Good article Scott, the same as I've enjoyed all pieces I've read from you meantime.
I for myself come to a different conclusion though. I like the IP a lot but can't speak Klingon or such, so I'm not a die hard fan. I'm a big fan of the fantasy genre and so far no SF or space MMO (except Ryzom, which is in between) could make me curious enough to try it. The IP of Star Trek managed though. I didn't play CoH or such too.
And I must say while it is a fast paced game that has its immersion and tension and action ... I miss what makes Star Trek to Star Trek. It is all fighting!!! Flying around with my ship and fighting ships, running around on planets or stations or ships and fighting invaders. Maybe I'm still far too young, just 10 hours beta or so yet. But where is ... diplomacy? Making first contact, settling disputes, exploring new worlds and cultures. Of course I'm a MMO vet and I've been on the commercial side of them too and apart from my private still illusioned point of view I know reality, technical limitations etc.
But I plain don't enjoy this twitch-like battle gameplay enough (otherwise I'd play CS or such games too) to keep me playing or even paying. I feel like an animal trapped in a cage. All feels real and well (Star Trek like) from atmosphere but still it is a cage and I want to get out into the "REAL" world of what defines the substance of the IP for me.
But the "REAL" world just doesn't seem to exist and I'm too used to it to not be constantly reminded that I'm (fast) pacing the cage.
Played: Pretty much any fantasy MMO, some did not even make it to release ... Favorites: UO, EQ2, Vanguard, Wurm Online, Salem, ESO, Creativerse Playing: ESO, Creativerse, Guild Wars 2 Anticipating: (sigh) ... maybe Ashes of Creation
I find it funny people keep bitching about combat and everything being "shallow" but if it was Blizzard releasing it and it was an orc instead of a spaceship people would be screaming "INNOVATION!" The combat is exactly the same shit as every other MMO, if not more due to the variables and positional shielding and on the fly stat adjustments. Anything for a reason to bitch though.
After reading the TTH article regarding the 3 slots and lvl 45 cap. I changed my mind about even getting this game. the last question just put the last nail in the STO coffin for me.
"Ten Ton Hammer: How long do you expect it will take the average player to get to the endgame?
Zeke: It’s roughly about 80 hours I think for the average player."
So if anything I will wait till they have a free download of the game available with 14 day trial and then I will maybe have to pay for a 1 month sub and get to try the whole game out since really 80hrs to get to end game... this sounds like WOW to me.
Bahahaha this article was hilarious. It kinda confirmed a few of my suspicions about the game, and I don't think I'll get it, but I only wish the best to all who do. This is a fantastic IP, and I hope they got it right.
I usually don't comment bad games but I have to with this one as I expected much more since I'm a star trek fan. It's worse then bad. It's shallower then shallow. It's... a waste of time to even write more about it. but I need to add one more comment:
Star Trek Online makes Star Wars galaxies look like an excellent game.
No fate but what we make, so make me a ham sandwich please.
The article was entertaining and the game is actually pretty decent if you can understand it's currently in beta and know what a beta truly is. A lot of the responses and things floating around the forums that shout out negativity of the game is just another reminder that opinions on mmorpg.com are just laughed at. 9 out of 10 people I chat with on STO or EQ2 say they stop by the forums every once in a while but honestly really pay no heed just because mmorpg.com forum posters tend to be 1 of two things...a) the WoW fanboys who think their game is god and want to try to ruin every game before it's out or b) the SWG fanboys who are pissed off at S.O.E for the crappy changes to SWG and are just venting.
Honestly if you brows the forums here it's a lot of hate regardless of game. But if you go to the STO forums or unofficial forums there's a lot of support. Star Trek is probably one of the biggest IP's to be made into an MMO and a lot of people want to see it succeed and many will do what they can to help. If you really hate the game that much just go wallow in your self-righteousness somewhere else. It seems the opinions here just ruin credibility with the serious gaming community, more mature gaming community.
I understand people are sketchy because of CO, or because of the C-Store but face it it's not entirely their fault. Microtransactions are actually the prefered method over in foreign countries and to really compete in today's market to be a major contender as an MMO a microtransaction store is almost mandatory. The grind from CO felt that way because it wasn't a gradual change in xp gain but it felt more like a sudden drop. If they could have just did a gradual change with xp gain then the game would probably be better.
"If at first you don't succeed, excessive force is probably the answer."
I played darkfall 9 months after launch and it still did not have half the stuff they claimed the game was going to have at release and another 4 companies such as turbine ect created mmorpg's ie ac2 made a bunch of claims and never lived up to them what makes you think cryptic will not do the same?.
I have seen this too many many times and have been burned with claims that it will have all these features at launch,i have been watching start trek since it launched on tv ,followed all series up to star trek enterprise but will i play sto? well i have tried CO and its nothing more than city of heroes 2, i played champions the game rpg from book it was nothing like it.
After reading the TTH article regarding the 3 slots and lvl 45 cap. I changed my mind about even getting this game. the last question just put the last nail in the STO coffin for me. "Ten Ton Hammer: How long do you expect it will take the average player to get to the endgame? Zeke: It’s roughly about 80 hours I think for the average player." So if anything I will wait till they have a free download of the game available with 14 day trial and then I will maybe have to pay for a 1 month sub and get to try the whole game out since really 80hrs to get to end game... this sounds like WOW to me.
I agree if i took 4 days off of work and played 15 hours a day i'm sure ill be done with the game 80 hours for average player is 40 to 60 for a good mmo vet. From that dev's response it sounds to me about like as much content as the old FFVII and other single player rpg's.
I played the closed and open beta, and as a Trekkie i love Star Trek but the game is too simple for me.
To the OP, Happy to hear you are enjoying the game, hope you have a good time in it.
Even though I am not a StarTrek fan I am finding STO VERY fun. There is no other game where you can do space and combat missions in one game, thats one of the biggest pluses for me. Here is my review: http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=1545112 I strongly suggest to try this game to anyone who likse space MMOs.
I guess your to yong to remember SWG had JTL for years. You can do both. Now we can debate how valid the game actually is now, as I have not played it in 2 years.
I usually don't comment bad games but I have to with this one as I expected much more since I'm a star trek fan. It's worse then bad. It's shallower then shallow. It's... a waste of time to even write more about it. but I need to add one more comment: Star Trek Online makes Star Wars galaxies look like an excellent game.
Wow I thought the game was bad buy I have to agree this made swg space coombat actually look great. I almost want to resub so I can get back on my decimator and fly around and blow up a corvette.
So I've gotten about as much time into STO as the Giant Bomb guys have and I have to say STO is so City of Star Trek.
City of Heroes wasn't too bad how many years ago when it launched? As it is today I really none to happy about it. While I'm not "That Guy" (since I'm not a huge Klingon fanboy) I'm pretty darn close. As such I've been wary of STO since it's original announcement. As such while I enjoy the space combat (I loved Star Fleet Battles thank you very much) it is not enough to sell me on the game. Especially with everything else you have to do, if it was all space combat I'd probably be happier, but then again I'm an Eve player too.
So yeah unless the "better" version they've got up their sleaves is WAY better, this is a no buy for me. Not now, and probably not 6 months from now.
Current Game: Asssasins Creed 2(PS3, Gamer Tag: Happy_Hubby) Current MMO: World of Warcraft and World of Tanks Former Subscribed MMO: Star Trek Online, Aion, WoW, Guild Wars, Eve Online, DAoC, City of Heroes, Shattered Galaxy, 10six. Tried: Too many to list
because 70% of the game plays like the SFC series...
anyways the game is average, but fun. trekkies who didn't like the recent trek movie aren't going to like this game i don't think, but they suck and makes mmo nerds look cool, so who gives a poop amirite?
You will play it and give it an above average review because gaming sites like these need the mmo genre not to fail this year like it has been failing for the past several years.
You will play it and give it an above average review because gaming sites like these need the mmo genre not to fail this year like it has been failing for the past several years.
Yea what we really need is some of the bad ones to go poof. So the rest of them will realize that people dont like to play crud.
I would love to see SWG finally take it's last breath followed by vangaurd, and a few others that have been on life support.
I refuse to play crudy games any more and the only way I have to vote is with my walllet, I don't care what the ip name is on it. If its total crud it needs to go. Fire the devs who just want to be so so and lets get folks who want to make a game great instead of just so so.
Considering that SW:TOR is now delayed , This well known space franchise will have more of an opportunity with those looking for alternatives to the current offerings /wink
Jestor will you even be allowed to have a SW:TOR acount? I mean after that whole being place on SOE's nutjob that might walk into the office with a gun list and everything?
You will play it and give it an above average review because gaming sites like these need the mmo genre not to fail this year like it has been failing for the past several years.
I'd agree, with a caveat. The mmorpg genre wont fail despite itself, but this site will give this game an above average score, even though, by all accounts, it is one of the most shallow mmorpgs to be launched since Champions Online, and that game garnered a 7.5, I believe, from this mmorpg site.
Where are the honest reviewers that lack the giddy school-girl mentality?
Another one of "those fan" here. Yet I will not be buying this game. I say game because to me a MMO does not have the confining corridors of play that makes up this game. This makes it more a pc game that happens have some moments of interaction of a small group. Give me large tracts of sandbox to explore and come into contact with greater numbers.
My prefered character choice has no PvE content. Character design is a cookie cutter, producing a limited number of variation. Starfleet is not the only fleet within The United Federation of Planets. Where is the ability to play as a Andorian or Orion fleet member?
Crypyic has greatly missed the mark. The numbers will tell as game purchases will be a fraction of the open beta keys. Rushing a poor product to market sours a companies reputation with the gaming community.
The only two good things about this game, as I'm in the beta, are that the loading screen is 10% faster than Champions Online and the Star Trek theme music. Everything else is crap as the company pulls resources from one dying game to another that will fail. The company has the awful mentality of releasing a game when it's only "good enough". There games are never polished at launch and always have a ton of bugs & issues that they will spend months addressing, while adding new bugs as they go along.
I'm tired of the attitude that a game can be launched so long as it doesn't crash. There's no since of pride in this tactic and doesn't make me want to buy or play their games.
I'm not a fan of Star Trek - like the series in a sort of "I'll watch it if it happens to be on when flipping through the channels" kind of way, and dug the old movies... but not to any level of "fandom". I'm not really looking to play the game.. so I have no comments on any points made. Regardless... that was a damn fun read.
Well done, sir.
"If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road, and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Comments
Good article Scott, the same as I've enjoyed all pieces I've read from you meantime.
I for myself come to a different conclusion though. I like the IP a lot but can't speak Klingon or such, so I'm not a die hard fan. I'm a big fan of the fantasy genre and so far no SF or space MMO (except Ryzom, which is in between) could make me curious enough to try it. The IP of Star Trek managed though. I didn't play CoH or such too.
And I must say while it is a fast paced game that has its immersion and tension and action ... I miss what makes Star Trek to Star Trek. It is all fighting!!! Flying around with my ship and fighting ships, running around on planets or stations or ships and fighting invaders. Maybe I'm still far too young, just 10 hours beta or so yet. But where is ... diplomacy? Making first contact, settling disputes, exploring new worlds and cultures. Of course I'm a MMO vet and I've been on the commercial side of them too and apart from my private still illusioned point of view I know reality, technical limitations etc.
But I plain don't enjoy this twitch-like battle gameplay enough (otherwise I'd play CS or such games too) to keep me playing or even paying. I feel like an animal trapped in a cage. All feels real and well (Star Trek like) from atmosphere but still it is a cage and I want to get out into the "REAL" world of what defines the substance of the IP for me.
But the "REAL" world just doesn't seem to exist and I'm too used to it to not be constantly reminded that I'm (fast) pacing the cage.
Played: Pretty much any fantasy MMO, some did not even make it to release ...
Favorites: UO, EQ2, Vanguard, Wurm Online, Salem, ESO, Creativerse
Playing: ESO, Creativerse, Guild Wars 2
Anticipating: (sigh) ... maybe Ashes of Creation
Since you love Star Trek so much. I'd thought I'd give you this little gem.
I present, 25 hot Trekkies!! (Only Women)
www.holytaco.com/25-hot-trekkies
Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas
Im that guy also. I love the game, hope they fix some of those bugs before release
Have No Fear Cohas is here!!!
I find it funny people keep bitching about combat and everything being "shallow" but if it was Blizzard releasing it and it was an orc instead of a spaceship people would be screaming "INNOVATION!" The combat is exactly the same shit as every other MMO, if not more due to the variables and positional shielding and on the fly stat adjustments. Anything for a reason to bitch though.
Bans a perma, but so are sigs in necro posts.
EAT ME MMORPG.com!
It's the internet so I guess you should expect that :P
Nice article, I thought it was funny.
The issue is not why you will play Star Trek dear Scott, the issue is when you gonna stop playing it...................
Many people will try it, like they did with AoC, WAR, Aion...........and then guess what happens next?
Because that s the real issue with modern MMORPGs..................it's LONGEVITY
After reading the TTH article regarding the 3 slots and lvl 45 cap. I changed my mind about even getting this game. the last question just put the last nail in the STO coffin for me.
"Ten Ton Hammer: How long do you expect it will take the average player to get to the endgame?
Zeke: It’s roughly about 80 hours I think for the average player."
So if anything I will wait till they have a free download of the game available with 14 day trial and then I will maybe have to pay for a 1 month sub and get to try the whole game out since really 80hrs to get to end game... this sounds like WOW to me.
Bahahaha this article was hilarious. It kinda confirmed a few of my suspicions about the game, and I don't think I'll get it, but I only wish the best to all who do. This is a fantastic IP, and I hope they got it right.
I usually don't comment bad games but I have to with this one as I expected much more since I'm a star trek fan. It's worse then bad. It's shallower then shallow. It's... a waste of time to even write more about it. but I need to add one more comment:
Star Trek Online makes Star Wars galaxies look like an excellent game.
No fate but what we make, so make me a ham sandwich please.
The article was entertaining and the game is actually pretty decent if you can understand it's currently in beta and know what a beta truly is. A lot of the responses and things floating around the forums that shout out negativity of the game is just another reminder that opinions on mmorpg.com are just laughed at. 9 out of 10 people I chat with on STO or EQ2 say they stop by the forums every once in a while but honestly really pay no heed just because mmorpg.com forum posters tend to be 1 of two things...a) the WoW fanboys who think their game is god and want to try to ruin every game before it's out or b) the SWG fanboys who are pissed off at S.O.E for the crappy changes to SWG and are just venting.
Honestly if you brows the forums here it's a lot of hate regardless of game. But if you go to the STO forums or unofficial forums there's a lot of support. Star Trek is probably one of the biggest IP's to be made into an MMO and a lot of people want to see it succeed and many will do what they can to help. If you really hate the game that much just go wallow in your self-righteousness somewhere else. It seems the opinions here just ruin credibility with the serious gaming community, more mature gaming community.
I understand people are sketchy because of CO, or because of the C-Store but face it it's not entirely their fault. Microtransactions are actually the prefered method over in foreign countries and to really compete in today's market to be a major contender as an MMO a microtransaction store is almost mandatory. The grind from CO felt that way because it wasn't a gradual change in xp gain but it felt more like a sudden drop. If they could have just did a gradual change with xp gain then the game would probably be better.
I played darkfall 9 months after launch and it still did not have half the stuff they claimed the game was going to have at release and another 4 companies such as turbine ect created mmorpg's ie ac2 made a bunch of claims and never lived up to them what makes you think cryptic will not do the same?.
I have seen this too many many times and have been burned with claims that it will have all these features at launch,i have been watching start trek since it launched on tv ,followed all series up to star trek enterprise but will i play sto? well i have tried CO and its nothing more than city of heroes 2, i played champions the game rpg from book it was nothing like it.
I agree if i took 4 days off of work and played 15 hours a day i'm sure ill be done with the game 80 hours for average player is 40 to 60 for a good mmo vet. From that dev's response it sounds to me about like as much content as the old FFVII and other single player rpg's.
I played the closed and open beta, and as a Trekkie i love Star Trek but the game is too simple for me.
To the OP, Happy to hear you are enjoying the game, hope you have a good time in it.
I enjoyed the article. I disliked the beta. I will not play the game but I will keep reading the articles!
Ha Ha
I guess your to yong to remember SWG had JTL for years. You can do both. Now we can debate how valid the game actually is now, as I have not played it in 2 years.
Wow I thought the game was bad buy I have to agree this made swg space coombat actually look great. I almost want to resub so I can get back on my decimator and fly around and blow up a corvette.
So I've gotten about as much time into STO as the Giant Bomb guys have and I have to say STO is so City of Star Trek.
City of Heroes wasn't too bad how many years ago when it launched? As it is today I really none to happy about it. While I'm not "That Guy" (since I'm not a huge Klingon fanboy) I'm pretty darn close. As such I've been wary of STO since it's original announcement. As such while I enjoy the space combat (I loved Star Fleet Battles thank you very much) it is not enough to sell me on the game. Especially with everything else you have to do, if it was all space combat I'd probably be happier, but then again I'm an Eve player too.
So yeah unless the "better" version they've got up their sleaves is WAY better, this is a no buy for me. Not now, and probably not 6 months from now.
Current Game: Asssasins Creed 2(PS3, Gamer Tag: Happy_Hubby)
Current MMO: World of Warcraft and World of Tanks
Former Subscribed MMO: Star Trek Online, Aion, WoW, Guild Wars, Eve Online, DAoC, City of Heroes, Shattered Galaxy, 10six.
Tried: Too many to list
does COx play like the starfleet command series?
because 70% of the game plays like the SFC series...
anyways the game is average, but fun. trekkies who didn't like the recent trek movie aren't going to like this game i don't think, but they suck and makes mmo nerds look cool, so who gives a poop amirite?
edit: does the word filter not work?
KERPLAH!
EXCELLENT article. Thanks -- I really got a good laugh and enjoyed it. (yes, I bought a lifetime sub)
You will play it and give it an above average review because gaming sites like these need the mmo genre not to fail this year like it has been failing for the past several years.
Yea what we really need is some of the bad ones to go poof. So the rest of them will realize that people dont like to play crud.
I would love to see SWG finally take it's last breath followed by vangaurd, and a few others that have been on life support.
I refuse to play crudy games any more and the only way I have to vote is with my walllet, I don't care what the ip name is on it. If its total crud it needs to go. Fire the devs who just want to be so so and lets get folks who want to make a game great instead of just so so.
Jestor will you even be allowed to have a SW:TOR acount? I mean after that whole being place on SOE's nutjob that might walk into the office with a gun list and everything?
I'd agree, with a caveat. The mmorpg genre wont fail despite itself, but this site will give this game an above average score, even though, by all accounts, it is one of the most shallow mmorpgs to be launched since Champions Online, and that game garnered a 7.5, I believe, from this mmorpg site.
Where are the honest reviewers that lack the giddy school-girl mentality?
Another one of "those fan" here. Yet I will not be buying this game. I say game because to me a MMO does not have the confining corridors of play that makes up this game. This makes it more a pc game that happens have some moments of interaction of a small group. Give me large tracts of sandbox to explore and come into contact with greater numbers.
My prefered character choice has no PvE content. Character design is a cookie cutter, producing a limited number of variation. Starfleet is not the only fleet within The United Federation of Planets. Where is the ability to play as a Andorian or Orion fleet member?
Crypyic has greatly missed the mark. The numbers will tell as game purchases will be a fraction of the open beta keys. Rushing a poor product to market sours a companies reputation with the gaming community.
The only two good things about this game, as I'm in the beta, are that the loading screen is 10% faster than Champions Online and the Star Trek theme music. Everything else is crap as the company pulls resources from one dying game to another that will fail. The company has the awful mentality of releasing a game when it's only "good enough". There games are never polished at launch and always have a ton of bugs & issues that they will spend months addressing, while adding new bugs as they go along.
I'm tired of the attitude that a game can be launched so long as it doesn't crash. There's no since of pride in this tactic and doesn't make me want to buy or play their games.
10!
I'm not a fan of Star Trek - like the series in a sort of "I'll watch it if it happens to be on when flipping through the channels" kind of way, and dug the old movies... but not to any level of "fandom". I'm not really looking to play the game.. so I have no comments on any points made. Regardless... that was a damn fun read.
Well done, sir.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops