Dev Idea! Credit/Experience for Reading Logs/Reports

[Otiz]

I think a good thing to add to the game (if it has not been implemented already or discussed) is giving the player experience/credit for reading the log reports. Since most players will be employed and out of the Star Trek universe for part of the day, it would be nice to log on (to start your shift) and have your first officer brief you on events that took place while you were logged out.

It would be something like the captain of the ship coming onto the bridge and saying one word -"Report!" With that one word the entire scenario is laid out before them. Then they decide the next course of action and their adventure begins (or continues).

For example: You log on and a video stream showing your first officer comes up to give you a brief overview of what you have missed. Based on the information provided the player has a few paths they can choose from to start a new adventure or they can continue a previous mission(s).

That's just a few options to get started. Then you various things going on within your guild (Fleet) that you can assist with. By reading the reports, the caption should be rewarded for keeping abreast of the STO world even though the real world has pulled them away for awhile.\

Here's the kicker: EACH time the person logs on (let's say after 4 hours or so) they are debriefed by their first officer and it keeps them going. It sets the stage for the player to immediately be able to get in the thick of a Borg battle, finish up some unfinished research, or explore 3 more galaxies for the benefit of his/her faction.

By logging out and leaving for a period of time, one can't help but wonder what new adventures await when they log back on. A new treaty? An attack by the Federation/Klingons? New technology that benefits your faction? Your guild has claimed a territory to setup shop?

Being a gamer for over 30 years (counting the arcade stuff), I'd love to see a game that evolves as the players and the community evolves. An eternal game that grows like the tallest tree with many branches, leaves, and many colors. One that moves and takes you on many adventures/paths/missions. Not just grind to max level and kill same boss over and over for loot.

I greatly appreciate your time reading this.

[TheDart]

While I'm not certain about offering experience rewards, I would love to see the Federation and Klingons both have a faction-wide system that they can access to keep track of the state of the galaxy.

As an example, EVE Online has an ongoing storyline which its players are able to readabout - or ignore - on the login screen, or in-game by scanning the billboards that are in orbit next to every jumpgate in the game. These updates take the form of IC news reports, interviews with players and guilds, and stories written by the developers and players to flesh out the game's mythos.

Something like this, purely as fluff, would be very cool.

I'd also love to see guilds have an internal log system that performs the same basic function, but unique to their members.

[Aterlatus]

If I was having 'one of those nights' when the net is up and down and I had to sit through a briefing video every 5 minutes I think I'd quite possibly go insane. If there was some time delay in there so you didn't have to go through it if you'd been away less than x hours, sure - it could work. Guess it'd depend more on how the missions were dished out in the first place though.

[Sinclair]

Interesting ideas, thanks for posting this.

One of the most engaging elements of past Trek games for me was interaction with the bridge crew. Not when I caused it, but when I did something else in game that caused one of the bridge crew members to comment about what was going on. That type of interaction from the crew really 'brings them to life' in game, and I hope that the Cryptic dev team will look at ways like this, and what was suggested above, to make the crew more than simple NPC Pets. Having a crew with personalities that interact with the player proactively, along the lines of what was seen in Baldur's game but beyond that, would be really cool.

I do agree with the second poster that these interactions need to be brief, else would be an unwelcomed distraction after a time.

[Cyjack]

How would you tell if they actually *read* the reports, versus just clicked through the menus and got the XP anyways, like in every other game?

I think a somewhat better idea, would be to bury hints or coordinates to random (different coords each time) little "loot" caches or mission triggers in them. That would really force people to comb through them to find the hints if they wanted them, but still be completely optional for people who dont like a lot of reading.

To be honest, after a few days in any game, I start to gloss over mission briefs and Lore deposits...it doesnt matter how well theyre written...it just gets boring after a while, so I wouldn't want it forced on me. That would be too much like school.

[Lord_Xomic]

lol whut?

Here, have 5 creds for reading this post.