R/sto is one of the worst, I got banned for pointing out a shortcut with Jem'Hadar Vanguard, where it auto sponsors every rep on every current and future toon. I suspect it might be one reason Cryptic went after rep dil first.
I can't speak for Reddit, but... don't we already auto sponsor a rep when it hits T5, even on non Jem'Hadar characters? Pretty sure that was a thing before ViL.
R/sto is one of the worst, I got banned for pointing out a shortcut with Jem'Hadar Vanguard, where it auto sponsors every rep on every current and future toon. I suspect it might be one reason Cryptic went after rep dil first.
I can't speak for Reddit, but... don't we already auto sponsor a rep when it hits T5, even on non Jem'Hadar characters? Pretty sure that was a thing before ViL.
Yes, but you have to do the whole thing the old fashioned way first.
Say you made a Fed day one, then you bought the unlock for a Vanguard. You make a vanguard and play him enough to unlock the stuff.
Now when that Fed you made gets to level 50 and unlocks reps, he's now sponsored in all of them. Neither character has done any work on reps outside of the Vanguard's bonuses.
I assume it's a side effect of making sponsorships free and automatic.
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!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
Are you sure it's actually ALL of them and not just the ones Vanguards get auto-completed? Because that's intended behavior.
Yup.
My main, at the time, was the furthest along. Only Omega at T5.
Now when I made the JH Vanguard and progressed it enough, every one of my mains reps (barring a couple I'll explain shortly)was on the 5k daily rep XP. Same with the Fed I made before the JH toon, who had done nothing.
One thing to note is the ones the JH had at T5 already, were not sponsored for the other toons from the outset.
0
rattler2Member, Star Trek Online ModeratorPosts: 58,596Community Moderator
Eh... I don't really see this as an exploit if that's the thinking. Honestly just means you don't have to grind reps as long. *shrug* If this is unintended... that's up to the Devs to decide.
Eh... I don't really see this as an exploit if that's the thinking. Honestly just means you don't have to grind reps as long. *shrug* If this is unintended... that's up to the Devs to decide.
Reddit saw it as one, which was my point.
I suspect it was an oversight they decided wasn't worth correcting. It's a newbie thing only really, once you've got it you've got it. Recruits aren't always available for tons of marks either.
Hey folks, Kael here. I wanted to chat with everyone, especially as we continue to move into this new era of Trek content, and remind you all that everyone on this forum is a human being that you are interacting with. We've had a lot of passionate discussions over the past few years, and a lot of moderator actions and warnings having to be handed out that shouldn't have been necessary. So let's talk a little bit about how we should all be behaving on this forum (and online in general, really.).
When you're in a conversation online, it is very easy to forget the humanity of the participants. The other person is just an image and a made up name, so it's very easy to boil them down into just the things you don't like. (This is also true of folks you can't interact with normally, like the creatives of Star Trek or the developers of Star Trek Online.) The best approach is to imagine your conversation happening in the real world. Read what you've just typed, out loud, to yourself or to a friend if you need. Imagine yourself in the other person's shoes. If you find that the statement has made you mad, or upset, it's probably best to rephrase.
"I feel" statements are really important, here. We have a tendency, especially in our wonderful nerd community, to jump to all or nothing, blanket statements that, while they may describe how we feel, don't contribute anything to an actual discussion except get an emotional response out of other users. For example: "[Star Trek Show] is hot trash," is a declarative, universal statement that does nothing but inspire anger in folks who DO like that show. "I don't like, [Star Trek Show] because [reasons]," is a discussion, and one that can be had, civilly.
I'm a firm believer in the "remove the problem," method of Community Management. As we move forward, folks who can't contribute civilly will be asked to not contribute at all. Whether this means warnings or bans will depend on the situation, but there is a lovely community here on the forums, and I'm sure you are as sick as I am of having it drowned out in wars over things that are, ultimately, insignificant.
Cryptic Studios, the STO development team, and the creatives behind Star Trek have and will do things that make you upset. As fans, we dedicate a lot of our lives to these properties and games, and it's reasonable to feel upset, disappointed, or even angry when something happens that you don't agree with. I'm not saying that any criticism is frowned upon. To repeat that in bold: I'm not saying any negativity will be frowned upon. But we have to be able to critique constructively, using statements that explain how we feel, instead of responding in a way that will only make others upset. I know you all can do it.
Thanks!
sneerk.
sorry. I feel like this is full of TRIBBLE. I feel like a lot of community issues, complaints and criticisms are ignored, squelched or shut down. I feel like any attempt to get answers on critical issues with the game are met with silence, or dodged answers.
I've heard Reddit can be pretty toxic though... Then again I don't even know how to navigate around Reddit.
Reddit is tame compared to how Disqus used to be, though Reddit looks like it was indexed by monkeys...
It is. The biggest issue with reddit is the mods.
I suspect a lot of them are from Neogaf.
The STO ones definitely come from Neogaf, they have all the hallmarks. In parting (after being banned) I suggested they seek out TRT, and get outside every once in a while.
Some subs are better than others though........if you can find them. You have to google search to find specific subs, the search is "lolrandom" as it gets.
rattler2Member, Star Trek Online ModeratorPosts: 58,596Community Moderator
Can I just say that while a complaint can be informative... it has to have something informative to complain about, otherwise... what is the reason? No one can read minds here, so just saying something is wrong isn't going to help. You gotta provide details and not just say "its been around for x amount of time, you know what you did" sort of complaints. There is a difference between complaints and outright hostility.
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
Can I just say that while a complaint can be informative... it has to have something informative to complain about, otherwise... what is the reason? No one can read minds here, so just saying something is wrong isn't going to help. You gotta provide details and not just say "its been around for x amount of time, you know what you did" sort of complaints. There is a difference between complaints and outright hostility.
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
I do not care for this attitude. It insists upon itself.
Can I just say that while a complaint can be informative... it has to have something informative to complain about, otherwise... what is the reason? No one can read minds here, so just saying something is wrong isn't going to help. You gotta provide details and not just say "its been around for x amount of time, you know what you did" sort of complaints. There is a difference between complaints and outright hostility.
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
I do not care for this attitude. It insists upon itself.
Cool story. LLAP 🖖😎
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
Can I just say that while a complaint can be informative... it has to have something informative to complain about, otherwise... what is the reason? No one can read minds here, so just saying something is wrong isn't going to help. You gotta provide details and not just say "its been around for x amount of time, you know what you did" sort of complaints. There is a difference between complaints and outright hostility.
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
I do not care for this attitude. It insists upon itself.
Cool story. LLAP 🖖😎
It beats taking the time to pound out a thoughtful and accurate post just to watch the needle stay stuck at "Because we said so."
Can I just say that while a complaint can be informative... it has to have something informative to complain about, otherwise... what is the reason? No one can read minds here, so just saying something is wrong isn't going to help. You gotta provide details and not just say "its been around for x amount of time, you know what you did" sort of complaints. There is a difference between complaints and outright hostility.
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
I do not care for this attitude. It insists upon itself.
Cool story. LLAP 🖖😎
It beats taking the time to pound out a thoughtful and accurate post just to watch the needle stay stuck at "Because we said so."
Peace and Long Legs. Wait...
Don't worry. He's about to be fired, maybe we'll get a mod who actually cares what people think.
OK, Cochise, calm down. 😏
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
Can I just say that while a complaint can be informative... it has to have something informative to complain about, otherwise... what is the reason? No one can read minds here, so just saying something is wrong isn't going to help. You gotta provide details and not just say "its been around for x amount of time, you know what you did" sort of complaints. There is a difference between complaints and outright hostility.
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
I would be in 100% agreement with you if there were never instances of well thought out, well presented threads expressing concern or reporting issues in a civil, rational (albeit sometimes a tad snarky) manner that were met ultimately met with silence.
First and foremost, you all seem to have forgotten the people taking the time to post here are doing so because they care. They have passion for Star Trek and passion for this game. If they did not care, they would not post here. They are human beings too, not just you and not just Cryptic, so perhaps keep that in mind. Most importantly, remember they are customers. Of course I am not saying that gives anyone carte blanche to call for people at Cryptic to be fired and what not. That goes without saying.
Second, purporting that threads attempting to report and address issues are not clear enough to understand is being disingenuous. The overuse of VFX spam is a perfect example. There have been many posts over the last few years explaining the issue, posting screen captures and expressing concern about the problem being additive and getting much worse with each update. I personally have invited any Developer to play along with me so we can run some TFOs together so they can see what we are seeing. The VFX spam issue should be very easy to understand if you are playing any sort of team content. I will offer again, if you or anyone at Cryptic do not understand this issue, I welcome you to schedule some time to team with me and I will be happy to show you what I and others reporting the issue are seeing in a mutual play session.
Kindness has not gotten this issue a satisfactory resolution. We have been told "it's a big time investment to fix". I think it safe to say everyone understands that. In response, we have suggested a plan to resolve the problem. Take this slow and address it little by little instead of all at once. Cryptic can start out giving new abilities and new consoles much less VFX spam. Next, rework the handful of the worst offenders. From there, take one or two abilities each update and rework them. Eventually the problem is fixed.
To be told "it's a big time investment, therefore we will just continue doing the same" is not an acceptable answer to this issue. It has been said before, asking nicely and being civil has not resolved the problem. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity and I can only speak for myself here, but the answers we are given on this are truly frustrating.
I would ask you, the rest of the forum mods and Kael - what should we do at this point? Should I create yet another civil post with screen captures, videos of gameplay for you on this issue? Tell me what information you need on this to make you understand the severity of this problem and I will happily make another. I would ask if you already know your answer is going to be the same "it's too much work so we won't invest the time", please let me know as I will not waste my time then.
Thank you.
My understanding of the VFX issue, and this is totally MY interpretation based on what's already been publicly stated and not based on any conversation I've had behind the scenes with devs, is that they haven't figured out HOW they want to address it. Forward development continues, though, and so, they can't develop a new power/ability/weapon/console without giving it SOME effect, so they continue as they have before. Yes, this adds to the VFX spam issue. They appear to be aware of that. Again, they just don't seem to know how they want to address the issue, and until they do, they continue business as usual. I know this isn't helping the issue at all, but I can understand to an extent why they continue as they have. But I agree with the (vocal) majority: something should be done to address this, the sooner, the better.
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
rattler2Member, Star Trek Online ModeratorPosts: 58,596Community Moderator
Hate to be "that guy" but... Val... you're comparing a self buff to an active AoE. Two different animals. It would be more logical to compare an AoE to an AoE. Also I believe the console in question is technically a sustained AoE, not just a one and done. Its active until turned off. It makes sense that a self buff would generally have a brief pop up to show activation. A channeled AoE, on the other hand, needs some indication of the range and its active status. Especially if its centered around your own ship so you know how far it goes, and you know its, you know... active.
rattler2Member, Star Trek Online ModeratorPosts: 58,596Community Moderator
The point still stands though. You compared apples to oranges. A self buff is different from an AoE. It would make more sense to compare an AoE to another AoE because of similar parameters. By comparing it to a self buff, you're altering things to suit your side more than anything else by using a completely different set of parameters, in this case a single activation buff vs a persistant AoE. You really can't compare the two because they are two different animals by nature. It would make more sense to compare it to another persistant AoE like Grav Well.
Hate to be "that guy" but... Val... you're comparing a self buff to an active AoE. Two different animals. It would be more logical to compare an AoE to an AoE. Also I believe the console in question is technically a sustained AoE, not just a one and done. Its active until turned off. It makes sense that a self buff would generally have a brief pop up to show activation. A channeled AoE, on the other hand, needs some indication of the range and its active status. Especially if its centered around your own ship so you know how far it goes, and you know its, you know... active.
Still, Valoreah has a point. (1)
Even if we had to accept that we need to know what someone else is using (which, imo, isn't even the case with most powers) then that still doesn't mean that every new power has to be so disruptive.
In many cases their visual effects seem totally unrelated to the actual impact anyway (ie, to the damage they deal or the amount of HP they heal in case of an ally).
To give a simple example: on my dedicated drain toons, my Tachyon beam or Charged particle burst (both very old and visually rather sober powers) are having a much larger effect on enemy shield points than most other powers of fellow captains have on those enemies' hulls. Basically, my shield drains have a much larger effect on helping destroy those enemies than all sorts of flashy lights and explosions.
Yet my drain abilities are completely obscured by many newer effects that apparently have to be more flashy and prominently visible.
Another example: almost all of my exotic abilities on dedicated EPG toons deal much more damage than those space cyclons from one of the Risa ships when used by someone who hasn't specialised in EPG damage and who just uses that one console. Yet again, my abilities are mostly invisible compared to that console.
So, even if we were to accept that we need to know what other people are using (which, again, is still debatable) then I think it's reasonable to expect some correlation between the severity of visual effects and actual impact of the related powers on enemies or supported allies.
There doesn't seem to be such a relation however. To me it seems that effects are picked and added because their creators think they look nice (2), because they want players to be able to clearly show off new abilities as it might encourage other players to get the newest toy or for similar reasons. But it seems to have very little to do with 'knowing what someone else is using' as part of understanding what's going on.
Whether something is a heal, self buff, debuff or a firework console isn't that important. If a 'need to know what is happening' is the justification of their visibility to other players, then it still makes little sense that some powers that really don't cause very much to happen at all are nevertheless so prominently visible.
(1) Or two actually, as his claim - that a perfectly understandable inability to fix something immediately isn't an excuse for making it worse in the meantime - is perfectly valid too. But I'm going to focus on the other thing here.)
(2) And for the record: most effects certainly look nice - I'm not saying they aren't aesthetically pleasing. But that doesn't mean that I want them to obscure everything if it's not informative.
Comments
I can't speak for Reddit, but... don't we already auto sponsor a rep when it hits T5, even on non Jem'Hadar characters? Pretty sure that was a thing before ViL.
Yes, but you have to do the whole thing the old fashioned way first.
Say you made a Fed day one, then you bought the unlock for a Vanguard. You make a vanguard and play him enough to unlock the stuff.
Now when that Fed you made gets to level 50 and unlocks reps, he's now sponsored in all of them. Neither character has done any work on reps outside of the Vanguard's bonuses.
I assume it's a side effect of making sponsorships free and automatic.
#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!"
Yup.
My main, at the time, was the furthest along. Only Omega at T5.
Now when I made the JH Vanguard and progressed it enough, every one of my mains reps (barring a couple I'll explain shortly)was on the 5k daily rep XP. Same with the Fed I made before the JH toon, who had done nothing.
One thing to note is the ones the JH had at T5 already, were not sponsored for the other toons from the outset.
Reddit saw it as one, which was my point.
I suspect it was an oversight they decided wasn't worth correcting. It's a newbie thing only really, once you've got it you've got it. Recruits aren't always available for tons of marks either.
Reddit is tame compared to how Disqus used to be, though Reddit looks like it was indexed by monkeys...
If those monkeys are infinite, some part o the site just might eventually write a Shakespeare sonnet.
https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/12/10/249726951/the-infinite-monkey-theorem-comes-to-life
I mean, only if humans are more like monkeys than computers.
Getting back to the OT, Wil Wheaton tells us how to treat each other in the simplest terms: Don't be a Jerk.
I use jerk instead of TRIBBLE to avoid those ravenous tribbles.
USS WARRIOR NCC 1720 Commanding Officer
Star Trek Gamers
It is. The biggest issue with reddit is the mods.
I suspect a lot of them are from Neogaf.
sneerk.
sorry. I feel like this is full of TRIBBLE. I feel like a lot of community issues, complaints and criticisms are ignored, squelched or shut down. I feel like any attempt to get answers on critical issues with the game are met with silence, or dodged answers.
The STO ones definitely come from Neogaf, they have all the hallmarks. In parting (after being banned) I suggested they seek out TRT, and get outside every once in a while.
Some subs are better than others though........if you can find them. You have to google search to find specific subs, the search is "lolrandom" as it gets.
yep
Again... what is more informative for the Devs? A rage post, or something that actually has usable information? What's not working? Where was this encountered? Information that can actually help narrow down the problem. Just raging and demanding a fix within a certain timeframe "or else" not only does not help the Devs at all, it actually causes more problems.
A: The average player does not understand the complexities of code involved with this particular game engine, let alone speggetti code in an engine not designed for even half the things STO pulls off. Assuming its a simple fix and claiming malice doesn't help anyone.
B: Hostility does not encourage anyone. It typically has the opposite effect in any circle. If someone walked into Cryptic's office and went full on aggro hostile over a bug, they're more likely to be hauled out by security than have someone listen. And with how far some hostility has gone on the forums... in person that would warrant calling the police.
C: Just because something doesn't get fixed when User X wants it to be is not a declaration of malice on the part of the Devs. It gets done when it gets done. Certain things have to be prioritized. They are not only working on those bugs, they are also working on actually advancing the game itself. And as an MMO, they need to keep working on new content. There can not be a "bug fix season" where all work on new content stops to fix every bug in the game. As much as some people may like that it is literally impossible. Every time they touch the code, they chance a bug being made. Even with bug fixes there is the chance that Code Element A doesn't play well with Code Element B. And we have a bug. A "bug fix season" is essentially permanent maintenance mode on the game as it will be a never ending cycle of fix bug, cause bug because of fix.
All we can do is state what the problem is, provide details that could help narrow the search, and wait. While yes it is good to listen to complaints as it can help identify problems, there is a line that has to be drawn regarding HOW complaints are presented. Outright hostility is not a viable complaint. Demanding someone be fired because something wasn't done is not a viable complaint. Wishing doom on anyone because something isn't being done (visably) is not a viable complaint. Saying "my wallet is closed until x happens" is not really a viable complaint.
Information is key. Presentation is key.
A well written complaint with as much information as possible will get more attention than a flame filled ranting rage post.
That being said, no one is expecting anyone here to be all Vulcan about their complaints. We're only human after all. But if everyone can be a bit more mindful of how they present their complaints it might mean more than just pulling out the flamethrowers and threatening war on the forums.
I do not care for this attitude. It insists upon itself.
Cool story. LLAP 🖖😎
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It beats taking the time to pound out a thoughtful and accurate post just to watch the needle stay stuck at "Because we said so."
Peace and Long Legs.
OK, Cochise, calm down. 😏
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If it's TOO HARD for you as a developer, then how hard is it for your CUSTOMERS?
My understanding of the VFX issue, and this is totally MY interpretation based on what's already been publicly stated and not based on any conversation I've had behind the scenes with devs, is that they haven't figured out HOW they want to address it. Forward development continues, though, and so, they can't develop a new power/ability/weapon/console without giving it SOME effect, so they continue as they have before. Yes, this adds to the VFX spam issue. They appear to be aware of that. Again, they just don't seem to know how they want to address the issue, and until they do, they continue business as usual. I know this isn't helping the issue at all, but I can understand to an extent why they continue as they have. But I agree with the (vocal) majority: something should be done to address this, the sooner, the better.
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Still, Valoreah has a point. (1)
Even if we had to accept that we need to know what someone else is using (which, imo, isn't even the case with most powers) then that still doesn't mean that every new power has to be so disruptive.
In many cases their visual effects seem totally unrelated to the actual impact anyway (ie, to the damage they deal or the amount of HP they heal in case of an ally).
To give a simple example: on my dedicated drain toons, my Tachyon beam or Charged particle burst (both very old and visually rather sober powers) are having a much larger effect on enemy shield points than most other powers of fellow captains have on those enemies' hulls. Basically, my shield drains have a much larger effect on helping destroy those enemies than all sorts of flashy lights and explosions.
Yet my drain abilities are completely obscured by many newer effects that apparently have to be more flashy and prominently visible.
Another example: almost all of my exotic abilities on dedicated EPG toons deal much more damage than those space cyclons from one of the Risa ships when used by someone who hasn't specialised in EPG damage and who just uses that one console. Yet again, my abilities are mostly invisible compared to that console.
So, even if we were to accept that we need to know what other people are using (which, again, is still debatable) then I think it's reasonable to expect some correlation between the severity of visual effects and actual impact of the related powers on enemies or supported allies.
There doesn't seem to be such a relation however. To me it seems that effects are picked and added because their creators think they look nice (2), because they want players to be able to clearly show off new abilities as it might encourage other players to get the newest toy or for similar reasons. But it seems to have very little to do with 'knowing what someone else is using' as part of understanding what's going on.
Whether something is a heal, self buff, debuff or a firework console isn't that important. If a 'need to know what is happening' is the justification of their visibility to other players, then it still makes little sense that some powers that really don't cause very much to happen at all are nevertheless so prominently visible.
(1) Or two actually, as his claim - that a perfectly understandable inability to fix something immediately isn't an excuse for making it worse in the meantime - is perfectly valid too. But I'm going to focus on the other thing here.)
(2) And for the record: most effects certainly look nice - I'm not saying they aren't aesthetically pleasing. But that doesn't mean that I want them to obscure everything if it's not informative.