What if we got a gadget that would allow an inspection? Could we call it an inspector gadget?
'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.'
People being able to see your gear in a videogame is not a privacy issue and calling it one is making light of actual privacy issues which should not be made light of.
And as for outfits, people can already see what other people's toons are wearing, they just might not know where to find the clothes or under what name.
Like any other 'information tool', this would be more abused than used correctly by this community.
- What would be the benefits to the inquirer?
- Are there any benefits to the inquirer which cannot be currently obtained via PM?
One of the things I like doing most in this game is helping newer players improve how they play. But I am not interested in handing down unwanted edicts from on high to total strangers about "how they're doing it all wrong". I'll PM them and ask if they'd like some advice. If they then respond in a positive manner, I'll continue the conversation. To the point of purchasing/gifting gear to them sometimes.
-What are the benefits to the inspected?
-Are there any benefits to the inspected which cannot be currently obtained via PM?
I have no problems with someone asking politely what gear I am using. I have a huge problem with someone deciding since I am not running the exact same max-DPS Pay-To-Win gear they use, I am somehow a lesser human being unworthy of their time and attention. I'm here to play a game. To escape from the cares and worries of Real Life. Not to be judged by somebody who lets this game rule their world.
Both of these options are currently available via PM. The only problem I can see with using them as they are currently configured is they require the OP to treat other players as human beings instead of stat lines.
Another technique I find very useful to not have to worry about what kind of gear other players are using:
DON"T PUG!!!
If an inspect feature is implemented, where someone can inspect my gear without my knowledge or consent, then there had also better be a feature where I can block them from doing so. I see no need for some sort of 'gear score' tally added to this game. Because there are already mechanics and techniques in this game which can be used to determine what another player is using. They only require some human to human contact. And it works. But I've only been playing STO daily since 2012. So what do I know about this game?
A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.
- Are there any benefits to the inquirer which cannot be currently obtained via PM?
-Are there any benefits to the inspected which cannot be currently obtained via PM?
Speed. Linking all your stuff and typing up the lists of stuff you can't link takes quite a while, and is time that would be better spent discussing the build.
Well this got weird. I don't know why anyone would imagine that people should or would want to be able to examine every outfit you have created, instead of just the one you're wearing. That one is publicly on display.
I'll tell you from my perspective, if you ask where I got some of the stuff I'm wearing, I probably couldn't tell you. Outfits can be more difficult to track down while actual gear is easier to say, "go do this mission or this reputation." That's why I'm for outfit queries, because its already on display, and they may not even remember what they bought or where they got part of it. I've been playing this game off and on for almost 10 years now, so I have no clue where I got a bunch of my outfit unlocks, while others have parts that are named well enough that I can figure it out.
Gear on the other hand isn't obvious. Yes it can be worked out with combat logging and parsing, but that generally doesn't tell you the mark level or rarity. You can do more math to try and figure it out, but that's a lot of work, and all of that is work that some harasser isn't going to do.
I don't want people bothering others who don't want to be bothered. An opt in or out checkbox would be fine if they really wanted to implement this, but not some mandatory readout for everyone who wants it. Personally I don't really care what other people are doing, I don't care to know their builds because half the fun I have is coming up with something on my own rather than copying someone else's thing.
Enh worrying about people making fun of you for your gear is kinda like worrying about people for making fun of your for your fleet or costume or bio... I've had people comment on all of them. It's not normal or even close to normal to have people give mean criticism.
Enh worrying about people making fun of you for your gear is kinda like worrying about people for making fun of your for your fleet or costume or bio... I've had people comment on all of them. It's not normal or even close to normal to have people give mean criticism.
I agree. Mostly it's just "nice outfit," "what's that weapon on your back," etc. The latter of which could be handled much more conveniently for both parties if they could just look it up instead of having to ask. And for outfits, I honestly couldn't even tell all the bazillion parts out of memory even if I wanted to.
For that matter, the game provides a wide range of features for people to control who is allowed to talk to them and how. Being afraid of strangers saying mean things is kinda pointless when you can mute them forever with two clicks.
Enh worrying about people making fun of you for your gear is kinda like worrying about people for making fun of your for your fleet or costume or bio... I've had people comment on all of them. It's not normal or even close to normal to have people give mean criticism.
I agree it is rare, but everyone can be mostly happy if it is an opt in/out thing.
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
As I said before, gear inspection seems pointless, there are too may variables in a build. As to the outift CURRENTLY worn, if I could inspect, then save the outfit to my own tailor for later examination? That'd be great.
I think gear inspection is always a nice feature and I do sometimes wish I could tell what a certain part of someone's outfit is.
Do I think that it's a privacy issue? TRIBBLE now. And I honestly, physically cannot see why when in so many mmo's it's a standard feature with no way to block it, that a handful here consider it an affront to god that some people might *gasp* want to see what their silly hat is called or what shield they're using to have so much shield hp. Like seriously, this is confusing me at this point.
'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 think gear inspection is always a nice feature and I do sometimes wish I could tell what a certain part of someone's outfit is.
Do I think that it's a privacy issue? TRIBBLE now. And I honestly, physically cannot see why when in so many mmo's it's a standard feature with no way to block it, that a handful here consider it an affront to god that some people might *gasp* want to see what their silly hat is called or what shield they're using to have so much shield hp. Like seriously, this is confusing me at this point.
Other MMOs have a stronger raid system where it is actually relevant what you're equipped with, and where gear matters a lot. This one isn't remotely as demanding, and gear only starts to scale heavily past mk 12, which itself is plenty for advanced. And if you want to know about their shields, why not ask? There is nothing preventing that.
Why are you confused that people like their privacy and aren't interested in showing everyone their equipment?
Neverwinter Has a inspect feature that allows you to see the Gear and stats of any other player character you can see this includes their companions and that could be equated to ships. There has been more than one time i have improved my character after looking at what someone else built for their character and from what i know it has not caused them issues.
If you're in a queue and you notice a player is doing particularly well, being able to see what they're running can give you an idea of how you can improve your own build.
Or you could, you know, ask them?
Because asking someone to waste their time (and yours) listing their gear in chat is so much better than just quietly looking it up without inconveniencing them at all?
If you're in a queue and you notice a player is doing particularly well, being able to see what they're running can give you an idea of how you can improve your own build.
Or you could, you know, ask them?
Because asking someone to waste their time (and yours) listing their gear in chat is so much better than just quietly looking it up without inconveniencing them at all?
I never could get that argument.
Well this is another issue I think is actually a good reason not to have the inspect readily available. I'm not sure taking the time to inspect people in the middle of an STF is something we want to promote. I mean to get a full accounting of their gear and traits and skills and doffs and boffs and specs is many pages of info. If you're smart you screenshot each one and look over it after the STF, but lots of people are just going to pour over it during the STF. I don't think we really want more afk silliness in STFs.
Now if it were a toggle sort of thing, it could automatically be toggled off in STFs to prevent that, then you can be sociable afterwards and ask them if you can inspect their build, get all the info and talk to them about how to use it which may be counterintuitive, what makes it work, etc.
I think gear inspection is always a nice feature and I do sometimes wish I could tell what a certain part of someone's outfit is.
Do I think that it's a privacy issue? TRIBBLE now. And I honestly, physically cannot see why when in so many mmo's it's a standard feature with no way to block it, that a handful here consider it an affront to god that some people might *gasp* want to see what their silly hat is called or what shield they're using to have so much shield hp. Like seriously, this is confusing me at this point.
Other MMOs have a stronger raid system where it is actually relevant what you're equipped with, and where gear matters a lot. This one isn't remotely as demanding, and gear only starts to scale heavily past mk 12, which itself is plenty for advanced. And if you want to know about their shields, why not ask? There is nothing preventing that.
Why are you confused that people like their privacy and aren't interested in showing everyone their equipment?
Privacy? How is this a privacy issue? That's what I don't get. As many others have pointed out, your build and equipment already isn't private, so there's no point arguing for privacy's sake. No one is breaking into your home to see you naked or to steal your social security number, and are you going to start going on a rampage on all of those other games that offer it because "muh privacy"?
And Yes STO doesn't have as strong of a raid system, but there are queues where you don't want some random guy popping in in a T5 unupgraded ship with all Mk X whites. Korfez is a good example, Hive Onslaught on Elite, hell pretty much any space STF on Elite.
Because asking someone to waste their time (and yours) listing their gear in chat is so much better than just quietly looking it up without inconveniencing them at all?
I never could get that argument.
If you're going to learn something, then it isn't a waste of your time, is it? You're also assuming the other person isn't willing to help and have a discussion with you. 99.99% of playing well is the player themselves, not their gear.
Discussion isn't going to kill you. This is an MMO after all.
Typing/linking all the gear is absolutely always a waste of time when there could be faster way to see the information.
If you want to have a discussion about it you can still do that anyway.
If you're going to learn something, then it isn't a waste of your time, is it? You're also assuming the other person isn't willing to help and have a discussion with you. 99.99% of playing well is the player themselves, not their gear.
Discussion isn't going to kill you. This is an MMO after all.
I can decipher 85% of their build minimum from a parse of the combat log the game itself takes and watching their buff bars. All of this information is something they give away publicly every time they enter a TFO. The fact that it's an MMO is just one of the reasons I do not buy the privacy argument in this instance. If such feature was able to give out someone's personal real life information then I would agree it doesn't need to be a thing. If someone is as private an individual as some folks in here are hinting at, then I'm going to be blunt and ask, why are they playing an MMO to start with? In an MMO you're constantly surrounded by players, there's always other people online, and you already give away 85% or more of your build just by going into a TFO anyways.
Likewise I could easily say someone knowing the other 15% of your build isn't going to kill you. The option to discuss and talk to the person doesn't magically disappear the moment an inspect feature is implemented. If anything it opens up more possible discussions if someone sees a combination of powers and abilities etc they've not seen before.
Given that there are people who have successfully completed elite STFs in T1 ships with rep gear, needing to see gear because of "elitez!" queues is a non-issue.
First I would ask, which elites specifically were completed in a tier 1 ship? Because not all missions are built the same and I guarantee you it wasn't Korfez or HSE. Secondly even if this actually happened you're talking about less than 1% of the entire playerbase that's capable of pulling off such a feat. Overall this is an attempt at using the exception to prove the rule. It may not bother you, but I like knowing my teammates can pull their weight in a queue. If the queue demands 50k minimum from everyone in the group to clear it, and someone in there is only doing 25k, they have no business in that queue yet because they're not ready. Thus 4 other people are effected because of one guy. If I am forming a group for something like Korfez or HSE, I'm going to want to know the people I'm taking in are able to bring the thunder and some knockdown power to the group, and be able to take the hits dished out. I'm not going to take someone who's fresh 65 with only a basic build because they're not ready yet. This once again goes back to the previous example. you're already giving 85% of the build away by stepping into a run anyways. If it's so easy as you say, then what's the harm in someone knowing your build? How does it ultimately matter if someone can see your build since as you're insisting, elites can be completed in t1 ships anyways?
Are you really that pressed for time? If so, use the STO Skill Planner.
STO academy is a good tool but has it's own issues. First of which is it takes forever for it to be updated when something new comes out. November 8th will make 4 months the Voth t6 ships have been out and they're still not in the planner, Altamid plasma everything is still missing, plus it's also missing several bits of reputation gear and so on. Not to mention issues where sometimes it just doesn't save if you're using google chrome and you have to switch to firefox or edge just to make it work. It's also a 3rd party item with no guarantee support won't be dropped sometime down the road. Overall it's not in the greatest shape right now. Right now folks use it because they have no other options.
Lastly and while I hope the general populace wouldn't do this, I know several people who would, anyone can pull a STO academy page up and pass it off as their own build and there is no way to verify otherwise until you actually parse the person as things sit currently. If I'm wanting to do HSE, Korfez, or just plan for elite runs at all, and someone pulls a stunt like that, I have no way of knowing until we're in the run and it's too late. Thus 4 other people are effected because of one guy. If I am forming a group I have a right to know the people I'm taking in can pull their weight.
An inspect feature removes this possibility. The simplest way to implement it that I can see is to have it ping the server to display what's already there, so there's less chance of it breaking down like there was with gateway, and this could potentially be coded to display real time changes to the open inspect window.
So I submit, what do you think the general populace will prefer, a 3rd party tool or an official feature?
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again." - Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek Generations
Inspect/examine is the worst thing about any game that has it. My gear is really none of anyones business and if they have a question they can simply ask. No amount of mental gymnastics can justify my being assaulted by some disgusting, rude sperglord that thinks they're the center of the universe.
I'd certainly support an official in-game inspect feature, with a provision for privacy just like the old STO Gateway had.
As mentioned above, you can certainly glean most of a player's build from a combat parser and watching a player's tags.
The Gateway inspect feature, from my perspective at least, had more positives than negatives over time when helping fleet members put together a basic build in combination with actually gaming with them.
A lot of this sort of help was at the level of just being able to complete story line missions effectively for newer players... the same sort of thing seen in the Academy section of this forum on a regular basis. In doing so you eventually end up with better players in TFO's that are usually happier players as well now that their level of success has increased.
As for the space barbie part, most people just seem to PM you and ask.
Inspect/examine is the worst thing about any game that has it. My gear is really none of anyones business and if they have a question they can simply ask. No amount of mental gymnastics can justify my being assaulted by some disgusting, rude sperglord that thinks they're the center of the universe.
If you're playing by yourself then I would agree. However when you join a TFO your team has the right to know you can carry your weight since your performance good or bad will effect the team. If a queue requires a certain minimum amount of damage to clear it such as 50k, and you're only pulling 25k, you are not yet ready for that queue and don't need to be in there. It's not fair to the other 4 people to have to carry that guy or fail because of him. Also you've already given away most of what you have anyhow. you're not being "assaulted" just because someone knows what gear you have. If someone decides to be a jerk or is harassing you, then you put them on ignore and report them if need be. If it occurs on the forums, it WILL be dealt with
I seriously want to know how you're being "assaulted" or what the harm is in someone knowing the build. How is it harming you by them knowing your build? Also once again, if someone is that private of a person, why are they playing MMOs to start with, which require you to be around other people and interact with them for bits of content? I really don't understand that.
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again." - Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek Generations
If you're in a queue and you notice a player is doing particularly well, being able to see what they're running can give you an idea of how you can improve your own build.
Or you could, you know, ask them?
Which is fine by me.. I am more then happy to help people if they ask me questions, but not everyone is. Also, some people are simply not comfortable asking others.. there is also the issue of Language Barriers to consider. Inspect is just an easy click to get your answer.. done.
I have spent substantial time in game chat with people linking gear and trying to offer suggestions, but not everyone will.
Inspect/examine is the worst thing about any game that has it. My gear is really none of anyones business and if they have a question they can simply ask. No amount of mental gymnastics can justify my being assaulted by some disgusting, rude sperglord that thinks they're the center of the universe.
Here is another good example of why 'just ask' isn't a good idea. In this case, someone wants to know what this guy is running, he's already made assumptions and called them names. Why would I want to interact with this player? An inspect lets me just answer the question without having to deal with this type of attitude. Just because someone wants to know what you're running, they're a 'disgusting, rude sperglord' .. like I am going to ask this guy a question and expect a civil reply? No thanks.
If you're going to learn something, then it isn't a waste of your time, is it? You're also assuming the other person isn't willing to help and have a discussion with you. 99.99% of playing well is the player themselves, not their gear.
Discussion isn't going to kill you. This is an MMO after all.
I can decipher 85% of their build minimum from a parse of the combat log the game itself takes and watching their buff bars. All of this information is something they give away publicly every time they enter a TFO. The fact that it's an MMO is just one of the reasons I do not buy the privacy argument in this instance. If such feature was able to give out someone's personal real life information then I would agree it doesn't need to be a thing. If someone is as private an individual as some folks in here are hinting at, then I'm going to be blunt and ask, why are they playing an MMO to start with? In an MMO you're constantly surrounded by players, there's always other people online, and you already give away 85% or more of your build just by going into a TFO anyways.
Likewise I could easily say someone knowing the other 15% of your build isn't going to kill you. The option to discuss and talk to the person doesn't magically disappear the moment an inspect feature is implemented. If anything it opens up more possible discussions if someone sees a combination of powers and abilities etc they've not seen before.
yeah, listing gear/abilities is the START of the conversation some times. It'd be a lot easier to discuss if you could just look at the other guy's stuff.
Comments
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.'
And as for outfits, people can already see what other people's toons are wearing, they just might not know where to find the clothes or under what name.
- What would be the benefits to the inquirer?
- Are there any benefits to the inquirer which cannot be currently obtained via PM?
One of the things I like doing most in this game is helping newer players improve how they play. But I am not interested in handing down unwanted edicts from on high to total strangers about "how they're doing it all wrong". I'll PM them and ask if they'd like some advice. If they then respond in a positive manner, I'll continue the conversation. To the point of purchasing/gifting gear to them sometimes.
-What are the benefits to the inspected?
-Are there any benefits to the inspected which cannot be currently obtained via PM?
I have no problems with someone asking politely what gear I am using. I have a huge problem with someone deciding since I am not running the exact same max-DPS Pay-To-Win gear they use, I am somehow a lesser human being unworthy of their time and attention. I'm here to play a game. To escape from the cares and worries of Real Life. Not to be judged by somebody who lets this game rule their world.
Both of these options are currently available via PM. The only problem I can see with using them as they are currently configured is they require the OP to treat other players as human beings instead of stat lines.
Another technique I find very useful to not have to worry about what kind of gear other players are using:
If an inspect feature is implemented, where someone can inspect my gear without my knowledge or consent, then there had also better be a feature where I can block them from doing so. I see no need for some sort of 'gear score' tally added to this game. Because there are already mechanics and techniques in this game which can be used to determine what another player is using. They only require some human to human contact. And it works. But I've only been playing STO daily since 2012. So what do I know about this game?
My character Tsin'xing
I'll tell you from my perspective, if you ask where I got some of the stuff I'm wearing, I probably couldn't tell you. Outfits can be more difficult to track down while actual gear is easier to say, "go do this mission or this reputation." That's why I'm for outfit queries, because its already on display, and they may not even remember what they bought or where they got part of it. I've been playing this game off and on for almost 10 years now, so I have no clue where I got a bunch of my outfit unlocks, while others have parts that are named well enough that I can figure it out.
Gear on the other hand isn't obvious. Yes it can be worked out with combat logging and parsing, but that generally doesn't tell you the mark level or rarity. You can do more math to try and figure it out, but that's a lot of work, and all of that is work that some harasser isn't going to do.
I don't want people bothering others who don't want to be bothered. An opt in or out checkbox would be fine if they really wanted to implement this, but not some mandatory readout for everyone who wants it. Personally I don't really care what other people are doing, I don't care to know their builds because half the fun I have is coming up with something on my own rather than copying someone else's thing.
My character Tsin'xing
For that matter, the game provides a wide range of features for people to control who is allowed to talk to them and how. Being afraid of strangers saying mean things is kinda pointless when you can mute them forever with two clicks.
I agree it is rare, but everyone can be mostly happy if it is an opt in/out thing.
Views and Opinions May Not Reflect the Views and Opinions of Gearbox/Cryptic
Moderation Problems/Issues? Please contact the Community Manager
Terms of Service / Community Rules and Policies / FCT
Facebook / Twitter / Twitch
*examines all the pixels and judges them*
As I said before, gear inspection seems pointless, there are too may variables in a build. As to the outift CURRENTLY worn, if I could inspect, then save the outfit to my own tailor for later examination? That'd be great.
Do I think that it's a privacy issue? TRIBBLE now. And I honestly, physically cannot see why when in so many mmo's it's a standard feature with no way to block it, that a handful here consider it an affront to god that some people might *gasp* want to see what their silly hat is called or what shield they're using to have so much shield hp. Like seriously, this is confusing me at this point.
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.'
Other MMOs have a stronger raid system where it is actually relevant what you're equipped with, and where gear matters a lot. This one isn't remotely as demanding, and gear only starts to scale heavily past mk 12, which itself is plenty for advanced. And if you want to know about their shields, why not ask? There is nothing preventing that.
Why are you confused that people like their privacy and aren't interested in showing everyone their equipment?
I never could get that argument.
Well this is another issue I think is actually a good reason not to have the inspect readily available. I'm not sure taking the time to inspect people in the middle of an STF is something we want to promote. I mean to get a full accounting of their gear and traits and skills and doffs and boffs and specs is many pages of info. If you're smart you screenshot each one and look over it after the STF, but lots of people are just going to pour over it during the STF. I don't think we really want more afk silliness in STFs.
Now if it were a toggle sort of thing, it could automatically be toggled off in STFs to prevent that, then you can be sociable afterwards and ask them if you can inspect their build, get all the info and talk to them about how to use it which may be counterintuitive, what makes it work, etc.
Really? The excuses just get weaker and weaker.
Come on naysayers, be honest and say "I just don't like it" and be done with it.
Privacy? How is this a privacy issue? That's what I don't get. As many others have pointed out, your build and equipment already isn't private, so there's no point arguing for privacy's sake. No one is breaking into your home to see you naked or to steal your social security number, and are you going to start going on a rampage on all of those other games that offer it because "muh privacy"?
And Yes STO doesn't have as strong of a raid system, but there are queues where you don't want some random guy popping in in a T5 unupgraded ship with all Mk X whites. Korfez is a good example, Hive Onslaught on Elite, hell pretty much any space STF on Elite.
If you want to have a discussion about it you can still do that anyway.
I can decipher 85% of their build minimum from a parse of the combat log the game itself takes and watching their buff bars. All of this information is something they give away publicly every time they enter a TFO. The fact that it's an MMO is just one of the reasons I do not buy the privacy argument in this instance. If such feature was able to give out someone's personal real life information then I would agree it doesn't need to be a thing. If someone is as private an individual as some folks in here are hinting at, then I'm going to be blunt and ask, why are they playing an MMO to start with? In an MMO you're constantly surrounded by players, there's always other people online, and you already give away 85% or more of your build just by going into a TFO anyways.
Likewise I could easily say someone knowing the other 15% of your build isn't going to kill you. The option to discuss and talk to the person doesn't magically disappear the moment an inspect feature is implemented. If anything it opens up more possible discussions if someone sees a combination of powers and abilities etc they've not seen before.
First I would ask, which elites specifically were completed in a tier 1 ship? Because not all missions are built the same and I guarantee you it wasn't Korfez or HSE. Secondly even if this actually happened you're talking about less than 1% of the entire playerbase that's capable of pulling off such a feat. Overall this is an attempt at using the exception to prove the rule. It may not bother you, but I like knowing my teammates can pull their weight in a queue. If the queue demands 50k minimum from everyone in the group to clear it, and someone in there is only doing 25k, they have no business in that queue yet because they're not ready. Thus 4 other people are effected because of one guy. If I am forming a group for something like Korfez or HSE, I'm going to want to know the people I'm taking in are able to bring the thunder and some knockdown power to the group, and be able to take the hits dished out. I'm not going to take someone who's fresh 65 with only a basic build because they're not ready yet. This once again goes back to the previous example. you're already giving 85% of the build away by stepping into a run anyways. If it's so easy as you say, then what's the harm in someone knowing your build? How does it ultimately matter if someone can see your build since as you're insisting, elites can be completed in t1 ships anyways?
STO academy is a good tool but has it's own issues. First of which is it takes forever for it to be updated when something new comes out. November 8th will make 4 months the Voth t6 ships have been out and they're still not in the planner, Altamid plasma everything is still missing, plus it's also missing several bits of reputation gear and so on. Not to mention issues where sometimes it just doesn't save if you're using google chrome and you have to switch to firefox or edge just to make it work. It's also a 3rd party item with no guarantee support won't be dropped sometime down the road. Overall it's not in the greatest shape right now. Right now folks use it because they have no other options.
Lastly and while I hope the general populace wouldn't do this, I know several people who would, anyone can pull a STO academy page up and pass it off as their own build and there is no way to verify otherwise until you actually parse the person as things sit currently. If I'm wanting to do HSE, Korfez, or just plan for elite runs at all, and someone pulls a stunt like that, I have no way of knowing until we're in the run and it's too late. Thus 4 other people are effected because of one guy. If I am forming a group I have a right to know the people I'm taking in can pull their weight.
An inspect feature removes this possibility. The simplest way to implement it that I can see is to have it ping the server to display what's already there, so there's less chance of it breaking down like there was with gateway, and this could potentially be coded to display real time changes to the open inspect window.
So I submit, what do you think the general populace will prefer, a 3rd party tool or an official feature?
Star Trek Online volunteer Community Moderator
As mentioned above, you can certainly glean most of a player's build from a combat parser and watching a player's tags.
The Gateway inspect feature, from my perspective at least, had more positives than negatives over time when helping fleet members put together a basic build in combination with actually gaming with them.
A lot of this sort of help was at the level of just being able to complete story line missions effectively for newer players... the same sort of thing seen in the Academy section of this forum on a regular basis. In doing so you eventually end up with better players in TFO's that are usually happier players as well now that their level of success has increased.
As for the space barbie part, most people just seem to PM you and ask.
If you're playing by yourself then I would agree. However when you join a TFO your team has the right to know you can carry your weight since your performance good or bad will effect the team. If a queue requires a certain minimum amount of damage to clear it such as 50k, and you're only pulling 25k, you are not yet ready for that queue and don't need to be in there. It's not fair to the other 4 people to have to carry that guy or fail because of him. Also you've already given away most of what you have anyhow. you're not being "assaulted" just because someone knows what gear you have. If someone decides to be a jerk or is harassing you, then you put them on ignore and report them if need be. If it occurs on the forums, it WILL be dealt with
I seriously want to know how you're being "assaulted" or what the harm is in someone knowing the build. How is it harming you by them knowing your build? Also once again, if someone is that private of a person, why are they playing MMOs to start with, which require you to be around other people and interact with them for bits of content? I really don't understand that.
Star Trek Online volunteer Community Moderator
Which is fine by me.. I am more then happy to help people if they ask me questions, but not everyone is. Also, some people are simply not comfortable asking others.. there is also the issue of Language Barriers to consider. Inspect is just an easy click to get your answer.. done.
I have spent substantial time in game chat with people linking gear and trying to offer suggestions, but not everyone will.
Here is another good example of why 'just ask' isn't a good idea. In this case, someone wants to know what this guy is running, he's already made assumptions and called them names. Why would I want to interact with this player? An inspect lets me just answer the question without having to deal with this type of attitude. Just because someone wants to know what you're running, they're a 'disgusting, rude sperglord' .. like I am going to ask this guy a question and expect a civil reply? No thanks.
This. Just be honest and say that for whatever reason you don't want people to know your build.
My character Tsin'xing