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Latest "Ask Cryptic" Details Direction of the Game
Rohn
Member UncommonPosts: 3,730
Cryptic has published another "Ask Cryptic" blog, in which they talk about some of the things coming with Season 6, like enhancements to Fleet functionality and Fleet-owned starbases and updates to The Foundry, as well as giving more insight into the continuing development of the KDF faction.
The Romulan faction, alas, still appears to be far away....
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Comments
More generalities , more, please wait , it's basically the same song and dance. In case you missed it the first paragraph, this said it all.
"Longer term improvements to the Foundry that will come post Neverwinter launch " , and yes while he is speaking about foundry, this has been a typical pattern of behavior of Cryptic. They can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time. So in a nutshell NwN gets priority and this game will continue to get drips of content.
Also , I'm still stunned people whine about Romulan content when Cryptic can't even produce a 2 faction game. A third faction would would end up being a loading screen and customization, at the rate Cryptic does things.
There's been a pretty good rate of content release over the last few months, which is a good thing. Of course, it's never fast enough, for any game, when looking forward to new content.
Heretic gave some insights into the overall plan for starbases and fleet advancement:
"We are in the process of finalizing the basic framework for starbases and fleet advancement. Once this is done and settled internally, we will be able to speak about it much more freely.
The goals for the system include:
Provides for long-term endgame advancement
Fair for both small and large fleets
Fair for both casual and hardcore fleets
Creates a foundation upon which can be potentially built things like territorial control
Create significant opportunities for additional endgame play
Provide additional use for many existing resources including Energy Credits, Dilithium, Commodities, Duty Officers, etc.
Integrates with the duty officer system
Allows for differentiation between fleets
Directly rewards personal contributions to the fleet
Provides a low barrier to entry
Provides functional gameplay both for fleet leaders and also for every member of a fleet
The above list is not complete; this is a very complicated piece of functional design with a lot of moving pieces that touches literally every part of the development team and a significant majority of existing gameplay in one way or the other.
While we are not at a place right now where we can talk about any specifics of the system, the system is big enough that it will roll out over multiple seasons with each season building on the one before it. In other words, we have a longterm path that has a lot of dependencies, each of which we have to develop, refine, test and tune before we move on to the next part."
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showpost.php?p=4147129&postcount=88
Looks like they are taking it in a good direction, and one that will enhance the long-term playability of the game.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Such as? 1 FE series that took over a year to get out? I would not categorize that as a "good rate" by any stretch of the imagination.
To comapre, Paragon Studios has done far better with releasing regular content updates with a staff of comparable size to Cryptic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Heroes#Updates_and_history). They also continued to release content updates while converting the game into a F2P model.
I would also take any statement about Fleet Starbases with a grain of salt. I can say from experience from City of Heroes that no matter what system they come up with for Fleets (as with Supergroups in CoH), it will not be fair to fleets of all sizes and types. I will almost guarantee that Fleet starbases will involve a grind that will make the STF grind for MK XII gear pale in comparison.
There's been more added than that since the start of Season 5 - why try to make it look otherwise?
It's more than just the 5 part Feature Episode, which was quite good.
Starting back in December with S5, they added 9 new/variant KDF ships, and the Fed Sao Paolo.
They also added the (huge) Duty Officer system at that time, which they have continually expanded.
Since that time, they successfully transitioned to F2P.
Other items of note:
Added the Odyssey and Bortas ships in an in-game event.
Added officer contacts to the interior of ships.
Added 20+ missions to the Defera Borg Invasion Zone event.
Added Dilithium mining in EVA suits, introduced in an event.
Added the KDF-only "Alpha" episode (which is outstanding), and overhauled Fed Minefield Fleet Action for the KDF. (the Romulan Temple FA has also been cleaned up for both factions).
First Contact Day event at Utopia Planitia, with pet Phoenix, and UP map has been added to the Foundry set.
Added 800-day veteran rewards.
Additionally, the game has been localized for French and German.
I should also mention the scores and scores of very good user-generated missions that have come out during that time, which is a the beauty of designing and implementing something like the Foundry - it satisfies those that love to design missions, as well as those that like to play them.
These are off the top of my head, I've probably omitted a thing or two.
Again, there's been a pretty good, steady release of content - not overwhelming, but steady, and certainly more than "one FE series in a year".
As far as the fleet advancement systems, no doubt it'll be the foundation that's laid with Season 6, but from what they are saying, it looks like they intend to build quite a variety of content from that foundation. It's good that they are developing a solid roadmap toward that end.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Sure, if you count C-Store items as "content", then yes, Cryptic has cranked out "content" at breakneck speed. If you consider "content" as something other than UGC or brainless button clicking (eg. DOFF system), they have done very little.
LOL. Take a look at the list again. The only thing listed there that required the C-Store were some of the ships. Everything else was free, or the result of a continued subscription.
DOFF system. Free, huge, and a lot of fun as they add Chains and other rewards. Innovative within the genre as well.
New Featured Episodes. Free.
New Borg Invasion Zone content. Free.
Odyssey and Bortas event. Free.
New KDF episode. Free (and really good).
Reworked Fleet Actions. Free.
Officers on the ship interiors (and elsewhere in the game). Free.
Dilitium mining. Free.
Utopia Planitia and Phoenix pet (and IDIC tribble). Free.
Access to tons of user-generated missions. Free, and a feature that players enjoy.
It's amusing as the C-Store keeps being toted out, because it's a horribly exaggerated and deceptive criticism. Not everything has to do with the cash shop.
Of course, everything in the C-Store is available to everyone, provided they just play the game, and earn dilithium to trade for C-points via the in-game Exchange. It'll take some time, but everything is earnable by anyone.
As I stated, it's not an enormous flood of content, but it has been a steady stream, and a far cry from the "one FE in a year" nonsense.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
I've been enjoying the game but I just wish they'd release more than one-time content. All the new episodes are ok and all but why not spend the resources on continual systems? More depth etc.?
I suppose it's a little too late for that dream, it is what it is. Still fun but could be so much better, great even.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky
I think this best captures these posts. I would just insert STO for Life's.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28
Most games need to do a better job of adding meaningful, self-perpetuating content systems, in my opinion, especially the themeparks. That's why I'm such a fan of sandbox style games.
I think the DOFF system is a pretty good, longer-term system that can help fill that type of role as it continues to develop. More than that, I think the Fleet Advancement system, and fleet starbases, that are talked about in the "Ask Cryptic" listed in this thread, are being designed specifically to fill that type of role, in that it appears that things like exploration, colonization, and territorial control will be tied directly to it.
It won't happen overnight, but I think it's a good direction for the game.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Yeah, some good ideas there but my major concern with their development team is their "soon/coming/sometime/working on it" mentality. It's always "in the future".
I was reading the Q&A where the log in system had been bothering him for years yet it still hasn't been fixed. Years! That's unacceptable. I don't have much faith in them getting these features implemented without an attitude adjustment from the top down.
We'll see. Maybe we'll get lucky...some day.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky
If you define "fun" as mindlessly clicking a button without having to go anywhere or do anything, then yes, I would agree the DOFF system is "fun".
Cryptic did not make any of those UGC missions, so with regard to the "steady flow of updates" this part of your argument is extremely weak.
Every so often a CDF 'er pops in and tries to convince the world that this game is the greatest thing since sliced bread and what a wonderful company Cryptic is and what a great job they are doing. While granted they are making improvements , it's about all they can do since the game was poorly designed and so badly abused under Cryptics care. You're entitled to your opinion , but far to many people here are familar with what's gone on in the game and with it. Enjoy the F2P aspect , but don't give them a penny .
Meh. Content is something that some of the people on the STO boards can't agree upon. Take
this thread for example. There are different opinions on content, and some of what you include in your post doesn't qualify, according to who you ask. Is it missions? Is it c-store stuff? Is it everything added to the game? Is it player made foundry missions? Why and why not?
I happen to agree with this guy
and Superchum.
So, while you say that STO has added a good amount of content, I have to ask: Are you sure about that?
How is the "One FE a year" statement nonsense when the EP of STO (before Stahl came back) said something to the affect that 2 FE's a year is about all to expect, and anything more is pushing it? I mean, that came from the horses mouth at the time.
I guess it remains to be seen how many FE's Cryptic can or will push out since the return of Stahl.
Same here. Not sure you can really count the DOFF system either as it requires no real thought, strategy or effort.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Simply put, FEs are not the only type of content that can be added, or has been added.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Simply put, FEs are not the only type of content that can be added, or has been added.
Ok, I see what you were getting at in your other statement. Reading comprehension fail on my part, I admit.
You are really trying to compare well designed endgame raiding to the DOFF system? Please, enlighten us to the strategy needed for a DOFF mission.
Paragon Studios had UGC up and running in City of Heroes years ago. There is an enormous difference between a game with tons of well written and immersive mission/quest content that offers UGC as an option vs. a game with piddly amounts of mission content that relies heavily on UGC.
Well I for one think Crytic is heading in the right direction with their content updates and look foward to the rest they have planned. Certainly isn't a lack of Peeps playing the game so I'm guessing others feel the same way.
Since this game released those that wanted something other than what Crytic made have stated this was the worse game ever made and called for doom and gloom. Instead the game goes on and I still feel their hatred in their posts, think they felt crytic designed this game just to piss them off lol.
I felt from the beginning and still today that Crytic can greatly improve on the game, and in fact has done so since it released. Improvement is the nature of a MMO and as this game matures we will see even more improvements to its game play. One thing to remember was this game was designed to be in a time of war and not the peaceful exploration type of game many had hoped for. This game will never be that and should not even try to go down that line in my opinion.
Ooooh so much negativity, i wonder if some of you have actually played the game recently. Out of all the MMOs out there these days STO is still the most enjoyable for me since it's launch, and i've tried loads out of boredom.
Things are going in a good direction wether it's slow or fast, it's still moving. the devs have said themselves the FTP transitrion took up a lot of their time if not all of it and now thats done they can concentrate on adding things, they've even added another team for adding more things.
That's a huge steaming pile of dung . What took up there time was awaiting the formal transfer of property to PWI. Atari wasn't going to drop a single plug cent on this game . They were in legal limbo. Cryptic accomplished the conversion of CO in far less time then they claim it took for STO. Same game, just reskinned basically . The truth of the matter is that PWI was not happy with Cryptic's way of doing things. This was exhibited by staff turnover and the scrapping of the version, to be released in 2011/2 ( i've forgotten the pre-PWI release date ) , of Neverwinter , which was sent back to the drawing boards. While there is hope for Neverwinter , STO is and will remain a poorly planned, hastily designed reskinned version of CO on an outdated engine. They may throw bells and whistle in for good measure to hide the deficiencies, but no amount of make-up will cover the worts of this game.
Neverwinter was in no way sent to the drawing board, what a load of crap. They improved upon various features to expand upon and make it more immersive. This can be attributed that they had some backing to really polish the game and not a rushed product that is the standard fare of all things Atari.
Yes, yes it was "sent back to the drawing board" in the sense that PWE told Cryptic to develop Neverwinter as an MMO and not as an Online Co-op RPG. Jack Emmert originally referred to the game style as an OMG, or Online Multiplayer Game. Originally, the game was not meant to be an MMO in the traditional sense. PWE later stepped in after they acquired Cryptic and changed the development direction of the game.
Link to the Emmert Article.
OMG-Neverwinter
I have, just last week for an hour. The game still stinks, just like it did last month and the last year before that.
I call BS on that one too. Paragon Studios has a comparable sized development team (if not smaller) and they managed to take City of Heroes F2P while still cranking out regular mission content updates among other things. It is more likely Cryptic
did not know if they would find an investor/buyer, so held off on spnending any money while waiting to see if they would last another six months.
The more likely scenario is that PWE wants another content light, heavy cash grab fest of a game like STO and CO.