One use of the Holodecks that I think would be really cool to see is something where you can create a customizable scenario mission, which increases your Holoprograming skill, this of course would be a series of menu options such.

In addition one of the worse things about having server down time or maybe even your inability to play they game due to lack of internet connection at the time is the idea that if your not online you cant play the game. What if a client side program was created that would allow you to create custom events like you see in the Holodeck. with that said you can have a layered system of customization built into it that would allow a type of Wizard design process for the individuals that really dont have a lot of time to spend in designing holodeck environments and on the flip side you can allow access for the more crazed Modders out there to create Holo novels for the community. We know the system works and this would ensure the life expectancy of STO for years to come, shoot look at BC, long after support has ceased from the developer we still see new content being released.

Space or Ground

*Ground* (denotes user input)

Cave, Small Town, Large Town, Forest, ect....

*Cave*

Small Cave, Large Cave

*Small Cave*

Opposition, Scientific Study, Capture the Flag, etc......

*Opposition*

Number of Enemy forces

*100*

AI Level

Beginner, Intermediate, advanced

*Intermediate*

Enemy Species

Klingon, Romulan, Borg, Random

*Random*

Computer*** Simulation created enter when ready!

I think something like that would be very awesome plus the options for customizing different mission would be highly variable and allow anyone to create and maybe share there "No Win Scenario's " with everyone else within there guild.

I must admit just like MrJuliano I realy do like your idea, and kudos to coming up with it.

The way I see the holodeck, or rather what I would like to see is somthing similar to SecondLifes 3D editing features. For those of you who don't know about SecondLife, or what I'm talking about it basicaly has a robust 3D creation and editing tool built into it. You can create any object you can imagine, and its rather easy to use if you take the time to learn it. Its like having the commoners version of 3D studio Max or some other rendering tool built into the game. You can even edit and use your own textures and such, animations and program in skripts that allow you to tell your objects to do things.

I would hope that the Holodeck would give the player that much creativity, though with built in scripts, textures and objects all based in the Trek universe. I'd hope that the devs would continue to allow players to create their own content (even with the templates based around trek) from scratch.

Now to continue your offline theam, it would be neat if when you installed your STO client you also had the 3D Holodeck design program installed onto your computer as well. You'd be able to just go in and edit your programs and upload them into the game once you finaly logged into it. Personaly I don't think avatars should have a holodeck skill, as I'd want the holodeck to be 100% players being creative, and you don't want to hold back creative ideas because they can't do somthing due to a lack of skill. Now you could program in a skipt (or attach an existing one) that would allow you to train skills in the holodeck, but obviously the devs would want to set in a min~max that you could gain and in how much time as people would just program in programs that would train you up in no time.

So with a few checks and balances I think it'd be a great tool and a revolutionary concept that we haven't seen done in a mainstream MMO since UO let you design your own house.

Well the concept wouldn't be you sending it to the developers but rather just uploading it to the game. You'd design somthing, upload it and it would be stored in your characters holoprogram database then when you go into the holodeck with friends you can upload your work and show them.

The devs would never have to see it, thats how it works in SecondLife, you make somthing and thats it you share it with friends and such.

Yah when you'd create somthing it would would show up as a "holodeck program" in your characters interface, possibly a holodeck inventory... a list of all the programs you own and have created. They'd only be useable when you were in the holodeck, so it wouldn't "normal" content. As an event every now and then the devs could host a compitition where player created programs would be rated and the top winners would recive reconition possibly their objects outside of the holodeck, but the intent is to allow creation of objects and areas to the player but without intrupting the flow of the game outside of the holodeck.

What would be interesting is if you could sell your programs. They'd be no copy and if someone realy likes a program that another player has made they could trade for ingame currency, and it would always have a tag of the holoprogram author.

List of possible applications of creatable content:
-Player made zones with NPCs inside them
-Furniture
-Holo novels (of their favorite books and movies)
-Training programs
-PvP arenas, allowing players to make pvp maps and so forth

Those are just a few concepts of what players could do with the holodeck creation tools if they were to give them to players.

I remember with PE the issue with the holodeck was that their wouldn't be enough content... it wouldn't corrispond with the TV shows, as in allowing you do do nearly anything. By letting players create content on their own thousands of programs would be made on a regular basis and the holodeck would be realistic in allowing players to do almost anything.

The problem with doing anything offline would be that it presumes you're always using the same computer.