Star Trek Online (The MMORPG)

[Tholian_Storm]

I don't know if anyone else here has even heard of STO, but I myself recently learned about it during some inter-company communications. Being a huge fan of MMORPGs - veteran EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, and World of Warcraft player - I've always dreamed of Star Trek games being taken in this direction and now, apparently, I'm getting my wish.

Here's some excerpts from the article I've come across on the game:

Players' characters will begin as Starfleet cadets and have the opportunity to advance in rank up to Captain and even Admiral. The game will mainly be played from a 3rd person perspective, though there are hints that it might be possible to zoom into a first person view under certain circumstances. Players will be able to travel, explore space and the surface of planets, and engage in Player versus player (PvP) combat and Player versus environment (PvE) combat; the developers have stated that they are going for an approximate 50/50 mix of space-based and ground-based content. Players will be able to form crews to do missions together as well as larger fleets, the game's version of player guilds. Although grouped adventuring is supported, plans for the game incorporate extensive options for players not in a crew.

Players will be given the option to specialize their skills in a particular area such as Engineering, Tactical/Security, and Science. Other familiar departments, such as medical, flight control, communications, and operations are integrated into these three main professions. Players may also have the option to take on the role of a Commanding Officer. However, the Command Track will be an optional route, rather than a mandatory selection.

STO will not feature permadeath; instead, when a player's health falls below a critical threshold, they will automatically be beamed to Sickbay and be cared for by a medic. This will slow a player's advancement, but not subtract experience points already received. Likewise, starships will not be fully destroyable; a starship that is disabled in combat will be smashed, broken, and adrift in space, but will still be repairable if it is towed to a space dock.

The game is to be set in the early years of the 25th Century (just beyond the eras of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager), approximately twenty years after Star Trek Nemesis (the latest movie); the developers are using this interregnum to allow for some evolution in the Star Trek universe for the sake of better playability. Missions will include storylines that involve established characters from the Star Trek franchise. Players will begin at Starfleet Academy, where they will learn basic game skills, before progressing to Starship assignments. Players will be able to participate in activities on ships, on planets, or on stations and starbases.

In these preliminary stages of Development, the following Races are being considered for Player Character (PC) Races: Human, Vulcan, Andorian, Klingon, Bajoran, Bolian, Cardassian, Ferengi, and Tellarite.

The conflict will apparently revolve around a previously unheard of threat from the Beta Quadrant.

I for one, am very thrilled and excited to see the end result.

I can already see my character.. "Captain! I dinna ken what you're doin' up thar, but me engines! She canna take nah more!"

I want to see if anyone has any speculations, information, or just things they would like to see implemented in the game. I'll start off with an "Y'know what I'd like to see..."

T. Storm - What I'd Like To See in STO

A Playable "Villian" Faction (think Horde from WoW). This Faction would include Races outside the Federation (Romulans, Tholian, Gorn, Breen, etc)

Personally, I've never cared for playing as a Human in any MMO I've ever played and frankly, the provided list of Possible Races doesn't include ANY that I like, but I'll play a Human Engineer if I can't be a Romulan or Tholian (there is no justice in this Universe, I tells ya!).

 

[Paulhanselluk]

I too have be keeping an eye on this, it has the potenial to be a great game with a high level on interactivity (which will be great for the community of gamers),

 

[Amateur]

I used to play Ultima Online a while back, but apart from that then my MMORPG experience is rather lacking.

This, however I would like to play. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that there would be no monthly subscription fee - always a bonus.

I'll probably be a Tellarite if and when I get it - just to be different.

If a lot of members here got the game we could even start our own crew/guild.

 

[Lord_Trekie]

I'd get STO if there was a fee or not, it just appeals to me that much and I dont play any other games that would require a monthly fee, so having one wouldn't be all that bad for me...

 

[Paulhanselluk]

I'd get STO if there was a fee or not, it just appeals to me that much and I dont play any other games that would require a monthly fee, so having one wouldn't be all that bad for me...

Thats the only thing that iam concerned about, I dont believe in this monthly fee crap, you have already bought the game, why should I have to pay to play it as well?

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

I found out about this months ago, and from I read on their site, the release date is speculated to coincide with the next movie. I for one can not wait to play. I'm a big fan of RPG's dating back to the original NES. Dragon Warrior series and Final Fantasy 3 (6 in Japan) were my all time favorites.

Now imagine this....STO, YY, And Star Trek XI all being released at the same time!!! I wouldn't know which to do first!

 

[Tholian_Storm]

Now imagine this....STO, YY, And Star Trek XI all being released at the same time!!! I wouldn't know which to do first!

That is what I like to call a "Conundrum". Given my penchant to become addicted to MMOs, I'd probably go STXI, YY, and then STO.

Thats the only thing that iam concerned about, I dont believe in this monthly fee crap, you have already bought the game, why should I have to pay to play it as well?

In all honesty, stemming from my own MMO Work Experience, you're actually paying for Server Upkeep, Continual Tech Support, Game Debugging, Game Development, Etc. Keep in mind, even the BEST BETA test of a [MMO] cannot locate all the bugs and defects. Even to this day, EQ2 is still having bugs that need to be worked out as new content is released (patches, expansions).

I've coughed up quite a bit of cash over the years for MMORPGs and I have yet to regret it. I always see my subscription paying for fun new content (WoW Patch 2.3.2 gave my Undead Mage a new Frost Talent, Icy Veins) or fixing things that drive me batty (After EQ Patch 8.2.1, all the City Guards of Freeport went batty and ignored Enemy PCs, allowing Player Kills INSIDE City Limits).

However, I should mention that one avenue of "Continuing Revenue" for STO that's being explored is the option of using Real-World Money to purchase In-Game Items, Upgrades, Abilities, Etc. I don't know how I feel about this idea, but it is an alternative to paying the Monthly Subscription, giving Paying Players the option to have Unique Content not available to the "average Joe" that only uses Prestige to buy content.

 

[Lord_Trekie]

From mmorpg.com...

The Future of Star Trek Online

The future of the upcoming MMORPG Star Trek Online has been in question in many minds ever since the "indefinite hold" that was placed on Gods & Heroes. Yesterday, it was reported that P2 had lost the license and that it would be taken up by another company. MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood explores at least one possibility for the game's future.
It seems like ages ago that Perpetual Entertainment announced the “indefinite hold†that had been placed on their historically-based MMORPG, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, leading many to question the future of the company’s other project, Star Trek Online.

advertisement When the original announcement hit that Perpetual’s original IP MMORPG would not see store shelves, the reason given by the company’s President Chris McKibbon was that the company would be focusing its efforts entirely upon their proprietary engine and on the development of Star Trek Online:

“Moving forward, we're shifting our collective focus, resources and development efforts to Perpetual's Platform Services division and Star Trek Online, thereby ensuring that the game lives up to the high level of expectation set by the dedicated Star Trek fan base.â€

Recent events though suggest that it looks as though the “dedicated Star Trek fan base†will never see Perpetual’s vision of the Star Trek Universe as Warcry’s Dana Massey reported yesterday that, according to “multiple [unnamed] inside sourcesâ€, P2 (known previously as Perpetual Entertainment) had “ceased development on Star Trek Onlineâ€.

Massey’s article went on to assert that the license, along with the game’s content, minus the code, would be moving into the hands of another development studio in the San Francisco area.

Later last night, a site called Woot Studios announced that the San Francisco area studio in question is none other than Cryptic Studios. When reached for comment, Cryptic’s Online Community Manager Victor Wachter told MMORPG.com:

“What we are doing with P2 is interviewing a number of their former employees for positions here at Cryptic for our projects currently under development.â€

While this is not an official confirmation, even the rumor could be seen as welcome news to numerous STO fans who had shown concern that Perpetual’s vision for the game and staying power as a company were lacking.

Cryptic Studios is best known for their work in developing the first ever superhero MMORPG in City of Heroes, which was later followed by its companion game, City of Villains. Both of these games have gained notoriety through their unique and detailed character creation and class systems.

Star Trek Online, should the license go to Cryptic, will join the studio’s other high-profile upcoming MMORPG Marvel Universe Online and would certainly make Cryptic the studio to watch in the coming years.

With all of this to consider, on question burns in my mind... If Cryptic Studios ends up developing a Star Trek MMORPG and Marvel Universe Online at the same time, will we finally see a digital version of those great X-Men / Star Trek crossover comics and books?

 

[Tholian_Storm]

New Update on STO, from TrekMovie

In January TrekMovie.com was the first to mention Cryptic Studios as the possible new home for the “Star Trek Online†MMORPG. Since then evidenced has mounted that Cryptic has the license, with the latest clue coming from sleuthing by board members of StarTrek-Games.com. Although Cryptic will still not officially acknowledge they are the new license holder, TrekMovie.com has independently confirmed with sources that they definitely are.

Word is that since acquiring the game Cryptic has been assessing the current state of the game and assets and deciding what to keep and what to change. Cryptic is holding off on making an announcement because they want to make their announcement more than just words and actually have something to show. Before the game died at P2 Entertainment, they had only just showed the first two ‘in game’ images from “Star Trek Online.†P2’s version of the official site was also very short on actual information about the game, with just a smattering of ‘devlogs’ and concept art. Apparently Cryptic want to make it clear that their “Star Trek Online†is alive and well and by no means ‘vaporware.’ So we will still have to wait until they are ready for their big announcement.

A clue as to what we can expect may be found in Cryptic’s other big game in development, the super-hero themed “Champions Online.†The first news of that game came from some magazines and game sites about a month ago. The game was officially announced on February 20th, and that announcement came with a new official site with lots of game information and screen shots. A trailer was released just two days later.

In the mean time the official Star Trek Online site will continue to just say “COMING SOON†from an anonymous developer. So we will continue to wait until Cryptic is ready to talk about (and show us something from) their “Star Trek Online.†Until then just know that the game is alive and well and apparently in good hands.

Maybe now I'll get my villian faction.

 

[Tholian_Storm]

I've been a bit late posting this since my PC went all wonky a couple of days ago, but now I can finally say it:

Star Trek Online is a GO!

Cryptic Studios has been releasing Screenshots and Videos left and right in the last couple of weeks and I am thrilled.

They've stated that we're going to start with two factions: The UFP and the Klingon Empire, but the UFP will consist of all canon member races AND Cryptic is going to include a Race Creator where players can make their own custom race. (I'm SSSsooooOOO going to make a Tholian Offshoot race if quadrapeds are a viable choice. Whee!)

Players will be able to select their profession from the following (partial) list of specialties: Navigation, Engineering, Medical, Security. etc. But the choice of your profession will NOT affect your ability to command various ships.

Information on ships is next to non-existent, but speculation on the forums is running rampant with everything from Runabouts to Akiras being the starter ship.

Personally, ol' Tholian here is praying for something that looks fantastic, handles well, and can run like a Jackrabbit when threatened.

Regardless, I'm hoping that I can track myself down either an Intrepid or Steamrunner-class and stick with it through my time in the game. (The U.S.S. Dixie {SFC3} was an Intrepid and her successor, the Dixie-A was a Steamrunner)

For those that don't know, we used to have some RP events on SFC3 and the Dixie was notorious for having mechanical failures at the most inopportune times (like during the Romulan Invasion of 2377, for instance) when the Dixie's warp drive failed on its way to Earth, dropping me in deep space near Borg Territory.

And I'm with Amateur about the MSFC Fleet idea since Cryptic is giving us ONE server to play on.

You guys would end up hating me once I get into RP mode with the Dixie.


BUT one good thing that I'm absolutely thrilled about is that space is, literally, infinite in the game. A random generator will continually create objects that can be interacted with - planets to colonize, dilithium to mine, stations to build.

Some Sectors of space are going to be dedicated to PvP, but the game will be mostly PvE. Quests will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis from Command.

Fleets themselves can, given enough time and resources, construct their own territories complete with Stations, Drydocks, Shipyards, Colonies and all such that is seen in the Star Trek universe.

As players discover new planets and races, information will be uploaded through Starfleet Database and its Klingon equivalent.

"Hey guys! I just discovered a new planet!"
"We already know."
"Man..."

Players can take an expantionist policy with native races or try the diplomatic solution.

I'll post some more information as I come across it since I just recently rediscovered the STO Forums and signed back up (forgot my password and, hence, forgot the site address as well.)

 

[Lord_Trekie]

I've got to admit out of all the Trek game releases of the last two years, this one actually has me the most excited, I barely gave Legacy a passing glance when it released, played a demo for an hour and dropped it like a bad habit. Hopefully this will provide my Trek fix outside of my more traditional Trek roleplaying...

 

[Tholian_Storm]

I already have plans to make a character to sacrifice to the Gods of Exploration. I'm going to try to acquire an extended duration-type explorer (Nebula or Galaxy) and point it towards the real-life coordinates of the Lesser Magellanic Cloud and take off at maximum sustainable warp.

200,000 Light Years away. Anyone care to race me?

How about to the Delta Quadrant? I'll cross the Great Barrier, I don't care.

I'm bound and determined to "boldly go".

Just imagine the conversation..

[Fleetmember]: "I sure miss Jeff. He's been gone for a while now."

[Me]: *weird Poltergeisty echo effect* "Guys?!"

[Fleetmember]: "Jeff? Where are you?"

[Me]: "Did anybody ever see that Twilighty show about that Zone? I feel like I'm there! I just flew past a door and an eyeball!"

[Fleetmember]: "What does your Navigator say?"

[Me]: "It just flashed across the screen 'Welcome to the Outer Limits'."

[Fleetmember]: "Nice knowin' ya'."

 

[Jasoneagle]

Thats the only thing that iam concerned about, I dont believe in this monthly fee crap, you have already bought the game, why should I have to pay to play it as well?

The having to pay to play a game is so that companies can pay for the upkeep of the servers as well as pay their staff to monitor the channels as well as looking into updates patches and other fixes and don't forget expansions. all of these things take lots of money. If you want to know the kind of money needed to upkeep something as small as a forum in comparison to a MMOPG than I would suggest asking Majestic how much this site costs him every month and if he would still be able to do what he does with out the support of those that donate to the site.

Any who, any updates on this?

 

[Tholian_Storm]

Well, the Developers still haven't released a whole heck of a lot to us, outside of a few juicy little tidbits which are being dissected by the community.

One of the things I've been waiting to hear about has been the "Pay-To-Play" concept. Personally, I don't mind paying, but since I've got too many pans on the stove as it is, I really want a free escape from my life for a little while.

I'm trying to stay on top of things as best I can, but between getting this divorce settled, liquidating APP's material, and working two jobs, I haven't had much spare time to do much digging.

 

[Excelsiors190]

iv been wateing for this game for ages now i hope its a 2008 release tho and cheap (normaly is its $14.99 witch is £7.?? dont know about the pence so the price is easy to put up with) any way the RPG-X mod for elite force is great practice and so is bridge commander i will see you all thier
oddly im gonna go by my real name lol i wonna see the starfleet rank nxt to my name badly hahahalol any way what my race is will dictate my name
Name-(human-Michael Vulcan-T'aln Trill-Kaleb)
Age-(Human-16 Vulcan-62(young for a vulcan) Trill-16(symbiaunt 100summin)
Rank(Have to earn that lol)
Class-(human-Medical Vulcan-Science Trill-Enginearing)
Whants-not to be in a command situation

 

[Syf]

For those not aware, STO has a trailer available now days, and it's all "in-game" stiff, not CG junk.

 

[Excelsiors190]

hmmm with that trainer released people how long do you all think untill its released im hopeing a christmas 2008 spring 2009 release
i calnt wate to get it i will only have to pay £7 whoo hoo ^_^

 

[Tholian_Storm]

Alright, some new information has come down from Jack, head of Cryptic Studios.

Item 1) Release Date - Tentatively on-schedule for Q3 2009. Rumors persist of a 2010 release, but Jack is assuring us that 2009 is still THE year, provided nothing strange happens.

Item 2) Race Creation - The race creation feature is being modeled off of City of Heroes/Villians character creator, in that you can adjust sliders for visual effects, but you cannot (as yet) adjust stats, so there won't be any uber-races created.

Item 3) Pricing - Nothing concrete has come down yet, but right now they are assuming a stance of a normal retail release ($49.99 USD) and a monthly subscription fee of around $15 USD. This is still subject to change at the moment.


We've also gotten some information regarding Fleets, but it's equal parts Rumor and Official Word. Right now, it looks as if Fleets will operate like any other Guild in MMOs with one GM, Officers, and Grunts (Redshirts, anyone?). One benefit to joining a Fleet is that Fleets will be able to construct the higher end vessels in the game much easier than would a single player, giving us a reason to band together. (I myself have already signed on with the Shadow Fleet under Fleet Admiral Daggaroth.)

Player crews is a big no-go. Ship crews will be NPCs, commanded by the Player. However, you can band together with other Players for Away Missions where each Captain beams down to the surface and the balance of the party will be culled from the NPC Bridge Crews that have the highest stats.

Cryptic has already made mention that an expansion pack is being planned right now that will introduce the Romulans, Cardassians, and other races as Playable, but they won't be available at launch. RSE and others will be seen throughout the game as NPCs until the expansion comes out, so don't fret. Cryptic's already well aware of what we want.

The Borg are going to play a part in certain "World Events", whereby they are discovered and players must band together to run them out of the quadrants before they gain a foothold.

I'll post more details as I get them.

*wants to build a time machine, jump ahead to Q3 2009, buy STO, come back and play it before everyone else*

 

[Excelsiors190]

grate just grate i was hopeing for player cewd ships where is the fun in that O.O
no where i tells you but it would be easyer lol no shouting commands over the Chat console =/ but thier will be a bad ship spam coz of all the players =/ lol

 

[Jeddy]

yeah but having player crewed ships means that you all have to be online, or if not one player or atleast the players that arent online wont level at the same speed at the others, and when they do get online they will get anihilated.

(I know you play wow, so think of a someone going from Mulgore straight to Hellfire, potentially)

NPC crews are good, to counter that. and like u say there will be a large number of ships about, but then that seems to be nothing more than the number of players in MMOs.

I am really looking forward to this game, i hope its not as much of a let down as i found Warhammer online to be.

you think we should get MSFC recognised on that game? (Like a guild or their equivilent)

 

[Excelsiors190]

were not alloud to advertise this site or something like that...i think i calnt remember =/ lol

i agree with you fully with that all aswell
as for the charicter creation i was hopeing for a more hmm whats the word......interactive way to make a race =/ not just slide bars =/ aslong as thier are some very interesting options and not some stupid ones im ok lol
and i hope that beleafes of 2010 release is not true i desperately whant 2009 i need a good mmo now WoW im quiting because of some stupid woman whos acuseing me of hacking her and her abusive language to me is just anoying i reported her but nothing happend so im just gonna quit the game and go to STO or SGW

 

[Jeddy]

well i didnt mean that, i mean lik ea group of people from this forum to get a guild together, not to have the guild called "The MSFC massive" heh.

and tbh the character creation in that is better than in wow, rather than having half a dozen things to check from etc, slide bars to allow a more sensitive control.

 

[Excelsiors190]

ah lol true i couldnt agree more

 

[Tholian_Storm]

well i didnt mean that, i mean lik ea group of people from this forum to get a guild together, not to have the guild called "The MSFC massive" heh.

"Task Force MSFC"

Actually, I was gonna make a joke about us ending up with a goofy title, but I actually like the sound of that. START A POLL!!

and tbh the character creation in that is better than in wow, rather than having half a dozen things to check from etc, slide bars to allow a more sensitive control.

We're not quite certain how refined the control is yet, but it's looking promising since you can alter skin tones a thousand ways from Sunday, as well as Ears, Hair styles, musculature, and so on.

i need a good mmo now WoW im quiting because of some stupid woman whos acuseing me of hacking her and her abusive language to me is just anoying i reported her but nothing happend so im just gonna quit the game and go to STO or SGW

People are like that no matter where you go. I would suggest that if you still have the chat logs and/or screenshots, open a ticket to a GM. One of the younger kids in my Guild was being sexually harassed by some jerks from another Guild. I had a conference with their Guild Master, reported the infractions normally, and then opened a ticket with a GM. I forwarded all of Hadra's screenshots and chat logs to the GM. *BAM* Five account suspensions right there.

If you've done all of that and still being harassed, I'd suggest contacting Blizzard Support. Harassment and Language Infractions are violation of the EULA.

 

[Tholian_Storm]

Lore vs Gameplay

I've been trying to stay off the STO Forums ever since the middle of December because there's about a half-dozen threads that are revolving around "Lore vs Gameplay".

Some people claim that STO is going to ruin Trek Canon, based on the fact that the "Path to 2409" primers discuss the collapse of the Khitomer Accords, the Romulan Civil War, the Soong Foundation, etc and completely changes what looked to be going on at the end of DS9, VOY, and Nemesis.

Now, another group is taking the stance that STO's Lore is actually a brilliant move to make the game more entertaining and accessible to a broader range of people - expanding the TV Lore into a new direction.

Now, I'm sitting in the middle of the fence on this one. Some things with STO's Lore I hate, while other things I love and believe will make the game much more fun to play.

What's more important for you in STO: Lore or Gameplay?

The Lore Group cites that Crew Interaction is a vital part of Star Trek, but while I'm inclined to agree that a crew dynamic provides great story opportunities for the show, I'm of the mind that a PC Crew would limit some player's fun at times. After all, some episodes of the show didn't require anything of certain crew members outside of being animated props.

Bleh..I'm getting a migraine, so this post isn't as detailed as others, so I apologize.