Starfleet Academy?

[SwedishTrekkie]

Hi

Just wondering what will happen when you just start the game and you choose to be Starfleet.
Are you going to start at Starfleet Academy for tutorial? and if so whats it gonna be like?

Live Long and Prosper

[Blackheart]

I dont think it has been confirmed,but more than a few of us hope so.:)

[DarthWarth]

I dont think it has been confirmed,but more than a few of us hope so.:)

I'm one of them. I want to start as a cadet. There are a few though that want to get straight into space.

[doh123]

If i had a guess... they'll start you like in the last year of the academy, take you through a few things you "did" in the academy ( a bit of time jumping)... and once this academy/tutorial is done, which will be pretty quick (or possibly skippable) you'll be right out with your first command

[raldar]

I'm one of them. I want to start as a cadet. There are a few though that want to get straight into space.

The way I see it happening is this:

For the tutorial you start at starfleet as a cadet and you learn the basic controls, learn how to fight with your fists,phaser and maybe fly a simulator. And when you complete the tutorial you are "promoted" to captian, are given your own ship and crew and sent on your way.

Same goes for Klingon with a few name changes.

[SwedishTrekkie]

Aren't you going to start as lieutenant commander because thats when you get to command a ship in the series and you'll have to work harder to get to Admiral

[DarthWarth]

Aren't you going to start as lieutenant commander because thats when you get to command a ship in the series and you'll have to work harder to get to Admiral

You can command a ship at any rank, it's just likely to be a shuttle or something at Ensign running inter-system missions or something. Ensign Kim was left in charge of Voyager a few times.

[Ensign.Ricky]

The Academy better be in there. I've got a reputation there that I need to live up to from my back story :D

[knightofhyrule730]

you start at commander and go to admiral.

the academies will most likely be in there as the tutorials. enjoy your 30 minutes (or less) of being a cadet

[DarthWarth]

you start at commander and go to admiral.

the academies will most likely be in there as the tutorials. enjoy your 30 minutes (or less) of being a cadet

Hmmm, well I'm not going to start moaning over that. It's not what I want but I'm sure Cryptic will do the best job they can to make the game fulfilling and enjoyable.

[raldar]

you start at commander and go to admiral.

the academies will most likely be in there as the tutorials. enjoy your 30 minutes (or less) of being a cadet

Is that "offical" or is that just your guess?

[knightofhyrule730]

commander > admiral is official. or at least it was in Vegas.

[1MGSIX]

Yeah, not very realistic. Game launches,30 minutes later,thousands of Starships.

[Ensign.Ricky]

Hey its the future. ;) Maybe they've streamlined the promotion process :)

[Maidel]

commander > admiral is official. or at least it was in Vegas.

Really???

The implication from their website 'you are the captain no matter what you rank' would imply you start off with a much lower rank and work up - obviously only my impression - but hey...

[1MGSIX]

LOL. Maybe they could make a longer stay at the Academy a choice? Hmm

[raldar]

Yeah, not very realistic. Game launches,30 minutes later,thousands of Starships.

It's a game, it's not supposed to be "realistic".

[1MGSIX]

It's a game, it's not supposed to be "realistic".

Ok let me put it in terms you can understand then. " It's not very Starfleet like."

[EbonyBlade]

Either way, The process should be quite an experience. The fanfar eat the launch of a new ship is always exciting!

[raldar]

Ok let me put it in terms you can understand then. " It's not very Starfleet like."

Actualy, as I'm not a huge fan of the show it being "not very starfleet like" means very little.

Sure, I understand the concept of what you're saying. But I refer back to "it's a game".

[loyaltrekie]

Actualy, as I'm not a huge fan of the show it being "not very starfleet like" means very little.

Sure, I understand the concept of what you're saying. But I refer back to "it's a game".

Except for the fact a lot of people will be pretty turned of its a generic MMO in a Star Trek skin, rather then the Star Trek Universe as an MMO.

[Maidel]

Yeah, not very realistic. Game launches,30 minutes later,thousands of Starships.

Ok let me put it in terms you can understand then. " It's not very Starfleet like."

Hows that the unrealistic part?

Surely the unrealsitic part is that there WERENT any starships before hand, or that each ship that you meet isnt commanded by a captain.

Or that if you go 'boom' you arent dead.....


You have to make sacrifices to make a game work and be fun.

[DarthWarth]

commander > admiral is official. or at least it was in Vegas.

Bleh. Ah well, at least I'm prepped early regarding that.

[1MGSIX]

Hows that the unrealistic part?

Surely the unrealsitic part is that there WERENT any starships before hand, or that each ship that you meet isnt commanded by a captain.

Or that if you go 'boom' you arent dead.....


You have to make sacrifices to make a game work and be fun.

That's why I added, maybe they could make the Academy a choice.

[Maidel]

That's why I added, maybe they could make the Academy a choice.

But they wont, will they. Why would they spend time coding something that takes people LONGER to get into the game itself.

If they decided they want to skip over the early career entirely, then fair enough - but they arent going to devote time and effort in creating this part, purely so a few people can get kicks out of being cadets for a bit longer, rather than playing the game proper.

[DarthWarth]

If they decided they want to skip over the early career entirely, then fair enough - but they arent going to devote time and effort in creating this part, purely so a few people can get kicks out of being cadets for a bit longer, rather than playing the game proper.

I agree with most of that and also add that if they made it a choice very few would take it up anyway for fear of being left behind while everyone else was out exploring and finding new systems. However 'playing the game proper' is whatever Cryptic bring out. If they release a game that starts at the academy then that's playing the game proper.

[Maidel]

I agree with most of that and also add that if they made it a choice very few would take it up anyway for fear of being left behind while everyone else was out exploring and finding new systems. However 'playing the game proper' is whatever Cryptic bring out. If they release a game that starts at the academy then that's playing the game proper.

Totally agree - what ever they decide to implement - it has to be the same across the board - no 'optional' bits (save replaying the tutorial if you were too think to get it the first time round....)

Imo - optional bits of MMOs detract time from the developers schedule and leave parts that everyone will do less developed.

[DarthWarth]

Totally agree - what ever they decide to implement - it has to be the same across the board - no 'optional' bits (save replaying the tutorial if you were too think to get it the first time round....)

Imo - optional bits of MMOs detract time from the developers schedule and leave parts that everyone will do less developed.

Totally agreed.

[ejschaefer]

that would make the most sense i could almost bet my house on the fact that if you are a fed race you will start at the academy as for what it will be like well i dont know we will have to wait and see.. i could only say it will probably look exactly like it does in the shows.. i wouldnt mind having a chat to groundskeeper Boothby

[Maidel]

that would make the most sense i could almost bet my house on the fact that if you are a fed race you will start at the academy as for what it will be like well i dont know we will have to wait and see.. i could only say it will probably look exactly like it does in the shows.. i wouldnt mind having a chat to groundskeeper Boothby

Where is your house and how much is it worth - because i think id like to take you up on that bet.

Ill bet you start in your ship for the 'academy' tutorial.

If they arent going to give you access to run around your own ship - they sure as hell arent going to give you the whole academy to run around in - a place thats only going to last for a few hours and that you will never come back to!

[ejschaefer]

the ship will come after academy no starfleet personel can receive command of a ship without the apropriate training first right?

[knightofhyrule730]

the ship will come after academy no starfleet personel can receive command of a ship without the apropriate training first right?

youll get your first ship in the tutorial. whether that is in the academy or not is yet to be seen.

also, having the mentality of a real starfleet officer will hurt you in the long run, I think. I'd suggest dropping the idea of a simulator. you seem to be talking like you were in starfleet.

[ejschaefer]

well its like that in the shows they seem to be sticking pretty close with that

[OrabIbo]

I thought it would be interesting if they could introduce the tutorials in this fashion. And like what everybody hates, don't make it mandatory to go through.

So yes you can skip it and go experience the game. But you can always come back and take a refresher course on something that you might have missed.

And even better yet, I think they could add classes later on after the game is released and focus on more advanced gaming techniques. Possibly even adding holodeck simulations for particular battles, so you can rehearse or practice fighting a boss. Before actually doing it for real.

Perfect your templay for your group/away team before you go out and actually do the real thing for experience points :)

[knightofhyrule730]

I thought it would be interesting if they could introduce the tutorials in this fashion. And like what everybody hates, don't make it mandatory to go through.

So yes you can skip it and go experience the game. But you can always come back and take a refresher course on something that you might have missed.

And even better yet, I think they could add classes later on after the game is released and focus on more advanced gaming techniques. Possibly even adding holodeck simulations for particular battles, so you can rehearse or practice fighting a boss. Before actually doing it for real.

Perfect your templay for your group/away team before you go out and actually do the real thing for experience points :)

thats a pretty good idea. I know im usually really bad at these tactical games, so ill probably taking a few refresher courses ;)

[ejschaefer]

i just think walking around the academy would be really cool every starfleet captain in the strek universe went to the academy...... even if it could be like a half an hour tutorial teaching you the basics of combat and things like that

[eric.longhurst]

I think starfleet command is a good option, but another interesting option would be starting out as say an ensign on a deep-space starship. The ship gets attacked, the captain dies and you have to take command and learn command on the fly. After everything's over, you get a message from starfleet command saying they're impressed with your actions and give you a field comimission and command of the ship. We learn the controls quickly, and we're right in the thick of things, and not in a comfy chair at the academy, just a thought.

[cenglandjr]

A Tutorial is a given. Everyone should be given a chance to learn how to play.

One suggestion to the dev's.... update the tutorial. The one in CoX hasnt changed since it's inception. Give the newcomers a chance to get caught up instead of going into space blind, due to updates and expansions.

The "Acadamy" should be a choice. If a player already knows the advanced features of the game they shouldn't have to deal with it. I agree it's a game, so treat it as such. The Hardcore Trekkies can watch it and do it every time if they want, if it makes them feel better about thierselves. Who are the rest of us to judge.

I think everyone should be given command of a runabout and then work thier way up. Commander or Ensign.... neither way matters to me. As Kirk said... "A Ship is a Ship". Once you plot a course and move forward you are playing and thats the reality. How you choose to play after that should come from skill, tenacity and a little luck. No one should be given command of a ship with a full compliment right off the bat. Below are some thoughts that I think would help make it more fun...

A players first ship should be small, and more science based since you obviously are not battle tested yet. Starfleet wouldn't send out noob commanders and jepardize their fleet, so use this as a learning curve. Your first ship would be undermanned, undergunned, and underpowered. You would use your exploration to pick up new shipmates, train current staff, upgrade weapons, engines and internal/external sensors. This gives you some ownership over your ship. This also makes you think 2x before just trying to gank someone. Just because someone is flying around in a small ship it doesn't mean they havent upgraded, or have a good trained crew. Experience should be coveted. After your ship has made all the advancments and upgrades it is capable of.... this would be the time to upgrade and move on to bigger and better things.

This idea would be devastating to most new players when the game starts. Everyone will more then likley just try to get the biggest ship possible as fast as possible and thereby skip the upgrades and advancments they could have/should have done. So when a Klingon/Borg/Romulan with a Dreadnaught finds a lower class Starfleet ship they automatically want to jump it. Without knowint that the starfleet ship is commanded by a captain that has the knowladge and the money to upgrade but never did because they like their ship. This puts the Starfleet captain in a much better position to handle a tactical situation. His ship would be more manuverable, faster, better weapons and more shield strength then any normal ship of its size.

I personally think this aspect is what I am looking forward to. Watching some Warbird/or Bird of Prey Decloak and think "That little Intrepid class is gonna get raped". Then they come to the realization that they bit off more then they could chew because i spent weeks upgrading and training NPC crewmates how to repair faster, Treat wounded Faster and my weapons and engines are faster and stronger then they ever expected. This IS what the players expect. They WANT to be able to surprise the opponent and be able to know that thier work pays off. Knowladge and skill are powerful allys.

[Trekster]

that would be neato

[Thibor]

But they wont, will they. Why would they spend time coding something that takes people LONGER to get into the game itself.

If they decided they want to skip over the early career entirely, then fair enough - but they arent going to devote time and effort in creating this part, purely so a few people can get kicks out of being cadets for a bit longer, rather than playing the game proper.

It's called an account variable. Go through the tutorial (Starfleet Academy) area once, the value of the variable changes from 0 to 1, and then you have the option to skip past it on future characters. If the purpose of Academy is to act as a tutorial, to give players a feel for their ships and the mechanics of the game, then everyone should have to do it at least once. Some may opt to do it more than once and that would be their choice.

[mirkrim]

First of all, is it true that players will start out as Commander? If so, that is LAME. What happened to rising through the ranks?

Secondly:

that would make the most sense i could almost bet my house on the fact that if you are a fed race you will start at the academy as for what it will be like well i dont know we will have to wait and see.. i could only say it will probably look exactly like it does in the shows.. i wouldnt mind having a chat to groundskeeper Boothby

LOL, Boothby?? Memory Alpha says he was born "about the 2260s", which would make him around 140 years old by the time of STO. That's pretty old to be still tending the Academy grounds :D:D:D