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Star Trek Online: Bridges & Bridge Officers Preview
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
On Monday, we presented a hands-on preview of Star Trek Online. In part two, we explore Bridges. It was recently confirmed that Bridges will be in for launch. We find out in exactly what form and all about the mechanics of those who will populate them.
;)
The Bridges of STO will be larger than those of the show, which Zinkievich described as a necessity of a 3D video game. The fact is, they want people to be able to bring their friends in. The limit on the exact number of characters in a bridge will be based mostly off “what looks good.” Those they showed me seemed to strike a balance between that necessary size without losing the feeling of what made Bridges cool.
Naturally, the bridge serves as a control hub for the ship. UI elements from the general game will be accessible from within the bridge at logical locations. However, at least to begin, they have no plans to let people fight or actually pilot their ship from the inside. It’s far more akin to player housing than a different way to play the game.
Read it all here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Great description Dana. I'm really looking forward to checking this out.
" This collection game encourages people to seek out, create or trade for the officer with the ideal configuration of eight skills for them."
Hmm...wouldn't this basically lead to the selling of tradeable officers, thus creating a "slave market" so to speak?
This isn't your daddy's Star Trek...it's great grandpa's.
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
This project just gets more laughable.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Dibs on the orion slave girls!
The game looks great and sounds interesting. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
In regards to the bridges, I understand what they are saying about the bridge size, but I think maybe they look a little too big still. There was a closeness on the bridge in the shows that allowed the captain to give orders without shouting. In this game, the distances would have you almost shouting to be heard over the typical background noise of standard bridge operations. But it's a game and I guess we have to make allowances.
I am wondering if this will be out around the same time as the Star Wars mmo. It will be rough playing Fallen Earth, trying STO and then giving the Star Wars mmo a go. Just think if the Star Trek game and the Star Wars game were great games. Omg....that would be so awesome and suck at the same time because there is only so much time to play these games
It's due for launch on February 2. There's no way in any hell that The Old Republic will be released any earlier than September, unless BioWare is also under the pressure of a destitute publisher.
While they aren't faceless peons, I have to say they don't sound like more than a collection of skills with a rank. Not having a personality really sucks, imho. From everything they said the only difference between two officers with the same skills would be appearence, which is pretty lame. The Vulcan isn't going to act like a Vulcan anymore than a Ferangi would act like a Ferangi (if they have the same class and skills they are essentially exactly the same it sounds like). Given that the shows had such a great crew dynamic, this is pretty disappointing.
What exactly makes you think this would function as a "slave market" ?
Ever heard of an "Officer's Exchange Program" ? It's been seen/used in Star Trek, among others with Riker serving on a Klingon ship, and Worf's brother Kurn, serving on the Enterprise.
Sub-standard officers are sometimes transferred to other postings (such as Barclay). In neither of these cases, are the officers considered "slaves". The officers serve either within the Klingon Defense Forces, or within Starfleet. And thus ultimately are under the leadership of the Admiralty at Starfleet Command, or the Klingon High Command.
Not a huge fan of the "supersized" bridges in STO, but I do understand the merit of making them larger and able to accomodate more people/players.
//
I loved this statement with reference to the future:
"If there’s a demand, of course more interiors will be added."
And while I get the size vs game 3D capabilities, yea those suckers look HUGE! Especially since you're only talking a handful of bridge officers. Guess they thought my naming it the 'social hub' you'd be having ballroom dancing in there.
Also what was with the one tag "Retro Bridge Look", what retro was he looking at, cuz I couldn't place it.
It is good they put it in, too bad you won't be able to pilot the ship from that screen as I know a few on the forums had hoped for that. I'd probably try it once just to see and then would go back to 3rd person view which works better for me.
Game seems to be shaping up OK, moving in the right direction so far. Got to see if I can do open beta to check it out.
SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter
To me, the bridge looked pretty "retro" Defiant-style, however it's been supersized.
//
"Social Hub" isn't exactly what I had in mind when I was asking for ship interiors...
I think I'll stick with my fully functional bridges that i can have player crews in, and use to control my ship. But thanks for the thought.
I'll still try the game out because its Trek, and it does look pretty awesome. But the bridges are a laugh Cryptic, you can't even be second? CastleThorn beat you by more than 3 years.
Exciting, can't wait to try it out.
Ha-ha-ha! Just the bridge and perhaps some other key areas in the future? No thankies. I'll stick with my ship with fully complete internals which'll fit as many friends as I want to over at SQO
Looks pretty good, but I don't think I'm gonna try out STO. I just dislike the idea of everyone Captaining a ship at first. I like fully crewed ships, Players not NPCS, and the teamwork. I am not leaving my shell in SQO just to play basically alone on a ship.
Cryptic, You can do better
Especially with your Budget.
I'd love to see what CTS could do with Cryptics budget. Imagine SQO in DirectX 11.
Its already got more gameplay than what STO seems to have.
I suspect that once STO comes out, you'll be posting on how much you hate it and how much better the game you're a correspondent for is.
Maybe because it's true?
I'm not a correspondent anymore. mmorpg.com just never changed my status.
Check my past posts, the closest I've come to bashing a game was against SQO. "The Good, The Bad, and The Darkside"
If STO is any good at all, I won't be posting against it. As for graphics and solo content, its going to be way better than SQO.
Actually, its going to be better than SQO in a lot of ways, simply because of a big development staff, large fanbase, and nice budget. None of which SQO has.
But in the case of a real trek feeling through ship interiors, and being a player in ship, on ground, or in orbitals, good luck matching SQO with your social hubs, and your limited interiors.
Truth be known, I prefer EVE to everything right now.
Uhm...
Nope.
Sorry, but CTS could not do much better than they are now, it is not as much a matter of budget, it IS a matter of design and ability.
Granted, CTS lacks the budget which might prevent a lot, but they ALSO (at least seem to) lack direction, focus and ability which prevents even more.
And the Gameplay in SQO is basically limited to blow stuff up especially since they have all but removed the need for non-PvP occupations from their game.
Anyhow...
I am looking forward to see what the STO bridges are about, and i have to say i like the idea to have NPC bridge crew.
BUT:
I would still love to have at least the OPTION (as opposed to the necessity, as is the case in SQO basically) to have a player-taking a seat on my ship instead of the NPC.
With the limit to 2skills per level for an NPC, that would even have a "natural" bonus to live PC crews then, as PCs have a wider array of skills - or so i heard.
Now, THAT would make it fun for me, even if it were limited to combat only, as it seems to be.
It would also make the game more... "ST"-like, at least to me.
Since from the info i have so far, it at least LOOKS as if all this game has to do with "ST" is it's ship models, race names/looks and ofc the name.
As to stuff being added in as time goes on as the Dev said in the article, i am kind of wary about that.
People say that all the time and do... well, perhaps not nothing but not "it" either.
Still, it is very likely i will at least give STO a try.
But it is just as likely that i won't be STAYING active unless they actually put some decent economy and other, non-combat content in.
Thats true it is very focused on PvP, but the other options are being added to, not removed.
Then you must not have seen some of the recent patches. The last colony addition for example, building structures to support your colonies population and customize it. Ranches/farms, hyperwave transmitter towers, fusion plants. And a lot more to follow like appartment buildings, schools, immortrax centers, planetary weapons and shields.
Or the F-207 Valkyrie fighters for that matter. Jump from your ship onto a fighter, fly in formation with your buddies into a planets atmosphere, land and go check out the indigenous lifeforms while the rest of the crew stais on the ship in orbit staying on look out. Something I actually did a few hours ago.
To me, the bridge looked pretty "retro" Defiant-style, however it's been supersized.
Supersized would throw off the prespective, I'll have to watch the DS9 Tribble episode tonight to see what the bridge looked like. When I think retro I go back to Classic Trek. Now that would be one sweet choice.
Thanks for clearing that one up.
SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter
If you check out Champions Online you would realize that no, no they can't do any better.
STO closed beta started last month and it is scheduled to be released in February, not nearly enough time to get the bug reports and fixes needed for release date, and if they do the same thing that they did with the beta of CO, they will ignore the beta testers and release the game in all it's un-finished glory.
I'm not dismissing the game entirely, but I'm not going to bother with it until several months after release, hoping that by that time they might have started to add necessary content and fixed the inevitable imbalance issues.
To Cryptic:
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
If you pre-order the game from GameStop, you can get avaible the Classic TOS Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser. The game provides the Movie Constitution Heavy Crusier as a option. My question is will this SE version provide the proper bridge from the original series?
What exactly makes you think this would function as a "slave market" ?
Ever heard of an "Officer's Exchange Program" ? It's been seen/used in Star Trek, among others with Riker serving on a Klingon ship, and Worf's brother Kurn, serving on the Enterprise.
Sub-standard officers are sometimes transferred to other postings (such as Barclay). In neither of these cases, are the officers considered "slaves". The officers serve either within the Klingon Defense Forces, or within Starfleet. And thus ultimately are under the leadership of the Admiralty at Starfleet Command, or the Klingon High Command.
Not a huge fan of the "supersized" bridges in STO, but I do understand the merit of making them larger and able to accomodate more people/players.
I dont rember the Klingon captin offering a new hull or "Pimping new Warp nacells" for Riker to server aboard his ship... thats what will make it slavery ;p
If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude; greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
Samuel Adams