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Newest Star Trek Online blog details upcoming event system
One of the major elements of the shows that Star Trek Online follows is one that assures there's always something happening. No ships are just idly floating about waiting for another urgent mission. That's where the new events system detailed in the latest Path to F2P blog comes in. It's a dynamic set of events and missions for players to take part in for a limited time, ranging from pure combat encounters to more social challenges among cadets and civilians. As the blog outlines, players will be given access to a calendar showing the in-game events planned for the next 48 hours, with other special events popping up and leaving on a less regular schedule. Players can queue up to take part in these events as they become available, giving an alternate path to the extant missions and episodes. It's a fairly involved system overall, and it's the sort of thing that could help convey a sense of a dynamic universe.
Star Trek Online dev blog clarifies free-to-play currency trades
Ever since Cryptic announced that Star Trek Online is going free to play, developers have published regular "Path to F2P" dev blogs discussing upcoming changes designed to restructure the game for its new payment scheme. In the latest dev blog in the series, STO Executive Producer Stephen D'Angelo looks at the in-game economy and how going free-to-play will affect the various currencies in use. Energy credits will be used for practically everything encountered in normal gameplay, functioning like gold in most fantasy MMOs. Players can expect to use energy credits every time they play, and receive them as rewards. Dilithium will be used by hardcore players to get high-end gear, but the average casual player will never need it in significant quantities. Cryptic points will be reserved for cash shop items like new ships, but Cryptic aims to let players trade their cryptic points to other players for dilithium. When the system goes live, players will be able to grind for dilithium in order to buy cash shop items without paying cash. At the same time, hardcore players will be able to short-cut the dilithium grind and quickly obtain high-end equipment with an injection of cryptic points. This system mirrors the diamond trade in Runes of Magic and the PLEX trade in EVE Online, both systems that have proven highly effective at allowing cash-rich players to shortcut grind and letting time-rich players play their way to everything the game has to offer.
Captain's Log: The voices of reason
Captain's Log, Stardate 65284.2... Hello, computer (and players)! It is often said that the voices of the gaming community are some of the loudest, and most passionate, around. This is especially true within the Star Trek Online community. While some may see particular posts made in Cryptic's forums as trolling or whining, others see passion and dedication for making the game they love the best it can be. There is no denying that there will always be those who love to hate and hate to love, but there are also community members out there who are the voices of reason -- they take their time to carefully examine something and provide appropriate and well-thought feedback on how to make something better. As STO is preparing to re-launch with its F2P model, many changes are being pushed to the Tribble test server for players to playtest and provide feedback on. Before the test shards ever open, debates based on the patch notes begin. After a few hours of testing on Tribble, players make their feedback posts public in hopes that developers notice and hear their opinions. The great news here is that the developers are reading each post and have vowed that feedback does not go unnoticed. Since I have been following this feedback closely myself, I thought I should share some of it here. Ensign, warp 10! Let's share some recent community feedback on two of the hottest topics out there...
Newest F2P blog for Star Trek Online talks about dilithium
Star Trek Online has always had a variety of currencies for players, each allowing access to different stocks of items. But another form of money is coming into the game, and much like gold-pressed latinum, it's something that has a long history in lore. The rare and valuable dilithium is being introduced as a new form of reward, and the latest entry in the Path to F2P series discusses just how the new form of money will work. The most important role that the ore will play will be in replacing the existing free ship tokens that had previously come when players achieved a new rank. Earning a new ship will now be a more difficult and involved task, with a discount coupon and a free offering of refined dilithium to make it easier to earn a ship on a rank increase, but it won't be automatic. The entry goes on to state that the current implementation on the test server is not quite right, and it includes more discussion about how much effort is meant to be involved in getting a brand-new ship.
Captain's Log: Testing out the future
Captain's Log, Stardate 65264.3... Hello, computer (and players)! As you have must have seen by now, open beta testing of Star Trek Online's new F2P model is well underway; the developers have been posting dev diaries about the impending changes for the last couple of days. Because testers on the Tribble test server were required to start new characters, and because character transfers will not be an option for at least a few weeks, many players have begun a mad dash to level up their test characters in order to test out some of the retooled endgame content. Since testing, especially in this manner, can be confusing, I have decided to dedicate this week's Captain's Log to those who are willing to take on the challenge. Past the jump, you will find a checklist of sorts that you can use while testing (or, ultimately, playing) the new content and updates. I suggest reading each section and then checking it out in-game. While some recommendations may seem less interesting than others, I suggest you give each a fair shot so you can provide feedback on what can make the game better. Ensign, warp 10! Let's give our dedicated Tribbleites some structure to their testing time...
Star Trek Online bringing the Klingons into the free-to-play test realm
The KDF faction has always struggled in Star Trek Online, from its early perception among players as the game's red-headed stepchild of a PvP faction to the present day. But there are still dedicated Klingon players, and there's no shortage of love for the faction in the lore. So there will no doubt be many players happy that starting on October 6th, the Klingon's new and improved play experience will be up for players to enjoy on the test server. In a significant departure from the past, Klingon players will now start well into the Lieutenant Commander rank, giving players a sizable jump in levels. The story arcs for the faction are now threaded together to alleviate the sometimes confusing structure of the story missions, giving a uniquely Klingon experience from start to finish. And as with all of the testing going on prior to the game's free-to-play conversion, players who clock in enough time to reach level 31 on a Klingon character will earn some bonus rewards -- enough to stir a true warrior's blood for the honor of victory.
Testing players to receive rewards in Star Trek Online
One of the little carrots that Star Trek Online has always given its players is a reward for playing on the test server. Specifically, by playing on the Tribble server, players receive a unique "bonus" tribble for their captain on the live server. The fourth entry in the Path to F2P blog series promises that players who take part on the test server will once again receive a special ball of fluff to call their own... but there's more on the way. The special reward tribble will be given to anyone who either reaches level 6 on a character created for the test server or transfers a higher-level character over once the transfers become available. Current subscribers who clock in time on the server will also be eligible for several other small rewards -- nothing spectacular individually, but enough so that players who log in regular testing will feel a bit of an extra bonus. The test server will get the KDF faction opened this week, so Star Trek Online players will have plenty to test in the name of easily replicating cooing dustbunnies. The fifth Path to F2P blog post has also gone live this evening with more details on how to rack up these test points and a deeper explanation for why you'd want to do so.
Newest Star Trek Online blog entry outlines the Duty Officer system
One of the issues that Star Trek Online has always faced when emulating its source material is the simple issue of size. Players take the role of a captain overseeing an entire ship, crewed with numerous people, a ship that in the television series would be filled with actors and recurring faces. But in gameplay, that sense has always been a bit more difficult to convey... and it's an element being addressed with the new Duty Officer system. In the latest entry in the Path to F2P blog, Geoff Tuffli outlines the goals and overall thrust of the Duty Officer system. Players will receive Duty Officers as rewards in a variety of ways, including spending time in the academy for each respective faction. The officers can be placed in departments, sent on assignments, or otherwise managed by players in order to receive the greatest amount of benefit from the support staff. It's a feature that's long been promised by the development team, and as the game moves toward a hybrid business model, it looks to finally be moving to release.
Captain's Log: What's your (energy) type?
Captain's Log, Stardate 65244.9... Hello, computer (and players)! Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear meeeeeee, happy birthday to me. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Yes, today is my birthday, and the best present I could receive is being able to share this week's Captain's Log with you all. As we get closer and closer to the F2P re-launch of Star Trek Online, I expect that there will be new captains tuning into this column each week, so to help support our new comrades in between the weeks that feature an influx of breaking news and developments, I am going to be taking some time to educate everyone on a few of the game's mechanics. When I first started playing STO, I often found myself wondering about many of the choices available to my different characters. From armor to shields, deflectors to engines, and kits to weapons, there is an endless array of options that we can decide to play with and use. One of the most frequently asked questions I get from new players is, "What is the best energy type to use for my ship's weapons?" In the past, when I really did not know much, I would choose my type by the color it emitted. I now know that "pretty" does not equal "power." While each type has its own special bonuses, it's up to you to decide which to use and why. Here's to hoping I can aid in that decision. Ensign, warp 10! Let's take a look at the spectrum of colors and their abilities...
Star Trek Online outlining the road to free-to-play
The conversion to free-to-play isn't here yet for Star Trek Online, but it's on its way. And like so many things in the franchise, it's starting off with a sacrificial redshirt. Specifically, it's kicking off with the advent of the RedShirt test server for the game, as explained in the first "Path to F2P" blog entry on the official site. It's not that Tribble, the longtime test server, is being removed altogether -- instead, it's being repurposed to allow current subscribers a preview of the game's upcoming conversion. According to executive producer Stephen D'Angelo, Tribble will reopen for players on the 29th, although it will not be accepting character transfers upon opening. This is intentional, as the development team wants players to test out the new early portions of the game and enjoy the revised experience. It's the start of what promises to be a long path, but current subscribers and the team behind the game get to walk it one step at a time.
Captain's Log: Preparing for launch (and farewells)
Hello, computer (and players)! As we are all now aware, the development team at Star Trek Online is busy making its preparations to re-launch the game with a hybrid, free-to-play model. Currently, the Tribble test server has been taken down as a beta build is being prepared for testing. In the meantime, Red Shirt, originally a Closed Beta test sever, has been opened up to current subscribers to continue testing new releases that will occur between now and the F2P launch. While there is still no date set for when this will be happening, many signs point to an October or November launch period. To add to the craziness that must be going on at Cryptic's headquarters in Northern California, on Tuesday, Dan Stahl, Executive Producer of STO, publicly announced that he would be vacating the Captain's Chair as he moves on to a new endeavor in his career. Effective immediately, Stephen D'Angelo, Cryptic's CTO, will be taking temporary command as the search for a new EP begins. While this came as a shock to many and was completely unexpected even by me, it may not be the "end of the world" as some players are calling it. Let's explore more. Ensign, warp 10! Set sensors to maximum range as we explore a little bit more about this change...
Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Engineer
Captain's Log, Stardate 65205.7... Hello, computer (and players)! As you may or may not know, the Star Trek franchise celebrated a momentous birthday last week as it turned 45 years old. While humankind first set out to "boldly going where no one has gone before" in the late 1960s, its legacy lives on today, four decades later, through Star Trek Online. Although the game has had its fair shares of ups and downs, I am not afraid to stand behind it and be proud of it for being able to continue Gene Roddenberry's dream. I am also extremely honored to play a small part in its history by bringing you Captain's Log each week, and I look forward to what the next 45 years hold. I'd like to welcome each of you to the third and final installment of my three-part series focusing on the classes within STO. After checking out the awesome DPS that Tactical captains can dish out a couple of weeks back, we now shift our focus to the Scottys, LaForges, Obriens, and Torreses of the game -- the Engineering captains. Players taking on this role often find themselves having a blast, literally, as they materialize their defense and medical turrets, call on their support and seeker drones, and deploy their force fields and cover shields. While there are a variety of powers that this career can utilize, I would like to showcase a few of them past the jump. Ensign, warp... actually, no; it's actually time to realign the dilithium matrix...
Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Tactical
Captain's Log, Stardate 65168.1... Hello, computer (and players)! Welcome to Captain's Log and the second installment in a three-part series focusing on the classes within Star Trek Online. After exploring some of the amazing powers available to those who roll a Science captain, we shift our focus away from support and healing this week to dive into the realm of DPS. While this realm can be filled with members of all three classes, Tactical captains, if specced correctly, take the trophy each and every time. Ever since the game launched early last year, my main toon has always been a Tactical captain. During the time I leveled up, I tested out different types of ships at each rank. While flying a science ship as a Tactical captain was fun during the early stages of leveling, I would definitely suggest flying an escort, or if you must, a cruiser, when you first make it to Rear Admiral. I am sure there are some Tacticals out there flying Science classes, but I feel that the Bridge Officer stations equipped on escorts allow the best Tactical abilities to come into play. But enough about telling you what to do -- let's move onto talking about some of the best attack powers in the game. Ensign, warp 10! It's time to help our reads unload some DPS on their next enemy...
Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Science
Captain's Log, Stardate 65150.3... Hello, computer (and players)! McCoy, Crusher, Bashir, the EMH and Phlox are all known for their amazing medical skills throughout the many series of Star Trek. While some of these Doctors were the most beloved characters in all of the franchise, Science officers seem to be a rare item in the Star Trek Online universe. Although Science is the least commonly played career, many who do venture into the field have rewarding gaming experiences due to the different sub-careers they can spec into. This week's Captain's Log introduces the first installment in a three-part series that will span the next few weeks -- each entry will focus on a different class and provide some great information that you will be able to reference the next time you roll a new character. Whether you prefer to provide support through healing, debuffs, or powerful expose attacks that leave your enemies vulnerable to vaporization, this spotlight on Science captains has something for everyone. Continue past the jump for information of some of my favorite skills for Science officers. Ensign, warp 10! Let's get those medical tricorders ready for use...
Captain's Log: Incoming messages from the devs... again
Captain's Log, Stardate 65131.6... Hello, computer (and players)! I seem to mention this all the time, but I believe it to be true: The developers working on Star Trek Online are more transparent with their work than the devs of most other games. Whether or not this transparency has been always been a good thing is debatable, though. Still, no matter what one's thoughts on this are, I think we can all agree we like to be "in the know" when it comes to new things in development. This past weekend, a select group of STO players was able to attend another Dine with the Devs event, hosted by yours truly, where transparency was taken to the next level. As I let you all know last week, the second-ever Dine with the STO Devs event coincided with some STO devs' visit to the Star Trek Las Vegas convention. Over 50 players gathered at a local Vegas restaurant to eat, drink and bombard Cryptic's developers with their most burning questions. Because 99.99% of the game's players were unable to attend, I captured the entire event on audio and would like to present you with a basic transcript of the evening's events. So make some food, grab a drink, and get ready to fire up the Holodeck for another edition of Captain's Log. Ensign, warp 10! Auxiliary power to the Holodeck matrices and brace for impact...
Star Trek Online's Dine with the Devs event details -- Vegas edition
With the Star Trek Las Vegas convention coming up this weekend, trekkers and trekkies are sewing the final buttons and putting the finishing touches on their costumes. With estimates of over 15,000 Humans, Klingons, and Romulans -- among others -- attending the event at the Rio Convention Center, there is bound to be a massive turn-out of Star Trek Online players, including a handful of Cryptic developers. Just like last month, there is a special event being planned that will bring players and devs together for an evening of fun. Priority One, the STO podcast for which I am Executive Producer, is proud to be hosting another Dine with the Devs event this Saturday evening, August 13th. While not affiliated with Massively, the casual meet-up will be within walking distance of the convention. As we dine, the devs will be answering players' questions and talking more in depth about some of the projects they have been involved with. It is important to note that each attendee's expenses are their own responsibility. For more information, including location and time, visit the event's information page.
Captain's Log: Dining with the devs
Captain's Log, Stardate 65075.4... Hello, computer (and players)! Ahhh, the good 'ol developers! You follow them on twitter, you read every one of their forum posts, and you even stalk them in-game. But you know what? Developers are just like us, a fellow human being, right? Wrong! Developers are the key to the future, the hands that create our dreams, the molders that shape our gameplay. Okay, okay -- I'm going a bit overboard, but you have to admit, they are pretty dang cool! Luckily for us Star Trek Online players, the devs that are working on the game, as well as all of the other projects in development at Cryptic, are very transparent. More often that not, they let us know what they are working on and look to the community to see what we think about particular ideas -- we truly get to help influence what makes it into the game. Aside from posting in the forums, many of them also participate with the community by guest starring on podcasts and meeting up with players when they can. As I broke the news to you all last week, I was privileged to host a Dine with the Devs event that coincided with a visit of some of the STO devs to this year's San Diego Comic-Con. While this was not associated with Massively, I figured all of you would like to know what happened and what was said. So, without further ado, it's time to recap the event and fill you all in on the super-secret meeting minutes! Ensign, warp 10! Let's boldly go where most of you were not able to go...
Captain's Log: The reverse slingshot effect
Captain's Log, Stardate 65056.3... Hello, computer (and players)! The slingshot effect is a maneuver, shown throughout the Star Trek franchise, which allowed starships to move back through the time continuum. By traveling at a high warp factor towards a star with a large gravitational pull, the ship would whip around it and time travel. While this seemed to only exist within the realms of the IP, it looks as though Star Trek Online's Executive Producer Dan Stahl took us on a reverse slingshot course, giving us a glimpse into the future of the game. Before we returned to the original timeline, he made sure to write up everything we saw along the way for those who couldn't make the trip. In layman's terms, for those of you who missed the news earlier this week, July's Engineering Report has been released. While this is a monthly publication that contains the development pipeline for STO, including some items that have been featured in past issues, there are always a few bullet points added that seem to spark a healthy amount of debate -- one of these includes the ability to auction off your in-game Emblems, a form of currency, for C-Store points that have been paid for with real money. For information on this, including a response from Cryptic's PR department, and more, read ahead past the jump for this week's Captain's Log entry. Ensign, warp 10! Let's pull a slingshot maneuver of our own...
Star Trek Online's Dine with the Devs event details
With San Diego Comic-Con right around the corner, attendees are making their final plans on what events and attractions they are going to visit in the historic city by the bay. While there is always a decent turn out of Star Trek fans, many Star Trek Online players have always hoped for a stronger presence from Cryptic. Whether it be a panel interview, a booth, or even just a casual meet-up, Captains want to connect with their developers. Well, dreams are about to come true! Priority One, the STO podcast for which I am Executive Producer, will be hosting the first ever Dine with the Devs event this Friday evening, July 22nd. While not affiliated with Massively, this casual meet-up will take place off-site at a local restaurant in the San Diego area. As we dine on the patio, the devs in attendance will be answering players' questions about the game and explaining their roles on the project. It is important to note that each attendees' expenses are their own responsibility. For more information, including location and time, visit the information page.
Star Trek Online posts the latest Engineering Report
With the launch of Season Four now behind the developers at Star Trek Online, the team is now focusing on what lies ahead for its Captains. The latest Engineering Report, a monthly forum post that is released and written by Executive Producer Dan Stahl, foreshadows some upcoming content that we will see soon™ and commits to the eradicating of bugs that recently came to life. There are even some new additions that are sure to bring some "healthy" discussions to the Cryptic forums. Between now and Season Five, we will see the introduction of the Duty Officer system, STF revamps, new gear sets, more Klingon updates, and the advancement of the Borg into Federation space. While it has been said that Season Five will most likely not be released until 2012, players can look forward to seeing major updates for fleets, a rework of how exploration works, more in-game species, and the introduction of fleet starbases. Make sure to take a look at the full report, as well as this week's upcoming Captain's Log entry, to read about these and other updates coming to a starship near you.
