Star Trek: Online

[Bishop76]

We shall see...

 

[Bishop76]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/11/06/star-trek-online-could-go-free-to-play.aspx

 

[Aeolusdallas]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/11/06/star-trek-online-could-go-free-to-play.aspx

dstahl has been quite firm that there are no plans to go to free to play for STO.
All Emmert said in that article you posted is that if people wanted it to go "free to play" it would be considered.


I also don't see why you would want it to go "free to play". If your to cheap to pay 15 a month for a game. You must know that Free to play games actually cost a lot more to play in the long run. They end up charging you for everything and you end up unable to level without lots of extra purchases.

STO has the subscription model and they can sell trophy ships and uniforms. What is their motive to change?

 

[Aeolusdallas]

In case you didn't know dstahl is the guy who came in and turned STO around and made it so much more "Trek" than it was before.

 

[Bishop76]

STO has the subscription model and they can sell trophy ships and uniforms. What is their motive to change?

Their motive would be money. For games "on the bubble" like STO it may be more profitable for them to go free to play and charge those microtransactions. What I understand from the article is that Cryptic is probably trying to run some numbers on which way would be more profitable after watching Champions Online's performance as a free to play game.

 

[Noname Given]

Is this thing free to play yet?

lol, no why would it be?

Because it's player base is tiny and getting smaller all the time.

The STO Devs (link) and a Massively Site Poll (link) would seem to disagree with this assessment of yours.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

Sounds like they've done a lot of work. I'm still a bit skeptical. See, I want to like this game - really, I do - it just wasn't a $15/month experience when I played it.

Maybe once I get bored with Cataclysm, I'll swing back in and give it a try for a month if it isn't free to play by then.

Let me get this straight: you're criticizing a game you've barely played and obviously known nothing about? Ok got it...thanks.

 

[Rat Boy]

If Star Wars Galaxies is still pay-to-play, I don't see STO going free, either.

 

[Jim Gamma]

Just a heads-up, for those of you who don't yet have the Above and Beyond accolade (from the SS Azura mission, the first one on the FED mission replay list), they're going to be axing the accolade and replacing it soon. So GET IT WHILE YOU CAN!

Source

 

[Commodore_Rook]

Just a heads-up, for those of you who don't yet have the Above and Beyond accolade (from the SS Azura mission, the first one on the FED mission replay list), they're going to be axing the accolade and replacing it soon. So GET IT WHILE YOU CAN!

Source

What good is having Accolades again?

 

[Bishop76]

lol, no why would it be?

Because it's player base is tiny and getting smaller all the time.

The STO Devs (link) and a Massively Site Poll (link) would seem to disagree with this assessment of yours.

It's not my assessment - it's the assessment of several reporters across a few different MMO sites. And I'm sure that the STO devs have no conflict of interest... If they were so confident of their subscription numbers they'd release them.

And I don't disagree that STO was the best MMO released last year. But that's not saying much. Especially when the second place winner was "none of the above"...

 

[Bishop76]

Sounds like they've done a lot of work. I'm still a bit skeptical. See, I want to like this game - really, I do - it just wasn't a $15/month experience when I played it.

Maybe once I get bored with Cataclysm, I'll swing back in and give it a try for a month if it isn't free to play by then.

Let me get this straight: you're criticizing a game you've barely played and obviously known nothing about? Ok got it...thanks.

Oh, I didn't barely play it. I played through the open beta and for 5 months after it's launch. So I've played this game for just under half it's lifetime. I think I can fairly criticize at this point. Though I will admit there may have been patches to fix problems since the time I quit. Rather than jumping to the immediate fanboy defense, why not try selling me on why it's a good game NOW?

 

[Bishop76]

If Star Wars Galaxies is still pay-to-play, I don't see STO going free, either.

Well, I wouldn't tout Sony's business practices as smart moves either. That said, STO is miles better than Galaxies ever was.

 

[Commodore_Rook]

=Bishop76;
Oh, I didn't barely play it. I played through the open beta and for 5 months after it's launch. So I've played this game for just under half it's lifetime. I think I can fairly criticize at this point. Though I will admit there may have been patches to fix problems since the time I quit. Rather than jumping to the immediate fanboy defense, why not try selling me on why it's a good game NOW?

Ok, I'll try!

I have been with the game since Head Start, and still like it. IS it the best game ever? Hardly, yet still keeps me coming back for more. They have made several improvements since Head Start and are actually heading towards what this game should have been at release, so because of that one thought, I am supporting this game. I have high hopes, in a few years, this game will really be amazing. Kind of like EVE has had 7 years to perfect itself, STO will do that as well! But right now, it is still growing and i am willing to give it a chance! Why not check it out!! Need a demo key? I'll send ya one...

 

[Bishop76]

Ok, I'll try!

I have been with the game since Head Start, and still like it. IS it the best game ever? Hardly, yet still keeps me coming back for more. They have made several improvements since Head Start and are actually heading towards what this game should have been at release, so because of that one thought, I am supporting this game. I have high hopes, in a few years, this game will really be amazing. Kind of like EVE has had 7 years to perfect itself, STO will do that as well! But right now, it is still growing and i am willing to give it a chance! Why not check it out!! Need a demo key? I'll send ya one...

That sounds fair enough. I'm not sure the demo key will work for me seeing as I've had an account, but I'm willing to give it a try. Send away! If it doesn't work, I'll let you know so you can use it for someone else. If the changes inspire confidence in me, I may even resub to the game.

 

[Destructor]

Sounds like they've done a lot of work. I'm still a bit skeptical. See, I want to like this game - really, I do - it just wasn't a $15/month experience when I played it.

Maybe once I get bored with Cataclysm, I'll swing back in and give it a try for a month if it isn't free to play by then.

Let me get this straight: you're criticizing a game you've barely played and obviously known nothing about? Ok got it...thanks.

Well, he DID get to RA5, which is further than I've gotten, and I'm a big fan! (just one with not a lot of time on his hands, boh)

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Well, I do find that people disagree with my subjective statements a bit more than my objective. So, what have they done to improve it? My experience with it was that I levelled very quickly to RA5 (I believe they've gone beyond that now) and there was no endgame content other than a few dailies that got real old, real fast. I did try the first "episode" of content, but was just as unimpressed.

It's not an all around failure of a game - the ship combat is pretty tight, but it fails in almost every other regard. The away team missions are abysmal, the quests are uninspired, and even the stories that I have seen were almost embarrassing.

So, again, sell me on it. What has made it a better game?

Lets see there are the new sector maps which are beautiful. The weekly missions which really are amazing. The replay missions, several of which have new rewards.. The TOS hand weapons, the massive number of new ships, uniforms etc...
The Diplomacy missions are a nice distraction and the new crafting system is so much better than the old.
Really all of the season 3 stuff is way above and beyond what one normally expects for an MMO in the first year.
Then there is the foundry system which is still in beta but shaping up nicely.

My brother is going nuts over the new Gorn ship and is bouncing off the walls waiting for the new Gorn character customization to hit live.

EDIT and by new sector maps I mean all of the sectors were redone.

Hey about the TOS weapons are the ones you get for the devidian weeklies ie the phaser rifle and phaser II going the way of the breen officer?

 

[Aeolusdallas]

Well, I do find that people disagree with my subjective statements a bit more than my objective. So, what have they done to improve it? My experience with it was that I levelled very quickly to RA5 (I believe they've gone beyond that now) and there was no endgame content other than a few dailies that got real old, real fast. I did try the first "episode" of content, but was just as unimpressed.

It's not an all around failure of a game - the ship combat is pretty tight, but it fails in almost every other regard. The away team missions are abysmal, the quests are uninspired, and even the stories that I have seen were almost embarrassing.

So, again, sell me on it. What has made it a better game?

Lets see there are the new sector maps which are beautiful. The weekly missions which really are amazing. The replay missions, several of which have new rewards.. The TOS hand weapons, the massive number of new ships, uniforms etc...
The Diplomacy missions are a nice distraction and the new crafting system is so much better than the old.
Really all of the season 3 stuff is way above and beyond what one normally expects for an MMO in the first year.
Then there is the foundry system which is still in beta but shaping up nicely.

My brother is going nuts over the new Gorn ship and is bouncing off the walls waiting for the new Gorn character customization to hit live.

EDIT and by new sector maps I mean all of the sectors were redone.

Hey about the TOS weapons are the ones you get for the devidian weeklies ie the phaser rifle and phaser II going the way of the breen officer?

No and you get more on replay. It's the staff that is the bonus.

 

[Bird of Prey]

Has anyone encountered an issue where items they post on the exchange just disappear? I was on the official forums, and apparently this has been happening where items expire, but instead of being mailed back to you, they just disappear and you lose them. From what I've read, the devs are aware of this issue, but until it's resolved, I've pulled all my stuff from the exchange.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Lets see there are the new sector maps which are beautiful. The weekly missions which really are amazing. The replay missions, several of which have new rewards.. The TOS hand weapons, the massive number of new ships, uniforms etc...
The Diplomacy missions are a nice distraction and the new crafting system is so much better than the old.
Really all of the season 3 stuff is way above and beyond what one normally expects for an MMO in the first year.
Then there is the foundry system which is still in beta but shaping up nicely.

My brother is going nuts over the new Gorn ship and is bouncing off the walls waiting for the new Gorn character customization to hit live.

EDIT and by new sector maps I mean all of the sectors were redone.

Hey about the TOS weapons are the ones you get for the devidian weeklies ie the phaser rifle and phaser II going the way of the breen officer?

No and you get more on replay. It's the staff that is the bonus.

Cool, I can live with not getting vampire powers, but I was planning on doing a TOS type character at some point.

Has anyone encountered an issue where items they post on the exchange just disappear? I was on the official forums, and apparently this has been happening where items expire, but instead of being mailed back to you, they just disappear and you lose them. From what I've read, the devs are aware of this issue, but until it's resolved, I've pulled all my stuff from the exchange.

Did not know about that, I guess I'll have to wait untill this is fixed before I start selling excess bridge officers on the exchange again.