Star Trek: Online exterior screens

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2006-07-13 10:34am

From http://www.startrek-online.net/messageb ... php?t=4909

The two Akira screens were released today, I've also linked other screens that have been released so far for those who havent seen them yet. Bear in mind that these are all initial, in game rendered images from the MMO, and it is still 12-18 months from the shelves.

Click to enlarge!

Ubiquitous · Post by **Ubiquitous** » 2006-07-13 11:03am

Wow, those look really amazing. Shame in a way that the online gaming period of my life is long in the past, as I am sure I would have enjoyed this game going by those shots.

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2006-07-13 12:37pm

That looks pretty sharp. Is there information about how capital ship battles will work?

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2006-07-13 12:39pm

Alferd Packer wrote:That looks pretty sharp. Is there information about how capital ship battles will work?

Not much, really... here's a guide of accumulated info so far: http://www.startrek-online.net/index.php?page=guide

Hit the 'combat and perspective' anchor link to read what there is on that.

DarkSilver · Post by **DarkSilver** » 2006-07-13 08:35pm

holy hell...those look amazing...

Now only if they don't cancel it 6 months from release...

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2006-07-13 08:44pm

Definitly pretty. Still I have to wonder a lot of the other mechanics, and hopefully the developers are trying to make a ST game and not EQ/WOW game in space.

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-07-13 10:11pm

Ghost Rider wrote:Definitly pretty. Still I have to wonder a lot of the other mechanics, and hopefully the developers are trying to make a ST game and not EQ/WOW game in space.

...what exactly will THAT be? After all, the Federation 'has no money' ;P

What can one do as a crewmember on a ship? Play minigames managing the plasma conduit fluxuation graviton emitter arrays? Perhaps 'add the adjective', where the more technobabble you add to what you say gets you a promotion?

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2006-07-13 10:21pm

They'll probably go the SFC route and give you "prestige points" instead of cash.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-13 10:31pm

But worse than any other MMO they're stuck in a rigid universe. It's not like you'll be able to form a fleet with mates and go kick Romulan ass, because it's Star Trek and you've got to stay true to the fannish nonsense. I'm as curious as anyone else about mechanics, but all I've read is the devs saying 'oh yeah it'll have all that stuff' and 'it's going to be fantastic', which is basically worthless.

Covenant · Post by **Covenant** » 2006-07-13 10:44pm

Other universes have had similar rigidity. WWII Online? How about the Star Wars one? WoW had limits, but they solved them the good ol' fashioned way and just retconned things as it suited them.

So, they'll be letting you do random crap in a game. Who says you're going to have an incredible amount of fannish nonsense getting in the way? Personally, I would be greatly disappointed if forming up a fleet and running off to attack some Romulan ships milling around at the border was the best they could do. I mean, hell. You might want to wait for the Klingon expansion pack for that kind of goofy stuff. ;p

I'm hoping it involves a 'big picture' feeling. If this is after Nemesis then I'm not sure who'll be around to fight the Federation! Seems like most of the big powers are pretty weak. Who is left? The Dominion? Tholians? :p And so, I hope it involves a lot of exploration and puzzles and stuff. Not sure how they'll make it Massively Multiplayer and keep that sort of gameplay, if they will at all.

Also, it sounds like they're looking to make ships full of PCs. That makes it sounds like I'll start off as a level 1 Engineering retard on someone's ship. I'll do missions and tasks and level up. Eventually I become chief engineer on the guy's ship. Meanwhile, Neph (who is also on the ship as a tactical officer) gets promoted to XO after the XO goes off and gets his OWN starter ship.

So you need always like 8 PCs to man a starship of X size. If you get 12 you can get a bigger ship, if you have less you get a smaller one... or something. Sounds like not everyone will be captain, but that there will also be options for people to captain their own little ship and get involved while soloing. Just me guessing!

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-07-13 10:51pm

I don't see the problem with making a 'group based game' at least for some stuff, where everyone gets to crew a ship, or a guild gets a ship or so on.

But um. What will people DO? Unlike a traditional MMO where everyones' a person with some practical skillset on the ground (which will probably apply if you play as an away team), but on a ship what can an engineer really do but play a minigame? What use is a medic in a ship to ship torpedo fight? What's a science officer actually going to do besides hit buttons for 'scan' or 'launch probe'? etc.

It's like playing SFC, but each panel is staffed by a seperate person. Doesn't seem like it'll work too smooth or be much fun.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2006-07-13 10:54pm

Covenant wrote:Also, it sounds like they're looking to make ships full of PCs. That makes it sounds like I'll start off as a level 1 Engineering retard on someone's ship. I'll do missions and tasks and level up. Eventually I become chief engineer on the guy's ship.

Oh no, the replicator won't give me Earl Grey! Quick, wave your tricorder at it until it's all better. Now go to Engineering and stare at scrolling, meaningless numbers on an Okudagram until I need you.

I foresee a disproportionate number of people taking the fastest route possible to get a starship and have some fun, creating a plethora of undermanned starships. I'd play if I were allowed to be in Security and murder the crew of my ship to take command.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-13 11:00pm

Maybe it's all minigames? Chat window says 'more power!!!!' and you have to rearrange the plasma conduits to buff your ship?

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2006-07-13 11:03pm

Stark wrote:Maybe it's all minigames? Chat window says 'more power!!!!' and you have to rearrange the plasma conduits to buff your ship?

I'm lowering the bar. I want to play to see a Vulcan say "fuck u noob i sed more power."

Covenant · Post by **Covenant** » 2006-07-13 11:07pm

I imagine it as each ship being it's own zone, not as each ship normally being part of an independant dude's command. An instance, if you will! The ship will be just a place you go to do things, and level up, and then eventually you'd be able to take command of your own vessel and start taking an active role in the bigger picture after they've run you through the baby steps at the beginning of the game.

I hope there's more to it than that, but I'm not sure what role combat plays yet. It seems bizarre to have a zillion ships all flying around blasting each-other into pieces, but something really gonna have to change before Star Trek will be more accomidating to random PvP. That's always one of the problems with a starship game--justifying why this one dude is in control of this bigass ship and just running around nuking things with it.

Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll toss us in the center of a 3-way war and we'll spend most of our time battling for territory, landing parties to take out bad dudes on the ground, and then buzzing off to the next thing.

It'd be cooler if they could somehow build into it a type of episodic format. Theoretically if your 'character' was the ship in a sense, the crew could be your 'gear'. Once you get command of a ship you could take your custom-made captain, equip yourself with crew, and run through a set of missions. Depending on the crew your get different chat options (such as if you choose a Maquis dude and your mission currently involves a Cardassian doing something, as opposed to if you had chosen a Vulcan for the same job) and you level up each guy individually.

That's what you did back in Starflight. Remember that game? That game was great.

So this would aid the "Everyone is the most important person" effect. You finished the last save the world mission and you go get another one, and they say "Hurry! I can't trust anyone but you!" like they always do, and then you dash off and get a little cutscene as it shows your ship coasting by, and flashes the title of the mission. Then there's a bit of dialogue from your character (maybe you get a choice of 3 voices for each men and women when making your captain) and then it goes to actual game mode again where you have control and zoom around, interact, whatnot... and you can boink into 'interior' mode and interact with your various crewpersons.

I think that'd be fun. Probably too complicated. Better suited for a singleplayer game.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-07-13 11:42pm

Nice backseat on that Vulcan.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2006-07-13 11:49pm

Wow, I can't wait to split my time between this and the captain's replicator!

There's even a decaf button! It's Mr. Warp Core! I wonder if it can go to plaid.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-13 11:52pm

Man, this game will produce hilarious chatlogs. Leetspeak + ST technobabble.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2006-07-13 11:55pm

Looks fairly boring, actually. The focus is crewmembers on a starship and not necessarily on ship to ship action (which I really don't think any game has captured well yet.....SFC was close though).

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-14 12:04am

Yeah, the stuff I've read from the devs makes it sound like they're going for an EQ-style chatroom rather than a dynamic wargame.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2006-07-14 12:07am

Stark wrote:Yeah, the stuff I've read from the devs makes it sound like they're going for an EQ-style chatroom rather than a dynamic wargame.

Well, at the very least, it will be close to GR's little view of utopia. Bunch of dudes sitting around a really cool ship talking to each other.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2006-07-14 12:12am

Knife wrote:
Stark wrote:Yeah, the stuff I've read from the devs makes it sound like they're going for an EQ-style chatroom rather than a dynamic wargame.
Well, at the very least, it will be close to GR's little view of utopia. Bunch of dudes sitting around a really cool ship talking to each other.

LOL...yeah but instead of furthering society it'll be 13 year old boys cybering with vulcans instead of elves.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2006-07-14 12:33am

Hot damn...those screens look pretty damn nice.

If they offer a free trial of any kind for this game, I'll definitely check it out, assuming that Spore doesn't physically consume my body. As for actually playing it longterm...I'll withhold judgement until I know more about it.