I think it's odd that on reviewing this game (even a partial based on the first few levels) you didn't mention the lack of well... Star Trek-ness of this game.
I think that makes the review stronger actually. There have been some claims that the Star Trek fans are demanding too much. Well here is a review that focuses mostly on the gamer aspect, still not up to par. I admit, I am a fan of the series but not everything Star Trek. Even overlooking the nonstop kill everything in space, kill everything on the ground aspect of the game, I found it lacking for the price they were asking for it.
I know where you're coming from, but this is a licenced game, not just "a game". The game play definitely needs the review, and I agree with you that it's shoddy in it's own right.
But it's also supposed to be a "Star Trek" game, and it fails in that aspect too. I'm not a big Trekkie as a sci-fi series it's one of the few I could take or leave (I'd rather see a Babylon 5 or Farscape based game tbh).
The big draw for STO is the franchise after all, if this had been a "insert random space game name here" game it would have sold much less than a million boxes and the gameplay would have been all that mattered.
But here you not only have a bad game, but it's a bad game that doesn't really capture the essence of the franchise it is supposed to represent.
I think it's odd that on reviewing this game (even a partial based on the first few levels) you didn't mention the lack of well... Star Trek-ness of this game.
I think that makes the review stronger actually. There have been some claims that the Star Trek fans are demanding too much. Well here is a review that focuses mostly on the gamer aspect, still not up to par. I admit, I am a fan of the series but not everything Star Trek. Even overlooking the nonstop kill everything in space, kill everything on the ground aspect of the game, I found it lacking for the price they were asking for it.
I know where you're coming from, but this is a licenced game, not just "a game". The game play definitely needs the review, and I agree with you that it's shoddy in it's own right.
But it's also supposed to be a "Star Trek" game, and it fails in that aspect too. I'm not a big Trekkie as a sci-fi series it's one of the few I could take or leave (I'd rather see a Babylon 5 or Farscape based game tbh).
The big draw for STO is the franchise after all, if this had been a "insert random space game name here" game it would have sold much less than a million boxes and the gameplay would have been all that mattered.
But here you not only have a bad game, but it's a bad game that doesn't really capture the essence of the franchise it is supposed to represent.
What they need to do is change the skins and music in the game and call it: GENERIC Warhammer 40K. the mission system and game play in general is more reminiscent of that franchise...
Change Star Fleet to Imperium of Man, and kill all that aint of the empire.
You're incorrect on a couple of points in terms of the gameplay;
Loot is split as ground versus space items. You will never loot ground items in space, and never space items in ground. So you will never loot a quantum torpedo launcher off a Reman Centurion.
There is also no such thing as a "Torpedo boat escort" for strong alphas - while you can outfit a ship with torpedoes, torpedo auncherss put other launchers on cooldown, so you can only ever open up with a single torpedo volley.
"Patrol Missions" are not randomly generated - you're thinking of the "Genesis" missions that are available to you in nebulous zones. The Patrol Missions are straight content missions that are intended to get you around through levels between the more story intensive 'episode' missions - this is the reason you've blown through content and are at a low level feeling you need to grind deep space enounters. Not doing the patrol missions is actually causing you to miss out on huge sections of experience.
In regards to Klingons - in the coming patch, Cryptic is promising PVE missions for Klingons, which will be the equivalent to the episodic missions you get Federation side. How true this is, however, is certainly up to debate - but should be noted as one of the things they are promising.
Missing documentation is a good point - and is actually related to a few points you're missing in your comments.
Weapons do have a range - while every weapon can fire at 10.0KM, they have optimal damage ranges. Different weapons experience 'fall off' values of damage at different rates. Beams can do more damage at further range than cannons, but cannons do greater damage over all, while Torpedoes always do their damage no matter the distance. Your weapons power setting - which I noticed you didn't go into power settings at all - effect the damage of your energy weapons, which include beams, cannons and turrets, but not torpedoes.
In regards to power settings; weapons power increases beam damage, and weapons firing will drain power the more of them you have, shields power increases the regeneration rate of your shields, engine power increases your flight speed, aux increases your turn rate and certain science abilities. Energy settings in any field below 50 have a negative effect, 50 is a as-advertised effect, and above fifty increases the effect of those systems.
Yet, like Guild Wars, Star Trek Online is heavily, heavily instanced – while this allows all players, like in Guild Wars, to effectively play on a single “server”, this also means that at any given time you’re only with at the most 20 or so other players, and usually no more than 4 others.
You're incorrect on a couple of points in terms of the gameplay; Loot is split as ground versus space items. You will never loot ground items in space, and never space items in ground. So you will never loot a quantum torpedo launcher off a Reman Centurion. There is also no such thing as a "Torpedo boat escort" for strong alphas - while you can outfit a ship with torpedoes, torpedo auncherss put other launchers on cooldown, so you can only ever open up with a single torpedo volley. "Patrol Missions" are not randomly generated - you're thinking of the "Genesis" missions that are available to you in nebulous zones. The Patrol Missions are straight content missions that are intended to get you around through levels between the more story intensive 'episode' missions - this is the reason you've blown through content and are at a low level feeling you need to grind deep space enounters. Not doing the patrol missions is actually causing you to miss out on huge sections of experience. In regards to Klingons - in the coming patch, Cryptic is promising PVE missions for Klingons, which will be the equivalent to the episodic missions you get Federation side. How true this is, however, is certainly up to debate - but should be noted as one of the things they are promising. Missing documentation is a good point - and is actually related to a few points you're missing in your comments. Weapons do have a range - while every weapon can fire at 10.0KM, they have optimal damage ranges. Different weapons experience 'fall off' values of damage at different rates. Beams can do more damage at further range than cannons, but cannons do greater damage over all, while Torpedoes always do their damage no matter the distance. Your weapons power setting - which I noticed you didn't go into power settings at all - effect the damage of your energy weapons, which include beams, cannons and turrets, but not torpedoes. In regards to power settings; weapons power increases beam damage, and weapons firing will drain power the more of them you have, shields power increases the regeneration rate of your shields, engine power increases your flight speed, aux increases your turn rate and certain science abilities. Energy settings in any field below 50 have a negative effect, 50 is a as-advertised effect, and above fifty increases the effect of those systems.
Scott reviewed the game as it is NOW! As it should be!
I am getting so friggin' tired hearing (almost regelious) fans talking about "coming patch will fix this", "coming patch will bring that".... yadaydayada.
First see, then believe! Cryptic has promissed the sky with CO as well, tricking people with their 45-day after launch patch that never came. Just to get them subcribe for another month. So please.
And now they pull the same trick again with the 45-day after launch patch for STO. And so many people just keep falling for this little clever marketing trick. Unbelievable!
Did you even read my post, or lock onto one single line about a coming patch and flip out?
Everything except one point was written about content that is currently live in the game, and the only point I made about coming content was clarifying on a point he made by referencing from what was said on the website.
These so called fan boys who you are referencing (I even made a point to say that what they say and what occurs could be different) are just as bad as people who flip out for no apparent reason without properly stopping to read.
The Miranda is supposed to teach you tactics and ship mobility, mixing and matching of skills and getting a hold of how to play the game.. so I'm not sure why the complaint Scott.. did you want to have the Sovereign as a your first ship?
Whatever the weaknesses of the Miranda should be, the fact remains that a lot of people complain how it just isn't fun. This is a game, so if it is seriously lacking in fun then that's a problem.
For me being able to dress in any ST uniform from any time in the series is ludicrous. I did not expect them to just use one uniform set. ST always saved money by not showing people in hazard/environmental/space/armour suits. So putting those in is fine.
It does not matter if you had to preorder or whatever, the basic uniform should be the same for all members of Star Fleet. To have every uniform from the different series means this game should be called Star Trek Themepark, not Star Trek Online. (I am not referring to gameplay here, to avoid confusion).
Okay - So I am going to come across as a complete schiz here but bear with me....
I am one of the Beta testers / Head starts / Life time subs players for STO and I am loving it on the one hand. Space is great and well rendered in a EVE / X style and flows well. The ground combat / events are okay - people seem responsive to noise / actions etc and things flow well and respawns seem balanced so far... Kit drops seem equal and not to un-balanced. Playing the beta and then the head start I thought it was a good idea to go for the life time sub based on the subs costs and how long I played SWG / WoW etc for before binning them. (Hell - I would still be playing SWG now if it weren't for the stupid CU upgrade !!!) . There were major problems on the beta and head start on logging in but these where acknowledged quickly and a plan put in place that seemed to improve it - And you expect teething probs on a beta - that's why it is called a beta !
However......
It is limited and has the feeling of a half finished game. The missions are repetitive and the dialogue doesn't seem to have any bearing on the game yet - Klingons aren't gaining space / sectors etc. The Borg just seem completely random and (To the best of my knowledge) no Romulans / Cardassians / Dominion etc so the story line doesn't seem to add anything.
I don't know about anyone else ('m in the UK BTW.) but I am now having a problem logging on as I can't get a retail copy as my online retailer didn't get enough of the pre-orders (Huh - go figure...... Ah Yes - I have XXXX pre-orders for you - So don't worry - just ship me 1/2 or 2/3 of these.). No online or retail shop seems to have any and Direct2Don't load can't take my order via credit card or Paypal as they need to check if I know I need to by a subscription to play before I can download (And I why would I want to down load it you muppets when I have it on my PC already !!!!! ) Just give me a KEY !!! How stupid is it that after launch you can't buy it direct from STO when they were quite happy to take my money for the Lifetime Sub offer ???
Feeling today is that it is just a grind out at the moment - Missions don't seem to affect the story line or power plays and are repetitive - Sometimes it Klingons, sometimes Gorn, Sometimes Nausiccans..... Oh Hum - Same ship - Different Name...
While the big defend the sectors are "okay" they are exciting for the first few times as people band together again there is no logic to them..... So you destroy enough to "Win" the combat but they then just hang around waiting for a re-set.... Why don't the balance leave to regroup elsewhere? Starbase 24 sucks for the same reason - Hang on - I did this yesterday and was told I won - So why is the battle still going on ???
(Anyone remember the old days of STFC III when someone set up a server and then we played it till someone painted it green / red or blue and then it was reset and you upgraded your ship and crew as you fought....)
The "Crafting" sucks as well - Its a grind and doesn't seem to offer anything that you can't get from battles or requisition - Either that or it isn't explained well enough.... (Where's my manual ??? - Oh - I didn't get one... I know – I’ll check the online one… Oh, Wait !!! – There isn't one really.)
I also feel that there isn't the scope for "proper" exploration.......(Maybe this coming???...) You’re stuck on a grid in sector space. You are stuck in a box on space "missions" (I accidently left my ship on full impulse once while I grabbed a drink as I was looking for anomalies and came back to it bumping on a invisible "Q-Net" –( it must have been as in space I can keep going forever - Right ?)) Planets seem to all have shields to stop stupid space captains crashing in to them as well as I bumped in to one trying to kill a Bird of Prey....... and StarFleet must have a really strict policy on beaming now as you can't run forever on the planet surface.
(Gene Roddenberry had three Golden Rules when submitting a script - 1. Starships must have two nacelles otherwise they looked "wrong" and special effects could cheat... 2. Don't mess with the timeline without good reason / explanation - If someone was dead then they were dead - Don't bring 'em back to life just cos it made a good story or they were a good actor and 3.. Anything you suggest must be at least theoretically possible - Dilithium Crystals became just that because someone pointed out that Lithium already existed and won't power a Starship - The script writer said he had heard it somewhere and lithium sounded a cool word....(Before anyone says it – Yes – I know I need to get out more.)
Anyone else bored of the constant "Loading....." tag each screen yet either Uniforms look silly - I want to simply pick one of the series ones...???
Still buggy and crashes / does weird things in graphics or doesn't refresh targets properly.
Still has "Gold" spammers - When is someone going to write a filter to catch / stop before they start these guys???
It's wrong that people have maxed out in the first week (Jedi anyone ???)
Maybe I'm asking too much and maybe it shouldn't be called a MMORPG and maybe it needs more work but...
I'll still play it (In the absence of anything better or that does what I want.) but I am worried for its future. "It's a Game, Jim - But not as we know it."
Very good writeup. Wish Cryptic devs would take a look at it to understand how many flaws the game has and if it is to have any future it needs to remedy atleast some of the major ones. Like having some consequences for losing/winning a fleet action, a way to make the war go forward. I mean, everything is so static and unchangeable.
I don't quite like that review, I'm an avid EvE and STO player and I think both are very good games at what they are trying to achieve. EvE is the best virtual world out there and STO is like a Star Trek TV season in gaming format, but the writer didn't pay enough attention to the chapters (storylines). Perhaps the writer doesen't remember neither the original serie or the more modern ones like DS9 or Voyager, or the films. If you remember well them, playing STO storylines is really like watching a TV serial with a lot of connections with those past series and films, the most well done PVE questing experience in a mmo ever. And I'm not talking about 1 quest, I'm talking about storylines, series of linked quests, that go for like lvl1 to 20 or more (I'm at lvl 21), like the most prominent Miral Paris and augments storyline.
You really need a reviewer with solid knowledge about Star Trek franchise to review STO. Even more, you need to know about Star Trek to enjoy this game, otherwise it's like other mmo, with a few innovations here and there.
I'm really agree on the documentation, trying to understand how things work is hard in the game. Also, I don't think it's an mmo in the classical old-school meaning. I don't even think it tries to make players stay ingame for years like EvE, Galaxies, etc, it's more like a game than a world, but that doesen't mean it is not a good game.
Dunno how the heck you're burning through episode content. I'm currently lvl 38 as of this post and I've had episodes that have been below me level the whole game with obviously tons at my level and above. On this point, I'm confused. My log is full of episodes.
"marking out PvP-friendly sectors of space owned by fleets, with stations that they invest in and manage, which act as economic hubs and have to be defended by enemies which shift from day to day based on politics."
er, LOL
What, you mean like EVE ?
OOOoooohahaha, oh how I laughed at this, that made my day.
I dont get what the hell you people are talking about.
This game is not an mmo, its a horrible way of Crypic to suck money out of its playerbase once again.
They pissed on the STAR TREK IP, and made this instanced POS, with absolutely no depth, no Trek feel, and no it does not feel like an MMO at all.
Its obvious all they want is to make money on the boxsales and then ( hopefully ) they can just fuck the rest.
The fact that people play this, accepting this game, as an mmo. are enabling a crap devcompany like Cryptic to keep spweing their crap games out on the street.
Goddamnit even some of the musicsequences are ripped off of CoH / CoV and CO. Same characteranimations, same lifeless feel to the world, and the same crap randomgenerated missions.
Horrible abomination of a game, and i feel sad that people are endorsing this piece of shit game as an mmo.
EDIT: And i remember Jack Emmert, standing on stage with Leonard Nimoy, calling himself a STAR TREK fan. How can he sleep at night. ?? Gene Roddenberry must be turning in his grave.
The saddest part, is that this game is probably gonna have an impact on the new generation of STAR TREK fans, and its being presented in the most shallow way possible. Sure to destroy the future of Trek if people just accept it.
I dont get what the hell you people are talking about.
This game is not an mmo, its a horrible way of Crypic to suck money out of its playerbase once again.
They pissed on the STAR TREK IP, and made this instanced POS, with absolutely no depth, no Trek feel, and no it does not feel like an MMO at all.
Its obvious all they want is to make money on the boxsales and then ( hopefully ) they can just fuck the rest.
The fact that people play this, accepting this game, as an mmo. are enabling a crap devcompany like Cryptic to keep spweing their crap games out on the street.
Goddamnit even some of the musicsequences are ripped off of CoH / CoV and CO. Same characteranimations, same lifeless feel to the world, and the same crap randomgenerated missions.
Horrible abomination of a game, and i feel sad that people are endorsing this piece of shit game as an mmo.
EDIT: And i remember Jack Emmert, standing on stage with Leonard Nimoy, calling himself a STAR TREK fan. How can he sleep at night. ?? Gene Roddenberry must be turning in his grave.
The saddest part, is that this game is probably gonna have an impact on the new generation of STAR TREK fans, and its being presented in the most shallow way possible. Sure to destroy the future of Trek if people just accept it.
And im not even a Trekkie ffs.
I disagree with you on every single point you have made above. Implying that that the above is your opinion and below is mine.
I am happy with this game and happy that Cryptic developed it in record time, 2 years i think. When i heard that Cryptic were taking over the IP i didnt expect to be playing STOL in early 2010.
Due to the short dev time ofc it is nto going to be an all singing and dancing game. But so long as Cryptic are dedicated to devloping it further then i am very happy.
There could be more content but that will come, in fact there is a content patch out today and more will come ala all MMOs. And since i am not a power player i am not yet hit by the lack of content.
As a trekie and also very happy with the game as there is so much to do and see in the game from a true trekie's pont of view. Hell just fighting in pvp areneas in a battle cloacking Bird of Prey floats my boat and I could do it all night, the action is very cinematic with all the explosion and sounds. A trekie's dream come true!
I disagree with you on every single point you have made above. Implying that that the above is your opinion and below is mine.
I am happy with this game and happy that Cryptic developed it in record time, 2 years i think. When i heard that Cryptic were taking over the IP i didnt expect to be playing STOL in early 2010.
Due to the short dev time ofc it is nto going to be an all singing and dancing game. But so long as Cryptic are dedicated to devloping it further then i am very happy.
There could be more content but that will come, in fact there is a content patch out today and more will come ala all MMOs. And since i am not a power player i am not yet hit by the lack of content.
As a trekie and also very happy with the game as there is so much to do and see in the game from a true trekie's pont of view. Hell just fighting in pvp areneas in a battle cloacking Bird of Prey floats my boat and I could do it all night, the action is very cinematic with all the explosion and sounds. A trekie's dream come true!
I respect your oppinion, but i simply dont understand how a Trekkie can be sattisfied with this. Sorry sir
When i heard Nimoy talk in the beginning of the game, I cried a bit inside.
I cant believe im hearing Spocks voice in this game, if feels so dirty and wrong.
If i must say one positive thing about the game tho, I did enjoy the deep space encounters. But it just gets old really really quick .
And yes, i guess the graphics arent too bad either, alltho I really dont care much for em.
I respect your oppinion, but i simply dont understand how a Trekkie can be sattisfied with this. Sorry sir
When i heard Nimoy talk in the beginning of the game, I cried a bit inside.
I cant believe im hearing Spocks voice in this game, if feels so dirty and wrong.
If i must say one positive thing about the game tho, I did enjoy the deep space encounters. But it just gets old really really quick . And yes, i guess the graphics arent too bad either, alltho I really dont care much for em.
Well by your own admission you are not a trekie so you can't understand lol. Best leave that there, as beautry lies in the eye of the beholder or what ever they say
You did a deep space encounter and it got old realy quick? Why so? Is this not the same as any other MMO where you go and kill 10 boars or collect ten apples.
No doubt you were expecting something different which does not fit in with an MMO, maybe more scripted stories ala a single player game. If you were expecting that then ofc you will be disaapointed as this is not a sngle player game.
Great pre-review or "first-glance". I think the game lacks many things...the feeling of immersion into the Star-Trek Universe, crafting, any sense that you are part of Star Fleet. The game play is lacking and not at all like the Star Trek show that I've come to enjoy. Star Trek wasn't about kill, kill, kill. I, for one, am very disappointed in this "MMO" game.
It does have room to grow and I hope Cryptic takes advantage of that but I am having fun currently. Nice article that seems to touch on most of the good bad and ugly points. Can't wait to read the review!
I don't quite like that review, I'm an avid EvE and STO player and I think both are very good games at what they are trying to achieve. EvE is the best virtual world out there and STO is like a Star Trek TV season in gaming format, but the writer didn't pay enough attention to the chapters (storylines). Perhaps the writer doesen't remember neither the original serie or the more modern ones like DS9 or Voyager, or the films. If you remember well them, playing STO storylines is really like watching a TV serial with a lot of connections with those past series and films, the most well done PVE questing experience in a mmo ever. And I'm not talking about 1 quest, I'm talking about storylines, series of linked quests, that go for like lvl1 to 20 or more (I'm at lvl 21), like the most prominent Miral Paris and augments storyline. You really need a reviewer with solid knowledge about Star Trek franchise to review STO. Even more, you need to know about Star Trek to enjoy this game, otherwise it's like other mmo, with a few innovations here and there.
I'm really agree on the documentation, trying to understand how things work is hard in the game. Also, I don't think it's an mmo in the classical old-school meaning. I don't even think it tries to make players stay ingame for years like EvE, Galaxies, etc, it's more like a game than a world, but that doesen't mean it is not a good game.
The last link mmmhh fun but I don't like it.
Actually, no, STO should be a fun game even if the player has never seen an episode of Star Trek in his or her life. If it only appeals to fans of the lore, it fails the definition of a good game. (see EVE, what the heck is the lore about in that game, I have no idea, but its my favorite MMO to play)
And if you paid attention, Lum did say he was a huge fan of the IP, in fact, its the main reason he purchased the game and is a little bit too forgiving in his review of the game IMO.
You are correct, it more of a game than world, and that's the pity of it, a great IP like Star Trek should have been built as a virtual world and the opportunity was squandered.
In single player games, a franchise is frequently passed around to multiple development houses so you get many games based on an IP, (ST being one of them) but in the MMO world you rarely see a 2nd chance (SWTOR being the first I believe) and from most people's perspective, STO will have to die a quick death so the world they really had hoped for can be made.
Sadly, that looks to be more like 5-10 years away now.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
No doubt you were expecting something different which does not fit in with an MMO, maybe more scripted stories ala a single player game. If you were expecting that then ofc you will be disaapointed as this is not a sngle player game.
Hei, STO is full of scripted stories that are linked with the films and series. Some of the best quests in mmo industry are in STO. Some go for 10 or more lvls. Almirant Quinn give those storylines (at lvl 20 it changes to another almirant, T'Nae I think).
Comments
I think that makes the review stronger actually. There have been some claims that the Star Trek fans are demanding too much. Well here is a review that focuses mostly on the gamer aspect, still not up to par. I admit, I am a fan of the series but not everything Star Trek. Even overlooking the nonstop kill everything in space, kill everything on the ground aspect of the game, I found it lacking for the price they were asking for it.
I know where you're coming from, but this is a licenced game, not just "a game". The game play definitely needs the review, and I agree with you that it's shoddy in it's own right.
But it's also supposed to be a "Star Trek" game, and it fails in that aspect too. I'm not a big Trekkie as a sci-fi series it's one of the few I could take or leave (I'd rather see a Babylon 5 or Farscape based game tbh).
The big draw for STO is the franchise after all, if this had been a "insert random space game name here" game it would have sold much less than a million boxes and the gameplay would have been all that mattered.
But here you not only have a bad game, but it's a bad game that doesn't really capture the essence of the franchise it is supposed to represent.
I think that makes the review stronger actually. There have been some claims that the Star Trek fans are demanding too much. Well here is a review that focuses mostly on the gamer aspect, still not up to par. I admit, I am a fan of the series but not everything Star Trek. Even overlooking the nonstop kill everything in space, kill everything on the ground aspect of the game, I found it lacking for the price they were asking for it.
I know where you're coming from, but this is a licenced game, not just "a game". The game play definitely needs the review, and I agree with you that it's shoddy in it's own right.
But it's also supposed to be a "Star Trek" game, and it fails in that aspect too. I'm not a big Trekkie as a sci-fi series it's one of the few I could take or leave (I'd rather see a Babylon 5 or Farscape based game tbh).
The big draw for STO is the franchise after all, if this had been a "insert random space game name here" game it would have sold much less than a million boxes and the gameplay would have been all that mattered.
But here you not only have a bad game, but it's a bad game that doesn't really capture the essence of the franchise it is supposed to represent.
What they need to do is change the skins and music in the game and call it: GENERIC Warhammer 40K. the mission system and game play in general is more reminiscent of that franchise...
Change Star Fleet to Imperium of Man, and kill all that aint of the empire.
You're incorrect on a couple of points in terms of the gameplay;
Loot is split as ground versus space items. You will never loot ground items in space, and never space items in ground. So you will never loot a quantum torpedo launcher off a Reman Centurion.
There is also no such thing as a "Torpedo boat escort" for strong alphas - while you can outfit a ship with torpedoes, torpedo auncherss put other launchers on cooldown, so you can only ever open up with a single torpedo volley.
"Patrol Missions" are not randomly generated - you're thinking of the "Genesis" missions that are available to you in nebulous zones. The Patrol Missions are straight content missions that are intended to get you around through levels between the more story intensive 'episode' missions - this is the reason you've blown through content and are at a low level feeling you need to grind deep space enounters. Not doing the patrol missions is actually causing you to miss out on huge sections of experience.
In regards to Klingons - in the coming patch, Cryptic is promising PVE missions for Klingons, which will be the equivalent to the episodic missions you get Federation side. How true this is, however, is certainly up to debate - but should be noted as one of the things they are promising.
Missing documentation is a good point - and is actually related to a few points you're missing in your comments.
Weapons do have a range - while every weapon can fire at 10.0KM, they have optimal damage ranges. Different weapons experience 'fall off' values of damage at different rates. Beams can do more damage at further range than cannons, but cannons do greater damage over all, while Torpedoes always do their damage no matter the distance. Your weapons power setting - which I noticed you didn't go into power settings at all - effect the damage of your energy weapons, which include beams, cannons and turrets, but not torpedoes.
In regards to power settings; weapons power increases beam damage, and weapons firing will drain power the more of them you have, shields power increases the regeneration rate of your shields, engine power increases your flight speed, aux increases your turn rate and certain science abilities. Energy settings in any field below 50 have a negative effect, 50 is a as-advertised effect, and above fifty increases the effect of those systems.
Yet, like Guild Wars, Star Trek Online is heavily, heavily instanced – while this allows all players, like in Guild Wars, to effectively play on a single “server”, this also means that at any given time you’re only with at the most 20 or so other players, and usually no more than 4 others.
Thats did it for me right there.
I'll stick with my EVE thank you.
Scott reviewed the game as it is NOW! As it should be!
I am getting so friggin' tired hearing (almost regelious) fans talking about "coming patch will fix this", "coming patch will bring that".... yadaydayada.
First see, then believe! Cryptic has promissed the sky with CO as well, tricking people with their 45-day after launch patch that never came. Just to get them subcribe for another month. So please.
And now they pull the same trick again with the 45-day after launch patch for STO. And so many people just keep falling for this little clever marketing trick. Unbelievable!
Cheers
Did you even read my post, or lock onto one single line about a coming patch and flip out?
Everything except one point was written about content that is currently live in the game, and the only point I made about coming content was clarifying on a point he made by referencing from what was said on the website.
These so called fan boys who you are referencing (I even made a point to say that what they say and what occurs could be different) are just as bad as people who flip out for no apparent reason without properly stopping to read.
Whatever the weaknesses of the Miranda should be, the fact remains that a lot of people complain how it just isn't fun. This is a game, so if it is seriously lacking in fun then that's a problem.
For me being able to dress in any ST uniform from any time in the series is ludicrous. I did not expect them to just use one uniform set. ST always saved money by not showing people in hazard/environmental/space/armour suits. So putting those in is fine.
It does not matter if you had to preorder or whatever, the basic uniform should be the same for all members of Star Fleet. To have every uniform from the different series means this game should be called Star Trek Themepark, not Star Trek Online. (I am not referring to gameplay here, to avoid confusion).
Very good writeup. Wish Cryptic devs would take a look at it to understand how many flaws the game has and if it is to have any future it needs to remedy atleast some of the major ones. Like having some consequences for losing/winning a fleet action, a way to make the war go forward. I mean, everything is so static and unchangeable.
My gaming blog
I don't quite like that review, I'm an avid EvE and STO player and I think both are very good games at what they are trying to achieve. EvE is the best virtual world out there and STO is like a Star Trek TV season in gaming format, but the writer didn't pay enough attention to the chapters (storylines). Perhaps the writer doesen't remember neither the original serie or the more modern ones like DS9 or Voyager, or the films. If you remember well them, playing STO storylines is really like watching a TV serial with a lot of connections with those past series and films, the most well done PVE questing experience in a mmo ever. And I'm not talking about 1 quest, I'm talking about storylines, series of linked quests, that go for like lvl1 to 20 or more (I'm at lvl 21), like the most prominent Miral Paris and augments storyline.
You really need a reviewer with solid knowledge about Star Trek franchise to review STO. Even more, you need to know about Star Trek to enjoy this game, otherwise it's like other mmo, with a few innovations here and there.
I'm really agree on the documentation, trying to understand how things work is hard in the game. Also, I don't think it's an mmo in the classical old-school meaning. I don't even think it tries to make players stay ingame for years like EvE, Galaxies, etc, it's more like a game than a world, but that doesen't mean it is not a good game.
The last link mmmhh fun but I don't like it.
STO should be called a "Mini Multiplayer Online" game, there's nothing at all "Massive" about it..
I think developers have forgotten the true meaning of the MMO genre, "to make you feel small in a large world"
The only other title in the forseeable future that could hopfully pull this off successfully is Bioware's SWTOR.
my web design: www.advancedws.com.au
Dunno how the heck you're burning through episode content. I'm currently lvl 38 as of this post and I've had episodes that have been below me level the whole game with obviously tons at my level and above. On this point, I'm confused. My log is full of episodes.
"marking out PvP-friendly sectors of space owned by fleets, with stations that they invest in and manage, which act as economic hubs and have to be defended by enemies which shift from day to day based on politics."
er, LOL
What, you mean like EVE ?
OOOoooohahaha, oh how I laughed at this, that made my day.
I dont get what the hell you people are talking about.
This game is not an mmo, its a horrible way of Crypic to suck money out of its playerbase once again.
They pissed on the STAR TREK IP, and made this instanced POS, with absolutely no depth, no Trek feel, and no it does not feel like an MMO at all.
Its obvious all they want is to make money on the boxsales and then ( hopefully ) they can just fuck the rest.
The fact that people play this, accepting this game, as an mmo. are enabling a crap devcompany like Cryptic to keep spweing their crap games out on the street.
Goddamnit even some of the musicsequences are ripped off of CoH / CoV and CO. Same characteranimations, same lifeless feel to the world, and the same crap randomgenerated missions.
Horrible abomination of a game, and i feel sad that people are endorsing this piece of shit game as an mmo.
EDIT: And i remember Jack Emmert, standing on stage with Leonard Nimoy, calling himself a STAR TREK fan. How can he sleep at night. ?? Gene Roddenberry must be turning in his grave.
The saddest part, is that this game is probably gonna have an impact on the new generation of STAR TREK fans, and its being presented in the most shallow way possible. Sure to destroy the future of Trek if people just accept it.
And im not even a Trekkie ffs.
I disagree with you on every single point you have made above. Implying that that the above is your opinion and below is mine.
I am happy with this game and happy that Cryptic developed it in record time, 2 years i think. When i heard that Cryptic were taking over the IP i didnt expect to be playing STOL in early 2010.
Due to the short dev time ofc it is nto going to be an all singing and dancing game. But so long as Cryptic are dedicated to devloping it further then i am very happy.
There could be more content but that will come, in fact there is a content patch out today and more will come ala all MMOs. And since i am not a power player i am not yet hit by the lack of content.
As a trekie and also very happy with the game as there is so much to do and see in the game from a true trekie's pont of view. Hell just fighting in pvp areneas in a battle cloacking Bird of Prey floats my boat and I could do it all night, the action is very cinematic with all the explosion and sounds. A trekie's dream come true!
I do agree its not an MMO its a co-op game and therefore shouldnt draw a subscription. Apart from that its a fun light break in current mmo poop.
" Jim it's not Dead "
" SPOCK "
Rover Class
MAGA
Far too leniant review. Reviewers should be tearing this P.O.S to pieces.
I guess everyone agrees that WoW is an MMO, what makes WoW an MMO and STOL not?
When i play WoW i go out into the world and do quests
When i play STOL i go out into the world and do quests
When i play WoW i see lots of people running around in the cities
When i play STOL i see lots of people running around in the Space dock
When i play WoW i go to dungeons and co-operate with others
When i play STOL i go to certain systems and join with others to kill big NPCs.
When i play WoW i quest with my friends
When i play STOL i quest with my friends
When i play WoW i buy stuff from others on the auction house
When i play STOL i buy stuff from others on the auction house
Etc
Etc
Originally posted by VultureSkull
I disagree with you on every single point you have made above. Implying that that the above is your opinion and below is mine.
I am happy with this game and happy that Cryptic developed it in record time, 2 years i think. When i heard that Cryptic were taking over the IP i didnt expect to be playing STOL in early 2010.
Due to the short dev time ofc it is nto going to be an all singing and dancing game. But so long as Cryptic are dedicated to devloping it further then i am very happy.
There could be more content but that will come, in fact there is a content patch out today and more will come ala all MMOs. And since i am not a power player i am not yet hit by the lack of content.
As a trekie and also very happy with the game as there is so much to do and see in the game from a true trekie's pont of view. Hell just fighting in pvp areneas in a battle cloacking Bird of Prey floats my boat and I could do it all night, the action is very cinematic with all the explosion and sounds. A trekie's dream come true!
I respect your oppinion, but i simply dont understand how a Trekkie can be sattisfied with this. Sorry sir
When i heard Nimoy talk in the beginning of the game, I cried a bit inside.
I cant believe im hearing Spocks voice in this game, if feels so dirty and wrong.
If i must say one positive thing about the game tho, I did enjoy the deep space encounters. But it just gets old really really quick .
And yes, i guess the graphics arent too bad either, alltho I really dont care much for em.
Well by your own admission you are not a trekie so you can't understand lol. Best leave that there, as beautry lies in the eye of the beholder or what ever they say
You did a deep space encounter and it got old realy quick? Why so? Is this not the same as any other MMO where you go and kill 10 boars or collect ten apples.
No doubt you were expecting something different which does not fit in with an MMO, maybe more scripted stories ala a single player game. If you were expecting that then ofc you will be disaapointed as this is not a sngle player game.
That poor dog....
On topic:
Great pre-review or "first-glance". I think the game lacks many things...the feeling of immersion into the Star-Trek Universe, crafting, any sense that you are part of Star Fleet. The game play is lacking and not at all like the Star Trek show that I've come to enjoy. Star Trek wasn't about kill, kill, kill. I, for one, am very disappointed in this "MMO" game.
It does have room to grow and I hope Cryptic takes advantage of that but I am having fun currently. Nice article that seems to touch on most of the good bad and ugly points. Can't wait to read the review!
Actually, no, STO should be a fun game even if the player has never seen an episode of Star Trek in his or her life. If it only appeals to fans of the lore, it fails the definition of a good game. (see EVE, what the heck is the lore about in that game, I have no idea, but its my favorite MMO to play)
And if you paid attention, Lum did say he was a huge fan of the IP, in fact, its the main reason he purchased the game and is a little bit too forgiving in his review of the game IMO.
You are correct, it more of a game than world, and that's the pity of it, a great IP like Star Trek should have been built as a virtual world and the opportunity was squandered.
In single player games, a franchise is frequently passed around to multiple development houses so you get many games based on an IP, (ST being one of them) but in the MMO world you rarely see a 2nd chance (SWTOR being the first I believe) and from most people's perspective, STO will have to die a quick death so the world they really had hoped for can be made.
Sadly, that looks to be more like 5-10 years away now.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Hei, STO is full of scripted stories that are linked with the films and series. Some of the best quests in mmo industry are in STO. Some go for 10 or more lvls. Almirant Quinn give those storylines (at lvl 20 it changes to another almirant, T'Nae I think).