But that's a catch 22. People don't play it much because:[/i]
I'll second these points, as a general PSA Cryptic's done what they could within a lot of stern limitations to keep the Foundry going over the years but with the game doing so well now (second best year on record) there is the point to make that it could start to do more to invest in UGC. Even as the Foundry was, we've shown the talent and capacity to supply top quality content for both the game and MMO genre and players respond to this in ways not found in conventional MMO multiplayer systems. Foundry authors exhibit reasoned problem solving (see. the civility here) not by happenstance but because of how the editor works. Learning the editor trains you how to be constructive (if you weren't already) and that has a direct knock-on effect to the players we interact with. Our missions are a vector for positive community dynamics in addition to supplements for content that Cryptic can't develop (in terms of breadth, depth, or niche) and we as individuals carry that through to other media platforms and extend the influence the Foundry has had.
Ie. it's not just that we make good missions but that there's a nucleus of positivity, reinforced by the mechanics of how the Foundry works, operating within the game through all the highs and lows up to this point.
The importance of the Foundry has, IMO, been significantly understated. As it was when functional, it buffers against slowdowns in content and allows players to remain engaged with the game even through periods of disinterest, frustration, and burn-out. I was working to the end of my time with STO when I started with the Foundry and everything I've done since is principally attributable to the Foundry. It was foundry missions include the most impactful experiences I've had with STO and Foundry content is the best ambassador (I've found) to make the argument for why folks should play STO (much like I introduce people to Skyrim through the modding community and how the game can be expanded beyond what they've already assessed it to be.) Cryptic makes good content but it's the interaction between Cryptic and community content which is the best dynamic in STO development and something STO's sternest competitors cannot match.
And I don't make the Skyrim UGC comparison lightly for how important the Foundry is to STO and continued vibrancy in the community, especially as Cryptic Studios transitions away to other projects and inevitably can't meet the same pace of development that STO players are accustomed to through season updates. Now is the time to make an effort in bringing the Foundry back online and re-introducing the community to what it can do and what they can find. Involve the Foundry more with regular community events (not just challenges) and make Foundry content updates a more frequent part of the game (by the dev team, not just Kael going above and beyond to meet the responsibilities continuously piling upon on him.)
Do more to make STO stand out in terms that it always has done. Invest in Foundry maintenance and development. There are depths STO has yet to exploit or at the very least a set of dynamics to retain in how positive they've been for the game over the years.
Post edited by duncanidaho11 on
Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
But that's a catch 22. People don't play it much because:[/i]
I'll second these points, as a general PSA Cryptic's done what they could within a lot of stern limitations to keep the Foundry going over the years but with the game doing so well now (second best year on record) there is the point to make that it could start to do more to invest in UGC. Even as the Foundry was, we've shown the talent and capacity to supply top quality content for both the game and MMO genre and players respond to this in ways not found in conventional MMO multiplayer systems. Foundry authors exhibit reasoned problem solving (see. the civility here) not by happenstance but because of how the editor works. Learning the editor trains you how to be constructive (if you weren't already) and that has a direct knock-on effect to the players we interact with. Our missions are a vector for positive community dynamics in addition to supplements for content that Cryptic can't develop (in terms of breadth, depth, or niche) and we as individuals carry that through to other media platforms and extend the influence the Foundry has had.
Ie. it's not just that we make good missions but that there's a nucleus of positivity, reinforced by the mechanics of how the Foundry works, operating within the game through all the highs and lows up to this point.
The importance of the Foundry has, IMO, been significantly understated. As it was when functional, it buffers against slowdowns in content and allows players to remain engaged with the game even through periods of disinterest, frustration, and burn-out. I was working to the end of my time with STO when I started with the Foundry and everything I've done since is principally attributable to the Foundry. It was foundry missions include the most impactful experiences I've had with STO and Foundry content is the best ambassador (I've found) to make the argument for why folks should play STO (much like I introduce people to Skyrim through the modding community and how the game can be expanded beyond what they've already assessed it to be.) Cryptic makes good content but it's the interaction between Cryptic and community content which is the best dynamic in STO development and something STO's sternest competitors cannot match.
And I don't make the Skyrim UGC comparison lightly for how important the Foundry is to STO and continued vibrancy in the community, especially as Cryptic Studios transitions away to other projects and inevitably can't meet the same pace of development that STO players are accustomed to through season updates. Now is the time to make an effort in bringing the Foundry back online and re-introducing the community to what it can do and what they can find. Involve the Foundry more with regular community events (not just challenges) and make Foundry content updates a more frequent part of the game (by the dev team, not just Kael going above and beyond to meet the responsibilities continuously piling upon on him.)
Do more to make STO stand out in terms that it always has done. Invest in Foundry maintenance and development. There are depths STO has yet to exploit or at the very least a set of dynamics to retain in how positive they've been for the game over the years.
Very well said, but its all a moot point now.
Well, I should say, will be a moot point in 36 days.
They're obviously more interested in cutting their nose to spite their face and determined to upset their biggest untapped asset. The foundry was why I logged on every day. I'm absolutely freaking furious at Cryptic over this. As I said on my post in the FNN thread about the "sunset" that I'm really glad I didn't drop the cash on a lifetime sub which I was considering. The Foundry was the only reason I still play this game and was about the only reason I continued to come online every day. Now, I don't really have one and I really don't think I'm going to keep the game installed, the 41 GB could be put to better use.
Just my two cents.
And I apologize to anyone who could see the writing on the wall last year during the downtime and called it like it is that I didn't want to agree with. Ya'll were right and I was wrong. I didn't think they'd be this short sighted and feel like slighting their most cohesive and active community like this. It sucks, but it is what it is.
I am a Starfleet Officer first, but an Intelligence Professional second to none. With pride in my heritage, but focused on the future. Performing the first task of an Army; To find, know and never lose the enemy. With a sense of urgency and of tenacity, professional and physical fitness. And above all: Integrity--for in truth lies victory. Always at Silent War while ready for a shooting war: The silent warrior of the Starfleet team
This was really clear to many of us, and yet, some people called us toxic. But, foundry is dead, this is not the time to point fingers but to mourn.. we are all affected by this.
I don't think anyone in the Foundry community did anything wrong. There was nothing under our control about how things turned out.
The writing has been on the wall for a long time. I quit the Foundry (and game) about five years ago because I was fed up by the way Cryptic treated it. The Foundry needed a commitment of more resources (and maybe a complete rewrite) basically from the start. I'm actually surprised it managed to limp along for as long as it did.
In the end I think the most impressive thing is the quality of missions people managed to push out, despite having to work around all of the Foundry's bugs, and how incredibly slow the editor was. I give credit to you guys who stuck around and continued fighting with the tool long after I gave up.
Comments
I'll second these points, as a general PSA Cryptic's done what they could within a lot of stern limitations to keep the Foundry going over the years but with the game doing so well now (second best year on record) there is the point to make that it could start to do more to invest in UGC. Even as the Foundry was, we've shown the talent and capacity to supply top quality content for both the game and MMO genre and players respond to this in ways not found in conventional MMO multiplayer systems. Foundry authors exhibit reasoned problem solving (see. the civility here) not by happenstance but because of how the editor works. Learning the editor trains you how to be constructive (if you weren't already) and that has a direct knock-on effect to the players we interact with. Our missions are a vector for positive community dynamics in addition to supplements for content that Cryptic can't develop (in terms of breadth, depth, or niche) and we as individuals carry that through to other media platforms and extend the influence the Foundry has had.
Ie. it's not just that we make good missions but that there's a nucleus of positivity, reinforced by the mechanics of how the Foundry works, operating within the game through all the highs and lows up to this point.
The importance of the Foundry has, IMO, been significantly understated. As it was when functional, it buffers against slowdowns in content and allows players to remain engaged with the game even through periods of disinterest, frustration, and burn-out. I was working to the end of my time with STO when I started with the Foundry and everything I've done since is principally attributable to the Foundry. It was foundry missions include the most impactful experiences I've had with STO and Foundry content is the best ambassador (I've found) to make the argument for why folks should play STO (much like I introduce people to Skyrim through the modding community and how the game can be expanded beyond what they've already assessed it to be.) Cryptic makes good content but it's the interaction between Cryptic and community content which is the best dynamic in STO development and something STO's sternest competitors cannot match.
And I don't make the Skyrim UGC comparison lightly for how important the Foundry is to STO and continued vibrancy in the community, especially as Cryptic Studios transitions away to other projects and inevitably can't meet the same pace of development that STO players are accustomed to through season updates. Now is the time to make an effort in bringing the Foundry back online and re-introducing the community to what it can do and what they can find. Involve the Foundry more with regular community events (not just challenges) and make Foundry content updates a more frequent part of the game (by the dev team, not just Kael going above and beyond to meet the responsibilities continuously piling upon on him.)
Do more to make STO stand out in terms that it always has done. Invest in Foundry maintenance and development. There are depths STO has yet to exploit or at the very least a set of dynamics to retain in how positive they've been for the game over the years.
Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
Very well said, but its all a moot point now.
Well, I should say, will be a moot point in 36 days.
They're obviously more interested in cutting their nose to spite their face and determined to upset their biggest untapped asset. The foundry was why I logged on every day. I'm absolutely freaking furious at Cryptic over this. As I said on my post in the FNN thread about the "sunset" that I'm really glad I didn't drop the cash on a lifetime sub which I was considering. The Foundry was the only reason I still play this game and was about the only reason I continued to come online every day. Now, I don't really have one and I really don't think I'm going to keep the game installed, the 41 GB could be put to better use.
Just my two cents.
And I apologize to anyone who could see the writing on the wall last year during the downtime and called it like it is that I didn't want to agree with. Ya'll were right and I was wrong. I didn't think they'd be this short sighted and feel like slighting their most cohesive and active community like this. It sucks, but it is what it is.
Original Join Date: 19 December 2010
Division Hispana
www.divisionhispana.com
The writing has been on the wall for a long time. I quit the Foundry (and game) about five years ago because I was fed up by the way Cryptic treated it. The Foundry needed a commitment of more resources (and maybe a complete rewrite) basically from the start. I'm actually surprised it managed to limp along for as long as it did.
In the end I think the most impressive thing is the quality of missions people managed to push out, despite having to work around all of the Foundry's bugs, and how incredibly slow the editor was. I give credit to you guys who stuck around and continued fighting with the tool long after I gave up.
Click here for my Foundry tutorial on Creating A Custom Interior Map.