DeyvidKDF

batlh bIjatlh. juquvmoH. Qapla'!

The bortaS flagship is a beast! I can't wait to sit in the captain's chair of one of these monsters! Many petaQ will feel my wrath and know how it feels to roast in the depths of Grethor that day I can tell you!

I am curious what type of fun treats Q will have for us this year. The Party Popper "gun" (which randomly spits out tribbles, confetti, frickin, laser beams, etc.) are still a big hit with the party-goers in 2409.

Thanks for another great article Terilynn! majQa'!

I appreciate Star Trek Online's Community Manager Brandon Felczer, a.k.a. PWE_BranFlakes.

Thank you for the in-game events, and the Friday screenshots, and for your presence and voice on the forums and on Twitter.

batlh Daqawlu'taH!
You will be remembered with honor!

Qapla'!

I appreciate Star Trek Online's Community Manager, Brandon Felczer, a.k.a. PWE_BranFlakes!

batlh Daqawlu'taH!
You will be remembered with honor!

Qapla'!

First off, I did not see this article as a negative rant, but as an assessment of the situation and a "state of the game" combined with a "state of the player base sentiment" without slinging hate and venom at Cryptic on a personal level as some have done on the forums. Many of the players have been hopeful, and are disappointed; saying as much isn't a negative rant.

Stephan D'Angelo's post was definitely bitter-sweet. We didn't hear exactly what we wanted to hear but at the same time we do get some hope for the future. While we may not be getting as many Featured Episode story-based missions, we do have some good stuff to look forward to.

This may not be a popular or wide-spread view point, but I while I do want a flood of new PvE story content (especially since I am a Klingon faction player) I am ok with the current plan to release the 2 or 3 Featured Episodes, because it means we *will* be getting new story-based content.

On a side note, I am one who sees "content" as being more than just storyline missions. "Content" to me includes the Duty Officer system, new ships, new gear, etc. If you can say the game contains it, then it is content. The game includes a Targ Milk food item, therefore Targ Milk is on the list game content (granted it's a small item on the list). The new Nanopulse Edge (lightsaber) weapons are new content. Story-based missions are just the most high profile and most wanted "main course" content on the menu.

While I have to admit that I am disappointed in the lack of content on the Klingon side, the slow pace story-based missions are added, and the long-standing bugs that are still in the game, I understand Cryptic has been in transition, and I still love STO and will continue playing. I still load up older console games I already finished several times, even games from previous generation of consoles. These games will never be updated or expanded, they will never have their bugs or issues fixed -- yet I still play them because I enjoy the story and gameplay.

If Cryptic froze the STO game as it is now, with no updates or fixes, I would still continue to play it, because I love Star Trek, and this is a fun Star Trek game to play and I enjoy being able to socialize and role-play with friends in a Star Trek environment. So the fact that there have already been fixes, improvements, and new content added -- and more on the way -- makes me enjoy the game even more and I am optimistic for the future.

Is the game perfect? Definitely not. Does the game provide everything I want in an online game? No. Is the game as good as or better than other MMOs? Maybe, maybe not. Will I continue to play STO? Yes, as long as the servers are powered up.

batlh Qu' yIta'! Accomplish the mission honorably!

The ability for players to create their own content, and for Star Trek fans to tell their own Trek-inspired stories is definitely what makes the Foundry a beloved feature in STO, as well as a significant selling point when marketing the game.

I wish more games would include a tool or add-on that would allow for customizing maps and story content, even when it is only using the pre-existing assets (objects, textures, etc.). Early on, when describing the Foundry to friends and forum members, some thought that it would be akin to Second-Life-style UGC wherein players actually create and import new character models, textures, and objects -- for some this was considered a plus, for others a minus. One person was relieved that the Foundry would be limited to pre-existing assets already found in STO because they did not want to see STO players creating and importing Star Wars vehicles or Transformers etc.

The STO game has been experiencing a content drought overall, as described by Terilynn, but the Klingon faction has been suffering a severe lack of content for much longer, to the point that some players have described it as glorified Monster Play (in reference to MP in Lord of the Rings Online). Cryptic has been making efforts to flesh out the content and gameplay for the Klingon faction, but it is still woefully lacking in comparison to the amount of content available to Federation players. This is another reason why the Foundry is greatly appreciated by players who want more PVE content on the Klingon side.

I have dabbled with mission-creation in the Foundy, and while fun it can be difficult or just time-consuming for the beginner, the videos and support from the Foundry podcasts and websites definitely make it easier to jump in and start making missions. I have been increasingly inspired to return to the Foundry and create missions for the Klingon faction.

Thank you for another great article Terilynn! majQa'! ("Well done!")

Qapla'!

qaHoy'! majQa'! batlh bIqon!

Congratulations Terilynn! I have been a huge fan of your other projects and I look forward to reading and supporting your work for the Captain's Log and Massively!

Thank for the great introductory article! Season 5: Call to Arms and the Holiday Event has sparked a lot of discussion, debate and controversy and I'm sure that will continue until and beyond the transition to Free-to-Play.

Cryptic and Star Trek Online have been going through a difficult time recently and while there are legitimate gripes for those inclined to complain, at the same time Cryptic has been making some significant improvements to STO and the future looks bright.

I like the homage to SW:TOR and the "lightsaber" weapons. At first I wasn't sure what I thought of it, but in the end it's a fun little nod to the "other" franchise and the "other" big MMO in our beloved sci-fi genre. I am not upset by this just as I was not upset by the "Tron" effect of the Aegis ship equipment set. As long as they don't go overly crazy with it and it still feels like Trek overall, I like that they are including small nods to other beloved sci-fi franchises and presenting it in a Trek-style.

Keep up the great work Terilynn! Can't wait for the next edition of the Captain's Log!

Qapla'!

MARRY: Star Trek Online - I'm a life-long Trekkie, and this game not only looks and feels like Trek but has some really fun, interesting and varied gameplay mechanics and story missions. Definitely needs to flesh out the Klingon faction but that is in the works. I'm in it for the long haul.

KISS: Star Wars: The Old Republic - This game looks interesting & fun. They are doing some innovative things (RPG-style decision points), but also seems like standard MMO fare for majority of gameplay. I'll check in on SW:TOR from time to time to play with friends, but it will not be my primary MMO.

KILL: World of Warcraft - I was done with this game back in Burning Crusade. Actually was ready to quit before BC but gave it another chance, ended up not playing BC that long (didn't make it to expanded level cap). Test-tasted WotLK at friend's behest, but it wasn't enough to pull me back in. Mists of Pandaria's Kung-Fu Pandas does nothing for me. No longer interested in WoW, it's dead to me.

It depends. Sometimes I want a difficult challenge and don't mind playing a quest or mission a few times until I defeat it; other times I want to cake-walk through content to just have fun or enjoy the story -- but I would not want it to be either way 100% of the time.

I like the difficulty setting feature in Star Trek Online, which lets you choose to play on the default "Normal" setting, or increase the difficulty setting to either Advanced or Elite. Along with being more difficult, the rewards are increased to reflect the increased difficulty. Playing on Advanced or Elite also enables the possibility of your player and/or Bride Officers being injured and your starship damaged, which adversely affects your stats until you seek medical attention and ship repairs.

I'm not sure how well a difficulty setting would work in non-instanced content, but it does offer a customized experience.