It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
As I have mentioned before, one of my best friends, a huge trekkie, got into the beta for the game. He has never played an MMO before. He was hugely, massively excited about this game because, as I said, he's a huge trekkie and he does enjoy games, just not the fantasy type of game that is most popular on the market.
He gets into beta and these were his reactions. I thought it would be interesting to share with you the first thoughts of a complete MMO virgin on this game -
* First 2 days - "Wow this is cool." - Favorite part? Making his character. He loved the customization options for the uniforms and the alien races he recognized - it was ultra-cool to him that you could play, for example, a Vulcan or Trill. He recognized all the races and it immediately helped immerse him in the game. This is the power of a popular IP like Star Trek.
* Second Week - Not playing the game so much. His comments? "Game seems to be repetitive. You blow stuff on the ground with your phaser and then blow things up in the air with your ship. Occasionally you fix things. The interface isn't fun, and nobody really interacts - it's like a rather ugly single player game with a gaudy, bad interface."
* Third Week, a bit more playing. My wife and I play a bit. Friend reads about the Ferrengi and Romulan races being offered for sale. Comment: "That's ridiculous. I pay for the game, a $15 a month fee, and then they nickel and dime you if you want to play other races?" - Again, not going to get into an argument about RMT; it was just his opinion. He said he would rather pay $17.50 a month for the game and have everything included instead of $15 a month and have to pay for extra options. People like "unlimited" cell phone talk and text plans for the same reason; they're becoming more popular and the ala carte services... well, less popular.
Overall opinion - he doesn't think he'll keep paying for it. It wasn't any one thing, it was a combination of disappointments (to him) - what he considered one-dimensional gameplay, a poor interface, etc. He also said he really wanted to be a part of a crew of other real players, where they were all officers or people on a ship - not the captain of his own ship with an NPC crew. To him, the fun and excitement was going to be the social interactions of the people aboard the ship and then the "away missions" with his crew mates.
In short, I think he was just expecting a hugely different game. Thus far he has seen me play Fallen Earth and the most fun he says it looks like is when I'm in a group with all my guildmates, we're talking on Vent, and playing in a 6 man group together having a blast - or same thing with WAR when we're stomping on people in a 6 man ORvR guild group. It's the team-play and comradeship that I think he liked and what attracted him to the MMO in the first place. The fact that nobody really interacted and you were the captain of your own ship full of NPCs I think was the biggest turn off. The cash shop was just an annoyance that might have been the final straw.
Comments
As an aside, he played the game again today and it was more of the same. One thing he also commented on - he hasn't noticed a lot of the bugs others have been noticing.
The game seems to be running very smoothly for him from a technical standpoint, at least. One wonders what would happen if he had to contend with multiple bugs as well.
this sounds like you got this info from reading threads on this forum...not this so called friend. Its a little over the top for a new player whos never played an MMO to have expectations of a so-called veteran mmo player...i dunno...as for a ship shared by players....have you played WWII Online....its not as easy as you think to get a crew together and ...well no worth getting into
Your friends opinion is just a fraction of many others less than appealing take-away on STO. It isnt going to be as breathy or depthy of game-play as a mmorpg, compared to other mainstream mmorpgs.
What is missing from your friend's experience is grouping. Did he ever find any friends online, and start grouping with them?
Sure, pick-up-groups can be fun, but mostly people don't talk in those. If he got into a guild, or a regular group, he probably would have had a much different experience.
------------
2024: 47 years on the Net.
this sounds like you got this info from reading threads on this forum...not this so called friend. Its a little over the top for a new player whos never played an MMO to have expectations of a so-called veteran mmo player...i dunno...as for a ship shared by players....have you played WWII Online....its not as easy as you think to get a crew together and ...well no worth getting into
Well - I can't really force you to believe that I have a friend named Jon who works as a supply chain manager for a local technology company and is a 30 year old Trekkie; you're right. You'll either have to take my word on it or not. His expectations of playing the game weren't due to any "veteran" MMO status. His expectations on the game were based on two things - 1) The TV series, which he loves, and 2) Being a dynamic part of a starship crew, not just the captain of his own ship of NPCs, which to him, seemed boring.
It's not really an argument about whether or not I played WWII Online or not; these were just the observations of somebody who tried STO and never has played an MMO before. Again, if you choose to disbelieve me based on your intuition, that's your right. All I can say is that I have no reason to lie to you, or anyone else here. My income isn't related in the slightest to how Cryptic's sales do.
Your friends opinion is just a fraction of many others less than appealing take-away on STO. It isnt going to be as breathy or depthy of game-play as a mmorpg, compared to other mainstream mmorpgs.
This is, sadly, what I seemed to discover while watching him play it. It's disappointing just because the IP has so much potential.
Nope, he wasn't in a guild. And I can tell you, if the regular Joe who has never played an MMO before finds he or she needs to "join a guild" in order to have fun, talk to people, and experience grouping... they won't bother. At least, most of them won't.
The original Everquest was a GREAT example of an MMO that, from the beginning, you could play and find people to talk to and group with - all without having to be in a guild. The sheer harshness of the game world required you to group, not to mention the boat rides to and from continents where all you had to do was meet the other people on the boat with you... boring? For some it was. For me, it was an opportunity to meet new people and talk to folk I otherwise wouldn't have needed to.
Remember Everquest's original East Commons Tunnel? Remember how people would hide in there, as a safe place, as they faced the dangers of the desert and Eastern Commons? Remember how intuitive everything seemed, even with the ancient graphics - by today's standards?
That was an example of a game that pretty much was designed for a person who had never played MMO's - because there weren't really any MMO's except the very-different Ultima Online and MUSHes and MUDs and such, those text based worlds.
Now... I don't know. Everything seems to be marketed to the FPS crowd, the kids who grew up playing in Quake tournaments and don't want to bother with teamwork - or if they do bother with teamwork, it's joining the biggest, baddest guild they can find in order to better reach the endgame fastest.
I thought it was just me that was getting disillusioned with the current state of new MMO releases - excepting a couple in '09 which I thought were decent if not perfect - but it turns out that the average person who has never even played an MMO but is super hyped about Star Trek with other people was kind of "meh" about the whole experience, also.
And then again my sample size was one person, with additional comments from my wife and I along the way. Not the most scientific study but it was enough for me to decide I won't be buying the game.
If anything a veteran MMO player has a higher tolerance for crap combat mechanics, item shops, and buggy games... so I'm not really sure what your point is.
If anything a veteran MMO player has a higher tolerance for crap combat mechanics, item shops, and buggy games... so I'm not really sure what your point is.
There are always those who are so rabid in their devotion to a game that they just can't except that another person might not share their feelings about said game. It has to be a lie/conspiracy/<insert some other rationalization>.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
Can i state first that i haven't tried sto yet
but from a standpoint of playing the mo(guild wars, ddo) and the mmo(swg, lotro etc) that i found it much easier to group in the field as it were in mmos when you come across others out in the open about to do the same quest and this was always the best way to make friends ingame(at least for me). Whereas grouping in the mo has always been a bit difficult to say the least and sounds like your friend was having the same sort of trouble
Nope, he wasn't in a guild. And I can tell you, if the regular Joe who has never played an MMO before finds he or she needs to "join a guild" in order to have fun, talk to people, and experience grouping... they won't bother. At least, most of them won't.
I know that in City of Heroes, there were really good tools for LFG, and I spent a lot of time building teams and having a blast. I don't know about STO's tools. Also, I think in more action oriented games, there is less chatter than in more traditional RPG type games.
He shouldn't have to join a guild, but without grouping, STO would be pretty bland.
------------
2024: 47 years on the Net.
Agreed. So what are some of your tips for finding non-guild groups in STO? Nobody seems to be much interested in grouping in this game. Especially during the early levels, there is just no incentive to do so.
Or maybe everyone who plays this game has the same complaints about it?
Also, I'm not sure how his opinions seem like they are from a "veteran MMO player."
Or maybe everyone who plays this game has the same complaints about it?
Also, I'm not sure how his opinions seem like they are from a "veteran MMO player."
Far from being a vet MMO player, my friend Jon has never played an MMO in his life before the STO beta. Not for lack of my trying, mind you.
But as I said, if somebody wants to think I am lying and I have nothing better to do than make up false opinions from imaginary people - more power to ya. I can't really do much from my living room here to change your opinion.
Or maybe everyone who plays this game has the same complaints about it?
Also, I'm not sure how his opinions seem like they are from a "veteran MMO player."
Far from being a vet MMO player, my friend Jon has never played an MMO in his life before the STO beta. Not for lack of my trying, mind you.
But as I said, if somebody wants to think I am lying and I have nothing better to do than make up false opinions from imaginary people - more power to ya. I can't really do much from my living room here to change your opinion.
Whether its true or not. its clear that you have nothing better to do. It's one thing to post your own negative thoughts on the game, but to come on and post someone else's.... Well that's trolling on a whole new level
Or maybe everyone who plays this game has the same complaints about it?
Also, I'm not sure how his opinions seem like they are from a "veteran MMO player."
Far from being a vet MMO player, my friend Jon has never played an MMO in his life before the STO beta. Not for lack of my trying, mind you.
But as I said, if somebody wants to think I am lying and I have nothing better to do than make up false opinions from imaginary people - more power to ya. I can't really do much from my living room here to change your opinion.
Whether its true or not. its clear that you have nothing better to do. It's one thing to post your own negative thoughts on the game, but to come on and post someone else's.... Well that's trolling on a whole new level
Really? Did you read my original post? Do you understand the definition of trolling?
Let's take a look at Wikipedia's definition:
"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, controversial, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion."
Since I *started* this thread and the moderators haven't deleted it yet, one must assume it is, at least, on topic. This is, after all, the Star Trek Online forum.
Is my original post inflammatory, extraneous, or controversial? I don't think so. I simply posted the very relevant information on a person who has not played MMO's - one of my oldest, best friends - and his thoughts on the MMO he first played. It is both quite relevant to myself, and to him. It's not like I am posting a stranger's thoughts - this is my bro. I'm excited he finally started playing an MMO.
Am I trying to provoke users here into an emotional response? Well, if my original post provoked an "emotional response" in you all I can say is... damn, you're emo.
So you clearly see, your attempt to define my post as Trolling is a Clear Fail.
Next, please.
Or maybe everyone who plays this game has the same complaints about it?
Also, I'm not sure how his opinions seem like they are from a "veteran MMO player."
Far from being a vet MMO player, my friend Jon has never played an MMO in his life before the STO beta. Not for lack of my trying, mind you.
But as I said, if somebody wants to think I am lying and I have nothing better to do than make up false opinions from imaginary people - more power to ya. I can't really do much from my living room here to change your opinion.
Whether its true or not. its clear that you have nothing better to do. It's one thing to post your own negative thoughts on the game, but to come on and post someone else's.... Well that's trolling on a whole new level
It's uncalled for to accuse the OP of trolling.
I know alot of people who were hoping that the game would let multiple people form the crew of a single ship. But really, would this have ever worked? I mean, at some point, most people are going to want to be a captain of their own ship, and this would also require that everyone be on at the same time. And what about Solo players, which, quite frankly, are a huge segment of the MMO population (as much of an oxy-moron as that may seem)? So I have to admit that the comprimise of making everyone a captian of their own ship and givming them an NPC crew was about the only option available.
I don't know if I see it as the "only" option available, but it certainly was probably the *easiest* option available.
Would this have ever worked? Maybe it would have, but now we won't know. We'll see if what they DID do "works" in the end.
I think this was a very unbiased thread and I commend the OP. Your friend brings up great points, but with that being said he must also realize that the aim of this game was to catch the interest of Non-Trekkies. If you are going to give there has to be some take.
Thanks. I'm pretty sure he's going to play for a couple of months to see where the game is going, but time will tell.
He did mention to me that there seems to be little difference between "beta" and "launch" except that the "launch" was harder to get into due to server queue.
True there should be some give, but if you are going to base a game off of an IP then ignore fans of that IP is fairly asinine. You don't have to cater to them 100%, but there should be a fair amount of content in there to appeal to them; otherwise you might have just as well kept your hands off of the IP in the first place.
"Oh my, how horrible, someone is criticizing a MMO. Oh yeah, that is what a forum is about, looking at both sides. You rather have to be critical of anything in this genre as of late because the track record of these major studios has just been appalling." -Ozmodan
This is a misconception about STO, its instance system is nothing like in guildwars(i also had huge problems grouping there), where you always had the instance to yourself if you entered it ungrouped. Its actually the reverse here. You enter a instance alone and meet other people in it, and more often then not get autogrouped with them(or fly ungrouped with them). Also the normal mmo etiquette that you dont attack mobs that are tagged by others doesnt seem to apply here, i dont even think there is such a thing as tagging here. The game seems able to treat assists like if you where grouped, even if you are not. And yes there isnt alot of talking in such groups, which is why i joined a fleet(guild/corp).
It also has to be said that fighting as a group is easier here, since everyone is basicly selfsufficent, even without talking there isnt really alot that can go wrong as long as you stick together and help each other a bit now and then. And yes, im looking forward to harder groupcontent like proper 5 man instances. In the meantime i just do missions with enemys that are +2-+4 to me with my fleet, thats plenty hard and requires some teamwork(and gives better rewards).
Edit: I would definitly call this game casual, if it werent so damn difficult to figure out stuff like a proper skillplan or weapon layout. Almost playing a week now, and there is still so much i have no idea about. Not always easy to figure out what you need stuff like astrometrics or a better deflector dish for. Or what those numbers that increase with your skills actually mean. Its still alot of hit and miss, and well without respecs ...
This is a misconception about STO, its instance system is nothing like in guildwars(i also had huge problems grouping there), where you always had the instance to yourself if you entered it ungrouped. Its actually the reverse here. You enter a instance alone and meet other people in it, and more often then not get autogrouped with them(or fly ungrouped with them). Also the normal mmo etiquette that you dont attack mobs that are tagged by others doesnt seem to apply here, i dont even think there is such a thing as tagging here. The game seems able to treat assists like if you where grouped, even if you are not. And yes there isnt alot of talking in such groups, which is why i joined a fleet(guild/corp).
It also has to be said that fighting as a group is easier here, since everyone is basicly selfsufficent, even without talking there isnt really alot that can go wrong as long as you stick together and help each other a bit now and then. And yes, im looking forward to harder groupcontent like proper 5 man instances. In the meantime i just do missions with enemys that are +2-+4 to me with my fleet, thats plenty hard and requires some teamwork(and gives better rewards).
Edit: I would definitly call this game casual, if it werent so damn difficult to figure out stuff like a proper skillplan or weapon layout. Almost playing a week now, and there is still so much i have no idea about. Not always easy to figure out what you need stuff like astrometrics or a better deflector dish for. Or what those numbers that increase with your skills actually mean. Its still alot of hit and miss, and well without respecs ...
A very good point on the grouping. I've also had no problems finding people to group with and we chat often. Most of them are Star Trek fans who love the fact that they can name their own ship or dress their character up in whatever unifroms they see fit. Most of the time this happens when I do a mission and warp into a system and the message pops up that I'm joining a team. IMO it's the best grouping mechanic I've ever seen in a game. If I don't want to be with the group I'm with I simply leave it.
I still think it's casual friendly but I HAVE been surprised by the occasional "I QUIT!!!!" thread that pops up whining about the game being too hard. Usually it's players who have only played World of Warcraft and are used to having every single little thing explained to them. The controls do take some getting used to and there is still a thing or two I discover on occasion, but it's no worse than any other game I've played. In fact I find it refreshing.
Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
This is a misconception about STO, its instance system is nothing like in guildwars(i also had huge problems grouping there), where you always had the instance to yourself if you entered it ungrouped. Its actually the reverse here. You enter a instance alone and meet other people in it, and more often then not get autogrouped with them(or fly ungrouped with them). Also the normal mmo etiquette that you dont attack mobs that are tagged by others doesnt seem to apply here, i dont even think there is such a thing as tagging here. The game seems able to treat assists like if you where grouped, even if you are not. And yes there isnt alot of talking in such groups, which is why i joined a fleet(guild/corp).
It also has to be said that fighting as a group is easier here, since everyone is basicly selfsufficent, even without talking there isnt really alot that can go wrong as long as you stick together and help each other a bit now and then. And yes, im looking forward to harder groupcontent like proper 5 man instances. In the meantime i just do missions with enemys that are +2-+4 to me with my fleet, thats plenty hard and requires some teamwork(and gives better rewards).
Edit: I would definitly call this game casual, if it werent so damn difficult to figure out stuff like a proper skillplan or weapon layout. Almost playing a week now, and there is still so much i have no idea about. Not always easy to figure out what you need stuff like astrometrics or a better deflector dish for. Or what those numbers that increase with your skills actually mean. Its still alot of hit and miss, and well without respecs ...
A very good point on the grouping. I've also had no problems finding people to group with and we chat often. Most of them are Star Trek fans who love the fact that they can name their own ship or dress their character up in whatever unifroms they see fit. Most of the time this happens when I do a mission and warp into a system and the message pops up that I'm joining a team. IMO it's the best grouping mechanic I've ever seen in a game. If I don't want to be with the group I'm with I simply leave it.
I still think it's casual friendly but I HAVE been surprised by the occasional "I QUIT!!!!" thread that pops up whining about the game being too hard. Usually it's players who have only played World of Warcraft and are used to having every single little thing explained to them. The controls do take some getting used to and there is still a thing or two I discover on occasion, but it's no worse than any other game I've played. In fact I find it refreshing.
This game is harder than WoW?
I cant remember the last time I died in a PvE instance beside fleet actions, they are so easy.
The only thing that I still havent fully understood is many of the different equipment and how they apply to the efficiency of your ship. Like what is deflector, emitter, hazard system, sensor arrays for and so on.