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-= TEST DRIVE A SHIP =-

OK DEVS. FUTURE IDEA:

I have several friends who envy the ship I fly. They are interested in spending Zen to purchase one, however they are also hesitant because for some people (myself included), spending a large amount of Zen on a ship you know nothing about (other than displayed stats) could potentially be a waste if they're not satisfied with it after purchasing. This concept held me back personally for 3 years, from purchasing a ship I was interested in.

IDEA:
An idea that could satisfy both the player (by allowing them to test a ship), as well as Cryptic (by earning from extra ships purchased), could potentially be, a sort of:

"Captain's Trade Off"

Consider:
If it were possible to let another player fly or temporarily own my ship (for say, 30 minutes to an hour) by trading or giving me EC's (or even nothing at all), while at the same time paying Cryptic a certain amount of Dilithium, would not only allow the other player to "test drive" a possible future purchase, it would also encourage them to do so.

Of course, there would have to be limits set.
For instance, the same player should not be able to "test fly" the same ship more than once, ever. They should however, be able to outfit it with what they currently have on their own ship (or close), so to be able to make close comparisons to what they currently fly.
How they use it should also be limited. For instance, no PvP. Possibly certain STF's, or even previously played missions.

Having the ability to "test fly" a ship on a one time only basis would not only allow a player to "try before you buy", it would also encourage them as well.

This concept doesn't necessarily have to be between captains or players. But allowing the possibility to "test drive" on a timed, one-time limited basis would allow a player to get excited about a future purchase.

I myself would have gladly purchased Zen for my current ship years ago if this had been possible.

Make it so!!
«1

Comments

  • leemwatsonleemwatson Member Posts: 5,331 Arc User
    edited October 2016
    Test drives have been suggested before. However the limitation should be that they can only use the ship in the planetary space of the faction that they belong to. Letting people take a ship into a combat location would be like a car dealer allowing someone to drive the car in a race. No decent dealer would ever allow such a risk. lol
    "You don't want to patrol!? You don't want to escort!? You don't want to defend the Federation's Starbases!? Then why are you flying my Starships!? If you were a Klingon you'd be killed on the spot, but lucky for you.....you WERE in Starfleet. Let's see how New Zealand Penal Colony suits you." Adm A. Necheyev.
  • captkelly31#5645 captkelly31 Member Posts: 392 Arc User
    They did something like that with the Odyssey and the Kobali cruiser. A shakedown flight around the solar system with Jupiter Station as the halfway point could be an idea. Not sure what KDF/RR would do.
  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User
    Excellent point leemwatson.
  • fluffymooffluffymoof Member Posts: 430 Arc User
    The same account should only be able to test drive it once. I think opening it up as a "per character" thing would make the system 100% ready for abuse.
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  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User
    great point fluffymoof! I agree!!
  • bobbydazlersbobbydazlers Member Posts: 4,534 Arc User
    edited October 2016
    why not just make all ships (bar lockbox ones) own-able on tribble and give players who don't have access but are thinking of buying a ship temporary access (say one day) to tribble for a small dilithium fee so they can test different ships that can be accessed by the character they have copied to tribble to find the one that suits them the best, they can then test the ships in any of the missions that are available to them depending on the characters level at that time.
    the added benefit being that the player can test with any addons that are available to his character at that time.
    after all tribble is supposed to be the test server why not use it for testing ships in this way.
    the added benefit for cryptic being the character on holodeck will be unaffected by any mission rewards that the tribble character might earn while using loaner ships so no chance of using loaner ships just to abuse the system or gain an advantage.

    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.

  • lordsteve1lordsteve1 Member Posts: 3,492 Arc User
    Quite a few MMO's i play have a "free trial" period, be it using a gun for 30 mins or having a place to try on outifts etc. It's a good idea, I mean if I find something nice i'll save up and buy it.

    I guess though, Cryptic don't want people testing things, they want you to spend money and if you hate it then tough luck. That is just how they role.

    One way around this though would be to have some sort of "combat simulator" mission selector where you could pick a stock ship and do a PVE run to get the feel for the ship, something short like a 10 min run against some easy prey, armed with a standard setup. You wouldn't earn any XP or marks etc, it'd just be a way to get a feel for a new ship; see if it suits you or not.
    SulMatuul.png
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    leemwatson wrote: »
    Test drives have been suggested before. However the limitation should be that they can only use the ship in the planetary space of the faction that they belong to. Letting people take a ship into a combat location would be like a car dealer allowing someone to drive the car in a race. No decent dealer would ever allow such a risk. lol
    Make a unique space, with combat (solo) they can test in.
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • trennantrennan Member Posts: 2,839 Arc User
    Does this really matter? I mean there's a fairly high chance starting out that a RCS console is going to be on the ship. Thus making any ship fly like an escort. So for a test drive, just go fly an escort around without one of those consoles.
    Mm5NeXy.gif
  • buckeyestar#6353 buckeyestar Member Posts: 5 Arc User
    leemwatson wrote: »
    Test drives have been suggested before. However the limitation should be that they can only use the ship in the planetary space of the faction that they belong to. Letting people take a ship into a combat location would be like a car dealer allowing someone to drive the car in a race. No decent dealer would ever allow such a risk. lol

    But car dealers don't have holodecks. A holo simulation would be the perfect way to test drive a ship.
  • dragnridrdragnridr Member Posts: 671 Arc User
    Why not just let the ALL the ships on tribble be free. This way the player can out fit the ship the way they want and they could play around with it all they want and it not affect the holodeck. It seems a more simple solution.
  • crm14916crm14916 Member Posts: 1,516 Arc User
    The holodeck at the Fleet Starbase would be perfect for this. Queue up a combat simulation with any ship you want to test drive and fly it like you do in the test sims we play in the "Bajor" mission. No special equipment, in fact it would port over what you have on your current ship (like the system already does if you forgot to disable that lousy feature in the options menu) into the existing slots, including boff abilites...

    I wouldn't make all ships free on Tribble, since you'd find that Tribble would become the new Holodeck... Why play Holodeck when you can have anything you've always wanted on Tribble and it's free! (say the last few words with an Adam Sandler voice from Bedtime Stories, lol)

    Anyway, I'd have an easier time purchasing a ship if I already knew a bit on how it handled and how my current setup might fit with it... Heck, have it charge a certain amount of FC or Dil to start the sim...

    Anyway, this has been mentioned before. Cryptic will wait for a time when they can claim it's their idea, and take all the credit, and figure out how to put it in a lockbox, and charge an arm or a leg for it... It's good for business! (say that line like that Ferengi from the Winter Wonderland says it...)

    CM
    "Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure science." - Edwin Hubble
  • warpnugget#0537 warpnugget Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    yawnewi wrote: »
    OK DEVS. FUTURE IDEA:

    I have several friends who envy the ship I fly. They are interested in spending Zen to purchase one, however they are also hesitant because for some people (myself included), spending a large amount of Zen on a ship you know nothing about (other than displayed stats) could potentially be a waste if they're not satisfied with it after purchasing. This concept held me back personally for 3 years, from purchasing a ship I was interested in.

    IDEA:
    An idea that could satisfy both the player (by allowing them to test a ship), as well as Cryptic (by earning from extra ships purchased), could potentially be, a sort of:

    "Captain's Trade Off"

    Consider:
    If it were possible to let another player fly or temporarily own my ship (for say, 30 minutes to an hour) by trading or giving me EC's (or even nothing at all), while at the same time paying Cryptic a certain amount of Dilithium, would not only allow the other player to "test drive" a possible future purchase, it would also encourage them to do so.

    Of course, there would have to be limits set.
    For instance, the same player should not be able to "test fly" the same ship more than once, ever. They should however, be able to outfit it with what they currently have on their own ship (or close), so to be able to make close comparisons to what they currently fly.
    How they use it should also be limited. For instance, no PvP. Possibly certain STF's, or even previously played missions.

    Having the ability to "test fly" a ship on a one time only basis would not only allow a player to "try before you buy", it would also encourage them as well.

    This concept doesn't necessarily have to be between captains or players. But allowing the possibility to "test drive" on a timed, one-time limited basis would allow a player to get excited about a future purchase.

    I myself would have gladly purchased Zen for my current ship years ago if this had been possible.

    Make it so!!

    crappy idea,instead of wasting resources and things like this or putting out more glorified mounts ehm sorry meant ships how about we get some REAL FREAKING CONTENT,damn new missions take 45 minutes and then you're done...
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    Didn't they used allow accessing the new ships on Tribble?

    I think they stopped it when people would just try it and never buy it. I think some people might have played the game just on Tribble.

    Is Tribble, now, locked between testing?? It is not entirely clear to me, since I only go on Tribble for testing the big changes to systems.
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • casualstocasualsto Member Posts: 672 Arc User
    This would take-down the ship-sales. Most of the ships are tempting to the new buyer's eye, but suck hard in practical tests. An hour allows you to decide if the ship is worth your money without owning it. So most of the players won't buy it anymore. It will not be implemented probably due to this idea.

    I also tried to have some hints and advices to each ship on the sto wikia, but since it was open-editing for everyone, some mentally challenged individuals re-edited and deleted my technical notes and since there was no win in dueling with mentally challenged people, I dropped the initiative. Nobody wants you to know what ship is good for you or appropriate. You just gotta try on your own pocket. I have never met such a greedy community as in STO. So this is a simple matter. If they burned their money, they feel a sadistic pleasure in watching you burn yours as well to repeat their mistakes.
  • nccmarknccmark Member Posts: 1,083 Arc User
    People ready use Tribble to test drive ships, consoles etc.
  • dragnridrdragnridr Member Posts: 671 Arc User
    nccmark wrote: »
    People ready use Tribble to test drive ships, consoles etc.

    But not ships they DON'T already have and plan on buying. Yeah, you can take ships you already own to tribble. But for ships you don't have and you are thinking of buying, you're SOL.
  • taylor1701dtaylor1701d Member Posts: 3,099 Arc User
    I don't see the dev team going for something like this.
    First of all, this "Test Drive System" has to be developed and put into game.
    That will take time. And who knows how long it would take.

    Second, they are not going to make any money off this dev time.
    You may say, yes, more people will buy if they have a chance to test a ship !
    But I would say a test drive would discourage just as many as it would encourage.

    It would be a revenue neutral project imo.
    Unless they plan on charging like 500 Zen "Per Test Run".


    I think they'd rather you "think" you "really" want a ship, and have your imagination/expectations high on how great that ship will be. They don't want that expectation "spoiled" before you actually fork over the 30-90-200$ it costs to obtain said "shiny" ship.

    Its a proven phenomenon, that people "overrate" things they do not own. A Test Run, would totally kill that sales/psychological advantage cryptic PWE has over the average user.

    A Test Run System could potentially cut sales in HALF, if not more on mediocre ships.
    It could potentially harm sales on every ship in the game.

    I don't think they would ever willingly do something like this. Even though from a players perspective, it would be a very fair and equitable way of doing things....I just don't see them investing in something that could quite possibly harm them financially.
    [img][/img]OD5urLn.jpg
  • phenomenaut01phenomenaut01 Member Posts: 714 Arc User
    I dunno, I think a holodeck sort of set up, where you can test out ships, as well as load outs for ships, against enemies of your choosing is a good idea personally. As long as they set it up so that you didn't get any XP for the "Test drive" so it didn't turn into a farming situation, I see it as a sales floor thing.

    I've always wanted to check out various ship appearances, but can't do that without owning the ship, so adding in a feature like that would be nice too.

    Is it worth the development time? I'm not sure, given that there's so many other things that they could be working on. But I think it would probably lead to more ship sales, but that's just my opinion.
  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User
    crappy idea,instead of wasting resources and things like this or putting out more glorified mounts ehm sorry meant ships how about we get some REAL FREAKING CONTENT,damn new missions take 45 minutes and then you're done...

    It wouldn't necessarily have to have the need for new resources. Another viable option could be, a "quick test drive" but they can only use the ship in the planetary space of the faction that they belong to.

    And an even extended possibility could potentially be, players buying ships, who didn't like them will also dump them to buy other ships, which contributes to the revenue stream.

    And I really sincerely love.....
    .....more glorified mounts ehm sorry meant ships how about.....

    "ehm" ?? ?? Ever hear of the phenomenal key called "Backspace"?? It actually allows one to "reverse and erase" their mistakes. Unless the sole intent was to "sound like a grouchy ehm sorry meant "dissatisfied" person anyway".

    /em grins.

    as well as.....
    .....damn new missions take 45 minutes and then you're done.....

    Actually, since day one of release (and before) Star Trek Online missions have always been advertised by Cryptic and now PWI to take as long to play as it would to watch a normal show: Hence why they call them "Episodes".
    Most episodes take anywhere from 30 minutes up to 2 hours to finish, whereas singular missions — which are generally shorter than episodes — can still take the player up to 45 minutes to complete, as you'd stated.

    And, without forgetting that Star Trek Online is now Free to Play, it is potentially possible that allowing such a "test drive" would increase revenue. Not everyone is discouraged or let down when they purchase a new ship. In fact, "most" players I know (including myself) are thrilled about the ship they currently have, even though it may have taken them years (in my case as well) to decide whether the purchase was indeed going to be worth it.

    And, as far as.....
    .....how about we get some REAL FREAKING CONTENT,damn.....

    Considering the possibility that there could be less Cryptic programmers than compared to other companies, plus the time it takes to work out most major bugs and flaws, anyone who sincerely complains about STO not having content (after also taking into consideration the large amount of content added since release) quick enough or fast enough, is simply whining over nothing at all.
    A simple analogy could be: You own a bakery. You have only one baker on staff. The bakery becomes popular. You now have 300 customers per day wanting baked goods. The one baker on staff has the capability to bake only 7 items per day.

    This theory translates into any potential store that anyone can walk into nowadays.

    Someone at the door offers everyone a free sample of their company's baked goods. (Free to Play)
    Some people will not like it and throw it away.
    But, most people will like it and hence, buy more.

    By offering a customer a "free sample", brings more revenue. It's simple marketing.

    Sincerely,

    The One Who Uses Backspace
  • warpnugget#0537 warpnugget Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    yawnewi wrote: »
    crappy idea,instead of wasting resources and things like this or putting out more glorified mounts ehm sorry meant ships how about we get some REAL FREAKING CONTENT,damn new missions take 45 minutes and then you're done...

    It wouldn't necessarily have to have the need for new resources. Another viable option could be, a "quick test drive" but they can only use the ship in the planetary space of the faction that they belong to.

    And an even extended possibility could potentially be, players buying ships, who didn't like them will also dump them to buy other ships, which contributes to the revenue stream.

    And I really sincerely love.....
    .....more glorified mounts ehm sorry meant ships how about.....

    "ehm" ?? ?? Ever hear of the phenomenal key called "Backspace"?? It actually allows one to "reverse and erase" their mistakes. Unless the sole intent was to "sound like a grouchy ehm sorry meant "dissatisfied" person anyway".

    /em grins.

    ever hear of the middle finger? that is what im holding up and well extended at the moment,what i wrote is intended if you didnt get it you must have a problem...ehm sorry i mean you're just plain stupid.
    p.s shows the type of person you are by pointing out the lack of knowledge of said key even thou you knew what i meant to say,basically you are dik.


    as well as.....
    .....damn new missions take 45 minutes and then you're done.....

    Actually, since day one of release (and before) Star Trek Online missions have always been advertised by Cryptic and now PWI to take as long to play as it would to watch a normal show: Hence why they call them "Episodes".
    Most episodes take anywhere from 30 minutes up to 2 hours to finish, whereas singular missions — which are generally shorter than episodes — can still take the player up to 45 minutes to complete, as you'd stated.

    And, without forgetting that Star Trek Online is now Free to Play, it is potentially possible that allowing such a "test drive" would increase revenue. Not everyone is discouraged or let down when they purchase a new ship. In fact, "most" players I know (including myself) are thrilled about the ship they currently have, even though it may have taken them years (in my case as well) to decide whether the purchase was indeed going to be worth it.

    oh ok,so you work for crytpic now? that is the only reason to think you actually came up with a good idea.
    its a joke that you need to wait for months and months just to get one mission which lasts 45 minutes,that is the bottom line,but then again this game was doomed from the start,their aproach to what a star trek mmo is all wrong,oh well time to wait it out and hope this POS dies soon.
    revenue? hehe good one,so you worried about revenue?
    yeah,bad call,as long as the whales keep pumping money into lockboxes the rest of us aka the ones with a fully functional brain are stuck with this joke of a game.

    And, as far as.....
    .....how about we get some REAL FREAKING CONTENT,damn.....

    Considering the possibility that there could be less Cryptic programmers than compared to other companies, plus the time it takes to work out most major bugs and flaws, anyone who sincerely complains about STO not having content (after also taking into consideration the large amount of content added since release) quick enough or fast enough, is simply whining over nothing at all.
    A simple analogy could be: You own a bakery. You have only one baker on staff. The bakery becomes popular. You now have 300 customers per day wanting baked goods. The one baker on staff has the capability to bake only 7 items per day.

    This theory translates into any potential store that anyone can walk into nowadays.

    Someone at the door offers everyone a free sample of their company's baked goods. (Free to Play)
    Some people will not like it and throw it away.
    But, most people will like it and hence, buy more.

    By offering a customer a "free sample", brings more revenue. It's simple marketing.

    sooo let me get this straight,you talking about bugs and flaws like if this is a game in beta? wow...delusional much ?
    your bakery analogy sucks,no other way to say it,main flaw in your reasoning is that you're assuming everyone wants GLORIFIED MOUNTS EHM SORRY MEANT SHIPS instead of real content.
    me,my guildies and other people just steer clear of this game,we just login for special events and not a dime more will be spent on this,we are all hoping it dies soon so maybe then we can get a proper mmo with exploration and diplomacy,you know the cornestone of the star trek IP.


    Sincerely,

    The One Who Uses Backspace


    Sincerely,

    The One Who flips you the bird


    replies in bold
  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User
    </em grins>
    I had a feeling you may appreciate that!!

    Thanks for the cute feathered friend!
  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User
    I love people like warpnugget. They make me smile.
  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User

    You make me happy.

  • iconiansiconians Member Posts: 6,987 Arc User
    I want to say Cryptic (at least at one point) had a console on ESD and the Qo'noS shipyard on Tribble that could allow a player to claim any non-lockbox ship in the game for free, since the C-store is disabled on Tribble.​​
    ExtxpTp.jpg
  • yawnewiyawnewi Member Posts: 22 Arc User
    patrickngo wrote: »
    NOW do you suppose that might explain why you don't see that feature anymore?

    Possibly. But not really. I do appreciate the input, but... overall, the Bortasque was a TRIBBLE ship to begin with.
    There's been a ton of greater ship s released since that time.

    Pilot ships, Temporal Ships, T6 Connies, etc.
  • patheinpathein Member Posts: 13 Arc User
    patrickngo wrote: »
    yawnewi wrote: »
    OK DEVS. FUTURE IDEA:

    I have several friends who envy the ship I fly. They are interested in spending Zen to purchase one, however they are also hesitant because for some people (myself included), spending a large amount of Zen on a ship you know nothing about (other than displayed stats) could potentially be a waste if they're not satisfied with it after purchasing. This concept held me back personally for 3 years, from purchasing a ship I was interested in.

    IDEA:
    An idea that could satisfy both the player (by allowing them to test a ship), as well as Cryptic (by earning from extra ships purchased), could potentially be, a sort of:

    "Captain's Trade Off"

    Consider:
    If it were possible to let another player fly or temporarily own my ship (for say, 30 minutes to an hour) by trading or giving me EC's (or even nothing at all), while at the same time paying Cryptic a certain amount of Dilithium, would not only allow the other player to "test drive" a possible future purchase, it would also encourage them to do so.

    Of course, there would have to be limits set.
    For instance, the same player should not be able to "test fly" the same ship more than once, ever. They should however, be able to outfit it with what they currently have on their own ship (or close), so to be able to make close comparisons to what they currently fly.
    How they use it should also be limited. For instance, no PvP. Possibly certain STF's, or even previously played missions.

    Having the ability to "test fly" a ship on a one time only basis would not only allow a player to "try before you buy", it would also encourage them as well.

    This concept doesn't necessarily have to be between captains or players. But allowing the possibility to "test drive" on a timed, one-time limited basis would allow a player to get excited about a future purchase.

    I myself would have gladly purchased Zen for my current ship years ago if this had been possible.

    Make it so!!

    when they released the Bortasque (and for some time after) you could do this by claiming one at the console in the shipyard on Tribble.

    Loads of us KDF players did this, then shared our impressions with other players via the forum, in-game chat, etc.

    The result being, that the Bortasque failed Hard in sales-hard enough that Geko was able to convince his bosses not to work on or release another KDF ship to the C-store for the next three years.

    No **** now, it was that bad a reaction. seeing one in Holodeck after the first week was like seeing a unicorn on your front lawn. Eventually the buzz died down, and new people joined the game, bought into the ad-copy,and found themselves saddled with it-so the buzz returned, but at much reduced volume. Notably it took from late 2011 to 2015 and a whole lotta expensive powercreep, and now the Bort is mediocre where it was outright poor on release. Like the AMC Pacer or the Ford Edsel, the styling was there, but 'nothin' under the hood including no build quality-all the weaknesses of a Battlecruiser with all the weaknesses of a Fed Cruiser and none of the graces of either. People tried it, recognized it, talked about it, so they got rid of the test-drive on subsequent releases (except for those little mission-specific ones tied to event ships-because those are under strictly controlled railroad conditions.)

    NOW do you suppose that might explain why you don't see that feature anymore?

    I bought the Bortasque bundle. And though I can't say that I love it, I don't have any serious complaints about it either. Honestly my biggest problem with it is the same problem I have with every Klingon design in the game, their shields drop faster than my cheating TRIBBLE ex-girlfriends panties for her pot dealer.
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