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Are you planning on trying Star Trek Online (STO)?
talizzar
Member UncommonPosts: 7
As a POTBS player are you planning on trying out STO? Early reports from Beta is that STO has great potential and is similar to POTBS but in a space setting. If you are a current or former POTBS player are you planning on playing STO? If you plan to play STO are you planning on canceling your POTBS subscription?
Comments
A poll
While STO is similar to PotBS it's really only half the game PotBS launched with (pre-board member speaking).
I too saw all the comparison's and managed to get into the Open Beta to check it out:
- ship to ship combat: no different ranges for weapons, no targeting different parts of the ship so really no tactical aspect like PotBS had.
- travel map: PotBS hands down winner on the graphic side. Very similar in that you can only stop at certain places.
- ground combat: I'd say the avatar combat was better in PotBS and that's not even including the different weapons or styles you have.
Things to like:
- Open instances / auto-grouping on missions
- Able to change the look of your starter ship so not everyone looks the same
All in all it's a niche game just like PotBS is, just happens to be a bigger (Star Trek universe vs Pirate) niche. Give STO some time to grow up and it might be a game to jump to once FLS closes the last server, but as a former PotBS player, I'd rather come back to it than go to STO at this point.
SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter
I think you didn't play STO long enough, or didn't really look at what the different classes can do. Being able to target specific parts of the ship is a class specific skill. I also don't agree with you on the ground combat. While I don't like it (very clunky compared to Aion), it's a lot more elaborate. It has more maps, better looking maps, features you+NPCs in tactical ground combat. Some features like crouching, rolling etc. remind of FPS games, the inbuilt Pause function (45 secs) to give your squad instructions is not, however. So far, incidentally, I've stumbled accross two ground combat weapons (phaser, phaser rifle) which each have different abilities. I'm sure there'll be more.
I'm not sure what STO will be. It's definitely very casual friendly, and the PVE spaces are strictly separated from the PVP ones, which makes for fewer ragequits. I like that you're able to level exclusively through PVP. I dislike Star Trek. Judge is still out where I'm concerned.
Linna
- Ground maps: PotBS launched with way too few and benifited greatly when they expanded them. I'd still say the fort map mission you get 3 - 4 cities in; from the Admiralty guy that mixes his metephors (That's a Cock and Chicken story, you can't lead a horse to the other side of the fence etc... ) is a better one than say the Temple mission map where you fight the Kligons while trying to get the 'Ambassador' to the top. A few of the maps felt big but not in a good way. Only 1 I really think that pulled it off was the tutorials Vega Colony.
- Weapons: I was really talking about fighting styles. Phasers - pistols & rifles, disrupters etc..... do compare directly with cutlesses, epee's, rapiers, and pistols. And I guess you could argue that expose & knockdown are like styles but I don't think so. The crouching, rolling etc... are good combat features though. Now I will say that I liked the old PotBS combat better than the new version.
- Control over your Away Team: By far an A+ and much better than PotBS's landing parties you had, where the only real question was how fast were they going to die so you could complete the mission in peace.
The big one I don't agree with has to do with targeting certain parts of the enemies ship. Yes it's there and yes it's class specific ...... Why? Anyone including your Doctor can pick up and shoot a phaser - ok canon. But not everyone can sit in the big chair and say 'shoot their engines'? - well that doesn't work.
STO may become a good playable game. I just think they popped it out a little too soon. I think for a lot of players it would be better to wait until it grows up alittle than play it now and leave with a bad taste in their mouth. I know I plan on checking it out again when they have a free trial a few months down the line.
SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter
- Ground maps: PotBS launched with way too few and benifited greatly when they expanded them. I'd still say the fort map mission you get 3 - 4 cities in; from the Admiralty guy that mixes his metephors (That's a Cock and Chicken story, you can't lead a horse to the other side of the fence etc... ) is a better one than say the Temple mission map where you fight the Kligons while trying to get the 'Ambassador' to the top. A few of the maps felt big but not in a good way. Only 1 I really think that pulled it off was the tutorials Vega Colony.
- Weapons: I was really talking about fighting styles. Phasers - pistols & rifles, disrupters etc..... do compare directly with cutlesses, epee's, rapiers, and pistols. And I guess you could argue that expose & knockdown are like styles but I don't think so. The crouching, rolling etc... are good combat features though. Now I will say that I liked the old PotBS combat better than the new version.
- Control over your Away Team: By far an A+ and much better than PotBS's landing parties you had, where the only real question was how fast were they going to die so you could complete the mission in peace.
The big one I don't agree with has to do with targeting certain parts of the enemies ship. Yes it's there and yes it's class specific ...... Why? Anyone including your Doctor can pick up and shoot a phaser - ok canon. But not everyone can sit in the big chair and say 'shoot their engines'? - well that doesn't work.
STO may become a good playable game. I just think they popped it out a little too soon. I think for a lot of players it would be better to wait until it grows up alittle than play it now and leave with a bad taste in their mouth. I know I plan on checking it out again when they have a free trial a few months down the line.
Wait and see either way. No game ever came out full blown, even WoW's first year was a disaster. What they choose to fix change and add will determine their eventual success.
I'll not get back to POTBS either way, except for a brief look see if I'm allowed to log in at all. Morbid curiosity that.
Linna
I know Linna. So many decisions FLS made tore the guts out of the game and your's was just one of them.
I don't think I'd ever come back as a paying member but I like the trials every once in awhile. Still a very good ship vs ship sailing game, just no re-play value. While I wouldn't mind doing the NO professional storyline, I just can't see either grinding or redoing all the missions my Privateer already did.
Presently I'm just on a F2p kick. Endless Free AoC, DDO and WWO: Gunfighter. Can't even think of anything down the road I'm looking at.
SWG (pre-cu) - AoC (pre-f2p) - PotBS (pre-boarder) - DDO - LotRO (pre-f2p) - STO (pre-f2p) - GnH (beta tester) - SWTOR - Neverwinter
I still love the ship combat, but I remember all too well the sheer misery of the population imbalance, the frustration of just not being ABLE to fight in RVR anymore, and the resulting outright blackmail of the dominant nation on our server. I play games for stress release, not to get a nervous breakdown...
Also, I'm highly doubtful of that new nation status thing they put in. Just to take me for an example: I had problems in Warhammer with several of the male leaders, because they strongly felt women belonged in the kitchen, not leading (multiple) warbands, and were not shy of telling this to all comers. Most would just ignore them, but I can just imagine what any kind of voting system would have resulted in. The goodwilling tend to be a bit more passive then those who intend mayhem in these matters and are willing to organise it. And yes, this means that this whole port governance thing still gives me the heeby-jeebies as well. "Democracy" without checks all too easily degenerates into mob rule, and I don't think the checks are sufficient, CAN be sufficient in an on line game, where everyone is anonymous in the end.
My guild originated in SWG (pre-CU). As an inevitable result, we're looking forward to SW:TOR. I think most of us realise it will probably be a disappointment, but who knows.
Linna
When I see a trial, I will give STO a go. Too many gamse bought only to conclude they werent worth $75. to make the mistake again. If they try to do what WoW did, I might never play after the trial. You need a box to play WoW, you cant buy online. So I never did play it.