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imadoctornota
Member Posts: 469 Arc User
I finally caught up on the recent episodes after a brief hiatus. The Future Proof story line as well as several of the missions in the TOS captain's story line were plagued with an enormous amount of unforgivably cliche and/or contrived moments. I felt that the Future Proof story line particularly failed to really get the player into the story. It was just a lot of "we're doing this now" and "now do this". That being said, I was very impressed by Echoes of Light! Personally I would love to see more in this vein. More story, less pew pew. I still felt more like a supporting officer with no real say-so in the decision making process, just like any other episode, but that seems to be due to a limitation in the engine. The story is definitely progress though!
Of Signs and Portents was also a very good overall, that is until we got to the Tzenkethi...
The ships look fine. Their combat behaviors, ground and space, I have no problem with. The ground units look great...if you're a five year old! I'm sorry, that's not very nice, I realize that, but it was such an enormous letdown! The Tzenkethi, a species whose appearance has long been a mystery to fans turns out to be a Voth reject? Oh no. Oh no you didn't! I seriously think that these things were originally made to be some sort of Voth trooper that ended up being benched in favor of the T-Rex or something. That would make a lot more sense and I could almost forgive that. I understand that, if you have already constructed (or partially constructed) resources, you don't want to let those go to waste, but there's a better way! Make them into a new species, an unfriendly counter to the Deferi and the Lukari. Or expand the Voth story line, make them some genetically engineered shock troops. Just don't do that to the Tzenkethi.
There were a thousand different ways to go, why do another lizard? We've got the Voth and the Gorn already. Where are the Avian races? Where are the fishlike races (I would love to see Antedeans btw)? I would much rather them be as they are depicted in the books, another race that appears very humanoid, as long as they aren't big dumb brutes like everyone else we run into. Why not a diminutive but cunning adversary for a change? Why does everything we come across have to tower over us and rely on brute force? It's all very tired.
I know many are going to be quick to yell "Troll!", but that's not it at all. I am a big fan of Star Trek and I am a big fan of many parts of this game. I just want to see it get better. /rant
Of Signs and Portents was also a very good overall, that is until we got to the Tzenkethi...
The ships look fine. Their combat behaviors, ground and space, I have no problem with. The ground units look great...if you're a five year old! I'm sorry, that's not very nice, I realize that, but it was such an enormous letdown! The Tzenkethi, a species whose appearance has long been a mystery to fans turns out to be a Voth reject? Oh no. Oh no you didn't! I seriously think that these things were originally made to be some sort of Voth trooper that ended up being benched in favor of the T-Rex or something. That would make a lot more sense and I could almost forgive that. I understand that, if you have already constructed (or partially constructed) resources, you don't want to let those go to waste, but there's a better way! Make them into a new species, an unfriendly counter to the Deferi and the Lukari. Or expand the Voth story line, make them some genetically engineered shock troops. Just don't do that to the Tzenkethi.
There were a thousand different ways to go, why do another lizard? We've got the Voth and the Gorn already. Where are the Avian races? Where are the fishlike races (I would love to see Antedeans btw)? I would much rather them be as they are depicted in the books, another race that appears very humanoid, as long as they aren't big dumb brutes like everyone else we run into. Why not a diminutive but cunning adversary for a change? Why does everything we come across have to tower over us and rely on brute force? It's all very tired.
I know many are going to be quick to yell "Troll!", but that's not it at all. I am a big fan of Star Trek and I am a big fan of many parts of this game. I just want to see it get better. /rant
Thanks for the expansion that had "as much content as the last"
9 Episodes = 30+ episodes...?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
It's pronounced "S.T.O." "Stow" sounds idiotic! lol
9 Episodes = 30+ episodes...?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
It's pronounced "S.T.O." "Stow" sounds idiotic! lol
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That was my reaction.
I heard somewhere that the limits of the game's engine drove them away from many more interesting concepts. But I think given some of the other things that are in the game, they could have and should have done something a bet further away from biped dude with perhaps extreme makeup. The tholians prove it can be done.
Many have brought this up and many have cited the following from Memory Alpha:
That all nice and fine, but Robert Hewitt Wolfe thought that before Cyptic put the Voth in this game giving his idea the appearance of a lame rehash.
If Cryptic did feel they had to honor his vision, they should have done the Tzenkethi and not done the Voth. Or they should have picked something other than the Tzenkethi.
So does that mean Cryptic shouldn't have included the Lukari because we already have tons of other humanoid species? Of course not. The Voth and Tzenkethi are both reptilian species. Getting upset because "ermahgerd there's more than one armored reptiles in mah game!", when the voth actually look fairly different and the only real similarity is they're both lizard people, is just plain silly. Should we also have no other "crystaline" creatures then because we already have Tholians?
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
I'm meh on the Lukari, but I like them better than the Deferi. There was no need for either IMO. Even so, I think the Lukari could have been improved by one simple change- making them short.
The voth were a dumb idea no matter what, and yes they are the lame rehash in a setting that already had Gorn and Tzenkethi. But that's TV for you, a pool of rehash.
But Cryptic is responsible for what Cryptic does. And Cryptic did the Voth first, and now have rehashed them with the Tzenkethi. End of story.
I think we should continue this line of thought to its ultimate conclusion:
Vulcans and Romulans? - redundant!
Gorn, Voth, Xindi-Reptillian, Tzenkethi - THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! * Queen music rises *
In fact, since most races were seeded by the Ancient Humanoids, Hoo-mans are all we need!
Welcome to Star Trek Humans Only.
But if they were short they would then be a rehash of the Tellarite's. That would mean you're suggesting something you're against, rehashing something that another species already is.
Shorter.
And I already said that they were unneeded and that I'm meh on them. Shorter helps, but doesn't make them great by any means.
Vulcan and Romulans are the same race basically.
Gorn, Voth, Xindi-Reptillian, Tzenkethi- yes, redundant.
"In fact, since most races were seeded by the Ancient Humanoids" Always hated that element of Star Trek to be honest. They were limited by the effects and budgets of the era- but there was no need to enshrine it within their fiction and call attention to it with a dumb and boring idea.
bye bye, can I haz ur stuffs?
Hate star wars except for the first movie.
Star Trek isn't a religion to me. It like all man made things is a mixed bag, and will I truly enjoy the first couple seasons of TOS- it wasn't perfect. And I have little to no use for anything after that. Which includes the story line of this game so far.
But I do like running around in my Connie, building my Fleet Holdings, and shooting stuff now and then. So no, you can't have my stuff.
As for your desire to only have 1 of any kind of species type, did you know that just on Earth there are more than 43,000 different species of spiders? IDIC!
Not necessarily, it seems to me to be that way more by design. This mission explicitely has you just watching over the Lukari's first mission. They are absolutely intended to call the shots, you're just there to prevent disaster in case Kuumaarke either does something extremely dangerous or some enemies show up.
So Cryptic should ignore parts of the canon (not contradict it, mind you, but ignore), because you think this is redundant? And again I wonder why four or five reptilian races are "redundant", but a gazillion of mammalian are not? Sure, some other kind of race would be nice. But this "reptilians are all the same" also seems a little superficial. We don't know much of the Tzenkethi so far, but Gorn, Xindi-Rep, Saurian and Voth all seem pretty different to me, not only looks-wise, but also by characterization.
About the Lukari: I do think that creating non canon races as "major players" is a dangerous road, but there's only a limited amount of canon available. (And before somebody mentions the books, vastly expanding canon possibilities, they are contradictory, of sometimes dubious quality, and we would have threadnaughts of discussions about what should and shouldn't be in, and why). Personally I think they are quite well done. And while it would make sense to have more variation in size (though only to a limit from a physiological point of view), too different sizes would possibly hamper gameplay.
What we can agree on though would be that the whole "all humanoids come from the same origins" was not really helpful. (Also: Voth as descendants from earth dinosaurs and T-Rex with laser beams). But that wasn't Cryptics fault.
Sure. I think they should open the range up and go boldly somewhere we haven't gone.
There's a reason I lost interest in Star Trek beyond TOS. With few exceptions, it never offered anything new or even of significant quality.
Yes, the writing here is often nearly as cheesy as the TV show's writing. But Star Trek, and apparently games based on Star Trek aren't where you go looking for consistently thoughtful or innovative sci fi, so really, set your expectations accordingly.
Well, there's a problem with that. When you have a game based on an IP, most players will expect that it is based on said IP, uses what this IP is based upon. Not call something "Star Trek" and then ignore half of what Star Trek did and just do their own thing. Doing their own thing in and of itself doesn't mean it'd be better or worse, so far we are in agreement. But I for one wouldn't be here if it weren't for the IP and me recognizing much of what I know from it.
Now granted, you don't call for an abandonment of the IP. Just the parts you don't like as much. Well, I don't like VOY, and as such everything Delta Quadrant. Which coincidentally would solve this problem, since the Voth are VOY. Others dislike the Bajorans, often to be seen on the forums. Who gets to decide which one goes down the drain?
9 Episodes = 30+ episodes...?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
It's pronounced "S.T.O." "Stow" sounds idiotic! lol
My sense is the bulk of the STO audience and Star Trek fans in general are extraordinarily conservative. You almost have to be to have stuck with Trek while the TV sci-fi/space opera genre has moved on.
About the folks that designed the Phantom, one can look to Gabby Johnson for guidance on the sentiments about no saucer that he expressed in authentic frontier giberish:
'I wash born here, an I wash raished here, and dad gum it, I am gonna die here, an no sidewindin' bushwackin', hornswagglin' cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter.'
Now, who can argue with that.
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
9 Episodes = 30+ episodes...?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
It's pronounced "S.T.O." "Stow" sounds idiotic! lol
I dont see the problem with another reptilian species, in fact given the ratio between the two it seens quute logical to me.
"If this will be our end, then I will have them make SUCH an end as to be worthy of rememberance! Out of torpedos you say?! Find me the ferengi!".
So, yeah...if you want to find new species and civilizations or even want to do what Star Trek should be doing; wait for the new Mass Effect. Because it's going to take a literal century for Star Trek itself to actually progress to the future.
To a large part, each individual player. I avoid those element of the game that I intensely dislike, and grind through those parts that are meh to me. In the end, I spend most of my time running ships and wearing uniforms that I that enjoy.
Mentally I toss everything else onto the trash heap that makes up MMO design in any case.
Dunno, most sci fi, apart from Trek, these days are the typical "Dark and gritty" gloom and doom stories.....be it Battle Star Galactica, Star Wars, The Aliens films, Doctor Who and even Red Dwarf always show the future as something bleak gruesome.