i hated the space part in beta... and thought it was kinda lame... but frankly, after going back and playing games like "star fox" and "rouge squadron" and a few others, i have decided that the space "mini-game" in swtor isnt so bad. its kind of like a little diversion when i want to play my char, but do something other than grind
it would be cool if we could do more with our ship... decorate it on the inside, earn medals for missions, invite people for social, CALL MY SHIP to me rather than having to run to the hangars lol
www.insomniacsbar.com (my little bar that i own in florida)
I just want to point out bioware has the right to do whatever with their game.. BUT over half on many polls on TOR forums after being explained as well as in beta forums showed that people would rather have FPS style space. Yes they designed it the way they wanted but we are here to talk about what we wanted!
You mean you wanted it like Freespace a what 13 year old game that offered free roaming space and not the first of its kind... Space is the most easy system possible to do... Why did TOR not do this? IDK it seems illogical but as a amateur programmer space is a lot easier to create and so that is why I will never understand why this did this RAIL Crap in SWTOR.
This is like asking "why didn't they go with Perma death?"
Its not in their design choices. They didn't want to make a game where you could just level to 16, get in a space ship and then spend the rest of the game in a ship. The type of game they make is a story RPG with characters and dialogue choices and such. The game they made is exactly like what they make.
It would make no logical sense to do what you wanted them to do. Flying around in a space ship does not make for good story telling, going places WITH that ship on part of a long branching story arc (which is what occurs in the movies and books) DOES make for good story telling and is entirely within the realm of Star Wars.
You guys don't want a star wars game, you want a space shooter like Wing commander.
Star Wars the only game that does not have proper space LOL... If this was 1993 and a cheap knock off of some scene from the movies id understand...
We're in Mos Eisley, we need a ship to get to Alderan, we hire han solo, he takes us to Alderaan, on the way we get intersecepted and wind up on the Death Star. Then we leave that, go to Hoth, leave that go to Degobah, then leave that go to Cloud city, and so on and so on.
Where is there open space flying around with no purpose or destination?
ANSWER: there isn't.
You want Star Trek.
This is Star Wars, we have destinations and Space is a road from point A to point B.
We're in Mos Eisley, we need a ship to get to Alderan, we hire han solo, he takes us to Alderaan, on the way we get intersecepted and wind up on the Death Star. Then we leave that, go to Hoth, leave that go to Degobah, then leave that go to Cloud city, and so on and so on.
Where is there open space flying around with no purpose or destination?
ANSWER: there isn't.
You want Star Trek.
This is Star Wars, we have destinations and Space is a road from point A to point B.
Star wars, not Trek.
I am not sure why space must be on 'rails' or have a very specific direction, but the ground game is allows to be open to wandering around with no purpose or destination.
It could easily mirror the freedom we see in Ground MMOs -- where you can choose to go North to this town, South to this zone, West to this island, or east to those mountains --- rather than being forced to only walk north, only directly to the cantina and directly to Han's table.
I get the decision by BW to go with a rail system, but I do not think that space can only be on rails.
We're in Mos Eisley, we need a ship to get to Alderan, we hire han solo, he takes us to Alderaan, on the way we get intersecepted and wind up on the Death Star. Then we leave that, go to Hoth, leave that go to Degobah, then leave that go to Cloud city, and so on and so on.
Where is there open space flying around with no purpose or destination?
ANSWER: there isn't.
You want Star Trek.
This is Star Wars, we have destinations and Space is a road from point A to point B.
Star wars, not Trek.
I am not sure why space must be on 'rails' or have a very specific direction, but the ground game is allows to be open to wandering around with no purpose or destination.
Luke trains on the ground on Degobah, There is a lot of aimless wandering on Hoth. This is cannon.
People "wander around without a point" on the planets all the time in Star wars.
They dont' really just wander around space in any of the books or movies.
So, they knew they were going to get backlash, and yet they did it anyway. /facepalm Who are these people?
Imo, it just shows they did not care about feedback about Space.
In my opinion it shows that they didn't have the time/resources to make a robust and satisfying space game but wanted to include something that was space related.
This. There are only so many hours in a day and the game was already pushed back once. Imagine if Bioware had said "We are going to delay the launch for another three months so that we can put in space combat that SOME of the people want." If people thought the OWL movements were crazy, imagine delaying a launch.
Then you got the same trolls claiming "space combat bad" would be saying then "game pushed back again. launch delay. game fails". Bioware was no-win with that so they did the logical; concentrate on the important stuff they had on their whiteboard.
Originally posted by Laughing-man We're in Mos Eisley, we need a ship to get to Alderan, we hire han solo, he takes us to Alderaan, on the way we get intersecepted and wind up on the Death Star. Then we leave that, go to Hoth, leave that go to Degobah, then leave that go to Cloud city, and so on and so on. Where is there open space flying around with no purpose or destination?ANSWER: there isn't. You want Star Trek. This is Star Wars, we have destinations and Space is a road from point A to point B. Star wars, not Trek.
Again, where did BW say they did not have the resources, nor the time to do anything else? Where did he say it was NOT simply a design decision, or where did he say they wanted to an X-Wing style? JO certainly did not say that in the OP.
What I have presented are examples of people with far fewer resrouces and time, doing more -- as an example of how little it costs to do something more.
I am not stating that it is a fact that BW was not restricted by time and resources, but rather I am presenting credible evidence (rather than just my opinion) why I do not believe they were.
Having observed what Cryptic accomplished, and what gamer accomplish in DAO, I do not believe that BW was hindered by resources, but rather simply made Design Decisions. Basically, I am presenting my argument against those that claim it was due to limited resources.
Again, where did BW say they did not have the resources, nor the time to do anything else?
Where did he say it was NOT simply a design decision, or where did he say they wanted to an X-Wing style?
JO certainly did not say that in the OP.
I'm sorry Loekii but, are you unfamiliar with how companies relate to the public? When you are a company you never (or rarely) talk about things you CAN'T do; only about things you can or think you can do.
You never give specifics. Why would you think Bioware would say "We don't have the resources to do X or Y?" What kind of message would that send to people who were waiting?
I'll tell you; a bad one to those who are pedantic children and want it now. So companies simply don't say that.
Are we talking about space combat or art design? Because I am talking about space combat. "yes" the art design is a decision. The choice on how they chose to create the space combat was also a decision but one born of the fact that there is only so much they can do. Since there really isn't a space game that has incredible space combat and incredible ground combat I highly suspect there are limited resources to make everything at once.
As far as your assertion that mods on dragon age nexus dwarf anything that SWToR is doing, doesn't that contradict the idea that it was a choice? If they choose to create an art design that is highly stylystic then it doesnt' matter what others can do in the realm of the more realistic, they chose this particular design. Whether one likes it better or not is another thing entirely. Realistic art design is one way to go but it doesn't ahve to be the way to go.
I think you misunderstood what I was stating.
The points I present were evidence of how people with fewer resources were no limited to what TOR is presenting, so as such, I am saying it is a choice BW is making, rather than 'this is all they could do because anything more would cost far too much'.
Basically, it was simply a choice BW made from a number of options, rather than the only choice they could make.
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
No game has really done it yet. Not at launch at least. I say that because I am aware that SWG added space combat sometime after the game had already been out.
Star Trek has its detractors with regards to space and ground combat.
I don't believe for one moment that the efforts of modders yield far greater results given what they do. Creating some armor or a gun or changing an animation is one thing.
Cretaing a full fledged and robust space game and a full fledged and robust land game (in the manner they wanted to create it) is something else.
Modders are great and there are certainly some super star modders. But I highly suspect that some players hold them up as the gunslingers of game creation who are here to save us from the luddite game developers.
And I don't think that's true at all.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I'm sorry Loekii but, are you unfamiliar with how companies relate to the public? When you are a company you never (or rarely) talk about things you CAN'T do; only about things you can or think you can do.
I am asking for what evidence is there other than a posters opinion, that BW was facing limited resources.
I produced unbaised examples of how people have done more with very limited resources.
Where are the examples to the contrary, or to support the claim that BW/TOR had fewer resources available to them, than the examples I provided?
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
No game has really done it yet. Not at launch at least. I say that because I am aware that SWG added space combat sometime after the game had already been out.
Star Trek has its detractors with regards to space and ground combat.
I don't believe for one moment that the efforts of modders yield far greater results given what they do. Creating some armor or a gun or changing an animation is one thing.
Cretaing a full fledged and robust space game and a full fledged and robust land game (in the manner they wanted to create it) is something else.
Modders are great and there are certainly some super star modders. But I highly suspect that some players hold them up as the gunslingers of game creation who are here to save us from the luddite game developers.
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
Your are stating your opinion here, rather than presenting unbasied examples of how it is was not feasible.
I presented STO's space combat system, on their rather small budget and short development period (less than 2 years for their entire game, not just space combat).
That is an example of how feasible it is, on a low budget and limited time. Can you now prove or even present evidence that shows that BW was further limited than what Cryptic needed to create just the space combat apsect of their game?
IGN: I was also curious about space combat and how that might evolve. How are the later game missions different from the early game ones and will they ever become sort of a multiplayer experience?
James Ohlen: We're going to continue to add missions. That's another thing that actually surprised us. While we knew that because we weren't doing a freeform X-wing versus Tie Fighter-style space game that we were going to get backlash, that didn't surprise us and obviously we got that feedback a long time ago. We've been working really hard to continue to improve the space game that we have and it's definitely become more popular with our fans with each [beta] iteration. The very last test we had it scored higher than it's ever scored before. I don't think it's going to win over people who want X-wing versus Tie Fighter but I do think people are going to find that it's very evocative of Star Wars and it's a fun activity when you want to take a break from questing. You can go to your own starship and involve yourself in some very awesome Rogue Squadron-y space combat. I can say that we do have a special project going on right now in regards to the space game that will expand the space game in a significant way, but that's not something that's coming right away.
So, they knew they were going to get backlash, and yet they did it anyway.
/facepalm
Who are these people?
They are realists. He's just stating that not everyone will love their version of space combat but think they did a good job with teh resources they had.
Who are you people who think you can please everyone?
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
Your are stating your opinion here, rather than presenting unbasied examples of how it is was not feasible.
I presented STO's space combat system, on their rather small budget and short development period (less than 2 years for their entire game, not just space combat).
That is an example of how feasible it is, on a low budget and limited time. Can you now prove or even present evidence that shows that BW was further limited than what Cryptic needed to create just the space combat apsect of their game?
Heres a better question, why does it mater?
Again for the 50th time, open space combat and open space exploration are NOT STAR WARS!
They dont' fit the genre, or the cannon, the envrioment or the game that Bioware was planning on making.
So who cares if they had the resources, they made what they wanted to make.
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
Your are stating your opinion here, rather than presenting unbasied examples of how it is was not feasible.
I presented STO's space combat system, on their rather small budget and short development period (less than 2 years for their entire game, not just space combat).
That is an example of how feasible it is, on a low budget and limited time. Can you now prove or even present evidence that shows that BW was further limited than what Cryptic needed to create just the space combat apsect of their game?
uh ya, and look how much the rest of the game suffered because of their attention to space combat. and teh space combat wasn't even that good...... Not a good example.
But ya, your assumptions are more dead on. Bioware had more then enough resources to make a hugely successfull space experience but thought, "meh, lets just throw a rail shooter out there". That sounds tons more reaonsable.
Originally posted by Loekii Look at what a little company called Cryptic was able to do with Space Combat/content. They developed the Space, Ground, a better CC than TOR, and PvP BGs, all under 2 years, for a minimal budget.
I guarantee you did not play STO at launch. Ground and Space were both on rails and had less content than even Rift. Your point is invalid. Have any other examples?
I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means - except by getting off his back.
I'm sorry Loekii but, are you unfamiliar with how companies relate to the public? When you are a company you never (or rarely) talk about things you CAN'T do; only about things you can or think you can do.
I am asking for what evidence is there other than a posters opinion, that BW was facing limited resources.
I produced unbaised examples of how people have done more with very limited resources.
Where are the examples to the contrary, or to support the claim that BW/TOR had fewer resources available to them, than the examples I provided?
That's my opinion too, not just another posters lol.
And I have no evidence as this isn't a court of law. It's an internet opinion forum so for this, none is actually needed since you or I can be wrong/right equally.
Reason it's my opinion is that it makes sense that they didn't want to focus on space combat because KOTOR wasn't focused on that. Bioware simply took what they are good at and focused on that and the stuff they probably don't feel was as important due to time wasn't developed as strongly. (i.e. the color matching for gear that's STILL not ready but BW says it will be later on)
If by 'proof' you were talking about Cryptic and Star Trek, that game was so broken, buggy and out of sorts at launch (I was there) that it SHOULD have been delayed but they.. guess what?... ran out of time and resources.
While we knew that because we weren't doing a freeform X-wing versus Tie Fighter-style space game that we were going to get backlash, that didn't surprise us and obviously we got that feedback a long time ago.
So, they knew they were going to get backlash, and yet they did it anyway.
/facepalm
Who are these people?
If developers never added any feature that they knew was going to get backlash (from a portion of players), no feature would ever be implemented. MMOs would be blue screens of death.
Everyone is completely different. There will always be a group of people for each game who are going to scream bloody murder over feature X, from WoW's raiding style, to TOR's cinematic conversations and space combat, to Rift's classes, to Aion's PVP, to GW2's dynamic events. It's the developers job to use their judgment and try to remain consistent with the themes and goals they've approached their game with. No feature they implement is going to be for everybody.
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
Your are stating your opinion here, rather than presenting unbasied examples of how it is was not feasible.
I presented STO's space combat system, on their rather small budget and short development period (less than 2 years for their entire game, not just space combat).
That is an example of how feasible it is, on a low budget and limited time. Can you now prove or even present evidence that shows that BW was further limited than what Cryptic needed to create just the space combat apsect of their game?
But that's exactly what I'm stating.
There aren't any games out there that could do it. STO didn't do it. At least it has its' detractors.
And look at what they created in a short time...
essentially "maps" where one could fly around and shoot at each other and limited maps where one had land missions.
There is no opinion here. There are just the examples of what was created.
EVE is arguably one of the greatest space games out there. and look how long it has taken them to have your avatar walk in a room. And I believe over the course of the game's time they have had more money and resources apply to that endeavor.
STO doesn't hold up as a shining example of what can be done. At all. It's not great. At least I didn't find it so.
So you are holding STO up as a good example and I would hold it up as a mediochre example.
I would ask you to then show real evidence of how Bioware spent their money to create what they have and all the wasted opportunities and wasted money that could have been used to add STO type combat. But you can't. Of course, neither can I show you how they used every penny to create what they have.
All we have is the word of the developers that they they could't create a full fledged space game nor was it something that was on their radar and the ONE game (STO) that has both space flight and land combat as an example of a game that included both.
Is it beyond the pale to assume that the effort put in to create all those planets, all those theatrical moments didn't take far greater resources than the small maps that STO offers? In which case was there really gobs of money left over to create something similiar to STO's space game?
And did cryptic actually create that space game? Remember, they inherited a great deal of tech and art assets from the former developers of STO. We don't really know what they actually built fromthe ground up and what they were able to modify.
In which case then STO becomes an interesting study of how long it takes to create space/ground games in such a limited form.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Originally posted by Loekii Look at what a little company called Cryptic was able to do with Space Combat/content. They developed the Space, Ground, a better CC than TOR, and PvP BGs, all under 2 years, for a minimal budget.
I guarantee you did not play STO at launch. Ground and Space were both on rails and had less content than even Rift. Your point is invalid. Have any other examples?
I'm thinking this too. STO launch was horrid. The space travel was broken. The Klingons wasn't even in the game I dont' think, or if they were they only had a scant of content. The ground missions sucked and were buggy as hell.
All the "combat" was enter a instance, one planet. Fly around said planet in a CIRCLE until you kill all the ships in the area. Leave instance. Go to another instance that looks the SAME as the one you just left except with a purple planet rather than a green one, and Arctillian raiders instead of Forsalkan mauraders. It was so vapid it wasn't even funny.
Don't get me started on the whole "Crystalline Entity" mission where even maxed people couldn't solo a low level instance. STO was garbage at launch BECAUSE they were a Jack of All Trades, Master of None type dev philosphy.
Comments
i hated the space part in beta... and thought it was kinda lame... but frankly, after going back and playing games like "star fox" and "rouge squadron" and a few others, i have decided that the space "mini-game" in swtor isnt so bad. its kind of like a little diversion when i want to play my char, but do something other than grind
it would be cool if we could do more with our ship... decorate it on the inside, earn medals for missions, invite people for social, CALL MY SHIP to me rather than having to run to the hangars lol
www.insomniacsbar.com (my little bar that i own in florida)
I just want to point out bioware has the right to do whatever with their game.. BUT over half on many polls on TOR forums after being explained as well as in beta forums showed that people would rather have FPS style space. Yes they designed it the way they wanted but we are here to talk about what we wanted!
SNIP
We're in Mos Eisley, we need a ship to get to Alderan, we hire han solo, he takes us to Alderaan, on the way we get intersecepted and wind up on the Death Star. Then we leave that, go to Hoth, leave that go to Degobah, then leave that go to Cloud city, and so on and so on.
Where is there open space flying around with no purpose or destination?
ANSWER: there isn't.
You want Star Trek.
This is Star Wars, we have destinations and Space is a road from point A to point B.
Star wars, not Trek.
I am not sure why space must be on 'rails' or have a very specific direction, but the ground game is allows to be open to wandering around with no purpose or destination.
It could easily mirror the freedom we see in Ground MMOs -- where you can choose to go North to this town, South to this zone, West to this island, or east to those mountains --- rather than being forced to only walk north, only directly to the cantina and directly to Han's table.
I get the decision by BW to go with a rail system, but I do not think that space can only be on rails.
Luke trains on the ground on Degobah, There is a lot of aimless wandering on Hoth. This is cannon.
People "wander around without a point" on the planets all the time in Star wars.
They dont' really just wander around space in any of the books or movies.
i guess the millenium falcon was on rails when han solo was trying to out run the emipre in ep V
Sure was, does the scene change every time you watch it?
no.
Its the same each time.
the point of "rails" are for story telling purposes. Obvious ones at that.
Then you got the same trolls claiming "space combat bad" would be saying then "game pushed back again. launch delay. game fails". Bioware was no-win with that so they did the logical; concentrate on the important stuff they had on their whiteboard.
Simply, Bioware said:
1. Story
2. Companions
3. PvE
4. PvP
5 World immersion/setting
6. Crafting
.
.
10. Space combat
The game was never meant to be that.
"TO MICHAEL!"
+1
"TO MICHAEL!"
Good to know they are improving it.
If they can make it feel less on rails, and more significant in the starwars universe I'd be all for it.
Again, where did BW say they did not have the resources, nor the time to do anything else? Where did he say it was NOT simply a design decision, or where did he say they wanted to an X-Wing style? JO certainly did not say that in the OP.
What I have presented are examples of people with far fewer resrouces and time, doing more -- as an example of how little it costs to do something more.
I am not stating that it is a fact that BW was not restricted by time and resources, but rather I am presenting credible evidence (rather than just my opinion) why I do not believe they were.
Having observed what Cryptic accomplished, and what gamer accomplish in DAO, I do not believe that BW was hindered by resources, but rather simply made Design Decisions. Basically, I am presenting my argument against those that claim it was due to limited resources.
Imo, taking some more notes from Rogue Squadron -- and making it less coin arcade-like -- would be an improvement.
You never give specifics. Why would you think Bioware would say "We don't have the resources to do X or Y?" What kind of message would that send to people who were waiting?
I'll tell you; a bad one to those who are pedantic children and want it now. So companies simply don't say that.
"TO MICHAEL!"
And what I'm stating is that their choice of space combat was more likely because it's just not feasible to make a fully fledged space game and a fully fledged ground game.
No game has really done it yet. Not at launch at least. I say that because I am aware that SWG added space combat sometime after the game had already been out.
Star Trek has its detractors with regards to space and ground combat.
I don't believe for one moment that the efforts of modders yield far greater results given what they do. Creating some armor or a gun or changing an animation is one thing.
Cretaing a full fledged and robust space game and a full fledged and robust land game (in the manner they wanted to create it) is something else.
Modders are great and there are certainly some super star modders. But I highly suspect that some players hold them up as the gunslingers of game creation who are here to save us from the luddite game developers.
And I don't think that's true at all.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I am asking for what evidence is there other than a posters opinion, that BW was facing limited resources.
I produced unbaised examples of how people have done more with very limited resources.
Where are the examples to the contrary, or to support the claim that BW/TOR had fewer resources available to them, than the examples I provided?
/agree 100% Well put Sov :-D
Your are stating your opinion here, rather than presenting unbasied examples of how it is was not feasible.
I presented STO's space combat system, on their rather small budget and short development period (less than 2 years for their entire game, not just space combat).
That is an example of how feasible it is, on a low budget and limited time. Can you now prove or even present evidence that shows that BW was further limited than what Cryptic needed to create just the space combat apsect of their game?
They are realists. He's just stating that not everyone will love their version of space combat but think they did a good job with teh resources they had.
Who are you people who think you can please everyone?
Heres a better question, why does it mater?
Again for the 50th time, open space combat and open space exploration are NOT STAR WARS!
They dont' fit the genre, or the cannon, the envrioment or the game that Bioware was planning on making.
So who cares if they had the resources, they made what they wanted to make.
uh ya, and look how much the rest of the game suffered because of their attention to space combat. and teh space combat wasn't even that good...... Not a good example.
But ya, your assumptions are more dead on. Bioware had more then enough resources to make a hugely successfull space experience but thought, "meh, lets just throw a rail shooter out there". That sounds tons more reaonsable.
I guarantee you did not play STO at launch. Ground and Space were both on rails and had less content than even Rift. Your point is invalid. Have any other examples?
I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means - except by getting off his back.
And I have no evidence as this isn't a court of law. It's an internet opinion forum so for this, none is actually needed since you or I can be wrong/right equally.
Reason it's my opinion is that it makes sense that they didn't want to focus on space combat because KOTOR wasn't focused on that. Bioware simply took what they are good at and focused on that and the stuff they probably don't feel was as important due to time wasn't developed as strongly. (i.e. the color matching for gear that's STILL not ready but BW says it will be later on)
If by 'proof' you were talking about Cryptic and Star Trek, that game was so broken, buggy and out of sorts at launch (I was there) that it SHOULD have been delayed but they.. guess what?... ran out of time and resources.
That's why STO is now owned by the Chinese.
"TO MICHAEL!"
If developers never added any feature that they knew was going to get backlash (from a portion of players), no feature would ever be implemented. MMOs would be blue screens of death.
Everyone is completely different. There will always be a group of people for each game who are going to scream bloody murder over feature X, from WoW's raiding style, to TOR's cinematic conversations and space combat, to Rift's classes, to Aion's PVP, to GW2's dynamic events. It's the developers job to use their judgment and try to remain consistent with the themes and goals they've approached their game with. No feature they implement is going to be for everybody.
I thought this was obvious.
/facepalm
But that's exactly what I'm stating.
There aren't any games out there that could do it. STO didn't do it. At least it has its' detractors.
And look at what they created in a short time...
essentially "maps" where one could fly around and shoot at each other and limited maps where one had land missions.
There is no opinion here. There are just the examples of what was created.
EVE is arguably one of the greatest space games out there. and look how long it has taken them to have your avatar walk in a room. And I believe over the course of the game's time they have had more money and resources apply to that endeavor.
STO doesn't hold up as a shining example of what can be done. At all. It's not great. At least I didn't find it so.
So you are holding STO up as a good example and I would hold it up as a mediochre example.
I would ask you to then show real evidence of how Bioware spent their money to create what they have and all the wasted opportunities and wasted money that could have been used to add STO type combat. But you can't. Of course, neither can I show you how they used every penny to create what they have.
All we have is the word of the developers that they they could't create a full fledged space game nor was it something that was on their radar and the ONE game (STO) that has both space flight and land combat as an example of a game that included both.
Is it beyond the pale to assume that the effort put in to create all those planets, all those theatrical moments didn't take far greater resources than the small maps that STO offers? In which case was there really gobs of money left over to create something similiar to STO's space game?
And did cryptic actually create that space game? Remember, they inherited a great deal of tech and art assets from the former developers of STO. We don't really know what they actually built fromthe ground up and what they were able to modify.
In which case then STO becomes an interesting study of how long it takes to create space/ground games in such a limited form.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
All the "combat" was enter a instance, one planet. Fly around said planet in a CIRCLE until you kill all the ships in the area. Leave instance. Go to another instance that looks the SAME as the one you just left except with a purple planet rather than a green one, and Arctillian raiders instead of Forsalkan mauraders. It was so vapid it wasn't even funny.
Don't get me started on the whole "Crystalline Entity" mission where even maxed people couldn't solo a low level instance. STO was garbage at launch BECAUSE they were a Jack of All Trades, Master of None type dev philosphy.
"TO MICHAEL!"