Life on a Starship?

[Saladin_CO]

From what I've been reading about the game, it looks like every player gets a ship, and the only way to role-play is planetside, or ship-to-ship communications.

Are there any plans to offer a more Trek-like experience? I think a little more variety, where you can at least have multiple players share a ship (as an option) and walk the decks, etc. and just have some general roleplaying would be a more Trek-like game.

If everything is about war, then it's not very much like Star Trek. I can see the current scenario as a great starting point, but if you want true longevity, then IMHO, you will need to bring in other features that let you join the fleet as a cadet and rise through the ranks, serving on different ships with different crews (players) until you earn enough xp to command your own crew.

That would be a great campaign version of this game. I came from Neverwinter Nights, where you role-play more than you fight (if you want to) rather than WoW where it's all about stats. I like an immersive story played by real people, not AI and canned dialogue.

I'd like to be able to play different characters in different roles, but I don't want the feel I'm talking to myself.

If my impression of the game is wrong, please help me out here. I'm just making suggestions to make it feel more like a real journey into the Final Frontier. :)

Ken

[marscentral]

Hi, welcome to the forums.

The topic of player crews has been done to death and often turns ugly. There's a sticky from the original war of words. Suffice to say, it won't be a feature at launch and if you click on the link in LordDave's signature, you'll see Jack explain why.

I personally think we'll be fine without it and there will be plenty of roleplay opportunities as is.

I am hoping that there are lots of missions that are more aboot exploration than war (fun as combat is) and Cryptic have talked alot about making exploration a key element. They have also talked about structuring missions like episodes (and lasting about as long) which should add to the feeling off being in an episode. We await more details on that.

[Saladin_CO]

Well, being a newbie here, I'm not surprised.

I'm a little disappointed if they are closing down discussions like this, however, as that's saying to me, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

I think they're missing the boat if they skip the bonding a crew can have out there, facing unknowns mission after mission. It might be the Star Trek universe, but I don't see how it will feel like Star Trek if you don't have ship's crews played by players other than one who plays the captain. It will be form without substance.

All this will end up being is a combination of Starfleet Command and Elite Force. I really want Star Trek, the episodes, FEEL. I'd like to get several friends together and form up a Starship crew, and explore the galaxy. If a player can't play one night, then just put someone else in the center seat or the science officer's chair, for the mission.

Ken

[Wikid]

they mentioned that even people who arent fimilar with Star Trek can enjoy the game, im sure RP servers will exist but the bulk of the game i cant imagine will be based around RP.

[Saladin_CO]

they mentioned that even people who arent fimilar with Star Trek can enjoy the game, im sure RP servers will exist but the bulk of the game i cant imagine will be based around RP.

That's too bad. But maybe the RP servers will fill the bill. Trekkers adapt.

We can always make a fighter squadron or something, and make the 'fleet' the carrier 'ship.' Of course, that's more like Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars than Star Trek. But if it's the only way to do it, it's the only way to do it.

Ken

[ParkerHayden]

There's also starbases, and other players can pop aboard your ship for a visit.

[LordDave]

Here you are.

Essentially the time, complexity, and resources required to do it in a way that's fun and not just a boring grind fest is more then the company feels it can chew.

The basic logic is this:

"Yes we'd love to, but if we go this route, we aren't sure we can do it without bankrupting the company or forcing the project to be canceled"

[phifur]

Here the link marcentral was talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgRFLfLChMA

And I think there going to be one server there a thread call The Official PC / NPC Bridge Crew Discussion Thread about 300 page worth of information and it been closed for 2 months. The big point here if we have NPC the content needed would make the game 5 times bigger. That said the game will be release about 2012 :p

[Kinneas]

Hey, man...hang in there! Technology advances!

--- As soon as I read your topic title, John Denver jumped into my head.

~Well life on the starship is kinda laid back
Aint much an old officer like me cant hack
Its early to rise, early in the sack
Thank God I'm a starship boy!

Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm
Workin' with the crew and no longer on the farm
My days are all filled with an easy starship charm
Thank God I'm a starship boy!

Well I got me a fine life, I got me a fiddle
When the suns comin up replicated cakes on the griddle
Life aint nothin but a funy funny riddle
Thank God I'm a Starship boy!

When the works all done and the suns settlin low
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow
The ensigns are asleep so I keep it kinda low
Thank God I'm a starship boy

Id play sally goodin all day if I could
But the lord and my captain wouldn't take it very good
So I fiddle when I could, work when I should
Thank God Im a starship boy!

Well I got me a fine life I got me a fiddle
When the suns comin up, replicated cakes on the griddle
Life aint nothin but a funy funny riddle
Thank God I'm a starship boy!

[Dext]

Did they not all ready say there will not be PvP, PR servers ?????

[phifur]

Did they not all ready say there will not be PvP, PR servers ?????

Yep but most members like posting before using search tab ;)

Ok I did the work for you new members :D


Q: Will there be PvP, PvE and RP rule set servers?
A: There will not be separate servers for PvP and PvE rulesets. Open PvP will be restricted to designated sectors of space (far-off reaches of unclaimed territory). Consensual PvP and competitive PvE will occur between the realm borders (the Neutral Zone), where players will be competing over territory and resources with the option to PvP.

[JDHester2000]

I heard originally the game was supposed to be crew driven. That each player was a member of the senior crew and that you all opperated the star ship together. I am glad this is not the case, I do not play alot (im a casual gamer because of school/wife/work) and I would not be able to spend my time only being a security officer. IT would be fun while for a bit, but then get droll. I like the fact that I get my own ship to do w/ as I please. Carbonite Shields!!

[marscentral]

I heard originally the game was supposed to be crew driven. That each player was a member of the senior crew and that you all opperated the star ship together. I am glad this is not the case, I do not play alot (im a casual gamer because of school/wife/work) and I would not be able to spend my time only being a security officer. IT would be fun while for a bit, but then get droll. I like the fact that I get my own ship to do w/ as I please. Carbonite Shields!!

I think that was Perpetual's plan, though I wasn't following development before Cryptic took over. I agree though, most want to be captain and do what they want, not follow orders. But I'd rather keep the lid on that particular debate, I've had enough arguing for one day in the ship name threads.

[Flatfingers]

Well life on the starship is kinda laid back
Aint much an old officer like me cant hack
Its early to rise, early in the sack
Thank God I'm a starship boy!

...

Kinneas, speaking as someone who's spent his fair share of time developing detailed Star Trek-related posts, I'm in a position to say that you, sir, clearly have waaaaaay too much free time today.

:D

Nicely done!

--Flatfingers

[TruthSeer]

I think that was Perpetual's plan, though I wasn't following development before Cryptic took over. I agree though, most want to be captain and do what they want, not follow orders. But I'd rather keep the lid on that particular debate, I've had enough arguing for one day in the ship name threads.

Actually I find it a little funny how, back in the Perpetual days when there were player crews the big discussion was "won't everyone want to be captain" and how no one is going to be able to really get a crew together. As opposed to now.

[Saladin_CO]

The ideal would be both. Do it as it's being done, just add the code to let people 'join' your ship. That shouldn't be that hard. If you can meet up on a planet, you can meet up in a Starship.

As long as you can meet up, then a group of dedicated players can make it what they want it to be. That will satisfy me. Play as captain or dept. head or a redshirt, but you get your own ship for galactic travel and have an NPC captain to report to.

Well, I need to read more and type less, so thanks for the feedback. I'll do some posting after I get caught up.

Nice meeting you all.

Ken :)

[evan.is.weyoun]

Having player crews would not go over for anyone but the hardest of hardcore gamers. I simply don't have time to sit down and do anything in a group, especially if the game was ONLY group based. It would be horrendous. I sit down and play in spurts ranging from 30 mins to 15 hours. Being a college student and having a girlfriend, the time I have to play is very erratic and if I had to wait for other friends to get on and play with me, nothing would get accomplished and the game would be a waste. Thank God Cryptic threw that idea out.

Also, this isn't a Starfleet or Klingon Empire simulation game. This is an action game, which is a MUCH much much broader audience than a Starfleet RP game. That would be, in its own right, pretty cool and I would definitely get into something like that, but this game claims a much broader spectrum. You take your ship and you literally see the whole galaxy. A Starfleet RP game would be nothing like that. A game like that would also be better single player just in the way that it would be played, unless it was like Guild Wars and the large "city" areas would be where you would be with other people and recruit them for missions. I doubt a game like that would share nearly a fraction of the sales that STO undoubtedly will, mostly because it would be targeted for a much smaller audience. It wouldn't be as successful, that's clear, but it would be a helluva lot of fun.

In its own right. Which isn't STO, and STO is about the WHOLE thing, not just a small role on a ship. You control the ship, you sail the black seas seeking new life. And, mostly, fun for all.

[SelorKiith]

The ideal would be both. Do it as it's being done, just add the code to let people 'join' your ship. That shouldn't be that hard. If you can meet up on a planet, you can meet up in a Starship.

As long as you can meet up, then a group of dedicated players can make it what they want it to be. That will satisfy me. Play as captain or dept. head or a redshirt, but you get your own ship for galactic travel and have an NPC captain to report to.

Well, I need to read more and type less, so thanks for the feedback. I'll do some posting after I get caught up.

Nice meeting you all.

Ken :)

You can visit anothers ship as far as I know... but you will NOT be able to sit on a console and take command... simply because there will be no equal content AND it will be pretty boring, sitting on your Sciencestation in a fight or on your weaponsstation during an exploratory mission... and just sitting there as Captain and just write your commands and do nothing else but sitting there and waiting for the others to do what you say... and again... please read the 300+ Posts Beast about Player Crews then we can talk again ;)
evan.is.weyoun is making some good additional Points here... why do most people forget that this will be an MMO and Action Game for everyone and not a Star Trek Simulation only for Hardcore Fans...

[Kinneas]

Why do people want to believe it can ONLY be one thing when you are dealing with an MMO infrastructure.

That after six months and the first year, those that will remain as has been the case with every other Trek game made, only the 'hard-core' , long-term stick around?

Funny how those that want 'more' never put limits on things or try to take anything away from anyone else (especially the 'casual' gamer) and speak of evolving STO while others always say 'screw you' to the hardcore as if they/we are somehow the bad ones and somehow want to ruin STO.

At 'some point' folks had better realize who the long-term, 24/7 demographic is and if you do not try and leverage the infrastructure for more than one (lowest common denominator) crowd you are done.

The demographic is not 15 either. Its 30 something.

We will hope as we always have that STO will do over 125 million in box sales (Iin the first DAY) and over 800 million in the first year. At that point we had better never ever hear that something can't be done again.

WE have been the ones who have DEMANDED a subscription based Star Trek MMO back before 2001, so it could have the resources it needed to evolve as WE wanted!

So. If they want a fast buck, GREAT!!!!!!! We wanted them to have it!!!!! But they had better not forget those that have been in this fight for this MMO from the start!

This crowd with cold blooded logic will walk away from them so fast if there is any indication there is a sway from the promises of evolution. MANY already have walked and have no confidence in the direction it is going.

We'll support (and continue to support)an IBM/ADB Star Fleet Battles mmo faster than you can blink They should have ALREADY) brought Steve Cole/ADB in on this MMO as SFB was the official game system Gene approved for Star Trek ).

Anyway sorry to be so venomous, but the last thing you want to read over morning coffee are the people who expect the rest of us to take junk for long-term profits when we have been fighting for these very issues for a decade.

[Kinneas]

(((( lol. Sorry! In my momemnt of MEH-ness, I must have hit send twice. My apologies for the double post error ))

please del

[Saladin_CO]

I guess I fail to see why anyone would think that you would have to only do this game 'one' way.

I think what they are doing is fine. It will be good. An ADDITION of other capabilities whereby you CAN have a whole crew on a starship is what I'm hoping for, not a situation where you MUST have a whole crew.

Why would one have to be exclusive or harmful to the other? All you would have to do is make a starship into a 'planet' as far as coding goes, and voila, you have characters run by players populating a ship. Get to a planet, make a landing party or away team, and beam down and play just the same.

Starfleet is a military organization. What is wrong with playing up through the ranks?

I just think that it's somewhat a shallow experience if you don't earn your rank as a captain. Even if it were an offline portion of the game similar to the "Hyborian Age of Conan" gives you some offline play to increase your enjoyment of the game before it starts 'online.'

I come from player-driven and DM-driven rp events over several years of RPG's and I was really hoping that this would be more in that vein. Still, I'll give it a chance and hope for the best. Industrious people will make it what they want anyhow. I just don't want to play fancy warp powered bumper cars, LOL!

Ken