You say that most people in STO wish that the phasers were customisable, in fact you've placed it in several of your arguments as a key point. Yet when I reviewed the previous threads it appeared that for every person agreed with you, there were five that disagreed.
I can't help but notice the disproportionate amount of people that prefer the powerhue out of the game over those who wish to keep it.
I personally am colour blind and have an issue distinguishing phasers from disruptors, so in fleet missions such as Starbase 24 I have a little bit of difficulty seeing who's weapons belong to who, a customisable feature would certainly give someone like me an advantage and yet I prefer to see it left out. Not because I don't find it's not cannon or because 'my opponent is given an edge' as many PvP players hae mentioned, but because personally to see a veritable rainbow of weapons fire would be mostly obnoxious. Like people whose ships are named 'U.S.S Yomama' or captains with names like 'I wear no pants'.
That's my opinion however.
It doesn't help however that the five to one arguments against keeping powehue consists of people with next to no argument as to why.
Custom color changes to energy weapons ought to be kept out of the game.
The designers have clearly gone to a bit of trouble to separate energy weapons by color so that you know whether you're getting hit with tetryon beams or polarons or disruptors or whatever the case may be. These don't leave much room for customization, as it seems that most of the colors are taken up already.
There are also issues with color blindness. With the current stratified color systems, blue-green color blind players may still be able to tell the difference between green and blue beams due to the contrast differences. Allowing players to start adjusting these may make it so that two different types of beams no longer have the proper contrast for delineating which is which.
Canon concerns here are really minor. Of course in the show phasers and disruptors and the like are always the same colors.
But it's really a game play issue. One of the thrills of the game is its relative simplicity in battle. Being able to quickly identify what you're being hit with is part of that. Custom energy weapon color changes are really detrimental to that purpose.
Lastly, no compelling case for the NEED for custom colored energy weapons has been made.
Great post m8, only person here with a fully thought out post, well read.
In all likelihood, miten is right about the license. I'd guess that Cryptic only retain creative control when it comes to their own created content, i.e. stuff made exclusively for the game; which the weapons are not.
You say that most people in STO wish that the phasers were customisable, in fact you've placed it in several of your arguments as a key point. Yet when I reviewed the previous threads it appeared that for every person agreed with you, there were five that disagreed.
I can't help but notice the disproportionate amount of people that prefer the powerhue out of the game over those who wish to keep it.
I personally am colour blind and have an issue distinguishing phasers from disruptors, so in fleet missions such as Starbase 24 I have a little bit of difficulty seeing who's weapons belong to who, a customisable feature would certainly give someone like me an advantage and yet I prefer to see it left out. Not because I don't find it's not cannon or because 'my opponent is given an edge' as many PvP players hae mentioned, but because personally to see a veritable rainbow of weapons fire would be mostly obnoxious. Like people whose ships are named 'U.S.S Yomama' or captains with names like 'I wear no pants'.
That's my opinion however.
It doesn't help however that the five to one arguments against keeping powehue consists of people with next to no argument as to why.
It was not this thread nor the last one that i had done my countings, It was the treads that people were posting before about having them removed that i saw plenty of people at least the same ratio that you speak of 5:1 that said it shouldnt be removed, but more than likely those members are offline atm and only the ones who dont like it are online, we will see as the day passes.
If they put it back, I would like to see it as an item on the store with only a certain range of colors. Other option is to code a filter to turn it of, as staed somewhere around.
The whole color to identify weapon types is a decent argument however it is diffused by bringing in color blind people as it's kindly like poking fun at the handicapped.
I do not agree with this. As a professional designer, making sure that your color systems for a typically more male-dominated game are functional for about 10% of that male user base (and some smaller percentage of the female user base) is not poking fun at the handicapped.
It is simply acknowledging and addressing real-world usability concerns for up to a tenth of your users, who also deserve to enjoy the game, and not have it messed up with people who are going overboard on customization.
...
You're getting closer to "poking fun at the handicapped" by casually dismissing the color blindness issue which said users deal with on a daily basis, and are usually thankful for visual aids to help alleviate any confusion they may otherwise face.
It's a bit like saying "If you suggest that locations should have ramps or elevators available for people who cannot use steps or stairs, you're making fun of people in wheelchairs." The employed logic in this case is backwards.
Just paraphrasing what i've said previously on other threads about this, as I think it helps demonstrate a different reason why changing the colours of anything should be viable under the "almighty canon"
Whats so wrong about pink anything?
There are tactical reasons for using the most random colours. Anyone from the UK who watches QI for example will know about the legendary "pink spitfire" for example which is an aircraft which was actually used in world war II for reconnaisance because pink planes were harder to spot.
In the world of star trek, gas giants with high quantities of iodine or xenon are likely to be pink hued, and whilst optical camoflage is largely useless in the star trek mileau, some races/houses/whatever might actually like to paint their ships that colour for some historical reason like that.
Then theres the whole frequency thing which has already been mentioned.
Then theres the simple fact that some players are colour blind. Disruptors are going to be pretty hard to differenciate from phasers for anyone with a case of red/green colour blindness, and I for one dont begrudge a player the opportunity to tweak those settings for themself if they need to.
To put it simply, there are more important issues to worry about than something as petty as wether you get slapped about with an orange phaser or a pink one in Pvp.
And in PvP the colour of a weapon makes little difference to how you play anyway. You wont know what an opponent is packing till they've hit you anyway, so arguements against colour changing weapons is moot, as all that changes is the fact that instead of being hit by something green and thinking "ok, that was a disruptor" theyll need to look at their combat log and see "You were hit for x disruptor damage" instead.
In terms of sticking to the canon, I think we've already reached a point where the "canon" has been stretched, skewed and misshapen beyond all belief as it is. We can have humans on klingon ships, liberated borg and Jem'Hadar behind the wheel of outdated vessels or imaginary ones that were made up to suit. Ensigns are commanding ships, and the idea of a "Uniform" has gone completely out of the window.
Right now, for a couple of hundred energy credits, I can paint my ship with go faster stripes (virgo) or wander about with a largely pink hull. Most of the time, the only person thats going to actually see my vessel and its weapons is me. Im a federation officer who can dismantle my regulation phaser arrays and fit disruptors and use weapons which are probably banned under federation law.
Im sorry but I think the canon has already been twisted so far out of shape you could use it as a cork TRIBBLE.
Add an opt out check box, if you must, so that we dont have to see custom colours, but allow them.
Alternately, could I request the option to opt out of seeing other peoples ugly attempts at a uniform, as in all honesty there are some choices which almost assault the optic nerve and pick its pockets for loose change afterwards. These custom uniforms are spoiling "MY" immersion, are also against the canon and need to be stopped too.
In all likelihood, miten is right about the license. I'd guess that Cryptic only retain creative control when it comes to their own created content, i.e. stuff made exclusively for the game; which the weapons are not.
Actually the license point was Ohio_Glory I was just reposting it. I'm still a supporter for colored phasers but I'm willing to wait for an amicable system to be implemented. If that is in a week that would be good but if it is in a year that is also acceptable. That solution could be a check box and that is most likely the only solution that would satisfy all parties but a decent amount of programming would be necessary. I'd love to continue this but I've really gotta get to work I think I've been here 2 hours now.
While I support any form of personal preferences, I may say that I would not like coloured powers returned.
While power customisation is fine - even mandatory - in games where diverse concepts are part & parcel of personal premises (superpowers in CoX & Champions, as an example), STO should try to stick to the uniform universe that it is set in. Indeed, it is this very reasoning that the Devs toned down player 'clown' uniforms in Beta. Phasers, at least since TNG, are orange. Klingon & Romulan distruptors are green. Dominion polarons are white. Cardassian spiral waves are yellow. Barring a few GFX goofs, this is the persistant universe that Star Trek has built up. One would feel the same if Star Destroyers & TIE Fighters began firing red blaster bolts, and the Rebels firing green. Its a standard we're all aware of, and allows swift determination.
So yes, while I agree that more customisation is always a good thing, there are times where this must give way to maintaining the immersion of the game; there are already many players who lament lack of immersion for XYZ - it would be unfortunate to add to it.
However, I am fully supportive of a system whereby weapons and powers are customisable only Client side. I have absolutely no issues with you firing pink phasers, et al. If you want to see them, godspeed to you. I would just prefer not to. And therefore the best solution is where you get to be the only one on your screen with different coloured attacks. In fact, being able to single out your own weapons during chaotic fleet engagements could well be the best universal reason for such system.
I'm also not in favor of it, but really for gameplay reasons - I want to know what I'm being shot with.
-HD
My issue is that it changes all weapons to the same color.. so sometimes I don't know if that was a volley of torpedoes or heavy plasma shots being sent my way. I like the idea of having it cost E-creds and put limits.
My issue is that it changes all weapons to the same color.. so sometimes I don't know if that was a volley of torpedoes or heavy plasma shots being sent my way. I like the idea of having it cost E-creds and put limits.
Thats because everyone was using the /powerhue 0 setting , if you change the 0 to a different number it changes the weapon it effects, 0 being all. You could set each one to a different color if you so wished.
I'd like to see the ability to turn them to 'default' if you wish.
Why?
I rather enjoyed my blue disruptors; they were fun, unusual... and I can't deny, even blowing up in a bright blue cloud was neat. On the other hand I can sympathize with those who don't like the multicolor assault on their eyes. I understand that it might feel a bit awkward for someone who's trying to get the most 'Trek' experience they can out of the game and then sees someone firing pink beams.
Nevertheless; I really did enjoy it; others clearly did as well - the best solution for all involved is Options. People who don't want to see it don't have to, people who do want to see it can. Granted I know this is easier said than done - but such is the nature of ideal solutions.
Likely. If they do happen to bring the command back in I hope they have a command for those of us who wouldn't enjoy it to revert the weapons to default for ourselves.
I know that this has been said previously, and that for some reason I can't fathom this opinion was ridiculed, but I can't see myself enjoying a Star Trek game with rainbow themed fleet action, whether or not the rest of the equipment is canon.
I do think the best option would be it a client setting to allow the player to see colors by damage type or by user selected color. Ability to set that by friend and foe would even be better. That way I could see my sides colors by selections, and see the others by damage type.
I find this agreeable. If you enjoyed the ability to change your weapons that much I think it would be a fair C-Store unlockable.
A C-store unlockable, for something that was free? That makes no sense. So if your willing to pay, rules don't apply to you. I would VERY disappointed in Cryptic if they did this. STO would be my last Cryptic purchase. If they made it a in-game purchasable, I would be fine with it though, but is should be like names, first one is free per ship.
I would say allow the player the ability to customize colors locally, but allow the default to be "actual" colors. I can advantages & disadvantages to this, primarily in PVP. ..i.e. PK has all color set to look like low damage phasers, but in actuality, PK is using high damage/high yield weapons, thereby deceiving the opponent.
If a player wants all weapons to look like "fuzzy bunny colors" then make then I would suggest an option to only allow the player to change colors effects locally (on his own installation/PC), but globally, all colors remain as coded by the developers.
I believe this would allow the players an "even" battlefield, but still allow functinoality for players that want various at their leisure.
Just being unacceptable doesnt make a good arguement, state your reasoning.
When I vote in actual elections I don't ever need to give a reason why I voted the way I did.
I vote no on colors unless it is client side only, then I don't care.
My reason is that I don't want to see space battles in STO become some twisted rainbow of chaos and I want to know what I am being shot with. It also does not follow Star Trek lore.
A C-store unlockable, for something that was free? That makes no sense. So if your willing to pay, rules don't apply to you. I would VERY disappointed in Cryptic if they did this. STO would be my last Cryptic purchase. If they made it a in-game purchasable, I would be fine with it though, but is should be like names, first one is free per ship.
Your argument is flawed. They've already done this with Ferengi and Klingons. Because it was allowed during beta (and one could count the 4 day head start as an extended beta really) does not mean that it would continue to be permitted in the full version of the game.
When I vote in actual elections I don't ever need to give a reason why I voted the way I did.
I vote no on colors unless it is client side only, then I don't care.
My reason is that I don't want to see space battles in STO become some twisted rainbow of chaos and I want to know what I am being shot with. It also does not follow Star Trek lore.
Im not saying ot for voting reasons im saying it because the GM wanted people to explain their reasoning its part of the reason he closed the las thread.
Not to mention the star trek lore has been changed so often and alot of things in STO are not really following the lore, and if they added a feature for players to disable it youd be able to see what your getting shot with.
Your argument is flawed. They've already done this with Ferengi and Klingons. Because it was allowed during beta (and one could count the 4 day head start as an extended beta really) does not mean that it would continue to be permitted in the full version of the game.
Ferengi and klingons wasnt available during beta, unless you mean closed beta... I wasnt in that.
Not to mention the star trek lore has been changed so often and alot of things in STO are not really following the lore, and if they added a feature for players to disable it youd be able to see what your getting shot with.
I think there's a difference between setting a game premise 30 years ahead of the last Prime Universe movie - allowing for some tweaks to the lore - and a fundemental shift in a persistant universe.
The Devs, for that very reason, made the decision to keep phasers et al as the colours they were well known to be. TNG, DS9, VGR & the movies Generations onwards have doggedly stuck to the design concepts. What seems to be wanted here is chaotic customisation.
Again, I completely respect the desire for such a concept, but from someone who plays STO for the ST part of it, I have to say the idea doesn't appeal.
As stated earlier above, Client-side customisation is surely a reasonable compromise to all. If there must be a toggle for Server-side variations, it must - absolutely must - be default set to OFF. One must enable the feature, not made to disable it to experience the game as lore intended.
The ONLY way I want it "back" is if there's an option so I DON'T HAVE TO SEE IT.
Limit it so ONLY the player modding their beams sees it.
I came to a Trek game to play Trek.
If I didn't want to play Trek, I should've gone somewhere else.
I shouldn't come here and expect Trek to change for me, or even worse yet, me change it for everyone else!
No player really can argue against having it as a opt-in option. I do think it should be defaulted to see the default colors, then option selected to see the "player selected" colors. There are many valid tactical and aesthetic reasons to see different player selected colors for ships. And there are many that would like to see the default colors. However that would require changes on Cryptic's side and may not be easily set to have it as client option.
We have an opt out on armor so you can see the base uniform. So the precedent is set for visuals to be separated from actual.
The strict-canon people cans see the canon colors. The pro-rainbow people can see their pretty colors.
Comments
You say that most people in STO wish that the phasers were customisable, in fact you've placed it in several of your arguments as a key point. Yet when I reviewed the previous threads it appeared that for every person agreed with you, there were five that disagreed.
I can't help but notice the disproportionate amount of people that prefer the powerhue out of the game over those who wish to keep it.
I personally am colour blind and have an issue distinguishing phasers from disruptors, so in fleet missions such as Starbase 24 I have a little bit of difficulty seeing who's weapons belong to who, a customisable feature would certainly give someone like me an advantage and yet I prefer to see it left out. Not because I don't find it's not cannon or because 'my opponent is given an edge' as many PvP players hae mentioned, but because personally to see a veritable rainbow of weapons fire would be mostly obnoxious. Like people whose ships are named 'U.S.S Yomama' or captains with names like 'I wear no pants'.
That's my opinion however.
It doesn't help however that the five to one arguments against keeping powehue consists of people with next to no argument as to why.
It was not this thread nor the last one that i had done my countings, It was the treads that people were posting before about having them removed that i saw plenty of people at least the same ratio that you speak of 5:1 that said it shouldnt be removed, but more than likely those members are offline atm and only the ones who dont like it are online, we will see as the day passes.
If they put it back, I would like to see it as an item on the store with only a certain range of colors. Other option is to code a filter to turn it of, as staed somewhere around.
I do not agree with this. As a professional designer, making sure that your color systems for a typically more male-dominated game are functional for about 10% of that male user base (and some smaller percentage of the female user base) is not poking fun at the handicapped.
It is simply acknowledging and addressing real-world usability concerns for up to a tenth of your users, who also deserve to enjoy the game, and not have it messed up with people who are going overboard on customization.
...
You're getting closer to "poking fun at the handicapped" by casually dismissing the color blindness issue which said users deal with on a daily basis, and are usually thankful for visual aids to help alleviate any confusion they may otherwise face.
It's a bit like saying "If you suggest that locations should have ramps or elevators available for people who cannot use steps or stairs, you're making fun of people in wheelchairs." The employed logic in this case is backwards.
Actually the license point was Ohio_Glory I was just reposting it. I'm still a supporter for colored phasers but I'm willing to wait for an amicable system to be implemented. If that is in a week that would be good but if it is in a year that is also acceptable. That solution could be a check box and that is most likely the only solution that would satisfy all parties but a decent amount of programming would be necessary. I'd love to continue this but I've really gotta get to work I think I've been here 2 hours now.
Agreed, all you need in the background is Rainbow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAV1Su6Ya5E
While power customisation is fine - even mandatory - in games where diverse concepts are part & parcel of personal premises (superpowers in CoX & Champions, as an example), STO should try to stick to the uniform universe that it is set in. Indeed, it is this very reasoning that the Devs toned down player 'clown' uniforms in Beta. Phasers, at least since TNG, are orange. Klingon & Romulan distruptors are green. Dominion polarons are white. Cardassian spiral waves are yellow. Barring a few GFX goofs, this is the persistant universe that Star Trek has built up. One would feel the same if Star Destroyers & TIE Fighters began firing red blaster bolts, and the Rebels firing green. Its a standard we're all aware of, and allows swift determination.
So yes, while I agree that more customisation is always a good thing, there are times where this must give way to maintaining the immersion of the game; there are already many players who lament lack of immersion for XYZ - it would be unfortunate to add to it.
However, I am fully supportive of a system whereby weapons and powers are customisable only Client side. I have absolutely no issues with you firing pink phasers, et al. If you want to see them, godspeed to you. I would just prefer not to. And therefore the best solution is where you get to be the only one on your screen with different coloured attacks. In fact, being able to single out your own weapons during chaotic fleet engagements could well be the best universal reason for such system.
My issue is that it changes all weapons to the same color.. so sometimes I don't know if that was a volley of torpedoes or heavy plasma shots being sent my way. I like the idea of having it cost E-creds and put limits.
Thats because everyone was using the /powerhue 0 setting , if you change the 0 to a different number it changes the weapon it effects, 0 being all. You could set each one to a different color if you so wished.
I'd like to see the ability to turn them to 'default' if you wish.
Why?
I rather enjoyed my blue disruptors; they were fun, unusual... and I can't deny, even blowing up in a bright blue cloud was neat. On the other hand I can sympathize with those who don't like the multicolor assault on their eyes. I understand that it might feel a bit awkward for someone who's trying to get the most 'Trek' experience they can out of the game and then sees someone firing pink beams.
Nevertheless; I really did enjoy it; others clearly did as well - the best solution for all involved is Options. People who don't want to see it don't have to, people who do want to see it can. Granted I know this is easier said than done - but such is the nature of ideal solutions.
I know that this has been said previously, and that for some reason I can't fathom this opinion was ridiculed, but I can't see myself enjoying a Star Trek game with rainbow themed fleet action, whether or not the rest of the equipment is canon.
I find this agreeable. If you enjoyed the ability to change your weapons that much I think it would be a fair C-Store unlockable.
I dont want to pay for that, i already have to pay 15$ a month, lets not add to that.
I would say allow the player the ability to customize colors locally, but allow the default to be "actual" colors. I can advantages & disadvantages to this, primarily in PVP.
..i.e. PK has all color set to look like low damage phasers, but in actuality, PK is using high damage/high yield weapons, thereby deceiving the opponent.
If a player wants all weapons to look like "fuzzy bunny colors" then make then I would suggest an option to only allow the player to change colors effects locally (on his own installation/PC), but globally, all colors remain as coded by the developers.
I believe this would allow the players an "even" battlefield, but still allow functinoality for players that want various at their leisure.
Simply my own 2 cents, nothing more.
When I vote in actual elections I don't ever need to give a reason why I voted the way I did.
I vote no on colors unless it is client side only, then I don't care.
My reason is that I don't want to see space battles in STO become some twisted rainbow of chaos and I want to know what I am being shot with. It also does not follow Star Trek lore.
Your argument is flawed. They've already done this with Ferengi and Klingons. Because it was allowed during beta (and one could count the 4 day head start as an extended beta really) does not mean that it would continue to be permitted in the full version of the game.
Im not saying ot for voting reasons im saying it because the GM wanted people to explain their reasoning its part of the reason he closed the las thread.
Not to mention the star trek lore has been changed so often and alot of things in STO are not really following the lore, and if they added a feature for players to disable it youd be able to see what your getting shot with.
Ferengi and klingons wasnt available during beta, unless you mean closed beta... I wasnt in that.
I think there's a difference between setting a game premise 30 years ahead of the last Prime Universe movie - allowing for some tweaks to the lore - and a fundemental shift in a persistant universe.
The Devs, for that very reason, made the decision to keep phasers et al as the colours they were well known to be. TNG, DS9, VGR & the movies Generations onwards have doggedly stuck to the design concepts. What seems to be wanted here is chaotic customisation.
Again, I completely respect the desire for such a concept, but from someone who plays STO for the ST part of it, I have to say the idea doesn't appeal.
As stated earlier above, Client-side customisation is surely a reasonable compromise to all. If there must be a toggle for Server-side variations, it must - absolutely must - be default set to OFF. One must enable the feature, not made to disable it to experience the game as lore intended.
Limit it so ONLY the player modding their beams sees it.
I came to a Trek game to play Trek.
If I didn't want to play Trek, I should've gone somewhere else.
I shouldn't come here and expect Trek to change for me, or even worse yet, me change it for everyone else!
We have an opt out on armor so you can see the base uniform. So the precedent is set for visuals to be separated from actual.
The strict-canon people cans see the canon colors. The pro-rainbow people can see their pretty colors.