Charles Phipps wrote:
Hey,
I played the game when it first started and got up to the part where I fought Ambassador B'vat's Doomsday Ship before I felt I'd done most of what the game had to offer (it was getting a bit repetitive) so I was curious - has the game improved any since then?
Also, were I to come back, could I still use my old character?
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IMO - yes the game has improved quite a bit. because Atari decided to sell Crypotic and wouldn't let them even backfill vacated positions, the last six months have been a very lean time - Dev mission content wise.
In August 2011, Perfect World Entertainment (an Asain MMO developer who unlike Atari, has money, knows MMO development, and saw Cryptic as a way to expand into the Western MMO market) bought Cryptic for 50 million dollars U.S.; and is now properly funding Cryptic (they're hiring again, and expanding the teams on all their projects).
That said, it's probably going to continue to be a little lean as Cryptic's development tools are all proprietary, meaning the new hires will need some time to get trained on them and get 'up to speed'.; and the staff they have are all working toward getting teh f2P model of STO launced before the end of this year (Read: Before SWToR launches)
That said, in the time you've taken a break:
- Three new 'Feature Episodes' have been added (each is a 5 mission arc with a ni8ce item reward at the end)
- The 'Azura Rescue', 'Diplomatic Orders' and 'Doomsday Device' missions have all been 'remastered' (read improved and stuff added); and teh 'Doomsday Device' remastered version is completely different from the original to the point where (imo) it's a brand new mission.
- A Diplomacy system has been added.
- Earth Spacedock has been completey redone, inside and out
- The Klingon QoNos starting zone has also been completely redone, and now really looks like an actual Klingon city.
- The 'Orellius Sector Block' was added as part of the first Feature episopde added, and has a lot of Daily repeatable missions.
- The 'Eta Eridani' sector block also had a lot of Daily missions added to it.
- A Starfleet Academy zone has been added, so you can walk on Earth (a new Fleet Action and a new mission type called 'Lore Missions' are slated to be added to the SFA zone, but right now, it's just a social zone with one allocade to get.)
- "The Foundry" was added, which allows players to create their own missions for other players to play; and a daily repeatable 'wrapper mission', where when you play 3, you get extra exp and rewards. The Foundry has been a little buggy of late for creators; but it's an interesting tool. (and hell, I'll pimp the two missions I've done that are available, and have gotten an overall good response from players -
"A Relic's Return" and
"A Relic's Return (Conclusion)"; the second one I just published on 9/14/11.
)
It's up to you if you want to give STO another try now, or wait a few more months until it goes F2P; but either way, it has improved; and I think once Cryptic has completed re-staffing itself after Atari's defunding during the time they were up for sale, I think it'll oly get better; but, time will tell.