The death of exploration in STO

inkrunner · June 2014

The Star Cluster missions have been removed in the new crafting revamp.

Not only does this limit sources of the new materials, it also further limits sources of Dilithium, both of which will make the new crafting system (which requires some of each) harder.

But there are other (and better, in Dilithium's case) sources of these things. That's not what irks me.

What really bothers me is that, even though they all looked, played, and felt the same, the Exploration missions in these clusters were the only 'real' exploration we had. Now they're gone, and with no replacement in sight.

Maybe something better is on the way!*

I hope, sincerely, that an exploration revamp will follow the crafting one. To Cryptic and PWE: procedural generation is your friend. But until such an update arrives, exploration in STO will be dead.

PS: Whatever happened to putting Foundry missions in those clusters? Guess we can add that to our big list of Cryptic pipe dream statements. :P

EDIT:
*Nope. Nothing new.

EDIT 2: Here's how I think we can bring it back to life.

orangeitis · June 2014

I wouldn't doubt that they took star clusters out to make way for a better exploration system.

inkrunner · June 2014

orangeitis wrote: »

I wouldn't doubt that they took star clusters out to make way for a better exploration system.

I really hope so.

irishcaptain007 · June 2014

I'm hoping they're taking out the exploration missions because they are going to revamp it. Deangelo has been systematically revamping older systems in the game. I think tying exploration to the foundry and truly getting some random but high quality mission (maybe or maybe not tied to a reputation system) would greatly improve the game's longevity and also placate those that feel the end game is solely a pure grind.

theanothername · June 2014

orangeitis wrote: »

I wouldn't doubt that they took star clusters out to make way for a better exploration system.

I love that idea. I even like to occasional do some exploration missions as it is now (yes even after finishing the dil.daily). A big improvement patch/update to that would be awesome. But in all seriousness....

...the Santa you spotted last christmas was your dad in a costume.

leviathan99 · June 2014

irishcaptain007 wrote: »

I'm hoping they're taking out the exploration missions because they are going to revamp it. Deangelo has been systematically revamping older systems in the game. I think tying exploration to the foundry and truly getting some random but high quality mission (maybe or maybe not tied to a reputation system) would greatly improve the game's longevity and also placate those that feel the end game is solely a pure grind.

I would almost wager that Exploration in a new form IS Expansion 2.

As for the clusters...? It's been nearly four years since I touched them for anything but DOffing.

lan451 · June 2014

There really wasn't any exploration in STO to kill. Cluster missions were just randomly generated missions where your boffs would fall through the map while you scan for plants that look oddly like walls or columns. Or Borg attacking a colony looking for relics from their third dynasty. They were bad and I'm honestly amazed it took them this long to take them out.

jarodroto123 · June 2014

inkrunner wrote: »

The Star Cluster missions have been removed in the new crafting revamp.

Not only does this limit sources of the new materials, it also further limits sources of Dilithium, both of which will make the new crafting system (which requires some of each) harder.

But there are other (and better, in Dilithium's case) sources of these things. That's not what irks me.

What really bothers me is that, even though they all looked, played, and felt the same, the Exploration missions in these clusters were the only 'real' exploration we had. Now they're gone, and with no replacement in sight.

Maybe something better is on the way!

I hope, sincerely, that an exploration revamp will follow the crafting one. To Cryptic and PWE: procedural generation is your friend. But until such an update arrives, exploration in STO will be dead.

PS: Whatever happened to putting Foundry missions in those clusters? Guess we can add that to our big list of Cryptic pipe dream statements. :P

First, Star Clusters arent deserving of the term exploration, second if you are using them a dil source, your doing it wrong :cool:

aloishammer · June 2014

orangeitis wrote: »

I wouldn't doubt that they took star clusters out to make way for a better exploration system.

I wouldn't doubt that they took them out for a new exploration system.

But one look at the Crafting revamp makes me question Cryptic's definition of "better."

I guess if an exploration system that makes money hand over fist for Cryptic above all else is "better" by your reasoning...

-shrug-

stomperx99 · June 2014

I'm almost 99.9% sure that the star clusters will return in a future update.....

tucana66 · June 2014

stoleviathan99 wrote: »

I would almost wager that Exploration in a new form IS Expansion 2.

Bingo! I'll assume Delta Quadrant exploration.

stoleviathan99 wrote: »

As for the clusters...? It's been nearly four years since I touched them for anything but DOffing.

Agreed. I recently rolled my lvl 50 KDF toon through various exploration missions before the S9.5 announcements. I was quickly re-reminded how Exploration was one of the weakest aspects of STO. I don't expect every exploration mission to be a "Surface Tension" (eg. voice-overs, more details, more storyline). But Exploration only seemed like a hunting-gathering exercise for crafting materials/DOffing.

Let's hope we see an Exploration revamp in the next year (in Expansion 2).

inkrunner · June 2014

jarodroto123 wrote: »

First, Star Clusters arent deserving of the term exploration, second if you are using them a dil source, your doing it wrong :cool:

Agreed on both counts. I did say there were better sources of Dilithium, and they were exploration in name only.

That said, they were still a decent source of anomalies.

angrytarg · June 2014

The missions might have had issues, but they were in it's basis the kind of randomly-generated, open-end, "roguelike-ish" gameplay that is what a Star Trek game should be about. The games that I play most to the very day are prime examples of limited presentation, but sheer endless fun. X-Com: UFO Defense, Mount and Blade, Pirates!, Total-War games, Space Crusade on the Amiga 500 - this is a concept I would like to see more of and I REALLY hope that we will get a new exploration system.

I want to boldly go where no one has gone before and not shoot the same enemies I and others shot a bazillion times before...

wilbor2 · June 2014

Dead when was it alive :eek:

hypl · June 2014

I don't see it as the death of exploration, just the death of an embarrassingly outdated system to make way for a much needed revamp.

"This colony belongs to the Borg! You have no business here Starfleet!" :P

daan2006 · June 2014

hypl wrote: »

I don't see it as the death of exploration, just the death of an embarrassingly outdated system to make way for a much needed revamp.

"This colony belongs to the Borg! You have no business here Starfleet!" :P

this my thing do you ever see cryptic pwe putting something back with out dill and TRIBBLE being tied to it?

keep in mind this cryptic pwe we are talking about

this will be ds9 fleet action all over again something removed never coming back

starkaos · June 2014

inkrunner wrote: »

That said, they were still a decent source of anomalies.

And this is why the Exploration Clusters are being removed in Season 9.5 and not Expansion 2 to make room for the new Exploration system. Apparently Cryptic doesn't want us to farm anomalies for crafting materials in the Exploration Clusters.

Going to the Delta Quadrant, Gamma Quadrant, Andromeda Galaxy, or some parallel universe without a decent exploration system would make it feel like something incredibly important is missing.

hypl wrote: »

I don't see it as the death of exploration, just the death of an embarrassingly outdated system to make way for a much needed revamp.

"This colony belongs to the Borg! You have no business here Starfleet!" :P

That is not the worst thing about the current exploration system. Column plants and searching for relics of the third Borg Dynasty are.

ricorosebud · June 2014

If a improved system takes its place, that will be fantastic. But I don't feel as confident about that as other posters. The missions weren't great, but it was a tiny bit of random in a game that SHOULD have some random.

As someone else said in another thread: at this point, I just feel like the devs are trolling the people that play this game.

ursusmorologus · June 2014

Fair to say the exploration system was just a placeholder until they had time to develop the real system. They never have the free time to come back for stuff though.

One of the dev comments talked about number of maps and how much space was used for them. They probably see install size as a roadblock to getting more players in the game.

I'd wager they are getting rid of it entirely.

daan2006 · June 2014

ursusmorologus wrote: »

Fair to say the exploration system was just a placeholder until they had time to develop the real system.

you may as well say every thing is a place holder because they spend more time on re vamping imo

cant even re call how many times fed tutorial has been re vamp in 4 years

a3001 · June 2014

orangeitis wrote: »

I wouldn't doubt that they took star clusters out to make way for a better exploration system.

That'll be the day pigs fly!

neoakiraii · June 2014

How can something, that never was alive, die??

a3001 · June 2014

neoakiraii wrote: »

How can something, that never was alive, die??

zombies? [/10char]

starkaos · June 2014

a3001 wrote: »

zombies? [/10char]

Zombies were originally alive as humans or other living creatures.

daan2006 · June 2014

exploration may have been dead but look at the bigger pic they are taking out a source of income and some what random missions yes it was not trek exploration but it was content

grayfoxjames · June 2014

I was just doing exploration for the accolades

was just about done doing the B'Tran Cluster 15 times...

arilouskiff · June 2014

neoakiraii wrote: »

How can something, that never was alive, die??

That is not dead which can eternal lie, yet with stranger eons, even death may die.

iconians · June 2014

neoakiraii wrote: »

How can something, that never was alive, die??

That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.

mirrorchaos · June 2014

inkrunner wrote: »

The Star Cluster missions have been removed in the new crafting revamp.

Not only does this limit sources of the new materials, it also further limits sources of Dilithium, both of which will make the new crafting system (which requires some of each) harder.

But there are other (and better, in Dilithium's case) sources of these things. That's not what irks me.

What really bothers me is that, even though they all looked, played, and felt the same, the Exploration missions in these clusters were the only 'real' exploration we had. Now they're gone, and with no replacement in sight.

Maybe something better is on the way!

I hope, sincerely, that an exploration revamp will follow the crafting one. To Cryptic and PWE: procedural generation is your friend. But until such an update arrives, exploration in STO will be dead.

PS: Whatever happened to putting Foundry missions in those clusters? Guess we can add that to our big list of Cryptic pipe dream statements. :P

stop poking it! that horse has been dead for some time :P.

iconians · June 2014

arilouskiff wrote: »

That is not dead which can eternal lie, yet with stranger eons, even death may die.

Simultaneous post of Lovecraft? Well, that's a bad omen of Doooooom if I've ever seen one.

hypl · June 2014

starkaos wrote: »

That is not the worst thing about the current exploration system. Column plants and searching for relics of the third Borg Dynasty are.

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=265509

The death of exploration in STO

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