Star Trek Online: Here We Go Again!

[palmer_eldritch]

Just used the beta install.

[Montague]

If you give a tribble to an away team officer, they never fight and just stroke their tribble constantly.

They fixed that, now they just whip it out and stroke it after the fight is over...

According to a guildie you can breed rare and uncommon tribbles by leaving it better food in your bank/inventory

[Furiously]

 

[Shatter]

http://trekmovie.com/2010/02/02/star-trek-online-launches-with-over-1-million-accounts-new-ground-video/

1 million accounts(to their website lol).  I like how they make this announcement sound like its 1 million subs with a little word twisting. 

"After years of waiting, the massive multiplayer game allowing you to play in a persistent universe of Trek’s 25th century is online, and according to Cryptic they have already logged in over 1 million registered accounts at the official websites"

They need a bigger PR shovel to move shit this big. 

[Count Nerfedalot]

http://trekmovie.com/2010/02/02/star-trek-online-launches-with-over-1-million-accounts-new-ground-video/

1 million accounts(to their website lol).  I like how they make this announcement sound like its 1 million subs with a little word twisting. 

"After years of waiting, the massive multiplayer game allowing you to play in a persistent universe of Trek’s 25th century is online, and according to Cryptic they have already logged in over 1 million registered accounts at the official websites"

They need a bigger PR shovel to move shit this big. 

[Malakili]

Every time I see that I think of the Venture Co. from WoW. 

[Margalis]

Skill choices you can't undo is so 1997... actually scratch that, you could undo them in UO; it's very 1999.

I really can't think of any other industry where companies can make the same mistakes 15 years in a row and never seem to learn.

At this point (in the industry as a whole) you have to wonder whether it's a mistake or a purposeful omission that can added later for extra money.

[Kageru]

Since I'm pretty sure CO has paid re-specs I'd say that's an easy one.

The idea of misty-eyed star trek fans get a lesson in why movie tie-in games are to be regarded with suspicion doesn't bother me at all. The idea that they'll assume STO is a good model for all MMO's not so much. I wonder how many people will swear off the genre after this.

[UnSub]

Let's just say STO is popular and leave it at that. If box sales hit that 1m mark, I'm sure we'll hear about it.

I'm not playing STO, but launch was always going to be painful.

I'm also not sure if anyone is going to swear off the genre after STO - more likely they'll grit their teeth and keep playing 1) because it is Star Trek and / or 2) until SWOR comes out.

[Riggswolfe]

I've got my box from amazon but I'm not activating it yet. I'm a bit curious. I don't see a seperate sheet for the Borg BO so I'm hoping just the key in the manual alone is enough. It's got Amazon exclusive printed all over the book.

[Kageru]

I'm also not sure if anyone is going to swear off the genre after STO - more likely they'll grit their teeth and keep playing 1) because it is Star Trek and / or 2) until SWOR comes out.

I doubt it. Once your face is rubbed into the crap you know it for what it is. I suspect this game will have exactly the same subscriber collapse as warhammer and CO. Possible even more since it plays like a single player game and thus has less stickyness.

[Surlyboi]

I've got my box from amazon but I'm not activating it yet. I'm a bit curious. I don't see a seperate sheet for the Borg BO so I'm hoping just the key in the manual alone is enough. It's got Amazon exclusive printed all over the book.

The key in the manual is enough.

[Shatter]

http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/

[Modern Angel]

No in game server issues since head start ended for me, though I admit my playing wasn't happening in primetime due to Lost premiere. Still not a terrible game, still having fun. Oh no.

[Valmorian]

No in game server issues since head start ended for me, though I admit my playing wasn't happening in primetime due to Lost premiere. Still not a terrible game, still having fun. Oh no.

This game has content so generic it HURTS.  I've already done multiple misisons that were literally "walk around in this area and click on 4 different flashy things!", as well as had the same canned "Protect this damaged ship from 3 waves of alien ships!" mission twice in a row.

Even the obviously "story" mission I did was nonsensical: Escort this Vulcan ambassador to a planet, get stopped by a reasonable Klingon (He didn't attack me right away) claiming the vulcan is a shapeshifter.  Hmm, what would be the reasonable solution here.. maybe investigate these claims?  Nahhhh.. ATTACK THE KLINGONS!!!!

I mean what the-?  Since when does the Federation do that shit?

[Shatter]

Please type credit card number here to attack the Klingon ship

[01101010]

Please type swipe credit card number here to attack the Klingon ship

I hear the new boxes have a magnetic strip reader enclosed for ease of use. 

[Malakili]

No in game server issues since head start ended for me, though I admit my playing wasn't happening in primetime due to Lost premiere. Still not a terrible game, still having fun. Oh no.

This game has content so generic it HURTS.  I've already done multiple misisons that were literally "walk around in this area and click on 4 different flashy things!", as well as had the same canned "Protect this damaged ship from 3 waves of alien ships!" mission twice in a row.

Even the obviously "story" mission I did was nonsensical: Escort this Vulcan ambassador to a planet, get stopped by a reasonable Klingon (He didn't attack me right away) claiming the vulcan is a shapeshifter.  Hmm, what would be the reasonable solution here.. maybe investigate these claims?  Nahhhh.. ATTACK THE KLINGONS!!!!

I mean what the-?  Since when does the Federation do that shit?

This pretty much sums up why I the game doesn't work for me.  Not necessarily even the "lore" problems with the federation being aggressive or militaristic, but that it seems like that is ALL the game is about.   It seemed to me Star Trek was an IP that would have been a natural fit for great non-combat systems in an MMO, and yet, they are basically non existent in the game. 

[Jayce]

The worst thing is that they could have made the justification better if they just wanted to give the player a chance to pew pew.

"Turn over this Vulcan ambassador who's wanted for crimes against the Empire!!!"

I can see the Federation not rolling over for something like that. The shapeshifter thing sounds like someone couldn't think of a good justification so they just dashed something off regardless of whether it made sense.

[Riggswolfe]

The worst thing is that they could have made the justification better if they just wanted to give the player a chance to pew pew.

"Turn over this Vulcan ambassador who's wanted for crimes against the Empire!!!"

I can see the Federation not rolling over for something like that. The shapeshifter thing sounds like someone couldn't think of a good justification so they just dashed something off regardless of whether it made sense.

Well, it becomes clear as you continue the game that the shapeshifters are being setup as an ongoing threat. I'm not sure how far into the game it continues but several missions at least mention them if not feature them as villains. Still, the proper Trekky way should have been basically "Ok, we're going to check this out, you're welcome to send some of your people over and we'll cooperate with you in this investigation."

[Ghambit]

[Mrbloodworth]

Warf said it was something they dont talk about.

[Sky]

This pretty much sums up why I the game doesn't work for me.  Not necessarily even the "lore" problems with the federation being aggressive or militaristic, but that it seems like that is ALL the game is about.   It seemed to me Star Trek was an IP that would have been a natural fit for great non-combat systems in an MMO, and yet, they are basically non existent in the game. 

At the risk of sounding Kageru-ish....it's Cryptic. That's what they do. Expecting otherwise is the anomaly.

[Ratman_tf]

Warf said it was something they dont talk about.

They midichlorianed it in Enterprise.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Klingon_augment_virus

[Ghambit]

This pretty much sums up why I the game doesn't work for me.  Not necessarily even the "lore" problems with the federation being aggressive or militaristic, but that it seems like that is ALL the game is about.   It seemed to me Star Trek was an IP that would have been a natural fit for great non-combat systems in an MMO, and yet, they are basically non existent in the game. 

At the risk of sounding Kageru-ish....it's Cryptic. That's what they do. Expecting otherwise is the anomaly.

In Cryptic's defense (even though I despise them), their STO design played into the general notion that Trek cant be done the way everyone wants it to be.  (shrug)
So they went the simple route and just made a reskinned ChampO with SC3-like space combat and added in a bit of collectible RMT.

Had they tried the way "we" wanted them to we'd be bashing them even moreso.  Matter of fact, I recall when Perpetual had the IP that they got chided pretty hard for trying to bring too robust a design... this was one of the reasons they dumped it.

This is the world we live in.  Where P.C. and the generic-fantastic rule the day.  This game and many of late are testaments to that.  Problem is, Trek prided itself on being anything BUT generic - it's supposed to be avant garde. 

It's more of an iPhone/Facebook app. than a proper MMORPG.  Collect this, buy that, show off your wares on Twitter.  Pet thy Tribble. 
You cant even parse data from the gamefiles.  And it's TREK!  How does one make a Trek game wherein you cant even play with the files?

At this point (with this design) that's the key to me... giving the Trekkers the tools and letting them run with them, once the level cap has been reached.  Move some basic files client-side, let people mod a little, and let people generate their own missions like in CoX.  There are plenty of opportunities in this game to expand.  Things that are initially simple can easily be made more intuitively complex.

[Shatter]

You are correct that the game doesnt feel like an MMO or play like one and the result of that has positive and negative aspects.  For me its more negative because I wouldnt go into an "MMO" Star Trek game expecting a sinlge player game longevity and Im sure thats why a lot of people consider it to be sh*t

[Glazius]

I really can't think of any other industry where companies can make the same mistakes 15 years in a row and never seem to learn.  This launch day stuff should be a solved problem.  I'm starting to think Blizzard isn't really that smart, they just somehow manage to avoid retardation.

So you can't think of any other industries?

The entire story of Microsoft's success is that they stood by while DEC turned down the chance to make an OS for IBM (then priced theirs an order of magnitude higher), WordStar killed their word-processing division by making two completely different products with identical names and then throwing away printer support, dBase flipped off their best customers, Lotus decided to spend two years rewriting their spreadsheet to make it work on computers that nobody used two years later, and IBM fired their apps division, then tried to recapture the market with an OS that nobody had to write different code for (since it could run Windows programs) but that also couldn't print to non-IBM printers.

Sure there was that whole monopoly thing later on, but Microsoft got the positioning to throw their weight around due mostly to all their competitors self-destructing while they just kept working.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers.

[01101010]

You are correct that the game doesnt feel like an MMO or play like one and the result of that has positive and negative aspects.  For me its more negative because I wouldnt go into an "MMO" Star Trek game expecting a sinlge player game longevity and Im sure thats why a lot of people consider it to be sh*t

I believe this type of system is perfect for microtransactions. I'd actually think more seriously about picking up Trek now if it was more in the realm of microtransactions, this way I could unburden myself with the issue of paying a monthly fee and still be functional in a game I'd be happy playing solo or in small pugs. If I feel the need to compete, throw down some cash and buy some uber equipment - though I doubt I would end up down that dark and lonely road...not with my little red headed gf swing a spiked beat stick at me.

[Malakili]

http://www.pvponline.com/2010/01/29/a-breach-in-protocol/

I guess this is becoming a trend in Cryptic games...

[UnSub]

http://www.pvponline.com/2010/01/29/a-breach-in-protocol/

I guess this is becoming a trend in Cryptic games...

As long as you let players choose their own names and appearances, this is going to happen.

I did laugh when I ran into the USS Evil Lincoln though.

[Brolan]

Not to mention it's bugger than hell.  I've done the objectives for the "patrol Orion sector" mission twice and it still thinks I'm not done.  This is really getting frustrating fast.

No depth, nothing to hold a gamer more than a month or so.  And absolutely no reason this game needs to be an MMORG.  Player interaction is nil.

[justdave]

...The entire story of Microsoft's success is that they stood by while DEC turned down the chance to make an OS for IBM...

what.

Suffice it to say that, as a single industry MMOS have been singularly piss-poor in managing to let the customers actually use the service on launch day. Other software industries have been bad...But it's getting ridiculous.


Note: Edited for snark.

[Kageru]

Digital Research != Digital Equipment Corporation... and still a bit of an obscure example.

[raydeen]

http://www.pvponline.com/2010/01/29/a-breach-in-protocol/

I guess this is becoming a trend in Cryptic games...

As long as you let players choose their own names and appearances, this is going to happen.

I did laugh when I ran into the USS Evil Lincoln though.

I flew alongside CaptRiker148 and the USS Potato in beta. I hate to say it, but STO is one instance where I think I would advocate an RP server. I do sorta kinda want to play but stuff like that would break the immersion a lot quicker then similar stuff in WoW or other fantasy games for me. I like my sci-fi to be serious business. Now if I flew alongside Captain Lister in the USS Red Dwarf or Capt. Beeblebrox in the USS Heart of Gold, I might be able to cut that some slack. ;)

[Kageru]

Not a surprise in the least, but a confirmation of suspicions.

An Admiral Speaks: No Endgame Content.... At All

Well just hit Admiral 5 and, to my dismay, there is absolutely NO endgame content in place. None. In fact after you rank up to Admiral, the quests just stop coming. There's no "way to go" there's no serious loot. There's nothing. Sure some of you will want to say "well you hit Admiral too fast" but that's not the point. The point is there is NOTHING at all to do at 45. Not a single thing except maybe pvp once the Klingons get Admiral. It's so blatantly neglected that it's almost offensive.

And when I say nothing I mean NOTHING. No more Missons to do. No Fleet actions. No crafting. No PvP yet. No exploration (unless you count the randomly generated generic Genesis missions). Literally nothing at all. And I outfitted my ship in green MK X almost completely in one day. I really have no goals at all anymore.

Might as well just start showing credits once we hit 45 because the game is literally over at that point.