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SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Overall I thought this was an interesting mission. Played it on my favorite character on Advanced on the first try. Has some omages to the desert episodes from Enterprise and TNG, as well with a little Star Trek 6.



Part 1: Puzzles was interesting Liked how you had to look around to find all the consoles.

Part 2: I liked being beamed into the cell. But I'll be honest, I wasn't too happy with the voice over of Slamek. It was repetitive and really got annoying later on. Took a while to get through his dialogue to continue the mission.

The Melee Weapon rack had to have been the best part of the episode, because you got swords! :grin

The fights against the animals was fun, and glad there was "powerups" here and there to compesnate for your inability to use hypos.

It took a little bit to find the proper console during the boss battle and thought it was in a rather odd location. I honestly don't see the logic in having it placed there. But the fight was fun nonetheless.

Part 3: Desert was fun and annoying, took a while to find certain plants that were out of range of the tricorder. But the scenery was top notch. Wish the space detail on the moons were that great.

EDIT: BTW, shouldn't the Tactical Captain be the one doing the hunting, not the Engineer? Seems like the Engineer would be the one gathering the wood for the campfire.


Ending: Haakev's Voice was definitely not the same as it was in Episode 2. But not understood why Salmek was working for him. And wish there was a scene after you beamed out, you just suddenly were back in Sector Space. Wish there was somekind of proper ending than just the debriefing.

End Reward: The Reman Covariant Shield - nice green glow. And has the HPs of the MK X Covarient Cap 3x Shield. But not exactly a replacement over the Aegis shield.




Overall I give it a B:
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Did you look at all the consoles in the gate room? The answer was there.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Missed Opportunity of Epic Proportions: It is a damn shame that our choice at the end of the last episode did not have any influence over our mission this week. What would have been really, really impressive would have been two entirely different missions, the one you get depending upon your choice on whether to side with Obelisk or not. At the very least, your choice last week should have influenced the flavor text, offering different dialogue at the start. Oh well.

    The Legend Of Zelda: The Next Generation: The final arena fight with the worm was VERY ‘Legend Of Zelda-ish’. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I’d still prefer a better combat interface: the swinging of your sword and the enemy recoiling and taking damage to not sync up! This creates a sloppy looking visual of your captain swinging wildly and the target randomly recoiling. If you swing and hit, the enemy should recoil with that hit. I can’t believe old SNES games (anything from Legend of Zelda to Street Fighter) can create good attack/recoil visuals, but here we are in 2011 and it looks like we’re swinging independently or the target’s recoils. Also, creating a perfect circle and being given commands like “Return to your cell!” and “Go to the control by the door!” is frustrating and obnoxious. I’d return to my cell if I could figure out where the heck it is!

    The Endless Desert of Point A to Point B: This was the only place where the mission outright failed. The desert was tedious and buggy. “Head to those rocks!” Sadly, everything was dark rocks, and I managed to run past them and into the canyon. All the middle objectives were skipped, and I wandered aimlessly until I found the cave. Sadly, I couldn’t do anything in the cave because the middle objectives hadn’t been activated. Worse still, when I died my ‘friend’ stayed put with the wild cats, and I had to walk all the way back to the cave to get him to return to me. Finally I found the microscopic circle on the map that told me where I was supposed to walk to. After this, all that happened was about twenty minutes of, “Now walk to this circle. Now back. Now to this circle. Now back. Now to this circle…” Boring and tedious.

    Final Cinematic: Very cool, although a few less Romulans would have actually improved the visuals: once you get 25 soldiers or 25 ships it all just looks like an overkill copy & paste. I knew I’d get beamed out at the last second, but it still looked spiffy and felt like a scene from an episode.

    Fashion & Inventory: Nice of my captors to leave me with my entire inventory while in the holding cell. I realize the weapons and items were disabled in the arena, but it would still have been awesome to wake up in my holding cell with absolutely nothing. Maybe on the way out finding a crate with all my items in it.

    I’d also like to have seen my uniform dirtied up. I’m sure this may be beyond the capabilities of the game engine, but having my uniform gradually get worn, torn, and filthy as I fight in the arena, run through the desert, etc, would have been quite cool.

    Missed Opportunity Runner-Up: Seeing as the big release that coincided with the start of these weeklies were the use of shuttles/runabouts, it is odd that they’ve been absent from all but the first mission. I know, I know, give it another week or two…maybe…and we’ll need them again. But this episode would have been a great opportunity to use them: Transporters are down when the array attacks, so you select ONE officer to take a shuttle over. You go to your shuttlebay, hop in, and pilot to the array. Once there you fix all the systems (no need for four BOs running stupidly behind you for this part anyway). With the array down, you hop back in your shuttle to return to the ship but then…oh no!...the array targets you instead of the derelict and you crash on the planets surface. When you wake up, you are in the arena cell. Could have used some cool cinematics of you piloting the shuttle, being hit, crashing (assuming the engine could show such things).

    Also, when you wake up in your cell, hitting your combadge should have been the first thing you did.

    Final Word: As this series plods sluggishly along, I can’t help but feel under whelmed. I feel a lot less like I am playing an episode so much as watching one. My personal actions don’t have any noticeable consequences in the plot, I’m still mostly just running from point A to point B and shooting whatever I find there, the use of shuttles and ground weapons have seemed both sparse and choppy. As for the plot, I wouldn’t be helping the Remans but I don’t seem to have a choice. Ending my mission each week with 200 player ships orbiting the star system in sector space looks both ridiculous and sloppy.

    Grade: C+
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    castmodean wrote: »
    Did you look at all the consoles in the gate room? The answer was there.

    I looked at the consoles, but don't recall it really revealing he was a double agent.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    but it would still have been awesome to wake up in my holding cell wearing absolutely nothing
    Fixed? But seriously, probably a "Tech" thing.

    I got lost on the "find a place for the guy to rest" objective. I was like "that canyon should be a fine place to rest" and went pretty far in there. Later I had to go back, using the large map to find the circles because it wasn't clear.
    Also, when you wake up in your cell, hitting your combadge should have been the first thing you did.
    Good point.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Un less of course they had already confiscated the Combadge, but visually that would again have been a tech thing. :p
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    I enjoyed everything about it. It felt more trek.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Overall, I had a great time. But it DID make me want an in-game calculator lol.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    I enjoyed this episode over all. The puzzles were fun, the story advancement unveiled in the console info was cool and I about ****ed myself laughing with delight over the classic Kirk fight music in the arena, that was just Epic! My only real complaint was that there was no torn uniform or "shirtless Kirk" option to go with the fight sequence, that would have been truly over the top epicness.

    Well done Devs...kudos
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    stararmy wrote: »
    Fixed? But seriously, probably a "Tech" thing.

    I got lost on the "find a place for the guy to rest" objective. I was like "that canyon should be a fine place to rest" and went pretty far in there. Later I had to go back, using the large map to find the circles because it wasn't clear.

    Good point.

    Thats the whole point you are prisoner with no tricorder to help you navigate the desert.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    stararmy wrote: »
    Overall, I had a great time. But it DID make me want an in-game calculator lol.

    That's an excellent candidate for a minigame-style interface, since these puzzles are likely to appear frequently in the future.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Azurian wrote: »
    I looked at the consoles, but don't recall it really revealing he was a double agent.

    That reveal only happens at the end anyway You weren't supposed to glean that info from the consoles as far as I'm aware.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Loved it. Best episode in the game so far!

    Could have done with a ready-room chat with T'nae over subspace, but other than that worked great.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    I haven't finished it yet. The Desert portion has been just a littlle frustrating. Slamek wants a place to rest and I certainly can not find the right spot. Without giving away too much, I have searched from the pipe to the "cave". No luck.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    I added this to my OP, but noticed this my second time around (while in a team and not solo).

    I just think it's odd that the Engineer does the hunting, while the Tactical gathers firewood. Shouldn't it be the other way around? :confused:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Azurian wrote: »
    I just think it's odd that the Engineer does the hunting, while the Tactical gathers firewood. Shouldn't it be the other way around? :confused:

    Personally, I don't see how division has anything to do with gathering water, firewood, or hunting.

    Gather water in a gourd? yeah, good thing I have an advanced degree in Science from Starfleet Academy. Because only me or a ten year old boyscout could have figured THAT out.

    I'd have liked to see an Engineer fix the communication device so you beam up at the last minute, the tactical officer manage to fight the Romulan centurians, and the science officer acitvate the gateway so that you walk through onto your bridge.

    That'd be more like it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Personally, I don't see how division has anything to do with gathering water, firewood, or hunting.

    Gather water in a gourd? yeah, good thing I have an advanced degree in Science from Starfleet Academy. Because only me or a ten year old boyscout could have figured THAT out.

    I'd have liked to see an Engineer fix the communication device so you beam up at the last minute, the tactical officer manage to fight the Romulan centurians, and the science officer acitvate the gateway so that you walk through onto your bridge.

    That'd be more like it.

    True, but for the campire, I think the Tactical Captain is more suited to hunt things. ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Gruug wrote: »
    I haven't finished it yet. The Desert portion has been just a littlle frustrating. Slamek wants a place to rest and I certainly can not find the right spot. Without giving away too much, I have searched from the pipe to the "cave". No luck.

    There are mission markers on your map, they are just very hard to see. Zoom in all the way on the big map and you should find them.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    if i should put what i think about this episode 1 one word it would be: EXHAUSTING!

    i spend arround 2 hours on it.
    that was no Episode, that was a friggen Movie!


    the whole first part was strange.

    first my ship gets trapped, i spend an eternity on that station reading through stuff only to be confronted by... MATH? omg... nooo! *used bruteforce attack to get the codes, to lazy to think and half of the stuff i do not understand anyway*

    *so that part is over, OK this is clearly the *diplomatic / non combat mission* of the Series beam out and expected a short ending....* oh boy was i wrong! Realy i had allready forgotten about all the ground combat weapon spoilers.

    wait... where am i?... oooh... OOOOH now i get it.

    i was able to get the weapon behind the force field before i left the room, just hang arround a little the force field will go down and up after a while.

    so i got 2 new swords... nice.

    Worms... k fun check.
    the 3 guards that i released did just stand there doing nothing... hmm ok whatever.

    and now it's over when i go through that big door....
    OOOOOH WRONG AGAIN!...
    jeez....

    of course i did ran right past the first objective to hide in the rocks to the right, did kill all the critters... then ran back to trigger that part.... made that long annoying flower picking section.... only to get a quest then to kill Warriguls which i allready have killed.

    OK... TRIBBLE what now? I'm trapped on the planet and can't drop the mission because i can't beam out...
    oh WAIT! i CAN beam out.... oh.... oooooh... yeah ok beamed out and right down again and did not even have to wait half an hour for the instance to reset :)

    then did the rest ....


    i guess next time i will need half an hour but the first time 2 hours was realy exhausting.




    ok uhm the Voice Over from the other prisoner (cant remember the name) pretty much SUCKED.... either let him talk the whole text or let me read in silence but NEVER do those one line thingys again...
    that only says to me:
    "yeah we can do it ...but... not right now.... to much text... better things to do... bye... have fun reading that book the text guys wrote for you..." ...and boy that guy had a lot of text.

    The last videosequence... i am not realy happy how it cut of the NOOOOOOOO from Hakeev, but it was so forseeable that my Captain beams out ....


    my only question is, i found a damn Iconian Portal on the Planet, used by the Tal'Shier....
    ...first reaction when i'm back on the Ship: Mr. Worf-equivalent, ready Tricobalt Torpedos and FIRE!
    Hmm... i guess not then...

    k... Hail Starfleet, talk to Obisek... get a very GREEN glowing Mk VI Shield that my Cmdr. 9 can drop in 2 levels because it does not scale.... *yay* :rolleyes:



    recap: long exhausting GOOD mission with a lot of Epicness but a few missleading triggers, some useless math puzzle and no scaling loot and no proper Voice Over for the most important char of the mission.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Bellsarius wrote:
    Thats the whole point you are prisoner with no tricorder to help you navigate the desert.

    The only problem is they say "that rock formation" to take cover, I can only find two before hitting the invis. walls, and neither of them are right. (one is an arch, and the other is a cave at the far end of the map)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Pansapien wrote:
    There are mission markers on your map, they are just very hard to see. Zoom in all the way on the big map and you should find them.

    They don't seem to be working for me. Normally this would be the case, but I guess this is just a crappy glitch.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Do they have the TV series writers helping them? Because this Episode felt more like Star Trek than has been around in a long while. I can't explain it, but it felt very similar to ST VI. A good Trek story all around, and now I can't wait to see how the Romulan front unfolds in the series. I wouldn't be too surprised if they became end-game material, stronger than the Borg. That's the direction it seems to be heading.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    That's an excellent candidate for a minigame-style interface, since these puzzles are likely to appear frequently in the future.

    I prefer an interface that is a combination of pencil and paper and mental math.

    :p
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    I FREAKING loved today's episode because it reminded me of Saturday's for some reason. Chilling out and playing a long mission. Trekking through the desert, it felt endless. That is what i love about it. Lirpas, gladiatorial combat, Reman betrayal and Iconian plans. My god.






    I'm slightly drunk but christ i loved the mission. Whoever made it, i want to have their babies.

    I'm not joking either.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Pansapien wrote:
    There are mission markers on your map, they are just very hard to see. Zoom in all the way on the big map and you should find them.

    I was looking for them but they were not showing up before I posted. They didn't sho up until I minimised the game and when I went back in they were there. However, you are correct, they are hard to see.

    Once that issue was resolved, I had a great time one this episode. I even cheered and laughed a bit at the ending. Great job Cryptic.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    jjcan1701 wrote: »
    They don't seem to be working for me. Normally this would be the case, but I guess this is just a crappy glitch.

    See my post above.....what I did seemed to fix it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Loved every minute of this mission today! Fantastic! Epic! It felt like a movie!

    Great job!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Compared to the rest of the content in STO, this mission gets a grade of A
    Well done, very few gripes, and best of all... it felt exactly like a good Star Trek Episode!

    Keep up the terrific work! It's times like this where I'm happy I went Lifetime...:cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    To: Starfleet Academy, Command College -- Department of Esoteric Tactics
    From: Capt. Gymnasium Zeno Quirk, commanding USS Miles Vorkosigan
    Re: Addition/reinforcement to curriculum.

    Sirs;

    I wish to recommend that additional emphasis be placed on the psychological analysis of potential adversaries to the end of encouraging those with the proper profile to engage in extended expository oration (colloquially known as "monologuing"). During confrontations, the time spent on such oration can allow one's crew to complete necessary data analysis, equipment repairs, refinement of transporter lock-ons, etc.

    Respectfully yours etc.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    Best mission YET!!! *MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW*

    mission itself:
    when i first approached the derelict and the satellite, i was expecting an ambush, not the freaking satellite reaching out and grabbing us! :D
    the inside: nicely spread and not too difficult (all you really needed to do was read carefully), and the math... didn't see that coming (good thing i had a calculator on-hand)
    being intercepted in the transporter, forced to fight to in a coliseum; whichi didn't mind all that much, due the melee weapons; lirpa, batleth and sword i got (yeah, i found that i could get all three)and the Amok Time music, which was epic :D
    escorting Selmak through the desert, along with healing him and camping out, then finally finding his ship (i'll be honest, his betrayal actually stung me, but the last second beamout had me laughing and in stitches for an hour :D it was just perfect!)
    Iconians behind this... saw that coming way before

    two gripes, and they're minor:
    the animations for the lirpa, batleth and sword were inconsisent... they wouldn't even show up in the path to the open arena, or the desert for that matter... just in combat (and when attacking with no enemy in sight, it shows up for a split second, then disappears, even though my character was still holding it the same way)
    after the split second beamout, we just talk to obesik and that's it... i was expecting my bridge officers to do this little freak out that they got me out of there just in time... and i was expecting to actualy tell T'Nae what Obesik told us

    one question:
    on an optional peek into the records of the hidden base, i saw that they had a file on the Undine (very little, which i expected), but i wonder... you can't tell me that they captured Undine and tested them in the arenas!? or did i read that wrong?

    final grade: EPIC! EPIC, EPIC, EPIC!!!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2011
    It was an amazing mission, i had ALOT of fun Wow guys it was incredible
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