Will Star Trek Online be ready for its launch?

I'm so torn on this issue when it comes to the combat vs diplomacy. Someone else said it well. I've been going through the entire series of DS:9 and the further along it goes, the more space action there is. In fact, the whole reason I started watching DS:9 is because I saw a clip of the Sacrifice of Angels episode and wanted to know what led up to it.

The combat has always been my favorite part. Maybe that's why I like Nemesis and the new movie so much. Also why Wrath of Khan is my favorite. I wonder if I'm in the minority here. I could really care less about diplomacy. I realize it has to be in there just in case I am in the minority. I guess the simple fact that it has been brought up many times means it needs to be addressed.

We also have to keep in mind that the video we have seen so far has been more to show off the graphics and gameplay. It's the stuff that'll get ppl pumped. It's hard to show exciting peace agreements. I'll reserve judgement. For all we know, the beta testers are looking at some of the diplomatic missions. For all we know, the diplomatic missions haven't even been added.

I look forward to trying.

Even if the game isn't ready at launch they'll make up for it by selling lifetime subs or ships and content in the C-store.

I have a feeling this will be really great, or really horrible (tho, I have the same feeling about SWTOR).

Assume, on the technical front, the engine/client/server works well due to whatever lessons they learned from the CO launch. They've still only been making the game for 2 years by launch (I assume they didn't start it until Perpetual went bankrupt). Only 2 years to make not just content, but the game system (mechanics, etc). Just doesn't seem enough time.

From what they've said, they seem to think they "nailed" star ship combat with their first ideas. I find that hard to believe, not as a jab at Cryptic, but because it just seems something incredibly hard for any studio, no matter how good, to get right off their first ideas. And 4 months of beta (if its a real 4 months and not a few days a week) isn't enough time to truly figure out if it has some big, but not obvious, flaws.

Franchise MMOs are just hard to do. I fear the franchise curse will rear is ugly head in the year to come. When you have a pre-existing fanbase, not united by a game system, but by a "world lore", its an in built uphill battle since many groups within the fanbase have different ideas of how the game should play, and will be miffed that the big chance at MMO won't be what they want. But then to do a rush job is just, well, kinda like bundling a bunch of high risk junk loans...you might get rich, you might be burned terribly.

I would like to think that with something this big and iconic as Star Trek, the people who own the IP would step in if they thought a great disservice was about to be done.

Oh look, more asteroids.

"Protagonists talking through their problems"???? Don't you mean the protagonists payed lip service to peacefully resolving things, then either got into a fistfight, shot each other with hand phasers, or went merrily about blasting each other with enormous warships? There was a bit more peaceful resolve in Next Generation... but, thankfully, whoever they ran into out there was more than happy to give excuses to unleash all that weaponry.

Everyone always brings up this "peaceful negotiation" theme whenever a new Star Trek game is in development, but frankly I've never seen it stop any of the writers of any of the series or films from having non-stop violent action. Throw a couple of cutscenes in where some Starfleet brass sincerely regret the need for aggression, then get back to the mayhem, and Star Trek canon is satisfied.

How can you tell this game will be a rushed, sloppy, poorly-executed mess?

Easily.

Cryptic Studios is involved.

They released Champions recently and there are tons of problems. Every single week they have large periods of downtime, especially the weekends. Only a couple of zones are available, one of which lags so badly that people desperately try not to go there.