Star Trek Online - "Boldly going where Everyone has gone before"

[Yoru]

Actually, I think Gamasutra does think Perpetual is being shut down in addition to the prior action relating to G&H. They're pretty specific about it, though their final paragraph is implying STO is an open question.

In the context of the latest "DevLog" though, does anyone here think there's active activity on STO? And I put "DevLog" in quotes for a specific reason.

Awesome. That means they're dead wrong and haven't done any fact-checking. There's active development. Go go gadget anonymous inside sources!

[Afropuff]

In the context of the latest "DevLog" though, does anyone here think there's active activity on STO? And I put "DevLog" in quotes for a specific reason.

My guess is Perpetual as a company is done and they're waiting either for 2008 or some grace period after G&H was canned to make the claim.

I'm not so sure that "DevLog" represents a new data point though. Perpetual hasn't had said or shown anything substantative regarding STO for a long time ever. In that sense, it's just more of the same.

[UnSub]

The dev logs are a complete waste of time. Let's see - this is how we build a planet, this is how we design a building, here's what the dev staff like about ST aliens, concept art. It's a complete waste of everyone's time in trying to make it look like STO is moving forwards.

On top of that, every time the lead dev announces some feature or system, the ST fans go nuts with nerd rage (which is somewhat justified, imo). It really seems like the STO will launch (hahahaha - yeah, I know) with a very basic, nearly superficial coating of ST over an uninspired space combat model.

I'm not a huge ST fan, but I'd like to see this IP done in a non-hamfisted way.

[Trippy]

Actually, I think Gamasutra does think Perpetual is being shut down in addition to the prior action relating to G&H. They're pretty specific about it, though their final paragraph is implying STO is an open question.

In the context of the latest "DevLog" though, does anyone here think there's active activity on STO? And I put "DevLog" in quotes for a specific reason.

Awesome. That means they're dead wrong and haven't done any fact-checking. There's active development. Go go gadget anonymous inside sources!

[Yoru]

Here's your actual news.

Update: Shacknews has receieved a considerable amount of new information regarding today's Perpetual news from a source close to the company, who requested to remain anonymous. Some information was gleaned from a letter detailing various changes to the company and Star Trek Online, which was recently distributed to all Perpetual employees.

Perpetual has been acquired by new ownership, reportedly a media company looking to use Star Trek Online to make its first major inroads into the video game market. Along with the acquisition comes a partial retargeting of Star Trek Online to what our source describes as a "more casual" experience, one which may potentially eschew subscription fees in favor of the practice of charging real money for optional in-game items, a practice popularized by various Korean MMOs.

Though there do not appear to have been any significant layoffs with the change in management, a number of Perpetual employees have allegedly left the company due to a dissatisfaction with the new direction the game is said to be taking.

Also job openings.

[schild]

I think the space-based sub-genre of MMOGs is cursed to shite development and flipflopping of company resources.

Along with a game I'd like to call "developer shuffle."

We'll see if Bioware can break this streak.

[stray]

Does Paramount have any say in this? Who exactly is this mystery company? And why are Koreans involved with Star Trek (no, seriously...)?

[Venkman]

I think the space-based sub-genre of MMOGs is cursed to shite development and flipflopping of company resources.

I blame a lack of history of homogenizing sci-fi like has happened to fantasy.

[Ratman_tf]

reportedly a media company looking to use Star Trek Online to make its first major inroads into the video game market.

[stray]

Oh wait... Is the above mentioned media company actually Paramount themselves?

[Venkman]

That is an awesome shot. Though it pains me that I think I know what episode that's from

It also serves for the project in general. In my opinion, STO has been in jeopardy for awhile, though only secondarily due to Perpetual. The next big Star Trek activity is dealing with a subject matter, timeline, and is for an audience that has little to do with the era in which STO was to be set. SWG was in the same position, but during its development cycle enjoyed the hype-o-meter that was the upcoming new movies. Here, even the core ST fans are wanting the brand to go to sleep for a few years. On top of that comes the movie that has nothing to do with the game.

Sorry to the team working on it if I'm right.

[stray]

and is for an audience that has little to do with the era in which STO was to be set

Umm, explain this to me. I know what the era is (post Dominion/DS9). Seems like a natural choice.

But what's the audience supposed to be? I thought it was just another MMO.

[Venkman]

That was the era, but the JJ Abrams flick is pre-TOS, and is being billed more as a "JJ Abrams" flick than "yet another Star Trek movie" because they know the loud thud the latter would make. Meanwhile, STO was originally designed to target the high point of the series (TNG) while the whole brand has done nothing but decline due to the unfavorable nonsense that followed.

In my opinion of course ;)

[stray]

I didn't know it was supposed to be based on the Next Generation. From the first time I heard about it, saw concept art, etc.., they had a post DS9 universe in mind. With Bajoran Starfleet officers, those grey uniforms, things like that..

[edit] I'm actually a newb to Star Trek, but I really don't understand why so many think it's declined. I wouldn't mind more of it on TV right now. TNG had great characters, but damn, the show itself was heavily serialized and barely went anywhere. I like the movies however. Enterprise, otoh, had a decent amount of continuity (one story arc took up an entire season almost), a funny as shit Andorian side character, and the hottest Trek babe to date. And DS9 was better than anything else Trek.

[Ratman_tf]

[edit] I'm actually a newb to Star Trek, but I really don't understand why so many think it's declined. I wouldn't mind more of it on TV right now. TNG had great characters, but damn, the show itself was heavily serialized and barely went anywhere. I like the movies however. Enterprise, otoh, had a decent amount of continuity (one story arc took up an entire season almost), a funny as shit Andorian side character, and the hottest Trek babe to date. And DS9 was better than anything else Trek.

Every Trek show has had it's redeeming qualities. DS9 was IMO a good series, and beat the shit out of Voyager.

But it's just not what it once was. They've beat the Trek troupes to death and into zombiehood, and have had little luck coming up with new stories that are different enough to be interesting, and still be Star Trek stories. That's why a lot of people are advocating a long break for the Trek franchise. To allow new fans to grow up, and old fans to "miss" Trek for a while.

[Mrbloodworth]

I didn't know it was supposed to be based on the Next Generation. From the first time I heard about it, saw concept art, etc.., they had a post DS9 universe in mind. With Bajoran Starfleet officers, those grey uniforms, things like that..

[edit] I'm actually a newb to Star Trek, but I really don't understand why so many think it's declined. I wouldn't mind more of it on TV right now. TNG had great characters, but damn, the show itself was heavily serialized and barely went anywhere. I like the movies however. Enterprise, otoh, had a decent amount of continuity (one story arc took up an entire season almost), a funny as shit Andorian side character, and the hottest Trek babe to date. And DS9 was better than anything else Trek.

Last i read, its 25 years AFTER Nemesis. And that Andorian , has over 9 characters in the Star trek..well, every show but the first. Pink Skin.....

[stray]

Yeah, I know of him well. Re-Animator is one of my favorite flicks.

[Mrbloodworth]

Yeah, I know of him well. Re-Animator is one of my favorite flicks.

Fantastic!

[Murgos]

I watched two or three episodes of Enterprise when it was new and god did I hate it.  However, I was flipping channels and caught an episode in the evil alternate universe.  It was really pretty good.

[stray]

Yeah, it started off bad. It's fair that people only give something one chance, but it gets better. Especially the last season.

[Sutro]

We're in hiding, waiting for J. J. Abrams to save us.

That was a joke. Haha. Fat chance.

Speaking of that, if a GLADOS sphere became the seminal villain of the new Star Trek movie, that would win-fill the world.

[geldonyetich2]

Curiosity Core versus Q.  Go!

[Reg]

They ditched the writers responsible for the Vampire Space Nazis but it was too late to save the show. It's a shame really. The new team seemed to be pretty good.

[Modern Angel]

Wait, they were making a diku also ran. They get bought out and people are so ticked off about the *new* direction that they split?

This might be a good game then! 

[Lum]

They ditched the writers responsible for the Vampire Space Nazis but it was too late to save the show. It's a shame really. The new team seemed to be pretty good.

Yes, the aformentioned mirror universe episodes were a very obvious finger in the eye of the original writers. Down to the opener, which was shifted from the Rod Stewart-esqi power ballad and pictures of random ships to a martial driving theme and stuff getting blowed up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS1VLFl9WgY

They should have made THAT the series.

[stray]

They should have made THAT the series.

Are you sure you're a Trek fan?

[geldonyetich2]

He's right, that might have been good stuff.  There's a lot of allusion to earlier conflicts, that would have been interesting to see. 

At least, moreso than vulcan sex.  Episode after episode.

[stray]

Bleh.. The alternate universe thing was funny, but an actual show? That's why I loathe BSG so much. I like the hippy Roddenberry stuff. Vulcan sex is exactly what Star Trek is. And I blame the dislike for Enterprise on Bush, to be honest.

[geldonyetich2]

I always thought the good Hippy Roddenberry stuff was about universe-eating worms, time portals, and other Twilight Zone-esque space stuff.

[stray]

Nah, it was about Kirk screwing hot green women.

[Venkman]

They just needed to stop telling the exact same stories with different crews. That's ultimately what made it unwatchable for me, the sense I'd been there before. I can get past that in WoW from EQ1 because WoW is better. None of the newer shows really were consistently good enough to stick with. And really, even with TNG, we're talking only from Best of Both Worlds on forward for the most part.

The whole IP just got too middle managed to be interesting in my opinion. It didn't need to go away as much as it needed someone they can't ignore to tell them what is right, rather than committee-izing it. That could be Abrams. Heck, if they kill off Sylar for real this time, they've got Spock already :)

And I say this as one of those very special types of geeks that's read most of the books. Except DS9. Didn't care about the show, and much less about the meta stories.

[stray]

Don't take me wrong, I'm not the some big Enterprise fanboi, and probably have defended it enough, but.... The Vulcan chick was pretty new territory. Which is funny, since they're the race that's been around in the franchise forever. But the rest of Star Trek barely touches on them actually. They focus on Spock a lot, but not his culture. Tuvok from Voyager opened up some new storylines too, but Enterprise had more to say. Kind of like what Worf storylines in TNG/DS9 did for Klingons (who were basically next to nothing in the original series).

The Andorians -- General Shran. Another old TOS race -- and they're was barely anything said about them in any of the other series. And it was great shit. Jeffrey Combs is the best part of the entire show. I couldn't get enough of him when he made cameos in DS9, but in Enterprise, he gets a few long storyarcs.

And sorry to be rude, but you're crazy to not like DS9. Besides Quark and the little cameos from Combs, Chief O'Brien is a kickass character... Really good actor there (especially the Syndicate/Donnie Brasco episode). But the real reason to watch that show is Gul Dukat. I'm not kidding when I say he's one of the best sci-fi villains ever. And definitely the best Star Trek one. Khan can suck his scaly nuts.

[Furiously]

It took me a long time to write this response, but for the one geek that gets it... qu'

[stray]

It took me a long time to write this response, but for the one geek that gets it... qu'

Are you talking about the ENT episode with the dude that played Paul Atreides (from the sci-fi Dune)? And with...Data's grandpa or somesuch?

If not, that was a good little mini arc too.

Probably a geekier response than you expected, but oh well!

[Evildrider]

And sorry to be rude, but you're crazy to not like DS9. Besides Quark and the little cameos from Combs, Chief O'Brien is a kickass character... Really good actor there (especially the Syndicate/Donnie Brasco episode). But the real reason to watch that show is Gul Dukat. I'm not kidding when I say he's one of the best sci-fi villains ever. And definitely the best Star Trek one. Khan can suck his scaly nuts.

DS9 was the best ST series imo.  The characters on the show probably developed more then the ones on all the other series.  The fact that it was on a space station pretty much insured that, most of the time it was the character interactions that was the story.

I agree on Gul-dukat.  He was a great consistent villain for the show.  How can you forget about Garak though? ;)  The cast overall was pretty good.  I think the only character that really annoyed me on that show was Odo, although I like the actor.