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Captain's Log: June's Ask Cryptic hints at more changes for STO
It's been more than two weeks since Star Trek Online saw the implementation of the Legacy of Romulus, its first expansion. The game has seen its fair share of queues and server crashes, as well as frequent maintenance closures to address the stability problems. In the game's most recent Ask Cryptic column, Star Trek Online's Executive Producer, Daniel Stahl, addressed some of those issues, answered numerous player questions about the current state of the game, and also gave hints of what we might see in the months to come. Join me past the jump as I attempt to prognosticate on what his answers actually mean.
Stahl fields Star Trek questions, addresses downtime in latest Ask Cryptic
Star Trek Online executive producer Daniel Stahl is back to answer your questions in the latest edition of Ask Cryptic. In addition to fielding a few community queries, Stahl provides an update on what appears to have been a hectic week following the launch of the game's Legacy of Romulus expansion. While Stahl admits that there have been some rough spots when it comes to emergency downtime and queues, he says that the hubbub is ultimately a sign of STO's growth and subsequent higher profile. We did buy new hardware. We did upgrade the network. We did plan for all the new people, but sometimes bad things just happen for no good reason. We've had to replace some new hardware, rewire some networks, upgrade some firewalls, and pretty much anything else that you could think of from an infrastructure standpoint. We're sorry and we're working around the clock to whack the moles as they pop up. But in general, we've had more people in and playing the game than any previous update in STO. We're seeing record numbers of captains creating new Romulan characters. It's pretty awesome.
Captain's Log: More Romulan ships coming in Star Trek Online
Late last week, Star Trek Online community manager Brandon Felczer posted an enormous dev blog delving into the details surrounding the influx of new ships heading into the game the moment the Legacy of Romulus expansion goes live. So today I'd like to touch on these new ships and the new Legacy Pack and Starter Packs that were announced as being available for Star Trek Online!
Star Trek Online's newest Ask Cryptic takes aim at revamps and Romulans
The Romulan faction in Star Trek Online will be unique in many ways, but exactly how the addition will work within the context of the game is still unclear. That's why many of the questions in the latest edition of Ask Cryptic focus on Romulans, such as what ships they will have access to from the C-Store (all ships from a player's chosen allied faction) and how Romulans with different allies will interact (they will not be able to group together for Romulan missions but can group for cross-factional content). Other topics of discussion include the long-anticipated revamp to Exploration, which is being moved over toward encouraging the use of the Foundry to fulfill a similar niche. Klingon progression will be improved with a full leveling path, including episodes ported over and heavily tweaked from the Federation line as well as unique bits of content just for KDF characters. For the usual buffet of questions and answers you can check out the full installment on the official site.
Star Trek Online's Romulan expansion prompts special Ask Cryptic
Do you have a burning question about Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus? Get in line behind pretty much every single STO player, pal. But while your specific query may not reach the ears of top admirals, Executive Producer Daniel Stahl created a special edition of Ask Cryptic devoted to answering the most common questions out there. So what's included with the Romulan faction? Stahl says that there are three races (one free, one unlockable or purchasable, and one for subscribers only), adding, "The Romulan Republic was created from the ground up as a complete new faction. They have their own backstory, their own exclusive missions and episode series, exclusive costumes, faction-exclusive social hub, unique playable species, a full ship progression line from level 1 to 50, unique HUD UI, and more." While Romulans will be an independent faction, Stahl explained that these captains will choose to ally with either the Federation or Klingons for the purposes of storylines, PvP, and starbases.
Ask Cryptic and ye shall receive -- Champions Online answers, that is
At the end of February, Champions Online posted an "Ask Cryptic" thread, inviting players to query devs about anything on their minds. And plenty did, filling 14 pages with burning questions such as will past events like Nighthawk ever return, can we get vehicle vs. vehicle battlegrounds, and have you tried bacon jerky? Producer Tom Edwards and the Champion's dev team answered these -- yes, good idea, and "Why would you do this to me?" respectively -- along with many others. Although not all questions could be individually addressed, Edwards touched on as many as possible. Want to hear about land vehicles (yes, they are coming), adjusted lockbox drop rates, or the plans for a story arc throughout 2013? Then check out the full answer session on the official site.
February's Star Trek Online Ask Cryptic is all about May
Star Trek Online players have questions, and Cryptic Studios has answers. The latest installment of Ask Cryptic for the month of February mostly gives the same answer to several questions, however, and that answer is May. More specifically, it's something contained in the May update, which some fans are speculating will include a playable Romulan faction. Producer Dan Stahl does not come out and say as much, but he does agree that previously issued hints strongly suggest Romulans and that the design team is holding back iconic Romulan ships for a playable faction in the future. Beyond those updates, players can look forward to seeing a revamped and streamlined character creation process in May, as well as an overhaul to the game's existing trait system for characters. New equipment that allows for a socketing system is also en route. And there may well be a new tribble to unlock, if you like having a sentient furball sticking around. For more answers covering topics such as ship appearance, ship weapons, and Earth-based pets, read through the full list of answers.
Captain's Log: Our Star Trek Online year in review plus a look ahead
As I took the time to really go over the past 12 months in Star Trek Online, I began to realize just how much the game had changed between this time last year and now. While some people will never be pleased, I can't say I'm one of those people. I'm utterly delighted by most of the changes in the game and am looking forward to the expansion of the reputation system into 2013. With that said, however, there are improvements that Star Trek Online still needs if it wants to quell some of the harshest (and sometimes deserved) critiques. Join me as I finish up my year in review and then touch on some of Executive Producer Daniel Stahl's answers to player questions in this month's Ask Cryptic post.
Star Trek Online transmits plans for next two seasons, mid-year event
Executive Producer Dan Stahl is hardly shy in tackling the myriad Ask Cryptic questions, and today's Star Trek Online queries proved to be no different for him. While there was a hodge-podge of questions from players, it seemed as though the focus for many was on the future of the game and Season 8 in specific. Stahl said that Season 8 is due in the first half of the year, possibly in May, although there will be some content arriving this month for the three-year anniversary of the game. He promises that Klingons will "get some love" in Season 8 and hints at the vast wealth of additions coming with the update: "[It] will focus on adding new missions and storyline to the game in the form of a new adventure zone, new episodes, and another big feature, which is yet to be revealed." Following Season 8, Cryptic will then roll out a mid-year event and Season 9. The mid-year event was compared to the game's current winter event, with the possibility of taking place on Risa. Stahl is quite pumped for the year in general: "Season 8 and Season 9 are both going to be BIG releases. I'm very much looking forward to them because they represent the first big releases we will have been able to do with the increase to our live team staff."
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's PvP community steps up
Three weeks away from home and any legitimate connection to the internet can certainly make one feel a bit disjointed. However, I've discovered it can actually be a bit more disconcerting trying to reintegrate into the previous patterns that existed before the break was taken. When I left on my vacation, I seriously anticipated that very little news about Star Trek Online would occur. I expected the news about the 2012 Winter Event to come out, sure, but what I didn't expect was all of the other little bits of news that seemed to blindside me when I got back last week. Join me while I go over a few of the more interesting tidbits -- from the grassroots effort to reinvigorate PvP in Star Trek Online to the changes made to Foundry rewards.
December's Ask Cryptic covers Season 8 and the third anniversary of Star Trek Online
In the latest Ask Cryptic for December, Executive Producer Dan Stahl answers a mountain of questions about Star Trek Online's upcoming third anniversary, Season 8, and more. Is a customizable UI in the works? Will the Adorian ship come later than January? Is the Voyager bundle coming in Season 8? What's the one thing Stahl would add to the game if it were up to him (wait, it's not?)? These questions and many more are all answered in this month's Q&A. If you'd like to see your own question be considered for a future Ask Cryptic, keep an eye on the forum board "Federation News Network" for the monthly thread.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online tweaks Season Seven
It's been just over two weeks since Season Seven went live in Star Trek Online, and a lot of tweaks to the new reputation systems have already been implemented. Because of what seems to be low turn-out on the Tribble test servers, the team placed its focus on major performance bug squashing and decided to wait to make changes to the system mechanics until after it could get more solid data from the players on the live (Holodeck) server. Once that information was received, the changes were fast and furious. Star Trek Online's Executive Producer, Daniel Stahl, released two blog posts over the course of the last week, outlining not only the alterations to the Season Seven material but also answers players questions in the November Ask Cryptic. Join me as I go over a few of the changes!
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online potpourri
It's that time again, folks -- the time when we peruse the little tidbits of news and gossip circulating around Star Trek Online! This month, let's highlight info posted to the October 2012 Ask Cryptic blog, plus new goodies about the upcoming reputation system coming in STO's Season Seven and a few little items pertaining to Season Eight and beyond.
Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online
This week saw the release of a new State of the Game blog from Star Trek Online Executive Producer Daniel Stahl. Much of what he said gave players hope for the future of Star Trek Online, including remarks that the game is "thriving at a time when many MMOs have kicked or are about to kick the bucket." The blog also featured some additional comments about the future of the game and how the company planning for 2013 and beyond. Join me as I discuss his blog post and the poll results that were generated over the past couple of weeks. I'll also take a look at the future of the game, the expanding STO team, The Foundry, and the Klingon Empire.
Star Trek Online September Ask Cryptic on future content and cosmetic updates
It's the start of a new month, and that means a new Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online. Executive Producer Daniel Stahl answers a wide array of player questions for this month, with questions that range from a timeframe on new KDF content (Season 8 at the earliest) to whether or not the game will do something to commemorate series creator Gene Roddenberry (on the table with the 1000 day veteran rewards coming shortly). Stahl also addresses the reason that the game's featured episodes vanished for a while. He explains that the team was too short-handed for a long time to develop multiple systems and updates in parallel. As the base behind Star Trek Online has expanded, the developers have moved toward having a more robust and multi-tiered development strategy once again. Players interested in the game can find all these answers and more in the full article.
Star Trek Online hasn't given up on PvP
Star Trek Online has had issues with PvP since launch, and with the departure of the developer earmarked for improving PvP, many players had probably given up hope. However, the most recent edition of Ask Cryptic reassures players that PvP development has not stopped. The team behind the game is focusing on giving PvP a lot of additional testing to ensure that it's fun, largely because it's been such a classic weakness within the game. Obviously, that's not the only question answered in the monthly Q&A session; the update also covers the pace of adding story content to the game, plans for new ships, and KDF content as a whole. There's also an interesting response to a question about Star Trek Online's conversion to free-to-play; executive producer Dan Stahl asserts that the game certainly could have survived as a subscription game, but moving to free-to-play was more productive in the current MMO marketplace. There's a lot to digest in the answers, so fans of the game would be well-served to examine the full list in detail.
Star Trek Online gets a new installment of Ask Cryptic
If you're looking forward to more Fleet options in Star Trek Online, you're in luck, as the newest installment of Ask Cryptic makes it clear that Fleet Starbases will be getting more love in the near future. There are plans for more PvP options, plans for more projects in the base, and plans for more fleet-specifics ships. Despite all of that, the fleet projects can be completed by almost anyone with dedication: producer Dan Stahl says you should still be able to unlock your rewards even if you have a fleet consisting of just yourself and your alts. This particular installment also focuses on other long-awaited features such as the addition of Cardassians as an official species, something that's still on the table even with the Cardassian lockbox ships. Stahl makes it clear that the team would like to allow players to switch the species of their captains if desired, although there isn't a precise timetable on that feature. That's in addition to more discussion of a future inclusion of poker, new item sets, and other future improvements to the universe of Star Trek Online.
Star Trek Online's June Ask Cryptic discusses fleet advancement, Foundry rewards
Hope you're settled in, Star Trek Online players, because the June Ask Cryptic is quite a read. As you might expect, a good many of the questions revolve around the upcoming fleet advancement system slated for release in Season Six. Dan Stahl takes the opportunity to provide a bit of insight into the specifics of the fleet base system, which will allow fleets to create their own base-of-operations. He also reveals that the studio is working on implementing a system of rewards for completing player-made Foundry content. The studio's "temporary solution" to this is to feature Foundation content in the mission journal. Stahl says that "this will allow [Cryptic] to attach premium rewards to specific player-made content that is being featured." All this and more is on display in this month's Ask Cryptic, so for the full skinny, head on over that way and give it a read.
Star Trek Online posts Ask Cryptic answers for each day of May
Converting a game from a subscription model is hard work. That's the theme throughout the latest installment of Star Trek Online's regular Ask Cryptic feature: The reason that the game has gone for so long without major batches of new content is that the team has been wholly focused on switching models. But there's more coming to the game in the near future, starting with the major Season 6 patch hitting the test server soon. The coming patch will feature new ground and space missions similar to STFs without being quite the same sort of content. The update will also feature a new Fleet Advancement system, which will give player groups a chance to improve themselves and acquire new bonuses. Star Trek Online players will be well-served by taking a look at the full list of answers, which go into further detail about upcoming systems and planned additions for the next patch and beyond.
Newest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online takes a look at the road ahead
There's a great big galaxy out there in Star Trek Online, so much so that some things occasionally fall through the cracks. The latest installment of Ask Cryptic focuses on a few of these elements, like the Andorian ship and the addition of a playable Romulan faction. Neither of these elements is on the table for immediate inclusion, but both are in the pipe for future updates; the former is planned for sometime the next year, while the Romulans are on the more distant horizon. Not everything comes down to a simple "not right now," however. The KDF, for instance, is slated to continue receiving new updates and additional features to bring the faction more in line with the Federation's content level. The development team is also hard at work trying to allow older ships to be retrofitted into higher-level content, letting players take classic designs into modern engagements. It's certainly not a question of whether the development team has a plan or not, just a matter of how soon all of these fabled upgrades will be implemented.
