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Star Trek Online: Exclusive Q&A and Screens!
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
Today MMORPG.com is proud to present two of the first screenshots of Star Trek Online and an exclusive interview with Daron Stinnett, the Producer of Perpetual's flagship title. You can view both images below, then read on to see what Daron has to say.
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MMORPG.com: By choosing to do space and land-based content, youre essentially making two games. Can you talk about your general goals in regards to the land-based aspects of the game? Daron Stinnett: We're committed to doing both space and ground for Star Trek Online because it is the right thing to do. But you're right to point this out as a challenge for the development team. Building two games at once is hardly a recipe for success, so we've put a lot of effort into figuring out how to unify the mechanics between the two environments, while maintaining the unique flavor of each. We also want to avoid creating two kinds of games from the player perspective, so we are building a world where players will feel equally capable in either arena. Just as it is in the series, we expect player characters to move freely between the two environments. This will enable us to weave space and ground gameplay together in a single mission. For example, its not hard to imagine mission that takes place within a derelict Borg Cube that allows the player to complete that mission either on foot or by ship, or a combination of both. The possibilities are endless and we're planning on giving players a lot more mission variety than they are used to. |
To read the full interview click here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Nice interview. I love the picture of the officer looking into space.
Now I am just dying to see some Space Combat screen shots!
- Ztrike
"This is not a game to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force"
That was a very good interview. I can't wait to play!
Make a difference!
What I really like about this interview is the level of candour coming from STO boss Daron Stinett. His mindset and way of expressing himself is free of all that shrewdness and marketing jargon that one frequently hears over at SOE. I was especially impressed by the following statement in the interview:
" We are committed to do both space and ground for Star Trek Online because it is the right thing to do... building two games at once is hardly a recipe for success so we've put alot of effort into figuring out how to unify the mechanics between the two environments, while maintaining the unique flavor of each".
Impressive!!! It's certainly not every day you read this. Many executives are terrified at the prospect of going out to the public and saying: " hey look, this might crash and burn, but we're going for it anyway". Most companies play it safe and when they don't they sure as
don't come out saying they messed up. Just look at SWG CU+NGE, heh.
I'm very hopeful and right after this post I'm warping over to Perpetual Entertainment HQ requesting we go to red alert and shields up!!!
Can't make too much out of these screen shots, but it looks like they are going with the TNG look and later, especially since they talk of 'borg direlict', so I guess that means I won't be playing this game since there is only one Star Trek to me, and that's the original series and everything else is just a cheap copy with the 'Star Trek' label on it.
Looks like the game makers obviously want to ignore TOS, so they are alienating a lot of fans, I don't know how many. Not everyone might be turned off by the era the game is being obviously placed in, but it does affect my decision not to ever play this online game.
To each there own, but looks like this game is being made for fans of the later copy cats of the original series that is the foundation for all of them. You'd think the original series would be honored in some way for being the foundation, rather than ignored and pushed aside.
I am really looking forward to this game, i am in some sort a Star Trek fan, i like the Voyager series + i like the BORG..
To bad that the beta wont be untill next year, i want to play it now.. hahaha
Really looking forward, and really REALLY want to play this..
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.
It's been established that the game is set 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis.
As far as ignoring TOS, that's not completely true. I remember reading that established uniforms will be available, and it alluded towards there being instances where you would be thrown back in time for a mission. This is exciting to me because I, like you, like the original above all the other series (although I do like TNG and DS9, they are good in their own way but they can't hold a candle to the original).
I definitely see where you're coming from, that they're ignoring TOS. It would be very awesome to have this in the TOS-era, but it wouldn't make for a very creative game because starship designs and uniforms and the storyline would already be pretty much established. And then you'd also be screwing with the history. I think it's better that they're starting out fresh, it means they get to put in their own ideas and really create something.
I don't think it's really fair to compare any of the latter Trek series to the original, nor do I think it's fair to call them all "copy cats" when Gene Roddenberry had a big role in creating TNG. Maybe DS9 and everything after that, but not TNG. My 2 cents.
And those screen shots are nice. We've seen this vulcan woman in 2 so far, but we've yet to see her face. I'm so curious.
Even if she is Vulcan, I bet I can get her to go out on a date with me! HAHAHAHAHAHA..."say, what's an emotionless chic like you doing in a human-filled emotional place like this?"
Like my pickup line?
or how about this one
"hi, I'm experiencing some pawn far, wanna help save my life?" (ya, i didn't wanna bother to spell it right)
j/k
Faxx
As much as I like Star Trek and want this game to be amazing, I highly doubt it will be. PVP being limited to holodecks and space combat that is 2D with "out of plane maneuvers" is absurd. 3D flight is not hard to learn!
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
Seems interesting. As long as they don't stuff their heads in the sand and go all PR I'll continue following the game.
Hmmm, I got a lot of positive from that interview, and the screen shots have only increased my anticipation. But what you've just mentioned I must confess is also my big concern. Personally I'm quite happy to start out in starfleet, but I know a lot of people who would prefer a freer role, than having a militay style heriarchy, who want to trade and pirate their way to wealth, who want to PVP. Yes, im sure future expansions will deal with this, but as you say, that will mean for many, starting over again from fresh, and of course they'll be up against star fleet characters of far higher level and rank. Still wait and see. Factions is a majot issue, there are SO many people wanting to play genuine Klingons not some Starfleet watered down version, and then there are so many other possibilities. Ferengi, Romulan, Cardassian etc. I still think this game will be a game I truly love playing, but you've raised a great many of my lingering concerns...
Hmmm, I got a lot of positive from that interview, and the screen shots have only increased my anticipation. But what you've just mentioned I must confess is also my big concern. Personally I'm quite happy to start out in starfleet, but I know a lot of people who would prefer a freer role, than having a militay style heriarchy, who want to trade and pirate their way to wealth, who want to PVP. Yes, im sure future expansions will deal with this, but as you say, that will mean for many, starting over again from fresh, and of course they'll be up against star fleet characters of far higher level and rank. Still wait and see. Factions is a majot issue, there are SO many people wanting to play genuine Klingons not some Starfleet watered down version, and then there are so many other possibilities. Ferengi, Romulan, Cardassian etc. I still think this game will be a game I truly love playing, but you've raised a great many of my lingering concerns...
I am waiting to see but I already have my suspicions about how the game will turn out. It is kind of clear when SOE is putting their hand in on the project and the game itself has already suffered major setbacks forceing it to be withheld another year. Not to mention their original date for an official on-site forum was removed as well. In the end it just boils down to the fact that they are becomeing more like SOE & SWG everyday makeing one mistake after another and just blowing off the players.
For right now I would like quality over quantity. To make an opposing faction or factions would stray away from the quality of starfleet and the depth taken to it. City of Heros came out and a lot of people wanted to be villains. Eventually City of Villains came out, and from my experience, the PvP areas are pretty balanced. CoH had arenas to satisfy the PvP hunger and eventually came out with CoV as the solution and as a perk. Not to say this is how it might happen but this is an example of providing one side over the other just to establish some footing. STO said they will have halodecks for the pvp. I don't think that will be the final solution. Just give them time to get their base. Its an MMOG, give it time they're still developing, updates and expansions are inevitable. It looks like they have some smart people planning this complex theme out, and to ignore pvp would be ignorant.
I'm really happy to see the guys over at PE giving some credit to their fan base. STO is going to be a very big deal if for no other reason than because of it's ties to Star Trek. The challenges of creating a game that holds true to the Trekkies out there and makes a fan out of those that are only interested in a new MMO will be very difficult to manage. Mr. Stinnett's comments about listening to what the community has to say and responding to it is very reassuring and makes me even more sure that STO will be one of those MMO's that can redefine the genre.
Yup, no matter how good it looks, I am not touchig it if SOE take over. I do not want to spend my time with it, if they decide to once again destroy the game a year os so down the line, because some clueless suit thinks he knows better than real developers
"This is not a game to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force"
I have no clue what the future will hold, but SOE has no deal with Perpetual in regards to Star Trek Online.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
He I'm a big fan of TOS too, but what you have to understand is we are simply outnumbered by the youngsters who grew up watching STNG. Many of them think the old series was just overly camp 1960's nonsense and the only way to address that is to nail them to a chair and make them watch some of the better episodes. Preferably the whole three series if you can manage that (except The Way to Eden - nobody should EVER watch that episode :-) If you could only make them watch one episode, for my money the episode most likely to convert would be Emmy ward winner "The City On The Edge Of Forever"
But to return to the matter you raised, it's a simple question of economics. If they modeled it on the old series fewer people would want to play it.
Yup, bottom line its a business. Theyre going to do whatever makes the most money. Theyre going to make it for the most amounts of people that are going to play it. Its the same aim game publishers go for; maybe 10 of 100 people who play games might be hardcore gamers, if that. Who would you make your game for, the 10 or the 90 people? Of course its not black and white like that, but its gets the concept across.
Though its not like the developers are turning their backs to the fan base. They've got to answer to whoever is paying them and QA. Even though forums are sort of like an unofficial QA.