Trill, or places like Jupiter Station or a more permanent Utopia Planitia shipyard with things to do there. The Star Trek universe is massive, so why are we devoting a finite amount of company resources to redoing Earth Spacedock for the second time since launch?
Apples and oranges. Community-driven development. Nowhere near the amount of paid labor, marketing, etc.
I could go on and on about how drastically different the STO team at Cryptic Studios in comparison to Rocket and his unpaid staff who do what they can when they can.
So I'll just reiterate my question:
How does Cryptic Studios have the time and money to do their work over and over again, but not enough time and money to do it right the first time?
But these are all bad ideas. Why do you want him to do bad things?
I don't necessarily disagree with the "function should be tied to location" bit for most things, but I don't see why meaningless toys need to be one of those functions. I just don't see a reason for it other than silencing a few people who can't tell the difference between a minor annoyance and actual harassment.
I Support Disco | Disco is Love | Disco is Life
1. Understand that, as the "good guy" primary base, ESD is arguably the most important zone in the game. I mean, it's the first "town" every "good guy" sees, everyone's expected to go back there all the dang time, etc. etc. First city is a close second, fulfilling the exact same role for the "not so good guys", and I have no clue as to what's going on with the Republic's Flotilla, almost seems you're "railroaded" to that micro-hub called Mol'Rihan Command to do those few things you're not doing at your allies main base...
2. Could someone on the Dev team explain that entire lower left hand quarter of First City and the second floor of ESD? I mean, it sure looks like areas set aside for some sort of "player housing", however, they are nothing but dead space that you either get lost in (First City) or ignore...
3. Can I be the first to say "I'm getting a bit sick and tired of the attitude 'we give social areas, now go forth and be social'?" No offense, but 90% of the time, I'm hitting up a "town" to do inventory management (sell / bank / resupply), not chat it up with the locals. If people haven't noticed, the "decent" social areas - Drozana, Quark's at DS9, Nimbus III bar - attract like minded social people already, why in the name of all that's holy are we trying to "force" socialization in areas that don't attract social people already? (though I'll join in the earlier sentiment, ESD's zone chat and the "old" DS9 when it was the Omega Store zone chat could sure use some moderation - seems every time I popped on those channels it was "gorn or tribble pun hour". Hence my migration to a universal channel that doesn't contain such ilk... and said universal channels let me socialize no matter where I am, I've stopped between waves of an attack to chat it up with the guys on my favorite universal channel, why do I need to hang around a "social zone" to get my socialization on?
3.5 No offense to the fans of Andor/Vulcan/Rura Penthe/not-yet-in-game Betazed/Bajor/site of choice, but if we're gonna "push" social zones, is there a reason we need 4-6 social zones in Sirius sector alone? (ESD complex, Vulcan, Andor, Wolf 359, Risa right off the top of my head). Beta Ursae is worse for this, you have Fleet Mine, Vlugta Mine, Bajor, DS9 (so 4 social areas) within a 5-10 light year cluster. Then people wonder why we're not hitting up zone X when zone Y does just as much, is seconds away, and already is populated for other reasons... Then you have places like Iota Pavonis (north north block of map), the zones north and south of Taw Dewa, Regulus, Alpha Trianguli, Zeta Andromeda - all of which have zero basing facilities. Not even a little "village" with a bank/store.
3.75 Game structure makes hitting up socialization zones a little rough/annoying sometimes, I mean, zone into orbit to zone to the area. Can we get an option (even if it's a L50 unlock) to "beam directly to social zone" right from the space map? Not like the option doesn't already exist, I've had many a system give me "enter system for patrol, continue mission, do something wildly ridiculous" from the space map...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
I absolutely agree. That's almoset exactly what I said in this thread before.
I don't know what to say, but I'm having harder and harder time to take them seriously. I feel almost like either D'Angelo is taking a politician stance here in terms of "Let's revamp ESD yet again, so people have something to remember me by!" or they really don't have any clear ideas and vision what they want to do and where they want to take the game.
ESD is prefectly fine to me. I agree that other iconic areas need this time and dev effort, we need new things instead of constantly rehashing the old ones we allways had.
I get your point about social zones being closely together, however I want to point out a few things.
The Federation was founded by the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites. So if we want to honor the IP, these places should be social zones even though they're close togehther. Furthermore, we already have maps for some of them, which are dead because nothing of interest was developed there, while meanwhile it seems we're about to get the third incarnation of ESD. Which will, in my opinion, do nothing for the quality of the game because it'll still be a troll infested cesspool if left without GM moderation and that's the reason I like to have those other zones - to keep my sanity. lol :P
Also, what we should have in Sirius is ESD/Earth, Risa, Vulcan and Andoria. ESD/Earth and Risa are quite fine (even though Risa could use some activities outside of SE), but Vulcan and Andoria need some work. Especially Andoria, cause it's a huge map with nothing to do and there are some very good ideas on the forum about that.
Personally, I'd love to see P'Jem as an exclusive RP area as well, but that's just me.
Other popular worlds like Tellar Prime, Betazed, Cait and Bolarus are not in the Sirius sector. And while I also get your point about the lack of such areas in other locations, we have to consider that logic dictates a faction can't have their social zones in very distant or hostile space.
They should be low level adventure zones similar to Nimbus III. A few events that cycle for some small amount of dilithium, and a bit of XP.
Exactly!
Make a few missions from a story arc pass through those places, bring vendors and services (mail/bank/exchange/tailor), add a couple od daily missions that reward dil., add maybe some fun leisure activities traditional to the venue that reward a modest amount of EC, bring on a couple of special Doff mission chains exclusive to a social zone and voila! You'll see that zone flourish.
There's a reason many of the social maps in STO are abandoned. There's nothing to do there.
Amen! Say it brother!
Like TF2's Halloween mode? I like it. Except for disco bombs. Those must be everywhere. YOU. WILL. DANCE.
We are the Fun. Resistance is Futile. You will be Disco'd. Prepare for Party.
I am Il Shadow and i approve these Shennanigans!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
First its a star trek game and not a random whatever i do what i want dont care game. Second there is nothing social about esd with or without party stuff. Third party stuff is not party at all its just visual bs that may make you enjoy it so why not just display it on the screen of the one using it. There is no real need for balloons and disco stuff on a space station.
Most that happens is one guy uses his party whatever and then maybe 1-2 other do the same the whole thing lasts 5 minutes at best and thats it. Where again is the social party whatever in that?
The esd chat is a waste and full of bs. Only reason 99% of the players go there it to get there stuff they need and be done with it. Maybe you stand around waiting for the next mission to pop but thats it. I dont really see the reason for it.
First its a multiplayer game not a singleplayer stop using social devices i don't like game. Second there is plenty social about esd with or without party stuff just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not. Third party stuff is fun as hell and makes in-game parties a lot more fun whereas roleplay is not social at all it's just text bs so why not just go sit in a featureless room if you can't play with others. There is a real need for balloons and disco stuff on all space stations as they make them more fun.
Most that happens is one guy uses his party whatever then a bunch of others come and join in and have a fun time for a while except for like 5 minutes when antisocial trolls scream at them for having fun but luckily they last for 5 minutes thats it. Where again is the social roleplay whatever in that?
The esd chat is always lively and full of people. Only reason 99% of the people complain about it is because they have control issues and want to force people to play how they like and be done with it. Maybe you stand around screaming at people to stop having fun but that's weird. I don't really see the reason for it.
I love this idea, Please expand the solar systems, show Jupiter station as well.....or even the moon of earth
Please, do not bring back the old ESD.
The ESD we have now is the classic design that has obviously served its purpose well over the years, well into the 24th century. If a design lasts that long, it's a good, solid design that lasts as long as it does for a reason.
Also, the Cryptic-designed ESD was, frankly, ugly as sin.
All I'd be looking for if there was a redesign is a redesign of the interiors so that they match the exterior (for example, the huge windows all the way around - they don't exist on the exterior of Spacedock.
Your're not real familiar with Star Trek, then, I take it?
Given that the technologies in Star Trek have, in general, either predicted technology in the future or come from contemporary scientific theory, I fail to understand how you can consider Star Trek to be close to fantasy.
Let's take a look at some of the predictive technology, shall we?
The Communicator. Obviously, the comparison here is today's cell phones. The technology of Star Trek in the '60s was predictive when it comes to this.
The Tricorder. What people may not realize is that the Tricorder is also a '60s technology prediction that has come generally if simplistically true - also with cell phones. Right now, my phone has a tricorder app on it. It's fairly simplistic, but it uses the sensors available to provide geolocation, physical orientation (as a compass), audio information (by decibel), and actively seeks a wireless connection in order to gather other data, including solar storms and other space weather information.
It may not be able to do all the things an actual tricorder could, but that won't take much longer to come to fruition - especially since there are already medical device companies who have either reached the prototype stage or are getting close to it, that will allow them to assess a patient's medical condition without invasive surgery.
The Hypospray exists - right now. In fact, three kinds of hypo exist today. One was developed only 4 years after the original series debuted. That one was called a "jet injector." Another device which uses ultrasonic waves to open pores on the skin, allowing the injection liquid to enter the bloodstream without the use of needles, was approved by the FDA. And MIT researchers have engineered a device that delivers a tiny, high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin without the use of a hypodermic needle.
And then, of course, there are the scientists, doctors, engineers, and so on, who became what they are due to the influence of Star Trek in their lives.
When Professor Stephen Hawking - the most brilliant mind today - did a guest spot on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," he asked for a tour of the various sets. When they reached the engine room and he saw the Warp Core, he said, "I'm working on that."
I could go on here, but I think I've made my point. Star Trek may take some license in order to further story, but the basis of its technology has always been science - not fantasy.