CAG Star Trek Online Fleet/game discussion thread

I'm having serious doubts about this game. Been playing beta and cryptic is a) already making some really bad decisions b) not allowing themselves enough time to even finish the game let alone fix the massive amount of bugs that are in beta (the worse ive seen in any retail beta by far). Don't get me wrong, I really like what I was playing (when the servers were up and playable which is getting pretty rare...) but they really need to delay the game or it is gonna turn into another hellgate london I'm afraid.
 
[quote name='bywaytm']You could always go to best buy and get a preorder case from the pc section. It has a beta key inside.
[/QUOTE]


Cool, thanks for the heads up :)
 
Ever since they opened up the beta, I haven't been able to login. My co-workers have been able to, but that's because they persistently sit there and keep re-trying over and over until they get in. I just don't have time for that shit. Apparently, Cryptic/Atari would rather just get the game out in stores instead of making sure I can even get in to play the damn game. It's ridiculous.
 
I'm still waiting for a dedicated, non MMO Star Trek or Star Wars console game where I can play against others in massive space battles. Thus far it seems that unless you're willing to pimp out your PC to run the latest n greatest games and use that to play those games, you're SOL.
 
Thanks for the consolidated info. I didn't even realize I was getting $10 back on my Amazon order heh. Must've just added that recently.

There's a shocking amount of hate over the lifetime subscription option. It's just an option though, you don't have to choose it and can just go monthly. Even in an MMO I didn't particularly like (EVE), I ended up playing for at least 2 years. I would've saved a nice amount of money if they had a lifetime option. Same thing with WoW...damn I would've saved big there. My MMO "attention span" is at least 2 years for solid games and I enjoy this one, so the lifetime sub probably makes sense.

It doesn't feel like a hardcore game where I have to play every day, so I can squeeze in Bioware's game when it comes out also. Thankfully I have at least a year before I get crushed by that MMO. Woe to my growing stack of unplayed non-MMO games. I'll have to make it a point to make a few non-MMO gaming days so I can still make some headway. Time is your greatest enemy in gaming, just not enough of it :(
 
[quote name='starkillr']
There's a shocking amount of hate over the lifetime subscription option. It's just an option though, you don't have to choose it and can just go monthly. Even in an MMO I didn't particularly like (EVE), I ended up playing for at least 2 years. I would've saved a nice amount of money if they had a lifetime option. Same thing with WoW...damn I would've saved big there. My MMO "attention span" is at least 2 years for solid games and I enjoy this one, so the lifetime sub probably makes sense.
[/QUOTE]

Your post warms my heart! Yes, anyone who sees them offering a lifetime subscription as a bad thing is just nuts. All the regular MMO payment options are there. Do these people pop into every MMO thread and complain about MMOs in general?

This game seems to be a very authentic Star Trek experience, and none of the people who complained about the beta even compared it to the source material. I agree that the open beta should be performing better, but I expect the game to run much better at launch.

[quote name='gettinmoney662']Hahah, such nerds.[/QUOTE]

You knew that was stupid before you wrote it, so you should feel doubly ashamed.
 
I was excited when I first heard about this game until I visited the official site and noticed it was Cryptic Studios behind the development. Being part of their City of Heroes/Villains franchise for +4 years I know for a fact they really sucked with their content updates. Most of the time they pushed out content that was: very unappealing, a revamp of already available content or a lack of what the community desired. In the end they just sold off the franchise to NCsoft.

Even though they left a bad taste in my mouth I'll try to give the game a go, but won't expect much from it at all.
 
[quote name='CaptDS9E']Says the guy on Video Game board[/QUOTE]

Exactly. It never ceases to amaze me how many people around here are quick throw around words like "nerd" and "geek," as if playing video games weren't those things. Instead of insulting others, maybe they should go take a look in the mirror.
 
I'm trying hard to like this game, but so far, it doesn't hold my interest too well. The graphics are good, though.

I just want Old Republic to come out already... :p
 
[quote name='eastx']Dang, I was hoping somebody'd be interested in Star Trek Online. At least there was some discussion, though.[/QUOTE]
Hey, I'm interested in STO. But I've already got my pre-order and lifetime sub, so I don't have much to say. I appreciate the work you put into the OP though, very thorough. :applause:
 
[quote name='friedram']I got into the Beta, played it - and I'm not buying this game. In fact to be honest, I'm I doubt that I'll even continue to play it for free right now. Just isn't fun.[/QUOTE]

Same here. I thought it was pretty terrible.
 
I really wish all of the cool shit from preorders wasn't so spread out between retailers. There's a LOT of cool items up for grabs, all of which could be inaccessible in the game under normal circumstances depending on how "exclusive" they decide to make them.
 
I agree. You can't even buy the game from 2 places, keep both preorder bonuses, and sell the extra copy of the game - the bonuses are tied to the code that comes with each game.

Which bonuses are you interested in, Walrus? I'm probably buying the game through Steam because that's what I do, but the GameStop Constitution-class ship seems like the best one.
 
I'm getting a kick out of those who've tried the beta and didn't like it. I ask them such questions as:

Q: How long did you play?
A: 1 hour

Q: What didn't you like?
A: The game was too slow, especially the space combat.

Q: What did you think about the graphics?
A: They sucked.

Other comments:

"I have only two attacks during ground combat." (at level 1, mind you)

I'm sorry, but if someone's going to give the beta only one hour of play (which means he didn't get past level 1) and make those comments, then his opinion means squat to me. Personally, I'm enjoying the beta and considering purchasing a lifetime sub, and I'm glad they made such a sub option available.
 
[quote name='Mysterio']I'm getting a kick out of those who've tried the beta and didn't like it. I ask them such questions as:

Q: How long did you play?
A: 1 hour

Q: What didn't you like?
A: The game was too slow, especially the space combat.

Q: What did you think about the graphics?
A: They sucked.

Other comments:

"I have only two attacks during ground combat." (at level 1, mind you)

I'm sorry, but if someone's going to give the beta only one hour of play (which means he didn't get past level 1) and make those comments, then his opinion means squat to me. Personally, I'm enjoying the beta and considering purchasing a lifetime sub, and I'm glad they made such a sub option available.[/QUOTE]

Don't label us with a random post you found on the net. Ive personally put in 20h so far and will at least go through the free month with the box, but the game is in a terrible shape right now for a beta that will lead to retail in less than 2 weeks. Judging from the official forums, a whole slew of people share my concerns with the future of this game.
 
[quote name='kosmos13x']Don't label us with a random post you found on the net. Ive personally put in 20h so far and will at least go through the free month with the box, but the game is in a terrible shape right now for a beta that will lead to retail in less than 2 weeks. Judging from the official forums, a whole slew of people share my concerns with the future of this game.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the game is awful. I can't believe it wasn't delayed.

My computer is good enough to run Dragon Age really well despite pushing it. Looks great, plays great, things do what you expect them to, etc.

Now, I know Star Trek Online is an MMO and that makes it less stable by the nature of it, but it is horribly laggy and the characters move SO AWKWARDLY. Why can't we mouse-click where we want them to go? You seriously have to make your character sidestep and overrun things all the time. It took so long just to do menial tasks.

The framework for the game isn't bad, but the execution is awful. Sadly it's a case of a no-name studio spending all its money on the license, it seems.

DO NOT buy a long subscription for this. Wait it out. If you're patient, you'll know in a few months if it has improved and is worth it.

Me, I'm saving my money for Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO.
 
Going to concur with the others who said the game isn't that good so far. I haven't had a ton of time to play it, but the opening area at least is *really* mediocre, and the bugs are pretty bad for a game 2 weeks away from release (lol at beaming down to the planet AS my ship).

It doesn't help that the UI isn't very good and not much is properly explained to the player (I still don't know what leveling up actually does... I was able to spend skill points in things like "Engineers" and "Science Officers" but there is no real explanation of what this means).

I also still want an explanation on why, to beam a Borg out of the ship and into a hull breach, I need to use one console to beam him out, then go to a completely different room to re-materialize him. Every single Star Trek episode and movie tells me that is bullcrap - transporter controls should all be on the same console. I keep finding little things like that which bug the crap out of me.
 
[quote name='kosmos13x']Don't label us with a random post you found on the net. [/QUOTE]

Evidently, you failed to read what I wrote, namely, "I ask them such questions as." :roll:
 
The tutorial is utter garbage for STO. It will be a huge turn off for new players. I felt the exact same as Warlock when I first tried it. Once I got out of that horrible trash of an experience and played a little more, I figured things out. I'm still learning, but I completely agree that things are very poorly explained and the tutorial has way too much going on.

Why do we need to see everyone else running around in the tutorial? Why is it "insta-battle time" tutorial? Why couldn't it have been, you're about to graduate from the academy, here's a final test that runs you through some basic shit? Then they can throw you to the wolves. I don't understand why they don't explain the skills better. All they have to do is say in a text box: This skill will provide a bonus to X, this numerical value means that torpedo damage will increase by this amount (for example). Once you get past the epic-fail that is the tutorial, I think people will generally enjoy it. Particularly fans of the license.
 
[quote name='eastx']I agree. You can't even buy the game from 2 places, keep both preorder bonuses, and sell the extra copy of the game - the bonuses are tied to the code that comes with each game.[/QUOTE]
They might -- and this is complete speculation -- end up selling some of the bonus items in their online store. They haven't done this in Champions, but the pre-order stuff for that game was all cosmetic.
 
[quote name='Mysterio']I'm getting a kick out of those who've tried the beta and didn't like it. I ask them such questions as:

Q: How long did you play?
A: 1 hour

Q: What didn't you like?
A: The game was too slow, especially the space combat.

Q: What did you think about the graphics?
A: They sucked.

Other comments:

"I have only two attacks during ground combat." (at level 1, mind you)

I'm sorry, but if someone's going to give the beta only one hour of play (which means he didn't get past level 1) and make those comments, then his opinion means squat to me. Personally, I'm enjoying the beta and considering purchasing a lifetime sub, and I'm glad they made such a sub option available.[/QUOTE]

Awesome, I really don't give two flying shits if my opinion maters to you or not. If this game rocks, then awesome- it's not like any of us actively want this game to suck ass - I played the beta and really really wanted to say - holy shit - now I have to buy this game, this sucks!

The only MMO that ever pulled me in was WOW - I was in from day 1 since Blizzard = quality. I played the beta of that before I pre-ordered at a buddies house- and in the fucking BETA - at LEVEL 1 - I went from - meh- I might be interested to OMG - I'm getting all my friends to join NOWZ!

You have to capture people at level 1 - you MUST. If you don't it doesn't mater how awesome your end game is- if the first 2 hours of game isn't pure awesome, then you have failed.

But you didn't read this since my opinion doesn't mater - no worries- fortunately someone else is going to read this and not buy this steaming pile of dog poo because of what I, and others think - at least until it gets officially reviewed and AT MAX - gets a bunch of 60% ratings - and that only because it's STAR TREK.

I freaking own the entire DS9 DVD collection - I'm a huge nerd - but I've bought enough shitty games in the past that I don't need a monthly fee shitty game to add to the mix.

My 4 cents.
 
I think the only thing that I'm kind of liking so far is the space battles. It does feel like the pacing and atmosphere of the show's mythology, at least. The away missions are your standard third person MMO fare. I'm trying really hard to give the game a chance, but even Champions did a better job of suck(er)ing me during beta.

On the flip side, my co-workers are loving it... :p
 
[quote name='friedram']You have to capture people at level 1 - you MUST. If you don't it doesn't mater how awesome your end game is- if the first 2 hours of game isn't pure awesome, then you have failed.[/QUOTE]

Wrong. I have spoken with many beta players who thought the first few levels were lackluster, but are now fully endorsing the game, some of whom have already pre-ordered and purchased the lifetime sub. I'll reiterate: if you've played the beta for only an hour or not past level 1, then your opinion means squat to me. Don't take it personally, since I'm not required to find your opinion meaningful. :)
 
[quote name='Mysterio']Wrong. I have spoken with many beta players who thought the first few levels were lackluster, but are now fully endorsing the game, some of whom have already pre-ordered and purchased the lifetime sub. I'll reiterate: if you've played the beta for only an hour or not past level 1, then your opinion means squat to me. Don't take it personally, since I'm not required to find your opinion meaningful. :)[/QUOTE]

Again don't think your getting the point, but that's cool if our opinion doesn't matter to you and you can still sleep at night *shrugs*

I do disagree that in the general bases of people not right to form opinions even for only 1 hour of gameplay. You have to realize that for a lot of things, not just games, first impressions are probably one of the most important factors. Hand a game to a person with a poor tutorial, very broken game mechanics, very poorly optimized code, and just buggy galore in general, thats gonna turn away a lot of people no matter how good or bad the game might be 20 hours down the road. MMO = time and money. With the vast variety of choices out there, you can't get by delivering a mediocre so so product and tell people "oh don't worry it gets better down the road i guess".

on another note

I think the point a lot of us are trying to make is that we actually want to see this game to succeed, but we also don't think right now is the best time to release the game in its current state especially since deadline is around the corner. The game definitely needs at least a couple more development time (and possibly a longer and much better functioning open beta). Right now, it just seems that the game is "just good enough" to release it and collect on the money the box copies will make (and depend on the hardcore trekkies to keep it alive). I've seen many mmos go down this route (mxo, AoC, WAR, etc) and it did not go well for them in the end in relations to offering promising future.
 
It's a beta - not the final game. Yeah, the real game needs to be meaningful and impressive from the get-go (even though many fine games start out slow and eventually pick up). But the purpose of this beta is to test the servers and get player feedback on some of the systems. The real game will be different and far more complete than what's presented in the beta.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']There are many games (and films and books) that start off slow. It's called pacing.[/QUOTE]
Unless you are a Hollywood bigshot making movies for the general masses, who all seem to have ADD and wouldn't know a good movie if it bit them in the ass. Sorry, been having a discussion for the past 2 weeks with people about how idiotic Hollywood is. My primary ignition point has been the remaking of Death at a Funeral.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm still debating the lifetime. I'm just worried about Cryptic's track record.
 
[quote name='eastx']It's a beta - not the final game. Yeah, the real game needs to be meaningful and impressive from the get-go (even though many fine games start out slow and eventually pick up). But the purpose of this beta is to test the servers and get player feedback on some of the systems. The real game will be different and far more complete than what's presented in the beta.[/QUOTE]

They are going to complete the game in two weeks? That would be an amazing feat.
 
[quote name='eastx']It's a beta - not the final game. Yeah, the real game needs to be meaningful and impressive from the get-go (even though many fine games start out slow and eventually pick up). But the purpose of this beta is to test the servers and get player feedback on some of the systems. The real game will be different and far more complete than what's presented in the beta.[/QUOTE]

Bingo!

[quote name='Warlock82']They are going to complete the game in two weeks? That would be an amazing feat.[/QUOTE]

Just because you don't see it in the open beta doesn't mean Cryptic isn't using a later build internally to which open beta testers don't have access, which is quite common. As a result, the game will change a lot in a short period of time between now and the release date.
 
[quote name='eastx']It's a beta - not the final game. Yeah, the real game needs to be meaningful and impressive from the get-go (even though many fine games start out slow and eventually pick up). But the purpose of this beta is to test the servers and get player feedback on some of the systems. The real game will be different and far more complete than what's presented in the beta.[/QUOTE]

http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/the-ultimate-deflection-shield-its-in-beta/

Sorry, had to. :)
 
I have played for a few days, maybe 4 or 5 different times, have seen numerous issues, but nothing to lead me to call the game a failure. Never had trouble getting in either. Only crashes happen when I try to mess with video card settings, but not all the time.
 
[quote name='Mysterio']Bingo!

Just because you don't see it in the open beta doesn't mean Cryptic isn't using a later build internally to which open beta testers don't have access, which is quite common. As a result, the game will change a lot in a short period of time between now and the release date.[/QUOTE]

This *NEVER* happens. I have seen enough betas to know. Hell, even WoW went out the door unfinished as hell, but the bugs and content holes were not nearly as bad as here (although I still feel really sorry for Azshara... poor zone has about 3 quests...). And the *opening areas* were polished like crazy.

But yes, that link is pretty much accurate.
 
Cryptic has to rework levels 1-11. It's complete garbage. The game doesn't open up till you get rank Lt.Cmdr. and get your Tier 2 ship. From their it's a completely different game. You no longer have the slow ass weak light-cruiser they give you in the tutorial.

My confidence in the game went up after reading this article release by Cryptic. It seems they have their eye on the ball.

http://www.startrekonline.com/node/899

The only other big suggestion is that they revamp Sector Space and integrate it into your ship's bridge. In it's current state your own ship's bridge is completely pointless. You can't even access the replicator! What a huge oversight.

The game will be supported by the hardcore Trekkers but for casual fans most will be turned away by the unfriendly beginning levels.

Episodes arcs like "The Kuvagh' Mah" and "City on The Edge of Never" really show that this game has so much potential. Too bad most won't stick around in the Open Beta long enough to experience it.
 
[quote name='Frogurt.man']Cryptic has to rework levels 1-11. It's complete garbage. The game doesn't open up till you get rank Lt.Cmdr. and get your Tier 2 ship. From their it's a completely different game. You no longer have the slow ass weak light-cruiser they give you in the tutorial.

My confidence in the game went up after reading this article release by Cryptic. It seems they have their eye on the ball.

http://www.startrekonline.com/node/899

The only other big suggestion is that they revamp Sector Space and integrate it into your ship's bridge. In it's current state your own ship's bridge is completely pointless. You can't even access the replicator! What a huge oversight.

The game will be supported by the hardcore Trekkers but for casual fans most will be turned away by the unfriendly beginning levels.

Episodes arcs like "The Kuvagh' Mah" and "City on The Edge of Never" really show that this game has so much potential. Too bad most won't stick around in the Open Beta long enough to experience it.[/QUOTE]

Well that is good to hear about the UI. That's one of the game's major problems IMO. But yeah, like you said, they need to improve the early levels if they want to hook more people. I'll have to play it some more and see if they fixed anything since the last time.
 
[quote name='Gothic Walrus']I really wish all of the cool shit from preorders wasn't so spread out between retailers. There's a LOT of cool items up for grabs, all of which could be inaccessible in the game under normal circumstances depending on how "exclusive" they decide to make them.[/QUOTE]

I agree, there is a lot of cool things. Luckily if you read the pre-order faq it sounds like they are thinking about making them available as micro transactions down the road.

Q: Will the exclusives be offered as a microtransaction?
A: Not at launch, but somewhere down the road we may offer to let people purchases these if they did not pre-order.

So, I will give it 6 months to a year, if its still going strong, to get some very needed polish and check it out then (and the pre-order items will probably be available then)

[quote name='eastx']I agree. You can't even buy the game from 2 places, keep both preorder bonuses, and sell the extra copy of the game - the bonuses are tied to the code that comes with each game.

Which bonuses are you interested in, Walrus? I'm probably buying the game through Steam because that's what I do, but the GameStop Constitution-class ship seems like the best one.[/QUOTE]

That is incorrect from the FAQ:

Q: Do the exclusive items stack? Can I get more than one thing?
A: Yes, different items stack. So if someone purchased multiple copies of the game from various retailers, he would receive all those items for EACH character created. Included playtime will still stack as well. However, the same bonus does not stack. So if someone purchases from Wal Mart twice, he cannot get two 500 point skill bonuses for the same character. (Each character will get one).

Preorder Faq:
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/753
 
You may be misinterpreting something. Yes, the FAQ says you can buy multiple copies of the game from different retailers and receive their preorder bonuses all in one account. However, it also says the preorder bonuses are attached to the CD key or whatever that comes with each game. That would mean that once used, each game's CD key is locked into your master account (if I understand correctly).
 
[quote name='eastx']You may be misinterpreting something. Yes, the FAQ says you can buy multiple copies of the game from different retailers and receive their preorder bonuses all in one account. However, it also says the preorder bonuses are attached to the CD key or whatever that comes with each game. That would mean that once used, each game's CD key is locked into your master account (if I understand correctly).[/QUOTE]

Most likely this is the case. I'm sure if you registered multiple CD-keys to the same account, you'd get all the pre-order items as they say.
 
Forgetful Brain where are you downloading it from? I got it quite easily from Steam, but that's not an option for people who don't preorder it there, of course.
 
[quote name='sukru']I still don't get MMOs. Why pay $15+/month when you can get a full game for that price (like Mass Effect this week).[/QUOTE]
I spend WAY more money playing my PS3 than playing an MMO.

Many MMO's will drop in price rather quickly after release (and PC games are just cheaper anyways). Like I got Warhammer Online a little after release for like $15. Then I got a 3-month subscription for like 35 bucks. That is $50 for 4 months of playing time. I think I did almost another full 3 months of playing that game before I got tired of it and left. That is around 80-90 dollars for 7 months of play time.

When I buy PS3 games, I usually beat them in a matter of a week or two. I also end up looking on these boards more and buying more stuff. 30-60 bucks gone for one game. Which usually last between 10-50 hours. I have had MMO characters I had played for over 26 days of playing time. This was over many years, but that is a pretty damn good deal when you can play for that long, and still be enjoying it. Console games don't have NEARLY the content or social aspect ANY MMO game has.

You won't understand MMO's until you play them. But they are probably the best bang-for-your-buck entertainment value you can get. Most are just plagued by massive nerfing and imbalances, and sometimes even game breaking bugs. But if a game is done well, or makes it past that, it is definitely a good gaming value.

I wouldn't recommend lifetime subscriptions though, I have not played this game, and have no idea if it is good. But yea, throwing $250 bucks at something, plus the cost of the game, is a lot. If you love Star Trek and have tested the game and love it, then go for it. But I am always afraid of the game closing down in the first year, then your money is just gone.

Again, I know nothing about Star Trek Online, I am just saying in general, I avoid the lifetime subscriptions.
 
We've established that MMOs from major publishers don't close down in the first two years. The only notable game that did is Hellgate London, but far more games have lasted past that point. One bad example (that didn't have a major license attached to it) does not make for a pattern.

In conclusion, let's all stop voicing that concern.
 
[quote name='eastx']We've established that MMOs from major publishers don't close down in the first two years. The only notable game that did is Hellgate London, but far more games have lasted past that point. One bad example (that didn't have a major license attached to it) does not make for a pattern.

In conclusion, let's all stop voicing that concern.[/QUOTE]

Well as long as there are subscribers, they aren't going to close down. I mean hell, people still play the original Everquest. Whether or not the developers continue to actually support the game though with new content is another matter.
 
I do hope Cryptic fixes the first ten/eleven newb levels. They are really not as fun as they could/should be.
 
I've been playing this beta and I really like it. Preordered the Collector's Edition from Amazon. I don't see the allure of a lifetime sub yet, as I'd much rather see what the uncapped content brings before I pledge that kind of money. I'll probably pay monthly, or do a three month card.

As far as the game goes, it's really fun. I'm a huge fan of the space combat, despite the starter ships being SLOW, and I actually really like the ground combat. The fixes they're implementing sound great (like how "scan area" actually plots the item on the minimap). The updated UI and balanced settings sound great too.

I'm a little wary that we only get two characters before we have to buy more slots, that sounds a bit more nickel and diming that I'm used to, but I guess having 1 fed and 1 Klingon is about all I'd want. But if I want to try a different class, I either have to erase a character or buy a new slot, kinda lame.

Overall I've been very pleased with it, and I'm looking forward to playing for about a year. Once TOR comes out, I'll be most likely leaving STO. Also, I'd definitely pay a lifetime fee off the bat for TOR, because I'm a hardcore SW fan.
 
I feel the same way about OR. I'm a lot more inclined to get a lifetime to that game, but of course, I want to wait and see because there's so little public info available still. I also pre-ordered STO from amazon and they haven't sent me the headstart or beta access codes so I can't even consider the lifetime yet. I had to send an email since it's been more than the two days they indicated in the fine print.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top