Star Trek: Online

[deadman_uk]

If Star Trek Online had the ground combat system of Guild Wars, it would be much better, agree? if Star Trek Online had the excellent writing and missions like Guild wars has, it would be a better game, is this fair?

I don't know what review sites you've been reading but I consider the big ones to be IGN and Gamespot

http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/startrekonline/index.html 5.5/10

http://uk.pc.ign.com/objects/142/14270158.html 6.8/10

http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/star-trek-online/1069983p1.html 2/5

http://www.incgamers.com/Reviews/1032/star-trek-online-review/2 gave it 6.8 out of 10

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/star-trek-online-review?page=3 6/10

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=238854 5.5/10

I had a look at Amazon reviews for this game too and again, fairly poor.

Anyway, glad you like the game, but we clearly have different standards. A "middle of the road" game is not good enough for me, especially when a subscription is involved.

Of those only two are bad reviews. the others are good or acceptable reviews

The best score out of the reviews I found was 6.8 and as I said, if you call that a good score, you really have low standards. If you think 6.8 is a mediocre score (like I do) then "middle of the road" is not good enough for me, especially when a subscription is involved.

Since you say it's unfair to compare single player RPG's to MMO then here are some Guild Wars reviews showing an MMO can be widely successful and popular:

http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/guildwars/review.html (9.2)

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/612/612079p3.html (9/10)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_guildwars_pc (9/10)

Why can't Star Trek Online be like this? As well made and thoughtful as Guild Wars? Guild Wars has care put into it, Star Trek Online is cold

 

[Phily B]

90 percent of the players left are life time subs.

Well done Cryptic, the worst game developer in NA.

Do you have evidence to back up this claim?

Ignore him. He's been trolling this thread for months.

Trolling? U kidan me. The game is a flop. Its another lazy, cryptic reskin that relies on morons paying for it on the Trek name.

 

[Phily B]

If Star Trek Online had the ground combat system of Guild Wars, it would be much better, agree? if Star Trek Online had the excellent writing and missions like Guild wars has, it would be a better game, is this fair?

I don't know what review sites you've been reading but I consider the big ones to be IGN and Gamespot

http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/startrekonline/index.html 5.5/10

http://uk.pc.ign.com/objects/142/14270158.html 6.8/10

http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/star-trek-online/1069983p1.html 2/5

http://www.incgamers.com/Reviews/1032/star-trek-online-review/2 gave it 6.8 out of 10

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/star-trek-online-review?page=3 6/10

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=238854 5.5/10

I had a look at Amazon reviews for this game too and again, fairly poor.

Anyway, glad you like the game, but we clearly have different standards. A "middle of the road" game is not good enough for me, especially when a subscription is involved.

Of those only two are bad reviews. the others are good or acceptable reviews

The best score out of the reviews I found was 6.8 and as I said, if you call that a good score, you really have low standards. If you think 6.8 is a mediocre score (like I do) then "middle of the road" is not good enough for me, especially when a subscription is involved.

Since you say it's unfair to compare single player RPG's to MMO then here are some Guild Wars reviews showing an MMO can be widely successful and popular:

http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/guildwars/review.html (9.2)

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/612/612079p3.html (9/10)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_guildwars_pc (9/10)

Why can't Star Trek Online be like this? As well made and thoughtful as Guild Wars? Guild Wars has care put into it, Star Trek Online is cold

Star Trek Online is a reskin. You don't make a succesful MMORPG with a two year development cycle.

 

[deadman_uk]

I don't want to sound as negative as Phily B but I have to agree with him, if it wasn't for the Trek name, this game would be a complete flop. It's the Trek name that's keeping the game afloat.

Hopefull Cryptic will release updates that do more than just add new content. They need to dig in and sort the core issues as no amount of new content is going to make the game better.

 

[Noname Given]

Well, if it's dying they sure are continuing to add a lot to it (not something that would continue if subs were falling fast as you claim). Link Here

As for how Bioware or some other company would do - considering that after 5 or so years, and with a TON on money from Lucas Arts (mostly to do full voice acting which I still on't knopw if it's a good thing for a MMO considering you'll do the same missions multiple times, etc.) it's interestimng to read that Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO will NOT have player controllled space travel at launch (ie want to pilot a Millenium Falcon, or engage in player space combat? - Not in SW:ToR at launch)...
Link Here

So, sorry, while I honestly was very much looking forward to Bioware's SW:ToR; as it nears launch, (and given it's astronomically high Development cost, and Lucas Arts belief that it will garner a WoW level, stable subscriber base - which is IMO sheer folly on Lucas Arts part); I see SW:ToR probably launching large - but going into MMO maintanence mode withing a years as Lucas Arts discovers it isn't pulling in WoW sub numbers. But, time will tell.

 

[Akiraprise]

Need to get back into this. Been so busy that I haven't had time to play!

Me too. A lot of my disinterest also comes from the STF's. I find them really tedious and too long.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Need to get back into this. Been so busy that I haven't had time to play!

Me too. A lot of my disinterest also comes from the STF's. I find them really tedious and too long.

Well from what I've heard the season 2 update will add more non STF missions and a whole new area to look around.

 

[Aeolusdallas]

Need to get back into this. Been so busy that I haven't had time to play!

Me too. A lot of my disinterest also comes from the STF's. I find them really tedious and too long.

Well from what I've heard the season 2 update will add more non STF missions and a whole new area to look around.

I am really curious about the non combat diplomacy missions they are adding in season 2

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Me too. A lot of my disinterest also comes from the STF's. I find them really tedious and too long.

Well from what I've heard the season 2 update will add more non STF missions and a whole new area to look around.

I am really curious about the non combat diplomacy missions they are adding in season 2

Yeah those sound very interesting and it will be nice not to get shot at during more than one mission.

 

[Excelsior]

Yeah those sound very interesting and it will be nice not to get shot at during more than one mission.

Or have to destroy whole fleets of ships without so much as an iota of diplomacy involved...

I'm starting to get a bit depressed when I get given orders - "Captain, we've detected multiple Romulan/Reman/Hirogen/Klingon/Gorn/Nausicaan/Orion signal contacts in this system - destroy them.

Christ on a bike - I know that there's a 'war' (of sorts) on and all, but really? This didn't happen even in the Dominion War, and that was far more brutal affair than these constant scuffles.

Seriously - does Starfleet not train its crews to disable ships anymore? Although, given the fact that the posts of Flight Controller, First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Engineer and the like clearly don't exist in the year 2409 (), I doubt that training amounts to much more than 'fire everything at anything that doesn't look vaguely Starfleet-y, and keep blasting the living crap out of it until the dust settles'...

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Yeah those sound very interesting and it will be nice not to get shot at during more than one mission.

Or have to destroy whole fleets of ships without so much as an iota of diplomacy involved...

I'm starting to get a bit depressed when I get given orders - "Captain, we've detected multiple Romulan/Reman/Hirogen/Klingon/Gorn/Nausicaan/Orion signal contacts in this system - destroy them.

Christ on a bike - I know that there's a 'war' (of sorts) on and all, but really? This didn't happen even in the Dominion War, and that was far more brutal affair than these constant scuffles.

Seriously - does Starfleet not train its crews to disable ships anymore? Although, given the fact that the posts of Flight Controller, First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Engineer and the like clearly don't exist in the year 2409 (), I doubt that training amounts to much more than 'fire everything at anything that doesn't look vaguely Starfleet-y, and keep blasting the living crap out of it until the dust settles'...

No, it clearly even includes firing at Starfleet-y ships. Don't forget the Terran Empire.

 

[Ayelbourne]

Aeolusdallas,

Take my animation comment earlier for example. Do only single player games have the capability to accurately show animations?

Apparently. I have yet to see an MMO that has high quality animations.

And for the record: As much as I love Fallout 3, the characters move just as clumsy. Not to mention that there are no "use"-Animations at all.

The poor writing in this game doesn't even come close to the fantastic writing we know and love from Star Trek.

You just haven't gotten to the good stuff. In fact, I think the writing is one of the best in the entire MMO-sector.
Combining the Guardian of Forever, the Augment Virus, and the Kuva'magh-plot from Voy in a way that actually makes sense really takes some skill.

The voice acting is also extremely poor. These two things I feel are actually insulting to Star Trek.

The only voice acting, aside from the Computer, was done by Nimoy and Quinto. You really consider those poor?

 

[Excelsior]

Aeolusdallas,

Take my animation comment earlier for example. Do only single player games have the capability to accurately show animations?

Apparently. I have yet to see an MMO that has high quality animations.

And for the record: As much as I love Fallout 3, the characters move just as clumsy. Not to mention that there are no "use"-Animations at all.

The poor writing in this game doesn't even come close to the fantastic writing we know and love from Star Trek.

You just haven't gotten to the good stuff. In fact, I think the writing is one of the best in the entire MMO-sector.
Combining the Guardian of Forever, the Augment Virus, and the Kuva'magh-plot from Voy in a way that actually makes sense really takes some skill.

The voice acting is also extremely poor. These two things I feel are actually insulting to Star Trek.

The only voice acting, aside from the Computer, was done by Nimoy and Quinto. You really consider those poor?

The game looks really nice, even with some of the higher graphics options turned off. Could do with some more screen-accurate texture sets for ships/uniforms, but fingers crossed that those'll be added later.

Plot-wise, the game's also very good - I agree that a lot of Trek-y goodness has been deftly woven into the missions, so it really does feel like plots from the shows in many places.

As for the voice-overs, aside from the guest stars, the Klingon 'alert' voice is suitably angry and intense, while special props have to go to whoever does the Federation computer voice - she's doing a grand job of evoking the style of the late Majel Barrett (to the point that I thought it actually was!). Indeed, the only sore point in this area is the comically bad voice for the Guardian of Forever - clearly, it's not an actor doing the voice-over, as it's just excruciating to listen to. Obviously someone told him to sound suitably 'epic', but the end result, oy...

 

[Ronald Held]

More non combat missions are quite welcome.

 

[Noname Given]

Aeolusdallas,

Take my animation comment earlier for example. Do only single player games have the capability to accurately show animations?

Apparently. I have yet to see an MMO that has high quality animations.

And for the record: As much as I love Fallout 3, the characters move just as clumsy. Not to mention that there are no "use"-Animations at all.

You just haven't gotten to the good stuff. In fact, I think the writing is one of the best in the entire MMO-sector.
Combining the Guardian of Forever, the Augment Virus, and the Kuva'magh-plot from Voy in a way that actually makes sense really takes some skill.

The voice acting is also extremely poor. These two things I feel are actually insulting to Star Trek.

The only voice acting, aside from the Computer, was done by Nimoy and Quinto. You really consider those poor?

The game looks really nice, even with some of the higher graphics options turned off. Could do with some more screen-accurate texture sets for ships/uniforms, but fingers crossed that those'll be added later.

Plot-wise, the game's also very good - I agree that a lot of Trek-y goodness has been deftly woven into the missions, so it really does feel like plots from the shows in many places.

As for the voice-overs, aside from the guest stars, the Klingon 'alert' voice is suitably angry and intense, while special props have to go to whoever does the Federation computer voice - she's doing a grand job of evoking the style of the late Majel Barrett (to the point that I thought it actually was!). Indeed, the only sore point in this area is the comically bad voice for the Guardian of Forever - clearly, it's not an actor doing the voice-over, as it's just excruciating to listen to. Obviously someone told him to sound suitably 'epic', but the end result, oy...

I actually didn't have a problem with the GoF voice, or Leonard Nimoy; but BOY could Quinto have used a better voice director. An the STO Tutorial Medical hologram, he actually sounds to me as if he's reading a book title when he says, "Help at last..." There's some film actors that could do good VO without much direction, butr Quinto didn't strike me as one of those. YMMV.

 

[NickInABox]

^ Maybe he was going for a sarcastic tone since he finds himself face to face with a lowly Ensign.

 

[Blamo]

That last updates done it for me now, no more STO for me.

 

[Brolan]

Yeah those sound very interesting and it will be nice not to get shot at during more than one mission.

Or have to destroy whole fleets of ships without so much as an iota of diplomacy involved...

I'm starting to get a bit depressed when I get given orders - "Captain, we've detected multiple Romulan/Reman/Hirogen/Klingon/Gorn/Nausicaan/Orion signal contacts in this system - destroy them.

Christ on a bike - I know that there's a 'war' (of sorts) on and all, but really? This didn't happen even in the Dominion War, and that was far more brutal affair than these constant scuffles.

Seriously - does Starfleet not train its crews to disable ships anymore? Although, given the fact that the posts of Flight Controller, First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Engineer and the like clearly don't exist in the year 2409 (), I doubt that training amounts to much more than 'fire everything at anything that doesn't look vaguely Starfleet-y, and keep blasting the living crap out of it until the dust settles'...

No, it clearly even includes firing at Starfleet-y ships. Don't forget the Terran Empire.

This extends to the ground game too. You'll beam down to a planet and discover some alien technology. Then you'll get a message that says something like "The *insert alien race name here* have beamed down too. We know the *alien race* will use this technology for military purposes so we have to kill them all." Nice to belong to the "peaceful" Federation.

 

[Noname Given]

Or have to destroy whole fleets of ships without so much as an iota of diplomacy involved...

I'm starting to get a bit depressed when I get given orders - "Captain, we've detected multiple Romulan/Reman/Hirogen/Klingon/Gorn/Nausicaan/Orion signal contacts in this system - destroy them.

Christ on a bike - I know that there's a 'war' (of sorts) on and all, but really? This didn't happen even in the Dominion War, and that was far more brutal affair than these constant scuffles.

Seriously - does Starfleet not train its crews to disable ships anymore? Although, given the fact that the posts of Flight Controller, First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Engineer and the like clearly don't exist in the year 2409 (), I doubt that training amounts to much more than 'fire everything at anything that doesn't look vaguely Starfleet-y, and keep blasting the living crap out of it until the dust settles'...

No, it clearly even includes firing at Starfleet-y ships. Don't forget the Terran Empire.

The extends to the ground game too. You'll beam down to a planet and discover some alien technology. Then you'll get a message that says something like "The *insert alien race name here* have beamed down too. We know the *alien race* will use this technology for military purposes so we have to kill them all." Nice to belong to the "peaceful" Federation.

They're adding the Federation Diplomatic Corps. in the Season 2.0 update (due in July) which will supposedly allow players a whole new leveling path, and allow them to level up in more 'non-violent' ways.

 

[ManaByte]

No, it clearly even includes firing at Starfleet-y ships. Don't forget the Terran Empire.

The extends to the ground game too. You'll beam down to a planet and discover some alien technology. Then you'll get a message that says something like "The *insert alien race name here* have beamed down too. We know the *alien race* will use this technology for military purposes so we have to kill them all." Nice to belong to the "peaceful" Federation.

They're adding the Federation Diplomatic Corps. in the Season 2.0 update (due in July) which will supposedly allow players a whole new leveling path, and allow them to level up in more 'non-violent' ways.

They've specifically mentioned First Contact missions as one type.