That didn't sound like a veiled religious comment...
the way people treat political views in the present time, it's indistinguishable from religion or sports fans, Tosseau. though i suppose it adds a bit more celebrity worship/demonization, *(which makes it a lot more like pro sports fandom tbh...)
hence, pointing out that we've had presidents who did bad things before whichever current president or recent president is really in bad odour with whomever else is on the forum, is basically an attack on their faith.
see now?
I compare it to pro wrestling.....
Anyhow, I look foreword to why our muscular, 4 armed friends hate those crystals so much.
Hard to be inspired when you are forced to crank out the next lockbox junk to make money.
Ironic given that the fact that hey have been able to make so many lockboxes, all of which are themed, shows great creativity, and use of lore, on the devs part.
Before this game went F2P I would argue that they did MUCH more creative things than they do now.
Alllllrighty then. We can stop with the political rhetoric.
Star Trek Online Volunteer Community Moderator and Resident She-Wolf
Community Moderators are Unpaid Volunteers and NOT Employees of Gearbox/Cryptic
Views and Opinions May Not Reflect the Views and Opinions of Gearbox/Cryptic
[kidding]I know why this game feels so boring and uninspired OP: It is because of the collusion and meddling by an unfriendly game company which was caused by STO winning a popularity contest when everyone knows Star Citizen should have won. I can prove it with my anonymous sources from within the deep state. My left behind moles from the Star Citizen endless beta cycle can constantly make allusions to how bad STO really is and how dumb those of us who play STO and like it a lot really are.
You know what playing/enjoying STO makes me? I am the MMO equivalent of a Deplorable, lol.[/kidding]
A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.
STO is essentially Space Barbie Online with lots of restrictions via the categories for outfits. Missions and story don't bring in the $$$ so that's a side feature to what would normally be the main feature of a game. In a way, STO could be a form of Second Life minus a lot of flexibility.
Respectfully, Mr. Fangs, I find a lot of what you said to be ill-informed. I'm not accusing you of lying or something so hostile, but of not properly considering the facts. I point this out in hopes that it can help clarify some of the concerns, and maybe lead to better communication on all side.
*Note: Below, "you" refers to Cryptic/Perfect World as a whole, not you personally. I tried to catch myself in each place and change it to explicit acknowledgment of the company, but if I missed any please don't think I'm singling you alone out.
Seasons don't consist of a single mission, we've just shifted to releasing the missions over the course of the whole season, rather than doing a Netflix style dump of the whole thing at once, with nothing then being released for months after.
Note this, it applies to my point below. Your company's pattern is to release one episode and encourage multiple replays over a period of weeks.
Branching Storylines are great, but they take more time and more development, and only a fraction of your players will see any given branch, which makes it a harder sell.
Except your company's game is built upon the premise of each customer repeating the content - often multiple times over. While I agree that any individual character might see only a fraction of the content depending on how you define "branching storyline," the notion that only a fraction of the players/customers will see it is fundamentally flawed and ignores the foundations of the game your company is selling.
Even if we assume that a branching story means a character is locked into a specific branch once they do a mission once, your company has repeatedly promoted creation of multiple characters. Delta Recruitment and Temporal Agent are the most obvious, but basic mechanisms like reputation sponsorship, account bank, multiple factions, etc. all encourage creation of more than one character.
If anything, story branches - even if only on a slight alteration of the outcome of a mission - could make people WANT to repeat missions.
We could split the development up to make more branching story, but even if we just had an A and a B, unless we double the number of content developers, that would mean that from the player's perspective, each mission would be shorter, with less to do.
In some instances, perhaps. How is this a bad thing? Some episodes can be shorter, others can be longer but take more time to produce. Why does it have to be an either/or?
Also, differences don't need to be massive, say just on the rewards. Throwing a random idea out, why not have an option to at least try to resolve a conflict diplomatically, which rewards a comparable amount of Diplomacy commendation and "diplomacy reputation" or some such instead of the experience/loot you would get from killing the wave? Cryptic already has pieces of this in the game, so I know it is at least partially doable.
Thinking outside of a linear process may open up other paths to make a more unique product, but at least from my point of view I'm not seeing even an effort to do that, and I know I would certainly like to.
Edit: FWIW, I've never understood people's fixation that a given MMO should be the only thing they ever play for the rest of their lives. For my part, I will play an MMO for a while, then lose interest or get distracted by some other new game, go play that, and then come back to that MMO again.
This comment seems to neglect the very focus of the gaming industry currently. I just did a great deal of research on this, so I'll try to avoid getting too preachy. Long story short, video game companies are attempting to "habituate" (addict, in truth, but we don't like that word) customers to their games. People scoff at this, but it's very real. It's a process addiction, which includes things like gambling addictions.
I fully acknowledge that STO isn't nearly as bad on this as other games (yet, we'll see how the Endeavor system turns out), but it's definitely there. The significant number of "daily" tasks (event ship quests are the obvious, duty officer and admiralty click items, reputation mark boosts with a timer, literally "Daily" reputation projects, and so on) are all aspects of this "habituation/addiction" effort. Yes, someone can leave, but then they lose items that - in some cases - they can't ever get back or come at a very high cost.
Not only are you "rewarded" for daily activity, you are in some ways penalized for NOT being active daily.
We're here, we're free to play, and we're not going anywhere. Try something else for a bit, and then come back and give us another shot.
Anecdotally, I did that myself. When I came back after being away for several months, the items I used to sell on the exchange have dramatically lost EC value, I can't get a queue to start to even test my build under the new system, and I'm getting a lot of new crash to desktop errors on Risa (this has eased up in the last couple of weeks, but now I've completed what I needed on Risa).
Coming back, things seem to have gotten worse for me, and that makes me much less inclined to stay/come back again.
Um, you seem to have missed where he explained how non-linear mission design is a LOT more time consuming?
Also, ponder this: as a game designer how many missions would you like to encourage a player to play each day? Now, whatever that number is, how are you going to make it so they feel rewarded for having played them?
Making one or more new missions every day is the sort of development cycle that even Blizzard stays away from.
Um, you seem to have missed where he explained how non-linear mission design is a LOT more time consuming?
Also, ponder this: as a game designer how many missions would you like to encourage a player to play each day? Now, whatever that number is, how are you going to make it so they feel rewarded for having played them?
Making one or more new missions every day is the sort of development cycle that even Blizzard stays away from.
Yep, same for Jagex, they don't pop out a new quest each day. They spent quite some time working on the new Egyptian based world they just came out a few weeks back.
They shouldn't be working on ships. The Art Department should be working on ships. QA should be working on squishing bugs, because that's, y'know, their job.
And an end user saying the postings of a developer (particularly a dev who's in Art) are "ill-informed"... I don't think I have words for this. At least, none that wouldn't in all likelihood violate the ToS.
Iconian Arc. Multiple weeks for the Episodes when each released. Three to four weeks each. Five added after initial release of two for Season 10 & 10.5.
'But to be logical is not to be right', and 'nothing' on God's earth could ever 'make it' right!'
Judge Dan Haywood
'As l speak now, the words are forming in my head.
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.'
I must admit, with updates now consisting of one mission and some minor adjustments to the game mechanic, I'm having trouble motivating myself to log in as well. Yes they have released some fantastic ships over the last couple of months but if the only missions and queues you can fly these in are the ones you've done a hundred times before, you quickly lose interest again.
This game lacks endgame content. I think that much is obvious. It seems there are only two things to do once you've the reached max level and got your gear. Space barbie and dps hunt. But it's not like Cryptic didn't come up with good ideas in the past. The Sompek arena, NWS or Kobayashi Maru have been great additions to the game. It's hard to understand why they would remove this content after only a few days.
Other additions that were supposed to be long-term motivators have been broken from the start. They had so many good, innovative ideas for the Tzenkethi Battlezone. But bugs and lack of information makes you wanna rage quit and never play the game again.
Endgame needs some serious attention soon, or the exodus will continue.
I have to agree, Im a life time member and I really have to force my self to play. Honestly, what good are new ships and equipment? Its almost impossible to get any STF going these days and the story line and quality is very thin. It makes me sad. PVP is non existent as well.
When I get burned out on STO, I go play one of my other games. I have over 700 games on my Steam profile so I'm not worry of getting bored anytime soon. There is plenty of stuff for me to do. When I'm not playing games I either be working or doing homework for my college classes.
Before this game went F2P I would argue that they did MUCH more creative things than they do now.
nostalgia googles on much?
more than a year without content release, yes that is pure creativity. The little content that was released were all things that didn't make it into the release, but were developed long before.
Doff system, Admirality stuff, foundry and such was all developed under F2P, because they wouldn't have had the funds to do so...
In fact, the first 2 years of F2P had triple the amount of content the first 2 years had.
You really need to face the fact that the game was unsustainable with a subscription based model.
to the OP I can only say, FOUNDRY MISSIONS and become a creator...it is a whole game in a game so to speak.
does anyone think this game will last on consoles??
No idea but for as long as it does we don’t need to worry about the PC version. Given the feedback of some of the consoles player only a fraction of in PC player-base enjoys STO on consoles. This can be compared by the number of full instances we have on main hubs or during events like risa which funnel the population through the same game locations.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
trying to grind marks on console ATM is nearly impossible because no one plays the ques.
Oh I believe you; however the queue situation is not that different on the PC. As much as I like the teamed PvE content as unattractive it seems to be for the majority of STO players. In my experience they rather tend to every ridiculous activity there is before playing queues so that list is no indication about the game population at all.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
what hurts us as well is. we have no foundry missions. to pass the time between episodes.
Is it possible for you to find likeminded peeps for teamed pve maps? Are there game wide chat channels like we have for DPS on the PC e.G. or are you organized through fleets? I usually seek as long as I have to till I get a group rounded up for a PvE match. It’s basically the only activity in game I consider to be worth of my time.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
There are a lot of STFs I'd like to play, but almost all of them are empty usually. And I can't wait around for 30 minutes or beg people all over sector space for an equal amount of time.
I was hoping one day they would convert some of them so we could use our alts together as a sub for other online players, but that'll never happened. So 95% of the STFs will remain unplayble.
Comments
I compare it to pro wrestling.....
Anyhow, I look foreword to why our muscular, 4 armed friends hate those crystals so much.
Before this game went F2P I would argue that they did MUCH more creative things than they do now.
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You know what playing/enjoying STO makes me? I am the MMO equivalent of a Deplorable, lol.[/kidding]
*Note: Below, "you" refers to Cryptic/Perfect World as a whole, not you personally. I tried to catch myself in each place and change it to explicit acknowledgment of the company, but if I missed any please don't think I'm singling you alone out.
QA isn't working on ships? That's disturbing, considering how expensive they are. I don't think that's the intent, but that's how it sounds.
Note this, it applies to my point below. Your company's pattern is to release one episode and encourage multiple replays over a period of weeks.
Except your company's game is built upon the premise of each customer repeating the content - often multiple times over. While I agree that any individual character might see only a fraction of the content depending on how you define "branching storyline," the notion that only a fraction of the players/customers will see it is fundamentally flawed and ignores the foundations of the game your company is selling.
Even if we assume that a branching story means a character is locked into a specific branch once they do a mission once, your company has repeatedly promoted creation of multiple characters. Delta Recruitment and Temporal Agent are the most obvious, but basic mechanisms like reputation sponsorship, account bank, multiple factions, etc. all encourage creation of more than one character.
If anything, story branches - even if only on a slight alteration of the outcome of a mission - could make people WANT to repeat missions.
In some instances, perhaps. How is this a bad thing? Some episodes can be shorter, others can be longer but take more time to produce. Why does it have to be an either/or?
Also, differences don't need to be massive, say just on the rewards. Throwing a random idea out, why not have an option to at least try to resolve a conflict diplomatically, which rewards a comparable amount of Diplomacy commendation and "diplomacy reputation" or some such instead of the experience/loot you would get from killing the wave? Cryptic already has pieces of this in the game, so I know it is at least partially doable.
Thinking outside of a linear process may open up other paths to make a more unique product, but at least from my point of view I'm not seeing even an effort to do that, and I know I would certainly like to.
This comment seems to neglect the very focus of the gaming industry currently. I just did a great deal of research on this, so I'll try to avoid getting too preachy. Long story short, video game companies are attempting to "habituate" (addict, in truth, but we don't like that word) customers to their games. People scoff at this, but it's very real. It's a process addiction, which includes things like gambling addictions.
I fully acknowledge that STO isn't nearly as bad on this as other games (yet, we'll see how the Endeavor system turns out), but it's definitely there. The significant number of "daily" tasks (event ship quests are the obvious, duty officer and admiralty click items, reputation mark boosts with a timer, literally "Daily" reputation projects, and so on) are all aspects of this "habituation/addiction" effort. Yes, someone can leave, but then they lose items that - in some cases - they can't ever get back or come at a very high cost.
Not only are you "rewarded" for daily activity, you are in some ways penalized for NOT being active daily.
Anecdotally, I did that myself. When I came back after being away for several months, the items I used to sell on the exchange have dramatically lost EC value, I can't get a queue to start to even test my build under the new system, and I'm getting a lot of new crash to desktop errors on Risa (this has eased up in the last couple of weeks, but now I've completed what I needed on Risa).
Coming back, things seem to have gotten worse for me, and that makes me much less inclined to stay/come back again.
Also, ponder this: as a game designer how many missions would you like to encourage a player to play each day? Now, whatever that number is, how are you going to make it so they feel rewarded for having played them?
Making one or more new missions every day is the sort of development cycle that even Blizzard stays away from.
My character Tsin'xing
Yep, same for Jagex, they don't pop out a new quest each day. They spent quite some time working on the new Egyptian based world they just came out a few weeks back.
They shouldn't be working on ships. The Art Department should be working on ships. QA should be working on squishing bugs, because that's, y'know, their job.
And an end user saying the postings of a developer (particularly a dev who's in Art) are "ill-informed"... I don't think I have words for this. At least, none that wouldn't in all likelihood violate the ToS.
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.'
I have to agree, Im a life time member and I really have to force my self to play. Honestly, what good are new ships and equipment? Its almost impossible to get any STF going these days and the story line and quality is very thin. It makes me sad. PVP is non existent as well.
nostalgia googles on much?
more than a year without content release, yes that is pure creativity. The little content that was released were all things that didn't make it into the release, but were developed long before.
Doff system, Admirality stuff, foundry and such was all developed under F2P, because they wouldn't have had the funds to do so...
In fact, the first 2 years of F2P had triple the amount of content the first 2 years had.
You really need to face the fact that the game was unsustainable with a subscription based model.
to the OP I can only say, FOUNDRY MISSIONS and become a creator...it is a whole game in a game so to speak.
No idea but for as long as it does we don’t need to worry about the PC version. Given the feedback of some of the consoles player only a fraction of in PC player-base enjoys STO on consoles. This can be compared by the number of full instances we have on main hubs or during events like risa which funnel the population through the same game locations.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
Oh I believe you; however the queue situation is not that different on the PC. As much as I like the teamed PvE content as unattractive it seems to be for the majority of STO players. In my experience they rather tend to every ridiculous activity there is before playing queues so that list is no indication about the game population at all.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
Is it possible for you to find likeminded peeps for teamed pve maps? Are there game wide chat channels like we have for DPS on the PC e.G. or are you organized through fleets? I usually seek as long as I have to till I get a group rounded up for a PvE match. It’s basically the only activity in game I consider to be worth of my time.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
fleet I'm in is decent but time zones effect us. and often we need to rely on a random.
I was hoping one day they would convert some of them so we could use our alts together as a sub for other online players, but that'll never happened. So 95% of the STFs will remain unplayble.
My character Tsin'xing