A step further

[space_squirrel]

Hi,

You could take this game a step further than the usual MMORPG. You could make it more as a second life. With professional players in high ranks who are nominated by the community and paid by Cryptic (or their sponsors). You could give more freedom to self-generated content and let them produce video messages with their characters. So they could command their fleet. Possibilities are endless... :)

This way it wouldn't just a lvl-up game, but one with more meaning and more longtime fun (hey even for Cryptic...they could manage the Borg). :D

[Zintaus]

Hmm, interesting concept you have there. However I forsee some problems in this. First and formost, paying players to do what Cryptic are enlisting Game masters to do, would mean more money spend on crew than goes in to development. Second, if you are a paying player, and lets assume that this will be done, you need to have serveral hours available for the game, to be able to assist, interact, judge etcetra other people in the game, in order to be able to promote these players to other ranks and so forth.
People that are interested in this idea might even be able to spend server hours if not a whole day, in the cause of making the game more attractive to newcomers, but in the long run, they would probably start wondering why they are payed less for their effort than normal Game Masters are payed, and in the end request a raise. If Cryptic isn't willing to give these people a raise as they are requesting, the 'mentors' of the game would probably leave and never return. As with most people that feels they are being mistreated by a company, they would probably start writing bad reviews, start harrassing Cryptic Studios, make other people stop playing the game and so on and on.

However, you suggestion on user generated content, seems rather interesting. Being able to say, as a Commader, err let us make that an Admiral instead, to make missions that people can do, escort mission that is a must for delegates to be transported safely from thier home planet to a distant world where they are to complete the congress or whatever, could be a nice assest to the game.
I do think however that this is just wishful thinking, so let's be reasonable and face the facts, that if something like this would happen, it would require a great coding not to mention that a thing like this, might even be nearly impossible to actually make. Unlike Second Life, as you mentioned, which is a fully user based world, there are kind of a lore system that needs to be followed, if the user that creates these mission for others to enjoy and then disregards the lore, they might be able to actually manage to kill the game in the long run.

[space_squirrel]

Sure there are some hitches, but they are solveable. You get bad reviews for every game...look at WoW. The good thing about paying players in high ranks is that they can turn their passion into a full-time job, which should lead into a better gameplay. I don't say unpaid players aren't any good, but to play a high-rank character you need definitely more time and most of us don't have the luxury to spend that amount of time just for fun. Hmm...maybe one could think about a race-based (in the Star Trek universe) funding, where the actual players donate real money for their leaders...that will probably not lead into high paid salaries but maybe something like a part-time job, plus it would be legitimated by the very own community....

As for the complexity to develop something like that. I'm perfectly aware this is not making into the current planned game, but if you think about WoW and how many millions (roughly a billion revenue) of dollars they make each year and if you think about how big the Star Trek community is, it's not that impossible in my opinion...

I just think it's about time to make those games deeper in gameplay...I don't wanna rush from planet to planet, kill some freakin' aliens get some XP's, gather some ressources get another bunch of XP's to reach the next level...that's kind of boring...you know what I mean? Star Trek (as the idea itself) has so much potential to change that...

[Zintaus]

Donations from other players playing the same game as the people they are donating the money to, seems a little odd really. Nah, I doubt anyone would willingly donate money to someone they regard as a leader in a viratul world. Not to mention I personally wouldn't donate money to a person that I didn't know, unless it is for a good cause, like saving the Bald Eagle or something similar.

World of Warcraft isn't really a perfect example of a bad review on a game. Games that are more close to this would be something like Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and more that has eluded my mind. World of Warcraft, I cannot believe that I'm saying this, is probably one of those games that will stay with us for as long as Ultimate Online have done. Not to mention that UO is still being played, despite the lower population on the now free to play servers.

You need to remember that World of Warcraft has more than 10 million subscribers so it's no wonder that Blizzard is making a fortune on the game. However, Star Trek Online has just recently, if I'm not mistakening back in Febuary or January been obtained and worked on by Cryptic Studios, so it will still take a few years before the games comes out. Maybe less.
Blizzard did advertise World of Warcraft and by that managed to get the subscription to a record high number. If Cryptic Studios are to ever drag players away from the franchise, they would need to do a similar advertisement weeks if not months before, to be able to compete with the subscription of World of Warcraft. Even if Cryptic Studios managed to get a high number of subscribers, I still doubt they would be willing to pay people for taking on a, what I would call a Guide/mentor position in the game.

Let's assume that people are willing to actually pay their designated Leaders, how would you as a paying costumer feel about this. Knowing that some people are getting money from people willing to donate the leaders in the respective races. Wouldn't you want to become a leader yourself?.. How would you be elected to become a leader? How long would the leadership be? 1 week? 6 Months? 1 Year?
How would the election be held? Would it be done on the forums or in game at the Federation Headquarter?
I'm still not confortable with this idea. I do however agree with you, that we need some kind of a mentor program, where players can dedicate their time to help out newcomers to the game, say like if you are invited into the Alpha testing, you would gain a certain knowledge of how the system works, you would be able to actually inform people how the system has evolved in the years once the game goes life.
As an alpha tester you could then have the priviledge of getting invited to the beta test, and in the follow pre-opening of the game, say a week before the official date where the game get released, to establish your mentor character, establish a flourishing community together with other mentors that have been in the same alpha and beta testing sessions as you. So once this is done and people start playing for real, you and the rest of the mentors are able to actually inform the newcomers how the system works.

I noticed that you mentioned that you dislike running from one planet to another planet killing creatures, collection resources etcetra. I doubt that this will be the case. Star Trek has load of potential, as you mentioned yourself to allow for something different, something innovating. After all, Star Trek is the quest of the unknown, seeking knowledge of other races, going where no-one has gone before and so on. So I am sure that you will find something for your liking, instead of just grinding out.

[space_squirrel]

Well, I just hope you are right, then another WoW and I'm freakin' out.

btw: I do think WoW players are most likely not Star Trek fans (at least not passionate ones)...it's a total different thing...but as so often, I could be wrong on this :D

[Xextreem]

Well, I just hope you are right, then another WoW and I'm freakin' out.

btw: I do think WoW players are most likely not Star Trek fans (at least not passionate ones)...it's a total different thing...but as so often, I could be wrong on this :D

Kidding right ? iam startrek fan playing wow almost like uhm 4 years now. Now i STOP playing wow The real **** ITS GETTING LAUNCH :eek: :D