Starting as a Captain...

[HappyCat]

From what I've heard...you start the game with a big ass ship and become auto-captain? Is this true, or is captain just a rank that STO are just glamorizing for some reason?
If everyone is a captain...how can crews function? I dont get it?

[overlordthor]

From what I've heard...you start the game with a big ass ship and become auto-captain? Is this true, or is captain just a rank that STO are just glamorizing for some reason?
If everyone is a captain...how can crews function? I dont get it?

Well, you dont start as a "big ass ship" its a small ship by the standards of the time, not very powerful.

Crews function because they are NPCs in control of things, crews that you have some control over, picking, possibly creating or collecting them.

You are the captain, you command a ship, play from a captains perspective however, you do control the actions of your ship and power management, things your bridge crew would do...

You may not have the rank of "captain" but you do command a ship, so you arent just an Ensign.

[cmhDK]

while you will captain your ship, you won't start with a starfleet rank of captain

[Suiko]

while you will captain your ship, you won't start with a starfleet rank of captain

Yes, you will be the captain of your ship but not the actual rank of captain.

[knightofhyrule730]

you are the captain. not a Captain. You hold the position of captain on a ship, but you do not hold the rank. We believe that you can be both lower, Ensign-Commander to above it, as in an Admiral.

We really do not know how the Bridge NPCs work. They haven't told us yet. What we do know is that they are our pets, but with their own stats and abilities that we can fully customize. you cannot control any other crew, at least we haven't heard that we can.

[overlordthor]

You may not have the rank of "Captain" but you do command a ship, so you arent just an Ensign.

See the above.

[Revod]

I wish Cryptic had used CO or Commanding Officer rather than captain...it does get rather confusing. A Starfleet officer of any rank can command a ship. The rank of captain just so happens to generally coincide with the position of Commanding Officer when they are given command of a starship. So while it is true we will not be Captains, we will start out as the CO of our own vessel.

[Suiko]

Yes, you will be the captain of your ship but not the actual rank of captain.

This does work with the canon too. Star Trek Voyager has an episode where Ensign Harry Kim was captain of a ship but was still an ensign in rank.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Nightingale_(episode)

[TruthSeer]

I wish Cryptic had used CO or Commanding Officer rather than captain...it does get rather confusing. A Starfleet officer of any rank can command a ship. The rank of captain just so happens to generally coincide with the position of Commanding Officer when they are given command of a starship. So while it is true we will not be Captains, we will start out as the CO of our own vessel.

It's not really that confusing when people actually read the information given.

[LordDave]

Best way to think of it happy is to imagine your entire crew as your player.
The Captain is your physical persona.
The ship is your armor, weapons, and misc. items.
The senior staff are your skill points. Who also follow you around as pets on away missions.

Essentially, unlike WoW where you are a single adventurer writing a story centered around you being the hero, STO makes you a whole ship and centers the story around your ship and crew. Much like a Star Trek series.

[KashikoiBaka]

When it comes to the military, at least in the navy sense which applies since Starfleet is considered the Navy, The Commanding officer of a boat is the Captain, the rank doesn't matter. Even if there is an officer of greater rank aboard the ship, the captain of the vessel still has the final say, baring an Admiral if I recall correctly.


In short, if you are in command of a navy/starfleet vessel, you are the Captain, period, rank plays no part.

[Rosebud]

In the navy, whoever is in charge of a ship, no matter how big or small, and no matter their actual rank, is the "captain".
Commodores and admirals of all sorts should be referred to by their proper rank, as "captain" would be a demotion.

[evan.is.weyoun]

Best way to think of it happy is to imagine your entire crew as your player.
The Captain is your physical persona.
The ship is your armor, weapons, and misc. items.
The senior staff are your skill points. Who also follow you around as pets on away missions.

Essentially, unlike WoW where you are a single adventurer writing a story centered around you being the hero, STO makes you a whole ship and centers the story around your ship and crew. Much like a Star Trek series.

I think if anything summed up STO in the most awesome way yet, there it is. That statement makes me really pumped about the game because you're totally right; it will be like our own personal Star Trek series with the ships of our choice!

[DoctorX]

From what I've heard...you start the game with a big ass ship and become auto-captain? Is this true, or is captain just a rank that STO are just glamorizing for some reason?
If everyone is a captain...how can crews function? I dont get it?

Just in case... there will generally be only one player per ship unless the ship is part of a mission. You do not need a separate player to man the different stations of the ship. I still think that would be cool though. :)

[chizzel]

You can start as ensign, and be acting captain of your ship.

Problem solved.

[babanathie]

You can start as ensign, and be acting captain of your ship.

Problem solved.

Probably won't start out as an ensign per an interview; in any case, nobody knows what the starting rank will be for the game.

[Arokh72]

Oh captain my captain.

[-Brett-]

From what I've heard...you start the game with a big ass ship and become auto-captain? Is this true, or is captain just a rank that STO are just glamorizing for some reason?
If everyone is a captain...how can crews function? I dont get it?

I guess that depends on your definition of "big ass ship". A Bird of Prey, one of the smallest of starships, would still demolish a chunk of your neighbourhood if it tried to land in your back yard. In the real world, that's still pretty big assed. But nothing like the Enterprise, no.

Player crews won't function. Everyone has their own ship. Think about it, and you'll see why.

[Mike_Hawk]

Best way to think of it happy is to imagine your entire crew as your player.
The Captain is your physical persona.
The ship is your armor, weapons, and misc. items.
The senior staff are your skill points. Who also follow you around as pets on away missions.

Essentially, unlike WoW where you are a single adventurer writing a story centered around you being the hero, STO makes you a whole ship and centers the story around your ship and crew. Much like a Star Trek series.

That actually explains it good for me. Makes more sense that way.

[jhem99]

Egad. Some analogies sound like the capsuleers in EVE where da player is strapped to his ship via bio-synaptic interfaces. Thus the captain and ship become one. Where have I heard this before?:confused:

[KashikoiBaka]

Probably won't start out as an ensign per an interview; in any case, nobody knows what the starting rank will be for the game.

Since it is an MMO, you most likely will start out as an Ensign. You're getting a starting class of the Miranda Variant so its not like they are loosing anything important. On a side note.. What rank do the Klingons have, other then the Captain being the Captain.

[cmhDK]

Since it is an MMO, you most likely will start out as an Ensign. You're getting a starting class of the Miranda Variant so its not like they are loosing anything important. On a side note.. What rank do the Klingons have, other then the Captain being the Captain.

we have already been told that we won't start out as ensign, but not what we will actually start as

[KashikoiBaka]

we have already been told that we won't start out as ensign, but not what we will actually start as

Lieutenant is fairly likely then.

[cmhDK]

Lieutenant is fairly likely then.

yeah I think so too

[dieuwe10]

As far as I know Lieutenant is a pretty high rank. I think it'll be just above ensign.

[TruthSeer]

According to memory alpha above ensign is Lt. Junior Grade.

[Zyrious]

Anyone ever play Star Fleet Command? In those games, you start as a Lieutenant, but you are still the captain of your own ship. You purchase new ships by gaining "Prestige" and also gain rank through such means.

Though personally, i'd like Cryptic to drop the whole "No money" BS and just have the federation use Credits.

[TruthSeer]

Anyone ever play Star Fleet Command? In those games, you start as a Lieutenant, but you are still the captain of your own ship. You purchase new ships by gaining "Prestige" and also gain rank through such means.


I'd love it if they based STO on some of SFC's aspects. Like gaining ships through prestige and how they handled upgrades.


Though personally, i'd like Cryptic to drop the whole "No money" BS and just have the federation use Credits.


The Federation is using credits.

[Zyrious]

I'd love it if they based STO on some of SFC's aspects. Like gaining ships through prestige and how they handled upgrades.





The Federation is using credits.

Really, they're actually using credits? I guess i missed the article where that was finally made official. Good to hear if its true...Puts aside the economic issue.

[TruthSeer]

Really, they're actually using credits? I guess i missed the article where that was finally made official. Good to hear if its true...Puts aside the economic issue.

Ya, I'm still trying to find the quote but it was in one of the federation/money threads.

I personally would prefer to use the term prestige instead of credits. It works for both factions, and that way prestige could be used for ships, upgrades, and other in faction economics; while latinum could be used for inter faction eco.

[B4D_9R4MM3R]

According to memory alpha above ensign is Lt. Junior Grade.

Doesn't it go:

Ensign
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant (Full)
Lieutenant Commander
Commander
Captain

In terms of typical Starfleet ranking? I can’t be bothered with the admirals, as we certainly won’t be starting out as one of them.

Isn’t there also something along the lines of ensigns aren’t allowed to be captain of a ship for an indefinite amount of time? I honestly cannot remember.

[TruthSeer]

IDK I just made my last post just to state the rank above ensign. Then again like O'Brein said, by the time an ensign sits in the chair there is no one left to call him captain.

[THORN74]

It's not really that confusing when people actually read the information given.

welcome to the INTERNET, while it is heavily text based (especially forums like these), no one EVER reads anything. It simply would have been easier and less repetive had cryptic chosen their wording more carefully. Commanding Officer is much less ambiguous in this instance. The same could be said for the term "bridge crew" which should have been Senior Staff or Command Crew. Bridge Crew, one could argue, does not include the doctor/CMO or the chief Engineer; neither of which are actual bridge positions. They will of course, be included but it is again poor word choice on cryptics part.

[Rosebud]

Doesn't it go:

Ensign
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant (Full)
Lieutenant Commander
Commander
Captain

In terms of typical Starfleet ranking? I can’t be bothered with the admirals, as we certainly won’t be starting out as one of them.

Isn’t there also something along the lines of ensigns aren’t allowed to be captain of a ship for an indefinite amount of time? I honestly cannot remember.

Yeah, that is the way the ranks in the navy go. Above that are the flag officers.

Commodore (rear admiral lower)
Rear admiral
Vice admiral
Admiral
Fleet admiral

The commodore rank was being phased out and they were creating the second rear admiral rank when I left the service, but in Star Trek there are commodores, so that is that.

[DanSeale]

Best way to think of it happy is to imagine your entire crew as your player.
The Captain is your physical persona.
The ship is your armor, weapons, and misc. items.
The senior staff are your skill points. Who also follow you around as pets on away missions.

Essentially, unlike WoW where you are a single adventurer writing a story centered around you being the hero, STO makes you a whole ship and centers the story around your ship and crew. Much like a Star Trek series.

well said LD !

[HappyCat]

So the ship you start with, is NPC crewed?
Whereas, there are ways to eventually get bigger ships, and either be Captain of a crew or be a crewmember?

Or are there no player crews, and no way to just be -Part of- a crew, and not in command of it?

[Thibor]

So the ship you start with, is NPC crewed?
Whereas, there are ways to eventually get bigger ships, and either be Captain of a crew or be a crewmember?

Or are there no player crews, and no way to just be -Part of- a crew, and not in command of it?

There are no player crews at launch.
It may be something they add in later through patches/expansions but it's not been in any way guaranteed to be added.

Your interaction with other players can be in the form of:
Away missions - stated as a 5 entity where you are one of them and the remaining 4 could be your NPC crew OR other player captains.
Space missions - where you coordinate with other player ships to achieve a goal
Socializing - places like DS9, etc. It's been mentioned there'll be places like this but, to what extent is unknown.

[marscentral]

we have already been told that we won't start out as ensign, but not what we will actually start as

This is a persistent rumour, with Lt_Gozer coming into one thread (http://forums.startrekonline.com/showpost.php?p=423671&postcount=33) to refute the idea, so far they've not given any clue as to the starting rank. The only one we can guarantee it's not is captain.

[HappyCat]

Well thats really disappointing. You cant have player bridge crew, and thats a bit of a kick in the teeth for me, being a RPer.
*sigh*

But eh, im sure over time, things'll work out with it.

[KashikoiBaka]

According to memory alpha above ensign is Lt. Junior Grade.

A LT Junior grade is still simply referred to as a Lieutenant.

[CaptainCow]

In the navy, whoever is in charge of a ship, no matter how big or small, and no matter their actual rank, is the "captain".
Commodores and admirals of all sorts should be referred to by their proper rank, as "captain" would be a demotion.

That's the way I think of it. captain of a ship is the leader of the ship, no necessarily the rank.

Not too confusing and since it is the term used in the Navy and other institutions I am sure people will cope :o

[THORN74]

That's the way I think of it. captain of a ship is the leader of the ship, no necessarily the rank.

Not too confusing and since it is the term used in the Navy and other institutions I am sure people will cope :o

it might not seem confusing (and i agree with u its not), but it is obviously causing some confusion as this exact question has a new thread started every other day! Some of us just think we could have avoided the confusion all together if Cryptic had chosen their words more carefully.

in either case im sure we will have a whole new thread started on this very topic by friday and will have this same debate all over again,

[Rosebud]

it might not seem confusing (and i agree with u its not), but it is obviously causing some confusion as this exact question has a new thread started every other day! Some of us just think we could have avoided the confusion all together if Cryptic had chosen their words more carefully.

in either case im sure we will have a whole new thread started on this very topic by friday and will have this same debate all over again,

Maybe it is causing confusion, but if Cryptic is basing the game off the the Star Trek way of doing things, and their way is based off of the real navy's way of doing things, so whomever is in command of a ship or boat is the "captain", even if they are just a lieutenant.

I think the confusion isn't coming from any particular use of the title as it's coming from people that didn't read any of the knowledge threads. I'll admit to only skimming them, but at least I did that much, and while I am drawing on some first-hand experience for some of this, I do remember seeing this mentioned in the "what we know" thread.
They read a word without context and assume it has a meaning that it doesn't. Who's fault is that? Cryptic can't go rearranging the way Star Trek works and has been shown to work for 40 years just because people can't be bothered to read. :cool: