shuttle craft exploration

[yourpuppy]

So we cant drive the shuttle craft. Does that means we are to be limited as to what part of the planet we are allowed to see or explore as we arrive at each one. The same question for transporting to the surface would apply

[Cathbadh]

It seems inevitable that planetary missions will be instanced in part, and of course the explorable area will be limited. Having too much space per planet would really only create locations barren of players so you can expect there to be limits and linear corridors to keep players close together.

I don't mind - it's an MMO and who needs an entire planet surface to wander around? More focused attention and less random generation is a good thing.

[STO-Stucco]

Of course, as the game ages they can simply add new "zones" to existing planets to give reason to go back to them and explore them locating new material spots and what not. If they are going to try to make this game as big as they say with infinite space and planetary exploration, they will have to somewhat make areas linear just so you actually see people.

[Sythian]

I have a feeling those of us who are deep space exploring may go through long periods of not seeing another player.

On the question of not piloting the shuttle craft to the surface, that is more of a way to keep us from skipping content. But I would guess we may have more than one location to choose from to land our shuttle craft or transport to.

[seventodark]

I think you will able to use them for exploration

[TheMasterpiece]

obviously since planets are going to be continously generated you cant just have endless explorable ground

[auutumn]

I'm hoping that for every planet, there will be different reasons to go there and to explore different parts of it. I agree that wandering an entire planet would be wasteful.

[Profedius]

I think planets will have different spots for us to land on or transport to, but once there I think it will be a small area that we will be allowed to move about in that follows the mission we are on at least on the normal worlds. I am sure the famous planets will have a much larger area to explore. It would be nice to be able to select our beam down point anywhere we want, but I don’t believe they will allow this.

[AaronH]

So we cant drive the shuttle craft. Does that means we are to be limited as to what part of the planet we are allowed to see or explore as we arrive at each one. The same question for transporting to the surface would apply

I just want to know if we will be able to fly around space in a shuttlecraft.

[Vicelance]

I just want to know if we will be able to fly around space in a shuttlecraft.


Thats my biggest question right now, I want to fly around my ship in a shuttle.

[yourpuppy]

obviously since planets are going to be continously generated you cant just have endless explorable ground

seams a little strange to say 'we have been to that planet and we know whats there already' when everyone is corralled into a little village thats only a spec on the surface of a huge land mass which could have millions of other resources

[Decius]

seams a little strange to say 'we have been to that planet and we know whats there already' when everyone is corralled into a little village thats only a spec on the surface of a huge land mass which could have millions of other resources
Because they can't populate an entire world and make it interesting. So they would have more of a "point of interest" on the planet so people can get directly to the meat without running around.

[yourpuppy]

So the big ball in space only amounts to a little village on the surface and the rest is eye candy, come on people, the resources that an unfamiliar planet could provide goes below the surface and beyond the third grade of elementary school I hope

[AaronH]

So the big ball in space only amounts to a little village on the surface and the rest is eye candy, come on people, the resources that an unfamiliar planet could provide goes below the surface and beyond the third grade of elementary school I hope

I think you are misunderstanding peoples assertion here. It is a matter of development time more than intereest. You could create millions of interesting planets, but the development time just isn't there.

[Trekkie]

I don't think the fact that exploration with shuttles will be limited necessarily means that all areas of a planet will not be able to be explored, but I won't mind if only certain aspects of each planet are able to be visited solely because of the high number of planets that will be in the game.

[TheMasterpiece]

it will still be better than the Mass Effect sidequest planets.

[Shakz]

I really had not thought about shuttle craft. In the age that this game is being made they dont use shuttle craft much at all. Its all almost exclusively beaming. The only time shuttles are used is when distortions or medical conditions inhibit beaming. At least in the shows I have watched. Something like the Delta Flier would be sweet...but a normal shuttle....pffffft.


EDIT : Just read this on the front page of the website:

Recently, Star Trek Online.Info spoke with Al Rivera about Star Trek Online:

Is it possible to visit a planet by using a shuttle or only by using the transporter?

You, and your chosen away-team, will be able to transport down the surface of planets. Some planets or locations may be only accessible via a shuttle, but if you are asking if you will manually fly the shuttle through the atmosphere and land on the surface, then no.

Originally posted in German, STO.Info has made an English translation available.