will this game fit me even if i never watch or follow Star Trek episodes or history

[TweFoju]

well.. i always loved sci fi based games like EVE Online, and the announcement on Star Trek really makes me wanna try this game..

especially after learning that your character won't be your ship, unlike EVE where you cant walk around on stations and all you do is fly around with the ships

and after seeing a bit of youtube videos trailer i realized you can actually really land in a Planet too.. that really make me wanna play this game even more

but the problem is, i do not know and never watch ST episodes and even their history

all i know is a bit of their races and a brief history of ST through Wikipedia ( still is ) :D

the question is.. is it OK for people that is very unfamiliar with ST world to play this game?

thanks..

[Casta_Rasa]

In my opinion mate, i think that you should be able to drop in to this game no problem, without having to see any of the shows.

Im sure it was mentioned in some of the very first ask cryptic questions, that regardless of whether your a huge fan of Star Trek, or just a gamer who loves MMOs, you will enjoy playing this game.

Hope this helps

[onesoul1982]

Of course its okay!

STO is being developed for the less informed player as well.

You don't need to be up to date or even knowledgeable about the Star Trek Universe in order to enjoy the game.


Welcome to the Forums.

Check out the FAQ for more information

http://www.startrekonline.com/faq

:D

[Loekii]

Imo, The game NEEDS to fit people like you.

It is the Neutral gamer, not the Star Trek fan, that will make or break this game.

So, no, a PhD in Star Trek is not required.

On a side note, you wont 'Fly' down to 'land'. You get to the planet or Starbase, via Transporter (teleport type system from your ship to the planet -- its the 'Glowy effect when the guys appear on the planet' in the video) or you will arrive in shuttle controlled by the computer (sort of like loading screens in other games).

[HyorD]

I'm sure you won't have any trouble playing this game, even if you don't know a whole lot of Trek. That's been said by the devs, and what's more, it just wouldn't be good business sense to make a game that only appeals to Trekkies; as the people at Perpetual once informed us, they came to the conclusion that the Trek fanbase was far too diverse for it to be possible to create a game that appeals to the entirety of it, and even if they did get a large slab of it I'm not sure that it would be enough to pay for the development and maintenance of this game.

To sum up: Absolutely!

...and welcome to the community!

[inXi]

This game doesn't just target Star Trek fans, it targets everyone who likes spaces MMO's, people like you. It is crucial for them that the universe is new-friendly. It shouldn't be any more complicated than EVE is.
Besides, Star Trek is an already existing, well-developed universe, I think you'll enjoy exploring and learning about it as you play the game, while people who know about Star Trek will be able to recognize things they saw in the series.

I'm a new Star Trek watcher myself, and even so, I'm not aware of most of the stuff that was happening closer to the in-game date. I don't even know what Borg and what not are, I'm largely clueless, and there's nothing wrong with that...

[onesoul1982]

This game doesn't just target Star Trek fans, it targets everyone who likes spaces MMO's, people like you. It is crucial for them that the universe is new-friendly. It shouldn't be any more complicated than EVE is.
Besides, Star Trek is an already existing, well-developed universe, I think you'll enjoy exploring and learning about it as you play the game, while people who know about Star Trek will be able to recognize things they saw in the series.

I'm a new Star Trek watcher myself, and even so, I'm not aware of most of the stuff that was happening closer to the in-game date. I don't even know what Borg and what not are, I'm largely clueless, and there's nothing wrong with that...

Yah..it's all about exploration =)

The Borg,..really?:o

[inXi]

The Borg,..really?:oWell, from reading these forums I know they're cubes and they "assimilate" stuff but that's it really.

I don't know much outside of TOS/TAS...

[TweFoju]

alright guys! thanks for the responses, that was unexpectedly fast :D

that really ease me off, i regret never thought of watching ST when i was small because of Star Wars.. although my big brother is a fan and he's also gonna play this game when it is released, maybe ill just suck some info out from him :p

although ill probably spend a lot of time on Memory Alpha and maybe buy their 1st episodes to gain more knowledge of ST so i might enjoy playing the game even more :D

cant wait to hear the release date!

[inXi]

You can always watch TOS on CBS.com for free... if you can stand the commercials and the occassional freezing and other wonderful things CBS added.

[TweFoju]

sure will :D

thanks! ill go explore some more of the forums for now :D

[onesoul1982]

Well, from reading these forums I know they're cubes and they "assimilate" stuff but that's it really.

I don't know much outside of TOS/TAS...

The Borg: A Cybernetic race of intelligent machines, who are bent on assimilating any and all biological races in order to perfect themselves..usually against the will of the targeted species.


"We are the Borg, lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us..resistance is futile."

[crobar001]

"We are the Borg, lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us..resistance is futile."

I still get shivers every time i hear that!:(

[TweFoju]

ok i have another question

i notice that there is a Fleet Registration Forum, is Fleet here also known as a guild?

or more like a corp on EVE?

and i see in many of the thread

they are recruiting for a security head, captain of engineering, Cheif Doctor, Charlie Squad, Delta Squad bla2

how many position are there exactly on a fleet? -_-

[thefrayl]

"We are the Borg, lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us..resistance is futile."

I still get shivers every time i hear that!:(

Shivers are irrelevant. You will be assimilated... :D

To the OP, I absolutely think STO will be fun for many people, whether they are a Star Trek fan or not. You won't have to know much of any details to enjoy it, I don't think.

[overlordthor]

I think the game would still be a lot of fun for the "noob" who knows very little about Star Trek. You surely know a ittle bit of the basic ideas of Trek.

There will likely be a lot of small things you would miss, like knowing something about the enemies beforehand. The game will have little appearances, use of character names from the series, but most of it would be easy to follow. you just dont get the extra references or the excitement when you meet one of your favorite races from the series.

Or the comprehension of why you should fear the Borg, lol, if you see a cube shaped ship 100 times the size of your ship, you might want to flee.

[Loekii]

ok i have another question

i notice that there is a Fleet Registration Forum, is Fleet here also known as a guild?

or more like a corp on EVE?

and i see in many of the thread

they are recruiting for a security head, captain of engineering, Cheif Doctor, Charlie Squad, Delta Squad bla2

how many position are there exactly on a fleet? -_-

Yes, Fleets = GUILDS.

The 'positions' are just made up titles by the people making the Guild, to improve the atmosphere of their Guild, so to speak.

In other words, they are not 'In the Game'. You could start a fleet and give everyone a 'Smurf' title (Chief Smurf, Doctor Smurf, Weapons Smurf, etc), but your toon in the game would be basically just another toon member of the guild.

[_Pax_]

i do not know and never watch ST episodes and even their history
If you NEVER watch any Trek, and do not intend or desire to? STO is probably not the best-fit game for you. :(

OTOH, if you mean to say "I've only caught some Trek now and then, and it was pretty cool, but I never really followed it much" ...? Or maybe "I've seent he movies, but none of the TV stuff" ...? Sure, jump on in, I'm sure you'll learn the needed bits of Lore during gameplay. :)

[marscentral]

What do they teach the kids these days? I knew the inner workings of a Galaxy Class warp core by the time I was 10 years old. I built my own for a science project :D

Anyways, if America is anything like Britain on that score, you should be able to catch repeats of TNG, DS9 and Voyager just about anytime of the day or night. Some of the early TNG is a bit cheesy though.

[inXi]

If you NEVER watch any Trek, and do not intend or desire to? STO is probably not the best-fit game for you. :(Why do you say that? I know some people who simply hate shows of all sorts and variations... but who love MMO's. Or Space MMO's.

[HyorD]

Why do you say that? I know some people who simply hate shows of all sorts and variations... but who love MMO's. Or Space MMO's.Indeed, I got interested in STO back in 2005, and saw my first episode of one of the series (TNG: "The Last Outpost") in 2006 ;)

[_Pax_]

Why do you say that? I know some people who simply hate shows of all sorts and variations... but who love MMO's. Or Space MMO's.

... and there are other MMOs out there, even science fiction ones (in development at least) where those people's lack of familiarity or real interest in the lore of the franchise will not cause them to be the target of raving, fanatic fanboys who will nitpick EVERY last possible lore-contradicting detail in their races, names, ships, etc, etc, etc.

Ergo, STO isn't the best fit for them.

[inXi]

... and there are other MMOs out there, even science fiction ones (in development at least) where those people's lack of familiarity or real interest in the lore of the franchise will not cause them to be the target of raving, fanatic fanboys who will nitpick EVERY last possible lore-contradicting detail in their races, names, ships, etc, etc, etc.

Ergo, STO isn't the best fit for them.I follow 4 MMO's:

1. STO.
2. IQFE.
3. JE.
4. Huxley.

STO being Star Trek related is actually a pretty minor factor in following it, in fact... and just because one is interested in it, doesn't mean they don't follow other space MMO's... maybe they just don't like Eve, and JE/IQFE are twitch based.

[_Pax_]

*shrug*

I'm not telling the OP "go away, you're stinky". Just suggesting that he may want to check out the alternatives, because (I repeat, again and with emphasis this time) STO may not be the best-fit game for him.

[inXi]

Well, I guess I just think that there is nothing more exciting than exploring a universe that actually has a background. Rather than, say, in Eve where I am rather indifferent to all that gallente-caldari stuff.

[jhem99]

You can play STO even if you're from another planet or England and know nil about Star Trek.:D

[onesoul1982]

Well, I guess I just think that there is nothing more exciting than exploring a universe that actually has a background. Rather than, say, in Eve where I am rather indifferent to all that gallente-caldari stuff.

Yah..exploration is a big part in STO for me..as it was with Earth and Beyond...

That's the one thing im really hyped about..going out and seeing new life...new places etc

:cool:

[Loekii]

*shrug*

I'm not telling the OP "go away, you're stinky". Just suggesting that he may want to check out the alternatives, because (I repeat, again and with emphasis this time) STO may not be the best-fit game for him.

I agree with what Pax is saying. He is not saying 'Go away', or this game is 'not for you', but rather suggesting that one not simply limit their scope just to this game.

Given that Star Trek is the IP, there may be some game decisions that are influenced by that relationship, and as such, might not make for the 'Best' game for someone.

If they have no vested interest in the IP, they certainly should look at other Sci Fi MMORPGs out there, as they lack of such parameters might better suit what they find to be fun.

[Kinjiru]

although ill probably spend a lot of time on Memory Alpha and maybe buy their 1st episodes to gain more knowledge of ST so i might enjoy playing the game even more.


If you're even marginally interested, I highly recommend going to see the new movie, it's not just a reboot of the series, it's kick in the pants. :)

Also, as has been stated, you can watch the original series for free on the web. After you watch the episode Space Seed, rent the movie The Wrath of Khan, you'll be hooked in no time. :)

[Loekii]

although ill probably spend a lot of time on Memory Alpha and maybe buy their 1st episodes to gain more knowledge of ST so i might enjoy playing the game even more :D

cant wait to hear the release date!

I would no be too concerned with watching the series and films -- just watch them if you want to for the entertainment purposes.

I think that simply reading the 'Path To ...' stories ( here: http://www.startrekonline.com/fiction ), and using Memory Alpha to fill in any questions, will be more than enough to get you up to speed.

Besides, having a fresh pair of eyes to look at the game when it is released (as opposed to having various expectations from the Series), might actually enhance your enjoyment of the game. You wont catch mistakes, etc as much as someone that in well versed in Star Trek.

[warpfactorx]

I'm sure you'll have no problem diving straight into the game even if your Trek knowledge is limited. The real question is, once you get into STO, will you become so drawn into the Trek universe that your thirst for knowledge becomes insatiable ;)

[lvjayman]

*shrug*

I'm not telling the OP "go away, you're stinky". Just suggesting that he may want to check out the alternatives, because (I repeat, again and with emphasis this time) STO may not be the best-fit game for him.

The only problem is that the game needs to draw in people,even if they are unfamiliar with the IP. If it starts to look like STO is only for hard core trekkies then it might lose out on a large influx of players who like sci-fi but are unfamiliar with ST. Besides it could be a good way to get people introduced to the ST franchise, moving from interest in the game to interest in the shows. But I think the game would benefit from 'newbie' players to the universe. (and I realize you aren't telling him to go away, just injecting an opionion :D)

[Archangelwoghd]

Should be just fine

[Arsinoe]

Don't worry STO is being made for gamers and not just ST encyclopedia's. :D

[_Pax_]

The only problem is that the game needs to draw in people,even if they are unfamiliar with the IP. If it starts to look like STO is only for hard core trekkies [...]
That is NOT what I am advocating at all. The OP described himself as not a fan AT ALL, completely unfamiliar with all but the most basic, "part of the wider pop culture" Trek knowledge/lore/whatever.

Casual fan, "I saw the last movie and it rocked" newcomers, "I've been reading about this Star Trek stuff and it sounds pretty interesting" newcomers, hey, it's all good. But "what is this ... 'Star Trek' ... thing, anyway" folks? Hey, maybe STO will be great for them. But maybe not, and they of ALL people should keep their options open, look at other SF MMOGs.

And, really ...I don't work for Cryptic or Atari, you see. Thus, I don't have to (and shouldn't) gloss over possible potholes in the road ahead for him, by saying "sure, sure, EVERYones' dollars are welcome here, step right up and start paying, sir!"

No, I owe it to him - as one game-player to another, one possible customer to another - to be completely honest, in as objective a manner as possible, when answering his question. And the honest answer is: "if you have not, and do not, feel any interest in the Star Trek lore and franchise other than this game, then it is entirely possible that STO is not the best choice of Science Fiction MMOG for you. Maybe it will be, after all - but maybe it won't. You should check out all the competition, as WELL as STO, and only make your choice then."

Anything less, or different ... would IMO be dishonest of me. :cool:

[USS_Parallax]

If people can get into WoW despite it's huge history and canon they can get into this.

[RemyBlack]

First off welcome to the forms :) Also they said that people will be able to learn about star trek from the game. Look at is this way. The Devs are Trek Fans, we've hered them say that. And the favorit thing for a trek fan to do is "assimaliate" more trek fans. We get excited when someone learns about treak and we can nerd it up whth them. Talk about episodes and what we liked the best. So I hope that you will give it a try and I would welcome you with a open ship bay. Also if you are intrested in all things trek there is a trek memory alpha that I go to has all kinds of things and episod lists. I do not know how to do links so here is the site. http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Portal:Main Also the people on this forms know alot about trek have fun and welcom.

[inXi]

I think the guy is already aware of memory alpha. xD

[RookActual]

Actually, a nonfan may be able to enjoy the game more than a fan. Not saying that Cryptic isn't doing every thing in their power to keep this as canon as possible, but even so. There will be mechanics, stories, occurrences and what not that veteran fans are going to decide just isn't their version of 'Trek', and get aggravated with easily. Look at every single thread that's posted in this forum category and you're guaranteed to find someone launching 'canon balls' at the developers. I'm not a member of the Developer Defense League, in fact, I'm probably one of it's arch enemies, but still....

[Kinjiru]

Actually, a nonfan may be able to enjoy the game more than a fan. Not saying that Cryptic isn't doing every thing in their power to keep this as canon as possible, but even so. There will be mechanics, stories, occurrences and what not that veteran fans are going to decide just isn't their version of 'Trek', and get aggravated with easily. Look at every single thread that's posted in this forum category and you're guaranteed to find someone launching 'canon balls' at the developers. I'm not a member of the Developer Defense League, in fact, I'm probably one of it's arch enemies, but still....

I agree here Rook. If you look at the game like a die hard Trekkie, I'm sure that there will be things that we can point to and not be happy with. Heck, for me, there already are things that I don't care for. Fans of the series can be harsher critics than people who start with a fresh perspective. I'm reminded of reading some reviews by Star Trek fans of the Abrams movie that were pretty brutal.

And in all honesty, the non-fans outnumber us by far. :)

[TweFoju]

If you NEVER watch any Trek, and do not intend or desire to? STO is probably not the best-fit game for you. :(

OTOH, if you mean to say "I've only caught some Trek now and then, and it was pretty cool, but I never really followed it much" ...? Or maybe "I've seent he movies, but none of the TV stuff" ...? Sure, jump on in, I'm sure you'll learn the needed bits of Lore during gameplay. :)

im in the 2nd part of your point, it's true that im not a big fan of ST(yet) - maybe, that but i always have interest in ST, even my brothers always told me to watch them back in the 90s i still remember him *****ing about it. but as i said, i was too hooked with Star Wars back then ( because SW was booming during my generation ) and thought that ST was not any better than SW, well, after watching the movie, it kinda change my point of view towards ST, and honestly, i love ST's ship more than SW's ( another point that drives me to want to love ST )

BUT, i do know a bit of Star Trek on their races and even their ships way before i watch the Movie, but not by a whole lot, and because they are releasing the game which is not only space oriented that i love, but also because ive been wanting to know a lot of ST's lore and put a depth on to it, that is why i feel that this game might be my main MMOs next year and i believe i will love if since i have a passion to get to know their history and the storyline

of course i understand that some of the ST fans will be very much into RP oriented game play at the first, which maybe a non fan will not quite get along with their RP ways, but im sure, we will overtime :D

--correction--

That is NOT what I am advocating at all. The OP described himself as not a fan AT ALL

i never said anything about NOT a fan AT ALL

if you look at my 1st post, i just say that im not familiar with ST, that's all

doesn't mean that im not a FAN at ALL :D.. actually i am.. a bit! it's just that i never watch any of their episodes...=)

[RookActual]

I agree here Rook. If you look at the game like a die hard Trekkie, I'm sure that there will be things that we can point to and not be happy with. Heck, for me, there already are things that I don't care for. Fans of the series can be harsher critics than people who start with a fresh perspective. I'm reminded of reading some reviews by Star Trek fans of the Abrams movie that were pretty brutal.

And in all honesty, the non-fans outnumber us by far. :)

Exactly. I have certain qualms with the game simply because I am a fan, and my perception of what I like about Trek is not always best incorporated in the game from what I see so far. There are a lot of things I like, of course. Most forum members are going to come from a somewhat extensive Trek background. The game can not afford to be TINO(Trek In Name Only), but I believe, for success, the game needs to be a "space exploration MMORPG" primarily, and then make sure it has a solid Trek tone to it. It is a recognizeable franchise, and the best way to appeal to us hardcore Trek fans is to make sure those recognizeable images, backgrounds and plots, etc are present yet make them accessible to a newcomer.

By being accessible, of course, I mean educating the player on what they need to know without relying on them having previous knowledge. I don't believe Cryptic will make anyone have to do research to play this game.

[renderpix]

If you been an Eve-Online player for anytime, take it from a long time Eve player. STO is offering alot of things that EO dosen't and seems to never want to give.

Safe PvE zones
Fleet decals (corp decals on ships)
Ships color (nothing extreme but different shades if i read corretly)
Customization visuals of ship
Planetside and in station ( in Eve you not the ship but a person in a pod forever STO=person)
Factions (factions in this game are real not in name only)

Don't really know about StarTrek, internal comparisions or at least how I see it.

Caldari - Federation
Gallente - never sure where to fit them
Amarr - Romulan
Minmatar - Klingon

STO is being made for everyone Trekkie/Trekker PvE PvP and RPer. And I think they were up to date and intune with the needs of Eve-Online players offering some of what they wanted up front. IMHO :D