This is a debate that went on for a very very long time over at STOnet, long before it was ever announced by Perpetual wether they would be in or not.

Given that Perpetual is now "off" the scene, I think it is time to re-ignite this debate.

Should we have Player ship interiors in STO, and if so, to what extent?

I honestly think that they should be in. The aim of Star Trek Online is to create a fun, engrossing star trek experience -  and given that 90% of the action we saw on screen to place INSIDE the ship, the idea of interiors being excluded just seems incomprehensible.

It also opens the door for some many gameplay aspects, including missions within the ship - fix plasma conduit A, head down to the arboretum to help a wounded crewman, et cetera - as well as allowing CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

I just really, really, REALLY think they should be in, and i am curious to see what everyone else thinks.

Honestly I can't imagine a Star Trek MMO not having Ship Interiors.

Most of the reasons have already been listed. There is so much use that could come from actually moving around the stations and interacting with other crew. It simply wouldn't feel Trek to me if all we saw was the backside of the ship all the time except in away missions. I need to feel as if I am in control of the ship and working as an interagal part of it. Furthermore, it seems almost hideous to me to consider only one player controlling a ship. It means that for clan based play, we'd be flying around in huge fleets doing things rather than all working together to operate a ship. To me, having people run a ship would be the best RP experience possible, and that is the main reason that I think ship interiors are a must. To support the RP / Clan Play environment with a true Trek feel.

Its funny when PE announced that they wern't going to have PSIs I got a bit sick (kinda like massive disapointment), but I quickly shruged it off realising that it was somthing they might have added into the game in the future. Well now that PE is gone I've gota come out and say YES I want PSI infact Zach your 100% right most of the action in the shows happens in the ships, not outside of them!

PSIs could also be a strong time sink for the devs to look into, if you can customise your interior, be it with numerious styles and looks (retro, classic, future and so forth) it'll create a massive activity that will keep people busy for hours on end. Then they may change their minds and again more hours will be put into said designs and decorations.

Thats one thing I found myself doing a ton of in SWG was decorating my two multiperson ships, I even put a fair ammount of ingame credits into both projects and hosted a few parites/mission runs inside them, even attacking a Star Destroyer. This brings me to my next major point that it creates a group activity, and further more a social group activity. I'll even go so far as to say in my opinion now that PE has left the picture I hope that the new dev considers fully player crewed ships... this is somthing that a game called Star Quest Online has shown me is possible and can be fun (though SQO needs some design work). This how'ever is a whole differnt topic in its own I'd like to bring up in the future.

With that said I don't wan't to see WoW meets space or even an EVEOnline ripoff, I wan't to see STAR TREK ONLINE! Now I know its not a "simulator" and that its a game but the point of taking the name Star Trek is to make you have fun and feel like your a member of the Trek universe.

I can honestly see PSI working in Star Trek however on a smaller scale of say 5-8 individuals inside of a ship. from there you would have the ability to interact with the ship move around on the ship but actively if you want the ship to go anywhere, standing in the turbo lift isn't going to do that for you. SOOOO i can see situations where you 5-8 people actually doing something with the ship however in order to do that something they would actually have to walk up to a console that they by profession are authorized to operate and from there it would bring you out into a 3 person outside of the ship view, at which point what ever it is that you do on that ship can be easily seen and accomplished. once your finished you simply exit that mode and guess go back to roaming around aimlessly.

I do have to admit I hope the new dev goes on a more "simulation" type path with STO than PE was, but if the new devs were to continue where PE left off I'd hope they'd at least consider allowing the major key areas of player ships in the game.

Lets assume that the new dev is going with what PE had invisioned here is what I think they should do to keep the community in general happy (as in the people who want PSIs):

-Include the player ships bridge.
-Have a turbo lift that will take you to important sections of the ship such as:
   -Transporters
   -Shuttlebay
   -Sickbay
   -Enginering
   -Personal Quarters (I'd hope they'd give you personal quarters)
   -Tenforward/messhall type area (for just hanging out with your friends)

If the new dev were to give that to us PSI diehards I think I'd be content personaly. Depending on how they work out combat it'd be neat to be able to play the game from the perspective of being on the bridge. Obviously when your sitting in your chair or what not you'd get a 360 dagree readout of what is happening outside, your target and a list of all targets. Well regardless of what they go with it should be possible to do, heck SWG had ship interriors, why can't STO?