Perpetual_Daron
Perpetual Entertainment
Executive Producer
       
Join Date: 13th May 2005
Posts: 87


Wow, a 22 page thread and still going! I certainly didn't intend to cause this much fuss. I'd just like to clarify a few things here. First, I don't believe I've ever promised player ship interiors, though I suppose there might be something I've forgotten. Second, I'm not saying that there won't be player ship interiors either. We will evaluate our ability to deliver player ship interiors once we get a little further into production and after we've fully understood what it will take to deliver a high quality capitol ship interior and experience. We do "understand the importance of player ships interiors to players and the pro-bridge/interior view is well represented within the team. I know everyone would like to get my commitment now, but well, it is a big galaxy.

However, I do want everyone to know that after careful consideration over a year ago, we decided against the "characters at consoles" mechanic for space gameplay. That doesn't mean we don't understand and value the importance of representing your character avatar in space.

Some won't like the mechanic decision we made and I understand that. But I'm confident that we thought through it very carefully and ultimately made the best decision for the game.
__________________
Daron Stinnett
Executive Producer || Star Trek Online

Perpetual_Daron
Perpetual Entertainment
Executive Producer
       
Join Date: 13th May 2005
Posts: 87

I played Legacy on the PC and did not like the combat. I understand it is better on the 360, but either way the only comparison I would make to Legacy is that you are fully capable from an exterior view. I thought Bridge Commander had a better combat model, and there too players were most effective and generally played from the exterior view, but we're not going the "manage a bunch of subsystems" route.

The interface and style of space combat will have a lot in common with most MMORPGs whether ground or space. Though SWG JTLS is not a good comparison. Eve is a better comparison from an interface perspective, but the team doesn't feel like they succeeded in creating an entertaining combat model.

We still have a lot to develop so I don't want to go into too much detail. Some will love what we realize, some will hate it I'm sure. But I want everyone to come to a conclusion based on what it really is and on the whole package rather than the sketchy information we're able to provide at this point. And for those who feel this might be going in the wrong direction, don't worry, there's still plenty of time to cancel your subscription
__________________
Daron Stinnett
Executive Producer || Star Trek Online

I think this is an important discussion but I don't think PSIs are at the heart of the matter. I have no doubt that STO players will have plenty of opportunity to experience glorious starship interiors for combat, exploration, adventure, professional, and civilian activities. And while I think PSIs in particular are easy for just about anyone to desire, I think the real issue here is gameplay expectations. PSIs are required for a gameplay experience as seen in the shows and entirely different from any other game I know of, and certainly unique to the genre.

We considered mechanics that would turn gameplay into a simulation of the shows. We imagined things like mini-games, exploding panels, strongly differentated crew roles, and so-on. But in the end, we could not come up with anything we felt would be entertaining for more than the most die-hard Star Trek fan. We also worried that there was just no way to live up to the interesting activities implied by the show. Not to mention a host of other logistical problems that we felt would have doomed STO to being a nitch MMO.

So we decided to go another way. A way that doesn't exclude starship interiors nor require them. The way we went is not difficult to describe - we're making an MMORPG and the interface and play experience is an evolution of traditional RPG mechanics.

So while I think we can all agree that checking out a favorite part of a ship interior adds value, we're really talking about a more fundimental clash of gameplay expectations. We're making a game for those who enjoy RPG style gameplay and will just love what Star Trek does for this genre. That's not going to change. The rest is flexible.

That should be good for another 30 pages or so...  fed2

What does PSI mean? He keeps saying that - i must be missing something

Thanks for the update btw Rebecca