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New NPC Faction: Which one do you want to see?
roborobin96
Member Posts: 107 Arc User
Recently, we had a lot of discussions about new playable factions. This time, however, we talk about new NPC factions you might want to fight/see.
While STO does have a plethora of NPC factions that players can encounter, there are some that we haven't seen yet, but might be an interesting prospect for players. I also have foundry authors in mind here, because I can imagine that some of them want to tell stories including some of these factions.
Remember: This poll is not about new playable factions. It is solely about new NPC factions that you might want to see.
While STO does have a plethora of NPC factions that players can encounter, there are some that we haven't seen yet, but might be an interesting prospect for players. I also have foundry authors in mind here, because I can imagine that some of them want to tell stories including some of these factions.
Remember: This poll is not about new playable factions. It is solely about new NPC factions that you might want to see.
Who's the prettiest of them all?
New NPC Faction: Which one do you want to see? 37 votes
Sheliak Corporate
10%
4 votes
Tzenkethi Coalition
5%
2 votes
Talarian Republic
2%
1 vote
Tamarians
2%
1 vote
First Federation
8%
3 votes
Pakleds
5%
2 votes
Holy Order of the Kinshaya
2%
1 vote
Devore Imperium
2%
1 vote
Unknown Gamma Quadrant Faction
10%
4 votes
None of the above
48%
18 votes
0
Comments
I'd rather see the main story line focus on the same faction for a longer time period. There's too many species that were added only to serve as cannon fodder for one season. Examples include the Voth, Undine, Elachi. Only there because they were once the enemy of the week, after that we never heard anything of them again, nothing about possible diplomatic efforts, new developments or whatever.
After the Iconian War they didn't even tell us what happened to the Elachi. We only know the Voth failed to show up in the second fight for the Turei homeworld, without knowing the reason. We know that the most hostile Undine faction, that of Cooper, was basically neutralised, but we haven't seen any other Undine factions or what has become of them.
All that's happening by adding new factions (that, as said, usually only serve as cannon fodder) is that another species is added that will become under-used, never fully explored and will only make the storyline less believable with conflict after conflict and the Alliance fighting dozens of species/factions in such a short time.
I can think of only a handful of exceptions, namely the Kobali, the Vaadwaur to some extent. Most factions could have been so much more interesting though, if they had been the focus for a longer time and not just one season until we move to the next baddy (which is usually the only reason to add new factions).
Kelvan because we now have a Andromeda Galaxy connection basically - the Iconians spend there time there. An entire new galaxy to explore, and we even know a potential villain or ally.
The Hur'q because it would continue the Fek'lhri arc from the KDF, and give us another opportunity to at least "sight see" Klingon culture and history in a faction-agnostic mission, instead of doing a allegedly faction-agnostic mission with mostly Fed dialogues on a KDF char.
For actual story missions, Cryptic should invent their own aliens of the week long before resorting to reusing those.
Homeworlds for all of the existing species (Fed, KDF and Romulan alike) with a small one or two episode story arc for each, and repeatable missions to bring players back to spend time there, as well as the usual social zones.
And update DS9 already.
And Caitian hair while we're at it. (I'd pay for that)
Then add in Cardassia and a Cardassian player race, in a style similar to Agents of Yesterday. Rinse and repeat with other key races in the Star Trek canon (Denobulans, Ocampans, Edosians, Efrosians, Talaxians...long list). Charge Zen (race unlocks with a character slot) for them if you have to, but I think folks would pay.
I won't be starting our old debate of what is assumed and what is actually shown again, I think we've discussed that already.
What I do want to point out is that -except maybe for the Elachi which we featured more often and pretty clearly destroyed indeed, granted - most species we've seen were never really used in the sense that we visit their homeworld or stations etc.
I would love to see a Voth station from the inside for example. Even if we were told what happened, it could still make for an interesting mission if we were to visit them again and try to open diplomatic relations. Such missions have been requested quite often.
My main point is: we don't really need new factions as there are already a dozen factions available that could be used in some way for new missions, without adding new ones that will only be featured for one season (or, in some cases, two seasons or one season and one or two separate episodes at most).
That could be fun.
They already did something like that to some extent with the Elachi and the Iconians of whose species we only saw an individual or two or just some remnant tech. The entire background of the species, the homeworld and aestethics, some parts of their culture and such are all Cryptic-designed basically. And of course we have the Heralds and Deferi, which were, imo, interesting additions to the game.
And everyone loves these kinds of missions...
once.
Then, after learning the story, they don't want to set foot there ever again (or at least have a few months/years pass) and only to "refresh" themselves on what happened there... Kinda like rereading an old book...
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]
What's your definition of "key character"? Considering we currently have playable characters from species that were at best background characters in one or two episodes.
Denobulans, Ocampans, Talaxians and Edosians all had featured recurring characters on the tv shows (I'm not getting into the debate about TAS being canon again...CBS seems to say it is - look at the most recent remastered box set - and the devs quoted it as a canon source to explain the use of shields in the AoY expansion. So STO considers it canon at least).
Regardless, my actual point was that any one of the races in Star Trek - whether you consider them canon or not - could be introduced as a playable species the same way they introduced TOS Feds.
The problem is that the development of Bajor and other social locations was short-sighted. They didn't put in any worthwhile reason to revisit the locations once the initial mission is done.
I can't tell you how many times I've run the missions in the Deferi zone, and that map is atrocious, BUT there's stuff there that brings me back. Why wasn't Bajor built like that? Why doesn't every social zone have unique repeatable missions (not just combat ones either) to bring players back time and again?
because that'd mean taking time to make worthwhile content, not just 'blitz through and sell some ships' content... when was the last time cryptic did anything other than 'blitz through and sell some ships' content?
There's simply no point in having non-combat missions as long as there aren't anything intellectually challenging in them.
"The Federation is nothing more than a homo sapiens only club." --Chancellor Azetbur
But yes, I am of course aware of the segment of the playerbase that loudly objects to anything actually resembling a game. Instead preferring to repeatedly grind the same mechanistic millstones with zero challenge, a few explosions and lots of rewards as fast as possible.
Those people already have ISA and CCA, so they don't need any new content. And the only new content they would want is "just like ISA and CCA, but faster and more rewards."
That won't ever happen, so take this as you will.
It's pretty much this hard to keep just one timeline intact. ♪
Someone didn't read the entire OP
Personally, I'd like to see the Voth explored some more, I've always found their concept fascinating.
I'm actually guilty of that as well. I just realized that this is about NPC FACTIONS...not player factions. Apologies to the OP for ranting about things that didn't fit the topic.
For NPC factions, that's a whole different thing. I'd go for the Tzenkethi Coalition. But only if they use the versions developed in the Typhon Pact novels, which would be pretty difficult to do - not only because the novels are considered non-canon mostly.
memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Tzenkethi
I'd want that version of the Tzenkethi as well, we don't need "heavily armored lizard things", we already have the Gorn and the Voth for that.
Personally, I'd like to see some factions more fleshed out, like the Fek'Ihri for example. I also want dreadnoghts and fighters added to the Cardassian NPC faction.
Even if Cryptic wouldn't make storylines with the species on the list, they could include them in the Foundry to give authors more to work with.
Who's the prettiest of them all?