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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.
Star Trek Online's free-to-play starships prepare to leave spacedock
As Star Trek Online's free-to-play final frontier approaches, the Cryptic team is fast at work trying to strike the right balance between the standard-issue starships that come with the game and the C-Store options available for purchase. In a new dev blog, Executive Producer Stephen D'Angelo says that each rank of gameplay is being shuffled around to offer a regular and premium starship for each class. Because not every tier had enough for six starships, Cryptic is adding a number of spiffy C-Store versions for Federation players, including the new Exeter cruiser, the Sao Paulo escort, and the Bellerophon science vessel. The Klingon Defense Force is receiving a similar restructuring, with new ships like the Norgh Refit and Orion Dacoit Flight Deck Cruiser making their way into the store. D'Angelo admits that C-Store starships are slightly stronger and carry a special piece of gear that can be transferred from ship to ship as the player levels up. D'Angelo also stresses that any C-Store starships are purchased for an entire account, not a single character. Cryptic is also planning to re-instate the free starship token at Lt. Commander and Commander ranks for everyone.
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...
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.
Cryptic explains Star Trek Online's quick turnaround time
Star Trek Online fans have occasionally wondered whether Cryptic Studios felt pressured to rush the game toward its February 2010 launch date. Recent comments by new executive producer Stephen D'Angelo indicate that the company was under the gun due to a pre-existing licensing agreement between the Star Trek IP owners (CBS) and Perpetual Entertainment (STO's original developer). D'Angelo states that Cryptic acquired the license from Perpetual and had to abide by the original agreement in order to keep it. That meant that the new dev team had approximately two years to crank out an ambitious sci-fi MMO based on one of world's most beloved IPs (and featuring one of the world's most notoriously obsessive fan bases). The comments come during the course of a video interview on the STOked podcast, which you can watch after the break. [Thanks to The Grand Nagus for the tip!]
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...
Dan Stahl leaving Cryptic, Star Trek Online
Cryptic executive producer Dan Stahl has vacated the Star Trek Online captain's chair, according to a brief farewell message posted on the title's official website. Details on the departure are slim, with Stahl telling fans that he has "chosen to move on in my career and pursue new challenges." The resignation is the latest development in what has been an eventful summer for STO faithful, as Cryptic Studios was acquired by Perfect World Entertainment and Star Trek Online was subsequently slated to receive the free-to-play treatment. Stahl goes on to say that he will be answering questions prior to his end-of-the-month beam out, and he indicates that STO will be in good hands thanks to the leadership of former lead programmer and current Cryptic CTO Stephen D'Angelo. Look for more insight into this move in this Thursday's Captain's Log column.
