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Thoughts from a returning STO gamer!
hydraface
Member Posts: 41 Arc User
Hello all!
I took about a year away from STO and have returned! Having fun once again cruisn' in a Scimitar and I just thought I'd post some observations. Maybe folks will agree, maybe they'll want to add to it, maybe they'll just think 'Uh...so what?', but if you're interested, here's what I'm thinking:
1) STO is still fun to explore. It still feels very expansive, and there's lots to do and plenty of places to go. The variety of scenery and impressive visuals provided by the likes of The Dyson-Sphere events is very welcome (I'm reading 'Ringworld' at the moment too so it's kind of interesting from that angle to).
2) PvP Still seems duanting, more an excercise in micro-managing and min-maxing so that you stand a chance than it is a fun element of the game. I could be wrong and I will dive into PvP at some point, but it doesn't feel like a welcoming environment.
3) The devs seem to work hard. There's a lot of genuinly new stuff that comes out with regularity. For example, they're doing a good job of generating excitement about Delta Rising, and I just get the feeling that that's because they're excited about it.
4) I'm going to have to pay to upgrade my scimitar, which I paid for to obtain, when other ships will be free when tier-6 hits. That's not cool, guys. I think this could have been thought out a bit better. I guess making it so that non-payers have a distinct disadvantage feels unfair too, but I think if you've put some money into the pot to buy a ship initially, then payment to upgrade there-and-then should be optional for those who want to pay and there should be an option to do it via the actual game for everyone else.
5) The streamlining of some mechanics is very welcome. I'm thinking the way you now just contribute credits, exp and marks on reputation events. Remember when you had to contribute random items like regenerators too? It didn't feel right (What were the groups doing with billions upon billions of tons of supplies?) and the new system is much quicker, less hassle, and much more user-friendly, thumbs up for that decision.
6) I still can't fire Tovan Khev. I want to be able to fire him. Please let me fire him. Preferably out of a photon-torpedo tube into a sub-space anomoly filled with irritating side-characters from video-games so he can languish in that fresh hell with the likes of Tails from Sonic The Hedgehog and the annoying paper-clip from Microsoft Office (Not a video game character, I know, but he'd be there).
7) Re-speccing should be free. It'd give players a lot more freedom to explore all the facets of the game and reduce THE worst element of any XP based game; character regret. I reckon people would have a lot more fun with their 'toon' and it'd be a great business idea too; it'd encourage people to try out new ships and keep them interested in the game. I BET people would buy up more Zen if this were the case, and it'd be just a friendly thing to do; you can't expect a newbie to get the skill planning right first time, they don't know the game-mechanics well enough to really know all the intricacies and what they might want. Paying for anything should always feel like a pleasant bonus to those who do it, not an unfair punishment for those who don't.
8) The Duty Officer system has had a minor face-lift and again, it's an improvement. The information's presented more clearly, it's cleaner and more concise and this is an example of some intelligent thinking. Problems were identified and fixed and that's laudible.
9) Here's an idea, which may or may not be good/do-able: An app that lets you manage your Doffs outside of actually logging into the game. Firefly Online is going to have something similar
and it would be cool as heck to do that with STO (I LOVE the Doff system). I guess it'd be a lot of work but is it at least an idea that's worth considering?
So there you go, just some thoughts on the state of STO at the moment from a returning player!
I took about a year away from STO and have returned! Having fun once again cruisn' in a Scimitar and I just thought I'd post some observations. Maybe folks will agree, maybe they'll want to add to it, maybe they'll just think 'Uh...so what?', but if you're interested, here's what I'm thinking:
1) STO is still fun to explore. It still feels very expansive, and there's lots to do and plenty of places to go. The variety of scenery and impressive visuals provided by the likes of The Dyson-Sphere events is very welcome (I'm reading 'Ringworld' at the moment too so it's kind of interesting from that angle to).
2) PvP Still seems duanting, more an excercise in micro-managing and min-maxing so that you stand a chance than it is a fun element of the game. I could be wrong and I will dive into PvP at some point, but it doesn't feel like a welcoming environment.
3) The devs seem to work hard. There's a lot of genuinly new stuff that comes out with regularity. For example, they're doing a good job of generating excitement about Delta Rising, and I just get the feeling that that's because they're excited about it.
4) I'm going to have to pay to upgrade my scimitar, which I paid for to obtain, when other ships will be free when tier-6 hits. That's not cool, guys. I think this could have been thought out a bit better. I guess making it so that non-payers have a distinct disadvantage feels unfair too, but I think if you've put some money into the pot to buy a ship initially, then payment to upgrade there-and-then should be optional for those who want to pay and there should be an option to do it via the actual game for everyone else.
5) The streamlining of some mechanics is very welcome. I'm thinking the way you now just contribute credits, exp and marks on reputation events. Remember when you had to contribute random items like regenerators too? It didn't feel right (What were the groups doing with billions upon billions of tons of supplies?) and the new system is much quicker, less hassle, and much more user-friendly, thumbs up for that decision.
6) I still can't fire Tovan Khev. I want to be able to fire him. Please let me fire him. Preferably out of a photon-torpedo tube into a sub-space anomoly filled with irritating side-characters from video-games so he can languish in that fresh hell with the likes of Tails from Sonic The Hedgehog and the annoying paper-clip from Microsoft Office (Not a video game character, I know, but he'd be there).
7) Re-speccing should be free. It'd give players a lot more freedom to explore all the facets of the game and reduce THE worst element of any XP based game; character regret. I reckon people would have a lot more fun with their 'toon' and it'd be a great business idea too; it'd encourage people to try out new ships and keep them interested in the game. I BET people would buy up more Zen if this were the case, and it'd be just a friendly thing to do; you can't expect a newbie to get the skill planning right first time, they don't know the game-mechanics well enough to really know all the intricacies and what they might want. Paying for anything should always feel like a pleasant bonus to those who do it, not an unfair punishment for those who don't.
8) The Duty Officer system has had a minor face-lift and again, it's an improvement. The information's presented more clearly, it's cleaner and more concise and this is an example of some intelligent thinking. Problems were identified and fixed and that's laudible.
9) Here's an idea, which may or may not be good/do-able: An app that lets you manage your Doffs outside of actually logging into the game. Firefly Online is going to have something similar
and it would be cool as heck to do that with STO (I LOVE the Doff system). I guess it'd be a lot of work but is it at least an idea that's worth considering?
So there you go, just some thoughts on the state of STO at the moment from a returning player!
Post edited by hydraface on
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Comments
When I think about everything we've been through together,
maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,
and if that journey takes a little longer,
so we can do something we all believe in,
I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.
As for doffing its buged for some kdf players thats why u now have to wait 5 sec between each mission completing after logging in.
Toven needs to die or made in to doff he wasting a boff slot on my rom char.
It's bugged for some Feds as well. I can tell you that from experience.
I agree, it really is and it has so much potential so I'm looking forward to new expansion.
I think they will do something about this when they make a Skill-tree revamp. I think they said that could happen in season 10. Not sure if it will be free or if it will have lower price but something should definitely be changed. We have so much ships and in order to use them, we need to make some changes to our skill points.. current system has restrictions that doesn't allow it happen easily.
They already have Gateway project which is still in Beta. I think revamped Doff system will be implemented into Gateway when they decide to move their resources toward improving it.
Welcome back!
Been away for about a year as well and only logged back on to claim the summer givaways but I found myself doing a Dyson mission that was added in my absence. Wasn't too bad but all the running around doing mundane tasks is still there. I gave up on the mission tree after doing the 'Circles within circles' mission and began wandering around space within the sphere.
What WAS a nice shock was the entertainment value I found in the Dyson sphere zone 'contested space'. What started out as just trying to stay alive turned into about 6 hours relearning how to fly my ship, but by nights end I racked up over 100 marks and was soloing battleships with my tired mk 11 gear equipped freebie Kamarag.
I still don't know if I EVER want to try any of the REP systems or any of the new traits but at least my thousands of marks are still in my account, as well as all those BNP's that kept piling up when I used to do eSTF's out of sheer boredom.
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
Rep isn't bad if you mostly ignore it and just run the missions as a way to get a bit of extra dilithium.
Just do the daily rep missions whenever you remember it, don't "grind it out". Each time you do you get a bunch a dil and some free gear, mostly mark 11 blue but sometimes 12 and sometimes purple.
When the bonus dilithium event comes around, burn all of your marks and Borg neural processors on the 15second project that converts them into dilithium and you'll be set for a month worth of refining.
The traits are nice, but you can only use 4 of each anyway so there's no real reason to rush for them.
If you make it a grind, you'll hate rep. If you consider it a way to double or triple the dil you get from running content and occasionally a free trait appears for you as a bonus, then you'll probably enjoy it.
Now that this is account wide upgrades I am more likely to at least do one ship for each of the factions since I have 2 Roms, 6 Fed and 4 KDF on my account that will all benefit from the upgrade unlocking on a ship. At 12 toons 1-5 FSM costing 500 - 2500 zen per captain just for 1 fleet variant each there is no way I am forking out that kind of money when I already have put in about $350 on account wide ships since the game went F2P.
BTW nobody asked for a "cleaning". It was a fine UI, and I never saw a complain, except for few bugs. Cryptic came one day and said "we are going to ignore our bug list, again, and fix something that's working fine. Breaking it in the process, and never fix the new bugs we will add over the old ones". Technically, it was more dropping the patch on tribble and be really happy like your cat when he brings back a half eaten mouse and drop it on the computer. An usual day in Cryptic HQ.
What's really sad about the new doff/crafting system is that it was clearly lifted from never winter but is even harder to use and more grindy than their copy. I have nothing but contempt for the new doff/crafting system. Ienjoyed the old doff system,and I didn't mind the old crafting system. This new one is junk.
I already have my Armitage Escort Carrier, it costed me 2500 zen and now i have to pay 500 to 1000 zen ON TOP?
Would it be so difficult to do that? All you need to do is creating 6 new ships and changing the level and stats of the current T5 by default
I know that game development is expensive, but there will be a lot of new ships featuring unique abilities like the 5th level, the new boff stations will probably make many people buy new boff slots and announcing a new season will increase the player base and therefore the income anyway. So dont tell me they have to pay the electricity bill