So you can make your ship look anyway you want, colored anyway you want or decalled up the wazoo.
Then why not create a completely original game, with fully customizable ships and avatars that players can make look anyway they want, with gameplay unhindered by an existing IP? Then you wouldn't have to put up with people- such as myself- who drop in periodically and point out the obvious - THIS IS NOT STAR TREK.
Just seems simpler, with so much less noise.
This has been my main objection to the game all along.
The ONLY reason they took the Trek IP was to bait Trek fans into buying the game - not knowing what it really is.
It's nothing new - games and movies have been doing this for a long time. That still doesn't make it rgiht.
IP bait and switch. Pure and simple.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I'm actually thrilled that progression is not fast paced. One thing I missed from the days of yore (ala EQ1) is that going up took time, it took effort, and there wasn't this insane rush to level just to get to where the 'fun' is ala WoW (Raiding/pvp). This slower progression to me is a GREAT thing, it means I'll be enjoying the game a long time, each alt means something more than it does on other grind fest games.
Indeed. Playing the game at level 1 should be fun enough to keep you playing. Instead, many MMOs have just given up on making their game fun and instead focused on getting you to chase an illusory carrot to keep you playing.
Good to hear Cryptic has that part right. Now if they get rid of microtransactions or make a server for ppl who don't want them, I'll be a much happier camper.
One server for the entire game - so no servers with variant rules.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Why, why, why do developers wait until the last month to tweak stuff like this? I don't pretend to know the ins and out of game design, but it seems like the MMOs coming out in the recent past years always wait until the last darn minute to work on this and other major gameplay factors. I mean it's been in development for how long, and a month before release they decide "hey, maybe we should look at this experience thing"? Didn't they learn anything from their Champions Online disaster? To be honest, because of this an other things that i have read, alarm bells are already ringing in my mind because I see signs of another product released way to friggin early.
Because the content isn't in place until the last month to actually test it.
So you can make your ship look anyway you want, colored anyway you want or decalled up the wazoo.
Then why not create a completely original game, with fully customizable ships and avatars that players can make look anyway they want, with gameplay unhindered by an existing IP? Then you wouldn't have to put up with people- such as myself- who drop in periodically and point out the obvious - THIS IS NOT STAR TREK.
Just seems simpler, with so much less noise.
This has been my main objection to the game all along.
The ONLY reason they took the Trek IP was to bait Trek fans into buying the game - not knowing what it really is.
It's nothing new - games and movies have been doing this for a long time. That still doesn't make it rgiht.
This has been my main objection to the game all along. The ONLY reason they took the Trek IP was to bait Trek fans into buying the game - not knowing what it really is. It's nothing new - games and movies have been doing this for a long time. That still doesn't make it rgiht. IP bait and switch. Pure and simple.
OK Doubter you just accused Cryptic of a federal crime. Please back that up.
It's a bait and switch alright just not in the fraud sense you attribute to it Wes. Doubter is absolutely right in my opinion. Everything released about the game screams "star trek skinned garbage (Champions Online)."
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
Accusing someone or a company of a crime is not an opinion. If you actually believe this is a crime please report them. Keep in mind filling a false report is a crime.
It all sounds incredibly simplistic, there doesnt appear to be the depth I would have expected with many many things 'in-complete'
Of course its exciting to try a new mmo, the new visuals, the sounds... But no MMO recently has been able to keep people interested long after the first month.
The space combat sounds hideously boring and dull as does the planet side avatar stuff, we know startrek is more than just combat! .. fine, but the depth of choices? "kill or Scan" ? cmon.. sounds pathetic.
While this article is well presented and informative, I think the Auther is trying very hard to avoid being negative.
It all sounds exactly the way CO was a month before release. I wish it the best but ive learned my lesson from about 5 new mmo's in the past few years and wont be buying this at release. I will be concentrating on other MMO's that have expanded and improved, I wont be giveing my money away just to act as a tester anymore.
These have been some of the most informative previews I've ever read about a game - a good deal more detail than you see in most.
The game sounds very interesting, to say the least. Between the main character, bridge officers, kits, and ships, it appears that there will be a lot of variety and depth in building your overall "character". The continuous advancement model of the game, instead of more granular level-only based advancement, sounds great.
I also have no problem with slower advancement, as long as the "journey" is fun throughout.
Amazing reviews. Definitely looking forward to part 3. It would seem that STO will be a totally different gaming experience than what I'm used to. (And I've played a majority of the mainstream MMO's out there.)
There is so much of the wow-clone fantasy garbage out there doing the same thing with regards to leveling and action. I finally get to enjoy a true space & planet based scifi gameplay that includes much of the Star Trek experience. I get to experience a different type of leveling. I get to experience my very own "npc team". I get to customize my ships and characters using proven customization tools (based off of other Cryptic games). I get to explore new star systems, and using the "genesis creator", I might never run out of areas to explore!
The only thing I'm wondering about now is if "guilds" will be able to own a floating starbase? Perhaps not at launch, but it would almost be silly to not have them at some point. And of course I would definitely expect the ability to walk around the player-starbase if such an object existed.
Very nice preview articles. Well done. The slow progression in level but skill points rewarded almost constantly is what Fallen Earth has, and I had exactly the same reaction - I stopped thinking about leveling and found myself immersed in the game world. This, plus the variation between being on away missions and captaining a ship, has definitely piqued my interest.
I have been really enjoying these preview articles. Every thing I read just makes me want to play this game even more. After reading Woods articles on STO i just had to go out and preorder the STO Collectors Edition.
Originally posted by Lektronik I get to explore new star systems, and using the "genesis creator", I might never run out of areas to explore!
Prepare to be disappointed.
I prefer to be neutral on the matter. I'm sure the genesis hype isn't all I hope it to be, but at least it's a huge step in the right direction.
That said, why should I "prepare to be disappointed"? Surely, you don't have any knowledge whatsoever as to why we should be disappointed about the genesis creator. You're just a puny human subscriber like the rest of us...
Show me some facts to the contrary and then I may consider your words.
Why, why, why do developers wait until the last month to tweak stuff like this? I don't pretend to know the ins and out of game design, but it seems like the MMOs coming out in the recent past years always wait until the last darn minute to work on this and other major gameplay factors. I mean it's been in development for how long, and a month before release they decide "hey, maybe we should look at this experience thing"? Didn't they learn anything from their Champions Online disaster? To be honest, because of this an other things that i have read, alarm bells are already ringing in my mind because I see signs of another product released way to friggin early.
Because the content isn't in place until the last month to actually test it.
I don't completely agree with your one sentence answer. Several of the areas of concern that were pointed out not only in the preview, but other article as well are the type of things that have been addressed in other games well more then 1 month in advance of release. In the closed beta of Lord of the Rings Online and WOW, I don't recall not having any idea what the descriptions of skills were when choosing a skill or assigning points. The descriptions had to be tweaked, but not completely missing. Certain things should not be missing/incomplete 1 month in advance of release.
I am looking forward to the game, I go in with no expectations what so ever. Not a huge trekky, enjoyed TNG, some DS9, some Voyager, and actually liked Enterprise. Liked most of the movies, loved the new movie. But I cant really tell you much about the lore, and honestly dont care.
Yet still see so many whiners, funny how the haters sound like fanbois, just change a couple of words, but both sides spew the same crap.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Dana wrote: Should players also be able to group inside a single ship? Some argue vehemently yes, and that's their opinion, but in my personal experience I never missed it.
Yeah, I remember back in 2003 when I never missed having a cell phone either. Oh, and back in the 1990s, I never missed having a laptop computer. And when I was 5 years old, I never missed having a car.
Point being, how can you even make such a statement? It has no logical basis since you have nothing to compare your experience to.
On top of that, yet again, a MMORPG staff writer resorts to a strawman arguement to dismiss player crews by invoking the "minutia rationale".
_____________________________ Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
I'm finding it very hard to get excited about this game. Because imo Champions was such a huge disapointment, yes I was cought up in all the hype over how much better then CoX it was going to be. Then it was released and not nearly even a fraction close to what I thought it was gonna be based on the reviews, previews, and forum chats. Then I played Beta and total disapointment. Then I waited and played the trial they now offer and nothing has changed, the graphics are still very laggy and look as horrable as when they were still in beta. The whole game is nothing but a bunch of instances. And just like CoX the game world is so small and repetitave that it starts to feel like the cyber version of cabin fever. Any way what im trying to say is that I dont have much confidence in Cryptic studios anymore. Dont get me wrong they are not as horrible as the game killers SOE. I'm just saying that im not going to spend money on STO until I at least play Beta or a demo. Im not even going to throw down money on ToR till I can play it first. I even played Aion and want to play more but it's not worth more then $20 to shell out for a boxed copy plus a monthly sub. In fact I havnt played an MMO good enough to spend more the $20 dollars for the game client.
Thanks Dana for the reviews, both pt 1 and 2 were good read.
One thing I did not see though was crafting, I believe there is none in STO? Can anyone please confirm by pointing to the section of the reviews that I missed, or maybe to some other info?
Even though I love crafting in MMO's, I think I'd be ok with the lack of it in STO, would like to be sure though..
Thanks Dana for the reviews, both pt 1 and 2 were good read. One thing I did not see though was crafting, I believe there is none in STO? Can anyone please confirm by pointing to the section of the reviews that I missed, or maybe to some other info? Even though I love crafting in MMO's, I think I'd be ok with the lack of it in STO, would like to be sure though.. Cheers.
There is crafting in the game, though it's not exactly conventional. There's a pretty informative article at TTH here:
Accusing someone or a company of a crime is not an opinion. If you actually believe this is a crime please report them. Keep in mind filling a false report is a crime.
I'm gonna hope you are not an native English speaker, because the phrase "bait and switch" is an expression and not necessarily indicative of criminal activity.
If you are a native English speaker, ffs, what the hell are you smoking?
Comments
This has been my main objection to the game all along.
The ONLY reason they took the Trek IP was to bait Trek fans into buying the game - not knowing what it really is.
It's nothing new - games and movies have been doing this for a long time. That still doesn't make it rgiht.
IP bait and switch. Pure and simple.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Indeed. Playing the game at level 1 should be fun enough to keep you playing. Instead, many MMOs have just given up on making their game fun and instead focused on getting you to chase an illusory carrot to keep you playing.
Good to hear Cryptic has that part right. Now if they get rid of microtransactions or make a server for ppl who don't want them, I'll be a much happier camper.
One server for the entire game - so no servers with variant rules.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Thanks for a nice read,
your previews are really getting me stoked up to play this game !
Because the content isn't in place until the last month to actually test it.
No, your making assumptions. A Federation vessel looks like a Federation vessel, regardless of how you customize it.
This has been my main objection to the game all along.
The ONLY reason they took the Trek IP was to bait Trek fans into buying the game - not knowing what it really is.
It's nothing new - games and movies have been doing this for a long time. That still doesn't make it rgiht.
IP bait and switch. Pure and simple.
OK Doubter you just accused Cryptic of a federal crime. Please back that up.
It's a bait and switch alright just not in the fraud sense you attribute to it Wes. Doubter is absolutely right in my opinion. Everything released about the game screams "star trek skinned garbage (Champions Online)."
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
Accusing someone or a company of a crime is not an opinion. If you actually believe this is a crime please report them. Keep in mind filling a false report is a crime.
3 months tops.....then typical MMO fail. The game seems more and more like a RPG with a subscription fee.
It all sounds incredibly simplistic, there doesnt appear to be the depth I would have expected with many many things 'in-complete'
Of course its exciting to try a new mmo, the new visuals, the sounds... But no MMO recently has been able to keep people interested long after the first month.
The space combat sounds hideously boring and dull as does the planet side avatar stuff, we know startrek is more than just combat! .. fine, but the depth of choices? "kill or Scan" ? cmon.. sounds pathetic.
While this article is well presented and informative, I think the Auther is trying very hard to avoid being negative.
It all sounds exactly the way CO was a month before release. I wish it the best but ive learned my lesson from about 5 new mmo's in the past few years and wont be buying this at release. I will be concentrating on other MMO's that have expanded and improved, I wont be giveing my money away just to act as a tester anymore.
These have been some of the most informative previews I've ever read about a game - a good deal more detail than you see in most.
The game sounds very interesting, to say the least. Between the main character, bridge officers, kits, and ships, it appears that there will be a lot of variety and depth in building your overall "character". The continuous advancement model of the game, instead of more granular level-only based advancement, sounds great.
I also have no problem with slower advancement, as long as the "journey" is fun throughout.
Great write-up!
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Amazing reviews. Definitely looking forward to part 3. It would seem that STO will be a totally different gaming experience than what I'm used to. (And I've played a majority of the mainstream MMO's out there.)
There is so much of the wow-clone fantasy garbage out there doing the same thing with regards to leveling and action. I finally get to enjoy a true space & planet based scifi gameplay that includes much of the Star Trek experience. I get to experience a different type of leveling. I get to experience my very own "npc team". I get to customize my ships and characters using proven customization tools (based off of other Cryptic games). I get to explore new star systems, and using the "genesis creator", I might never run out of areas to explore!
The only thing I'm wondering about now is if "guilds" will be able to own a floating starbase? Perhaps not at launch, but it would almost be silly to not have them at some point. And of course I would definitely expect the ability to walk around the player-starbase if such an object existed.
Prepare to be disappointed.
Very nice preview articles. Well done. The slow progression in level but skill points rewarded almost constantly is what Fallen Earth has, and I had exactly the same reaction - I stopped thinking about leveling and found myself immersed in the game world. This, plus the variation between being on away missions and captaining a ship, has definitely piqued my interest.
I have been really enjoying these preview articles. Every thing I read just makes me want to play this game even more. After reading Woods articles on STO i just had to go out and preorder the STO Collectors Edition.
Prepare to be disappointed.
I prefer to be neutral on the matter. I'm sure the genesis hype isn't all I hope it to be, but at least it's a huge step in the right direction.
That said, why should I "prepare to be disappointed"? Surely, you don't have any knowledge whatsoever as to why we should be disappointed about the genesis creator. You're just a puny human subscriber like the rest of us...
Show me some facts to the contrary and then I may consider your words.
Because the content isn't in place until the last month to actually test it.
I don't completely agree with your one sentence answer. Several of the areas of concern that were pointed out not only in the preview, but other article as well are the type of things that have been addressed in other games well more then 1 month in advance of release. In the closed beta of Lord of the Rings Online and WOW, I don't recall not having any idea what the descriptions of skills were when choosing a skill or assigning points. The descriptions had to be tweaked, but not completely missing. Certain things should not be missing/incomplete 1 month in advance of release.
There Is Always Hope!
This 2nd part preview really got to the meat and bones. It clarified a lot about bridge officers. Thx, can't wait for the game!! Nice job Cryptic.
I am looking forward to the game, I go in with no expectations what so ever. Not a huge trekky, enjoyed TNG, some DS9, some Voyager, and actually liked Enterprise. Liked most of the movies, loved the new movie. But I cant really tell you much about the lore, and honestly dont care.
Yet still see so many whiners, funny how the haters sound like fanbois, just change a couple of words, but both sides spew the same crap.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Dana wrote: Should players also be able to group inside a single ship? Some argue vehemently yes, and that's their opinion, but in my personal experience I never missed it.
Yeah, I remember back in 2003 when I never missed having a cell phone either. Oh, and back in the 1990s, I never missed having a laptop computer. And when I was 5 years old, I never missed having a car.
Point being, how can you even make such a statement? It has no logical basis since you have nothing to compare your experience to.
On top of that, yet again, a MMORPG staff writer resorts to a strawman arguement to dismiss player crews by invoking the "minutia rationale".
_____________________________
Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO
Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
Find the Truth: http://www.factcheck.org/
I'm finding it very hard to get excited about this game. Because imo Champions was such a huge disapointment, yes I was cought up in all the hype over how much better then CoX it was going to be. Then it was released and not nearly even a fraction close to what I thought it was gonna be based on the reviews, previews, and forum chats. Then I played Beta and total disapointment. Then I waited and played the trial they now offer and nothing has changed, the graphics are still very laggy and look as horrable as when they were still in beta. The whole game is nothing but a bunch of instances. And just like CoX the game world is so small and repetitave that it starts to feel like the cyber version of cabin fever. Any way what im trying to say is that I dont have much confidence in Cryptic studios anymore. Dont get me wrong they are not as horrible as the game killers SOE. I'm just saying that im not going to spend money on STO until I at least play Beta or a demo. Im not even going to throw down money on ToR till I can play it first. I even played Aion and want to play more but it's not worth more then $20 to shell out for a boxed copy plus a monthly sub. In fact I havnt played an MMO good enough to spend more the $20 dollars for the game client.
Soooo! The pink skin doesn't like Andorians eh?!
Outside of that a good well rounded review.
Thanks Dana for the reviews, both pt 1 and 2 were good read.
One thing I did not see though was crafting, I believe there is none in STO? Can anyone please confirm by pointing to the section of the reviews that I missed, or maybe to some other info?
Even though I love crafting in MMO's, I think I'd be ok with the lack of it in STO, would like to be sure though..
Cheers.
There is crafting in the game, though it's not exactly conventional. There's a pretty informative article at TTH here:
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/77956
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
I'm gonna hope you are not an native English speaker, because the phrase "bait and switch" is an expression and not necessarily indicative of criminal activity.
If you are a native English speaker, ffs, what the hell are you smoking?